In the bustling pedestrian street, young men and women dressed in stylish outfits weaved through the crowd in groups of three to five. Among the flowing masses, one thin figure stood out, looking distinctly out of place.
Since reclaiming his previous job, He Dong’s life had become slightly more bearable. However, the wealthy patrons these days did not favor his type; even though he earned a bit of pocket money, it was not enough to support his household. To secure a foothold in the capital, he had no choice but to lock his sights on Yun Deng, the only son of the chairman of the COSN Jewelry Group.
For the past half-month, he had been digging for information on the young man. Upon learning that Yun Deng had sold his original villa, He Dong even used his connections to track down his current whereabouts.
Hard work paid off; the afternoon before last, he finally caught a distant glimpse of Yun Deng. However, there was a man standing beside him. From He Dong’s perspective at the time, the two were standing under a streetlamp, talking intimately. Even though he did not actually like Yun Deng, he felt an inexplicable sense of displeasure. He had nearly rushed forward to pull them apart right then and there.
Even now, He Dong could not quite distinguish why he had been so agitated and angry that night. At this moment, he was heading toward a certain café. After asking around, he discovered that the man beside Yun Deng went to this café every Friday to work.
The café was tucked away in a secluded spot where two roads intersected. The entrance was completely obscured by two towering pine trees; standing across the street, one would not even realize a shop existed there.
He Dong hesitated at the entrance for a moment. Just by looking at the storefront, he knew the drinks inside would not be cheap. He currently had less than a hundred yuan on him, which he needed to save for food and transportation over the next two days. After peering through the window and confirming the person he was looking for was not inside, he finally walked away.
Shortly after He Dong left, Lin Yanxu emerged from the stairwell inside the café. Trailing behind him was a “little tail” clutching his hem. The clerk behind the register immediately signaled the staff behind the counter to prepare two iced Americanos and bring them over.
A laptop and several books sat on a table near the window. A light breeze drifted in, causing the pages of a book to flip automatically with a soft rustling sound.
Reaching the seats, Lin Yanxu turned to look at Yun Deng and said with a hint of helplessness, “Still not letting go?”
The school had a half-day off today due to a holiday schedule adjustment. From the moment they stepped out of the school gates in the afternoon, Yun Deng had been stuck to his side, following him wherever he went.
“Well, then I will sit opposite you.”
Hearing this, Yun Deng reluctantly let go of the other man’s clothes. The spot he had been gripping for so long was now slightly wrinkled. After sitting down, Yun Deng could not stay idle; he casually picked up a textbook from the table. Flipping to a random page, he encountered his high school nightmare: The Song of the Pipa Player.
The pages were filled with notes, the handwriting elegant and flowing, much like the man himself. Yun Deng flipped back to the first page, intending to read from the beginning to kill time. For the past week, as long as Lin Yanxu was free, Yun Deng had been clinging to him constantly. Any expensive gifts he tried to send had been returned to him untouched.
Once the waiter brought the coffee and desserts, Yun Deng found a new distraction. This café’s mousse cake and cream Swiss rolls were exceptionally delicious, and the prices were even a bit cheaper than similar shops.
Yun Deng scooped up a bite of cake with a small spoon and held it out to Lin Yanxu, saying with a bright smile, “Have a taste?”
As expected, he was politely declined.
After refusing, Lin Yanxu looked up at Yun Deng’s expression. Seeing the pout and the look of disappointment, he knew exactly what the boy was about to say next.
“Don’t call me ‘Brother’.” “Brother, you don’t hate me, do you?”
The two voices rang out simultaneously in the quiet space.
Yun Deng let out a disdainful huff before eating the bite himself. However, fearing stomach discomfort, he did not dare eat much; he soon pushed the tempting cake away after only a few bites. Left with nothing to do, he resorted to staring at Lin Yanxu.
The other man was fully immersed in his work, not sparing him even half a glance. Yet, the more Yun Deng looked, the more he liked what he saw. He propped his chin in his hands, elbows on the table, and stared intensely at Lin Yanxu.
Time slipped away. The afternoon felt like it had barely begun when evening approached. After leaving the café, the two strolled down the street together. At this hour, the horizon was piled with orange-yellow clouds. The beauty of the sunset drew many pedestrians to stop and take photos.
“Brother, look at me.”
Hearing Yun Deng call him, Lin Yanxu turned around as requested. He was met with the sight of Yun Deng holding up his phone and rapidly snapping a photo.
Having succeeded in his scheme, Yun Deng was in an excellent mood. He scrolled through the burst of photos in his album and said it was nothing. The atmosphere between them was extremely ambiguous. Lin Yanxu did not reject his closeness; it was more like a silent acceptance and compromise.
If he had not remembered that he had not successfully confessed yet, Yun Deng would have almost felt like they were already together. He marveled once again at the fact that persistence really does pay off.
Yun Deng followed him into the underground garage of a nearby mall. When they arrived earlier, he had specifically asked where the car was parked, calculating that he could spend a little more time together before leaving.
The parking lot was full of vehicles. In the evening, many people came to the adjacent gymnasium and Children’s Palace to start their night activities. Lin Yanxu pressed his car key, and a light flashed in the dim environment.
