TL: Hua
Chapter 21: Distressed
After talking to Shen Ci, Han Yunyun obediently replied, “Okay,” and picked up the box. “Alright, Senior Brother, I’ll move these things over first.”
Shen Ci nodded and politely said goodbye, “It’s getting dark; be careful when moving things…”
As he spoke, his gaze inadvertently swept across Han Yunyun’s desk and suddenly stopped.
Han Yunyun followed his gaze but saw nothing amiss. “Senior Brother?”
Shen Ci slightly pursed his lips.
On Han Yunyun’s desk sat a porcelain vase. The double-petaled lilies inside had long since withered, their yellowed leaves drooping limply onto the tabletop, devoid of life.
Shen Ci retracted his gaze, continued looking at the documents, and asked, seemingly calmly, “That porcelain vase on the desk, aren’t you taking it with you?”
“Oh, this one.” Han Yunyun paused. “No, I won’t. This vase is very old, and there’s a layer of limescale at the bottom that won’t wash off. Since we’re moving offices, I got a new one. I’m going to throw this old one away.”
“…”
A difficult, unspeakable feeling spread through his chest, and dull aches pulsed in his ribs. Shen Ci could barely maintain his composure.
After a long silence, he silently dug his fingernails into his palm, then forced a smile. “You don’t like it anymore?”
Han Yunyun also smiled. “I liked it when I first bought it, but I’ve used it for too long, so I’m a bit tired of it.”
She bent down, pulled the lilies from the vase, and casually tossed them into the trash. “Besides, this vase wasn’t expensive, just ten or twenty yuan. It’s no big deal to replace it.”
Shen Ci didn’t speak.
Using the screen as a shield, he lowered his gaze, his fingertips hidden in his sleeve trembling slightly.
It’s no big deal… to replace it?
Shen Ci silently curved his lips, thinking, “Indeed.”
To Han Yunyun, ten or twenty yuan was just the price of a cup of milk tea; she could replace or discard it as she pleased. And to Young Master Xie, Shen Ci was no more valuable than any luxury item he carelessly discarded.
There were countless people like him, summoned and dismissed at will. If he grew tired of the one in Jiangcheng, he could find another as soon as he landed abroad.
Xie Yu was from a rich family. He had always been this way, and Shen Ci understood.
Within the terms of their contract, Xie Yu had never made things difficult and had even protected him at every turn. Shen Ci was grateful for that.
He just couldn’t understand how Xie Yu could cut ties so decisively, so cleanly, so heartlessly. There was no time for a buffer. The day before, they were still intimately close, wearing matching scarves. Xie Yu had pulled him into his embrace, his chin resting against Shen Ci’s forehead, like he was protecting his dearest lover.
But just one day later, Xie Yu left for another country, his whereabouts and destination unknown; even his contact information changed. He just cut ties cleanly, completely erasing all traces from Shen Ci’s life, leaving nothing behind.
It was as if… he was an unimportant pet, requiring no consent when acquired and no notification when discarded, entirely at the owner’s whim.
Shen Ci lowered his eyes. The computer in front of him had gone dark, its black screen reflecting his face, which was indeed pale and gaunt, unremarkable compared to young boys Xie Yu had once liked.
He thought: Perhaps it wasn’t “as if.” He was just an unimportant pet.
While he was lost in thought, Han Yunyun, holding her box, swiped her card and left, waving through the glass door, “Senior Brother, see you tomorrow.”
Shen Ci: “…See you tomorrow.”
Han Yunyun walked out. At the end of the corridor, she inexplicably looked back. Shen Ci was sitting alone in the laboratory, the electronic screen casting varying shadows on his eyelashes. The bright white light reflected in his pupils, like a layer of frost had formed.
He appeared chillingly cold.
—
At precisely ten o’clock that night, Shen Ci turned off his computer.
With the New Year approaching, most students had gone home. The experimental area was empty, with only a few lights remaining. The corridor was silent and deserted, as eerie as a horror film.
