TL: Hua
Although Xie Yu was quite a troublemaker in high school, he hadn’t mastered the art of swearing. His level of profanity was far inferior to He Zhiyuan’s; he absolutely couldn’t say words like “b****” or “wh***.” Fortunately, he exercised regularly, and his abs and chest muscles were decent—the type who looked lean in clothes but muscular when undressed—making him quite effective at beating people up.
Shen Ci inside the stall was utterly stunned. He pressed against the edge of the door, as if rooted to the spot.
Shen Ci had imagined many reactions from Xie Yu, but punching He Zhiyuan was not one of them.
He Zhiyuan was also completely bewildered. He took several heavy blows, dodging awkwardly while cursing furiously, “F*** your mother, Xie Yu, are you crazy?”
According to the novel, Xie Yu shouldn’t have resorted to violence against He Zhiyuan; it wasn’t his part in the script. But since the plot was nearing its end and He Zhiyuan was an insignificant supporting character who wasn’t even given an ending, Xie Yu figured, what’s the harm in beating him up? He might as well just follow his instincts.
He punched He Zhiyuan in the jaw: “Say it again, whose mother are you f***ing?”
He Zhiyuan came to vent his anger on Xie Yu, but he didn’t expect Xie Yu to be crazier than him. He spat, his face twisted in a sneer, “Xie Yu, you’re really f*cking crazy. What kind of drug did that b**** Shen Ci give you…”
Before he finished speaking, Xie Yu delivered another punch. He Zhiyuan’s eye immediately turned black, and a nosebleed flowed down his philtrum, making him look utterly pathetic.
Xie Yu held him: “He Zhiyuan, I’m warning you, clean up your mouth. How dare you compare yourself to me? Shen Ci’s mind is dirty? Shen Ci is cheap? How can his mind be as dirty as yours? How can he be as cheap as you? Are you worthy?”
Xie Yu couldn’t help but curse: “You f***ing idiot.”
In the original novel, Shen Ci was abused to such an extent, yet he never did anything scandalous. As for revenge, he only sought revenge on the original protagonist, while the original protagonist’s family and friends remained safe and sound. Even at the worst of his depression, he only harmed himself, never others. Later, when his body was depleted and his illness severe, constantly suffering from major and minor ailments, seemingly not having much time left, he donated most of his family fortune to assist impoverished children. If he were in Shen Ci’s shoes, Xie Yu admitted he couldn’t have done the same.
How could such a person be slandered by He Zhiyuan?
Inside the stall, Shen Ci silently curled his fingers.
This was truly a novel experience. Shen Ci’s family was poor, but he was handsome. From childhood to adulthood, rumors never stopped—they said he sold himself, they said his mother sold herself, and so on.
It wasn’t that no one had stood up for him. Han Yunyun and Li Yue would complain and get angry whenever they saw such posts on the forum, but at most, they would just reply to clarify a few things, and these clarifications never made a ripple, simply drowning in the rumors and slanders.
Gradually, Shen Ci learned not to look, not to listen. He stopped looking at those forums, stopped listening to those gossips, and thus, he stopped caring.
But now, Xie Yu was throwing punch after punch, and Shen Ci stood in the stall, vaguely recalling his childhood.
At that time, he and another girl in his class were both very attractive. The boys in their class, who know where they learned terms like “brothel,” “whorehouse,” and “top courtesan,” would joke around them, calling them the male and female “top courtesans.”
The girl cried, and the next day her parents came to school. Her father grabbed the ringleaders and gave them a good beating, while her mother went straight to the office to find the homeroom teacher. The teacher, upon hearing what happened, was furious and gave the boys another beating with a ruler.
After that, the girl was never teased again because she had someone to back her up.
But Shen Ci didn’t.
He was called that for two semesters. No one stood up for him. His father had died early, and his grandmother was old, mending shoe soles under the lamp every day, doing strenuous labor to barely make ends meet. Shen Ci couldn’t bother her with these petty school matters.
And now, because of a few vulgar and insignificant words from He Zhiyuan that Shen Ci himself didn’t even care much about, Xie Yu threw his punches.
