Chapter 97 Pseudo-Siblings (3)
Lin Langyi was unaware that the two had actually bumped into each other before she introduced Bian Shu to Yuan Chuyu.
Because she rarely took the initiative to ask Yuan Chuyu if he was going home this weekend, his reply on WeChat was unremarkable, but his actions spoke louder than words, and he flew directly back to City A on Friday afternoon.
When Yuan Chuyu returned, he sent a message to Xiao Pucheng. Xiao Pucheng had started his summer vacation early and had already enjoyed two weeks of fun in China. When he heard that his friend, the "King of Curry," had returned on Friday, he immediately went to the airport to pick him up.
Upon meeting, Xiao Pucheng punched Yuan Chuyu on the shoulder, surprised: "You're back early this time."
Yuan Chuyu didn't bring much with him; there was a black suitcase at his feet. "I didn't have class today, so I came back early."
"Oh, no classes today? Did you suddenly find yourself free this Friday?" Xiao Pucheng said sarcastically, putting his arm around Xiao Pucheng's shoulder and leaning closer. "What's up?"
Yuan Chuyu pulled his suitcase forward with long strides and said slowly, "It's really nothing."
Since it was still early, the two of them went to have lunch and then found a coffee shop to sit and chat for the afternoon.
This coffee shop is newly opened and doing quite well. Even on weekdays, it's always packed with customers. Yuan Chuyu glanced at it and noticed that many girls, in addition to coffee, also bought the same raspberry lychee canelé.
Around five o'clock, Yuan Chuyu got up and went to the restroom. When he came back, he had packed a whole canelé.
The colorful dessert box tied with a gold ribbon looked no different from a delicate little gift. He carried it in his hand, and before returning to his seat, he looked down and up at it several times, a smile playing on his lips.
"Bringing food to your sister again?" Xiao Pucheng was already used to it.
"Yes, she's used to eating something in the car on her way home from school to tide her over."
Xiao Pucheng understood the implication and was dumbfounded: "What, you're going back so early? Aren't you going to have dinner together?"
"No, I'm going home for dinner." Yuan Chuyu stood tall and straight in front of the table. Sunlight streamed in through the transparent glass windows along the street, casting a cloud-like, creamy halo over his face, and making the golden ribbon in his hand sparkle.
"Fine." Xiao Pucheng picked up his phone and stood up speechlessly. "Let's go, shall we? Shouldn't we go pick up your sister from school first? She doesn't have to attend evening self-study anymore, right?"
"Yes." Yuan Chuyu's smile remained unchanged, and when he mentioned Lin Langyi, his eyebrows and eyes lifted slightly, and a hint of pride flickered in his eyes. "She was admitted to university through the recommendation program."
"I know, I know, you two monster siblings." Xiao Pucheng picked at his ear and said resentfully, "You've said it eight hundred times, you weren't this smug when you got in, but you're paying double for it with your sister."
Yuan Chuyu went to school in Xiao Pucheng's car. The car was turned off and parked under a lush camphor tree by the roadside. The sidewalk was in front of him, and he could see Lin Langyi as soon as she came out of the school gate.
Waiting for her fifteen minutes early was a reassuring thing. Yuan Chuyu slightly opened the window, bent his arm and rested it against the window, looking out at the outside.
“Big brother, the air conditioning is on,” Xiao Pucheng grinned. “Opening the window won’t let you see your beloved sister a second sooner, okay?”
The phrase "my beloved" was clearly just a sarcastic remark, but Yuan Chuyu's smile faltered, and he suddenly furrowed his brows, giving his friend a displeased look.
He spoke harshly, scolding, "What nonsense are you talking about? She's just my sister."
Xiao Pucheng didn't say anything else. He raised an eyebrow and said, "Yes, your beloved sister is right."
Yuan Chuyu pursed his lips, clearly still dissatisfied with his wording. But after pondering it, combined with Xiao Pucheng's expression of protesting his innocence, it seemed as if he himself had overreacted.
"Don't say that again," Yuan Chuyu said, moving the dessert that was lying flat on his lap to the central armrest for shade.
Xiao Pucheng gave him a chilling threat: "If the cold air gets out, it will melt the outer chocolate."
This sentence was clearly more useful than anything else. Yuan Chuyu moved aside and closed the window.
