T/n: This chapter is made possible by our geneours supporter: Safida~ Thank you so much for your ko-fi. Many more blessings to you!
Chapter 79
At eight o’clock in the evening, Meng Huaiqing knocked on the study door and pushed it open before the person inside could respond.
In front of the bookshelf, a man sat in a wheelchair, holding an open book. Hearing the movement, he turned the wheelchair around. “Something the matter?”
Meng Huaiqing walked in. “Nothing. Just came to chat with you.”
Meng Yuanduo closed the book in his hand, started the wheelchair, and moved to the desk, saying with a smile, “I see you’re only coming when you need something. You wouldn’t run back from school for nothing.”
Meng Huaiqing looked a bit like Meng Yuanduo when he smiled. He said, “Am I that kind of person, Uncle?”
Meng Yuanduo was Meng Huaiqing’s biological uncle. From years in a wheelchair, his body looked a bit thin. He glanced at Meng Huaiqing and asked back, “Are you not?”
Meng Huaiqing didn’t deny it anymore, because he indeed had something.
He sat on the sofa and said as if chatting casually, “Uncle, I’ll tell you something funny. Two days ago, a woman came to school to find my junior, but she mistook me for him.”
Meng Yuanduo put down his book and moved the wheelchair over. “I didn’t know you had a common face.”
Meng Huaiqing said narcissisticly, “Right? I was wondering too. How could this face, which inherited your fine genes, be misidentified!”
The uncle and nephew smiled at each other. Meng Yuanduo asked, “And then?”
Meng Huaiqing said, “Then the woman came again today, and only then did I find out she’s actually that junior’s biological mother.”
Meng Yuanduo listened to this as a story. He wasn’t particularly interested in being surprised by the plot; he just smiled. “A biological mother could even mistake her own son?”
Meng Huaiqing: “Yeah, strange, right? Then I went to check and found that this junior grew up depending on his grandmother since he was little. His mother left after giving birth to him and hadn’t been back for over ten years. No wonder she mistook him; the woman hadn’t seen her own son at all.”
Meng Yuanduo narrowed his eyes. “You went to check on someone?”
Meng Huaiqing’s parents died in a car accident when he was four years old, and Meng Yuanduo also lost his legs in the same accident. Meng Huaiqing was raised by Meng Yuanduo. Meng Yuanduo didn’t think he was the kind of person who would casually become interested in someone and waste energy checking on them for no reason.
Meng Yuanduo: “What is so special about this junior that makes you start checking?”
Meng Huaiqing leaned forward, arms around his knees. There was a hint of shrewdness in those smiling eyes behind the lenses. “Meng Ying said he looked like me before. I just took a good look in the mirror and found that he indeed does.”
Since Meng Huaiqing had come back specifically from school so late, Meng Yuanduo knew he definitely had something. After telling the “story” for so long, perhaps this sentence was the key point he wanted to say.
Meng Yuanduo narrowed his eyes. “Tell me, what do you want?”
After going in such a large circle, Meng Yuanduo didn’t believe he was just here to deliver a message.
Meng Huaiqing said with a smile, “In a few days, I want to bring a little friend back to sit for a while.”
Meng Yuanduo raised an eyebrow. “A boy?”
Meng Huaiqing pretended to be surprised. “How did you know?”
Meng Yuanduo said, “If it were a girl, would you need to tell me? You’d lead her straight to the old man, and he’d be so happy he’d jump up.”
Meng Huaiqing: “That would be a bit difficult for the old man, wouldn’t it? He’s over eighty; jumping up wouldn’t be appropriate. It would look unstable.”
“Don’t be cheeky with me,” Meng Yuanduo said. “Want me to help you in front of the old man?”
Meng Huaiqing said, “No need for that. This matter won’t reach Grandpa yet. I do quite like that kid, but he seems to like my junior more.”
Meng Yuanduo let out a ‘tsk.’ “So it’s unrequited love on your part?”
Meng Huaiqing asked, “Will you help or not?”
Meng Yuanduo: “Do you even know how to distinguish between distant and close relatives?”
Meng Huaiqing didn’t care. Anyway, he brought news, so in exchange, it had to be him who was close. He said, “I was raised by you. No matter what, I’m the one close to you, right?”
Meng Yuanduo turned the wheelchair around. “We’ll talk after I see the person.”
Lin Ning disappeared for two days, and on the third day, her call came.
Lin Xiu had gone to wash up. The phone rang on the bed. Chi Aibei looked at the “Lin Ning” caller ID and took a while to realize who it was.
Lin Xiu came in from outside and saw Chi Aibei holding his phone. He asked, “Who is it?”
Chi Aibei handed the phone over. “Your mother.”
Lin Xiu took the phone without any ripple of emotion. He pressed answer and habitually turned on the speakerphone, then placed the phone on the table.
On the phone, Lin Ning asked if he had time for a meal together. Clearly, she hadn’t finished her words last time, and Lin Xiu also wanted to know the purpose of her sudden return. “Sure.”
Lin Xiu hung up the phone. Chi Aibei suddenly leaned over. “I’m going too.”
