Chapter 24 Deep Affection

The wind that poured into Lu Heyang's eyes stung, causing him to blink hard. Once his vision cleared again, he could see through the dim light. The girl's hand, previously wrapped around Lu Xun's waist, emerged, gripping his school uniform tightly, creating folds like blossoming flowers. The fabric also hugged the solid waistline underneath.

Lu Xun slightly tilted his head, the remaining sunlight casting a glow on his cheek, reflecting the lustful sheen of his wet lips. In the glaring light, he squinted before focusing, locking eyes with Lu Heyang.

Immediately after, his fingers curled up, instinctively loosening from the girl's back. But she refused to lift her head, burying her face deeper into his chest as if seeking refuge, forcing him to maintain this ambiguous posture.

For a brief moment, Lu Heyang's heart raced. The self-assured yet subtly guilty look on Lu Xun's face reminded him of that night six years ago when Lin Sheng slowly opened the door to his bedroom.

Betrayal by someone you trusted. It was only now that he could pinpoint the source of this heartache. Yet, he still didn't understand why Lu Xun, of all people, had been classified in his subconscious as someone trustworthy.

Lu Heyang couldn't recall exactly what Lu Xun had said, but he remembered himself glancing at his wristwatch, expressionless, before telling Lu Xun, "Half an hour."

Then he closed the door and left.

Lu Xun knew that in half an hour, their mother, Su Mei, would be home.

The rain hadn't stopped, and the curtains were billowing in the wind. Lu Heyang closed the window, sat on the couch, and turned on the TV.

At five o'clock in the afternoon, it was time for the news. He tried to maintain a routine in his otherwise monotonous life, as it helped him keep his mental state stable, even if he wasn't really paying attention.

Recently, he had taken a liking to completing Sudoku puzzles in a magazine. Just as he filled in the number 8 in the final empty square with satisfaction, the city's five o'clock news flash began.

First was the report that the rain would continue for a week. Because of the downpour, Lu County had experienced a severe landslide, and rescue teams from several neighboring provinces were already on the way.

Without thinking much of it, Lu Heyang glanced at the screen. The camera, shaky in the storm, was dotted with raindrops. The mountains appeared to have been sliced by a knife, and as the rain washed them away, massive rocks plunged into the murky mud, instantly swallowed up as they cascaded downstream.

He watched for a while before returning to his Sudoku puzzle.

It wasn't until he heard fragmented words like "Fu Corporation takeover" and "stock market volatility" that his attention piqued.

Then, the reporter's question cut through the air, and a voice he knew all too well echoed through the living room.

"Mr. Fu, there are rumors that you are engaged to Miss Xu, the sister of CEO Xu from Tianyu Group. Are these rumors true?"

"Absolutely."

Lu Heyang's eyelid twitched, and he looked up sharply.

On the screen, Lu Xun's impossibly handsome face filled the frame. He was dressed in a tailored suit, surrounded by media, as camera flashes bombarded him. The gleam of his bespoke attire reflected the blinding lights.

"Miss Xu Lingyu and I are very much in love," Lu Xun said, his eyes shadowed by a slight exhaustion. After a pause, he added, "I believe this is what my grandfather would have wanted."

The camera panned down, focusing on Lu Xun's left hand, which wore a subtle platinum ring. The edges of the ring cast a faint shimmer.

The images flashing on the screen seemed to leave nothing but a vast emptiness in Lu Heyang's mind, like lightning splitting a pitch-black sky, leaving a chasm where all senses were lost.

In the wake of this mental void, fragments of long-forgotten memories resurfaced. He recalled the moment thirteen years ago in the fire escape, the words Lu Xun had spoken to him.

With a slight smirk of mockery, Lu Xun had said, "This is my girlfriend."

Everything was crumbling, breaking apart until it collapsed entirely.

An hour later, Lu Heyang stood amidst the wreckage, offering Aunt Ren an apologetic, pale smile as she came to clean up the mess.

She looked at him with sorrow, then bent down to sweep up the shattered porcelain and the remains of a torn-down surveillance camera.

In truth, during that hour, Lu Heyang had rummaged through the recent economic papers, reading them as meticulously as Lu Xun did at breakfast. He then pieced together the odd phone calls Lu Xun had made late at night. One by one, the details fell into place, forming a puzzle that was now almost complete. He felt as though he had processed everything well.

He should have realized it earlier. Lu Xun hadn't faked his death just to trick him into coming back to China. Whatever the reason was, the ultimate goal had to be tied to reclaiming his place in the Fu family. Lu Xun had found his biological family but had kept it a secret from him. He had used Lu Heyang's house and toyed with his emotions without letting him know, hiding behind his facade until his grand transformation was complete. Then, without explanation, he discarded him like something unnecessary.

This betrayal was far harder to accept than the news of Lu Xun's engagement.

Lu Heyang could have easily retreated back into his role as the perfect older brother, silently sipping the tea his future sister-in-law offered him. He trusted in his exceptional acting skills and believed he had the perseverance to carry on this charade for life. But what he couldn't tolerate was Lu Xun's deception, his manipulation, and the mockery he'd made of him.

Whether Lu Xun had noticed the "rebellion" through the surviving cameras or if Aunt Ren had tipped him off, the bedside phone rang at just the right moment.

Lu Heyang lay flat on his bed, turning his head to glance at the phone, but he had no intention of answering.

At that moment, he felt more like a scarecrow standing alone in the fields. As if by standing still, the ominous crows wouldn't dare to land.