CH 048

TL: Moonlit

Father Yi and Mother Yi are well-known professors within the school. In just one afternoon, Lin Hanchuan managed to obtain their basic information and learned from several students about their favorite disciples.

As the night grew late, Yue Hong returned home, leaving Lin Hanchuan and Qi Yuyu in the brightly lit gallery to analyze the situation.

After comparing the information, Lin Hanchuan discovered that half of Yi’s parents’ favorite disciples came from humble backgrounds.

Qi Yuyu looked at the data and fell silent for a few seconds. “We can start with these people,” he said.

Art has always been a game for the few, not to mention the hefty training fees and the significant expenses for art supplies and materials. Most art students come from well-off families, with only a few exceptions.

Yet, Father Yi and Mother Yi had a considerable number of favorite disciples from humble backgrounds, including several children from rural areas.

“Did no one notice anything strange before?” Lin Hanchuan looked at the list in his hand and asked Qi Yuyu.

Qi Yuyu recalled, “Everyone believed that they were intentionally supporting children from poor families, and the industry praised them for their noble character.”

Even Qi Yuyu himself had not noticed anything wrong before. He thought that while Yi’s parents favored their own child, they fulfilled their responsibilities as mentors to their students.

Lin Hanchuan sneered slightly, a hint of disdain in his expression. He casually handed the list to Qi Yuyu while typing on his computer. He said to Qi Yuyu, “See if you can arrange a meeting with these people. I want to talk to them.”

Qi Yuyu scanned the list, selecting familiar individuals with good character, and quickly determined the candidates. “It’s possible,” he confirmed.

The two of them quickly devised a plan and bid each other farewell, returning to their respective homes. As Qi Yuyu was about to leave, he hesitated and looked at Lin Hanchuan as if he wanted to say something.

Lin Hanchuan looked at him with confusion. “Is there something else?”

After hesitating for a moment, Qi Yuyu carefully organized his words and slowly said, “Everyone has their own difficulties. Look at my family, not much better than yours. Don’t let those who don’t love you occupy too much space in your heart…”

After listening to a few sentences, Lin Hanchuan belatedly realized that Qi Yuyu was comforting him.

For many years, Qi Yuyu had few friends and had lived a solitary life for over twenty years. Without any innate talent for comforting others, he had racked his brain to find the right words.

Clumsy, yet genuine.

Lin Hanchuan looked at Qi Yuyu and saw beyond his cold and distant exterior, glimpsing the child who stumbled through learning to love deep within his heart.

A mixed feeling of inexplicable tenderness and bitterness welled up in his heart. Lin Hanchuan patiently listened to Qi Yuyu, smiled, and continued, “In the future, there will be people who love me and are worth my love.”

Many years ago, when nobody paid attention to Yi Qinglou on his birthday and he left home with resentment, it was only Qi Yuyu who went out to find him.

At that time, Qi Yuyu had said similar words, changing Yi Qinglou’s life and causing a faint admiration to bloom in his heart.

Qi Yuyu was taken aback for a moment and then said, “You still remember.”

It was something that happened a long time ago.

Lin Hanchuan replied, “I have always remembered.”

Yi Qinglou had always remembered. If it weren’t for Yi Wusheng’s fatal accident and his encounter with Qi Fenghua, he should have experienced what Qi Yuyu had described—finding someone who loved him and was worthy of his love.

But he was a protagonist in a novel, destined to return to his fate, unable to escape it or change it.

Lin Hanchuan sighed in his heart but heard Qi Yuyu’s gentle question.

“So, have you met that person now?”

Taken aback, Lin Hanchuan looked at Qi Yuyu, finding himself caught in a pair of anxious and excited eyes.

After two minutes passed without a response from Lin Hanchuan, Qi Yuyu smiled casually. “Look at the question I asked. You still have unresolved matters at home. How can you have the mental space to think about love and romance?”

Brushing aside the topic as if nothing had happened, the two bid their usual farewells. In that fleeting moment, Qi Yuyu’s smile vanished, his brow furrowing. “I’m too impatient.”

At the very least, he should have waited until their relationship grew more intimate and they shared more experiences before broaching the subject.

The moonlight tonight was beautiful, and the atmosphere between them was exceptionally harmonious. It made it difficult for Qi Yuyu to maintain his usual calm and decisiveness. When he finally realized it, the words had already slipped out of his mouth.

The only thing worth celebrating was that he remembered their past, and at least his fondness for Lin Hanchuan increased by one point. Qi Yuyu sat in the car, watching Lin Hanchuan’s figure disappear, his eyes flickering with a sense of determination that was entirely different from his usual indifferent demeanor.

Qi Yuyu had always thought that he didn’t care about anything. He had been willing to give up his own passion for painting and become an art dealer for the sake of the Qi family. Even painting itself was not something he loved to the point of being indispensable.

Yet, there was an obsession deep in his marrow for Lin Hanchuan, one that he couldn’t pinpoint where it came from but had etched itself in his heart.

[“Chuan Chuan, would you choose to stay?”] 001 appeared out of nowhere, sounding timid.

Lin Hanchuan walked past without glancing aside, but he could feel the gaze lingering behind him until he turned the corner.

001 floated in front of Lin Hanchuan’s eyes, its anxious and tense orange color gradually fading into a warm and gentle yellow. It happily flew a few circles around Lian Hanchuan. [“I knew you wouldn’t be knocked down by these false sugar-coated bullets!”]

