Luo Lingsheng had just walked out of the airport when he saw his good friend, Yu Shuo, in the arrival hall.
Yu Shuo met his gaze and waved his hand, “Lingsheng, over here.”
Luo Lingsheng nodded and walked closer.
As soon as the two met, Yu Shuo asked about business, “How’s the cooperation in the United States going?”
“The other party will send a representative the day after tomorrow. You can arrange for people to be ready to receive and sign the follow-up bill.” Luo Lingsheng answered crisply, with a hint of arrogance in his eyes.
Yu Shuo heard the expected answer and snorted, “I knew it. There’s no client you can’t get. No wonder Grandfather Luo keeps praising you for being the most like him when he was young.”
The Luo family behind Luo Lingsheng was the most powerful family in the capital. His grandfather, Luo Baisheng, was also known as Grandfather Luo.
Grandfather Luo was already 94 years old, but he was still in charge of the family business. His children and grandchildren did not dare to complain.
As Grandfather Luo’s favorite grandson, Luo Lingsheng should have entered the Luo Group as soon as he graduated and held important positions. However, he did not want to be too involved with his family. It took him a long time to persuade Grandfather Luo to set up his own business.
Grandfather Luo saw that Luo Lingsheng was still young, so he wanted to give him time to gain experience and go out to experience some hardships. Therefore, he nodded and agreed.
Today, Luo Lingsheng and Yu Shuo jointly established an internet company, which was currently developing very well.
“Don’t say such things outside.”
Luo Lingsheng put the suitcase in the trunk, went back to the front seat, and got into the front passenger seat. “I don’t want to get into trouble if the first family hears about this.”
“Yes.”
Yu Shuo chuckled, buckled his seat belt, and started the car.
“Old Master Luo is getting older. Even if he is unwilling to let go of the family’s power now, in another one or two years, he should be able to enjoy the rest of his life, right? When the time comes, will your fourth branch fight or not? “
Old Master Luo had been married twice. After he gave birth to two sons and a daughter with his first wife, he couldn’t resist the breakup of their relationship and divorced.
Later on, he married his second wife. When he was nearly fifty years old, he had another son, Luo Lingsheng’s father.
Now, with Old Master Luo as the center, his three sons and one daughter were ranked according to their age. They were divided into ‘First Branch’, ‘Second Branch’, ‘Third Branch’, and ‘Fourth Branch’.
Luo Lingsheng’s father was the youngest, and was known as the ‘fourth branch’.
“It’s not my turn to fight.”
Luo Lingsheng opened the car window to get some fresh air. “My father never had this idea. He agreed to let me come out and set up my own family because he wanted to distance me from the Luo family.”
Compared with their family, who didn’t fight or fight, the first branch had long been secretly plotting.
Yu Shuo didn’t think so. “How can you distance yourself from this? In today’s society, it’s not like the ancient times when the branch family was divided. You’re taking advantage of the benefits you deserve. You’re too careful. “
A trace of vigilance flashed in Luo Lingsheng’s eyes, and then she changed the topic.
“My parents don’t want to fight, and I don’t think it’s troublesome. My sister and brother-in-law just got married, and they don’t think about these things at all. Let the other three branches do what they want.”
“That’s true. You can still stand on your own.”
Yu Shuo had just praised her, and then he couldn’t help but make a joke. “Your sister’s marriage is settled. Shouldn’t your mother worry about your affairs?”
“I heard that when you went to the United States to talk about work, your mother specially arranged for the daughter of the Chen family, who is studying there, to meet you?”
Luo Lingsheng felt a headache when he thought of this.
He learned about this “meeting” arrangement from his mother in advance and immediately chose to reject it. The next morning, he even left the main house where he temporarily lived overseas with his office computer and found a nearby coffee shop to hide for the whole day.
Yu Shuo tilted his head to look at his friend’s reaction and said with amusement, “Look at you, you didn’t get to meet Miss Chen?”
Luo Lingsheng thought of something and quietly closed the car window.
Yu Shuo stopped at the intersection of the red light and asked curiously, “Lingsheng, can you tell me the truth? Who did you meet at the Wen family’s birthday party last time?”
Yu Shuo still remembered that his friend was particularly unwilling to attend such a party at the beginning. Later, he said at the last minute that he wanted to go out for a “breath of fresh air”. When he came back, his clothes were inexplicably “dirty”.
But when Luo Lingsheng came back, not only was he not angry, but there was also a subtle smile in his eyes.