The school bell rang cheerfully, and the quiet campus instantly became lively and bustling, with crowds surging out like rolling tides.
Yuan Chuyu straightened up slightly, staring intently at the students swarming out of the school gate.
"Hey, did you tell Lin Langyi my license plate number?" Xiao Pucheng suddenly reminded her, "Don't let her habitually look for your family's car later."
“I don’t text her during class.” Yuan Chuyu’s gaze remained level as he held his phone in one hand. “But if you hadn’t reminded me, I would have really forgotten.”
The main reason was that his conversation with Xiao Pucheng had been lingering in his mind, and he didn't think about anything else for the rest of the time.
I had only typed a few words blindly when the clicking sound of the keys abruptly stopped.
In the dialog box, the blinking cursor was still jumping. Yuan Chuyu's finger hovered in the air for a long time before finally pressing down on the screen heavily and slowly, his fingertip turning slightly white.
The smile on his face vanished completely, leaving him expressionless. A crack appeared on his otherwise calm mask, giving off a strange sense of madness.
In my sight, Lin Langyi walked out of the school gate. A slender, upright boy walked beside her, carrying the Bally canvas bag that Lin Langyi used to carry her books.
It was during breakfast that Yuan Chuyu saw her brush the brush twice, so he went back and bought it for her.
The school gate was extremely congested during dismissal time, with electric bikes weaving through the non-motorized vehicle lanes. Yuan Chuyu coldly watched as Bian Shu naturally wrapped his arms around Lin Langyi, pulling her to the inside.
Even after changing positions, the arm didn't retract, remaining obtrusively draped over her slender waist.
As soon as Lin Langyi left the school gate, she was only concerned with taking her phone out of her bag and turning it on, not caring that the two of them were so close that the hem of their clothes were rubbing against each other.
Yuan Chuyu's jawline tightened, his dark pupils were as cold as a deep pool, and after a long silence, he suddenly uttered a curse word in a chilling yet calm manner.
The sentence was not very clear in the carriage where only the Candy Crush music was playing, but Xiao Pucheng's arm trembled and he suddenly turned his face, staring at him as if he had seen a ghost in broad daylight.
I have never heard Yuan Chuyu swear, from childhood to adulthood, no matter the circumstances.
"What are high school boys thinking?" Yuan Chuyu's face was so calm it was almost deathly still. He said, "Useless people whose brains are fighting for control with their lower bodies, idiots who don't know what they can or can't do, ridiculous things who think they're different and don't know their own limitations."
A series of completely out-of-control words stunned Xiao Pucheng. He followed Yuan Chuyu's cold and stern gaze and saw a young couple exuding the aura of early romance.
That guy is Bian Shu! Xiao Pucheng gasped. Back in the first year of high school, this kid always seemed oblivious to social cues and went to see Lin Langyi all the time... Sure enough!
Yuan Chuyu frowned, tilted his head, and attacked a different target with an inorganic, icy tone: "What is the school doing now? Does it really only know how to rank students like an old desktop computer? Doesn't it know that the essence of teaching and educating people is to educate people?"
Xiao Pucheng looked at him with trepidation. When he saw him change the subject, he slowly nodded and said, "But some people are just not good at being taught. That's true. Such a requirement is too harsh on schools."
This so-called "incorrigible" student still has his name posted on the school's honor roll.
Yuan Chuyu unbuckled his seatbelt, and with a "click," the belt snapped back instantly.
Xiao Pucheng abruptly pressed down on Yuan Chuyu, who was about to get up to open the door, frantically dissuading him: "This is the school gate, everyone here is a classmate, we all know each other, it's not appropriate to be here—"
“Reverse.” Yuan Chuyu interrupted him, pulling his arm out of his tightly gripping hands. “Or go ahead and turn around, so Zhuzhu won’t see.”
After cursing everyone, when referring to Lin Langyi, the person in question, he still called her "Zhuzhu." Xiao Pucheng didn't know what Yuan Chuyu meant by such double standards, so he could only quickly turn the steering wheel and do as he was told.
The car passed by Lin Langyi, who was chatting happily with the boy next to her and didn't notice.
Yuan Chuyu parked the car in the exact opposite position, so that Lin Langyi couldn't see anything from that distance.
This time he actually opened the door, and the stuffy air rushed in, but his face was somewhat pale.
