NANSO Chapter 23

TL: Hua

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The officer pushed Xie Yu forward, gesturing to Shen Ci: “Hello, he’s here. This is the bail document. Please sign here.”

Shen Ci nodded, picked up a pen, and signed, his face as noble and serene as frost.

Xie Yu stood aside, hands in his pockets, and spoke first: “Why are you here?”

Even if someone was going to bail him out, it shouldn’t be Shen Ci.

Shen Ci’s hand, holding the pen, paused. The office wasn’t air-conditioned and was quite cold. He was wearing a thick woolen overcoat over his suit, with his hands tucked into his sleeves, so Xie Yu didn’t notice this small movement.

Shen Ci continued to sign, his gaze fixed on the document, as if this bail paper were a contract worth hundreds of billions: “Your uncle… asked me to bail you out.”

“Xie Yuanhai?” Xie Yu was surprised and chuckled, “He has some conscience. I thought he wouldn’t care about me.”

After the brief exchange, silence fell between them.

Shen Ci had added thick clothes, but Xie Yu hadn’t. With a gust of wind blowing through the hall, Xie Yu trembled uncontrollably.

Shen Ci immediately closed the document, his face expressionless: “Let’s get in the car.”

His car was parked outside the office, a Bentley commercial model, with crown-style LED headlights and an oversized chrome grille. The interior was top-of-the-line, not cheaper than Xie Yu’s car.

Xie Yu got into the passenger seat, pulled on the seatbelt, and sighed with emotion, “Times really change. Now it’s my turn to ride in your car.”

He extended his hand: “It’s been a long time since we last met.”

It was a polite handshake gesture.

Shen Ci’s gaze fell on Xie Yu’s outstretched hand, where there was a gash. It was from scraping against a metal buckle when he hit He Zhiyuan earlier. It wasn’t bleeding anymore, but the wound was open and the flesh was red and swollen, still looking terrible.

Xie Yu followed his gaze and also saw the bloody wound. He figured Shen Ci wouldn’t want to shake his hand, so he pulled it back and smiled: “Let’s reintroduce ourselves. What should I call you now? President Shen? Director Shen? Or CEO Shen?”

Xie Yu had heard at the banquet that Shen Ci was a rising star in Jiangcheng, with a listed company under his name, but Xie Yu didn’t know his specific position—president, director, or CEO. The original text was a p*rnographic novel, so these details were not emphasized.

Shen Ci quietly lowered his eyes, turned the car key with a click, and said coolly, “…Whatever you prefer.”

He didn’t like any of the three titles.

Xie Yu used to call him “Assistant Shen.” At that time, Shen Ci was still young and naive, having nothing to his name except the halo of a prestigious university. Xie Yu would call him “Assistant Shen” with a mix of teasing and mischief, his tone lazy, provoking annoyance. Shen Ci would secretly frown every time he heard that frivolous address.

But now, Xie Yu formally and distantly called him “President Shen,” “Director Shen,” or “CEO Shen,” like a polite but unfamiliar business partner. Shen Ci couldn’t help but frown again.

In all those countless nights when Xie Yu held him close, he hadn’t called him that. Now, to be treated so politely, Shen Ci felt like he had rushed over eagerly only to make himself look cheap and a laughingstock.

Shen Ci suppressed his inexplicable emotions, his expression growing colder: “It’s getting late. I’ll drive you back.”

Xie Yu hadn’t said anything yet, but the system screamed first: “Ahhhhh! Why are you just sending him back?! Where’s my mental hospital? Where’s my finger-breaking?!”

Xie Yu tried to pacify the system: “Calm down. Look where this is. This is the entrance to the police station. No matter how arrogant Shen Ci is, he can’t openly commit a crime, can he? He must want to send me back first, wait and see, and then make his plans.”

System: “…”

Although what he said made sense, the system’s ominous premonition grew stronger. It said anxiously. “I hope so.”

—Please don’t cause any more trouble; my electronic heart can’t take it anymore.

Compared to the system’s extreme alarm, Xie Yu was quite at ease. He slouched casually in the seat, observing Shen Ci out of the corner of his eye. Shen Ci had learned to drive at some point, and his driving was skillful, his movements crisp and precise. From Xie Yu’s angle, he could only see the beautiful profile of his face.

Xie Yu sighed slightly, thinking, “The beauty has grown up and changed so much.”

Then Shen Ci turned the steering wheel onto the main road and asked flatly, “Where do you live?”

