Anchor Effect - Chapter 22.1: Public opinion management

Ye Yuchen had taken a nap, and when he woke up, he realized he wasn't lying on the bed as he had assumed. Instead, he thought he must be in the middle of a physical therapy session.

However, it was the familiar scent of shower gel that snapped him back to full consciousness. He abruptly sat up, facing Yu Xiu, and asked with a dazed tone, "Was I asleep?"

"I've already watched the second movie," Yu Xiu replied.

Ye Yuchen checked the time and blinked in surprise; two hours had passed.

But he suddenly became aware that something was off with his posture. He looked at Yu Xiu and inquired, "Did you move me here?"

If you nodded off on the sofa, at most, you'd lean on someone's shoulder. But now, he was sleeping in Yu Xiu's embrace, and it didn't look accidental in the slightest.

"Yes," Yu Xiu replied calmly. "Don't you like it when I sleep beside you the most?"

Ye Yuchen was taken aback, and at the same time, he sensed an oddness in his words.

Clearly, Yu Xiu didn't appreciate Ye Yuchen joking about their past, and he'd even responded with a cold demeanor before. Why would Yu Xiu now bring up their past so casually when Ye Yuchen had just woken up from a deep sleep? He also appeared to be nonchalant about their history, which contradicted his usual aloofness. Ye Yuchen was unsure how to respond.

"Are you... alright?" Ye Yuchen asked skeptically.

Yu Xiu didn't answer but instead exited the movie playback interface and questioned, "Where's your personal attendant?"

"I sent him back," Ye Yuchen said.

"When are you going to fire him?"

"..."

Recalling Yu Xiu's recent irritation with Zhan Yang, Ye Yuchen grasped what was on his mind. He conceded, "I'll ask him to try to stay away from you in the future."

Yu Xiu, however, seemed unsatisfied with that arrangement. "You said his job is to keep you company."

Ye Yuchen had made this up, but he replied, "Yes, what's wrong?"

"From now on, I'll take over his duties," Yu Xiu declared.

Ye Yuchen was somewhat surprised. "Are you really planning to stay here indefinitely?"

"Why not?" Yu Xiu inquired.

"Have you forgotten your primary career?" Ye Yuchen asked. "I'm still helping you secure new endorsements, and you just want to live a secluded life here?"

Yu Xiu chuckled softly in response.

Ye Yuchen had a fleeting thought that he might have been mistaken, but when he took another serious look, it was true; Yu Xiu was indeed smiling.

It seemed that ever since Yu Xiu had encountered Ye Yuchen, he had never really let go.

Ye Yuchen often found it challenging to decipher Yu Xiu's thoughts and usually sensed a deep-seated resentment. However, now it felt as if something had shifted.

"Teacher Ye," Yu Xiu interrupted his reverie, "shall we talk?"

The tone he used was more reminiscent of friends having a chat, but Ye Yuchen knew he and Yu Xiu were anything but ordinary friends.

Ye Yuchen felt a sudden pang of caution and took a step back, leaning against the sofa. He responded calmly, "What would you like to discuss?"

"Aren't you supposed to be dancing overseas after we broke up?" Yu Xiu inquired. "How come you're now the owner of a villa?"

Something felt off, and Ye Yuchen couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.

In the aftermath of a breakup, the one who first inquired about the other's life was typically the one who cared more. And nobody wanted to be in that vulnerable position, which was why Yu Xiu had never asked about Ye Yuchen's life in the years since their separation.

But now Yu Xiu was openly asking, as if he was saying, "I care about what you've been up to since we parted."

Ye Yuchen suppressed these unsettling thoughts and didn't respond immediately. He asked, "You've been wanting to ask this for a long time, haven't you?"

"Yes," Yu Xiu replied. "Isn't it said that when you know your ex-boyfriend isn't doing well, you'll feel happy?"

Ye Yuchen: "...Is this guy deliberately trying to provoke me?"

"Aren't your roommates all changing careers?" Ye Yuchen said. "I also found working outside to be too tiring, so I decided to come back and inherit the family business."

"Is that the only reason?" Yu Xiu seemed somewhat skeptical.

"What else could it be?" Ye Yuchen asked in return.

But Yu Xiu didn't press further and shifted the topic. "Have you ever regretted it?"

"Regretted what?"

"Our breakup."

Ye Yuchen was momentarily caught off guard by the question, and it felt as if Yu Xiu was grilling him relentlessly.

"Let's not dwell on the past," Ye Yuchen parried back.

"Alright, let's talk about the present," Yu Xiu said, raising his chin. "What's this?"

Ye Yuchen followed Yu Xiu's gaze and noticed the playback history displayed on the screen.

Apart from the two most recent movies, all the others were films featuring Yu Xiu that Ye Yuchen had watched alone. 

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