Chapter 48 Library

As soon as that little devil Lin Heng left, the world seemed to become quiet in an instant.

The invisible string in Lin Yan's body, which was tense because of his brother's existence, completely relaxed. He seemed to be soaked in hot spring water, emitting a kind of... well, extremely "kind-hearted" laziness and tenderness from the inside out.

It’s just that this tenderness is a bit too “turbulent”.

He was like a giant dragon that had finally monopolized the treasure, and he couldn't wait to hold me in his arms all the time.

Just to "celebrate" his brother's departure and restore our two-person world, he personally "tormented" me for three whole days!

From the living room to the bedroom to the bathroom... this guy's enthusiasm and physical strength in unlocking new maps are simply outrageous!

What's that "a short separation makes a new marriage better"? We haven't been apart at all!

I felt like I had just been dragged back to its den by this hungry wolf and our relationship was renewed. My bones were almost being torn apart and reassembled.

Every time I held my sore waist and complained that he was too much, he would come over with an innocent look on his face, rubbing against me with his handsome face that was usually serious but now full of "I am very satisfied", and his voice was low and magnetic, with a hint of coquettishness:

"Wife...I miss you..."

"Wife, give me another kiss..."

"Wife..."

Help! When did this bastard become so shameless?! Has he completely let himself go because of Lin Heng?!

In bed, it gets even worse. The enthusiasm for unlocking new positions is unprecedentedly high. They dare to say anything shameful and try any exciting moves.

Sometimes when I see him during the day, wearing a neatly ironed shirt and gold-rimmed glasses, concentrating on working on things in front of the computer screen, with that respectable elite look, and then I think of him at night, looking like a hungry wolf who can't wait to devour people... I feel dazed, is this really the same person?

I reasonably suspect that when that brat Lin Heng was around, Lin Yan's possessiveness and clinginess had been suppressed too harshly, and now that his brother is gone, they've completely rebounded and exploded!

The younger brother himself is gone, but his "spirit" seems to still be here, continuing to stimulate his brother's sensitive nerves.

The evidence is that although Lin Heng has returned, the bombardment of news has never stopped!

A high school student with rich emotions, his desire to share is even stronger than a volcanic eruption!

From what kind of disgusting buns he had in the cafeteria in the morning, to seeing a strangely shaped cloud on the road, to complaining about the look his "hungry wolf" stepbrother gave him today...no matter how big or small, he sent a bunch of messages to him.

This directly led to a strange phenomenon: Lin Yan, a normally calm and self-possessed adult male, actually started to compete with a high school student?!

"Honey, look at the leaves of the tree downstairs. Do they look like a heart?"

"Honey, I just passed by that newly opened milk tea shop and brought you a cup of your favorite."

"Honey, I'll be home in ten minutes. Did you miss me?"

Such meaningless and unnecessary information can be sent out in the short time it takes to buy groceries or go to the laboratory!

Every time he comes back, I hold up my phone and read the long string of "chatter" and can't help but frown: "Lin Yan! Are you crazy?! It's just buying groceries! Is it that serious?!"

Lin Yan was not annoyed by my questioning. Instead, he came closer, rested his chin on my shoulder, rubbed my neck, and said with a bit of grievance:

"That brat sent you so many messages. If I don't send more, you will forget me." That sour attitude is simply unbearable!

So, under his brother's invisible "encouragement", Lin Yan's clinginess index soared to an unprecedented height.

When I’m at home, I wish it could grow on my body; when I’m out, I’m bombarded with messages.

He's been so pestering me that I'm eagerly looking forward to the start of school for the first time! If this continues, I'm really afraid that I'll "die from exhaustion" one day and pass away on the bed!

Finally! School starts!

The second semester of my junior year, my schedule was indeed quite empty. But for me, Chen Rui, this wasn't a relief; instead, it meant the official start of my hellish postgraduate entrance exam preparations!

At first, I tried to review at home.

Thinking about the familiar environment, food and drinks, and being able to see Lin Yan’s handsome face at any time (although I get annoyed after seeing it too much), how great is that!

However, reality hit me hard.

It's so hard to go from extravagant to frugal! That comfy sofa at home, that tempting gaming computer at hand, and that phone that I can't stop scrolling...it's the natural enemy of my concentration!

I confidently opened the book "Graduate Entrance Exam English Vocabulary," and ten minutes later, my fingers couldn't help but click on the game icon. I had just finished memorizing the words for a unit when my phone notification sounded, and I couldn't help but watch short videos for another half hour...

Lin Yan tried to guide her at first, acting as a gentle mentor:

"Baby, be good. Study for an hour first. After that, I'll reward you with half an hour of games."

"Ruirui, this knowledge point is very important. Can you please concentrate and read it again?"

"Honey, look at this question. It's actually not difficult. Can I teach you?"

However, after I daydreamed and stared out the window for the Nth time, cracks finally appeared in Lin Yan's gentle mask.

His tone changed from encouragement to helplessness, and finally evolved into... a humble plea:

"Chen Rui... please... read a book for a while... just half an hour! Is half an hour okay?"

"Grandfather! I beg you! Put your phone down! Take a look at the professional book!"

Unfortunately, my "dog brain" is vulnerable to temptation.

The environment at home is a huge comfort trap for me, and I can't concentrate on studying at all!

Seeing my increasingly depressed mental state and my review plan making no progress, Lin Yan finally came to a conclusion and made a wise decision:

We can't let the goblin stay in the cave anymore! We have to kick him out!

So, Lin Yan "escorted" me to the school library.

I have to say, the atmosphere in the library really has a "study-oriented atmosphere"!

