Chapter 78 - Cohabitation
The festive atmosphere of the New Year’s hadn’t wholly dissipated from people’s minds yet. However, just as students have to go back to school, adults also have to go back to their jobs and struggle for their livelihoods.
Chen ShiYi could be considered the most reluctant to leave her family. The taxing nature of her work meant that she wouldn’t see her family for several months, at least.
Now that certain things have come to light, she was doubly anxious about leaving them.
So the night before she had to leave for work, she took advantage of Lin YaZhi’s absence and asked Lin Qian to talk to him alone.
These days, she got along well with Lin YaZhi’s children. In fact, some would say that this newly formed Lin family was quite harmonious now. But in the end, Lin Qian wasn’t her biological child. Now that she knew certain things about Lin Qian and her son, Chen ShiYi couldn’t help but be a little uncomfortable whenever she sees Lin Qian.
However, in contrast to this, Lin Qian’s posture was quite loose as he faced Chen ShiYi. He even took the lead and said: “Auntie, just say what you need to say. I won’t make things awkward for you.”
Chen ShiYi’s heart was quite conflicted. She hadn’t gotten along with him before and had always thought that Lin Qian had a bad temper. But after living together for some time, she found Lin Qian to be far more mature and stable than she had previously thought. Throughout the holidays, Chen ShiYi would catch herself thinking that some adults couldn’t even compare to Lin Qian’s calm and reliable aura.
It was as that mischievous Zheng PingQing said: What family wouldn’t want such an excellent boy for their daughter?
Unfortunately, she gave birth to a son…no, a headache of a son.
“Well…..” Chen ShiYi hesitated for a long time, then said: “Old Zheng asked me about the college entrance exams two days ago. You know that PingQing lives alone, and with everyone going back to work, there won’t be anyone in Rong City who can properly take care of him. So Old Zheng figured that PingQing could live here during this last semester. But you know that I rarely come home during the year, so it would be YaZhi who will have to care for him…”
The more Chen ShiYi said, the more complicated her mood got. Truthfully, she previously had the same idea and even asked Zheng PingQing about it. But ever since she found out about Lin Qian and Zheng PingQing’s relationship, this idea had been thrown out of her mind. But unexpectedly, Zheng BuLu had the same idea and took the initiative to ask her.
Zheng BuLu’s thought process was very straightforward. He believes the relationship between the two families was quite good. Also, Zheng PingQing was Chen ShiYi’s son and Lin YaZhi’s student. What’s more, not only does Zheng PingQing have a good relationship with Lin YaZhi, but he also got along exceedingly well with Lin YaZhi’s son. So wouldn’t it be perfect if his son lived with them while he was away at work?
However, those were only the parts he had told Chen ShiYi. What he didn’t tell her was that He YiJun’s provocations made him realize something. The absence of a parental figure may have far-reaching consequences on a child’s mental state that he hadn’t initially thought about.
Of course, Zheng BuLu had also mentioned several ways he could compensate the Lin family. Not with monetary compensation, but instead, by helping the Lin family solve some of their inconveniences in life. For example, Zheng BuLu could hire a housekeeper to help them with their daily cooking and housework. Such things would avoid making Lin YaZhi’s family uncomfortable with the situation.
It could be said that for the sake of his son, Zheng BuLu, the man who usually threw money at his problems, took the time and effort to properly think about this.
However, he didn’t know that his ex-wife was worried about something else.
Chen ShiYi’s heart was in the middle of a turbulent storm. On the one hand, she’s still trying to digest the fact that her son and Lin Qian were together. But on the other hand, she was apprehensive about Zheng PingQing living alone. These two thoughts pulled her in two different directions and made her very hesitant.
Lin Qian understood her concerns. With a smile, he replied: “If Auntie wants my opinion, then I’d advise you to let Zheng PingQing live here.”
Chen ShiYi silently looked up at him, a trace of suspicion and distrust in her eyes. She hadn’t forgotten the image of her son pressing Lin Qian down on that fateful day.
With a serious expression on his face, Lin Qian said: “Don’t look at me with such strange eyes, ah. You can’t stop Zheng PingQing and I from doing whatever we want to do anyway.”
Chen ShiYi: “……”
Although she knew his words were the truth, being told so directly hurt her heart.
Chen ShiYi firmly replied: “You two are still so young…”
“We’re not children anymore, auntie. We know what we’re doing.” While Lin Qian’s tone was gentle, it had a kind of momentum that no one could refute.
“Auntie, if you’re really afraid that Zheng PingQing and I might do something, wouldn’t it be better if Zheng PingQing lived here with us? After all, we can’t do anything with my father here.”
Chen ShiYi: “….!” She was suddenly convinced.
