189: In the dream, you died.

Standing behind Old Madam Zhou were not only Zhou Tangsi but also Zhou Tangru.

Everyone was well aware of Zhou Tangru's identity, so the scene was somewhat provocative.

If Shen Lian were Zhou Tangsi, he wouldn't have come today, but since he did, it showed he had lost his composure; he was now desperately trying to cling to things he once disdained.

Old Madam Zhou gave Old Master Feng a slight smile, looking as if she very much wanted to vent her grievances.

Unlike Zhou Tangsi, who was barely maintaining a facade of decency, Zhou Tangru was perfectly at ease; he seemed oblivious to the judgmental looks as he stepped forward to say a few words to Old Madam Zhou. After she nodded, he respectfully withdrew to expand his social network.

"Those who achieve great things don't sweat the small stuff," Shen Lian marveled.

"Grandpa Feng, this is Shen Lian." Chu Yilan led Shen Lian forward, showing his favoritism without the slightest concealment.

Shen Lian spoke up, "Hello, Grandpa Feng."

Having lived to Feng Chunsheng's age and held high positions, he could see through many things at a glance. His first impression of Shen Lian was that he was refreshing, without too many impurities.

For such a person, a sincere heart was rare.

No wonder Yilan likes him, Feng Chunsheng thought; with a temperament like his, he needed someone pure.

"Hello there." Feng Chunsheng greeted Shen Lian with a smile. Out of affection for Chu Yilan, he added, "In a bit, have Yilan accompany you upstairs to my collection room to pick something you like. Consider it a meeting gift from me, your elder."

This offer was impossible for Shen Lian to refuse. "Then, thank you very much."

Old Madam Zhou was also quietly observing Shen Lian. Like Feng Chunsheng, her first impression was quite good. Such outstandingly beautiful looks were rare, and Old Madam Zhou also knew that Shen Lian had once liked Zhou Tangsi.

Then Zhou Tangsi had dumped him and chosen Zheng Ge.

Thinking of this, Old Madam Zhou's heart, which had been feeling slightly better, began to ache again.

Zhou Tangsi was someone she had personally raised and educated. Logically, his taste shouldn't have been this poor... If he had chosen Shen Lian, even if there was a gap in status, it would have been acceptable. Thinking of this, Old Madam Zhou couldn't help but look at Shen Lian again. In the next second, Chu Yilan stepped to the side, blocking her view.

Old Madam Zhou: "..."

Feng Chunsheng coughed twice. "Come, let's go to the tea room."

While Chu Yilan accompanied them for tea, Shen Lian brewed it on the side. The young man's knuckles were well-defined, and his fingertips were as translucent as jade; even his casual movements over the brown tea tray were extremely pleasing to the eye.

"Have you studied this?" Feng Chunsheng asked.

Shen Lian replied modestly, "I've studied it a bit."

The more Old Madam Zhou watched, the more stifled she felt.

Chu Yilan and Feng Chunsheng talked about the past, about the Ming Family and Old Master Ming. Shen Lian sat aside and listened for a while. Even though he had never met him, he could tell from the brief mentions what an elegant and cheerful person he must have been.

"Where are you going?" As soon as Shen Lian moved, Chu Yilan pressed down on his wrist and turned to look.

"The restroom," Shen Lian whispered. "I'll be quick."

Chu Yilan gave an "mm" and watched Shen Lian leave before finally withdrawing his gaze.

This was a subconscious action, and it was all witnessed by Feng Chunsheng.

Such deep affection.

Shen Lian took the opportunity to get some fresh air. Elderly people were sensitive to the cold, so the temperature in the tea room was quite high; staying there for too long felt somewhat stuffy.

Footsteps sounded behind him. Shen Lian didn't think much of it until the person suddenly stopped, seemingly not far from him.

Shen Lian turned around.

Zhou Tangsi's expression was a bit strange. At least, Shen Lian felt that with a brain like his—which functioned like a single-celled organism once stripped of the protagonist's halo—he couldn't process much.

