Chapter 45

After eating the famous vegetarian lunch at Qingjing Temple, Shen Youwei didn’t want to waste a moment and immediately went down the mountain to the hot spring resort to take a nap.
Guan Shanyan also returned to his room for a short rest. In that brief time, photos of the two holding hands while climbing the mountain had already spread across the internet.
Shen Youwei’s father, being her biggest fan, saw these photos first. He didn’t think much of it initially, after all, the two had been close like siblings since childhood. But, why was everyone online saying they were dating?!
He immediately told Shen Youwei’s mother, who then called Guan Shanyan’s parents to ask if it was true.
“What? Youwei is dating Shanyan?” Xie Mingqiu was just as shocked when receiving the call from Shu Ge. “I never heard them mention it! Youwei even went barbecue with Coach Lu recently. How could she be dating Shanyan? Who’s spreading these rumors?”
Shu Ge knew from a previous conversation that Lu Zhaoye was Youwei’s boxing coach. He was supposedly handsome and well-off, and pursuing Youwei. When Shu Ge spoke to Shen Youwei on the phone, she subtly asked about this. From Shen Youwei’s reactions, Shu Ge concluded she didn’t have romantic feelings for Lu Zhaoye.
“Have you noticed anything strange between them lately?”
“Yes.” Xie Mingqiu said. “Youwei is usually so scared of climbing mountains. Suddenly, she wants to stay two days at Luming Hot Spring Resort with Shanyan, that’s weird. Wait, could they be on a date???”
“Hmm, hard to say, ” Shu Ge had seen the online photos too. Though they had been close since childhood, grown-ups don’t act exactly like kids. Seeing them holding hands so tightly, it was hard to believe there was no other meaning.
“You think they’re dating too?” Xie Mingqiu still found it hard to believe. Youwei had been living with them recently, yet she hadn’t noticed anything. “If they are dating, why hide it from us???”
“Maybe they’re worried we wouldn’t accept it.”
“What’s there to not accept? They’re not even real siblings, ” Xie Mingqiu paused. “I just remembered, I once asked Youwei what type she liked. She said she liked someone tall with good looks and long legs, I thought, isn’t that Shanyan?”
Turns out she was right!
After finishing the call with Shu Ge, Xie Mingqiu checked the photos online. Their behavior was indeed intimate, looking like a real young couple.
“I think you’re overreacting. Doesn’t this look normal?” Guan Su also looked through the photos on his phone. “Obviously, Youwei was a bit scared, so Shanyan held her tighter.”
Xie Mingqiu: “If it wasn’t Youwei in the photo, but another girl with Shanyan, would you still think it’s normal?”
“…” Guan Su paused for two seconds. “Then, probably not.”
Xie Mingqiu asked again: “Then why is it normal if it’s Youwei?”
“Because they’re siblings, right?”
“They are real siblings?”
“…”
Shen Youwei woke up to a disaster! She had worn a mask while climbing, so why did people still recognize her?!
Being excessively beautiful is a kind of suffering!
She immediately knocked on Guan Shanyan’s door. He was on the phone but nodded for her to enter.
“Let’s leave like this for now. We’ll head back.” Guan Shanyan hung up and looked at Shen Youwei waiting beside him. “My parents saw the photos online. Your parents also know now.”
Shen Youwei: “…”
Who has been watching her every day?! Are there no other people in the entertainment industry?!
“A lot of people know we’re staying at Luming Hot Spring Resort. Leaving early today is safer.”
“Mm-hmm.” Though she was unhappy about missing the hot spring tonight, safety came first. “I’ll pack my things first; we’ll talk on the way.”
“Okay.”
Since it was a short two-day trip, they didn’t bring much luggage, so packing was quick. To avoid unnecessary trouble, Guan Shanyan contacted Lu Jin to open the resort’s back gate so a car could pick them up.
Leaving Luming Hot Spring Resort, like when they arrived, required walking the mountain road. The back gate was mainly for transporting supplies, and guests needed Lu Jin to notify security; otherwise, it wouldn’t open.
Lu Jin, aware of the online buzz, considered their safety and opened the back gate, letting a car take them down.
On the way back, Guan Shanyan drove while Shen Youwei sat in the passenger seat, scrolling intensely on her phone.
“No way, these people are too obsessed! They even claim our eyes are sparkling, how could they tell that?!”
Guan Shanyan: “…”
“Next time I go out, I’m definitely wearing sunglasses. Let’s see how they’ll claim that then!”
“…” Guan Shanyan stopped at a red light and asked, “I said online that we’re siblings before. How can they still obsess over that?”
Shen Youwei chuckled: “They said pretending to be siblings makes it even more fun to ship.”
Guan Shanyan: “…”
That’s some serious shipping.
“I don’t even remember saying we were fake siblings.”
“Doesn’t matter. People already figured out we’re just from two families with a close relationship, not real siblings.”
“…”
Guan Shanyan’s phone buzzed. He checked it, then calmly put it back.
“Who is it?” Shen Youwei asked curiously.
“Luo Yu. Sent a message scolding me.”
Shen Youwei: “…”
“It’s over. Totally over.” Shen Youwei covered her face in despair.
Guan Shanyan looked at her, brow slightly furrowed: “Are you really that scared?”
She had said she liked him before. Hah.
