Red Line Resurrection Chapter 17
byChapter 17
You don’t need to know them.
Shen Lingjun had assumed a private gathering meant dinner at a restaurant, so he was surprised when the driver headed toward the city outskirts. He then realized their destination was the mountainside villa belonging to Liang Ji’an’s friend.
They were still some distance away, but the villa shone like a brilliant pearl embedded in the night. Ruan Jichuan, the host of the party, didn’t care much for extravagance, but he valued privacy greatly. When he bought this mountainside villa, it was half investment and half for entertaining guests.
He had casually asked Liang Ji’an if he wanted to buy one too, but Liang Ji’an said the Liang Family Manor was enough, and he wasn’t keen on investing in property this way.
Ruan Jichuan thought that made sense. The Liang family’s foundation wouldn’t collapse even after several decades, and besides, Liang Ji’an was exceptionally capable, already a leader among their generation.
Holding his wine glass, he was talking to someone nearby when he remembered his friend, and couldn’t help but gossip a little: “Ji’an said he’s bringing his younger brother tonight.”
Someone asked curiously, “The one he just brought back recently? I haven’t seen him around.”
“It’s quite unexpected,” Ruan Jichuan said with a smile. “After all, he’s an illegitimate son who couldn’t be shown in public. Uncle Liang never had scandals when he was alive, but now that he’s dead, there’s nothing to worry about. All those messy, hidden affairs are being stirred up, but Ji’an is there to handle it for him.”
Another person commented, “Ji’an barely pays attention to his legitimate younger brothers. It’s surprising he’s bringing this newly returned one out to meet people. Maybe he’s genuinely getting addicted to being a big brother.”
The tone was half teasing and half curious, without any malice. Ruan Jichuan clinked glasses lightly with Lin Fan. “We’ll see him soon. Ji’an said they’re on their way.”
The lives of these idle second-generation young masters were filled with a rich kind of boredom. They held high expectations for anything or anyone that could pique their interest. Liang Ji’an said they were arriving soon. Though they appeared to continue drinking and chatting, not crowding the main hall, they were all subtly watching the movements outside with the corner of their eyes, as if eagerly awaiting.
Shen Lingjun walked beside Liang Ji’an. During the five minutes it took to walk from the car to the main hall, he gave himself several pep talks. Liang Ji’an noticed his anxiety, turned his face, and gently reassured him: “You don’t need to greet them.”
“You don’t need to know who they are. It’s enough that they recognize you.”
The overly direct reassurance stunned Shen Lingjun. At the same time, he realized once again how irreplaceable Liang Ji’an’s status was, giving him the confidence to say such a thing. Besides feeling pleased, a sense of indescribable fear arose in him.
It was the instinctive fear of a power that could easily determine the course of his life.
Regardless, after Liang Ji’an spoke those words, he did relax. When meeting the crowd, he simply smiled, nodded, and offered a greeting, without trying to memorize who everyone was.
The noise in the hall quieted for a moment, leaving only the pleasant sound of a piano flowing softly. Countless eyes, filled with scrutiny and surprise, fixed on Shen Lingjun. Sensing this, Shen Lingjun nervously turned his face away, avoiding eye contact with anyone. Liang Ji’an placed a hand on his lower back and patted him twice, and he relaxed again.
He was too young, and the overly valuable brooch on his chest easily stole the show. An ordinary person might first notice the dazzling gem and overlook the wearer, but his appearance was so outstanding that even the glittering jewelry became a mere accessory, making his entire face shine even brighter.
The outfit Liang Ji’an had carefully chosen for him might have looked frivolous and gaudy on someone else, but on him, it was just right. The lines of his waist and hips transitioned naturally into two straight, long legs. Turning the gaze back to his face, which was almost impossible to describe in words, Ruan Jichuan nearly stopped breathing.
Such blatant beauty was no different from a lethal weapon.
But he quickly pulled his gaze back, smoothly accepting the birthday gift from Liang Ji’an, and greeted him familiarly: “I was just wondering why you hadn’t arrived yet.”
Lin Fan nudged him with his arm and mouthed, “Couldn’t be shown in public?”
The words he had spoken just moments ago felt like a boomerang hitting him in the head. Ruan Jichuan rolled his eyes at him, signaling him to keep quiet. Then, like good friends, he clapped Liang Ji’an on the shoulder. “Have a drink first. I brought out that bottle I’ve been saving.”
As friends who had known each other since childhood, Liang Ji’an didn’t refuse, but he first turned back to Shen Lingjun and asked, “Do you want to entertain yourself, or stay with me?”
Shen Lingjun didn’t know anyone, but when he came in, he had noticed a small garden in the front hall where he could sit and space out. Since the purpose of coming to this gathering tonight was just to show his face, and he didn’t want to interrupt Liang Ji’an’s time with his friends, he obediently said, “I’ll entertain myself.”
Liang Ji’an didn’t press him. “Alright. Call me if you need anything.”
He also found someone to follow Shen Lingjun, just in case he ate or drank anything inappropriate.
Ruan Jichuan was bursting with questions, and he wasn’t one to keep things bottled up. The moment his backside touched the sofa, he couldn’t wait to ask, “Ji’an, your little brother doesn’t look anything like your dad. Did you do a paternity test?”
Liang Ji’an replied flatly, “He said he did. He did it right after he was born, and the living expenses only started being paid after the blood relation was confirmed.”
“Out of respect for him, I didn’t feel the need to confirm it again.”
That sounded strange, but their relationship with their father was generally distant anyway. Ruan Jichuan laughed it off. “I just mentioned it casually, don’t take it to heart.”
“It’s mainly because, when your brother walked in, I thought he was your new little lover.”
The moment he finished speaking, Lin Fan looked at Ruan Jichuan with a horrified expression, wishing he could glue his mouth shut. It was bad enough that he spoke without thinking outside, but doing so in front of Liang Ji’an? It was obvious how much Liang Ji’an valued this brother, and he still dared to joke about it.
Liang Ji’an’s thoughts paused, however. Ruan Jichuan’s words reminded him of the night Shen Lingjun first returned home. He had stood by his bed and watched him for a long time. What was he thinking then?
Some fleeting, hidden things, which had been forcibly suppressed and ignored due to his own sense of morality, were lightly brought up again by Ruan Jichuan’s ill-timed remark. That night, he had thought that if Shen Lingjun were not related to him by blood, he would be his favorite type.
And irreplaceable.
Young, beautiful, soft like a faint moonlight, blown into his heart by a misty wind.
Even for a friend he had known for many years, the pressure of Liang Ji’an’s silence was unbearable. Lin Fan kicked Ruan Jichuan, signaling him to either apologize or change the subject. Ruan Jichuan belatedly realized that he had projected his own thoughts onto Liang Ji’an. He immediately fell silent, not daring to utter a sound, holding his wine glass like a quail.
Liang Ji’an looked at him and said, “He is my half-brother.”
A clear warning, and perhaps a reminder to himself as well.
He added, “You should know my lifestyle. I don’t have a hobby of keeping lovers.”
Ruan Jichuan breathed a sigh of relief and gave an awkward laugh, but unconsciously steered the conversation toward an even more uncomfortable topic. “Right, especially since you have a boyfriend.”
“Speaking of which, I haven’t seen Lu Jiayan in a while. What is he up to now?”
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Mwah mwah mwah mwah!