It looked quite proud of itself.

Other hosts would develop feelings for the people in their small worlds to varying degrees. Some would remain in the small world for their entire lives, while others would only stay with their partners for a lifetime. Only their own host, cold and devoid of emotions!

001 puffed up its little chest with pride but soon deflated, realizing that Lin Hanchuan was often too immersed in his career and frequently forgot about the mission it had assigned to him.

Lin Hanchuan grabbed 001 in his hand. [“In the original story, was Yi Wusheng like this too?”]

The original Yi Wusheng was elegant and refined, quite different from the current version.

[“Of course,”] 001 said, finding a more comfortable position in Lin Hanchuan’s palm. [“This world is derived from the original novel. Yi Wusheng is what he is in the original story.”]

The reason such things didn’t come to light in the original story was simply because no one delved deeper.

If Lin Hanchuan hadn’t encouraged Qi Yuyu to pursue his painting dream, leading him to participate in the Spring Breeze Art Exhibition, Qi Fenghua wouldn’t have noticed the similarity between Yi Wusheng’s paintings and his own. And there wouldn’t have been a whole string of events.

[“In the original story, due to the limitations of perspective and length, it was impossible to fully and detailedly depict the world. The world line will naturally perfect itself,”] 001 explained, pausing for a few seconds before reluctantly adding, [“The supporting characters in the story will also develop their own backgrounds.”]

Lin Hanchuan nodded and didn’t say anything further.

001 was released into the air again, floating around aimlessly for a few circles. It realized that Lin Hanchuan paid no attention to it and let out a resigned sigh. Familiar with this routine, it disappeared and returned to reside within Lin Hanchuan’s body.

In the following days, Lin Hanchuan, Qi Yuyu, and Yue Hong met several students of Yi’s parents. To their surprise, these students spoke gratefully of their teachers and had no complaints whatsoever.

“Could it be that we guessed wrong?” Yue Hong, who had run around multiple times, started to doubt his life. “Perhaps they are just ordinary professors who aren’t good to their families, have bad personalities, or flawed characters?”

Qi Yuyu remained silent, his gaze observing Lin Hanchuan’s expression.

“Maybe,” Lin Hanchuan replied calmly.

Yue Hong plopped heavily onto the sofa. “I’ve met four or five people, and there doesn’t seem to be any problem. Maybe you’re overthinking it…”

Before Lin Hanchuan could respond, Qi Yuyu glanced at him disapprovingly, causing Yue Hong to immediately sit up straight.

During their conversation, the sixth person they had arranged to meet arrived. He glanced around and saw Yue Hong, showing a genuine smile.

Lin Hanchuan openly sized up the newcomer. He was wearing a simple black T-shirt and black jeans, with traces of unwashed paint on his clothes. Even from a distance, one could smell the distinct odor of paint that was characteristic of artists. He looked quite disheveled and destitute.

According to the information, this student came from a rural family in another province, and his family had made every effort to support his art education.

After enrolling, he felt out of place among the art students and didn’t have a good social circle. It was Father Yi who helped him find a part-time job and provided him with used art supplies and paint, allowing him to continue his studies.

“My teacher…” Upon hearing Lin Hanchuan’s question, he drew out his words and then said, “My teacher is a very good person. Thanks to him back then, I didn’t have to drop out and go home, or be busy with part-time jobs and have no time or energy to delve into research and learning. Without him, I wouldn’t have achieved what I have today.”

This child from a poor family had become a well-known painter with a single artwork worth tens of thousands.

With no gains to be had, Yue Hong lost interest after hearing a few sentences and buried his head in his phone, allowing Lin Hanchuan to converse with his friend.

While playing with his phone, he suddenly exclaimed, drawing the attention of everyone in the café.

Yue Hong awkwardly smiled and handed his phone to Lin Hanchuan, muttering under his breath, “Damn, take a look!”

The eyes of everyone present focused on the phone. After glancing at it, Qi Yuyu’s expression changed, and he suddenly looked at Lin Hanchuan.

As the person involved, Lin Hanchuan remained unfazed.

Father Yi and Mother Yi had registered an authenticated account and, within a few hours of activating it, sent separate legal letters to Qi Yuyu, Yue Hong, and the joint account of the victims deceived by Yi Wusheng. They warned everyone not to defame Yi Wusheng, stating that they would use the weapon of the law to defend their son’s dignity and innocence.

In addition, they sent Lin Hanchuan a screenshot of a court summons, accusing him of violating the rights of others’ reputation and stating their intention to sever their father-son relationship.

On the court summons, Yi Qinglou’s ID number and address were not redacted, while Father Yi’s own ID number and address were thoroughly covered.

This maneuver might or might not be effective, but it was truly repugnant.

Yue Hong was furious and stomped his feet. “How dare they use these tactics? They have no shame!”

It was an undeniable fact that Yi Wusheng deceived people emotionally and plagiarized others’ works. How could this couple still have the audacity to threaten the victims so self-righteously?

Lin Hanchuan returned the phone to Yue Hong and observed the expression of the young artist across from him. He said, “Given their character, this is not the first time they’ve done something like this to you, and it certainly won’t be the last.”

“So, are you still going to protect them?”

Author’s note:

Another earthquake. sigh