Whether it was men or women, kissing seemed pretty much the same.
This was Chu Yunhan’s only thought. He was leaning on the leather sofa, staring at the strange scenery outside the floor-to-ceiling window in a daze. This was Sheng the fifth’s residence in K City. It was a small villa with a private courtyard and was very clean. Sheng the fifth promised him that in another week, he would take him back to J city after he had settled his affairs. J City was the Sheng family’s territory; once there, he would finally be completely free.
He had not been to J City many times, and he had only been left with a fragmented impression that the air quality was not very good and was a bit dry, the food tasted a bit strong, and the girl was pretty.
If he had to stay there for the rest of his life… As he thought of this, he was a little irritated. The remote control in his hand kept changing channels, but he didn’t know what to watch, so he finally threw it aside. He called Jiahui and was relieved to hear that his mother had been taken back to Zhou’s home. Although his grandfather had already retired from politics, his connections and authority remained intact. Having his mother stay with the Zhou family was much more reassuring for him than leaving her in Chu Yichen’s hands.
“Yunhan ge, what’s going on between you and Yichen ge? Can you tell me now?”
“I had a fight with him… things got tense, so I want to get away for a bit. Don’t look for me; when I’ve figured things out, I’ll come back on my own.” He really didn’t have the face to admit that he had set a trap to deceive Chu Yichen, so he could only be vague about it, “Take good care of my mom for me, spend time with her when you can, and remind her to take her medication on time. Tell her I’m busy and can’t come back for the time being.”
“Okay, I got it.” Jiahui was a little sad, “You don’t have to worry about Auntie. But you and Yichen ge, can’t you have a good talk? It would be good if you both could compromise a little. You two were so close when you were kids; how did it come to this?”
Chu Yunhan had no way to answer. Perhaps that was just how life was—one wrong step led to another, and once a rift formed in a relationship, it became nearly impossible to mend. After he hung up the phone, he lay back on the bed, pulling a pillow over his head in frustration.
A rift was a rift, after all, and Chu Yichen didn’t regard him with any importance anyway. Living with nothing? Ha, he refused to give that person the satisfaction.
Sheng the fifth was really busy these days, leaving early and coming back late. Knowing that Chu Yunhan wouldn’t be able to accept it for a while, he didn’t rush to do anything. He slept next to Chu Yunhan every night, occasionally cuddling and kissing. Chu Yunhan used to hold girls like this, but now, as he was in the girl position himself, he found everything awkward. But he could only force himself to adapt. He heard that there was no sign of anyone from the Chu family, so he couldn’t help but curse in his heart, thinking that Chu Yichen probably wished he would just disappear and stay far away.
After four days of peaceful life, Sheng Ming called at noon and said he would pick him up later to have dinner with him. Chu Yunhan felt bored staying in the house, so he naturally agreed. He was in the living room when the door opened, “I’ve changed my clothes, where are we going tonight…” Before he could finish his words, he was held down by several strong men who rushed in and dragged him into a Mercedes-Benz.
“Who sent you here? Where is Sheng Ming?” Chu Yunhan, who was sandwiched between the two people in the back seat, was very uneasy.
No one responded.
He asked again, “Where are you taking me?”
Still no one responded.
No matter who these people were, they must had no good intentions in picking him up in this way. Chu Yunhan was worried and suddenly reached out to grab the gun from the waist of the man next to him, but another man pressed the gun against his back. At this time, the person in the front seat said coldly, “We are just following orders and don’t want to hurt anyone. Please don’t embarrass us, Young Master Yun.”
Chu Yunhan knew he couldn’t escape, so he reluctantly sat back down, feeling anxious. When he saw the familiar scenery on the roadside and the Chinese-style buildings getting closer and closer, he lowered his head in despair. Accompanying him back was Bai Xiao, who must have suffered a lot and was covered in injuries.
Hei Yu, who came to greet them at the door, bowed and said, “Young Master Yun, Young Master and the guests are waiting for you inside.” After that, he added in a low voice, “The Young Master said that you should judge for yourself what should be said and what shouldn’t.”
Chu Yunhan smiled bitterly. He originally thought that the Sheng family was so powerful that even if Chu Yichen found out his whereabouts, he would not be able to do anything to him under the protection of the Sheng family or that the two sides would go back and forth to give him a chance to escape. Who would have expected Chu Yichen to have the ability to have the Sheng family take the initiative to deliver the goods to his door in just a few days?
His legs felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead. As he stepped into the main hall and looked around, his gaze fell on Sheng Ming, who was standing there. At that moment, Sheng Ming’s gaze was fixed on him as well. Their gazes met, revealing mutual reluctance and desolation. Sheng the Fifth, who had long desired him and thought he could finally fulfil his wish, now felt deeply frustrated as he found himself powerless to keep him by his side. On the other hand, Chu Yunhan saw Sheng the Fifth as a lifeline, only to have that lifeline snap and find himself dragged back into captivity, feeling regretful. Their exchanged looks were like those of a pair of estranged lovers.
“Chu Yunhan.” A voice sounded, interrupting the silent exchange between the two. Chu Yunhan’s eyes followed the sound, and he shuddered when he bumped into the man sitting on the mahogany scholar’s chair. In Chu Yichen’s eyes seemed to lie an impending snowstorm; merely meeting his gaze made one feel an unbearable, bone-chilling cold.
This time, he was afraid he was really going to die.
Seeing his expression, Chu Yunhan sighed in his heart.
