Tan Yue agreed with Song Linchu’s plan to relocate his parents’ graves to a public cemetery.
A public cemetery is managed by designated personnel and is generally free from concerns about damage or unforeseeable events such as earthquakes and tsunamis. It is also less of a hassle compared to staying at their so-called ancestral tomb.
Perhaps it was a coincidence, but Xiao Chen claimed to know a salesperson from a high-end cemetery. After obtaining Song Linchu’s consent, he contacted the salesperson and arranged a time for them to view the gravesite.
Xiao Chen briefly covered the phone with his hand, looked towards Tan Yue and Song Linchu, and asked, “Do you need them to send a car to pick you up?”
Tan Yue was about to decline the offer, but Song Linchu responded, “Yeah.”
He turned to Tan Yue and said, “Gege, I will go take a look. You can stay at the hotel and rest.”
Tan Yue frowned slightly and asked, “Why?”
“Ahem…well, the place is rather gloomy,” Song Linchu replied.
He had heard from the elderly that people who were frail or seriously ill should avoid visiting places with heavy yin energy, like the cemetery, to prevent being overwhelmed.
He was not a superstitious person himself and would usually dismiss such beliefs as nonsense. After all, what’s left after death was just a pile of ashes; where does the yin energy come from.
However, when it came to Tan Yue, he found himself somewhat superstitious.
But he felt that Tan Yue was not a superstitious person, so he lacked conviction when explaining himself.
Sure enough, Tan Yue said nonchalantly, “I have strong yang energy.”
“…” It was not a matter of having insufficient yang energy.
He was just thinking about how to explain when Tan Yue interrupted, “Or, do you think I’m an outsider and find it inconvenient to participate?”
“No,” Song Linchu immediately denied, “Gege, how could you be an outsider? You’re the one in my heart.”
Xiao Chen: “….”
He shouldn’t be here, he should be under the car.
Song Linchu’s words were too straightforward, and they caused Tan Yue, a man nearing 30 years old, to feel a sudden acceleration of his heartbeat.
Feeling a little uneasy, Tan Yue avoided Song Linchu’s gaze and averted his gaze. Then he spoke in a cold and ruthless tone to Xiao Chen, “Tell them that there’s no need to pick us up.”
“Yes, Mr. Tan.”
Song Linchu couldn’t persuade Tan Yue, so he had to remind himself not to be superstitious.
This time, Tan Yue didn’t bring along Brother Yong, and was accompanied by Cheng Bin and Xiao Chen.
During the trip, Song Linchu’s phone kept ringing with calls from unknown local numbers. He knew who it was, but he didn’t answer any of them. After awhile, he got annoyed and finally set his phone to block all unknown numbers.
The world became peaceful and quiet once again.
Song Linchu knew that Tan Yue had a sense of propriety and wouldn’t beat them to death. Within his limits, he did not want to act as a saint and spare them, so there was no need to answer the phone.
Of course, Song Linfeng would definitely not give up. When he returned to his hometown, the latter would definitely rush over. The scene Tan Yue promised where he cries and begs him on his knees should happen at that time.
And that would be the end of it.
As they were approaching their destination, Song Linchu suddenly remembered something and turned to Tan Yue. “Gege.”
“Hmm?”
Although Song Linchu had borrowed money from others many times for his mother’s medical treatment, he found it difficult to broach the subject.
After hesitating for a moment, he finally said, “Regarding the contract we signed, you were going to give me some money after the end of our engagement. Can you advance me thirty thousand to buy a burial plot for my parents?”
Upon hearing the words “end of our engagement,” Tan Yue felt a wave of displeasure rising in his heart, and he almost blurted out, “No way.”
“Huh?” Song Linchu noticed his hesitation and tilted his head to look at him.
Tan Yue put his hand over his lips and coughed, then said, “Sure, send me your account number.”
Song Linchu immediately sent him his account number.
Tan Yue had an account manager at the bank who directly managed his assets. As long as he sent a message, the other party would help him take care of it.
Therefore, soon after, Song Linchu’s phone received a reminder that money had been deposited into his account.
When Song Linchu opened it and saw the amount on it, he felt that something was not right.
