CH 80

Chapter 80: Nian Nian, we can’t do it in daytime

After the engine noise disappeared, the entire parking lot returned to its initial silence. As if regaining hearing after a sudden deafness, Yu Nian could feel his heart beating rapidly, resonating in his eardrums. He could hear Xie You’s trembling voice and his labored breathing.

Seeing Xie You’s pale face and constricted pupils, Yu Nian subconsciously wanted to lift his hand and pat Xie You’s shoulder to comfort him. After all, Xie Li died in a car accident, and Xie You himself had almost died in the accident orchestrated by Ding Zhaoxian.

However, his throat tightened, and he couldn’t make a sound. Extreme fear left his limbs powerless.

Xie You pressed his lips against Yu Nian’s forehead and took a deep breath before nervously asking, “Nian Nian, do you feel any pain?”

His nerve endings became sensitive again, and he felt a slight pain in his thigh, probably from scraping against the ground. Yu Nian shook his head. After recovering, he voiced his concern, “I’m not injured, how about you?”

He vividly remembered hearing Xie You’s suppressed groan when they rolled to the ground while being held by Xie You.

“I’m fine.” Xie You helped Yu Nian stand up and made sure he had no wounds before looking towards the position of the red sports car.

The luxurious and dazzling front of the sports car was now heavily damaged, having crashed into a concrete pillar. Xie You’s five bodyguards stood quietly, with two guarding each side of the car doors and the remaining three securing the area and handling the traces of bullets at the scene.

Xie You’s eyes were naturally deep, and his expressionless face gave off an icy aura. At this moment, his face was as dark as a deep abyss, and his eyes were filled with icy sharpness.

“Drag him out.”

“Yes.”

Following the order of the bodyguard standing beside the car, they violently opened the car door, tore off the safety belt, and roughly dragged Tang Xiaoke out, who was still sitting between the deployed airbags.

The bursting tire and unresponsive steering wheel had already frightened Tang Xiaoke. And now, being dragged out by the two burly bodyguards, he was tossed on the cement ground like a ragdoll.

Xie You squatted down, extended his hand, and grabbed the gun handed to him by the bodyguard. With a crisp sound, he released the safety and directly pressed the muzzle against Tang Xiaoke’s forehead.

The icy cold metal of the gun still carried the evident smell of gunpowder. Tang Xiaoke’s pupils were as small as needles, and he trembled as he said, “You can’t kill me… You can’t kill me! My father is Tang Jianzhong! You can’t—”

Xie You’s eyes were as dark as ink as he softly interrupted, “I can’t?” Even the trailing tone carried a sharp edge.

Facing Xie You’s gaze, Tang Xiaoke shuddered, feeling like the other party really wanted to kill him. He recalled what his father had said—He didn’t even have the qualifications to meet Xie You.

A suffocating fear descended upon him like ice-cold water. Tang Xiaoke’s index finger dug into the cement ground, trembling in fear, and his chest heaved as he struggled to breathe, gasping heavily.

Even the air he inhaled felt like it had thorns.

At this moment, Yu Nian gently placed his hand on Xie You’s cold hand from behind.

Xie You paused.

The warmth of Xie You’s body gradually dispelled the chill, and the killing intent subsided. Xie You lowered his gaze, stood up, and handed the gun back to the bodyguard. Then he took off his own suit jacket and wrapped it around Yu Nian.

The bodyguard unconsciously held the fabric of the suit tightly. After several breaths, Xie You tentatively asked: 

“Did… I scare you?”

Seeing that Xie You didn’t dare to look at him, Yu Nian softened his voice and didn’t answer directly. Instead, he said, “Xie You, I feel cold. Can you hold me?”

Xie You’s fingertips trembled, and upon seeing the gentleness in Yu Nian’s eyes, the tension in his back subtly eased. He lifted his hand, controlling his strength, and embraced Yu Nian in his arms.

His warm breath fell on Yu Nian’s sensitive skin on the neck, and Yu Nian allowed himself to be held by Xie You. Suddenly, he heard Xie You’s low voice, as if afraid that someone other than Yu Nian would detect his vulnerability.

