Chapter 34: The Agony of Unrequited Love (I)

"All packed!"

Soon, Ye Fan appeared at the doorway, clutching a wooden box with a backpack slung over his shoulders.

"That was fast," Chen Shuting said, looking at Ye Fan’s things with curiosity. "That box is actually quite nice. Are you using it to carry your luggage? Why don't you sell it to me?"

"That's out of the question!" Ye Fan shook his head immediately. "This is my most precious possession."

"What could possibly be so important about it?"

Chen Shuting reached out to take a look, but Ye Fan quickly turned away to block her. "This is an heirloom from my family. Don't go poking around!"

"Pfft!" Chen Shuting rolled her eyes. "An heirloom, huh? You're just lugging it around like that—aren't you afraid of dropping and breaking it?"

Assuming it was an antique, she continued as they walked, "There’s a saying in the archaeological world: 'A thousand years in dry, ten thousand in wet, but half-dry and half-wet means only half a year.' Wooden antiques like this are the easiest to ruin. You need professionals to maintain them and keep them in a specific environment, or they’ll rot away in no time!"

"Oh?" Ye Fan followed her to the car and carefully placed the box in the trunk. "In that case, you’ll have to find me a sunny bedroom so I can maintain it every day!"

He wasn't entirely serious; after all, since the box could connect two different worlds, it obviously wasn't made of ordinary materials—how could it break so easily? Besides, it had been sitting in the supermarket for who knows how long without any maintenance, and it was perfectly fine!

Chen Shuting climbed into the driver's seat. Hearing his request, she curled her lip and said, "Don't worry, my three-story villa has plenty of rooms; I'm sure one will suit you."

As she spoke, she opened the vanity mirror to touch up her makeup. Once Ye Fan sat in the passenger seat, she leaned in playfully. "You’re welcome to stay in my room, little brother. That’s the best spot in the house."

"Wouldn't that be like a cuckoo taking over someone else's nest?"

"A cuckoo taking over a nest?"

"Exactly. I'm just worried your nest isn't big enough for a bird like me!"

Ye Fan replied with a grin, causing Chen Shuting’s face to flush a deep red.

"You're going to be the death of me!"

She scolded him, then stomped on the gas and pulled out onto the road.

"Easy, sis, slow down!"

...

Half an hour later, they arrived in the suburbs of Dragon City and entered a residential area where mountains and water reflected each other. This was Dragon City’s premier villa district, Spring River Grace.

Chen Shuting’s villa sat halfway up the mountain, with its back to the peaks and facing the water. The scenery was breathtaking, with a wide, open view. It consisted of a three-story main building and several auxiliary structures. In front of the courtyard stood a pavilion amidst the landscape, and behind it lay a swimming pool—it was truly an idyllic paradise.

Chen Shuting drove the car directly into the courtyard.

"Get out. This is where we’ll be living from now on!"

Ye Fan carried his box out of the car and followed Chen Shuting into the villa.

"The first floor has the parlor, kitchen, and the nanny's room. There are several guest rooms on the second floor; take your pick!" Chen Shuting said, leading him upstairs.

"I'll take this one!"

Ye Fan didn't really care. He casually picked a room near the stairs and put his luggage and the box inside.

"Isn't this room a bit small?"

Chen Shuting followed Ye Fan into the room and sat on the bed with practiced ease. She crossed her long legs, tilted her waist to one side, and leaned on her hand, watching Ye Fan’s busy back. With a soft smile, she asked, "Will it be big enough for a big bird like you?"

Ye Fan ignored her. He carefully placed the box on the table and, noticing that the latch was beginning to glow, quickly covered it with his backpack.

*Looks like Li Yaoyao is sending a message. I need to get Sister Chen out of here...* Ye Fan thought, then suddenly slapped his forehead, remembering he had forgotten to buy the pigeons!

"What's wrong?" Seeing Ye Fan slap his forehead as if he’d forgotten something, she asked curiously, "Did you leave something behind? Should I take you back to get it?"

