Turns out I Was the CEO's White Moonlight [Rebirth] - Chapter 25

Shen Yelin shifted his gaze to Lu Chen, who was leaning against the staircase with an infuriatingly smug grin.

Mrs. Shen looked at him eagerly, clearly worried he might turn around and head straight back to the Yaoyu building to work late into the night. Shen Yelin gave a noncommittal “Hmm,” placed his car keys on the table, and said to her, “I understand.”

Only then did she relax and walk away.

With a cold expression, Shen Yelin passed by Lu Chen and said indifferently, “Let’s go upstairs.”

Lu Chen complied, picking up his suitcase and following him up the stairs.

The room Mrs. Shen had arranged for him was easy enough to find just around the corner in a nearby alcove. Shen Yelin opened the door for him, stepped aside to make space, and said, “Make yourself at home.”

This time, Lu Chen finally acted somewhat normal. He set his luggage down on the suitcase and thanked him.

Shen Yelin didn’t respond. Instead, he turned and left the room, heading back to his own. It had been a while since he’d stayed here, as he usually slept in the apartment not far from Yaoyu. Fortunately, the place was regularly cleaned, so staying over wasn’t an issue.

Since Mrs. Shen had made it clear, there was no way he could return to Yaoyu today. He simply called Qiao An, informed him of the situation, and asked him to email any urgent matters that needed handling. Then, he opened the wardrobe, changed into casual clothes, and settled in his bedroom to continue working.

Lu Chen was clearly out of his mind, and Shen Yelin had no time to indulge his nonsense.

Fortunately, Yaoyu didn’t have many plans in the works lately, so there wasn’t much for him to handle. In contrast, the tasks he’d taken over from Chairman Shen were far more complex than Yaoyu’s affairs.

As Chairman Shen grew older, his energy had noticeably declined, and over the past few years, he had gradually begun transferring responsibilities to the younger generation. Expecting Shen Xuan to be reliable was as futile as expecting a pig to climb a tree, so Shen Yelin inevitably had to shoulder more of the burden. Taking over the entire enterprise was only a matter of time.

The system waited quietly for him to finish his work before mustering the courage to speak up.

“Host,” it stammered, “would you like to take a look at Weibo?”

Shen Yelin was about to shut down his computer when he paused at the question. “Why?”

The system fell silent, letting out an awkward, nervous chuckle.

Shen Yelin raised an eyebrow slightly, opened a webpage, and searched for the keywords the system had mentioned.

The first result that popped up was a fan community, with a small line of text beneath it:

“Shipping the Sugar Daddy and Xie Yun’s CP, sisters! Let your imaginations run wild!”

Scrolling further down, he was met with a flood of sweet, thousand-word fanfics. The topics were varied and plentiful, with some even tearfully claiming they’d written so much they’d broken their keyboards.

What stood out was that the moderator of this fan community looked oddly familiar.

He clicked into the moderator’s account and skimmed through it casually. Not only was this person the moderator of the CP fan community, but they were also one of Xie Yun’s top fans, with a sizable following of devoted admirers. They had posted numerous fanfics, and the comments section was filled with desperate readers begging for more content and updates.

Shen Yelin: “…”

The blogger even had the audacity to post a grinning emoji with the caption: “Don’t worry, darlings, I’ll definitely update tonight! :)”

Shen Yelin silently scrolled back to the top of the page, glanced at the user’s profile and avatar, and let out a cold laugh.

With that profile picture style, it really would be hard for him not to recognize it.

The air fell into an eerie silence for three seconds before he calmly asked the system, “Is this Shen Xuan?”

“Yes,” the system replied honestly.

Shen Yelin felt that the issue he had previously prepared to discuss with his uncle and aunt about Shen Xuan’s overly lazy and casual lifestyle needed to be moved up on the agenda.

What on earth has this girl been paying attention to?

Just then, someone knocked on his door.

Shen Yelin closed the webpage and got up to answer it, only to find the family servant standing there, politely saying, “Young Master, Madam asked me to call you downstairs for dinner.”

