Chapter 93
On the 29th day of the 12th lunar month, Lin Xiu and Chi Aibei went to the hospital together to pick up Grandma Lin and bring her home. Lin Xiu had originally intended to pick up the old lady as soon as the holiday started, but Lin Ning had visited the nursing home once.
The mother and daughter hadn’t seen each other for many years, and the old lady was already emotional. Hearing Lin Ning say she had another child, the old lady not only wasn’t happy about having another grandson, but she angrily drove Lin Ning away. After Lin Ning left, the old lady had been ill for two months and was only just starting to show some improvement.
On the way, Chi Aibei said to Lin Xiu, “Brother, you didn’t tell Grandma about us, did you?”
Lin Xiu: “Not yet.”
Chi Aibei: “Should we not tell her for now? Grandma isn’t in good health; I’m afraid she won’t be able to handle it.”
Lin Xiu looked at Chi Aibei. “It’s alright. Grandma will understand.”
Chi Aibei shook his head. “No. It’s the New Year. What if Grandma really gets angry? Let’s wait until after the New Year when Grandma is in better health.”
Chi Aibei’s concern for the old lady almost exceeded Lin Xiu’s. Lin Xiu didn’t want to make things difficult for him. “Alright. We’ll do as you say.”
The old lady hadn’t been back for a long time. As soon as she returned, she seemed to perk up quite a bit. Chi Aibei and Lin Xiu worked together to put up couplets and window paper-cuts, and even hung a red lantern in the courtyard, making the small courtyard festive and joyful.
Grandma Lin already knew about the Meng family’s affairs. She asked Lin Xiu if he wanted to go and give New Year’s greetings.
Lin Xiu said, “I’ll go on the second day.”
The old lady said he was being impolite—who waited until the second day to give New Year’s greetings? She insisted he go on the first day.
As she spoke, the old lady looked at Chi Aibei. “If you don’t go home for the New Year, won’t your family say anything?”
Chi Aibei smiled and shook his head. “No. I told my brother I’d spend the New Year here.”
The old lady had heard Lin Xiu talk about his family affairs and only felt the boy was pitiful, so she didn’t ask further.
On the afternoon of New Year’s Eve, the three of them made dumplings together. The old lady’s hands weren’t very nimble, but she could still manage to pinch a few.
Lin Xiu teased Chi Aibei, “The ones you’ve made aren’t even as good as the ones Grandma pinched.”
Chi Aibei pouted. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll give all the ones I made to you anyway.”
Lin Xiu looked at him dotingly and smiled. “Alright.”
In front of the old lady, Chi Aibei didn’t dare be too flashy. He was afraid Grandma would notice something even if Lin Xiu just looked at him, so he quickly lowered his head and continued pinching dumplings.
Grandma Lin looked at the two of them with a face full of smiles. After not seeing them for a while, the feelings between the two children seemed to have grown even better—especially for her grandson, whose smiles were visibly more frequent.
Recently, the old lady had been able to get out of bed and could move a few steps from inside to outside with the help of a four-legged cane.
Seeing the old lady’s condition gradually improving made Chi Aibei happier than anyone else. Although Lin Xiu had found his father, he knew that Grandma was more important to Lin Xiu than anyone else.
While Lin Xiu was preparing dinner, Chi Aibei sneaked into the kitchen. He hadn’t been affectionate all day and couldn’t help wanting to be close, but he was afraid of being discovered by Grandma.
Seeing him standing aside with a grin, his hands behind his back for fear of not being able to stop himself from being touchy, Lin Xiu pulled him into his arms with one hand and lowered his head to kiss him. The more Chi Aibei struggled, the more fiercely Lin Xiu kissed him. Fearing making any noise, Chi Aibei could only offer minor resistance with hunched shoulders.
Chi Aibei didn’t know if it was his imagination, but he felt Lin Xiu’s hand on his waist tighten unnaturally, and even his expression froze for a second.
Chi Aibei pushed him away and quickly turned to look. There was no one at the kitchen door. He turned back and asked Lin Xiu, “What is it?”
Lin Xiu smiled. “What is what?”
Chi Aibei tilted his head. “You just now—”
“Go get me that plate,” Lin Xiu stirred the dumplings in the pot. “They’re ready.”
Once Chi Aibei’s train of thought was interrupted, it was hard to pick it up again. He went to get a plate and forgot about it.
During dinner, Grandma Lin would glance at the two of them from time to time. Chi Aibei noticed several times. “Grandma, is my face dirty?”
Grandma Lin said with a smile, “Not dirty. It’s very clean and beautiful.”
For some reason, Chi Aibei felt that the way Grandma looked at him was a bit strange.
