Turns out I Was the CEO's White Moonlight [Rebirth] - Chapter 26

It was unclear how many words Shen Xuan actually understood, but she still obediently nodded.

Lu Chen then turned his gaze to Shen Yelin.

For such an important matter, even Shen Xuan had to be present, so naturally, he couldn’t be absent either. He let out an “Mm” and agreed to the other’s request before asking, “When?”

“Three days from now,” Lu Chen said. “There will be an invitation later, so don’t forget. It’s not too formal.”

“Is there anything else?”

“Nothing,” Lu Chen replied. Rubbing his forehead, he complained, “After all these years of friendship, Yelin, why are you so cold?”

Shen Yelin glanced at him but before he could say anything, Shen Xuan rushed forward first, lifting her chin disdainfully. “Brother Chen, all you do is bully my brother! No normal person would like you, okay?”

Lu Chen scoffed and said, “You little brat, how do you know I don’t bully him because I like him?”

Shen Xuan looked utterly incredulous. “Brother Chen, are you an elementary school boy?! That’s so creepy!!”

“…” Lu Chen sulkily fell silent.

After a while, he turned his gaze to Shen Yelin and muttered sourly, “Favoritism.”

Shen Xuan straightened her back righteously.

Shen Yelin had been watching the farce for quite some time. He glanced at the wall clock and realized it was already very late. He interrupted their exchange, saying, “Alright, Xiao Xuan, go to bed. Don’t forget what you just said. I’m leaving now.”

In an instant, Shen Xuan transformed from a proud little princess into a bewildered, dumbfounded goose. With tears in her eyes, she watched Shen Yelin walk out of her room and let out a despairing “Oh.”

Lu Chen was amused by her expression. He made way for Shen Yelin, waved at Shen Xuan, and added insult to injury with a grin. “Goodnight, little princess.”

Shen Xuan glared fiercely at him.

Lu Chen slammed the door shut with a “bang,” blocking Shen Xuan’s dagger-like glare. After a pause, he turned to Shen Yelin, looking puzzled. “How am I like an elementary school boy?”

Shen Yelin couldn’t be bothered to respond. He lifted his eyelids slightly and gave him a look that said, “Figure it out yourself.”

“No,” Lu Chen’s expression faltered. “No one has ever said that to me before. Do I really seem like one?”

Shen Yelin simply turned and headed back to his own room.

The system chimed in with satisfaction, “Exactly, an elementary school boy! Your sister’s choice of words is spot on!”

Shen Yelin’s face remained cold as he promptly muted it.

The system: “TAT.”

Three days passed quickly.

The venue for the evening banquet was a high-end hotel located in the city center of B City, with a history of over a hundred years. It rarely opened to private events anymore. Although Lu Chen had said the banquet wasn’t too formal, the fact that the Lu family chose this location meant it was far from an ordinary family gathering.

Since it was still a workday, Shen Yelin didn’t choose to travel with Mrs. Shen and the others. Instead, he took his own car and had Qiao An drive him to the hotel.

The deep black sedan silently entered the guest lane and stopped in front of the hotel’s main entrance. Shen Yelin stepped out of the car and stood at the brightly lit entrance of the hall. To his slight surprise, he spotted a familiar figure.

However, the other party clearly wasn’t surprised to encounter him here. Fu Jianyi gave him a slight smile and said, “Long time no see.”

Shen Yelin nodded in acknowledgment and replied, “Also invited by Lu Corporation?”

“Hmm,” Fu Jianyi admitted, then added with a hint of amusement, “The entire restaurant has been reserved by Lu Corporation. Even if I wanted to attend someone else’s banquet, it would be a bit difficult.”

He wasn’t wrong.

Shen Yelin didn’t say anything more and walked into the restaurant with him.

Yue Lin had established connections with Lu Corporation a few years ago, so Fu Jianyi’s presence here was hardly unexpected.

Just as the two of them reached the revolving door and were about to enter, Shen Yelin suddenly felt a gaze fixed on him.

It was sharp and piercing, like a knife, as if it wanted to dissect the person it was watching until they bled. But it vanished as quickly as it appeared. By the time Shen Yelin reacted and looked toward the source of the gaze, he found no one there.

He frowned slightly.

Noticing his pause, Fu Jianyi turned back. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Shen Yelin replied calmly, withdrawing his gaze.

Perhaps it was just his imagination.

Fu Jianyi watched him with concern, as if worried he was lying or forcing himself to appear fine. Shen Yelin shook his head slightly, intending to offer a casual explanation, when he caught sight of Ji Wencheng entering through another entrance from the corner of his eye, walking slowly toward them.

He paused, swallowing the words he was about to say, and shifted his attention to Ji Wencheng.

Ji Wencheng rarely attended such social evening events. Seeing him here, dressed in a suit and tie, looking proper and formal, was genuinely surprising.

Noticing the change in Shen Yelin’s expression, Fu Jianyi followed his gaze and saw the man from his memories. He couldn’t help but narrow his eyes.

It was Ji Wencheng.

Fu Jianyi found it strange: Why would he appear in a place like this? It didn’t make sense.