“Of course I’m scared! I was worried my dad wouldn’t approve, and before I could figure out how to trick him, the photos were thrown in his face.” And people had shipped them, scrutinizing every detail, there was no way to argue.
Guan Shanyan: “Why would you think Uncle Shen wouldn’t approve? He’s always praised me.”
“That was for you as a brother, but if you use your brother identity to date me, that’s a whole different story.”
Guan Shanyan: “…”
A car behind honked. Guan Shanyan looked at the green light ahead and drove off.
“When you confessed to me, didn’t you consider this?” Guan Shanyan asked lightly.
Shen Youwei was silent for two seconds, then turned to him: “When I confessed, I just wanted a secret relationship with you.”
Guan Shanyan: “…”
So he really couldn’t be seen publicly, huh?
“Forget it. Netizens’ guesses are just speculation. As long as we don’t admit it, it’s fine.” Shen Youwei muttered. “Anyway, we weren’t really dating.”
Guan Shanyan hadn’t even agreed to be her boyfriend yet.
His phone buzzed again. He checked it and put it back.
“Who’s scolding you this time?” Shen Youwei glanced at his phone. “Not my dad, right?”
“Lu Zhaoye.” Guan Shanyan remained calm. “He’s shocked we’re not biological siblings.”
“Not really.” Shen Youwei twitched her mouth. “He didn’t know?”
Guan Shanyan: “Probably no one told him.”
Shen Youwei: “…”
You don’t look innocent.
On the way, Shen Youwei drafted five or six versions of her argument in her head, preparing to defend herself when they got home.
Before entering the house, she took a deep breath and put on an innocent smile: “Godfather, Godmother, we’re back!”
She and Guan Shanyan dragged their luggage to the door. Sitting on the sofa, Xie Mingqiu and Guan Su looked up.
“Godfather, Godmother, you didn’t believe those online claims, right?” Shen Youwei tested them carefully, ready to adjust her defense.
Xie Mingqiu: “Your parents believed them anyway.”
Shen Youwei: “…”
“Believing netizens like this, when you’re older, they’ll sell you health supplements!” Shen Youwei worried aloud.
Xie Mingqiu fell silent for a moment and then asked: “So you two aren’t dating?”
“Nope.” Definitely not.
“Then why go to Luming Hot Spring Resort?”
“Uh, well, Guan Shanyan, Brother Guan said, ‘The heart needs medicine for the heart.’ Revisiting the place might help me overcome my fear.”
“Oh, ” Xie Mingqiu nodded slowly. “So it was like psychological therapy?”
“Exactly!”
“Ah, I knew it!” Guan Su clapped and stood up. “I said you were overreacting, but you didn’t believe me. See? It’s just a misunderstanding.”
“Is it really a misunderstanding?” Xie Mingqiu looked at the two of them carefully. Before they returned, she had thought a lot. Before, she only considered them as siblings and hadn’t noticed anything strange. But once she set aside the sibling relationship, looking at them now, there were many things worth paying attention to. “Guan Shanyan, why don’t you speak for yourself?”
Shen Youwei naturally looked at him. Guan Shanyan paused for a moment, then looked at his parents: “I really like Shen Youwei, the way a man likes a woman.”
The room instantly fell silent. Even the passing breeze seemed to stop. Shen Youwei stood frozen beside him, her mind temporarily halted, endlessly replaying: “I really like Shen Youwei.”
She had imagined many scenarios of Guan Shanyan confessing, but never thought it would happen like this, directly in front of his parents!
“No, you, this, Youwei is really great, but you’re her brother, ” Guan Su became flustered. “How am I supposed to explain this to Old Shen?!”
Just a moment ago, he had reassured Shen Youwei’s father that Shanyan wasn’t that kind of person and would never act on a sister. And now, less than an hour later, he had been proven wrong!
“If Uncle Shen wants to blame me, let him come directly. I’ll explain everything to him.”
“You better make sure you explain it clearly.” Guan Su clicked his tongue and sat back down. “I’m not dealing with this anymore. You handle it yourself.”
Xie Mingqiu squinted at Guan Shanyan. “When did you start feeling this way about Youwei?”
“Uh, just…recently, ”
“Recently?” Xie Mingqiu wasn’t entirely convinced. He had just returned from abroad, and his relationship with Shen Youwei seemed strange. At first, she thought it was just siblings having minor conflicts, but now it seemed more complicated. “Where are you two at now?”
Guan Su discreetly listened in. If Guan Shanyan hadn’t done anything to Youwei, he could explain to Old Shen. If he had, then he’d go get scolded by her father himself!
“…” Guan Shanyan cleared his throat. “Just what you’ve seen.”
Xie Mingqiu raised an eyebrow. “Just holding hands?”
“Mm, ” Although he had stolen a kiss from Shen Youwei last time, the rewind meant it essentially never happened.
“Youwei, is what he said true?” Xie Mingqiu asked Shen Youwei.
Shen Youwei finally regained her senses and smiled at them: “Godfather, Godmother, you can’t blame him entirely. After all, I was also tempted by his good looks.”
Xie Mingqiu: “…”
Guan Su: “…”
“Ahem.” Xie Mingqiu coughed lightly to ease the awkwardness. “You’re both adults. We don’t want to interfere too much in romantic matters. We’ve watched you grow up, you’re both good kids, so I trust you won’t act recklessly.”
Shen Youwei glanced at Guan Shanyan. She quite did want to act recklessly.