Chapter 98 Pseudo-Siblings (4)
After Lin Langyi saw the guests off and returned to her room, her mother gave a signal and called Yuan Chuyu to the tea room.
Yuan Chuyu arrived late. As soon as Bian Shu left, he got up and threw his slippers, which Bian Shu had worn, into the trash can.
Entering the kitchen, Aunt Qiu was still tidying up and cleaning. Yuan Chuyu nodded slightly to her, then politely picked out the bowls, chopsticks, and cups that Bian Shu had used, moved them to the top of the trash can, and let go with a "thump".
Yuan Chuyu turned on the tap again with the back of his hand, washed his hands expressionlessly, and finally walked towards the tea room.
As soon as she entered the door, her mother asked sternly, "Did you really only find out today that Bian Shu is Zhu Zhu's boyfriend?"
Yuan Chuyu's expression was no better than hers. He lowered his head, wiped the water droplets off his index finger knuckle with his thumb, and sneered, "I also wish I had known sooner."
The mother shared the same thought as Lin Langyi and began to wonder why Yuan Chuyu was taking this matter so seriously: "Yuan Chuyu, you called me back today. I don't know if you're genuinely feeling sorry for Zhuzhu or if you're just reminding me and her father how naive she is."
Yuan Chuyu frowned abruptly, raised his eyes, and said in a deep voice, "I only asked you to come home and didn't tell Father about this. Do you think I'm deliberately using Zhuzhu's early romance to sow discord?"
This is why, although her mother was dissatisfied with Bian Shu's conditions today, she still gave him face on the surface. She felt that her attitude influenced Yuan Chuyu's judgment, so no matter what she did in private, on the surface, she always had to stand on Lin Langyi's side.
Hearing Yuan Chuyu say this, she felt a little relieved, but still emphasized: "Zhuzhu is just dating, it's not as complicated as you think. You'd better not make a mountain out of a molehill and try anything funny. I want to remind you that Yingyuan is mostly in my hands. Even if you talk to your dad, he can't make the decision."
Yuan Chuyu suddenly burst into a ridiculous laugh. He laughed for a long time until his body swayed slightly and he had to support himself on the table with one hand. Finally, he stopped abruptly, his voice rising sharply. He clenched his fist with the hand covered in a bandage and slammed his knuckles against the table. He said angrily, "What I'm angry about is that she's in a relationship!"
"Is she even an adult?!"
"Is she over eighteen?!"
"She only got into university, but she skipped a grade; she was admitted early. She's not even an adult yet!"
Yuan Chuyu has never raised his voice in front of outsiders over the years. Even when he is angry, he will only point out the problem in a cold voice and use rational judgment and actions to leave the other party speechless.
I've never been so emotionally out of control as I am now, as if I've completely lost my mind and am being led by my emotions.
The mother was clearly taken aback by his furious barrage of rebuttals and questions. Standing before him, she watched as her usually docile and obedient adopted son stripped away his admirable facade, revealing a previously unknown side of him that was utterly vulnerable and out of control.
The teacups on the table clinked together. Yuan Chuyu felt a tightness in his chest and his voice turned cold: "A brat who overestimates himself and can't take responsibility confessed and pursued Zhuzhu before she was even an adult. What kind of person is he? Don't tell me he couldn't control his feelings. Even if he can't control his feelings, what kind of character does someone have who can't even restrain himself from the most basic principles? From top to bottom, there isn't a single thing about him that I can give him a passing grade!"
"You actually dare to question my motives? I'd like to ask Bian Shu if he has ulterior motives!"
The mother stared in astonishment at Yuan Chuyu, who was in a fit of rage. He was breathing rapidly, and upon closer inspection, his body was trembling slightly. He was completely on the verge of a breakdown.
"Are you that concerned about me dating?"
When Lin Langyi's voice came out, the two people in the tea room fell silent instantly.
The question she asked didn't actually have any deeper meaning; it was just a statement.
The mother quickly stepped forward and supported Lin Langyi's shoulders, saying in a low voice, "Zhuzhu, why did you come out? Didn't you say you wanted to rest early today?"
Lin Langyi didn't answer, her gaze fixed on Yuan Chuyu over her mother's shoulder, still waiting for his reply.
But Yuan Chuyu was speechless.
He was thrown into disarray by the simple words spoken by Lin Langyi. The moment her voice rang out, he trembled, and his once broad and upright shoulders slowly hunched over, like a withered and lifeless plant.
Lin Langyi asked a second time, "Why are you reacting so strongly when it's me who's in a relationship?"