All around me were people buried in their studies, the sounds of flipping pages, writing, and the occasional cough... In this environment, my scattered soul seemed to be pressed down in front of the desk by an invisible force.

Although the efficiency is still not high, at least I can sit down for a few hours and absorb some knowledge.

The price was this: by the end of the day, he was left looking emaciated. The little bit of energy he had left when Lin Yan pulled him out of bed that morning had completely evaporated after the intense mental exertion.

I had two huge dark circles under my eyes, my eyes were dull, and my steps were unsteady, like a zombie that had been drained of its energy.

The little bit of soft meat that Lin Yan had managed to raise like a pig was showing signs of disappearing again due to the constant early rising, stress and boxed lunches in the library.

Lin Yan picks her up and drops her off every day, rain or shine.

In the morning, he would send me to the library entrance on time like sending a kid to kindergarten, come to "visit" me at noon with an insulated lunch box, and pick me up, a "learning loser", and take me home in the evening.

Looking at my increasingly haggard face and the dark circles under my eyes, he felt so distressed that he rubbed my head and sighed, "How about... let's not take the exam? I'll support you for the rest of your life."

"Bullshit!" Although studying was painful, I still had some ambition. "It's come to this! I have to take the exam!"

Mainly because I think about the Lin Yan-style "disappointment education" and doubled "physical training" that I may face after giving up, I think studying is still easier (relatively speaking).

Lin Yan couldn't do anything to me, so he could only continue to play his ultimate role as "exam preparation nanny".

I make nutritious meals in different ways, there is always hot water at just the right temperature in my thermos, and I always have refreshing mints and snacks in my bag.

When I get home at night, he treats me like a fragile item, giving me relaxing massages, serving me tea and water, and never mentioning studying. He just wants me to have a good night's sleep.

He is actually very busy himself, with various competition projects, admission materials, and follow-up on projects at the company... But compared to me, an "ascetic monk" who has to stay in the library all day and is exhausted both physically and mentally, his busyness seems as relaxing as a vacation to me.

So, my life became a straight line between two points: library and home.

During the day, I struggled to drown in the ocean of knowledge, and at night, I recovered from the careful feeding and "kind" care of the keepers. It was painful but... well, it was barely fulfilling, I guess.

But every time I see the haggard self in the mirror, and then look at Lin Yan next to me who is full of energy and seems to have endless energy, I can't help but wail in my heart:

Who invented this Poyan? The Goblin Warrior's journey is indeed full of thorns!

The days of preparing for the exam are like a heavy millstone, grinding away the already dwindling energy bit by bit.

Although Lin Yan and I have a tacit understanding in our cooperation, this tacit understanding is like the only small boat in a storm, which can hardly withstand the surging waves outside.

The seemingly sweet boat of Lao Si and Xiao You was shaken and crumbled by the reefs of reality this semester.

The contradiction had actually been brewing for a long time, but it was temporarily covered up by the busyness of graduation season.

Xiaoyou was determined to take the civil service exam, and his target was a coastal city in the south that was said to have good pay.

She comes from an ordinary family, and the stability and high salary are very attractive to her.

The fourth brother, who always seeks stability, chose a school that is not much different from our own school for his postgraduate entrance examination. The prospects of his major are mediocre, but it has a good chance of success and is close to home.

What lay before them was a cruel foreign land.

It’s not that Xiaoyou hasn’t tried hard.

Her eyes were red as she spoke to me, her voice choked with sobs: "Brother Rui, I begged him to try hard and choose a better school in my area... Even if it's a little difficult, can't we work hard together? I can help him too!"

She repeatedly emphasized the opportunities in that city and painted a blueprint for the future where they would work together.

But the fourth brother was still hesitant.

The conservative and risk-averse genes are deeply rooted in his bones.

Better schools mean more intense competition and greater possibility of failure.

He was afraid, afraid that he would not pass the exam, afraid of disappointing Xiaoyou, and even more afraid that he would not be able to support Xiaoyou in that strange city.

Finally, one afternoon, I just sat down in the library, ready to work hard on math, when my cell phone started vibrating wildly.

It was a long voice message sent by Xiaoyou. When I clicked on it, I heard her uncontrollable crying and accusations.

The frustration of studying, the confusion about the future, the "disobedience" of her lover...all kinds of emotions erupted in her heart like a volcano.

She said that the fourth brother didn't understand her pressure and expectations at all, and said that he was too selfish and only cared about his own safety.

I was so distracted by what I was saying that I couldn't concentrate on studying, so I simply found Xiaoyou in a corner of the library.

The delicate girl who usually dressed up carefully, sprayed peach-scented perfume and wore a little skirt when going to the supermarket was now bare-faced, wearing only a pair of thick black-framed glasses, her eyes were swollen like walnuts, and she looked haggard.

"Brother Rui..." When she saw me, tears fell again.

I was also feeling upset, so I took out my cell phone and called Lao Si without saying a word.

As soon as the call connected, I started yelling at him: "Old Fourth, are you a fucking man?! You couldn't see Xiaoyou crying like that?! What were you thinking?! Is a long-distance relationship fun?!"

The fourth brother sighed deeply on the other end of the phone, his tone full of fatigue and irritability:

"Brother Rui... I'm under a lot of pressure too! The postgraduate entrance exam is already difficult, and I'm afraid I won't pass if I choose an even more difficult one! I'll end up with nothing! How can I explain this to Xiaoyou? Should I ask her to wait for me to take the exam for another year? She passed the civil service exam, and I'm still studying..."

I was also tormented by the pressure of studying. Listening to his hesitant words, my anger rose. I hung up the phone and called Lin Yan, like he was grabbing a lifeline: "Lin Yan! Take care of the fourth brother! He and Xiaoyou are going to break up!"