Of course, this doesn't mean he's without problems in this life. But even if Fu Shuyu were to make a move, shouldn't her target be him? Why target Yan Sheng?
Unfortunately, there is too little information available at present to draw any useful conclusions.
Yan Shenyu: "Perhaps I'm just being paranoid and overthinking things."
Xie Siyan shook his head and calmly said, "No, your analysis makes sense. It will be too late once something happens."
Yes, it will be too late once something happens.
Lunch was served on the first deck of the yacht, with two professional chefs and four waiters attending to their meal. The midday sun shone on the sea, creating a sparkling effect, and a warm tropical breeze blew into the cabin, making it feel like just an ordinary holiday.
Fu Shuyu was still discussing cave diving with Fu Jingran when suddenly, Fu Da, who was next to her, tapped the table and said in a deep voice, "Shuyu, aren't you going to eat your Australian lobster?"
Fu Shuyu glanced at the plate, looking completely bewildered: "It's all cold. I asked the chef to make me a new one."
"You can ask him to heat it up for you."
"It will become tough if it is heated a second time."
"Then you can eat it cold."
"It smells fishy when it's cold."
For a moment, all that could be heard at the dinner table was their heated conversation.
Yan Shenyu observed them quietly without saying a word.
In the past two days, he found that Fu Shuyu was indeed very picky, or to be precise, she was spoiled. She had been pampered too much and wanted the best of everything. If it didn't suit her taste, she would refuse it.
Fu Da is the complete opposite of Fu Shuyu. He mostly behaves like a rich kid, but he shows thrift in small details. For example, he divides tissues into two parts, never leaves any food uneaten, and will even stop Fu Shuyu from wasting food.
"The lobster you wasted is equivalent to a week's living expenses for an average family."
Fu Shuyu's eyes became even stranger: "I paid for this. In the process of commodity circulation, fishermen, fishmongers, transportation and sales personnel all benefited. The value of the lobster was realized the moment I bought it. As for whether I eat it or throw it away, that's my business."
Fu Da: "You're wasting resources."
Fu Shuyu put down her knife and fork, frowning: "Do you really want to argue with me?"
“I’m just stating the facts,” Fu Da wiped his mouth and said calmly, “You may not know this yet since you just returned to China, but 35% of our country’s food is wasted every year. At the same time, 600 million people have a monthly income of only 1,000 yuan①, and can’t even afford the Australian lobster next to you.”
“I have deep sympathy for those low-income groups,” Fu Shuyu said stubbornly, raising her chin. “But I have a fixed annual charitable expenditure to help groups that are impoverished for various reasons. You are not qualified to criticize me for wasting a lobster.”
Fu Da laughed and said slowly, "Are you sure your actions were charitable, or just a show put on by the upper class to satisfy their reputation?"
"Uncle," Fu Jingran couldn't stand it anymore and asked in confusion, "What's wrong with you today?"
“Sorry, I went too far just now,” Fu Da said, his expression softening. “I just don’t like people wasting food.”
“I think the key to reducing food waste is not forcing people to eat the wasted portion,” Yan Shenyu, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up.
"For example, Fu Shuyu doesn't want to eat cold lobster, but the lobster has already reached the final stage of distribution. What's the difference between eating it and throwing it away? Even if he does eat it, besides making himself feel uncomfortable, what contribution does it make to reducing food waste?"
Fu Shuyu raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.
Fu Da narrowed his eyes: "Then what do you think should be done?"
Yan Shenyu: "I think we should reduce the food supply at the source. A family wastes food not because they eat too little, but because they buy too much. By limiting our purchases and planning our needs, we can truly reduce food waste."
“The theory sounds right, but you’ve overlooked one thing,” Fu Da said slowly. “Humans are despicable animals; given the opportunity, they never restrain their desires.”
“Perhaps,” Yan Shenyu shrugged, indifferently. “I’m just a lowly animal; I can’t interfere with others.”
