Chapter 82: Auntie, I’m Sorry
If he stayed in the dorm, Lin Qingyan was afraid he wouldn’t be able to control his emotions. He ran quickly; Lu Yuqi and An Jing didn’t catch up. He didn’t know where to go, he just wanted to find an empty corner to be alone.
Lu Yuqi, unable to see him, was getting frustrated, “Where did he go…”
An Jing was also looking around, “Don’t worry, let’s split up and look.” The entrance had guards, so the trainees couldn’t leave. As long as Lin Qingyan was still in the filming base, it would be easy to find him.
Lu Yuqi glanced sideways at the man beside him, sneered, “No need for your fake concern. Your good brother might be crying from grievance. Teacher An should go comfort him.”
An Jing looked at him helplessly. This kid usually acted cool and didn’t talk much, but when he was mocking someone, he was very sharp-tongued. In this circle, who dared to be so impolite to him? No one.
“Kid, instead of wasting time being sarcastic, let’s find him.” An Jing didn’t have time to argue. “I’ll go left, you go right. Let’s split up.”
Lin Qingyan was clearly acting strange. If something happened to the kid, Gu Fei would definitely come after him. Moreover, he genuinely felt worried, not because of Gu Fei.
Lu Yuqi didn’t speak and turned to look for him.
…
The dorm building was especially lively today; most of the trainees’ families had arrived. It was a surprise arranged by the production team.
But in a corner, in a storage room, it was quiet and dilapidated, completely different from the lively atmosphere.
The storage room door was tightly closed. Many useless items were piled inside. It hadn’t been cleaned for a long time; there was dust and cobwebs everywhere, as if abandoned.
A suppressed sob came from inside, very soft, as if trying to stifle it, but the grievance and sadness were hard to conceal. The crying lasted only a few minutes before stopping, as if afraid of being discovered.
A pile of items blocked the view of a thin boy sitting in the corner, quiet except for his slightly rapid breathing.
Lin Qingyan huddled in the corner, his eyes wet from crying, his eyes and nose still red.
Only in an empty corner did he dare to release his pent-up emotions, without having to pretend to be happy.
He wiped the remaining tears from his face. After gradually calming down, he regretted it. He had treated An Nanyi that way; his biological mother would probably hate him…
Lin Qingyan even wanted to stay there and not come out, to avoid facing it all. But he knew he couldn’t. It’s fine if he’s unhappy, but why ruin everyone else’s mood.
After a while, hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside, seeming to be heading towards the storage room. Then someone pushed open the door. Lin Qingyan sat stiffly, making no sound.
An Jing stood at the door, looking around inside, not seeing anyone. He tentatively called Lin Qingyan’s name; no one answered. He must not be here.
He was about to go somewhere else when he heard a slight sound from behind. He turned around and saw the person he was looking for standing up from the corner.
The boy’s hands were nervously clasped in front of him, his eyes red like a rabbit’s, looking at him anxiously. He must have been crying, his voice slightly nasal. “Teacher An…”
An Jing paused, then chuckled softly, “Finally found you.”
He quickly walked to Lin Qingyan’s side, looking at him with concern, and asked gently, “What’s wrong? Is there something bothering you that you can tell me about?”
“Nothing…” Lin Qingyan’s eyes darted away. He didn’t expect An Jing not only not to blame him but also to come looking for him with concern.
He lowered his eyes, his thick eyelashes concealing his emotions, and spoke softly, “Sorry, I was just… a little unhappy because my family didn’t come. I’m fine now. I’m sorry for worrying you.”
An Jing could hear that Lin Qingyan was making an excuse. “It’s okay, everyone has bad days.” He patted the boy’s shoulder comfortingly, “Let’s go back. Lu Yuqi is looking for you too.”
“Mm.” Lin Qingyan walked out with An Jing, hesitated for a moment, and said, “Teacher An, can you please not tell Gu Ye about this? I don’t want him to worry.”
“Mm, I’ll keep it a secret.”
They met Lu Yuqi on the way. He looked Lin Qingyan up and down, then cautiously glanced at An Jing, “Why are you crying? You can tell me whoever bullied you.”
Lin Qingyan smiled, “No one bullied me. I’m fine now. Let’s go back.”
Lu Yuqi uttered an “oh” and didn’t ask anything else.
The three returned to the dorm. Lu’s mother, seeing Lin Qingyan’s red eyes and pitiful appearance, immediately felt sorry for him and asked what happened. Lin Qingyan still smiled and said he was fine.
