Chapter 136: The Peculiar Youth

The news of Luo Yixian’s arrest played incessantly on the massive television screen. Jiang Yao and Ye Yiyi sat side by side on the sofa, their mouths agape, completely forgetting the potato chips they held in their hands.

"He’s already behind bars? That was fast," Ye Yiyi said, finding it hard to believe.

Jiang Yao turned her head and took a crunchy bite of the chip from Ye Yiyi’s hand. "I heard that besides the tax issues, they uncovered some other things from his past."

Ye Yiyi clicked her tongue. "I really was blind back then."

Jiang Yao rubbed her thumb over Ye Yiyi’s brow bone. "Do more eye exercises. You'll have better judgment in the future."

"But how did he end up like that?" Ye Yiyi gestured toward the screen, which showed footage of Luo Yixian being led away. His face was battered and bruised, his eyes black and swollen.

Jiang Yao scratched her head. "Who knows?"

As the revelations about Luo Yixian surfaced, his reputation plummeted, and a swarm of fans wailed and lamented, clamoring to leave his fandom.

When Jiang Yao arrived at work, she found Xie Yan hunched over her desk, looking utterly dejected and devoid of any desire to work.

"Hey!" Jiang Yao appeared suddenly, startling her.

Xie Yan whipped her head around. Seeing it was only Jiang Yao, she let her face drop back into a gloomy mask. "Don’t mind me. I need some peace and quiet."

Jiang Yao shrugged and sat down at her desk to prepare for work.

Xie Yan leaned in anyway. "I told you not to mind me, and you actually listened? Tell me, how could Luo Yixian be that kind of person? I really misjudged him. Oh, my heart is broken..."

Jiang Yao laughed while tidying up her desk. "That’s what they call 'knowing a man's face but not his heart.' People shouldn't be fooled by appearances. The entertainment industry is a chaotic place; how many people are as self-disciplined as He Yunqing?"

Xie Yan rolled her eyes. "What do you mean, self-disciplined? Didn't he have a sexual harassment scandal just a while ago?"

"That was already cleared up. He was framed."

"Pfft, you believe that nonsense?" Xie Yan scoffed. "It was probably just a big enough payoff for a private settlement. These days, money makes the world go round."

Jiang Yao stopped her hand as she was about to open her laptop.

She realized then that the truth didn't matter—what mattered was what people chose to believe. Even if things were clarified, people wouldn't remember that He Yunqing had been wronged; they would only associate his name with the words "sexual harassment."

It was just like when she was targeted—no one cared if she had been coerced or if she was a victim. Everyone focused only on whether she was "pure." Even if she were completely innocent, those who pointed fingers at her would only ever treat her as fodder for gossip, a pile of mud to be trampled upon for amusement.

Jiang Yao pressed her lips together.

Fortunately, she had long since stopped caring about such things. Whether one is truly clean is a matter of the heart, not the eyes of others.

"But seriously, why are you still working?" Xie Yan tilted her head to look at her. "If I were you, I would have quit long ago. You’re about to become the young mistress of the Cheng family. Once you're married, don't you dare forget about me."

Jiang Yao waved her hand, tired of hearing it. Ever since news of her engagement to Cheng Yanchi had spread, almost every colleague she met felt the need to say the same thing. She heard it every day until her ears were practically calloused.

After work, Jiang Yao didn't go straight home. She had an appointment with Xu Anxin. Inside Xu Anxin’s psychology studio, the therapist elegantly lit a stick of agarwood.

"Ms. Jiang, do you mind if I light some incense?"

Jiang Yao shook her head.

"How have you been feeling lately?" Xu Anxin asked with a smile. "I heard you’re soon to be engaged to the second son of the Cheng Group?"

"Please, spare me. I hear that everywhere I go lately."

"I should still congratulate you."

Jiang Yao nodded. "However, I’m going to be quite busy for a while, so I probably won't be able to come here for a long time."

As she walked out of the studio, Jiang Yao was looking down at her phone when a figure flashed past. She froze and looked up, scanning the area. The figure felt strangely familiar.

Wasn't that... Chen Shu? Why would Chen Shu be here?

Jiang Yao quickened her pace, chasing after the figure. But the person moved too fast; she couldn't keep up, and before long, she lost them entirely. She rubbed her eyes, unable to tell if she had truly seen him or if she was having another hallucination. After a moment of thought, she decided to head to Hope Snack Bar to verify.

It was getting late. Auntie Qin’s shop had sent off its last customer and was just about to close. Jiang Yao pushed the door open, and the bell above the entrance chimed.

"Sorry, we're closed," Auntie Qin said, only to turn around and see it was Jiang Yao. "You haven't had dinner?"

Jiang Yao nodded slightly, her eyes scanning the room.

"Come earlier next time," Auntie Qin said coldly. "You young people, you never like to eat on time. When you get older and end up with stomach issues, you'll be the ones regretting it."

Jiang Yao offered a bitter smile. She doubted she would live long enough to worry about stomach issues from old age.

"Sit down, what are you staring at? Standing at the door like a temple guardian?" Auntie Qin chided.

Jiang Yao pulled out a chair and sat down. "Auntie Qin, is Xiao Shu back?"

In the kitchen, the sounds of Auntie Qin skillfully preparing a meal drifted out, and before long, the aroma of food filled the air. With a sweep of the curtain, Auntie Qin walked out carrying a bowl of noodles with meat sauce, placing it down in front of Jiang Yao with a thump. "This is all that's left."

Jiang Yao looked at the bowl. This was clearly not leftovers; it was freshly made. There were even two fried eggs tucked inside. She felt a surge of gratitude and picked up her chopsticks, eating in silence.

"What did you ask me earlier?"

"Oh," Jiang Yao looked up. "Is Xiao Shu back?"

"He has a study session tonight, he hasn't returned yet. Do you need something from him?"

"It's nothing," Jiang Yao shook her head. "Just asking."

It seemed she really had hallucinated. Chen Shu was at his study session; how could he possibly have appeared at Xu Anxin's studio? Besides, Chen Shu’s health hadn't fully recovered; he certainly wouldn't have the mobility to move that fast. Jiang Yao smiled, deciding she was overthinking things, and lowered her head to finish her noodles.

The bell at the door chimed again.

Chen Shu pushed the door open and walked in. Jiang Yao looked up inadvertently, and their eyes met. A flash of surprise flickered in his gaze.

"Xiao Shu, you're back?" Jiang Yao greeted him.

Chen Shu avoided her gaze, gave a muffled "yeah," and headed straight toward his room. Jiang Yao felt that something was wrong, though she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. She had no choice but to lower her head and continue eating.

When she finished the bowl and looked up again, she saw Chen Shu standing at the foot of the stairs, watching her. He was staring at her with a direct, piercing gaze.

That expression... it was definitely not one belonging to a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy.