Chapter 40
Early morning, light rain.
Xiyuan Cemetery.
Ling Sicheng stood with an umbrella in front of a very ordinary gravestone, staring at the photo on it.
The woman in the photo was young and beautiful, her smile as comforting as his own.
After a long while, he bent down and placed a small daisy on the grave, gently gliding his fingers over the photo. His voice was soft and calm: “Mom, I’m home now. Goodbye!”
That afternoon, Ling Sicheng completed all the paperwork to resign and left H City.
A week later, Shen Yan heard the news from Qin Mofeng.
That night, Qin Mofeng had been drunk after Su Yunzhe fed him alcohol. The next morning, when he woke up, he was back to his usual self, going to work as scheduled, drinking with Su Yunzhe, chatting with Shen Yan, as if nothing had happened. It seemed as though Ling Sicheng had never been there at all.
Shen Yan had heard from Su Yunzhe that when Qin Mofeng got stubborn, he’d make a scene, lose face, and then quiet down. At the time, Shen Yan hadn’t quite believed it, but now, he did. He even wondered if Qin Mofeng was heartless.
That night, when he saw Ling Sicheng being beaten and Qin Mofeng almost went mad trying to fight back, now, after a night had passed, it was as if Ling Sicheng didn’t even matter to him anymore.
But Su Yunzhe didn’t think so.
Su Yunzhe said, “This time, he’s probably really fallen. He’s just deceiving himself with a last-ditch effort to resist.”
Shen Yan scoffed, but later, he realized that, after all, he and Su Yunzhe had grown up together and that Su Yunzhe truly understood Qin Mofeng.
After learning about Ling Sicheng’s departure, Qin Mofeng couldn’t pretend that everything was fine anymore. After two days of wandering around drunk, he finally cleared his mind and decided to find Ling Sicheng.
But he didn’t even know where Ling Sicheng had gone.
He asked around at the school and discovered that even those who seemed to be on good terms with Ling Sicheng didn’t know where he had gone.
Qin Mofeng fell into despair again. He spent the whole night on Su Yunzhe’s rooftop, singing songs, all of which Shen Yan had never heard before.
Su Yunzhe said that those were songs written by Qin Mofeng himself.
At that moment, Qin Mofeng looked both sentimental and tormented—he was truly heartbroken.
But Shen Yan couldn’t bring himself to feel sorry for him. After all, it was self-inflicted. However, Qin Mofeng’s appearance still moved him, and he couldn’t help but wonder if, not long after, when he left, would Su Yunzhe be in the same state?
So that night, Shen Yan successfully couldn’t sleep.
He tossed and turned in bed, his mind filled with the image of Su Yunzhe sitting alone on the rooftop, dejectedly smoking. He couldn’t bear to close his eyes.
He decided to get up and went to the screening room to watch a movie.
He randomly picked an old film, one he had watched many times before. He had hoped to listen to it and drift off to sleep, but the more he watched, the more awake he became.
When the scene came up where the grandfather invited the little boy to go for a walk, Shen Yan couldn’t help but sigh softly.
He knew the line that would come next, one he had always liked.
His hand moved faster than his thoughts, and he pressed the pause button.
But the line still echoed in his ears.
“Some of us get dipped in flat, some in satin, some in gloss. But every once in a while, you find someone who’s iridescent. And when you do, nothing will ever compare.”
Shen Yan slowly turned his head, his eyes locking with Su Yunzhe’s dark ones.
“You’re not asleep either?” he thought. “How did you get here? Your English pronunciation is so pure! You like this line too…”
Countless words spun on the tip of his tongue, but none of them came out.
It felt as though time stopped in that moment, both his and Su Yunzhe’s.
They looked at each other, neither of them saying a word, and there was no need for any words.
This feeling… it was so good, so good that it made Shen Yan uncomfortable.
He forced himself to pull away, breaking eye contact and casually resuming the movie. “Do you like this film? You seem to know the lines pretty well.”
“It’s okay, I’ve watched it a few times,” Su Yunzhe replied casually as he walked over and sat next to him. “What’s up? Can’t sleep?”
Shen Yan nodded. “Yeah, I was thinking… Feng-ge looks really miserable.”
“Hmm? Didn’t you think he got what he deserved?” Su Yunzhe asked.
“True, but seeing him like that, I can’t help but feel a little sorry for him. What do you think…” Shen Yan turned to Su Yunzhe, asking, “Do you think he and Ling Sicheng will meet again?”
