165: Extra (2) Sheng Xufeng

Spring passed and autumn came; another three years had gone by.

Ever since that pair of "true and fake young masters" from the Yan Family got married, and after the Zhao family—once one of the Four Great Families—fell from grace, there hadn't been any explosive news in their social circle for a long time.

Just as everyone was getting used to this ripple-less life, the second son of the Sheng Family, who had joined the army three years ago, suddenly dropped a bombshell on the circle.

It was the season of rustling autumn winds. In the Sheng Family living room, several people looked at each other in a remarkably quiet scene.

Sheng Xulin's gaze swept over the two people sitting upright opposite him several times. He sighed and took the lead in breaking the awkward atmosphere for everyone.

"Xu Feng, this person is..."

"This is my boyfriend, Lin Fang. Big Brother should have heard of him, right?"

Sheng Xulin gave a dry laugh and nodded. "I've heard of him, I've heard of him."

The living room fell silent again, seemingly becoming even more awkward.

Having failed his first attempt, Sheng Xulin instantly lost the courage to continue the topic.

Fortunately, a second later, the family's maid emerged from the kitchen like a lifesaver and spoke to them, "Sir, Madam, dinner is ready."

Sheng Xulin stood up immediately. "Dad, Mom, why don't we go to the dining room first? We can talk while we eat!"

"Ah, right, right... it's getting late, let's eat first!" Sheng Qiao, who had been dazed for a long time, finally snapped out of it and greeted Lin Fang stumbling over his words.

Lin Fang cooperatively stood up and followed Sheng Qiao and Sheng Xulin into the dining room, while Zhang Shibi and Sheng Xufeng lagged behind.

"What is wrong with you?" Zhang Shibi grabbed Sheng Xufeng's arm, her voice low but anxious. "Why did you suddenly bring a boyfriend home?"

Sheng Xufeng wore a cheeky grin. "Mom! Didn't you think I was unreliable and couldn't achieve anything? Look, I've brought home the most promising deputy under Brother Zhuoyang. With him taking care of me, you won't have to worry about me being left alone in the future."

"Hiss, what nonsense are you talking? How could you be left alone? Do you think your big brother and your parents are just for show?" Zhang Shibi reached up and pinched Sheng Xufeng's ear.

"Ow, ow! Mom, don't pinch my ear..."

Sheng Xufeng lowered his head and bent over to ease the pain in his ear, but his cries of pain had clearly attracted the attention of the people ahead.

"Auntie?" Lin Fang turned around and met his boyfriend's pleading gaze. He spoke tentatively, turning back to try and rescue the grimacing Sheng Xufeng.

"Oh, it's nothing! Nothing!" Zhang Shibi quickly withdrew her hand and pushed Sheng Xufeng into Lin Fang's arms, pretending nothing had happened. "Go eat!"

With that, she fled into the dining room without looking back. Behind her, Sheng Qiao and Sheng Xulin looked at the two still holding each other, remained silent for a moment, then also turned and left.

Sheng Xufeng and Lin Fang, still standing there in an embrace: "..."

—

That evening, in the club owned by Sheng Xufeng, a group of multi-generational wealthy heirs had gathered together for a rare reunion.

As soon as Yan Zhuohua entered, he shook off his dear husband's hand and ran over to Sheng Xufeng.

"Hey! I heard you took Lin Fang home at noon?"

"Mm-hmm!"

"To meet the parents?"

Sheng Xufeng poured himself a glass of wine. "That's right!"

"You really got Lin Fang? You're not lying to me, are you?" Yan Zhuohua snatched the wine glass from Sheng Xufeng's hand, took a sip, and leaned closer to him curiously. "Did your family really agree?"

"Of course! During lunch, my mom even asked when we'd have the wedding!" Sheng Xufeng didn't mind his wine being snatched. Having successfully introduced his boyfriend to his parents at noon, he was in high spirits, so he patiently poured himself another glass. "See how much I value our friendship? I just met the parents at noon and brought him to see you guys tonight."

Yan Zhuohua finished half the glass and smacked his lips. "I still don't believe it. How did you get your hands on a cold and ruthless Great Demon King like Lin Fang?"

"Who's cold and ruthless? My Fang-ge is cold on the outside but warm on the inside; he's very loving."

Yan Zhuohua's eyes were full of doubt.

"Don't be so skeptical!" Sheng Xufeng got anxious and immediately set down his glass to argue his point with Yan Zhuohua. "You don't know, when I first entered the Military Camp—the time I sold you out, remember that?"

