Chapter 59 I'm too embarrassed to point it out to you

"Damn, I'm speechless. I overheard their conversation. Guess when that handsome guy in the overcoat who went to Germany will be back... What do you mean three or four years? Just half a month! The seventh day of the Lunar New Year! The seventh day of the Lunar New Year! Just half a month, and it's like the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl are separated!"

"And when I got closer, I saw the logo on the scarf of that guy in the down jacket. It's a collaboration. A scarf like that costs five figures. I'm speechless, ladies. We've been tricked by capital."

"If they're not friends, then what are they... Wait, no way... If they're lovers, well, you know what, you really can't believe it..."

The girl with long hair covered the receiver and walked away, turning back every few steps.

As the third wave of people came to see her off, Ji Tong finally let go of Gu Lin's arm.

He bent down, reached out and picked up the bag that Gu Lin had placed on the ground, but didn't give it to Gu Lin. He carried it with one hand and unzipped it.

Ji Tong saw the camera at the very bottom of the bag.

I don't know when it was installed.

He had checked it before he left; it wasn't there then.

“I’ll take this,” Ji Tong said, taking the camera out from the bottom of the bag. “What kind of nonsense is it to install it in the bedroom?”

"There are only the two of us in the apartment, so we only installed the appliances in the living room, not in the bedroom."

“Because he wasn’t my boyfriend back then,” Gu Lin said calmly, taking the bag from his hand and pressing the camera button lightly. “Now, I can pretend.”

Ji Tong was persuaded for two seconds, but only for two seconds.

With Gu Lin's parents around, and with the Lunar New Year approaching, other relatives and friends will inevitably come over. While they might not necessarily sneak into Gu Lin's bedroom, the thought of discovering a camera, especially one installed in such a private place, is rather perverted.

“No one comes into my bedroom,” Gu Lin knew what her boyfriend was thinking at a glance. She tapped the back of his hand and said deliberately, “Even your Aunt Yang Yin wouldn’t.”

Ji Tong: "..."

What do you mean, "Your Aunt Yang Yin"?

It's getting muddy again.

Ji Tong kicked his sneaker, signaling him to speak seriously.

“It’s not just because of that,” Ji Tong chose to tell the truth, holding the camera to his chest and saying earnestly, “I would like to see it.”

"Just like the days when I moved back to the dorm, I kept wanting to watch it, and I even had to keep it on while I slept."

"You know I was watching, which is why I slept on the sofa in the living room for those few days."

“You can’t stay in the bedroom all the time when you go back. If I turn on the camera and you’re not there, I’ll have to wonder where you went and what you were doing…”

“Okay.” Gu Lin interrupted him.

"What can I do?"

"It can always be there."

Ji Tong paused for two seconds, almost laughing. He didn't ask why he had been "always here," but said, "What? Anyone who didn't know better would think I had locked you up."

Ji Tong looked down to straighten the camera's crumpled packaging box, unaware of the fleeting emotion that flashed in Gu Lin's eyes when he said "close it," like a nerve being suddenly gripped and then quickly released.

“You can stay in the bedroom all the time, but I can’t keep looking at my phone all the time,” Ji Tong said as she tidied up the boxes. “I’m going to visit my grandparents in a couple of days and stay there for four days before visiting my maternal grandparents.”

"Last year we ate our New Year's Eve dinner at my grandfather's house, but this year it's our turn here."

"My schedule is very tight, and I can't keep looking at my phone."

The only way to eliminate this possibility is to cut it off at the source.

Considering her boyfriend's "social butterfly" status, Gu Lin went along with him: "Keep your phone on all the time, and video call me if you want to talk."

But they weren't in a long-distance relationship; they were in different countries. Ji Tong sighed inwardly.

"There's a time difference, about 6 hours."

Gu Lin replied, "It's only been 6 hours."

Ji Tong thought about it and agreed. It wasn't a small amount, but it wasn't a particularly large amount either. At least it didn't involve working day and night in reverse. So he nodded.

