YMW CH 18

The Liar

Cen Wu felt feverish. All day, he hadn’t lifted his head, not even after school. It wasn’t until the classroom was completely empty, with no footsteps echoing in the hall, that he finally sat up.

His damp eyelashes were clumped together, curling in odd directions. Slowly and almost sluggishly, he began to pack his bag.

The class monitor always handed out papers after school. Since Cen Wu had wanted to check, worried that Xie Guilan might have left behind a worksheet again—one that someone could easily tear up—he turned to look. However, he was startled.

Xie Guilan hadn’t left yet.

By seven in the evening, it was pouring outside. Heavy rain pounded on the outer corridor, and the entire sophomore building was dark. However, the classroom of Class 3 remained brightly lit.

Xie Guilan raised his head, his dark eyes meeting Cen Wu’s red-rimmed ones. Since Cen Wu had been lying on his desk for so long, the ends of his hair had curled slightly, with a stray lock brushing against his pale nose.

He looked utterly disheveled.

Cen Wu’s eyelashes fluttered briefly. Hugging his bag tighter, he turned away. After packing his water bottle, he stood up and left the classroom. After all, he wasn’t vain enough to think Xie Guilan had stayed behind for him.

And, as expected, Xie Guilan didn’t call out to him.

Xie Guilan’s dark gaze lowered again, his expression unreadable. He continued working on the last extra-credit math problem. However, halfway through, his pen slipped, leaving a scratch on the paper. As a result, he stopped writing, packed up the paper, and left for Blue Night.

By then, the freshmen and sophomores had all gone home. Meanwhile, the seniors were in evening study sessions, though most were eating dinner in the cafeteria. With the rain pouring down, the campus was nearly empty.

Cen Wu finally felt a little less suffocated. He put on a black mask, zipped his school jacket all the way up—hiding even the tip of his pale chin—and walked out of the school gates with his umbrella.

At the gate, he cautiously lifted his umbrella a bit, glancing around like a small animal leaving its nest. However, the car that usually came to pick him up wasn’t there.

He thought about waiting, but he felt too miserable to linger any longer. Instead, he just wanted to leave.

Clutching his mask, he turned toward the bus stop. Out of the corner of his eye, something caught his attention, making him pause.

Not far away, a familiar Maybach was parked. Next to it stood a tall woman holding an umbrella.

She wore a simple, understated black dress. Her skin was strikingly pale, and her thick, wavy hair cascaded over her shoulders. Although she didn’t make a show of herself, she exuded an effortless magnetism that made it impossible to look away.

Cen Wu was socially anxious, but even with that, he was the youngest Best Director at the Berlin Film Festival. He had met hundreds of actors, many of whom had a natural talent and camera presence that couldn’t be compared.

Especially when the other person turned around. Those deep, cold, yet alluring peach blossom eyes—only then did they soften when they spotted Cen Wu.

In an instant, Cen Wu recognized her.

Guan Xingxue.

!!!

Cen Wu’s heart, which had barely calmed, started to race again. His face was pale, and he instinctively clenched the straps of his schoolbag. His parents had been overseas, so why were they back now?

Cen Wu wanted to run, but he couldn’t escape. He awkwardly took a step toward the Maybach.

His parents had died in a car accident when he was thirteen, and he’d been living with his aunt ever since. Cen Xiao didn’t matter, but his parents? He had no idea how to face them.

He couldn’t even speak properly, and even if others noticed something was off, they wouldn’t say anything. No one truly cared about him. But his parents—oh, they cared.

No matter how top-tier an actor might be, they couldn’t fool their own parents’ eyes.

Cen Wu’s palms were slightly sweaty. But Guan Xingxue already pulled him into a warm embrace, tilting her head, and noticed his red-rimmed eyes. Her expression faltered slightly, and she asked softly, “What’s wrong, Little Treasure?”

Cen Wu felt like calling her “mom” might make things less awkward, but his throat was dry, his voice barely working. His lips moved, but no sound came out.

Guan Xingxue didn’t press further, instead wrapping an arm around his shoulders and guiding him into the car.

Up front, Cen Xiao was driving. After picking up Cen Wu’s parents from the airport, he had brought them to retrieve Cen Wu.