Yuan Chuyu bent over slightly as if all his strength had been drained, using his curled finger bones to support his weight on the table. It was as if a bucket of cold water had suddenly fallen from the sky and drenched him, extinguishing all the anger that had been building up since this evening.
He stared blankly at the fine grain of the sandalwood tea table until his eyes ached and became dry before mechanically blinking. He tried to clear his mind of the pent-up emotions from the entire night, only to find his mind empty and adrift. He couldn't explain why he was so angry.
It's just that the description is bad, not worthwhile, and unworthy.
He watched Lin Langyi grow up, accompanying her as both a father and a brother. They had a very deep bond. However, as her older brother, he looked down on Bian Shu, thinking he was a toad trying to eat swan meat.
Yes, he only had a problem with Bian Shu, not with Lin Langyi's relationship.
"I didn't mean you can't date." He heard his own lifeless, withered voice, like a dry branch that would break if stepped on.
As if trying to convince himself, Yuan Chuyu forced himself to lift his face and repeated dryly, "I don't have a problem with you dating."
The statement is incoherent and disjointed.
Self-contradictory.
Yuan Chuyu opened his mouth, as if all the air had been sucked out of his chest, and he stammered in defense, "It's just that before I was an adult..."
"What about after you become an adult?" Lin Langyi asked. "It'll only be a year or two. I know what's important. My family has always provided sex education in this area. I won't joke around with my body."
“After becoming an adult…” Yuan Chuyu’s gaze grew increasingly lost. He felt as if his head was being split open from the inside, his thoughts muddled. He said weakly, “But it’s not good to explain…”
The mother agreed with this assessment. She nodded and said, "Zhuzhu, your mother and your brother both think you should find someone who is more worthy of you. You are indeed at the age where you are just beginning to fall in love. There is nothing wrong with dating."
Yuan Chuyu squeezed his eyes shut.
From the very first day he learned of Bian Shu's existence, he had considered this possibility. He even prepared himself mentally, telling himself that if this were to happen, he shouldn't try to break them up, but rather let irreconcilable conflicts arise between them, leading to their decision to break up.
In psychology, the Romeo and Juliet effect suggests that external interference, opposition, and resistance will only accelerate the development of feelings and promote the attachment and faith between lovers. Therefore, forcibly breaking up a relationship will only backfire and turn it into a battle to protect the relationship.
He had thought it through very well, very thoroughly, but when it actually became reality, he found that he couldn't accept it at all. He could never maintain the calm and composed attitude of letting things take their course when it came to anything involving Lin Langyi.
Lin Langyi continued to tease him, saying inexplicably, "Seriously, why are you reacting so strongly to my relationship? Anyone who didn't know better would think you're my ex-boyfriend."
Yuan Chuyu's breath hitched, his pupils dilated instantly, as if struck by lightning, and his blood almost flowed backward.
He felt as if he had grasped something; that blurry thread was like a ray of light in the chaotic darkness shrouded in clouds and mist.
Yuan Chuyu stood there, looking lost and bewildered.
Lin Langyi is right. He was in so much pain that his pupils were almost bloodshot, and it felt like thousands of needles were piercing his bones, causing him to tremble all over from the excruciating pain... This was not normal.
He was in so much pain he felt like he was dying, which was abnormal.
But how could that be?
He never harbored any erotic thoughts towards her, and any contact between siblings never aroused any sense of desecration in him; he felt that would be an unforgivable offense.
but.
He liked being able to see her whenever he opened his eyes, liked her leaving her things all over his territory, liked her competing with him in life or studies, liked her touch and coquettishness, liked her mischievousness and "bullying," liked her calling him "brother" affectionately and with a drawn-out tone, or yelling at him arrogantly with her full name, "Yuan Chuyu, go to hell!"
In this foster family that tormented him, he hated his father and distanced himself from his mother. Only she, who shared his parents' bloodline, should have been one of the people he loathed, but in the end, ridiculously, she became a lifeline for him when he was drowning.
This feeling of attachment and longing appeared too strangely and smoothly. Yuan Chuyu tried to figure out at what moment, at what second, he suddenly made the decision to give up hating her, and at what instant, at what instant, he included her as the most important person in his life, but he had no clue at all.
Everything proceeded so naturally and smoothly, like the sun rising in the east and setting in the west, an inevitable final destination as natural as the laws of nature.
He was consumed by love, praying and pleading for her to always be by his side. They shared an eternal and unbreakable bond, and their names should be forever intertwined, no matter where they were.
