Chapter 32
After stepping briskly out of the restaurant, Shen Yan finally exhaled deeply, feeling as if a weight had been lifted.
He knew he had no right to chastise Qin Mofeng, yet he couldn’t help himself.
When Qin Mofeng had described feeling “disgusted,” Shen Yan couldn’t quite explain the surge of emotions that had overwhelmed him.
Was he standing up for Ling Sicheng?
Not exactly, or at least not entirely.
Shen Yan had a decent impression of Ling Sicheng, but they’d only met once. He didn’t know him well enough to confidently judge whether things had truly unfolded as Qin Mofeng claimed.
He tilted his head back, gazing at the sky. The midday sun was blindingly bright, and after staring for a while, his eyes began to ache. He sighed softly and headed toward the nearby subway station.
When Shen Yan was in a bad mood, his go-to solution was sleep. He’d always believed that after a good nap, everything would seem less troublesome.
But he didn’t expect someone to be waiting for him.
As he passed a street corner, a man in his forties or fifties stepped out of a black Audi and called out to him, “Yan Yan.”
Shen Yan, lacking the memories of the body’s original owner, could only guess the man’s identity. But judging from his age and the familiar way he addressed him, it was likely the original Shen Yan’s father, Shen Bowen.
Shen Bowen saw that Shen Yan had stopped but didn’t seem inclined to approach, so he quickly closed the distance himself. Clearly unused to the harsh midday sun, he shielded his eyes with one hand and spoke with excitement.
“It really is you, Yan Yan! I just got back from out of town yesterday. Jiaqi told me he found you, and I came over right away. Did that brat Duan Yang do something horrible to you again? It’s okay, Yan Yan. If you’re not comfortable staying with him, just come home. Don’t suffer needlessly! Look at this place—what a mess. It’s not safe here. I can’t be at ease with you living like this. Come home with Dad, alright?”
Shen Yan was puzzled. In the original story, Shen Bowen had undergone a complete personality shift after Shen Yan’s mother passed away. His attitude toward Shen Yan had been no better than that of his stepmother, Wang Li.
When Shen Yan had married Duan Yang due to Duan Songtao’s connections, effectively ruining Shen Jiaqi’s golden opportunity for a good marriage, Shen Jiaqi had stirred up trouble behind the scenes.
Shen Bowen, already biased toward Shen Jiaqi, had vented his anger by beating Shen Yan with a belt, supposedly on Shen Jiaqi’s behalf.
From what Shen Yan remembered of the original novel, Shen Bowen treated Shen Jiaqi like his only true son, valuing him more than Shen Yan—or even more than the family dog.
And now, things seemed absurdly different. Ever since Shen Yan had escaped Duan Yang’s household, first Shen Jiaqi had repeatedly sought him out, and now this stepfather-like Shen Bowen was doing a complete 180 in attitude.
What was this charade?
Despite his suspicions and inner turmoil, Shen Yan kept a calm exterior, his voice laced with impatience.
“Sir, I have no idea what you’re talking about. You must have the wrong person.” With that, he turned to leave.
“Yan Yan!” Shen Bowen’s voice grew urgent, and he reached out to grab him.
Shen Yan deftly avoided his grasp with a sidestep, irritation bubbling to the surface. Already in a bad mood, he had no patience to deal with this nuisance.
Turning back, he fixed Shen Bowen with a cold glare. “What’s wrong with you? Do you enjoy playing dad to random people? Well, my dad’s dead. If you’re really him, then dig yourself a hole and bury yourself first!”
Shen Bowen froze, staring at Shen Yan in disbelief.
Before coming here, Shen Bowen had been thoroughly briefed by Shen Jiaqi and Wang Li. Shen Jiaqi had warned him that the current Shen Yan was like a completely different person, no longer easy to manipulate.
He had braced himself mentally, especially after seeing Shen Yan in person.
