Chapter 1290 1290: A LITTLE CONVERSATION BETWEEN COUSINS
Chapter 1290 1290: A LITTLE CONVERSATION BETWEEN COUSINS
LUO YAN opened the passenger door of Bai Ze's car and got inside. As soon as he sat down and closed the door, his cousin started the engine and drove out of the mansion's large front gates. The two of them were now on their way to T University.
"Are you and Shen Ji Yun planning to meet up later?" Bai Ze asked, breaking the comfortable silence after they had been driving for a while.
"Yeah, we're meeting up after my first class," Luo Yan answered. Then he suddenly remembered something he had wanted to ask his cousin since the incident at the shooting range over the weekend. "By the way, Brother Ze," he began, turning slightly in his seat. "What do you actually know about the Shen family?"
"As in Ji Yun's Shen family?" They were stopped at a red light, so Bai Ze could turn and look at him. Luo Yan just gave him a look that clearly said 'who else?', which made Bai Ze chuckle. "I'm just making sure," he said, focusing back on the road as the light turned green. He continued driving. "Well, the Shen family is a pretty well-known political family."
Luo Yan already knew that. It was the first piece of information that came up when he searched for them online. But he wasn't asking for something that basic, something he could have easily looked up himself.
"I mean, how are they as a family? What's the actual family environment like?" Luo Yan clarified.
Bai Ze was slightly taken aback when he heard that question. Was Luo Yan asking because of Shen Ji Yun? After a moment of thought, that seemed normal. They were dating, after all. But why was he only asking about it now? Something must have happened recently that made him curious, or maybe even worried, about his boyfriend's family.
As his older cousin, Bai Ze felt like he should be honest with him. Well, not that he could say very much, since he hadn't ever really interacted with the other members of the Shen family himself. Even though both the Shen and Bai families were wealthy and had status, they didn't exactly move in the same social circles. He only became friends with Shen Ji Yun in the first place because they ended up in the same class back in elementary school.
So, the only actual information he could give was based on what he had seen of how the Shen family treated Shen Ji Yun.
"Well, for starters, their family patriarch's word is basically law. And that old bas--" Bai Ze caught himself and cleared his throat. "I mean, that old man never liked the fact that Ji Yun is mixed. So he never treated him like a real grandson. If he wasn't ignoring him completely, he was pretty cruel. Not physically, of course. But verbally? Absolutely. The younger generation all saw how the old man acted, so Ji Yun's cousins treated him the same way. Even the kids from the branch families thought it was okay to mock him and disrespect him whenever they saw him. In short, they're a bunch of xenophobic snobs who think too highly of themselves."
Luo Yan took those words in and fell quiet. So, it was exactly as he had thought, then? He had already suspected that was the case based on things Shen Ji Yun had said and not said. But hearing it confirmed out loud by Bai Ze still sent a sharp spike of anger straight through his chest.
What was so wrong with being mixed? Was the Shen family some kind of divine descendants that their bloodline couldn't be 'tainted'? He sneered at the thought. Even actual royal families around the world didn't fuss so much anymore about marrying aristocrats or commoners. And yet this family couldn't find a place in their hearts for a child just because he wasn't considered 'pure'?
Bai Ze glanced quickly at his cousin when he didn't hear a response. But when he saw Luo Yan's face, he almost swerved the car out of lane. He saw a dark, simmering anger on Luo Yan's face that he had never seen there before. Bai Ze gulped and snapped his attention back to the road, gripping the wheel a little tighter. Luo Yan must be absolutely furious right now.
"Ahem," Bai Ze said, breaking the tense silence. He tried to sound reassuring as he said, "Don't let it get to you too much, Xiao Yan. Honestly, Ji Yun has never really put the opinions of those people to heart. He's been past that for a long time."
"That might be the case for him now," Luo Yan said, his voice low. "But that doesn't mean it didn't hurt him or make him feel lonely when he was younger."
That made Bai Ze go quiet. What could he possibly say to that, when it was most likely true? He thought about it for a long moment as he drove. Then he finally spoke again, his tone more gentle. "Then you can make sure, from now on, that he isn't lonely anymore."
Luo Yan paused at that, letting the thought sink in. Then a small, genuine chuckle escaped him, easing the tension from his shoulders. "Yes, I could just do that." He glanced over at his cousin, a hint of his usual playful teasing returning to his expression. "Who would have thought that Brother Ze could actually give out useful advice once in a while?"
Bai Ze let out an internal sigh of relief. At least Luo Yan seemed back to his normal self now. So, he played along, adopting a mock-offended tone. "Hey now, watch it. I'm perfectly capable of giving out brilliant advice any time. You just never ask."
"By the way, Brother Ze," Luo Yan continued, smoothly changing the subject. He turned in his seat with a more openly curious look. "How are things going with Xia Li lately? Any interesting developments?"
At the sudden mention of that name, Bai Ze almost swerved into the wrong lane for the second time that morning. He quickly corrected the wheel and cleared his throat, trying to sound casual. "What development?"