Lin Qian smiled. “You can rest a.s.sured that we’ll study hard together and get in a good university together.”
He didn’t swear, nor was he vehement. Lin Qian’s gentle tone gave Chen ShiYi an inexplicable sense of trust, and finally, her heart calmed. Chen ShiYi firmly replied: “I believe you, and I believe in PingQing.”
Lin Qian smiled. “Thank you.”
The conversation stalled. After a moment’s pause, Lin Qian said: “If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going back to my room first.”
“Wait.” Chen ShiYi called out.
Lin Qian turned back around and saw that Chen ShiYi was looking at him with earnest eyes. There was also a hint of expectation that Lin Qian wasn’t sure she was even aware of.
Chen ShiYi told him: “Lin Qian, truth be told, I’ve been thinking about your relationship with PingQing these past two days. I’ve thought about it for so long, but in the end, I still don’t know whether I should support or oppose it.”
“I understand.” Lin Qian was generous as he said: “I know it’s hard for any parent to accept such things.”
“But I know I have no right to object.” Chen ShiYi gave him a wry smile. “I’m just scared and worried for the both of you. I don’t know what kind of future you’ll have if you both walk down this road.”
“It’ll be even better than the best future you can imagine.” Lin Qian’s eyes curved into crescents, and he tried to appease her. “Believe me, I know what we’re going to encounter, but I also know how to face it.”
Chen ShiYi’s shoulders suddenly relaxed. She said: “Lin Qian, I know I’m not in any position to say this, but I feel like I have to. Please don’t take offense…”
Lin Qian gestured for her to continue.
“Please….please take good care of PingQing. Don’t hold anything against him, and don’t leave him behind.”
Lin Qian nodded and gave her a meaningful smile. “Don’t worry.”
Before she had this conversation with Lin Qian, Chen ShiYi had been hesitant. Her heart had been wavering, and honestly, she wasn’t even sure what kind of reply she wanted from Lin Qian.
But now, she suddenly made a decision.
Lin Qian’s att.i.tude was enough for her to make up her mind.
“When PingQing was a child, he was very insistent on having an adult cut his food into small pieces before he ate.” Chen ShiYi’s mood relaxed, and she suddenly changed the subject. “Back then, I would tease him about it. I asked him: ‘When you grow up, are you going to ask your wife to cut your food for you?’ And do you know what he said?”
Lin Qian smiled and thought back to a childhood story Zheng PingQing had told him when he had been pursuing him. “Did he reply that when he got married, he’d cut his wife’s food for the rest of their lives?”
Chen ShiYi paused, her expression turning subtle. After a long silence, Chen ShiYi replied: “Er, no. He told me that he would marry ten wives in the future and get them to cut his food up in turns.”
Lin Qian: “…..”
Lin Qian furiously exclaimed: “d.a.m.n it, he lied to me!”
Chen ShiYi’s sentimental emotions dissipated into thin air. However, she stubbornly continued and said: “I just wanted to say that even though he said such words as a child, every time I see you and PingQing eating together, he would always put food in your bowl and remove bones for you. His actions are totally different from when he was a child. I believe that PingQing must really like you. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have changed so much….”
n.o.body expected that Zheng PingQing would brag about such things to Lin Qian.
Lin Qian pressed at his chest. When Zheng PingQing had pursued Lin Qian, he would wildly boast about things to show that he was a perfect boyfriend. Zheng PingQing would insist that he trained himself at an early age to take care of his things and treasure them. He specifically recounted a story from his childhood where he said he would take care of his future wife and lovingly feed them.
And later, whenever Zheng PingQing was with him, he did do all the things he boasted about. Therefore, Lin Qian never doubted Zheng PingQing’s words and believed that the young Zheng PingQing really did say such things.
Zheng PingQing probably never thought that he would eventually be exposed. And by his mother of all people.
Chen ShiYi had no words for that son of hers. But this was Zheng PingQing; what did she expect? In the end, she could only bite the bullet and try to help her son. She said: “Lin Qian, you just promised me a few minutes ago. You won’t hold this against him, right?”
What could Lin Qian say? He took deep breaths and calmly replied: “I’m not going to turn my back to him. After all, the goods have already been used; it would be embarra.s.sing to return it now.”
Lin Qian said these words while thinking about their last life. He simply blurted it out without much thought. However, it was heard by others…
Chen ShiYi: “….!!!!!”
Chen ShiYi was alarmed, unsure by what Lin Qian meant when he said ‘used goods.’
She wanted to ask, but was afraid to ask.
Auntie Chen also wanted to drop a large rock on her chest.
……
After the New Year, Chen ShiYi went back to work. In fact, Lin YaZhi also applied for reinstatement in the laboratory. However, he had to wait for his son and daughter to go to university before he could go back. Therefore, he was still teaching this semester at No.12 High School and would still be home to take care of the children.
