Xu Linshen’s face grew cold, his expression like still water, a hint of a grim aura between his brows. “He considered you a friend, and you treat him like this?”
Ye Jingyun looked at him, his knuckles turning white from the pressure of his grip. A sardonic smile played on his lips. “I simply told him the truth, and he couldn’t bear it. Whose fault is that?”
“And speaking of him ending up like this, you’re the one who truly played a significant role. Don’t act like a love expert in front of me now. Back when you deliberately provoked him by keeping a little lover on the side, who was the one who pressured you into doing so?”
Before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted almost immediately.
“Have you said enough?” Xu Linshen’s brow twitched, and he spoke abruptly, his tone icy and harsh. “Say one more word, and tomorrow there will be one more copy of this document, delivered directly to the media.”
This statement tore through the fragile surface like ripping apart a thin veil, revealing the ugly calculations and scheming underneath. It was as if even pretense and disguise were scorned.
Ye Jingyun’s heart was left with nothing but a cold smile. He knew that if Xu Linshen could forge this document once, he could do it again. Suppressing him was never an issue for Xu Linshen.
But he had had enough of this over the years. Why was it that both were fathered by the same man, yet Xu Linshen was born as the apple of the eye while he was treated like an inconspicuous rat in the gutter? From childhood to adulthood, he couldn’t even be acknowledged by his own father.
Fortunately, fate had its way. The major fire left him permanently disabled. And now, since Xu Linshen wanted to completely tear off the facade, Ye Jingyun was determined not to let him off easily either.
“Is there anything I said that’s not true?” Ye Jingyun smiled indifferently, “But don’t worry, I’ve already told him in painstaking detail about how you saved him and stood by him that day. He won’t just not blame you, he’ll also hate himself for misunderstanding you. He’ll live with guilt towards you for the rest of his life. Isn’t that wonderful?”
“Even if you had kept a lover like Le Huo, or even a hundred of them, he wouldn’t be able to blame you, would he? So think about it, who wouldn’t break down in such a situation?”
Xu Linshen’s breath started to become rapid. He gripped the armrest of his chair so tightly that his knuckles were almost breaking through the skin. His teeth clenched tightly, and he said, “Get out!”
The feeling of vindication overwhelmed Ye Jingyun as he slowly straightened up, savoring the sight of Xu Linshen’s agonized expression. He couldn’t even describe the satisfaction he felt.
After standing there for a while longer, he coldly chuckled, picked up the documents from the desk, and walked out of the study with firm steps.
Xu Linshen slumped back in his chair, his mind in turmoil, unable to even gather his thoughts properly.
Who forced you to keep a lover like that back then? And why bother pretending to be a romantic expert in front of me now?
He had originally thought that resolving the misunderstanding would be enough, but he hadn’t anticipated that over the past year, the damage caused by this misunderstanding to Zhong Yu had deepened month by month. The scars had become ingrained, impossible to easily erase.
But what must have devastated him the most were the hurtful words he had spoken to Zhong Yu, right? He remembered exactly what he had said to him back then.
“Even if you were talking about a ‘friend with benefits’ before, you only have the privilege of answering when I call, do you understand?”
Now, just recalling it, he could almost feel the despair that Zhong Yu must have felt upon hearing those words.
A year of agonizing struggle should have been enough to drive a person to the brink, yet in the end, he realized that it was all due to an absurd and ridiculous misunderstanding…
Suddenly, Xu Linshen bent over, coughing violently as if his insides were being twisted together. A strong taste of blood spread from his tongue, permeating his entire mouth.
Ye Jingyun was right—Zhong Yu had turned into this state because of him. It was he who had cruelly and heartlessly pushed Zhong Yu step by step to this point…
—
The next day, Xu Linshen returned to the hospital. Chu Yan had already finished his breakfast and was leaning on a chair by the window in the hospital room, gazing absentmindedly outside.
Observing Zhong Yu in this posture, Xu Linshen noticed his thin and isolated figure, emanating an indescribable sense of loneliness.
Suddenly, he felt how absurd his concept of love had been. He had used his love as an excuse, continually hurting Zhong Yu… Now, upon reflection, he found it laughable and incredibly hypocritical.
Seemingly completely unaware of anyone’s presence, Zhong Yu had been sitting by the window for a while until Xu Linshen approached him, and he finally seemed to react.
“What are you thinking about? Why are you so lost in thought?” Xu Linshen held his hand and redirected his attention.
Zhong Yu lowered his head, hesitated for a moment, and then, in a subdued tone, he began, “I’m thinking… about my high school days.”
Xu Linshen was somewhat surprised, as Zhong Yu had never mentioned his past to him, nor had he ever brought up his family. All Xu Lingshen knew was that Zhong Yu had stopped his education after finishing high school.
Chu Yan slowly crouched down in front of him, placing his hands on his knees. He lowered his head and spoke with a somewhat saddened tone, “My mom’s health has been poor since I started junior high. My dad’s income isn’t high, so our family has always been struggling financially… Their relationship wasn’t great either. In my sophomore year of high school, my dad couldn’t bear the burden of my mom’s medical expenses, her constant complaints, and her bad temper. After a big fight, they got divorced… Later, he got involved with another woman, and soon they had a child…”
Xu Linshen’s actions halted, his throat moved slightly, and he found himself at a loss for words to console him. Just listening to these things made one feel the darkness of it all, not to mention actually experiencing it.
