AMBTICPIB Chapter 18

In late autumn, time seemed to slip away unnoticed.

In the blink of an eye, Lan City had plunged into complete darkness.

The villa was ablaze with lights, and Butler Wen paced back and forth, occasionally glancing at the courtyard. Still, no vehicles had entered, and Chu Yi hadn’t returned.

It was nearly seven o’clock, and Chu Yi was still missing for dinner.

Butler Wen tried calling Chu Yi again, but the call still couldn’t connect. He turned to Shen Jin: “Did you get through to Chu Yi?”

Shen Jin replied, “No.”

Butler Wen grew more anxious. “He hasn’t replied to my WeChat messages either. I’m starting to worry.” He was particularly concerned because in this day and age, it was rare for anyone’s phone to die. Phones were essential for every aspect of modern life, and people rarely let their batteries run out.

Earlier that afternoon, Butler Wen had noticed Chu Yi wasn’t home when he returned. He hadn’t thought much of it, assuming the young man was out enjoying his weekend.

But now, dinner was approaching, and Chu Yi still hadn’t returned.

At first, Butler Wen had only found it a little odd. Usually, when Chu Yi wouldn’t be home for dinner, he would inform Butler Wen beforehand or send a message.

After waiting for a while, Butler Wen called Chu Yi, only to find that his phone couldn’t be reached.

Now, with no way to contact Chu Yi and no one knowing where he had gone since he left alone, Butler Wen grew anxious. He worried something might have happened to him and even considered going out to look for him. There was no reason for Chu Yi to suddenly become unreachable like this.

Butler Wen asked Shen Jin, “Where could Chu Yi have gone alone?” He knew Chu Yi had no family or support in Lan City.

Shen Jin didn’t know either. He had already asked the other people in the villa, and they confirmed that Chu Yi had taken a taxi out alone without saying where he was going.

Suddenly, Butler Wen remembered, “Could he have gone out with his classmate? I recall he’s very close to a classmate named Jiang Xu. Yes, that’s right, Jiang Xu. Could they be together?”

Lately, Butler Wen had often heard Chu Yi mention Jiang Xu’s name, knowing they were very close classmates who often went out together to play and eat.

Butler Wen continued, “But I only know his classmate’s name, not his contact information.”

As the sky grew darker, Butler Wen’s worry intensified.

Shen Jin said, “I’ll go look for him.”

Butler Wen insisted, “I’m coming with you.”

Shen Jin stopped him. “Uncle Wen, stay here. We don’t know if he’ll be back soon.”

Butler Wen considered this and agreed to stay.

Shen Jin called Chen Ye, and the two prepared to leave.

Suddenly, Chen Ye said, “Mr. Shen, a car is approaching.”

As he spoke, a car slowly drove toward the gate.

Inside the car, Chu Yi was still unaware of what had happened at the villa. Though he felt guilty for returning so late, he was still immersed in the excitement of the race, as if the roar of the engines was still ringing in his ears.

They had hit rush hour on the way back, and a minor accident had further snarled traffic. What should have been an hour’s drive had taken them nearly two.

Chu Yi kept staring out the window, seemingly lost in the scenery.

Gu Jin found this odd. “You haven’t touched your phone the whole trip. That’s rare.”

Chu Yi turned to him and replied matter-of-factly, “My phone died.”

Gu Jin: ……

After a moment, Gu Jin suddenly remembered something. “You didn’t tell your family you’d be out so late, did you?”

Chu Yi forced an unnatural smile. Seeing his reaction, Gu Jin knew the truth: “Uncle Wen and Shen Jin  really don’t know?”

Chu Yi whispered, “It should be fine. No one will come looking for me.”

Gu Jin glanced at him, sensing something amiss. He accelerated the car slightly.

Gu Jin expertly drove the car into the courtyard.

The moment Chu Yi stepped out, Butler Wen rushed out of the house, his face etched with worry. “Chu Yi, you’re finally back!”

His voice was filled with anxiety. “Why couldn’t I get through to you on the phone?”

Seeing Uncle Wen so worried, Chu Yi, who had maintained a calm expression until now, felt guilty. “I’m so sorry, Uncle Wen. My phone died.”

He had only planned to go to the library and buy some books, but he got carried away with his afternoon activities and completely forgot to check his phone. He hadn’t realized it had automatically shut down.

Gu Jin interjected, “Uncle Wen, this is entirely my fault. I happened to run into Chu Yi on the street and took him to a racing club. We lost track of time, and I only just brought him back. But don’t worry, Chu Yi is perfectly fine.”

Knowing Chu Yi was safe—just his phone had died—Butler Wen finally relaxed. As long as he was back safe and sound, that was all that mattered. “It’s late, Gu Jin. You haven’t eaten, have you? Come in and have dinner before you go.”

Gu Jin smiled. “I have plans with friends, Uncle Wen. I’ll come back another time. I really miss your cooking.”

As Gu Jin was about to get into his car, he caught sight of Shen Jin standing by the window, his face grim. He quickly hopped in and sped away. Chu Yi had just said no one would look for him, but how could that be possible? At least Gu Jin could tell Shen Jin was worried. He couldn’t risk going inside; Shen Jin would definitely hold him accountable.