Therefore, as his friend for many years, Yu Shuo made a reasonable guess —
There was definitely something wrong with this person! He must have met someone at the party behind his back.
“If it’s not the daughter of a rich family who attended the birthday party, could it be the young master of a family?” Yu Shuo did not care about his friend’s silence at all. Tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, he thought, “Do you have a crush on Wen Yibei?”
“…”
Luo Lingsheng glanced at his friend who was making a wild guess and immediately denied, “It’s not him.”
Yu Shuo caught the deep meaning of this answer and asked, “Then who is it?”
Luo Lingsheng ignored his friend’s questioning. He thought of the “one-way” encounter in the coffee shop two days ago and couldn’t help but reverberate with different responses.
— — Luo Lingsheng, do you like boys or girls? Can I pursue you?
— — Luo Lingsheng, I won’t forget you. See you next time.
— — Don’t mention the Luo family, I don’t know them. Don’t you know the style of those rich young masters and daughters in the Capital?
Luo Lingsheng’s eyes overflowed with a glimmer of reluctance. Following his heart, he said, “Yu Shuo, can you secretly help me investigate someone?”
Old Master Luo always paid attention to the movements of his descendants, so it was not appropriate for him to personally investigate some things.
Yu Shuo asked, “Who is it?”
Luo Lingsheng said, “Shih Yunnan.”
“…”
The red light countdown ended.
Yu Shuo stepped on the accelerator and rushed out. He suppressed the shock in his heart and confirmed with his friend again, “Who is it? Who will I help you investigate? “
“Shih Yunnan.”
For the first time, Luo Lingsheng admitted this name in front of his friend. “It’s that Shih Yunnan guy we accidentally bumped into arguing with on the stairs last time.”
They had the same birthday, so why was it that his twin brother could be the moon surrounded by stars while he was not only ridiculed and ridiculed, but also had to hide in the backyard and cry alone?
What right did that person have to kiss him under the guise of drunkenness, cry until his clothes were soiled, and promise that he would not forget the next time he saw him? But in the end, after two to three months, he was completely lumped together with those hedonistic young masters who put ‘fun above all else’?
The more Luo Lingsheng thought about it, the more puzzled and unwilling he felt. However, the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to know.
He wanted to understand Shih Yunnan in all aspects.
Yu Shuo confirmed that he was not hallucinating. He chuckled and replied, “It seems that our Young Master Luo’s heart is not made of stone? Sure, I’ll check it for you once I’m done with the order this week. “
Luo Lingsheng thought for a while. “Keep a low profile. I don’t want to cause trouble for him, no matter what kind of trouble it is.”
Yu Shuo nodded and could not help but tease him. “It hasn’t even started yet. Don’t fall too suddenly.”
Luo Lingsheng was unmoved. “Don’t worry about it. I won’t put myself in danger like this.”
“Really?”
Yu Shuo looked at his friend’s calm and even slightly cold side profile. He smiled and thought to himself.
It had been almost three months since the birthday party. Did he still remember Shih Yunnan? Even if he had not put himself in danger, the other party had indeed left a deep mark in his friend’s heart.
Although Yu Shuo teased his friend verbally, he was still reliable when it came to doing things.
Half a month later, all the information that could be found about Shih Yunnan appeared in front of Luo Lingsheng.
“I told you about the situation of the Wen and Luo families at the birthday party. I won’t go into detail here?”
“Okay.”
Luo Lingsheng responded in a low voice. His eyes were fixed on the information. “He went abroad to study at the age of eight?”
“Shih Yunnan did not go abroad voluntarily. He was forcibly sent away by Shi Sheng when he was eight years old.”
“Why?”
“To make room for the new madam of the Shi family,” Yu Shuo had long been accustomed to the fickleness of the world. His upturned peach blossom eyes revealed a trace of disdain.
His brother’s mother had died less than a year ago. In the end, he married another woman and even sent his young son abroad. He was indeed a good father.
“Shih Yunnan only returns to the country during the holidays. However, it seems that he is not well received by the Shi family.
“His grandfather, Old Mr. Wen, is not bad. Several times, he wanted to bring Shih Yunnan back to his side. However, his daughter-in-law did not seem to agree. Old Mr. Shi also refused to let him go.
“Therefore, Shih Yunnan is like a rubber ball rolling around every time he comes back from the holidays. He has never found a place to stay.”
When Luo Lingsheng heard Yu Shuo’s statement, an indescribable and complicated feeling rose from the tip of his heart.
“Which university is he in now?”
