After the Straight Male Incubus Became a Heartthrob - Chapter 40.1

Ye Lin could not imagine how many things had happened while he was asleep to make Liang Wenle’s parents, who originally opposed the marriage, finally agree to the engagement. It was likely that Liang Wenle had cried and made such a scene that his parents, heart-pained for their son, simply had to give in. That is how doted-on children are; they can get everything they want with a few tears.

Being engaged to Liang Wenle meant their relationship would move a step forward. In the future, he would acquire half of Liang Wenle’s assets and gain access to the Liang family’s connections. Even if things did not work out halfway, he would likely receive a massive sum of money after a divorce. Either way, it was a win, so he could agree to it.

Since coming to this world, Ye Lin had made too many sacrifices to earn money. He could no longer abandon the sunk costs and had to keep moving forward.

“That is wonderful, Wenle. We can get engaged now.”

“Right? Once you are better, we will go back. I want everyone to know we are getting engaged.”

“Mhm.”

“By the way, I need to invite people from the Ye family. Do you want them all to come, or just a few?”

“Uh, whatever. You know I do not have much affection for the Ye family. I truly do not care.”

“Okay, then I will handle it.”

When Ye Lin thought of his original parents, he felt no major emotional waves. He was born in the countryside and left to be raised by his grandfather while his parents worked in the city year-round. Calling it “raising” was a stretch; it was just giving him enough food to survive. His grandfather basically ignored him. He was just another left-behind child.

From primary through middle school, he lived in a dormitory. He was only home on weekends, spending his time loitering around with other kids. He only saw his parents during the Lunar New Year. To him, they were just strangers who returned once a year to set off fireworks.

Initially, he had little feeling for them. That changed after primary school when he heard they had a younger brother in the city. They kept the brother by their side and sent him to a city school. Jealousy and hatred began to grow in his heart: jealous that his brother received parental love from birth, and hating his parents for being able to raise a child carefully yet choosing to leave him in the countryside. Later, when he heard his brother got into a prestigious university and had a girlfriend from a wealthy family, becoming the hope of the village, Ye Lin often made excuses to avoid going home for the holidays.

Since transmigrating into this book, the thought of going back never crossed his mind. He felt it was fine staying here; at least he had money and lived comfortably. In his original world, no one cared about him anyway. Returning was meaningless.

Whenever Ye Lin thought about his past experiences, these rich second-generation heirs became more tolerable, and he found himself more patient. He spent three days helping Liang Wenle pick an engagement venue and five days trying on outfits. This engagement was undoubtedly a major event in Liang Wenle’s life; he supervised everything personally to ensure every detail was perfect, keeping himself incredibly busy.

The previous villa had not been sold and was returned to Liang Wenle, so they continued living there. While Liang Wenle was busy flying abroad to select flowers, Ye Lin found time to slip away to Shen Shao’s apartment for some leisure.

The afternoon sun was warm and comfortable. Ye Lin lay back and yawned, not even playing on his phone, simply enjoying the moment. Shen Shao came out of the kitchen with desserts. Seeing Ye Lin bathed in sunlight, he was reminded of small honey buns in the oven, soft, rich, and sweet.

“Mousse cake.”

“This is great!” Ye Lin sat up immediately, took the small cup, and finished the cake in one go, licking his lips.

Shen Shao felt satisfied seeing him enjoy it, but the thought of the wedding with Liang Wenle left his heart feeling hollow.

“Are you truly getting engaged to Liang Wenle?”

“Yes. His family agreed. Since the money and resources are being given for free, might as well. I will use the Liang family’s resources to grow Fanxing.”

“Fanxing’s profits have stabilized at three to four million a month. We do not need the Liang family.”

“哎呀, who would complain about having too much money? You work from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM every day; it is hard work. With the Liang family as a backer, things will be much easier.”

“I have never felt it was hard work since joining Fanxing.”

Ye Lin finished the cake and looked up at him with sincere admiration. “Wow, then you are what they call a high-energy person online. You do so much every day without getting tired. You can work all day and then come home and cook.”

Shen Shao felt like he was playing the lute to a cow. He spoke plainly, “I heard that after the engagement, Liang Wenle wants to take a year off school to go on a honeymoon with you?”

Ye Lin nodded. “Yeah, just going out to play. He originally wanted to go for three years, but his parents rejected it and cut it down to one.”

A year. That meant a whole year of not seeing Ye Lin, and a year where the apartment would be empty. Once they were actually married, Ye Lin’s visits here would only become rarer. Why could he not find a generous “official wife” instead of someone as possessive and petty as Liang Wenle? If Ye Lin could find a husband where they respected each other but did not interfere in each other’s lives, that would be the best situation.

