After the Straight Male Incubus Became a Heartthrob - Chapter 40.2

Gu Jiazhi saw Ye Lin through the open door. Seeing that he did not come in, he was confused and put down the model. He could not help but shout out, “Why are you not coming in!”

Ye Lin stopped and leaned against the door to look at him. “Why should I come in? To hear your high-and-mighty mockery?”

Gu Jiazhi gripped the model and looked at the ward opposite. “So you came to the hospital not to see me, but to see Gu Zhe!”

Ye Lin was unhappy and decided to spite him. “Yes. I found Gu Zhe more interesting than you, so I visit him every day and do not bother with you.”

Gu Jiazhi clearly remembered that at first Ye Lin came to see him every day and only occasionally went to Gu Zhe’s side, yet now it was the opposite. Ye Lin realized he could not hook up with him, so he went to hook up with that idiot Gu Zhe. Truly insidious and cunning! Gu Jiazhi hated his fickleness and resented him for not visiting. “Oh, so you are not afraid I will tell Liang Wenle that you are having an affair with Gu Zhe?”

Ye Lin had not expected him to say such a thing. He felt like he was dealing with an idiot. “An affair with Gu Zhe? Fine, then go tell Liang Wenle. I will just say it was you. You and Gu Zhe look the same anyway!”

Gu Jiazhi was shocked by his shamelessness. He did not admire it; he only mocked it. “You truly are shameless. No wonder you could enchant Liang Wenle so much that he went on a hunger strike just to get engaged to you!”

The person closest to you often knows all your weaknesses and can strike accurately; their words hurt the most. Ye Lin thought of the pain Gu Jiazhi once felt and laughed loudly. “Yes, I am very capable. In the future, I can even get half of the Liang family’s assets. Unlike you, no parental love, no resources. You can only be a foil to Gu Zhe. In the future, 90% of the Gu family’s assets will go to Gu Zhe. There is nothing for you, you pathetic loser!”

These words were like a massive hammer coming down, instantly leaving him a bloody mess. He lost all warmth. It was true; he could not get his parents’ love, let alone the Gu family’s resources. Gu Zhe had been raised as the successor since childhood while he was completely left to his own devices.

Gu Jiazhi finally stopped looking at Ye Lin with contempt. It was a breakdown after his defense was shattered. With red eyes, he roared, “Get out! I never want to see you again!”

Ye Lin heard his fierce tone and kicked the door hard. “You think I want to see you! You are sick and a waste!” After shouting, he ran out of the hospital and stopped only when he reached the open plaza to let his anger subside.

There was a musical fountain in the plaza, the water rising and falling with the music. Many couples were holding hands and taking photos, making heart shapes at the camera. In a corner, he also saw a gay couple playing around. Splashing water droplets fell on them, reflecting the orange light of the sunset, warm and soft. The man in front was running and the man behind was playfully chasing. At one point, the man stopped, turned around, and picked up his boyfriend to kiss him.

Seeing this, Ye Lin realized he had watched the whole thing. In the past, if he saw a gay couple, he would only walk away in disgust, cursing them. He would not have spared them a second glance, yet now he had watched the entire scene. And for a moment, he hallucinated: he was back below Shen Shao’s apartment; he was in front urging him on, and Gu Jiazhi rushed up to hold him and kiss him. It was also a soft, sunny evening with colorful sunset clouds.

I am sick. Why am I thinking about things like that? Ye Lin cursed himself for having a fit and cursed Gu Jiazhi hundreds of times. But after the cursing, Gu Jiazhi’s red eyes appeared in his mind again. Gu Jiazhi was hurt, which is why he showed such a grief-stricken expression. Perhaps he should not have used such words to provoke him. But he was also angry, so naturally, he used the most damaging words. It was Gu Jiazhi who mocked him first, so he fought back.

So why could he and Gu Jiazhi not be like they were before, playing around, being happy every day, occasionally bickering and fighting? Whenever Ye Lin remembered the past, he felt a strange sourness, like eating an unripened green persimmon. He could not understand his own thoughts, so he could only blame Gu Jiazhi. He blamed Gu Jiazhi for changing after losing his memory, for not being as good to him or as indulgent as before.

