AMTWPICL Chapter 38

Song Linchu sneaked a guilty glance at Tan Yue, and saw the cold expression on his face.“ No need, I brought someone back with me, it’s not convenient,” he quickly said.

“Oh,” Kang Jing’s tone was noticeably disappointed. “Then what about dinner? Are you going to town to eat?”

Song Linchu hadn’t really thought about dinner.

There were indeed several local restaurants in their town that made delicious local snacks. Song Linchu would come back and eat them during Chinese New Year to reminisce about the taste of his hometown.

But Tan Yue was the kind of person who could even be picky about the dishes in high-end restaurants in big cities. Just the dining environment in these small town restaurants could scare him away.

For the sake of President Tan Yue’s physical and mental health, let’s forget about it.

“I’ll cook myself. Oh, where’s auntie? Why did you come over to clean?” Song Linchu said.

“She had unexpected visitors at home and couldn’t leave, so she caught me and made me a coolie. Don’t feel bad. You don’t need to be polite with me!” Tan Yue replied.

Song Linchu didn’t feel bad. They were childhood friends who helped each other out. He had also helped Kang Jing before.

He just didn’t expect to face this kind of shura field, and he didn’t know how to explain it to Tan Yue later.

Fortunately, Kang Jing didn’t cause any more trouble and said, “You entertain your guests first. If you’re going to cook, then I better go clean up the kitchen.”

As he spoke, he winked at Song Linchu, indicating that he had something to say to him alone and to find him when he had the chance.

After Kang Jing left, Song Linchu walked up to Tan Yue, and Ah Yong tactfully walked away to help clean up the house, leaving the space to the two of them.

“Gege,” Song Linchu called.

Tan Yue didn’t say anything, looking down at him.

After a while, he finally responded, “You call him that too?”

Although Song Linchu had just called the other person by name, that man called him brother, and that was a big reason why Song Linchu would call him that too.

Actually, due to his family background, Tan Yue didn’t like being called “brother”, and he could even say that he was repulsed by it. But Song Linchu had been calling him that all along, so he was immune to it.

He even felt it was affectionate.

So when he thought that Song Linchu might have called someone else by that title, Tan Yue couldn’t stay calm.

“Of course not!” Song Linchu immediately denied it.

He wasn’t a sea king, so of course he couldn’t call everyone brother.

*A sea king is a man who has many romantic conquests.

And Kang Jing, that silly person, why would he call him gege/brother?

Song Linchu blinked his eyes. “I’ve only called one person that.”

Who that person was, he didn’t need to say.

Tan Yue’s face suddenly relaxed.

Song Linchu took advantage of the victory to pursue the enemy, saying, “I have a pure socialist friendship with him. It is clear as day, even clearer than mixing scallions with tofu. Don’t listen to his nonsense.”

As he spoke, he grabbed Tan Yue’s sleeve, shook it gently, and whispered, “I’ll go talk to him and make it clear that you’re my lawfully wedded husband, okay?”

Earlier, that guy wouldn’t let him do the introductions, so Song Linchu had to tell him privately.

Upon hearing the word “husband,” Tan Yue’s coldness dissipated in an instant.

His eyes filled with a smile, and he whispered, “Okay.”

Song Linchu breathed a sigh of relief.

This was like dancing in a crematorium!

“Gege, let me tidy up the house and buy some groceries to cook. You still have work to do, right? I’ll take you to the study. There’s a heater there.”

Song Linchu had invested heavily in this heater. When he returned home during his freshman year for the Chinese New Year, it was so cold that his hands were too icy to grip a pen. So, he reluctantly bought a heater.

Tan Yue did have a lot of work to do, and he said, “Mm, leave the cleaning to Ah Yong.”

“Okay,” Song Linchu pushed Tan Yue, “Gege, you should go quickly. It’s too cold here, don’t let yourself get frozen.”

The ground floor of the self-built house was like a cellar, extremely cold and drafty. Song Linchu was worried that Tan Yue’s body couldn’t handle it, so he quickly pushed him to the study.

The so-called study had a desk and a simple bookshelf, which was filled with books that Song Linchu had read since childhood. Song Linchu removed the dust cover, did a quick clean-up, and then turned on the heater, cranking it up to the maximum to dispel the cold air in the room.

After a moment’s thought, he ran upstairs and retrieved a small blanket from his wardrobe, covering Tan Yue’s legs with it.

Song Linchu was about to withdraw his hand when Tan Yue suddenly grabbed it.

“Gege?” Song Linchu looked at him in confusion.

Tan Yue didn’t say anything, he stretched out his other hand and held Song Linchu’s cold hand, rubbing it gently.

