BTMDY Chapter 121

The day after waking from his coma, Lin Wangye had mostly recovered his strength and gave the police a full statement as a victim.

 

If the fire hadn’t broken out, the sentence might have been lighter.

 

But once the arson was established, the case automatically escalated. Even though the casino wasn’t exactly legal, both the operators and the gamblers caught inside were still entitled to their legal rights. And a fire threatened everyone’s lives.

 

So once it was proven to be deliberate, the charge automatically became more serious.

 

With the phone records as evidence, Hu Haoyang and Wei Dayong were clearly the mastermind and accomplice. But whether Wei Dayong set the fire under Hu Haoyang’s orders was still missing a key piece of proof.

 

Lin Shen didn’t have that many connections or channels. In this case, his hands were tied—his only option was to sue these people to the fullest under the pretense of extorting the victims.

 

Helping the police with this investigation was undoubtedly assigned to Lu Chengxuan.

 

Meanwhile, life outside was chaotic, but the days after waking up in the hospital were surprisingly comfortable for Lin Wangye.

 

As the saying goes, after extreme misfortune comes fortune.

 

As a poor kid who accidentally got kidnapped in place of his father and went hungry for days, Lin Wangye’s streak of bad luck had been fierce—but it passed just as quickly.

 

His rescue had been perfectly timed. The long coma was caused by going three days without food or water. His body simply couldn’t absorb the nutrients it needed, and as his metabolism drained him, dehydration and electrolyte imbalances kicked in.

 

As long as it didn’t reach organ failure, slow and steady recovery would fix him. There was nothing complicated about treatment.

 

Lin Wangye had a good mindset—he didn’t sweat the small stuff.

 

Still, having grown up in a sheltered life, it was natural that a threat to his life would shake him a little. Those past few days of being kidnapped did leave minor psychological scars.

 

But once he found out Lu Chengxuan also carried memories from twenty years in the future, Lin Wangye instantly became the happiest, most lively little boy in the world. With a solid back to lean on, he felt completely safe.

 

His biggest fear had always been that Lin Shen and Lu Chengxuan might suddenly fall out over some uncontrollable reason.

 

Once he knew the truth, he quickly understood that Lu Chengxuan had been intentionally supporting him from early on, while trying to avoid clashing with Lin Shen. He realized fast that Lu Chengxuan’s feelings upon hearing of Lin Shen’s death were never about gloating.

 

Even if they were supposedly sworn enemies, their relationship couldn’t be summed up by just that one word.

 

Otherwise, with twenty years of future memories in hand, Lu Chengxuan could have crushed Linhong’s business and eliminated his future toughest rival while he was still just a kid.

 

But he didn’t. Instead, he did everything he could to reverse that outcome.

 

He supported Lin Shen’s son in starting his own business.

 

He stayed in the country after high school.

 

He strategized and offered help whenever Lin Shen needed it.

 

One thing after another, every little thing was solid proof that deep down, he truly placed Lin Shen in a special place in his heart.

 

So Lin Wangye was caught completely off guard by the sudden urge to just be a ‘couch potato.’

 

If he could just lie around doing nothing, who would want to get up early and slave away all day?

 

Now that his dad had recognized him, Linhong’s business was booming, the e-sports hotel was consistently profitable, and every design draft Shi Yuan put out could fetch jaw-dropping prices at auction.

 

Lin Wangye didn’t want to work at all—he didn’t even want to study anymore.

 

His body was basically fine, but every day he stayed in bed pretending to be all lazy and pitiful, which only made Shi Yuan shower him with attention and affection, giving him whatever he wanted.

 

Shi Yuan was naturally attentive, thinking of everything, cooking delicious meals, and taking care of Lin Wangye like a king.

 

Meanwhile, Lin Shen was being managed down to the last detail. Besides dealing with lawsuits and work, he had to run errands and buy groceries—and whether he even got a taste of Shi Yuan’s cooking depended entirely on whether the young master felt like sharing.

 

The day was sunny, the afternoon light warm but not harsh.

 

By the window sat bouquets brought by visitors, their fragrance drifting into the room on a gentle breeze. Lin Wangye half-lounged on the bed, soaking up the sun, and after giving Lin Shen a full rundown of the past-life feud between the Lu and Lin families, he concluded seriously:

 

“Love… it has to be love. It’s love that turns into hate, a shocking, twisted romance of passion and rivalry.”

