Chapter 8
It felt about the same as kissing a woman.
This was Chu Yunhan’s only conclusion. He leaned back on the leather sofa, staring at the unfamiliar scenery outside the French windows. This was Sheng Wu’s residence in K City. The villa was very clean. Sheng Wu had promised him that within another week, he would take care of the things at hand and take him back to J City, which was the Sheng family’s territory. He would be completely free when he got there.
He hadn’t been in J City often. The only thing he remembered was that the air was a bit dry, the food was a bit heavier, and the girl had been pretty, all of his impressions scattered.
If he wanted to stay there for the rest of his days… Thinking of this, he felt somewhat fidgety. The remote control in his hand kept changing the channels, but he didn’t know what to watch, and finally put it aside. He called Jiahui and learned that his mother had been taken back to the Zhou house. He felt relieved. Although Grandpa had retired from politics, he still had influence and connections. He felt much more at ease with his mother staying with the Zhou family than in Chu Yichen’s hands.
“Brother Yunhan, can you tell me now what’s going on between you and Brother Yichen?”
“We had a quarrel and were stuck in a deadlock, so I wanted to escape. Don’t look for me, I will come back by myself when I figure it out.” He really had no face to say that he had set a trap for Chu Yichen. The matter could only be described vaguely. “Help me take good care of my mother, accompany her as often as possible, and remind her to take her medication on time. Tell her I am busy and cannot go back for the time being.”
“Okay, I get it.” Jiahui was a bit sad. “Don’t worry about Auntie. But you and Brother Yichen, can’t you talk it over? Why don’t you each take a step back? You were so close when you were young. Why are you acting like this now?”
Chu Yunhan couldn’t answer. Perhaps life was just like that – one wrong step, another wrong step, and once a gap occurred in the relationship it was difficult to bridge it. After hanging up the phone, he fell back on the bed and pulled the pillow over his head irritated.
If it broke, it broke. Besides, Chu Yichen didn’t value him anyway. What “live, losing everything”? Absolutely not! He wouldn’t comply with that man’s plans.
Shen Wu was really busy these few days, leaving early and returning late. Knowing that Chu Yunhan couldn’t accept it for a while, he didn’t rush him to do it. He just slept next to him every night, cuddling and hugging occasionally. Chu Yunhan used to hug girls in this manner, but now he always felt as if he had become the girl, and it didn’t feel right. But he could only force himself to adapt. Hearing that there were no signs of the Chu family looking for him, he couldn’t help but curse inwardly. Chu Yichen, this guy, he wanted him to escape far away, didn’t he?
After four days, Sheng Ming called at noon and said that he would pick him up for dinner later. Chu Yunhan was bored in the house and naturally agreed. When the door opened, he was in the living room. “I have changed, where are we going tonight…” Before he could finish speaking, he was held down by several strong men who rushed in and dragged him into a Mercedes Benz.
“Who sent you? Where is Sheng Ming?” Chu Yunhan, who was sandwiched between two people in the back seat, was very anxious.
No response.
He asked again, “Where are you taking me?”
Still no response.
No matter who these people were, picking him up in such a manner, they certainly had no good intentions. On an impulse, Chu Yunhan suddenly stretched out his hand to grab the gun from the waist of the man next to him, but was held back by another armed man. At this moment, the person in the front seat said coldly, “We are just following orders and don’t want to hurt anyone. Please don’t embarrass us, Young Master Yun.”
Aware of the fact that he couldn’t escape, Chu Yunhan forced himself to sit back in his original position, his mind in a mess. When he saw the familiar scenery on the roadside and the Chinese-style building getting closer, his head hung in despair. Bai Xiao, who had suffered several injuries and had got wounded all over, was also sent to bring him back.
Hei Yu, who came to meet them at the door, bowed and said, “Young Master Yun, Young Master and the guests are waiting for you inside.” He then added in a low voice, “Young Master said, what should be said and what should not be said, you should weigh it yourself.”
Chu Yunhan smiled bitterly. He had thought that the Sheng family was powerful, and even if Chu Yichen found out his whereabouts, he wouldn’t do anything to him under the protection of the Sheng family, or that the two sides would move around around each other in circles, so that he would be able to get away. Who would have expected that Chu Yichen would be able to make the Sheng family take the initiative to deliver him to his door in just a few days?
His legs were as heavy as lead. He stepped into the main hall and looked around. His gaze fell on the standing Sheng Ming, who was also staring at him intently at this moment. The two of them looked at each other and saw the unwillingness and loneliness in the other’s eyes. Sheng Wu had been longing for him for many years and finally thought he could fulfill his long-cherished wish, but who would have known he would be unable to keep him by his side? He was extremely depressed. As for Chu Yunhan, he used Sheng Wu as a life-saving straw, but the straw broke when he grasped at it and he was caught and brought back to the cage, feeling annoyed. The gazes they exchanged were pretty much like those of a bullied couple.
“Chu Yunhan,” a voice rang, interrupting the silent exchange between the two. He looked towards where the voice came from and shuddered when his eyes met the man sitting on the mahogany chair. Chu Yichen’s eyes seemed to be filled with an impending snowstorm. Just looking at them made one feel bone-chilling coldness.
This time, he was afraid he was really going to die.
Seeing his expression, Chu Yunhan sighed in his heart.