Despite the cold weather, Tan Yue’s hand was warm and felt like a little stove.

Song Linchu felt a tingling sensation from his scalp to his back, and instinctively tried to pull his hand back, but the man held it even tighter.

“You stay here,” Tan Yue whispered, “and let Ah Yong cook.”

Song Linchu’s ears turned hot, and he didn’t dare to look at Tan Yue as he asked, “Can he cook?”

“The simple stuff, yes.”

“In that case, forget it.”

Who knew if his “simple stuff” meant he only knew how to make tomato and egg stir-fry.

“Let me do it instead. You’re busy, and I’ll call you when the food is ready.”

With that, Song Linchu didn’t wait for Tan Yue’s response, and quickly ran off.

Tan Yue watched the young man’s fleeing back, with a slight smile on his lips.

This person was so contradictory.

He could flirt so well day after day, but when it came to responding to him, he became so shy.

After settling Tan Yue, Song Linchu went to the kitchen to find Kang Jing. Kang Jing was efficient and had already washed all of his dishes and utensils, and they were now spotless and tidy.

There was a joke that if you wanted to marry, you should marry a man from their town. They were all capable of handling both the halls and the kitchen. Although it was somewhat exaggerated, the men here were indeed quite capable. Even Kang Jing, who came from a well-off family and was a talented student, wasn’t a complete idiot when it came to daily life.

When Kang Jing saw him come in, he said, “I’ve finished cleaning up here. Do you want to go buy groceries? I’ll go with you. You’re so delicate, you definitely can’t carry that much food by yourself.”

Song Linchu: “…”

You’re the delicate one, your whole neighborhood committee is the delicate one!

However, Song Linchu wanted to tell him about him and Tan Yue, so he did not refuse.

It took more than ten minutes to walk to his home from the town, and Ah Yong was planning to drive them there when he saw them going out.

Song Linchu was worried that Tan Yue would be alone at home and couldn’t find anyone if something happened, so he let Ah Yong stay to take care of Tan Yue at home.

Song Linchu and Kang Jing headed towards the town.

“Hey, Linchu, who’s that guy? Don’t tell me he’s your boyfriend. I can perform fainting in the toilet on the spot for you,” Kang Jing said half-jokingly.

Song Linchu glanced at him obliquely. “That toilet probably won’t be enough for you to show off.”

“Damn, is he really your boyfriend?”

“No,” Song Linchu replied.

Kang Jing hadn’t had time to be happy yet when he heard Song Linchu say a few more words. “He’s my husband. We have already received the certificate.”

“……..?”

The toilet was indeed not enough for him to show off. He needed the Great Wall of China and he could learn from Lady Meng Jiang to cry it down.

*Lady Meng Jiang is a character from Chinese folklore. According to the legend, Lady Meng Jiang’s husband was conscripted to work on the construction of the Great Wall of China during the Qin Dynasty. When he died during the construction, Lady Meng Jiang was grief-stricken and went to the Great Wall to find her husband’s remains. She cried so bitterly that a section of the wall collapsed, revealing her husband’s bones.

“Don’t tell anyone,” Song Linchu added.

He had no intention of making his relationship with Tan Yue public. However, Kang Jing had been saying that he liked him all along, true or not, he did not want to leave him any room for fantasy.

Kang Jing was stunned for a long time and couldn’t speak properly. “Is it true or not? Don’t fool me.”

Song Linchu replied, “There’s no reason to fool anyone about this.”

“So you didn’t have a wedding banquet, or did you not invite me?”

“We didn’t, we’ll have one after I graduate.”

“.…”

Although Kang Jing was a little unreliable and carefree, he still showed a sad face when he heard the news.

“Damn,” Kang Jing cursed softly, “I’ve been raising cabbage for twenty years only to have it eaten by a pig.”

Song Linchu: “.…”

“No, why did you get married so early? Don’t tell me you were deceived by an old man. Let me tell you, just because he’s married to you doesn’t mean he really loves you. These dog-like men have many tricks and specialize in cheating young, naïve college students like you! Look, he’s dragging his feet on the wedding banquet, which says a lot!”

“He didn’t deceive me,” Song Linchu dryly laughed, “I was the one who pursued him.”

Kang Jing’s heart, which was already in tatters, was shot through by another arrow, and he almost had a heart attack on the spot.

He looked at Song Linchu suspiciously. “Don’t fool me.”

“I’m telling the truth. He has never deceived me. He has been very good to me and has helped me a lot. If it weren’t for him, my old house might have been taken over by my cousin and his wife a long time ago.”

“If your cousin and his wife are bullying you, I can help you too,” Kang Jing said sullenly.