"Call her and tell her that the driver picked me up from the airport today, so I'd like you to pick her up on your way."
Yuan Chuyu closed his eyes, the scene from just now still etched in his mind. He emphasized, "Don't say I've been here. My flight arrived this evening."
Xiao Pucheng was worried that Yuan Chuyu would lose his temper on the spot, after all, the man's face was so ugly that he probably wanted to step on the gas and run Bian Shu over.
I never expected that he asked me to drive away so that he could avoid Lin Langyi.
What's this?
Is this just burying one's head in the sand?
Self-deception?
Yuan Chuyu took several deep breaths before he regained some strength and pushed the door open completely. As he moved his legs, the phone on his lap fell to the ground with a thud.
His reaction was unusually slow. Even Xiao Pucheng in the driver's seat bent down to reach for the item before Yuan Chuyu finally snapped out of his daze and bent down to pick it up.
The phone, chilled by the air conditioning, was still in Yuan Chuyu's hand as he instructed, "Call her as soon as possible, don't make her wait."
Xiao Pucheng: "You didn't send a message?"
"I didn't have time...you can send it."
"Alright, alright." Xiao Pucheng thought that it was indeed wise to avoid letting the two of them face each other in this situation. "Quiet down, everyone be quiet!"
After offering his advice, he simply said, "By the way, how about we have dinner together tonight? You don't need to go back, we can talk about it tomorrow. You'll feel better after a good night's sleep."
"No." Yuan Chuyu held his phone, a white line appearing on his palm from the pressure. "She told me we'd have dinner together; she invited me herself."
"He's just an insignificant high school student; there's no need to be disgusted by him."
Xiao Pucheng peeked at her furtively, his eyelids twitching furtively, thinking to himself, "You look like you're already full of anger."
Yuan Chuyu got out of the car, one hand supporting himself on the door frame, and only just before closing the door did he notice with difficulty that the dessert box on the center armrest had tipped over.
I held it in my hands all the way, but it still collapsed in the end.
"Ah, I'm so sorry, I must have bumped into him." Xiao Pucheng noticed the brief moment of distraction on his friend's face and hurriedly tried to help.
Yuan Chuyu lowered his eyelashes: "Just say you bought the dessert, and remember to give it to her after you get in the car."
Xiao Pucheng held the box as if it were a royal decree, and asked cautiously, "Then you...?"
"I'll take a taxi back." Yuan Chuyu closed the door and walked in the opposite direction.
It was just a minor incident, and he didn't want it to affect the dinner that Lin Langyi had invited him to, so he thought they could talk about it another time. In any case, he would just get through tonight.
When Yuan Chuyu returned home, Xiao Pucheng hadn't arrived yet. It had already been half an hour since he had waited outside alone to compose himself before taking a taxi back.
Aunt Qiu came out to greet us with great joy. The kitchen was already filled with the aroma of food, a symbol of home at dusk.
"Let me help you." Yuan Chuyu composed himself and just wanted to keep himself busy, such as making some food that Lin Langyi would like to eat. This kind of thing was perfect for filling his brain at this time, so that he wouldn't have time to think about other annoying things.
He washed his hands and went into the kitchen. He glanced around and noticed that the dishes were much more plentiful today. He casually asked, "Are Mom and Dad coming home tonight?"
Aunt Qiu slowed her chopping motions slightly, looked up in confusion, and said, "I haven't heard them mention it."
"So many dishes?"
Xiaoyi said we have guests coming today.
Yuan Chuyu glanced towards the door but didn't say anything.
Lin Langyi's return home is always lively. Before she even enters the door, you can hear her cheerfully calling out to people that she's back.
She saw the shoes in the entryway and exclaimed with delight, "Brother, you're already here?"
Yuan Chuyu, with his sleeves rolled up, was helping to devein shrimp when he heard a familiar voice. The gloom that had been hanging over his heart dissipated slightly, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.
In any case, she specifically asked him to come back for dinner, so let's not talk about those things tonight.
Lin Langyi's next sentence became even more enthusiastic: "You can wear these slippers, they belong to my brother, and they're brand new."
"good."
His wet fingers suddenly slipped, and the sharp shrimp cutter, before it could cut open the shrimp tail, grazed the shrimp shell diagonally. Yuan Chuyu couldn't stop his strength in time, and the sharp tip of the knife grazed his tiger's mouth, making a big cut.