“Let’s go in,” Ji Tong slowly exhaled. “My uncle is still waiting for me in the parking lot. That’s a temporary parking area, so we can’t park there for too long.”

“Hmm,” Gu Lin raised his hand and touched his eyes, “Send me a message when you get to the car.”

"Stay at home for the next few days and let your uncle play with you. Don't go back to the apartment alone."

"I will check."

The apartment is fine for two people, but not for one person; it's too quiet.

Ji Tong knew what Gu Lin was worried about: "I might not even have time to talk to you on the phone, how will you get back to your apartment?"

A new round of announcements sounded at the airport.

With the Lunar New Year approaching, the airport has been given a new look, with various decorations updated and even the announcements ending with "Wishing you a happy Lunar New Year in advance."

Ji Tong gently pushed him towards the security checkpoint, wanting to say something but afraid of saying too much, so he took another step forward and hugged him: "Have a safe journey."

The airport was bustling with people coming and going, waving and hugging everywhere. As parting was imminent, no one spared any extra attention to look at others.

Gu Lin lowered his head and placed a kiss on his hair.

"Happy New Year."

-

The movie on Song Zhenshu's phone was almost halfway through when the passenger door was finally opened.

"Did you cry?" Song Zhenshu leaned on the lowered car window with one hand. "Let your uncle see."

Ji Tong turned her face to show him.

Song Zhenshu smiled, his gaze falling to Ji Tong's hand. He saw the camera but didn't ask any further questions. After Ji Tong fastened his seatbelt, he drove towards Haiyuan.

Ji Tong only stayed at Haiyuan for two days.

As the Lunar New Year approached, Ji Yuanfeng had a rare moment of leisure, but Song Jiahe Gallery was extremely busy. Ji Yuanfeng accompanied his wife all over the country, and fearing that his son and brother-in-law would be left unattended, he even packed up the uncle and nephew and sent them to Ji Tong's grandfather's place.

To express his apology, General Manager Ji specially drove the car.

“Your grandpa went to a miniature pony beauty pageant a few days ago and bought you two, one brown and one white, both Shetland ponies. They’re quite cute. They’re being kept on the farm now, and you’ll be able to see them when you go down,” Ji Yuanfeng suddenly remembered. “Did your grandpa tell you about them?”

Ji Tong: "No."

Song Zhenshu chuckled to himself.

Ji Yuanfeng: "...Pretend you don't know anything when you see your grandfather later."

Ji Tong was a little confused: "The last time I talked to Grandpa on the phone, he said he wanted to buy two Akhal-Teke horses, how come he bought miniature horses instead?"

This person's aesthetic sense has changed too quickly.

"I'll buy the Golden Horse too, I'm still choosing one, I bought the miniature horse first."

“Don’t you like miniature horses?” Ji Yuanfeng said.

Ji Tong was taken aback: "When did I start liking miniature horses?"

Ji Yuanfeng: "When I was five years old."

Ji Tong: "..."

She was five years old!

Pets are different from gifts. At the time, Ji Tong was too young, and Song Jiahe was worried that the child's interest would only last three minutes. She was also afraid that if this set a precedent, they would have to buy a zoo in the future, because Ji Tong not only liked miniature horses, but also giraffes, polar bears, emperor penguins, pandas, and dinosaurs.

Grandpa Ji Tong had genuinely considered buying a zoo back then. He even came up with a name for it: "Tong Tong's Happy Growth Zoo." He also made some specific plans, including but not limited to—

The plan was to offer free access for the month of Ji Tong's birthday, free access for anyone whose name contained the character "Tong", free access for the month of Children's Day... In short, the main idea was to offer free access. Before the plan could even take shape, Song Jiahe found out and nipped it in the bud.

Ji Tong was indeed only enthusiastic for a short time. After starting elementary school, he stopped mentioning miniature horses. However, the old man remembered it. When he heard about a miniature horse beauty pageant a while ago, he drove his pickup truck there excitedly.

