Chapter 61

“Sir, please do not disturb the other guests.”

The coffee shop manager hurriedly stepped forward, attempting to pull Duan Haixiang away. Because of Duan Haixiang’s scene, four or five customers had already turned away at the door.

Duan Haixiang stuck to Yu Chucheng like a piece of dog-skin plaster, shouting loudly, “Get away from me! I’m not leaving! This is my only hope; if I leave, I won’t survive!”

His expression twisted for a moment as he turned to stare fixedly at Yu Chucheng. “Isn’t your family very rich? Don’t you like Duan Huaijin very much? This bit of money is just a small sum to you!”

Before coming to find Yu Chucheng, he had specifically inquired: the Kyoto Yu family was a titan of a household—one that the Zhang family could only hope to stand level with by standing on their tiptoes.

Yu Chucheng curled his lip and gave a cold snort. “Who told you that a hug means we’re dating? The person giving you information seems a bit unreliable.”

Duan Haixiang’s face flushed with anxiety. “What do you mean by that! Don’t you like Duan Huaijin?!”

“Of course I don—” Yu Chucheng froze, slamming the brakes on the words at the tip of his tongue. “Why should I tell you? What business is it of yours?”

Xin Yihuan finally understood the situation: this man was Duan Huaijin’s father. Mistakenly believing that Duan Huaijin read the original at bailiantales.comand Yu Chucheng were in a relationship, he wanted Yu Chucheng to step in and pay off his gambling debts.

“Chucheng, don’t waste your breath on him. Let’s just kick him out.” Xin Yihuan already felt that Duan Huaijin wasn’t good enough for Yu Chucheng; seeing the father only reinforced that belief.

With that, Xin Yihuan prepared to step over and join the manager in dragging Duan Haixiang out.

“Wait a minute,” Yu Chucheng said suddenly.

In the moment before Duan Haixiang was about to be hauled away, Yu Chucheng’s brain worked faster than it ever had before.

From the start, he hadn’t understood why the person behind the scenes wanted Duan Haixiang to find him. Given his personality, he would never let Duan Haixiang get his way. No matter how much Duan Haixiang made a scene, in Yu Chucheng’s eyes, it was like a mosquito bite—incapable of causing real damage.

The mastermind should have realized this, too—unless this was exactly the result they wanted.

Yu Chucheng’s brow furrowed suddenly, a flash of confusion in his eyes.

“Duan Haixiang.” Yu Chucheng reached out and grabbed Duan Haixiang’s shoulder, using his other hand to pull out his phone and open the recording and camera functions. “I can give you the money, and I won’t ask for it back, but I have conditions.”

Xin Yihuan was shocked. “Why!”

Duan Haixiang only cared that Yu Chucheng had agreed to the money; he didn’t care about the filming at all. “Fine! As long as you lend me the money, I’ll agree to anything.”

Yu Chucheng asked, “Does Duan Huaijin know you came to find me?”

“He… he doesn’t.”

“Someone told you to find me, right?”

“This…”

“Answer truthfully.”

“Yes, a strange person sent me a text message telling me I should come to you for money.”

Yu Chucheng slowly leaned closer to Duan Haixiang’s wrinkled face, lowering his voice to a whisper in the man’s ear. “I won’t give you the money all at once, but it will be enough to handle those debt collectors. However, you have to do exactly as I say…”

Duan Haixiang looked startled after hearing the plan, but now that the money issue was resolved, unauthorized copy his heart finally settled. He wiped the sweat from his palms. “I… I understand.”

To be safe, Yu Chucheng shook his phone, signaling him to do it now.

Duan Haixiang swallowed, using his sleeve to roughly wipe his phone screen. Right in front of Yu Chucheng, he sent a text to that unknown number.

【You son of a bitch, you dare lie to me! That Yu kid’s mouth is as tight as a clam—I can’t get it open! How am I supposed to ask for money? And they aren’t even dating! You were just playing me for a fool!】

“Is this okay?” Duan Haixiang handed the phone to Yu Chucheng.

