Chapter 30: Indiscriminate "What pretty boy?"

Su Nian interjected.

"That's my brother."

She feared Shen Yuhuan might misunderstand. Given the methods he'd used against Gu Yichen, if he turned them on Su Xingye, the consequences could be dire. Yet Su Nian's urgent, almost desperate tone only made things easier to misinterpret.

"Yuhuan, don't speak carelessly. That is Mr. Su,"

Shen Yuxi reminded, his deep, shadowed gaze settling on Su Nian's face. Su Xingye also glanced at her but said nothing more. The room fell quiet. Su Nian looked around, suddenly feeling uneasy. What was wrong with everyone? Their stares made her skin crawl.

"So you're my sister's older brother,"

Shen Yuhuan drawled, clearly more amused now.

"I'm Nian Nian's boyfriend, Shen Yuhuan."

Without giving anyone a chance to respond, he added, "The psychology lecture is about to begin. Once it's over, I'll return as soon as possible. Nian Nian, remember to think of me tonight."

Su Nian mumbled an agreement, tossed in a few coaxing words, and finally coaxed him into hanging up.

"What's wrong?" she wondered aloud, touching her face as if checking for smudges.

Almost simultaneously, both men withdrew their gazes and replied, "Nothing."

Su Nian found the atmosphere too stifling. She tried introducing a few topics, but halfway through realized she was the only one talking.

"What's going on with you two?" she asked, puzzled.

Su Xingye set down his chopsticks, dabbed the corners of his mouth with a napkin, and asked, "Nian Nian, is that Mr. Shen your lover?"

Displeasure was clearly visible in his eyes.

"No,"

Su Nian denied immediately.

"He declared it unilaterally; I never agreed."

Su Xingye had always indulged her; this was the first time his tone carried even a hint of complaint. The darkness in his eyes lightened somewhat. Gently, he asked, "And what about this Mr. Shen?"

He turned to Shen Yuxi, his gaze sharpening. This man surnamed Shen was even more detestable—calculating and deep-minded. They'd just met, yet he'd already produced intimate photos with Su Nian. Was this some kind of challenge?

"Yuxi and I are also friends," Su Nian answered without hesitation.

That response pleased Su Xingye. He took Su Nian's hand; the chandelier above reflected in his eyes like scattered starlight.

"Nian Nian, then say goodbye to your friend, and let's go home." Su Nian obediently agreed, though a strange feeling lingered in her eyes.

Was it her imagination, or had Su Xingye's possessiveness toward her grown stronger since their reunion? Before, he would only watch her silently, never interfering with whom she associated with. Was this some aftereffect of his amnesia? Su Nian couldn't figure it out and didn't bother probing further. Besides, she had already planned to bid farewell to Shen Yuhuan tonight. Still, she felt a pang of reluctance. After this parting, once Su Xingye recovered, who knew when they would meet again?

"You siblings share such a close bond," Shen Yuxi remarked suddenly.

Too close, almost abnormal. The way Su Xingye looked at her wasn't how a brother regards his sister; it resembled a man's possessiveness toward the woman he loves, as if unwilling to let any other man glance at her even once. Yet Su Nian remained oblivious, still viewing Su Xingye purely as her brother, trusting and relying on him completely. For once, Shen Yuxi hesitated slightly before试探ing gently, "Miss Su, congratulations on finding your brother."

He emphasized the word "brother."

Having worked as a criminal investigator for many years, he had witnessed too much of humanity's darker side. When desire goes unfulfilled, it breeds obsession—and obsession leads to destruction. Su Xingye's smile faded. He fixed his gaze steadily on Shen Yuxi. His demeanor was inherently noble; even expressionless, he exuded an imposing aura.

"What exactly is going on between you two?" Su Nian asked, bewildered.

Ever since they met, the atmosphere between these two men had been off—outwardly harmonious, yet seething with undercurrents. Shen Yuxi offered a faint smile and reminded gently, "Mr. Su has amnesia, and you haven't seen each other in five years. Being abroad with no one to rely on is inconvenient. Miss Su, it would be better for you to return to China. I will ensure your safety."

"If Su Nian sees Su Xingye only as an elder brother, then his feelings for her are nothing but a shackle. Five years ago, Su Xingye might have been able to suppress and control them, but after losing his memory, he clearly can no longer hold back."

Su Nian paused, turning to look at Su Xingye, only to find the man's eyes cold as winter stars. She understood; Shen Yuxi's underlying message was a warning for her to guard against Su Xingye.

"Yuxi, don't worry. My brother cares for me deeply," Su Nian said with a smile, offering comfort.

