TLSMLMMM Chapter 16

Si Yunyi remained silent. Assistant Xu followed his teacher’s gaze and noticed several familiar faces from the Hong Kong City network, along with a few business magnates whose influence was enough to shake the entire city with a single move.

The Yan family’s preparations were impeccable. Even though it was only an engagement banquet, they had gone as far as inviting several Si family shareholders from across the ocean.

Suppressing the unease in his chest, Assistant Xu glanced at his teacher’s calm face as Si Yunyi gracefully greeted guests, conversing with ease and guiding the distinguished visitors to their reserved seats.

“Mr. Si, where’s your partner?” a few of the Si family shareholders, closer to him than others, asked curiously when they saw Si Yunyi receiving guests alone.

“He was too nervous, so he’s feeling a bit unwell,” Si Yunyi replied, his tone gentle and steady.

“I really am curious,” one of the shareholders said with a good-natured laugh, looking at the man before him in a sharp, well-tailored suit.

“What kind of person could make someone like Mr. Si, who’s always sworn off marriage willingly step into its grave?”

The corners of Si Yunyi’s lips lifted slightly. “You’ll see him soon.”

After settling the shareholders, Si Yunyi murmured a few instructions to Assistant Xu, then turned and walked toward where Mr. and Mrs. Yan were greeting their guests. The couple wore radiant smiles, their faces showing no hint of worry.

“Oh, Yunyi!” Madam Yan called out warmly, her tone filled with affection. “You look wonderful today.”

“Where’s Chu Junlie?” Si Yunyi asked directly.

“I only know your fiancé is getting ready in the dressing room,” Madam Yan said innocently, shrugging. “Anything else, I wouldn’t know.”

Si Yunyi made his way to the dressing room. As he opened the door, it was no surprise to see Yan An tilting his face up, letting the makeup artist work on him.

“Brother Yunyi!” Yan An’s eyes lit up when he saw Si Yunyi enter. With a bright smile, he pushed the makeup artist aside and stood before him, showing off the embroidered white suit he was wearing.

“Brother Yunyi, does this suit look good on me?”

Si Yunyi glanced briefly at the staff in the room, then turned slightly and gestured for them to leave.

“I knew you’d come for me, Brother Yunyi,” Yan An said cheerfully, admiring himself in the mirror as he spoke.

“Chu Junlie can’t compare to me in any way. He’s just a country bumpkin. Even if you help him change his appearance, it won’t make a difference. He’s short-sighted, narrow-minded, and greedy by nature those things can’t be fixed.”

“What did you do to him?” Si Yunyi’s gaze settled coldly on the youth before him, his tone restrained but icy.

“I had a serious talk with him,” Yan An said with a bright smile, turning toward him. “And I gave him a lot of money.”

“Brother Yunyi, I placed five million in cash right in front of him. You should’ve seen his face then his mouth hung open wide enough to swallow an egg. He’s never seen that much money in his life.”

“It was a hard choice, but in the end, he still made his decision.”

Si Yunyi stared at Yan An, then pulled a familiar velvet box from his pocket.

“I gave him five million in exchange for this chance,” Yan An said softly, opening the box with care. Inside lay a pair of gleaming rings. He turned the box toward Si Yunyi, his eyes full of sincerity.

“Brother Yunyi, Chu Junlie took the money and threw this box into the trash without even looking at it. I picked it up, cleaned it, and brought it here to you.

“For the sake of the five million I spent, could you please grant me this one wish?”

Si Yunyi looked at Yan An, his expression unchanged, his voice cold as ever.

“Did you forget the last lesson I gave you?”

Thinking back to that day in the Si family’s recreation room, Yan An’s eyes flickered. The sincerity on his face vanished as he pursed his lips and closed the ring box.

“Brother Yunyi, I know I can’t deceive you without outside help. But today, deceiving the guests will be enough.”

A broad smile spread across his face. “Surely, Brother Yunyi won’t let the guests see a joke out of the Si family, right? If something goes wrong today and it offends a few distinguished guests, would the Si family still be able to stand in Hong Kong City afterward?”

Si Yunyi lifted his gaze, coldly meeting Yan An’s eyes.

“Besides that,” Yan An continued, smiling sweetly, “I have an even juicier secret. As long as Brother Yunyi cooperates with me, I’ll keep it buried in my heart forever. Otherwise…” His tone grew almost teasing. “I think a few Si family shareholders are already here today, aren’t they?”

The hotel was abuzz with chatter. The banquet hall was nearly full, and both families’ elders were seated and ready. The master of ceremonies was silently rehearsing his script when suddenly, an assistant came rushing over in a panic.

“Something’s wrong! The Si family’s groom wants to change the schedule for today!”
The assistant’s face was twisted in distress. “He said to move up two of the performances, and cancel the greeting-the-elders part entirely!”

“What?!” The host was stunned, heart skipping a beat. “What’s going on?”

