Chapter 24: Real Family

“Also…” Shen Jingchen changed direction mid-thought. “Your foster parents have given you more than you realize.”

“Don’t always listen to the gossip out there.”

“Those people say the rich have to focus on making money, so they don’t have time for their children. They say the poor live crammed together with their kids, always at their side, and so have more time to give them the love they need.”

“But those fools never realize that for the poor, earning money is far more of a headache.”

“They take abuse at work. They get their salaries held back. They suffer the cold stares of everyone around them.”

“Under that kind of torment, their temperament shifts without them noticing. They turn short-tempered. They stop caring about other people’s feelings.”

“That isn’t a matter of personality. It’s objective fact.”

“And Yiyi, for your foster parents to treat you gently and watch over you under those conditions…”

Shen Jingchen paused for a long moment, then spoke from the heart. “Honestly, I admire them deeply.”

“I invited them both to the Shen estate as guests, but they turned me down.”

“So one of these days, if they’re willing, I’ll pay them a visit myself.”

Cheng Yiyi never expected Shen Jingchen to say something like that. It proved he wasn’t some young master soaking in luxury. He had sharp reasoning and sound judgment.

‘Oh my god!’

‘Why is the Shen family nothing like the ones on TV dramas?’

‘Aren’t you supposed to be rich brats? Aren’t you supposed to look down on common folk? Aren’t you supposed to despise me, this wild country girl?’

‘That’s not how it goes on the shows!’

‘You’re supposed to give me the cold shoulder…’

‘Forget it. No, don’t. This is perfectly fine as it is!’

Compared to all that, Cheng Yiyi liked this Shen family a whole lot more. After her talk with Second Brother, every doubt she’d carried was blown clean out of her.

‘What difficulties? These people are real family!’

Even though it was summer break, the season when students headed home, Huaqing University was hardly empty. Look around and actual students made up only a small share of the crowd. Most were parents bringing their kids on a tour, and here and there a few people recording videos. Some even carried professional gear, clearly working in the internet business.

Shen Jingchen didn’t spare any of them a glance. Even when a student council member who recognized him came over to say hello, he didn’t respond. The reason was simple: if he had to acknowledge everyone, it would be far too much trouble.

The people he brushed off showed no sign of displeasure. They only wanted to get on good terms with Shen Jingchen and didn’t dare push further. After all, everyone here was part of Huaqing. If they upset Shen Jingchen, the principal might boot them out of the academy gates the very next day.

“Shen Jingchen!”

Just as Shen Jingchen was explaining the campus layout to his sisters, a man stepped out from his side. He was handsome, elegant, and carried an air of distinction. He was the dream partner of who knows how many people.

Though… even so…

He still came up short next to Shen Jingchen.

Gu Beifeng came straight over and slung an arm over Shen Jingchen’s shoulder. Clearly the two were close. “Hey, your brother here has been single all these years. How about you…?”

As he talked, Gu Beifeng couldn’t help sliding his gaze toward Shen Anyue. His heart started pounding in his chest.

He wasn’t some saint, so of course he had a soft spot for a girl like Shen Anyue, who was excellent in every respect. Then again, as a straight man, it was hard not to like a girl like her: pretty, from a wealthy family, top grades, a sweet voice, a gentle temperament, sound values, graceful and polite, a true young lady from a great clan.

“Heh heh~” Shen Jingchen put on a very official smile, one that didn’t reach his eyes, while a thick malice lurked in his gaze. “Are you in that much of a hurry to get buried?”

“…” Gu Beifeng hung his head and quickly looked away. “I was joking!”

He scratched the back of his head in a tactical way. “How could I ever measure up to Shen Anyue? I was just running my mouth. Don’t take it seriously!”

“Mm, I know.” Shen Jingchen gave a slight nod. “I was just running my mouth too.”

“Don ‘ t take it seriously.” He enunciated with extreme clarity, perfect native-level pronunciation.

The instant the words landed, Gu Beifeng felt his hairs stand on end.