With these thoughts, he drifted back to Gu Jiazhi’s apartment like a ghost. No one had lived here for a long time and no one had been hired to maintain it. A thin layer of dust had accumulated on the floor. The air did not have the familiar scent of the body wash Gu Jiazhi usually used. Because of the fight, most of the furniture had been cleared out and no new pieces had been added. Without a sofa, coffee table, or TV, the living room looked exceptionally spacious.

Ye Lin went to the bedroom and lay down to stare at the ceiling. After a while, the phone ringing pulled him back. It was Shen Shao.

“It is almost dinner time. Why are you not back?”

“I am at Gu Jiazhi’s apartment. I do not want to go back for now.”

“Okay.”

Hanging up, Ye Lin turned to look at the wardrobe. Inside were the cool-toned clothes Gu Jiazhi loved to wear, completely different from Liang Wenle’s gaudiness. In a daze, he felt the real Gu Jiazhi was dead, vanished like in his dream, and the one in the hospital was a fake.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. It was just like that night when Gu Jiazhi told him after an all-nighter that he was flying back and would arrive in the evening. Ye Lin jumped up immediately and ran to open the door, shouting out, “Jiazhi!”

Seeing Shen Shao standing at the door, his eyes dimmed. Shen Shao noticed his soul-lost appearance and immediately pulled him into an embrace. “Are you still thinking about Gu Jiazhi?”

Ye Lin’s voice was thick and muffled. “I feel like the one in the hospital is not Gu Jiazhi. The real Gu Jiazhi is dead.”

Shen Shao’s heart sank upon hearing this. He quickly explained, “It is him. He just has amnesia, so he does not remember you.”

Ye Lin buried his head in Shen Shao’s chest and complained in a low voice, “No. Gu Jiazhi would never talk to me like that, let alone mock me!”

Shen Shao suddenly felt that Liang Wenle was not the scary one; the real threat was the former Gu Jiazhi.

“How did he mock you?”

“He said I was shameless, used despicable means, was a gold-digger…” When facing Gu Jiazhi’s mockery, Ye Lin could always fight back powerfully, but that did not mean he did not remember those words.

“He is wrong. You are confident and sunny, lively and cheerful. You always give hope to those around you.” Shen Shao touched his face and comforted him softly. “Your highlights are enough to cover your flaws.”

When he first met Ye Lin, he thought he was pitiful and laughable, like a fragile dandelion floating everywhere. But after spending time together, he realized that as long as a dandelion lands, it can take root and grow with all its might, always vibrant, never bowing its head. Unknowingly, his gaze was locked and he could no longer look away.

Ye Lin began to curse Gu Jiazhi. “He was never as good as me anyway and he is so arrogant! Do you think Gu Jiazhi will recover his memory in the future?”

Shen Shao took out his phone and opened the album to show a few photos of Fanxing, from the original dilapidated residential building to the current office building. “Why do you have to care about him? Are you not going to develop Fanxing? I remember you told me that Fanxing’s market value would reach a trillion in the future and you would become the richest man in the world. That is why I joined. If you are here feeling despondent, what about Fanxing? What about me?”

Seeing Fanxing’s growth in such a short time, Ye Lin was moved. “You believe Fanxing will succeed now?”

Shen Shao held his face and looked into his eyes. “I do. If it is you, I believe it. Fanxing can definitely go public and you can become the richest man. I will always stay by your side and watch you succeed.”

Thinking of his career, Ye Lin’s gloom vanished and he regained his usual confident posture. “At least you have good vision. By the way, if the year-end turnover exceeds ten million, we can look into the gaming sector. It should be very profitable in the next ten years.”

This was the advantage of having the script. He knew Fanxing’s development history and could provide precise strategic directions. Shen Shao nodded. “Okay. Your advice is visionary. I will definitely look into it at the end of the year.”