In his memory, it would be at least two more years before Ji Wencheng turned over a new leaf. As a notorious playboy from a wealthy family, he would never show up at such a formal occasion. Although Ji Wencheng and Lu Chen had a decent relationship because of Shen Yelin, that alone wouldn’t be enough for Lu Chen to break protocol and send him an invitation.

After all, the future head of the Lu family was a rather cold individual, someone who always prioritized “benefit.” If something didn’t serve his interests, he wouldn’t lift a finger he’d just stand by and watch indifferently.

Suddenly, Fu Jianyi remembered the ambiguous remarks Shen Yelin had made during their outing together, and alarm bells began ringing in his mind.

Could it be that Ji Wencheng also.

This absurd thought flashed through his mind for a few seconds before he dismissed it entirely such a thing was too bizarre. For it to have happened once was already shocking enough. How could it possibly happen again to someone else?

But if that wasn’t the explanation, then what did Ji Wencheng’s behavior mean?

Shen Yelin might not be aware, but Fu Jianyi knew that the other man had harbored a secret crush on someone close to him for decades longer than any of them had liked Shen Yelin. Yet, until Shen Yelin’s death in a car accident, Ji Wencheng had always restrained himself from speaking up. It was impossible for him to suddenly confess his feelings to Shen Yelin on a whim.

He hadn’t dared to voice his heart even during the most impulsive years of his life. There was even less reason for him to come confess to Shen Yelin now.

Fu Jianyi immediately raised the other man’s threat level in his mind by several notches.

Ji Wencheng had spotted Shen Yelin long before. He had arrived earlier than the two of them and had even visited a few elders beforehand. Knowing that Shen Yelin was unlikely to miss such a banquet, he had waited at the entrance of the hall after finishing his tasks.

Unexpectedly, what he saw was Shen Yelin walking in shoulder-to-shoulder with another unfamiliar man.

His mood instantly plummeted.

Suppressing the boiling displeasure in his heart, Ji Wencheng walked over and stopped in front of Shen Yelin. He lowered his voice and said, “It’s been a while since I last saw you. How have you been lately?”

He recognized the man beside Shen Yelin the current CEO of Yue Lin Group, a highly capable individual. But he remembered that the two were merely casual acquaintances, let alone as intimate as they appeared now.

This change unsettled him.

Shen Yelin slightly raised his gaze, his expression indifferent. “Is there something?”

Ji Wencheng was taken aback by his coldness, a pang of sour, needle-like pain tightening in his chest, tormenting him relentlessly. Taking a deep breath, he said, “Nothing much. I just wanted to check on you. After all, our last conversation didn’t go well, and I’ve been wanting to apologize.”

“No need,” Shen Yelin flatly refused. “Just focus on yourself. My affairs are none of your concern.”

“Then I…”

Before Ji Wencheng could say more, Fu Jianyi abruptly cut him off. With a gentle, harmless smile on his lips, his words were anything but lenient: “You should save your breath, Young Master Ji. After all, Yelin has already said you needn’t worry. Wouldn’t it be better to spare some of that extra energy for something else?”

Ji Wencheng’s brows furrowed deeply, his face turning cold as he glared at Fu Jianyi.

“What’s between the two of us,” he said stiffly, “has nothing to do with an outsider like you. Mr. Fu, I advise you not to meddle or try to sow discord in others’ relationships. Otherwise, it’ll come back to bite you sooner or later.”

Fu Jianyi smiled faintly. “Oh? Is that so?” He paused briefly. “But I’ve never believed in such vague superstitions. I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed, Young Master Ji.”

At this, Ji Wencheng pursed his lips tightly, his jawline taut, his expression dark as he stared at Fu Jianyi.

In return, Fu Jianyi offered a calm, unruffled smile.

Shen Yelin paid no attention to the dispute between the two. He turned slightly and walked past Ji Wencheng with an indifferent expression, preparing to leave.

“Wait!” Ji Wencheng instinctively grabbed his wrist, stopping him. “Yelin, if you’re still upset about what I said last time, just treat it as if it never happened.”

“I chose to tell you because I feel some things shouldn’t be buried forever they should be spoken clearly. But since it’s causing you distress, there’s no value in continuing.”

“Let go,” Shen Yelin said coldly.

Ji Wencheng stared at him without a word, his grip unyielding, clearly ignoring the command.

Fu Jianyi frowned slightly, the smile fading from his face.

He stepped forward, reaching out to help Shen Yelin break free. But as soon as his hand extended, Ji Wencheng slapped it away with a sharp “smack.” Turning his head, Ji Wencheng replied calmly, “President Fu, please don’t interfere in our matters, alright?”

Fu Jianyi’s voice grew deeper. “And what if I say ‘no’?”

Ji Wencheng pressed his lips tighter, his expression turning colder and more rigid.

In an instant, the atmosphere grew tense and confrontational.

Amid the standoff, a hand suddenly reached out from the side and landed on Ji Wencheng’s arm, which was gripping Shen Yelin’s wrist. The hand was slender and well-proportioned, with distinct knuckles, appearing pale under the light yet steady and strong.

It wedged between the two, prying Ji Wencheng’s fingers open one by one. Then, Lu Chen’s face appeared behind Ji Wencheng. He casually draped an arm over Ji Wencheng’s shoulder and said with a faint smile, “So today you’re here to wreck my party, is that it?”