IP Chapter 75

Incurable Pain | Chapter 75

The Yu family in Linlan is considered an aristocratic presence.

Yu Yuan’s business was extensive, and his wife, Gu Yan, was a scientist who has achieved success in research. She was not content to be just a wealthy housewife, so she was even more respected.

Below them, Yu Fan may not have the same aura surrounding him, but he is still a well-known figure.

The key is that whether it’s Yu Fan or Yu Shiqin, they both carry the Yu family name.

With the name “Yu family,” this engagement banquet is destined to be an event where n.o.bles and elites will flock to attend.

Yu Shiqin’s fiancee was the daughter of the “Dream Cloud” textile company in the city. In the eyes of outsiders, their match was perfect, a strong alliance, and a match made in heaven.

But Yu Luoyin sneered at such a marriage alliance.

“Sometimes I really don’t understand, how much money is considered enough?”

Seeing his elder brother and his fiancée trying to entertain guests not far away, Yu Luoyin couldn’t help but whisper to Bai Xunyin, “Is our family so poor that we have to sell ourselves through marriage alliances?”

“The more money people have, the more they want,” Bai Xunyin said lightly. 

“It’s human nature.”

Since ancient times, the story of “the heart is insatiable like a snake swallowing an elephant” has been pa.s.sed down for centuries.

Yu Luoyin smiled without saying a word. In fact, in this environment where he was at the top of the food chain, he had seen such things a lot.

But no matter how many times he saw it, he couldn’t approve of it.

He felt that the reason why Yu Shiqin accepted the family’s arrangement was simply because his elder brother, that blockhead, had never experienced the taste of ‘love’ and ‘irresistibility’.

Just like himself and Bai Xunyin, even if given a mountain of gold, Yu Luoyin wouldn’t trade her away.

Perhaps Yu s.h.i.tian’s previous depression was also because she was dissatisfied with the family’s arranged marriage. Today, the young girl simply didn’t show up.

It was naive and stubborn, temporarily avoiding worldly-wise sophistication.

It wasn’t until the engaged couple entered and went through the process that Yu Yuan and Gu Yan, the two ‘busy people’, got a moment of rest, and then realized that Yu Luoyin had arrived long ago.

They saw Yu Luoyin sitting not far away, casually playing with a gla.s.s in his slender fingers, accompanied by a gorgeous girl with waist-length black hair.

Gu Yan naturally knew that the girl was Bai Xunyin.

She paused for a moment, her att.i.tude unconsciously becoming more dignified, leaning over to Yu Yuan and saying a few words in his ear.

After a moment of surprise, Yu Yuan glanced at Bai Xunyin not far away, his expression complex, then pursed his lips and walked over with Gu Yan.

Yu Luoyin was staring at the gla.s.s on the table, feeling a faint shadow falling over him.

“When did you come?” 

Yu Yuan nodded gently towards Bai Xunyin, his tone gentle, but his words were directed at Yu Luoyin. 

“Why didn’t you say h.e.l.lo to us?”

“I wanted to.” Yu Luoyin chuckled teasingly. 

“It’s just that there were too many people to greet.”

…

“Mr. Yu, Director Gu.” 

Bai Xunyin didn’t want to see Yu Luoyin in such an awkward situation with his family, so she took the initiative to greet them. She didn’t pretend to be intimate by calling them ‘uncle’ or ‘aunt’, but instead spoke very politely. 

“h.e.l.lo.”

Although Gu Yan felt a bit nervous seeing Bai Xunyin, she had mastered the art of composure perfectly, smiling gracefully. 

“h.e.l.lo, we’ve met before at the research inst.i.tute. Bai Xunyin, you’re young and promising.”

Bai Xunyin modestly smiled and just said, “Yes, we’ve met.”

Gu Yan couldn’t help but feel a slight tremor in her heart, very subtle.

“You’ve met before?” 

Gu Yan never talked about the entanglement between her and Bai Xunyin to anyone, not even Yu Yuan. It was the first time he had seen Bai Xunyin and felt that the girl in front of him was mature and intellectual. 

She asked gently, “When?”

“Didn’t I say it already?” Gu Yan felt somewhat anxious inside, forcing a smile. 

“At the research inst.i.tute.”

Yu Yuan didn’t ask any more questions and sat down, carefully scrutinizing Bai Xunyin. 

“You’re the girl that Luoyin posted about on his social media, right? How long have you known each other?”

Accustomed to being in a superior position, even if Yu Yuan deliberately tried to be gentle, he still couldn’t help but give people a feeling of condescension.

But Bai Xunyin didn’t mind, nor did she fear Yu Yuan’s imposing aura.

She remained composed and replied calmly, saying whatever she felt like saying. 

“Yes, we’ve known each other for a long time.”

“Dad, mom.” 

Seizing the moment of silence, Yu Luoyin swiftly and deftly peeled a crab for Bai Xunyin and put it on a small plate on the table, then looked up and said calmly, “This is my girlfriend, here to visit you.”

“So, don’t ask questions with the att.i.tude you use with clients or subordinates.”

“Yu Luoyin.” 

Yu Yuan couldn’t hide the displeasure on his face, his voice couldn’t help but grow heavy. 

“What’s wrong with your language?”

“Dad, don’t you know?” 

Yu Luoyin pinched Bai Xunyin’s hand under the table, indicating that everything was fine, and his voice became softer. 

“I’ve always talked like this.”

…

The atmosphere at the table of only four people seemed tense, as if it could erupt at any moment.

But fortunately, at this moment, Yu Shiqin and his fiancee, the newly engaged couple, took the stage to speak, which finally eased the tension a bit.