After hesitating for a moment, he finally went to Song Shuman, slightly lowering his eyes, his voice hoarse, “Auntie, I’m sorry, I wasted the cake you made.”
A hint of surprise flashed in Song Shuman’s eyes. She looked at the thin boy, his brows and eyes gently lowered, his eyes and nose red from crying. He looked well-behaved, making her feel sorry for him.
“It’s okay, Auntie has more.” Song Shuman smiled at him gently. It was just a small matter; she couldn’t get angry with the child.
“Thank you, Auntie.”
Seeing him so close, Song Shuman felt that sense of kinship even stronger, perhaps because of the boy’s resemblance to her.
Nothing else unusual happened. Lin Qingyan walked the red carpet with Lu Yuqi and Lu’s mother. They walked ahead, and when they were seated, An Nanyi appeared.
Song Shuman, wearing a white dress, walked in the middle. Her appearance and demeanor exuded gentleness and elegance, with a faint smile on her face, her brows slightly curved. One might mistake her for a female star.
An Nanyi wore a white suit, standing beside her.
They were both in the same color scheme, like a mother-son matching outfit. Their expressions were intimate, their actions natural. To onlookers, they were a close mother and son.
Like he was being tortured, Lin Qingyan’s gaze followed them until they signed the autograph board and sat down.
An Nanyi was talking to Song Shuman. The distance was a bit far, and Lin Qingyan couldn’t hear what they were saying, but both of their faces were smiling, seemingly having a cheerful conversation.
Lin Qingyan subtly looked away, but the hand resting on his lap unconsciously clenched, his heart feeling like it had a hole, with cold wind constantly blowing in, making him numb.
It’s okay, he told himself repeatedly, it’s okay.
After the red carpet, there were some other activities: games, performances, even magic shows—all light and cheerful. The scene was filled with laughter.
Lin Qingyan sat among the crowd, like his soul was lost, not knowing what the host was saying. He was unusually quiet today, and Lu Yuqi noticed it quickly.
Lu Yuqi nudged his arm with his elbow and whispered, “What’s wrong? You’re acting strange today.”
“Am I?” Lin Qingyan smiled, perhaps the stage lights were too bright, his particularly moist peach blossom eyes reflected the light, curving into crescents.
Despite the cheerful smile, Lu Yuqi felt Lin Qingyan was deeply uncomfortable, probably because of An Nanyi again. Lu Yuqi said coldly, “Don’t smile if you’re unhappy. It’s ugly.”
“Where is it ugly?” Lin Qingyan murmured softly, “It’s actually pretty.”
Lin Qingyan didn’t space out again. He smiled when he should, showed emotion when he should, and interacted seriously with everyone when prompted.
When all the events were over, it was already 10 pm. The trainees’ families left one after another.
Lin Qingyan and Lu Yuqi sent Lu’s mother away. When they reached the downstairs, Lu Yuqi went to the restroom, so he stood there waiting with Lu’s mother.
“YanYan, you didn’t seem happy today. Was it because your parents didn’t come?” Lu’s mother looked at the young man with gentle eyes, like a mother caring for her son.
“Mm…” Lin Qingyan couldn’t explain the reason, so he simply admitted it. Looking at Lu’s mother’s kind and gentle gaze, he felt slightly moved and tentatively said, “Auntie, can I ask you a question?”
“Of course, ask away.”
“If… if,” Lin Qingyan said nervously, “if one day you find out that Yuqi isn’t your biological son, what would you do?”
After a pause, he added, “It’s just a hypothetical question. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”
“That’s an interesting question.” Lu’s mother didn’t think it was anything strange; instead, she started to think seriously. After a while, she answered:
“Mm… Auntie would probably continue to treat him as her own son. Although Lu Yuqi is sometimes annoying, disobedient, and arrogant since he was young, but he’s been raised by me since he was little… Even if there’s no blood relation, after so many years together, there’s a deep bond.”
Lin Qingyan was startled, a little dazed, “Like that…”
“But why did you ask that question?”
“Nothing, I was just curious.”
Lu Yuqi happened to walk over, ending the conversation. The two of them saw An Nanyi, An Jing, and Song Shuman there as they sent Lu’s mother to the exit.
“YanYan, that brat Lu Yuqi wouldn’t hug me. Hug Auntie.”
“Mm, okay.”
Lin Qingyan politely hugged Lu’s mother, just as he saw An Nanyi hugging Song Shuman nearby. “Mom, be careful on the road, get some rest when you get back.”
“I know, Mom’s going now. An Jing, take good care of your brother.”