Chapter 95 Pseudo-Siblings (Part 1)
Lin Langyi's feelings for her brother, who was not related to her by blood, should have gone through three stages in her life.
In the first paragraph, when she was still in school, she really hated him.
As far back as he could remember, Yuan Chuyu was always very polite and gentle to everyone he met. He could handle anything perfectly and no one could find fault with him. He was the kind of child everyone around him admired.
Only towards her, in public he could still call her "Zhuzhu" gently and affectionately, but in private, she had a feeling that Yuan Chuyu always seemed to be avoiding her without making a sound.
This feeling often arises inexplicably in her mind, but when she talks about it with her friends or Aunt Qiu at home, everyone says that she is being too sensitive.
Hang Qian said, "Hasn't your brother never gotten angry with you? He seems to have a pretty good temper."
Aunt Qiu also said, "Xiao Yi, I've worked as a live-in nanny for several families. A Yu is truly the most polite and sensible boy I've ever met. Look, even when he goes to training camp, he brings back gifts for everyone. He probably brings you the most. How could he have a problem with you? Our whole family spoils you the most."
Everyone is right. From childhood to adulthood, Lin Langyi and Yuan Chuyu have never quarreled. He has always been very caring towards her. Even if there are occasional minor conflicts, he always gives in no matter whose fault it is. Every single thing he has done makes him a model brother.
But Lin Langyi always felt for no reason that Yuan Chuyu always exuded a sense of loneliness, aloofness, and indifference, as well as a coldness and rejection towards her, even when he was smiling.
It's as if he's a meticulous gardener to outsiders, tending to a patch of beautiful flowers and plants with unwavering care for years. Tourists passing by always praise it as a garden bursting with flowers and lush greenery. But Lin Langyi thinks that Yuan Chuyu is just waiting for the day when he can burn this place down completely until it becomes a pile of ruins.
Lin Langyi couldn't understand where this judgment without any evidence came from, and could only reluctantly assume that it was her strange intuition.
The day that this question was finally answered came quite unexpectedly.
Once, when Lin Langyi was in junior high school, she passed by Yuan Chuyu's high school on her way home and asked the driver to stop the car temporarily.
She divided half of the snacks prepared at home for her way home from school, intending to leave some for Yuan Chuyu at the gatehouse so he could have some during evening self-study.
There was still a while before get out of class ended, and only a few boys who were having PE class sneaked out and reached out over the school fence to ask the mobile stall for freshly made ice cream.
Lin Langyi waited idly for a while. The boys noticed her and pushed and shoved each other a few times before finally sending one of them to awkwardly approach her and ask for her WeChat ID.
The smell of sweat wasn't pleasant, so Lin Langyi shook her head, told the gatekeeper she was leaving her things, and went ahead.
She hadn't taken two steps outside when, as evening approached, the aroma of fried skewers wafted from the stalls near the school gate. She laboriously stepped over an older woman's fried skewer cart, then resolutely turned back.
Her mother was into health and wellness, and her father was rarely home. Yuan Chuyu wasn't greedy, but she was the one who worried about those bland and watery health meals every day.
Lin Langyi picked through the skewers in the basket, listening to the crackling and popping sounds of the oil frying in the narrow-necked earthenware pot, and her smile grew wider and wider.
The school bell rang, and after a long while, Lin Langyi ate skewers while blowing on them and making "hissing" noises. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Yuan Chuyu arriving late through the iron fence of the school across from the stall.
He had probably just finished class, and was accompanied by a boy who had secretly used hair oil to style his hair into a cool look.
The boy craned his neck and looked around, asking Yuan Chuyu with interest, "Yu, is that your legendary stepmother's daughter, your sister? Has she come to see you?"
These words clearly entered her ears, and Lin Langyi was stunned for a moment. The fried chicken strips that she hadn't had time to blow cool accidentally touched her lower lip, and it felt like being pricked by a tiny needle. There was no blood, but it burned.