He replied with a “Yes” and went back to turn off his computer. As he stepped out, he happened to run into Lu Chen, who was also heading downstairs.

Perhaps this guy had used the time to adjust to the time difference, as he looked somewhat lethargic. Seeing Shen Yelin come out of his room, he waved lazily, his voice slightly hoarse, as he asked, “Busy again?”

Shen Yelin gave a slight nod.

Lu Chen chuckled softly and said, “Must be tough.”

The remark held little meaning, so Shen Yelin didn’t respond.

Lu Chen didn’t seem to mind either. Yawning, the two of them walked downstairs together. By now, it was already dark, and Director Shen had long finished his day’s work and was sitting in the living room watching the news. Lu Chen walked over and respectfully greeted him, “Hello, Uncle.”

Director Shen acknowledged him, then glanced at Shen Yelin, giving him a once-over before saying, “Don’t worry too much. Just take it step by step, like before.”

He was referring to the recent transfer and delegation of authority.

Without waiting for Shen Yelin to respond, he added to both of them, “Let’s head to the dining room first. We’ve been waiting for a while. We can discuss the rest after dinner.”

“Alright.”

The group made their way to the dining room. Madam Shen had already been waiting at the table for some time. As they entered, she eagerly gestured for them to sit down. Shen Xuan scooted over to Shen Yelin’s side, happily snatching the seat to his right, and whispered, “Brother, I have something to tell you secretly. You can’t tell anyone, okay?”

Shen Yelin glanced at her. “Go on.”

“A couple of days ago, Brother Wencheng secretly called me,” Shen Xuan leaned in, lowering her voice even further. “He actually asked me if you were dating anyone!”

As soon as she said this, it seemed as though everyone at the table except for Director Shen, who was sitting a bit farther away instantly perked up their ears.

Shen Yelin stared expressionlessly at Shen Xuan.

Completely oblivious, Shen Xuan proudly boasted, “Didn’t you tell me last time not to meddle in your affairs? So, I came up with a brilliant idea on the spot I told him I didn’t know and that he should ask you himself! Don’t you think I’m super clever? Hehe.”

Shen Yelin: “…”

Thanks a lot, you little troublemaker.

The system silently pulled out its grudge notebook and added another tally mark next to Shen Xuan’s name on behalf of its host.

Shen Xuan remained blissfully unaware of the impending doom.

Even though she had lowered her voice, the others at the table weren’t deaf. Lu Chen sat directly across from them, not far away at all, and heard every word clearly. He lowered his head, the faint smile on his lips fading slightly, pretending he hadn’t heard a thing Shen Xuan had just said.

Everyone present knew Ji Wencheng and was well aware of his unreliability. However, the same words would evoke different thoughts in different people.

For instance, Mrs. Shen’s perspective was quite practical.

The Shen family had few rules at the dinner table. The elders had always believed that home should be a place for conversation, fostering a warm and harmonious atmosphere rather than a cold, distant one.

Although Mrs. Shen’s maiden family was slightly stricter than the Shen family, it wasn’t overly rigid. After a moment’s thought, she spoke up directly.

“Xiao Chen, I haven’t had much chance to talk with you since you returned,” Mrs. Shen began, addressing Lu Chen first rather than Shen Yelin. “How are your parents doing lately? Is the company keeping them busy? Don’t rush to leave these next few days. The house is spacious, so take your time settling into your room.”

Lu Chen looked up, thanked her, and answered each of her questions one by one. Finally, he added, “Don’t worry. I’ve come back to take a break, and I plan to make the most of it here. Once I return, I’ll be dragged around to help with all sorts of tasks it’s exhausting.”

Mrs. Shen smiled. Then, she brought up the topic elders inevitably ask during holidays: “Do you have a girlfriend?”

Lu Chen paused, glanced around at the curious faces, and finally settled his gaze on Shen Yelin, who remained expressionless. “Not yet,” he replied.

Mrs. Shen looked surprised.

“My family isn’t in a hurry, so neither am I,” Lu Chen said. “For now, I’m focusing on my career. Those other matters can wait.”

