Chapter 53: Out of Control
When Zhao Yuheng saw Shen Shuyi, his first reaction was happiness.
The dark expression on his face from just beating Zhao Cheng disappeared, replaced by a trace of delight and joy. If Zhao Yuheng had a tail, it would surely have started wagging.
But of course, when he looked closely at Shen Shuyi’s expression, Zhao Yuheng’s expression gradually froze.
Shen Shuyi’s face was far from pleasant—panic, disappointment, disbelief, and pain all intertwined, making him stagger as if he might collapse to the ground at any moment.
Zhao Yuheng’s mind raced, instantly connecting this to the nonsense Zhao Cheng had just said.
He stepped forward and grabbed Shen Shuyi forcefully. “When did you get here? How much did you hear?”
Unexpectedly, Shen Shuyi recoiled as if he had seen a ferocious beast, taking a step back with great force.
Zhao Yuheng grabbed empty air, staring at his own vacant palm, stunned.
“…Shen Shuyi?”
Zhao Yuheng’s heart pounded. Anxiety immediately spread through him. Something was very wrong with Shen Shuyi.
Finally regaining his composure, Shen Shuyi exerted tremendous effort to stop his body from shaking violently, determined not to make a more embarrassing scene in front of Zhao Yuheng.
Zhao Cheng’s words were like a series of slaps, hitting Shen Shuyi across the face without touching him.
He should have been screaming, demanding answers, but Shen Shuyi felt more rational and composed than he ever had in his life.
“Oh. I just got here.” Shen Shuyi spoke normally, his tone incredibly calm, though a careful observer could notice the slight trembling at the end of his words, held back with great effort.
He glanced at Zhao Yuheng. “Are you feeling better? That’s good. You had a fever yesterday, so I brought you to the hospital. Now that you’re fine, there’s nothing more for me here. I’ll leave.”
He explained Zhao Yuheng’s presence in the hospital in the simplest terms, avoiding any mention of yesterday’s kiss or the online abuse he had suffered.
This was abnormal.
This was completely unlike Shen Shuyi.
Shen Shuyi was the type to make a scene over the smallest grievance. Even a small cut on his finger would send the entire villa staff into chaos.
If he had truly heard Zhao Cheng’s filthy words, his reaction would never have been this calm.
Zhao Yuheng felt a chill run through him—something was slipping toward the abyss.
After speaking, Shen Shuyi didn’t know what else to say.
He turned and walked away like a programmed machine. In truth, the truth he had just learned had completely shattered him, leaving nothing behind.
So that was it.
It was all because of the demolition of Sanhe Bay for the cross-sea bridge project.
Yinghua, as the project party, forcibly demolished the houses there. Zhao Yuheng had come to Shuiwan One that day to claim compensation.
Shen Shuyi’s mind had never worked so fast. Every small clue from their past interactions suddenly became evidence of the truth.
The only reason he had mistaken Zhao Yuheng for his fiancé was that he had been blind—treating compensation money as a breakup fee and an enemy as a lover.
What kind of look had Zhao Yuheng given him back then—looking at a clown or at a joke?
He couldn’t bear to think any further.
Shen Shuyi thought mistaking someone was already absurd enough, but now it got even more humiliating.
The supposed marriage he had imagined over the past six months was actually a scheme Zhao Yuheng had devised to get revenge.
The supposed flirtation was nothing but his own absurd delusion.
Shen Shuyi felt like he couldn’t breathe.
He didn’t even know which way to go to get out of the hospital. He only wanted to leave quickly and wake up from this terrible nightmare.
His steps were fast, and his back could almost be described as fleeing in panic.
Zhao Yuheng hurried after him, grabbing his wrist. “Shen Shuyi, why are you running? Do you have something to say to me?”
“No.” Shen Shuyi said calmly. “I have nothing to say to you.”
He turned to continue walking.
Zhao Yuheng grabbed his wrist again, this time softening his voice. “Baby, what’s wrong?”
But the word “baby” hit Shen Shuyi like a red flag. He instinctively jerked his hand away and yelled hoarsely, “Don’t touch me! Don’t call me that! Don’t call me!”
Zhao Yuheng was flustered seeing Shen Shuyi’s expression.
“Did you just hear what Zhao Cheng said? That was all nonsense. Don’t believe a single word of it!”
Shen Shuyi’s chest heaved violently from the previous outburst, but hearing Zhao Yuheng’s words, he forced himself to regain reason and slowly said, “It doesn’t matter. I don’t care.”
He didn’t want to continue standing in the hospital corridor arguing; other patients and nurses were watching.
“You’re not fully recovered. Go back to rest.”
After saying this, Shen Shuyi didn’t stop walking for even a second.
Zhao Yuheng’s expression darkened. He held Shen Shuyi tightly. “You really did hear it, didn’t you?”
Shen Shuyi finally snapped. He turned, pulled his arm free, and flung Zhao Yuheng away.
When he spoke again, he had completely broken down, tears streaming, eyes red and staring fiercely at Zhao Yuheng:
“Zhao Yuheng, are you out of your mind?! I told you to go back to your room and rest! Can you hear me?! And what if you did?! So what? What does it have to do with me?! What right do you have to question me?! What relationship do we even have?! Can you just go back to your room and mind your own business?! GO!”
Zhao Yuheng hadn’t expected such a reaction. He panicked and grabbed Shen Shuyi’s shoulder. “Zhao Cheng was lying. I didn’t do any of that! I can explain!”