But at this moment, a thick, sorrowful emotion was slowly flowing in the depths of Zhou Tangsi's eyes. Meeting Shen Lian's gaze, he gave a small smile, but his mouth immediately turned downward, making him look utterly defeated. After a brief silence, Zhou Tangsi said hoarsely, "Shen Lian, lately, I've been having a recurring dream."

"Mm." Shen Lian nodded. "You have a dream."

"No!" Zhou Tangsi's tone was slightly urgent, and in an instant, his eyes began to redden. "In the dream, you died..."

Shen Lian's brow twitched.

"I also dreamed..." Zhou Tangsi's fists clenched at his sides, as if it were extremely difficult to speak, but he still said, "I also dreamed that on the night I met Zheng Ge, the person who sent me back to my room and took care of me so earnestly was you."

In the dream, everything was swaying and distorted, like a water mirror. The originally flirtatious and dim lighting suddenly took on a hint of sadness. Zhou Tangsi saw the person by the bed gazing at him for a long time, their affection melting into their gaze—it was hard to ignore.

He saw that it was Shen Lian, not Zheng Ge.

On the first night, Zhou Tangsi comforted himself that it was just a dream. But along with this dream came many details he had previously ignored—for instance, Shen Lian's helpless and bleak smile when he was being toyed with; for instance, the way Shen Lian's emotions gradually became hollow when asked to give up resources; for instance, how the "thousands of words" in Shen Lian's eyes eventually turned into silence.

Looking back, Shen Lian clearly wasn't the "vain and greedy" person he had thought he was.

Shen Lian hadn't expected that besides dreaming of the original plot, Zhou Tangsi could even gain a God's-eye view.

Otherwise, in that later segment, since he was so drunk, he would have just been fooled like a pig by Zheng Ge.

"It's just a dream. Does it have any meaning?" Shen Lian said indifferently.

"It has meaning!" The thickness in Zhou Tangsi's eyes suddenly boiled over. He took two steps forward in a hurry, then stopped under Shen Lian's sharp warning. "Shen Lian, I always feel like that wasn't a dream! Because it was too real, as if I had actually experienced it. Tell me the truth, was it really you that night?"

Shen Lian didn't hesitate. "Yes."

How badly had the Original Host been bullied by Zhou Tangsi? Shen Lian didn't believe in the "forgive and forget" nonsense. He had held sharp blades for years and loved carving wounds into the hearts of people like Zhou Tangsi. He wanted it to be bloody and felt firsthand; otherwise, what did the Original Host's years of suffering count for? What did that ending count for?

Seeing Zhou Tangsi's eyes light up, Shen Lian sneered, "And then?"

"Oh, so you'll sleep with whoever sends you back to your room that night? Not to be blunt, but even when looking for a gigolo, one has to consider if they're pleasing to the eye. People say love at first sight is nonsense, but you're even more ridiculous than that."

Zhou Tangsi was stunned. "No, I didn't know that night either. It was like I was possessed as soon as I saw Zheng Ge."

Oh right, the protagonist gong and shou. But Shen Lian didn't care; even if he was controlled by the plot, what was done was done.

"If there's nothing else, I'm leaving. Enjoy your dreams." Shen Lian couldn't be bothered to say more to him.

"Don't... don't go..." Zhou Tangsi murmured. Lately, his heart would ache whenever he thought of these things. During these days without seeing Zheng Ge, his heart felt calm and peaceful. Zhou Tangsi didn't know when the person he loved most had become so unrecognizable. In comparison, Shen Lian's former deep affection was like a forgotten treasure; having seen the light it once flashed, Zhou Tangsi found it hard to let go. In a moment of heat-headedness, he reached out to grab Shen Lian's arm. "Don't go, Shen Lian! I can explain! I won't let you stay in a rental house alone..."

*Bang!*

At the same time Shen Lian slapped away Zhou Tangsi's arm, he lunged with a lightning-fast grip, pinning the man directly against the adjacent wall.

"Are you looking for death?" Shen Lian's expression was calm, but his strength was terrifying. "I won't die no matter where I stay. Shut your mouth. Believe it or not, the Shen Lian who loved you died long ago. I'm sick of the sight of you!"