As Shen Muchuan entered the hospital room, Chu Yan was already awake. He was standing by the window, gazing outside with a distant look, lost in thought.
Sunlight streamed through the clear glass window, leaving warm patches on the wooden floor and creating an indescribable sense of warmth and cleanliness in the room.
Approaching, Shen Muchuan’s gaze remained fixed on Chu Yan, his expression both complex and sorrowful. He spoke softly, “Why didn’t you tell me… that you had a car accident five years ago?”
If it was because of the accident and he had no choice, then the situation was entirely different.
His gaze was faint, as if he truly didn’t care. Shen Muchuan gave a bitter smile and asked with a touch of bitterness, “Do you really think it wasn’t necessary?”
Chu Yan fell silent for a moment, then slowly said, “Taking something that doesn’t belong to you should come with a price. And now, you have taken back the company. In a way, I can say that I am free from burdens as well.”
Shen Muchuan gazed at him with a complex expression, opened his mouth, and asked with difficulty, “Since you think this way now, then why did you act like that back then?”
Could it be that I hold no value in your heart compared to those intangible things?
If that’s the case, then why did you transfer all the shares into my account after you left? Could it really be just because of a guilty conscience?
“I want to ask you, have you always been hating me? Disliking me?” Shen Muchuan had always wanted to know what kind of existence he truly had in Chu Yan’s heart.
Did their years together really mean nothing to the other person? Was it all just a performance, a mere exploitation of him?
Chu Yan looked at him steadily for a while, then sighed and spoke in a slightly absent-minded manner, “Why would I dislike you, let alone hate you…”
Hearing these words, Shen Muchuan lifted his head in bewilderment; his throat tightened, and for a moment, he didn’t know what to say.
Was it just that you didn’t dislike me, just that you didn’t hate me… Is that all there is?
As he realized this, his heart gradually sank, and he finally smiled bitterly, “So have you ever regretted it? After what you did, in these past five years, was there a moment of regret?”
Why did you choose to do it that way? I loved you so much… I was willing to give everything for you, and yet we ended up hurting each other like this…
In the face of my uncertain fate, did you ever regret it?
Chu Yan didn’t answer his question, instead, he gazed gently out of the window and said, “Regretting something you’ve done is impossible.”
His voice was soft, so low that it seemed only he could hear it. At this point, Chu Yan turned to look at Shen Muchuan. His gaze seemed to stir, and he hesitated to speak. He moved his lips, but in the end, he didn’t say anything. After a while, he sighed wearily.
Shen Muchuan had been watching him all along, feeling extremely uncomfortable. He lowered his head and managed a forced smile, “Now, even sparing me your perfunctory answers, huh?”
Chu Yan remained silent.
Not regretting it? Although this answer had long been within his expectations, hearing it directly from Chu Yan’s mouth still brought about an ache that pierced Shen Muchuan’s heart.
But it made sense, didn’t it? He shouldn’t have expected anything different.
Perhaps Chu Yan’s kindness toward him in the past was merely to make his life in the Shen family a bit easier. Initially, there was nothing wrong with this approach; after all, when his parents adopted him, their intentions weren’t pure either, and they didn’t treat him particularly well…
However, even if he could find reasons for everything Chu Yan had done, what did it matter? His brother had hardly ever cared about his feelings…
—
Chu Yan spent almost a week in the hospital, and during that time, he didn’t see anyone except for that brief encounter with Shen Muchuan on the morning they met.
On the day of his discharge, there wasn’t much for him to pack. When he was transferred from the prison to the hospital, he didn’t have the opportunity to prepare much luggage. Shen Muchuan had prepared some things for him, but apart from that, he didn’t bring much with him.
However, Shen Muchuan never appeared during this time. Instead, he sent one of his subordinates to see him off. This subordinate placed the luggage in the car, returned his ID and phone to him, and also included a card and a key.
The key was for the old mansion of the Shen family. This property was actually within the range that was sealed, so it seemed that he was returning it to Shen Muchuan.
His message was quite clear—hhe wouldn’t be confined anymore. He could go wherever he wanted.
Holding the key to the old mansion, Chu Yan sighed. He thought to himself that the seaside villa was still better.
After a flight of nearly four hours, when he returned to City B, Chu Yan received a call from Shen Muchuan, asking why he hadn’t returned to the Shen family.
“Thank you, but we don’t have any relationship left now. It’s probably better if we don’t stay in touch in the future.”
There was silence on the other end for about half a minute, and even through the phone, he could feel the sudden pause in his breath.
Chu Yan waited for a moment, and when he didn’t hear Shen Muchuan speak, he simply hung up the phone.