Shen Ci walked around the experimental building and exited the school through the south gate. He entered a coffee shop backed by the road, taking a seat in a window booth. Under the dim yellow light, someone was already waiting.
Lin Yin had just gotten a new perm with large waves, twisting a strand around her finger. She pushed the menu towards Shen Ci. “What would you like to drink?”
Shen Ci: “No need. I’ll have plain water.”
Lin Yin sighed, “Assistant Shen, with your impoverished and austere appearance, who would believe you were once with Young Master Xie?”
She meaningfully pointed towards his earlobe. “That earring, if you sold it, you could buy this coffee shop.”
Shen Ci’s expression was calm. “I have no such intention.”
Lin Yin shrugged: “When I met you, I thought we were both smart people. Who knew that I would get out of it safely now, but you got stuck in it?”
Shen Ci: “Let’s get to the point.”
Lin Yin: “Let me order a drink first.”
With that, she called a waiter, casually pointed to two drinks, and then lowered her voice. “I contacted Luo Shao as you said. He is indeed interested in He Zhiyuan’s information.”
Luo Shao was also a rich second-generation. In Jiangcheng, the rich second-generation were divided into factions. Xie Yu was in one, Luo Shao in another. There were many business dealings and conflicts between the two.
Shen Ci: “You see, if the price is satisfactory, give it to him.”
He Zhiyuan had a lot of dark pasts. He was a wild one, involved with multiple minors, though he later settled everything with money.
Lin Yin took a sip of coffee. “Luo Shao also said he’s interested in Xie Yu’s information. If you’re willing to give it, he’ll pay double.”
Shen Ci said flatly, “I don’t have any information on Xie Yu.”
During the few months he was with Xie Yu, Xie Yu was as clean as could be. His words and actions didn’t seem like those of a rich second-generation or a contractual partner, but rather like a genuine lover.
Lin Yin muttered, “Sometimes I really don’t know what you’re thinking…”
She picked up her bag, preparing to pay. “Oh right, Shen Ci, I got news from Luo Shao. He Zhiyuan returned to Jiangcheng a while ago. He was drinking with his new girlfriend at a bar, got drunk, and boasted about wanting to mess with you.”
Shen Ci paused, his hand still with the water cup.
“But, but!” Lin Yin continued, “Zhou Yang returned to Beijing and met with the He family’s elder. I don’t know what was said, or if it has anything to do with you, but the elder dragged He Zhiyuan away. So you’re safe now.”
Shen Ci nodded.
As they were leaving after exchanging information, Shen Ci stopped Lin Yin and pushed a piece of paper towards her. “Help me look into this.”
It was a string of random numbers.
Lin Yin: “Bank account?”
Shen Ci: “A while ago, my grandmother was critically ill and needed money for surgery. The next day, I received a donation. A certain charity fund said I was eligible and directly transferred the money to my account.”
Lin Yin scoffed. “I thought money was withdrawn from your account. Isn’t getting money a good thing? You probably got lucky. You want to investigate this too?”
Shen Ci chuckled. “But in my twenty years of life, I’ve never encountered such a good thing.”
Shen Ci never believed in free lunches. In his twenty years, he had gone through so many changes—his parents passed away one after another, and his only relative was diagnosed with serious illnesses. Each time, it was despair upon despair, and during those times, fate had never been so kind to him.
And now, with graduation approaching, although he was short on money, he had things he could sell, and life was much better. Yet, this assistance just happened to fall squarely on him?
Shen Ci added, “This foundation has never made a payment or had a beneficiary before; I’m the first. I can’t find any information, so I was hoping you could help me try.”
Lin Yin unfolded the paper. “Never made a payment or had a beneficiary before… I’ll ask Luo Shao. Let him check.”
As she spoke, she opened her messaging app, sent the number to Luo Shao, and motioned for Shen Ci to sit. “Wait a moment. They register funds with official records. I’ll have him check for you.”
Shen Ci nodded, quietly drinking the plain water in front of him. He had an absurd premonition, vague and unconfirmed, yet impossible to ignore.