Chu Yi didn’t know any of this. Head bowed, he apologized to Butler Wen. “Uncle Wen, I’m sorry for worrying you.”

Butler Wen genuinely cared about Chu Yi and felt for him. “It’s alright, it’s alright. Just remember to charge your phone next time. Being out alone with no way to contact you is quite worrying.”

Chu Yi replied, “It won’t happen again.”

As soon as he stepped inside, clutching his books, Chu Yi saw Shen Jin.

At the sight of him, Chu Yi instinctively took a step back. Shen Jin’s expression was one Chu Yi had never seen before—cold and severe, radiating an intense sense of pressure.

Seeing Shen Jin like this, Chu Yi instinctively flinched.

Though terrified of Shen Jin’s current demeanor, Chu Yi still approached him, whispering, “Mr. Shen, I’m back.”

The living room fell silent, the stillness making Chu Yi even more nervous.

Shen Jin demanded, “Why couldn’t I reach you on your phone?”

Chu Yi was on the verge of tears. “My phone died.” He felt Shen Jin was about to scold him.

Shen Jin said, “Before you leave the house, don’t you check your phone’s battery?”

Chu Yi knew he was in the wrong and remained silent. Chen Ye, sensing the tension, discreetly excused himself.

Shen Jin continued, “You came back late. Couldn’t you have borrowed a phone to send a message? Gu Jin has all my contact information. Why didn’t you call?”

Chu Yi replied, “I’m sorry. It was my fault.” He hadn’t thought it was necessary. He hadn’t thought anyone would care if he returned. He had assumed…

As he spoke, tears streamed down Chu Yi’s face. Shen Jin’s gaze was fierce. Their recently improved relationship seemed to have been ruined by his mistake.

Despite Chu Yi’s tears and embarrassment, Shen Jin showed no sign of letting him off the hook.

Shen Jin sternly laid down a rule for Chu Yi: “From now on, if you’re going to be late, you must send a message.”

Chu Yi’s voice was thick with tears: “I understand. I’ll definitely send a message if I’m going to be late from now on.”

Butler Wen, seeing that things had calmed down, approached them. “Alright, alright, everything’s fine now. Chu Yi, go wash your hands first. We’ll get dinner ready.”

He glanced at Shen Jin, thinking, “He clearly cares about the boy, but he had to make him cry.”

Chu Yi was surprised. “You haven’t eaten yet?” It was already so late. Were they waiting for him to return? Had Shen Jin even eaten?

Butler Wen smiled.

In the bathroom, after wiping away his tears, Chu Yi looked at himself in the mirror. His eyes and nose were red and swollen. He had actually cried this badly. He had cried in front of Shen Jin again. But Shen Jin’s glare when he scolded him had been so fierce, he couldn’t help himself. His eyes were slightly puffy from crying.

Butler Wen said gently, “Eat well, Chu Yi. You must be hungry. Eat more.”

Chu Yi glanced at Shen Jin. Shen Jin’s expression had softened, returning to his usual calm demeanor. He probably wouldn’t scold him anymore.

Under Chu Yi’s gaze, Shen Jin picked up his chopsticks and began eating. Only then did Chu Yi also pick up his bowl and chopsticks.

At noon, Chu Yi had only eaten a burger. Now, having eaten nothing since, he was genuinely hungry.

Butler Wen was truly an excellent cook. Even simple home-style dishes were incredibly delicious. The glistening, sweet and sour pork ribs before him were particularly appetizing.

As Chu Yi was finishing his first bowl of rice, he glanced at the rice pot on the table. He wanted to refill his bowl, but he felt embarrassed after having upset both Uncle Wen and Shen Jin earlier.

Yet he still wanted more. His eyes blinked repeatedly as he gazed at the remaining rice.

Shen Jin put down his bowl and chopsticks, declared himself full, and went upstairs.

Chu Yi lowered his gaze. Shen Jin had eaten very little today. Was it because he was still angry and had lost his appetite?

Chu Yi asked, “Uncle Wen, did I upset Mr. Shen again?”

Butler Wen smiled and reached for Chu Yi’s bowl, refilling it with rice. “When you came back, Shen Jin was just about to go out looking for you.”

Chu Yi was completely stunned, staring fixedly at Butler Wen. “Mr. Shen was going to look for me?”

“That’s right,” Butler Wen said. “Don’t take his anger just now to heart. He was actually worried about you. His phone couldn’t get through, and it was so late. No one knew where you were, so he got upset. Don’t let it bother you.”

“Don’t let his harsh exterior fool you. He’s actually a very gentle person at heart. I asked him to eat first, but he said he wasn’t hungry. In reality, he was waiting for you to come back.”

Chu Yi’s eyes immediately welled up. So Shen Jin had been about to go look for him? Not only that, but he had been waiting for him to return for dinner.

Growing up, Chu Yi had never had it easy, but he hadn’t been particularly bad off either. He had always been alone.

No one ever cared where he went or what he did. He was used to being a loner, taking life as it came. So when his phone died, he hadn’t given it much thought, knowing no one would be looking for him.

But Uncle Wen’s words that night made Chu Yi realize that someone actually did care about him.

It was a strange feeling, but it made him incredibly happy.

Chu Yi thought Shen Jin’s expression didn’t seem quite so fierce anymore.

---