Su Yunzhe leaned back lazily, his hands crossed behind his head. “What difference does it make if they meet again? You think Ling Sicheng will forgive him? Besides, Ling Sicheng might not be interested in him at all.”
Shen Yan thought about it for a moment and shook his head. “I think Ling Sicheng feels differently about Feng-ge. Feng-ge’s done so much wrong, and yet he could still show mercy in his anger. That’s real love. Feng-ge also said that he’s nice to everyone, but he keeps picking on Feng-ge. Do you remember how, when we were in elementary school, boys used to pull girls’ hair when they liked them? Maybe, when it comes to love, they’re both still like little kids. But…”
He paused, letting out a long sigh. “You’re right, though. Ling Sicheng probably won’t forgive Feng-ge. He seems gentle on the outside, but deep down, he’s someone who can let go easily. You saw how easily he left.”
“Better than some people.”
The days dragged on, and still no sign of anyone leaving. The hesitation lingered, the days slipping by, one after another.
In the quiet of his thoughts, Shen Yan couldn’t help but wonder if he was simply unwilling to leave.
Afraid that if he walked away, Su Yunzhe would suffer the same pain as Qin Mofeng, but if he stayed, was it really better for Su Yunzhe?
Wasn’t it more cruel to leave things ambiguous and only reveal the truth later?
The real problem was that Shen Yan didn’t have the guts to face the outcome of such a decision!
“By the way, I’m thinking of going to the comic convention the day after tomorrow. Want to come along?” Shen Yan suddenly shifted the topic.
Su Yunzhe raised an eyebrow. “Comic convention? I haven’t been to one in years.”
“Then let’s go! It’ll be fun to relive the old days!” Shen Yan winked, grinning mischievously.
Su Yunzhe narrowed his eyes at him. “Are you implying I’m getting old? Want me to prove otherwise?” He reached out to grab Shen Yan.
Shen Yan quickly jumped off the sofa, sprinting toward the door. As he ran, he called back, “I didn’t say anything! You’re the one bringing it up, don’t blame me! I’m going to sleep now; you should too.” With his words still hanging in the air, he disappeared from view.
Su Yunzhe chuckled, shaking his head. He turned off the equipment and went back to his room to sleep.
Qin Mofeng had truly experienced the pain of heartbreak this time, but life had to go on. Especially in the adult world, emotions were never the central issue.
After wallowing for two days, he finally dragged himself back to school.
Shen Yan and Su Yunzhe were heading to the comic convention when they saw Qin Mofeng walking alone at the community entrance. His posture seemed lonely, and he lacked the usual energy he carried. Shen Yan couldn’t help but feel concerned.
“Do you think Mofeng will be okay?” Shen Yan asked.
“He’s an adult, right? Do you really think he’s going to fall apart over a breakup?” Su Yunzhe replied, pulling Shen Yan in the opposite direction. “Come on, let’s go.”
The comic convention wasn’t far from Su Yunzhe’s place. With the cool autumn weather, the two of them took a pleasant walk along the seafront, and within ten minutes, they arrived.
However, on the way there, Shen Yan unexpectedly received a phone call from Duan Yang.
Seeing Duan Yang’s name on the screen, his heart sank, and he immediately answered the call.
“Is this the movie emperor, Duan Yang, calling me?” Shen Yan asked, attempting to keep his tone light.
“Damn it, Shen Yan, stop pretending!” Duan Yang’s voice was cold, his words dripping with fury. “You really think you can fool me?”
Shen Yan let out a quiet sigh. He knew the phone call from Duan Yang after so many days couldn’t be for anything good.
The person who had been following him recently must have been sent by Duan Yang. Though he hadn’t noticed anyone tailing him lately, Shen Yan knew that whoever it was was just being more careful.
Now, Duan Yang must have solid proof and was coming to confront him.
Yet, Shen Yan wasn’t worried. He calmly asked, “What do you mean, Duan Yang?”
“Is acting fun to you? Do you want me to tell Su Yunzhe that you’ve been pretending all along?” Duan Yang sneered. “If you keep playing dumb, I’ll call Su Yunzhe right now and tell him the truth. You have no idea how much he hates men. If he finds out, you won’t be able to handle the consequences!”
Without thinking, Shen Yan glanced at Su Yunzhe beside him, but stayed silent.
Yes, he couldn’t handle it.
“Hmph!” Duan Yang let out a mocking laugh. “Finally admitting it? Well then, don’t waste my time. You better come back in an hour, or I’ll tell Su Yunzhe everything about you being a man.”
