MCFEM C27

Chapter 27 – This Was a Well-Known Secret…

Ye Chen’s fingers tapped on the desk, one beat after another. Under everyone’s gaze, he suddenly let out a relieved laugh.

“Why are you all looking at me like that? Oh right—don’t tell me you still don’t know about this?” Ye Chen arched a brow. “That newly returned second young master of the Lu family isn’t some illegitimate child at all. He was born of the Lu couple themselves, Lu Zheng’s full younger brother.”

“And Lu Ran—” at this point, Ye Chen’s tone carried undisguised malice, “he was just switched by mistake at the hospital back then. He has no blood ties to the Lu family. And this secret is something the Lus have never made public.”

“So that’s how it is! We really didn’t know!” Yu Bai gasped, covering his mouth in shock. “Is that true?”

You really did just announce a secret that everyone already knew.

The other classmates all cooperated, showing exaggerated surprise.

Though the acting was a bit overdone, it was more than enough to fool Gu Yang.

Gu Yang remembered—in the original novel, the truth about the Lu twins wasn’t revealed until much later.

But a lot of things had already changed: Ying Jiayi’s matter, Nie Ying’s mother being a nanny…

He didn’t dwell too much on it.

After this little play, Ye Chen still dutifully added to the story.

“Of course it’s true. The paternity test was even done at my family’s hospital.”

Yu Bai: ?

Bro, are you just making this up on the spot?

Naturally, Ye Chen couldn’t have known beforehand. With his personality, if he really had known, he’d have gone straight into the group chat and @Lu Ran to confront him face-to-face.

Still, this way, they could openly gossip about it now.

“Class Rep, when you sent him over, did the real young master show up?” Xie Wu asked curiously.

“He did.”

Xie Wu leaned forward, intrigued. “How’d he seem? What type of person?”

“It was chaotic then, I didn’t notice,” He Ming’an avoided elaborating.

“That real young master was supposed to transfer into our class, wasn’t he? Why’s he suddenly in Class Ten? Lu Ran must have pulled some strings,” Ye Chen said with a grin. “Class Rep’s too nice to say it, but I bet he wasn’t anything impressive.”

He Ming’an ignored him.

Xie Wu quipped, “Ye Chen, you’ve always disliked Lu Ran. Now there’s someone else who’s bound to needle him—you should be happy.”

Ye Chen’s lips twisted. “Please. That new kid’s probably no saint either. After all those years having his place stolen, you think he won’t hold grudges? Just wait—the drama’s only starting.”

“Anyway, wasn’t he supposed to be in Class Eleven? Funny how it turned into Class Ten. Guess Lu Ran’s influence still counts for something.”

“Of course. Raise a dog long enough, you’ll grow feelings for it,” Ye Chen sneered.

“Enough, we’re all classmates. Drop it.” At last, He Ming’an cut them off.

The topic finally died down.

But Ye Chen still fidgeted with restlessness. He walked over to Gu Yang’s desk. Since their seats were far apart, everyone turned to watch, curious what he was up to.

Meeting He Ming’an’s warning gaze, Ye Chen only smiled innocently.

“Remember you sent me that medical record, asked me to find a reliable doctor for a second opinion?”

He leaned down, propping an elbow on Gu Yang’s shoulder. “I asked. Basically, there’s no saving them.”

“It’s too late. The best window for treatment’s already gone. The one you asked about—who are they to you? How does their family care for them?”

“Why not just transfer them to my family’s hospital? At least then they’ll be more comfortable, live one day at a time. We can even bring in specialists.”

“He doesn’t have that money.”

With just that line, Ye Chen already had his answer. His face lit with curiosity. “So who is it? Could it be related to that special admit in Class Ten?”

Before Gu Yang could answer, Yu Bai suddenly blurted out, “Wait, could it be Song Yinxing’s mom? You did go visit her in the hospital, didn’t you?”

At that, He Ming’an couldn’t help but glance at Gu Yang.

“You’ve already met the parents?” Xie Wu was shocked. “Things are moving that fast?”

They hadn’t forgotten what they’d overheard a few days ago.

“Yes, yes,” Gu Yang perfunctorily responded, while in his mind he thought:

【So it really is incurable.】

【This is just a setup to shackle Song Yinxing, leave him no way out.】

…What do you mean, “so it really is”?

Gu Yang, what are you plotting—trying to chain him down, trap him?

