Unconventional Center

Chapter 43: The Whale

The next day, Chu Cheng arrived, and Chu Yang and Chu Yu went to the airport to pick him up. With four people suddenly crammed into a two-bedroom apartment, things got a bit crowded. As soon as Chu Yu got home, she started nagging her brother to make more money and buy a bigger house. Chu Yang retorted, “No way—we’re still too poor. You should sell your sister off to a wealthy family to help support the household!” In short, the moment the two were within five meters of each other, they never stopped bickering and teasing each other. Mei Yun simply watched her two immature children—one son and one daughter—bickering and roughhousing with a smile on her face. Occasionally, she’d chime in with a remark or two, taking a dig at Chu Yu one moment and reining in the overconfident Chu Yang the next. She mastered the art of sowing discord, stirring up trouble, and creating diversions to her heart’s content, leaving Chu Cheng standing nearby with an expression that screamed, “What a family disaster.” He was a writer of serious literature—he had no idea how a writer of serious literature could have ended up with such an unserious family. It was a rare family reunion, and Chu Yang took his family on a two-day getaway in Valencia, finally finding some free time on Valentine’s Day. “Old Chu, did you see that? My son sent me this as a gift—50,000 euros, which is over 400,000 RMB,” Mei Yun said smugly, holding up her phone and showing Chu Cheng the bank text message she’d received. “It was worth raising this son. He’s so capable at such a young age—your position as head of the household is in jeopardy.” “What are you going to do with all that money from him? You’re not short on cash, and besides, he spends more here than we do—and he’ll spend even more once he finds a girlfriend.” “Hehe, Dad’s getting jealous. I told you the spoils weren’t divided fairly.” Chu Yu stuck out her tiny, fair little foot and subtly kicked Chu Yang. “Don’t worry, Dad’s share has long been taken care of. But since he’s a scholar, giving cash would be too tacky, so I had someone buy him a little gift. You should receive it by the time you get back to China.” In reality, it was just a deluxe set of world classics—a few ten thousand yuan was all it took. It wasn’t that Chu Yang was playing favorites; it was simply that Mom held the family’s financial reins, so the big spending naturally fell to her. “So you’re just saying I’m a vulgar person in a roundabout way, aren’t you, you little rascal?” Mei Yun said indignantly. “And speaking of girlfriends, isn’t today Valentine’s Day? What are the two of you doing cooped up at home? Get out of here!” “Go out so you two can have some alone time?” Chu Yu said. “Mom, you two have been married for ages—is that really necessary?” “What nonsense are you spouting? Get out of here and go find a boyfriend. If you don’t find one, don’t come back tonight.” “Right now? Go out and find one?” “Of course. You’ll be twenty-three after this year, right? I was already married to your dad by the time I was your age.” Chu Yang nodded vigorously from the other side and said, “That’s right, you’re practically an old maid. Go find one already. Go out and mingle—if you can break up a couple, all the better.” Chu Yu shot him a murderous glare, and Chu Yang quickly crossed his arms in front of him, deflecting the hostility back at her. Mei Yun looked at Chu Yang and said, “You, too—you’re as hyper as a monkey. It’s about time someone reined you in.” “Mom, I’m only twenty—I’m not even of legal marriage age yet.” “I didn’t say you have to get married right away. Haven’t you seen Old Liu’s son? He’s only two years older than you, and he’s already about to have a baby…” “Stop, stop, stop! I’ll head out right now and bring you back a foreign girl.” With that, he hurriedly slunk out the door with Chu Yu. Damn it, being single these days is no picnic—you get teased when you’re out, and looked down on at home. Chu Yang was 1. 81 meters tall, and Chu Yu was 1. 