In his unprecedented outburst tonight, Yuan Chuyu once again realized Lin Langyi's paramount importance to him.
As the younger sister.
Yes, she's just my sister, of course she's just my sister.
Yuan Chuyu heard his own wooden voice, as if he had completely emptied his muscle memory while playing the piano, leaving his brain completely out of control, as he painfully squeezed out the words he had prepared:
"Yes, dating... is fine, just don't limit yourself to one person too early. Go out more often, meet new people, and compare different options..."
He spoke slower and softer, until finally his throat tightened, as if a wad of cotton was blocking his throat, and he couldn't even hear what he was saying.
“I know you’re overthinking it.” Lin Langyi stubbornly and defiantly defended her boyfriend despite the family’s opposition. “I know what I’m doing.”
*
Yuan Chuyu felt that Lin Langyi had no idea what was going on.
Instead of straining their relationship, her relationship with Bian Shu entered a passionate phase, and they were inseparable every day.
Yuan Chuyu didn't sleep a wink the night he had dinner at Bian Shulai's house. When he woke up the next day, he seemed to have returned to normal and discussed with his mother whether Lin Langyi should go out and see more of the world.
That's exactly what my mother was thinking.
Actually, it's not difficult to break up a couple who are mismatched. Yuan Chuyu has always been good at this kind of open and covert schemes that win people's hearts.
He lived his life peacefully, watching Lin Langyi go out on dates with Bian Shu every few days, eating, watching movies, and playing board games. Not only did he not stop them, but he would also drive to pick up and drop off the young couple who were deeply in love whenever he had the chance.
Every time they drive out, it's an eye-catching, ostentatious luxury car.
Once, after watching a movie, Lin Langyi stopped by the luxury goods counter on the first floor of the mall and bought some things. All the sales assistants in the store knew her. Although Lin Langyi only picked out one outfit, they still personally helped her carry it to her car.
A number of people were taking selfies around the charcoal gray Koenigsegg.
Lin Langyi looked around but didn't see Yuan Chuyu. She made a phone call and then saw him walking slowly towards her from a distance.
The sports car's headlights lit up, and among the pedestrians taking photos, several stylish men and women, instead of scattering like most people, glanced around with eager anticipation. To their left was the dignified Yuan Chuyu, and to their right was Lin Langyi, respectfully surrounded by luxury brand sales associates.
If we can't tell whose car it is, let's try waiting patiently.
The men and women divided the tasks, each striking up conversations separately. Yuan Chuyu pointed towards Lin Langyi in the distance, his voice clear and crisp: "Her car."
The two pretty girls were taken aback, turned to look at their male companion who had also tried to attack but failed miserably, and could only give up in disappointment.
"They're a couple... Let's go, let's go."
Yuan Chuyu seemed not to have heard the misunderstanding that he and Lin Langyi had gone from "siblings to lovers," his expression gentle and his smile undiminished.
He remained silent.
Lin Langyi knocked on the car window and looked at Yuan Chuyu with the eyes of someone looking at an idiot: "Three people, two seats, tell me how we're supposed to sit?"
“It’s not good for the engine if your car isn’t driven for a long time,” Yuan Chuyu casually made up an excuse. “I just came out for some fresh air.”
He looked at Bian Shu and politely invited, "I'll take Bian Shu back first. Zhu Zhu, would you like to wander around some more?"
Lin Langyi: ?
Yuan Chuyu: "Swipe my card."
Lin Langyi: "Thanks, but my card also has no limit."
He sighed, "What can I do? You already have everything, you don't lack anything. It's my fault. I didn't choose the right car today. Tell me how I can make it up to you."
When he said he had everything, Bian Shu lowered his head and looked down at the tips of his shoes. The parking lot lights shone down on him, making even his shadow look distorted.
The SAs around her were all trying their best to persuade Lin Langyi to stay and see how things went. Lin Langyi wanted to say that she would take a taxi back, but then she thought that Bian Shu would definitely disagree, so she made a ridiculous demand of Yuan Chuyu: "Then I don't mind if you insist on giving me money. Give me the card."
Yuan Chuyu couldn't help but chuckle. He stepped forward and respectfully presented the suit, also taking the one she had already bought.
He glanced at it and said, "Let's go to Seville Street in London in a few days to try on the clothes and see if we need to alter the size."
Lin Langyi searched her memory and remembered that she had ordered three dresses. She flipped Yuan Chuyu's black card in her hand and said, "Oh right, I almost forgot. Okay, I'll buy less today."
