Chapter 48
“Is that even a man?”
“If he didn’t like it or didn’t want to, he shouldn’t have agreed to the marriage in the first place! Agreeing to it and then resorting to domestic violence behind closed doors…”
The more Su Yunzhe thought about how the person he held so dearly had been treated this way, the harder it was for him to suppress his fury.
He pulled his hand out of Shen Yan’s grip to grab his phone, but Shen Yan quickly took his hand again.
Turning around to face him, Shen Yan asked, “What are you trying to do?”
The anger in Su Yunzhe’s eyes was unmistakable. “Give it back to him tenfold!”
Shen Yan sighed helplessly but also felt a strange warmth in his heart.
To be honest, Shen Yan wanted revenge too. Even though the person being abused wasn’t technically him, scum like Duan Yang deserved to get payback for his actions, which weren’t just a one-time offense.
But no matter how much he agreed with retribution, he couldn’t let Su Yunzhe be the one to act on it.
“Let it go, okay? He’s just a madman. Why bother stooping to a madman’s level? Besides, I was stupid too. I knew he only had feelings for Shen Jiaqi and didn’t care for me, but I still insisted on marrying him. If you think about it, it’s kind of my own fault…”
“Nonsense!” Su Yunzhe cut him off, his voice filled with pain. “If Duan Yang were a real man, he would have outright refused to marry you if he didn’t want to. He only agreed to the marriage to curry favor with his grandfather and compete with Ling Sicheng for the family inheritance. He used you—an unknowing participant—to disrupt someone else’s relationship, making you feel guilty. That’s just utterly shameless!”
“Huh?” Shen Yan looked up at him in surprise. “You even know all that?”
But then it quickly clicked. Since Su Yunzhe had discovered his true gender and saw him dressed as a woman all the time, of course, he’d have investigated him.
So, it wasn’t all that surprising.
“But I didn’t know before that he ever laid a hand on you! You stopped me yesterday, but I should have—”
“Su Yunzhe!” Shen Yan interrupted him, locking eyes with a seriousness that left no room for negotiation. “Promise me, don’t lay a hand on Duan Yang, okay? And don’t have someone else do it either. Yes, he’s shameless and a scumbag, and this time he’s been unbelievably disgusting. But I know you’ve already thought of a way to deal with him. Those videos on your phone are more than enough to ruin him. Let’s leave it at that—just that is enough. Or, if you have other plans, use them. But don’t do anything illegal. Promise me, will you?”
Up until now, Shen Yan hadn’t noticed any personal grudge between Su Yunzhe and Duan Yang, nor had he seen Su Yunzhe intentionally going against him.
But ever since Shen Yan escaped, Su Yunzhe had first put Duan Yang’s career on hold, then helped Duan Songtao find Ling Sicheng to cause trouble for Duan Yang. Yesterday, if Shen Yan hadn’t stopped him, Su Yunzhe might’ve already beaten Duan Yang senseless. And now, after seeing the video of Duan Yang’s abuse, Su Yunzhe’s hatred had reached its peak. Who knew what he might do next?
When Shen Yan unexpectedly transmigrated into this world, his only goal was to escape the original host’s tragic fate and get away from scum like Duan Yang. Everything else had nothing to do with him.
But now, things were different.
Su Yunzhe was no longer a stranger to him, and there was no way Shen Yan would let him end up in jail!
Su Yunzhe and Duan Yang’s storyline initially seemed to deviate entirely from the novel. Yet, as of today, it was oddly aligning with the original plot.
Shen Yan feared that his presence had disrupted some of the novel’s original settings. For example, the original grudges between Su Yunzhe and Duan Yang might have been erased. However, now, because of him, Su Yunzhe’s hatred for Duan Yang could lead to irreversible mistakes.
If that happened, Su Yunzhe might still face the same tragic ending as in the novel.
Shen Yan absolutely wouldn’t allow that to happen!
Su Yunzhe was somewhat surprised, especially by Shen Yan’s last sentence—“don’t break the law”—which suddenly appeared here, seeming a bit out of place.
But he could tell that Shen Yan was serious, even worried, and that worry had nothing to do with Duan Yang. Shen Yan was only concerned about him.
Although Su Yunzhe knew Shen Yan only felt disgusted toward Duan Yang now, his heart still softened, so he nodded, “Okay, I promise you.”
“Really?” Shen Yan wasn’t fully reassured and asked again.
“Really!” Su Yunzhe lightly pinched his nose, answering with certainty. But then he sighed, “Just thinking about how he dared to hit you… it feels like he got off too easily.”
Su Yunzhe genuinely felt heartbroken. Even though the video was from months ago and even though Shen Yan didn’t mind it, just thinking about it made him want to kill Duan Yang in his rage.
But since he had promised Shen Yan, he decided to find another way.
That night, Duan Yang narrowly escaped a beating, otherwise, he would have found himself shoved into a sack and severely beaten.
Duan Yang had been heavily beaten by Su Yunzhe the day before, and even though he had returned home to H City, every movement still caused him pain. The worst part was the rage building inside him, which kept him bedridden.
