Chapter 60: Patriarch Chen’s Birthday (1)

What the fuck! The media present wanted to ask a question: knowing that Director Xi’s taste is too picky, how did he choose Ye Sui?

Reporter: “Pei Ning and Chang Ying have starred in blockbuster movies. Is there any difference between Ye Sui and them?”

Xi Zhao retorted coldly, “Do they really know Ning Ling?”

Ye Sui knew a lot about Ning Ling’s past and movies. Besides, Xi Zhao knew that she must have conducted an in-depth research on Ning Ling’s life. Not to mention, there would be Ning Ling to guide her in the future.

Everyone was shocked. What did this mean? In other words, Pei Ning and Chang Ying only wanted to act superficially with no desire to honestly portray Ning Ling?

The two most popular female stars were severely beaten in the face by Director Xi.

Today, Weibo and the hot forums were all swept by the news: [Ye Sui is going to play Ning Ling. Who can tell me how she got such a huge role?]

“Ye Sui’s backing has been getting better and better recently. Is this person really such a big shot?”

“Knowing that Director Xi has a bad temper, can he really accept her without giving it a thought first? Didn’t you listen to him? Influence is not important; what matters is sincerity.”

“Chang Ying has lost several times in Ye Sui’s hands. It seems that she turned into a new leaf!”

Tomorrow was Chen Patriarch’s birthday party. He had already notified Chen Shu and Ye Sui long ago. Of course, she had agreed and also picked a gift together with Chen Shu.

The next morning, Ye Sui received a phone call from Renjie that there was a brief announcement, and it would be over soon.

Ye Sui had to inform Chen Shu to go ahead to Chen’s Mansion first, and she would come back later. Chen Shu agreed.

In the evening, Chen Shu drove to Chen’s Mansion alone. There were already many people present. The hall was brightly lit, and everyone stood there, chatting with others, looking lively.

Chen Shu was not familiar with those people, so he didn’t look at them, went straight to a corner, and checked his cell phone casually.

At this time, Chen Shu suddenly heard a voice; a man was calling out his name. “Chen Shu.”

Chen Shu looked up to follow the sound. This man was a distant relative of the Chen Family and had a very long relationship. Only on some important occasions would he come to visit their family.

The man gazed at Chen Shu and remembered the rumor that Chen Shu had a hard life. His eyes flashed sarcastically.

“The year you were born, your brother died. People say that you have a hard life and that you immediately killed your own brother at birth.”

Chen Shu’s heart was a little agitated, but he quickly calmed down.

He lowered his eyes, appearing indifferent. He had heard such words countless times since he was young. From the moment he was born, he was labeled ‘bad luck.’

They all said that he had killed his brother, that his birth had brought misfortune to his family, and that his birth was not quite clear.

The man continued, “Your mother left home when you were very young. Not only did you kill your brother, but you also drove your mother away.”

Chen Shu had no facial expression. He had long become accustomed to other people’s coldness, and numbly accepted their sarcasm. From the earliest moment he could recall, all of them came to him just to say this.

This had always been the case: no one helped him, and no one was on his side.

However, when someone else intentionally mentioned his mother, his heart still tightened, remembering the fact that he was abandoned by her.

The man kept saying, “And your wife. When she first started her career, she was scolded by netizens. Your life is just too difficult. So, who’s next now?”

Chapter 60: Patriarch Chen’s Birthday (2)

“And your wife. When she first started her career, she was scolded by netizens. Your life is just too difficult. So, who’s next now?”

When he uttered Ye Sui’s name, Chen Shu finally raised his eyes, a cold glimmer flashing in them, and his face instantly sank. Ye Sui was the only one he cared about now. He didn’t want to hear others saying that she was not good at all.

At this point, Ye Sui had finished her work. As soon as she was done, she immediately set off to Chen’s Mansion.

When Ye Sui arrived, her eyes swept around, looking for Chen Shu. She soon saw his figure, smiled, and walked towards him.

Before Ye Sui could walk over, however, he saw a man walking up to Chen Shu and talking to him. Chen Shu didn’t look at the man and didn’t seem to engage in a conversation with him.

Ye Sui frowned, and in her mind, she suddenly had a bad feeling. She quickly walked over to smooth things over. As she approached, though, the harsh words fell clearly into her ears.

Unlucky, killed your brother, abandoned by your mother… Every word was like a thorn stuck in Ye Sui’s heart.

Ye Sui’s hands trembled with anger.

She knew that other people said Chen Shu had a hard life, but she didn’t expect anyone to mention it face to face on Patriarch Chen’s birthday.

Ye Sui was already furious, but Chen Shu was numb and had no expression on his face. He seemed to have been used to all the bad things others did to him.

But she would not allow others to belittle Chen Shu, who should not be treated as such.

Ye Sui picked up a glass of wine, walked to the man’s side, and pretended to spill the wine inadvertently. The man felt cold at his sleeve and looked at it with a frown. He found it was Chen Shu’s wife, Ye Sui.

Ye Sui shook the wine glass and complained, “Grrr! Such a waste of this precious wine by spilling it on someone with short eyes.”

As she spoke, she stared at the man as if to say: look, you are such a short-sighted person.

When the man saw that not only Ye Sui didn’t apologize, but she also criticized him, he growled at her, “What did you say?”

Ye Sui laughed coldly. “What did I say?”

Her tone slightly sank with an indifferent expression. “I told you to shut your foul mouth. You say that other people’s lives are hard without any proof. Are you a deity? Chen Family does not welcome people like you.”