"I had my eye on one in the first place, a pure white pony, quite chubby. Your grandpa said its round eyes looked like yours, so I bought it right away. But then I felt it was too lonely for just one, so I picked out a brown one to keep you company... to keep the horse company."

Ji Yuanfeng didn't drive to the villa; he simply dropped off the uncle and nephew at the farm.

The past few days before the Lunar New Year have been sunny and bright. The farm has welcomed three new lambs, making it quite lively.

Song Zhenshu was as familiar with the two elders of the Ji family as if they were his own children, and even called them "Grandpa" directly according to Ji Tong's generation.

As soon as Song Zhenshu got off the car, he took the lambs and fed them milk in turn. He then prepared to walk to the miniature horse shed. Before he even reached the shed, he saw Ji Tong leading two miniature horses out from the left and right sides.

The miniature horse was still a child, only a little taller than Ji Tong's calf. Old Master Ji was worried that he wouldn't be able to raise it well, so he hired a special breeder.

Song Zhenshu walked in that direction and bumped into the old man who was about to get the camera to record his beloved grandson.

"Why did you take off your coat? Don't get cold," the old man said, looking at Song Zhenshu's sweater. He took off his gloves and put them on Song Zhenshu. "Do you like the miniature horse? Grandpa will buy you one too."

"That's for kids. I'm so old already," Song Zhenshu replied with a chuckle.

"They're all still kids before they're married, and they get lucky money during Chinese New Year," Grandpa said.

Song Zhenshu slowly put on his gloves.

It should be calculated based on marriage...

He glanced far away in a certain direction.

Maybe in a few years his nephew will be older than him.

"Forget about the miniature pony, Grandpa, when you buy the golden horse, please pick one out for me."

"Okay, Grandpa will buy it."

The old man was talking when his phone rang.

It was the zookeeper's phone call.

The old man answered the phone, and Song Zhenshu heard things like "bedding material" and "horse pasture grass".

"Later, take Tongtong back to the shed and feed him a carrot. Remember to cut it into small pieces, as he eats slowly."

Song Zhenshu: "???"

The old man hung up the phone.

Song Zhenshu: "Grandpa, why did you bring Tongtong back to the shed?"

Grandpa laughed: "It's not Tongtong, it's that little white pony. I named it Tongtong, Tong as in childhood."

"We were supposed to wait until Tongtong woke up, but we couldn't resist. We thought we'd call her that for a few days to get her used to it, but she got used to it and remembered the name. Then Tongtong said, 'Let's call her that then.'"

"That's something the old man would do," Song Zhenshu asked. "And what about the other one? What kind of temporary name did you give it?"

"This one hasn't started growing yet, so we've been calling for Xiao Ma these past few days."

"..."

The degree of intimacy was well-balanced.

“Each horse has its own personality. The little white horse is more boisterous, while the little brown horse is more stable,” Grandpa said. “I originally chose Tongtong, but I was afraid she would be lonely, so I picked another one. I was worried that the new horse would bully Tongtong, so I specifically chose it from the same person who said that the two horses were good friends before.”

"It was originally bought for Tongtong, so I can't name both of them. I let Tongtong name the other little brown horse herself," Grandpa turned his head and pointed over there, "and it's just been named."

Farm staff brought over freshly squeezed drinks: a glass of vegetable juice for the old man and a glass of fruit juice for Song Zhenshu.

"You're up so quickly?" Song Zhenshu asked casually, sipping his fruit juice. "What did Tongtong get up about?"

Grandpa brushed the hay off his clothes: "Oh, he said it's called 'linlin'."

"puff--"

Song Zhenshu spat out a mouthful of fruit juice: "What's your name?"

Grandpa exclaimed in surprise: "Why did it spray out? Doesn't the juice taste good?"

"...It's delicious, Grandpa, I'm fine," Song Zhenshu wiped his mouth. "'Linlin'? Which 'Lin'? The 'Lin' in 'copying'?"