“Explain what? Explain that you didn’t come to Shuiwan One to marry me, but to settle accounts? Explain that you don’t like men and approached me just to avenge your grandfather? Explain that for six months I’ve been a laughingstock, clinging to you, revolving around you?”
“Zhao Yuheng, are you stupid? Can’t you see I don’t want to hear your explanation?! I’ve been humiliated enough—why are you still questioning me? Why won’t you just leave and go back to your room? Why do you have to destroy all my dignity right here in front of you?!”
Shen Shuyi spoke faster and faster, tears streaming uncontrollably, voice breaking.
Zhao Yuheng tried to hold him, but Shen Shuyi kicked and struck him, crying large, uncontrollable tears.
Zhao Yuheng’s heart broke seeing him like this. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, whatever it is, I’m sorry… please, baby, calm down, okay?”
Shen Shuyi didn’t want to listen to anything—he just wanted to get away from this hospital and the person who had caused all this.
Zhao Yuheng hugged him too tightly, almost crushing his bones. Shen Shuyi bit him hard on the shoulder until he tasted blood, then shoved him away.
“Get away!” Shen Shuyi slapped him, tears falling violently.
Zhao Yuheng turned his head. Shen Shuyi bit his lip, feeling as if his heart had been ripped in two.
Zhao Yuheng swallowed his anger.
“Shen Shuyi, you’re not calm right now. I don’t know what misunderstanding we have, but I hope you can calm down and then we can talk carefully.”
“If you’re angry because of what Zhao Cheng said, I assure you it’s all nonsense. I never did or thought any of that!”
The corridor was silent.
After a long pause, Shen Shuyi wiped his tears and said sarcastically: “Zhao Yuheng, now that it’s come to this, do you still need to pretend? Are you some kind of Casanova? Or is there something you haven’t taken from me yet—money? The villa? Checks? Yinghua shares?!”
Zhao Yuheng’s eyes widened in shock.
Shen Shuyi spoke these words painfully, like plunging a handleless knife into Zhao Yuheng while also cutting his own hand.
But his heart was made of flesh too; he was not immune to pain.
Every word Zhao Cheng had said earlier was like a sword, cutting him to pieces.
Zhao Yuheng might not even like men.
So for six months, how had he treated him? As a clown toying with him?
He had stayed up all night for him yesterday, defended him like a fool in front of Shen Lu.
Shen Shuyi had always valued his pride above all.
Even Yan Chi hadn’t hurt him this deeply before, crushing his dignity like this.
Avoiding his own feelings now was pointless.
Yes, he had truly fallen for Zhao Yuheng, but the result of giving his heart was this—being played like a clown.
He had assumed Zhao Yuheng liked him at least a little, but the act had been so convincing. With such skill, why not be an actor instead of tormenting him?
Zhao Yuheng clenched his fists, almost biting his teeth. “Is that how you see me? Shen Shuyi, do you have a heart?!”
“Yes! I don’t! So what? Even without a heart, I’m better than you—heartless! What bad luck brought me to meet you?!”
Zhao Yuheng was in pain, confused how they had gotten here. Only yesterday, they were fine, and now they were hurting each other with cruel words.
It made no sense.
“Shen Shuyi, please, don’t say that.”
Zhao Yuheng’s voice was heart-wrenching.
But Shen Shuyi couldn’t calm down. Thinking of his ridiculous behavior over six months and Zhao Cheng’s cruel words was far worse than online bullying. He had truly liked Zhao Yuheng, which made his breakdown even more extreme.
He felt utterly humiliated.
“Yes, you’re right. We should calm down.” Shen Shuyi’s face was streaked with tears, exhausted, noticing nurses and patients watching from a distance.
“Don’t meet again.”
He felt like he had lost all the face he could ever lose in front of Zhao Yuheng. Normally, he would have hidden, but now he just felt numb.
His bodyguards, who always followed him, appeared in the corridor.
The nurses and patients who had recorded with their phones were instructed to delete the videos.
After observing for so long, the crowd realized they had witnessed a major family feud.
But facing stern bodyguards, even the nosiest spectators dared not keep any footage.
Shen Shuyi turned and left.
“Don’t go!” Zhao Yuheng realized too late, his handsome face twisted with obsession.
He shouted, panic overwhelming him. His intuition warned that if he let go now, he might truly lose Shen Shuyi forever.
But the bodyguards were faster. In an instant, they held Zhao Yuheng’s arms.
The next moment, they realized Zhao Yuheng was strong and hard to restrain.
Fortunately, he was sick and exhausted from arguing with Shen Shuyi, slowing his reactions.
A bodyguard struck the back of his neck, and Zhao Yuheng collapsed, unconscious.
Shen Shuyi turned sharply, seeing him fall into the bodyguard’s arms, his heart twisted in pain.
He almost stepped forward instinctively, but stopped himself.
“Third Young Master, don’t worry. I didn’t use force, just made him faint temporarily. Otherwise, he’d be hard to handle.”
Shen Shuyi looked at him but quickly turned his red eyes away, afraid of softening.
“Take him back to his room and assign two doctors to watch over him in shifts. Update me if there’s any situation…”
He paused, then said, “Never mind. Don’t tell me.”
He was exhausted from crying and yelling. His heart felt barren, unsure what to do next or where to go.
The bodyguards worried for him, and rightly so.
Shen Shuyi took two uncertain steps forward, possibly misstepping, and suddenly felt weak, his vision blackening as he fell.
He heard a bodyguard’s alarmed shout: “Third Young Master!”
Shen Shuyi felt like all his breath had been sucked away and fainted.
