Chapter 1343: LAST NIGHT’S CALL |
SHEN YI MU glanced at the rearview mirror while waiting at a red light. Shen Ji Yun was staring out the window with a goofy smile on his face. Okay, maybe not completely goofy. But for his nephew, who rarely showed much expression, having the corners of his mouth turned up more than usual was basically the same thing. Still, that was fine. He would take this over seeing him sad or upset any day.
But he was still a little surprised that his nephew didn’t seem nervous at all, given where they were headed. They were on his way to the Bai family mansion for the talk with Brother Luo, and probably the rest of the immediate family too. Looking at Shen Ji Yun right now, you would think he was the one with his own relationship on the line. Which he was. That was the whole point. Shen Yi Mu was just here for support. So why did he feel more nervous than his nephew?
Maybe it was because he felt that whatever he said during the talk might end up affecting Shen Ji Yun in some way. Especially after the phone call he had received last night, right after they got home from the party.
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Shen Yi Mu tugged at his tie as he walked into the room he shared with Jiang Yue. He was about to ask if the other wanted to take a bath together when his phone started ringing. He pulled it out of his pocket and frowned at the name on the screen.
Shen Yi Wu. His older brother.
Ever since the disaster that had been his coming out during Lunar New Year, his brother had stopped reaching out entirely. They had never been the kind of brothers who talked all the time or shared much about their lives. But there had been some contact before. Occasional calls, messages about family matters, the usual. After that night, nothing. Complete silence. It wasn’t as if he expected a warm embrace or words of acceptance. He knew his brother well enough not to hope for that. But the cold silence still hurt more than he wanted to admit.
For Shen Yi Wu to be calling now, Shen Yi Mu already had a good idea why. Shen Lin must have told him what had happened at the party. Which meant his brother already knew about Shen Ji Yun’s relationship with Luo Yan.
He thought about whether to answer or just let it ring. He really needed no more drama this late at night. But then he considered his brother’s personality. If he didn’t pick up, there was a chance Shen Yi Wu would just show up here tomorrow to get his answers in person. And with everything they had planned for tomorrow, that was the last thing they needed. So Shen Yi Mu let out a sigh and took the call.
"What’s this I hear from Ah Lin about Ji Yun being in an inappropriate relationship with the second son of the Luo family from S City?"
Okay, straight to the point. Very Shen Yi Wu.
He wondered if he should lie or come up with some excuse just to get Shen Yi Wu off his back. But he also knew his brother had probably already gotten the full story. Lying now would only give Shen Yi Wu another reason to come after him. And he really didn’t want to deal with that on top of everything else.
"Yes, they’re in a relationship. And no, it’s not inappropriate," he said simply.
A long stretch of silence followed on the other end. Then Shen Yi Wu let out a sigh. And Shen Yi Mu could have sworn he heard disappointment in that sound.
"I should have taken over Ji Yun’s guardianship when I found out you were in a relationship with a man. And that the same man was always coming in and out of your house. Seeing that kind of thing must not have been healthy for a child. Ji Yun must have grown up thinking that being with a man, when you’re a man yourself, was normal. And look what happened."
Shen Yi Mu gritted his teeth. Of course his brother would twist this and make it his fault. As if growing up around a gay person would make someone else gay. If sexuality worked like that, then every child raised by straight parents would turn out straight too. And that clearly wasn’t how things worked. He himself was proof of that. His parents were straight, and yet here he was. So that argument didn’t hold up at all.
But before he could fire back a sharp response, Shen Yi Wu kept talking.
"Yi Zhu would turn in his grave if he found out what you did to his son."
That last comment snapped whatever patience he had left. "Don’t you dare bring Brother Zhu into this," he growled. "Don’t act like loving someone, whether or not they’re the same gender, is some kind of crime. Because it’s not. Love, no matter what form it takes, is a gift. But I guess someone like you wouldn’t understand that. You’ve probably never loved anyone in your entire life."
He didn’t give his brother a chance to respond and ended the call right there.
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"Brother Mu, the light’s green," Jiang Yue said from the passenger seat, pulling him back to the present.
Shen Yi Mu quickly shifted the car into drive and moved forward.
Thinking back to the last thing he had said to his brother, Shen Yi Mu wondered if he had gone too far. Despite all his faults, Shen Yi Wu probably cared about his family in his own way. Saying that he had loved no one had been cruel. And he already felt guilty about it. But still, his brother shouldn’t have brought up Shen Yi Zhu. If their brother were still alive today, he would have supported Shen Ji Yun without hesitation. That was the kind of person he had been.
"Brother Mu, are you okay?" Jiang Yue asked, his voice soft with concern.
Shen Yi Mu glanced at him and gave a small smile. "Yeah, I’m fine."
He reached over and gave Jiang Yue’s hand a quick squeeze before putting his focus back on the road.