LNTSWJLY Chapter 64

The delicious aroma of the food filled the entire private dining room, yet everyone still felt as though all they could smell was dog food.

Did they believe them?

Whether Yu Wenwen believed them or not, everyone else certainly did.

The reason was simple.

Yu Wenwen and Jiang Yikai were a real couple, yet even they were nowhere near as sweet as these two. If this wasn’t real, then what was?

Yu Wenwen stared at Yu Zhi, feeling confused and lost.

Was I really wrong? Did Yu Zhi really never like me?

Was that why he never said sweet things to me, never took such good care of me, and certainly never made any intimate gestures toward me in front of everyone?

The more she thought about it, the more she actually began to believe what Yu Zhi and Lan Jingzhi had said.

He really never liked me.

Yu Wenwen felt that she should have looked down on him for that. Yet there was still a sour, jealous, and disappointed feeling in her heart.

Forget how Yu Zhi had treated her in the past; even now, as her official boyfriend, Jiang Yikai had never done any of these things for her.

He was not even close to being as good as Yu Zhi.

With that thought, even the lavish meal in front of her no longer tasted as good.

With no one picking a fight anymore, Lan Jingzhi also settled down and ate his meal in peace.

Still, every now and then, he could not help thinking about the man beside him.

No.

He should say boy instead.

He was only eighteen.

Really…

So young.

Yu Zhi drank his tea as if nothing had happened.

Bringing Lan Jingzhi out had been an accident. Running into Yu Wenwen had also been an accident. And Lan Jingzhi suddenly unleashing such incredible fighting power had been an accident among accidents.

Yet all these accidents had come together by coincidence and achieved exactly what Yu Zhi had wanted.

In the original owner’s barren life, his parents and older brother occupied most of it. Another small part was occupied by Yu Wenwen.

Yu Wenwen had been one of the few splashes of color in the original owner’s life. They had been classmates throughout all three years of high school. He had liked her for two years, spent those two years as her backup option without even realizing it, and still thought she was a simple and kind girl.

So whenever Yu Wenwen ran into trouble, he would pretend it was nothing and help her solve it.

Whenever Yu Wenwen was short of money, he would rack his brains to come up with all kinds of excuses to give her money.

Whenever Yu Wenwen pretended not to understand his feelings, he would make excuses for her and tell himself, I’ll tell her next time.

Then next time became the time after that, and the time after that.

When Yu Wenwen rejected him and told him she already had a boyfriend, the original owner silently backed away, even thinking that he was doing the right thing by not disturbing her.

From beginning to end, the original owner had been played by Yu Wenwen. It was not until she offended someone and was forced to leave the country that she finally disappeared from his life.

The original owner had been stupid. He had treated her as the white moonlight of his entire life, someone he could never have.

It was his own stupidity that kept him from seeing Yu Wenwen’s true nature. But that was not a reason for someone to deceive and toy with him.

They were all young people, and this was hardly some unforgivable crime. Yu Zhi had never intended to retaliate against her to the point of ruining her life.

But getting back what the original owner was owed was still perfectly reasonable.

Since Yu Wenwen did not like the original owner and would not accept his feelings, then Yu Zhi would simply erase those feelings from her life.

From now on, in Yu Wenwen’s life, there would no longer be someone who said one thing but meant another when it came to her, someone who would come running whenever she called, or someone who silently watched over and protected her.

“Yu Zhi” had never liked her.

Although it had all happened unexpectedly, Yu Zhi actually quite liked this outcome.

So much so that he enjoyed this meal exceptionally well.

At the dinner table, only he and Lan Jingzhi had eaten the most. Everyone else was either stuffed full of dog food or too angry to eat.

After the meal, Yu Zhi left with Lan Jingzhi. Xue Hai followed them out as well, leaving only Jiang Yikai, Yu Wenwen, and several classmates who were relatively close to them in the private room.

The expression on Jiang Yikai’s face finally became impossible to maintain.

He put down his chopsticks and pointed at Yu Wenwen.

“Get lost. I’m breaking up with you!”

Yu Wenwen was still immersed in the disappointment of learning that Yu Zhi did not like her. Caught completely off guard when Jiang Yikai suddenly pointed at her and cursed at her, she looked utterly stunned.

She hurriedly grabbed Jiang Yikai’s arm and forced a smile.