Yun Deng was walking ahead, still wondering what he should say to set up the next meeting. Today had felt far too short. But when he saw exactly what kind of car the other man was driving, all his thoughts vanished, replaced by confusion.
“Brother, do you not drive a Honda? Is this car yours?”
Seeing him frozen in place, Lin Yanxu walked over and briefly explained the events of the previous night. Upon hearing that the Honda did not actually belong to Lin Yanxu, Yun Deng nearly died of heartbreak over the money he had spent on it. It had all gone straight into the pocket of the Academic Affairs Director.
He could not let the matter go long after Lin Yanxu had driven away. After wandering around to find his own car and sitting in the driver’s seat, he hurriedly opened his messages to find Xia Shisheng. Because he was so agitated, he mistyped several words, deleting and editing frantically before finally hitting send.
Mianmian Rain: That handsome guy drives a Rolls-Royce. It is not a Honda. Mianmian Rain: How is everyone so rich? This is impossible to chase. Mianmian Rain: I bought a ton of car accessories and stocked them at my Jingshan house. I even commissioned a peace charm with a car embroidered on the back. That is Suzhou embroidery!
He was not sure if Xia Shisheng had returned home from his date with his girlfriend yet. After waiting a minute or two without a reply, Yun Deng drove away.
Lately, he had been bothering Lin Yanxu every day, even if it was just a single message on WeChat. Their relationship was progressing, but not by much. On the other hand, Xia Shisheng had returned from a trip with his girlfriend and had become much more irritable; he was often seen sitting in the living room in the middle of the night, coaxing her in a humble manner.
Having bought dinner beforehand, Yun Deng returned to the apartment only to smell a strong scent of alcohol coming from the living room. However, the room was empty.
Entering the house, Yun Deng immediately ran to the balcony to look down. He called out a few names in the living room, and getting no response, he grew anxious, fearing something had happened. Just as he was about to head out to look for him, he bumped right into a grim-faced Xia Shisheng.
Xia Shisheng walked in without a word and sat heavily on the sofa. He then ran his hands through his hair in frustration, looking like someone who wanted to vent but could not find a way.
After talking to him, Yun Deng learned that he had been cheated on by his girlfriend and was currently feeling miserable. He thought it was some major crisis, but it turned out to be just this.
Xia Shisheng was naturally flirtatious and came from a wealthy family; in this circle, he was known as the type who played as hard as he looked. But he had developed genuine feelings for this current one, and he was hurting badly, wanting nothing more than to strike back.
Yun Deng truly wondered if Xia Shisheng had drowned his brain in alcohol. As he sat on the sofa frantically brainstorming a revenge plan, he finally came up with the idea of finding a girl to play his pursuer, making his girlfriend think he was not just a simple “simp.”
“So, here is the problem: where are you going to find a beautiful girl?”
“Qiqi? Miaomiao? Or maybe Shuangshuang, whom you met at the golf course last month?”
Xia Shisheng thought about it and felt none of them were suitable. After scanning his mental list of acquaintances, he remembered someone who could help.
In the Gemini Towers, a live-streamed sales event was taking place in Song Shuya’s studio. She had several newly signed influencers under her to share the workload, with a 60/40 split of the profits.
Yun Deng and Xia Shisheng stayed in the lounge for a long time before Song Shuya finished her stream. She pushed the door open, wearing a shimmering wine-red fishtail dress. Paired with her vibrant hair accessories and waist-length waves, she looked even more enchanting and glamorous.
“How is it? Does it taste good? These were all sent by advertisers,” Song Shuya asked, seeing Yun Deng eating the snacks she had prepared.
Yun Deng nodded and said they were pretty good.
Once Song Shuya was seated, Yun Deng explained the reason for their visit on Xia Shisheng’s behalf, recounting the whole story from beginning to end. As Yun Deng spoke, Xia Shisheng, who had been lying nearby, sobered up a bit. He grabbed Song Shuya’s hand and said seriously, “Be my pursuer for a day.”
“I think your brain really is clouded by love. Asking me to be your pursuer? Only you could come up with that.” Song Shuya pushed Xia Shisheng away and stared at him coldly with her arms crossed.
“Why not? Are we not friends?”
The moment those words left Xia Shisheng’s mouth, Song Shuya swung a nearby throw pillow at him. He did not even know what he had said wrong before he was mysteriously beaten.
“Don’t forget I am your older cousin. We are blood-related. I cannot do any of the intimate actions in your ridiculous plan.”
Hearing this, Xia Shisheng finally remembered that he and Song Shuya were cousins. Because they usually interacted as friends, he had almost forgotten. His brain was truly failing to function at this point.
Suddenly, he thought of another person nearby he could use.
Sitting to the side eating bread, Yun Deng suddenly felt a burning gaze fixed on him, sending a shiver down his spine. He looked up to find Xia Shisheng staring at him with a fawning expression. The next second, Xia Shisheng sat down beside him and began massaging his shoulders with both hands.
This moves startled Yun Deng so much he nearly choked on his bite of bread.
What does this have to do with me?