Yuan Chuyu smiled slightly: "Your family won't skimp on your clothes. Buy whatever you like. Have you forgotten that your mother bought you a 32-carat gray-blue diamond peacock brooch a few days ago? You can start thinking about what clothes to buy to match it."
When the gaze shifted to Bian Shu, who remained silent, his head was still bowed, and his expression was unreadable.
Yuan Chuyu subtly withdrew his gaze and said with a smile, "Besides, you can buy Bian Shu a few clothes too."
Lin Langyi perked up and suggested, "Hey, Xiao Shu, how about we shop around some more? I'll buy you a few outfits. You're tall and slim, a perfect clothes hanger. Bro, why don't you go back and get a new car? We'll have bought everything by the time we get there."
"sure."
"Need not."
Two male voices spoke in unison.
Bian Shu simply turned his head away, not looking at the enthusiastic Lin Langyi. His voice was hard, as rigid as a stone, just like his personality. He said, "I don't want to buy clothes. Let's go back. I'll take a taxi back. You go with your brother and get some rest."
Yuan Chuyu remained silent at the opportune moment.
Lin Langyi frowned and asked, "What did you say?"
Bian Shu turned to meet her gaze, his tone calm and without a hint of resentment, and explained, "I'm a little tired from playing today and want to go home early. How about we go shopping again next time?"
Lin Langyi remained silent... He had the stamina to work in the rice paddies at home. He looked thin, but he was completely different when you touched him. How could he have been exhausted after watching a movie and visiting two luxury boutiques?
Without even looking up, she said, "Brother, you go back first. I'll take a taxi with Bian Shu."
Yuan Chuyu nodded, leaving the two some space by saying, "I've taken the clothes back for you. Be careful on your journey."
After he left, Lin Langyi hailed a taxi for herself and walked towards the parking lot exit without saying a word.
Footsteps soon came from behind, and Bian Shu silently followed, worried that Lin Langyi would go back alone.
The two walked one after the other. Lin Langyi hailed a taxi, got in, and tried to close the door, but a hand suddenly darted through the crack and got caught in the door.
She paused for a moment, then quickly let go.
He didn't utter a single word about his pain, but sat down in as silently as a piece of wood, closed the door, and gave Lin Langyi's phone number.
The destination wasn't Lin Langyi's home. Bian Shu realized this after sitting for five minutes. When asked, she wouldn't answer, so he had to honestly ask the driver.
The destination was Bian Shu's rented house. He couldn't sit still and patiently asked the driver if the destination could be changed. He wanted to take Lin Langyi home first.
How could I let her take a taxi home alone?
The driver rattled off a bunch of platform rules, and since he couldn't do anything about it, he could only wait until they arrived and then pull Lin Langyi along, not letting her walk by herself, and whispered, "How about I take you home first?"
"No, thank you." Lin Langyi knew his temper from earlier, and said indifferently, "When you go back and see my house, so extravagant, won't you be angry?"
Bian Shu lowered her head and said, "No, Zhuzhu, I just don't need you to spend so much money on me."
"Is it that you don't need it or that you don't want to owe me anything?" This wasn't the first time Lin Langyi had sensed his conflicting feelings of inferiority and extreme arrogance. "Last time too, I bought you a pair of shoes, were you happy then?"
“When we went out, I only paid once, but you were so upset that I thought I had taken out an online loan.”
“When you give me a gift, you always have to buy something expensive. I told you not to give me gifts that are beyond your means. What did you say that time?” Lin Langyi brought up one thing after another, “saying that my behavior made you feel like a failure.”
“Bian Shu, is this the first day I’ve known about your family situation? Did I only find out after we started dating? Can you please understand that I knew about your situation from the very first day I met you? It was under this premise that I decided to date you. If you feel you’re not good enough for me, then you need to understand that in my evaluation criteria, you as a person make up for your so-called shortcomings.”
Lin Langyi's good mood for the whole evening was ruined by this little thing. She opened her hand and found that the card that Yuan Chuyu had given her was pressed in her palm, and a straight line was imprinted on her skin.
"Telling you a thousand times won't change anything." She shook her hand and hailed another taxi. "It's so annoying."
At times like this, Bian Shu was like a mute, only able to stay by her side without uttering a single word.
Lin Langyi got into the car, and he stubbornly clung to the door, trying to follow her, afraid that she would just casually give him a destination and not go home. Lin Langyi was furious, and when she glared at him, she suddenly noticed a large bruise on the back of his hand, which was left from when he got caught in the car door before coming here.
She turned her head away irritably, then climbed into the car and sat close to her. Lin Langyi, still annoyed, kicked him in disgust. He moved his knee slightly, leaving a narrow gap between them.