“Brother Kai! Brother Kai! Are you drunk? What breakup? Why are we breaking up? We only just made our relationship official!”

Jiang Yikai abruptly shook off her hand.

“Why are we breaking up? If I don’t break up with you now, you’re going to put a green hat on me! What am I keeping you around for? To celebrate the New Year?”

“Look at yourself. In what way are you better than Yu Zhi’s boyfriend? Anyone who would even want you must be blind! Just now, you were staring at him so hard your eyes were practically popping out. And you still want to fool me? No way!”

Yu Wenwen was too guilty to even think about defending herself. All she wanted was to win Jiang Yikai back.

“Brother Kai, Brother Kai… I didn’t. I was only concerned about my friend. Really, I didn’t have any other thoughts. You have to believe me!”

Jiang Yikai wasn’t about to listen to her.

We’re all old foxes here, so why are you trying to play innocent? Who doesn’t know exactly what the other is up to?

No matter how desperately Yu Wenwen begged, Jiang Yikai broke up with her without the slightest hesitation or regret.

His girlfriend wasn’t as good-looking as Yu Zhi. She couldn’t even compare to Yu Zhi’s boyfriend.

That made him feel like he had lost.

And since Yu Wenwen was the reason he had lost, there was no need to keep her around anymore.

Yu Wenwen still ended up being abandoned.

But this time, there was no one to secretly comfort her when no one else was around. There would be no one to stay by her side when she was heartbroken.

When Yu Wenwen turned around, she didn’t see a single person.

She had lost something very precious.

Yet she didn’t even know it.

She didn’t know that someone had once been there.

And she didn’t know that someone had already left.

……………… 

“Hahahaha… Brother Yu, did you see Yu Wenwen’s face? It looks awful! Hmph! I knew her true colors a long time ago!” Xue Hai laughed loudly, completely unrestrained.

“She’s not important. Don’t mention her again,” Yu Zhi said.

Xue Hai gave him a thumbs-up. “As expected of Brother Yu!”

Even now, he still couldn’t be sure whether his Brother Yu had ever truly liked Yu Wenwen.

However, there was no doubt about Yu Wenwen’s behavior. She had definitely been trying to have the best of both worlds; holding what she already had while eyeing what was on the table.

“By the way, Brother Yu, the results are out. How did you do? Which school are you going to?” Xue Hai still wanted to attend the same school as Yu Zhi. Their grades were about the same, so it shouldn’t be difficult.

But Yu Zhi shook his head. “I don’t plan on going.”

Xue Hai’s eyes widened. “What?”

Then he remembered that Yu Zhi’s family was quite wealthy too. They were just very low-key about it and didn’t spend money recklessly. That was also why Yu Wenwen had chosen Jiang Yikai instead of Yu Zhi.

I guess Brother Yu’s family must have already made arrangements for him.

Sigh. Looks like I’ll have to apply to a university by myself.

The thought of being separated from Yu Zhi made Xue Hai reluctant to leave, and he walked away with his head hanging, looking completely dejected.

Yu Zhi patted him on the shoulder. “Study hard. If we get the chance, we’ll meet again in the future.”

Xue Hai nodded. “Yeah. Brother Yu, call me when you’re playing games!”

Yu Zhi smiled. “Okay.”

Xue Hai said goodbye and left.

Yu Zhi turned his head and saw Lan Jingzhi looking at him seriously several times.

“What is it?”

Lan Jingzhi kicked a small stone on the ground. “Little Brother Yu, you really don’t plan on going to school? Won’t Uncle and Auntie worry?”

Yu Zhi glanced at him. “They’ll only worry that I’ll embarrass them.”

Lan Jingzhi’s footsteps stopped for a moment.

Then he quietly caught up without showing anything on his face, but he did not say anything else.

Yu Zhi’s affairs weren’t his responsibility anyway. From the way this kid looked, even if he didn’t go to school, he clearly had his own plans for the future.

But he still couldn’t help thinking about his nominal “beloved” boyfriend.

Lan Jingzhi never did anything without being sure of his chances. Ever since Yu Chen had asked him to be his nominal boyfriend, he had learned almost everything there was to know about Yu Chen. From his everyday likes and habits to his life experiences, Lan Jingzhi knew them almost by heart.