He paused for three or four seconds in the position of splitting the shrimp's back, staring at the wound on his hand from which blood suddenly gushed out, dripping onto the countertop along with the water still wet on his hands.
Although he only uttered one word, his clear and powerful tone couldn't hide his youthful age.
More importantly, it was a male voice, the same voice that Yuan Chuyu had thoroughly investigated when he first approached Lin Langyi. He had also listened to the video of him on the school's official website's student profile section repeatedly, so he was very familiar with the voice.
Fine lines of blood remained on the stainless steel shrimp-deep knife. With a slight turn of the finger, one could vaguely see Yuan Chuyu's cold, emotionless eyes on the gleaming blade.
"Oh dear, why is there blood?!" Aunt Qiu was startled when she first saw the small, round spots spreading on the marble countertop. She quickly wiped her hands haphazardly on her apron and rushed over to check the situation. "I told you I would do it! Quick! Rinse it and then put on a band-aid!"
Yuan Chuyu gently put down the knife, tossed the blood-stained shrimp into the trash can without a second thought, and shook his head slightly: "It's alright, you go ahead with your work."
He walked to the sink, pushed his hand up, and the faucet gushed out water. He lowered his eyes and rinsed his wrist for a while, then squeezed two pumps of hand soap onto his wet hand and, as if he didn't feel the pain of his wound, he haphazardly lathered up the soap.
Because of the continuous bleeding, the foam that should have been pure white had turned light pink. He remained expressionless, closed his eyes, rinsed it clean with water, and then repeated the above steps.
After washing his hands twice, with the continuous flow of water rinsing the web between his thumb and forefinger, he stared intently, silently clenching his fists, his neatly trimmed nails digging deep into his flesh, squeezing the wound and forcing the bright red blood to gush out even more violently.
"Brother?" Lin Langyi stood at the kitchen doorway, grabbing the door frame with one hand and calling out, "I'm going to introduce you to someone today."
Yuan Chuyu raised his hand and pressed the tap. The pale pink water swirled in the ditch, creating a small vortex before disappearing completely.
He didn't respond to her immediately as usual. Instead, he silently tore off two pieces of paper, carefully wiped the water droplets off his hands, and then lowered his arm to throw the wad of tissues into the trash can.
As he turned to walk out of the kitchen, the bleeding from the web of his hand hadn't stopped. Lin Langyi, with her sharp eyes, noticed and immediately stood up to greet him: "What happened to your hand?"
Yuan Chuyu stopped and watched as she took his hand in her arms to examine it. As his gaze moved downwards, he could see the small whorl of hair on the top of her head.
He stared at her for a while before slowly raising his chin and looking coldly at Bian Shu, who was standing not far away and seemed a little reserved.
Bian Shu didn't dare to slack off the whole time, paying close attention to the situation. When he saw that Yuan Chuyu had noticed him, he greeted him politely: "Senior brother, I am Bian Shu, who is three years below you. I am a classmate of Zhu... and Xiao Yi."
Not wanting to hear even the end of such a short sentence, Yuan Chuyu turned away indifferently halfway through his story, ignoring him, and lowered his head to speak to Lin Langyi again: "I was trying to cut open the shrimp's back, but I was too quick and accidentally cut it. It's nothing."
Lin Langyi knew he had opened the box for her, because she preferred strong flavors and liked her food to be more flavorful. She muttered a couple of times, "So careless," and turned to look for the nursing kit.
Upon hearing this brief conversation, Bian Shu stepped forward and said, "Let me help. Thank you, Auntie. You've worked hard tonight. Please make fewer dishes."
There was no reason to make a first-time customer work as an assistant. Yuan Chuyu pinched the base of his thumb, the edges of his wound wrinkled and white from the irritation of soap suds and water. He said in a detached and casual voice, "Sit down."
“It’s okay, we can cook together faster. I can help with the cooking.” Bian Shu has been used to doing housework since he was a child. He is a focused person and doesn’t pay much attention to other people’s opinions or attitudes towards him. He only does what he thinks is right. “Xiao Yi likes to eat fried food. She always eats more than a few of the fried dishes in the school cafeteria. She can’t eat much of the boiled ones, saying that she’s tired of eating bland boiled shrimp at home every day.”
