Chapter 127 Extra 4: Lin Yuan's Feelings [Romance Chapter] (Enter at your own risk if you dislike romance)
Lin Yuan was certain that the girl was avoiding him.
I've tried to get both siblings to do missions these past few days, but both times I've been turned away.
This situation has been going on for a week.
He washed his face expressionlessly, his bangs still damp.
Grandpa Lin, standing to the side, looked at his grandson's absent-minded appearance and immediately showed a look of disappointment and frustration.
"What kind of missions do you go on every day? I asked you to go and say some nice things to that old lady, but you didn't go. See? The young lady is ignoring you now. You don't even have a way to get close to her!"
Lin Yuan looked up.
After hesitating for a second, she still asked, "How...how do you know she's ignoring me?"
Grandpa Lin was so angry he nearly fell over.
Turns out this guy doesn't even know how to woo a girl!
"Anyone could see that!"
After catching his breath, Grandpa Lin asked again, "She's really ignoring you?"
Lin Yuan: ...
"...Didn't you figure it out?"
Grandpa Lin rolled his eyes.
He was just guessing.
Previously, Jiang Yatou went on missions with her grandson every day. Even if it was just for official business, they still spent time together every day.
Now that I hear the brother and sister have gone on a mission, how can their grandson possibly have a chance to shine?
Grandpa Lin snorted, "What did you do to make that girl avoid you like this?"
Lin Yuan thought back for a moment.
It seems... that Jiang Zhi started acting like this after he asked that question?
But that question had been lingering in his mind for a long time, and he had wanted to ask it for a while.
His original plan was that if the other person didn't have someone they liked, he would then express his feelings.
If there is...
The thought had barely formed in his mind when he was already secretly devising several less-than-honorable methods.
But then I thought that the other party didn't seem to like those roundabout things, so I held back.
It was rare for Old Man Lin to see his grandson's eyes show such uncertainty.
I felt both angry and helpless.
This grandson was different from other children from a young age. He stopped acting spoiled with adults when he was five and possessed a maturity beyond his years. Whether it was his studies, his work, or the abilities he awakened after the cataclysm, he stood out from the crowd.
Over the years, Old Master Lin had never seen such a look on his face.
The hesitation in his eyes, the barely concealed joy at the corners of his mouth, mixed with a touch of awkwardness, was a vividness he had never seen before.
He couldn't help but snort again, "Let me teach you."
"If you make a mistake, you should apologize, and it would be best to give her a gift. Give her whatever she likes."
Lin Yuan hesitated and asked, "So you haven't made a mistake yet?"
That statement was at most abrupt, but it wasn't enough to warrant a mistake, was it...?
In the end, even he himself wasn't sure.
Grandpa Lin was furious. That brat was such a hopeless straight man! No wonder he's never been in a relationship at his age!
"What do you know? If the other person is angry, regardless of whether they are right or wrong, just apologize!"
"And the apology must be sincere, and the gift must be expensive and rare, understand?"
Lin Yuan seemed to be deep in thought upon hearing this.
"So, what exactly did you do to that girl? Why is she avoiding you?"
Lin Yuan felt there was nothing to be ashamed of, so he said, "I was just asking her if she had someone she liked."
Upon hearing this, Old Master Lin's eyes darted around: "That's it?"
"Um."
Grandpa Lin immediately got excited, slapping his thigh, "That's great news!!"
Lin Yuan: ?
"She's definitely avoiding you because she's shy. Think about it: if she asked you if you liked anyone, wouldn't you feel embarrassed because she seemed interested in you?"
Lin Yuan couldn't understand the old man's thought process at all.
"I'm not embarrassed."
He will only be happy.
Grandpa Lin: ...
That brat is hopeless.
The old man was very skeptical about whether his grandson could actually win her over.
"Never mind, go find a suitable gift first, and I'll teach you how to carry it out later."
However.
To Old Master Lin's surprise, his casual suggestion led Lin Yuan to go searching for the rare and precious mutated creature he had mentioned.