He knew that Yu Chen had received an elite education from a young age and had learned all kinds of skills and talents. Whether in academics or his various interests, he had won quite a few awards. He was a genuine pride of heaven.

But he did not know that, as Yu Chen’s younger brother who shared both parents, Yu Zhi had merely been muddling through at an ordinary school. He had failed to get into a good university, his parents did not bother with him, and his future looked bleak.

It was one thing for ordinary people to have such a huge gap between them.

But even two biological brothers could be so different.

That surprised him, and it also left him feeling… strangely uncomfortable.

Before he knew it, Lan Jingzhi felt a kind of sympathy for Yu Zhi born from seeing someone in the same situation as himself.

He thought of his own childhood.

Ever since elementary school, he had had no parents to rely on. His relatives had taken over his parents’ inheritance while also taking on the responsibility of raising him.

Even though he paid them for it, he still could not hold his head up in front of those people or speak with confidence as though he had every right to do so.

Because he was afraid.

A young bird lived alone in its nest, relying on the charity and kindness of its own kind to survive. He had been too weak — so weak that he had no strength to resist.

He had grown up trembling with fear, while everyone praised him for being obedient and sensible, careful and considerate.

That was because he knew that if he were not obedient and sensible, considerate and attentive, he might very well end up being thrown out of the house.

He had no parents, so it was only natural that he would be left without anyone to rely on.

But Yu Zhi clearly had both his parents alive, yet he still had not been living a good life.

Tsk…

The pedestrian street was crowded with people coming and going, while the music from the various shops rang in their ears.

“Thank you for today,” Yu Zhi said gently.

Lan Jingzhi did not catch it clearly at first. Only a moment later did he realize what Yu Zhi had said.

He rolled his eyes around, pretending to be casual.

“It was nothing. Just a small favor.”

He narrowed his eyes slightly and smiled.

“Little Brother Yu, we’re family now. It’s only been a short while, but I also want to do something for you and for this family. As long as Little Brother Yu doesn’t think I’m useless or that I’m overstepping, that’s all that matters.”

He paused before continuing.

“But… as for intimate things like what you did just now, Little Brother Yu, it’s probably better if you don’t do that anymore. After all, I’m also your brother’s beloved boyfriend, and I’m going to be your future brother-in-law. I don’t want your brother to find out. He’ll get jealous.”

Yu Zhi smiled.

“Don’t worry. He won’t find out.”

Lan Jingzhi had not been out shopping for several days. He had wasted the morning at the ice-skating rink and with a group of strangers, so now he finally felt like taking a look around.

When he saw an ice cream shop up ahead, he excitedly hurried over and called out without even thinking,

“Boss, I’ll have one C set meal!”

Yu Zhi caught the hand he was pointing toward the dessert pictures with.

“Cold food after a meal is bad for your stomach.”

Lan Jingzhi did not react at first.

He simply stared at Yu Zhi blankly.

It wasn’t because of what Yu Zhi had said, but because of why he had said it?

They weren’t that close, were they? Could it be that he thought that after what had happened today, the two of them had become close friends?

In the blink of an eye, Lan Jingzhi lowered his eyes dejectedly, his voice full of disappointment. “Little Brother Yu, I know you’re only saying this for my own good. Although I haven’t had ice cream in a long time, I can endure it. I’ll just look.”

As he spoke, he even lifted his head to look at the various beautiful and delicious-looking ice creams, his eyes filled with longing and regret.

Yu Zhi: “…”

“I’ll make some for you next time.”

Don’t laugh. Don’t give in. This guy was doing it on purpose.

Now that he knew what Lan Jingzhi was really like, he absolutely could not let himself be fooled by that face.

Since Yu Zhi had not agreed, Lan Jingzhi could not selfishly insist on having it. He frowned involuntarily, then belatedly realized what Yu Zhi had just said.

He would make it himself?

Could it really taste better than the ones sold outside?

Lan Jingzhi did not believe it.

The two of them played outside for a long time and did not return home until evening.

Hearing the sound, Mother Yu came downstairs. She frowned at Yu Zhi and said, “Where have you been running off to again? And you even took Jingzhi with you. Don’t you know you should be concerned about your brother? And you, Jingzhi, you know Xiao Zhi doesn’t know any better. Didn’t you know to persuade him? Instead, you went out with him!”

