Chapter 1341: A GOOD NIGHT
LUO WEI TIAN watched with bated breath as Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun moved across the dance floor. When he first saw them walking toward it, his heart had nearly jumped out of his chest. He had hoped they wouldn’t actually do it. But of course, they did. A part of him wanted to march over there and pull them apart. But then he saw how happy they looked. So he stayed in his seat.
His initial reaction had mostly came from the shock of what happened the night before. But as he watched the way people were looking at Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun, and as bits of whispered conversation reached his ears, his feelings quickly shifted to worry and anger. Not at the two of them. No, at the judgmental stares aimed their way and the gossip he was certain was full of nothing good.
But when had this even started? Surely, two young men dancing together couldn’t be enough to cause the looks Luo Wei Tian was seeing from some of their guests. For example, he heard Xiulan say:
"Oh, look, Xiao Yun and Xiao Yan are dancing. How adorable," she said, turning to Luo Wei Tian. "Do you think one of them lost a bet, and that’s why they’re dancing together?"
See? That was the kind of reaction that made sense. When normal people saw two young men dancing, their first reaction would be they were just messing around. Not jump straight to the conclusion that they were in a relationship. But the way some of these guests were reacting, it was like they already knew something. But how?
"I don’t think that’s what’s happening here, honey," Bai Chen said from beside Xiulan. Then he looked at Luo Wei Tian with a thoughtful expression. "I think the whole family needs to have a talk after this party."
Luo Wei Tian held his brother-in-law’s gaze for a moment, then nodded. From the look on Bai Chen’s face, he probably already had some idea about Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun. And with the conversation happening tomorrow with Shen Ji Yun and his uncle, the family was bound to find out, anyway. So it was better to just tell them outright later.
"What do you mean by that, Ah Chen?" Xiulan asked, her brows furrowed in genuine confusion.
Bai Chen leaned in, as if he was about to whisper the answer to her. Luo Wei Tian didn’t have time to focus on what he was saying, though, because just then Luo Ren returned from wherever he had gone, and his attention shifted to him.
"Dad, it looks like those Shen family brats did something," Luo Ren said, his voice low enough that only his father could hear. "Now some guests, maybe most of them, have an idea about Yan Yan and Shen Ji Yun’s relationship."
"What?" Luo Wei Tian said, nearly raising his voice. Noticing Xiulan and Bai Chen glance their way, he quickly lowered it. "What do you mean, Ah Ren?"
Before Luo Ren could answer, a few gasps from nearby made him turn toward the dance floor. That was when he saw Shen Yi Mu and the man who had been sitting at his table step into position near Shen Ji Yun and Luo Yan. The two older men held each other like they were about to dance and began to move. And that wasn’t all. Luo Jin and Su Yuqi also walked onto the floor and started dancing. Bai Ze and a girl Luo Ren didn’t recognize quickly followed. The three couples moved around Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun, almost like they were forming a shield around them.
Luo Wei Tian noticed it too. His eyes locked onto Shen Yi Mu and the man who had been sitting at his table. What were they doing? But then he saw how the guests’ attention shifted almost entirely onto the pair. Maybe because the two of them dancing together was a much more interesting piece of gossip, especially with who Shen Yi Mu was.
If Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun hadn’t danced first, and if most of the guests hadn’t already picked up on their relationship like Luo Ren had said, then people probably would have just chalked this up to Shen Yi Mu being eccentric. But now? Especially with the way Shen Yi Mu was looking at the man in his arms and the possessive way he held him, no one could mistake what kind of relationship they had.
So they were... lovers? Shen Yi Mu was also... gay? Was that why Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun had felt comfortable telling him about their relationship? Because he would understand what they were going through?
Either way, Luo Wei Tian was relieved that Shen Yi Mu had stepped in and shifted the attention away from his son. The man had clearly done it to protect Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun from all the stares and whispers. That earned him some points. But that didn’t mean he would go easy on him or his nephew during tomorrow’s talk though.
But for now, Luo Wei Tian would simply be grateful that there was someone who accepted his son and was willing to protect him. He glanced at the others circling protectively around Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun. Maybe not just one person. But several.
Despite everything that had happened tonight, that thought brought a small smile to his face.
***
The party wrapped up an hour before midnight. Despite all the gossip, it had carried on like any other high-society event. The business people did what they came to do, making connections and exchanging cards. The rest, the ones with nothing better to do, kept on whispering until the very end.
Luo Yan didn’t let it bother him. He had enjoyed the night, despite everything that had happened. He had even managed to give Shen Ji Yun his anniversary gift. So when it came time to bid the guests goodbye, and he felt their stares and heard their whispers, he just kept smiling. Nothing they said could take away how good the night had been.
Now he just had to get through the conversation tomorrow.
