As soon as Chu Yi stepped out of the car, the driver who had brought him immediately turned around and sped off, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Chu Yi stood before the mansion, luggage in hand. The estate was vast and luxurious, boasting a sprawling courtyard. The courtyard was meticulously maintained with neatly trimmed lawns, offering an unobstructed view of the entire grounds—a scene of stark, cold solemnity.
The imposing grandeur of the mansion made Chu Yi, standing before it, seem incredibly small. Facing an unfamiliar environment and an uncertain future, his delicate eyelashes trembled slightly. He felt uneasy and nervous, forcing a smile to appear normal.
Just as he was lost in confusion and bewilderment, a man in his fifties emerged from the mansion to greet him. “Mr. Chu has arrived. Mr. Shen hasn’t returned yet. Please come inside.”
Chu Yi recognized the man as the estate’s butler. He greeted him respectfully, “Good day, Butler Wen.”
Butler Wen appeared kind and gentle, speaking with a warm smile and compassionate eyes—a stark contrast to the people he had just left behind.
“Just call me Uncle Wen,” the butler replied with a smile.
“You can call me Chu Yi,” Chu Yi said.
When Butler Wen saw Chu Yi, even his experienced eyes couldn’t help but widen in surprise. The young man before him was slender, but undeniably beautiful. Even in the simplest, most unadorned clothes, his beauty still shone through with a delicate radiance.
Butler Wen couldn’t believe the Chu Family had sent Chu Yi alone. It seemed rather cold-hearted, considering Chu Yi was still a Young Master of the family.
The young man was carrying a suitcase. Butler Wen stepped forward to take it, but Chu Yi quickly said, “I can manage myself.”
How could he let an elderly butler like Butler Wen carry his luggage? This was all his belongings, so it was a bit heavy.
Butler Wen smiled and glanced behind him. A maid quickly stepped forward and took the suitcase from Chu Yi.
“Let’s go inside,” Butler Wen said gently.
Chu Yi hesitated, glancing at the villa before following Butler Wen inside.
Once inside, Chu Yi felt an invisible pressure. The villa’s decor was lavish yet cold, eerily silent. It seemed to tell Chu Yi that the villa’s owner was even more ruthless and heartless than he had imagined.
Chu Yi followed Butler Wen upstairs and down a long corridor before stopping in front of a room. Butler Wen told him this would be his room from now on, and he would be living here.
In this unfamiliar environment, Butler Wen’s gentle voice eased Chu Yi’s tense nerves slightly.
Chu Yi thanked him again, having already said “thank you” several times since arriving at the villa.
Perhaps sensing Chu Yi’s stiff posture, Butler Wen thoughtfully suggested he rest and call for him anytime he needed anything.
“Thank you, Uncle Wen,” Chu Yi said.
Butler Wen nodded and left.
Once Butler Wen was gone, Chu Yi breathed a huge sigh of relief. He had been tense the entire way, especially after entering the villa. The solemn and austere atmosphere had left him even more bewildered.
Fortunately, Butler Wen had left, and he could finally relax. He quickly wiped the tears from his eyes. He hadn’t meant to cry; tears always welled up uncontrollably whenever he was nervous or emotionally overwhelmed.
Luckily, he had managed to hold them back this time. The tears hadn’t fallen, but holding them in for so long had left his eyes slightly red. Perhaps Butler Wen had noticed his reddened eyes, which was why he had left Chu Yi alone.
From Butler Wen’s words earlier, Chu Yi had gleaned a crucial piece of information: this was his own room, and he wouldn’t be sharing it with Shen Jin. This eased his mind considerably.
Now, Chu Yi could finally take a proper look around. The room was vast, spacious, and brightly lit. The sparkling clean bathroom was even larger than the entire space he’d lived in before. His bed was huge and incredibly comfortable. Chu Yi rolled around on it several times, almost reluctant to get up.
The room also featured a large, beautiful balcony. It was fully furnished with every amenity imaginable, including a spacious computer desk. Brilliant sunlight streamed through the balcony doors, bathing half the room in a warm glow. A smile spread across Chu Yi’s face; he loved this room.
He thought, perhaps coming to the Shen Family wouldn’t be so bad after all.
After unpacking his luggage, Chu Yi turned on the computer on the desk. After a moment’s thought, he quickly typed in Shen Jin’s name.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t find the information he was looking for. The webpage offered scant details about Shen Jin, not even a single photo. Shen Jin seemed to be a very mysterious figure.
The information he had gleaned from the Chu Family was almost nonexistent. All he knew was that Shen Jin had been abroad for years and had only returned to China in the past two years.
Chu Yi reluctantly closed the webpage. *Oh well,* he thought. *I’ll see what Shen Jin looks like tonight.*
But when dinner arrived, Chu Yi still hadn’t seen Shen Jin.
He ate with Butler Wen. Chu Yi knew from his time at the Chu Family that Uncle Wen, though a butler, was Shen Jin’s closest confidant.
Even though there were only two of them, the dinner was lavish.
First, the rice. Chu Yi had never tasted such fragrant rice before. The cooked grains were crystal clear, distinct, and incredibly flavorful. He felt he could eat the entire bowl without any side dishes.
The dishes on the table were exquisite and delicious. Though the ingredients seemed ordinary, the taste and texture were completely different.