“How’s it going? Have Su Yunzhe and Shen Yan said anything yet?” Duan Yang lay back on the bed, his expression relaxing a little.
Yu Lin had been tactful. After sending Duan Yang back home last night, he immediately offered his resignation.
He never wanted to continue this job anyway. During the time Duan Yang had no announcements, he had been called a fool every day. No matter how much he wanted money, this life had become unbearable.
But since the year-end was approaching, Yu Lin had planned to hold out until the last shift, resigning after work on the 29th, and starting fresh after the New Year.
But he couldn’t even make it that long.
On the 28th, Duan Yang had torn his relationship with Su Yunzhe in B City and was severely beaten. Duan Yang had been so angry he couldn’t retaliate, and after Su Yunzhe and Shen Yan left, Duan Yang had been surrounded by people from the bookstore, who began taking photos. He went completely crazy.
If Yu Lin hadn’t been a former classmate and had helped Duan Yang over the years, he would have been caught in a scandal by now. He had to use lawyers and threats to stop the gossip before it escalated.
After dealing with that, Yu Lin wanted to take Duan Yang to the hospital for an examination since Su Yunzhe’s strikes had been so brutal. But Duan Yang stubbornly refused and insisted on returning to H City immediately.
So Yu Lin had no choice but to buy a ticket and rush back.
Throughout the journey, Duan Yang cursed Yu Lin so much that he could barely lift his head, accusing him of betraying him and colluding with Su Yunzhe.
Yu Lin had long since gotten used to Duan Yang’s temperament, enduring it for many years. But at that moment, he nearly couldn’t hold back from throwing a punch at Duan Yang.
However, thinking he was quitting anyway, he decided not to stir up trouble. After all, Duan Yang couldn’t do anything to Su Yunzhe, but he could still make Yu Lin’s life miserable.
So he silently endured the insults and delivered Duan Yang back home, immediately telling him he was resigning before even entering the house.
Duan Yang cared a lot about his image and was too proud to beg him to stay. He shouted angrily, “Get lost! Don’t ever show up in front of me again, you good-for-nothing!” Then, with a slam, he shut the door.
And so, Duan Yang’s long-time manager was out of a job.
But what kind of person was Duan Yang?
Did he really need someone like Yu Lin by his side?
Getting a replacement was fine—someone more obedient, who would do whatever he said, and knew how to manipulate public opinion. Now, Su Yunzhe and Shen Yan were being severely criticized online.
Hmph!
Did Su Yunzhe really think everyone was afraid of him? I, Duan Yang, am going to confront you head-on!
The replacement for Yu Lin was a former assistant, Tang Fan, who hurried over to Duan Yang’s bed when he saw his boss looking for answers. “Yes, there’s been no response from Yun Kong Entertainment yet. They probably haven’t figured out how to handle it. After all, we have hard evidence, and it won’t be easy for them to refute it.”
As an assistant, Tang Fan didn’t really know how much power Yu Lin had. If Yu Lin had been around, he would have advised Duan Yang against playing with fire. After all, Yun Kong Entertainment’s behind-the-scenes PR team could easily manipulate public opinion.
But now, both Duan Yang and his new assistant believed Su Yunzhe was unable to respond to the evidence and was momentarily at a loss.
Duan Yang sneered. So, Su Yunzhe was just a paper tiger, unable to handle such a small issue.
At that moment, the door suddenly opened. Shen Jiaqi rushed in with a look of concern. When he saw Duan Yang lying in bed with visible injuries, his previous feeling of grievance quickly shifted to one of worry. He rushed to Duan Yang’s bedside and gently caressed his face. “Yang-ge, what happened? Who hit you?”
Tang Fan, who had been with Duan Yang for some time, was well aware of the relationship between them. He quickly excused himself and left the room, only to see Duan Songtao already at the door.
“Mr. Duan, what brings you here?”
Tang Fan quickly greeted him, but Duan Songtao didn’t even glance at him. He pushed the door open and entered.
Inside the room, the two of them were already embracing, rolling on the bed.
Duan Songtao furrowed his brows and cleared his throat.
The two on the bed instantly separated like lightning. Duan Yang looked awkward and afraid. “Grandfather, what are you doing here?”
Shen Jiaqi was even more nervous. He knew that Duan Songtao had always disliked him, and now that they had been caught in such a situation, he was sure Duan Songtao would explode in anger. He was so scared that he didn’t even dare to greet him.
However, Duan Songtao wasn’t as angry as they had imagined. He just walked over to the bed and, seeing Duan Yang’s bruised face, looked somewhat pained. “What happened?”
Duan Yang relaxed when he saw that Duan Songtao wasn’t furious. He explained, “Nothing, just fell down.”
Duan Yang was truly a strange person. He would rather see Su Yunzhe completely humiliated, yet he never mentioned that it was Su Yunzhe who had beaten him, because it felt too humiliating. He would never bring it up on his own.