The man was speechless, wanting to use his status to crush Ye Sui. “You don’t respect your elders!”

Ye Sui paid no attention and glanced up and down at the man. “I don’t respect people like you who downgrade others like me.”

Ye Sui then changed her tone. “Do you know what’s the occasion now? Today is my father-in-law’s birthday party.

“You are just a remote, distant relative who can’t be further away. Even by coming here, you already used your thick face. Yet you act all high and mighty and find faults in my husband.

“I’ll ask you, where did you get the confidence to say such things on this important event?”

Ye Sui pressed forward and refused to budge. Every word reminded the man one thing: who are you to dare scold Chen Shu?

The man was so stunned by Ye Sui that he could not say a word.

Chen Shu saw Ye Sui helping him speak up, and his eyes became filled with deep emotions.

Wanting to frighten the man, Ye Sui deliberately said, “By the way, do you feel a little cold?”

She then looked at the man’s neck, her face showing fear. “I saw a female ghost lying on your neck. She was wearing red clothes; her face was pale; and her tongue was long like a snake. She also looked at you and said that she was starving…”

The man’s face turned white with fear. He believed in supernatural things and did not doubt the truth of the sentence. He hurried out, ready to go to the temple to ask for a blessing.

However, he walked too fast and fell heavily at the door, attracting the attention of others.

Ye Sui saw that the man was scared away and felt relieved. Subsequently, she looked at Chen Shu, took his hand, and walked out. “The air here is too bad. Let’s go outside.”

Chapter 60: Patriarch Chen’s Birthday (3)

“The air here is too bad. Let’s go outside.”

She didn’t want Chen Shu to face these people again. Even if they had a blood relationship with him, they never respected him.

Chen Shu glanced at their clasped hands. He did not speak and followed Ye Sui out. After the two of them got to a quiet place, the noise in the hall became far away.

It was late autumn, and the air was cool. The wind was blowing, and the leaves rustling. There was no one around, with only the moonlight falling quietly, enshrouding the place in silent tranquility.

Ye Sui fixedly looked at Chen Shu. His figure appeared silent and cruel. His eyes were so dark that the moonlight sweeping over his eyebrows seemed to fall into an abyss.

Ye Sui’s heart was filled with bitterness. Chen Shu was so good; he shouldn’t have suffered so much. She clenched his hand, and her voice sounded soft, as if she were caressing his ear.

“Chen Shu, your brother’s death was just an accident. It has nothing to do with you.”

Ye Sui continued, “When your mother left home, it was you who was hurt, not the other way around. You should not take all these things on yourself.”

“…”

Chen Shu’s deep pupils stared straight into Ye Sui’s eyes while she looked at him with concern.

In the dark, the shadow of Ye Sui was thin and slender, but her eyes were bright and firm. She looked at him and stressed it over and over again.

His brother’s death and his mother’s departure were not his faults.

Ye Sui continued to talk as Chen Shu’s eyes fell on her for a moment. The warmth began to diffuse from his fingers and slowly spread to his heart, wrapping his cold self bit by bit.

Such a feeling had never been there before.

In the darkness, a cluster of light—small but very bright—pulled him out of the bottomless despair.

Ye Sui continued, “Chen Shu, don’t pay any attention to that person’s nonsense.”

She then counted Chen Shu’s good points one by one. “You see, you are good-looking, kind-natured, caring for people, and blocking ghosts…”

Before she knew it, she had said a lot about him, not realizing that he was so special in her heart.

Ye Sui’s voice fell gently into Chen Shu’s ear. In addition, his eyes were somewhat darker. Under the white moonlight, Ye Sui lifted up her face and told him earnestly that he was fine.

Chen Shu glanced down at Ye Sui. She was still the usual: beautiful and slender. However, in such places and occasions, everything seemed different.

Ye Sui thought for a moment and added sincerely, “And with you, my luck has changed. You are not hard-luck at all; rather, you’re my good luck charm…”

The next second, Chen Shu suddenly bent down, held out his hands, pulled Ye Sui into his arms, and hugged her tightly.

Chen Shu’s hands wrapped around Ye Sui, embracing her firmly, as if it was the only sustenance in his dark life. The uncertain future no longer seemed that difficult and bleak because of her.

Ye Sui was held in Chen Shu’s arms. Her brain suddenly became empty, and she stood there, stupefied. His warm breath surrounded her, the hands covering her shoulders.

It was a cold autumn night, but Ye Sui’s ears suddenly became hot, thinking that Chen Shu had never hugged her so tightly.

Ye Sui could notice Chen Shu’s breathing gently touching her neck, causing a burst of numbness. Her face reddened again.

Ye Sui took a deep breath and called out carefully. “Chen Shu?” She was so scared that she didn’t know what to do.

Chen Shu’s head was buried in her neck. Ye Sui’s hair brushed his face, and the faint scent drifted into the tip of his nose. Instinctively, he didn’t want to leave, saying softly, “Hmm.”

Ye Sui’s voice was somewhat helpless. “You’re hurting me.”

Chen Shu loosened his grip a little, but he still didn’t let go, clutching Ye Sui’s body firmly. The moonlight outlined the figure of the couple, and a shadow was cast on the ground. It was very clear.

Chen Shu didn’t let go, and Ye Sui didn’t refuse either, just allowing him to hold her.

In the silent night, she heard her heart beat violently, one after another.