In fact, fate had been kind to him. Someone had given him everything he needed without asking for anything in return.
Half an hour later, Lin Yin’s phone rang. She slid open the screen. “Hmm, it looks like you really were lucky. We don’t recognize the name of this foundation’s organizer; they’re not from our circle.”
Shen Ci let out a slight sigh of relief, unsure if it was disappointment or relief. He asked, “Who is it?”
Lin Yin: “A psychiatrist who runs a mental hospital called Xu Qingshan… Hey, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”
Shen Ci accidentally knocked over his water cup. The glass rolled to the floor and shattered into pieces.
Xu Qingshan.
Shen Ci silently repeated the name.
He didn’t know Xu Qingshan’s relationship with Xie Yu, but he knew that Xie Yu had appeared in Xu Qingshan’s office, and Xu Qingshan had held Xie Yu’s medical records with an intimate expression.
There was no such thing as a coincidence. Xu Qingshan just happened to be Xie Yu’s doctor, and he just happened to fund someone who was Xie Yu’s former lover.
But why…
Why give this assistance after walking away?
Why care about his critically ill grandmother after discarding an old toy?
Why no news, why no concern, why…
Why be so good to him and then make him so sad?
Shen Ci’s breathing was ragged, his thoughts chaotic. He bent down to cover himself, picking up the glass shards from the floor. His fingers touched a sharp edge, drawing blood.
Lin Yin exclaimed, “What are you picking up?” She pulled out the stool and stood up. “Excuse me, do you have a broom?”
“It’s nothing,” Shen Ci suppressed his trembling hand. The sharp pain in his fingertip calmed him down. He managed to compose himself and smiled, “I zoned out, sorry.”
Lin Yin was speechless. “You really are… never mind, it’s fine, let’s go.”
After exchanging information, they each stood up and left the coffee shop through the front and back doors. As the New Year’s bells rang, Shen Ci walked down the wet street, disappearing into the swirling snow.
—
Time flowed like water. Xie Yu took three years to earn enough credits, and for the remaining two years, having nothing to do, he traveled to various places and also pursued a double major.
For his second degree, he chose literature, purely for enjoyment, without any utilitarian motives.
The silver-haired old professor lectured enthusiastically on the podium, from Homer to Camus. Xie Yu casually flipped through a book below, occasionally napping and sometimes taking notes.
Life abroad was somewhat boring. Xie Yu traveled from south to north, from Ethiopia to Reykjavik. The rest of the time, he holed up in his small apartment. His cooking skills improved by leaps and bounds, making him the most popular person for his classmates to mooch meals from.
The system often hacked into forums to inform Xie Yu about events in Jiangcheng, such as He Zhiyuan getting into trouble again and being beaten by his father; Zhou Yang officially inheriting the family business and becoming the head of the Zhou family; Xie Yu’s father, Xie Yuanshan, losing his balance one day and falling at a shareholders’ meeting; and also… Shen Ci. Shen Ci had graduated and joined Xie Group’s rival company, working under Luo Shao. It was said that his professional skills were excellent and his methods were decisive and brilliant, earning him Luo Shao’s high regard. In just a few years, he had risen to a very high position.
Now, his annual salary was enough to cover many years of medical expenses, and he no longer needed Xie Yu’s secret help. Xu Qingshan stopped the financial aid; that charity account only made one payment before falling completely silent and disappearing.
At this time, it was less than half a month before the series of events such as Xie Yuanshan’s sudden death from a cerebral hemorrhage, Xie Yu’s uncle taking over the Xie Group, and Xie Yu returning to China for the funeral.
Xie Yu spent these two weeks saying goodbye to his school friends one by one, collecting a backpack full of farewell cards. At the farewell party, Xie Yu personally cooked all the food, and his friends drank themselves silly, hugging his pots and weeping.
“Waaaaah, you’re leaving; we’ll never eat authentic beef stew with potatoes again!”
“Please, tomato scrambled eggs, don’t go back to China!”
