AMTWPICL Chapter 39

Because Song Linchu insisted on sleeping in the guest room, Tan Yue tried to exchange rooms with him but he refused, and even locked the door when he entered. So Tan Yue had no choice but to enter Song Linchu’s room.

Song Linchu’s room was very clean. The walls of the other rooms in his house were made of bricks and had no special decoration, but his room had white walls. It was clear that his mother had doted on him when she was alive.

There was a simple desk in the room with a framed photo of three on it.

Tan Yue picked up the photo frame. It was obviously Song Linchu with his parents. The child in the photo looked almost the same age as Tuantuan, smiling brightly.

Song Linchu clearly inherited his mother’s appearance. She was also a great beauty, but Song Linchu had his own unique charm.

It was hard to imagine how such a beautiful child could exist. He was like a beautiful SD doll, carefully crafted by the creator, with every contour perfect.

Tan Yue looked at the photo as if the child in it had flesh and blood, and the pink and white dumpling sweetly called him “gege”.

Tan Yue’s lips couldn’t help but curl up as he took out his phone, snapped a picture of the photo frame, and saved it.

After putting the photo frame back on the desk, Tan Yue’s gaze fell on the other side of the desk where there was a pile of trophies and medals. Roughly speaking, there were more than ten of them, mostly first place trophies.

First place in math competitions, first place in English competitions, first place in the XX Cup jewelry design competition…and so on. Tan Yue even saw a champion medal from a jewelry design competition held by Moon Stone, an international luxury brand.

Tan Yue knew that Song Linchu was very outstanding, but seeing so many honors made him a bit surprised.

Especially the jewelry design competitions, they didn’t seem like competitions for university students, but rather national events where there were sure to be some well-known industry elites participating. Being able to stand out in this kind of competition was not ordinary excellence.

Tan Yue felt a sense of pride and accomplishment.

It’s all from his family!

Tan Yue took photos of each trophy and a group photo, saved them in the album, and then went to take a shower.

The next day, in the morning, Song Linchu went to visit his parents’ graves. Many people come to sweep tombs during the Lunar New Year because the Qingming Festival only has a three-day holiday, and many cannot make it back home. So they choose to sweep the tombs during the Lunar New Year.

*Qingming is a festival where people pay tribute to their ancestors by visiting and cleaning their graves, and offering them food, flowers, and other offerings.

After sweeping the tombs, Song Linchu brought gifts from Haikou to Kang Jing and those families who had helped him before. He usually brought gifts back from Haikou every year to show his gratitude.

The day was almost over by the time he finished these tasks. In the evening, they had to go to his aunt’s house for dinner, and they would return to Haikou the next morning.

As they were getting ready to leave for his aunt’s house, a white car pulled up at the door—it was Song Linfeng’s car.

Sure enough, Song Linfeng and Gu Yuan got out of the car. In just three short days, Song Linfeng and Gu Yuan looked more haggard than ever, with two large dark circles under their eyes, as if they had encountered a great ordeal.

Especially Gu Yuan.

Every time she returned to their town, she dressed up beautifully, like a beautiful peacock showing off everywhere. How could she look like this now, with no makeup on and her hair in a mess, completely devoid of the pride she had when she returned in previous years.

“Linchu!” Song Linfeng saw him and rushed over like a drowning man grabbing at a straw.

He reached out to grab his hand but Tan Yue blocked him with a cold face that was particularly frightening. Song Linfeng immediately dared not act recklessly.

However, he still looked at Song Linchu earnestly and said, “Linchu, and this… gentleman, we know we were wrong. It was Yuanyuan’s loose tongue that caused us trouble. Please forgive us.”

Gu Yuan also said, “Yes, it was all my fault before. I shouldn’t have spoken to you that way. I apologize to you. Please, let us go.” Gu Yuan cried as she spoke.

After experiencing this nightmare-like situation, the woman who had been overbearing and always wanted to win lowered her noble head for the first time.

It was still broad daylight, and many neighbors had heard the commotion and come to watch.

Gu Yuan’s arrogance and conceit were well-known among them. Seeing her in this state, they were all surprised, wondering what kind of divine intervention had allowed someone like Song Linchu, who had always been looked down upon by her, to be begged by her.