Lin Xiu glanced at him. “Next time.”
Chi Aibei also knew it wasn’t appropriate for him, an outsider, to go to such a scene. And Lin Xiu hadn’t taken him last time either. To prevent Lin Xiu from finding someone to watch him again, Chi Aibei didn’t force it this time.
However, by noon, he went to the Student Union building in advance to crouch. Seeing Lin Xiu come out, he followed quietly behind him all the way to a BBQ restaurant outside the school.
The restaurant was partitioned, with bamboo curtains separating the booths that didn’t offer much privacy. Although the opposite side couldn’t be seen, the words spoken on both sides could be heard clearly.
Chi Aibei felt this place was chosen perfectly. His stalking level was also very good; Lin Xiu hadn’t noticed him despite following for so long.
Lin Ning’s state wasn’t as good as last time; she looked much more exhausted. She didn’t ask about Lin Xiu’s well-being like last time, but instead began to recount how difficult her life had been for so many years.
Lin Xiu felt her purpose for returning this time was nothing more than money. The reason she was hesitating was probably because of his “creditor” remark last time.
Lin Ning: “I told you last time that you have a younger brother. Do you remember?”
Lin Xiu gave an “mn.”
Lin Ning: “Actually, I came to Nancheng this time for your brother’s illness. He’s been hospitalized for these two years. I—”
If even Chi Aibei could see she had a purpose, how could Lin Xiu not see it? Seeing her finally reach this point, Lin Xiu simply asked, “How much money do you want?”
Lin Ning was stunned for a moment. “No, I don’t want money. I’m not here for money.”
Lin Xiu looked at her calmly. “Then what do you want?”
Hearing Lin Xiu say he and the old lady hadn’t lived well last time, Lin Ning had already given up on the idea. But over the past two days, her younger son’s illness worsened again. She truly had no other way.
She lowered her head, clutching her hands, and said, “Your brother… he has kidney failure. If possible, can you come to the hospital with me?”
Lin Xiu originally hadn’t held much expectation, but his heart still sank upon hearing this. “What for?”
Lin Ning looked at him with red eyes. “Xiao Dong doesn’t have much time left. The doctor said if a matching kidney source isn’t found, he’ll die. Xiao Xiu, I beg you—can you come to the hospital for a match?”
Lin Xiu suddenly found it a bit funny. Having escaped those insults and injustices, was the matter falling back to this now? No matter how many times his life restarted, did it have to be this colorful?
Lin Xiu: “What if the match is successful? Do you want me to give your son a kidney?”
A “bang” suddenly came from behind the bamboo curtain, like a chair being knocked over. In the next second, Chi Aibei rushed over from next door. He threw open the curtain and shouted:
“You’re dreaming! Forget a kidney—Gege won’t even give a drop of blood!”
Lin Xiu didn’t know when Chi Aibei had arrived or how much he had heard. Seeing him like a little firecracker, Lin Xiu quickly stood up.
Chi Aibei pulled Lin Xiu to leave. Seeing this, Lin Ning knelt directly in front of them. “Xiao Xiu, I beg you. Xiao Dong is your brother. Save him. Only you can save him now.”
Chi Aibei was nearly driven insane with anger. He had never been this angry before. He raised his leg to kick, and Lin Xiu timely pulled him back to prevent him from kicking her. “You’re bullying him too much! Your life was hard, but was Lin Xiu’s life easy? He’s also your son, but where were you when he was bullied? Where were you when he was insulted? Where were you when he was framed? Your younger son’s life is a life, but Gege’s life isn’t? If your younger son can’t live, let him die! If you dare touch Lin Xiu, I won’t be finished with you!”
—Bullying, insults, framing—none of these had happened in this life.
Lin Xiu held the Chi Aibei who was jumping around in his arms. “Chi Aibei, don’t jump. Let’s go.”
Lin Ning wasn’t giving up. “Xiao Xiu…”
Lin Xiu looked down at her. There was still no sadness in his eyes, nor disappointment. He was calm as if he had long expected what would happen.
“I told you last time that I owe their family a lot of money, and many years to come will be spent repaying the debt. My body is the capital for repaying the debt, so I don’t have the final say in this matter. He does.”
Translator’s Note:
Oh my god, the audacity of this woman! Lin Ning really takes the prize for the most “dogblood” mother ever.
- “Dazzling, confusing world” (花花世界迷人眼): This describes a world full of temptations and distractions. Poor Aibei is terrified that someone will snatch Lin Xiu away.
- “Positions Clash” (撞号): Still laughing at Aibei using this excuse. He’s essentially protecting Lin Xiu’s virtue by claiming everyone is a “Bottom.”
- The Kidney Trope: This is a very common “dogblood” (excessive drama) trope in Chinese web novels where a long-lost relative returns only because they need an organ transplant. Aibei’s explosion was so satisfying!
- “Divine dragon showing head but not tail”: Lin Xiu is indeed mysterious, but mostly because he was busy being petty toward Wu Yue.
Lin Xiu’s final line about his body belonging to Aibei… swoon. He’s basically using the “debt” as an excuse to belong to Aibei officially. See you in the next update! (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡
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