Chapter 55 Young Master

Shen Yuan pushed open the half-closed door and was faced with a huge painting board that stretched from the sky to the ground. He called out "Brother" and a voice answered from behind the painting board. Shen Yuan asked, "The road is blocked here, how can I get in?" Shen

Zhi said, "Crawl in from underneath."

Shen Yuan looked and saw that there was indeed a gap underneath. He wondered what was going on and ducked down to get into the house. Shen Zhi's body was covered in various colors of paint. His white pants and shirt had become flowery pants and a flowery shirt. His collar was casually open, revealing half of his tattoo. As he moved, he looked like he was dancing. After

not seeing him for a few days, the clothes that once fit him now hung loosely on his shoulders, making him look emaciated and paper-thin. But he seemed to be in good spirits, writing with great concentration. He hadn't glanced at Shen Yuan since he entered the room.

Shen Yuan stared at him: "You've lost a lot of weight."

"Yeah."

"Have you eaten?"

"No."

Shen Yuan looked away, looked around, helped him throw away the instant noodle boxes and fast food packaging bags, made the bed, boiled a pot of water, and suddenly thought of something: "When did you eat your last meal?" "

I forgot."

"...I really don't know what to say to you. You just recovered from a serious illness and were just discharged from the hospital. I was busy with work for a while, and you even refused to eat properly?"

Shen Zhi ignored him.

Shen Yuan rushed to him and shouted uncontrollably: "What on earth are you doing? Isn't it just a broken heart? Isn't it just being dumped? Is it that serious? It's been so long, why are you still like this?" Shen

Zhi paused, and then Shen Yuan looked at the painting under his pen. It was a blue sea of stars, shining brightly. On the fiery red beach, there was a blurry back of a person jumping, but the outline was not yet visible.

Shen Yuan calmed down a bit and couldn't help but say, "It's really beautiful. Are there any events happening soon? Or..."

"No," Shen Zhi scolded him lightly. "If you have nothing to do, just sit aside and don't bother me."

Shen Yuan went to the sofa angrily.

He had a rare free day today, so he came to see Shen Zhi. After the incident at home, the two of them had only seen each other a few times, let alone had heart-to-heart talks.

Thinking of the past when Feng Ran was not around, when they were close and talked about everything, Shen Yuan felt bitter.

He flipped through the pictures and documents sent by his assistant, wondering whether to tell Shen Zhi the truth.

Shen Zhi didn't stop writing until the evening.

He turned around and Shen Yuan was already fast asleep on the sofa.

After taking a shower and lighting the stove, Shen Yuan came over with a yawn and said, "Brother, I want some braised pork ribs." Shen

Zhi glanced at him and said, "Make it yourself."

"Okay."

While Shen Yuan was cooking, Shen Zhi sat in the living room, staring at the game on TV with a blank look in his eyes.

The meal was ready, but there was no braised pork ribs, but two exquisite dishes and a soup. Shen Zhi took one look and said he didn't want to eat.

"I did it for an hour!" Shen Yuan protested. "Are you trying to trick me? You have to eat this meal today, even if you don't want to." Shen

Zhi looked at him, fascinated by the thought of his own father, the man with a short temper who would lash out at anyone around him at the slightest disagreement.

He couldn't help but smile, "The top beam is crooked. The men in your family, old and young, are really all alike."

"What do you mean by that?" Shen Yuan protested, his face flushed. "Aren't you from my family? Then whose family are you from?" Shen

Zhi spread his hands leisurely and said, "I don't know, but I don't have any financial connection with yours. You know it best, growing up. The Shen family didn't support me at all, and I don't owe you anything." Shen

Yuan's heart ached. Forget about the adults in the family; he couldn't understand how Shen Zhi could so easily sever ties with them, dividing them into two opposing camps.

Shen Zhi sat with downcast eyes in the golden sunset, his face expressionless, his silhouette growing increasingly unfamiliar to him.

Perhaps it wasn't all Feng Ran.

Back then, when his relatives wanted Shen Zhi to leave, Shen Yuan didn't stop him. Shen Zhi must have resented him.

Thinking of this, Shen Yuan felt a little better, but also a lot more guilty, as if he had found an excuse for Shen Zhi's unusual indifference towards him.

"Have you met anyone new recently?" he asked tentatively.

"No."

"A friend of mine recommended a good bar nearby. Tonight..."

"Get out."

Shen Yuan was rebuffed. "I was wrong. I won't talk about this."

He crunched a few times on the tribute vegetable and looked up again. "What a coincidence! Guess who I met the other day?"

"Who?"

"Him."

Shen Zhi was silent for a moment. "Don't bother him."

He closed his mouth again.

Shen Yuan's eyes turned. He didn't believe that Shen Zhi wasn't interested in Feng Ran's whereabouts.

He said "Oh" and buried his head in his soup.

Two minutes later, Shen Zhi said, "Where?"

"Where what do you mean?" Shen Yuan played dumb.

Shen Zhi tutted his words: "Are you tired of living?"

Shen Yuan put down his chopsticks and said: "He is in Jiang City. He went back to Jiang City. Didn't expect that?" Shen

Zhi's expression relaxed and he said: "Jiang City..."