She tilted her head to completely hide herself from the fried food cart, her fingers gripping the wooden skewers quietly curling up, while her heart pounded louder and louder, inexplicably carrying a hint of nervousness at uncovering a secret.
stepmother?
The family has never mentioned this matter.
Various past events flashed through her mind like a whirlwind, and before she could sort out her thoughts, her body reacted faster than her brain.
She quietly returned to the gatehouse. From a distance that was neither too close nor too far, she couldn't see Yuan Chuyu's signature smile, and thus could even more easily rule out any feigned goodwill.
She overheard the security guard seemingly saying something to him, and his first words were cold and indifferent:
"Uncle, she's not from our school, so we can't let her in anymore."
Wow, Yuan Chuyu, you really are two-faced.
Lin Langyi was secretly getting angry. She silently stomped her foot on the cement floor, thinking to herself, "Who cares if I come in? I'm clearly standing outside the white line."
The security guard seemed to say something afterward, but Yuan Chuyu's tone remained as calm as ever: "Okay, thank you."
Lin Langyi used to think that his tone was just his personality, but now that she had suddenly heard some explosive news, she could finally discern a hint of aloofness in his voice.
Sure enough, he disliked her.
Lin Langyi actually has a very stubborn temper. A normal person would quietly leave and make other plans after hearing such unpleasant words behind her back, but she just wouldn't.
She was still holding a full cup of fragrant fried skewers in her hand. This time, she didn't even bother to hide her footsteps. She swaggered into the school gate, and when she stepped across the white line, she deliberately stomped her shoes heavily and coughed loudly.
Everyone looked over.
Lin Langyi's expression remained unchanged, her lips still glistening with a layer of oil. She smiled sweetly as usual and explained to Yuan Chuyu, "Hey brother, I just went to buy some skewers. I just wanted to tell you that Dad just flew back this afternoon and brought some food. You still have evening self-study, so I just shared some with you on my way."
She clearly saw Yuan Chuyu frown when he heard the word "father," and in the blink of an eye, his expression became even more indifferent. He put one hand into his pocket, a prelude to his patience running out.
But he still smiled at her and said gently as usual, "Don't bother next time. It's not much. You can take it home and eat it."
"Aren't you going to eat it?" The boy fiddling with his hair craned his neck. "It looks pretty delicious. Why don't you share some with me?"
“Xiao Pucheng.” Yuan Chuyu glanced at the man’s face indifferently.
Xiao Pucheng withdrew his outstretched hand in utter disappointment.
"Eat less fried food." Yuan Chuyu didn't say anything more to her and turned to leave.
Perhaps he wanted to convey a word of concern, but in this situation, Lin Langyi only felt that Yuan Chuyu was too lazy to waste any more words with her.
She got back into the car, and when she got home, instead of immediately going to her room to do her homework, she sneaked into her parents' room and rummaged through drawers looking for evidence.
The family never mentioned Yuan Chuyu's background, but her parents definitely doted on her more. Lin Langyi got whatever she wanted from a young age, so it's clear that Yuan Chuyu received much less care.
She originally thought it was because "the emperor loves his eldest son, and the common people love their youngest son."
Finding no evidence in the room, Lin Langyi slipped into the study and searched around, but returned empty-handed once more.
She had no choice but to give up.
What's frustrating is that when Yuan Chuyu came home in the evening, his mother stopped him and told him not to attend the school's evening self-study sessions anymore, but to go home and help his younger sister with her homework.
“Your father and I are both busy and not home much. When you come back, you can help your sister with her homework.”
Lin Langyi felt a jolt in the back of her head as she suddenly remembered that Yuan Chuyu had long ago expressed his desire to live at school and live alone, but his mother had always refused.
Not only will he not be allowed to live on campus, but he will also have to apply to the school to not participate in evening self-study... Evening self-study is mandatory for everyone, otherwise, the matter should be addressed to the school committee members.