Although he didn’t have the skills of that old man, he was also willing to help him no matter what.

His voice was a bit soft, and Song Linchu didn’t hear him clearly, so he asked, “What?”

“Nothing,” Kang Jing quickly smiled and said, “If that old man bullies you or does you wrong, just tell me. Brother will fight with all his might to help you deal with him.”

Song Linchu was moved by his words.

“Thank you,” Song Linchu said softly.

Regardless of whether Kang Jing’s affection for him was genuine or fake, Song Linchu truly felt the warmth of his friendship.

“Thanks for what? When the time comes, I’ll punch that dog of a man and then marry his beautiful and delicate partner. Won’t that be wonderful?” Kang Jing chuckled.

Song Linchu: “…”

Alright, enough with the sentimentality.

As the two chatted, they arrived at the market in the town. The market was small, but fortunately, it was close to the New Year. Many people from other places were returning home for the holiday, and the locals knew that the wages of migrant workers were easy to earn, so even seafood that was rarely seen was available.

Song Linchu always picked the things that Tan Yue liked to eat, which made Kang Jing’s eyes twitch. He didn’t know if the old man loved Song Linchu, but there was no doubt that Song Linchu was good to him. If that man dared to let Song Linchu down… Kang Jing clenched his fists in anger.

It was already dark outside when they returned home after buying groceries. Ah Yong tidied up the house efficiently and had finished in just an hour.

Song Linchu had intended to invite Kang Jing to stay for dinner, but Kang Jing, who appeared genuinely sad, declined the invitation and left. Song Linchu cooked quickly and soon had four dishes and a soup ready.

His culinary skills were good and Tan Yue never complained. The picky Tan Yue liked it, and Ah Yong was even more straightforward, he ate as much as he wanted, and quickly gobbled it up.

After dinner, Song Linchu’s aunt paid them a visit.

She was surprised to see that Song Linchu had brought someone back with him but didn’t mind. Song Linchu didn’t intend to hide it from her, and told her Tanyue’s identity openly.

Although Tan Yue is relatively cold, his appearance, temperament, and self-cultivation can be said to be perfect and impressive.

His aunt looked at Tan Yue with approval, like a mother-in-law looking at her son-in-law. “You didn’t even tell me you were bringing someone home. I was completely unprepared,” she complained.

Song Linchu explained, “He was too busy with work, and I didn’t think he’d come back with me. But I had to go to my uncle’s place, so I asked him to come along.”

When he mentioned his uncle, his aunt’s expression changed, and she wanted to say something, but with Tan Yue present, she didn’t want to speak ill of others behind their backs. Instead, she smiled and said, “It’s good that everything’s been resolved. Don’t go to their house again. Remember the good things your uncle did for you, and show your appreciation by buying him some cigarettes and gifts during festivals. Give him some red envelopes as well. That should be enough to show your gratitude.”

Her words made Song Linchu, who had been troubled by this matter, feel much better. Yes, he would repay his uncle’s kindness, but it had nothing to do with anyone else.

“All right,” he promised.

After chatting for a while, Song Linchu called his aunt over and handed her an envelope. “Auntie, I’ve owed you 40,000 yuan for a long time. I have the money now, so I want to repay you.”

His aunt refused to accept the envelope and said, “You’re still a student, and I don’t need the money now. Keep it for yourself, and pay me back after you start working.”

Song Linchu said, “I don’t lack money now, he gave me some.”

Auntie could tell from Tang Yue’s attire and temperament that he was a rich young master from a wealthy family. She knew Song Linchu wouldn’t take back the money, so she wasn’t at ease. But she couldn’t do anything else but accept it. She sighed and said, “You two are not of equal social status, won’t his family be critical of you?”

Song Linchu smiled and said, “Don’t worry, Auntie. He is the oldest in his family, and others won’t say anything.”

“That’s good, that’s good.”

As she spoke, Auntie took out a new red envelope from her pocket, counted 2900 from it, she then took out a stack of change from her body.

Unlike cities, their towns still occasionally use cash, so they carry some paper currency.

Auntie counted 99 yuan and stuffed it into the red envelope.

Seeing the amount, Song Linchu knew what she was up to. The custom in their town is for elders to give a red envelope of 2999 yuan to new daughters-in-law or sons-in-law as a pun for “everlasting love.” In the past, it was 299 yuan, but now that everyone’s life is better, 299 seems too frugal, so it became 2999.

Song Linchu said hurriedly, “Auntie, there’s no need. We don’t care about these formalities.”

2999 yuan might be worthless to Tang Yue, but it’s equivalent to a month’s income for people in their town. Besides, they are not truly married, so Song Linchu couldn’t let Tang Yue take the money.