"He will protect me. Now that we've returned to the country, it's actually less safe; we must wait until my brother recovers first."

Just as she had in the past, she took Su Xingye's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, easily soothing him.

"Yuxi, give me your phone number so we can add each other on WeChat," Su Nian said, her face alight with a brilliant smile as she added earnestly,

"After we part, please don't tell Yuhuan. I'm afraid he'll come looking for us."

Shen Yuxi fell silent for a few seconds before reciting his number. Then he stood up.

"I won't say anything. Miss Su, Mr. Su, I'll be leaving now."

Before departing, he glanced once more at Su Nian, then walked out the door. Su Nian was momentarily stunned; that lingering final look sent shivers down her spine, as though she had done something to wrong him. Once outside, Shen Yuxi turned back to check, confirming no one was following. Once, Shen Yuhuan had told him that women were fickle; now, he deeply agreed with that sentiment. Not even two hours earlier, she had blown into his ear in the elevator, pinched his lobes, taken intimate photos with him, and told Gu Yichen he was her "darling."

Yet now, she had shut him out of her world entirely and gone home with someone else.

"Room 2212, check please," Shen Yuxi said at the restaurant front desk.

Stepping outside, he found the moon bright and the stars sparse, the neon lights dazzling; the night had only just begun.

"Is Yuxi angry?"

Su Nian racked her brain, arriving at only one conclusion: "Is he upset that we parted ways? But we've exchanged contact information; we'll see each other again."

Yet, no matter how she looked at it, Shen Yuxi didn't seem like a petty person.

"Don't think about him," Su Xingye said, a hint of pleasure in his voice as he pulled Su Nian into his embrace.

He spoke as if sighing, "Nian Nian, now it's just us."

Finally, all those eyesores were gone. Su Nian murmured a soft agreement, resting her head on his shoulder. Since reuniting with Su Xingye, she had been distracted by various matters and hadn't yet had time to savor the joy of their reunion.

"Nian Nian," Su Xingye said, closing his eyes and instinctively tightening his arms, a satisfied smile playing on his lips,

"Just like this is already perfect. Whatever you want, I will give you. As for what you don't want, I will hide it away so thoroughly in the future that you won't even catch a glimpse."

Shen Yuxi's words had sounded an alarm bell for him. Wasn't this exactly how he would have acted before losing his memory? Su Nian tilted her head, asking suspiciously, "What have you hidden that I wouldn't like?"

"Nothing much. I'm just telling you that I would never hurt you," Su Xingye replied with a faint smile, lifting her to her feet.

"Let's go home."

Su Nian let out a light, amused snort.

"Of course I know that; you don't need to remind me."

Thus, although she trusted Shen Yuxi, his words had not led her to truly guard against Su Xingye. Finding temporary housing proved difficult, so Su Nian could only book two rooms at a star-rated hotel.

"Goodnight, Brother," she said.

After spending several minutes comforting him, she finally persuaded Su Xingye to return to his room.

"I'll lock the door properly. This is a high-end hotel; security won't be an issue."

However, Su Nian hadn't expected that even in such a hotel, special services would be offered. After her shower, she noticed a small slip of paper tucked under her door, featuring a printed image of a handsome foreign man with blond hair and blue eyes. Wiping her hair, Su Nian pressed her lips together, unable to suppress a smile, just as the doorbell rang. Peering through the peephole, she saw the real-life counterpart of the man on the card.

"Beautiful lady, would you honor me with your company tonight?" the man asked, his words direct and fiery.

His voice was deep, carrying a seductive allure. Su Nian politely declined, double-checked the door lock, and then turned back toward the bed.She took a photo of the small card and posted it on her WeChat Moments, casually adding the caption: "Blond-haired, blue-eyed hunk—my lucky encounter with romance while abroad."

Su Nian went to apply some skincare products; in less than ten minutes, upon returning, she found numerous messages. She didn't have many friends on WeChat, having gradually drifted away from various social circles, resulting in little communication with most people. Yet, this single post triggered an explosion of comments. The top comments were all inquiries about Gu Yichen.

At that moment, Gu Yichen, using Xu Qing's WeChat account, also saw that Moments post. His lips pressed tightly together, dark turbulent currents swirling deep within his eyes. — "With an entire forest at my disposal, why would I remain fixated on a single tree?"

Su Nian's words still echoed in his ears. Author: Su Xingye: I also want to print a small card like that. Shen Yuxi: I'm thinking of launching an international manhunt to catch this guy offering special services.Shen Yuhuan: This is Niannian missing me, inviting (or rather, forcing) me to return… Sorry, it's late today,Comment to receive a red envelope, mwah!