“I’m glad you’re okay.”

I’m glad you didn’t leave me like your brother did.

He couldn’t bear any more separations.

Yu Nian’s eyes welled up with tears, and he lifted his hand to hug Xie You back.

“Yeah, I won’t leave you.”

At 9 p.m. that night, the hashtag #TangXiaokeIntendedToMurderYuNian# reached the top spot on the trending list. Simultaneously, major forums featured the topic, and news platforms continuously reported it as a headline.

Under the headlines were surveillance footage from the parking lot, clearly showing that Tang Xiaoke had parked the red sports car in advance and waited for Yu Nian to appear. When Yu Nian showed up, he used the sports car’s superior performance to accelerate instantly and ram into Yu Nian without any hesitation.

Then, it seemed that the tires had a problem, and the sports car suddenly veered, uncontrollably crashing into the concrete pillar. At the same time, someone who was approaching rushed towards Yu Nian at an explosive speed, pushing him to the side to avoid the impact.

Next, there were close-up pictures of the damaged front of Tang Xiaoke’s car as well as Tang Xiaoke sitting on the ground.

[Is this for real and not fabricated? Terrifying! Who gave Tang Xiaoke the audacity to deliberately ram into someone in a public parking lot with a sports car? This is clearly attempted premeditated murder! And the moment Yu Nian appeared, Tang Xiaoke clearly reached the car’s maximum speed without any hesitation, crashing into Yu Nian! Should I also be worried that if I scold Tang Xiaoke today, I might be run over by him tomorrow?]

[Holy crap! This is a repeat offender! He’s only seventeen and already dares to speed and hit someone. Moreover, he blames the victim for being unlucky! The previous incident was covered up by the Tang family’s money and influence. Now Tang Xiaoke is trying to do the same thing again? What’s wrong with this world?]

[I just want to know, how is Nian Nian? Is the person who saved him injured? And, has this murderer Tang Xiaoke been arrested? Can he be fairly sentenced? Bursting into tears!!!]

[To those who were defending young Master Tang, open your eyes wide! This is your young master! He ran someone over, and now he’s planning to do it again? Relying on his family’s money and power, does he think he can do whatever he wants?]

[Thank you to the person who saved Nian Nian! I’ve watched this video dozens of times, crying all the while! If it weren’t for that person, would Yu Nian have been crushed under the wheels? In the end, Tang Xiaoke’s family covered up everything, and we still don’t know how Nian Nian died?]

Countless fans and passersby flocked to the official Weibo account of Xingyao Entertainment, Meng Yuan, Yu Qing, and Xia Mingxi to inquire about Yu Nian’s current situation. By 10 p.m., Xingyao Entertainment’s official Weibo released the latest news, stating that Yu Nian had been taken to the hospital for a full-body examination. Aside from extensive abrasions on his legs, there were no other external injuries, and the person who saved him during the critical moment was also not in a life-threatening condition. Yu Nian was currently receiving post-trauma counseling.

Shortly after the news was released, the hashtag #YuNianNotInLifeDanger# also reached the fifth spot on the trending list. Meanwhile, the family background of Tang Xiaoke, as well as the history of how Tang Jianzhong became wealthy, were extensively exposed.

The next morning, while netizens were condemning Tang Xiaoke’s attempted murder and demanding a fair and open trial, the news media reported that since January 1st, several incidents of building collapses and ground subsidence due to quality issues had occurred at Tang Real Estate within less than half a year.

Not long after, financial news reported that Tang Jianzhong, the chairman of Tang Real Estate, was under investigation for tax evasion and accepting substantial bribes. At the same time, Tang Real Estate’s stock price plummeted, losing billions within just half a day.

Shi Rou was browsing Weibo on her phone while holding it in the hospital. She whispered to Meng Yuan, discussing the situation.

“Brother Meng, should we control the narrative a bit? I looked around, and many people are speculating about the forces and background behind Yu Nian’s situation since Tang Real Estate had trouble the day after Yu Nian was hit. Tang Jianzhong is also under scrutiny now, even though there were no previous rumors. So many people are guessing about the forces and connections behind Yu Nian.”