Sure enough, looking at Yuan Chuyu's expression again, his pupils were as black as ink, floating and sinking like a stormy night.
But he didn't show any reluctance on his face. He even curved his lips and obediently agreed: "Of course, but Zhuzhu's grades have always been among the best. I'm afraid that forcibly breaking her study habits and having me tutor and accompany her will not be conducive to her initiative."
Lin Langyi's eyebrows twitched at the affectionate "Zhuzhu" that came out of his mouth, and she nodded frantically in agreement.
At this point, do you still have the audacity to think you can get along peacefully with this guy? Looking at his unfriendly expression, it's best for the two of you to draw a clear line and go your separate ways, living in peace.
But her mother remained unmoved: "You skipped a grade, and I want Zhuzhu to try to skip a grade too. The first year of life is the golden age. Every year you can skip a grade is a year of benefit."
Yuan Chuyu frowned almost imperceptibly and glanced at Lin Langyi out of the corner of his eye.
Lin Langyi received this signal.
She knew what he meant.
Yuan Chuyu's suggestions were always carefully considered and refuted, but her casual remarks were taken seriously by her parents, so it was still more likely that she would succeed.
Lin Langyi slumped against her mother and acted spoiled, saying, "Don't you believe I can do well in my studies on my own? Besides, there's no lock on my brother's room. You guys keep coming in and out, and I can't concentrate on my homework."
"It wasn't locked properly." Unexpectedly, this time her mother was adamant. "It was locked, but you were secretly playing on your phone inside, having long phone conversations with Hang Qian, and your mother didn't even know?"
Lin Langyi pursed her lips.
"All the hard work and time you put into studying will pay off." Her mother helped her up, gently stroked her hair, and said softly, "Of course, Mom believes my Zhuzhu is the best. But your brother has a set of study methods. Being close to the source gives you an advantage. Listen to his experience and combine it with your own methods. Maybe you'll benefit from it."
Left with no other choice, Lin Langyi had to agree.
Yuan Chuyu never disobeyed his parents. His face always had that calm and gentle expression, and you could never tell whether he was willing or not. He always said nice things and knew when to advance and when to retreat.
Seeing his mother's reaction, he naturally nodded in agreement.
Lin Langyi looked away speechlessly, feeling that her brother was really pretending.
...
Although they claimed to be tutoring each other, once the door was closed, the two of them were completely separate, each doing their own thing, without exchanging a single word.
This is what she requested.
Anyway, she's used to being the boss at home, so she's using her rebellious phase as an excuse to separate herself from Yuan Chuyu by the 38th parallel.
Yuan Chuyu tried several times to teach her properly, at least to complete the superficial task, but she always stopped him with "Brother, I have my own learning methods." Perhaps he felt that what she said made sense, so he did not force her.
Yuan Chuyu finished the questions quickly, and so did she. After they finished, they didn't say a word to each other. They tacitly spread a textbook on the table. She wore headphones and watched a drama under the table, while he sat next to her, took out a thick leather notebook, and looked at something in it.
It was probably his notes, she guessed, because his textbooks were always spotless.
"Zhuzhu, have some fruit."
The door was suddenly opened, and Lin Langyi moved quickly, muting the phone with one hand, locking the screen, and tossing it onto her lap. Her right hand, which had been holding a pen all along, wrote a bold "D" next to the question.
Yuan Chuyu slowly closed the old leather-bound notebook, tilted his head to look at the teaching aid in front of her, and just as his finger touched the "C", she didn't need him to teach her. Before his finger could land, she "swish"ed a large stroke and wrote a C.
He pointed to the next question, and she raced against him, answering quickly and accurately.
Seeing how motivated and harmonious the two were, the mother smiled and placed the cut fruit and milk on Lin Langyi's side. Suddenly remembering that Yuan Chuyu was also there, she went out and poured him a glass as well.