Thinking of what Yu Luoyin had just said about ‘business alliances’, Bai Xunyin instinctively looked up at the stage.

But when she carefully observed, she realized that Yu Shiqin and the beautiful lady beside him were indeed ‘not very familiar’ with each other.

Whether two people are close mainly depends on their eye contact and body language.

But regardless of which, all they had between them was a superficial ‘affection’, polite enough to maintain for the sake of interest.

It was really uncomfortable to watch, no wonder Yu Luoyin hated it so much.

But then again, isn’t this also about ‘he who drinks the water knows best the temperature’?

For some people, love isn’t that important, and what can sustain a relationship is interest.

Perhaps the state Yu Shiqin was in was actually the image Yu Yuan and Gu Yan hoped Yu Luoyin would grow into—except he was a free-spirited devil, inclined to grow wild.

As the banquet came to a close, during the moment when Yu Luoyin was pulled away by Yu Shiqin to talk, Bai Xunyin wasn’t surprised that Gu Yan found her at this time.

“Ms. Bai.” 

She was one of the few people who still called her that, a woman whom she once admired immensely and who was destined to have countless connections with her. 

Gu Yan, with a forced smile on her delicately made-up face, said, “Can we talk?”

Bai Xunyin came here for this purpose, so naturally she wouldn’t refuse.

The two of them tacitly walked to the French windows of the winery, where there was no one around, making it a natural place for conversation.

Gu Yan took a deep breath and spoke first, “Ms. Bai…”

“Director Gu.” Bai Xunyin smiled politely. 

“Just call me by my name.”

Gu Yan’s calling her ‘Ms. Bai’ was still a bit hard for her to bear.

“Okay, Xiaobai.” 

So Gu Yan also used this term for the younger generation. Her eyes glanced past the window in front of her, and she suddenly chuckled, “Look, doesn’t the scene now resemble that of six years ago?”

The same deserted corridor, the vast window, but the state of mind now was vastly different from back then.

Six years ago, Gu Yan was proud, authoritative, treating Bai Xunyin like a p.a.w.n she could control at will.

But things were different now. It was the girl in front of her who made her uneasy, because as long as Bai Xunyin revealed everything that happened six years ago in front of Yu Luoyin, she would be in an extremely pa.s.sive position.

Because Gu Yan was now afraid to let Yu Luoyin know that she was the ‘culprit’ that caused their separation back then.

Indeed, it was ironic and deserved.

Gu Yan couldn’t help but chuckle wryly.

“No, it’s not the same.” 

Bai Xunyin smiled, slightly tilting her head to look at Gu Yan. 

“Six years ago, Director Gu was confident and had plans. Now, you seem like a startled bird.”

Her words weren’t polite, causing Gu Yan’s pupils to involuntarily shrink.

“Director Gu, I’ve always admired you. I’ve known you longer than I’ve known Yu Luoyin.” 

Bai Xunyin narrowed her eyes, recalling her experience of searching for Gu Yan’s lectures online since she was in high school. 

“I admire your academic achievements, your ideas. Even when I was young and naive, I even wanted to become a professor like you.”

When I was young and naive.

Gu Yan slowly savored these words, feeling a bitter smile rise involuntarily. 

“Now you know what kind of person I am, selfish and self-interested. All that admiration is gone, right?”

“No, you’re still the professor I admire. Whether it’s your lectures or your papers, my teacher also said that he highly appreciates you as a researcher.” 

Bai Xunyin shook her head, denying Gu Yan’s earlier words, then her tone shifted as she looked directly into Gu Yan’s confused eyes—

“But forgive me for being frank, Director Gu, I can’t accept your att.i.tude towards Yu Luoyin.”

Gu Yan’s brows suddenly furrowed, looking at Bai Xunyin in confusion.

“Director Gu, you never really know what your son wants. You always impose your and Mr. Yu’s expectations on Yu Luoyin. I dare to ask, do you see him purely as your son, or as a project worth showing off? Just like your every paper.”

Gu Yan’s palms involuntarily sweated a little. 

“What are you saying?”

“Director Gu, your intelligence surpa.s.ses that of ninety-eight percent of the country. You can’t not know what I’m talking about.” 

Bai Xunyin smiled, but her gaze was sharp, almost intimidating. “

Do you know that when Yu Luoyin was thirteen, he saw a psychologist for three consecutive years? Do you know that his efforts to grow into what you want were to retaliate against you, but ultimately, he just wanted to gain your attention and… make you love him?”

As she finished speaking, Gu Yan’s face suddenly tightened, her eyes showing obvious confusion.

“Director Gu, I’ve always admired you. Knowing everything we discussed in the hospital six years ago, I will never tell Yu Luoyin about it.” 

Bai Xunyin looked at Gu Yan, not sure if she was giving her a ‘peace of mind’ or being sarcastic—

“I want Yu Luoyin to be happy, just that. And now that your relationship with him has improved somewhat, I won’t sabotage it.”

“But I will be with him, always.”

“As for our conversation six years ago, let’s just treat it as a secret buried by time.”

Water leaves no traces, and no one will ever know.

As she watched Bai Xunyin leave, Gu Yan slowly raised her head, her eyes tired and haggard.

In an instant, she seemed to have aged several years, the spiritual energy that once filled her skin mercilessly revealing the traces of ruthless time.

Gu Yan looked at her, gently saying, “Thank you.”

“No need.” 

Bai Xunyin glanced at her watch, thinking that Yu Luoyin would come looking for her soon, so she bid farewell and left with only one sentence left behind, “I’m here for Yu Luoyin.”