The Sickly Beauty is Too Good at Seducing - Chapter 27

Shen Congbai felt a deep chill in his heart. The last sliver of hope he had held for Shen Que vanished. His gaze grew calm as if he were looking at a complete stranger.

Shen Que felt a piercing pain in his chest. He reached out, wanting to touch the boy’s cheek, but Shen Congbai took a sharp step back, dodging his contact.

Shen Que’s throat felt parched as he explained, “Wuwu, I just didn’t want you to gamble with your own health out of spite.”

Shen Congbai let out a cold laugh. His heart had never been so still, yet he failed to notice that his face was icy cold, long since covered in tear tracks.

“If your conscience were clear, why would you fear a hollow oath?” His eyes were full of disappointment, and his body felt devoid of strength. “You’re always like this acting so devoted on the surface, saying you care for me, while ruthlessly dragging me into your schemes to squeeze out every last drop of my value.”

He pointed toward Jiang Yan, demanding, “Was bringing Jiang Yan back to Kyoto part of your plan as well? Or did it start even earlier three years ago, when I learned of Jiang Yan’s true identity? Was that also one of your moves?”

His life felt as though it were enveloped in a thick fog; he could see his own fingers if he reached out, but the moment he turned his head, he couldn’t even see the faces of those standing beside him.

He had spent two lives running, only for things to circle back and leave him even more broken and defeated than before.

Shen Que opened his mouth, staring at Shen Congbai’s pallid face. His hands clenched into tight fists as he spoke with difficulty: “Wuwu, it’s not what you think.”

Shen Que was simply unwilling unwilling to let the person he had raised for so many years be so easily taken by others. Clearly, he and Shen Congbai were meant to be a pair; why should he have to let go?

Jiang Yan interrupted his thoughts, suddenly speaking: “Young Master, there’s no need to say any more to him. Do you want to go back to those days of being deceived and used?”

Shen Congbai’s gaze shifted slightly, as if he had made a firm decision. “You’re right. I can’t go on like this.”

As the words landed, he ignored Jiang Yan’s hand reaching out to wipe his tears. Shen Congbai turned and ran into his room, slamming the door shut with a loud bang.

Clutching his aching heart, Shen Congbai slowly scanned everything in the room. Every object here carried a memory of him and Shen Que. He picked up a stuffed animal from the bed and nuzzled it against his face with lingering affection.

What a pity. No matter how cozy the decor, it all rightfully belonged to Jiang Yan. He had merely usurped someone else’s place. The things he was experiencing now were perhaps just a form of retribution.

Below the stairs, Shen Que’s breathing was ragged. Like a defeated wolf king, he looked gloomily at Jiang Yan, who had already walked to Shen Congbai’s door.

He spoke suddenly: “Are you satisfied now?”

Jiang Yan blinked, looking innocent. “What?”

“Are you satisfied now that things between Wuwu and me have turned out like this?”

Jiang Yan rested his hands on the railing, letting out a nonchalant, mocking sneer. “What kind of talk is that, Big Brother? The Young Master is a human being; I can’t control his thoughts. If you hadn’t done those things yourself, no matter how eloquently I spoke, I wouldn’t have been able to convince him.”

“So, it seems I’ve misunderstood you.”

Jiang Yan spread his hands dismissively. “It’s fine. I accept Big Brother’s apology.”

Shen Que sneered. “Do you think you can steal him away like this? Don’t forget, your identity is the needle constantly hanging over his head. Be careful not to play with fire and get burned.”

Jiang Yan replied, “Before that happens, Big Brother should worry about himself.” He smiled. “Once my identity is exposed, the worst that happens is I take the Young Master and leave. But I wonder how those people in the Shen family will deal with you?”

“Besides, Big Brother likely has more than enough on his plate already. That guy Feng Yu isn’t just targeting Port A. I imagine the business deal in your hands is progressing quite slowly, isn’t it?”

Shen Que grit his teeth, his jawline tensing sharply. He glared at Jiang Yan. “Have you teamed up with Feng Yu?”

Jiang Yan lowered his eyes, hiding the darkness within, and gave a low laugh. “I have nothing to lose anyway. As long as I get the Young Master in the end, I don’t care how much chaos breaks out in Kyoto.”

He was different from the others. Shen Que carried the weight of the Shen family, and Feng Yu had the Feng family behind him. Only Jiang Yan was crazy enough to tear a piece of flesh from both of them to claim a place in Shen Congbai’s heart.

Shen Que cursed, “Madman.”

In the middle of their confrontation, Shen Congbai suddenly opened the door and walked out, carrying a small suitcase.

He showed little reaction to Jiang Yan being at his door, simply walking past him and toward the stairs without a word.

Shen Que took several steps at once to reach him, frowning as he pressed down on the suitcase. He looked at the boy in disbelief. “You want to leave?”

Shen Congbai’s lower lip was a mangled mess from his own biting. Hearing Shen Que’s question, he asked back, “Why can’t I leave? This wasn’t my home to begin with. I should go back to where I belong.”

The veins in Shen Que’s temples throbbed violently. “What nonsense are you talking? This is your home; no one is taking it from you.” He softened his tone, trying to coax him. “Your health is poor; you won’t be able to handle traveling around. Rest at home for a couple of days, and once Brother is done with work, I’ll take you out to play, okay?”