Yuan Chuyu stood casually, his left wrist twisted, his wrist bone protruding, while his other hand slowly rolled down his sleeve, seemingly unresponsive to Bian Shu's words that revealed his undisguised familiarity with Lin Langyi.
He was too lazy to refuse, and when asked if he wanted to work, he said, "Then let's do it."
When Lin Langyi returned, she only saw Yuan Chuyu sitting casually on the sofa with his long legs crossed, while Bian Shu was busy in the kitchen.
She called out to Bian Shu from a distance, and he smiled at her before turning back to continue stir-frying. Lin Langyi moved to the sofa, worried that Yuan Chuyu might have difficulty operating with one hand, so she disinfected the area with an iodine swab and then peeled off some transparent tape to cover it.
"Why did Bian Shu go to cook?" she asked casually, her head down as she tended to her wound.
Yuan Chuyu's eyes were half-closed, his long eyelashes covering half of his eyes. All he could see were her slender fingers holding the cotton swab, her nails round and shiny. When she squeezed his hand, her fingertips touched the back of his hand, soft and delicate.
He stared at the crescent moon on her fingernail and said slowly, "I asked him to sit down, but he refused... I couldn't refuse his kind offer."
Lin Langyi showed a helpless expression and said with a smile, "He is indeed a good cook. He does all the cooking at home. I'm quite looking forward to it."
"Am I bad at cooking?" Yuan Chuyu suddenly asked.
Lin Langyi was stunned for a moment, finding this sudden competitive spirit both amusing and exasperating: "Fine, haven't I eaten enough of your cooking?"
"Then why did you suddenly make him..." His Adam's apple bobbed a few times, "want to try something new?"
Lin Langyi completely missed the implication and continued talking about cooking, mocking him: "Weren't you injured? You haven't cooked at home for so long, your skills must be rusty."
After she finished dealing with this, she planned to go to the kitchen to keep Bian Shu company. Just as she stood up, her wrist was suddenly gripped tightly, and the rough friction of the gauze against her skin was unusually noticeable.
Yuan Chuyu didn't hold back at all. His body remained motionless, his elbow bent and drooping down, dragging her like a heavy boulder: "Where are you going?"
"Go to the kitchen? Are you really going to make us do hard labor?"
"You can't cook, what are you going to the kitchen for?"
"Talk to him."
As soon as she finished speaking, she clearly felt the large hand gripping her wrist tighten even more, even pulling her towards the sofa. Yuan Chuyu's eyes were dark and deep, as if some emotion was churning dangerously within them. He said, "Why don't you take this opportunity to talk to me first?"
That makes sense.
Lin Langyi readily agreed, and to make a long story short, said, "My boyfriend."
Yuan Chuyu let out a heavy breath, his face grave and grim: "When did this happen?"
Lin Langyi could fluently recite her scores from each mock exam, but she wasn't good at remembering various anniversaries. She raised her head, counted the time on her fingers, and gave a rough date.
"During the graduation trip." Yuan Chuyu nodded repeatedly, looking as if he had been robbed of his family's heirloom while he was taking out the trash.
He rarely showed such emotion. Lin Langyi's relaxed expression gradually faded, her brows furrowed slightly, and she looked at him strangely.
He looked furious...
Yuan Chuyu didn't say a harsh word to her. He only said, "You never have to step into the kitchen at home. Why should you go in and talk to him when he comes? The kind of life you lived before will only lead you to climb higher and have others accommodate you in the future. Why should you step down from your high platform for others?"
“So,” he said sternly, his tone extremely harsh and calculating, “you are not allowed to go in!”
Lin Langyi: ...Is this some kind of show of force before someone joins the company?
She was used to being pampered by her family and knew that Yuan Chuyu's actions were all to protect his own people, but she was surprised that he looked down on Bian Shu instead of feeling gloating.
To be honest, if the roles were reversed, and she were the one who discovered that Yuan Chuyu was dating a girlfriend whose family background was "not a good match," Lin Langyi would definitely not have any objections, and might even encourage the two of them to stay together.
Because her parents would definitely not agree to this Cinderella storyline, and if Yuan Chuyu dared to do so, he would truly become a living example of choosing beauty over power, she had no choice but to reluctantly take Yingyuan away.