"Want to see him?"

"Forget it."

"Forget it, I finally found him." Shen Yuan had been asking people to inquire about him and secretly called his sister, but to no avail. Unexpectedly, he passed by He Chuan's shop that day and found the door open. After waiting for a few days, he finally met Feng Ran.

Shen Yuan gritted his teeth when he talked about it. It was all because of a breakup. Shen Zhi was wasting away here, while Feng Ran was doing very well there, surrounded by new and old loves. Every day he went to bars or Internet cafes. He never had a day to relax.

Chen Zhi asked, "How is he?"

"You go and see for yourself. I just watched from a distance."

Chen Zhi said sadly, "You don't have to persuade me. I..."

Shen Yuan really couldn't bear to see him like this: "You are too spineless. In a few days, he will be with someone else. You plan to just watch it, right?"

"Who is it? He Chuan?"

"Not him. It's a rich second generation, surnamed Chen. It seems that they are college classmates." Chen Zhi

nodded: "I understand."

Shen Yuan saw that he was absent-minded, unwilling and anxious.

"What do you know? If you can't bear to leave, go find him and tell him that you are staying in this unfamiliar place, hugging his tattered clothes every day, looking at a few tattered photos, and living on a few hundred yuan every month, what's the point?!" Shen

Zhi said slowly, his voice a little hoarse: "Next week, I plan to be hospitalized. Or I may not go, depending on my mood. He must not want to see me, and I don't have time to disturb him."

"Hospitalization?" Shen Yuan caught the key point and frowned, "What's the matter? Why didn't the doctor call me?"

"I had a physical examination last week and was diagnosed with stomach cancer." Shen Zhi announced calmly, with a faint smile on his lips, as if telling a story that had nothing to do with him.

The plate smashed to the ground and broke into pieces. Shen Yuan stood there, opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

It was last Friday that he was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Unlike Shen Yuan, Shen Zhi did not react as if the sky had fallen. He accepted the fact within a few hours.

Shen Yuan began to call everyone one by one. To his relatives, to Shen Zhi's biological father.

Shen Yuan wanted to call Feng Qing, but Shen Zhi snatched the phone away.

"You are already in this state, what are you still worried about?" Shen Yuan was shocked and said in a trembling voice, "Do you think you are acting in a sad drama, and he will cry while hugging your tombstone when you die?" Shen

Zhi frowned and said, "Speak nicely."

The stalemate continued, and Shen Yuan suddenly realized that perhaps he would not be able to hear Shen Zhi's voice again soon. He regretted it so much that he suddenly rushed to hug Shen Zhi and sobbed.

Shen Zhi was stunned and said, "You are not a child anymore."

Shen Yuan burst into tears and said, "If anything happens to you, I will never forgive him in my life..." Feng

Ran settled down in Chen Shuze's company.

Although he was reluctant to continue working in finance, Chen Shuze said he was past his restriction period and had legitimate reasons to offer a very attractive salary, so he shouldn't refuse it.

Within a week of joining, Feng Ran regretted his decision. If he had known he'd be leaving work late every night, he should have asked for more.

He gradually figured out the ropes. The company had been acquired by Chen Shuze's family earlier this year. Chen Shuze, a young, parachuted-in executive, struggled to convince the team, and many veteran employees privately called him "Young Master." Last month, the former CFO was transferred to the position of Chairman of the Group Finance Committee for his "hard work and contributions." 

This was a promotion in name only, but a demotion in reality, leaving the real power stripped away. Soon, Feng Ran took over, and anyone with a discerning eye could tell he was Chen Shuze's man. Feng Ran was overwhelmed by the mess he inherited. He lacked a solid foundation, and upon arrival, Chen Shuze promoted him to a level he didn't deserve. Some people disliked him and tried to sabotage him, leading to minor mistakes, but Chen Shuze simply brushed them off. At most, he'd just say a few words during meetings, neither too serious nor too casual, and no one could do anything about him. 

Later, Chen Shuze simply moved his office next to his own, and Feng Ran was completely classified as a "young master's vassal." This was the first time in Feng Ran's life that he was a relative of someone else, and the bittersweetness of it was hard to describe. 

After lunch, he was smoking outside to relax. At some point, Chen Shuze came over, but he didn't put it down. Chen Shuze laughed and said, "You've been smoking quite a lot lately ." 

Feng Ran said helplessly, "That's all I have. What are Mr. Chen's instructions?" 

"Leave work early today, I'll treat you to dinner." Feng Ran thought for a moment and said, "He Chuan also asked me to dinner today." "Then let's go together. You tell him," Chen Shuze said, "It's at that restaurant on X Road. Ask him if he has any dietary restrictions for me." Feng Ran had no choice but to find time to send a message to He Chuan. 

He Chuan replied with a string of ellipsis. 

Feng Ran: What, don't you want to go? 

He Chuan: Go. 

Feng Ran: Eat anything. I remember you're not picky. 

He Chuan: Yeah. 

