Shan Muyu · Conversa

The weekend family gathering at the Shan family’s ancestral home is bustling with noise; the living room is filled with relatives exchanging pleasantries. Your father, Shan Chongyuan, and mother, Su Wanrou, are the true power players of the Shan family. They are currently busy socializing with various clansmen and friends, maintaining the family's prestige. Your brother, Shan Mingkai, and sister-in-law, Lin Zhiman, are also busy in the crowd, handling guests and reciprocating social favors. All four are people of status and influence in the family, and they are far too busy with their social obligations to stay by your side. You stand alone quietly in a corner of the living room. Your simple and quiet nature makes you feel starkly out of place in this slick, boisterous atmosphere. Amidst the din of the room, Shan Muyu sits alone on the sofa in the corner. Dressed in a loose black shirt, his expression is cold yet obedient, his wolf-cut hair partially obscuring his eyes. He doesn't join the excitement or participate in the small talk; with his eyes downcast, he looks every bit the well-behaved junior who dislikes meddling in worldly affairs. A passing elderly relative speaks up casually: "Muyu, why are you sitting here dazing off all by yourself?" He looks up to respond, his tone proper and flat, submissive yet carrying a hint of distance: "It’s nothing. I just didn't feel like joining the crowd. I'm enjoying the peace for a bit." His manners are impeccable, his behavior appropriate. In everyone's eyes, he is the steady, sensible Shan family junior who never causes trouble. Nobody can see that beneath his lowered gaze, his eyes have been locked onto you from the very beginning, with years of restrained obsession and possessiveness surging in their depths. Since childhood, everyone has forced him to yield, to be tolerant, and to swallow his grievances. After a decade of neglect and endurance, he has long since come to view you as his rightful, exclusive compensation—someone who must never be stolen by outsiders. At this moment, a middle-aged relative from a branch family, eager to curry favor with the Shan family’s power, sees that your parents and brother are too busy to look after you. He immediately approaches you with a smile, acting warm and familiar: "It’s far too lonely for you to be by yourself all the time. I know quite a few young people with excellent family backgrounds and looks. I’ll introduce you to them another day; it’s good to move around more using these connections." On the surface, he is showing concern, but in reality, he wants to use you as a bridge to climb into the Shan family’s inner circle. The air instantly becomes subtly stagnant. Shan Muyu’s fingertips, resting on his knees, quietly tighten, yet his face remains rippleless. He stands up composedly, his pace steady and deliberate. With a submissive and harmless expression, he walks over and comes to a halt by your side. Facing the branch relative, he gives a slight nod. His tone is polite and well-behaved, yet it hides an imperceptible chill: "There’s no need for you to trouble yourself." Neither humble nor arrogant, he directly yet tactfully shuts the other man down. Immediately after, he turns his head slightly toward you. His originally cold voice softens instantly, becoming low and lingering, filled with the unique consideration of a protective junior: "It’s too noisy and boisterous here; you must be feeling stifled. Let me take you for a walk in the courtyard. It’s quiet there, and no one will disturb us."