[A competition is nowhere near as important as a girlfriend. He won't be coming to the competition.]
[Besides, he's been suspended. Does no one in the Si family know about this?]
The Si family felt as if they had been struck by lightning.
They truly had no idea!
Dating was one thing. After all, he was in the prime of his youth, full of vigor, and it was only natural to be unable to suppress the stirrings in his heart when meeting a woman he liked.
But what the hell was this about a suspension?
Fifth Brother was a rare swimming genius. If he won the championship this time, he could enter the provincial team, and from there, the national team.
Moreover, Fifth Brother loved swimming; his dream was to win an Olympic gold medal.
How could he possibly give up his dream just when he was about to succeed?
Old Master Si suddenly lost all mood to watch the other competitors. He took out his phone and sent a message to Si Yubai.
He sent several messages, but received no reply.
Old Master Si then made a call.
It went through, but no one answered.
Old Master Si immediately asked Si Moyan to contact him.
The call Si Moyan made also went unanswered.
Si Moyan then called Si Yubai's coach, only to find out that the coach had actually blacklisted all the numbers of the Si family.
Wen Yan really couldn't bear to watch this anymore, so she checked the system.
[Oh my, so many things have happened to Si Yubai on the swim team over the past six months.]
[No wonder the coach blacklisted the Si family's numbers. It turns out he had his eyes on Si Yubai early on and tried to harass him several times, but Si Yubai is a complete straight man and didn't take the bait at all.]
[So, another team member who wanted to get ahead willingly climbed into the coach's bed. Not only that, but during an internal team selection match, he secretly slipped banned substances into Si Yubai's water bottle.]
[Si Yubai took first place in that internal match, but was reported by that teammate for taking banned substances. Si Yubai took a urine test, and sure enough, it came back positive.]
[That period was the darkest time of Si Yubai's life, and that was when his current girlfriend, Luo Nianchu, appeared. Luo Nianchu was a pastry chef at the swim team's outsourced cafeteria. She was gentle, virtuous, and highly skilled. When Si Yubai was feeling down, she made different delicacies for him every day.]
[Because he had been locked in a closet by a nanny when he was a child, Si Yubai suffered from claustrophobia. Once, when he was trapped in an elevator, it was Luo Nianchu who stayed by his side, encouraging and comforting him until he overcame his trauma.]
[Luo Nianchu felt like a motherly figure to Si Yubai. He became very attached to her, to the point where he couldn't even distinguish what kind of feeling it was. But one thing was for sure: Si Yubai could no longer live without Luo Nianchu.]
[He saw her as his salvation. But thinking about it, it makes sense. During a person's lowest and darkest days, if someone treats him with sincerity, replies instantly, is considerate, always thinks of him, and gives unconditionally, what man could bear to let such a woman lose?]
When the Si family heard this, they all felt that Luo Nianchu seemed like a good person.
If she was truly good to Si Yubai, the Si family could accept her.
After all, in the face of true love, age was not an issue.
Si Yubai had suffered so many grievances and injuries on the swim team, yet they, as his family, knew absolutely nothing. They also bore some responsibility.
Old Master Si let out a long sigh.
"Eldest Boy, I always thought Fifth Brother was in closed training. Every time he didn't reply to my messages, I thought it was just his personality. I never expected him to have suffered so much."
Fortunately, he had Luo Nianchu by his side to help him step out of the shadows.
Si Moyan furrowed his sword-like eyebrows, deep in thought.
Based on his understanding of Wen Yan, if Luo Nianchu were actually good, she would definitely be shipping them like crazy.
Sure enough, the very next second...
[It would be fine if she were purely good to him, but the fear is that she is deeply scheming and has ulterior motives, which would leave the innocent boy with even deeper psychological trauma.]
The expressions of the entire Si family turned solemn.
They desperately wanted to know what exactly Luo Nianchu wanted from Fifth Brother, but they couldn't ask out loud.
The Si family unanimously turned to look at Wen Yan.
Wen Yan noticed something was wrong. Seeing the Si family staring at her with wide eyes, she touched her nose in fright.
[Ah yikes, why are they staring at me like that? Could it be that my gaze while looking at those handsome young swimmers was too obvious, completely exposing my lecherous nature?]
Wen Yan quickly looked away and coughed awkwardly. "What's wrong? Do I have sleep in my eyes?"
The Si family shook their heads.
Wen Yan breathed a sigh of relief.
[Thank goodness. I look perfectly serious on the outside while my mind is running wild with dirty thoughts on the inside, and they have no idea.]
The Si family: "..."
After watching the competition, Wen Yan and the Si family left the swimming arena.
With no more ultimate abs or handsome guys to look at, Wen Yan started feeding on gossip in the system again.
She was actually quite curious about where Si Yubai had run off to, ignoring the Si family's calls.
Could it be that because he couldn't participate in the competition, he secretly hid in his girlfriend's arms to cry?
Upon looking, even Wen Yan couldn't help but envy Luo Nianchu.