The dissatisfaction in Shen Shao’s heart grew stronger. “Have you thought about what will happen to Fanxing during the year you are gone?”

Ye Lin waved his hand dismissively. “I have you. I am just an investor; I am only responsible for providing the money. What could happen if I am gone for a year?”

Fanxing had transformed from an incomplete small company into an efficient, mature one. It did not need much effort in the short term. He was right; even if an investor left for a year, the company would not face any major crises and could function normally. But for personal reasons, Shen Shao wanted to exaggerate the difficulties. “Fanxing is small and has only just started to pick up. Some things need your personal presence to solve. It will be difficult if you leave.”

Ye Lin did not understand company operations, but he believed in Shen Shao’s ability. “Then solve it with money. For things that cannot be solved with money, let them pile up for a year and I will help when I get back.”

Shen Shao finally broke. He leaned over, trapping Ye Lin between his arms, and said in a low voice, “Do you not understand? Fanxing cannot leave you for a year.”

Ye Lin was puzzled. “Why? Just find someone to represent me. You have so many connections; you can surely find talented people.”

Shen Shao desperately wanted to tell him, “It is not that Fanxing cannot leave you, it is that I cannot leave you!” But he could not say it. His relationship with Ye Lin began with money and was now mixed with complex emotions. If he said those words, Ye Lin would only mock him.

Shen Shao straightened up and feigned composure. “Go on your honeymoon. I will find a way myself.”

Having observed Liang Wenle for so long, Ye Lin could quickly read Shen Shao’s mood. He was clearly angry and dissatisfied. Since he was a key player in Fanxing, Ye Lin decided to say something nice. After all, it was his company. Ye Lin stood up and grabbed Shen Shao’s hand. “Fine, fine. I will find a way to come back two months early.”

Shen Shao remained silent.

Ye Lin shook his hand and persuaded him kindly, “Three months. I truly cannot make it any earlier. I think Liang Wenle would die of anger.”

Shen Shao turned to look at him, then could not help but pick him up and kiss him as they headed toward the room.

“Must you get engaged to Liang Wenle?”

“Yes. Liang Wenle fought his parents for this. If I do not agree, he will come after me.”

“The engagement invitation, I want one too.”

“The Shen family will receive one. Everyone gets one.”

“I want you to give it to me personally, not from someone else.” Shen Shao bit his lip lightly, his face dark.

Ye Lin felt a mix of itchiness and pain. Being worn down, he had no choice but to agree. “Fine, fine, I will give it to you. What is wrong with you, insisting that I give it to you?”

Shen Shao hated Ye Lin’s heartless attitude. He had so much bitterness in his heart, yet Ye Lin was completely blind to it.

“Ah!” Ye Lin was about to complain when his lips were blocked, leaving only intermittent whimpers.

Usually, Shen Shao was gentle and meticulous, but today he seemed to have a sudden episode: he was frantic, domineering, and tyrannical. He felt like a fierce python coiling his massive body around his prey and opening his mouth to slowly swallow it, needing to fully integrate the prey into his own body to be satisfied.

[Current money growth rate: 200,000 per hour]

So fast. Shen Shao’s growth rate was usually not this high. What was going on? Ye Lin was wondering when he was bitten again, making him groan in pain. Shen Shao’s eyes were dark, like he was watching over his territory. He bit his lower lip and questioned, “Don’t get distracted!”

Ye Lin wanted to curse, but the words were all shattered and scattered.

[Hunger value dropped to 60%]

I feel like I am dying. This bastard Shen Shao!

[Hunger value dropped to 50%]

Terrifying. It dropped by 50% in just a few minutes? Lately, Liang Wenle had been too busy with the engagement to help lower his hunger value; he mostly relied on Shen Shao. Normally, it would only drop by 10% every half hour. He had not expected it to be this fast.

Ye Lin had drowned in the swamp, completely soaked. Everything was viscous. The more he struggled, the deeper he sank, until he was submerged and lost consciousness. He could feel a burning gaze, like a fire consuming everything, leaving no room to breathe.

“Shen, Shen Shao, you bastard!” Ye Lin cursed and swung his hand to hit him.

Slap!

The slap landed on his face, but Shen Shao did not retreat. Instead, he attacked more fiercely, leaving no way out. It was like he was sick, like an animal in spring breeding as if his life depended on it. Ye Lin cursed several times to no avail; things only became more intense. Soon, he was forced to cry, tears falling one by one.

