After Developing Mind-Reading, I Stopped Being the Stand-in Shou

Water droplets on the glass slid down the transparent surface, blooming as they sank into the gaps between his pale fingers.

Chu Nian released the straw he had been biting, lifted his gaze to look at Xu Chi across from him, and spoke flatly:

“I’ve been feeling lately… that Lu Jinnian wants to marry me.”

The searing, harsh sunlight filtered through the window, tinting his long, beautiful fingers; a red string was tied around his slender wrist, making his already translucent skin appear dazzlingly white.

Xu Chi was so startled by Chu Nian’s words that he nearly jumped out of his seat.

He widened his eyes, looking at Chu Nian with an expression of pure disbelief:

“Are you serious?!”

Chu Nian’s thick, long eyelashes fluttered.

He didn’t speak, but instead lowered his head to bite the straw in front of him, yet the juice in the glass bottle didn’t decrease at all.

Outside the cold drink shop, the outdoor air conditioning units whirred and spun like they were going mad.

The sweltering temperature made one’s mood turn restless.

The cool air inside always managed to sneak out whenever the door was pushed open, only to be replaced by a sticky heat that couldn’t be shaken off.

“No… Chu Nian.” Xu Chi frowned deeply, asking in confusion:

“Didn’t he say at the beginning that the two of you were just in a cooperative relationship? You even signed a contract to leave immediately once the time was up. How did it escalate to marriage…?”

The straw in his mouth pressed gently against the tip of his tongue, bitten into an irregular shape by his teeth.

The slightly protruding sharp edges brought a faint sting when they pricked his soft tongue.

Three years ago, Chu Nian met Lu Jinnian by chance.

The very first sentence Lu Jinnian said upon seeing him for the first time was:

“Do you want to be my boyfriend?”

Of course, it was in name only—a contractual relationship limited to three years.

Lu Jinnian would give him the compensation he deserved, and all he needed to do… was simply stay by Lu Jinnian’s side.

Chu Nian could tell that back then, Lu Jinnian seemed to be desperately searching for or craving something.

His own quiet appearance had been the thing that pulled the man back from that abyss.

He hadn’t refused.

Chu Nian couldn’t deny that he truly needed the money.

Chu Nian felt he could play the role of a fake lover maintained by mutual interest quite well.

Three years passed just like that.

Just as the contract stated, Lu Jinnian hadn’t developed a shred of feeling for him.

Similarly, he had never liked the man either.

He thought his relationship with Lu Jinnian would end right there.

But… a change in circumstances occurred last week.

That day, Chu Nian had accidentally tripped while going out and hit his head on the steps.

Bright red blood covered his face.

He was so dazed he didn’t even notice the pain until a passerby, startled by the blood, took him to the hospital.

Fortunately, it wasn’t anything serious.

Chu Nian returned home with his head wrapped in gauze, only to run into Lu Jinnian, whom he hadn’t seen for almost two weeks.

After they signed the contract, Chu Nian had moved in with Lu Jinnian as requested, but mostly it was just Chu Nian facing the empty villa alone.

Lu Jinnian rarely came home.

He kept his distance from Chu Nian, only asking him out for dinner on certain dates that could be considered anniversaries.

So, seeing Lu Jinnian that day gave Chu Nian quite a fright.

The two stared at each other for a few seconds before Chu Nian was the first to look away.

He lowered his head and stood at the door to change his shoes.

Chu Nian could feel Lu Jinnian’s eyes staring intently at him.

He intentionally slowed his movements until that uncomfortable gaze disappeared, and only then did Chu Nian breathe a sigh of relief.

As if truly afraid of developing feelings for the other, he and Lu Jinnian rarely even spoke.

The distance between them remained at the level of a nodding acquaintance.

Even one extra second of eye contact felt bizarre to Chu Nian.

It wasn’t until he walked past Lu Jinnian and their shoulders accidentally brushed that, in the next second, Chu Nian heard a sentence—

‘My wife is hurt, boohoo, my heart aches so much.’

Chu Nian paused in his tracks.

His pupils dilated slightly as he whipped his head around, as if he had heard something preposterous.

“Lu Jinnian.” Chu Nian’s brow furrowed.

“What did you just say?”

Lu Jinnian, who had been about to leave, turned back at the sound.

His face still wore that cold expression, his slightly sharp eyes looking over as he gave a confused,

“Hmm?”

Seeing his bewildered look, Chu Nian continued to ask:

“Just now… you didn’t say anything?”

Lu Jinnian’s eyelashes lowered:

“No.”

The brief dialogue ended just like that.

The two looked at each other in silence, and the surrounding air seemed to solidify.

“Maybe I was hallucinating.” After a long while, Chu Nian broke the agonizing silence:

“It’s nothing.”

Lu Jinnian said nothing and merely nodded.

Right then, Chu Nian happened to hear that voice again.

‘My wife actually initiated a conversation with me today! His voice sounds so good, hehe.’

‘Wait… is he trying to get my attention!’

‘As expected of a man playing hard to get.’

Chu Nian stopped walking and turned back again.

Just then, Lu Jinnian lifted his head to look at him.

The other man’s calm gaze met his, as if that voice just now hadn’t been his at all.

Chu Nian’s gaze landed on Lu Jinnian’s tightly pursed lips.

He felt somewhat uncomfortable:

“What on earth are you…”

Before he could finish, he was interrupted by the voice in his ear again.

‘Wife is looking at me, so nervous so nervous so nervous.’

‘But why does his gaze look so weird?’

‘Is there something on my face?’

Immediately after, Lu Jinnian looked down at his phone for two seconds before lifting his head again.