Lin Langyi was a few seconds slower in solving the problem this time because she realized her mother's habitual favoritism from the small matter of milk. So she raised her hand pretending to fix her hair, but actually secretly glanced at Yuan Chuyu.
It happened to catch his eye.
She was startled, but he remained calm and composed, staring at her as he asked, "Why are you taking so long to do this problem?"
I didn't see any pitiful or disappointed expression on his face. It was as if he had gotten used to it, or as if he had never cared about these things at all.
Lin Langyi brushed it off lightly: "No, my mom went out, so I didn't continue."
He stared at her for a while, and under the lamplight, his pupils appeared even darker and deeper, like an unfathomable well.
He suddenly asked, "Did I make you unhappy today?"
Such keen intuition.
Lin Langyi wiggled his fingers, making the pen spin twice on his knuckles, and tapped the tip of his finger on the "C" option with the pen cap: "I just hate being locked up to do a hard task."
I don't know if he believed it or not, it doesn't matter.
The mother came back in, saw the two of them engrossed in their work, put down the milk with satisfaction, and then, freeing her hands, went straight to gather Lin Langyi's long, loose hair.
"When reading, comb your hair up; it's not good to block your eyes."
Lin Langyi jolted, shrugged, and quickly turned to the side, trying to avoid her mother's hand.
She held her hair down firmly and said repeatedly, "I don't have a hair tie, Mom, can you get me one?"
There were earphones plugged into her ears under her hair.
All her attention was focused on her mother, and she didn't realize that after she moved aside, her back was pressed tightly against Yuan Chuyu's arm. He stepped back an inch, and she leaned back as if she desperately needed a support, clinging to him like a leech, unwilling to separate for even a moment.
Yuan Chuyu's attention was completely diverted by her.
His long hair cascaded down like a waterfall, with the ends curling into small swirls that snaked and piled up on his arms. Some of the shorter strands slid and brushed against his exposed skin, as if coated with cool alcohol. Not only did they spread a burning sensation that penetrated to the bone when touched, but they also left a tight, dry, and itchy aftereffect after the alcohol evaporated.
He frowned and pulled his arm back again, trying to keep her from pressing too close to him.
They were indeed separated, but that patch of skin always felt out of place, like a piece of contrasting fabric sewn onto a rag doll. He scratched it a few times with his fingertips, and perhaps he used too much force, because soon allergic scratches appeared on his skin.
Lin Langyi was still pretending to be stupid with her mother.
Her mother knew her too well. She glanced at her suspiciously and said in a deep voice, "Stand up."
Lin Langyi feigned composure and said "Oh," then casually nudged the silent outsider beside her with her elbow and shoved her knee into his outer thigh.
Yuan Chuyu moved his leg, clearly wanting to back away, but how could Lin Langyi let him get away and leave her alone with her phone taken away?
She raised her hand to smooth her hair, briefly diverting her mother's attention. Taking advantage of the opportunity, she quickly pressed her legs together against his for a second, using the table as cover.
Her thigh muscles tensed instantly, becoming incredibly hard, as a large hand forcefully pressed down on her wriggling leg.
But she had already folded most of her leg over his.
Her heart was pounding; she had dropped the phone during a tense handover.
Fortunately, the weight of the phone on my lap disappeared, and there was no sound of a heavy object falling to the ground in the room.
Lin Langyi stood up confidently, pretending not to understand as she looked at her mother: "What's wrong?"
Her mother looked her up and down, but since they hadn't found any evidence, she couldn't say much. She just turned around to get her a hair tie and told her to focus on her studies.
Only after her mother's footsteps disappeared down the stairs did Lin Langyi breathe a sigh of relief, take off her earphones and put them away. Turning her head, she saw that Yuan Chuyu was still in the same position, motionless.
She thanked him sincerely, and then bent down to retrieve her phone with a sense of accomplishment, a little smug: "I was quick and ruthless, wasn't I?"
