Chapter 17: Attitude is Still Considered Innocent
Having slept a refreshing sleep, by the time Ms. Lin came downstairs it was already nine o’clock.
She habitually walked around the house to gauge her son’s recent living conditions.
…Mm, it seemed very constant.
Until her gaze swept over a hanging painting on the dining room wall.
This painting was clearly completely out of place with the style of this house, but the dining room was the most frequently used place every day.
Ms. Lin stroked her chin, feeling that this painting was out of the ordinary.
Jin-jie was boiling noodles in the kitchen; it was Lin Zhile’s sick meal, as noodles would be easier to digest.
Ms. Lin walked to the kitchen door and struck up a casual chat with Jin-jie: “I’ve been too busy these past few days and haven’t really been in touch. Jingxiu hasn’t bullied my little nephew, right?”
The water in the pot gradually began to boil. Seeing it was time, Jin-jie turned off the heat and said with a smile: “How could that be? Yesterday Xiao Gu-zong’s friends came over, and they even played cards together.”
“Just like the photo I sent you before.”
Ms. Lin was suspicious: “Then why did Little Le insist on staying at a hotel?”
She knew that her son was consistently cold-hearted and disliked trouble. Sometimes he didn’t even give face to her and her husband.
Arranging for Lin Zhile to go over this time was initially just intended as a temporary entrustment; when the time came, she might have arranged another living place for Lin Zhile.
Jin-jie quickly answered her, saying the program’s recording location was too far and commuting back and forth was inconvenient.
Ms. Lin let out an “Oh.”
Jin-jie thought for a moment, stood beside Ms. Lin, and whispered a few words to her.
Ms. Lin’s expression quickly turned from calm to shocked, then calmed down again, but it was clear it held an extra trace of inexplicable interest.
“He…” Ms. Lin was clearly a bit shocked.
Jin-jie served the noodles into a bowl: “Perhaps it’s just meeting a different kind of person. Xiao Lin-xiansheng has a good personality, everyone likes him. The two young masters of the Ji family really like him too.”
Ms. Lin stood at the kitchen door with her arms crossed and nodded, indicating she understood.
Lin Zhile’s information was still lying on her desk, but she hadn’t actually met him in person yet. Being able to receive high praise from so many people, it seemed he was indeed a lovable child.
Through careful tending, the next day Lin Zhile’s condition was mostly healed, and his cold symptoms had significantly lessened.
It was a rare occasion for Ms. Lin to visit, so Gu Jingxiu changed his routine and accompanied her for breakfast.
The mother and son sat opposite each other. Ms. Lin couldn’t resist saying: “So actually this matter could have been solved just by hiring a driver, why did it develop like this?”
Jin-jie had told her Lin Zhile’s original words at the time, saying the journey was too far; in reality, he was just afraid of troubling Gu Jingxiu to drop him off.
Anyone could hear the true intentions in those words.
“Could it be that your recent investments failed, leaving you burdened with massive debt and unable to afford a driver? If you have difficulties, you should promptly tell your family.”
Being bantered with by Ms. Lin, Gu Jingxiu said: “A driver has already been hired and is currently waiting outside; the past was my oversight. But my company is running very well and currently has no operational risks.”
Gu Jingxiu had founded a film and television company himself, investing in many movies and also supporting newcomers; its current scale was not small.
Ms. Lin advised earnestly: “Don’t be too stingy as a person, okay. Think back to when your dad was pursuing me; seeing my commute was far, he directly bought an apartment next to my company and gifted it to me. Did you not even inherit this tiny merit of his?”
Gu Jingxiu slowly set down his fork, his expression turning strange: “Why use this kind of analogy? It sounds like there’s some other meaning.”
Up until now, he believed his attitude towards Lin Zhile was still considered innocent. But why did everyone want to pair them up?
Hearing him ask this, Ms. Lin stopped the movements of her hands and looked at him: “…Then why do you care about such a strange point?”
