Chapter 111 - Side Story 21 – “Acknowledge the Elders” (Gu Ming Ren x Lin Jiang)
Lin Jiang and Gu Ming Ren were driven out.
Recently, it was becoming colder. Compared to the warmth of the restaurant, it was freezing outside. While shivering, Lin Jiang wished he could duck his entire head into his sweater.
“How heartless. What would happen if my Tang Di and roommate get together in the future?” Lin Jiang was a little distressed for Hao Meng, knowing that Lin Che was a two-faced schemer.
When they met for the first time as children, Lin Che lied about his age and smilingly made Lin Jiang called him Tang Ge for over a year. It wasn’t until the elders heard, that the way they addressed each other was corrected. At the time, Lin Jiang was so angry that he rolled up his sleeves to fight with the other boy, but he lost the fight in the end. It was really miserable and distressful.
“Why? Would they bully you?” Gu Ming Ren walked nearer to him and helped to zip up Lin Jiang’s open coat.
Before Lin Jiang could refuse, the other boy had already done it with familiarity. Gu Ming Ren smiled at him. His words and actions were restrained and he did not go too far. This made Lin Jiang a little annoyed as he was unable to pinpoint any mistakes from the other boy.
“I’m leaving.” He said in a neutral tone. Since he couldn’t get the free meal, he planned to go back to the school canteen to eat.
Gu Ming Ren followed good-naturedly. “Let’s go together.”
Lin Jiang suddenly turned to him and said, “Is this meaningful to you? Still being entangled with each other even after breaking up?!”
His tone was very strong and he had an impatient expression on his face. His chest filled with a burst of evil fire and he wanted to chase him away. What was the point of caring for each other after parting?!
Gu Ming Ren stared into his eyes and in a light voice filled with pain, he said, “Why? Why must you break up with me?” Were the previous feelings fake? If not, why was he so unaffected, and could break it off at will!
Lin Jiang couldn’t meet Gu Ming Ren’s eyes. He couldn’t stand to see the other boy’s soft-spoken and submissive appearance. He should be superior, aristocratic and incomparable to anyone, but now because of him, he had become uncommunicative and was in an extremely difficult situation with his family.
Lin Jiang turned away coldly. “You know why.”
Gu Ming Ren held his shoulders with both hands and his voice became emotional. “If it’s because of your parents, I’m already searching. Just give me some time.” Although this decision was wrong and hope was slim, he would try if Lin Jiang wanted it.
“Are you crazy?! My parents absconded because they were afraid of being arrested for a crime and you dare to look for them openly?!” Lin Jiang broke away from his restraints with an expression of “do you know what you’re doing” on his face.
Gu Ming Ren was angry as well. “Since you already know this, then why do you still want to break up with me?!”
Knowing that his parents’ situation was irreversible, did Lin Jiang still want to sacrifice him?! Was he that unimportant?
“Don’t stir up trouble for me, Lin Jiang. I miss you so much.” Gu Ming Ren lowered his voice and opened his arms to hug the person in front of him.
He had not seen the other boy for some time since he was busy with cla.s.ses and exams.
He sent messages to Lin Jiang which were not returned. Neither did he answer his calls, almost cutting off all contact with him.
Lin Jiang’s face was buried in Gu Ming Ren’s chest. It was so warm that he didn’t push him away and just stood looked distracted. He opened his mouth and said, “Even without this matter regarding my parents, do you think we can be together for long?”
From the beginning, Lin Jiang never had a long-term intention to be together with the other boy because he knew it was impossible and that the Gu family would never allow him to come out.
“As long as you don’t leave me, we will.” Gu Ming Ren’s vision was far-reaching and he tightened his embrace around the person in his arms. “Even if we don’t get married, I’ll still stay with you forever.”
Once he had his mind set on it, he wouldn’t change it.
Lin Jiang’s eyes reddened when he heard. Romantic words were always so pleasant to hear but how much of it was true?
He lifted his hand, about to push the other boy away. Gu Ming Ren suddenly lowered his head and said, “Just that you never believe me.”
Lin Jiang was stunned as this statement hit the crucial point.
He thought of the time when Gu Ming Ren said to him, “Lin Jiang, I can’t do without you.”
But what was the result of not being able to do without him? His card was suspended, there was tremendous pressure and his mother fell sick and got hospitalised.
This was just the beginning and it was as if it was pulling them apart.
Their relationship was so weak that it collapsed at the first blow.
Lin Jiang didn’t say anything and decided on sticking to his decision to break up. After all, he had accepted the million from Zhang Wei.
When Hao Meng came back, his face was radiant with happiness and bashfulness. Lin Jiang was burrowed in his bed playing a game and paused to glance at him, saying jokingly, “How was it? Satisfied with my Tang Di?!”
Hao Meng nodded happily, eagerly washed an apple for him, then said shamelessly, “Next time, I’ll call you Tang Ge like Ah Che!”
Lin Jiang’s hand trembled. Great, he had lost.
“Ah Che?” Lin Jiang threw his phone aside and looked at him incredulously. “At this type of speed, were the two of you sitting on a rocket?”
After one meal, they already had nicknames?
Lin Jiang grabbed the apple from Hao Meng’s hand and bit into it, speaking unclearly, “Don’t blame me for not warning you. My Tang Di is very scheming. You had better be careful of being eaten until not even bones are left!”
Hao Meng laughed shyly with a silly expression on his face while saying, “It’s okay, as long as he doesn’t dislike me.”
