Chapter 14
Duan Yang was momentarily taken aback, realizing that Yu Lin’s speculation could indeed be possible. However, he soon dismissed it, thinking Yu Lin was making a fuss: “So what if they’re living together in that kind of relationship?”
Yu Lin replied, “I didn’t think of that either! After all, Su Yunzhe is a young, accomplished bachelor; every day, countless women are vying for his attention, yet he has never had a woman by his side. Suddenly, there’s Shen Yan, and they’re living together just like that—this development seems a bit fast, doesn’t it?”
Duan Yang recalled the scene from yesterday: Shen Yan’s finger had bled a little, and Su Yunzhe’s expression darkened, clearly showing he cared about that woman. So the fact that they were living together didn’t seem strange to him.
Instead, it reminded him of his own relationship with Shen Jiaqi, making him feel a twinge of envy.
When he first met Shen Jiaqi, the boy was only eighteen—soft-spoken, obedient, and clever, always following him around calling him “Yang Ge.” His smile was sweet and endearing, and Duan Yang had decided back then that he wanted to be with this beautiful, lovable boy in the future.
But then…
Thinking of his disastrous marriage and that troublesome Shen Yan, he suddenly felt a surge of anger.
However, he quickly suppressed those feelings; after all, he still had important matters to attend to.
Shen Yan didn’t stand on ceremony with Duan Yang and went straight into the private room to order food, choosing all his favorites. He hadn’t eaten breakfast that morning, and all he had in his stomach was a glass of milk, which did nothing to quell his hunger.
After Duan Yang and the others entered, they added a few more dishes. Shen Yan noticed they were all the restaurant’s signature dishes, which showed he was genuinely trying to treat him well.
“Thank you, Miss Shen, for your help with yesterday’s incident. There was a misunderstanding afterward, but I’ve already informed them it was a case of mistaken identity, and they won’t bother you again. I hope you won’t mind,” Duan Yang said after ordering.
Shen Yan smiled and replied, “No problem. I was quite angry at the time, but it’s in the past now. So, what does the esteemed actor Duan want from me today?”
He didn’t want to waste too much time chatting. The main reason he had come today was to collect Duan Yang’s “thank-you gift,” and he was also curious about what else Duan Yang needed help with.
Yu Lin immediately handed over a beautifully packaged gift box, smiling, “Yang Ge mainly wants to thank Miss Shen today. This is just a small token of appreciation; please, Miss Shen, do accept it.”
A gift box?
This was not what Shen Yan had anticipated.
Could it be that Duan Yang also realized that handing over cash in person was inappropriate, so he was trying to slip in a red envelope disguised as a gift?
Shen Yan knew this kind of operation existed in all industries.
“Of course, I’m here for another matter as well,” Duan Yang continued without beating around the bush. “To be honest, Miss Shen, it seems like Shen Yan won’t be back anytime soon. Grandpa really needs family by his side right now. I’ve cancelled all my upcoming plans and intend to spend more time with him. But if I keep going alone, Grandpa will surely suspect something. So, I was wondering if Miss Shen could…”
“I’m afraid I can’t!” Shen Yan interjected.
His mind was still trying to guess whether the gift box contained a real gift or cash, but he didn’t miss what Duan Yang had said.
Duan Yang wanted him to continue pretending to be himself to comfort Duan Songtao.
Putting aside the fact that Duan Songtao’s situation wasn’t as serious as Duan Yang made it out to be—Shen Yan had seen for himself yesterday that the man was in good spirits—why was Duan Yang cancelling all his plans just to accompany him?
Even if Duan Songtao’s health was somewhat unstable, having doctors and nurses around would be more reliable. What good would it do for Duan Yang to be there?
Moreover, Shen Yan had no desire to remain involved with Duan Yang. He had already agreed to help, not out of a lack of money but out of concern for Duan Songtao, wanting to see him for himself.
Now that he had received the thank-you gift and seen Duan Songtao, he wasn’t willing to do this again.
Still, he was genuinely puzzled as to why Duan Yang was so insistent on finding someone to play a role without directly telling Duan Songtao the truth.