Meng Yuan’s voice was also low as he asked Shi Rou in return, “Rou Rou, I ask you, is it true or false that Tang Real Estate has quality issues?”

“Of course, it’s true!” Shi Rou, “Moreover, many real estate companies in China have poor quality. Due to vested interests, the news is rarely reported and suppressed.”

“Yes, so President Xie just presented the truth that some people were trying to cover up to the public.” Meng Yuan asked again, “Then, Tang Jianzhong accepted bribes and evaded taxes, is it true or not?”

“It’s all true. I overheard it too. President Xie has been investigating Tang Xiaoke since the very beginning when he targeted Yu Nian, and he has had the evidence all along. Tax evasion and bribery are indeed true. Otherwise, with the quality of Tang Real Estate, how could they pass inspections?”

Meng Yuan patted Shi Rou’s shoulder and said, “All of these things are true, so we have a clear conscience. As for the speculations from netizens, let them guess. It’s the vague glimpse of an iceberg that will make people fear. Yu Nian’s career is still on the rise, he’s talented and hardworking, which is bound to make some people jealous and resentful. Let those people be wary, so they’ll cause fewer troubles in the future.”

Shi Rou nodded and then remembered something, “Brother Meng, I accidentally overheard President Xie giving instructions. It seems that Tang Real Estate is really going to suffer a major setback this time. Tang Xiaoke is like a real-life version of a scoundrel.”

“Indeed, having such a troublesome son, Tang Jianzhong must be regretting it now! I heard that Tang Xiaoke has been taken into custody for attempted premeditated murder, causing a severe public opinion impact. Coupled with President Xie’s pressure, he will undoubtedly receive a heavy sentence. Tang Jianzhong is now overwhelmed and doesn’t even dare to hire a lawyer.” Meng Yuan muttered to himself, “I should go to the temple someday and pray for Yu Nian’s safety.”

After receiving the last examination results, Yu Nian came out, and seeing Meng Yuan and Shi Rou looking at him, he smiled and said, “The doctor said everything is fine. I just need to rest for two days with these scrapes.”

Meng Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, “That’s good, that’s good!”

He noticed that Xie You had been following Yu Nian since last night, accompanying him throughout the examination. Even when Yu Nian was in the hospital room, Xie You stayed by his side, and all official business was moved to the hospital room. It was as if Xie You was afraid that if he blinked, Yu Nian would disappear from his sight.

Meng Yuan tactfully said, “I still need to keep an eye on the details of the Golden Pine Awards red carpet event. I’ll leave first.”

Shi Rou was about to speak but received a glance from Meng Yuan. She shut her mouth and followed him.

After Meng Yuan and Shi Rou left, only the bodyguards remained, leaving Yu Nian and Xie You face to face.

Yu Nian smiled and said, “Can you take me home?”

Xie You nodded, “Sure.”

Back home, Yu Nian first took a shower. After drying his hair and coming out, he found that Xie You was still sitting properly on the couch, just like before he entered the bathroom, not moving at all.

Yu Nian yawned and noticed that Xie You had faint shadows under his eyes. He asked, “You stayed up half the night last night. Do you want to sleep for a while together?”

He knew that this incident had triggered some deep-seated fear in Xie You. It seemed like Xie You was afraid that if he blinked, Yu Nian would disappear from his sight. He wanted to go to sleep alone last night, leaving Xie You to remain calm— he couldn’t bear to see Xie You like this.

Hearing this, Xie You’s expression changed slightly, “…Yu Nian, do you want me to sleep with you?”

Yu Nian didn’t sense anything and naturally replied, “Yes, let’s sleep together. There’s only one bed in my home. The couch is too narrow, and it’s uncomfortable to sleep on.”

Unbeknownst to Yu Nian, Xie You’s ears turned hot. He hesitated for two seconds before saying, “Nian Nian, although I also… want to. But, we can’t be openly intimate during the day.”