In fact, he had some inferiority complex because of his height and in addition to his timidness, it was difficult for him to find a partner. It hadn’t been easy for him to find a satisfactory partner so he had to hold on tightly.
“Have you forgotten that he lied to you previously?” Lin Jiang reminded him again.
Hao Meng explained immediately, “Ah Che had made it clear to me that his friends did it without his knowledge. After he found out, he gave them a beating. Didn’t you see the photo?”
Lin Jiang let out an insincere laugh and felt that this big silly man was really simple-minded. He couldn’t help asking, “Do you believe everything that anyone says?!” Hao Meng puffed out his cheeks. “Ah Che is not just anyone. He’s the one I like.”
Lin Jiang was so startled by his words that he felt gooseb.u.mps all over. His eyes were hot and felt that his Tang Di’s tastes were really heavy, being able to make a move on someone like this. Suddenly, he didn’t know who to sympathize with and what was going on.
Lin Jiang laughed. Fine, the other two of them made up a pair and could avoid going around troubling others.
In the evening, Lin Che called him and said he wanted to bring him home to “acknowledge the elders”.
Lin Jiang agreed. He remembered that among the elders, his second uncle had the best relationship with his father. If not for the business venture in the north, the two families would have visited each other frequently.
He left the dormitory block and seeing Lin Che’s eye-catching sports car parked by the side, he walked over to knock on it. “Do you have a driver’s licence?” Lin Cheproduced his driver’s licence self-importantly for him to see.
After verification, Lin Jiang got into the car and criticized silently. Looks like his second uncle’s business was flourishing since he bought his son such a nice car when he had just come of age. Thinking of his own father, Lin Jiang let out a sigh.
Second Uncle Lin had specially bought back the Lin family house which had been previously sealed off. When the car entered through the familiar main gate, Lin Jiang suddenly realised that he hadn’t been back here for half a year.
Lin Che parked the car and threw the keys to him. “It’s for you.”
Second Uncle and Auntie Lin had been waiting in the living room for a long time. After moving to city A and not being able to find him for four months, they never expected their son to find him while pursuing someone.
It made them so happy that they rewarded their son by allowing him to drive once.
Lin Che pa.s.sed the car and led his Tang Ge into the house. The wolf dad and tiger mom rushed up and crowded him until he had no place to stand.
“Lin Jiang, I’m Second Uncle. Why did you change your phone number? How have you been these past months? Have you suffered?” Uncle Lin had doted on Lin Jiang since he was young. All the good things were given to him first while his own son had to wait in line.
Lin Che was used to it and unhurriedly put in a word. “He has a boyfriend looking after him, so he didn’t suffer.”
Auntie Lin gave him a slap on the back of his head. “What nonsense, do you think everyone is like you, pursuing boys all day long?! Absurd.” Lin Che had come out to his family at an early age. His parents were both open-minded and didn’t have any drastic reactions, readily accepting it.
“If you don’t believe me, you can ask him yourself!” Lin Che frowned at his lack of standing at home.
Auntie Lin rolled her eyes at him, then took Lin Jiang’s hand and said with a smile, “It’s good that you didn’t suffer. Come, let’s eat first and we can talk while we eat.”
From the moment Lin Jiang entered, he had not said a word but was already being pulled to sit at the dining table.
“Second Uncle, Second Auntie.”
Feeling over-enthusiastic, Lin Jiang couldn’t resist.
Uncle Lin said happily, “This whole table of food has been specially prepared for you by your second auntie.” When Lin Che heard this, he put down his chopsticks smilingly.
Lin Jiang couldn’t help saying to the woman opposite him, “Thank you, Second Auntie.”
Auntie Lin had an anxious personality and immediately tutted, “This child, why are you acting like an outsider? We’re a family. There’s no need to say thanks. Since something happened to your parents, Second Auntie should be taking care of you!”
“I heard that you’re studying at University A now? University A is a good school. What’s your major?” Auntie Lin began to ask.
Lin Jiang took a deep breath and replied, “Yes, archaeology.”
Auntie Lin was silent for a moment. “That’s a very specialised field.”
Lin Che laughed. He was glared at by his tiger mom and immediately quietened, but was still warned, “Look at your Tang Ge, University A! Are you able to get in?!”
Before Lin Che could say anything, his father pulled at his wife’s hand in admonishment. “Don’t need to ask. He’ll get in. Ah Che came in first in his exams a few days ago. Didn’t you see his report card?”
Auntie Lin was guilty. “He always takes first place without any changes. What’s there to see?”
Lin Jiang: “…”
To make it up to her son, Auntie Lin gave him a small piece of chicken drumstick. In the blink of an eye, she gave Lin Jiang a big piece of pig’s hoof.
“Lin Jiang, earlier, Ah Che said that you have a boyfriend too?”
The word “too” was used very subtly. Lin Jiang couldn’t help glancing over at his Tang Di, who acted as usual and continued eating.
Lin Jiang paused, then replied, “Yes, just broken up.” There was nothing to hide and anyway, it couldn’t be hidden.
This was obviously not a good topic of conversation and the table fell silent temporarily. Uncle Lin broke the awkwardness by saying invitingly, “Eat, let’s eat first.” When the cordial dinner was over, Lin Jiang was called to the study room alone.
Uncle Lin looked serious. He took out a property deed from the drawer and gave it to him together with a bank card, saying in a deep voice, “Lin Jiang, this is what your parents left for you. After buying back the house, the remaining thirty million are in this card. The pa.s.scode is your birthdate.”