They went downstairs, discussing Fanxing-related matters the whole way. They took a car back to their small home to eat and rest. Before sleeping, Ye Lin had completely forgotten the negative emotions brought by Gu Jiazhi. He lay in Shen Shao’s arms, focused on his boasting. Shen Shao never discouraged him; he only agreed, praised him, and provided emotional value, occasionally leaning down to kiss him and ask for benefits. Ye Lin was very satisfied with Shen Shao’s service. He had initially thought of replacing Shen Shao as manager, but he no longer had that idea. Shen Shao’s character was poor and his thoughts were strange, but he had great business vision and strong management skills. He was a rare talent. Fanxing could not leave him and neither could Ye Lin’s stomach.

Early in the morning, a large truck stopped in front of the villa and several delivery men were unloading goods. The goods in the truck were exquisitely packaged, either in pink or white, all tied with ribbons. They were all clothes sent by Liang Wenle. These boxes piled up like a small mountain in the living room; there were about sixty or seventy suits, each with its own accessories. Ye Lin, just back from the apartment, felt his vision go dark at the sight. He randomly picked five suits, went upstairs to change, recorded a video of each for Liang Wenle, and went back to sleep. Liang Wenle received the videos and found Ye Lin’s recording very perfunctory. He called to teach him a lesson but could not get through, so he had to send text messages instead.

Suddenly, a message popped up.

[Wenle, I have private photos of Ye Lin. Add me on WeChat and I will send them to you.]

It was an unknown number and looked very suspicious. Liang Wenle sent the number to a hacker to investigate and added the WeChat himself.

[Wenle, Ye Lin is hooking up with Shen Shao behind your back. You have been tricked!]

[I have had people follow him for over a month and found he frequently goes in and out of Shen Shao’s apartment. I will show you the photos.]

Dozens of photos were sent, all of Ye Lin and Shen Shao walking near the apartment. There were photos of Ye Lin and Shen Shao leaning together and photos of them walking side by side, though none were of them kissing or holding hands. Most were taken in the afternoon or evening; the light was dim and some details were unclear. Liang Wenle remembered that lately he had been very busy: first with the date decorations, then with the engagement banquet. He truly had no chance to monitor Ye Lin’s movements.

[And Ye Lin even started a company with Shen Shao. Shen Shao handles management and Ye Lin provides the money. Wenle, your money was tricked by Ye Lin to start a company!]

The other party sent a thick file containing most of Fanxing’s information, enough to prove Ye Lin and Shen Shao were running it together. Finishing the file, Liang Wenle could barely hold his phone. He felt like he was falling into a sea of flowers. He could not help but think: Would Ye Lin truly betray me to be with Shen Shao? Would the Ye Lin who was willing to ride a bike to elope with him and buy medicine in the rain truly betray him? Liang Wenle had just experienced his parents’ opposition; this elopement-style grand love had left him deeply immersed in the pinnacle of a honeymoon phase. It was hard to believe.

Soon, the hacker identified the unknown number as belonging to Lin Hong, sent from within the country. Hearing this, Liang Wenle finally felt at ease. Lin Hong was the idiot who slandered Ye Lin on the yacht and was kicked nearly to the point of being a cripple. He had been in the hospital for a long time. Because of Liang Wenle, the circle did not like him and he was no longer invited to any gatherings. Since it was Lin Hong, he might harbor thoughts of revenge against Ye Lin, fabricating photos and lies.

Liang Wenle immediately deleted all of Lin Hong’s messages and did not look at those photos or files again. He comforted himself: Ye Lin is being harmed by a villain; it is not Ye Lin’s fault at all.

[Wenle, you have to believe me. Ye Lin will take any man; he is very fickle!]

[Lin Hong, if you do not want to die, stay far away. Stop coming here to slander Ye Lin!]

[I am not slandering him; I am telling the truth. I heard you are getting engaged to this kind of person. I truly do not want you to be tricked.]

Liang Wenle did not give him a chance to message further. He immediately deleted the contact and opened his chat with Ye Lin. Ye Lin’s profile picture was a photo of them kissing; it was the couple’s profile picture he had insisted Ye Lin use. In the photo, Ye Lin was pouting his lips, his eyes round and large, incredibly cute like a silly little pig. How could someone like that lie? Liang Wenle continued to make excuses for Ye Lin, but he could not help but be suspicious of Fanxing. He hired someone to check Fanxing’s entire history. Having done this, he went back to picking flowers.