Xie Yu: “A small guesthouse in Wengtou Village.”

Wengtou Village was the old urban village, dilapidated, with crisscrossing roads and a tangle of power lines. After heavy snow, snowplows couldn’t get in, so each household had to shovel snow, which then turned into muddy slush after pedestrians walked over it.

Shen Ci paused slightly.

He couldn’t imagine Xie Yu living so calmly in such a place.

Xie Yu was the young master of the Xie family, never lacking food or clothing since childhood, only buying expensive things, only staying in top luxury hotel suites. Now, being placed in a guesthouse costing a few tens of yuan, he actually had no complaints.

Xie Yu was very considerate: “It’s not easy to drive there, President Shen. You can just stop at the village entrance, and I’ll walk in.”

“…”

“President Shen” again.

Shen Ci’s fingers tightened on the steering wheel, and he didn’t speak for a long time. After a moment, he chuckled and then suddenly said, “That place is too far; I don’t want to drive there.”

Xie Yu didn’t press him: “Then just stop by the road, and I’ll take a taxi back.”

The system kindly reminded him, “According to the script, you might not be able to afford a taxi right now.”

Xie Yuanshan had withheld Xie Yu’s money. According to the script, he should have been penniless while studying abroad and equally broke after returning to China. He genuinely might not be able to afford a taxi.

Xie Yu corrected himself: “Oh, I’ll take the subway back.”

“…”

Shen Ci’s face was expressionless: “Wengtou Village is seven kilometers from the nearest subway station. You’ll take the subway back?”

Xie Yu probed, “I’ll walk after getting off the subway?”

Seven kilometers would take over an hour to walk. It was so cold today, and Xie Yu was wearing a thin suit. He’d probably catch a cold.

Shen Ci’s lips twitched slightly, then quickly relaxed. He said stiffly, “Uncle Xie asked me to bail you out. If I made you walk back, wouldn’t that make me seem inconsiderate?”

Xie Yuanhai was a senior in the business world, so the younger generation respectfully called him “uncle.”

Xie Yu: “…”

Shen Ci’s words sounded as if he were making things difficult for him. He asked him to get in the car and reported the address but then said he didn’t want to drive there. Xie Yu suggested taking the subway, but then Shen Ci said he couldn’t walk. Xie Yu was unsure of his meaning and felt a bit of a headache.

Xie Yu: “System, what does this mean?”

System: “Hmm? Maybe he thinks simply letting you take the subway isn’t miserable enough? Not satisfying enough?”

Xie Yu wasn’t a rich second-generation heir in his previous life and had commuted on the subway for several years. He thought about it and realized there was nothing particularly miserable about it, so it certainly couldn’t relieve Shen Ci’s anger.

Xie Yu understood.

He sighed slightly and reached for the car door: “Alright, I’ll just walk back then.”

This place was nearly twenty kilometers from Wengtou Village, a three- to five-hour walk.

The moment Xie Yu touched the handle, Shen Ci suddenly pressed the lock button. The Bentley instantly locked, the handle becoming useless. Xie Yu tried to roll down the window, but it wouldn’t budge. The vehicle was like an iron drum, trapping Xie Yu inside.

Xie Yu: “…”

He was utterly bewildered, thinking, “What’s going on? Is Shen Ci going to play free combat with me in the car? Beat me up to vent his anger? But he can’t beat me anyway.”

Xie Yu turned his head. Shen Ci’s face was chillingly cold, his beautiful lips pressed into a straight line. He clutched the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles white, his throat dry and bitter. All sorts of emotions were contained in his chest, finally erupting into a sneer: “If I let you walk back, wouldn’t Uncle Xie blame me even more for not knowing how to treat guests?”

Xie Yu asked in a good-tempered manner, “What should we do then?”

Shen Ci said calmly, “I don’t want to drive. There is a hotel nearby, so let’s stay there.”

After saying that, perhaps fearing Xie Yu might misunderstand, he quickly added, “I’m not short on money.”

Xie Yu also smiled, politely saying, “Then I shall humbly obey your command.”

This area was Jiangcheng’s affluent district, adjacent to the big river, boasting first-class river views. There were many luxury hotels along both banks; the suite Xie Yu had previously booked was also here.

Shen Ci drove off and, five minutes later, stopped in front of a riverside skyscraper. Xie Yu looked up—ha, familiar.

The system excitedly exclaimed, “Ahhhhhh, here it comes, here it comes!”

