CFRSIO Chapter 23

When they entered the school gate, they could clearly feel that something was wrong. The gazes of the people around them were too obvious.

Filled with appraisal and gossip.

It was evident that some rumors had spread.

Lin Yunliang’s emotions were calm, and he walked into the classroom with composure. He didn’t care how others would react to seeing him.

“You…” Lin Yunliang had not come yesterday, so he wanted to ask his deskmate about yesterday’s homework. He had just opened his mouth and said one word.

His deskmate immediately jumped up and moved away from Lin Yunliang.

Lin Yunliang: ??? What is going on?

This was not surprising for his deskmate. Lin Yunliang was now thoroughly famous at school.

Just as the matter involving Lin Yunliang, Zhang Qing’an, and Xu Ming was spreading wildly on the forum, everyone thought Lin Yunliang would be taught a lesson by Xu Ming and his group.

But in the end, nothing happened. An afternoon and an evening were enough for the matter to ferment. But in the end, nothing came of it.

Of course, this made them curious and a little scared.

The discussions on the forum about who Lin Yunliang actually was were also intensifying.

Now the online discussions were starting to take a bizarre turn, for example, a very absurd theory had emerged, which was that Lin Yunliang was actually the young master of the Xu family, and Xu Ming was a fake young master.

Lin Yunliang: “…” Three dots of ellipsis were not enough to express his speechlessness.

This kind of thing was simply too ridiculous! Lin Yunliang didn’t believe that Xu Ming and his group would just stand by and watch.

In fact, these rumors never truly affected Lin Yunliang. He didn’t even care at all and continued to attend class diligently.

“?? No, isn’t he too calm??”

“Doesn’t he think Lin Yunliang is actually very handsome?”

The accompanying picture was a candid shot of Lin Yunliang’s profile during class.

“The one upstairs is not alone!! I also think he’s so handsome! And his aura is really good.”

“Indeed, being so calm is much better than some people.”

“Who are you referring to upstairs?”

“Who are you referring to upstairs~”

There would never be a shortage of gossipy, meddlesome people, especially when there was so much to gossip about in this situation.

What truly prompted Xu Ming to look for someone soon appeared.

Xu Ming couldn’t take it anymore and sent a message to Zhang Qing’an.

But all he received was a red exclamation mark.

Xu Ming immediately kicked the table, scaring everyone around him. Angrily, he swept everything on the table to the ground.

“Xu Ming? What’s wrong?”

Xu Ming ignored them and ran out directly.

He arrived at the door of Lin Yunliang’s classroom. Xu Ming didn’t need to say anything; as soon as he appeared at the door, everyone instinctively turned their attention to Lin Yunliang.

Their gazes were intense, and Lin Yunliang immediately noticed them and the person at the door.

Without them having to speak, Lin Yunliang stood up himself and walked out.

As their eyes met, Xu Ming was the first to look away, unable to bear it.

He led the way, and Lin Yunliang followed him calmly.

“OMG!! Xu Ming is looking for Lin Yunliang!!”

“He finally went!”

“Are they going to fight?”

“Who will win?”

“I bet Xu Ming will win! Anyone with me?”

“I also think Xu Ming will win. My friend is one of Xu Ming’s subordinates, and he said Lin Yunliang can’t fight at all!”

“I think so too!!”

“Take me with you, take me with you!”

And Xu Ming’s friends, after seeing the news on the forum, all became timid. No one dared to go looking for Xu Ming, because neither Xu Ming nor Lin Yunliang were people they could afford to offend.

“I don’t know what means you used to bewitch An’an, and I don’t care, but.” Xu Ming said, his eyes filled with contempt.

“You must stay away from An’an.”

“He is mine!”

Lin Yunliang found this laughable. What nonsense was this person spouting?

“First, you have no right to address him like that. Second, he never belonged to anyone; he is himself.”

“Third, if you ran all this way just to say this, then we have nothing more to say.”

“You can continue to play with your life; I won’t waste my time on such things.”

This was the first time Lin Yunliang had spoken to Xu Ming in such a forceful manner. Compared to his previously timid demeanor, he was like a completely different person.

“You were pretending before!” Xu Ming looked at the person in front of him, his eyes burning with anger, wishing he could just throw a punch at his face and make him understand who was the stronger one.