72 meters tall. Both were the type who had it all—good looks, a great figure, and charm. No matter how you looked at them, they were a perfect match. Even if, due to differences in racial aesthetics, they didn’t turn 100% of people’s heads when walking down the street, they still got 70% to 80% of the attention. Unfortunately, deep down, they were both a mess. “Want to go see a movie?” Chu Yang suggested. “Haven’t you had enough of the public displays of affection?” “Then where should we go?” “Anywhere.” “The park?” Chu Yang thought for a while before blurting out those two words. “No way.” “A concert?” “Boring.” “Then where should we go?” “Whatever.” “... Now I finally get why you don’t have a boyfriend.” “As if you have a girlfriend or something.” “I just don’t want one.” “I just haven’t met anyone yet.” “Alright, then let’s split up. With a guy as awesome as me by your side, what kind of jerk would have the guts to come talk to you?” “You jerk—I don’t know anyone here. Aren’t you afraid I’ll get kidnapped?” “Um, I don’t think there’s any hero out there who’s that reckless.” “You’re asking for a beating… Huh? Looks like I spotted someone pretty impressive.” “Who?” Chu Yang said, following her gaze and spotting a familiar face himself. “Shen Qianwei,” Chu Yu said, pointing to a man and a woman walking hand in hand ahead of them. “Whoa! The ‘Diva’? She’s so young?” Chu Yang had heard a few of her songs; she was indeed very talented. “Yeah, she’s one of the hottest artists in recent years. She’s signed with Nirvana Media—same boss as you,” Chu Yu said. “I really like her songs. I’d love to go up and ask for an autograph.” “Better not,” Chu Yangdao said. “Why?” “Do you know who that guy next to her is?” “They look so close—he must be her boyfriend,” Chu Yu said with a hint of regret. “Never mind then. I’ve never heard that Shen Qianwei has a boyfriend; she must be keeping it a secret.” “That guy is my boss.” “Huh?” The two exchanged glances, their minds racing with thoughts of “unwritten rules,” “keeping a celebrity mistress,” and “secret dates.” “Let’s get out of here fast. If we get recognized, we’re in big trouble—we might even get killed to silence us.” “You’re right. Let’s get out of here.” The two guys turned around discreetly, just as they were about to slip away, when Xiao Luo’s voice immediately rang out: “Chu Yang.” “Huh?” Chu Yang pretended to look around before turning back. “Oh, Xiao Dong, what a coincidence! Didn’t you come back to China for the New Year?” Xiao Luo stepped forward with Shen Qianwei and said, “I spotted you a while ago. What are you up to, sneaking around like that?” “Ugh, just wandering around. Didn’t see a thing,” Chu Yangdao replied. “You didn’t see anything?” Xiao Luo asked, completely baffled. Chu Yang’s face darkened. Damn it, weren’t you the one caught in the act? Shouldn’t you be the one panicking? Has the entertainment industry become so open these days that unwritten rules are played out in broad daylight? A Company boss hooking up with one of his female artists—what a huge scandal, what explosive news! Why are you giving me that “you must be out of your mind” look? “Um, Xiao Dong, who’s this?” If you’re not scared, why the hell should I be? Xiao Luo: “My girlfriend.” Chu Yang: “Huh?” Chu Yu: “Huh?” “Hello, everyone,” Shen Qianwei said gracefully. “You must be Chu Yang? Aluo just mentioned you to me. And who is this?” “Hello, Miss Shen,” Chu Yangdao said. “This is my sister, Chu Yu.” Chu Yu quickly added, “Hello, Miss Shen. I’m a big fan of yours.” “Thank you. Are you out shopping? Would you like to join us?” “No, thanks. We don’t want to bother you,” Chu Yu said, stealing a glance at Xiao Luo—she figured it was best not to be the third wheel. “It’s fine. This guy’s a real wallflower—shopping with him is dead boring,” Shen Qianwei said, shooting Xiao Luo a disdainful glance. Xiao Luo awkwardly scratched his nose and said, “If you’re free, let’s walk around together. We can find a place to sit in a bit.” Since the boss had spoken, Chu Yang had no choice but to comply. The two women chattered away ahead, quickly striking up a conversation as if they’d known each other for years, while the two men behind them exchanged glances, looking utterly miserable. It seemed that neither the boss nor his henchmen had much interest in the “activity” of accompanying women on shopping