Looking down, he realized that her phone hadn't been moved to his lap at all; instead, he had reached down and grabbed it from the air.
His fingers were beautiful, long and slender, holding her phone upside down in his palm. His fingers rested loosely on the black phone case, highlighting its jade-like texture.
Yuan Chuyu didn't move. Seeing her bend over, he slowly twisted his wrist and gently turned her phone over.
On the screen, in the scene that automatically paused because the headphones were removed, the female protagonist was propped up on the bed, inserting two fingers of her left hand into the male protagonist's mouth, with glistening saliva dripping down. The whole scene was filled with a strong and erotic connotation that was very stimulating to the eyes.
Lin Langyi was still holding the earphone case in her palm. She never expected the plot to suddenly turn like this. Just a moment ago, the male and female protagonists were arguing loudly, but somehow they suddenly started to hate each other.
When she was nervous, she subconsciously made a small movement. Her thumb twitched, and she opened and closed the earphone shell. Between the Bluetooth connection and disconnection, the video was played back a few seconds.
The female protagonist inserted her fingers deeper, and the male protagonist squinted and groaned uncontrollably, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly as he gagged, his cheeks flushed.
The female lead leaned down and called out tenderly, "Brother."
The only subtitle, displayed for five or six seconds, shone brightly on the paused screen, making it hard to ignore.
"No." Lin Langyi's alarm bells rang, and she immediately clarified, "This is an American TV series, you know? Sometimes in American TV series, they suddenly end up in bed together. This guy isn't—"
Yuan Chuyu returned the phone to her without saying a word. His face was calm and indifferent, without showing the slightest hint of mockery or disgust, as if he hadn't even seen this short, hormone-fueled scene.
Lin Langyi choked on her words, vaguely realizing that his reaction when she was slow in doing the problem was much stronger than it was now.
She rewound the progress bar, offered no further explanation, and picked up her pen again to write the question.
On the other side, Yuan Chuyu got up and went to the bathroom built into the bedroom. The sound of water could be heard, and he didn't come out until five minutes later.
He rinsed his arms with cold water for a long time, but the scratches from his fingernails remained. Because his skin was slightly whitened by the running water, the raised red marks became even more noticeable.
Lin Langyi glanced at it and inexplicably felt that this red color was very similar to the gorgeous color left on the knuckles by teeth when the finger was inserted into the throat in the scene earlier.
Beautiful women always have similarities.
Yuan Chuyu didn't notice her glance out of the corner of his eye. He moved his chair a little further away, creating some distance between himself and her, before sitting down silently.
*
The second time Lin Langyi saw such allergic red marks on Yuan Chuyu's skin, it was still because of her.
It was her mother's birthday banquet. The schedule was packed from morning till night, with guests arriving in droves. Lin Langyi and Yuan Chuyu stood behind their parents, entertaining them, and had no free time at all.
She was already very used to this kind of scene; banquets of all sizes were like everyday meals to her, and so was Yuan Chuyu.
Strangely, she felt that Yuan Chuyu seemed absent-minded today. He was wearing an expensive wristwatch, and he would raise his hand to check the time every now and then, as if there was some important event to come.
The atmosphere was lively as the mother chatted amiably with a wealthy-looking lady. Behind her stood a graceful young girl who bore a striking resemblance to the lady.
“Ayu, come over and offer a toast.” The mother smiled happily. “Aunt Ying has lived abroad for many years. She used to be my best childhood friend. Oh, and her daughter Jiajia is about your age. You two can keep in touch more often.”
Yuan Chuyu's elegant smile, which had been almost unwavering throughout the night, faded slightly.
He remained proper and well-mannered, greeting the ladies politely without showing any sign of disrespect.
But Lin Langyi could see his weariness and indifference.
Although he decorated it very well.