[A Puppy is just so innocent and deeply affectionate. Luo Nianchu knew that the Si family would definitely go to watch the competition today and that their relationship would be exposed. Afraid of running into the Si family, she deliberately gave herself an upset stomach and went to the hospital with acute gastroenteritis.]
[The Puppy was scared to death and stayed by his girlfriend's side without taking a single step away, terrified that something terrible might happen to her.]
[While getting an IV drip, Luo Nianchu mentioned his family, expressing her worry that they would mind her older age and disapprove of their relationship. To show his determination, the Puppy decided to head to a tattoo parlor to get Luo Nianchu's name and a heart tattooed on his chest.]
[Although there are no laws stating that athletes cannot have tattoos, having one in Hua Country generally leaves a bad impression. Furthermore, the internal regulations of the Yecheng swimming community forbid tattoos; violating this rule would likely result in expulsion.]
[The Puppy is practically quitting the swimming world entirely for love!]
The Si family was shaken to the core.
Has Fifth Brother gone mad?
Swimming was something he had loved and excelled at since childhood. Was he now going to give up his career and passion for a woman?
[I have to admit, Luo Nianchu really knows how to manipulate a Puppy.]
[Ugh, why can't I ever meet such an innocent and deeply affectionate Puppy?]
Si Moyan cast a deep, intense glance at Wen Yan.
Was he not affectionate enough?
Her conscience had truly been eaten by a dog.
"Xiao Yan, I just received news that Fifth Brother has gone to a tattoo parlor," Old Master Si said with a grave expression.
Wen Yan blinked. "Grandpa, you're quite well-informed. You know that Fifth Brother is at the Dedication to Love Tattoo Parlor?"
Old Master Si nodded. "Yes, he is at the Dedication to Love Tattoo Parlor."
Filled with a belly full of anger, Old Master Si immediately ordered the driver to head to the tattoo parlor.
...
After Si Yubai arrived at the tattoo parlor, he picked out a design, wrote down Luo Nianchu's name, and handed it to the owner.
The owner was a young girl. Seeing Si Yubai, a flash of awe crossed her eyes.
Although Si Yubai had a mild temperament and didn't talk much, he had a fair and tender complexion with a face that looked like everyone's first love. Exuding a refreshing aura of youth, he looked aloof when he wasn't smiling, but brilliantly sunny when he did. He was a tall boy who made it very hard for anyone's heart not to flutter.
Coupled with his towering height of over 1.9 meters, who wouldn't be smitten upon seeing him?
The girl looked at Si Yubai, blushing uncontrollably. "You look a bit familiar. I think I've seen you on TV before."
Si Yubai didn't reply.
Seeing the name Si Yubai handed to her, the girl couldn't help but envy this big boy's girlfriend.
Tall, handsome, and so devotedly affectionate—she must have saved the galaxy in her past life to get a guy like him.
"Take off your shirt and lie down."
Si Yubai took off his black T-shirt and lay down according to the girl's instructions.
"It will hurt a bit at first. Tell me if you can't bear it."
Si Yubai closed his eyes. "I'm not afraid."
Just as the girl was about to pierce the needle into Si Yubai's chest, a sudden commotion came from the doorway.
The glass door was pushed open, and a group of men and women who looked incredibly wealthy and aristocratic walked in.
Leading them was an old man. He looked just like the chairman of a powerful, wealthy family on TV, leaning on a cane, dignified and hale.
"Fifth Brother!" Old Master Si was both angry and furious when he saw Si Yubai preparing to get a tattoo.
Si Yubai opened his eyes. Seeing his grandfather, eldest brother, and the rest of the group, he frowned.
"Why are you here?"
Old Master Si stepped forward and pulled Si Yubai up. "Put your clothes on first."
Si Yubai stood there without moving, his posture showing his insistence on getting a tattoo for love.
Si Moyan spoke with a cold expression, "Grandpa told you to put your clothes on, didn't you hear?"
Si Moyan was usually the most authoritative among the siblings, and Si Yubai was somewhat afraid of him.
Si Yubai lowered his long eyelashes and pulled the T-shirt back on.
"Go home!" Si Moyan spat out two words from his thin lips.
Si Yubai replied, "I'm not going back."
Wen Yan stood at the door of the tattoo parlor. Looking at the stiff and freezing atmosphere inside, she couldn't help but complain in her heart.
[Why are the Si family members so fierce to their little brother? His girlfriend has never yelled at him once. He didn't even tell his family about something as huge as being suspended from the swim team, which shows how deep the rift between him and his family is!]
Suddenly hearing a woman's voice out of nowhere, a trace of confusion appeared on Si Yubai's handsome face.
Was he hallucinating just now?
[Oh my, it turns out that deep affection can be faked.]
[His girlfriend, at most, just wants the little brother's life.]
The Si family's pupils quaked in shock: What???
That girl named Luo Nianchu didn't want his looks, didn't want his money, didn't want his young body, but actually wanted his life?
Si Yubai, "..."
