Shen Xingshuo refused to believe what he was seeing. He closed his eyes, then snapped them open again, only to find his clueless little brother still waving his arms.
Qiao Luo backed away helplessly, quietly hiding himself in the crowd.
Although no one spoke, everyone's thoughts began to stir.
They had just been told that an agency or an investor would be visiting, and now these two had arrived. Could they be the young masters of some corporate group?
At that thought, quite a few people grew more enthusiastic. They pretended to train casually, but their furtive gazes were all fixed on the pair.
Seeing that his second brother had noticed him, Shen Yu quietly lowered his arms and wisely chose not to acknowledge him.
Chu Yao had originally had no reservations, but the little squirt beside him was exercising restraint and minding his manners. Eagerly calling out to someone would only make Chu Yao look childish, so he forced himself to stay put. The few of them simply looked at one another from a distance.
The classroom, with everyone scattered around it, suddenly went quiet. Everyone desperately showed off their specialties as though they were in class, making Shen Xingshuo and Qiao Luo, who were hiding in the crowd, look out of place.
[Sigh, why is my second brother being so unenthusiastic? Doesn't he know how many people online are jumping on the bandwagon and spreading dirt about him?]
[And this guy beside me-why does he keep following me? He's cowardly and childish, yet he's the protagonist.]
[Oh, come on, my dear second brother, how can you look down on Qiao Luo? Don't you know this is exactly how you end up as cannon fodder?]
Shen Yu looked at Shen Xingshuo in exasperation, his chubby face scrunching up. Yet he still had to pretend not to know him, leaving the young boy frantic.
Shen Xingshuo's raised hand froze. He looked in slight shock at the chatterbox Qiao Luo, then at Chu Yao, who looked cocky and full of teenage delusions.
These were the protagonists? Had their brains even finished growing?
The break was short, and Shen Yu did not stay long. Before Yang Yi had even worked out how to make a connection with them, the two had left.
As fellow investors, although the Chu Family had not put up the largest share, they were treated very well, which eased Chu Yao's gloom considerably.
Burdened with an important mission, Shen Xiaoyu sighed. Even while chewing his cake, he kept studying the person across from him who was "nothing like he had imagined."
When they first met, Shen Yu had thought Chu Yao was the sort of powerful figure who, despite his youth, was ruthless and could bend everything to his will. He had not expected that after just an hour together, the reality would prove to be the exact opposite.
Chu Yao was not only childish but also failed to consider the bigger picture. By revealing his relationship with a trainee as an investor, he had given no thought at all to the consequences it might bring Qiao Luo.
Chu Yao had also realized that Shen Yu, who was staying with him, was an investor. Now he sat with his legs crossed, frowning at Shen Yu and regretting that he had followed him out without saying a word.
"Who did you come to see?" Shen Yu rested his head in his hands with a smile, as though he knew nothing of the other boy's purpose.
"To see... a friend." Chu Yao was a little irritated and seemed about to kick the table, but under Shen Yu's gaze, he quietly pulled back his outstretched leg.
"Oh, I see." Shen Yu, whose information-fishing skills ranked near the bottom, achieved a complete victory in no time against the foolish yet confident Chu Yao.
According to the plot, Qiao Luo would be smeared next, then his second brother would become cannon fodder and a thorn in Chu Yao's side, before the Shen Family was implicated and went bankrupt.
But thinking back to the scene just now, Qiao Luo did not seem willing to pay Chu Yao any attention, and Chu Yao had also explicitly stated the relationship between them.
Shen Yu, who had never been particularly clever, had a flash of insight in this area and furtively pondered the relationship between the three of them.
Watching the livestream, Qiao Luo seemed to really like my second brother. Could Chu Yao have become jealous because his love wasn't returned, so...
"Kid, what's with that look?" Chu Yao had still been brooding, but Shen Yu's gaze grew stranger and stranger, making him break out in a cold sweat.
"I was wondering who actually paid you any attention just now." Catching Chu Yao's disdainful look, Shen Yu angrily planted both hands on his hips, not forgetting to imitate his second brother by poking at someone's sore spot.
He was everyone's darling at home. His older brothers and younger brothers all liked him, so how could anyone look down on him outside?
Thinking of his younger brothers at home, Shen Yu felt deeply that the two of them must be terribly sad without him. He hurriedly took out his phone to call.
"Little Jun!" The moment the call connected, Shen Yu pressed the phone close and excitedly called out to his younger brother.
"What is it? Didn't you just get there?" Shen Jun had watched Shen Yu leave that morning and had not expected to receive a call so soon.
"Don't you miss me?" Shen Yu's eyes widened in shock, his muttered question tinged with hurt.
Shen Jun fell silent. Shen Yu had been gone for less than half a day, and he found it hard to go against his conscience and express how much he missed him.
His younger brother's silence pierced Shen Yu's expectant heart. The boy pouted unhappily. "Sure enough, nobody loves me anymore. I've been away for so long, and nobody even misses me."
"You went to see our second brother, not..." Shen Jun interrupted the performance, his voice full of helpless amusement. Shen Yu always gave him the feeling that he was about to depart this world.
"But I'm so bored." Shen Yu glanced at Chu Yao and saw him staring at him with bright eyes. Startled, he quickly turned away.
Unfortunately, the two were sitting close together. Shen Yu did not dare complain to his younger brother that he had run into an idiot, so he could only let out a deep sigh.
"Why don't you come home, then?" Hearing the deep unhappiness in his voice, Shen Jun finally put down his pen and picked up the phone he had left on the table.
"No, I still have things to do." Shen Yu's usually sunny voice sounded a little downcast. Even over the connection, Shen Jun could picture him pouting, wanting comfort but having no one to keep him company.
He could more or less guess that Shen Yu had gone there for Second Shen, but the boy did sound genuinely aggrieved. Shen Jun looked at his injured leg and considered the possibility of going there himself.
"Is there anything to eat around you? I'll order you some delivery." Shen Jun touched the green plant by the window, racking his brains to comfort the young boy who was alone away from home.
"It's fine. I can take care of myself." Shen Yu clenched his fist, regaining his energy in the blink of an eye. He did not forget to remind his younger brother, who was studying at home, "You need to get more sunshine too."
The doctor had said Shen Jun was physically weak, and his young body had endured too much hard labor. He needed proper care to recover and could not stay in the study every day.
"I know." Shen Jun nodded unconsciously. Realizing that the other boy could not see him, he paused, then smiled helplessly.
After chatting a little more, Shen Yu reluctantly ended the call. Back at the Shen Family home, Shen Jun leaned by the window, looking a little dazed, and only belatedly noticed the upturned corners of his own mouth.
Shen Yu had barely put down his phone and caught his breath when he found Chu Yao staring at him eagerly. He immediately glared back in wary suspicion.
"Who were you on the phone with just now? You're pretty good at chatting." Realizing that he needed a favor, Chu Yao softened his voice slightly, though his eyes remained bright and intent.
Shen Yu tilted his head in confusion. Seeing Chu Yao's eager expression, he seemed to realize something.
"I'm a sweet talker. I'm great at chatting with people!"
"Great, then teach me!" Chu Yao said as though it were only natural. "I made my friend angry, and I don't know how to coax him around~"
Shen Yu's eyes widened. If things were as he suspected, wouldn't he have to bring Qiao Luo and Chu Yao together to keep the Shen Family from falling into ruin?
No, his conscience wouldn't allow it!
Shen Yu looked at Chu Yao, who was immersed in visions of a wonderful future, secretly wrinkled his nose, then clenched his fist with absolute conviction.
Play wingman? Not a chance!