190: Are you serious?

Zhou Tangsi hadn't expected Shen Lian to be so fierce. Catching the chilling frost in the other's eyes, he blurted out, "Because of Chu Yilan?"

"Don't flatter yourself," Shen Lian said coldly. "You're not worthy of being compared to Chu Yilan. Even without him, I wouldn't spare you a second glance. I'll say it again: the Shen Lian who loved you died long ago."

Long after Shen Lian had left, Zhou Tangsi remained standing there with his head bowed.

The "death" Shen Lian spoke of was literal, but to Zhou Tangsi's ears, it meant that after a heart full of sincerity had been betrayed, there was no more love left.

The man took a shallow breath. A massive wave of negative emotions swallowed his mind; in just one surge, Zhou Tangsi lost the strength to move.

It wasn't just because of this. His life was spiraling out of control. The sudden appearance of Zhou Tangru—the illegitimate son he looked down on most—who could now compete with him, and Zheng Ge, whose face was becoming increasingly distorted... At first, Zhou Tangsi thought it was just stress, but as he dug deeper, he was horrified to discover that this was simply Zheng Ge's true nature.

With both his career and love life meeting their Waterloo, his "poor judgment" was a harsh wake-up call.

Zhou Tangsi also needed a piece of driftwood to cling to. In his mind, the "Shen Lian" who once loved him so much was now "dead," and it was his own doing.

Shen Lian hadn't guessed wrong; the imagination of people like this was the greatest form of self-torture.

In any case, Zhou Tangsi shouldn't expect an easy time.

Shen Lian returned to Chu Yilan's side. The man whispered, "What took you so long?"

"I was listening to Zhou Tangsi talk about his dreams," Shen Lian replied.

Chu Yilan's face darkened instantly.

Shen Lian patted the back of Chu Yilan's hand. "This isn't the right place. We'll talk when we get back."

If it weren't for Feng Chunsheng's birthday banquet today, Zhou Tangsi wouldn't be walking out of here upright.

After leaving the tea room, Chu Yilan couldn't wait until they got back. He was extremely concerned about why Zhou Tangsi had approached Shen Lian.

Shen Lian didn't hide anything.

When he heard the part about Shen Lian dying in a rented room, Chu Yilan stopped abruptly. "What?"

What Chu Yilan cared about most now was Shen Lian's health. It was one thing for Zhou Tangsi to use an excuse to get close, but he dared to say such unlucky things?

"Calm down, calm down," Shen Lian chuckled. "I'm going to live a long life."

Chu Yilan pulled Shen Lian into his arms, avoiding a flustered servant, and didn't continue the topic.

The birthday banquet lasted until the end of dinner. Old Master Feng's stamina couldn't keep up, so he went upstairs to rest in the afternoon. The remaining time was mostly for social networking among the elite families.

Zhou Tangru had drunk quite a bit, but he had gained a lot. He sat on a chair by the fountain; not far away, elegantly dressed guests mingled, and the music was graceful.

So what if he was an illegitimate son? The ambition in Zhou Tangru's eyes suddenly became highly aggressive. Was it his choice to come into this world? He was also of the Zhou Family's blood. Since his mother passed away, he had been drifting, needing loans for school, living on fifty yuan a week, and barely daring to eat a whole bun at once. Zhou Tangsi looked down on him and insulted his mother; he would show Zhou Tangsi who would truly be in charge of the Zhou Family in the future.

And Old Madam Zhou wasn't any better. She had known of his existence years ago. Back then, Zhou Tangsi was her precious darling, so she naturally looked down on him, wishing she could keep him hidden in the gutter so his identity would never see the light of day. Only when she saw that Zhou Tangsi was useless did she start calling him "dear grandson" and "a member of the Zhou Family" to bring him back.

The hypocrisy of these people should shatter along with their dreams amidst this swaying music and revelry.

Zhou Tangru had been observing Shen Lian for a long time, but after several attempts at testing him, he finally determined that Shen Lian was not an enemy, but he wouldn't become an ally either.

