After physical recovery, Wen Ran resumed his solitary focus on studying diligently, but never took that route to the subway again. Compared to him, Song Shu’ang’s aftereffects were more severe. He often watched Wen Ran like he wanted to say something but then held back, until one day he finally hesitantly asked, “How did you and he…”
Wen Ran was uncertain what exactly Song Shu’ang had misunderstood and to what extent he imagined things. He couldn’t possibly lay it all bare and only summed it up with a simple, “It’s a long story…”
“Okay,” Song Shu’ang expressed a hint of sympathy, “I wish you well.”
The nerve-wracking final exams concluded. After a two-day break, they prepared to leave for the summer camp. Wen Ran’s luggage was pathetically minimal, barely filling half the suitcase even after he’d packed everything. He remembered bringing only this much when he returned to the country, it was all he had.
There was commotion downstairs. Wen Ran opened the door and stepped out. Chen Shuhui had returned from socializing and seemed tipsy. Wen Ran went downstairs to help her, while Auntie Fang hurried to brew hangover soup.
He helped Chen Shuhui back to her room. She flung her bag aside and changed into pajamas in the dressing room. Her bag landed on the couch and her phone slid onto the carpet. Wen Ran picked the phone up and noticed the screen was unlocked. A text message popped up in the message bar. The sender was Manager Liu and the message was only two numbers: 10, 3.
Without much thought, Wen Ran locked the screen. Chen Shuhui emerged in her pajamas and headed to the bathroom. She tied up her hair in front of the mirror and asked, “How did the exam go?”
“It felt okay,” Wen Ran said cautiously.
“Just don’t disgrace me. As for the summer camp, since Director Gu wants you to go, you should make the most of it. Seize opportunities when you get the chance and don’t just cower in a corner all the time.”
Wen Ran nodded reluctantly, “Mn.”
Chen Shuhui applied makeup remover, “I heard the summer camp costs over 200,000, but the Gu family has already taken care of it for you. I wonder if Gu Yunchi will go.”
Shocked by the price, Wen Ran needed a moment before replying, “He’s not going.”
“How do you know?” Chen Shuhui stopped and turned to look at him, “You guys talked?”
“We… crossed paths, so I asked him.”
“It’s unusual for him to acknowledge you in public.” Chen Shuhui dried her face and opened a face mask, “If he doesn’t want to go, no one can make him.”
“Is the company… still busy?”
“You don’t need to worry about that.” Chen Shuhui walked out and sat on the sofa. She swept a glance at Wen Ran and added, “But after all, you had a part in it, so I’m not too disappointed.”
This was considered a compliment. Wen Ran was a little surprised. He had long harbored complex feelings for Chen Shuhui—caution, eagerness to please, and constant anticipation. It was difficult to forgive her for putting him through the painful surgery and treating him like a pawn. But after a moment of resentment, he still yearned for her approval and validation, because only then could he briefly feel like he had a mother.
Only then did he feel like he was contributing something of value and repaying the crumbs and nominal family the Wen family had provided him.
“It’s what I should do… as long as Shengdian’s situation can get better.”
Chen Shuhui, however, scoffed while looking at her phone, “Shengdian? It’s just a broken shell. It’s good if it falls.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Wen Ran froze in shock. Shengdian was the accumulation of several generations in the Wen family. It was what Wen Ningyuan sacrificed his dreams for to carry on the family business. Chen Shuhui had also put an end to her artistic career for the sake of it and struggled to support it—Wen Ran had always thought that everything she did was to restore Shengdian’s former glory.
“Dea kf ralii cffv ab wjlcajlc jqqfjgjcmfr obg atf Xe ojwlis. Po kf kjca ab yfcfola ogbw Djldlcu, erlcu atf Vtfcuvljc cjwf lr atf wbra tbcbgjyif kjs.”
Pa aegcfv bea atf meggfca Vtfcuvljc kjr pera j rtfii erfv ab fzagjma gfrbegmfr. Qfc Ejc bqfcfv tlr wbeat ab rqfjx, yea yfobgf tf mbeiv rjs jcsatlcu, atfgf kjr j xcbmx bc atf vbbg. Cecalf Mjcu rabbv ja atf vbbg klat tjcubnfg rbeq, “Zjvjw, tjnf rbwf rbeq yfobgf aegclcu lc obg atf cluta.”
“Okay, leave it there.”
If Chen Shuhui hadn’t been drinking, she wouldn’t have discussed these things with him. Wen Ran realized this and said, “I’ll head back to my room.”
“Mn, contact the driver yourself tomorrow to take you to the airport.”
“Okay.”
Back in his room, Wen Ran closed his suitcase when his phone dinged. He picked it up to take a look.
Teacher Zhou Chou: Wen Ran, I heard you’re back in the capital. Are you feeling better?
It was Wen Ran’s piano teacher, who had also been Chen Shuhui’s senior in the capital orchestra before retiring due to health reasons and going abroad for recuperation. Since they happened to be in the same city, Chen Shuhui had invited her to teach him piano.