“Shih Yunnan’s grades have always been good. He has received scholarships every year. Now, he has been admitted to the Management Department of Ridakar University with a full scholarship. He is currently in his first year.”
Yu Shuo tapped on the information on the table. “I have all the information I can find for you.”
“As for those that involve your privacy, I think you would not want to find out in this way. Therefore, I did not ask anyone to investigate further.”
Luo Lingsheng replied, “Okay, that’s enough for me.”
“Don’t you plan to pursue him?”
As soon as Yu Shuo finished his curious question, the secretary knocked on the office door.
“Mr. Yu, the video conference will start in three minutes.”
“I will go over now.”
Yu Shuo responded. He put away the curiosity in his eyes and put on a serious expression as he walked out.
Until the office door was closed again.
Luo Lingsheng flipped to the first page of the document again. He carefully read it from beginning to end, word by word.
It was not until his assistant sent in a new batch of reports that he stopped reading. He was not going to delay his business over some feelings.
ahzww.org
Luo Lingsheng finished the work at hand step by step. It was not until he returned home that the curiosity in his heart emerged.
Luo Lingsheng clicked on the official forum of Shih Yunnan’s university. There was a dedicated browsing area on the webpage. The title was simple and clear: A collection of photos from the freshmen summer camp.
He remembered Shih Yunnan’s year and subconsciously clicked on it. He did not expect to find the person in his memory in the top three most popular posts.
The white t-shirt boy was sitting in the shade of a tree. He probably noticed that someone was taking photos of him. Shih Yunnan’s eyes looked straight at the camera without any shyness. Naturally, the smile on his lips froze.
For some reason, it reminded Luo Lingsheng of a glacier that gradually melted under the hot sun. It was pure and unbelievably lively. It was a completely different person from that day when his nose was red from crying.
Luo Lingsheng’s eyes were fixed on the photo. His thoughts drifted. When he came back to his senses, he had already saved the photo.
“… …”
Luo Lingsheng looked at the photo in the album. He hesitated again and again, but he still did not press the delete button. He returned to the post and found that someone had exposed Shih Yunnan’s social media account and contact information.
Luo Lingsheng frowned. He did not approve of this behavior of exposing other people’s contact information without authorization.
He had his own self-discipline. Naturally, he could not do something like saving the phone number and taking the liberty to disturb others.
However, after some hesitation, Luo Lingsheng chose to open a foreign social media application. He entered Shih Yunnan’s social media account that he saw in the post.
— — Ao Nan.
Luo Lingsheng did not click “follow”. He just used his newly registered account to check the daily content of Shih Yunnan’s account.
He would dislike the little stray cats on the roadside for not being close to people. He would sneak away after eating the canned food he specially bought.
He would show off that he won the newspaper lottery today and donate the small amount of money he got to the homeless on the roadside.
He would complain about how he was cheated by the boss who sold the billiards and how he was eloquent enough to get back the money for the cue.
The daily content was overly realistic. One could even vaguely see the childishness and cuteness of a young age, but without exception, it could make people smile.
The corners of Luo Lingsheng’s mouth unconsciously rose. He seemed to be able to imagine the expression on Shih Yunnan’s face when he dictated these content.
It wasn’t until he browsed through the social media that he realized in hindsight. He was actually unable to extricate himself from being immersed in sharing other people’s lives.
“… …”
Luo Lingsheng fell into silence alone. The sense of entanglement in his heart was even more intense.
Because of a banquet that had nothing to do with him, because of a drunken kiss, because of an unexpected encounter, he seemed to have really taken a liking to Shih Yunnan.
Luo Lingsheng believed that rationality would always be greater than emotion. He threw away these undecided thoughts and returned to the forum. He continued to look at other people’s comments on Shih Yunnan.
He knew that Shih Yunnan’s foreign name in school was Ao Nan. He also knew that Shih Yunnan was very talkative in front of outsiders.
However, when faced with a sudden love invitation, the other party would use the most straightforward way to refuse, never leaving the other party the slightest chance.
Shih Yunnan’s temperament was hot on the outside but cold on the inside. It was like sharp ice in midsummer.
People couldn’t help but approach in the heat. However, if they were careless, they would be hurt by the coldness emitted from the other party.
Luo Lingsheng slowly browsed to the last page. Only then did he discover that someone had ‘cried’ and said —
Shih Yunnan was a complete homosexual. Moreover, he already had a boyfriend. The other party was also Chinese. Because he couldn’t stand seeing Shih Yunnan being repeatedly harassed and confessed to by suitors, the boyfriend had personally come forward to declare his sovereignty.