This Lan Jingzhi… Does he think he has already secured his place in this family, so he’s finally showing his true colors?

Lan Jingzhi was extremely sensitive to other people’s emotions. The moment he sensed that Mother Yu was unhappy, he immediately lowered his head and said dejectedly, “I’m sorry, Auntie. I won’t do it again. But I… I was really scared. I was afraid of hearing bad news from the doctor. I know I’m too weak and too timid, but I really don’t dare face it…”

He paused, then looked at her with red-rimmed eyes.

“Auntie, you love Brother Yu Chen just as much as I do. You must understand how I feel, right?”

His eyes reddened the moment he wanted them to, and the sorrow in them was so heavy that it seemed impossible to dispel. When he looked at Mother Yu, there was a faint plea for help in his eyes.

In an instant, Mother Yu could not bear to be harsh with him anymore. She felt that she had frightened him.

This young man loved her son with such sincerity and intensity. She really should not be too hard on him.

She sighed. “I understand, Jingzhi. Don’t worry too much. Chenchen will be fine. The doctor has already left, so go upstairs and spend some time with him in his room.”

Lan Jingzhi nodded and solemnly went upstairs.

Yu Zhi watched his back. It was a long while before he finally looked away.

Immediately afterward, he headed upstairs as well.

“Stop!” Mother Yu shouted sharply, stopping him.

Yu Zhi halted and turned to look at her. “Is there something else?”

Mother Yu asked with a stern expression, “Your father told me he talked to you this morning. You don’t want to go to university?”

Yu Zhi nodded. “May I ask what advice you have for me?”

His words sounded polite, but there was an obvious distance in them, along with a hint of defiance that made Mother Yu frown in irritation.

“If you don’t want to go to school, then don’t. It doesn’t really make much difference whether you attend that ordinary second-tier university or not anyway.”

But that was not what she really wanted to talk about.

“Your brother is currently in coma and hasn’t woken up. As a member of this family, you should also do your part to help the family through this difficult time. Protecting what belongs to your brother is something you ought to do.”

Yu Zhi raised an eyebrow when he heard this.

From what his mother meant, she wanted him to listen to his father, continue his studies, and eventually join the company to work. Yet her words — ‘”protecting what belongs to your brother”— made it clear that, she recognized Yu Chen as the only heir.

As for Yu Zhi, he was merely a useful tool she could make use of while Yu Chen was in a vegetative state. Once Yu Chen woke up, Yu Zhi would have to step aside and give everything back to its rightful owner.

Although Father Yu surely had the same plan in mind, he had never said it as plainly as Mother Yu had.

At least he still cared about saving face.

It was not that Mother Yu did not care about saving face. It was simply that Yu Chen was too important to her, while Yu Zhi mattered far less.

Yu Zhi pressed his lips together, then curved them into a faintly mocking smile.

“Mom, you’re really clever. You’ve thought this through so well. That way, once my brother wakes up, his position in the company will remain secure.”

Mother Yu thought he had agreed, and her tone became much gentler. She felt that this son of hers was finally not quite so useless. Rarely, she even gave Yu Zhi a smile.

“At least you know how to behave. All right, once your brother wakes up…”

“But…” Yu Zhi interrupted her and continued from what he had said earlier. “What does that have to do with me?”

The smile on Mother Yu’s face froze.

“What?”

Yu Zhi looked at her and said each word clearly, “I said, Yu Chen’s affairs have nothing to do with me.”

“My brother is such an outstanding and dazzling prodigy. Why would he need help from a useless person like me? Mom, you must be overthinking this. My brother wouldn’t want my help. Otherwise, wouldn’t that mean…”

He paused, then gave her a faint, mocking smile.

“…that he’s not even as good as a useless person?”

With that, Yu Zhi walked straight upstairs without stopping again.

Mother Yu trembled with anger. She pointed at his back, but she could not get a single word out. Her mind was filled with shock and confusion.

When had this son of hers become so sharp-tongued?!

His cold sarcasm and obvious disdain toward her made her both furious and uneasy.

In the past, Yu Zhi had often argued with her and lost his temper, too. But back then, all it did was make Mother Yu feel that this son was rebellious and impossible to discipline, a useless person who could never amount to anything.