The little star wasn't just for show. When Shen Lian grabbed Zhou Tangsi by the throat at noon, he was as fierce as a wolf. Not to mention, he always had Chu Yilan standing behind him. He was someone not to be trifled with, so he wouldn't.

*

A few days after the banquet ended, Shen Lian learned from Ning Sixian that Zhou Tangsi had gone to a bar to drink his sorrows away last night. When he came out, he was beaten—and in a very humiliating way: he was stuffed into a sack and thrown into a trash can.

Zhou Tangsi finally managed to crawl out, dizzy and disoriented, only to be robbed by some thugs.

The man stumbled after them and ran headfirst into a utility pole. By this morning, he had become the laughingstock of their social circle. It seemed Old Madam Zhou would have to delegate more power to Zhou Tangru again.

"Is it really that exciting?" Shen Lian thought. Then Zhou Tangru basically won by doing nothing. He hadn't done a thing, and Zhou Tangsi had sabotaged himself.

"Huh?" Shen Lian asked curiously. "You know so many details."

Ning Sixian said nonchalantly, "Oh, I heard it from someone. I'm just a bit sentimental. After all, Yilan, Yue Shan, and I have also done the whole 'stuff someone in a sack and beat them' thing before."

Shen Lian: "?"

Wait, why did Chu Yilan go out last night?

Right, the man said he was meeting an investor. But who had enough face to make Chu Yilan go meet them in person after dark?

It seemed Assistant Sun hadn't come with the car either.

Shen Lian: "Ning Sixian..."

Ning Sixian: "I don't know anything, okay!"

Shen Lian: "..." You wanted to sell out your brother so badly, yet you beat around the bush with me for so long?

After hanging up, Shen Lian felt it was a bit absurd. Chu Yilan put Zhou Tangsi in a sack?

It shouldn't be... With one order from Chu Yilan, never mind a trash can, Nie Sheng could have stuffed him into the sewer.

But putting himself in those shoes, if Sun Binghe asked him to go bury Zheng Ge... Holy crap! He would definitely be there in person in a heartbeat!

How could hiring someone to do the beating be as satisfying as using your own fists? One punch to the flesh, and most of the resentment would dissipate.

Fine, Teacher Shen was deeply gratified that Master Chu could do such childish things.

At dinner, Shen Lian couldn't help but steal a few more glances at Chu Yilan.

Chu Yilan usually wasn't afraid of these looks; if Shen Lian's gaze made him itch, he could settle it after dinner. But right now, he felt a bit uneasy. "What is it?"

"Nothing," Shen Lian chuckled. "I just think you're cute."

Chu Yilan: "..."

In the past, Chu Yilan wouldn't have touched such a thing. But once a person is tainted by the mundane world, many thoughts change. Last night, Feng Yueshan called, saying he saw Zhou Tangsi at a bar. He was just passing by but heard him call out "Shen Lian's" name. He felt like fleas were crawling on him—it was utterly disgusting. He wanted to stuff him in a sack and give him a thrashing.

Chu Yilan didn't hesitate. "Wait for me."

Feng Yueshan: "Huh??? Are you serious?!"

"I'll find an excuse to get out."

Feng Yueshan: "Then your brother will definitely prepare a urea sack dipped in manure for you!"

"Stop being disgusting!"

After beating Zhou Tangsi personally, the turbid air in Chu Yilan's chest dissipated a bit.

As expected, he could change anything, except for tolerating others having even the slightest thought about Shen Lian.

Shen Lian woke up and drew the curtains, only to find the outside covered in a layer of silver. The world was a faint, hazy white. The first snow had paid a brief visit, scattering with the cold wind.

Chu Yilan opened his eyes to find the space beside him empty. He vaguely heard movement outside. The floor heating had been turned on a few days ago, making it very comfortable. He walked to the window barefoot and saw Shen Lian laboriously rolling a small snowball—no, a small ice ball—and accurately pelting it at Chu Zhumi's forehead.