Duan Songtao, of course, had no idea about the true story and assumed Duan Yang had simply fallen. He sat by the bed and asked a few questions about his injuries. After learning that there was no serious harm, he changed the topic. “Is it true that Yan Yan is really with Su Yunzhe?”
This was big news, and Duan Songtao had already heard about it. Duan Yang had long been prepared for the question. He immediately lowered his head, looking hurt, and nodded, “Yes. It’s all Su Yunzhe’s fault…”
“Divorce,” Duan Songtao interrupted him directly.
Duan Yang froze. “What?”
Duan Songtao glanced at Shen Jiaqi, who looked excited beside him, then said, “I want you two to divorce. This is partly my fault. I thought Yan Yan was a good kid, and he was so devoted to you. After you married him, you’d always see the good in him. But I overestimated things. It’s clear now, you two are not compatible. Divorce. He can start a new life, and you… well, you’ve been with this kid for years.” He pointed to Shen Jiaqi, “Don’t always hurt his feelings. Go ahead and get the divorce done, and marry him.”
Shen Jiaqi, who had been eagerly awaiting this moment, thought he had misunderstood. He blinked, his heart racing. “Grandpa, really? I can marry Yang Ge?”
Duan Songtao nodded. “Of course, I was too stubborn before. But this time, you two young people should follow your hearts. Yang Yang cares about you, and…”
“Grandpa, I’ll think about it. My relationship with Shen Yan is a bit complicated right now. Please don’t worry about it,” Duan Yang finally snapped back to reality, interrupting Duan Songtao.
Duan Songtao looked at him for a moment before nodding. “Alright, take your time and think it over.”
After saying that, Duan Songtao didn’t stay any longer. He just told Duan Yang to take care of his injuries and mentioned they would have a family dinner on the 30th. Then he left.
Once Duan Songtao was gone, Shen Jiaqi immediately couldn’t contain his excitement. He rushed over, threw his arms around Duan Yang, and kissed him. “Yang Ge, we can finally be together openly now! I’m so happy! Do you know that every time I thought about you marrying someone else, I felt so miserable? Even though I knew in my heart you didn’t care for him, I still hoped it would be me marrying you. Now, Grandpa has finally approved of me!”
Duan Yang felt a little irritated and pulled his arm away, annoyed. “I’m not divorcing Shen Yan!”
Shen Jiaqi was shocked, disbelief crossing his face. “What? Why? Doesn’t he hate you? And he’s already with Su Yunzhe…”
Shen Jiaqi paused, his eyes suddenly filled with sorrow and resentment. “Duan Yang, don’t tell me you’ve really fallen for Shen Yan!”
Then it hit Shen Jiaqi why he had come here in the first place — it was because of the statement Duan Yang had issued online, declaring his deep love for Shen Yan. No matter what Shen Yan did, he would forgive him and wait for him to come home.
Shen Jiaqi knew that many statements in the entertainment industry were just for show, meant to deceive netizens, but when he saw that statement, he still felt a deep sense of injustice. That was why he came to find Duan Yang.
However, he hadn’t expected Duan Yang to truly have feelings for Shen Yan.
Now, his confidence wavered.
Duan Yang, on the other hand, thought Shen Jiaqi was being completely irrational. “What are you talking about? How could I possibly like that kind of person?”
“Then why won’t you divorce him? Is it because of the inheritance? But your grandpa already agreed to the divorce. What are you still worried about?” Shen Jiaqi cried, his tears falling uncontrollably.
Usually, whenever he cried, Duan Yang would immediately comfort him. But today, Duan Yang didn’t care, merely annoyed. “I’m not letting Su Yunzhe have it his way! He wants to be with Shen Yan? In his dreams!”
Meanwhile, Shen Yan was relaxing on the couch after eating, using his phone to update the latest chapter on the author platform, while checking out the readers’ comments.
The usually peaceful comment section had turned into a battlefield today.
He didn’t know how the netizens had found out his pen name, but they were all over him with insults. Some of his readers had even turned against him. Of course, a few loyal fans were still defending him, but the arguments were intense.
Shen Yan scrolled through briefly, feeling bored. Just as he put his phone down, Su Yunzhe walked over with a plate of fruit. He set it down and sat beside Shen Yan, pulling him into his embrace and teasing him by blowing gently in his ear.
Shen Yan, exhausted from the previous night’s events, wasn’t in the mood for any mischief. He nudged Su Yunzhe away with his elbow, muttering, “Don’t get carried away!”
Su Yunzhe grabbed his wrist, playfully pulling his hand towards his mouth and biting off a cherry. “I just want to eat some fruit. What’s wrong with that?”
Shen Yan turned around to glare at him, only to be met with Su Yunzhe’s smile, his eyes full of warmth. Suddenly, the strawberry in Shen Yan’s mouth didn’t taste so sour. In fact, it was almost sweet… almost like love.
Neither of them could have imagined that Duan Yang would become so twisted, simply because he felt humiliated by Su Yunzhe and had decided he wouldn’t divorce Shen Yan no matter what.