Chapter 75 Undercurrent
Just as I breathed a sigh of relief, I looked up and my eyes were attracted by a large photo frame hanging on the wall at the corner of the corridor.
There is a woman in the frame.
She has thick, slightly curly hair like seaweed, a smile so gentle that it can ripple water, a pair of sparkling eyes that seem to be filled with starlight, and her whole body exudes a vigorous, warm and tenacious vitality.
The photo is in black and white, but the vividness seems to be able to penetrate time.
She is Lin Yan's mother.
I stared at the photo and couldn't take my eyes off it.
No wonder Lin Yan's eyes become so soft when he occasionally mentions his mother.
The woman in the photo does look a lot like Lin Yan - Lin Yan inherited his father's sharp bone structure, but the curve of his mouth and the softness of his eyebrows when he smiles are exactly like his mother.
Lin Heng seems to have combined his mother's delicate features with his father's sharp lines, resulting in his current enchanting appearance.
Lin Yan always talks about how good and strong his mother is.
Now that I see the photos, I believe it.
This kind of vitality that comes from the bones cannot be faked.
When I thought about it this way, I suddenly felt a little uncomfortable... I "kidnapped" the son born to such a good woman, and he's a boy... Is this... is this considered as repaying kindness with enmity?
Lin Yan said that after his mother left, the whole family seemed to be half collapsed.
Especially Lin Heng, how old was she then? She was at the age when she needed her mother's hug the most... Without her, this magnificent house would be just a cold shell.
I sighed, feeling heavy in my heart, and turned to walk towards the living room. In the large living room, Qin Wan was the only one sitting quietly.
Qin Zheng and Lin Heng were nowhere to be seen.
When Qin Wan saw me, she immediately put on a cautious, slightly ingratiating smile and quickly pushed a cup of freshly poured tea towards me: "Xiao Rui, are you out? Have a drink of water."
"Thank you, Auntie." I thanked her and sat down, and the atmosphere suddenly became awkward.
I just saw the life-filled photo of Lin Yan’s mother, and then looked at this face in front of me that was 70% similar... It felt even more awkward.
The facial features were similar, but the spirit was vastly different. Qin Wan was like a carefully pruned dodder plant, growing clinging to something, while the woman in the photo was like a tree that could stand alone against the wind and rain.
She was obviously not the type of person who was good at livening up situations. She twisted her fingers, her eyes wandering, trying hard to find a topic to talk about.
"Um...Xiao Rui, where is your hometown?" Her voice was soft and gentle.
"Oh, Fengcheng, a small county town." I answered honestly.
Qin Wan's eyes widened instantly, a hint of genuine surprise flashing across her face. "Ah? Fengcheng? Xiao Zheng and I...used to live in Fengcheng!"
This time it was my turn to be surprised: "What a coincidence?! Auntie, do you live in the west or east of the city?" Fengcheng is not big, but the development between the east and west sides is quite different.
Qin Wan's face showed a trace of embarrassment, and her voice became even lower: "...to the west of the city."
West of the city? I know that place. It used to be a factory area, but many factories closed down later, and it hasn't developed much. The conditions are really not good.
My home is in the east of the city, which is a new district planned by the county a few years ago and is relatively better.
"My home is in the east of the city." I said, and then something in my mind moved, "Then Qin Zheng... also went to Fengcheng No. 1 Middle School?"
"Right, right, right!" Qin Wan's face finally showed a hint of genuine pride when she mentioned her son, and her back straightened a little. "He studied at Fengcheng No. 1 High School! It's the best high school in our county!"
Fengcheng No. 1 Middle School is indeed famous, and those who can get in are all top students.
I laughed dryly: "Haha, what a coincidence, I also graduated from Fengcheng No. 1 Middle School, so I am his senior."
Although as a senior student, I feel a chill down my spine when I think of the sinister look hidden under Qin Zheng’s sunny mask.
"Really?!" Qin Wan's smile became more genuine. "You and Xiaoyan are both so outstanding! That's great!"
She praised sincerely, but then her smile faded and was stained with sadness.
She hesitated for a moment, her eyes filled with inquiry and caution, and her voice lowered to a whisper, "Um...Xiao Rui...Auntie has a question...Will you adopt a child in the future?"
"Ah?" I was totally surprised by her question and was speechless for a moment.
Lin Yan once joked about "eight nannies supporting the elderly", but I really haven't thought about it carefully.
I scratched my head, "It... shouldn't be, right?" Neither Lin Yan nor I mentioned this.
"Ah... so that's it..." Qin Wan's eyes dimmed noticeably, her head drooped slightly, and her fingers nervously twisted the corners of her clothes.
I could probably guess what she was thinking - a woman with traditional and conservative ideas probably couldn't really understand and accept the fact that two men could be together and not have "offspring".
This idea is very consistent with her dodder-like temperament of relying on men.
I sighed in my heart, and couldn't understand why a shrewd old fox like Mr. Lin would fall for her?
Because she resembles his late wife? But that's a far cry from the truth! Because she's... easy to control?
Just as the living room was filled with suffocating silence and awkwardness, a figure rushed in, carrying a smell of gunpowder.
"Sister-in-law! Why are you here? Why don't you go back to my room?" It was Lin Heng.
He spoke in a stern tone, his pretty face clearly showing displeasure. As he approached, I noticed… his lower lip seemed unnaturally red and swollen? Like… he'd bitten it hard or bumped into something?
My heart skipped a beat, and when I thought of the missing Qin Zheng, I instantly imagined a ten thousand-word bloody drama of brothers fighting each other.