Yu Chucheng glanced at it and felt it wasn’t “dirty” enough, so he manually typed in a few more curses involving the recipient’s ancestors. “Follow this standard from now on.”

He tossed the phone back to Duan Haixiang.

Duan Haixiang hadn’t expected it to be this simple. To him, it was a pie falling from the sky. He stopped being a nuisance and, before leaving, left a number where Yu Chucheng could reach him at any time.

Xin Yihuan, having watched this riddle play out for a while, was still confused. He lost all interest in cake and coffee and grabbed Yu Chucheng’s wrist. “Chucheng, are you really dating Duan Huaijin or not? Why are you helping his father?”

Yu Chucheng scratched his nose. “No, we are currently just friends.”

Xin Yihuan had just breathed a sigh of relief.

“Do you like me?” Yu Chucheng asked out of the blue.

Xin Yihuan was caught off guard; he hadn’t expected Yu Chucheng to be so direct. “H-how did you know?”

Yu Chucheng pried Xin Yihuan’s hand off his wrist and sat down. “I’m not an idiot; I can tell, okay?”

Xin Yihuan froze, sitting restlessly. “Then what do you feel for me…”

“I don’t like you.”

Though Yu Chucheng looked calm on the surface, a slight crease appearing at the corner of his eye, he was actually more panicked than Xin Yihuan. He could only use drinking coffee to hide it.

“If you want to be my friend, I’d be very happy. I would treat you as a good friend, just like Ji Zhou.”

It was a heavy blow to Xin Yihuan. “Why? Am I not good enough?”

Yu Chucheng’s finger traced the rim of his coffee cup. “No, it’s because you are very good that I had to be clear.”

He had sensed it when Xin Yihuan called him that night. If he pretended to be ignorant while knowing the truth, wouldn’t that be like stringing someone along? He had experienced the bitterness of being a “simp” firsthand.

Xin Yihuan lowered his head in silence for a minute—a minute that felt like a century to Yu Chucheng. Just as the coffee in Yu Chucheng’s cup was nearly finished, Xin Yihuan moved.

He picked up the small silver spoon in front of him and took a bite of cake.

“Although saying it directly is quite hurtful, sigh… I think being friends isn’t bad either.”

Yu Chucheng’s eyes curved into a relaxed smile. He clinked his near-empty cup against Xin Yihuan’s. “No taking it back once we’re friends.”

Yu Chucheng dawdled outside for a long time that day before returning to the apartment. Mainly, having made such a shameful sound earlier, he really didn’t know how to face Duan Huaijin.

Duan Huaijin didn’t ask but knew why Yu Chucheng had disappeared for the afternoon. Since there were things at school—he had to focus on preparing for a competition—he sent Yu Chucheng a message and left on his own.

Yu Jingchen later dragged the family doctor back to give Yu Chucheng a detailed check-up and hired a high-end nutritionist to create a detailed meal plan. Since tasting Duan ​bailiantales.com​Huaijin’s cooking, Yu Jingchen felt he had discovered a “loophole.” Closing that loophole without a word was his final stand as an older brother.

One evening a week later.

Yu Chucheng, wearing a custom-tailored white suit, stepped onto the cruise ship deck with Xu Mengshu, who was dressed in a high-end evening gown.

The Chamber of Commerce was a special institution headquartered in Kyoto. All large-scale business cooperation and trade in the country required their approval. While they didn’t hold direct political power, they served as the primary oversight and licensing body—they could make life very difficult if they chose to.

The Chamber President, who changed every five years but could be re-elected, was currently in his fifties and had served three terms. “Cruise Night” was his brainchild. He was highly respected, and even titans like the Zhang and Yu families had to show him respect.

Xu Mengshu’s dress was a rush order by Yu Chucheng. The silver-white hem was like a butterfly’s wings, glowing like moonlight in the night, and it quickly drew the eyes of those around them.

Coupled with Yu Jingchen leading the way with a noble female companion and a powerful aura, the moment the Yu family appeared, everyone stopped talking and looked their way.