Wen Ran hesitated briefly before mustering the courage to reply: I’m good now, teacher. Can I call you?
Zhou Chou: Sure.
He made the call and it was immediately answered. Wen Ran said, “Good evening, teacher. How’s your health nowadays?”
A kind female voice came from the other end, “All good. I was having dinner at a restaurant tonight and saw someone playing the piano. Their back looked like yours, so I thought I’d say hi.”
“Thank you for your concern. I’ve been back in the capital for a while now, and I’m getting used to it.”
“After all, you grew up in the capital,” Zhou Chou chuckled, “You’ve had your share of ups and downs. You got sick as a child and were taken abroad. You managed a few years in peace, but when you were in your teens, you were hospitalized for a long time. I hope you’ll be healthy from now on.”
The one who got sick and went abroad as a child was the real Wen Ran, while the one who was hospitalized in his teens and implanted with glands was the fake Wen Ran. Wen Ran held onto this secret and answered as composedly as possible, “Yeah, I hope I won’t get sick again in the future.” After a pause, he asked, “Teacher, do you remember the song Polar Night on the 19th?”
“Ah… I remember. I composed the score, and you learned it quickly and played it well. You even told me you liked that piece.”
“Yes, I just suddenly thought of it and wanted to ask if it had any special meaning?”
He couldn’t believe such an astonishing coincidence. The probability that a self-composed song’s title was highly similar to the origin of Gu Yunchi’s name was too small.
“It was actually a birthday gift, but I couldn’t give it in the end,” Zhou Chou said, “Originally, it was a piano and violin duet. At that time, I was still in the capital orchestra, and the concertmaster asked me to help write the score together. It was meant as a sixth birthday present for a young relative. But shortly after, I fell ill and had to take a break. I went abroad for treatment and recovery.”
“The score was shelved. Later on, I heard that the child’s parents passed away that year. I thought his sixth birthday must have been tragic. The name of this piece comes from his birthday. He couldn’t hear it at that time, perhaps it was heaven’s consolation, not wanting him to be sad again.” Zhou Chou said with a sigh of emotion, “The violin part was composed by the concertmaster himself. I wonder if he ever let that child learn it later.”
As she mentioned this, Wen Ran guessed the answer. Wasn’t this just another twist of fate?
He asked, “Do you know the child’s name?”
“He should be the same age as you. You must have heard his name in the capital and might even know him,” Zhou Chou said, “His name is Gu Yunchi.”
—
Many students participated in the summer camp, and the Preparatory School reserved a private plane for them. After getting on the plane, Wen Ran looked around but didn’t see Gu Yunchi, nor did he see Lu Heyang and He Wei. Perhaps the three of them had agreed not to attend.
Tao Susu didn’t come either. It was said that she was beaten by her kangaroo and her nose was bleeding profusely. As she sent voice messages to Wen Ran, she kept sobbing about maybe needing a nose job at such a young age. She even sent various plastic surgery templates, asking for his opinion on which looked better.
The flight lasted over five hours. Wen Ran slept, woke up, then slept again. They landed in the afternoon. After collecting their luggage, they hopped on a bus to the hotel. S City was cooler than the capital. It was the city where the highest government of the Union was located. As they reached the hotel, Wen Ran looked out the window—Yunwan Hotel.
There were no scheduled activities for the day, and everyone was free to do as they pleased. Dinner could be arranged on their own or at the restaurant in Yunwan. Wen Ran was tight on money and couldn’t do much. He spent the afternoon in his room watching online courses related to mechanics. When it was time for dinner, he took the elevator upstairs, hoping to find a shared table.
Fortunately, he found one. Song Shu’ang waved him over as he spotted Wen Ran looking like an owl awakened during the day, nervously and apprehensively peeking around in the corner with wide eyes.
The owl was saved. Wen Ran sat down next to Song Shu’ang. The other three students at the table sat quietly, smiling or nodding in greeting at Wen Ran’s arrival.
The waiter set the tableware for Wen Ran and started serving dishes. Before Wen Ran could eat a few bites, he raised his head and unexpectedly saw Gu Yunchi, Lu Heyang, and He Wei entering the restaurant. They randomly selected a table by the window without much deliberation. The restaurant manager hustled over to them.
Song Shu’ang noticed them too. He glanced at Gu Yunchi and then at Wen Ran before whispering, “Wanna switch seats?”
“Eh? Don’t worry, I promise it won’t affect you.”
“Erm, I was thinking you’d be scared,” Song Shu’ang said, “I have nothing to worry about. My grandpa and Gu Yunchi’s grandpa have a good relationship. He wouldn’t do anything to me.”
Wen Ran felt that Song Shu’ang had probably imagined Gu Yunchi as a big bully who would be enraged and resentful upon seeing Wen Ran sitting with other alphas, and would punish him cruelly when no one was around. But the truth was that Gu Yunchi didn’t even bother to give him a second glance.
“But I didn’t see them on the plane,” Wen Ran changed the subject.