Besides Chu Yichen, there were two other people sitting in the main hall. One had slightly gray hair and a beard, about sixty years old. There was also a very young man, only in his twenties, wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses and looking gentle and elegant. At this moment, he stood up, walked towards her, stretched out his hand, and said, “This must be Yunhan. I’m Shen Mo. Nice to meet you.”
Chu Yunhan had never seen this person before and shook hands with some confusion.
“Is your head hurt?” the young man asked, looking at the bruises on his forehead.
“A bump. It’s not serious.”
“That’s good.” He smiled. This man looked fair and handsome, and his smile seemed to have a spring breeze blowing on it, which makes people feel very comfortable. He turned around and said, “Uncle Sheng, Yichen, since everyone has returned safely, this matter can be considered resolved for now. Next, we should sit down calmly and discuss things. I will mediate between you two. What do you both think?”
Chu Yunhan was a little surprised. A young man announced that he would be the mediator between the Sheng family and the Chu family and seemed determined to convince both parties. Where did this calm confidence come from? While he was standing, Chu Yichen and Sheng Weiyong also stood up, which showed that this person’s identity was extraordinary.
“With the Young Third Master as the mediator, this Yichen naturally has no objections.” the man said slowly.
“Naturally, this Sheng has no objection either. My son’s actions have disturbed Elder Shen and troubled the Third Master. I am truly embarrassed. Whatever punishment or apology is deemed necessary, I will fully comply without any objections.”, Sheng Weiyong’s attitude was very cooperative.
“Uncle Sheng, it is true that Fifth Brother was at fault from the beginning. Even if there were some minor grievances, it was never justified to block the road, kidnap someone, and cause injury. If someone were to treat the Sheng family brothers this way, you surely wouldn’t let it go either. So it’s understandable that Yichen was angry and ordered your warehouse to be lit, wouldn’t you agree?”
Chu Yunhan was startled. This guy Chu Yichen actually set fire to the family’s warehouse?
“The Young Third Master is right,” Sheng Weiyong said sternly, “I have been negligent in disciplining him; this kid has become accustomed to the lawlessness and has done such a thing; it’s really a shame for me.” After saying that, he shouted angrily behind him, “You little bastard, why don’t you get over here and apologise properly?!”
Sheng Ming frowned and walked slowly to Chu Yunhan, looking slightly apologetic, “I should apologise to you. This time, it was my lack of foresight.” He paused and said, “You don’t need to say anything; this is all my fault. I admit it. I’m sorry.”
His words carried a hidden meaning, concealing his true thoughts between the lines.
Chu Yunhan understood. The ‘lack of foresight’ mentioned by Sheng the Fifth referred to not taking him away in time, and the phrase ‘no need to say anything’ was to make him keep silent and let him bear the responsibility of the matter. It was as if it was really just the fifth son of the Sheng family who was so audacious that he kidnapped the eldest young master of the Chu family.
But this was clearly not the case. He was just the one he turned to for help, a passing bard. Even if he took advantage of the situation and made a request to him, it was a fair transaction and there was nothing to blame. The tenderness in Sheng the Fifth’s eyes made him feel guilty and he wanted to speak. When he caught a glimpse of Chu Yichen’s expression out of the corner of his eye, his heart trembled.
That look was telling him to shut up.
What would happen if he told the truth? How could he explain being held in confinement? Bringing up his involvement in Grey Wolf’s rebellion would do no good for him or the Chu family. What’s more, Chu Yichen also set fire to the Sheng family’s warehouse. That man took action without leaving any room, and the Sheng family was estimated to have suffered heavy losses. Sheng Weiyong thought his son had made a mistake and robbed him, so he didn’t care. If he revealed that he asked the fifth for help at this time, the Sheng family would definitely not give up and would only intensify the conflict. At this point, it was impossible for the Sheng family to take him in, so it was pointless to say anything.
Chu Yunhan’s lips moved, but in the end he didn’t say anything. He looked at Sheng the fifth with gratitude in his eyes and gave a slight ‘hmm’ as a response.
Shen Mo coughed lightly and spoke again, “Yichen, Uncle Sheng, and the Fifth Brother have both apologised, so it’s time for you to cool down as well. Your two families are like the old man’s right-hand men; if things get out of hand, it won’t look good for anyone, and it would be a disgrace to his reputation. He’s sent me here to ease the tension and hopes that both of you will consider the old man’s face and take a step back. The person is back safely, and the goods, well, if they’re burnt, they’re burnt—let’s just take this as a way to get to know each other’s boundaries better. In the future, there will be times when the two families need to cooperate, so don’t let this affect your relationship. Let this matter pass and be forgotten, okay?”
These words were said in a flawless and impartial manner, and Elder Shen was even brought up to give pressure. Chu Yichen took the lead and said to Sheng Weiyong, “Chairman Sheng, burning down the warehouse was a rash decision on my part, and I hope you can be magnanimous and not take it to heart. As for the losses, I’m willing to compensate at full value.”
“No need.” Sheng Weiyong waved his hand with the demeanour of a true leader, “Just like Young Third Master said, what’s burned is burned. After all, this matter was Sheng Ming’s fault. I hope Chairman Chu can forgive us.”
The handshake and reconciliation brought satisfaction to all. The grand drama had come to an end.
Chu Yunhan stood in the middle, suddenly feeling a sense of emptiness. These people seemed like illusory backgrounds, with no real connection to him. He felt like a speck of dust, floating in this bleak world with no place to return to.
Chu Yichen saw off the Sheng family and Shen Mo, then looked at Chu Yunhan. After a moment of silence, he instructed his bodyguards, “Take him to my room.”
Notes:
Just how selfish this guy can be? We’ll never know…
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