SHEN YI MU looked at that folder for a long time without saying a word. He felt his insides trembling. From anger or disappointment, he didn't know. Maybe from both.
He knew that something like this would happen sooner or later. His father had been nudging him to get married for years already. It's like every time he got older, the other would tell him to go and get married. But even so, his father had never arranged something like this for him.
Then something suddenly flashed in his mind. An information that was not that widespread among the public but quite well known among the upper circle. That the candidate most likely to be elected for the next election was being backed by the Wuhan Group.
The next election was just around the corner. In March next year, to be exact. There's one high government position that the president could appoint himself — the Premier. And who here was actually being groomed to be the next Premier?
His eldest brother.
"Is this your decision or elder brother's suggestion?" he asked in a low, emotionless voice. He didn't look at the two and just looked at the folder.
"It's my decision. How could it be related to your brother?" his father asked in a voice as if silently saying 'why are you suddenly including your brother in this conversation?'.
After hearing that, a dry laugh escaped his throat. And that laugh slowly turned into something bitter and mocking.
"Then why is he here? Isn't it to make sure that I will agree to help him with his political career?" he asked, his voice filled with sarcasm.
His father furrowed his brows. "This? What the hell are you talking about?"
"Come on, let's not delude ourselves. I know that you're pushing this marriage to make sure that Brother's political career would be as magnificent as you dreamed it to be. And I'm just the throwaway pawn you chose to sacrifice," he said with a mocking smile.
He didn't know if he was just imagining things, but a flash of hurt seemed to have appeared in his father's eyes for a brief second before it was replaced by anger. But how could that be possible?
"Shen Yi Mu," his older brother said with a sharp warning look. The tone of his voice was obviously telling him to stop.
This only made Shen Yi Mu even angrier. If this was a decision that was only made by their father, he wouldn't be this angry. It was because his older brother was standing here, seemingly aware of what was happening, that it made his anger explode.
Why? Because Shen Yi Wu knew about his sexual orientation. There's no way he wouldn't have known after that argument they had when Ah Yue disappeared. Although the two of them didn't discuss it further after that, both of them had a tacit understanding to never mention that incident again. They both pretended as if it never happened.
And yet, the other, despite knowing that he couldn't possibly marry a woman, did not stop their father and even more likely agreed to this marriage match.
Shen Yi Mu turned to their father, whose brows were now almost in one line because of how deeply it was furrowed. He didn't care and just said straightforwardly;
"I won't meet her. I also don't have any plans to marry any woman. No matter if they were from a prominent family or just a simple girl from the countryside."
Their father hit the table hard with a 'bang'. "What nonsense are you saying? Do you think you're still a teenager who can say such things?"
"Dad, I didn't say that because I'm trying to be rebellious. There's a scientific and biological reason behind it," Shen Yi Mu said with a light tone, as if joking. But anyone who observed him closely would see that his eyes were not joking at all.
Shen Yi Wu saw it and he suddenly had a very bad feeling.
"I can tell you the reason if Dad wants to hear it."
When he heard the other add that, he already understood what Shen Yi Mu was trying to do.
"Shen Yi Mu, stop," he warned his younger brother once again.
"No, let him say what he had to say," their father interrupted him. "I want to hear whatever this nonsensical reason was."
Shen Yi Mu did not glance at his eldest brother and just focused his attention on their father.
"The reason is very simple, really. It's because I'm not into women, you see?" he said with a shrug. "In case Dad couldn't understand that, I'm just saying that I'm gay."
"Y-you--!" Their father's face turned a bright shade of red. There was a flash of confusion at first on his face, but when he understood what Shen Yi Mu was saying, his face completely turned livid. "This bastard! What the hell are you saying right now?"
"I'm just explaining why I can't meet the woman you want me to meet and why a marriage between the two of us is possible," Shen Yi Mu said with a shrug. "By the way, Brother there also knows about my, let's just say, inclination. So, Dad should blame him for wasting your effort in arranging this... meeting."
"Shen Yi Mu, have you really gone crazy?" Shen Yi Wu finally couldn't bear it anymore and shouted.
He was not angry that Shen Yi Mu involved him. He was just worried about the effect this 'confession' would have on their father. He glanced at their father. The other was trembling and breathing hard. He quickly took out their father's medicine from the desk drawer just to be sure.
"Dad, don't listen to him. He's just angry right now, that's why he's saying that."
Shen Yi Mu laughed dryly. "Of course, I'm angry. But that doesn't mean I'm lying."
"Shut up, you brat!" Shen Yi Wu finally shouted.
But Shen Yi Mu wasn't fazed and continued. "I'm sorry, Dad. I'm gay and that's the truth. This is me, the real me. I'm not hoping for your acceptance, just a bit of respect would be enough. So, please, Dad, please don't force me to cut ties with you."
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