The interactions between prominent families are not last-minute efforts, but rather a mutual respect and mutual support based on matching social status and background, with both sides willing to maintain a long-term and positive relationship.
Those marriages and partnerships between people of similar social standing are put into a secular matching system for scoring and pairing at a very early stage, thus laying the foundation for future success.
Lin Langyi's eyes darted around, eager to watch the show.
Before Yuan Chuyu could finish his sentence, he turned and suddenly took two steps closer to her: "Are you going to change your jewelry? Let's go."
Lin Langyi was taken aback: "What?"
He gripped her arm, his fingers tightening, and secretly used a bit of force to push her back half a step: "Didn't you say you wanted to change outfits halfway through the banquet? This necklace is hard to untie yourself."
Lin Langyi was indeed going to change her jewelry. The newly arrived set of full diamond necklaces was like a net that could sparkle from her neck all the way to her chest. It was beautiful, but difficult to put on and take off.
She only mentioned it to the waiter once before, when did he take it to heart?
Lin Langyi looked up and stared into his dark, deep pupils, smiled gently, and grabbed his wrist.
The sturdy wristwatch felt cold and uncomfortable to the touch.
"Brother, now?" She smiled brightly, and from an angle unseen by others, she slowly wrote words on the back of his hand with her finger hovering over it.
How will you repay me?
His fingertips curled slightly, as if he were holding her tightly but also afraid of her touch.
You're in charge.
Lin Langyi affectionately took his arm and pulled him away.
Behind me, I could hear intermittent sighs of relief, such as, "The two siblings have such a good relationship."
After leaving the hall, Lin Langyi immediately let go of his hand.
Yuan Chuyu lowered his eyes, adjusted the wristwatch on his wrist by moving it left and right, and before removing his hand, he rubbed the skin of her arm that he had just touched with his fingertips.
Lin Lang found it strange; this person's obsession with cleanliness was outrageous.
Upon entering the dressing room, she stepped in first, followed by Yuan Chuyu, who strode in, closed the door behind her, and locked it deftly.
The click of the latch was especially clear in the quiet, empty room.
Lin Langyi chuckled: "It's rare to have a chance to lock it up, you're quick."
He strolled toward her, not responding to the sarcastic remark, but instead walked behind her, flicked his fingers as if lifting a piece of silk, and swept her half-loose long hair to her front, then carefully untied her intricate and luxurious necklace.
Lin Langyi bent his neck forward, gathered his hair with one hand, and felt the coolness of his fingertips. Occasionally, when his finger accidentally touched his skin, he would quickly withdraw it, as if facing a high-pressure forbidden zone, urging himself not to touch it again.
His careful movements tickled her, and Lin Langyi awkwardly twisted her neck. He suddenly stroked her hair again, pinched a small strand, and brought it to her front. His little finger touched the back of her hand that was holding her hair, and he said succinctly, "And, pinch it."
Lin Langyi used one finger to press down, and after a rustling sound for a while, the necklace was finally removed.
Yuan Chuyu then put the magnificent, heavily crafted diamond necklace on her head.
"Are you going out later?" Lin Langyi asked directly.
"Okay, after I've helped you put on your jewelry."
Where to?
No answer.
How long will it take?
Still, silence.
Lin Langyi crossed her arms: "How can I cover for you if you don't say anything?"
“Don’t you hate me?” he suddenly said.
Lin Langyi paused, and every night she went to his room to do her homework. The two of them, forced to be together, naturally had friction. One pretended to be strict in order to show off, while the other was disobedient. One was a clean freak, while the other, like an NPC, randomly dropped small objects all over his room. One was quiet, while the other always made noise and frequently attracted their parents' "visits"...
He always frowned and gave her a cold shoulder, and she had said "I hate you the most" countless times.
“One thing at a time,” Lin Langyi said. “But your sister is such a kind and easygoing person.”
He seemed to chuckle softly, fastened the necklace, and the faint fragrance emanating from him dissipated.