While his current feminine attire was drastically different from his male presentation, his demeanor was entirely transformed. If not for the identical face, Shen Bowen would never have believed this was the same timid son he once knew.
But even with that preparation, he hadn’t expected Shen Yan to openly curse him like this.
His initial shock gave way to a surge of fury, his face darkening as he barked out, “You—”
“Yan Yan?”
Just then, Su Yunzhe’s voice cut through the tension.
Before Shen Yan could react, he felt someone grasp his hand and gently tug him back.
Su Yunzhe stepped in front of Shen Yan, shielding him from Shen Bowen. His expression was calm, but his cold gaze bore down on Shen Bowen.
“Is there a problem?”
Su Yunzhe’s tone was neutral, devoid of anger, but his natural aura commanded attention. Shen Bowen, caught off guard, instinctively tempered his fury and forced a polite response.
“You must be a friend of Yan Yan’s. This is all just a misunderstanding. Actually, I’m—”
“He’s crazy. Don’t bother with him.”
Shen Yan cut him off coldly, his tone laced with disdain.
Shen Yan quickly interrupted Shen Bowen, not giving him a chance to speak further, and tugged Su Yunzhe along as they walked away.
Fortunately, Shen Bowen was caught off guard by Su Yunzhe’s unexpected presence and imposing demeanor. Uncertain of his identity, Shen Bowen decided against pursuing the matter further.
As Shen Yan glanced back and confirmed that no one was following, the tension in his chest finally eased.
Damn it.
God only knew how startled he was when Su Yunzhe suddenly appeared.
If Shen Bowen had managed to finish what he was saying, things would’ve gotten much worse.
“Why are you here?” Shen Yan asked, attempting to shift the focus before Su Yunzhe could press him for answers.
Su Yunzhe seemed ready to ask a question but paused. With a shrug, he said, “I came to check on you. You seemed upset.”
Relieved that the topic of Shen Bowen was dropped, Shen Yan led the way into his building. He denied the claim casually, “I wasn’t upset. I just didn’t think it was appropriate to hear about those things. Where’s Feng-ge? He drank so much—don’t tell me you left him alone?”
Shen Yan had barely returned by subway a few minutes ago, yet Su Yunzhe was already here. Clearly, he must’ve followed Shen Yan the moment he left.
Following him was one thing—but chasing after him?
What’s wrong with you, Su Yunzhe?
Shen Yan felt a surge of inexplicable frustration. But upon reflection, he realized it wasn’t anger directed at Su Yunzhe. It was more like anger at himself.
And rightly so.
He’d have to be an idiot not to notice that Su Yunzhe was interested in him.
But was it really him Su Yunzhe was interested in?
No, Su Yunzhe was drawn to the female persona Shen Yan had been pretending to be—”Shen Yan.”
Su Yunzhe had been deceived.
And Shen Yan, knowing full well about Su Yunzhe’s orientation and his growing feelings, still let things remain ambiguous between them.
Shen Yan, deceiving someone’s feelings will bring divine retribution!
Lately, he had been restless and uneasy, avoiding Su Yunzhe whenever possible. Yet, he hadn’t figured out what he truly wanted.
It wasn’t until earlier, when Qin Mofeng mentioned his fling with Ling Sicheng, that Su Yunzhe’s rare outburst startled him. Su Yunzhe shattered a glass and looked at Shen Yan in disbelief, asking, “Ling Sicheng… is a woman?”
From his shock over Qin Mofeng and Ling Sicheng, Su Yunzhe quickly descended into another whirlpool of confusion.
Su Yunzhe clearly couldn’t accept the idea of two men being together. He was, after all, a staunch heterosexual.
In that moment, Shen Yan finally unraveled his tangled emotions.
He felt guilty toward Su Yunzhe because he realized he was deceiving his feelings.
One day, when Su Yunzhe learned the truth, he wouldn’t just hate and despise Shen Yan—he’d probably be deeply hurt as well.