Shen Congbai couldn’t stay here for another second. With a surge of strength from his slender wrists, he picked up the suitcase and headed downstairs.

Shen Que hurriedly took the suitcase from him and blocked his path, saying helplessly, “I’ll leave.”

He met Shen Congbai’s tear-filled eyes and admitted defeat. “I’ll leave; you stay here. In a few days, it’s Grandfather’s eightieth birthday. He’s missed you for a long time. After his birthday banquet, can we have a proper talk?”

Shen Congbai’s heart stirred. He pursed his lips slightly. “I will attend his birthday banquet. As for these few days… I can just stay at a hotel.”

Jiang Yan walked over, looking down contemptuously at Shen Que, who was a head shorter than him. He said unhurriedly, “Big Brother can rest assured with me following the Young Master.”

Shen Congbai didn’t want to stand there listening to them bicker. He simply abandoned his luggage, bypassed Shen Que, and walked out of the house he had lived in for twenty years with empty hands.

Jiang Yan hurriedly followed, striding to his side and asking thoughtfully, “Where does the Young Master plan to go tonight? I have a property in Kyoto; why not stay there for a few days?”

Shen Congbai shook his head. “No, a hotel is fine.”

He didn’t want to be involved with anyone right now. After Grandfather’s birthday, he wanted to visit the place where Jiang Yan had grown up to see what the place he should have lived in looked like.

He suddenly called out to Jiang Yan. The latter was stunned and asked, “What is it?”

Shen Congbai felt a bit embarrassed. He looked up and asked, “Can you tell me about the place you used to live?”

Jiang Yan didn’t think much of it. “Jiang City? It’s a small place. If a child cries, the whole city seems to hear it.” His memories of his past life were fading. He frowned. “Why do you ask all of a sudden?”

Shen Congbai narrowed his eyes slightly. “It sounds very interesting.”

“It’s not a good place. The Young Master is better suited for Kyoto.” Jiang Yan looked at the boy’s fair cheek and felt a stir in his heart. He reached out to tuck a stray hair that was stuck to his face by a tear. His Adam’s apple slid with suppressed emotion. Fortunately, Shen Congbai and I were swapped; otherwise, how could my delicate Young Master have endured that kind of hardship?

Shen Congbai offered a nonchalant smile. “No one stays in just one place forever.”

Jiang Yan’s heart skipped a beat. His fingertip, still suspended in the air, froze as he stared blankly at Shen Congbai’s retreating figure.

Shen Congbai was wearing a white wool coat today; his figure was thin and tall. In the cold Kyoto wind, the hem of his coat traced a beautiful arc in the air. He looked like a fluttering butterfly, flying tremulously in the freezing gale, as if its wings might be torn by the fierce wind at any moment, sending it crashing into the mud.

An intense sense of unease suddenly rose in Jiang Yan’s heart. Why did he feel that Shen Congbai was acting so strange today?

That sense of unease persisted until the day of Old Master Shen’s eightieth birthday. The gloom that had hung over Shen Congbai for days seemed to dissipate that morning; he was uncharacteristically active, dragging Jiang Yan to a styling shop to change clothes and get their hair done.

Jiang Yan wore a white suit, his bangs styled up with wax to reveal his smooth forehead. His face, which usually looked somewhat somber, was fully exposed, making his features look exceptionally radiant.

Shen Congbai remarked, “Dress like this from now on; it looks very good.”

Jiang Yan leaned down to hug him, nuzzling his neck affectionately. “Since the Young Master likes it, I’ll style my hair for you every day.”

Shen Congbai smiled but didn’t speak, simply pushing him away gently. “Let’s go. The banquet is starting.”

To Shen Congbai’s surprise, Feng Yu was also there today. As soon as he entered, he saw a circle of people in the center of the hall. He could see the tall Shen Que standing in the middle, frowning as he explained something to Old Master Shen, while Feng Yu stood in the distance, looking toward him with worry.

Hearing the noise, the crowd turned as one to look at the two of them. Their expressions were strange mostly complex, though a few held a hint of mockery as they stared at Shen Congbai and Jiang Yan as if they were animals in a zoo.

Shen Congbai couldn’t help but take a step back. He habitually looked toward Shen Que. Shen Que’s eyes shifted, and his fingertip, hanging at his side, lifted at a subtle angle.

Following the direction, Shen Congbai saw Old Master Shen, and a young man kneeling on the floor. The young man’s face, which was fifty percent similar to his own, was twisted with rage as he glared at him.

He asked hoarsely, “Grandpa, what happened?”

Old Master Shen was eighty years old. Since the accidental death of his only son years ago, his face had grown increasingly weathered. His dim, yellowed eyes reminded Shen Congbai of the century-old tortoise at the old manor majestic yet terrifying.

His aged voice echoed through the banquet hall: “The person is here. Repeat what you just said.”

Xu Xiaobai, kneeling on the floor, snapped his head up. His finger pointed directly at Jiang Yan.

“It’s him! He is the true Young Master! As for the one standing there, he’s just a fake who has been usurping someone else’s place for over twenty years!”