The dry-pot cauliflower in front of him was particularly delicious. The cauliflower was crisp, and the pork belly was fragrant and not greasy, with a unique aroma.
During the meal, Butler Wen informed Chu Yi that Mr. Shen had been very busy lately and might not be seen for a few days.
Chu Yi thought to himself that he wasn’t actually that eager to see Shen Jin anyway, so he nodded obediently. “Okay, Uncle Wen.”
Chu Yi’s pretty and well-behaved demeanor left a good impression on Butler Wen. He immediately felt a connection with the child, perhaps also because Chu Yi had so highly praised his cooking. Butler Wen reminded him, “Chu Yi, I assume you don’t like crying, do you?”
Chu Yi paused his chopsticks, blinking at Butler Wen.
The butler said gently, “Mr. Shen dislikes anyone shedding tears in front of him. It’s best not to cry in his presence. If you ever feel wronged, you can tell me, and I’ll stand up for you.”
“Thank you, Uncle Wen. I understand,” Chu Yi replied. He knew the butler was kindly warning him, worried he might anger Shen Jin.
Chu Yi had assumed he wouldn’t see Shen Jin today, but the man returned just before bedtime.
As Chu Yi was preparing for bed, he faintly heard movement in the hallway outside his door. He recognized Butler Wen’s voice and vaguely heard his own name mentioned. The butler spoke with a respectful yet affectionate tone.
He realized this must be Shen Jin.
Shen Jin, Shen Jin, Shen Jin—he had heard the name countless times over the past few days, the name of the man who would shape his future. Yet he still had no idea what Shen Jin looked like.
Chu Yi thought for a moment, his curiosity overwhelming him. He tiptoed to the door, held his breath, and carefully opened a crack.
Through the narrow gap, Chu Yi peered out. He saw a tall figure in the distance.
The man wore a crisp black suit. Though Chu Yi couldn’t see his face, he sensed an icy indifference radiating from the man’s rigid posture and the sound of his leather shoes clicking on the floor.
Silhouetted against the light, the figure appeared handsome and upright, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs—nothing like the man they had described. They had said Shen Jin was a short, potbellied man with a receding hairline.
But this figure seemed to stand over six feet tall, with thick hair—completely different from what they had said.
The Shen Family mansion’s corridor was tall and spacious, yet for some reason, the man’s presence made it feel cramped.
The man remained with his back to Chu Yi, so he couldn’t see Shen Jin’s face. He leaned out further, and the door let out a faint creak as the crack widened.
Chu Yi didn’t hear it. He was still peering out when lightning flashed and thunder crashed. A sudden sense of foreboding washed over him. He quickly ducked back inside and slammed the door shut.
Chu Yi leaned against the door, holding his breath. His heart pounded like thunder, and he was utterly terrified. An intense intuition told him the man was about to turn around.
Even though it was just a back view, Chu Yi could already sense the man’s displeasure. He had been caught spying!
After several minutes of agonizing anxiety, Chu Yi finally calmed down enough to realize why he was so afraid. Wasn’t he trying to see what Shen Jin looked like? If he hadn’t hidden, he could have seen Shen Jin’s face. It was probably because the man’s back view radiated such overwhelming pressure.
Just a back view had already reduced Chu Yi to this state of terror.
Even lying in bed, Chu Yi’s heart rate hadn’t returned to normal. He finally understood why the Chu Family had chosen him to replace Chu Yang in the marriage to Shen Jin: they couldn’t bear to sacrifice Chu Yang.
During his few days at the Chu Family estate, he had overheard snippets of information about Shen Jin from the other family members. Their eyes flickered between reverence and disdain as they spoke of him. In their eyes, Shen Jin was a cold-hearted, ruthless man—a complete monster.
Then, everyone would silently turn to look at Chu Yi, their gazes a mixture of pity, sympathy, and malicious glee. The malicious glee, of course, was the dominant emotion, accounting for over eighty percent of their expressions.
Marrying Chu Yi to Shen Jin meant plunging him into a living hell. No one knew how Shen Jin would torment him, but no one cared. To them, Chu Yi was utterly insignificant.
Even though Chu Yi was the true Young Master of the Chu Family, what did it matter? His claim paled in comparison to Chu Yang’s eighteen years of affection within the family. Mr. and Madam Chu had doted on Chu Yang for eighteen years, and if Chu Yi hadn’t held even a shred of usefulness, they wouldn’t have acknowledged him at all.
Even for the Chu Family’s interests, Mr. and Madam Chu would never have allowed Chu Yang to marry Shen Jin. Chu Yi’s sudden appearance was a godsend.
After eighteen years of loneliness, Chu Yi learned of his true identity. He felt nothing. The Chu Family’s decision to marry him off to a stranger left him equally unmoved.
In fact, he was relieved. He could continue his education. He had worked so hard to get into his dream university, and he almost lost the opportunity. To him, it didn’t matter where he was.
Fearing Chu Yi might change his mind, the Chu Family rushed to “deliver” him directly to Shen Jin’s residence.
Before leaving, Chu Yang glared at Chu Yi and spat, “Chu Yi, I’ll be waiting to see you get tortured to death by that pervert Shen Jin. Never even think about coming back to our family again.”
