Chapter 23: Madman
He?
Fiancé?
Hearing the voice over the phone, Zhao Yuheng shook his head.
Shen Shuyi never spoke a word of truth. To trick him into sending Li Sijia back to the hotel, such oily, sweet talk came out effortlessly.
Did American universities teach him only this?
“Shen Shuyi, since when did I become your fiancé?” Zhao Yuheng’s tone was filled with helplessness.
Ah. Still angry.
Shen Shuyi thought: if he didn’t want to admit it, fine. Anyway, even if he were now, in a few months he wouldn’t be. Shen Shuyi would eventually kick him away.
Before Shen Shuyi could continue speaking, Zhao Yuheng interrupted: “I’ll send him back to the hotel.”
He was afraid that if he didn’t, Shen Shuyi, with his stubborn persistence, would soon stop calling him fiancé and start whining in his ear like “hubby, hubby.”
Shen Shuyi got carried away and forgot to mention anything about their arranged marriage.
Seeing Zhao Yuheng agree, he hurriedly added: “Oh, right. If he wakes up while you’re sending him back, tell him for me: Shen Shuyi deserves the best, not trash that should have long ago gone to the recycling bin!”
Hearing that, Zhao Yuheng thought: such narcissistic words, only from Shen Shuyi’s mouth, don’t feel annoying—somehow, they feel rather cute.
“Got it.”
Zhao Yuheng hung up, towering over Li Sijia.
His gaze was like shards of ice, and his words were chillingly merciless:
“You have two choices. First, call a taxi and go back to the hotel yourself.
“Second, die right now, and I’ll call 110 for you.”
Li Sijia had already cried and caused a scene at the gates of Shuiwan One. Up until now, Shen Shuyi hadn’t come out to look at him once.
Instead, a man he didn’t even know was telling him to leave.
He had completely given up.
Hearing Zhao Yuheng’s words, Li Sijia silently grabbed his phone and called a taxi to the hotel.
Well, that’s surprisingly sane.
Zhao Yuheng sneered, though his eyes betrayed no humor. He had thought this man might have some backbone and choose the second option.
Soon, the taxi Li Sijia called arrived.
It was obvious he had come impulsively to see Shen Shuyi, not bothering to have his driver pick him up.
Li Sijia was only half sober; he hadn’t actually drunk much—the previous display of drunken madness had a performative element.
But his attempt to win back Shen Shuyi was sincere; his regret was real, his heartbreak genuine.
Once in the car, the pain of losing Shen Shuyi surged back.
Alone in the car, he covered his face, intending to cry his heart out.
But as soon as he sat down, the passenger-side door opened—and Zhao Yuheng got in.
Li Sijia froze, then scowled: “Who the hell let you in my car?!”
Although he didn’t understand the relationship between Shen Shuyi and Zhao Yuheng, seeing such a handsome man next to his ex stirred an instinctive disgust toward someone so overwhelmingly superior.
He couldn’t believe any man could be near Shen Shuyi and remain indifferent.
Li Sijia suddenly kicked the passenger seat: “Get out!”
The driver glanced back: “Damage to the car seat costs 200.”
Li Sijia: …
He had forgotten this wasn’t his private car.
Zhao Yuheng didn’t move an inch. Li Sijia, having nowhere to vent his anger, grew even more furious.
He reached from behind and swung a punch at Zhao Yuheng. Zhao Yuheng didn’t even look back—cold-faced, he twisted Li Sijia’s wrist.
“Crack.” The sound of bones dislocating made one’s teeth ache.
Li Sijia screamed, sweat dripping down his face.
The driver glanced back again: “This is a personal dispute between passengers. Our company doesn’t cover medical fees.”
Li Sijia: …
He wanted to switch cars just to hit him.
Zhao Yuheng finally spoke calmly: “If you don’t want your other hand broken, behave.”
He paused, then added: “Shen Shuyi only asked me to send you to the hotel. He never said I had to ensure your personal safety.”
Implying that even if he died along the way, it wasn’t Zhao Yuheng’s problem.
Li Sijia, previously wailing, heard Shen Shuyi’s name and his expression shifted to disbelief and joy: “Shuyi? You mean Little Shu asked you to send me back to the hotel?”
He muttered: “I knew it, I knew he wouldn’t abandon me…”
Just as he was about to regain hope, Zhao Yuheng clarified: “Don’t misunderstand.”
“Misunderstand what?” Li Sijia’s eyes glimmered as he grabbed his phone to call Shen Shuyi, only to remember he had been blocked.
Zhao Yuheng gave him a cold look and said flatly: “I’m his fiancé. He asked me to send you back to the hotel. Don’t you understand what that means?”
At this moment, Zhao Yuheng finally understood why Shen Shuyi had lied.
Indeed, having him pose as the fiancé ensured Li Sijia would completely give up.
Sure enough, the man who had been overjoyed just seconds ago froze, staring blankly.
“Fiancé…”
Zhao Yuheng said nothing. He wasn’t sure if such a clumsy lie would fool Li Sijia, since Shen Shuyi had never mentioned any engagement. Suddenly producing a fiancé seemed strange.
But surprisingly, Li Sijia’s expression showed he fully believed it.