It really wasn’t healthy.

Everyone fell silent.

Ye Chen pressed on. “Anyway, I did what you asked. I got a top specialist’s opinion. How are you going to thank me?”

“What do you want?”

“Simple. Treat me to dinner. Tonight’s fine.” Ye Chen’s grin widened. “That’s my friendship discount—wouldn’t be so cheap for anyone else.”

Gu Yang didn’t object. He hadn’t planned to go home so early anyway; now he had an excuse.

After school, Ye Chen showed up without even packing his books.

Yu Bai shadowed them in secret.

Just Gu Yang and Ye Chen together gave off a strange aura. He couldn’t even imagine what their interaction would look like.

He glanced toward He Ming’an, hesitant to speak.

“Class Rep.”

A boy came over and whispered, “That Buddha statue you asked me to get—it’s arrived. Give me your address, I’ll have it delivered.”

“It’s here already? Thanks. I’ll pick it up myself—it’ll feel more sincere that way,” He Ming’an said with a smile.

“Class Rep, you actually believe in that stuff?” Yu Bai was curious—people their age usually weren’t interested.

“No, it’s for my mother. She’s been devoted for years—vegetarian diet, daily sutras,” He Ming’an explained.

“My mom too. I don’t know why—she used to scoff at it. Last time she even donated a ton to a temple,” Xu Qingfeng chimed in, though his wrist was wrapped in prayer beads.

He’d said it was “situational faith—useful when needed.”

“You coming with me now?” Xu asked.

He Ming’an hesitated, glanced at Gu Yang.

Ye Chen caught it instantly and winked at him.

He Ming’an pulled his gaze back, paused, then smiled. “Alright. I’ll pack up and go with you.”

—

Gu Yang chose a nearby restaurant.

It was members-only. He already had a card, so the staff led them to a private room.

After ordering, Ye Chen handed the menu back. “This should be our first time out alone, right?”

Their relationship had never been close. They barely exchanged words in class.

Tonight’s dinner wasn’t even necessary—Gu Yang’s debt could wait.

But Ye Chen wanted an answer to something.

“I don’t think I’ve ever told you—my mom died a long time ago.” Ye Chen went straight to the point. “Just like yours.”

The waiter’s hand trembled, the dish clattering softly on the table.

Expressionless, Gu Yang said, “Really? Quite a coincidence.”

The waiter shot them a quick glance before hurrying out.

“You know, my family’s business is all medical. Our main profit is private hospitals. Usually, anyone we’re close with goes directly through us for care,” Ye Chen said, ignoring the food.

“Any illness I had growing up was treated at our own hospitals. Minor stuff didn’t matter, major stuff—we’d bring in outside specialists.”

“Back when our family and the Lus were close, Lu Ran’s asthma was constant since he was little. He was sent over every other day.”

“My mom pitied him. She thought it was too cruel for a child that small to suffer like that, so she doted on him. Sometimes even more than on me. I was already resentful.” His voice faltered.

Gu Yang swallowed a bite of jellyfish, then asked flatly, “Why bring this up now? We’re not that close.”

Ye Chen: “…”

He knew he’d done plenty of bad things. Maybe Gu Yang was just his retribution.

“Maybe it’s because you give people the urge to confide. Just us two here, I got carried away,” Ye Chen lied with a straight face.

Gu Yang blinked in surprise. No one had ever praised him like that before.

Ye Chen quickly pushed on, even speeding up. “My mom really loved him. Even with her own heart condition, multiple stent surgeries, whenever Lu Ran was hospitalized, she visited him.”

“One time, she played with him and he ran into the warehouse. She followed to look. I still remember—the storage was kept cold.”

“They never came out. When the warehouse guard returned from lunch, he found my mother collapsed, unconscious.”

“Lu Ran was fine—just came down with a fever afterward.”

“But my mother didn’t make it.”

“There were only the two of them inside. When they found Lu Ran, he was curled in a corner, frozen stiff.”

As he spoke, Ye Chen kept his head turned, his tone detached, like recounting someone else’s story.

“All these years, I’ve thought about one thing.”

“My mother couldn’t have gone without calling for help. She must have struggled. So as the only other person there—what exactly was Lu Ran doing?”

At that moment, he finally turned, staring into Gu Yang’s shadowed gray eyes.

He was waiting for the voice in Gu Yang’s heart.

Waiting for the final verdict on his years-old knot.