Chapter 36
Shen Yan hadn’t finished his sentence when his wrist was suddenly grabbed, startling him so much that he turned and ran.
However, the person had a strong grip, pulling him back with force. The voice, gritted with anger, said, “You still want to run?”
Shen Yan, struggling with all his might, suddenly froze, looking up to see the person’s face. His expression changed instantly, and he exclaimed with surprise, “Su Yunzhe!” Before Su Yunzhe could react, Shen Yan grabbed onto his arm, leaning in beside him, a mix of joy and surprise flooding his face. “It really is you! What a relief!”
Now, Su Yunzhe was utterly confused.
Wasn’t this person planning to run away? Why did he act like this when he saw him? His first instinct had been to flee, but now he looked so happy to see him. Had he changed his strategy after realizing he couldn’t escape?
But the joy seemed genuine, not an act.
Quickly, Su Yunzhe began to piece things together. He noticed Shen Yan kept glancing over his shoulder, his face full of anxiety.
He raised his gaze, confused, and suddenly saw a shadow dart into a nearby alley.
Shen Yan saw it too, and his grip on Su Yunzhe’s arm tightened.
Without saying a word, Su Yunzhe pulled him along, chasing after the figure.
But when they reached the end of the alley, there was no one to be seen.
Shen Yan remained tense, holding onto Su Yunzhe’s hand without letting go, his eyes scanning around as though he was afraid the person would suddenly appear from somewhere.
Su Yunzhe furrowed his brows, his tone serious. “Who was that?”
Shen Yan shook his head. “I don’t know. I first saw him this morning when I left. I thought I had lost him earlier, but… didn’t expect…” He suddenly paused, his eyes widening in realization. “Wait, Su Yunzhe, how come you’re here?”
Su Yunzhe was still concerned about the person following Shen Yan, but for now, he decided to let it slide.
He gave Shen Yan’s hand a slight squeeze, his tone nonchalant as he deflected, “What about you? How come you’re here?”
He had initially assumed that Shen Yan was running away, planning to catch him and settle the score. But now, with the way Shen Yan had reacted, he wasn’t so sure.
So he decided to probe a little.
“I came to check on the property I inherited, a house, here,” Shen Yan smiled, trying to keep calm.
On the outside, he appeared composed, but inside, he was feeling a mess.
He had just fled to this place, and now he was meeting Su Yunzhe here, of all people. What were the odds?
Although the moment he saw Su Yunzhe, he had felt a sense of relief and even gathered the courage to confront the stalker, he knew that if Su Yunzhe found out he was running from something, it would be far worse than being followed.
The stalker had just been tailing him, but if Su Yunzhe discovered his escape, who knew how he might react? If he reverted to his cold and ruthless demeanor from the original book… things would get ugly.
So without realizing it, Shen Yan’s grip on Su Yunzhe loosened, and his body instinctively wanted to put some distance between them.
Su Yunzhe kept his composure, watching Shen Yan closely. “I came for a meeting. I saw you from afar and thought I was mistaken.”
“A meeting? You didn’t mention that this morning.”
“I didn’t hear you mention coming here either.”
“I made a last-minute decision.” Shen Yan, feeling guilty, tried to change the subject quickly. “So, Su Yunzhe, you’re not going back tonight? Where are you staying? Can I crash with you?”
He looked at Su Yunzhe expectantly. He didn’t think Su Yunzhe looked like he was planning to capture him, so maybe he could tag along for the night. After all, he didn’t know who the stalker was, and being alone was starting to make him anxious.
And knowing Su Yunzhe, he wouldn’t leave him stranded. It was better for Shen Yan to be proactive and friendly.
“Let’s go. My car is across the street.” Su Yunzhe decided to observe him further and led him across the road.
Once in the car, he casually asked, “What happened to your phone? Why has it been off all day?”
“Oh, I broke it this morning when I left, it won’t turn on,” Shen Yan quickly made up an excuse.
Su Yunzhe glanced at him, his tone calm, almost casual. “Really?”
Shen Yan felt a bit guilty under that gaze. He awkwardly chuckled, “Yeah, it’s been bad luck. I just got it, and now I’ll have to take it in for repairs tomorrow.”
“Didn’t you inherit a large fortune? Why are you so concerned about your phone?” Su Yunzhe asked with a smile.
“Well, I can’t just go around wasting money!” Shen Yan replied, stealing a glance at Su Yunzhe. He felt like Su Yunzhe seemed normal again, but at the same time, he couldn’t quite shake the feeling that something was off. Was it just his guilty conscience making him overly sensitive, or was Su Yunzhe really different somehow?
Su Yunzhe had come over after his afternoon meeting and had just arrived when he saw Shen Yan.
The hotel had been booked in advance.
Half an hour later, they reached their destination.
It was a suite, so Shen Yan didn’t need to book another room.
Once inside, Shen Yan quickly greeted Su Yunzhe, then chose a bedroom and went in to take a shower and rest.
Although Su Yunzhe seemed normal, Shen Yan couldn’t shake the growing unease the longer he spent with him.
He couldn’t put his finger on exactly what felt wrong, but in the end, he decided to distance himself from Su Yunzhe for now.
Su Yunzhe leaned against the balcony railing, smoking.
He rarely smoked, and even less often inside, but there were things on his mind that required serious thinking.
After finishing the cigarette, he took out his phone and sent a message. Then, he went inside and knocked on Shen Yan’s door.