 

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

 

Lin Shen sat on the inflatable chair by the bed, holding a handful of sunflower seeds, spitting a stray shell into the trash with a puzzled look.

 

“Was it really that intense with the Lu family in the past life? You make it sound like we had some blood feud or something.”

 

“Why would I lie?” Lin Wangye said, totally confident. “The fact that you two were always at each other’s throats is real! Don’t believe me? Ask Brother Lu yourself—he’ll tell you I’m telling the truth.”

 

As if on cue, before Lin Wangye could finish speaking, the hospital door opened. Lu Chengxuan walked in, looking dust-streaked and weary.

 

Seeing him, Lin Shen immediately asked, “Lu Chengxuan, Lin Wangye says we were always at each other’s throats in the past life, doing business battles and all. He even joked that I was about to Photoshop your funeral portrait on the Double Eleven sales poster. Was it really that extreme?”

 

The November chill was quietly settling in, with sharp day-to-night temperature swings.

 

Inside, the hospital’s central air kept the room comfortably warm. Lu Chengxuan hung up his coat and walked straight to the bed.

 

“Yeah, it happened. Linhong and Chengfeng were always at odds.”

 

“See! I told you, and you didn’t believe me!”

 

Lin Wangye immediately straightened up, eyes sparkling as he stared at the bag in Lu Chengxuan’s hand.

 

At first, Lin Shen had asked Lin Wangye about his and Lu Chengxuan’s past-life situation to get an honest, objective answer, worried that Lu Chengxuan might lie.

 

He had guessed, from their strained relationship, that things were bad.

 

Now, hearing confirmation from Lu Chengxuan, Lin Shen frowned.

 

“So I’m confused—if I targeted you, you just endured it? Why hit back? What did I ever do to you that made you go after me?”

 

“That doesn’t make sense!”

 

Lin Wangye, ever decisive, jumped in to defend, cutting Lu Chengxuan off before he could respond.

 

“Why should he have to pamper you even when you’re targeting him? If you don’t know how to play nice, then don’t play at all!”

 

“Who do you think fed you?” Lin Shen snapped, spinning around to lash out indiscriminately. “Who’s your dad? What are you twisting your elbows for?!”

 

“I am a righteous person, speaking up for justice,” Lin Wangye declared solemnly, then turned his eager gaze to the bag Lu Chengxuan was holding. “Ice cream… Brother Lu, just one bite! Only one bite!”

 

“Nope, you can’t eat it.”

 

Shi Yuan, sitting quietly on the edge of the bed reading, looked up and adjusted his glasses. “It’s too cold. Your stomach and intestines can’t handle it yet.”

 

At that moment, Lin Wangye felt like a little wagging tail behind him had drooped in despair. He pouted pitifully and sighed, “If I can’t eat it, why even buy it? I’m craving it!”

 

“Heh! I ordered it. You can’t eat it, I can.”

 

Lin Shen immediately sat up, tossed the sunflower seeds aside, and grabbed the bag from Lu Chengxuan. Right in front of Lin Wangye, he opened the box and waved his hand teasingly.

 

“This is punishment for your elbow-twisting, you unfilial brat!”

 

The scent of chocolate hit Lin Wangye’s nose, and he swallowed hard, eyes full of hope as he looked to Shi Yuan. Shi Yuan responded with a very gentle look and a firm, “No, you can’t.”

 

Having recently been on a bland, low-oil diet, Lin Wangye felt like crying—he couldn’t touch any snacks and could only watch Lin Shen eat.

 

Seeing how pitiful he looked, Shi Yuan brought the fruit plate from the cabinet over to him.

 

“I don’t want apples or bananas…” Lin Wangye poked at the cut apple pieces with a fork, scowling. “I want watermelon! Cake! Ice cream!”

 

Shi Yuan put the plate back within reach, then adjusted the blanket slipping off Lin Wangye’s shoulders. “Be good. Don’t worry about those things for now. Once your body’s recovered and you’re out of the hospital, you can eat whatever you want.”

 

“Then don’t let Old Lin eat in front of me!” Lin Wangye grumbled, pointing at Lin Shen. “He’s doing it on purpose! It’s not the first time!”

 

Shi Yuan glanced at the smug Lin Shen and smiled slightly.

 

“He’s old but still cheeky. You’re the child—don’t take it to heart. Just let it slide.”

 

Hearing this, Lin Shen felt like he’d just been hit by some catastrophic blow. Half-melted ice cream dripped from his mouth onto the floor, and he squirmed helplessly, unsure whether to eat it or not.