Since Lin YaZhi knew that Zheng PingQing was Chen ShiYi’s son who had been living alone, Lin YaZhi had actually also offered to take care of Zheng PingQing during the new semester. Now that all three parents had reached an agreement, Zheng PingQing packed up his things and went to Lin Qian’s home to stay.
To a.s.suage Chen ShiYi’s worries and to keep her younger brother’s body from being molested, sister-in-law Shao SiJia made the rare, kind-hearted decision to lend her room to Lin Qian for the semester. Of course, behind closed doors, she secretly made Zheng PingQing promise to give her all kinds of benefits in the future.
Zheng PingQing initially wanted to stay in the same room as Lin Qian. But after thinking about the looming college entrance exams and his youthful, uncontrollable body, Zheng PingQing smartly chose to give up on the matter.
After all, excessive exercise is very harmful to the body.
On the day Zheng PingQing moved in was also the day Chen ShiYi had to leave for work. The family had lunch together, then Chen ShiYi said her goodbyes.
Lin YaZhi did his best to rea.s.sure her. “Don’t worry, I’ll be here. I’ll make sure they eat and live well! They’ll surely get in the best university.”
Chen ShiYi looked at Lin YaZhi and felt a slight sadness in her heart. She earnestly instructed: “They’ll be working hard during the day, so you shouldn’t disturb them at night. Especially when their doors are closed. Remember, don’t open their door without their consent, ah.”
Lin Qian: “….” Auntie, I think you have an overactive imagination.
Zheng PingQing comforted her: “Mom, rest a.s.sured, Lin Qian and I will remember to lock the door.
Lin Qian: ←_← He clearly wants to give his mother a heart attack.
Chen ShiYi weakly replied: “Ok…alright…but it’s better not to lock the door, ah….”
Zheng PingQing wanted to reply but was stopped by Lin Qian.
“Don’t worry, I’ll look after him. I won’t let him lock the door.” Lin Qian told her.
After Lin Qian’s guarantee, the weight in Chen ShiYi’s chest was a little lighter. Grateful, she said: “Thank you. I’ll leave it to you.”
Lin Qian nodded. “Of course. After all, we’re family.”
Lin YaZhi let out a bellowing laugh. He slapped Lin Qian and Zheng PingQing on the shoulder and said: “Yes, one family, we’re all one family!”
Everyone else looked at him in silence.
Alas, ignorance is bliss.
……
The next morning, Xu Yao walked to Lin Qian’s neighborhood to go to school together as usual. However, Xu Yao got up a little late today and only just managed to get to the entrance in time.
To his surprise, Zheng PingQing, who usually gets here before him, didn’t appear today.
Xu Yao looked at his watch, then called Zheng PingQing’s phone to admonish him. “Ah, ah, why haven’t you arrived yet! Zheng PingQing, why are you late?!”
“I’m here.” Zheng PingQing replied in a lazy tone.
Xu Yao looked around and saw no one. He angrily said: “Lies, I don’t see you.”
Zheng PingQing clicked his tongue. “Brother-in-law, you get too anxious from the littlest things, ah.”
Xu Yao indignantly replied: “How can I believe that you can bear the responsibility of taking care of Ah Qian when you do things like this? I’m ashamed of you…”
As Xu Yao criticized and condemned Zheng PingQing, he happened to look up and spot two familiar figures approaching the gate. They were side by side, with one figure holding a phone and waving at him. Through his cellphone, he heard Zheng PingQing say: “Don’t panic brother-in-law, we’re here.”
Xu Yao’s voice cut off, like a speaker suddenly unplugged from its socket.
He watched the two men leisurely walk towards him. It was only when they finally reached him that Xu Yao finally found his voice. “You….you….”
Xu Yao kept repeating ‘you’ over and over again, his brain unable to organize a proper sentence.
Zheng PingQing wrapped an arm around Lin Qian and gave Xu Yao a wide grin. “We live together now.”
And then, Xu Yao performed the cla.s.sic scene- his phone slipped from his hands and fell to the ground, breaking with a ‘crack.’
Xu Yao looked at his broken cell phone and cried out: “My phone-”
Lin Qian turned to Zheng PingQing with narrowed eyes. “Shut up!”
In a good mood, Zheng PingQing patted Xu Yao on the shoulder. “Brother-in-law, don’t panic. I can help you pay for….”
Xu Yao looked at Zheng PingQing with hope in his eyes.
“The phone repairs.” Zheng PingQing finished.
Xu Yao: “….”
His cell phone was in literal pieces, and a repair would probably only fix the call functions. That’s basically the same as a brick phone, ah.
The author has something to say:
Lin YaZhi, the happy, ignorant, fool.