But when this matter fell on her shoulders, Lin Langyi still held onto a sliver of hope. Not to mention that her mother's attitude towards her was far better than her attitude towards Yuan Chuyu, she and Bian Shu were far from being married; they were just dating. She wasn't delusional; who could say what the future held?
"Yuan Chuyu," Lin Langyi addressed him by his full name, "but no matter what, don't interfere. I know what I'm doing."
"You know what you're doing?" He raised the corners of his eyes slightly, his brows sharp, and emphasized the word, finally putting on a cold smile.
Lin Langyi frowned: "It's none of your business!"
Yuan Chuyu closed his eyes, his chest rising and falling noticeably with each breath. Just like every time the two of them clashed, he took the first step back and remained silent to avoid adding fuel to the fire and starting a fight.
But he didn't let go of her hand until all the dishes were served and it was time to eat.
He tried to control her and not let her leave, but Lin Langyi always found a way to infuriate him.
Every time Bian Shu came out, he couldn't help but glance at Lin Langyi. Lin Langyi would smile at him with her eyes crinkled, saying sweet words to tease him. Bian Shu was shy and was infected by the dimples on her cheeks. Although he felt embarrassed in public, he couldn't help but lower his head and secretly raise the corners of his mouth to be happy.
The two of them exchanged glances in front of Yuan Chuyu for a long time. At first, Yuan Chuyu sat upright on the sofa, but after a while, Lin Langyi heard the person next to her take a few long, deep breaths and then lean back on the sofa.
He raised his chin, rested his head on the back of the sofa, and gazed only at the luxurious multi-tiered crystal chandelier. Yuan Chuyu glanced around aimlessly and heard Lin Langyi let out a very soft, short laugh, like the sweet sound of dewdrops rolling off flower petals at dawn.
He couldn't see anything, couldn't see what was happening, whether Bian Shu smiled at her again, or whether the two were exchanging knowing glances, or whether it was a topic he couldn't understand or get involved in. Yuan Chuyu felt his temples throbbing with pain, so he closed his eyes completely, forcing himself to ignore it.
Lin Langyi smiled even more happily.
Finally, it was time to eat. As usual, Lin Langyi sat down in her seat. Normally, Yuan Chuyu would be sitting next to her, while her parents would be sitting opposite her.
But since her parents weren't here today, Lin Langyi originally wanted Bian Shu to sit next to her and Yuan Chuyu to sit in her parents' seats. But as soon as the chair was pulled out, Yuan Chuyu turned around half a step, and his long leg was positioned perfectly between Bian Shu, who was about to approach, and the chair.
Bian Shu was stopped and forced to stop. Yuan Chuyu's actions in blocking people were not ambiguous at all. He sat down next to Lin Langyi with ease and politely made a "please" gesture: "When guests come, they should always sit in the VIP seat."
Bian Shu followed his gesture and looked in the direction indicated. Strictly speaking, the seat opposite him did indeed resemble the VIP seats to the left and right of the host, but...
He glanced at Lin Langyi, but she didn't have time to look at him, only frowning and staring unhappily at the back of Yuan Chuyu's head: "Why did you send him to the other side?"
"Wouldn't it be better to sit directly in front of you?" Yuan Chuyu said. "Don't you sit opposite each other when you eat in the cafeteria?"
Lin Langyi glanced at him sideways: "Sometimes I sit next to you too."
“Very rare, unless Hang Qian takes leave from school that day.” Yuan Chuyu knew everything about her. “You two can’t possibly not eat together. Would you abandon your best friend for a so-called ‘boyfriend’? You, Lin Langyi, would never do such a thing.”
These words, which were neither clearly a compliment nor a criticism, left Lin Langyi speechless. Bian Shu knew that Lin Langyi was taking care of him since he was new to the place, and not wanting to make things difficult for her, he went around to sit down opposite her: "It's alright, Xiao Yi, your brother is just taking care of me."
Lin Langyi clearly heard a very soft breath squeezed out from the nose of the person next to her. She turned her head and saw that Yuan Chuyu's face was full of arrogant words like "Who is your brother?"
Bian Shu deliberately placed the shrimp that Lin Langyi liked in front of her, and pointed at it from a distance, asking solicitously, "Would you like to try some?"