 

After a moment of careful thought, he finally closed the lid, handed the ice cream box to Lu Chengxuan, and stared blankly at the ceiling, utterly defeated, flopping back onto the inflatable chair and waving his hand.

 

“I give up! Take it! I’ll take it away and eat it where he can’t see me!”

 

Thanks to Shi Yuan’s precise and timely support, Lin Wangye emerged victorious in this little battle. He happily high-fived Shi Yuan, grinning triumphantly, and gave his dad a cheeky raise of the eyebrow.

 

Lin Shen always seemed to get irritated by the tiniest, most trivial things.

 

Knowing that Lin Wangye was a patient and not worth arguing with, Lin Shen didn’t hesitate—he immediately shifted his gaze to Lu Chengxuan, the quiet target who always took the blame, and expertly dredged up old grievances from a few minutes ago.

 

“Why were you always opposing me? Give me a reasonable explanation!”

 

Lu Chengxuan calmly pulled over a chair and sat down, speaking evenly:

 

“No matter what business you’re in, competitors are unavoidable. Since you repeatedly interfered openly, giving Linhong and Chengfeng the impression of hostility, I simply went along with it and opposed you. At that time, with Linhong and Chengfeng’s positions on the e-commerce platform, our back-and-forth created enough hype that users naturally had to choose between them, squeezing out space for other competitors.”

 

The logic was straightforward, and Lin Shen understood immediately.

 

The strategy was simple: each of them had chosen the other as a competitor.

 

Business works like this—most consumers compare options, and they buy where the price is better or the discount is bigger.

 

By hyping each other up and playing price wars, Linhong and Chengfeng might have had short-term wins and losses, but in the long run, it was actually a win-win.

 

Realizing this, Lin Shen felt an instant sense of relief.

 

He lay back on the sofa, propping his head on his arm, and slowly said, “So, you were really just trying to help me with publicity?”

 

“The resources you have are still vastly different from mine,” Lu Chengxuan said matter-of-factly. “Making Linhong a voluntarily matched competitor for Chengfeng was the most advantageous thing I could do for you. I never went all out—I always left room to maneuver.”

 

Lin Shen chuckled. “So if you hadn’t left room, you would’ve crushed me?”

 

Lu Chengxuan didn’t confirm or deny, simply stating:

 

“At that time, the entire Lu family supported me, while only you were holding up the Lin family. Even with the leeway I left, it wasn’t easy for Linhong to survive in that market.”

 

Lin Shen had none of those memories now. He hadn’t even chosen to go into e-commerce yet, mainly focusing on the physical business field.

 

But thinking that, despite his unreasonable, reckless declarations of war, the other party was willing to step back, bear unnecessary losses, and even find ways to benefit both sides—it was hard not to be moved.

 

Lin Shen always knew that, in terms of raw strength, he could never match Lu Chengxuan.

 

This person’s natural resources were simply beyond what ordinary people could reach.

 

So the version of himself fighting alone in another timeline would definitely have noticed the leeway Lu Chengxuan left.

 

Their eyes met, and suddenly they both fell silent.

 

Lin Wangye, still in college, was wide-eyed, stunned by the sudden silence. Seeing the electric tension in their gaze, he nudged Shi Yuan’s arm, leaned in, and whispered with a sly grin:

 

“Love… it’s definitely love.”

 

The hospital room was quiet, and even whispers could be heard clearly.

 

Lin Shen quickly looked away, coughed dryly, and spread his hands with a shrug, pretending to be relaxed:

 

“What’s the point of talking about this now? Chengfeng’s not yours anymore. Maybe I should find you a spot at Linhong, or try reviving my half-dead e-commerce platform. Though I haven’t managed it in ages, and the programmers just play Mahjong in the office.”

 

“No worries, I said I have a fallback plan,” Lu Chengxuan replied.

 

“What fallback?” Lin Shen laughed, pointing his thumb at Lin Wangye, who was sitting on the bed acting like a matchmaker. “This little rocking chair can hold that big Buddha of yours?”

 

“No.”

 

Lu Chengxuan’s expression remained casual, but his words were shocking:

 

“Chengfeng was meant for my dad anyway. Shengtian is the card I truly put thought into. The power is in my hands—no one can touch it.”

 

*

 

Lin Wangye: How presumptuous of me, I really thought it was me (smile)

 

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