Chapter 86
On the third day of the semester, Chi Aibei received a call from an unknown number after class.
The person on the phone said, “I am Meng Huaiqing’s Xiao Shu. Do you have time to come out and meet?”
Since returning from the Meng house that day, Chi Aibei hadn’t dared to ask Lin Xiu what Meng Huaiqing’s uncle had said to him. Although he felt his guess was more or less correct, it still felt far-fetched when it concerned Lin Xiu.
Chi Aibei: “Me?”
Meng Yuanduo: “That’s right, you. I’d like to invite you to lunch.”
Since Meng Yuanduo wanted to eat with him, Chi Aibei didn’t quite understand. “Should I bring Gege along?”
Meng Yuanduo heard the confusion in the boy’s voice and said with a smile, “Not for now. I have some things to ask you about his mother, and I’m afraid he won’t want to hear it.”
Chi Aibei didn’t want Lin Xiu to be reminded of that woman either. He agreed to meet Meng Yuanduo. “Forget about lunch. I have to eat with Gege at noon. If I suddenly don’t eat with him, he’ll find it strange.”
Meng Yuanduo teased, “I didn’t realize he was so domineering.”
Chi Aibei didn’t know where the word “domineering” came from. Was Lin Xiu domineering? Not at all. He didn’t even react when someone wanted to harvest his organs; he was practically on the verge of becoming a Buddha!
In the afternoon, Chi Aibei went to the cafe Meng Yuanduo mentioned. The cafe wasn’t far from the school, so Chi Aibei just walked there.
Upon entering the cafe, Chi Aibei saw Meng Yuanduo sitting by the window. Strangely, he didn’t see his wheelchair.
Chi Aibei sat down and, before Meng Yuanduo could speak, asked first, “Shushu, you asked for Gege’s hair last time. Are the results out?”
Meng Yuanduo: “If I said they weren’t, would you still tell me the truth?”
Chi Aibei paused for a moment. “…Probably.” If it was just about that woman, he would tell him. As for anything else, he might have to weigh it.
Meng Yuanduo laughed. He probably knew why that kid Meng Huaiqing was interested in him. This child looked simple, but he wasn’t brainless.
That being said, Chi Aibei felt that the results should be out; otherwise, he wouldn’t have looked for him specifically.
Since he had just received the identification results and they happened to be at hand, Meng Yuanduo simply gave them to him. After Chi Aibei finished reading, he was silent for a long time. He lifted his head. “Why didn’t you look for Brother Lin Xiu sooner?”
It wasn’t that Meng Yuanduo didn’t want to look, but he didn’t know. After all, Lin Ning had disappeared without a trace after dropping the line that “the child has been aborted.”
As for that relationship from back then, Meng Yuanduo no longer felt much about it. It was just as he’d said to Lin Xiu that day—repeating it again was just as flat.
Chi Aibei heard something illogical in his words. “But your family is so rich. Even if you were in a car accident, she wouldn’t have just left so easily, right?”
That woman didn’t look like someone who treated wealth like dirt. Just because of a car accident… Chi Aibei felt Meng Yuanduo was lying to him.
With Lin Ning’s business coming first, Chi Aibei didn’t trust anyone.
Meng Yuanduo said, “If she knew who I was, she likely wouldn’t have left, let alone lied to me about the child being gone. But at that time, I had run away after a fight with my family. Not only did I have no money, I didn’t even have a place to stay.”
Chi Aibei’s lips twitched—This truly is the world of a novel. Even the previous generation was so rebellious.
Chi Aibei could imagine Lin Ning’s decisiveness when facing a penniless cripple who’d lost his legs in an accident. “Then it’s truly… a blessing in disguise.”
Meng Yuanduo was made to laugh by the phrase “blessing in disguise.” It was a blessing Lin Ning didn’t know his net worth, a blessing she had eyes but couldn’t see Mt. Tai. Many people probably wanted to say this, but no one dared to say it to his face; only this child was so outspoken.
Once it was confirmed they shared a common enemy, Chi Aibei had nothing more to hide. He told everything that had happened that day. By the end, his anger flared up again. “She actually wanted Gege’s kidney to give to her younger son! Don’t you think that’s too much? She abandoned Gege all these years and didn’t care about him, yet she had the face to come back for a kidney! If Gege hadn’t stopped me, I really would have kicked her!”
Meng Yuanduo’s brow furrowed slightly. He could forgive her heartlessness back then, and her deception over the years, but knowing the woman had secretly given birth and abandoned the child, only to return now for a kidney—the heart Meng Yuanduo had settled over the years was finally restless.
“What are you doing here?”
Looking at Lin Xiu, who had walked in at some unknown time, Chi Aibei was stunned.
Lin Xiu looked at Meng Yuanduo. “If there’s something you want to know, why not ask me? Why look for him?”
These words carried a hint of reproach. Chi Aibei quickly grabbed Lin Xiu’s hand. “Gege, don’t be angry.” This is your biological dad; I’m doing a hand-over with your biological dad.
Lin Xiu looked at Chi Aibei. “I haven’t even talked about you yet. Didn’t you say you were going to rehearsal? You’re rehearsing here?”
Chi Aibei lowered his head guiltily. Lately, his lying was getting less and less smooth in front of Lin Xiu; he was caught every time.
Lin Xiu didn’t take Chi Aibei away immediately but sat down beside him. Seeing Meng Yuanduo’s poor expression, he asked, “What were you talking about?”
Chi Aibei didn’t really want to mention Lin Ning in front of Lin Xiu. He looked at Meng Yuanduo, hoping he would help smooth things over, but Meng Yuanduo asked instead, “Has Lin Ning looked for you again?”