Xie Yu’s face was full of black lines under his friends’ reluctance to part with him. “Waaaaah, Little Xie, I’ll come find you when I get back to China.”
Xie Yu snatched his pot back, speechless at the group of drunkards. “Go find me at the mental hospital.”
—
December 21st, clear sky.
On this day, Xie Yuanshan, chairman of the Xie Group, suffered a sudden cerebral hemorrhage and died after failed resuscitation efforts.
Xie Yuanhai swiftly convened a shareholders’ meeting and took over the group.
That afternoon, he sent Xie Yu a message, telling him to accept his condolences and return to the country for the funeral.
The two offered hypocritical condolences, neither truly grieving for Xie Yuanshan. After a perfunctory reply, Xie Yu immediately bought a plane ticket back to China and landed at Jiangcheng Airport that same night.
He dragged his suitcase out of the airport. It was the end of the year, and Jiangcheng had experienced a heavy snowfall. As far as the eye could see, it was a vast expanse of white. A biting wind, mixed with snowflakes, whipped across his face, stinging like knives.
On his first day in office, Xie Yuanhai replaced all the old staff members in the company, including the driver. When Xie Yu got into the car, a new face was in the front.
The driver turned the steering wheel and merged into traffic. Before long, they exited the bypass expressway. Xie Yu stared at the navigation for a moment. “Where are you taking me?”
This wasn’t the way back to the Xie family home.
The driver, accustomed to adapting to circumstances, realized that Young Master Xie was merely a figurehead and wouldn’t be taking control of the Xie family. He chuckled unceremoniously, “The chairman’s coffin is at home, and people are coming to pay their respects. Your uncle is entertaining guests, and it’s noisy at home. He was afraid it would disturb your rest, so he asked me to take you to a hotel.”
Xie Yu showed no expression. “Alright.”
He knew clearly that with Xie Yuanshan dead, no one would truly be there to mourn. Those who came were old clients, and Xie Yuanshan’s funeral was the best social venue for expanding connections. Xie Yuanhai didn’t want to leave any opportunities for his nephew.
Xie Yu didn’t care anyway; he was going to a mental hospital soon, so it didn’t matter to him.
Unexpectedly, the car rattled and drove into an undemolished urban village in the main city area. Cobweb-like wires were everywhere. The driver slammed on the brakes in front of a small guesthouse. “Young Master Xie, this is it.”
Xie Yu’s eyebrow twitched.
This area was notoriously dirty and chaotic. Years ago, there were talks of demolition, but then land prices soared, making it unaffordable to tear down. It became one of the main bases for local hooligans, a truly mixed bag of people.
The guesthouse was dilapidated, probably a guesthouse from the last century. There was a neon sign in front of the door, and the reception desk was barely clean. A night’s stay would probably cost around a hundred yuan.
He frowned slightly. The original text said Xie Yuanhai was extremely stingy and petty. Xie Yu hadn’t met him and wasn’t entirely sure, but now, seeing this, it was indeed true. With his brother’s body still unburied, and Xie Yu being Xie Yuanshan’s only son, to simply dump him here, not even in a chain hotel, was truly shabby.
System: “Should we find another one?”
Xie Yu had money and could afford better.
“No need.” Xie Yu grabbed his bag and went inside. “I’ll make do for a couple of days.”
He got the key and entered the room. A musty smell hit him. Xie Yu frowned and opened the window. His gaze inadvertently swept across the street, and he paused slightly.
There was a man holding a long-handled black umbrella.
He wore a smoke-gray trench coat, his figure lean and tall. He stood quietly on the street, as handsome and distinguished as a medieval nobleman holding an ironwood black umbrella. People came and went on the street, splashing melted snow. In the midst of the noisy neon lights, this person stood silently, like a splash-ink landscape painting merged into a postmodern artwork or a classical piano piece mixed into rock music, completely out of place.
Xie Yu noticed that the hem of his coat was already wet, indicating he had been standing there for a long time.
He closed the window, thinking, “What a strange person.”
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AHHH I NEED MORE!!! Lol. Thanks for the chapters, TL!!