Standing Next To You
Chapter 104: Accepted?

Chapter 104: Accepted?

Bei Sangyun shook her head. She needed to dismiss that ridiculous thought.

She resumed eating her unpalatable food.

In the distance, Fei Chuan raised his head from his meal and glanced in Bei Sangyun’s direction.

She had returned to her usual seat, surrounded by her lackeys.

Fei Chuan lowered his head and continued eating, the irritation in his brow deepening.

After his earlier outburst, Bei Sangyun had stopped following him around. She offered no explanation and maintained an expressionless demeanor. Was this incident not bothering her at all?

Her words of wanting to become his friend were indeed a lie. She was just playing him. And he was a fool for expecting something.

Fei Chuan angrily finished his soup in one go, stood up, and left the cafeteria.

...

The remainder of the day passed without incident.

No one approached Fei Chuan. The "bee" that had been buzzing around him for the past few days had disappeared.

Without her constant pestering, Fei Chuan’s world became quiet, something he had wished for since the beginning. But now that he had it, he found himself even more irritated.

He glanced at the empty seat beside him. After lunch, Bei Sangyun had moved her seat back to its original location, leaving him isolated in the last row.

She was once again encircled by a noisy group, as if they had returned to the beginning, with her as the infamous tyrant and him as the solitary, gloomy target.

The distance between them, which had lessened over the past week, had reemerged, dividing them once more.

Fei Chuan clenched his fist.

He knew Bei Sangyun was unpredictable and that her words couldn’t be trusted. He understood that she had been toying with him.

This was exactly what he had anticipated. So why was he growing more agitated?

When the school bell rang, Fei Chuan was the first to stand and leave this annoying room.

As he passed Bei Sangyun’s seat, he muttered through gritted teeth.

"So all your talks are just jokes? Ha. You are truly the worst."

Bei Sangyun watched him leave, her eyes locked onto his retreating figure, stunned.

Why was he getting more angry? Was she doing it wrong?

Only after Fei Chuan had left did Bei Sangyun react. She turned to her followers who remained frozen in shock after hearing Fei Chuan’s words. He had spoken loudly enough for both her and the people around her to hear.

"Hey, why is he getting angrier when I’m giving him some peace and quiet?" Bei Sangyun wondered.

Her lackeys exchanged skeptical glances. They were just as clueless about what Fei Chuan meant by his outburst.

****

Fei Chuan stood by the school gate, waiting for his chauffeur to arrive, wearing a deep frown.

Why had he done that? What was the point of saying those words to her? Was he looking for a fight?

Fei Chuan reprimanded himself for doing something so unnecessary and foolish.

He was usually skilled at keeping his emotions in check, but whenever Bei Sangyun was involved, he found it hard to control his words and actions.

It frustrated him.

Bei Sangyun was like poison – unpredictable, and an entity that could eventually lead to his downfall.

Right, it was best not to get entangled with her. As for the past week, he would simply treat it as if it had never happened.

The Fei family’s car pulled up in front of him. Fei Chuan recognized it immediately. Driver Wang was waving from behind the driver’s seat. Fei Chuan opened the car’s door and got in.

"Young Master, how was school today?" Driver Wang inquired.

"Fine," Fei Chuan replied curtly.

Driver Wang had been Fei Chuan’s chauffeur ever since he returned to the Fei family. He was diligent and observant, capable of discerning his young master’s mood even beneath the long bangs that usually covered his face.

Whenever he picked up the young master from school, Fei Chuan’s mood was typically either calm or indifferent, as if he were a wooden doll moving mechanically, devoid of visible emotional expression.

But it had been different over the past few days.

The young master gazed out the window as usual, but there was a noticeable liveliness in his expression, as if he were burdened by something, resembling the way normal teenagers might look.

Today, his young master appeared genuinely upset.

He decided to address Fei Chuan through the rearview mirror. "Young Master, is something troubling you?"

There was a prolonged silence.

Driver Wang initially believed that Fei Chuan wouldn’t respond. He was not offended, he understood that the young master had always been reserved. Just as he had given up hope of receiving an answer, Fei Chuan unexpectedly spoke.

"...There’s this person."

Driver Wang’s ears perked up, eager for Fei Chuan to continue. However, the teenager fell silent once more.

Driver Wang: ?

After a prolonged pause, Fei Chuan spoke again. "...Never mind."

Driver Wang: "...."