He counted the zeros one by one and counted six of them after the number 3.
Tan Yue had transferred three million to him!
Three million! The amount of money he had seen in his entire life didn’t add up to this much.
Poor Song Linchu almost knelt down on the spot!
In an instant, Song Linchu felt that his phone was incredibly heavy, as if the three million was piled up on his phone.
When Tan Yue gave him the villa in the past, Song Linchu’s inner excitement was not as great as it was at this moment.
After all, this was real money.
“Ge…gege,” Song Linchu’s voice trembled a bit. “Why did you give me so much money?”
“Oh,” Tan Yue glanced at his phone casually and said, “I accidentally added an extra zero.”
Song Linchu: “…”
I understand the logic, but could you not say that with such a nonchalant expression?
Respect the difference between thirty thousand and three million, can’t you let the three million hold its head up in front of the thirty thousand?
Song Linchu was silently complaining in his heart while opening the app and saying, “Then I’ll transfer it back to you.”
Originally, Song Linchu did want to transfer the money back directly, which would be simpler. But when he tried it, he found that his account had a limit of only fifty thousand per day for transfers.
Uh…
Why was Tan Yue’s credit card not limited?
This was discrimination against the poor!
Tan Yue smiled slightly when he saw the doubt on his face and the fleeting glimmer of self-doubt in his eyes.
He had been careless before and had thought that giving Song Linchu a supplementary card would mean he would spend his money. Who would have thought that someone would actually have principles and refuse to spend it.
Tan Yue whispered, “No need to transfer, whether it’s a 30,000 yuan advance or 3 million yuan, it’s all the same. Either way, it will have to be paid back eventually.”
Song Linchu listened and found it reasonable.
After all, he had to pay back the money, so whether he did it early or late did not make much difference. The only difference was that he had gone from being a pauper to a nouveau riche, overnight.
Song Linchu struggled inwardly for a moment, stole a glance at Tan Yue, and when he saw that the other party was indifferent, he accepted this huge sum of money without further hesitation.
Due to his sudden wealth, Song Linchu was in a daze when he selected thw burial plot. He was swayed by the salesperson’s persuasive skills and ended up buying the best double tombstone available.
This cemetery had beautiful scenery and strict management. Many wealthy locals’ relatives were buried here, and since this was a small town, even the best grave sites were not expensive. So, Song, the nouveau riche, waved his hand and bought it directly.
The next step was to complete some paperwork with the relevant authorities and find someone to help relocate the grave. These things would be taken care of by Cheng Bin.
Having finished such a great task, Song Linchu felt relieved. He had been delayed for a few days in the city, and he had to hurry back to his hometown; otherwise, he would not be able to make it back to Haikou in time for the Lunar New Year.
With the large sum of money that Tan Yue had advanced, he could also pay off the 40,000 yuan owed to his aunt.
Ah! Having a wealthy husband is really great!
Song Linchu thought he had resolved all the issues here, and that Tan Yue was going back to Haikou, as he had so many things to deal with.
But, unexpectedly…
After Ah Yong placed his luggage on the car that was taking him back to his hometown, he also put Tan Yue’s luggage in the car.
Song Linchu saw this and hurriedly said, “Gege, you are so busy with work, you don’t have to accompany me back. I’m only going back for a few days, and I’ll be back in Haikou soon.”
Tan Yue didn’t respond to him, but suddenly said, “Grandpa knows that I came this side yesterday.”
“Ah? Is that so?”
“Yeah,” Tan Yue nodded nonchalantly, his expression unchanged. “It’s just acting, after all.”
Song Linchu: “…”
“But…” Song Linchu thought for a moment and said, “Gege, why don’t you wait for me in the city? I will try to finish everything the day after tomorrow, no, tomorrow, and come to find you.”
Tan Yue didn’t speak, and his cold gaze fell on Song Linchu.
When he looked at people like this, there was a strong sense of oppression, and Song Linchu felt the temperature around him drop several degrees on the spot, making him involuntarily shrink his neck.
“Is it inconvenient for me to come?” Tan Yue asked.
“Not really,” Song Linchu scratched his head and explained, “The hotels in our town have poor conditions, and there’s nowhere for you to stay.”