Lin Langyi was very accommodating, picking up a shrimp with her first bite and praising it, saying, "It looks delicious."
She had just lowered her head to bite down when a pair of hands reached out from the side and gathered her long hair that slid from her back shoulder to her front.
Yuan Chuyu had a hair tie on his wrist that he hadn't noticed at the time. He took it off and handed it to her: "I left it in my room. There's one in the bathroom and another under my pillow."
Bian Shu suddenly looked up at him.
Lin Langyi put down her chopsticks, but Yuan Chuyu leaned his entire upper body over, said "Eat yours," and skillfully combed her hair into a high ponytail, neatly tucking any stray hairs behind her ears. After Lin Langyi finished a shrimp, her hair was already neatly styled and looked beautiful.
After a brief interlude, once the formal meal was over, Yuan Chuyu focused all his attention on Bian Shu, asking him questions intermittently. Bian Shu recovered from his momentary sensitivity and focused intently on answering Yuan Chuyu's questions while peeling shrimp for Lin Langyi.
He peeled the shrimp cleanly and efficiently, and soon a small bowl was piled high with tender and delicious shrimp meat.
Bian Shu unabashedly displayed his closeness and care for Lin Langyi, brazenly pushing the bowl of shrimp in front of her and also serving her other dishes she liked.
Lin Langyi picked out the carrot wrapped inside, and after some earnest and persuasive advice, seeing that she wouldn't listen, she picked up her own bowl and took it: "Give it to me."
Lin Langyi happily finished the carrot he didn't like. He smiled helplessly, picked up the carrot and ate it before answering Yuan Chuyu's question in an orderly manner.
Yuan Chuyu's expression was indifferent, showing no reaction to the interaction just now. He didn't ask about the couple's daily life in love at all. He asked a few questions about their studies, and then smoothly inquired about Bian Shu's personal situation, such as his hometown.
Bian Shuren is very stubborn, the kind of person who sticks to his own beliefs. He rarely feels inferior because of his birth, and he doesn't care even if someone provokes or makes things difficult for him at school. Instead, he thinks that the other person is just being impotently furious and finds it ridiculous.
He first felt inferior after realizing he had fallen for Lin Langyi.
Some say the first lesson in love is feeling inferior. If only you were more handsome, if only you were more outstanding, if only he were the most suitable person among all your choices.
She was too good, she was perfect in every way. He looked up to her hopelessly, seeing her as a star in the sky that attracted him. As a result, his birth, his aloof personality, his rigidity, everything made him feel deeply inferior. These things accompanied him like burn scars. He wanted to cover them up, but those scars and dead skin covered a large area on his face, and he could not cover them up perfectly.
It was perfectly reasonable to be asked this question, as the family background of a potential partner is an important part of the evaluation process. Bian Shu didn't think much of it and gave a hesitant explanation.
But fate was not on his side. They had only been talking about this for a few minutes when Lin Langyi's mother returned.
The situation became complicated.
Lin Langyi was also caught off guard, and stood up after a couple of seconds in a daze: "Mom, didn't you have a dinner party today?"
"You're back early." The mother glanced at Bian Shu before gracefully bending down to change her shoes, then approached with a smile. "A guest? Zhuzhu, is he your classmate?"
Lin Langyi forced a smile and said, "He's a classmate and also my boyfriend."
Bian Shu quickly stood up and greeted them. In his haste, the hem of his clothes accidentally snagged the chopsticks, causing them to roll loudly onto the floor. Bian Shu hurriedly tried to bend down to pick them up, but then felt it was inappropriate to be distracted in front of his elders, so he forced himself to remain standing still.
Upon hearing Lin Langyi's words, her mother immediately covered her mouth in surprise for a moment, then stopped and carefully examined the newcomer before scolding, "Then why are you eating such home-style dishes? Even if you don't eat out, why don't you call a few chefs to cook for you?"
“I did call,” Yuan Chuyu explained gently. “It was a last-minute call. Zhuzhu was afraid of trouble and just wanted to bring people back for a casual meal. Bian Shu is also low-key and easy-going, so I didn’t know beforehand. I only had time to invite KL, the pastry chef from W City. He happened to be in A City and agreed to come here around eight o’clock.”