Right.
Li Sijia remembered vaguely hearing about the Shen family’s arranged marriage with the Zhao family from Si Jiu City while in America.
Shen Shuyi did have a fiancé—and unexpectedly, it was this man before him.
Li Sijia stared at Zhao Yuheng with a mix of jealousy and complexity.
Back then, he had thought Shen Shuyi would always love him.
Even if he had a fiancé, he wouldn’t have feared it; they could face family pressure together.
But now, Li Sijia had ruined everything.
He felt drained of all strength. Hearing the word “fiancé,” he deflated completely.
Yet he still didn’t want Zhao Yuheng to have it so easy. Though deflated, his words were spiteful, cruelly mocking Zhao Yuheng:
“You think being his fiancé lets you rest easy?”
Actually, no.
Zhao Yuheng remained silent, only thinking: this was just a pretended fiancé.
Li Sijia sneered: “It’s just a business alliance between families. You really think Shen Shuyi will fall in love with you?”
Family alliance, Zhao Yuheng thought lightly. He had only said he was Shen Shuyi’s fiancé.
He was an orphan—what family?
Li Sijia’s expression gradually turned sad. He realized Shen Shuyi loved no one, and he didn’t even love him.
Leaning back, he muttered, either to Zhao Yuheng or to himself:
“You don’t understand Shen Shuyi. He’s a heartless young master. He doesn’t know how to love.”
No matter. I don’t need his love anyway.
“You know, Shen Shuyi was famous in high school for being ruthless. When he was at Phillips, two boys confessed to him at the same time. Guess what Shen Shuyi said?”
Li Sijia recalled the rumor, as shocked then as he was now: “He jokingly told them to fight. Whoever won, he’d be with.”
So what.
Zhao Yuheng casually thought: he had never lost a fight in his life. Besides, he just beat you.
Li Sijia spoke for a long time, but Zhao Yuheng remained indifferent.
“Don’t you have any thoughts?”
When Li Sijia first heard this, his heart sank. Under Shen Shuyi’s angelic appearance lived a mischievous devil.
“So?” Zhao Yuheng finally asked. “Did you lose?”
“?” Li Sijia: “Is this about winning or losing? Those two brought guns to school to fight over being Shen Shuyi’s boyfriend! The local police got involved!”
Zhao Yuheng finally showed slight surprise.
Li Sijia still shivered at the memory. He loved Shen Shuyi but would never risk a gunfight with a rival for his love.
Zhao Yuheng said: “Guns are banned in Hong Kong, but it’s not hard to get one through special channels. I’ll be careful.”
One-on-one fights can’t beat someone with a gun.
Li Sijia had nothing left to say.
In some ways, this madman might be more suitable for Shen Shuyi than he was.
Right, big brother?
Li Sijia admitted to some scheming thoughts, but clearly, he had lost this round completely.
On the way back to the hotel, Li Sijia remained silent.
His heart still ached, unwilling to accept breaking up with Shen Shuyi, full of resentment.
Zhao Yuheng delivered Li Sijia to the hotel entrance, fulfilling his promise to Shen Shuyi.
Li Sijia got out, entering the hotel, and spat venomous words:
“Don’t get too proud. Shen Shuyi will never love anyone. He only loves himself.
“My fate today is your fate tomorrow!”
His eyes bloodshot, he glared at Zhao Yuheng as if he wanted to bite a piece of him.
He eagerly awaited Zhao Yuheng’s response.
“Taxi fare 120. Damaged seat 200. Total 320.” Zhao Yuheng held out his hand: “Pay up.”
Li Sijia expressionlessly pulled out his wallet, threw 400 at the driver, and silently walked into the hotel.
You can’t reason with a madman, really.
The driver, about to give change, found Li Sijia gone. He looked at Zhao Yuheng: “Sir, 80 change?”
“No need.” Zhao Yuheng refused.
The driver happily pocketed the extra 80 and drove off.
Shen Shuyi’s message arrived just in time.
[Are you at the hotel?]
[Cat peeking.jpg]
Zhao Yuheng checked his phone, waited a few seconds, and replied: [Yes.]
Shen Shuyi hurriedly asked: [How’s Li Sijia’s mental state? He’s not trying to kill himself, right?]
Zhao Yuheng didn’t answer directly: [You care about him? Planning to reconcile?]
Shen Shuyi: ?
Seriously, this Zhao guy can somehow connect everything to reconciliation?
Shen Shuyi typed angrily: [Who wants to reconcile with him!]
Zhao Yuheng looked down at the words and remained motionless.
Like a stubborn stone, silently still for a long time.
After a while, Zhao Yuheng sent a voice message to Shen Shuyi:
“Shen Shuyi, I just beat up your ex.”
Emotionlessly: “I won.”
The chat showed Shen Shuyi was typing.
Zhao Yuheng added: “I’m actually pretty good at fighting.”
Author’s note:
Okay, Hong Kong’s first fight king!
Don’t worry, Xiao Zhao, the ex-husband has gone through the breakup process; you still have yours.
The good thing: the cat doesn’t love him, but loves you! So the ex-husband has no future, but you still do!
And Xiao Zhao: apart from spending on your wife, no one else can touch your money.