“Your family house doesn’t have a place for me to stay?” Tan Yue asked.
“Well… it does, but I haven’t been back to my hometown for a year, and it’s old, messy, without heating, and cold. You probably won’t be able to handle it.”
It’s much colder there than in Haikou, and it can go several degrees below zero at night. It’s really difficult to endure without heating.
Song Linchu couldn’t imagine how Tan Yue, who looked like a pampered and noble son who had never suffered, would be able to stay in his old house. He was afraid he would collapse that night.
The feeling of oppression from Tan Yue disappeared. He walked to the car, and Ah Yong opened the door for him. He sat down and said to Song Linchu, “Let’s go.”
Song Linchu: “.…”
It seemed that the old man wouldn’t turn back until he hit a wall. All right, let him experience the hardships of life. If he wanted to flee by train in the middle of the night, it wouldn’t be his fault.
But, the old man had just given him a large sum of money. Song Linchu didn’t want to be ungrateful, so he first called his aunt and asked her to help him tidy up the place. Otherwise, given the fact that he hadn’t lived there for too long, there might be some strange smells that would leave a psychological shadow on Tan Yue.
Actually, they could have stayed at his aunt’s place since it was only a two days visit, but besides Cheng Bin, who helped him with the procedures, Tan Yue also had to take Ah Yong along; otherwise, there would be no one to drive. He couldn’t let Tan Yue drive by himself.
His cousins were on vacation and had gone back home. The three of them, all men, couldn’t stay at his aunt’s place.
Song Linchu’s hometown was in a small town in a county. It would take two hours to drive there from the city.
On the way, Song Linchu received a call from his uncle.
Song Jinnian was very guilty about what his son and daughter-in-law had done. He felt ashamed to face him, but Song Linfeng’s shop had been closed and his company investigated. As a father, he couldn’t sit back and watch, so he had to swallow his pride and beg Song Linchu for help.
It was then that Song Linchu learned what Song Linfeng and the others had been through. He knew that with Tan Yue’s style, as long as he intervened, the outcome for Song Linfeng and the others would not be too good. Therefore, he was not surprised by this result.
He was not a saint, and he had no sympathy for this. He just told his uncle that these were all matters for Taobao and the tax bureau. Even if he had extraordinary abilities, he couldn’t interfere.
After hearing this, song Jinnian didn’t say much and ended the call.
Listening to the busy tone on his phone, Song Linchu was a little absent-minded as he looked at the scenery outside the window that was rapidly retreating.
If he had a choice, he really didn’t want to get into this kind of situation with his uncle. He didn’t want to discuss the situation of his cousins and aunt, but his uncle was really good to him, and he really did extend a helping hand to him when he was in trouble.
But he couldn’t find a way to have it both ways.
Song Linchu sighed silently. Social relations were really complex and difficult.
Two hours later, they arrived at their destination.
Song Linchu’s old house used to be a big bungalow. After his uncle and father got married and separated, they each occupied one side.
Later, the house was demolished and rebuilt. Their family had just finished building the new house when his father passed away. Apart from water and electricity, windows and concrete floors, the brick house had not been decorated in anyway.
His uncle’s house was a three-story building that had been renovated in recent years. In comparison, his small brick house appeared to be shabby and old, and very humble.
As soon as Ah Yong recognized which house belonged to Song Linchu, his eye couldn’t help but twitch.
He really wondered if their boss could truly live in such a house.
However, Tan Yue acted as if everything was normal, lifting his foot and walking towards Song Linchu’s house.
The door was open, indicating that his aunt was probably helping him clean up. When Song Linchu entered, he called out, “Auntie.”
No one responded, but the sound of running water could be heard from the bathroom. Song Linchu walked over, calling out once again, “Auntie.”
The sound of water in the bathroom stopped, and a person came out. However, it was not his aunt, but a man with glasses who looked fair and clean… This man was wearing an apron, and holding a mop, looking like a good house husband.
When he saw Song Linchu, his eyes lit up: “Little Lin is back, wow! You look more handsome after a year, I missed you so much, let Brother hug you.”