“Great Actor Duan, to be honest, I think your current approach is not advisable,” he said before Duan Yang could respond. “Why not just tell Grandpa directly that Shen Yan has run away? I saw him yesterday, and I could tell that he was stable enough to handle the news. Rather than deceiving him and letting him discover the truth later—which would only make him angrier—wouldn’t it be better to inform him now? I believe Grandpa wouldn’t…”
“Miss Shen, some things…” Duan Yang interrupted, his tone somewhat urgent. Yet, he hesitated, his expression troubled. After pausing for a moment, he continued, “Let me be frank. Grandpa had a past relationship with Shen Yan’s grandmother…”
A poor boy fell in love with a wealthy girl. After a secret engagement, the boy went to the girl’s family to propose, only to be humiliated. He then left a letter for her and ventured far away.
By the time he finally achieved some success and returned, the girl’s family had already moved to an unknown location.
In that era, communication was not advanced. No matter how hard he tried, he could never find her again.
This incident became an unresolvable knot in his heart, until by chance he encountered Shen Yan, who bore a striking resemblance to the girl. After inquiring, he learned that the girl was indeed Shen Yan’s grandmother.
But before he could feel joy, he discovered from Shen Yan that the girl had passed away many years ago, and Shen Yan had never met her.
He felt a deep sadness, yet a part of him was relieved—relieved that the girl had a grandson still living. He thought he should take care of Shen Yan as if he were his own grandson.
“So, you should understand the significance Shen Yan holds in Grandpa’s heart. He might even be more important than I am. So, I truly can’t bear to tell him that Shen Yan rejected the marriage he arranged and ran away. He only wants what’s best for Shen Yan; if he inadvertently makes things worse, he will definitely blame himself,” Duan Yang explained.
Duan Songtao appeared only briefly in the original text; after all, he was just a supporting character, primarily serving the function of making Duan Yang pretend to have a harmonious relationship with the original character. The text never mentioned his past, so Shen Yan naturally didn’t know any of these things.
If things were as Duan Yang said, then Duan Songtao might indeed feel guilty.
But…
Shen Yan remained skeptical about this story because it felt too cliché, almost as if it had been churned out from a template. This made him suspect that Duan Yang had hastily concocted it after hearing his doubts.
Of course, even if the story were true, he still wouldn’t help Duan Yang.
He first expressed his admiration for Duan Songtao’s long-lasting affection, then lamented that he couldn’t be with the one he loved. Finally, with a hint of regret, he said, “Unfortunately, I really can’t help with this. As you saw yesterday, President Su can contact me at any time, and I don’t have the time for this. So, I’m really sorry!”
“Miss Shen, I won’t let you help for free; I can…”
“Duan Yingdi, I’m really sorry.” Without letting Duan Yang finish, Shen Yan interrupted him.
Duan Yang’s eyes flashed with surprise. Based on her previous behavior, Shen Yan seemed like a rather practical and mercenary woman.
This was precisely why Duan Yang had sought her help after discovering his unusual relationship with Su Yunzhe.
He believed that people like her were insatiable; as long as enough benefits were provided, everything could be negotiated.
To his astonishment, she had rejected him this time, and there was no room for negotiation.
Shen Yan’s tone was calm, even tinged with polite regret, but looking into her smiling eyes, Duan Yang knew that nothing he said would change her mind.
He was used to being indulged, and asking Shen Yan for help was already a humbling experience. Now, she was refusing him without giving face, and on top of that, she had a face he absolutely disliked. At this moment, the anger he had suppressed earlier began to bubble up.
However, he couldn’t lash out; after all, she had no obligation to help him. Most importantly, she was Su Yunzhe’s person, and he should tread carefully.
So, he suppressed his anger and said, “Miss Shen, please think about it again. I have some matters to attend to, so I’ll be leaving now.” He stood up and walked out.
Shen Yan didn’t miss the flash of anger in Duan Yang’s eyes, but she didn’t care. Compared to whether Duan Yang was angry, she was more concerned about who would pay for the meal; her entire savings wouldn’t cover it.
So, just before Duan Yang and Yu Lin left the private room, she hurriedly called out, “Could you please settle the bill before you go?”
Yu Lin, following behind Duan Yang, vaguely heard the sound of Duan Yang grinding his teeth and quickly turned back. “Miss Shen, take your time eating; if you need more, just call for it.” After saying that, he nudged Duan Yang and left.