"It might take an hour and a half. I'll find a reason myself. You can continue to attend the banquet."
Lin Langyi had just agreed when, after watching Yuan Chuyu leave, she quietly called a car and followed him.
She sent a message to her mother without informing her first, but she knew that her mother, dressed in a well-fitting dress, wouldn't carry her phone with her, and as the birthday girl, it was even less likely that she would see the message in time without being seen by others.
Anyway, it's only an hour and a half, so we just need to finish it quickly before we find it.
...
Lin Langyi never expected that her destination would be a cemetery.
She had never seen her brother, who was always calm and composed, show such a heartbroken expression.
He couldn't get into the cemetery after its opening hours, so he placed the flowers by the roadside, lit a smokeless candle, and opened the leather-bound book by that faint, dim light.
Lin Langyi listened for fifteen minutes and then left quietly.
The truth is not hard to guess. Ever since she learned that Yuan Chuyu was not her mother's biological son, she has discovered many clues. Connecting them with what she saw today, the last piece of the puzzle is complete.
Yuan Chuyu was his father's illegitimate son, and his birth mother had passed away, seemingly killed by love.
No wonder he...
As Lin Langyi sat in the taxi, her mind kept flashing back to the various details of Yuan Chuyu's interactions with his family, as well as the occasional frown he would make on her face. How could there be any genuine affection between such opposing positions and a fake parent-child relationship based on blood feud?
His reaction was reasonable, and she also needed to consider whether Yuan Chuyu, who had endured so much hardship, would encroach on her interests in the future.
For example, Ying Yuan.
Lin Lang was lost in thought and didn't notice that her phone had lit up several times.
Back at the banquet hall, Father had already arranged for people to lie in wait.
As soon as they got home from the dinner party, their father scolded them sternly: "The two of you dared to slip away at such an occasion; it's utterly lawless!"
"What did you two go about?"
Lin Lang realized that her excuse for asking for leave must have differed from Yuan Chuyu's. Just as she was about to rack her brains to salvage the situation, Yuan Chuyu subtly pulled her aside, stood in front of her, and completely shielded her behind him, saying:
"I lied; it has nothing to do with my sister."
All the blame was directed at him; the truth didn't matter. This had been the consistent trend over the years: she was always praised highly and then gently dismissed, while he was always scrutinized under a magnifying glass.
Yuan Chuyu was punished by his father and sent to the ancestral hall. This was truly absurd. Lin Langyi wondered what the names listed in the ancestral hall had to do with Yuan Chuyu.
But she didn't plead for him. Instead, Lin Langyi went to her father's study and only mentioned in a roundabout way, "I saw that my brother seemed to be mourning someone."
It was indeed a taboo topic that was not suitable to be mentioned.
The father flew into a rage and rushed back to the ancestral hall without even putting on his coat.
Lin Langyi left her room window wide open, and occasionally a sharp, piercing sound could be heard from the wind, but the ancestral hall was far away in the southeast corner, so Lin Langyi couldn't hear it clearly.
She leaned against the windowsill, listening intently for half an hour. Her mother came up to bring her warm milk. Lin Langyi closed the window completely, apologized to her mother with remorse, and gave her the birthday gift she had prepared.
Her mother always forgave her easily, stroking her hair and watching her finish her milk before leaving. Lin Langyi returned to her father's study and waited until he came back before tearfully admitting her mistake.
Her parents both said it wasn't her fault.
Lin Langyi wiped away her tears and returned to her bedroom, her expression calm.
She thought she had to plan ahead for her and Ying Yuan's future, whether it was to "unintentionally" remind her parents that Yuan Chuyu was a son her mother had adopted before she could have a child, and perhaps one she could never truly raise, or to continue pretending to be an innocent and naive younger sister in front of Yuan Chuyu.
She felt she could profit from this chaotic and complicated family dynamic and remain unscathed.
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