Seeing the assistant at a loss for words, the host gritted his teeth and rushed toward the dressing room only to see the Si family’s groom stepping out. From inside came the sound of angry shouting and things being smashed.

“Young Master Si, what’s happening?” The event manager hurried over as well, looking equally distressed.

“My fiancé hasn’t arrived yet,” Si Yunyi said darkly. “I’ve already sent people to find him. Delay the program as much as you can.”

---

Chu Junlie lay on the bed with his eyes closed. In a daze, he saw a scene before him, everyone cheering and applauding for the couple on stage. Instinctively, he clapped twice, until suddenly he realized who they were.
On the stage stood Mr. Si… and Yan An.

Chu Junlie froze, his thoughts slowly clearing. When he finally came to his senses and looked up again, all he could see was Yan An’s triumphant, radiant smile, mouthing the words to him—

“You. Are. Trash.”

“Mr. Si! Mr. Si!” Chu Junlie suddenly panicked, jumping desperately within the crowd. “Mr. Si, don’t believe what Yan An said! I didn’t leave! I didn’t throw away our engagement rings! I—I want to marry you! I really want to see you every single day!

“I can cook, I can clean, I can do everything, Mr. Si!”

He shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice raw with desperation. But the louder he screamed, the noisier the crowd became. Their laughter stabbed into his ears, their eyes filled with ridicule and superiority.

“Seriously? That bumpkin wants to marry Si Yunyi? Who does he think he is?”

“He’s not even part of the Yan family—what could he possibly bring to the table?”

“Look how gullible he is. The Yans fed him a few lies and he actually believed them.”

“Mr. Si! Mr. Si!” Chu Junlie ignored their jeers, shouting again and again, tears streaming down his face as he leapt and screamed.

“Mr. Si, please look at me!”

“I know I was wrong, Mr. Si!”

“Please don’t throw me away…”

The figure on the stage grew fainter and fainter, like a brushstroke dissolving into water in an ink painting.

Then everything went silent. A cold wind swept through, biting into his bones.

Chu Junlie didn’t know where to go. He felt like a stray dog once more, returning step by step to the old district. He looked at his packed luggage, at the dead rat beneath a metal basin. The world around him was nothing but gray.

He was supposed to go with Mr. Si.
He was supposed to finally have a home.

The landlord arrived with a new tenant. The tenant screamed at the sight of the rat’s corpse, and the landlord, furious, kicked Chu Junlie out with all his meager belongings.

Carrying everything he owned on his back, Chu Junlie wandered to a small grocery store. The old men playing chess outside looked at him with pity.

“What a pitiful sight. That Mr. Si was the only one who treated him kindly. But he didn’t even make it to the engagement banquet.”

“What’s he going to do now? He’s lost everything. No one will want him anymore.”

It felt like the only light in his life had been torn away. Chu Junlie sat numbly by the roadside, empty inside, his chest filling with cold wind that cut through him.

He didn’t want to move. He just stared at the endless stream of passersby, their legs crossing his vision, and felt nothing but despair.

There was no more happiness left in this world.

In a daze, just enough awareness to keep breathing, he fumbled in his pocket and felt something hard. Pulling it out, he saw the marriage document from the rehearsal, its edges worn away from being handled so many times.

It was filled with his handwriting, his name written over and over again, surrounding that one elegant signature in the middle—Mr. Si’s name, beside his own. The neatest, most beautiful line was the one he had written with Mr. Si’s hand guiding his own.

“See? Useless people stay useless.”

The familiar, scornful voice made him look up. There stood Madam Yan in luxurious clothes.

“Just thinking that he once believed he was part of the Yan family makes me sick. I’d never have a son like that!”

“Mom, homeless people are filthy. Stay away from him,” Yan An said, pulling her aside, his face twisted in disgust.

“Idiots like him shouldn’t get close to me. I’m Yunyi-ge’s partner now.”

Chu Junlie stared at them, eyes red, his hand unconsciously gripping a knife. He began sharpening the blade against the edge of the concrete step.

“Chu Junlie.”

That voice—the one he had longed for sounded beside him. His heart nearly stopped as he turned to see the man from his dreams walking toward him, kneeling down to meet his eyes, gaze warm and calm.

Chu Junlie’s nose stung. He instinctively hid the knife behind his back. His chest heaved, and in a small, broken voice, he whimpered, full of pain and remorse.

“I told you before,” the man said gently.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry… I was so stupid…” Chu Junlie’s chest felt like it was being torn apart by pain and regret. He just wanted to hold on to the man in front of him and never let go, even if it killed him.

“Chu Junlie, look at me.”

The man placed a hand gently against his cheek, his eyes behind the glasses clear and warm.

“Wake up. You still have time.”

In the darkened room, the man bound to the bed suddenly twitched his fingers. His thick eyelashes trembled. A moment later, his eyes snapped open deep black, burning with a wild, feverish light in the dimness.

[mfn] If you enjoy my translations, you can show your support by leaving a comment or donating to my Ko-fi. It will be much appreciated. Thank you! [/mfn]