AD CH76

[Chen Yu Luo Yan]: I forgot to remind you just now, your mom is still in the recovery period after all. If you’re going to ask, don’t be too blunt.

Chen Jian typed out the sentence rapidly as he walked toward the kitchen. He didn’t put his phone back into his pocket until he saw Shan Yu’s reply.

[Fa Shan Ke Chen]: I shall obey your teachings.

“Hey, you’re the store manager, right?” Two young women walked in through the garden’s side gate and stopped Chen Jian.

“Yes,” Chen Jian answered and stopped.

“I just wanted to mention something,” one of the women pointed outside. “When your staff smokes in the courtyard, could they try to avoid the guests? We were taking pictures out there, and he just stood right there puffing on a cigarette.”

“I am incredibly sorry. Our service awareness is lacking. I’ll deal with it immediately.” Chen Jian looked outside but didn’t see anyone. He didn’t know who the woman was referring to, but it was basically guaranteed to be one of the Pigpen Gang. Although Hu Pan also smoked, she usually hid when doing so.

“It’s not like we want you to do anything harsh to him,” the woman was quite reasonable, “it just made us a bit uncomfortable, and we hope he can be more mindful.”

“Thank you very much,” Chen Jian said. “We will definitely improve.”

“That’s all then,” the woman looked down, tapped her phone twice, and handed it to her companion. “Can I take a picture with you?”

“Hm?” Chen Jian froze, not processing the request immediately.

“A picture, the two of us,” the woman said. “I have a hobby of collecting photos with handsome guys. If it’s okay, I’d like to take a picture with you. I’ll post it, but when I do, I’ll explain the context. I won’t write anything weird. Is that alright?”

The woman spoke very directly and politely. Chen Jian had never encountered something like this before and had no idea what to say for a moment. After a brief pause, he nodded: “Sure.”

“Thank you.” The woman immediately stood next to him, pressing a finger to her chin and making a ‘V’ sign.

Chen Jian rarely took photos with people and didn’t really know what expression to make.

However, he was in a good mood right now, so he smiled at the camera.

After the photo, Chen Jian didn’t even bother going to eat. He walked straight through the side gate into the garden, did a half-lap, and walked out the garden’s back gate to check. That was when he spotted Lao Wu, squatting in the pavilion and smoking a cigarette.

“Didn’t you just finish smoking in the garden? Having another one?” Chen Jian walked over and said.

“I’m in a bad mood,” Lao Wu said.

“What’s wrong?” Chen Jian asked, sitting down on the bench next to him.

“Money stuff. Don’t ask,” Lao Wu frowned.

“What kind of money stuff?” Chen Jian didn’t drop it. He was extremely sensitive to money—whether it was wanting to borrow money, owing money, getting scammed out of money, or gambling it away.

If it were anyone else, he might not press the issue so urgently. But the Pigpen Gang… they had surrendered and were working hard at Dayin now, but they hadn’t lived decent lives for years. It wasn’t that easy to walk through the door and instantly transform into innocent, upstanding young men.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t gamble,” Lao Wu glanced at him, clearly understanding what he was getting at, and blew out a puff of smoke. “I’m just feeling depressed about it.”

“Mm,” Chen Jian stood up. His stomach growled. “Smoke outside, not in the garden. It doesn’t look good when guests see it, especially the ones who don’t smoke.”

“Fuck,” Lao Wu frowned. “Did those two girls snitch on me?”

Chen Jian didn’t say anything.

“I was just walking by, thought they were pretty, so I took a few extra looks and stood there for a bit…” Lao Wu said. “Why didn’t they say something to my face? I definitely would have apologized to them.”

“They definitely rolled their eyes at you and you just didn’t catch it,” Chen Jian said.

“…Probably,” Lao Wu said. “I’m not good with women.”

How did those two things even connect? Chen Jian felt that Lao Wu’s problem wasn’t a lack of luck with women; his main problem was a lack of brains. Without brains, you lack everything. “I’m going to eat first. If… you have any problems, tell me. Or if you just want to talk, that’s fine too.”

