Chapter One Hundred and Eighty-Nine: From Triumph to Sorrow I (1/2)

Chapter One Hundred and Eighty-Nine: From Triumph to Sorrow (I)

“He’s doing well.” Yan Jin’s steady tone gave no indication of deceit. “His grades are decent, and, before graduating, his performance attracted the attention of a professor. Things are very hopeful for him.”

Actually, Xiao Zihao had been expelled a while back for his poor grades and propensity for fighting. Xiao Zihao was only a little over twenty, but he had already dabbled in all kinds of shady business dealings starting two years ago. Gambling was only the beginning; Xiao Yu didn’t even dare to think of the other stuff.

When Yan Jin had found out about this, in spite of all his experience with the underworld, even he was shocked. It wasn’t all the actual stuff that Xiao Zihao did that made him surprised; Yan Jin had come across some of the most wicked people before. Rather, he couldn’t understand how Xiao Zihao could develop so many problems and get involved in so many illegal activities in such a short period of time. It was like he could waste away in gambling dens while paying for prostitutes at the same time.

On some level, Xiao Zihao seemed to be a naturally evil person. Neither laws nor the morality of good vs. evil could contain these kinds of people. They weren’t afraid of such abstract restrictions. Nor were they concerned with the most basic of ethics. It was like they were wild animals following only the basest of instincts. Only a stronger threat like a gun to their head could evoke any reaction in their muddy, filthy eyes. In a certain way, it was amusing that only the type of primitive fear evoked by an animal tamer’s whip was effective.

At the very least, Yan Jin really wanted to laugh. However, he didn’t think Xiao Yu would find it so funny if he learned the truth, so he didn’t tell him.

Ah, his little Fishy. It would be fine if the little hamster that could fit in his palm stayed innocent forever.

Chairman Yan smiled strangely.

“Really? That’s great.” Xiao Yu grinned.

“Do I get a reward?” Yan Jin’s hands returned back to their original location.

“You don’t give up, do you? So troublesome.” This time, Xiao Yu rolled himself into Yan Jin’s embrace. Using his arm to cushion his head, he said, “Why did he need so much money then? Graduate school doesn’t require so much money.”

“The cost of living in Country M is larger than you’d think. Also, Xiao Zihao also has some additional expenses.”

“Like what?”

“He has a very close friend who’s also a foreign exchange student. Unfortunately, after leaving China, she developed a serious illness. Her family already spent all that they had on her education and didn’t have any more money. So, your dear little brother stepped forward to help.”

“Really?” Xiao Yu was surprised. “How come he never brought this up with me?”

“Maybe he didn’t want anyone to get worried?”

“Really! He could have said something long ago,” Xiao Yu grumpily said. “It’s a good thing. Whether he likes her or is just helping a friend, we’re all fellow compatriots. It must be fate for two compatriots to meet overseas. We definitely would have supported him if he had said something. Healthcare is so expensive in Country M. He must have had it pretty rough these past few years.

Xiao Yu completely believed Yan Jin’s random made-up story. He even began to draw other conclusions.

“In the beginning, he didn’t ask for a lot of money. Then, he started to ask for more and more, especially last year, when he asked for almost two million yuan. Is his friend…”

“She must have already passed away. Otherwise, he definitely would have asked for more money after learning that his mother sold the apartment.” Yan Jin continued his story, following Xiao Yu’s lead.

“My goodness, that’s so sad.”

“We can only strive to do our best and leave the rest up to the Heavens. Life is short.”

It really was ridiculous for these words to be coming from Yan Jin. To many people, Yan Jin was someone who had even fate dancing in his palm.

Xiao Yu felt that the card in his hands was extremely heavy. He rubbed his head and slowly recounted, “My father left behind two apartments. Originally, both were supposed to be for Auntie Fang. She didn’t need to consider me. I was already very touched when we reached our agreement. But now, she’s broken our agreement and has given me the money from selling me the apartment. I don’t know how I can thank her. I…”

“It means that she approved of you even long ago.” Yan Jin forcefully moved the topic away from the dowry and suggested sincerely, “You should take this opportunity to have a heart-to-heart talk with her.”

Xiao Yu lifted his head to look at Yan Jin. Then, after a while, he buried his head into Yan Jin’s chest and softly said, “Yes.”

……

After a lot of thought and support from Yan Jin, Xiao Yu and Fang Wanqing finally agreed to meet at a restaurant with a decent ambience for a long and close talk.

Yan Jin sat in the car waiting all by himself. The twenty minutes they had scheduled quickly turned into two hours, and Xiao Yu still had no intention of ending his conversation with Auntie Fang.

Under the hot sun, Yan Jin grouchily stared at Xiao Yu through the restaurant window. Unfortunately, Xiao Yu didn’t notice Yan Jin’s gaze.

He was really too much.

They really were taking way too long. The original intention was just for Xiao Yu to confirm Fang Wanqing’s stance on the matter. Even if they had begun talking about the past, it wouldn’t take that long, would it?

Yan Jin wasn’t concerned that Fang Wanqing would reveal her own past identity. There would be way too many problems and implications. Even if Fang Wanqing did reveal the god creation or gene projects at this time, they would sound more like science fiction. There wouldn’t be any news about “Long-retired researcher reveals the Nan and He Families’ anti-humanitarian experiments”. It would instead be interpreted as a symptom of Alzheimer’s.

As long as his own role wasn’t revealed, Yan Jin didn’t mind Fang Wanqing talking about anything else.

However, he was interested in what the two of them were chatting about.

Yan Jin was extremely curious. He couldn’t help but think about the audio eavesdropping system in Xiao Yu’s phone.

Just as he was debating whether to do something morally corrupt and listen in, someone knocked on his car window.

“Did you wait for a long time?”

“Nope.” Yan Jin released his own seatbelt and walked to the other side to open the car door for Xiao Yu. “It’s pretty hot today and you seem to be sweating. There’s an internet-famous ice cream store a block down. Want to go check it out?”

“I’m fine. Do you think I’m some little girl to be interested in that?” Xiao Yu rolled his eyes. “I’ve walked like two steps outside. Am I some delicate baby to you?”

“I heard their limited summertime products are very popular: the sea salt strawberry and the green tea powder cheese milkshake with fruit.” Yan Jin waved the store’s advertisement poster on his phone in front of Xiao Yu. “You really don’t want to go?”

“Let’s go, let’s go!” Xiao Yu nodded his head like a chick pecking at its feed. “I’ll pay for it as compensation for you waiting for so long.”

Yan Jin calmly turned the steering wheel. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a baby as long as you listen.”

“…You’re not happy, are you.”

“How could I be unhappy when talking to you?”

Xiao Yu pouted.

He could hear that Yan Jin wasn’t in a good mood.

Yan Jin had clearly said that he hadn’t been waiting long and refused to admit he was unhappy. But then, he was clearly throwing a tantrum right now.

There was a saying that acting tsundere could ruin opportunities.