Inside the wallet Shen Muchuan returned to him, there was a sum of money—his own cash from before—not much, about five to six hundred.
Chu Yan used this money to rent a room, roughly organize his belongings and the room, then go to a nearby internet cafe to create a resume and submit it to several job search platforms.
[Master, there’s a whole billion in your card! We can still go stay in the seaside villa, QAQ.]
[…] This money was originally his just two months ago, and now it all belongs to someone else.
Chu Yan didn’t understand why an AI system like his could still have his own preferences, and such preferences couldn’t be spoiled.
[…]
Chu Yan’s personal resume was very impressive, with a top-ten global university degree from C University and a wealth of work experience. Finding a job should have been straightforward, but due to his criminal record, most companies were reluctant to hire him.
Moreover, the reasons for rejection were almost always the same: “Your academic background and work experience are exceptionally impressive. It would be an underutilization of your talents in our smaller company. We believe you will have better opportunities for development elsewhere.”
Chu Yan faced continuous rejections while submitting his resume everywhere. He couldn’t find a suitable job, often leaving early in the morning and returning very late at night, which was quite strenuous for someone who had just been discharged after suffering from pneumonia.
However, a company that he had sent his resume to finally called back, inviting him for an interview the next day. It was an import-export company looking for someone with language skills and business knowledge to help them organize and respond to emails.
The interview that day went exceptionally well, and at its conclusion, the interviewer informed him that he could start working the next day if he was available.
The company he interviewed for wasn’t large, and the department he joined had only a small team of five or six people, mostly young men and women in their mid-twenties.
Interestingly, Chu Yan’s appearance also appeared very youthful, and his colleagues saw him as an exceptionally good-looking newcomer. He handled his tasks flawlessly during his first week of work, making no mistakes. He was polite and amiable, but the only downside was that he seemed a bit distant and aloof. Colleagues would often exclude him from after-work gatherings, as they somehow felt that he belonged to a different world.
This routine continued for about two months, time passing swiftly and unnoticed.
In recent days, the company has taken on a relatively large project, resulting in an increased workload for their department. They found themselves working long hours consecutively for several days, often finishing around nine in the evening.
The subway station was a bit of a distance from where he lived, and even though it was June, the weather had lost its earlier oppressive heat, with a gentle breeze filling the night air.
On his way back home, after stopping by a nearby supermarket to purchase some daily necessities, Chu Yan walked in the darkness towards the building where his apartment was located.
However, as he arrived at the entrance of his building, Chu Yan unexpectedly saw Shen Muchuan waiting there. In contrast to his own formal attire right after work, Shen Muchuan’s outfit appeared very casual and comfortable.
Chu Yan looked surprised, while Shen Muchuan felt his heartbeat quicken for a moment. Even though he had been keeping tabs on Chu Yan’s news every day for the past month, standing face to face like this was something they hadn’t done in a long time.
He had refrained from appearing because he wasn’t sure if he could control the impulses in his heart or whether he could avoid hurting the one person he least wanted to hurt, even though that person had once hurt him without mercy…
Thinking about this, he couldn’t help but let out a bitter chuckle, finding his own thoughts quite absurd. What on earth was he even doing, acting like this?
Seeing him standing there in silence, Chu Yan had no patience to spare. He simply bypassed him and headed towards the entrance.
Shen Muchuan called out to him, “Gege.”
As Chu Yan stopped and turned around to look at him, Shen Muchuan opened the passenger door and took out an invitation card from inside.
With the dim light downstairs and only a few street lamps casting a warm golden glow, Shen Muchuan silently curved his lips and said, “Gege, my engagement banquet next month… I hope you can come. After all, in this world, you are my only family.”
His gaze was fixed on Chu Yan, as if he hoped to discern any difference in his expression beyond indifference. However, he was utterly disappointed.
Chu Yan hesitated for a moment as he looked at the invitation card in Shen Muchuan’s hand. He didn’t reach out to take it; instead, he smiled faintly and said, “Well, let me offer my congratulations in advance. However, I believe I made it clear in our previous phone call that we no longer have any relationship.”
With each word the other said, Shen Muchuan’s heart sank a bit further, and his gaze turned colder. It was only when the last word fell that a deathly silence enveloped the surroundings. He slowly spoke, “Do you really believe that there’s no connection left between us?”
Chu Yan remained silent for a moment and then replied, “I appreciate that you ultimately chose to let me go. Things are fine this way… but only to this extent. Nothing more is needed.”
“If you’re only seeking my blessing, this should be sufficient.”
If the previous sentence angered him, this one shattered Shen Muchuan’s emotions completely.
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