After Marrying Bigshot Vegetable Boss - Chapter 33

The one who had spoken the loudest just now was surprisingly the easiest to be softened at this moment. Moreover, Yu Lan’s tone was too strong and powerful, making the other two feel a bit like backing down.

 

But there was one who tried to persist without giving in, gritting his teeth and pretending not to understand Yu Lan’s meaning: “What’s wrong with us? Why are you getting involved in our conversation?”

 

Even Zhong Jiale couldn’t stand it anymore: “Are you guys supporting that guy who just spoke nicely? If your own mind is clouded, don’t drag others into it!”

 

“And what you two did wasn’t violence, then what was it?” The person beside them held his pants and cursed while catching his breath.

 

“Really?” Yu Lan glanced disdainfully at the person as if finding them unworthy of further discussion, then stood up straight again. “Do you want another chance?”

 

“I don’t know what benefits he gave you to make you help him like this,” Yu Lan clapped his hands, and Zhong Jiale followed suit by standing up. “Or if you think it’s too troublesome to talk to us, we can go to the office.”

 

The other person’s face turned red, but still muttered with an unclean mouth.

 

“Excuse me—”

 

A sudden voice interrupted: “How do I get to Biochemistry Lab 3?”

 

Everyone turned to look at the source of the voice simultaneously. A man in a white shirt, with a handsome appearance, stood at the door.

 

He held a few documents in his hand, looking clean and possibly an assistant type, a few years older than them.

 

The three troublemakers froze for a moment upon seeing him, then knowing they were guilty, they moved their eyes away, lowered their heads, and silently left first.

 

Yu Lan had intended to call someone, but he noted their appearances and figured he could settle the score with Yuling later.

 

He casually pointed in a direction, “Go left from here, it’s the second room upstairs.”

 

The man nodded but didn’t leave immediately.

 

Yu Lan probably guessed that he wasn’t just asking for directions. He raised an eyebrow, “Anything else?”

 

The man politely shook his head, “I just happened to pass by and heard something, was worried there might be a conflict, so I came to take a look.”

 

Yu Lan also found it strange how such a quiet place, where few students usually visited, suddenly became lively this afternoon.

 

He said, “Don’t you think we’re the ones being bullied?”

 

The man smiled, “When I arrived, I saw a boy shrinking back in fear. He said a word to me when he saw me and asked for help.”

 

“Oh,” Yu Lan nodded.

 

“I didn’t expect such things to happen even among adults like you. You guys are good-hearted, quite rare.” The man said, “Maybe I came at the wrong time, but is there anything I can help with?”

 

Yu Lan still remembered the incident, feeling that this man’s appearance had disrupted his plans. But since the man meant well, he didn’t want to say much, so he waved casually, “It’s fine.”

 

The man seemed new here and didn’t quite understand the situation, “So, what caused the dispute just now?”

 

Yu Lan frowned, “It’s nothing serious, just a fool who likes to show off.”

 

He was about to leave with Zhong Jiale.

 

But it seemed like the man still had something to say, his gaze fixed on Yu Lan.

 

Yu Lan had exerted some force just now and was genuinely a bit angry, his hair was somewhat disheveled, and his eyes seemed exceptionally bright due to these emotions.

 

He turned his gaze, somewhat puzzled, “Do you have something else?”

 

Only then did the man come to his senses, politely smiling, “By the way, may I ask for your name—”

 

However, Yu Lan had already taken a few steps out. When he turned back, he smiled at him, “What’s there to ask about? Everyone here at the school is a science and engineering student!”

 

The man obviously hadn’t expected such an answer, “…”

 

While he was stunned, Yu Lan didn’t pay much attention, taking Zhong Jiale and leaving.

 

“Excuse me—”

 

Yu Lan didn’t want to talk much, so he acted as if he hadn’t heard anything and went downstairs.

 

Since they were taking the stairs, Zhong Jiale couldn’t help but glance back a couple of times. “That guy actually looks okay.”

 

“What do you mean okay? If he hadn’t stepped in, I would’ve dragged those guys to the dean’s office no matter what,” Yu Lan said.

 

Moreover, he didn’t seem like a student at the school. In situations like this, the more you say, the more mistakes you make. Although Yu Lan wasn’t afraid of what Yu Ling might think of this incident, he thought it best to keep interactions with strangers to a minimum, considering his somewhat special status.

 

As they walked, Zhong Jiale continued to grumble.

 

“I used to think he just liked to show off, but I didn’t expect he could actually pull something like this off.” He huffed and puffed as he followed Yu Lan. “Did these guys come on their own? One of them isn’t even from our school, right? How did he manage this? This morning, someone talked about him a few kilometers away, and by the afternoon, he tracked them down?”

 

“So, when they said they didn’t know, was it really… your brother who sent them?”