“Mm.” Lao Wu nodded.

Chen Jian turned to walk back.

“Chen Jian,” Lao Wu added from behind. “Never really noticed it before. Used to think you were just this cold guy who never talked and was ruthless when pushed into a corner. But actually, you’re a really good guy.”

“Don’t smoke in the garden!” Chen Jian yelled. “Catch you doing it again and I’m docking your pay!”

“I just realized you’re not a good guy after all,” Lao Wu shouted back.

“Hurry up and finish smoking, then get back to work!” Chen Jian said.

With the boss out of the inn, the store manager didn’t have to deliver his meals and could eat in the kitchen in peace.

“Go sit in the restaurant and eat,” Sun Nana came into the kitchen looking for fruit and commented when she saw him.

“I’ll finish it in a few bites anyway. I’d be done before I even reached the restaurant,” Chen Jian said.

“Eating too fast is bad for your stomach,” Sun Nana took an apple to the sink to wash. “No one is fighting you for it.”

Chen Jian smiled without speaking. He watched her wash the apple, and soon couldn’t bear to look anymore. She was using exactly three fingers from each hand, pinching the apple and struggling to scrub it.

“Let me do it,” Chen Jian put down his takeout box, took the apple from her, and washed it swiftly. “Will your hands melt if they touch water?”

“I just put on hand cream,” Sun Nana laughed. “You really do worry about everything. No wonder Shan Yu doesn’t do a single thing.”

Chen Jian remained silent. As he handed the washed apple back to Sun Nana, he suddenly felt a pang of guilt.

“I’m off,” Sun Nana swept her hair back with her fingertips. “Eat slowly.”

“Mm,” Chen Jian responded.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that Sun Nana’s words carried a hidden meaning, but he had no proof.

However, the moment Sun Nana mentioned Shan Yu, he couldn’t help but pull out his phone to check it.

Naturally, there were no messages from Shan Yu in such a short time. He had just started eating. Even if it was just takeout, eating with his parents meant he couldn’t play on his phone, even if they were practicing ‘no talking while eating.’

Chen Jian sighed.

Actually, he hadn’t felt much at first, but the moment Shan Yu suddenly asked if he missed him, the feeling became glaringly obvious.

Even though it hadn’t even been a full day, the longing was incredibly intense, bringing with it an agonizing struggle of not knowing how to pass the time.

Before this, the only longing he had ever experienced was for his mother. Even when he couldn’t see his father, he had never missed him this intensely.

But it was different from how he missed his mother. Right after his mother passed away, he clearly knew that he would never see her again in this lifetime. The physical traces of her existence were disappearing bit by bit, leaving only memories. And slowly, even those memories began to blur… It was despairing and terrifying.

His current longing for Shan Yu, however, was composed of countless questions.

Did he arrive? Where is he? Did he eat? What is he doing? Is he still at the hospital? Did he go home? Did he contact Yue Lang? How long until he comes back? Is he going to hang out with friends? Is he in a good mood?

Is he… ?

Is he… ?

It had a rhythmic cadence to it, almost like cursing.

“Are you staying here tonight?” Shan Yu gathered the takeout boxes back into the bag.

Doing this made him feel exactly like Chen Jian.

“Not staying,” his mom said. “Going home in a bit.”

“Coming over again tomorrow?” Shan Yu asked.

“Yes,” his mom nodded. “Can’t sleep here. When I had the surgery, I had to take medication every single day to sleep in the hospital…”

His mom stopped mid-sentence.

“Then I’ll come with you tomorrow,” Shan Yu said.

After packing up, his mom received a call from his uncle saying he was coming over, which his mom declined.

“Just go home. If you come stand around the hospital, I have to entertain you,” his mom said as she walked out. “Tomorrow? Tomorrow…”

His mom looked at Shan Yu: “Do you have time to eat with your uncle and the rest tomorrow?”

“Mm,” Shan Yu nodded. “I don’t have any plans tomorrow.”

“Alright,” his mom said over the phone. “Don’t come too early. Shan Yu can’t wake up that early. He might not even be able to sleep tonight.”

