Savage Kiss - Chapter 80

Shen Yanzhou’s lips curved slightly.

Many people in the industry didn’t know he was Shen Jiashan’s son; they only knew of Shen Yuqiao, largely because Shen Yanzhou rarely appeared in the country.

“I’ve only been back for two years, before that, I was mostly abroad.”

He said it lightly, but Xu Qingyi found it hard to imagine that even if his father and brother forbade him from joining the family business, they would also prevent him from returning home for the Spring Festival.

Why treat one’s own flesh and blood like this?

She understood the feeling of being utterly alone.

He chuckled, “It’s also because I don’t particularly like the Spring Festival myself.”

Xu Qingyi didn’t quite believe it, what Chinese person didn’t like the Spring Festival?

She didn’t ask, but Shen Yanzhou continued at his own unhurried pace:

“When my mother was still alive, on New Year’s Eve, my brother would be working on competition problems, and everyone would wait for him until he solved them.”

“It was almost midnight. I was young and didn’t know any better, I just thought if I helped him solve the problem, maybe everyone could celebrate the New Year sooner.”

“My brother had been stuck on that problem all afternoon. I solved it in just a few steps.”

“My mother was overjoyed. She held me while we watched the fireworks and praised me for being clever.”

“But in the middle of the night, my brother suddenly dragged me out of bed. He asked me if I had to compete with him in everything. He said our mother already favored me, did I want to steal our father’s attention from him too?”

Since childhood, Shen Jiashan had indeed focused more on Shen Yuqiao; only their mother paid attention to Shen Yanzhou.

He still remembered his brother’s words from that night: “No matter how talented you are, so what? I’m the eldest son, the heir. If you want to live peacefully in the future, don’t be so clever. Don’t always try to outshine me.”

That night, Shen Yuqiao set their room on fire, including the problem set Shen Yanzhou had solved that afternoon.

He had always been ruthless, Shen Yanzhou knew that.

As his brother had said, the one who loved him most, his mother, was gone. So, over the years, Shen Yanzhou had hidden his brilliance and kept a low profile.

Yet they still occasionally tried to undermine him.

Shen Yanzhou suddenly turned to look at her. “Would you look down on me for coming from such a family?”

Xu Qingyi was baffled. “Why would I look down on your family? I don’t even interact with them.”

He gazed at her quietly. “So, the excuse you used to reject me that day was a lie.”

Xu Qingyi froze.

Caught off guard, she had been led into his trap once again.

Fortunately, he only mentioned it briefly and didn’t press further.

He didn’t take the opportunity to ask about her family situation or specific family members either.

The two of them sat outside until very late before finally going inside to rest.

Xu Qingyi bought him a toothbrush and toothpaste from the convenience store downstairs, laid out a makeshift bed for him, and told him to make do for the night.

The next day.

She usually woke up late. When she abruptly turned over and got up, she found herself alone in the house, as if the previous night had been an illusion.

The old lady returned in her wheelchair, carrying a bag of groceries. “Where’s the young man?”

Xu Qingyi laughed softly. “He’s gone.”

The old lady looked disappointed and turned to start cooking.

“You rest. I’ll wash up and cook.”

She gently pushed the old lady back and noticed a hard bundle in the bag behind the wheelchair. “What’s this?”

Xu Qingyi pulled out a bag from the larger one, inside was a neat stack of cash, clearly freshly withdrawn from the bank and stuffed directly inside.

“Did you run into Shen Yanzhou on the way?” she asked.

The old lady replied, “So his name is Xiao Shen? I went to buy groceries, and he said he’d come back first to wait for the meal.”

Xu Qingyi hesitated for a moment before putting the money back. “Since he gave it to you, just keep it.”

She could quietly return the money to Shen Yanzhou later.

Grandma would definitely assume it was from her grandson-in-law, and if Xu Qingyi gave it to her, she wouldn’t accept it anyway.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Yun County held its annual embroidered pouch event. People from all over the surrounding villages gathered at Yunti Mountain, playing with embroidered pouches during the day and enjoying a massive hundred-meter-long bonfire campout at night.