The old lady couldn’t stay up late now. Halfway through the Spring Festival Gala, she said she was going back to sleep. Lin Xiu supported the old lady back to her room. He pushed the door ajar behind him and supported the old lady as she sat on the bed. “You saw?”
The old lady played dumb. “Saw what?”
Lin Xiu helped her spread out the quilt and smiled. “You caught us, so don’t pretend you don’t know. I’ve been holding back quite a bit.”
The old lady gave him a slap. When she was anxious, her speech was a bit muddled. “You child. Hiding such a big thing… Does Xiao Bei’s family know about you two?”
Lin Xiu took the slap. He squatted in front of the old lady. “His brother knows. I was going to tell you, but he said he was afraid you wouldn’t be able to handle it. You’ve just recovered, and it’s the New Year; he was afraid you’d be angry.”
“Like hell I’d believe you!” Grandma Lin shot him a glare. “Afraid I’d be angry, yet you were like that in the kitchen.”
Lin Xiu lowered his head and laughed a few times. “I told you I was holding back.”
Although the old lady was old and hadn’t seen such things before, children have their own fortunes. This child had suffered since he was little and hadn’t had a single day of good life. When she was alone in the nursing home, she would even wonder what he would do alone if she passed away one day.
Now that she knew he was with Chi Aibei, the old lady actually felt a sense of relief.
“Xiao Bei is a good child,” the old lady said sincerely. “But don’t you bully him. Also, does your dad know about this? Will they have any objections?”
Lin Xiu held the hands that had held his since he was small. He nodded and said, “They know. I told them the first time we met.”
The old lady opened her mouth, wanting to say something to him, but didn’t know what to say. “Who else is like you?”
Lin Xiu laughed. “I just thought that if they had an objection, at most I wouldn’t recognize them. After all, I’ve lived all these years without a mom or dad.”
Chi Aibei, not knowing what he’d seen that was so funny, was laughing loudly by himself outside.
The old lady also laughed. “Alright, go and accompany your little partner. Don’t stay here with me.”
Lin Xiu stood up. “Will you still have those dumplings in the middle of the night?”
The old lady said, “More? Are you trying to kill me?”
Lin Xiu emerged from the room. Chi Aibei glanced at him. “Brother, you didn’t keep your word.”
Lin Xiu was stunned for a moment before he walked over with a smile and kissed him. “Eavesdropping again?”
Chi Aibei puffed out his cheeks. “We agreed not to tell Grandma.”
Lin Xiu: “I didn’t tell her; Grandma saw us this afternoon.”
Chi Aibei: “!!!”
He knew Lin Xiu’s reaction at the time was off!
Chi Aibei grabbed Lin Xiu’s hand nervously. “Grandma didn’t say anything, did she?”
Lin Xiu: “No.”
Chi Aibei didn’t believe it. “Then why were you in there for so long? Does Grandma not agree?”
Lin Xiu rubbed his head. “Really, she doesn’t. Grandma is very happy and even said you’re a good child and told me not to bully you.”
…
Half of the winter holiday passed. Recently, Chi Aibei had been mysterious, texting someone unknown. Several times when Lin Xiu found out, he would hurriedly tuck his phone away with a guilty look.
Until one day, Lin Xiu caught a glimpse of him chatting with Ge Feng. Lin Xiu called Shen Yicheng and asked if he knew what Ge Feng had been chatting about with Chi Aibei lately.
Shen Yicheng and Ge Feng didn’t spend twenty-four hours a day together like they did, so he didn’t know who Ge Feng was texting.
After hanging up, Shen Yicheng glanced at Ge Feng, who was tapping on his phone. “Who are you texting?”
Ge Feng said without looking up, “Chi Aibei.”
Sure enough. Shen Yicheng leaned in. “What are you chatting about?”
After finishing his message, Ge Feng tossed the phone to Shen Yicheng and got up to go to the bathroom. “See for yourself.”
Shen Yicheng took the phone and scrolled up… They had really chatted a lot. However, after seeing the content, Shen Yicheng was a bit stunned.
No, what were these two chatting about?
The specific content mostly consisted of Chi Aibei asking for advice, with Ge Feng responsible for imparting experience.
Shen Yicheng walked to the bathroom door and knocked. “Your experience is actually enough to solve people’s problems now?”
Ge Feng emerged from the bathroom and glanced at Shen Yicheng. “It didn’t really help. I thought he was like me, but he says he isn’t.”
It took Shen Yicheng a while to realize what he meant by “like me.” Shen Yicheng cried out, “He says he isn’t?”
Ge Feng: “Didn’t I show you my phone? Didn’t you look closely?”
With hundreds of messages, why would he have the patience? However, if he sent this to Lin Xiu, Lin Xiu might take a careful look.
Shen Yicheng picked up Ge Feng’s phone and typed a few words.
Ge Feng: “What did you send?”