“Fine.” Shen Yan agreed without hesitation, “I’ll take care of it. We’ll talk later.”
Without waiting for Duan Yang to respond, he hung up the call and turned to Su Yunzhe. “Duan Yang called, said he needs my help with something. So, after the convention, I’ll have to meet him. Do you want to come with me?”
“Duan Yang?” Su Yunzhe furrowed his brows. “What does he need your help for?”
Shen Yan shook his head. “He didn’t say. Anyway, we’ll talk about it after the convention. Oh, we’re here! My favorite voice actor is here, and my favorite cosplayer too! Let’s go, let’s go!” He quickly dragged Su Yunzhe toward the entrance to go through security.
Meanwhile, Duan Yang was still holding his phone tightly, so furious that he seemed ready to smash it at any moment.
Duan Yang was absolutely livid.
Finding out that Shen Yan was actually Shen Yan had been a relief for him, but now, being made a fool by Shen Yan, someone he despised, was unbearable.
Even Yu Lin, who had been working alongside him, was shocked.
If it weren’t for the private detective confirming that Su Yunzhe and Shen Yan were not in a romantic relationship and that Su Yunzhe had no clue that Shen Yan was a man, they wouldn’t have been so sure that the woman he had been with was actually Shen Yan.
Yu Lin couldn’t understand why the two of them had been living under the same roof for so long, meeting their parents, yet Su Yunzhe had never once been intimate with Shen Yan.
Or perhaps, Shen Yan was quite the expert at keeping secrets, deceiving Su Yunzhe with ease.
Not only had Shen Yan made Duan Yang look like a fool, but Su Yunzhe had also been thoroughly duped.
If Su Yunzhe ever found out that he had brought a man home to meet his parents—given how violently he reacted to anyone confessing their feelings for him—he might just kill Shen Yan.
But perhaps that was better. Shen Yan clearly feared Su Yunzhe finding out, so now he would obediently comply. In an hour, he would come back, and Duan Yang would take it from there.
Yu Lin was beginning to feel lighthearted again.
For a while, he had almost forgotten that he was just an entertainment industry manager, dealing with Shen Yan and Qin Mofeng’s messes.
Now, everything seemed to be settling down.
Just as he was planning to enjoy a nice meal and get some rest, his phone rang again—it was from the person who had been tailing Shen Yan.
He quickly answered, “Hello, has Shen Yan already left for his meeting?”
“He’s gone.”
“What?”
“Shen Yan is gone!”
“Wha… what do you mean, gone?” Yu Lin pressed, his voice tense.
“He ran off. Su Yunzhe got dumped too.”
At that moment, outside the East District restrooms at the comic convention, Su Yunzhe stood there, staring blankly at the girl in front of him who was wearing Shen Yan’s clothes. “So, he left twenty minutes ago?”
Su Yunzhe had accompanied Shen Yan inside, and Shen Yan had been full of excitement, browsing and buying all sorts of merchandise, dumping them all on Su Yunzhe. After a while, he said he needed to go to the restroom.
Su Yunzhe waited outside, but twenty minutes passed, and when the girl in Shen Yan’s clothes came out, it wasn’t Shen Yan.
It wasn’t until he grabbed the girl that he realized Shen Yan had switched clothes with her twenty minutes earlier and blended in with the crowd of cosplayers.
The girl, terrified by Su Yunzhe’s icy gaze, apologized repeatedly. “I’m so sorry! She asked me to help her—said someone was stalking her. She tried everything but couldn’t shake them off, so she asked me to help her get away. I… I… I’m really sorry, really sorry.”
Su Yunzhe’s gaze grew colder, and the girl, panicking, struggled to find the right words.
He ignored her and opened the location tracking app on his phone. To his surprise, the device was still right next to him.
His eyes landed on the girl’s bag. “Let me see the bag.”
The girl hurriedly handed it over. “Here, it’s hers. She said it would make me look more like her. I didn’t touch anything inside.”
Su Yunzhe took the bag and opened it, finding Shen Yan’s phone inside, along with the charm he had given him.
He let out a small laugh, shaking his head. So, Shen Yan had been prepared for this.
He turned on the phone, hoping to find some clue, and beneath the phone, he found a note.
Unfolding it, he saw Shen Yan’s handwriting:
I’m leaving, don’t look for me. I don’t know where I’ll go.
Su Yunzhe…
Do you think we’ll meet again?
Actually, what difference would it make whether we meet again or not? You probably won’t forgive me, will you?
Su Yunzhe… I’m sorry…
Goodbye!