‘Bro, what the hell? I admit I’ve got a thing for your sister, but do you have to be this ruthless?!’

‘And am I even in the wrong here?!’

‘Besides, your sister’s going to end up with some guy eventually. Why can’t that guy be me?!’

Still, Gu Beifeng kept those thoughts to himself. If he actually said them out loud, he’d probably be living in a little box before the week was out.

Shen Jingchen was just that kind of guy. He shielded his sister from every single man out there.

“Ugh, having a brother like you…” Gu Beifeng shrugged helplessly. “If Shen Anyue ever meets her Mr. Right one day, won’t you send him packing?”

“She hasn’t met him yet, has she?” Shen Jingchen looked utterly unruffled. “And if she ever does meet someone she truly likes, I won’t stand in the way.”

Gu Beifeng asked in a teasing tone, “What if your sister falls for some good-for-nothing rich kid?”

“First of all…” Shen Jingchen’s eyes turned serious, his voice brimming with confidence. “As my sister, her standards could never sink that low. There’s no way she’d fall for trash like that.”

“Second, if that situation ever really came up, I would do everything in my power to set her man straight.”

“I have plenty of methods. I’m not worried about someone refusing to change.”

“Finally…”

“If there were truly an extreme case that couldn’t be corrected, I would kill that bastard first and apologize to Shen Anyue afterward.”

“No matter the consequences, I’ll bear them.”

“Besides, Shen Anyue would never have the heart to kill me.”

“Holy crap…” Gu Beifeng and Shen Jingchen had been friends for years, familiar enough with each other to tell there wasn’t a single lie buried in those words. “If you killed the guy, why would you apologize to your own sister?”

“I can’t very well apologize to a dead man, can I?” Shen Jingchen answered as if it were only natural.

Gu Beifeng: “…”

As an aside, Gu Beifeng’s family background was nothing to sneeze at either. Over in Korea, he’d rank as a full-blown chaebol. He was the same age as Shen Jingchen, a lifelong playmate, and at first he’d considered Shen Jingchen a rival.

But when he realized that a test paper he’d struggled over to hit 98% accuracy was something Shen Jingchen could sweep through like basic arithmetic, he saw the gap between people.

Did he resent it? Did he envy it? Back in elementary school, when his mind wasn’t mature, Gu Beifeng sometimes had those thoughts. But once he grew up and wised up, he found it pretty nice having a perfect-score prodigy around. At the very least, he didn’t have to hunt down a teacher whenever he had a question.

“Hey, with you guarding your sister like this, her future soulmate won’t ever get a chance to get close to her.”

“Will he not?” Shen Jingchen didn’t see anything wrong with what he did. He simply felt his sister stayed cooped up at home too often, had too shallow an understanding of the world, and could easily be conned by some lowlife.

Gu Beifeng: “He won’t!”

“Either way, it won’t be you.” Shen Jingchen waved, signaling for Shen Anyue and Cheng Yiyi to follow.

“Come on, how can you look down on your own brother?!” Gu Beifeng hurried after him. “What if it ends up being me after all?”

“Then I really would beat you to death.”

“Don’t~” He trailed along beside Shen Jingchen with a grin, then suddenly turned and craned his neck, his gaze landing on Cheng Yiyi’s face.

“Whoa…” Gu Beifeng immediately grabbed Shen Jingchen’s hand and dragged him over to the little grove of trees.

“Have you lost your mind?!” Shen Jingchen watched his sisters shrink in his view and quickly called out, “You two wait right here!”

“If anyone dares to hit on you, drop my name!”

“I’ll settle the score with them later!”

“Uh, okay…” Shen Anyue’s mouth twitched slightly.

Second Brother was perfect in every way except one: he always treated her like a little kid, worried she’d be lured off by some delinquent.

Back in the grove, Gu Beifeng shoved Shen Jingchen against a tree without a word of explanation. His face was flushed with excitement, like a man who had just run into his one true love.

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