But unlike yesterday’s excitement, today he was uneasy, as if standing on the edge of a cliff, ready to fall at any moment. He picked for half the day but did not remember a single flower; his mind was full of what Lin Hong had said. Once a seed of doubt is planted, it will slowly take root and sprout. Liang Wenle put down the flowers and ran to the room to pack his luggage. He was going to the nearby private airport to take a flight back immediately. He could not stay a moment longer; he had to go back and watch Ye Lin now. He wanted to hear Ye Lin explain it personally or he would not even be able to sleep, let alone prepare for the engagement banquet.

After being deleted, Lin Hong immediately smashed his phone, cursing Liang Wenle for being stupid and Ye Lin for being despicable. He truly hated this couple and wanted to expose everything. He wanted Liang Wenle to taste the feeling of being cuckolded and then teach Ye Lin a lesson, thereby achieving his goal of revenge. But Liang Wenle simply did not believe him: how annoying! Although the detective did not capture photos of Shen Shao and Ye Lin kissing, running a company together and traveling together were enough to show their relationship was ambiguous. How could Liang Wenle not believe it?

Lin Hong refused to give up. He felt the private detective was useless, so he took a camera and drove to the vicinity of Shen Shao’s apartment. This time he planned to sneak in himself; he was determined to capture intimate photos and break up Ye Lin and Liang Wenle’s relationship. To get a clearer shot, he hid near the flower bed by the apartment entrance, setting up his camera aimed at the door. He waited for a long time but saw no sign of Shen Shao. Instead, he felt a weight behind him: someone had placed a hand on his shoulder.

“What are you photographing here?”

Lin Hong felt a chill from behind. He froze in terror and slowly turned his head. It was Shen Shao squinting and smiling at him.

“Ah!” Lin Hong jumped up in fear and quickly hid the camera, pretending to be calm. “Why is it you?”

Shen Shao’s gaze fell on his back. “It is not a professional detective this time. No wonder I caught you.”

Being discovered, Lin Hong immediately acted shamelessly. “I was not secretly filming. You saw it wrong.”

The smile on Shen Shao’s face vanished, and his pupils reflected a cold light. He gave an order in a low voice: “The day before Liang Wenle’s engagement banquet, at 5:00 PM. Come to the magnolia tree in front of Fanxing. I guarantee you will be able to film a video of Ye Lin and me kissing.”

Lin Hong’s eyes widened; he had not yet reacted.

Shen Shao smiled again and explained gently, “Do you not want to take photos of Ye Lin and me? I am helping you. But you must promise me: it must be on the day of Liang Wenle’s engagement banquet, and you must only let him see it alone. No earlier, no later.”

It was a bright, sunny day, yet Lin Hong felt like he had arrived in the gloomy underworld. A chill ran up his spine, and his voice was trembling: “You, you hate Liang Wenle?”

Shen Shao’s smile was eerie: it was satisfaction, excitement, delight, and hatred. “Do you not think it would be very interesting if on the day of the engagement, the joyful Liang Wenle discovers his lover’s betrayal?”

Lin Hong nodded, obeying instinctively. “Yes, yes, you are right. Very interesting.”

Shen Shao pressed heavily on his shoulder, his voice like a tolling funeral bell: “Do exactly as I said, word for word. Liang Wenle was soft-hearted and did not cripple you. I won’t be.”

Lin Hong felt like he had encountered a ghost in broad daylight. He agreed repeatedly and fled in panic.

Shen Shao carrying a bunch of grocery bags, walked into the apartment as if nothing had happened, preparing to make lunch. He walked slowly, disappearing into the shadows. The sunlight behind him was bright and magnificent. Since ancient times, a spouse catching an affair has always been the best occasion to prove one’s identity. He wanted to see what choice Ye Lin would make on the day of the engagement when facing both him, the other man, and the official boyfriend, Liang Wenle.

He was truly looking forward to it.