He glanced at Fei Chuan through the mirror and said, "Young Master, the ride will be lengthy. Please don’t hesitate to speak or ask me anything. I’m all ears."

Fei Chuan leaned back in the rear seat, his gaze fixed on the passing scenery. "Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind."

Yet throughout the ride, Fei Chuan never broached the topic again.

Driver Wang felt a sense of disappointment but decided to shift the conversation.

"Young Master, before I left the mansion, I heard that a guest is coming to visit our wing. Do you have any idea who it might be?"

This question finally diverted Fei Chuan’s thoughts from Bei Sangyun. "...A guest? Are you sure this guest is visiting us?"

"Yes, I couldn’t inquire further as I had to leave."

Fei Chuan pondered the identity of this guest, but he couldn’t think of anyone who would visit the neglected child of the Fei family.

However, the answer to this question became clear as soon as he arrived at the Fei mansion.

Grandma Pei greeted him with a smile, "You’re finally here. Come, Madame Li has been waiting for you for some time. She mentioned she’s a parent of one of your classmates and Little Sangyun’s fourth aunt."

Fei Chuan paused, his gaze falling on the unfamiliar woman who had appeared in their living room.

"Oh my, he’s certainly a tall and handsome young man. You’ve raised quite the fine young master, Madame Pei." Li Mei smiled at Fei Chuan. "I’m Li Mei. I’ve heard so much about you from your grandma."

Fei Chuan’s expression darkened.

The friendship that hadn’t sailed had already come to an end, but the problem that ’that’ person had entangled him in was still very much alive and kicking.

This truly sucked.

****

In the massive living room of the Lin family, several people were already present and were waiting for the old man to arrive.

The atmosphere was tense, especially for the third, fourth, and fifth branches. Their daughters would have to compete against each other, after all.

Lin Ginxian glanced at Bei Sangyun and said, "Make sure you get the role this time. Don’t disappoint me."

Bei Sangyun rolled her eyes and replied, "Sure."

The other branches were also giving advice to their children, urging them to do their best and not disappoint them.

Lin Sunji smiled with confidence, while Lin Xiaoni bit her lip in anxiousness. Meanwhile, Lin Sanju, who had the least presence, remained calm and seemed unfazed.

Finally, the old man arrived with Butler Yang.

He greeted his sons and grandchildren and told them to take their seats.

"Before we start, have you apologized to the person you should apologize to?" The old man addressed the fourth branch directly.

Lin Sunji nodded with a smile, "I did, Grandfather."

Bei Sangyun had initially been unconcerned, but upon hearing Lin Sunji’s reply, her gaze sharpened.

"He also accepted my apology. We are currently working on compensation. Please don’t worry, Grandfather. I will never tarnish the Lin family."

"He accepted your apology?" Bei Sangyun asked with narrowed eyes. "Don’t lie to Grandfather. Haven’t you learned your lesson?"

"This rude brat keeps interfering in someone’s conversation. Lin Ginxian, you better control your daughter, lest she upsets Father again," Lin Ruo added fuel to the fire.

"She is not wrong. You dare to lie in front of Father’s face? You certainly have some nerve," Lin Ginxian chimed in.

"Don’t start it, you two," Old Master Lin intervened before another fight could begin. His sons never learned, and he was tired of watching them fight every day.

"Whether it’s a lie or the truth, we will find out. What do you take me for? Do you think your lies would go unnoticed by me?"

His sons shook their heads, expressing their loyalty to the old man and the family.

"Right. I have many ways to confirm the truth, but I want to hear it from them directly. Sangyun, why do you say it’s a lie?" the old man inquired.

"Because I was there when she asked. To be exact, I happened to overhear them. He did not accept her apology at all," Bei Sangyun replied.

"Why are you making up stories to harm me? Do you really want the inheritance so badly that you’d come up with such ways to kick me out?" Lin Sunji countered. "I understand it was my fault that time, but this time, I have to right my wrong."

Lin Sunji glanced at her mom. Li Mei nodded and placed the envelope that her maid had been secretly holding on the center table.

"Father, Lin Sunji went to the victim’s house to properly apologize and gave him the compensation he deserved. This is the agreement they made." Li Mei explained.

Bei Sangyun snatched the envelope and opened it. There she found Fei Chuan’s signature and their deal.

She was stunned. The prideful and overbearing Fei Chuan had actually forgiven them? This didn’t seem like something he would do.

Yet the clear signature on the paper indicated that Fei Chuan had indeed forgiven them and accepted the compensation.