Chapter 76: Boyfriend
Shen Lu never imagined he’d see Shen Shuyi like this!
He had rushed anxiously to Beijing, suspicions filling his mind. The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that Shen Shuyi was hiding something from him.
After stepping off his private jet, he was greeted by a secretary arranged by the Zhao family. Upon arriving in Yancheng, the butler, Old Chen, hesitantly told him that Shen Shuyi had gotten into a fight with someone.
Shen Lu’s expression didn’t change; he seemed used to such news by now.
After all, if Shen Shuyi ever went out and didn’t cause trouble, that would be unusual.
When Shen Lu arrived at West Highland, he was supposed to meet Zhao Qing first.
However, a call from his company interrupted him midway, delaying him by about half an hour.
When he hung up, Old Chen was nowhere in sight, and the scenery around him had changed—apparently, he had wandered off while talking on the phone.
The villa was large, but Shen Lu had a good sense of direction. After orienting himself, he recalled Old Chen’s description of the way and headed straight toward the study.
He had just turned a corner when he heard voices coming from a nearby room—a couple whispering sweet nothings to each other, words so syrupy his teeth almost ached.
Originally, Shen Lu had no intention of eavesdropping.
But then one of them said, “Little Shu, such lingering feelings of old love—how long can they really last…”
Little Shu?
Shen Lu froze mid-step, then walked to the door.
He instinctively pushed it open—and sure enough, who else could it be but that walking disaster machine of a brother?
And this time, he was committing a major disaster—sitting right on another man’s lap. That man didn’t even look like Zhao Ci! Was this… cheating during engagement?!
And wait—why did that man look… kind of familiar?
Shen Lu just stood there, watching his precious “little cabbage” run into someone else’s field to be plucked. The more he looked, the more he wanted to laugh out of sheer fury.
Only when the two inside finished confessing did Shen Lu finally speak up, voice icy-calm:
“Am I interrupting something?”
The room went dead silent.
Shen Shuyi turned his head, and the moment he saw Shen Lu, his soul practically left his body.
His mind blanked. His body stiffly climbed off Zhao Yuheng’s lap and obediently stood up straight.
“Brother…”
Shen Shuyi’s voice trembled. “W-why are you here?”
“If I weren’t here,” Shen Lu said, voice cold as frost, “how else could I have witnessed such a fine performance? Little Shu, don’t you think you owe your brother an explanation?”
“I—”
Shen Shuyi snapped back to reality, inwardly screaming a thousand desperate cat-screams.
Save the cat! Save the cat!!
When Shen Lu braced one hand on the doorframe, Shen Shuyi rushed forward, clutching his arm, pale-faced.
“Brother, don’t tear off the doorframe—it hurts too much to be hit with it!”
Shen Lu reached for the doorknob, and Shen Shuyi immediately pressed down on his hand, eyes wide and tearful like a fried egg:
“The doorknob too, please don’t—it hurts just as much!”
When Shen Lu grabbed the back of a chair, Shen Shuyi practically melted into a puddle of despair:
“Brother, hitting me with a chair could kill someone…”
Shen Lu sighed helplessly.
“What on earth are you imagining? When did I ever say I was going to hit you?”
Shen Shuyi instantly morphed back into human form.
“Then why were you touching the doorframe, the knob, and the chair? Weren’t you picking a weapon?”
“Shen Shuyi,” Shen Lu said, “do you have even a shred of conscience? Have I ever actually hit you?”
Shen Shuyi thought for a long moment, then cutely shook his head.
“No…”
Shen Lu sat down and finally turned his gaze on the other man in the room.
“Explain. What’s going on? Why is Zhao Yuheng here? And these past weeks—you’ve been avoiding me on every call. Was it because of him?”
Shen Shuyi glanced at Zhao Yuheng, then back at Shen Lu.
“This…” He hesitated.