Auntie scolded him and gave him a reproachful look. “Your parents are gone, and I am your elder. Our child is not inferior to others, so we should have it too.”

Song Linchu felt warm inside.

“Let’s go and not leave him feeling neglected.” Auntie patted his back and said.

The two of them walked back to the living room. Auntie sat down next to Tan Yue and said with a smile, “Can I call you Little Yue?”

Tan Yue politely replied, “Yes, Auntie.”

Auntie was obviously pleased that he called her “Auntie” and smiled, “Little Lin didn’t even give me a heads up to properly receive you. I wasn’t prepared, but this is just a small gift from me.”

As she spoke, Auntie handed him a red envelope.

“Little Lin doesn’t have any family and has suffered a lot in these past few years. He is a good kid, and I feel at ease knowing he has someone to rely on. You guys should take care of each other from now on.”

Song Linchu made eye contact with Tan Yue, telling him he could refuse if he didn’t want to accept the gift. He would help smooth things over.

However, Tan Yue reached out and accepted the gift, saying, “Thank you, Auntie. I will take good care of Little Lin and make sure he doesn’t suffer any grievances.”

Auntie immediately smiled upon hearing his words.

Song Linchu sneered, this dog man was quite good at acting.

Although he thought this way, a smile involuntarily appeared on his face.

Tan Yue noticed the happiness on Song Linchu’s face and lightly hooked his lips.

Some people say they will help smooth things over, but if he doesn’t accept the red envelope , someone will probably hold a grudge and be upset all night.

The people in the town go to bed early. Auntie sat for a while before bidding farewell. She heard that they would leave the day after tomorrow at the latest, so she invited them to her house for dinner tomorrow. Song Linchu agreed to her invitation one by one.

Song Linchu’s house was not big, but not small either. There are two rooms on the first floor and three on the second floor.

Because the master bedroom on the second floor belonged to his parents, Song Linchu took one bedroom, and there was also a guest bedroom. As there was not enough space, Song Linchu let Ah Yong sleep on the first floor.

Song Linchu and Tan Yue went up to the second floor.

Previously, Ah Yong followed Tan Yue’s instructions and left both of their luggage outside Song Linchu’s room. When Song Linchu opened the door, he pushed Tan Yue’s luggage inside.

As he followed behind Song Linch up the stairs, Tan Yue’s eyebrows twitched.

However, before he had the chance to relax his eyebrows, he saw Song Linchu open the door to another room and push his own luggage inside.

Alright, Tan Yue’s eyebrows raised.

“Gege, why don’t you stay in my room? I just tidied it up earlier this year and I checked when I made the bed, there’s no smell.”

Tan Yue looked at him. “Do you have that many beddings?”

“I do! Don’t believe me? Come take a look.” Song Linchu opened the door to the guest bedroom to show him.

Before, when they still had people coming to pick cotton, His Song was already in poor health and afraid she wouldn’t live long enough to see Song Linchu get married and have children, so she made several sets of beddings, even for her daughter-in-law and grandchildren, resulting in no shortage of them in the house.

However, the guest bedroom was probably not used much and was used as storage for many things. Although it didn’t affect sleeping, it was obviously unacceptable to the particular Tan Yue.

“Gege, you’ve had a long day, go to bed.” Song Linchu said.

But Tan Yue didn’t move.

He frowned at the pile of unknown things in the guest room and suddenly said, “Sleep in the same room with me.”

“Ahem, ahem, ahem.”

This was too sudden, Song Linchu was choked by his own saliva.

Seeing Song Linchu coughing and turning red, Tan Yue squeezed the hand hanging by his side and asked, “Is it not possible?”

“No, no, no, no,” Song Linchu quickly waved his hand, laughing dryly, “My bed is too small, and I sleep poorly. My family’s bed is also small, I’m afraid I’ll push you off the bed.”

Tan Yue looked at him for a moment, then spoke two words, “You’re lying.”

“I’m serious, look at my sincere little eyes.” Song Linchu blinked his big, beautiful eyes at him.

“… “ Tan Yue was caught off guard and felt a little uncomfortable, so he averted his gaze and said, “It’s okay.”

It’s okay for you, but it’s not okay for me!

His bed was a small one and couldn’t fit two blankets. If they were to sleep together, they could only share one.

Song Linchu was only 21 years old, at the age of youthfulness and vigor. If they slept together, they would have to be close to prevent cold wind from getting inside the blanket. In case he accidentally fired his gun, and Tan Yue’s gun malfunctioned, it would be so embarrassing and hurt his male dignity!