Apart from Chu Yichen, there were two other people sitting in the main hall. A man with slightly gray hair and a beard, about sixty years old. There was also a very young man, only in his twenties, with a gentle look, wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. At this moment, he got up, walked towards him, and proactively stretched out his hand. “You must be Yunhan. I am Shen Mo. Nice to meet you.”
Chu Yunhan had never seen this person before, and shook his hand confused.
“Have you hurt your head?” the young man asked, looking at the bruise on his forehead.
“Just a bump, nothing serious.”
“That’s good.” He smiled. That person was fair and handsome. His smile was like a spring breeze brushing past one’s face, making one feel at ease. He turned around and said, “Uncle Sheng, Yichen, now that he came back safe and sound, we can agree that this matter has come to an end. So let’s sit down and talk calmly. I can act as a middleman since I don’t know either of them. What do you think?”
Chu Yunhan was somewhat surprised. A young man volunteered to be a mediator between the Sheng family and the Chu family, and seemed confident that he would convince both parties. Where did this calm confidence come from? Moreover, when he stood up, Chu Yichen and Sheng Weiyong actually also got up, indicating that this person’s identity was not simple.
“Since Third Young Master is here as a middleman, Yichen naturally doesn’t mind,” the man slowly said.
“Sheng naturally has no objection. The troubles my son stirred up have disturbed Mr. Shen and I am deeply ashamed to trouble Third Young Master. Sheng has absolutely no objection in regards to how to punish him and how to make amends.” Sheng Weiyong was very cooperative.
“Uncle Sheng, it was indeed Brother Wu who made a mistake in this regard first. Even if there is a minor disagreement, one should not block the way, abduct people and hurt them. If you were in his shoes and someone treated Brother Sheng like this, you would definitely not let it go, so no wonder Yichen was angry and set your warehouse on fire. Don’t you think so?”
Chu Yunhan was startled. Chu Yichen actually set fire to the Sheng family’s warehouse?
“Third Young Master is right,” Sheng Weiyong said. “I usually neglect disciplining him. This kid is ill-mannered and what he did is really embarrassing for me.” After saying this, he yelled angrily behind him, “Little brute, I haven’t allowed you to leave yet. Come over and apologize properly!”
Sheng Ming frowned and walked slowly in front of Chu Yunhan with an apologetic expression. “I must apologize to you. This time, I didn’t consider it well.” He paused and continued, “You don’t have to say anything, it’s all my fault. I admit it. I’m sorry.”
There was a hidden meaning in his apology, the words concealing his true emotions.
Chu Yunhan got it. The “didn’t consider it well” mentioned by Sheng Wu meant that he had not taken him away in time, and the phrase “no need to say anything” meant he should keep quiet and let him take responsibility for this matter, as if it really was just the fifth master of the Sheng family who was bold enough to abduct the eldest master of the Chu family.
This was clearly not the case. He was just helping him, a bard passing by. Even if he took advantage of the situation to make that request to him, it was a fair exchange, and there was nothing to accuse him of. The gentleness in Sheng Wu’s eyes made him feel guilty and he wanted to speak up. Out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of Chu Yichen’s expression and his heart sank.
His gaze was admonishing him to keep his mouth shut.
What would happen if he told the truth? How would he explain his imprisonment? It had to do with Hui Lang’s rebellion, and exposing it would benefit neither him nor the Chu family. What was more, Chu Yichen had set the Sheng family’s warehouse on fire. The man left no room for hands-on. The Sheng family most probably suffered heavy losses. Sheng Weiyong believed it was his son’s fault for abducting him, so he didn’t care. If he now said that Sheng Wu did it to help him, the Sheng family would definitely not let it go, and the conflict would intensify. Now that the matter was over, the Sheng family would not take him in, so it made no sense to speak up.
Chu Yunhan’s lips moved, but in the end he didn’t say anything. He looked at Sheng Wu gratefully and responded with a soft “um”.
Shen Mo gave out a light cough and spoke again, “Yichen, Uncle Sheng and Brother Wu have both apologized, so let’s put out the fire here and now. Both your families are the right and the left arm of the old man. It doesn’t look good when you make a big mess and make him lose face. I was sent to ease the conflict. I hope you will all give the old man some face and take a step back. He returned safe and sound and in regards to the goods, if it burned, it burned. Even if exchanging blows does not lead to a friendship right away, you should know each other’s bottom line. When the two companies cooperate in the future, don’t be biased because of this. Once this is over, let it go, okay?”
These remarks were onspot, impartial, and left Mr. Shen out of the dispute. Chu Yichen took the lead and said to Sheng Weiyong, “Mr. Sheng, I rushed to set the warehouse on fire in a moment of agitation. I hope that you are magnanimous and don’t take it to heart. As for the losses, I will compensate you at the market price.”
“No need.” Sheng Weiyong waved his hand, as elegant as a general. “As Third Young Master said, if it burned, it burned. Anyway, this matter is Sheng Ming’s fault. I hope President Chu will forgive us.”
Shaking hands and making peace, everyone was happy. This big drama was over.
Standing in the middle, Chu Yunhan was suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of emptiness. These people were like an illusory background with no real connection to him. He felt like a small particle of dust, floating in this desolate world, with nowhere to return.
Chu Yichen sent away the members of the Sheng family and Shen Mo, looked up at him, remained silent for a moment, and then told the bodyguard, “Bring him to my room.”
T/N: I guess we all know where this is going … 😳😉🤔
Translator: Taalia