Shen Ci closed his red-rimmed eyes, his chest aching intensely.
In this small, cramped cubicle, Shen Ci was momentarily transported back to that afternoon many years ago. He had hidden behind the classroom door, peering through a broken crack, watching the girl’s father deliver punch after punch, each one landing squarely. Shen Ci couldn’t recall his feelings at the time—perhaps envy, bitterness, jealousy… a mix of emotions that coalesced into an overwhelming sense of confusion and helplessness.
But now, someone was throwing punches for him too.
Xie Yu had practiced when he was a hoodlum; his punches were fluid and powerful. His elbows drove his back muscles, his shoulder blades tensed, and his suit clung tightly to his body, outlining graceful lines, elegant like a spy in a British film. As Shen Ci watched, he suddenly remembered the shape of his body, the undulating muscles, and the burning temperature of the skin when these arms held him tightly on every winter night five years ago.
He… really wanted to hug Xie Yu.
But now, Xie Yu wasn’t his anymore.
Outside the door, He Zhiyuan roared, “Xie Yu!”
Although his body was hollowed out by alcohol and women, he was still an adult man. Pushed too far, he rushed forward, red-eyed, to grab Xie Yu’s neck. Shen Ci watched through the door crack, his eyebrows twitching, and he couldn’t help but move closer.
Xie Yu clicked his tongue. He had eaten and worked out regularly abroad, and his physical condition was far superior to He Zhiyuan’s. With a swift counter-twist, He Zhiyuan cried out in pain, and an unbelievable thought suddenly surfaced: “F*ck you, Xie Yu, it has come to this, and you are still protecting Shen Ci? You don’t even hesitate to attack me; can you not forget your old feelings for him?”
“…”
Inside and outside the cubicle, Xie Yu and Shen Ci both paused simultaneously.
Shen Ci silently clutched his clothes, the hem of his expensive suit wrinkled, as if he were trying to crumple it.
Xie Yu, who had been pressing on He Zhiyuan’s shoulder, loosened his grip slightly upon hearing this, revealing an opening.
He Zhiyuan struggled violently and took the opportunity to break free. He stumbled a few steps, looking at Xie Yu as if he’d seen a ghost: “You’re really falling for him?”
Among the many rich second-generation heirs in Jiangcheng, Xie Yu and He Zhiyuan were known for their recklessness. They were both carefree, wealthy young masters who would play around with pretty boys and girls, but none of them had ever truly fallen in love.
“…”
Xie Yu looked at him quietly, saying nothing.
Silence.
He Zhiyuan wiped his nose, getting a handful of bright red nosebleeds. Xie Yu’s punch earlier had landed squarely on his nose, almost dislocating his nasal bone. Now, thick blood was dripping down his philtrum, drop by drop.
With a bloody hand, He Zhiyuan laughed at Xie Yu: “Xie Yu, do you know who Shen Ci is now? He’s favored by Luo Shao and has personally launched a listed company that’s almost driven my family to ruin. Now, your uncle Xie Yuanhai respectfully calls him ‘Mr. Shen’ when he sees him. You treated him that way back then, forcing him to sign a contract. What do you think he’ll do to retaliate against you? Huh? What do you think?”
“…”
“Hahahahahaha,” He Zhiyuan’s laughter grew more deranged. “You still have feelings for him? That’s wonderful. Xie Yu, I’ll be waiting to see your downfall!”
Xie Yu glanced at him with disgust and calmly said, “You guessed wrong. I’m never falling for anyone.”
It wasn’t that he was being stubborn, but there were only a few plot points left. He Zhiyuan was a gossipy type who liked to make baseless accusations. Since Shen Ci was working with Luo Shao now, if rumors like “Xie Yu still having feelings for him” spread, it would damage Shen Ci’s reputation. Xie Yu didn’t want any unnecessary complications.
Just then, the cubicle door thumped, the panel trembling slightly, as if someone had uncontrollably bumped into it. Unfortunately, He Zhiyuan was half-dead from the beating, and Xie Yu was dragging him out like a dead dog, so no one noticed the sound from inside.
