Chapter 3198: Bitter Summer in Plane Tree Lane 41

Not long after the gallery opened, Chenshu received a strange message; after a quick glance he guessed it was from Xiang Yingfan. The message was polite, only saying his father's birthday was coming soon and hoping he could come home for a family gathering.

That was strange. Chenshu put down his phone, leaned back in the chair, and thought.

It was his father's birthday, but as an illegitimate son he hadn't even been notified in recent years, let alone invited. Xiang Yingfan had previously despised his status, trying to distance himself in every setting, yet now he sent the invitation voluntarily—could he have lost his mind after failing to seize the inheritance?

Chenshu originally wanted to delete the message and pretend he hadn't seen it, but then he received a message from Miss Xiang.

I heard they called you home because of your boyfriend; Dage is furious and even threatened to send Jin Chen to the police station. Watch out.

Chenshu looked at the message, a hint of coldness appearing on his face.

If it were just Xiang Yingfan going mad, he could ignore it, but since it involves Jin Chen he must be far more cautious. Jin Chen has finally stabilized his mood with difficulty, and he cannot let others disturb him.

After thinking it over, Chenshu still decided to go himself.

The atmosphere in the Xiang household was indeed unpleasant.

Father Xiang sat at the head of the table with a displeased expression; Xiang Yingfan sat to the side, a scarf wrapped around his neck. Though the indoor heating was on in November, the scarf was clearly not for warmth. Seeing Chenshu enter, his eyes instantly turned angry.

Chenshu glanced around and realized the birthday banquet was just an excuse; his smile was aloof. "Father, isn't it your birthday? With such a grim expression, by the Xiang family's customs that's inauspicious."

Father Xiang choked on his words, then angrily slammed his teacup down, spilling tea. "We know about your dealings with your uncle!"

"We want you to return to the Xiang family, but you refuse and instead help outsiders deal with your brother and father! You—"

Before he could finish, Chenshu crossed his arms, leaned against the wall, laughed, and took up the conversation: "So that's what this is about. Speaking of which, Dage also played his part."

"If it weren't for his immaturity and his underhanded tricks that drove my uncle to desperation, my uncle wouldn't have come to me for cooperation."

Seeing Chenshu's calm, indifferent demeanor, Xiang Yingfan thought of Jin Chen and those dark, gloomy eyes, and his neck began to ache faintly again.

He was furious to the point of death, grabbed the teacup at hand and smashed it on the floor. "Do you know that the man you keep outside almost killed me!"

Upon hearing that, Chenshu slightly raised his brows. "Is that so… does Dage have any evidence?"

Xiang Yingfan was dumbfounded.

He never imagined Chenshu would react this way; the man Chenshu keeps outside is a lunatic! He almost got strangled to death by that lunatic!

Xiang Yingfan's worldview was overturned; he violently tore off the scarf around his neck, revealing a lurid purple-red mark. "Look at the injury on my neck! That lunatic strangled it out of me alive! This is proof! You don't believe me? It seems he's also fooled you into acting like an idiot! Don't someday die at his hands without even knowing it!"

Chenshu merely looked at Xiang Yingfan's eyes. "When did you ever see him?"

Xiang Yingfan froze.

"Xiao Chen never provokes conflict lightly; what did you do to him?"

Xiang Yingfan:???

Chenshu stepped closer, his gaze turning cold. "If you have an issue with me, why didn't you come straight to me?"

He stopped beside the sofa, suddenly recalling something, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Could it have been the opening day? Did you come to the gallery?"

Pressed by his questioning, Xiang Yingfan grew flustered and simply threw caution to the wind: "So what if it was! He was the one who struck first! Either you willingly hand over the group's three percent shares, or I'll have him thrown in jail!"

Chenshu suddenly laughed, his slightly icy expression finally easing, his tone becoming light. "So that's what you're planning."

"Dage, Father, haven't you done enough shady deeds? If the law really pursued this, you'd be the first to go inside."

He turned his eyes to Xiang Yingfan and spoke slowly: "And I think it was definitely you who first provoked him."

"Chenshu!" Father Xiang slammed the table angrily and rose, overflowing with offended rage, "I've been wanting you to come home all these years! You… you've learned all this abroad in just a few years!"

Chenshu chuckled. "Father, I have never considered myself a member of the Xiang family."

"I know I'm an illegitimate son, and I originally had no desire to fight over the inheritance, but you've kept pressing me relentlessly, insisting on disturbing my life. So I had no choice but to find some self‑protective measures."

He took a hard drive from his coat pocket, placed it on the coffee table, and gently pushed it over.

"I came today and also brought a birthday gift for Father. I hope that after you look at it, you'll withdraw from my life."

"If I ever find out again that you've been secretly seeking my boyfriend and bullying him……"

Chenshu left it at that, not finishing his thought, "In any case, I wish you a healthy and happy birthday."

Chenshu was so resolute and offhand that Father Xiang and Xiang Yingfan couldn't help but suspect what was on the hard drive. After Chenshu left, Xiang Yingfan hesitated a few seconds, then still had someone fetch a computer and connect the drive.

——

Chenshu got home much earlier than usual today.

He pushed open the door; a wave of warmth greeted him. Jin Chen was wearing an apron, tinkering in the kitchen with something delicious, and the sound of food bubbling could be heard.

Lately it's been getting colder, the heating was turned on early at home, perfect for enjoying a hot pot at dusk.

Hearing the door open, Jin Chen poked his head out from the kitchen, tilted his head, and said, "Brother, you're early today."

Chenshu took off his coat, hung it on the rack by the door, first washed his hands, then returned to cup Jin Chen's cheeks with both hands to warm them. Jin Chen's eyes narrowed from the cold, but he didn't pull away.

"I went back home for a trip." Chenshu said.

Jin Chen blinked, and immediately understood.

He coldly said, "It was me who strangled him. Xiang Yingfan wanted to stop you from opening the gallery—what a beautiful dream."

Chenshu gave a light smile, snuggled into Jin Chen's embrace, resting his chin on his shoulder, "You guessed right. Xiang Yingfan filed a complaint against me, threatening to make me surrender my shares."

Jin Chen was being held, still holding the spatula, his pose a bit awkward; he tilted his head, deep in thought, as if calculating something.

The next second, his face was pinched; Chenshu's fingers gripped his cheeks and tugged lightly. "What nasty scheme are you hatching now?"

Jin Chen instantly regained his serious expression. "No."

Chenshu leaned lightly against his shoulder, voice soft. "All right."

"I've already taken care of this; from now on, unless absolutely necessary, you certainly won't see each other. I also don't want your emotions to swing wildly—that's bad for your health, so behave yourself."

Jin Chen gave an "oh," "Alright then."

Chenshu drew a deep breath; the house was filled with the aroma of spices and ingredients, warm and reassuring. "Smells great—hot pot tonight?"

Jin Chen nodded, moved in and captured Chenshu's lips, kissing him for a while; Chenshu let him have his fill before pulling back, smiling, "I'll lend a hand."