Before he could speak, Zhao Yuheng said evenly, “It was me. I wouldn’t let him go. After I returned to China, we met again. I had no reason to let go, so… we’re together again.”
Together?!
Shen Shuyi’s brain buzzed.
Wait a minute! Zhao-whatever-your-name-is, you haven’t even confessed yet!
“I knew it,” Shen Lu sneered.
Shen Lu wasn’t surprised by Zhao Yuheng’s persistence—he’d seen it firsthand two years ago.
Back then, after Shen Shuyi went abroad, Zhao Yuheng hadn’t calmed down at all.
For a long time, he appeared at the gates of Shuiwan One every day. When Uncle Lin reported it, Shen Lu merely said: “As long as he doesn’t die there, let him stand all he wants.”
But he hadn’t expected Zhao Yuheng’s obsession to go that far.
Not only did he linger outside the villa, he even intercepted Shen Lu on his commute—always for the same reason: to ask for Shen Shuyi’s American address.
Shen Lu had scolded him, lectured him, but it was like talking to a wall.
Finally, out of sheer frustration, Shen Lu snapped:
“He’s in Los Angeles. That place’s huge—go find him if you can. Besides, he’s living with his real fiancé now. What, you want to play home-wrecking sidepiece? Zhao Yuheng, aren’t you better than that? You’ve got family, friends—why humiliate yourself like this?”
He’d thought those harsh words would make the boy give up.
Instead, the next day, his assistant called to say Zhao Yuheng hadn’t shown up to work for several days.
Shen Lu’s heart sank.
A kid like Zhao Yuheng—poor background, lots of ambition, nothing rare about that. But if he really got himself hurt, Shen Shuyi would surely blame him.
So when Shen Shuyi had recently been asking vague questions about Zhao Yuheng, Shen Lu already sensed trouble.
“Get Security to look for him immediately,” he ordered.
And thank goodness he did.
Because when they finally found Zhao Yuheng, Shen Lu nearly lost his mind.
The boy had planned to stow away across the ocean.
“Are you insane?!” Shen Lu had dragged him out from a den of shady smugglers, his head buzzing in rage.
“That’s illegal exit! If you get caught, you’ll go to jail! You’ve got such a bright future—are you throwing it all away?!”
“I know,” Zhao Yuheng had said calmly, eyes bloodshot, shirt wrinkled, unshaven from days without sleep.
Seeing him like that, Shen Lu couldn’t even stay angry. He admired his ruthlessness and resolve—but that admiration turned to fury when he remembered who it was all for.
“Then have Shen Shuyi call me. I need to know if he really doesn’t want me anymore.”
“You…” Shen Lu pressed a hand to his forehead. “You’re hopeless.”
Before he could say more, Zhao Yuheng suddenly collapsed to the ground.
At the hospital, they discovered he’d fainted from exhaustion and fever brought on by stress and overwork.
If Shen Lu hadn’t stopped him before boarding, he might have hidden in a ship’s hold for six days—with that body? He’d have never survived.
That day, Shen Lu truly witnessed Zhao Yuheng’s terrifying obsession.
When Zhao Yuheng woke two days later, the first thing he asked was still:
“How is Shen Shuyi?”
Realizing nothing would dissuade him, Shen Lu laid the truth bare:
“Even if I let you talk to him, then what? Can you protect him? Provide him a better life? If you really stay together, he’ll lose everything. Are you planning to marry into our family and face down two conglomerates’ boardrooms? For love?”
“If you can promise to handle all that, I’ll call him right now. Can you?”
Zhao Yuheng fell silent.
“You and Little Shu aren’t from the same world,” Shen Lu said softly. “Going back to your own paths—that’s best for both of you.”
Then he sighed and left, thinking the matter was over.
He was wrong.
Two years later
West Highland, Zhao family’s mountain villa.
“You’ve got guts,” Shen Lu ground out between clenched teeth. “I really underestimated you.”
“What’s your relationship with Little Shu now?”