Shen Yicheng: “A miracle cure that can solve all difficult and complicated cases.”
…
[Proactive attack is the kingly way. Don’t hesitate. Don’t exclude. Go for it, young man.]
Encouraged by Ge Feng’s message, Chi Aibei felt he was ready. He had been preparing for so long, and under Lin Xiu’s “training” during this time, he was no longer someone who would finish in seconds. He felt he could do it!
That evening, Chi Aibei took a very long time in the shower before coming out. Lin Xiu was currently revising a plan. Chi Aibei tiptoed behind Lin Xiu and wrapped his arms around his neck. “Hehe. Brother, I have an idea.”
Lin Xiu put down his work and reached out to pull the person over, having him sit across his lap facing him. “What idea?”
While fiddling with the buttons on Lin Xiu’s pajamas, Chi Aibei hummed. “Well, I think we’ve been together for a while now. Can we… can we take a step further?”
Lin Xiu: “How do you want to take a step further?”
Chi Aibei lifted his head and patted his chest. “I’ve already studied it. I know how to do it. You can leave it to me.”
Lin Xiu stood up while supporting Chi Aibei’s buttocks and placed him on the bed. “Leaving it to you probably won’t work.”
After the lights were turned out, following a period of rustling, Chi Aibei suddenly let out a scream like a slaughtered pig: “AH—NO—BROTHER WAIT—IT’S NOT LIKE THIS—”
Lin Xiu stopped. “It’s lucky Grandma isn’t here, otherwise she’d be scared to death by you.”
Lin Xiu turned on the bedside lamp. Chi Aibei quickly covered his buttocks and scrambled up to kneel in front of Lin Xiu, looking at him in shock. “Brother, you—”
Lin Xiu sat up leisurely and looked at him while suppressed his laughter. “What about me?”
Chi Aibei opened his mouth. “You… this… it isn’t what I thought.”
Lin Xiu finally couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing. After a short laugh, he reached out to pull Chi Aibei in front of him. “You’re small, but you certainly have a lot of ideas. Where did you get the idea that I was the one who couldn’t do it?”
Lin Xiu had learned about this before the holiday started when Zhuang Yuan had blurted it out while complaining about them being too sweet. He’d known the kid had such a bold idea, but he’d held back and didn’t say anything, just to see how he planned to “claim the throne.”
Chi Aibei looked at Lin Xiu with lingering fear. “But, but…”
Lin Xiu: “But what?”
But it clearly wasn’t like this in the novel. But he couldn’t say that. “But I wasn’t prepared.”
Lin Xiu pinched his chin. “Who was it just now that teased me and said he was prepared? Now you’re backing down?”
Lin Xiu let go and turned away. “Forget it. I won’t tease you anymore. Let’s sleep.”
Everything was already at the point of no return—how could he just not tease him anymore?
Chi Aibei quickly grabbed Lin Xiu. “Don’t.”
The cunning smile on Lin Xiu’s face vanished completely by the time he looked back at Chi Aibei. “Hmm? Want to continue?”
Whether he stretched out his neck or retracted it, it was still a blow. Chi Aibei wanted to grit his teeth, but before he did, he was still a bit uneasy. “Then do you know what to do? Have you studied it? I have some organized materials here; do you want to take a look first?”
Lin Xiu looked at the several sheets of A4 paper Chi Aibei pulled from his bag, which detailed the order and steps. “…As expected of the top student in Liberal Arts. These organized notes are good enough for a postgraduate entrance exam.”
Lin Xiu asked him, “Who told you all this?”
Chi Aibei: “I asked Ge Feng.”
Lin Xiu: “…” Ge Feng? If he wasn’t mistaken, Ge Feng’s position wasn’t the one Chi Aibei was dreaming of, was it? He was full of wild fantasies, yet the person he asked was actually Ge Feng?
Lin Xiu handed the “materials” back to Chi Aibei. “It’s alright for you to take a look at these.”
Chi Aibei: “What do you mean?”
Looking at the foolish boy, Lin Xiu rubbed his nose against Aibei’s. “You’ve learned so much. Do you want to put it into practice?”
Chi Aibei’s heart pounded from the flirting. The “little Aibei” that had just been scared into subsiding was now reacting again. He swallowed and reached out to hug Lin Xiu. “…I do!”
Translator’s Note: “Proactive attack is the kingly way” (主动出击才是王道 – zhǔdòng chūjī cáishì wángdào) is a common phrase meaning being assertive is the best strategy. Poor Aibei—he tried so hard to be the “1” but his research led him right into being the “0”! And that’s the end of our story! Thank you for following along with Chi Aibei and Lin Xiu. It’s been a journey from a “foolish” younger brother to a beloved partner. I hope you enjoyed the fluff and the happy ending as much as I did! Happy reading!
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