"Oh, no..." Ye Fan looked at Chen Shuting, who was half-reclining on the bed in a seductive pose. He gave a bitter smile internally—ever since he changed his clothes, it felt like Sister Chen had been seducing him, whether intentionally or not.

"I just feel a bit tired, probably because I didn't take a nap."

As he said this, he stepped forward and placed his right hand on her arm, which was resting on the bed.

Chen Shuting shuddered, staring at Ye Fan, her voice trembling slightly. "What do you want?"

"I want to sleep, so please, get up!"

Ye Fan suddenly smiled. He shifted his grip from her arm to her hand, pulled Chen Shuting up, and took the opportunity to draw her into his embrace.

"You..."

Chen Shuting bumped gently against his chest, her beautiful face flushed all the way to her neck.

Countless scenes flashed through her mind: that night at the hotel where they lost control, the way he turned the tables when she was in crisis, and the cynical look in his eyes when he wore a suit... She felt her legs grow weak and her throat dry. She wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come out.

She felt Ye Fan lean in toward her temple. The scent of his breath echoed in her ear, and the intense masculine aura left her intoxicated.

"Ye Fan..."

"Sister Chen, I have a request..."

"I'll agree to whatever you ask, little brother."

Chen Shuting lifted her dazed eyes; the ceiling above seemed to turn into a vortex, threatening to swallow her whole.

"Could you buy me a few pigeons?"

Chen Shuting: ???

"What did you say?"

"I said, could you please buy me a few pigeons?"

Ye Fan’s eyes were incredibly clear. He blinked at Chen Shuting and added, "Live ones!"

Chen Shuting felt like she was going crazy. It was clear that Ye Fan was just teasing her. She had been so deeply immersed in the moment, and for what?

"Go to hell!"

She dropped those words and stomped out of the room. After taking two steps, she turned back and slammed the door shut with the handle.

"Bang!"

Outside the door, tears welled up in Chen Shuting’s eyes.

She had never felt such shame and anger as she did today.

As the youngest child of the Chen family, she had lived a life of luxury since birth. The line of men chasing her could stretch from the Southern Heaven Gate all the way to Penglai East Road.

But one day, everything changed. She became a pawn for her family and was married into the Lin family. She didn't love him, but she had no power to resist.

Watching her once-kind grandfather and her parents—who had doted on her—send her off with cold faces, she felt as if the sky were collapsing.

She endured for a long time, trying to reconcile with reality.

Finally, one day, she gathered the courage to love her husband, only for him to disappear without a trace. When the eldest son of the Lin family went missing, no one cared.

Everyone thought only of their own gains and losses with cold, rational minds. They left her without a second thought, making her lose everything once again...

She kept enduring, eventually realizing that she had to become a cold-blooded creature to face the world. She had to seize power within the family to earn anyone’s concern.

She wanted to be a queen, but a green boy had stumbled into the most fragile garden in her heart.

She didn't know why—perhaps it was the drug from that night at the hotel that had branded her, or perhaps it was the day she was in desperate straits at the Lin family, when he had calmly produced evidence and wiped out their enemies while chatting and laughing.

She couldn't help it. She couldn't help wanting to get close to that boy, wanting to know how deep his heart was and how long his love could last... but he just politely played dumb and asked if she could buy him some pigeons. Live ones?

Absurd! Ridiculous!

Chen Shuting wiped away her tears. Suddenly, she heard a "click" from the door behind her as it locked. She laughed—crying and laughing at the same time.

Inside the room, the moment Chen Shuting slammed the door shut, Ye Fan’s face turned somber.

*I'm sorry, Sister Chen! But my heart is already spoken for.*

Ye Fan whispered to himself. He didn't want to hurt her, so he had to play the fool to reject her gently.

He reached out and turned the handle, locking the door with a "click." He had no idea that on the other side, Chen Shuting was weeping in silence.