Xu Qingyi hadn’t planned on going, but a relative from next door offered to look after Grandma, urging the younger generation to go out and have fun.

“Young people should go to the embroidered pouch event to meet some nice young men! Get married and have kids soon, your grandma is waiting for a great-grandchild!”

That relative’s family had rarely interacted with hers before, but since she returned, they had been unusually enthusiastic. Grandma didn’t want to refuse their kindness and encouraged Xu Qingyi to go enjoy herself.

Xu Qingyi rode her electric bike to the event.

The venue for the embroidered pouch event was huge, with barbecue and snack stalls stretching from the foot of the mountain all the way to the top, lively and bustling.

The embroidered pouches were similar to embroidered balls; if a guy caught one and liked the girl who threw it, the two would try dating.

Of course, times had changed, and now it was more about having fun, unless two people genuinely fell in love at first sight.

Xu Qingyi didn’t buy an embroidered pouch. She was mainly there to snack on all kinds of treats.

Unexpectedly, aside from her, there was another person who didn’t buy an embroidered pouch, someone with a camera, snapping pictures here and there.

When the lens pointed at Xu Qingyi, she instinctively glanced over and saw Shen Yanzhou.

Clearly, he had also spotted her through the viewfinder. He lifted his head to look at her, then turned his attention back to the camera.

Xu Qingyi never liked having her picture taken and wanted to go over and ask him to stop.

Halfway there, several girls swarmed around Shen Yanzhou, chattering and asking him to take photos for them.

She had no choice but to give up.

Shen Yanzhou was quite popular here. Most guys in Yun City had tanned, wheat-colored skin and weren’t particularly tall, but he stood out like a beacon.

With his fair, handsome features and sleeves rolled halfway up, you could vaguely see his toned muscles when he lifted the camera.

He had essentially become the event photographer, running around the venue nonstop from noon till dusk, and he seemed to have a surprisingly good temper.

Finally, as evening approached and the crowd thinned out, everyone headed down the mountain for dinner, planning to return later for the bonfire drinks.

Shen Yanzhou handed her a photo.

In the picture, she was staring at the lens with a confused and puzzled expression.

She took the photo, and the two of them fell silent for a few seconds.

Xu Qingyi remembered the important matter. “I’ll transfer the money back to you.”

Shen Yanzhou looked indifferent. “What money?”

“The money you gave my grandma-”

“That was for the elderly lady, not for you.”

“My grandma doesn’t accept money from others.”

“Then why hasn’t she returned it to me?”

Xu Qingyi was momentarily stumped.

She lowered her head and transferred the money to him via WeChat anyway.

Shen Yanzhou’s expression shifted slightly when he saw the WeChat transfer. He had thought she’d deleted him and hadn’t dared to check.

“Are you heading back?” he asked.

Xu Qingyi shook her head. “I haven’t seen the bonfire party yet.”

The party was set to start at 7 p.m.

The hundred-meter-long venue had a bonfire in the center, surrounded by all kinds of fine wines for anyone to pour themselves a drink.

Xu Qingyi couldn’t resist having a couple of glasses that night, and her face began to feel warm.

In her line of sight, Shen Yanzhou was continuously being toasted by groups of girls. Unable to refuse their enthusiasm, he drank glass after glass, he was probably going to get drunk tonight.

Xu Qingyi noticed him glancing at her several times.

But there was nothing she could do to help in a situation like that.

The girls from the city were bolder than the local ones. Seeing Shen Yanzhou leave his seat, they followed him to confess their feelings.

Xu Qingyi really hadn’t meant to interrupt, she was just sitting on a large rock, trying to catch her breath.

Hearing the girl confess her liking for Shen Yanzhou, she felt she should step aside.

But after taking two steps, she stepped on something, the noise was so loud that both of them turned to look at her.

Xu Qingyi forced a stiff smile. “Carry on.”

Then she quickly walked away.

She didn’t know how Shen Yanzhou turned the girl down, but the girl soon returned to the bonfire.

Xu Qingyi decided not to drink anymore and stood watching from a distance when suddenly someone grabbed her wrist.