Yan Zhuohua thought hard for a moment before nodding in realization. "Of course I remember! I was punished with kneeling for so long because you sold me out!"

"...That's not the point!" Sheng Xufeng's eyes flickered awkwardly. "That night, I was given extra training as revenge for you, and he comforted me."

"?"

"Hey, don't look like that. That day, I was so tired I really couldn't move..."

—

Flashing back to that night. Sheng Xufeng was so exhausted he truly couldn't go on, lying motionless in the mud and water.

"Get up." Lin Fang kicked the Sheng Xufeng who was playing dead.

"Cough, cough cough..." Sheng Xufeng coughed up a mouthful of dirt, looking so heart-wrenchingly miserable it seemed he might breathe his last at any second.

Seeing this, Lin Fang let out a cold laugh. The belt in his hand struck Sheng Xufeng's back with a "snap," causing him to jump up instantly as if experiencing a final surge of life.

"You..." Sheng Xufeng's anger flared. "Aren't you afraid of killing me!"

So he's stopped faking it? Lin Fang chuckled inwardly, unhurriedly coiling the belt around his hand. "Rest assured, whatever else we may lack here, our first-aid capabilities are top-notch. We are especially good at resuscitating people who drop dead suddenly."

Ah... Sheng Xufeng swallowed hard, feeling that playing dead was no longer effective. Then, he plopped down into the mud and started wailing at the top of his lungs.

"Argh! Why... why do I have to train so much more than everyone else! This is unfair... Someone is abusing their power for personal gain! Pocketing public funds! Settling personal vendettas!"

Lin Fang was stunned by his shamelessness and laughed out of pure irritation. "Shut up right now! If your vocabulary is that bad, don't go throwing idioms around!"

"I won't!" Sheng Xufeng refused firmly and then howled even louder.

People on night training and patrols nearby were already starting to approach, drawn by the noise. Lin Fang took a deep breath and massaged his throbbing temples; he couldn't afford to be this embarrassed.

"Shut up. I'll let you rest for twenty minutes."

Sheng Xufeng knew when to quit while he was ahead and immediately shut his mouth.

It was nearly summer, and the night breeze was not too cold. In the training ground, one sat while the other stood; the surroundings were very quiet. But in less than a minute, Sheng Xufeng couldn't sit still.

His eyes darted around. "Just sitting here is too boring. Lin Fang, chat with me for a bit."

"If you're not tired, we can continue right now."

"...Help! Someone— mmm—"

Lin Fang decisively crouched down and covered Sheng Xufeng's mouth. "Shut up! I'll chat with you!" He had no choice; Lin Fang had never seen such a rogue soldier. He really couldn't afford such a massive embarrassment.

Sheng Xufeng squinted and nodded, full of smugness after getting his way.

Since he had agreed to chat, Lin Fang simply picked a clean spot and sat down.

"Go ahead, what do you want to talk about?"

"Let's talk about why the two of us are sitting here chatting right now."

"..." Lin Fang's hand itched; he really wanted to give Sheng Xufeng a taste of the belt. "Because someone is testing the limits of my temper."

Ah... Sheng Xufeng wisely became much better behaved.

"Then I'll start. I'm here because I want to prove to everyone that I'm not a useless waste who can't do anything."

Lin Fang turned to look at this seemingly frivolous young master in surprise. Entirely unlike his usual sunny and cheerful self, he was looking up at the starry sky, seemingly surrounded by a faint trace of melancholy. He didn't notice Lin Fang's gaze and simply continued sharing his story.

Sheng Xufeng's story wasn't long. Soon, he calmly finished telling the tale from his high school days.

"...And that's it. After that incident, almost no one believed in me anymore."

Another night breeze passed, carrying away his imperceptible sigh.

Perhaps the atmosphere was just right, as even Lin Fang's heart softened for a moment. He patted Sheng Xufeng's shoulder. "I didn't expect that there were such sad and difficult things in your life."

"Are you comforting me?" Sheng Xufeng suddenly turned his head to look at Lin Fang.

After all, this was now a soldier under his command, and Lin Fang paid close attention to their psychological states. He gave a gentle smile, preparing to offer a few simple words of comfort to encourage him.

But Sheng Xufeng didn't give him the chance.

"Why are you comforting me? I'm a wealthy young master. I have both parents, a protective older brother, a harmonious family, and good health. I have endless money to spend without having to work. Currently, the greatest misfortune in my life was encountering a White Lotus and then having a fight with my family. With such a peaceful and wonderful life, what do I have to be sad about?"

Lin Fang: "..."

Lin Fang: "Get lost and get up to continue training! Immediately!"