Xie Yu dragged He Zhiyuan out of the restroom and threw him a good distance away. He raised his hand to check his watch; there was still about an hour left until the banquet ended. So, he carefully selected a discreet corner and started playing connect the dots.
The system perched on his shoulder, circling to watch the screen, disdainfully asking, “Host, can’t you play something more sophisticated?”
As an electronic system, it could instantly discern the optimal solution for such games.
Xie Yu replied, “Don’t be picky. When I go to the mental hospital, being able to play the connect-the-dots game will be good enough.”
Normally it would be fine, but during the days Shen Ci came to visit, he might have to lie in bed in a straitjacket, his hands and feet tied securely, unable to move.
The system comforted him, “It’s okay. I’ll play movies in your head then. I guarantee they won’t notice.”
Other guests at the event were socializing, but Xie Yu, considering himself a “dying man,” was enjoying himself. However, just as he was about to break a record after two rounds, there was a sudden commotion at the entrance.
The guests in the main hall were thrown into disarray, the chatter suddenly intensifying. Xie Yuanhai also hurried forward, seemingly talking to someone.
The system left Xie Yu, flew around the front, and then returned to Xie Yu’s side, a “crying” emoji appearing on its screen.
Xie Yu paused his movements, the game timed out, and the screen displayed “game over.” He closed the game, put away his phone, and asked, “What happened?”
The emoji on the screen shed wide tears, and the system frantically exclaimed, “Ahhhhhh! I knew it! I knew it! The last scene definitely wouldn’t be this smooth!”
Xie Yu’s heart skipped a beat, feeling a bad premonition: “What exactly happened?”
System: “You hit He Zhiyuan, and that idiot He Zhiyuan, he called the police, ahhhhhh!”
Xie Yu: “…?”
This group of rich second-generation heirs was “overflowing with martial virtue”; they often engaged in illegal activities and fought, but they usually settled things with money. Calling the police to solve a problem was truly a first for them.
“Great.” Xie Yu thought to himself, “A cornered dog will jump over the wall. He Zhiyuan is desperate.”
Not long after, the crowd automatically parted, and a pair of silver handcuffs was presented to him. The officer’s expression was serious: “Xie Yu, right? Someone reported you for assault and battery. Come with us.”
The system was about to collapse: “What the heck, how did the plot turn out like this?!”
Xie Yu glanced at the screen. The original novel text was: “Shen Ci called for people, and in broad daylight, they restrained Xie Yu. Xie Yu struggled, but his arms were twisted behind his back, his shoulders held down firmly, and he was dragged away like a dead dog.”
“…” Xie Yu sighed.
The original text was well-written and very vivid, but with silver handcuffs now in front of him, he seemed unable to replicate it.
After all, he couldn’t very well say, “Comrade police, please drag me away like a dead dog.”
Xie Yu raised his hand, calmly analyzing, and replied mentally, “It’s fine, don’t panic. Didn’t I have an average score of 65? There are still 5 points that can be deducted. This small plot point will at most deduct two points, leaving 3 points.”
The system looked gloomy and muttered, “…That’s true, but I have a bad feeling about this.”
No matter how capable Shen Ci was, he couldn’t snatch someone from law enforcement. Xie Yu was escorted into the car and saw a bruised and swollen He Zhiyuan.
He Zhiyuan’s eyes were swollen, his nose was broken, his chin was bleeding, and he had been kicked twice in the abdomen. The area was covered in purple and blue bruises, looking quite scary.
But it only looked scary; Xie Yu had held back. All of He Zhiyuan’s bruises were superficial injuries, not even enough to be considered minor injuries. Even if a wound assessment were done, Xie Yu wouldn’t have to go to jail; at most, it would be considered assault and battery and disturbing public order.
Several people made a statement. According to the rules, Xie Yu had to be administratively detained. The officer, seeing his good appearance and that he didn’t look like a habitual offender and was dressed in high-end custom clothes, asked, “Do you want bail?”
Bail doesn’t require detention, but it requires a deposit and a guarantor to sign and take responsibility.