“Lin Yunliang, you bastard!”

Fists as big as sandbags flew directly towards Lin Yunliang’s face. Lin Yunliang wasn’t so foolish as to stand there and let himself be punched in the face. After dodging sideways, he also made a move.

He kicked towards Xu Ming’s leg. Lin Yunliang was not a good person to begin with. He knew about deliberately luring Du Lin into trouble before, so of course, he could do anything now.

“Tell me, if I tell An’an that you attacked me today, who will he believe, you or me?”

“I don’t know where you get the nerve to say An’an is yours, you disgusting thing!”

“An’an has never been a toy for arrogant people like you.”

With Siam, the cheat, by his side, Lin Yunliang learned about the life Zhang Qing’an had lived over the years after they met again. Zhou Yue doted on him, but Zhou Yue also had to work to support the family. Many things were not handled perfectly.

With the help of Zhang Quan’s father, Zhang Qing’an and Xu Ming became friends. However, Xu Ming’s attitude towards Zhang Qing’an was not good, and he only sought Zhang Qing’an out when he remembered him.

In fact, most of the time, the interactions between the two were limited to online communication. In daily life, they met infrequently. He didn’t know where this guy got the audacity to say such things.

Zhang Qing’an and Xu Ming’s relationship had not developed to the point of the original plot line.

This was actually intentional on Lin Yunliang’s part. He deliberately chose not to contact anyone, wanting to see if, without his involvement, Zhang Qing’an and Xu Ming could still follow the plot line.

It seemed they couldn’t. Fortunately, they couldn’t, and at the same time, other changes had occurred.

Xu Ming had started to take an interest in Zhang Qing’an.

This was not a scene Lin Yunliang expected, but it wouldn’t affect Lin Yunliang in any way. He trusted himself, and he also trusted Zhang Qing’an.

However, there were some people he did not trust.

When the Xu family decided not to renew the contract, Zhang Quan’s father panicked. He knew his company had no advantage and that all the investment was due to Zhang Qing’an. After living such good days for only a short time, they were about to return to poverty?

Zhang Quan’s father was unwilling. He had heard some rumors, though not very clear, but the hints were enough.

Seeing the person who appeared at the school gate, Zhang Qing’an frowned. He always felt an indescribable aversion towards this grandfather, especially the way he looked at him, which was very deliberate.

“What’s wrong?” Ye Xuesong, standing beside him, saw the person and froze, asking curiously. He had obviously also seen the person who appeared. “That person…”

“It’s my grandfather.” After saying that, he sighed.

Seeing his expression, it was clear that Zhang Qing’an did not welcome his grandfather. Ye Xuesong suggested, “If you don’t want to see him, then we…”

“Forget it, even if I don’t see him now, he will find a way to see me.”

Zhang Qing’an had deep experience with this. The last few times he went to see Zhang Quan, he saw Zhang Quan bringing two elderly people with him. The first one or two times were fine, he could tolerate it, but during later meetings, they would also accompany him.

Zhang Qing’an had also told Zhou Yue about this, but considering that the two elders were Zhang Qing’an’s grandparents, Zhou Yue only comforted Zhang Qing’an.

Later, Zhang Qing’an even feigned illness to avoid them, but it was futile. His grandfather not only took him to the hospital but also blamed his mother, saying she hadn’t taken good care of him.

Later, Zhang Qing’an finally saw through it. The other party had clearly seen his weakness and knew he would not bear to make Zhou Yue sad or upset, so as soon as he showed any reluctance, they would immediately bring up Zhou Yue, implicitly or explicitly saying that Zhou Yue had not taken good care of him. This trick was disgusting but very effective.

Now that the person had come to the school, he couldn’t just hide and avoid him.

Because the other party could easily go to the teacher and say he wanted to see him, then he would still have to see him. There was no difference, and it would give people a chance to spread gossip.

It was incredibly annoying.

Especially this time, when this person had actively come to the school to find him, it made him feel inexplicably uneasy.

He didn’t understand why he had this feeling, but Zhang Qing’an trusted his intuition and sent a message to Ye Xuesong. “This is Lin Yunliang’s phone number. If I don’t return in an hour, tell him about this.”

“What do you mean? You…” Ye Xuesong found it strange. He glanced again at the old man standing at the door, whose expression had changed from a smile to slight annoyance. “Isn’t he your grandfather?”