 

Seeing Zhong Jiale struggling a bit, Yu Lan subtly slowed his pace. After letting him catch up, he said, “How could he not know? And his reaction was pretty quick. It’s been less than a day, and he’s already this upset over a few bad words.”

 

Yu Lan’s expression was cold as he spoke.

 

He felt he could understand Yu Ling’s mindset a bit, having experienced similar things himself.

 

But understanding didn’t mean agreeing. He found it even more irrational—he hadn’t even tried to take anything from Yu Ling, and Yu Ling was already this anxious?

 

Yu Lan couldn’t help but sneer.

 

Just as they walked out of the lab building, a figure approached them, looking like he’d been waiting for a while. “Excuse me!”

 

They stopped and saw it was the guy who had been cornered in the stairwell earlier.

 

He had tidied up his clothes to appear less disheveled, but his broken glasses were beyond repair.

 

He had probably been waiting for them to come out. Looking at him reminded Yu Lan of the trouble caused by Yu Ling, and he sighed before asking, “Are you okay?”

 

The guy quickly shook his head. “I’m fine, really.”

 

“Those people left?”

 

“Yes,” he replied gratefully, though a bit embarrassed. “Thank you both. It’s all my fault for causing you trouble.”

 

“How is that trouble? Just talking shouldn’t cause such problems,” Zhong Jiale said.

 

“My name is Li Shu,” the guy said, looking worried for them. “I’m really sorry about today.”

 

“I really didn’t know about this. I only heard the name after my family lost their job. I usually don’t participate much in school and club activities, so I genuinely didn’t know.

 

“If I had known… I wouldn’t have said anything.”

 

“That’s not important,” Yu Lan said. “Your glasses are broken. Let’s go get you a new pair.”

 

Li Shu looked embarrassed. “No need…”

 

“I have a card for the school’s eyeglass store!” Zhong Jiale’s mind worked quickly in such situations. “And with your prescription, you need glasses to function normally in school.”

 

Yu Lan nodded in agreement. “Yeah, with the discount, it’s cheap. If you feel bad, you can pay us back when you get your scholarship.”

 

Li Shu finally agreed to go with them to the eyeglass store after their persuasion.

 

Yu Lan paid for the glasses, and once he was sure Li Shu was okay, he was ready to leave.

 

“If you need my help in the future, don’t hesitate to contact me,” Li Shu said, giving Zhong Jiale his phone number.

 

As a helpful class president, Zhong Jiale had experience with such situations. He took the number and reassured Li Shu.

 

But Li Shu still looked guilty. “But you stood up for me today…”

 

“I’m just worried they’ll come back to bother you.” His expression darkened.

 

“Bother me?” Yu Lan laughed at the thought. “That would be great.”

 

“I hope they come,” he said. “I’m actually afraid they won’t.”

 

Meanwhile, at the school dormitory a few streets away, Yu Ling’s mood was just as gloomy.

 

The three guys from earlier were sitting together, the one who had been subdued by Zhong Jiale looking particularly downcast, as if severely traumatized.

 

Yu Ling glanced at the three in front of him.

 

But when he spoke again, it was as if the darkness had vanished.

 

His voice remained soft and weak, tinged with confusion and helplessness: “I’ve already told you, so what if people say a few things about me or question me? How could you just go and cause trouble for others?”

 

Two of them quickly smiled apologetically and said, “We were just going to talk to him! We didn’t do anything excessive. Who would’ve thought someone would step in?”

 

“Yeah, yeah, we were just upset and didn’t want your reputation to be tarnished. Yu Ling, you’ve done so many good things that they don’t even know about. How can they spread rumors based on your family’s situation?”

 

“Exactly! We just wanted to vent for you! Please don’t be upset!”

 

Only the one who had been kicked seemed a bit confused. Listening to their conversation, he felt something was off and said, “But… wasn’t it you who told us he had a lab class today and that there’d be few people in the stairwell?!”

 

His two companions immediately fell silent.

 

How could he say that out loud!

 

Yu Ling only paused for a second before casually replying, “Did I? I really didn’t know who he was, and I even asked people at the company. They said his father never worked for us.”

 

In the room, the four of them had different expressions, each more intriguing than the last.

 

Of course, Yu Ling appeared the calmest and most composed among them.

 

“I was just concerned about him. You… you were a bit too reckless.”

 

Yu Ling sighed, “So, who did you encounter?”

 

“It was a weak-looking guy with a strong companion,” one of them quickly embellished. “We hadn’t even started, and the skinny one kicked us!”

 

“Yeah! He didn’t hold back at all, almost kicked me! It still hurts!”

 

“Right! And the heavier one used his weight against us! That’s too much!”

 

But it was clear Yu Ling wasn’t interested in these irrelevant details. He cut them off, “So, two people subdued you three?”

