Nonsense

Once they were outside, Wei Zelin pulled his arm out of Shi Yuan's grasp. Shi Yuan stared blankly at his arm. Only up close did he notice the layer of fuzzy pills covering the sleeve.

Shi Yuan came to his senses. He seemed to have thought too highly of himself. However difficult Wei Zelin's life appeared on the surface, he had the courage to topple a giant like the Wei Family. He did not need Shi Yuan's pity.

The journey home was silent. Neither of them felt calm, and for the first time, Wei Zelin did not know what expression to wear around Shi Yuan.

On May 7, Shi Yuan left early without even eating breakfast. When he reached the foot of the hill, the gate guard greeted him warmly-the same one who had laughed at him last time.

There were no taxis at the foot of the hill, and the nearest bus stop was a twenty-minute walk away. Just as he was approaching it, Wei Zelin's White Sedan sped past him. The man inside did not spare him so much as a glance. Shi Yuan thought helplessly, Maybe this isn't so bad?

He passed the Education Studies exam easily and immediately registered online for the Teacher Qualification Certificate exam. The written exam was in July, and the interview was in August. If everything went smoothly, he might even find a job by September.

"He went to take an exam? All right, I understand. Tonight, let Wei Zexuan hear that Rose's president wants to meet You Gui."

Wei Zelin stood in an office building that did not belong to the Wei Corporation, tapping his pen against the documents on his desk. They contained Shi Yuan's information. A photograph of Shi Yuan street racing and fighting abroad had been poked so often that it was crumpled all over. Clearly, that damage had not happened in just a day or two.

The "Shi Yuan" in the photograph had the same features, but he sported a distinctive head of gray-white hair and raised eyebrows. Though he lacked Wei Zexuan's air of absolute supremacy, he still looked sharp and headstrong.

Wei Zelin opened his phone's photo album and found a picture he had taken of Shi Yuan sleeping at night. His hair had grown longer over the past two months. The new black growth was glossy, and the soft strands fell across his face.

His lips were slightly parted, revealing a tiny glimpse of his pink tongue.

Asleep, he looked innocent and vulnerable, so gentle that he seemed capable of accepting anything.

Shi Yuan shopped for summer clothes at the mall. He had sold off most of the original owner's clothing, bundling up all those expensive pieces and making more than thirty thousand yuan.

With no source of income at present, he did not dare spend recklessly. The Wei Family covered his food and clothing each month, so he only bought internship materials and daily necessities.

Only when the weather grew increasingly hot did he come to the Department Store to pick out a few discounted short-sleeved shirts.

They cost fifty yuan apiece. He bought three to rotate through the wash, then picked out a few pairs of lightweight trousers. Altogether, he spent just over four hundred yuan.

Thinking of the July exam, Shi Yuan went to the Library to borrow a few books. When he came out, he saw several children by the roadside licking ice cream cones. Unable to resist, he bought one too, eating it with little licks and bites.

The sweet, soft ice cream slowly melted in his mouth, cool and refreshing. Shi Yuan enjoyed it so much that his eyes narrowed unconsciously.

As he walked, he searched the roadside for a trash can so he could throw away the wrapper as soon as he finished. Otherwise, he might accidentally get ice cream on his hands, leaving them unpleasantly sticky.

After finding a trash can, he quickly finished the last bit and tossed the wrapper inside, then found a tissue in his backpack to wipe his hands. But when he casually turned his head, he spotted familiar faces.

Wei Zexuan was good-looking, tall and long-legged, with handsome features. Yet beside the true protagonist, he could only serve as a backdrop.

You Gui stood before him, her face pale. A beauty in tears, she looked heartbreakingly fragile.

So the plot has already reached this point. Shi Yuan sighed. Wei Zexuan probably did not yet know that You Gui was Shen Duo's unforgettable love. Otherwise, he would not have stopped at verbal threats.

The Wei Corporation had a joint project with Shen Duo's company, primarily overseen by Wei Zexuan. It was through this collaboration that Wei Zexuan had met this rising star of Capital City.

Far too many people groveled at his feet, giving Wei Zexuan every reason to be arrogant. But in the end, he had met his match in Shen Duo.

Shen Duo was courageous, loyal, and principled, with firm moral boundaries. His charisma drew many followers, and even more people harbored romantic feelings for him. Yet he never fooled around, steadfastly guarding the crimson rose in his heart.

A perfect man like that really only existed in fiction. Occasionally fantasizing about dating someone like him was enough to make a person giddy.

Wei Zexuan was accustomed to being the center of the universe. Whatever he liked, he had to possess. But Shen Duo was unlike the playthings he had chosen before. Force would not work, and gentler advances were rejected too.

He had invited Shen Duo out several times, both openly and indirectly. Because of the collaboration with the Wei Corporation, Shen Duo could not afford to offend Wei Zexuan lightly. But he had his own boundaries and never exchanged more than necessary pleasantries with him outside of business.

The harder something was to get, the more he wanted it.

Just as Wei Zexuan's infatuation with Shen Duo was at its height, he happened to learn that Shen Duo had asked You Gui to meet him alone.

You Gui was merely a somewhat conspicuous junior employee. Without that breathtaking face, her position would not have attracted any attention.

But a face that beautiful was enough to make people take notice.