"I apologize for the poor hospitality." The mother smiled apologetically. "Next time we go to Jinshaxi Island, I'll treat you. I'll invite the best chefs, and each chef will cook their best signature dish to make a table of food. I'll also invite you to... to have a meal with me."
The mother sat down next to Bian Shu, who then stopped eating and lost all interest in serving food to Lin Langyi. He sat upright and stern, his shoulders tense and straight. Even though Lin Langyi helped him a few times, his mother still asked about his family background.
This is indeed a topic that can never be avoided.
Bian Shu felt as if a raging fire had risen from beneath his feet, the flames scorching his calves and leaving permanent, indelible scars on his skin and flesh once again.
No one showed any disdain. Even Yuan Chuyu, who made him feel a little uncomfortable, only politely praised the village as a beautiful place when asked about his family background. However, Bian Shu felt that if this topic was brought up in front of Lin Langyi or in front of people closely related to her, it would be a process of tearing open the barely scabbed wound again.
He felt utterly ashamed.
In this labyrinthine manor, his inferiority complex overwhelmed him countless times like a raging torrent.
The sight of that pastry chef, who had been featured in countless news reports, appearing here felt like a dimensional barrier had been broken, a fact that once again made Bian Shu despairingly witness the vast difference between the two of them.
Lin Langyi was used to this. She confidently rattled off a few dishes as if she were answering the first multiple-choice question on a math test. She even specifically asked that they not be too sweet, because Bian Shu didn't like sweet things, but he liked chestnut flavors. So she ordered two desserts with chestnut puree.
Bian Shu felt a mix of emotions. He liked chestnut flavor because he had never eaten anything too fancy before he left the rural middle school. During the harvest season, when chestnuts couldn't be sold, a trendy female classmate said that the chestnut puree cake in town was the best dessert she had ever eaten.
He went home and grabbed a handful of hard chestnuts, thinking to himself, "If everyone likes chestnut puree, then all these chestnuts can be sold."
When he finally tasted chestnut puree cake in town, he realized that the so-called "not sweet" dessert was indeed much better than those greasy cakes made with cheap artificial flavorings and vegetable cream.
Lin Langyi doesn't like overly sweet things, but prefers chestnut puree desserts that aren't too sweet. She's good at remembering little things. Whenever she wants, she'll remember these little details, even after giving a wrong answer to some "anniversary" she thinks is unimportant, which is both disappointing and surprising. At that moment, she feels like she's being loved wholeheartedly, and she's the happiest person in the world.
That night, Bian Shu ate the most delicious chestnut puree cake of his life, but he also remembered the bewilderment and bitter taste he felt when tasting the cake.
It was getting late, so Lin Langyi saw Bian Shu out. Although he asked her to stay several times, Lin Langyi still escorted him to the gate.
The driver had started the car early and was waiting. Lin Langyi didn't go forward, and Bian Shu also tacitly didn't open the door and get in.
"Was there anything that made you feel uncomfortable today?"
This was Lin Langyi's first question, so direct and to the point, just like her straightforward and unrestrained personality.
Bian Shu shook his head firmly... This was the truth. Yuan Chuyu and Lin Langyi's mother hadn't said anything wrong from beginning to end, nor had they shown any perfunctory or contemptuous looks. Putting himself in their shoes, if their positions were reversed, he might not have been able to treat "Bian Shu" so decently.
Lin Langyi carefully observed his expression. She actually felt that Yuan Chuyu and her mother were still polite and gentle. The things she was worried about did not happen. At least on the surface, tonight went smoothly.
“If you’re feeling down, tell me,” Lin Langyi emphasized. “I’ve noticed you’re quite reserved; sometimes I have to guess what’s wrong.”
"No." Bian Shu almost teared up because of her gentle and considerate words. He put his left hand behind his back, his nails digging into his palm, forcing himself not to give anything away, and he absolutely couldn't let her worry.
She is so understanding; he should be ashamed and motivated to improve. He needs to be faster, even faster, and achieve something.
Bian Shu's mind was filled with plans and considerations for the future. Never before had he so wished that he could grow up overnight, skip the years in between, mature and become someone truly worthy of her destiny.
Lin Langyi relaxed after receiving his reply. She opened the car door and looked back at him with a smile: "Okay then, next time we'll go to Jinshaxi Island for dinner. You should go home early."
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