But the Yu Zhi standing before her now could actually make her so furious that her chest felt tight, and yet she could not come up with a single word to retort.

Had the whole world turned upside down?!

She went upstairs to find Father Yu and said furiously, “Just look at your good son! He actually mocked me and Chenchen! What, does he think he’s grown strong enough that he doesn’t need the family anymore? So now he’s finally showing his true colors? Hah! I’m telling you, don’t even think about trying to use him as some kind of training exercise. Even without Chenchen, he’s still useless! Useless!”

Mother Yu was genuinely furious. In her anger, she began speaking without thinking, and even Father Yu frowned when he heard her.

“All right, enough. Isn’t he your son, too? Take a good look at yourself right now. If this gets out, people will laugh at the Yu family.”

Although he said that, he did not agree to Mother Yu’s demand.

No matter what, Yu Zhi was still his son. If Yu Chen could not take over, then of course he could not let the company fall into the hands of outsiders, either.

Seeing his attitude, Mother Yu understood what he meant. All she could feel was anger and absurdity.

She ran to Yu Chen’s room and cried to her son, complaining about everything. After cursing Yu Zhi, she turned around and cursed Father Yu.

Lan Jingzhi, who had quietly listened to a bit of the family gossip, raised an eyebrow and smiled in surprise.

He had not expected this Little Brother Yu to be quite so tough, either.

For a long time afterward, Yu Zhi did not run into any trouble from his mother. It seemed that he had made her so angry that day that she did not dare provoke him for the time being.

Yu Zhi was more than happy to enjoy the peace and quiet. He had been busy lately, too. Every day, he watched the movements of the stock market and spent all day immersed in financial activities.

His initial capital had already grown several times over. Although his short-term profits were not very large, the future prospects were clearly visible.

A week later, Yu Zhi went downstairs to get some water, only to find that many people had come to the house.

Seeing the fashion designers, stylists, and others made him frown slightly. Then, when he saw large numbers of clothes being sent into Lan Jingzhi’s room, he finally remembered.

The engagement banquet was coming up.

Yu Chen and Lan Jingzhi’s engagement banquet.

An engagement banquet that only one of the two parties would actually attend.

Yu Zhi remembered that, in the original plot, this was the moment when Lan Jingzhi was at his most glorious.

At the engagement banquet, he was the most dazzling person there.

Many distinguished guests attended the engagement banquet. Yet Lan Jingzhi, despite being the protagonist, was nothing more than an ordinary person.

Still, he was polite and graceful when speaking with people, behaving just like a true member of the nobility, as though he had genuinely become part of their world.

For a time, Lan Jingzhi even believed that he really had become one of them.

That was, until the engagement banquet ended and he was knocked back to reality.

This also became a turning point, pushing Lan Jingzhi to work even harder and more desperately for status and position. He became increasingly ruthless, doing whatever it took to hold on to everything within his grasp.

It was also because of this that he eventually became an enemy of the protagonist shou.

Yu Zhi turned his wrist slightly and glanced toward Lan Jingzhi’s room before turning around and going back to his own room.

The engagement banquet was going to be held in the villa’s courtyard.

They had originally planned to book a hotel, but Lan Jingzhi had looked pitiful and said, “I want Brother Yu Chen to be able to attend our engagement banquet more easily. I want to stay close to him and keep him company.”

Nonsense.

Of course holding it at home would make it seem more important and show greater sincerity. At the same time, it would subtly elevate Lan Jingzhi’s status.

Yu Zhi was the only person in the entire family who had guessed his real intentions. Yu Zhi’s parents simply believed that Lan Jingzhi truly loved their son.

On the day of the engagement banquet, everything about Lan Jingzhi was exquisite, from his clothes to his styling. Even the brooch pinned to his chest was worth several hundred thousand yuan.

He looked like a little prince from a castle. His posture was elegant and refined, and his noble bearing was even more impressive than that of Yu Zhi’s parents.

Yu Zhi had just walked through the door when he saw him like this. The corners of his lips curved slightly as he reached out and placed a small box in Lan Jingzhi’s arms.

“An engagement gift. Don’t open it until tonight is over.”

Lan Jingzhi blinked.

“What if I want to open it right now?”

As he spoke, he made as if he were about to open it.

He really wanted to see what this person had given him.

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