This money was just pocket change for the rich second-generation heirs in Jiangcheng, but after Xie Yuanshan’s death, Xie Yuanhai had teamed up with other shareholders to buy back equity. The money hadn’t arrived yet, and Xie Yuanhai was eager for Xie Yu’s reputation to be ruined so the board of directors would expel him. There was no way he would sign for Xie Yu’s bail.
That left Zhou Yang and Xu Qingshan. But Zhou Yang wasn’t in Jiangcheng; he had returned to Beijing to inherit the family business. As for Xu Qingshan, Xie Yu didn’t want to get involved with him or expose their uncle-nephew relationship. Otherwise, if Shen Ci found out and discovered Xu Qingshan was his relative, he might transfer him to a different mental hospital. Who would Xie Yu cry to?
After thinking, in the vast city of Jiangcheng, he really couldn’t find a guarantor.
Xie Yu sighed and slumped into the chair: “Just detain me.”
The officer paused, hearing this request for the first time: “Really no bail?”
Xie Yu smiled: “No one to bail me out.”
He scoffed lightly, thinking to himself, “Two worlds, and I can’t find anyone to bail me out.”
Xie Yu was used to being a loner and didn’t have many close friends. When he had mental problems in high school, his classmates avoided him. Once, he climbed over a wall to skip class and ran into muggers in an alley. He got into a fight then too and was administratively detained once before. At that time, similarly, no one bailed him out.
But Xie Yu was open-minded and didn’t care. If it was awkward the first time, now he was familiar with it and felt quite comfortable.
Bail procedures were complex, but detention procedures were simpler. The officer quickly completed them, printed out the document, and handed Xie Yu an inkpad: “Check if there are any mistakes, and press your fingerprint here.”
Xie Yu lowered his head. The charge column read, “Suspected of intentional assault and disturbing public order.”
Xie Yu thought to himself that he wasn’t intentionally assaulting anyone; it was purely He Zhiyuan’s big mouth, but these reasons were useless to explain, so he simply admitted it.
He was still in handcuffs, so his movements were restricted. He awkwardly raised his thumb and dabbed it in the inkpad.
But the next second, the document was suddenly pulled away.
“Wait, just a moment.”
New information seemed to have arrived. The officer checked his computer and made a stopping gesture to Xie Yu: “It looks like someone’s here to pick you up.”
Xie Yu paused: “Who’s picking me up?”
The officer lowered his head, typed on the keyboard, then unlocked his handcuffs: “You’ll know when you go out and see. My screen shows that they’ve already paid the bail and signed the guarantee. You’re free to go.”
“…”
When faced with administrative detention, Xie Yu was completely normal, but now that someone had bailed him out, he was stunned. He only stood up when the officer tapped on the table.
In this situation, who else could bail him out?
Xie Yuanhai? Xie Yuanhai was socializing at the banquet, dead drunk, and had no time to deal with his cheap nephew.
Zhou Yang? Even more impossible; a plane couldn’t get here fast enough.
Xu Qingshan? Xu Qingshan was at a hospital in the distant suburbs; no one would have notified him, so he wouldn’t know what had happened here.
Xie Yu frowned.
Who else could it be?
He followed the officer through the corridor to the main entrance and, from a distance, finally saw the person who bailed him out sitting on a long bench in the hall.
The person was wearing a well-fitted suit, with a refined and handsome face and an elegant and dignified demeanor. He was currently flipping through documents, with a few strands of hair falling across his brow. Perhaps annoyed, he raised a hand to push up the glasses on his nose, tucking his fringe behind his ear. The incandescent lights of the hall fell on him, illuminating his cool, pale skin, which gleamed as if coated in a layer of white glaze.
This person, simply by sitting there, exuded a unique, gentle elegance that elevated the humble hall. The rusty iron bench behind him seemed like an exhibit stand in a museum, and he himself, an antique porcelain displayed in a glass case.
Xie Yu held his breath. … Shen Ci.
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Hmm, cute. How will the relationship develop now… lol. Thanks for the chapter, TL!!