Shen Shao touched his flushed cheek and wet eyes. “Do you cry like this for Liang Wenle?”

Ye Lin cried and shouted, “You lunatic!”

Shen Shao held him tightly, wishing he could embed him into his own body. He whispered, “He can’t. Liang Wenle cannot give you what you want.” Ye Lin felt like he was suffocating while a madman was having a fit beside him. Shen Shao’s voice sounded like a mantra, similar to an ancient shaman’s murmur: “Ye Lin, Fanxing is the lifeblood of both of us. For its sake, break up with Liang Wenle. You can find someone better.”

Ye Lin tried to think seriously. “What do these two have to do with each other? My being with Liang Wenle does not affect Fanxing. And who else could I find? Only Liang Wenle is the easiest to get money from.”

Shen Shao buried his head in Ye Lin’s neck and spoke recklessly in surrender, “Anyone is better than Liang Wenle. After you are engaged to him, it will surely be hard to come over here.”

Ye Lin felt he was being too clingy and pushed him away. “What is so hard? Do you think Liang Wenle can control me? I can go wherever I want. I can come to your place for food every day.”

Shen Shao was already brewing another plan. He let out a long sigh. “Liang Wenle will not stay stupid forever…”

They did not discuss the topic further, focusing instead on processing each other’s needs. For the rest of the day, Shen Shao did not go into the study to work. He simply held Ye Lin in the bedroom, like a snail returning to its shell to avoid external harm and stimulation.

Ye Lin felt Shen Shao was acting strange today, similar to how Gu Jiazhi had been at one point, clinging to him as if he were insecure. He remembered that was the first time Gu Jiazhi had to go far away for a business trip. The day before, Gu Jiazhi insisted he come back from Liang Wenle’s villa. After their intimacy, he held Ye Lin and would not let go. Even though the flight was at night, Gu Jiazhi made no preparations. He kept talking about trivial matters between them, how they lost a team fight in a game or how lunch was not good. He talked about it over and over again, never getting tired.

Back then, Ye Lin pushed Gu Jiazhi frantically, urging him, “The flight is at 10:00 PM. Go get ready. And I have to be back by 8:00, or Liang Wenle will get suspicious.”

Gu Jiazhi would not let go, holding him tightly and sniffing near his ear. “Tell me, if my plane crashed, would you be sad for me?”

Ye Lin immediately slapped his mouth, looking worried. “Ptooey, ptooey! Stop talking nonsense. Say something good. You will definitely land safely.”

Gu Jiazhi laughed, took his hand, and kissed it. “Then if Liang Wenle and I were on different planes and one had to crash, which would you choose?”

Ye Lin felt the example was too macabre and frowned in difficulty. “There are so many people on a plane, not just you two. I can’t choose that.”

Gu Jiazhi scratched near his heart and teased, “It seems you are just a little brat, not a big villain. You actually know how to worry about the safety of ordinary people.”

Ye Lin scratched back, not to be outdone. “Who is a brat? I am a great person!”

After playing for a while, both fell down laughing. When they parted at the community entrance, he wished Gu Jiazhi safety and Gu Jiazhi told him not to let Liang Wenle kiss him. In fact, that was nonsense; of course Liang Wenle would kiss him. He did not know why Gu Jiazhi had to say it every time. He agreed casually, but after walking a few steps, he felt someone hugging him from behind.

“Ye Lin, actually, the kissing is not important. What is important is that you cannot have Liang Wenle in your heart. Only I can be there, understand?”

“I get it. Now go.”

At the time, he did not think much of it, but looking back, Gu Jiazhi must have been feeling very hurt that night, just like Shen Shao is now. Perhaps because he was thinking of Gu Jiazhi or perhaps because Shen Shao had managed Fanxing so carefully, Ye Lin did not push Shen Shao away. He let him hold him all night, making up for that belated indulgence.

The next morning, Shen Shao finally let go of Ye Lin. After cooking, he went to work. Ye Lin woke up at noon, ate the meal Shen Shao had prepared, and took out his phone to reply to Liang Wenle’s messages. Liang Wenle had gone to a flower field and sent him photos, asking him to pick his favorite flowers for the engagement decorations. There were dozens of types in all sorts of strange colors. Ye Lin was too lazy to pick carefully; he just clicked on a few and gave a few compliments to finish the task.

Liang Wenle asked where he was and wanted to video call to check on him. Terrified, Ye Lin ran downstairs to a nearby commercial street before daring to turn on the video. It was that same familiar street. During the day, there were far fewer people and some shops were not even open.