When Cen Wu got into the back seat, he saw his father, Cen Junshan. Cen Xiao was already in his twenties, and Cen Junshan and Guan Xingxue didn’t look much younger either.

But they had aged gracefully, appearing more like their thirties. Cen Junshan wore a sleek black suit and an antique watch on his wrist. Despite his stern business demeanor from years in the corporate world, his face softened slightly upon seeing Cen Wu.

“Little Treasure,” Guan Xingxue exchanged a glance with her husband and gently stroked Cen Wu’s head. “Who’s bothering you?”

Cen Junshan furrowed his brow, clearly displeased, and asked in a low voice, “Is it that Shao Shangjing again?”

Shao Shangjing was known for always being surrounded by companions, some of whom he would even bring to formal events. Cen Wu’s parents had assumed he had a girlfriend, never considering his true preferences for the original owner.

The original owner despised Shao Shangjing—if it weren’t for his fear of death, he wouldn’t have been entangled with him at all.

The original owner wasn’t someone who cried easily, but every time he did, it was usually due to Shao Shangjing. Raised in the comfort of the Cen family, he’d always gotten whatever he wanted—stars, galaxies. He’d never faced such humiliation.

His personality was already unstable, and under the weight of unspeakable secrets, he had become an emotional mess.

The rain poured relentlessly, drenching Cen Wu’s uniform until it was cold and damp against his skin. But Guan Xingxue’s hands and embrace were soft, carrying a comforting warmth and a faint fragrance. As she gently stroked his head, Cen Wu felt a strange ache welling up in his chest, making his eyes sting.

His cheeks and nose had turned a misty shade of red, and when he finally spoke, his voice was so hoarse it startled even himself.

“N-no one bullied me.”

Feeling embarrassed, Cen Wu lowered his head and wiped at his eyes. Guan Xingxue, half-concerned and half-amused, pinched his cheeks gently, tilting his face up to take a closer look.

Cen Wu’s ears turned bright red. After all, Guan Xingxue wasn’t his mother. He already had trouble dealing with people of the same gender due to his social anxiety, let alone interacting up close with an older woman.

But Guan Xingxue didn’t seem to care about his discomfort. She firmly held his face and gave his cheeks a playful rub. As Cen Wu tried to pull away, his gaze was drawn outside the car window—and he froze.

There, walking past with an umbrella, was Xie Guilan.

His umbrella was battered, likely the one damaged at the horse track. Xie Guilan had patched it up himself, but the ribs of the umbrella had poked through the fabric, leaving half his shoulder exposed to the rain.

Raindrops trailed down the pale column of his neck, tracing along the tendons, while the dim, wet glow of the neon lights reflected in his narrow, dark eyes.

Cen Wu quickly rolled down the car window, about to call out to him, but Xie Guilan walked fast. Within moments, he had already boarded a bus.

Guan Xingxue glanced outside briefly. She recognized Xie Guilan—after all, the Cen family had plenty of business dealings with the Xie family. But to her, Xie Guilan was an insignificant figure, someone who didn’t warrant her attention.

She looked away almost instantly, turning back to pick up a beautifully wrapped box from the front seat. Handing it to Cen Wu, she said, “Little Treasure, Mommy bought cashmere scarves for you and your brother. Do you like it?”

Before Cen Wu could respond, she unwrapped the scarf and wrapped it snugly around his neck without waiting for his input. Then, she clasped her hands together and tilted her head, studying him with a smile.

Cen Wu’s long, wet lashes curled up against his flushed cheeks. The scarf was so thick that it covered most of his face, leaving only his wide, reddened eyes peeking out, looking both startled and uneasy.

The sight made Guan Xingxue’s own eyes sting with emotion.

She had retired from acting over a decade ago, but she still managed several companies and helped her husband run the Cen family business. As a result, she spent very little time with Cen Wu.

She often worried that he might suffer in ways she wasn’t aware of.

Thankfully, Cen Wu had always been the type to act spoiled, unlike Cen Xiao, who would stoically endure everything. If he scraped his knee, had a bad meal, or woke up from a nightmare, Cen Wu would always call her to complain.

But something about him today felt different. Meeting his gaze, she suddenly felt as though her child was keeping something from her.

Cen Wu clutched the scarf tightly, his heart heavy.