They met at the entrance of the western-style restaurant that evening. Chen Shuze exchanged a few words with He Chuan and walked in first. He Chuan pulled Feng Ran and asked, "What's wrong with you?" "Ah?" Feng Ran said weakly, looking exhausted. "Nothing, I'm almost exhausted." 

He Chuan said, "If you can't, then don't do it." 

Chen Shuze turned and said, "Come in, let's eat and talk." 

Although he said this, once Chen Shuze spoke, He Chuan had no right to speak unless he gave him a chance. 

Feng Ran listened to his endless pleasantries with his ears and mouth, and he cleared the two plates of steak. 

Seeing he was almost full, Chen Shuze got down to business. "Go get a certificate. After work, attend classes and do some exercises. It's only six subjects, and you'll be done in two years. Our finance committee chairman has held the certificate for years, so you can ask him if you have any questions." 

Feng Ran shoveled his salad into his mouth and said, "The persimmons are roasted for the supplement, and the exercises are done for the supplement." 

Chen Shuze smiled at him and said, "It's worth the exam. If you pass one, you'll get a bonus of 500,000 yuan." Feng Ran looked up at him in disbelief, his silver fork slipping from his hand and clattering onto the plate. 

His voice trembled slightly. "Steamed... grumble?" 

"A word spoken, it's unchangeable," Chen Shuze said slowly. "Of course it's true. With three parties here today, that's more than enough sincerity, isn't it?" Feng Ran swallowed his meal and said through gritted teeth, "Chen Shuze! What's the point of throwing money at people!" 

He didn't refuse, but he didn't agree either. 

Before leaving, He Chuan went to the bathroom, and Chen Shuze pulled a box from his pocket and handed it to him. 

"What do you mean? Bribing me?" 

Chen Shuze said, "What nonsense are you talking about? It's a gift for you. You've worked hard lately. You can open it when you get home." 

Feng Ran thought for a moment and asked, "Who are you giving it to me as? If you're the boss, I won't accept it." 

"If not the boss, then my ex-friend is okay," he whispered in his ear. He Chuan walked towards them at this time. Chen Shuze patted his waist in an ambiguous way and said, "I'm leaving." He walked home with He Chuan that night. He Chuan said, "It's rare for you to come back early." 

Feng Ran said, "Yeah, yeah, this guy Chen Shuze is really hard to deal with." He was two-faced and cunning. 

"Yeah." He Chuan nodded. "What do you think?" 

Feng Ran hesitated. If he continued like this, he would capsize in the gutter sooner or later. Unfortunately, money is hard to earn and shit is hard to eat. After thinking for a while, he said, "Let's leave it at that for now. I'll save some money. Feng Qing needs to continue her studies and the family needs money." 

" Okay . I'll go back home in a few days. " 

"What's wrong? " 

"My mom is sick. " 

"What's the matter? Where's your dad?" 

"Nothing, not serious." He Chuan shook his head, "Divorced." 

Feng Ran stopped in his tracks: "Why haven't I heard you say that?" 

"There's nothing to say." 

As they were talking, they had unknowingly reached the door of their home. He Chuan opened the door first and went in. In the darkness, a soft object howled and pounced on Feng Ran's legs. Feng Ran was startled and shouted, "What the hell?" 

He Chuan turned on the light. It was a kitten, pitch black with yellow eyes and its tail held high, jumping up and down beside He Chuan. 

Feng Ran said, "I was saying that I always smelled a strange smell at home after I came back. It turns out there's such a little fellow here." 

He Chuan leaned over to feed him and said, "You've been busy lately and didn't have time to tell me." 

"Where did you get it from?" 

"I picked it up." 

"Picked it up? It's so small, so it needs to be vaccinated and have a physical examination." 

"It's all done. There are only two more shots left, which will be given a few months apart." 

"No problem, you can go home with peace of mind when the time comes, and leave this to me. Kitten, let me pet it." 

There used to be many stray cats in the yard, and Feng Ran was good at petting cats. The little black cat soon snored in his palm. 

"Did you give it a name?" The little black cat squinted its eyes, and Feng Ran went up to serve it with both hands, "So good." 

"No."

"How about Feng Xiaohei?"

"That sounds awkward."

"Then He Xiaohei."

"No."

"Then Xiaobai."

"..."

"Okay! Feng Xiaobai. That's it."

He Chuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the thought of a black cat named like that.

Feng Ran, for once, didn't have to sleep in later and wake up earlier than a cat. He and He Chuan had made a movie together on TV, a rare moment of harmony between the two.

Halfway through, he felt a pang in his pocket. He hadn't even opened the gift Chen Shuze had given him.

He quickly opened the box, revealing a brand new lighter, its silver-plated exterior shimmering with light.

A lighter. What a coincidence! Another lighter... He brushed off the fingerprints he had just applied and sighed softly.

It was obvious this lighter was expensive, worth several months' salary, but still far inferior to the one Shen Zhi had given him. It was

n't just the price, but so much more that couldn't be measured in money... He had paid a heavy price for that gift.

He pressed it up and down, and flames erupted, illuminating his pupils and warming his cheeks. He Chuan tilted his head to look at him.

"He Chuan," he murmured, "Have you heard anything about him recently?"