“You took so long to answer!”

“I am outside; the network is not great.”

“This place looks familiar. I feel like I have seen it somewhere.”

“Oh, all commercial streets look the same.”

“Whatever. I sent over a few suits; they arrive tomorrow. Remember to try them on and record a video for me to check.”

“Got it, Wenle. I will definitely try them on and record a video.”

“Let me tell you…”

Ye Lin was forced to listen to Liang Wenle complain while he wandered aimlessly through the commercial street. Two hours later, he unknowingly walked to a basketball court and Liang Wenle finally hung up. The court was filled with teenagers playing basketball, with people cheering on the sidelines, full of youthful energy.

Ye Lin looked through the fence. He remembered that he also liked playing basketball in middle school and later represented his class in the school sports meet, taking second place. Looking at one boy, he felt like he was seeing his own shadow, smooth dribbling, fast and accurate shooting. He must be a forward. He felt like going in for a few rounds.

Just as the thought popped into his head, he headed toward the entrance. But the moment he turned, he felt like someone was watching him. He turned around but saw no one, which he found strange. A delusion? In such a crowded environment, it was possible to be mistaken, but in a place with fewer people, he could be sure.

Ye Lin walked toward a secluded alley, occasionally looking at the reflection in shop windows to check behind him. Far away, he saw a figure, very blurry, impossible to identify. But he was sure he was being followed. He had been followed before when he used to get into fights, so he was familiar with this and knew how to counter it. He needed to find a place with many corners and high walls to block their vision, allowing him to wait for the stalker in advance.

However, when he found such a spot, the person following him vanished, as if they knew he was going to counter-ambush and left early. Strange. Who would be following him? Ye Lin could not figure it out and called Shen Shao to ask if the company had offended anyone lately. Shen Shao told him that Fanxing was just starting out and it was impossible to have enemies. Things like this could not be explained over the phone, so he would have to ask at the apartment tonight.

Ye Lin hung up and followed the path to the hospital. He did not really have a reason; he just habitually went there to see if Gu Jiazhi’s injuries were improving. But arriving at the ward door, he could not bring himself to enter. Gu Jiazhi’s mocking words and disdainful eyes were still ringing in his ears. Although his past experiences were hard and he had built a strong heart that was not easily hurt, it still mattered because the one mocking him was Gu Jiazhi.

After much hesitation, he only glanced at Gu Jiazhi through the window to confirm he was resting and did not enter. Then, he went to Gu Zhe’s room next door. Gu Zhe’s cheek was still bandaged, but the bandage on his right arm had been removed. The wound was healed; he was almost fully recovered.

“Tsk, you heal fast.” Ye Lin sat down and poked his right arm, his expression cold.

“You are having an engagement banquet with Liang Wenle soon. Why are you here?” Gu Zhe was used to his antics and did not care.

“Looking for fun. Seeing you doing poorly makes me happy.” Ye Lin noticed new skin had grown on the arm; it felt softer than before.

“Then you will be disappointed.” Gu Zhe noticed his low mood, as if he were dwelling on the past. “By the way, Gu Jiazhi did not have much of a reaction when he heard the news of your engagement.”

Ye Lin choked for a moment before retorting, “Do I need him to have a reaction?”

The smile on Gu Zhe’s face deepened, his eyes meaningful. “That is good. I suggest you two do not see each other in the future.”

Ye Lin slammed the edge of the bed and glared into Gu Zhe’s eyes as a warning. “Gu Zhe, what happens between me and your brother is none of your business. Do not think that just because you covered for me last time I would not hit you! If you push me, I will kill you.”

Gu Zhe laughed out loud, not fearing the threat at all.

Ye Lin reached out to poke his forehead. “I see your left hand is not better. Since you are willing to cover for me, I will help you become a cripple.”

Gu Zhe said nothing, just quietly watching him like an octopus waving its tentacles in the deep sea. The standoff lasted two minutes before Ye Lin finally stood up. He could punch a healthy Gu Zhe without a second thought, but he could not bring himself to cripple someone while they were ill.

“I wish you a happy engagement!” Gu Zhe called out as Ye Lin walked away.

“Lunatic!” Ye Lin shouted back, slamming the door.

In the hallway, he could again see Gu Jiazhi through the glass. Both of Gu Jiazhi’s arms were unbandaged now. He could reach things by the bed and was currently playing with a simple model. It seemed he was less injured than Gu Zhe, so he would likely be discharged first. It is Gu Zhe’s own fault; he deserves it! After cursing, Ye Lin walked straight ahead.