Carrying his mom’s bag, Shan Yu walked behind her, feeling an indescribable emotion. Perhaps it truly had been too long since he last saw his parents; he suddenly felt a longing to be close to them.

He had never felt this way before. Aside from the first year or two when he was sent away to live, right up until he went to prison, he had always felt that never seeing his parents again wouldn’t matter, as long as he knew they were safe.

“Liu Wu wanted to come over first thing in the morning,” his mom hung up the phone. “I told him to come later.”

“It’s a miracle he didn’t crash at our place tonight,” his dad said. “That kid went off to college and hasn’t matured one bit.”

“His family spoils him. A 200-plus-month-old giant baby,” his mom said.

After saying that, she fell silent. A moment later, she sighed.

The family car wasn’t the one Shan Yu remembered. Only when he followed his parents to the car and the headlights flashed did he ask, “You changed cars?”

“Changed it the year before last,” his mom said. “The old one is parked at the company.”

Shan Yu hesitated. “Does anyone drive it?”

“No,” his mom got into the driver’s seat and looked at him. “Do you want it?”

“Yes.” Shan Yu got into the backseat.

“What car is your guesthouse using now?” His dad, sitting in the passenger seat, turned back to look at him.

“A secondhand Mazda,” Shan Yu said.

“Kind of like son inheriting mother’s business,” his dad chuckled.

“How is that an inheritance?” Shan Yu didn’t understand.

“The very first car your mom’s company had back then was a secondhand Mazda,” his dad said.

“Is that so?” This was the first time Shan Yu had heard of it. “I have no impression of that.”

“You weren’t living at home back then. You never rode in that car,” his dad said.

After those words, the family of three fell silent.

“You really are Liu Wu’s biological father,” his mom remarked.

Shan Yu couldn’t help but laugh, turning to look out the window.

[Fa Shan Ke Chen]:I’m on my way home. Might be a bit late before I can call you.

Shan Yu sent Chen Jian a message, staring blankly at Chen Jian’s avatar in the chat interface. Since the guy had changed his avatar to Mushroom, Shan Yu had to tap on his own avatar to get his fix.

[Chen Yu Luo Yan]:It’s fine, keep your parents company first. I’m playing cards with the guys in the dorm.

[Fa Shan Ke Chen]:Playing for money?

[Chen Yu Luo Yan]:One dime a round.

[Fa Shan Ke Chen]:What’s the point of that? Play all night just to buy one popsicle.

[Chen Yu Luo Yan]:Anything over five hundred is considered gambling, Boss.

Shan Yu looked down and laughed for a long time.

[Fa Shan Ke Chen]:Isn’t that margin a bit large? The store manager is so cautious.

[Chen Yu Luo Yan]:[Proud.jpg]

The house hadn’t changed much. Everything was just as Shan Yu remembered. His room was also kept exactly the same—very clean. The housekeeper usually tidied it, and knowing he was coming back, she had probably cleaned it specifically.

Shan Yu opened his closet to look inside. Quite a few clothes were still hanging there, arranged from summer to winter wear. He casually flipped through them. He actually didn’t remember some of these clothes.

Closing the closet, he walked into the inner study to check. Everything here was exactly the same too. The stack of psychology-related books sitting on the desk hadn’t been touched.

He turned on the desk lamp, leaned against the desk, and sighed softly.

This place felt foreign at first glance, yet was permeated with countless familiar scents.

In the past, whenever he came home, he usually just stayed inside his suite, and no one would come disturb him.

It was the same now. After he entered his room, neither his mom nor dad came to look for him.

He dug out a set of pajamas from the closet, took a shower, and changed into them.

The sky outside was completely dark, yet it still looked very bright. The sky was lit up in a hazy gray by the city lights—completely different from the night sky in the town, which was pitch black or deeply blue, where you could even see the Milky Way.

He wouldn’t have noticed these things before, but now he leaned against the window, staring out in a slight daze.

He intended to take a picture to show Chen Jian. After searching both rooms eight times over, he finally found his phone inside the closet. He had no idea why he had put it there.