“No,” Fu Da shook his head, his gaze filled with undisguised appreciation. “The fact that you realize this already makes you better than many others.”
That was a bit too much praise. Before Yan Shenyu could even respond, Xie Siyan suddenly pushed back his chair and stood up: "Enjoy your meal, I'm leaving now."
"Why have you only eaten so little?" Fu Jingran, oblivious to the tense atmosphere, raised his voice and said, "If you don't eat your fill, you won't have the energy to go diving this afternoon."
"No need," Xie Siyan turned and left, leaving behind a cold and indifferent back view. "I'm not going."
"You're not going?" Fu Shuyu exclaimed in surprise, "Then I..."
Yan Shenyu: "Then what's wrong with you?"
"N-nothing." Fu Shuyu sat down again, looking at the steaming lobster on her plate, and suddenly felt that she had no appetite at all.
He didn't touch either of the two Australian lobsters.
Fu Da glanced at her coldly, his gaze towards Fu Shuyu filled with deep scrutiny.
At the same time, Yan Shenyu had already gotten up and followed Xie Siyan back to her room.
They were making a lot of noise on the first floor, but the third floor remained quiet.
Yan Shenyu carefully opened the door and saw Xie Siyan standing by the window with his back to him, his hands in his pockets, showing him only the stiff back of his head.
Yan Shenyu tiptoed over and looked up at him from below.
Xie Siyan glanced at him but didn't say anything.
"Are you angry?" Yan Shenyu asked him.
Xie Siyan stared at him for a long while, then slowly sighed: "No."
Yan Shenyu then smiled and pulled out a small plate from behind her: "You're not full, are you? I brought you a piece of cake."
The pure white cheesecake is sprinkled with specks of green lemon zest, exuding a rich, citrusy aroma.
Yan Shenyu scooped out a corner with a spoon and handed it to Xie Siyan: "This cake isn't too sweet, you should be able to eat it."
Xie Siyan glanced at him and asked, "How did you know I don't like sweets?"
“This is easy to notice, isn’t it?” Yan Shenyu said. “I’ve eaten with you many times, and you only take the non-sweet desserts, and you only drink sparkling water. You never touch sweet and sour flavors.”
Unexpectedly, the other party noticed these details. Xie Siyan's eyes darkened for a moment. He looked at Yan Shenyu quietly and said slowly, "You eat first."
Yan Shenyu thought Xie Siyan was worried that it wouldn't taste good, so she turned the spoon around and put it in her own mouth.
"This is the dessert I chose after trying 18 different kinds on the yacht, the one that best suits your taste... um..."
He had only spoken halfway when Xie Siyan suddenly lowered her head and covered his mouth with hers.
Yan Shenyu: "!!"
He was still holding a cake in his hand!
Yan Shenyu tried to shrink back to avoid Xie Siyan, but Xie Siyan pressed down on his lower back with his left hand, completely blocking his way with just one arm.
Yan Shenyu took a step back, but was pressed against the window by the force of the fall.
Xie Siyan opened the window and could vaguely hear voices talking on the deck below. Some people were talking by the pool, and if he looked up, he could see them kissing there.
This is so exciting, it's like having an affair.
Yan Shenyu struggled to get up, but Xie Siyan took the opportunity to lift him up and put him against the window. The plate in Yan Shenyu's hand hit the glass, making a crisp sound.
Startled, Yan Shenyu quickly turned around and saw someone looking up from downstairs...
They're about to be seen!
Just before the other person looked up, Yan Shenyu swiftly pulled back the curtains with a "whoosh," instantly plunging the room into darkness. Faint sunlight filtered through the gaps, casting an ambiguous atmosphere.
Xie Siyan took a step forward and pinned him against the wall.
After an unknown amount of time, Xie Siyan finally released him. The two leaned against each other, breathing quietly.
Yan Shenyu's head was still spinning. Just as she came to her senses, she heard Xie Siyan say, "The cake is indeed quite delicious."
"Uh..." Yan Shenyu was both embarrassed and annoyed. She threw a punch, but her body was weak and powerless after the kiss.