Beyond guilt, there was also an indescribable sense of disappointment and fear.
“I had him sent home since he was drunk,” Su Yunzhe replied, stepping into the hallway and reaching out to hold Shen Yan’s hand. “What’s wrong with you? You’ve been upset since earlier. Is it because of Qin Mofeng?”
“I told you, I’m not upset. I just think Ling Sicheng doesn’t seem like that kind of person. Feng-ge’s words were a bit harsh. But on second thought, it’s none of my business—it’s his own issue, not mine to judge. If you see him again, could you apologize to him for me? Tell him not to be mad, okay?”
Shen Yan spoke with a playful tone, dragging out the words at the end like he was being coy.
To Su Yunzhe, who was already smitten, even Shen Yan’s attempts at playing cute seemed endearing. His irritation melted away, and a smile crept across his face.
“Alright. As for earlier—”
“I’m here!”
They’d reached Shen Yan’s apartment door. Shen Yan turned around with an apologetic smile. “I didn’t sleep well last night, and I’m really tired now. Su-ge, didn’t you just return from abroad? Haven’t even been home yet, right? And don’t you have work to do?”
Once again, Su Yunzhe’s words were cut off. His eyes darkened momentarily with doubt, but he quickly smiled again. “So you’re not letting your sponsor in now? Getting bold, aren’t you?”
With a teasing grin, he reached out and pinched Shen Yan’s cheek lightly. “This better not happen again!” He then turned and headed downstairs.
Shen Yan waved enthusiastically. “Got it! I won’t dare next time. Drive safe, Su-ge!”
Only after hearing Su Yunzhe’s footsteps fade away did Shen Yan’s smile slowly disappear. He turned, unlocked the door, and walked inside.
Standing on the balcony, he watched Su Yunzhe’s departing figure until it vanished from sight.
Then he returned to his apartment and began packing.
When he escaped from Duan Yang’s home, his plan was to leave the city and only return after two years to finalize the divorce.
Who could’ve predicted he’d lose his wallet, run into Su Yunzhe, and take up his job offer? That series of events had led to this mess.
Now that the Shen family knew who he was, it was clear they wouldn’t leave him alone.
Whatever their reasons, Shen Yan didn’t care to find out.
The easiest solution was to disappear.
That way, he’d no longer have to deceive Su Yunzhe.
Hopefully, Su Yunzhe would never learn the truth—that the “Shen Yan” he’d met and fallen for was, in fact, a man. If he never found out, perhaps he could keep a sliver of a pleasant memory instead of disgust.
Shen Yan didn’t own much, so he packed quickly.
Afterward, he debated whether to visit a salon to remove his extensions.
Since he was leaving, there was no need to keep up the act.
He was sick of the long hair anyway—especially in this sweltering heat.
Just then, his phone rang.
It was an unknown number.
After hesitating, he declined the call.
No point in answering—it wasn’t like he’d be staying to reconnect with anyone.
He figured he might as well ditch the number entirely.
Shen Yan was about to turn off his phone when a text message arrived. It was from the same number that had just called him:
“Shen Yan? This is Lawyer Zhou, your mother’s friend. Do you remember me? I have something important to discuss with you regarding your mother. Could you call me back?”
Shen Yan stared at the message for a full thirty seconds, unblinking.
The last time he had met with Chen Rongbin, he had given him this number. It seemed Lawyer Zhou had sought him out through that connection.
The lawyer’s persistence in finding him, coupled with his repeated mentions of Shen Yan’s mother, piqued his curiosity.
Was this matter also tied to the Shen family’s sudden change in attitude toward him?
Crap.
He cursed under his breath, then reluctantly dialed the number.
The call was answered immediately, the other party’s tone urgent and delighted. “Shen Yan?”
“It’s me, Uncle Zhou. You were looking for me? I’ve been dealing with some things recently, so…”
“It’s alright. Where are you? Let’s meet.”
“Now?”
