Chapter 1338: FACE THE MUSIC TOGETHER
SILENCE fell over the balcony. It was so quiet that someone probably could have heard a pin drop. Luo Yanâs heart pounded in his chest at Shen Linâs words. He had known there was a chance the other might recognize him. But he hadnât expected him to say it outright like that. Shen Lin had looked so calm and composed. Luo Yan had assumed he wouldnât dare make a scene. But the way he had spoken, combined with the fact that the door was already open, had drawn the attention of a few nearby guests. They were starting to look.
Unlike Shen Lin, Shen Xin had seemed like he wanted to calm things down. He had tried to pull his brother back inside earlier, after all. But right now, Shen Xin looked lost, clearly thrown off by what Shen Lin had just said. He was probably too confused to think about closing the balcony door. And so it stayed open, letting the attention from the banquet hall drift in.
Oh boy. This was going to be a problem.
Luo Yan let his voice waver, just enough to sound surprised. "Mr. Shen, I... I donât know what youâre talking about."
He deliberately put a slight tremor in his voice, hoping it came across as genuine confusion, maybe even a little hurt. Enough to make anyone listening think he had nothing to hide.
Shen Lin narrowed his eyes and let out a short scoff. "Then let me remind you. Last Valentineâs Day, you and Shen Ji Yun went on a date. You were dressed up as a woman. You even introduced yourself as âYan Yanâ and said you were Shen Ji Yunâs âloverâ. Does that sound familiar now?"
Shit. The bastard actually went there. Luo Yanâs composure nearly cracked. Then he heard a gasp from the group of people near the balcony door. They had definitely heard what Shen Lin just said.
"Did he just say they were lovers?"
"The Luo familyâs second son and Shen Yi Muâs nephew?"
"Shen Yi Muâs nephew? Isnât he connected to the Shen family? So what the young master of the Shen family said is true then?"
"What about the cross-dressing thing?"
"Wait, the Luo familyâs son dresses up as a woman?"
"I canât believe this."
Luo Yan nearly squeezed his eyes shut. He could already feel a nasty headache creeping in. Before he could even open his mouth, Shen Ji Yun stepped forward and positioned himself in front of him.
"Youâre crossing the line," Shen Ji Yun said to Shen Lin, his voice cold and hard.
"Iâm crossing the line?" Shen Lin repeated, like he couldnât believe what he was hearing. "Youâre the one who crossed it first. What were you thinking, parading around here like youâre proud of your... whatever this is."
The way Shen Lin said that last part was dripping with so much derision that Luo Yan could almost see the corner of his mouth curl up. What exactly was this guyâs problem? The more he talked, the more the people near the door seemed to hang on every word. Luo Yan knew they were already spinning wild stories in their heads. If Shen Lin kept going, he might even end up outing Uncle Yi Mu right here, not just dragging him into this mess.
He saw Shen Ji Yun take a step forward. The way his fists were clenched told Luo Yan he was close to grabbing Shen Lin by the collar. If things turned physical, it would only make everything worse. Luo Yan was about to stop him when Shen Xin suddenly raised his voice.
"Brother!" Shen Xin called out, then lowered his voice to a harsh, gritted whisper. "Just fucking stop. Look behind you. Youâre making a huge scene. So calm the fuck down. This isnât like you."
That made Shen Lin pause. He glanced over his shoulder at the small crowd of guests gathering behind him. Then he shut his eyes and took a slow breath. When he opened them again, his composure was back in place.
He turned to Shen Xin. "Letâs go home."
"Fucking finally," Shen Xin muttered under his breath.
Shen Lin turned and walked toward the door. The small crowd of guests parted almost automatically, clearing a path for him. Shen Xin moved to follow but paused at the threshold. He glanced back at them, his expression unreadable. For a second, Luo Yan thought he saw something there. Something almost like an apology. Like he was sorry for how things had turned out. Then Shen Xin turned and walked out after his brother.
With them gone, the guests who had gathered near the balcony door now turned their full attention on Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun. Luo Yan bit the inside of his cheek. He wondered how they should go about handling this.
A woman in a blue gown gave them a strained, fake smile. "I do wonder what young master Shen meant by all that. Surely, it was just a misunderstanding, wasnât it?"
A man, probably in his mid-thirties, let out a hollow laugh. "Of course it was. Young people these days really know how to pull a prank on us older folks."
Luo Yan blinked. They were giving them an out. If he and Shen Ji Yun just laughed it off and nodded along, they could walk away and pretend none of this had ever happened. But what would be the point? Even if they did that, rumors would still spread. People would still talk. So would it really be worth it to lie just to save face?
The answer was no.
He moved to stand beside Shen Ji Yun and looked up at him. Shen Ji Yunâs face had gone blank, like he had already decided to follow whatever Luo Yan chose to do. The sight made Luo Yanâs chest tighten and swell at the same time.
This fool. Did he really think Luo Yan would deny their relationship here? Since the truth was already out, they might as well face the music together.
So he took Shen Ji Yunâs hand and turned to the small crowd still lingering nearby. "Please excuse us. I think my partner just asked me to dance."
And with that, he tugged Shen Ji Yun out of the balcony and headed straight for the dance floor.
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