Xie Siyan let his fists land on him, and even had the energy to straighten his disheveled shirt.
“However,” Xie Siyan fastened his tie and said slowly, “Fu Da’s undisguised praise of you just now did make me a little angry.”
Yan Shenyu's waist ached slightly from his pinch, and she said irritably, "Fu Shuyu is so obviously trying to be nice to you."
Xie Siyan: "Then show me you're jealous now."
"Stop fooling around, I'm talking to you about serious matters." Yan Shenyu pushed his face away and said seriously, "You saw Fu Shuyu and Fu Da arguing just now, right? I thought they were together, but their relationship isn't as good as I thought."
Xie Siyan twirled his hair with her index finger, and after a long while, she said, "Is it possible that their argument was also an act for us?"
"An act?" Yan Shenyu was taken aback.
“It’s just speculation,” Xie Siyan said. “Fu Shuyu’s extravagance isn’t new, and for a wealthy and powerful family like this, saving food is as distant a topic as asking a college student, ‘How do you think we should solve the African refugee problem?’ It’s strange that Fu Da cares about this, and it just so happens that he chose today to have his outburst…”
Yan Shenyu nodded: "The timing of Fu Da's outburst is indeed a bit strange, but their relationship is not particularly close. If they have to act together, it's probably for some unavoidable reason."
"Do you think it could be a battle for the family fortune?" Yan Shenyu speculated. "The two of them are working together to oust Fu Jingran, which is why they're targeting Yan Sheng!"
Xie Siyan was silent for a moment, then shook his head: "I think it's too obvious. If I were to deal with Fu Jingran, I wouldn't choose to do it myself, and there's no need to call in two outsiders to create unnecessary trouble."
Yan Shenyu thought about it and also felt that Xie Siyan's words made sense.
Everything is still uncertain; we can only wait and see how things go this afternoon.
Yan Shenyu glanced out the window and saw Fu Shuyu leaning against the railing talking to someone, while another person was obscured by the building and could not be seen clearly.
Yan Shenyu felt uneasy, so he went downstairs and repeated their deductions to Yan Sheng. He wasn't familiar with Fu Jingran's side; it was Xie Siyan who spoke on his behalf.
"How is it?" Xie Siyan entered the room, and Yan Shenyu immediately stood up.
The latter shook his head: "He trusts Fu Da and thinks we are being paranoid."
...
"You're saying someone wants to harm me?" Fu Jingran's surprised voice rang out ten minutes ago.
“It’s just a deduction,” Xie Siyan said. “We suspect that Yan Sheng’s accident was not an accident, but a deliberate act. Someone is trying to control you by controlling Yan Sheng.”
"But I personally helped him with the pre-entry inspection. If we really have to find the reason, it was my mistake."
Xie Siyan: "It's also possible that someone tampered with it after it entered the water."
After a long silence, Fu Jingran looked up at him and asked, "Then who do you suspect?"
Xie Siyan looked at him without saying a word.
Fu Jingran: "Fu Shuyu has just returned to the country and has absolutely no foundation in the Fu family. Moreover, the art he studied is completely different from running a business. Regardless of whether he has the ability, even if he manages to bring me down, he has no ability to climb back up on his own. If I were him, I would just be a dutiful member of the Fu family. The family dividends alone would be enough for him to live a glamorous life."
“The last one is my uncle,” Fu Jingran said, laughing at himself. “He’s even less likely to be the one. My uncle was the one who introduced me to diving. We’ve been diving in many places together. If he wanted to do something to me, he would have had countless opportunities to kill me before.”
Xie Siyan: "I'm just offering you a possibility."
“I know you’re worried about me,” Fu Jingran nodded and smiled, “but I think you’re worrying unnecessarily. The person who could have harmed me could be anyone in the Fu family, but it couldn’t be Fu Da. He’s my uncle who watched me grow up, how could he do such a thing to me?”
Xie Siyan said no more and turned to leave.