Song Linchu: “…”
Tan Yue: “…”
The man didn’t notice the strange atmosphere in the living room at all. He directly dropped the mop and threw himself at Song Linchu for a bear hug.
Because his movements were too fast, Song Linchu couldn’t avoid him in time and was almost knocked down to the ground. He had to grab onto a nearby chair to stabilize himself.
Tan Yue’s face instantly turned black.
“Kang Jing!”
Song Linchu frantically tried to push him away, but Kang Jing refused to let go. Song Linchu pushed him several times before finally managing to get him off.
He had no idea how Kang Jing ended up in his house, let alone cleaning his bathroom. He was really flustered and overwhelmed.
Kang Jing was the little brother he told Tan Yue about earlier, they were classmates since kindergarten, and he was a big fan of Song Linchu’s looks. He pestered him every day and didn’t even want to go home. They were the same age, and they knew each other since kindergarten, went to the same school until high school and were childhood friends.
Like Tuantuan, Kang Jing has been smart since childhood. Back then, he was the provincial science champion, and now, he was studying physics at the Imperial University, which made him the typical other people’s child.
However, this future scientist was also a big drama king.
He always said that he liked Song Linchu, but Song Linchu couldn’t feel his affection for him. He still didn’t know whether this was true or not, and he strongly suspected that Kang Jing was just acting.
Anyway, he was a rather bizarre yet interesting person.
For example, now.
After Song Linchu pushed him away mercilessly, Kang Jing immediately looked very aggrieved and wiped away an imaginary tear, saying, “Baby, you’ve changed. You won’t even let me hug you. Do you have another lover outside?”
Tan Yue: “…”
At first, Tan Yue thought this person might be Song Linchu’s cousin or something. Although he felt unhappy seeing him hold Song Linchu, he didn’t do much about it. But from the words spoken, it was obviously not the case!
But he didn’t have the audacity to push the person away and then pull Song Linchu into his arms in such a direct and rude manner.
He coughed to get their attention, and then asked calmly, “Linchu, which one is your room?”
Kang Jing only noticed the two people standing at the door when he spoke. He immediately looked over and met Tang Yue’s cold gaze.
Their eyes locked, and sparks seemed to fly between them like two electric currents colliding. The air was instantly filled with a strong smell of gunpowder.
Forget about Tang Mingqing and Tuantuan’s petty tricks, this was the real scene of love rivals meeting.
Song Linchu didn’t know why Tang Yue suddenly asked this question, thinking he was scared by his home and wanted to check if the room was habitable. If it wasn’t habitable, he would run away while it was still early.
So he said, “It’s upstairs, the one on the right side of the stairs.”
Tang Yue withdrew his gaze from Kang Jing, and with just one sentence, he showed his arrogance. “Ah Yong, take our luggage to the room.”
Ah Yong replied, “Yes, sir.”
Kang Jing: ???
Now it was Kang Jing’s turn to have a black face.
“Who is he?” Kang Jing asked Song Linchu.
Song Linchu was about to introduce Tang Yue, but Kang Jing said, “Forget it, it doesn’t matter. Your guests are my guests. I was wondering why you suddenly wanted to clean up. Didn’t you live with me and sleep with me before?”
Song Linchu: ???
“I never did that with you. Don’t talk nonsense,” Song Linchu said.
“Last summer!” Kang Jing said.
“…” Song Linchu sighed and rubbed his forehead. It seemed like there was such a thing.
During the last summer vacation, Song Linchu didn’t go home and instead worked to pay off his debts. He came back once because of his household registration, but at that time, his aunt and uncle weren’t at home. He didn’t want to clean up his old family home, so he stayed at Kang Jing’s house for a day.
But he swore that although they shared a room, it was as pure as it could be.
But in Kang Jing’s mouth, it sounded as though they had already made a baby together?!
Kang Jing gave Tang Yue a smug look, and then said to Song Linchu, “Alright, let’s not talk about that. Go clean up and come to my house for dinner later. My mother made your favorite white cut chicken.”
Song Linchu: “…”
He had already had enough chicken, why did he have to eat white cut chicken now? He wanted a dose of quick-acting heart medicine!