“I don’t know. Anyway, remember, if I don’t return in an hour, find Lin Yunliang.”

Without waiting for anyone to say anything else, he walked directly towards the old man, Zhang Quan’s father, who was also his grandfather.

“Grandpa.” He spoke reluctantly.

“You’re quite the busy person. I’ve been here for so long, and you’re only coming to greet me now? Is this how your mother taught you?”

Here we go again. It was clearly his own annoying presence that made him disliked, yet he always had to drag his mother into it! He frowned and said displeasantly, “What do you want?”

“Can’t I come to see you for no reason? I’m your grandfather!”

Zhang Qing’an thought to himself that if you weren’t my grandfather, I would dislike you even more.

“You’ve seen me now. I have class later. I’m going back first.”

“Wait!” He immediately called out to stop him. “Since we’ve met, why don’t we have a casual meal together?”

“It’s just a meal; you’ll definitely have time.”

“Or do you want me to call Zhou Yue?”

Zhang Qing’an fell silent. He didn’t want to worry his mother. He thought it was just a meal, and it probably wouldn’t be anything significant. He nodded: “Alright, let’s go somewhere nearby.”

“I still need to come back for my nap.”

“Don’t worry, don’t worry.”

However, the look in that person’s eyes was not reassuring. Zhang Qing’an thought his phone was with him, and he had already reminded Ye Xuesong. Nothing should go wrong.

As a result, after getting into the car, his phone was directly snatched away.

“What exactly are you trying to do!” Zhang Qing’an underestimated this person and struggled to get his phone back, but unfortunately, he couldn’t.

Old Master Zhang directly threw the phone out the window, where it was crushed by a passing car.

“Hey!”

“Is this how you treat your elders?” After doing what he did, the other party showed no remorse, still with that condescending expression.

It was disgusting.

“Stop the car quickly! This is kidnapping!”

“Kidnapping? What are you talking about?” Old Master Zhang continued, “We are grandfather and grandson. It’s just that your grandfather wants to have a quiet meal with you. Is there a problem?”

“But I don’t want to have a meal with you.”

“That’s not up to you.”

Zhang Qing’an turned his face away, not wanting to look at this person he disliked any further. He could only pray that Ye Xuesong, that slow-witted guy, would realize it sooner and contact Lin Yunliang.

Zhang Qing’an had an inexplicable, blind trust in Lin Yunliang. He felt that as long as it was Lin Yunliang, anything was possible, and he would surely come to save him.

He hoped they wouldn’t let him down.

Lunch break was almost over, and the person still hadn’t returned. Ye Xuesong immediately called him.

“Hello, who is this?”

“My name is Ye Xuesong, and I am Zhang Qing’an’s friend.”

“What is it?”

“An hour ago, Zhang Qing’an’s grandfather came to find him, and he still hasn’t returned.”

“I understand.” Lin Yunliang immediately understood.

In fact, whether it was the original plot line or the current one, the reason Zhang Qing’an became friends with Xu Ming was the same. The difference was that in this plot line, he was Zhang Qing’an’s childhood friend, and because of his intervention, Zhang Qing’an did not grow up in the Zhang family.

He had not developed a spoiled and willful personality, and his health had even improved significantly.

At the same time, this also indicated one thing: Zhang Qing’an had become difficult to control. This made Old Master Zhang, who wanted to use Zhang Qing’an to climb the ladder with the Xu family, have his hopes dashed.

Moreover, he had recently reconnected with someone. This made Old Master Zhang’s hopes even more dashed.

Where was Zhang Qing’an now? Lin Yunliang could indeed find him.

Siam followed behind, looking at Lin Yunliang with some trepidation. Lin Yunliang was very angry. Siam could feel the frightening aura hidden beneath his calm exterior.

[Are you… sure you want to go?]

[I must reiterate, the pillar of the small world is the protagonist. If you harm the protagonist, the mission will fail, and you will be punished.]

[…Do you still want to go even like this?]

“Why not?” From the outside, Lin Yunliang seemed to be resting with his eyes closed, but only Siam knew that Lin Yunliang was currently brewing a storm of anger.

He hoped Xu Ming and the others could withstand this fury.

“Then, as long as the person is not dead, anything is acceptable.”