Lin Xiu looked at Chi Aibei.
Chi Aibei: “…” Shushu, are you reliable or not?
Lin Xiu sighed. “No.”
Meng Yuanduo nodded. “Don’t agree to the matching.”
Lin Xiu glanced at him. “I wasn’t planning on agreeing.”
Looking at Lin Xiu, who was calm all over, Meng Yuanduo didn’t know what he’d been through to be so steady at less than twenty. “I’ll handle this matter.”
Lin Xiu didn’t ask how he planned to handle it. He nodded. “Okay.”
Lin Xiu glanced at the document folder by Meng Yuanduo’s hand. Meng Yuanduo followed his gaze and rested a hand on the folder. “Want to see?”
Lin Xiu could probably guess what was inside. As for the results… if it weren’t so, he wouldn’t have sought out Chi Aibei today.
Lin Xiu: “No need.”
Every time Lin Xiu spoke, he would eye Chi Aibei, who had lied and run off. The person who was just talking eloquently was now hanging his head like a child who’d done something wrong, giving the impression of someone under very strict supervision.
Meng Yuanduo looked at them with interest and suddenly laughed.
Hearing the laugh, Lin Xiu glanced at him. “He has class this afternoon. We’ll be leaving first.”
Meng Yuanduo didn’t keep them. “When you have time, come visit the company.”
Lin Xiu stood up. “No.” He patted Chi Aibei’s head. “I signed a ten-year indenture contract with his brother. Unless their family company goes bankrupt in ten years, I probably won’t be changing employers.”
Meng Yuanduo raised an eyebrow. “Indenture contract?”
Chi Aibei, who also didn’t know about this, looked up in confusion. “What indenture contract?”
Lin Xiu took Chi Aibei’s hand. “Nothing.”
Chi Aibei was led out by Lin Xiu, incessantly asking about the indenture contract. Lin Xiu evaded the question. Watching the two walk out of the cafe, Meng Yuanduo smiled helplessly. It seemed he had signed that indenture contract of his own accord.
…
On the way back, Chi Aibei wouldn’t let go of the indenture contract business. He tugged on Lin Xiu’s arm and asked, “What indenture contract? When did you sign an indenture contract? How come I didn’t know?”
Lin Xiu: “And you? Why did you lie to me and sneak out to see him?”
Compared to the indenture contract, Chi Aibei felt that the fact that Meng Yuanduo was his father was more serious. He stammered for a while, “Gege, Shushu Meng, he might be your…”
Before he could finish, Lin Xiu suddenly pinched his face. Lin Xiu’s tone became serious. “And then?”
Chi Aibei looked up blankly.
Lin Xiu: “Where do you plan to send me?”
Lin Xiu had long passed the age where he needed parents. Whether it was Lin Ning or Meng Yuanduo, whether they were good or bad, it didn’t make a difference to him.
For so long, he had been “covered” by Chi Aibei. He didn’t know what Chi Aibei’s plans were by saying this. He only knew that this kid followed every whim. He’d said he was pursuing him yesterday, and this was just the beginning; he wouldn’t allow him to give up halfway.
Chi Aibei froze for a while and shook his head. “I wasn’t…”
Lin Xiu let go of his face. “Where is my flower?”
The topic changed so fast that Chi Aibei couldn’t react. “What?”
Lin Xiu: “The flower. Is there none today?”
“There is!” Chi Aibei said. “I’ll go buy it right now!”
Chi Aibei had originally planned to buy it on the way back anyway. Seeing him turn and run, Lin Xiu grabbed him. “I’ll go with you.”
These past few days, Chi Aibei had given Lin Xiu a flower every day, adding one more each day. Today was supposed to be six. He planned to confess to Lin Xiu on the day he reached ninety-nine flowers. Although it would take a long time, he wasn’t afraid of waiting; after all, a long time would show his sincerity.
The young lady at the flower shop already knew Chi Aibei. This was the first time she’d seen someone buy flowers like this. For the past few days, he’d come alone, but seeing him come with a boy today, the girl didn’t think much of it, only taking a few extra looks at Lin Xiu. “Back for flowers? Today is six, right?”
Chi Aibei: “Yes.”
The young lady: “Do you still want to pick them yourself?”
Chi Aibei nodded. He had to pick the flowers for Lin Xiu personally. If the situation allowed, he would have wanted to grow them himself.
Chi Aibei picked six vibrant red roses and asked the florist to wrap them. As she wrapped the flowers, the lady whispered, “Is that your friend? He’s so handsome. Does he have a partner?”
Chi Aibei looked back at Lin Xiu. “He will soon.”
The lady handed the wrapped flowers to Chi Aibei, about to ask what “he will soon” meant, when she saw him turn and hand the flowers to the handsome guy behind him…
“Gege, here. Today’s flowers.”
Lin Xiu took the flowers, his fingertip lightly brushing the petals. “Beautiful.”
The lady stared at the handsome guy holding the flowers…
On the first day Chi Aibei came to buy flowers, he only bought one. She’d thought the kid was a bit stingy then. When he came to buy two the next day, she was curious. It wasn’t until the fourth day that she asked and learned he was buying flowers to pursue someone.
She thought he was pursuing a girl, but… it turned out to be a boy?
Looking at the two people whose eyes were practically dripping with honey, the lady was confused. You’re already flirting like this—are you sure you’re still “pursuing”?
Lin Xiu took Chi Aibei’s hand. “Let’s go.”
Seeing the boy who came to buy flowers every day being led out by the handsome guy holding the flowers, the lady went numb…
You two are already together, aren’t you?
You must be together!
You’re even holding hands so naturally, what’s this about pursuing!
Who are you trying to fool?!
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