Chapter 115: Face Slapping, Trending (1)
Translator: _Min
For a moment, silence enveloped the surroundings, as if all sound had been swept away by the crowd.
Pei Mengzhi’s words came to an abrupt halt.
His ears buzzed, unable to immediately register what Yu Yao had just called out.
He could only watch as the man he’d labeled ‘disabled’ drew closer and closer, until he was right in front of them.
The man was unexpectedly young.
His eyes were aloof, and his features handsome.
The surrounding lights bathed his face in a luminescent white, softening the intimidating aura about him, yet traces of a fierce and formidable spirit were still visible.
Pei Mengzhi couldn’t help but shiver.
Yu Yao’s steps came to a complete halt, and the last shred of relief in his heart vanished without a trace.
Pressing his lips together to hide the shock in his eyes, he called out again, “Uncle Nine.”
The wheelchair finally deigned to stop.
“Shiyan, what’s your third nephew doing here?” Shen Xingjun, who was following along, naturally noticed Yu Yao. “Ah, I remember now. When I was looking up Miss Si’s information, wasn’t he the one Miss Si was chasing after?” At those words, the air around them seemed to drop a few degrees. Yu Xiheng’s eyes lifted slightly, their shallow amber depths as deep as the ocean.
“Did I hear it wrong?” Shen Xingjun mused, “I’ll have to inquire about it when I get back. ”
Yu Yao frowned, quickly distancing himself, “Mr. Shen, I have no relation whatsoever with the person you are talking about.”
Under no circumstances did he want Yu Xiheng to know about any past interactions between him and Si Fuqing.
He was already at a disadvantage in front of Yu Xiheng; he couldn’t afford to give him any more leverage.
Old Master Yu had stringent expectations for him and would never permit any entanglement with a low-tier female celebrity.
Simply put, she wasn’t worthy.
“That’s not important; what’s important is that he’s your friend, right?” Shen
Xingjun smiled, “Your friend is something else, calling Shiyan disabled?”
“As the saying goes, ‘Birds of a feather flock together.’ What kind of person your friend is reflects on you, doesn’t it?”
At these words, Yu Yao’s expression changed.
Pei Mengzhi hurriedly apologized, “Mr. Shen, I didn’t mean it that way; it was unintentional!”
“What’s wrong with being disabled?” Shen Xingjun smiled again, directing his next words at Yu Yao, “So, do you actually look down on people with disabilities, or do you just not respect your Uncle Nine?”
Yu Yao’s expression changed entirely.
Yu Xiheng had been able to walk in his earlier years; it was only after the age of ten that his leg condition worsened, rendering him completely immobile.
In the city of Sijiu, rumors and whispers were plentiful.
Including Yu Yao himself, while they showed respect to Yu Xiheng in public, they harbored some disdain for him in private. However, no one had ever been overt about it.
Now, with Shen Xingjun ripping off the facade, Yu Yao felt an unprecedented sense of embarrassment.
His face taut, he pressed his lips together, “Mr. Shen, I have always respected
Uncle Nine. I’ve never harbored such thoughts.”
Shen Xingjun only smiled in response, saying nothing.
Yu Xiheng didn’t even glance in his direction.
Yu Yao’s fingers tightened, forming a fist and then loosening again.
Finally, he bowed slightly, lowering his noble head, “Uncle Nine, my friend spoke out of turn and was disrespectful to you. I’m truly sorry for that.” Pei Mengzhi also followed with an apology.
Yu Xiheng rested his chin on his hand, his eyes aloof. From beginning to end, he never once looked at Yu Yao.
“Let’s go,” he said flatly.
Feng San pushed the wheelchair forward.
The three of them left.
Yu Yao stood in place, his face turning first pale, then flushed, a vein throbbing on his forehead.
Yu Xiheng hadn’t said anything, but he could feel the profound sense of humiliation.
Though they were separated by a generation, they were only three or four years apart in age, so comparisons were often made.
Yu Yao greatly disliked hearing people say how he was inferior to this prodigious uncle of his.
What he detested even more was Yu Xiheng himself.
Yu Xiheng seemed to possess an innate air of superiority.
The disdain he had just displayed was unmistakable; he had completely dismissed Yu Yao.
Yu Yao’s fists clenched even tighter, and his jaw tensed.
A disabled man—why did he have the audacity?
Pei Mengzhi was exceedingly awkward, “Yu Yao, my careless mouth has gotten you scolded too. I’m really sorry. I never expected your Uncle Nine to be so…so…”
He had never been to Sijiu, let alone entered the Yu family estate.
He had always heard Yu Yao mention Yu Xiheng but never imagined that he would not be the wastrel the rumors described. Instead, he was profound, dignified, and exuded a unique nobility.
The ninth son of the Yu family in Sijiu truly lived up to his reputation.
“It’s nothing,” Yu Yao frowned, “But why would he come to Lin City, and be here of all places?”