[What… are you going to do? This is a world governed by law!!] Siam was going crazy. This Lin Yunliang was truly! He was too difficult to deal with!! While warning Lin Yunliang, he sent a message to his superior, A Jin.

This plea for help was necessary; otherwise, he really couldn’t handle this guy.

He was truly terrifying. He was indeed a descendant of that guy.

“Don’t worry, I won’t do anything.”

“You should be able to make the nearby surveillance temporarily ineffective, right?”

[Yes, there is, but the duration… Wait! What are you going to do!!] Siam looked at Lin Yunliang with horror.

Lin Yunliang’s large hand, which he was stroking, became a shackle imprisoning him at this moment.

Help! The cat wants to escape!! Oh my god, he must apply for work-related injury!! He definitely, absolutely must!

“Be good, stop making trouble. If you keep making trouble, I’ll take you to be neutered.” Lin Yunliang said threateningly with a calm face, words that scared the cat.

“Young master, does Siam still make trouble at his age?” the driver struck up a conversation.

Lin Yunliang was in his family’s car, and the driver was the same one. He did this intentionally. This time he had something to do, so he had to borrow some prestige.

He had also noticed that this driver had been working for the Lin family for several years, and many people knew him.

More accurately, they knew the person behind this driver.

Therefore, Lin Yunliang specifically asked someone to bring him.

“It’s good for little cats to be lively.”

“Indeed. You don’t know, but the old master usually loves to hold Siam the most.” The driver didn’t feel like he was betraying his boss at all.

“Is that so?” Lin Yunliang curved his eyes. “It seems our Siam is very likable.”

Soon, they arrived at where Lin Yunliang needed to go.

…

Zhang Qing’an’s expression was extremely grim. “Zhang Changda! What exactly are you trying to do!”

Being called by his surname by a junior, and even his grandson, made Old Master Zhang’s expression turn ugly. He wished he could just slap him, but he held back. He knew this child’s skin was tender and easily bruised.

So he didn’t lay a hand on him, but he led him inside.

“Zhang Qing’an, you need to realize that you have the surname Zhang.”

“Now it’s time for you to contribute to the Zhang family.”

Then he opened the room door and pushed him inside.

“Who?”

The place Zhang Changda took them to was a KTV, but the room was extremely dim, and it seemed empty. However, a person could faintly be seen lying on the sofa.

The person on the sofa heard the commotion outside, sat up.

“Young Master Xu.” Zhang Changda said, turning on the room light as he did so. “Zhang Qing’an is here. Didn’t you want to see him?”

“I’ve brought him for you.”

These simple words made it clear what was going on. Zhang Qing’an was already very angry, and upon learning of this situation, he became even more furious, glaring fiercely at Zhang Changda, who had spoken.

Zhang Changda, however, was indifferent. He continued, “Then I won’t disturb your chat.”

“The family business relies heavily on the Xu family. You’d better speak nicely later!”

Saying this, he turned and left, closing the door behind him.

“Hey! Stop right there! Zhang Changda! Are you even human!”

Hearing the familiar voice, the person on the sofa became much more alert.

“An’an… is that you?”

Xu Ming’s address made Zhang Qing’an frown. “We are not friends, and you have no right to address me like that.”

“On what grounds!”

Xu Ming smelled of alcohol, which could be detected even standing at the door. Therefore, upon hearing Xu Ming’s next words, he would only think that this person was drunk and acting out, and would not consider the truthfulness of these words. Of course, even if these words were spoken while he was sober, Zhang Qing’an would not believe them.

“Is it because of Lin Yunliang that you’re treating me like this? Lin Yunliang is not a good person!”

“I am the one who truly treats you well!”

“An’an, can we continue to be friends?”

“No, I don’t just want to be friends. I like you, An’an!”

These words only made Zhang Qing’an’s skin crawl. He didn’t believe Xu Ming’s words at all. His expression became even more displeased.

“What madness are you talking about! Even without Little Yun, I wouldn’t like you!”

Saying this, he tried to walk out, but his hand was grabbed.

“An’an! Don’t go, okay? I really like you, An’an!”

The force on his hand increased significantly, wanting to pull him into an embrace. Zhang Qing’an certainly wouldn’t let him fulfill this fantasy. Struggling desperately, his wrist already bore red marks.