He held up his phone and had just taken a picture when he heard a knock on his door. Just one.

It was his mom.

His dad knocked with his knuckles; his mom lightly flicked the door with two fingers.

“Come in,” he answered out of habit.

In the next second, he quickly moved toward the door. This wasn’t Dayin…

His mom opened the door and poked her head in. “President Shan, resting yet?”

“Not yet,” Shan Yu smiled.

“Chat?” his mom said.

Shan Yu was momentarily stunned. This wasn’t a common occurrence in the past. His mom never had the time, and probably didn’t feel it was necessary to “chat” with him, and he hadn’t been very willing to “chat” either.

In those years of blank time, they had all undergone some changes.

“Sure,” Shan Yu nodded.

“Wine or coffee?” his mom asked.

“Wine,” Shan Yu said.

“Come,” his mom tilted her head. “Try my newly mixed cocktail.”

“Can you drink?” Shan Yu followed her toward the home bar.

“I’m just having one glass,” his mom said.

Shan Yu pulled out his phone, sent the photo he just took to Chen Jian, and added a message.

[Fa Shan Ke Chen]:I’m going to chat with my mom for a bit. Might take a while, don’t wait up for me.

[Chen Yu Luo Yan]:Okay.

[Chen Yu Luo Yan]:What an ugly sky.

Shan Yu smiled. That was impossible to refute.

He sat at the bar and placed his phone on the counter.

His mom expertly selected a bottle from the wine cooler and fetched iced glasses. “Are things pretty busy at the guesthouse?”

“It’s alright,” Shan Yu watched her movements. “Usually nothing much going on at night. Guests mostly arrive around noon.”

“Your phone kept going off, I thought something happened at the guesthouse,” his mom said.

“What a roundabout way to ask,” Shan Yu said.

As his mom slowly poured the drinks, she cast a glance at him. “Boyfriend?”

Although his family had known about his orientation for a long time, because he had never shown an interest in anyone, this was the first time in all these years his mom had actually brought the topic up with him.

When the word ‘boyfriend’ left her lips, Shan Yu’s heart accelerated. It caught him off guard. He couldn’t tell if it was embarrassment, awkwardness, or a touch of excitement.

“Mm,” he acknowledged.

“Did you meet him over there?” His mom pushed the iced glass in front of him.

Inside the glass, a golden-orange liquid, gradually becoming transparent toward the bottom, swirled slightly under the lights. Shan Yu looked at the drink and nodded. “Mm, he’s… the store manager of the guesthouse.”

“Try it,” his mom said.

Shan Yu picked up the glass and took a small sip. It was slightly sweet with a hint of tartness.

“It’s good.” He took another sip and looked toward the living room. “Where’s my dad?”

“He read for a bit and went to sleep. Didn’t let him come over,” his mom drank her wine. “We haven’t had a proper chat in all these years. Finally getting the chance to, if he came over, he’d just ruin the conversation.”

Shan Yu smiled.

“Do you have a picture?” his mom asked. “Can I see?”

“Yes.” Shan Yu picked up his phone, opened the album, picked a solo shot of Chen Jian from the ones Yao Yi had taken, opened it, and handed it to his mom.

His mom casually pulled a pair of reading glasses from the nearby organizer, put them on, and leaned in to look closely.

“You need reading glasses now?” Shan Yu asked.

“A little bit when the lighting is poor. I am in my early fifties after all,” his mom said. “This kid is quite handsome.”

“Mm,” Shan Yu nodded.

“How old is he?” his mom asked.

“Twenty,” Shan Yu said.

“Oh,” his mom nodded, leaning back in her chair and taking off her glasses. “He looks very mature. Is his family’s financial situation not very good?”

Shan Yu raised an eyebrow. “President Liu has a keen eye.”

“I can read people to some extent,” his mom smiled, looking at him. She remained silent for a while before speaking again. “I feel like you suddenly grew up.”

“I’ve been grown up for many years now,” Shan Yu said.

Support me on Ko-fi