The neighbors watched and pointed fingers, causing Song Linfeng and Gu Yuan to feel a burning sensation on their faces, making it impossible for them to lift their heads.

But they could only grit their teeth and bear it.

However, Song Linchu only said calmly, “I have already talked to Uncle about it. Taobao and the tax bureau are not something I can’t interfere with. It’s useless for you to beg me.”

“This isn’t the issue,” Song Linfeng quickly said, “We know we were wrong and we have admitted it. But we are also getting shut down every time we open a new shop.”

Knowing that even if he begged Song Linchu, he couldn’t interfere with Taobao’s official rules, Song Linfeng gave up on his previous store and quickly opened a new one, hoping to build it up during the Chinese New Year.

Anyway, the methods to do it were well-known in the industry, and starting over again wouldn’t be difficult.

However, every time they tried to make a sale in the new store, it was immediately shut down without any explanation.

Their new store wasn’t even under their own names, so even if Taobao had a radar, it wouldn’t be possible to catch them so accurately every time.

There was only one possibility: Song Linchu’s highly influential husband was behind it.

But they couldn’t get through to Song Linchu on the phone. They had asked people in the town who knew them and found out that Song Linchu and his husband had returned to the town. That was why they had hurried back to seek his forgiveness.

In front of so many neighbors, Gu Yuan began to cry miserably, “Linchu, I know we’ve wronged you, but you don’t have to be so ruthless. We have four elderly people to support, two young children, and house and car loans. Please, give us a way out.”

Song Linchu had initially planned to just teach them a lesson but not completely cut off their source of income, but Gu Yuan’s words made him reconsider.

As soon as Gu Yuan spoke, he felt disgusted.

He knew that Gu Yuan was 100% selfish. She was willing to spend her money on herself, but he didn’t believe she supported her in laws. As far as he knew, his uncle had been helping them with the packages for years without any compensation, and they would only give him ten thousand yuan during the Chinese New Year. His aunt would babysit their children for free as well, without any reward or pocket money.

As for mortgages and car loans… they earned millions of yuan a year, and a house in this small city cost only a little over a million yuan. They bought them in full, so where would the loans come from?

She was just trying to make herself look pitiful, using the pressure from so many neighbors to put pressure on him.

Song Linfeng cooperated, saying: “Yes, Linchu, if you’re still not satisfied, can we give you the house in our hometown? My father lent you 30,000 yuan when you were in the most difficult time, let us go!”

As expected, when this was said, the ignorant neighbors looked at Song Linchu with some strange eyes.

An uncle who was very close to Song Jinnian said, “Linchu, I don’t know what happened between you, but no matter what, you are still family. Your uncle has helped you a lot, and you should repay his kindness, right?”

A few voices echoed in agreement.

“What happened?” Song Linchu stepped out from behind Tan Yue, swept his gaze over the crowd, and sneered, “They were cheated out of money by someone, causing them to lose millions, but a week later, they blamed me for bringing them bad luck when I went to their house as a guest. They want to take my old house and turn it into a villa. Uncle Yan, if it were you, would you let it go?”

The uncle was stunned.

The others were surprised by the plot and fell silent.

Song Linchu saw that they were quiet, and said, “I don’t need your old house. Even if I take it, I won’t use it. Uncle has helped me before, and I am grateful, but that cannot be a reason for me to forgive you. I will repay Uncle’s kindness. In the future, as long as it is related to Uncle, I will do my best. As for your store…”

Song Linchu glanced at Tan Yue and said, “If you didn’t do anything illegal, Taobao won’t catch you. Besides, Taobao isn’t run by my family. What’s the point of begging me?”

Actually, he knew very well that begging him would be useful. As long as he said a word, Tan Yue would definitely let them go.

But their near-coercive attitude made Song Linchu disgusted.

Gu Yuan didn’t even apologize for what she said about his deceased mother being a jinx.

Song Linfeng and Gu Yuan turned pale.

Song Linchu had no intention of staying any longer, and said to Tan Yue, “Gege, let’s go.”

Tan Yue responded with an “mmm” and turned to get in the car. Gu Yuan, with red eyes, wanted to grab Song Linchu but Ah Yong, who was always alert, moved faster and stood firmly in front of her.

Gu Yuan was furious and wanted to say something, but was stopped by Tan Yue’s cold glance.