Finally, Lin Yuan went alone to the surface forest and spent three days and three nights selecting a butterfly that could bring joy simply by flapping its wings.
The mutated butterfly's wings were as thin as mist, covered with a layer of pale gold, and the tips were adorned with cherry pink.
It's clearly not an ordinary product.
As a result, Lin Yuan suffered a minor injury to his chest.
I need to stay at the clinic for a few days.
When Grandpa Lin visited him, he was both heartbroken and speechless: "There are so many precious things, why are you so stubborn? Why do you have to go outside to look for them? Why not just go to the base warehouse?"
Lin Yuan said calmly, "No."
The person he loves deserves the best.
"Look at your attitude! Whoever you've ever liked is incredibly unlucky! You have absolutely no romance! You're so stubborn! You should thank me! If you hadn't inherited my face, you'd never find a wife in this lifetime!"
Lin Yuan remained silent.
He clearly inherited his maternal grandmother's genes.
Just as the grandfather and grandson were arguing, there was a knock on the door.
"Is Brother Lin Yuan there?"
A hint of embarrassment flashed across Lin Yuan's face, and he lowered his voice, saying, "Old man! Who told you to tell her about my injury?"
Grandpa Lin looked very smug and lowered his voice, saying, "No matter what, you're injured. You need to make the most of what you have, don't you understand?"
The old man cleared his throat and went to open the door.
Seeing Jiang Zhi looking a little awkward outside, Grandpa Lin smiled and said, "Zhi'er, you've come to see your brother Lin Yuan?"
For some reason, Jiang Zhi's face felt a little hot. "...Mmm."
"Then come in quickly. I also need to ask the doctor when he can be discharged. His wound looks very scary."
Lying inside, Lin Yuan, who overheard the conversation, thought: "...His wounds are almost healed."
As he spoke, Grandpa Lin pushed the person inside and then ran outside himself.
Before leaving, he thoughtfully slammed the door shut, completely blocking out any noise from outside.
The room was very quiet.
Jiang Zhi stood still, her eyelashes drooping, and she could see a speck of dust on the tip of her shoe.
The heat in my cheeks lingered for a long time.
Lin Yuan lay in bed, somewhat at a loss.
His gaze fell on Jiang Zhi's hair, but he didn't speak. His hand was still wrapped in a thin bandage; he wanted to say something, but the words stuck in his throat.
Jiang Zhi paused for a moment before slowly raising her eyes. Just as she met his gaze, she looked away as if burned, her voice so soft it was as if she were afraid of startling something: "You... Brother Lin Yuan... does your wound hurt?"
Lin Yuan responded with a sound that didn't sound like he was in pain, but rather a little hoarse: "It doesn't hurt."
There seemed to be an inexplicable stickiness in the air, and Jiang Zhi's hands, hanging by her sides, quietly curled up.
Lin Yuan looked at her reddened ear tips and his heart stirred.
"Did you receive the items?"
Jiang Zhi's face flushed even more, "Mmm..."
Right now, she's actually a little afraid that the other person will ask her if she likes him or not.
I always feel that this is too intimate.
However, Lin Yuan had no intention of letting her go.
I've been a little anxious since we last met.
"Then... the question from last time..."
Jiang Zhi's heart was beating a little fast.
I couldn't help but feel resentful—
That idiot actually asked directly.
Can't we say something else to ease the tension?
But in the past few days, Jiang Zhi had done some mental preparation for herself and managed to resist the urge to escape.
A voice barely audible: "No."
Lin Yuan was taken aback. The "no" was as light as a feather. He blinked first, as if to make sure he hadn't misheard.
When she came to her senses, her lips, which had been pursed, suddenly curved upwards. It wasn't the usual faint, restrained curve, but a relaxed smile that even brought a hint of laughter to the corners of her eyes.
Her eyes were slightly narrowed at the corners, and there was a bright, sparkling light in them. Even the wisps of hair on her forehead seemed to soften.
He was always reserved by nature, and had never expressed such straightforward joy before. Yet, at this moment, he didn't want to hide it: "So, what do you think of me?"