“It was just an ordinary analogy… you would never care about things like this before.”
The look in Ms. Lin’s eyes as she watched Gu Jingxiu gradually shifted from confusion to shock. She straightened her posture, even neglecting to eat, as if she had discovered something incredible: “You…”
The atmosphere in the dining room instantly grew weird.
Gu Jingxiu secretly cursed his miscalculation. He gritted his molars and interrupted her expressionlessly: “I’m just experiencing a bit of PTSD after an absurd rumor, so I asked one question too many. Please do not let your imagination run wild.”
Ms. Lin: “…Alright.”
She whispered again: “Actually regarding sexual orientation, this—”
“I do not,” Gu Jingxiu stated categorically.
Ms. Lin immediately shut her mouth: “…Okay.”
But her eyes clearly still harbored suspicion.
Fortunately, a moment later, the patient Lin Zhile walked into the dining room, successfully drawing Ms. Lin’s attention away.
Although he had previously used Ms. Lin’s name to suppress Gu Jingxiu, this was still his first time meeting the lady herself.
Auntie Fang was more or less what he had imagined. She didn’t possess much of a “good wife and loving mother” aura; having been immersed in commercial games for a long time, sharpness and gentleness coexisted in her eyes.
It was also Ms. Lin’s first time seeing an alive-and-kicking version of Lin Zhile; his small face looked much better than under yesterday’s high fever state.
He walked over and called out “Auntie Fang,” and Ms. Lin responded with a smile.
She said: “You don’t need to be restrained, treat this place like your own home. If it weren’t for your dad’s help back then, how would I have today.”
When Ms. Lin was fourteen, both her parents passed away, and she depended entirely on her younger sister, who was two years her junior, for survival. Her uncles and aunts not only seized the family property but also coveted these two orphan girls.
Lin Zhile’s father was a teacher at the village school at the time. He arranged for the two sisters to hide in the school, while he himself hiked the mountain road back to sleep every day.
He told them not to marry so young, to study a bit more, otherwise this lifetime would be ruined.
At the time, Teacher Lin was still a bachelor, and he was criticized by many people because of this matter, but he did not back down.
Ms. Lin’s younger sister had a talent for studying. Teacher Lin even used his own salary to fund her high school education, and later she even got into a very famous university.
Once there was a familiar person acting as a connecting link, the two strangers quickly became acquainted.
Lin Zhile still worshipped his mom and dad very much.
Although Father Lin was just an ordinary people’s teacher, he frequently helped others, though the price was sometimes not small.
The most serious incident was rescuing someone in a mudslide and breaking both his legs. Even though his right leg was saved, he couldn’t use it for long periods.
Also, when he was four, Father Lin brought a middle school student from his school home, and he stayed for a very long time.
He heard that the student’s father had married a stepmother and severely abused the student. Later, that older brother studied art through social sponsorships and became a very famous painter.
Lin Zhile’s mother was also very good, managing matters both inside and outside the house by herself. Back when Father Lin was crippled, some people instigated Mother Lin to remarry, and she beat them all out with a broom.
“Fortunately, life is much better now. My dad got a prosthetic limb, and a while ago he even enthusiastically participated in the school’s sports meet, running the 200-meter dash.”
“Though he came in second to last,” Lin Zhile said.
Ms. Lin was amused by him and couldn’t hold back a laugh either.
Meanwhile, Gu Jingxiu watched the fast-talking Lin Zhile with a tranquil gaze.
Through these past events, he was piecing together a part of the truest Lin Zhile hidden behind his smiles.
After laughing, Lin Zhile thought to himself: perhaps the thing that required the greatest price was adopting him.
In order to care for him properly, his parents willingly chose not to have a child of their own bloodline, giving all their love to him.
Ms. Lin looked at him with very gentle eyes and said: “Back then, when I knew Teacher Lin had a child, I even thought of arranging a child marriage and bringing you here to live with Jingxiu. He was five years old then and still very cute.”