“They seemed to arrive about an hour later on Gu Yunchi’s private plane.”
“…Right.” Wen Ran minded his own business and ate his meal.
After dinner, everyone returned to their rooms. Wen Ran noticed a free dessert table in the restaurant and decided to check it out. As expected, there were croissants. He wondered if they tasted as good as the ones made by the chef at Gu Yunchi’s home. Wen Ran asked the waiter to pack two for his midnight snack.
After leaving the restaurant, he waited by the elevator feeling overly full, so he took a few steps to help with digestion. When he turned left, he abruptly bumped into Gu Yunchi standing behind the corner, looking at his phone.
Their eyes met. Wen Ran instinctively wanted to slip away as if nothing happened. But he didn’t want to seem rude by ignoring him, especially after Gu Yunchi saved him last time—Wen Ran unskillfully struck up a conversation, “I thought you weren’t coming. You said before that you didn’t want to attend the summer camp.”
Gu Yunchi said, “Don’t harass me.”
“…..” It was just a question, surprisingly it was classified as harassing. Wen Ran tactfully retreated, “Alright.”
Just as he turned, Lu Heyang unexpectedly approached from behind. Wen Ran quickly lowered his head to pass by, but Lu Heyang stopped him, “Wen Ran.”
Lu Heyang not only remembered him but also knew his name. Wen Ran halted his steps, “Huh?”
Gu Yunchi also raised his eyes to look at Lu Heyang, but his good buddy just smiled faintly at Wen Ran, “I’m celebrating my birthday the day after tomorrow and want to invite you. Will you come if you’re free?”
“Me?” Wen Ran almost pointed at his nose and asked. He didn’t understand why Lu Heyang would invite someone as unremarkable and unfamiliar as him. Moreover, he should know how annoyed his best friend was with that person—Wen Ran began to doubt the authenticity of the friendship between Lu Heyang and Gu Yunchi.
“Yeah, I hope you can come.” Lu Heyang didn’t look like he was joking.
Before Wen Ran could reply, Gu Yunchi said coldly, “I’m not going if he’s going.”
“Either way works. It all depends on Young Master Gu’s mood,” Lu Heyang’s tone was considerate, like a spring breeze blowing on his face.
Wen Ran was tormented, neither accepting nor refusing. Fortunately, he was rescued from the awkward situation soon after. He Wei walked toward them while speaking poetically, “Young Master Gu, the restrooms in your hotel’s restaurant are tucked away behind a winding path.”
No one paid attention to him.
“Aiya, what’s going on?” As He Wei got closer, his eyes widened in astonishment as he looked at Wen Ran, “Oh, isn’t this…”
Lu Heyang said, “I was inviting Wen Ran to my birthday party.”
He Wei’s crude brain suddenly became terribly witty, and he instantly understood, “That’s awesome! Come on, Wen Ran you must come. Basically, all the students at the summer camp will be there, so you should come too. We gotta stick together.”
Wen Ran was in a dilemma, with them surrounding him from all sides. He kept stealing glances at Gu Yunchi—not to seek his approval, but to provoke his insults. As long as Gu Yunchi said “I’ll kill you if you dare to go”, it would help Wen Ran get out of the predicament. Unfortunately, Gu Yunchi just looked at his two fake brothers expressionlessly.
This action was completely misread by He Wei, assuming Wen Ran was silently pleading with Gu Yunchi to let him attend. As a result, He Wei put on a cutesy voice and said to Gu Yunchi, “Young master, say something!”
“The party won’t be held at Yunwan. Find another hotel,” Gu Yunchi informed Lu Heyang indifferently and left everyone behind to take the elevator.
“At 7 pm the day after tomorrow on the top floor of Yunwan,” Lu Heyang still smiled and said to Wen Ran, “You’re welcome to come.”
Author’s note:
He Wei: Could it be that I’m actually a genius?
❤️🤣
Not a spoiler, total speculation here, but did the real Wen Ran meet Gu Yunchi’s parents? We still don’t know the first time he was supposedly in their presence. Anyway, thank you for the chapter!!
No worries, feel free to speculate as much as you want! My note about the spoilers didn’t mean you can’t share your theories 😊
☺️ I wrote that more for other readers, because I know I wouldn’t want to read any spoilers either. Of course, if they haven’t read Eternities Unsaid yet I don’t know why. It was SO GOOD and so wonderfully translated. Thank you again!!
Maybe Gu and the real dead Wen meet when they were young ?
I thought about that as well!! 🧐
Another.. substitute trope?
“don’t harass me!” 😂🤣…I absolutely love their exchange…thank you for the update🌺
What part of it is harassment? I’m confused as well 😅😅
Thx for this chapter ! 🙏🙏😊 Their interactions are both cute and hopeless 😅
Thanks for the chapter ❤️
Poor kitty wen ran 😭 don’t know what’s lu heyang’s intentions are, but if gu yunchi hurt or embarrass our baby at the party, imma throw some hands 😑