Jiang Zhi pinched the hem of her clothes with her fingertips until her knuckles turned white.
The heat that had just been suppressed surged back up to her ears, and even her neck turned a little pink.
She lowered her eyes, staring at the pattern on the sheet, her voice even softer than before, yet each word clear: "...Why are you asking this?"
Lin Yuan's smile faded slightly, but it didn't disappear; the warmth in the corners of his eyes still lingered. He looked at her reddened earlobes, and lowered his voice even further, as if afraid of startling something, with a seriousness he himself didn't realize: "I just wanted to ask."
He paused, his fingertip lightly tracing the sheets, before speaking again, his voice tinged with a tentative softness: "If...if you don't have anyone you like, how about you consider me?"
Seeing that Jiang Zhi had her head down and didn't answer.
He couldn't help but add, "Or do you just not like older women?"
In fact, Lin Yuan is only 5 years older than her.
It's still within an acceptable range.
"No……"
Jiang Zhi answered subconsciously.
As if afraid he would misunderstand, she added, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible: "What I mean is, I haven't thought about these things."
After saying that, he quickly turned his face away, his ears practically burning.
Lin Yuan: "Then—"
Before Lin Yuan could finish speaking, Jiang Zhi felt that if she stayed any longer, she would be completely defeated. She stood up abruptly, not daring to look at him, and said, "You should rest first. I'll come see you another day."
She didn't even pause as she spoke, and then turned to leave.
But as soon as she turned around, her wrist was gently grabbed.
The force wasn't strong, and it was a restrained, careful effort, yet it made it impossible for her to move her feet.
She froze for a moment, not daring to turn around, only to hear Lin Yuan's voice behind her, deeper than before, with a hint of pleading: "Jiang Zhi."
He paused, loosened his grip on her wrist slightly but didn't let go, his voice softening slightly: "I won't force you."
"But please stop avoiding me, okay?"
The last note fell softly, as if afraid of breaking something.
Jiangzhi could feel the warmth of his fingertips, which burned all the way to her heart through the thin fabric of his clothes.
She bit her lip, didn't answer, but didn't try to leave again.
Jiang Zhi's shoulders trembled almost imperceptibly.
She didn't turn around or move, but buried her face in the shadows. After a long while, she finally managed to squeeze out a single word.
"……good."
Her voice was soft, with a lingering shyness, and the last syllable trembled slightly.
She didn't pull her wrist back, letting Lin Yuan hold it loosely. Even the red behind her ear seemed to be soaked in warm water, slowly softening.
Lin Yuan was incredibly soft-hearted.
The light from outside the window slanted in, falling on Jiang Zhi's reddened ear tips and on Lin Yuan's bandaged hand.
He didn't say anything more, just loosely held her wrist, watching the downy hair on the top of her head being lightly gilded with a layer of gold.
The room was quiet, with only the soft breathing of the two people mingling together, like vines slowly climbing over the wall outside the window, gently and softly enveloping people's hearts.
Lin Yuan thought, no rush.
As long as she stops hiding, there are still many days ahead, and he will always find a way to slowly warm that "okay" into something even more genuine.
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P.S.: My darlings, I've been updating this book daily without interruption since I started writing. I'm a part-time writer, and I also have a lot of things to do at home. Writing this far has been so tiring that my body has reached its limit. I've been working on it for several months, only sleeping three or four hours a day. I've lost ten pounds in just this month, and my hair is falling out in clumps.
So this book will stop here for now.
If I come up with any better ideas later, I'll share them in the bonus chapter.
Thank you all sincerely for your support.
My next book is "Daily Life of Farming and Infrastructure Building in a Future Water World," please add it to your favorites!!
[Wasteland + Water World + Food + Fishing + Daily Life]
I haven't figured out the specific wording yet, but it's basically about everyday life in a blue planet full of oceans, where I rely on my cheat ability [fishing skills] to live a good life with my whole family.
[Daily Food Stream~~]
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