In the previous life, the IF line was cultivated

Ning Chen still hugged her.

Xie Tingyun curled up in Ning Shen's arms and whispered, "Brother, don't be angry."

Xie Tingyun seldom called him like this, but when Ning Chen did, he inexplicably lost his temper.

Ning Chen lowered his head, pinched Xie Tingyun's face, and said, "You finally treat me as your brother? Why didn't you call me brother when you ignored my words?"

Xie Tingyun said nothing, but just looked at Ning Chen with his dark eyes.

Ning Chen was stared at like this for a long while, then he snorted, grabbed the child's cheek, pretended to bite it, and threatened in a low voice: "Children who don't listen will be eaten."

Xie Tingyun covered his face, too shocked to speak: "..."

No, Ning Chen never bluffs, right?

Ning Chen pinched the child's chubby cheeks and said casually, "If you really feel bad, just think of this money as a loan to you. Pay it back when you grow up and get a job. You haven't even graduated from high school yet, and you're still thinking about going out to work. Is that reasonable?"

Xie Tingyun stayed quietly in his arms for a while, and silently went deeper into his peaceful thoughts.

I don't know how long I stayed in this position. Ning Shen heard the child in her arms mutter, "Thank you."

After Xie Tingyun entered his third year of high school, he became noticeably busier.

Ning Chen forced him to spend money every week, and any money that was not spent up to the target would be reimbursed to Xie Tingyun when he was on vacation. Moreover, Ning Chen's way of spending money was often even more lavish than Xie Tingyun's. Over time, Xie Tingyun began to do as Ning Chen wished.

Ever since the rich kid who bullied Xie Tingyun was sent to police for being involved in a murder case, no one in the school dared to do such a thing openly.

Xie Tingyun went through a tense and busy senior year of high school.

During this period, Ning Chen became busy for some reason. In the past, Ning Chen mostly stayed at home playing games and sleeping. However, after Xie Tingyun entered the third year of high school, Ning Chen started to get busy.

Xie Tingyun's vacation was shortened from two days every two weeks to one and a half days every two weeks. Later, the school encouraged everyone to go home once a month and rest and study at school on weekends.

The college entrance examination is like a Duckmoss sword hanging over my head. I wish every minute of my time would be used in half. I even put my notes under my pillow before sleeping, hoping that the knowledge can penetrate my brain which has been paralyzed by studying.

But Xie Tingyun still insisted on going home once every two weeks, rain or shine.

Fortunately, Xie Tingyun's grades in the class have always been among the top three. After the teacher advised him that it was useless, he approved his leave.

Ning Chen was used to living alone. He counted his savings and found that the money he earned in previous years was enough for him to spend for the rest of his life. But now Ning Chen had brought a child home.

If we add Xie Tingyun...it doesn't seem to be enough.

Although Xie Tingyun is an adult in the legal sense, his situation is equivalent to being without parents. He has to face the huge pressure of the college entrance examination alone without any financial resources...

How will Xie Tingyun live in the future?

I can’t get through this day just thinking about it.

Ning Chen never thought of himself as a kind-hearted person, but the appearance of this child was too unexpected.

Anyway, I have already picked up the things and brought them home. How can I throw them away and let him fend for himself?

Ning Chen thought he was not a bad person, but he had to admit that he really couldn't do such a thing.

So Ning Shen packed up his remaining savings and went out to start his own business.

He set aside some budgeted money and deposited it all into Xie Tingyun's card. This money was enough for Xie Tingyun to concentrate on the college entrance examination in the next year without having to worry about living expenses and data fees.

Then, it was as busy as a day.

He was so busy that he sometimes forgot when Xie Tingyun would go home for the holidays. He would often come home at two or three in the morning to see Xie Tingyun lying on the table in the living room, doing his papers with the desk light on.

The coldest month has passed, and the weather has gradually started to warm up. Xie Tingyun is wearing a soft T-shirt, and black trousers hanging quietly beside his thin ankles. His hair has grown a little long, and he doesn't take care of it, so it hangs down softly, covering part of his quiet eyebrows.

In the living room, only the table light in front of Xie Tingyun was on. The surroundings gradually fell into darkness, and an elongated black figure was projected on the dim back wall.

In the year when those two beastly parents disappeared, Xie Tingyun grew rapidly from being only as tall as Ning Chen's waist to reaching Ning Chen's chest. The malnutrition of the previous eighteen years seemed to have finally disappeared in this year. He grew from a skinny skeleton into a tall and thin boy. At least when he asked Ning Chen for a hug, Ning Chen could already feel the boy's arms around his waist starting to get stronger.

Xie Tingyun lowered his eyes and was quiet and focused as he worked on the paper. The only sounds were the rustling sound of the pen tip rubbing against the paper and the occasional rustling sound when he flipped the paper.

However, Ning Chen was really exhausted recently. When he pushed the door open and saw Xie Tingyun brushing his papers in the living room, he was obviously stunned for a moment. Then he remembered that today seemed to be Friday.

...No, it's past twelve o'clock, it should be Saturday.

Ning Chen closed the door, changed his shoes at the entrance, yawned tiredly, and said casually: "Is it vacation?"

Xie Tingyun saw Ning Chen coming back, and casually put the papers in his hand into his books, then stood up to pour Ning Chen a glass of warm water, "Yeah. I came back after class this afternoon."

Ning Chen didn't like warm drinks, so he took a sip and put it down immediately, urging Xie Tingyun to get him an iced drink: "I don't want to drink this. Is there any Coke in the fridge?"