“But they said you were physically weak from childhood, going to the hospital at least twice a month, and staying for half a month each time. Plus, you were a boy, so I didn’t bring it up.”
Gu Jingxiu coughed somewhat uncomfortably.
Ms. Lin continued: “However, later on, whenever someone asked Jingxiu to go on a blind date, I would say he had a child marriage arranged since childhood, and although it was in the countryside, he still had to wait for them.”
As soon as these words came out, Gu Jingxiu and Lin Zhile beside her suddenly raised their heads respectively and exchanged a glance.
…So this is how the rumor came to be, right!!
Completely oblivious, Ms. Lin marveled at her own perceived brilliance: “Aiyo, I didn’t expect this trick to be so incredibly useful!”
Lin Zhile: “…”
Gu Jingxiu: “…”
They all say a mother’s debts are paid by the son. Gu Jingxiu avoided Lin Zhile’s condemning gaze; clearly, he would be the one to settle this score in the end.
Having skipped work for a day yesterday, Lin Zhile was determined to go to work today. This job concerned not only himself, but also VOXI.
So he was going to leave right after eating breakfast.
Gu Jingxiu told him there was already a driver specifically assigned to take him now, so he didn’t need to worry about the hassle of commuting.
Lin Zhile let out an “Ah”: “The hotel…”
His words had barely started when Gu Jingxiu said: “Forget about the hotel. That hotel’s boss has tax issues, and the fire safety management is also unqualified. Perhaps before long, operations will be suspended.”
Actually, even ‘perhaps’ could be removed.
Lin Zhile was curious: “How do you know all this?”
Gu Jingxiu choked for a moment.
“Because I am a socially responsible youth of the modern era.”
After he finished speaking, he clearly saw Lin Zhile’s gaze toward him rise in deep respect.
Ms. Lin: “…”
“Then the production crew should have another hotel, right?” Lin Zhile thought. Otherwise, where would the other actors stay?
Gu Jingxiu’s eye color instantly turned cold. Ms. Lin coughed:
“Eh, if Little Le feels it’s too far, just have Jingxiu look for a house near the program. Son, look and see if there are any nice real estate properties over there; if there are purchase restrictions, renting an apartment is fine too.”
Lin Zhile looked at her: “Auntie Fang, there’s no need for that.”
Gu Jingxiu, however, earnestly chimed in: “Jingxi Yujing is very nice. One square meter is only a hundred thousand, and there are no purchase restrictions.”
Lin Zhile’s pupils quaked. Only a hundred thousand? What do you mean only?
Ms. Lin nodded: “Oh, then I just so happen to have a property consultant acting as an agent for the houses there, I’ll introduce them to you.”
Gu Jingxiu picked up the phone from the edge of the table: “Sure…”
“No!” Lin Zhile abruptly interrupted him.
Lin Zhile pressed his hands on his arm, his eyes even carrying a trace of pleading: “Actually, I think having the driver pick me up and drop me off is quite good! Really, Ge.”
Ms. Lin covered her lips and laughed secretly, saying: “Little Le, don’t be nervous. We definitely won’t make you pay.”
Lin Zhile’s scalp went numb, using his eyes to ask Gu Jingxiu for help.
Gu Jingxiu lowered his eyes to look at him: “Not afraid of the hassle of driver pick-ups anymore?”
Lin Zhile shook his head vigorously: “Not afraid.”
Gu Jingxiu asked again: “Do you still want to stay at a hotel?”
Lin Zhile continued to shake his head: “No.”
Gu Jingxiu fell abruptly silent.
Afterwards, he reached out and pinched Lin Zhile’s cheek, neither lightly nor heavily, as if punishing him:
“Congratulations on our decisions reaching a consensus. In the future, I won’t have to barge into some unknown hotel to rescue Lin Zhile anymore, and I will no longer have to worry about my heart’s lifespan.”
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