Shen Yan had just finished his shower, his hair still damp. He hurriedly wrapped it in his bathrobe and opened the door, a strand of wet hair trailing down his white neck and disappearing into the robe.
Su Yunzhe’s gaze followed the movement of his hair, then he reached out to gently pull it aside, suppressing an inappropriate desire that had crept up unexpectedly.
“Let’s talk,” he said.
“Huh? But I’m kind of tired. I didn’t sleep well last night,” Shen Yan politely declined.
Just a moment ago, Shen Yan had been questioning whether he was just being paranoid, but now he was certain—Su Yunzhe was definitely acting different.
He wasn’t sure what Su Yunzhe wanted to talk about, but he felt that staying silent and avoiding conversation was probably safer.
“You can sleep in tomorrow,” Su Yunzhe countered, unwavering. “So, do you want me to come in or are you coming out?”
Su Yunzhe’s tone wasn’t forceful, but Shen Yan could tell he wasn’t going to let it go.
Resigned, Shen Yan sighed inwardly but smiled and half-jokingly complained, “Why does this have to happen right now? Can I at least dry my hair first? Wait outside for a minute?”
Su Yunzhe relented this time and walked away.
While drying his hair, Shen Yan thought about the consequences of just locking himself in the room and not going out.
He figured Su Yunzhe wouldn’t do anything to him, but in the end, he reluctantly went out.
Su Yunzhe was lounging lazily on the sofa, his legs crossed and stretched out, his arms spread across almost the entire seat.
On the coffee table were two glasses of red wine—one obviously for Shen Yan.
Shen Yan’s heart raced with nervous anticipation. He tried to calm himself and walked over, picking up the glass and gulping it down in one go.
He knew he didn’t handle alcohol well, but perhaps a little liquid courage would help him keep his composure.
After finishing the glass, he sat down and asked, “So, Su Yunzhe, what exactly do you want to talk about?”
Su Yunzhe kept his gaze on the ceiling for a while before finally responding, “Shen Yan, do you actually not want to get a divorce?”
“Huh?”
Shen Yan hadn’t expected this topic at all. But, as surprised as he was, he also felt a bit relieved.
“I don’t want to get a divorce and yet I ran away from home?” he responded.
“Then why not let me help you?” Su Yunzhe sat up straight, his dark eyes fixed on Shen Yan.
“Well…” Shen Yan opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words.
The tension he had just let go of came rushing back.
So, what exactly did Su Yunzhe want to say?
“Was the person following you tonight sent by that scumbag… your ex-husband?” Su Yunzhe asked.
“Ex-husband?” Shen Yan’s focus was momentarily diverted.
“Who else?” Su Yunzhe’s gaze never wavered.
Shen Yan felt a pang of guilt and cleared his throat. “I guess that makes sense… Eventually, he’ll be my ex-husband. As for the person following me, I don’t know who they are.”
“Do you have any idea where they might be from?” Su Yunzhe asked.
Shen Yan didn’t want to get into details with Su Yunzhe about this.
If he had been a bit calmer tonight, he wouldn’t have let Su Yunzhe discover that someone was tailing him.
Because the person following him could only be Duan Yang or someone from the Shen family.
And he didn’t want Su Yunzhe to know that he was connected to both of them.
But in the panic of the moment, Su Yunzhe had appeared and given him the confidence to act. Now, he had caused more trouble.
He didn’t want to talk about it, but it was clear Su Yunzhe was going to press him.
Though Shen Yan was good at making up stories, now, in the face of Su Yunzhe’s piercing gaze, his usual lies faltered.
He was being questioned because Su Yunzhe cared about him, but every lie he told made him feel worse.
“So, you really don’t want to get a divorce, do you? You can’t bear to leave your ex-husband?” Su Yunzhe’s voice had a hint of mockery.
Shen Yan blurted out, “Of course not! I can’t stand him! If he wasn’t so stubborn, I would have divorced him ages ago! How blind would I have to be to miss someone like him, a crazy person?”
“I’ll help you. Tomorrow, we can go to his office and file for divorce,” Su Yunzhe immediately responded, as though he had been waiting for this moment.
“Uh…” Shen Yan didn’t know how to respond. He absentmindedly poured himself another drink and downed it.
Su Yunzhe watched him carefully. “Does he have any leverage over you?”
“No!” Shen Yan shook his head, feeling the burn in his stomach from the strong drink. It made him feel a little uncomfortable.
“Then what are you so afraid of?” Su Yunzhe frowned, looking slightly exasperated. “The other side is probably about to find you. Do you think dragging this out is going to solve anything?”
Shen Yan had no answer.
The alcohol made his mind feel sluggish, and Su Yunzhe’s words kept echoing in his ears: “What are you really afraid of?”
What am I afraid of?
At first, he had been afraid of the power and influence of the Duan family. He felt too small to stand up to them alone. He feared that Duan Yang, with his mental instability, might lock him up and make sure he could never escape again.
He was a lazy person, reluctant to deal with trouble, so he had chosen the easiest option: living apart for two years, then just going straight to court for divorce.
But now?
Su Yunzhe could help him.
If Shen Yan really wanted to, he could use Duan Yang’s hidden marriage as leverage to force him into a divorce.
But still, he didn’t dare.
What am I afraid of?
Su Yunzhe… What I’m really afraid of is you!
“Su Yunzhe…” The alcohol made his voice sound soft and wet, almost pitiful, as he looked up at Su Yunzhe. “Can I not say anything? I don’t want to, and I don’t dare to say it.”