Xie Tingyun hummed, turned around to pour Ning Chen a cup of hot water, and blocked the refrigerator door before Ning Chen opened it, silently holding the hot water in front of Ning Chen.

Ning Chen: “…”

Ning Shen's tall figure loomed over him, and Xie Tingyun could be easily lifted away by him with one hand.

Ning Chen had taken off his suit jacket and casually draped it on the sofa. He unbuttoned the top two buttons of his white shirt, and the hem of the shirt was gathered behind his waist, outlining a tight and smooth curve on his waist.

Xie Tingyun's eyes fell on it and lingered there for a long time uncontrollably.

After a while, he forced himself to look away. He felt that something was wrong with him, but he couldn't tell what it was.

Xie Tingyun took a deep breath and smelled the faint smell of alcohol on Ning Chen. He explained in a way that made it even more obvious: "You've been drinking alcohol, so don't drink Coke. It's not good for your stomach."

Fortunately, Ning Chen was very tired and naturally did not pay attention to this small detail. He took a few sips of the hot water, grabbed Xie Tingyun's face, and said, "You are so young, and you are controlling me?"

Xie Tingyun said: "I dare not. I'm afraid you will scold me."

Ning Chen glanced at the boy standing silently, pointed at him and said, "You say one thing and do another."

This little guy says he doesn't dare, but when it comes to doing something, he is not afraid no matter how big the airs are.

At the same time, Xie Tingyun also thought: Aren’t you the same?

You say you want to eat children... No, you really do eat them.

Although they say "see who dares to control me", they usually don't really put on airs.

After Ning Chen drank some water to moisten his throat, he took his clothes and went to take a shower. Xie Tingyun turned on the light in the living room, and while Ning Chen was taking a shower, he picked up his scattered suit jacket and hung it up. Then he took the opportunity to write a test paper for a while, and only after Ning Chen came out did he pack up his things and get ready to go to bed.

Ning Chen doesn't like spaces that are too small, so he bought a two-bedroom, one-living room apartment. Ning Chen occupies the master bedroom himself, and uses the second bedroom for playing games.

Ever since picking up Tingyun, Ning Chen wanted to clear out the second bedroom for him to use as a room. However, Xie Tingyun did not seem to agree with this plan. He initially proposed that he could just move a folding bed in. Ning Chen stared at him for a long time with a look as if he had seen a ghost, and he did not dare to say anything more.

Ning Chen said something like, "Is that reasonable?" and dragged Xie Tingyun into his master bedroom and locked him up. Then, in front of him, he ordered a 1.8-meter double bed and also placed orders for some necessary bedding.

Xie Tingyun: "..."

Xie Tingyun said bitterly: "...It's too expensive."

It was something that could be solved with a folding bed. At worst, Ning Chen could just buy a smaller single bed, but Ning Chen insisted on configuring everything according to his own wishes, as if anything less would be an injustice to Xie Tingyun.

But he is the one who has not paid anything and just lives in Ning Shen's house and eats and drinks for free.

How could he accept it without any burden?

Ning Chen stretched out on his bed, turned around and looked at Xie Tingyun, and asked curiously, "I spent my own money, why do you think it's expensive?"

Xie Tingyun's throat rolled over, he felt a little overwhelmed, and said nothing.

Ning paused for a moment.

He seemed to realize that some of his actions were not suitable for the current situation. Ning Chen was silent for a while, and then said, "Well, don't think you owe me anything. Just think of me raising a son to relieve my boredom when I grow old. It's boring for me to stay at home alone. I'm tired of playing games. Besides, you're not going to pay me back in the future, right?"

Ning Chen: "What do you owe me? Do you know what it means to give and take, to get something for nothing? I am taking advantage of your young age and investing in you. Not only will you return all the investment out of gratitude in the future, you will even lend yourself to me to relieve my boredom. Do you think I am getting something for nothing..."

Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by Xie Tingyun who suddenly hugged him.

Ning Chen was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

Xie Tingyun seems to...really like using hugs to express his emotions.

When I am happy, I will snuggle into his arms; when I am unhappy, I will also snuggle into his arms.

Very cute.

"What you said is too harsh. You are not that bad." Xie Tingyun tightened his embrace and said awkwardly, "I... I will try my best to make you earn it back."

What a scam.

What to use and what to invest in.

That's... too harsh.

It was Ning Chen who had been paying all the time. It was Ning Chen who caused him to be seriously injured and nearly die. It was Ning Chen who threatened and bribed him all day long in order to get him used to speaking. It was also Ning Chen who took the initiative to take him home and never asked for any reward or promise.

Even these words that seemed like shrewd calculations from a businessman were said by Ning Shen just to put him at ease.

Xie Tingyun knew it very well.

Since then, the conversion of the second bedroom into Xie Tingyun's room was carried out step by step.

However, just a few days after the second bedroom was decorated, Ning Chen discovered that the little guy still did not sleep in the second bedroom.

He sneaked over in the middle of the night with a pillow and blanket, slept on the floor of Ning Chen's bedroom, and then slipped back to Xie Tingyun's own room before Ning Chen woke up.

Ning Shen's sleep and rest schedule has always been irregular. He sleeps until noon every day. It was not until several days later that he found an uninvited guest in his room when he got up at night.

Ning Chen was so angry that he laughed.

The disobedient child who curled up at the foot of his bed was finally carried by Ning Chen to his own bed. Since then, the two have never had any disagreements on this issue and have slept peacefully until now.