Xie Guilan had grown tall very quickly, but he couldn’t afford new clothes. Most of the time, he managed by wearing his school uniform, which was provided free of charge since his excellent grades had earned him a full tuition waiver. That was how he held onto a shred of dignity.

But winters were especially harsh. The school’s winter uniform jacket wasn’t very warm, so Xie Guilan had to layer it with a cheap, thin sweater or a worn-out jacket he’d picked up somewhere.

Who would buy him a scarf? Certainly not Song Lingwei.

Even if Xie Guilan hated him or mocked him, so what? Cen Wu still regretted not saying hello before leaving.

He pulled out his phone and, after some hesitation, sent Xie Guilan a meme of a cat peeking through a paper bag with its eyes visible through a hole.

Xie Guilan didn’t respond. Cen Wu pressed his lips together and started typing again, trying to come up with something else.

“So, what happened at school, Little Treasure?” Guan Xingxue asked as she signaled Cen Xiao to start driving. She pulled Cen Wu closer, her tone gentle.

Startled, Cen Wu quickly put down his phone. He took a deep breath to calm himself before awkwardly recounting how he and his friends, Lu Wang and the others, had gone to an internet café to hang out, only to get caught and be punished with writing self-reflection essays.

He was sure Guan Xingxue would be angry at how careless he was.

Instead, she ran her hand over his hair in a comforting gesture, like soothing a small animal. “Did you go there because something was bothering you, Little Treasure?” she asked tentatively.

Cen Wu froze.

“…No, not really. Just went to play,” he admitted reluctantly.

That was when he realized how much the original Cen Wu was loved and indulged by his parents. Their first instinct was never to scold but to understand and comfort. No wonder, when the truth about him replacing their real child came to light, Guan Xingxue’s hair turned white overnight.

All the love and indulgence she had poured into Cen Wu had turned into a whip lashing at her real child.

Feeling a bit guilty, Cen Wu’s voice grew quieter and quieter. “I just… went for fun.”

Up front, Cen Xiao, who was driving, raised an eyebrow at this and couldn’t help but laugh. “What’s so fun about an internet café? If you want to play, I’ll take you to my team’s training base to watch them practice.”

Cen Xiao’s most rebellious phase had been when he was fifteen. He wanted to drop out of school to play eSports, even running away from home for it. Their father, Cen Junshan, had packed his bags and dumped him at a training base without hesitation.

After getting brutally beaten in scrims for half a month, Cen Xiao realized he didn’t have the talent for it and returned home, suitcase in hand. Since he couldn’t play professionally, he invested in a team instead. Now, the hottest PUBG team in the country was under his management.

“Focus on driving,” Cen Junshan said, already frowning. Hearing Cen Xiao’s comment deepened his scowl, and he turned his gaze to Cen Wu, who immediately felt the weight of the lecture coming.

“You should be writing that self-reflection essay,” Cen Junshan said sternly. “You barely pass your exams, and you’re off at internet cafés? When we get home, I’ll find you a tutor. If you can’t score at least passing marks, you’re not leaving the house.”

Cen Wu: “…”

Fatherly love, as overwhelming as a landslide.

Guan Xingxue shot Cen Junshan a glare, and he reluctantly fell silent. A moment later, he handed Cen Wu a bank card with a limit of 500,000 yuan. “Fine, it’s not a big deal. Didn’t you say you wanted sneakers? Have your brother take you to get them.”

Cen Wu: “…”

Fatherly love, restored.

“Thank you, Dad,” Cen Wu said obediently, accepting the card. Refusing it would only make him seem suspicious, and he couldn’t afford to raise any doubts. Besides, he wouldn’t spend the money; he’d stash it away and eventually give it to Xie Guilan.

That rainy night, even bars were unusually quiet. By the time Xie Guilan arrived at Blue Night, he finally checked his phone.

【Cen Wu: Cat peeking meme.】
【Cen Wu: Ignoring me today.】
【Cen Wu: But I’ll come find you again tomorrow.】

Xie Guilan: “…”

With an indifferent glance, Xie Guilan stared at the tiny cat face on the screen for a second before putting his phone away and heading to change clothes.

The next day, in class:

One period.

Two periods.

…

Cen Wu never showed up.