 

“That’s not subduing! We just didn’t want to stoop to their level!” One of them suddenly remembered, “By the way, the skinny one seemed like…”

 

Yu Ling had a bad feeling, “Seemed like what?”

 

—It couldn’t be that coincidental, could it? Why does everything have to involve him?

 

Returning to school was truly annoying.

 

“He seemed like the guy we met at the mall last time, your… distant relative?”

 

Yu Ling’s calm expression instantly changed.

 

“You’re sure you didn’t see wrong?”

 

“Pretty sure, because your relative stands out…” The speaker unintentionally added, making Yu Ling’s expression darken even more.

 

But he restrained himself, listening to the other continue, “And he threatened us, saying we better know who he is!”

 

Another one chimed in, “He also told us to tell you not to confront him next time…”

 

“But we didn’t say you sent us, we swear!” the first one promised.

 

“Right! He tried to probe us, but we said we didn’t know you, didn’t recognize you!”

 

They didn’t mention being interrupted. “Luckily, we found a chance to leave!”

 

Yu Ling rubbed his forehead, “…”

 

He took three seconds to compose his expression, then resumed his usual soft tone, even smiling a bit, “What are you talking about?”

 

“You caused trouble for another student on your own. What does that have to do with me?”

 

Even though he had already sensed something was off, the three of them choked up: “It’s not…”

 

“Forget it,” Yu Ling said, as if he didn’t want to hear any more, standing up. “I have something to do today, so I won’t chat with you anymore.”

 

He stood up, straightened his pristine luxury coat, and walked to the door, but then remembered something.

 

“By the way, Zhou Yu, is your family renovating recently?” He mentioned the other two’s names as well, then came back, taking a familiar card out of his bag.

 

“This card has 150,000 yuan left. You can use it for emergencies. If it’s not enough…” He paused, “let me know.”

 

The three of them fell silent.

 

Yu Ling saw their expressions and finally felt a bit relieved.

 

He knew these classmates came from average backgrounds, which was exactly why he had them follow him.

 

Those with worse conditions barely had enough for food each month. Even splitting this amount among them would be a significant sum.

 

“We’re all classmates; helping each other is what we should do.” Yu Ling smiled gently, acting as if he genuinely knew nothing about what happened at the neighboring school. “I’ll be leaving now.”

 

This time, when he walked to the door, no one stopped him.

 

As Yu Ling hurried out, his heart pounded with anxiety.

 

—How could the other guy just happen to be there?

 

And saw him?

 

He gritted his teeth, feeling dizzy.

 

He knew the situation at home wasn’t great.

 

He knew Liang Zhiyu had been upset with him last time because business issues had left her overwhelmed.

 

Yu Ling hadn’t actually verified with the company, but what Li Shu said might be true.

 

A few years ago, his family had invested a lot of money into a major project, which would have yielded substantial profits if successful.

 

However, due to Chu Wang’s incident, the project, which had some ties to the Chu family, had been shelved for a long time.

 

In addition, the other companies hadn’t been particularly profitable in recent years, creating a temporary financial strain…

 

Yu Ling forced his eyes shut and exhaled.

 

Moreover…

 

Liang Zhiyu had always been generous with money, usually giving him whatever he asked for.

 

But now, with the dire situation, Liang Zhiyu hadn’t had the time to care for him.

 

He could only think of the card Liang Zhiyu had given him to pass to Yu Lan.

 

It’s okay, as long as the Yu family’s situation improves, I can supplement from my pocket money, and no one will notice.

 

Yu Ling comforted himself.

 

But the anxiety grew stronger and more uncontrollable.

 

He staggered out of the dormitory, wondering whether he should call the family driver to pick him up.

 

Today’s events had left him dazed. He decided to put down his phone and walk around for a while first.

 

However, he hadn’t walked more than a few steps before he sensed someone beside him.

 

Feeling irritated, Yu Ling adjusted his expression and looked up—

 

His eyes widened instantly.

 

“I just delivered some materials to a friend.” A man in a white shirt stood before him, smiling warmly. “I finally found your school.”

 

Yu Ling quickly suppressed his expected relief and put on a look of surprise and joy: “Brother Sijue?”

 

“It’s me, Xiaoling,” the man said. “Long time no see.”

 

Yu Ling’s previous anxiety dissipated.

 

He smiled brightly and said, “Brother Sijue, I was just talking to my mom about you a few days ago.”

 

“Would you like to come to my house for dinner today?” Yu Ling eagerly suggested. “We haven’t seen each other in so many years. Where are you staying now? Did Uncle Song and the others come back with you?”

 

Song Sijue shook his head with a smile: “I came back alone this time. Our old house was sold, so I’m staying with a friend now.”

 

“If you don’t mind, why not stay at my place for now?” Yu Ling said cheerfully, “I haven’t chatted with you in so many years.”