This post was accompanied by a photo of a couple. It even received a lot of support from Shih Yunnan’s classmates.
Luo Lingsheng clicked on the photo to enlarge it. He vaguely recognized the faces of the two people. One was Shih Yunnan, and the other was the young man he met in the coffee shop last time. If he remembered correctly, his name was Fu Ziyu?
— — What? Do you think I’m not good enough for you? Come, baby, give me a kiss.
— — Come, give me a kiss.
Luo Lingsheng remembered the intimacy between Shih Yunnan and Fu Ziyu in the coffee shop that day. His eyes darkened.
He felt as if he had suddenly lost something. His heart felt suffocated, but it was also empty.
So she really did have a boyfriend.
That’s right, he shouldn’t have had those inexplicable thoughts.
That day, it was just a drunken kid’s words. How could he take it seriously?
Luo Lingsheng let out a ridiculous sigh. He immediately closed the official forum and locked all the investigation materials in his drawer.
Ever since he was a child, he didn’t like to waste his feelings and time on unnecessary people and things. Now, it was even more impossible for him to covet Shih Yunnan who already had a boyfriend.
Unfortunately, once some good feelings took root, there was no way to easily remove them.
Whenever he was alone and free, Luo Lingsheng couldn’t help but look at Shih Yunnan’s social media, browse Shih Yunnan’s school forum, and even the unpopular billiard club’s official website.
As time went by, Luo Lingsheng reluctantly acquiesced to this good feeling. At the same time, he secretly warned himself — —
Only limited to this, not the Keyue world.
…
In the blink of an eye, it was the second year.
Luo Lingsheng returned to the United States because of the needs of his career.
The long takeover meeting finally ended before eight o ‘clock in the evening.
Luo Lingsheng packed up his things and was about to leave the branch office in a hurry. However, Yu Shuo suddenly appeared and stopped him. “Why are you in such a hurry? Where are you going?”
“We haven’t seen each other for half a year because of work. Let’s go for a drink tonight?”
“No, another day.”
Yu Shuo clicked his tongue. His peach blossom eyes were full of ridicule. “I know, the first thing you did when you arrived in the United States is to find a little boyfriend?”
“… What little boyfriend?”
“Are you still pretending with me?” Yu Shuo raised his eyebrows and whispered in Chinese, “Of course it’s Shih Yunnan. Aren’t you interested in him?”
“It’s been eight or nine months. You should have won his heart by now.”
Luo Lingsheng’s expression changed slightly. He calmly retorted, “No, I have nothing to do with him.”
“…”
Yu Shuo paused for a few seconds before asking, “No? Did he reject you? “
Luo Lingsheng replied in a low voice, “I never planned to pursue him, so the two of us are parallel lines. We have nothing to do with each other.”
“But …” Yu Shuo couldn’t believe it.
Luo Lingsheng glanced at the time. It seemed that he had something important to do. “I have some personal matters to deal with. I’ll leave first.”
Half a minute later, Yu Shuo looked at Luo Lingsheng’s back view as he left in a hurry. The surprise in his eyes had not completely disappeared.
Although he didn’t mean to, he had accidentally glanced at Luo Lingsheng’s mobile phone during the meeting just now — the side profile looked very much like Shih Yunnan’s.
Based on his good friend’s character, if he wasn’t a little boyfriend, why would he put such a photo on his mobile phone’s desktop? Obviously, it was impossible.
“Could it be that he still has a crush on her?”
Yu Shuo felt more and more incredulous.
No way, right?
Was there anyone in the world that his good friend didn’t dare to pursue?
After leaving the company, Luo Lingsheng sat quietly in a shop. While waiting, he opened Shih Yunnan’s social media account as usual.
Half an hour ago, Shih Yunnan had just updated their daily status and attached two photos.
The first photo seemed to be in the dim environment of a bar. The table was filled with all kinds of wine bottles.
The second photo was of Shih Yunnan and Fu Ziyu sitting together, with their arms around each other’s shoulders.
“Someone please come and take this single dog away. I can’t stand it if he drags me to drink every day.”
In the comment section below, there were also interactions between Shih Yunnan and other friends — —
“Onan, can I take you away?”
“No, I’m afraid that my future lover will be jealous.”
The moment he saw this text, Luo Lingsheng’s heart seemed to be clenched.
He repeatedly confirmed the meaning of this line of words until he confirmed that he had misunderstood it for a long time. Then, for the first time, he let out a self-deprecating laugh.
It was said that three people made a tiger.