It shed two wide tears, deeply moved: “Thank heavens, my plot is finally back on track! I told you, with 65% completion, no matter how outrageous it was before, it still had 65%. It couldn’t be that far off!”

A 65% completion rate meant that Shen Ci had been abused to at least 65% of the original extent. Given the original owner’s actions, 65% should have been enough to make Shen Ci utterly hate him.

Xie Yu seemed to realize, “So, all those ‘this won’t work, that won’t work’ earlier were leading up to this?”

In the original story, after Xie Yu was taken from the venue, he was brought to this very hotel. Shen Ci had been subjected to various torments and humiliations by the original owner here. The massive floor-to-ceiling window was his lifelong nightmare; he had been forcefully pressed against it, stripped of his clothes, while below, Jiangcheng’s most bustling commercial center teemed with pedestrians and vehicles. If anyone had a telescope, they might have observed his wretched state.

Even later, when Shen Ci rose rapidly through the ranks and became President Shen, Director Shen, CEO Shen, the nightmare never let him go. Countless times in the dead of night, he would remember that huge floor-to-ceiling window, the neon lights outside, and the fingerprints and bloodstains on the glass.

To quell the nightmare, Shen Ci chose to bring the original owner here, breaking his fingers one by one, washing away the past humiliation with the original owner’s agonizing screams.

The system rubbed its hands: “Host, the pain-shielding system is on standby, ready to activate at any moment!”

Xie Yu gave an “OK” gesture.

He followed Shen Ci to swipe the card, entered the elevator, walked all the way to the top floor suite, and finally stopped in front of a familiar mahogany door. Shen Ci swiped the card with ease, as if he had been here thousands of times.

The moment the lights came on, Xie Yu paused slightly.

The room was tidy but not spotless. The wine cabinet and wardrobe showed signs of use, and a shirt was draped over the back of the sofa… Shen Ci seemed to have been living here.

Xie Yu hesitated slightly.

Would he? Live in a room that was essentially a nightmare?

The system poked its head out and whispered, “Is it… is it enduring hardship for revenge?”

Xie Yu stepped inside and said, exasperated, “Don’t misuse idioms.”

Shen Ci, already a step ahead, subtly folded the shirt and said coolly, “I still have work to do, so I won’t disturb you for now.”

With that, he genuinely didn’t look at Xie Yu again, walking briskly and turning to leave the room.

Xie Yu: “…What’s going on?”

Death sentence changed to suspended death sentence?

Given Shen Ci’s current high position and demanding work, Xie Yu could understand him working late into the night. So he looked around the room and lay down on the large bed.

The system was startled: “Are you really going to sleep?”

Xie Yu had always been carefree: “Why not? I’m exhausted.”

The bed in the small guesthouse was broken and hard, creaking loudly when he moved. Xie Yu hadn’t slept well for days.

He rested for a while, got up to wash, then went straight to bed, pulling the covers over his head.

System: “Aren’t you going to treat the wound on your hand?”

Although the wound wasn’t large, it had been exposed to water, and the edges were pale. If left untreated, it could become inflamed.

Xie Yu: “So tired. I can’t be bothered to move.”

He closed his eyes: “Even if Shen Ci wants to act, I still need to get some sleep.”

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Two streets away, He Zhiyuan emerged from the medical office.

He had been severely beaten by Xie Yu, his skin covered in bruises, and his whole body ached.

Ever since the incident with Lin Yin, his status in the He family had plummeted, and his expenses were strictly controlled. Now, he was struggling financially and couldn’t even afford a private doctor. His body ached so badly that he had to search clinics all over for bandages.

It was almost midnight, and most clinics were closed; only this one was still lit. He Zhiyuan limped in, had the medical staff bandage and disinfect his wounds, and took two painkillers before feeling a little better.

After his wounds were treated, he came out cursing, calling out every generation of Xie Yu and Shen Ci’s ancestors, and entered the alley next to the clinic.

His car was parked there.

He Zhiyuan pressed the car key, the door unlocked, and the car lights flashed twice. He casually glanced forward and suddenly froze.

Illuminated by the car lights, there were several people standing there.

The man leading them had a handsome, refined face, a slender waist, and long legs—He Zhiyuan’s type. The woman next to him also had long hair and a long dress, with a sweet demeanor—also He Zhiyuan’s type. Normally, He Zhiyuan would have gone to flirt, but behind these two were six, seven, or eight security guards, each robust with backs as strong as cows.