‘I am still radiant today.’

Chu Nian’s eyes widened.

He truly couldn’t believe everything that was happening.

These voices certainly existed, but Lu Jinnian’s mouth, which looked like it was sealed with glue, hadn’t uttered a single word!

Chu Nian felt as if his legs were glued to the floor.

Perhaps because he had been staring for too long, a flash of doubt clearly crossed Lu Jinnian’s eyes.

At the same time, the voices began to crowd in.

‘Why is he still staring at me?’

‘Did I do something wrong?’

‘But I haven’t done anything lately.’

‘…’

‘I get it.’

‘Chu Nian is mesmerized by me.’

*****************************

Chu Nian fled back to his room as if escaping.

He slammed the door shut, as if the deafening sound could drive those eerie voices away.

After that, Chu Nian suffered from insomnia.

Following several more days of observation, Chu Nian finally came to a conclusion.

He seemed to be… having auditory hallucinations.

“Chu Nian? Chu Nian!” Xu Chi’s call pulled Chu Nian’s wandering thoughts back.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Chu Nian sighed, looking down at the lingering teeth marks on the straw:

“I don’t know how to say it, I just feel…”

He couldn’t exactly tell Xu Chi that he had heard Lu Jinnian saying these things in his heart via hallucinations!

Chu Nian raised a hand to rub his temples.

Maybe he really was just too tired lately.

Xu Chi let out a cold laugh:

“You called me out here in such a rush just to say this?”

Chu Nian nodded.

“Could it be…” Xu Chi narrowed his eyes, staring at him mischievously,

“That you’ve actually fallen for Lu Jinnian?”

Chu Nian’s eyelashes trembled, and he nearly knocked over the juice in his hand:

“How is that possible? I don’t like him.”

“Then Lu Jinnian has fallen for you.”

“That’s also impossible!”

He answered decisively without the slightest hesitation, but as soon as the words left his mouth, Chu Nian was suddenly unsure.

After all, over these past few days, Lu Jinnian had been very fond of calling him “wife” in his heart.

But the thought of Lu Jinnian’s cold face calling him that made Chu Nian feel uneasy all over.

Xu Chi’s expression shifted slightly:

“You’re being weird today.”

“You don’t like Lu Jinnian, and Lu Jinnian doesn’t like you, so why would he want to marry you?” Seeing that Chu Nian wasn’t speaking, Xu Chi continued:

“Just because you look like Qin Ning?”

Hearing him say that, Chu Nian lifted his eyes and propped his chin up with his hand.

Qin Ning, Lu Jinnian’s first love.

According to others, he was the “White Moonlight” hidden in the depths of Lu Jinnian’s heart—someone others could never reach.

It was said that after Qin Ning left, Lu Jinnian was devastated, so depressed that he had several failed suicide attempts.

He loved Qin Ning to the extreme, to the point where he almost couldn’t survive without him.

Until he met Chu Nian.

Everyone said Chu Nian was just a stand-in Lu Jinnian used to replace Qin Ning.

Even Chu Nian himself thought so.

Chu Nian’s curled, thick lashes fanned gently, obscuring the clarity in his eyes.

His rosy lips pressed against the opening of the glass bottle.

His Adam’s apple bobbed a few times as he tilted his head back, draining the last of the juice.

The cloying liquid slid down his throat, but the residual sourness in his mouth refused to dissipate.

“Chu Nian, no matter what Lu Jinnian wants to do, you can’t waver.” Xu Chi spoke earnestly, reaching out to pat the back of Chu Nian’s hand.

“The moment Qin Ning comes back, he will definitely kick you to the curb without a second thought.”

Chu Nian gave an “Mhm,” adding:

“I know.”

Only then did Xu Chi feel relieved:

“Your contract with Lu Jinnian is about to expire, right? How much time is left?”

“Less than two months,” Chu Nian replied.

“Two months… we have to hurry up and grab as much as we can,” Xu Chi said.

“I’ve received news that Qin Ning is coming back soon. Besides, your mother’s side needs money urgently right now, doesn’t it? Psychiatric patients are money-burning machines. I won’t say more; think about the rest yourself.”

Xu Chi dared to say this because he must have peeked at his bank balance again.

Chu Nian found no reason to refute him.

He truly didn’t have much money left.

Although he was currently a minor employee at a company, his expenses always exceeded his earnings.

Even with the money Lu Jinnian provided, Chu Nian’s savings were still meager.

Right then, his phone received a notification from the hospital regarding overdue fees.

Chu Nian stared blankly at the several zeros on the screen.

It wasn’t until a while later that he spoke again:

“Xu Chi, I understand.”

“As long as you understand.” Xu Chi looked at Chu Nian’s face and shook his head, sighing at how beautiful it was.

“It’s a pity Lu Jinnian doesn’t know how to cherish it.”

“But it doesn’t matter. For a rich second-generation like him, there’s no shortage of men throwing themselves at him.”

“What’s more, you’re just a stand-in.”

His words seemed to be constantly reminding Chu Nian to keep his place.

The coffee in Xu Chi’s hand had long since gone cold.

He hadn’t taken a single sip, and the calm surface of the brown liquid reflected his silhouette.

Suddenly, Chu Nian’s phone sitting by his hand rang.

He picked it up to see an unfamiliar string of numbers.

He frowned and looked up at Xu Chi.

Xu Chi gestured with his chin toward the phone.

His slender finger slid across the screen, and Chu Nian placed the phone to his ear, saying softly:

“Hello?”

[Are you Mr. Chu Nian?]

The voice on the other end was urgent.

[Could we trouble you to come to the hospital right now?]

[President Lu… has been in a car accident.]