But he didn’t expect that he had been misled for so long.
“Hello, sir, this is what you want.” The waiter in the shop brought the packed things up.
Luo Lingsheng closed the mobile phone’s webpage. He felt that he had never been happier than now in his life. “Thank you.”
The waiter was fascinated by his handsome face and sudden smile. He couldn’t help but blurt out, “Sir, can I add your contact information?”
Luo Lingsheng remembered the reply he saw on his mobile phone not long ago. He applied what he had learned. “Sorry, I’m afraid that my future lover will be jealous.”
The waiter was stunned. He didn’t feel embarrassed at all. “Sir, I wish you and your future lover happiness.”
“Thank you.”
Luo Lingsheng carried the things he bought. After confirming that it was still early, he left the shop with light steps.
… …
The early summer night still had a hint of the coolness of the spring breeze.
When Shih Yunnan came out of the nightclub, he took two deep breaths and barely suppressed the heat caused by the alcohol. He couldn’t help but complain in his heart — —
Fu Ziyu, this guy, every time they came across a new nightclub, he would drag him to drink and inspect. Once he was in the mood, he was unwilling to stop.
Shih Yunnan stayed with his friend for several hours. He didn’t drink much, but his head was dizzy. He couldn’t stand it anymore and escaped first.
Suddenly, his phone vibrated.
Shih Yunnan opened it and was relieved to see that it was a message from Wen Yibei — — Yunnan, happy birthday.
Shih Yunnan glanced at the date. Coincidentally, it was midnight.
Obviously, Wen Yibei, who had a different time than him, deliberately sent the message at this time.
He hurriedly replied: Brother, happy birthday.
In less than three minutes, Wen Yibei called. “Yunnan, why aren’t you resting at this time?”
“I’m going back to rest.”
Shih Yunnan walked on the empty street and heard the noise on the other end of the phone. Wen Yibei had always been popular. At this time, there should be someone celebrating his birthday with him.
“Brother, have you eaten the cake?”
“I ate a little,” Wen Yibei replied.
He paused. His voice was gentle and affectionate. “Do you want to eat it? I’ll order a cake for you, okay? “
“No, I don’t like to eat sweet things.” Shih Yunnan didn’t mean what he said. “I loved cakes when I was young, but now I like drinking more.”
“You have to drink less. No one will take care of you if you get drunk.”
When Shih Yunnan heard his concern, he suddenly felt a little lonely. “Brother.”
“Yes?”
Shih Yunnan couldn’t say anything coquettish or mushy. When the words came to his mouth, it turned into a blessing. “Happy birthday.”
“Okay, you too.”
Shih Yunnan wasn’t in a hurry to go back. He walked slowly for about 20 minutes before arriving at his residence.
Suddenly, his sharp eyes spotted a wrapped cake box on the steps by the door.
“…”
Shih Yunnan was stunned for two seconds before squatting down to check the situation. There was a greeting card on the cake box with a line of words clearly written on it.
— — Shih Yunnan, happy birthday.
The strong and powerful handwriting immediately attracted Shih Yunnan’s attention.
To be able to remember his birthday and write his Chinese name, Wen Yibei or Fu Ziyu must have asked someone to write it on their behalf without telling him.
Shih Yunnan wasn’t in a hurry to enter the house. He sat on the steps and opened the cake box. He placed the exquisite cake on his knees and casually lit a candle to make a wish.
The candlelight shone into Shih Yunnan’s eyes, highlighting the satisfaction in his eyes. “I hope that in the new year, someone will love me.”
The murmured prayers were scattered by the summer night wind.
Shih Yunnan picked up a spoon and took a bite of the cake. When the familiar and sweet taste entered his mouth, he dragged the small cake into the house happily.
When the door was completely closed, a black car in the distance chose to leave.
— — No one at this banquet cares who I am, and no one is celebrating my birthday.
— — Shih Yunnan, I will remember your birthday. I will remember it every year.
“Lingsheng, can you buy the nearest flight back now?” Luo Yu rarely went straight to the point. There was a hint of tremor in her usually gentle voice.
Luo Lingsheng sensed that something was wrong. “What happened?”
“Lingsheng, Grandpa suddenly died of a heart attack. Now the first branch is using their status to ‘invite’ Mom and Dad over. I’m afraid something will happen to them.”
His concise and shocking words were like a bomb that exploded without any warning.
Grandfather Luo, who had been in power for nearly 70 years, suddenly passed away. The Luo family was destined to change.
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# This chapter is a random red packet ~
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