“Exactly what you saw,” Zhao Yuheng replied smoothly—now calm, mature, confident.
Even Shen Lu had to admit, his growth was astonishing. But that didn’t stop the fury boiling in his chest.
“You still have the nerve to talk! How long are you going to keep pestering him?”
“Why are you saying it like that?” Shen Shuyi protested. “Don’t make it sound like he’s harassing me!”
“Shut up!” Shen Lu snapped. “Whose side are you on, you ungrateful brat?”
“Even if it’s for my sake, you don’t have to talk so harshly! It’s not all his fault—if I didn’t agree, how could he even get near me?”
“Heh. I’ll deal with him first, then I’ll deal with you!”
Shen Shuyi zipped his mouth shut, then quickly poured his brother a cup of tea, rubbing his shoulders flatteringly.
“Brother, have some tea. I was just thinking—I might have done wrong too. So how about this: you teach Zhao Yuheng a lesson, and once you’re done, you don’t teach me one, okay?”
Zhao Yuheng gave him a helpless look.
Shen Lu huffed but took the tea, his temper cooling slightly.
“Little Shu, do you even know what you’re doing right now?”
“Of course I do!” Shen Shuyi said cheerfully, kneading harder. “I’m giving Lord Shen Lu a shoulder massage!”
“…” Shen Lu pinched the bridge of his nose. “Come with me.”
When Shen Lu reached for him, Zhao Yuheng immediately stiffened—PTSD kicking in.
Sensing it, Shen Shuyi turned and whispered, “Brother, wait a minute.”
He hurried to Zhao Yuheng’s side.
“My brother just wants to talk privately. I’ll be right back.”
“Really?” Zhao Yuheng murmured. “Last time, he said the same thing before taking you away.”
“That was last time! Don’t be so paranoid. Even if he tried, we’re in the middle of nowhere. Without your helicopter, where could he even take me?”
Zhao Yuheng’s lips tightened. He gripped Shen Shuyi’s wrist.
“If he takes you, I’ll find you. And when I do, I’ll lock you up.”
“…You’re insane!”
“Fine, fine, lock me, keep me in your pocket, whatever you want!”
“Really?”
You actually believed that?!
Zhao Yuheng’s eyes reddened.
“Baby… I’m really scared.”
From afar, Shen Lu stared blankly. Was this kid crying now? The tea Shen Shuyi brewed wasn’t even half as strong as this guy’s emotional manipulation brew.
Had he learned new techniques in two years?!
Hearing that soft, low “baby,” Shen Shuyi shuddered, glanced at his brother, then quickly cupped Zhao Yuheng’s face and gave him a quick peck.
Unfortunately, the peck came out loud—“smooch!”
“I’m still alive, you know,” Shen Lu said coldly. “Get over here. You’re embarrassing yourself.”
Shen Shuyi blushed bright red.
“Who’s embarrassing themselves?! I kissed my boyfriend! What’s wrong with that?!”
Zhao Yuheng’s heart thumped.
“I’m your boyfriend?”
“Oh, I was just bluffing my brother! It doesn’t count yet—you haven’t confessed! Let’s call it a trial period, okay? A temporary title.”
“Okay,” Zhao Yuheng agreed immediately. “When can I become official?”
“Shen Shuyi!” Shen Lu’s voice called again.
Shen Shuyi didn’t dare delay another second and dashed down the hall.
He never got to answer that last question.
Zhao Yuheng stood there, replaying that kiss and that promise over and over, until he couldn’t help but smile.
Then he grabbed Shen Shuyi’s arm, leaned in, and brushed a kiss against the corner of his lips.
Shen Shuyi’s eyes went wide—his brother was about to explode!
Zhao Yuheng whispered in his ear,
“Boyfriend… when are you divorcing your husband?”
Author’s note:
Our little Zhao has completely immersed himself in the role of the other man, utterly oblivious to reality.
Zhao Ci: Wait—how did I get dragged into this?!