Gu Yuan stiffened all over.

Tan Yue’s indifferent voice echoed in her and Song Linfeng’s ears, “I dare you to lay a finger on him and see what happens.”

This statement was so oppressive that both of them froze on the spot and dared not try to grab at Song Linchu again.

Before getting into the car, Song Linchu said, “Oh, by the way, Sister-in-law, I’ve already bought a cemetery in the city and plan to move my parents there. I hope that without my mother’s interference in your ancestral tomb, you can become a wealthy lady with an annual income of over a hundred million as soon as possible.”

With that, he got into the car and slammed the door shut, leaving Gu Yuan and Song Linfeng looking dejected.

The onlookers, who had heard the truth from Song Linchu, sneered at their behavior of bullying their helpless cousin. Moreover, according to Song Linchu’s words just now, they even blamed the deceased mother for their misfortunes, which was simply unbelievable.

They’ve made so much money these past few years, and instead of thanking their ancestors’ graves for spewing smoke, they also blame others. A person whose brain hasn’t been soaked in ten tons of water would never say such things.

Even Uncle Yan, who just spoke up for them, looked disgusted.

Unable to bear the snickering and gossip of their neighbors, the two of them slinked back into their car and drove away in a dejected manner.

Though it wasn’t explicitly stated, at this point, the relationship between the two families had completely deteriorated.

Song Linchu had anticipated this outcome long ago, so he wasn’t too upset.

“Is that cousin of yours your real cousin?” Tan Yue suddenly asked as they sped away in the car.

Song Linchu replied, “Yes, his father and my father are blood brothers. Why, do you think he doesn’t look like me?”

Tan Yue responded with a grunt.

It wasn’t just a little bit different; it was completely different.

“My uncle’s personality is actually quite similar to mine. My cousin used to be fine, but he’s changed over the years,” Song Linchu said.

“He’s become a money-grubbing businessman,” Tan Yue uttered.

“That’s not it,” Song Linchu grabbed onto Tan Yue’s arm and said, “My gege didn’t become like that.”

Ah Yong, who was driving in front, twitched the corner of his mouth. That’s because you haven’t seen your gege get ruthless for the sake of profits.

Tan Yue’s lips curled upwards, but he accepted the compliment without any guilt.

It only took 15 minutes to drive from Song Linchu’s home to his aunt’s house, where they had prepared a lamb for their reception.

To Song Linchu’s surprise, Tan Yue had actually prepared red envelopes for each of them, saying that it was a tradition for new visitors in Haikou. He didn’t know where Tan Yue got the red envelopes from; they were all very large and thick, so it was impossible to tell how much was inside.

But Song Linchu knew that it definitely wouldn’t be a small amount.

His aunt and the others were completely unfamiliar with the customs of Haikou and hesitated about whether or not to accept the envelopes. They looked to Song Linchu for guidance, but he knew that there was no such custom in Haikou. When new sons-in-law and daughters-in-law visit, they are the ones who receive red envelopes, not give them.

He understood Tan Yue’s thoughts and cooperated with him in the act, showing that it was indeed the case.

Auntie and the others were convinced that this was a custom, so it wouldn’t be good to disrupt it and they all complied.

That wasn’t all. Song Linchu’s younger cousin would graduate from vocational school next year and would start an internship in early next year. Tan Yue promised to arrange a job for him in Haikou.

Although Song Linchu knew that these things were just a small matter for Tan Yue, he was still deeply moved.

However, with Auntie and her family present, Song Linchu couldn’t find a chance to express his excitement, so he quietly took out his phone and sent a message to Tan Yue.

Little Songlin: [Gege, QAQ, how can you be so kind?]

Little Songlin: [I feel like I’m not worthy of you, what should I do?]

Tan Yue, who was sitting next to him, also took out his phone, and Song Linchu saw from the corner of his eye his slender and beautiful fingers tapping on the screen.

After a moment, his phone vibrated.

Tan Yue: [You can be more confident.]

Song Linchu immediately smiled upon seeing this message.

This was the first time that Tan Yue had responded to him so directly without any teasing.

Now he was happy.

Very happy.

Seeing that someone was so excited just because of his words, a hint of a smile flashed in Tan Yue’s eyes.

He tapped on the screen a few more times with his fingers.

After a moment, Song Linchu’s phone received two more messages.

