MSRBMH Ch 35
Early in the morning, Su Yu was jolted awake by a phone call. He had stayed up late gaming and was in no mood to get up.
His temper flared as he answered without checking the caller ID, his voice hoarse and impatient from sleep: "Not interested."
The line was silent for a long moment. Su Yu tsked and pulled the phone away to glance at the screen—"Husband" glared back at him in bold letters, instantly clearing the fog in his brain.
"Fuck."
He cursed under his breath, double-checking that it was indeed his own phone.
Whether the man on the other end heard him or not, his voice remained unhurried: "Wife, I’m here to pick you up."
Ji Yanli’s voice was unmistakable. It took Su Yu a full minute to remember why that contact name existed in the first place.
"Pick me up for what? It’s my day off—I’m not working."
"Did you forget something?"
Forget what…?
Three seconds later, Su Yu shot up from the bed, phone still in hand, and bolted straight for the hotel bathroom.
By the time they arrived at the meeting point in Ji Yanli’s car, Shen Le was already standing with his arms crossed, face stormy.
Lin Yanjun fiddled with his phone beside him, flanked by two familiar faces—Song Yanchu and Shen Xingyan, the latter of whom Su Yu had only met once.
The moment Su Yu approached, Shen Le’s voice dripped with sarcasm: "Oh, look who decided to grace us with his presence! As usual, you’re the last one here!"
He yanked on Lin Yanjun’s sleeve for backup. "Right, Yanzi?"
Lin Yanjun glanced at the man beside Su Yu and said nothing.
"My fault."
Ji Yanli’s calm interjection shouldered the blame.
Shen Le’s mouth snapped shut the second he registered who had spoken. His grin stretched unnaturally wide.
"Ahaha, no worries! It’s only been, what, ten minutes? Totally fine!"
Song Yanchu’s eyes lit up at the sight of Ji Yanli. His smile was soft, his cream-colored sweater making his complexion glow. "Yanli-ge, Xiao Yu-ge."
Su Yu returned the smile. "Yanchu, sorry for the wait."
His gaze then shifted to Shen Xingyan, who, for once, wasn’t in a suit. Dressed in athletic wear, he looked years younger.
Shen Le jumped in before Su Yu could speak. "This is my cousin, Shen Xingyan. Just call him ‘ge’ like me."
Su Yu nodded. "Shen-ge."
Shen Xingyan acknowledged him with a hum. The air around Ji Yanli instantly dropped several degrees, sending a chill down Su Yu’s spine.
[Holy shit, the whole gang’s here…]
[Ji Yanli’s face is dark. Is he jealous over a ge? LMAO, I live
for this.]
[Extrovert Shen Le: Why is everyone so quiet???]
[Wait, why is Shen Xingyan here? Wasn’t he supposed to
appear after Su Yu got kicked out? Did the plot derail?]
Shen Le, ever the social lubricant, clapped his hands. "Alright, enough standing around! Let’s go!"
Lin Yanjun finally spoke up. "Yeah, or the fish’ll be asleep by the time we get there."
—
Shen Le’s yacht was massive—a testament to his father’s indulgence as a late-life parent. With plenty of cabins, it could comfortably host an overnight trip.
As the ship set off, the deck lurched slightly. Su Yu lost his balance—only for a strong hand to seize his wrist and yank him against a solid chest.
Warmth pressed against his back, the scent of sandalwood wrapping around him.
"Wife, steady."
Ji Yanli’s lips brushed his ear, making him shiver.
Su Yu rubbed the tingling spot and shoved him away, hissing, "Don’t call me that here."
Ji Yanli didn’t respond. Whether he agreed or not was unclear.
Their little exchange went unnoticed—except by Song Yanchu, who turned just in time to see Su Yu’s flushed face as he shook off Ji Yanli’s grip.
The dynamic between them was… different. Not the old rivalry he remembered. Song Yanchu’s smile faltered before he quickly faced forward again.
Their destination was a private island owned by the Shen family, a day’s journey away.
"Pick any room you like," Shen Le announced, waving at the rows of cabin doors like a true rich heir.
Su Yu, a frequent guest, already had a favorite.
"I’m staying with you."
Ji Yanli materialized beside him like a clingy guard dog.
"Hell no. There’s a dozen empty rooms—pick one."
Shen Xingyan chose that moment to approach. If he remembered his past friction with Ji Yanli, he didn’t show it. "Mr. Ji, didn’t expect to see you here."
Ji Yanli’s frown deepened. "Mn."
Shen Xingyan turned to Su Yu. "Which room are you taking? I’d like to be nearby—there’s something I’d like to discuss."
Su Yu knew a man like Shen Xingyan wouldn’t join this trip without an agenda. Curiosity piqued, he agreed.
"Sure, I’ll show you later."
Their easy banter left Ji Yanli standing alone, his fingers tightening around his sandalwood beads. The smooth surface did nothing to soothe the irritation coiling in his chest.
Even if he couldn’t recall why, his instinctive dislike for Shen Xingyan burned bright.
Su Yu laughed at something Shen Xingyan said, eyes crinkling—proof of his natural charm, the kind that drew people in effortlessly.
Including Shen Xingyan.
The relentless click-clack of beads grated on Su Yu’s nerves. He finally grabbed Ji Yanli’s hand to silence it.
The muscles under his palm tensed. Su Yu gave it a pat before letting go.
Shen Xingyan observed the interaction quietly before excusing himself. "I’ll check out the other cabins first."
As he left, Song Yanchu appeared at Ji Yanli’s side. "Yanli-ge, want to go outside?"
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