Mrs. Shen nodded thoughtfully in agreement. “That’s true.”

No sooner had one wave settled than another rose. Soon, she turned her attention to Shen Yelin, asking eagerly, “What about you, Yelin? Any thoughts?”

Shen Yelin understood her mindset well: Shen Xuan took after her mother, and Mrs. Shen was also a somewhat naive and romantic person. However, compared to Mrs. Shen, Shen Xuan was leagues behind in emotional intelligence and social skills. Calmly, he replied, “No rush.”

“Life’s big matters sometimes require a bit of urgency,” Mrs. Shen chided him with a smile. “Oh, let’s drop this topic. It makes me sound so traditional. Alright, let’s just focus on eating.”

After that, silence fell over the table.

Once the meal was finished, Mr. Shen suddenly spoke up, calling out to Shen Yelin and Lu Chen. “Both of you, come with me to the study.”

Lu Chen responded promptly and followed him upstairs. Shen Xuan curiously leaned over and asked Shen Yelin, “Brother, what are you all going to do?”

“Nothing much,” Shen Yelin said, pushing her back with one hand and giving her a glance. “I have something to discuss with you later. Be prepared.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Xuan immediately looked horrified.

What could it be that he’d use that parent-teacher conference expression to say he wanted to talk to her?

Shen Xuan walked away in a daze.

Seeing Shen Yelin still standing there, Lu Chen paused and looked back. “What’s wrong? Any issues?”

Shen Yelin didn’t answer, simply followed him and entered the study first.

As for what Mr. Shen wanted to discuss by suddenly calling them into the study, Shen Yelin had a rough idea in mind.

Mrs. Shen and his uncle had what could be considered a semi-business marriage. The reason it was only “semi” was because they had originally fallen in love freely. However, after getting married, it was inevitable that their interests would become intertwined.

Since the passing of Shen Yelin’s parents, the remaining Shen family businesses had been handed over to Director Shen for management, leading to increasingly deeper cooperation between the two families. In recent years, as the Lu family patriarch’s health declined and he gradually delegated power to his descendants, certain matters inevitably required more discussion.

Shen Yelin had just seen several draft documents in his email regarding renegotiating cooperation with the Lu Group, so he guessed this was what the other party intended to discuss.

Sure enough, as soon as he and Lu Chen entered the room, Director Shen asked them to close the door and take a seat. Immediately afterward, he began discussing the matters mentioned in those documents.

These collaborations had little to do with Shen Yelin, as most of the Shen family’s power still rested in Director Shen’s hands. He had been called to join the meeting simply because these matters would eventually be transferred to him, and he would inevitably need to learn about them sooner or later.

Switching into work mode, Lu Chen shed his usual lethargic demeanor and adopted a serious attitude as he communicated with Director Shen.

Their discussion lasted until late at night.

By the time Director Shen nodded and dismissed them, the wall clock in the room was nearing ten o’clock.

Lu Chen was the first to open the door.

As the two reached the corner and prepared to return to their respective rooms, Lu Chen suddenly spoke up, “Did you have a falling out with Ji Wencheng?”

Hearing this, Shen Yelin looked up and gave him a cold glare that seemed to ask, “What are you up to?”

Lu Chen chuckled.

Back when he returned to China for his studies, he had attended the same high school as Shen Yelin and naturally knew Ji Wencheng quite well. From an outsider’s perspective, the two might have even gotten along well one was a spoiled heir, the other had a mischievous streak.

But the true nature of their relationship was something only they themselves knew.

After all, based on Shen Yelin’s understanding of Lu Chen, he was someone who liked to wear the harmless, unmotivated skin of a sheep, only to strike and finish off his opponents when they least expected it. No matter how hard Ji Wencheng tried to improve later on, he could never tear through that facade. Otherwise, the Lu family wouldn’t have called him back at this time to take on such a significant role.

So, what did he mean by asking this now?

“No, I’m just curious,” Lu Chen leaned against the wall, speaking lazily. “I thought you’d never get angry with him. After all, back in high school, you cleaned up so many of his messes, and I never saw you two fall out. If I didn’t know you, I’d almost think you had a crush on him.”

“And?” Shen Yelin remained unmoved.

“If you need help,” Lu Chen thought for a moment, “I could offer to mediate for free?”

“No need,” Shen Yelin replied calmly. “Instead of playing peacemaker, you’d be better off fixing Ji Wencheng’s brain so he stops acting impulsively. He’s never been reliable, not even once since we were kids.”

Hearing this, Lu Chen raised an eyebrow in surprise.

The response was so unusual that he couldn’t help but find it somewhat intriguing.

After all, Shen Yelin rarely criticized someone so harshly, especially when that someone was his childhood friend.

It seemed the two really had fallen out. And it didn’t seem like Ji Wencheng had initiated it rather, it appeared more like Shen Yelin had unilaterally cut ties with him.

This turn of events was truly beyond his expectations.

“Really, no need to worry? Don’t be shy.”

“I’m just telling the truth.”

Lu Chen looked at him and blinked.

Shen Yelin pushed open the door, leaving behind a resolute, departing figure without a hint of hesitation.

This only made Lu Chen even more curious about the reason behind their argument.

However, Shen Yelin clearly didn’t want outsiders to know. After standing in place for a moment, he headed toward his own room. Coincidentally, he ran into Shen Xuan, who was climbing up to the second floor. His eyes curved into a smile as he called out to her, “Xiao Xuan, long time no see. Come chat with Brother Chen?”

Shen Xuan was holding her phone, completely absorbed in whatever she was reading. Hearing his voice, she thought Shen Yelin was nearby too and was instantly startled, trembling all over.

Her hand jerked, nearly tripping and causing her to stumble. The phone in her hand flew out, spinning and sliding right to Lu Chen’s feet, who picked it up for her.

Shen Xuan let out a startled “Ah!” and instinctively reached out to snatch her phone back. But she quickly realized how conspicuous that would be, so she could only hold back tears, pretending nothing had happened as she walked over nervously and said to Lu Chen, “Thank you!”

Ahhhh! She had been reading fanfiction about a ship before coming upstairs!! What if she got caught!

Lu Chen handed the phone back to her and warned, “Be careful on the stairs from now on, don’t play with your phone. You were lucky this time. Next time, if you hit your face or front teeth, you’ll turn into an ugly girl, understand?”

Shen Xuan didn’t bother arguing, just nodded frantically.

Lu Chen patted her head and ruffled her hair casually. “What a little troublemaker. Alright, go back now.”

“Mhm, mhm!” Shen Xuan ran off happily.

Lu Chen watched her retreating figure, his brow slightly furrowed.

He had already seen what was on her phone when he picked it up for her. Although he had only glanced at it quickly, his sharp eyesight was enough for him to make out the words on the screen.

Shen Yelin and Xie Yun?

Who is Xie Yun? Since when did Shen Yelin know how to say sweet nothings…?

If it weren’t for the awkward and panicked expression on Shen Xuan’s face, Lu Chen would have thought this was some kind of magical realism.

After all, not long ago, Shen Yelin had coldly threatened to leave him stranded at the airport, forcing him to take a taxi back alone. Even though Shen Yelin ended up giving him a ride back, that alone was enough proof that his personality hadn’t changed much since before Lu Chen went abroad if anything, he had become even more difficult to deal with.

It seemed that quite a few things had happened around Shen Yelin while Lu Chen was away from the country?

Lu Chen didn’t expose Shen Xuan’s little secret. He simply returned the phone as if nothing had happened and went back to his room to search online for answers to his remaining questions.

Soon, he found exactly what he was looking for on the internet.

Lu Chen narrowed his eyes as he skimmed through the endless gossip articles and the countless fanfictions about various ships on Weibo.

He felt he probably understood why Shen Yelin had that expression whenever Ji Wencheng was mentioned.

His fingers moved the cursor, clicking lightly on Xie Yun’s search page. Lu Chen looked at the personal profile that popped up and raised an eyebrow with interest.

This Xie Yun is from B University? How come he had never seen him before?