Tan Yue: [You are also very good and excellent.]

Tan Yue: [(Picture)]

The picture Tan Yue sent him was his pile of trophies.

Actually, yesterday when Song Linchu was cleaning his room, he had considered whether or not to put away his trophies. But he thought that this was his honor and also the place where Tan Yue could see his shining points.

As a workaholic like Tan Yue, he might appreciate someone who is capable, intelligent and diligent in addition to their looks, right?

As it turned out, that was indeed the case!

Song Linchu was secretly pleased with his cleverness.

He was really smart!

Maybe Tan Yue didn’t tease him today because he saw how outstanding he was and was afraid that he would get too stimulated and run away!

Little Songlin: [Ah haha, it’s just a little bit.]

Little Songlin: [There will be more in the future!]

Little Songlin: [o(￣ヘ￣o＃) Fist bump!]

The cousin sitting next to Song Linchu saw that he and Tan Yue were playing with their phones while eating, and unconsciously glanced over, accidentally seeing the words “Tan Yue” above the chat box.

He immediately exclaimed, “Wow, cousin, you and Brother Yue are so sticky, you even text while eating!”

As soon as this was said, everyone at the table looked at them, their eyes filled with ambiguous expressions.

Song Linchu: “.…”

Song Linchu turned red with embarrassment and whispered, “Stop messing around, or I’ll make things difficult for you when you go to Haikou next year.”

This cousin was used to playing around with him since childhood, and deliberately exaggerated, “Wow, you’re even threatening me, I’m so scared, Brother Yue, you better handle him.”

Tan Yue said, “Can’t handle him.”

After a pause, he added, “I’m used to it.”

The cousin: “.…”

This dog food was really satisfying.

They returned from Auntie’s house after 10 o’clock at night.

It rained a little today. Song Linchu’s bed was placed by the window in his room and Tan Yue had opened the window before he left, so when the rain blew in with the wind, it wet his blanket.

Fortunately, the bedding inside was dry.

“There are no new blankets,” Song Linchu took out an old set of blankets from the wardrobe and asked Tan Yue, “I used this before, but it’s been washed, is that okay?”

Tan Yue wasn’t that picky, and besides, it was something Song Linchu had used before, so he whispered, “It’s fine.”

Song Linchu helped him to lay out the blanket, and after it was done, he sniffed it and said, “Fortunately, it doesn’t have my smell.”

“.…”

This sentence was so poisonous that after taking a shower and lying in bed, Tan Yue felt as if the youth’s scent was permeating his nostrils, almost enveloping him in it, while he was covered by the bed sheets previously used by Song Linchu.

Auntie’s cooking skills were very good. Today’s mutton tasted great, and even Tan Yue, who was a picky eater, ate a lot.

Perhaps because he had eaten too much of this nourishing mutton, or perhaps because he had been suppressing it for too long, or perhaps because men tend to think with their lower body, Tan Yue changed into a new pair of underwear the next morning…

When Song Linchu came to knock on his door and call him for breakfast and prepare for departure, Tan Yue had just disposed of the evidence by throwing it in the trash can.

They were flying to Haikou at 10 o’clock, and it would take more than two hours to get to the city from here, so they had to leave early in the morning.

“Gege, why is your face a bit red? Are you catching a cold?” Song Linchu asked nervously when he noticed the abnormal flush on his face.

“…No,” Tan Yue’s voice was a bit hoarse.

The youth had disturbed his dreams all night long and was now standing in front of him alive and well. Coupled with the special time of the morning, Tan Yue’s throat felt dry.

He didn’t expect to have such thoughts about Song Linchu.

Tan Yue was a very slow-to-warm up person. He did not deny that he liked Song Linchu, but it was definitely not to this extent.

Fake mutton is harmful!

In the future, he should eat less of such nourishing food.

When Song Linchu heard his hoarse voice, he suspected that Tan Yue was trying to endure, and reached out to touch his forehead. Song Linchu’s hands were always slightly cool, and while resting on Tan Yue’s forehead, they didn’t manage to suppress Tan Yue’s fire.

He couldn’t tolerate it any longer and grabbed Song Linchu’s wrist, his voice low, “Don’t make trouble.”

Song Linchu:?

Song Linchu blinked innocently, what did he do wrong?