Bian Shu stayed by her side and took her home. Lin Langyi opened the car door and walked home without looking back. Bian Shu followed her step by step like a down-and-out, homeless stray dog.
"What are you doing here?" Lin Langyi retorted, "We're not from the same world, what are you doing here? Looking for trouble?"
"Zhuzhu." Bian Shu was a tall and thin man. When he bowed his head and slumped his shoulders in front of her, his body looked even thinner. He didn't want their argument to last overnight. Although saying these words was no different from standing naked in the street, he would rather expose himself to her than let her ignore him.
He pointed to his face and said, "Sometimes I feel like I have a big burn scar on my face. Can you see it?"
Lin Langyi glanced at him but didn't reply.
Bian Shu slowly raised his head. The moonlight shone down. He never dared to look directly at her when such topics were brought up. Even the dim moonlight felt too bright to him, so bright that he had nowhere to escape.
“The ugly scar has stayed with me for the rest of my life. Before I had anyone I cared about, I never thought this scar was anything special, but…” He paused. Behind Lin Langyi, the palace-like building stood tall and imposing in the darkness, like a dragon spreading its wings in a fairy tale.
He looked at her and said, “But after I found someone I cared about, I tried to hide all the mirrors, but I could still clearly picture that scar in my mind. I wanted to cut off the whole piece of skin with a knife, but it was implanted in my flesh and blood. Zhuzhu, I will never be a beautiful person.”
"It's my fault, I made you unhappy, I just feel terrible."
"You think I don't have any scars or marks?" Lin Langyi suddenly asked, her face already calm. Without saying another word, she grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the floor lamp.
The concentrated light cast slightly brighter rays. Lin Langyi stood on the grass, facing the light, and beckoned to Bian Shu with her finger: "Come here."
He was bewildered but obedient, and moved closer to her.
"Closer."
"Closer."
"Squat down."
"Huh?" Bian Shu squatted down and looked up at her.
Lin Langyi looked down at him. Two seconds later, she lifted the hem of her skirt and kept lifting it up, gradually exposing her straight, fair legs to the air. She kept lifting it up.
Bian Shu's mind went blank for a moment, and he instinctively reached out and grabbed her hand, stammering, "No, Zhuzhu, no..."
"See that?" she asked.
Bian Shu didn't dare to look down at all; his face turned bright red.
Lin Langyi had already pulled her skirt up to its limit. She bent her left leg, used her knee to push against his chin and lift it up, and pointed to her thigh with her free hand: "I also have a mark that lasts a lifetime, a birthmark."
Bian Shu's head was stiff as she was turned around by her, revealing a small, irregular, dark red birthmark on her leg.
“I have never avoided wearing shorts because of this. I wear them when I need to. When I go sunbathing or swimming, my swimsuit can't hide them, so I wear them anyway.”
"This is in a physical sense. As for invisible scars, who doesn't have them? The severity of a scar is a subjective definition. If you consider yourself to be a level one disabled person, then it is level one. If you think it's insignificant, then it doesn't matter. Why do you care about others?"
“Bian Shu, what you need to do is make me unable to see your scars, instead of you bringing them up again and again, making me, who didn’t care before, start to pay attention to what you’re so bothered about.”
Lin Langyi felt that what she said was not sentimental, but for some reason, Bian Shu, who seemed to be emotionally dull and dull, actually hugged her leg and cried with his eyes covered by her birthmark because of these few words.
He was crying so hard, his shoulders were shaking, and tears were streaming down his face. She felt that half of her legs were soaked with tears.
Lin Langyi sighed and patted his head. Behind her, the lights of the massive building flickered in the darkness. People would only notice the light source first, and the dark rooms could naturally blend into the night without anyone noticing.
In the southernmost room on the third floor, Yuan Chuyu was perfectly positioned in the shadows created by the moonlight and the building. He looked indifferently at the figures huddled together on the lawn, like an uncaring outsider. However, his right hand was tightly gripping his left forearm, as if he were holding onto a life-saving anchor.
He saw Bian Shu stand up, tears streaming down her face, and he lowered his head to kiss her.
Two minutes? Three minutes? I don't know.
Even after Lin Langyi returned home, the deliberately concealed sound of the door closing could be heard from below. Yuan Chuyu remained motionless, staring outside.
He stood there for a long time before finally letting go. There was a bluish-red handprint on his left forearm, with slow blood return and severe scratches from fingernails at the edges. Soon, mottled red marks appeared.
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