Reading further, ah, no wonder he hadn’t Xie Yun had met Shen Yelin just as Lu Chen had been abroad for a year.

He slowly tapped his knuckles on the table a few times, finding this coincidence quite amusing.

After a while, he couldn’t help but chuckle.

Shen Yelin went back to his room to tidy up a bit, then grabbed his phone and headed to find Shen Xuan.

Lately, this girl had been acting a bit too bold, practically lawless. She needed a proper lesson to keep her from getting too carried away.

He walked to Shen Xuan’s door, knocked, and calmly said, “Come out. Let’s talk downstairs.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard a frantic rustling inside. A moment later, a teary-eyed face peeked through the crack in the door. “Brother, what’s up…?”

Clearly, she wasn’t in the mood for a scolding.

Shen Yelin lowered his head, unlocked his phone, and switched to the account that the system had personally verified as Shen Xuan’s alternate profile. He pressed the screen right up against the crack in the door, shoving it in Shen Xuan’s face. “Recognize this?”

Shen Xuan reluctantly glanced at it. When she saw what was on the screen, her face turned pale.

She let out a pained “Ack!” and immediately swung the door open, grabbing Shen Yelin’s hand with an ingratiating smile. “Brother, please, come in and sit Let’s not talk downstairs in the living room, okay?”

Shen Yelin put his phone away, slipped his hands into his pockets, and stood there, looking down at her.

“No, no, no, I can explain this!” Shen Xuan tried to struggle, but after a moment of stiff hesitation, she deflated and whispered, “I’m sorry, I was wrong!”

At least what she wrote was a wholesome, all-ages romance. She thought mournfully. At least it was her own brother he probably wouldn’t actually kill her.

Seeing that she had finally recognized her mistake, Shen Yelin didn’t bring up the talk downstairs again. Instead, he walked into her room and casually closed the door behind him.

This time, Shen Xuan was completely subdued. She hung her head, looking genuinely remorseful. “I have deeply realized my mistake. Please, give me another chance to redeem myself, to turn over a new leaf and never make the same mistake again!”

Shen Yelin found an empty chair and sat down. “Then tell me yourself, what exactly did you do wrong?”

Shen Xuan immediately launched into a tearful, lengthy confession.

After listening, Shen Yelin nodded, thinking her self-awareness was actually quite clear. “Well said.”

Shen Xuan immediately brightened up, trying to curry favor. “So does that mean this is over…?”

“No.”

“…” Shen Xuan cried.

She was wrong She shouldn’t have been so foolish as to go online and write fanfiction about her own brother.

What good did it do, having so many people call her “Madam” Getting a black mark in her own brother’s book was more terrifying than anything else!!!

Seeing her expression of mingled grief and regret, Shen Yelin said, “Tomorrow, pack your things and report to Yaoyu Entertainment. Since you’re just idling around anyway, go do something meaningful. Don’t just stay at home all day, either running wild outside or letting your imagination run wild online.”

Shen Xuan: “Okay, QAQ.”

After scolding Shen Xuan, Shen Yelin stood up from where he was sitting, pushed the chair back, and prepared to return to his room to rest.

Just then, someone knocked on Shen Xuan’s door.

He paused, turning to look toward the door. Shen Xuan called out, “It’s unlocked,” and immediately saw the door being pushed open from the outside, revealing Lu Chen’s face from behind it.

The man leaned casually against the doorframe, a careless smile playing on his lips as he addressed the two people inside the room. “Mind if I come in?”

Shen Xuan nodded.

Lu Chen glanced at Shen Yelin standing in the room and said with a smile, “Perfect timing, Yelin. Saves me the trip to your room we can talk together.”

“What is it?” Shen Yelin asked, noting his serious tone.

“He’s back from abroad,” Lu Chen raised an eyebrow at him. “Probably won’t be going back to develop there anymore. The old man insisted on holding a welcome-home banquet, planning to invite everyone over for a gathering. It’s also a way to signal that he’s preparing to retire.”

He paused, then added, “I’ve already mentioned this to Aunt and Uncle. Xiaoxuan has to come this time no excuses for absence, okay?”