"President Shen asked you to meet him here?" Wei Zexuan asked casually.

You Gui looked unwell. "I don't know. Someone from Rose said there were a few final details to discuss in person."

She truly had not known, but with Wei Zexuan so certain it was President Shen, she could guess what was going on.

Shen Duo wanted to see her alone, but she did not know why they still needed to meet. Three years had passed. They were now two people on parallel lines, never to intersect again.

Wei Zexuan knew nothing of her thoughts. Looking at You Gui's face, he felt only disgust.

"I don't care who wants to see you, or whether it's business or personal. President Shen is out of your league. Don't try anything unnecessary, or never mind the Wei Corporation-I'll make sure you have no place anywhere in Capital City!"

He leaned down and patted You Gui's pale, beautiful face, his eyes brimming with possessive certainty.

"President Shen will practically be part of the Wei Family in the future. Since there are still loose ends to sort out, I'll call him right now and have him send someone to our company to handle the handover with you."

You Gui nodded distractedly.

Satisfied by her reaction, Wei Zexuan said, "Now get the hell back to the office."

The Cantonese Restaurant was very popular, and their confrontation at its entrance drew plenty of covert onlookers. A beauty never lacked an audience, no matter the circumstances.

But You Gui only felt those searing gazes burning into her. She clenched her fists and tried hard to straighten her back so she would not look quite so pathetic.

Shi Yuan saw everything clearly from behind them. He discreetly followed You Gui for a few steps, sighing inwardly. There it is-the melodramatic misunderstanding straight out of a prime-time soap.

Because of her childhood experiences, You Gui cared deeply about how others saw her. Wei Zexuan deserved half the credit for all the hardships this couple faced; the other half lay with You Gui herself.

She could never believe that someone as exceptional as Shen Duo would fall in love with her. Even when they were together, she anxiously wondered whether they might break up someday.

Instead of carefully nurturing their relationship while they were together, she feared getting hurt and stayed ready to pull away at any moment. How could a relationship like that possibly last?

You Gui stumbled along, her heart tangled with pain. Shi Yuan truly did not want her to suffer as much as she had in the novel. After confirming that Wei Zexuan was staying at the restaurant Shen Duo had reserved and would not appear here, he found an opportunity to stop You Gui.

"H-hello?"

You Gui looked at him in confusion and asked softly, "Who are you?"

In all his life, Shi Yuan had hardly ever told a serious lie. Before he even spoke, his face turned red.

"I'm President Shen's-no, Shen Duo's friend."

You Gui was sensitive. Seeing Shi Yuan's delicate features and gentle manner, then hearing him call himself Shen Duo's friend, she began to overthink things, and her expression cooled.

"Then what do you want with me? I'm not close to President Shen."

Ever since their reunion, she had been avoiding Shen Duo and had not even spoken a single word to him. Why did these people still keep coming after her? You Gui was so upset that her eyes reddened.

Having read the original novel, Thorn, Shi Yuan understood its main characters fairly well. You Gui received the most extensive descriptions of her inner thoughts, and the story essentially began with her.

Thus, the moment he saw her expression turn cold, he knew she had misunderstood.

He considered what You Gui might be thinking and said cautiously, "Well, I'm not actually that close to President Shen either, but I've heard him mention you a few times, so I was curious about what you were like. I happened to run into you today, which is why I stopped you."

Only after hearing that he was not close to Shen Duo did You Gui's expression soften.

"President Shen mentioned me? What did he say?" You Gui turned slightly toward Shi Yuan, listening intently.

He said he likes you and really wants to be with you, but you're very resistant to him. He's afraid you won't welcome his attention, so he's been quietly watching over you all this time. This invitation was part of that too.

The whole speech hovered on Shi Yuan's tongue, but he still did not say it.

Shen Duo had confessed his feelings to You Gui plenty of times. And what had come of it?

You Gui would not believe him. Throughout her life, there had been no shortage of people who treated her kindly because of her face, but those same people had ended up hurting her the most. She would not trust someone else's words easily.

Shi Yuan's eyes shifted, and he said with feigned ease, "President Shen said the proposal you wrote last time was excellent, and that talent like yours was hard to come by. He's been looking for a chance to meet you and recruit you into his company."

"He really said that?" You Gui's eyes widened slightly.

"Of course. Why would I lie to you? Oh, and President Shen was furious when that Lu Ying plagiarized your proposal last time. But don't worry. Not only did he immediately expose the person who stole your work, he's still working on getting her blacklisted."

At the mention of plagiarism, Shi Yuan sounded rather bitter. After all, he had suffered deeply from it himself.

"President Shen was the one who discovered that Lu Ying plagiarized my proposal? He-he's even blacklisting Lu Ying for me?" This time, You Gui was genuinely stunned.

She was not well-liked at the company. Some envied her looks, while others bullied her for her withdrawn personality. Lu Ying belonged to the former group.

This plagiarism incident was also what brought the two of them together again in the original novel. For the collaboration between the Wei Corporation and Rose, the leaders of both sides discussed and settled the overall direction, naturally leaving the smaller details to their employees.

Shen Duo had not noticed You Gui at first. Only after discovering that an employee of the Wei Corporation had acted dishonestly and committed plagiarism did he realize that the person at the center of it was the woman he had loved and longed for over the past three years.