 

Song Sijue didn’t immediately agree: “It’s fine. I want to visit Auntie.”

 

As they walked and talked, Yu Ling reminisced about their days as neighbors, inevitably mentioning Song Sijue’s departure: “By the way, what about Uncle Song now…”

 

“My dad was pressured by debts after bankruptcy, but everything is resolved now,” Song Sijue smiled, trying to reassure him. “I’ve been living abroad all these years, and now I’m back to develop my business.”

 

Yu Ling looked up at him with admiration: “Brother Sijue, you’re amazing.”

 

“When did you come back?” he asked. “Did you go anywhere else?”

 

“I arrived last night,” Song Sijue said. “I didn’t go anywhere else, just met with some old classmates and came to find you as soon as I heard you were here.”

 

Yu Ling nodded.

 

“The place has changed a lot,” Yu Ling laughed. “I was worried you might not find me.”

 

“It was hard to stay in touch with you all because there was so much to handle,” Song Sijue sighed. “I couldn’t keep up with everything.”

 

“I understand. I don’t blame you. You’ve worked so hard.” Yu Ling responded with a string of reassurances, then hesitated, lowering his voice, “By the way, Brother Sijue, about the engagement…”

 

Song Sijue understood: “You mean the annulment?”

 

Yu Ling nodded, looking a bit embarrassed.

 

“When I first heard about your family’s situation, I was abroad,” Song Sijue explained. “Back then, my father and your father jokingly arranged the engagement. I thought…”

 

He paused, then continued, “I thought you’d be sent back and that the one I’d be engaged to would be a complete stranger.”

 

Yu Ling nodded: “I… I understand.”

 

Song Sijue was candid: “I felt such a joke from our fathers was inappropriate and that both parties’ opinions should be respected.”

 

“That’s why it was decided that way, but we couldn’t get in touch with you then,” he explained.

 

“You considering me is already more than enough.” Yu Ling sounded appreciative, even slightly pleased. “I thought it was for some other reason.”

 

Song Sijue clarified the matter, then asked, “So, I heard you found the original child. Is he living with you now?”

 

Yu Ling was momentarily stunned.

 

He quickly understood.

 

Song Sijue had been abroad for years and wouldn’t know about the Chu family seeking a marriage for good luck. It wasn’t a proud matter, so it was normal for him to be unaware.

 

He hesitated, then said, “He’s not living at my place.”

 

“Why? Did he find it uncomfortable or go back to his original place?” Song Sijue asked.

 

“Neither,” Yu Ling said, as if recalling something painful, his eyes reddening, voice choking, “He… he…”

 

He bit his lip, glanced at Song Sijue, and said, “It’s nothing.”

 

Song Sijue, seeing his painful expression and the struggle to speak, said gently, “Xiaoling, we’ve known each other for so many years. You can tell me anything.”

 

“Are you suffering in any way?” He asked more seriously, “Is that person bullying you?”

 

Hearing this, Yu Ling seemed startled and shook his head: “No… He just doesn’t live with us. I’m… I’m fine.”

 

“And…” Yu Ling smiled, “Brother Sijue, just having you come back to see me makes me very happy.”

 

Meanwhile, Yu Lan, after parting with Zhong Jiale, rushed upstairs as soon as he got home, not even changing his clothes, heading straight to the bedroom.

 

“Mr. Chu, Mr. Chu, Mr. Chu!!” He ran to the bedside, touching Chu Wang’s hand, “I have something to tell you!”

 

He then recounted everything that happened at school.

 

Speaking to Chu Wang didn’t require any pretense, unlike at school, so Yu Lan’s narration was full of emotion and animated gestures, lively as a high school student chatting with friends after class.

 

“Seriously, I can’t believe he’s so outrageous!” Yu Lan’s face turned red with anger. “It must be Yu Ling’s doing! I don’t believe any other reason!”

 

“You weren’t hurt, were you?” Chu Wang, frowning, asked midway through.

 

“Of course not,” Yu Lan proudly raised an eyebrow, “Handling two on one was easy!”

 

“Next time you…”

 

Chu Wang’s frown deepened, but he couldn’t suggest the absurd idea of Yu Lan taking him to class.

 

What if Yu Lan got hurt next time?

 

“It’s fine, Mr. Chu. Besides, someone else came later, so nothing could have happened.”

 

Yu Lan then recounted the latter part of the incident.

 

But Chu Wang, after hearing it, frowned even more: “You said that person kept staring at you and asked for your name?”

 

Yu Lan didn’t expect Chu Wang to focus on that. He nodded: “Yes, but I didn’t tell him. When he wanted to ask more, I pulled your brother away…”

 

Chu Wang’s expression darkened: “Good that you didn’t say.”

 

“If he kept asking after you refused, he must have had some ulterior motive.”

 

 

AN – I like writing about love-obsessed tops, don’t criticize me.