It was clearly a handprint.

Zhang Qing’an frowned. Not only was he in a bad mood now, but he also wanted to teach this person in front of him a lesson.

“Hey! Stop! You can’t go in!”

“Stop!”

The room door was opened, and a familiar voice came through.

“An’an.” It was Lin Yunliang.

The opened room door allowed the light from outside to shine in, and Zhang Qing’an could finally see Xu Ming’s appearance clearly.

Xu Ming’s eyes were both bruised, giving him panda eyes, clearly beaten by someone. Zhang Qing’an knew the occasion was inappropriate, but he still found it amusing.

Hearing Lin Yunliang’s voice, Xu Ming also froze. He subconsciously let go of his hand. Upon closer inspection, one could still see him trembling.

Lin Yunliang appeared at the doorway with the cat in his arms, his face calm, like a divine soldier descending from the heavens. Of course, if the little cat’s tail were slightly less prominent, the scene would have been even more sacred.

This scene was remembered for a lifetime, and even decades later, when asked, the memory was still vivid.

Lin Yunliang strode forward quickly, his gaze falling on Zhang Qing’an’s reddened wrist, and his eyes darkened. He handed the cat in his arms to Zhang Qing’an.

“Take the little cat out first. Such adult occasions are not suitable for cats of this age.”

Holding the cat, Zhang Qing’an hesitated, his eyes looking at the still-dazed person beside him. “Him,”

“What are you going to do?”

Lin Yunliang met his gaze and judged. His mood improved again because he found that Zhang Qing’an’s expression was not one of worry, but quite the opposite.

Zhang Qing’an looked like he wanted to watch the fun.

Very good, very optimistic, and it seemed he hadn’t been harmed.

After a moment of eye contact, the missing seconds did not create a rift between them. Instead, it seemed that something between them was being broken.

“Can I really not stay and watch?”

“I promise I won’t make a sound.”

“Be good.” Lin Yunliang sighed silently. “Next time, okay?”

Standing at the doorway were the accompanying driver and Zhang Changda, who was shocked by the situation.

Zhang Changda had not expected that Xu Ming was already the person of the highest status he had ever seen, and the person who appeared afterward made Xu Ming look afraid? Who was he? Did Zhang Qing’an know such a person?

Then, did this mean that their Zhang family would not decline? That’s great! His expression turned somewhat ferocious, a mixture of happiness and a hint of fear.

In short, he was moody and looked strangely erratic.

Compared to Zhang Changda, the driver’s expression was filled with speechless exasperation. Young master, you clearly look like you’re here to cause trouble, so why would there be a next time! This doesn’t seem right!

Having said that, when Zhang Qing’an was pushed out, he stepped forward: “Young Master Zhang, please wait in the car with me.”

Lin Yunliang glanced at the driver and retracted his gaze, softly saying, “Go ahead.”

The driver thought, Young Master, don’t hide it. I can see it clearly; you’re playing favorites. Zhang Qing’an had no choice but to go with him to the parking lot first.

“It seems you still haven’t learned your lesson.”

“Lin Yunliang! You dare to lay a hand on me again?! Last time I was caught off guard, that’s why I lost to you!” Xu Ming was like a startled bird, completely bristling and bluffing, “The Xu family is not to be trifled with!”

Lin Yunliang took out his ear and said impatiently, “If you want to fight, just fight. Why are you so noisy?”

“I warned you last time. If you dare to have any improper thoughts about An’an again, I’ll make you pay.”

“It seems you haven’t learned your lesson.”

“It’s okay, I’ll make sure you remember.”

Parking Lot:

The driver asked, and upon learning that the young master hadn’t eaten lunch yet, he got out of the car to buy him something to eat.

Sitting in the car, Zhang Qing’an felt a bit lost, mixed with happiness. Lin Yunliang would come so quickly, which meant this person cared about him too. However… the car looked very luxurious.

Lin Yunliang’s family… He felt an inexpressible nervousness at this moment.

It wasn’t until the little cat in his arms was petted too hard and let out a cry that he snapped back to reality.

“Meow meow meow!” I petted the cat too hard!!

Zhang Qing’an didn’t do it on purpose. Hearing the cat’s movement, he immediately gentled his touch and softly appeased it: “I’m sorry, Siam, I didn’t mean to!”