He Zhiyuan’s pupils suddenly contracted, and he turned and ran.

The leading woman spoke coldly; it was Lin Yin: “Hold him.”

The security guards swarmed, pinning He Zhiyuan to the ground like a dead dog. Lin Yin, in high heels, walked gracefully over and stepped on He Zhiyuan’s instep. He Zhiyuan wanted to scream, but his mouth was held tightly.

Lin Yin stomped again and again, messing up his freshly bandaged wounds until she felt satisfied. She then turned to the man in the shadows: “I’ve vented my anger.”

She mumbled, “It’s strange. In the past, you told me not to cause trouble, but why did you suddenly relent today?”

She had wanted to beat He Zhiyuan for a long time.

Hearing her question, the man stepped forward. He was very handsome, tall and slender, with refined features, but his expression was too aloof and cold, his face reflecting the pale light of the streetlamp.

He Zhiyuan saw his face clearly and started to struggle. Shen Ci signaled the security guard to let go of his mouth. He Zhiyuan immediately cried and snotted in fear: “Shen Ci… Shen Ci, it’s my fault. I was blinded by greed before; I shouldn’t have plotted against you… Stop! What are you doing?! What are you doing!?”

His voice was shrill. Shen Ci knelt down, looking at him directly: “I’m not doing anything. I just want to ask you a few questions.”

“…Ask, you ask, I’ll tell you anything!”

Shen Ci had no intention of probing the He family’s business secrets. He Zhiyuan was a good-for-nothing and hadn’t entered the core power structure, so he couldn’t get any intelligence from him. He was beating him today for something else.

“If I remember correctly, you grew up with Xie Yu?”

This was no secret. The He and Xie families had a good relationship, and they were similar in age, both being dissolute second-generation heirs, so they easily became friends.

He Zhiyuan was stunned, a beat slow. The security guard immediately pressed down on his arm, and he howled, answering, “Yes, yes, yes, I grew up with Xie Yu.”

Shen Ci: “The scars on Xie Yu’s back, where did they come from?”

He still remembered that night. Xie Yu was sound asleep, but his hand held him tightly, pressing him close. The warmth of the embrace was burning hot, completely shutting out the bitter cold of winter. Shen Ci nestled in his arms, feeling something indefinable. He tentatively reached out to hug back but froze the moment his hand touched Xie Yu’s back, only because the skin was covered in uneven scars.

These scars ran horizontally and vertically, spanning his entire back, with hypertrophic tissue forming ugly patterns. Just looking at them, he knew how much pain they must have caused.

But how could the Xie family’s precious young master have these scars?

Over the years, Shen Ci had always wondered about those scars. He had subtly asked many people, but the matter was kept secret, and Xie Yuanshan seemed to have deliberately covered it up. He had never been able to get an answer. Shen Ci guessed that only Zhou Yang and He Zhiyuan knew about it.

Zhou Yang had returned to the capital, and He Zhiyuan usually had friends around, so there was no opportunity to corner him until today.

He Zhiyuan was surprised: “You’re asking about that? It’s no big deal. His dad beat him.”

“Xie Yu has a mental illness, you know? His dad abused him from a young age, even beating him into the ICU. After that, he became mentally unstable and neurotic. I heard he has bipolar disorder.”

He was so afraid of not saying enough and getting beaten again that he spilled all of Xie Yu’s secrets like spilling beans.

Shen Ci looked at him, light and shadow flickering in his eyes, hard to discern. He quietly asked, “So he likes to hit people?”

Patients with bipolar disorder often suffer from uncontrolled s*xual addiction and s*xual abuse.

“Yes! It’s because of his mental illness!” He Zhiyuan blurted out, “For people like him, hitting others is like taking medicine, you understand? After hitting, they calm down.”

He glanced at Shen Ci guiltily: “When he met you, he told us too that his previous ‘medicine’ stopped working, so he found a new ‘medicine,’ hoping you… hoping you’d be more durable and last a little longer for him to play.”

Shen Ci moved aside and stood up.

His expression was dark and unreadable, his long eyelashes veiling his eyes, and his amber pupils were deep and still. Even Lin Yin keenly sensed something was off. She quietly asked, “What’s wrong?”

Shen Ci simply smiled: “Nothing.”

He was just a little confused.

If it was “medicine,” why didn’t he use it? Such kindness had only left his heart in turmoil, giving rise to many baseless desires.

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