Chu Yan fell silent for a moment before resting his head on Xu Linshen’s knee. His voice choked lightly as he said, “I feel so sad… but they didn’t do anything wrong…”
Xu Linshen couldn’t fathom how deeply one person could empathize with another’s pain. He only felt as if his heart was soaked in bitter tears, causing a dull ache in his chest.
“Zhong Yu…” Xu Linshen held him in his arms, lowering his head to kiss his hair. He offered intermittent comfort, “It’s all in the past now. They were not wrong, and our Yu Yu did nothing wrong either, not a bit. It’s all in the past…”
After spending a few days in the hospital receiving fluids, the doctors suggested that Chu Yan could be discharged. After all, they believed that the hospital’s environment was too cold and not suitable for patients to recover.
Individuals with sensitive and tender-hearted souls, like those with depression, require warmth and care in a comforting environment for the fastest healing.
Even Feng Dingyao, who is usually straightforward in her speech, softened when she called Chu Yan.
As for Xu Linshen, he seemed to be haunted by the memory of Chu Yan’s wrist-cutting incident. He gathered all the knives in the house, making it impossible even to find one for slicing an apple.
System 2333 flipped through the script of this world and read it several times: [Host, are the things about your parents true? Why is it so different from what’s written in the script?]
Chu Yan tilted his head slightly, his expression tinged with melancholy as he took a sip of orange juice from the table: [It’s fictional.]
In reality, such a tragic childhood is reserved only for protagonists. As a cannon fodder character, Chu Yan’s lack of university education could only be attributed to poor grades and not passing the entrance exams.
Otherwise, how could he fit into the brainless vase role in the entertainment industry?
Regarding his work, during the period when Chu Yan was hospitalized, the TV series “Thunderstruck” had already concluded. Even though he didn’t attend any events, discussions and buzz about him online showed no sign of waning.
The character of Second Young Master Su sparked an unbelievably high level of online discussions.
This character managed to resonate with people of all ages, covering the young, middle-aged, and elderly demographics. The character itself was well-developed, and Chu Yan’s acting brought the character to life in such a way that it felt like he was truly “alive.” He had flesh, bones, muscles, and a soul, as if he had always belonged to that era. Chu Yan’s performance allowed the audience to experience the character’s short yet tumultuous life alongside him in the series.
The right timing, favorable circumstances, and the right people all contributed to the soaring popularity of this character.
News began to spread online that this year’s TV series “Thunderstruck” was likely to sweep major television awards. Some even speculated that the Best Actor awards at the Magnolia Awards and the Hundred Flowers Awards might very well be won by one of the three male leads from “Thunderstruck.”
Among them, the character with the highest popularity and buzz was undoubtedly Zhong Yu. This was particularly evident in the case of the Hundred Flowers Awards for Most Beloved Male Actor, which had always been determined through online voting. Unlike previous years, where the competition was fierce, Zhong Yu was leading by a wide margin, with tens of thousands more votes than the second-place contestant, making the outcome almost certain.
Several other internet celebrities who were once on par with Zhong Yu in the entertainment industry were now struggling in their thirties, mainly confined to historical fantasy and urban idol dramas. They occasionally starred in low-budget campus romance or comedy films, generating some buzz upon release but fading into obscurity shortly after.
Zhong Yu, on the other hand, stood out. His remarkable performance in this highly popular series set him apart from those internet celebrities. His acting not only impressed the audience but also firmly differentiated him from other internet celebrities.
After the announcement of the White Magnolia Award nominations, another trending topic immediately shot up on Weibo.
It was just a candid street photo of a passerby, but due to Zhong Yu’s recent low profile and the lack of any updates about him online, this sudden trend quickly captured the public’s attention.
In the photo, the person is seated by the window of a Western-style restaurant, wearing a simple white shirt paired with jeans. With broad shoulders and long legs, he was half-leaning on the sofa, engrossed in his phone. His fair skin and distinct facial features exuded an aura of a male god that seemed ready to break through the screen!
The comments below were all a string of praise and admiration, with many netizens even playing with the references from “Thunderstruck” easily taking the first place on Weibo’s trending list.
—Why has Zhong Zhong lost so much weight? Heard he’s been sick recently, I hope it’s not true. [Worried]
—Look at that slim waist and those legs that can’t even fit on the screen. He hasn’t been active lately. Who knows how many times I’ve re-watched Su Ershao’s cut from ‘’Thunderstruck’’ 5555
Originally just a simple trending topic for fans to adore his appearance, the subsequent two photos that followed stirred up the gossip-loving netizens’ excitement.
Around an hour after the topic trended, a Weibo account known for spreading entertainment gossip, Entertainment Vanguard, reposted the Weibo of Zhong Yu playing with his phone in the restaurant, but this time with two additional photos.
The location was still the same Western-style restaurant, but the new photos startlingly included another person—Xu Linshen, the CEO of Jiaxin Group. He was wearing a dark suit, his well-proportioned figure emanating charm, and his gentle gaze was fixed on Zhong Yu, seated across from him. The other photo captured Xu Linshen personally serving Zhong Yu food, his face beaming with a smile that even the poor image quality couldn’t hide.
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