“No, the ‘Lin’ in ‘Qilin’,” the old man said. “Tongtong said the little brown horse has a bright coat and looks very majestic, like a Qilin, so we named it ‘Linlin’.”

"Look how well this name is chosen."

Song Zhenshu: "..."

As the two were talking, Ji Tong stroked the little brown horse's head, handed the reins to the keeper, and came over to drink some fruit juice.

Before I even got close, I heard Song Zhenshu's voice—

"Grandpa said that you named that little brown horse 'Linlin'."

Ji Tong choked on a gust of cold wind: "Yes, yes, look how beautiful that little brown horse's coat is, so majestic, like a unicorn."

Song Zhenshu: "..."

“Where would you find a Qilin that’s tens of centimeters tall?” Song Zhenshu stared at him. “You call that ‘impressive’? It’s not even as tall as your legs when it stands up.”

Do you think the little brown horse looks like a qilin?

I'm too embarrassed to point it out to you.

Ji Tong gulped down a whole glass of fruit juice: "...I mean spirit, energy, and vigor, like a unicorn."

"Then why not call it 'Qiqi'?"

“…”

"Uncle is so annoying, I'm going to feed the horses. That's all, bye." Ji Tong turned around on the spot and went back the way he came, his steps so fast it was as if a horse was chasing him.

The stables are cleaned by professionals and are very clean with no odor.

Ji Tong took seven or eight photos, clicked on a profile picture, and sent them all at once.

[JT: Grandpa just bought two miniature horses.]

[JT: The white one was named Tongtong by Grandpa, and the brown one was named by me. Guess what it's called.]

[JT: Gu Linlin.]

[JT: Didn't expect that, did you?.jpg]

That's right, the name Ji Tong gave the little brown horse wasn't actually Linlin, but Gu Linlin.

The surname was omitted because the meaning was too clear.

Ji Tong was also glad that the surname was omitted, because his uncle had caught him with just the name "Linlin". If he had been called Gu Linlin, things would have been different.

Ji Tong stood in front of the little brown horse's den, finding it more and more endearing, and took three more photos and a video to send to it.

There are a total of 11 photos and a video, eight of which are of little brown horses.

Gu Lin's message came back.

[The child under guardianship: Why aren't you taking pictures of the white horse?]

JT: I'm with Little Brown Horse right now.

Seeing Gu Lin ask, Ji Tong turned to the side and held up her phone to record a video of the little white horse.

[JT: [Video] 10s]

In the video, the little white horse is shaking its head and biting a toy ball and a bag of hay hanging on the shed.

[JT: The zookeeper said the little white horse is a picky eater, doesn't eat properly, and likes to nibble and chew on everything, so they bought a hay bag.]

[JT: The hay bale was originally made of hemp rope, which wasn't pretty, and the dog didn't like it, so we changed it to this colorful one now.]

Unlike Gu Linlin, who would obediently eat the grass placed in the trough with his head down.

Ji Tong grabbed two carrots from the bucket of chopped carrots and fed them to the little brown horse.

Typing with one hand was difficult, so he simply sent a voice message.

"Did you see the little white horse? Isn't it a bit noisy?"

However, to be fair, a pure white font is indeed more appealing.

The zookeeper also said that white horses are more eye-catching than brown horses, not to mention that this little white pony was chosen by the grandfather at first sight. Its appearance is naturally excellent, possessing all the "round, plump, and white" characteristics that a foal should have, and it is also clever.

He took some photos while walking the horse and posted them in the family group chat, and it seems that the little white horse received more attention.

"You also like the little white horse? It's quite mischievous. I thought you would prefer Gu Linlin."

With a "whoosh," Gu Lin replied to the message.

It's also a voice message.

Carrot got his palms a little wet, so Ji Tong took a tissue from his pocket, dried them, patted the little brown horse's head, and then opened Gu Lin's voice message.

Ji Tong heard Gu Lin's reply.

It's not "I like white", but rather—

"I like to make a fuss."