"Lin Heng, I can't always stay in your room, right? That would be so bad." I tried to explain.
Lin Heng ignored me and grabbed my wrist to drag me away. His eyes pierced Qin Wan, who was hanging her head beside him, like a knife. His tone was harsh and cold: "What's wrong with this? This family! It's not our turn to act according to someone else's wishes!"
Qin Wan's body trembled slightly, and her head drooped even lower.
He pulled me so hard that I staggered, and I cried out in my heart: "My little ancestor! Who did you inherit this bad temper from?"
Your brother is a scheming person, you are directly setting off a powder keg! This Lin family is really not at peace for a moment!
Being dragged back to his "Pansi Cave" by that little ancestor Lin Heng, I just took a breath when he asked, "Where's my brother? Is he still conspiring with the old man in the study?"
"Well, your dad asked him to stay and talk alone for a while." I nodded, curious about what the father and son were whispering about.
Lin Heng's eyes dimmed for a quick moment, so quickly that it seemed like an illusion, and then he returned to his heartless look: "Oh. Then my dad didn't make things difficult for you, right? Didn't he throw a check in front of you to ask you to leave my brother?" His tone was half joking and half serious.
"No, no, no," I quickly waved my hands, "Your dad is a good guy, quite... well, reasonable." Although the process was a bit thrilling.
"Really?" Lin Heng twitched his lips, his tone a little subtle. "Maybe he feels more at ease with my brother."
This sounded a bit strange, like... envy? Or self-deprecation?
Before I could savor it, Lin Heng changed the subject.
"Oh, sister-in-law!" He turned around excitedly and rummaged through the bottom drawer of the wardrobe. "I asked a friend to get some goodies from a specialty store a while ago. They're perfect as gifts for you two to go back to your parents' home!"
As he bent down to search, the collar of his loose T-shirt slipped down a little.
My eyes accidentally swept across his collarbone—damn! On that cold, white, and delicate skin, there was a small, glaring red swelling!
The shape is ambiguous, and the edges are a bit purple, like... a fresh hickey?!
Thinking about his slightly swollen lips just now... my heart skipped a beat and alarm bells rang!
Qin Zheng's sunny face and the sinister look in the taxi flashed through my mind... No way?!
Before I could sort out my chaotic thoughts, Lin Heng had already stuffed a small and exquisite gift box into my hands, with a pure and expectant smile on his face: "Here, sister-in-law, open it and take a look!"
I suppressed the turmoil in my heart, forced a smile, and opened the box as I was told.
Inside were two men's bracelets with simple yet high-quality designs. They were a limited edition couple's edition from a big brand this year. Just looking at the price tag made me feel painful for several days.
"Lin Heng! This...this is too expensive!" I really felt embarrassed. This gift was too expensive.
"Oh, that's nothing!" Lin Heng waved his hands nonchalantly, smiling brightly, "I am the 'brother-in-law' after all. The gift I give to my sister-in-law should be of a higher grade. I can't let my brother outdo me!" He deliberately winked at me.
The doubts I had about the hickey were temporarily suppressed by this thoughtfulness and the pure smile in front of me.
Never mind, maybe I'm just overthinking it?
Maybe it was just an accidental knock?
To distract myself (mostly from myself), I suggested, "Come on, let's play together! We haven't played together in a while, and our hands are itching to play!"
"Okay! Sister-in-law, wait for me to come online!" Lin Heng responded immediately.
The two internet-addicted teenagers quickly got into the mood, and the room was suddenly filled with the clickety-clicking of keyboards and mice and excited (and trash-talking) shouting.
"Sister-in-law, save me!"
"Lin Heng, move! Don't give yourself away!"
"Damn! Can this be tricked?!"
"Sister-in-law is awesome! 666!"
The atmosphere was so lively, as if the gloom and doubts just now did not exist.
Just as the killing was in full swing, the door was gently pushed open a crack.
Qin Zheng's handsome yet slightly gloomy face poked his head in. His voice was neither loud nor low, and his emotions could not be heard: "Xiao Heng, Brother Rui, it's time for dinner."
I turned around and met his eyes - his gaze fell heavily on Lin Heng's hand on my shoulder. His eyes were like a knife tempered with ice, cold and full of possessiveness, completely different from the sunny boy in the living room just now!
A layer of white sweat instantly broke out on my back.
"Can't you see that my sister-in-law and I are having a great time playing? Why are you rushing us?" Lin Heng didn't even turn his head, his tone was extremely impatient, and it was obvious that he was very unhappy about being disturbed.
The muscles on Qin Zheng's face seemed to tense a little, but his voice remained steady, yet with a subtle toughness: "Your father has come out too, and he's waiting in the living room."
"You're using my dad to pressure me again?!" Lin Heng turned around abruptly, his pretty face instantly filled with rage, like a lit firecracker. "Qin Zheng, are you fucking crazy?!"
Sparks are about to fly and the powder keg is about to explode!
The savior appears!
Lin Yan's tall figure appeared at the door, his tone calm but with unquestionable force: "Ruirui, Lin Heng, come out for dinner."
His eyes swept across the two people who were on the verge of a fight, and finally landed on me.
"Hey! Here he comes!" I quickly responded and took the opportunity to hold down Lin Heng who was about to jump up, "Okay, okay Lin Heng, go eat first! Man is iron and rice is steel! After dinner, let's continue fighting and kill him without leaving a single piece of armor!" I coaxed and pulled him.
Lin Heng snorted heavily and glared at Qin Zheng fiercely, but he didn't get angry again. He walked out of the door with a sour face.
Qin Zheng followed silently at the end, like a silent shadow, without saying another word.
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