“Are you unavailable?”
Sensing the urgency in Lawyer Zhou’s voice, Shen Yan agreed.
They arranged to meet at a teahouse. On the way there, Shen Yan couldn’t stop berating himself for getting involved.
Why am I sticking my nose into this mess?
He wasn’t even the real Shen Yan in this world. Why care about these irritating matters?
And yet, his conscience wouldn’t let him rest.
The original Shen Yan would probably want to know about anything related to his mother.
Half an hour later, Shen Yan arrived at Huifeng Teahouse and met Lawyer Zhou, a well-dressed middle-aged man with an earnest expression.
The lawyer, seemingly accustomed to the “time is money” mindset, wasted no time on pleasantries. He handed Shen Yan a document folder. “Your mother left you an inheritance.”
“Huh?” Shen Yan opened the folder, revealing multiple property deeds. They weren’t for individual apartments—each deed was for an entire building. There were seven in total, almost enough for half a residential complex.
The original Shen Yan’s mother was this rich?
Shen Yan recalled how, during a previous conversation, Duan Yang had mentioned that the original Shen Yan’s maternal grandmother came from a wealthy family.
Apparently, most of the grandmother’s wealth had passed to Shen Yan’s mother upon her death.
Later, Duan Bowen had started a business with some success, touting himself as a “self-made entrepreneur,” but much of it was likely funded by Shen Yan’s mother’s money.
After her death, the Shen family’s wealth seemingly had nothing to do with the original Shen Yan.
Shen Yan had assumed the original’s mother was simply naive and kindhearted.
But he hadn’t expected her to secretly leave an inheritance for her son.
So the Shen family’s recent change in attitude toward him was because of this?
“This is from your maternal grandmother’s old property in Heyang,” Lawyer Zhou explained. “It was demolished and rebuilt as compensation housing.”
Wait, what? The demolition resulted in several buildings? How large was his grandmother’s old property? Shen Yan couldn’t help but wonder.
Lawyer Zhou continued, “It’s a small city, and property prices aren’t very high. Your mother left this for you, intending for you to collect rental income and live comfortably. She didn’t want your… father to find out, so she entrusted me to manage it. She instructed me to hand it over once you left the Shen family. There’s also a check inside for the accumulated rental income over the years.”
Shen Yan didn’t immediately look at the check. Instead, he focused on the reason behind the secrecy. “Why would she hide it from my… father?”
Lawyer Zhou hesitated but then spoke, “Let me explain the first matter before moving on. Have you been keeping up with the news? Heyang has been designated as a special economic zone. Property prices there have already skyrocketed and are expected to continue climbing. Based on future development plans, the area your properties are in will become the most sought-after school district in Heyang. Five years from now, those buildings will be worth no less than five billion yuan.”
Five billion?!
Shen Yan felt his mind reel.
Receiving several buildings was shocking enough—but to find out they were prime school district properties, set to be worth billions?
That’s one hell of a windfall!
“My father—does he know about this?” Shen Yan asked.
Lawyer Zhou nodded. “I’m not sure how he found out, but he approached me, claiming to be the legal heir. However, your mother left a will clearly designating you as the sole beneficiary, so he can’t take it away.”
Shen Yan nodded in understanding. No wonder the Shen family’s attitude toward him had shifted dramatically.
Though Duan Bowen liked to flaunt himself as a successful entrepreneur, his company wasn’t doing particularly well. With billions on the line, there was no way he’d let it go.
Fortunately, the original Shen Yan’s mother had left a will. Otherwise, given the original Shen Yan’s naive personality, the Shen family would have easily coaxed the inheritance away.
Wait a second…
Something didn’t feel right. “Uncle Zhou, you said my mother left a will? When did she write it?”
Lawyer Zhou looked at him seriously, pausing for a moment before replying, “That’s the second thing I need to tell you. There’s a high probability that your mother’s death… wasn’t an accident.”