trips. “You’re pretty bold,” Chu Yang remarked. He took a moment to look around; aside from Xiao Luo’s driver-cum-bodyguard trailing them from a distance, there didn’t seem to be anyone else nearby. Shen Qianwei wasn’t even wearing the dark sunglasses that were a must-have for celebrities—let alone paparazzi, even just any random fan of Shen Qianwei could easily recognize her. Chu Yang wasn’t entirely familiar with the ins and outs of the domestic entertainment industry, but he knew a thing or two. Those reporters who lived for “Monday Scoops” weren’t to be messed with. The story of a top female star dating her own boss would dominate the entertainment news for a week or two—and with keywords like “kept woman” and “climbing the ladder through her body” thrown in, they’d definitely have their hands full. Xiao Luo smiled and said, “It’s not as scary as you think. We’ll just let things take their natural course. Besides, we’re not in China—we’re a world away.” “You’re questioning the fighting spirit of China’s paparazzi—you’ll get looked down on for that.” “It’s all small stuff. Let’s not talk about that,” Xiao Luo said nonchalantly. “How confident are you that we can make a push this season?” “How should I know? You’d have to ask the coach.” “There are at least nine hundred, if not a thousand, coaches like Gresel in the world—you can’t count on him,” Xiao Luo said, waving his hand. “I actually wanted to fire him right from the start, but since I was new here and didn’t know my way around, it wasn’t the right time. Now that the team’s performance has been consistently good this season—especially after the winter break—I can’t even find an excuse to let him go. Come to think of it, you actually saved his neck.” “…Isn’t that club confidential information?” Chu Yang was a bit speechless, and couldn’t help but think of his own contract with Valencia CF—one that could be called the most capricious in soccer history. “To be honest, you really don’t seem like a businessman.” “Businesspeople are in it to make money. Do I look like someone who’s short on cash?” “Alright, you win. I really don’t understand the world of rich kids.” “No,” Xiao Luo patted Chu Yang on the shoulder, “actually, we’re the same kind of people.” Chu Yang was flattered but said, “Please don’t flatter me. I’m just an ordinary person—I love fame and fortune, have to worry about the day-to-day necessities of life, and have to guard against the dirt and filth of society. I can’t compare to you, who’s just playing at life.” “Playing at life? That’s a great turn of phrase,” Xiao Luo laughed. “That’s exactly why I said we’re the same kind of people—except I’m a pay-to-win player, while you’re the one truly enjoying the game.” “Alright then, hello, ‘pay-to-win’ player. Actually, I’m a cheat-user.” Neither of them was exactly a saint, and the divide created by their backgrounds and social status wasn’t as deep as one might imagine. They weren’t exactly ready to bare their souls to each other just yet, but they did share a few common interests and got along well personality-wise. Most importantly, the concepts of “pay-to-win” and “cheats” naturally gave them a subtle, hidden sense of superiority—that feeling of being “lonely at the top.” Chu Yang and Xiao Luo could now, at the very least, be called “bad influences” to each other. Shen Qianwei, who had been walking ahead, turned around and saw Xiao Luo and Chu Yang with their arms around each other’s shoulders. She couldn’t help but marvel inwardly. She was probably the person in the world who understood Xiao Luo best, knowing just how proud this man was beneath his layers of pretense. But from the looks of it, this young man named Chu Yang seemed to have a knack for handling him, too. What gives him the right? Is it because he’s good at soccer? “Sister Shen, what’s wrong?” Chu Yu asked. “Look at those two.” “Huh?” Chu Yu looked at the two following behind them. “What’s wrong with them? They look so happy—they must be talking about soccer again.” Shen Qianwei smiled, like a friendly older sister next door, and said, “I just feel like your Chu Yang isn’t an ordinary person. Xiao Luo is actually very deep-thinking; it’s rare to see him so relaxed.”