After My Rebirth Chapter 37: Ulterior motive

Chapter 37: Ulterior motive

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

 

Lin Yuan actually laughed out of anger. “I’ve been calling A’Nian that since the day we met. Now you want to police how I address people? Don’t you think you’re overstepping just a little?”

Jiang Rongxuan sneered, curling his lip. “Well, I think your nickname is making someone uncomfortable. Brother doesn’t seem to like how intimately you call him.”

“Oh? And how would you know? Are you some kind of worm living in his gut?” Lin Yuan snapped. “You think what I say is too intimate? I think you sound disgusting. Acting all innocent, calling him ‘brother’ every other sentence—don’t you feel embarrassed?”

Jiang Rongxuan’s smile dropped.

His eyes were already cold, but now that his expression turned serious, his whole face looked dark and menacing.

“You’re done talking, right?” he said calmly. “Then maybe it’s time for you to leave. Brother doesn’t want you here. Hanging around someone else’s doorstep when you’re not welcome isn’t a good look, you know?”

Lin Yuan glared at him, eyes filled with fury. He looked like he was about to lunge forward and throw a punch. But in the end, it was all bark and no bite. He took a few heavy breaths, his lips twitching like he wanted to say something—but didn’t dare.

Instead, he turned to look at Li Sinian, his gaze lingering. “Add me back on WeChat,” he said stiffly. “I need to talk to you.”

 

Then he left in a hurry, like something venomous was chasing after him.

As soon as the annoying presence disappeared, Jiang Rongxuan turned around again, his expression sunny and bright. “Finally! He’s so annoying.”

Li Sinian stared at him for a couple of seconds before a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “Come in,” he said. “I was just about to eat.”

“Sure.”

Since it was just the two of them, Li Sinian kept things simple. While he busied himself in the kitchen, Jiang Rongxuan stayed in the living room, listening to the sounds of clinking utensils and bubbling pots. When dinner was nearly ready, he stepped in to help carry the dishes to the table.

They both picked up their bowls in silence and ate for a while before Jiang Rongxuan spoke first. “What did Lin Yuan say to you today?”

Li Sinian paused mid-bite. “Didn’t you hear most of it already?”

“I only caught the part where he told you to stay away from me. What did he say before that?”

Li Sinian’s face turned slightly unnatural for a second.

It wasn’t because he had anything to hide. It was just… what Lin Yuan had said earlier was so revolting, he physically didn’t want to repeat it.

So he kept things vague. “Not much. He just said he really wanted to see me.”

Jiang Rongxuan’s smile dimmed a bit. “And how did brother feel about that?”

“What do you mean?”

“Lin Yuan said he wanted to see you. Did you want to see him?”

“Huh?” Li Sinian tilted his head in confusion. “Of course not. Didn’t you see me leave him outside the gate and refuse to let him in?”

“That guy is laughable. After all this time, he never once said he wanted to see me. But now that he realized his ‘dream lover’ isn’t what he imagined, suddenly he wants to talk to me? What am I supposed to be—his emotional rebound? His consolation prize? Today just grossed me out. Thinking back to how close we used to be… makes me so sick I didn’t even want to talk.”

So that was it.

Hearing that, the smile in Jiang Rongxuan’s eyes returned a little. “Exactly. He is disgusting. Brother, you’d better not listen to him. He’s the one you should be staying away from.”

Li Sinian nodded, then looked at him and asked, “Why did Lin Yuan come over to tell me to stay away from you? Do you know him?”

Jiang Rongxuan nodded. “Yeah. I know him.”

“Then why do you call him ‘brother’?”

Jiang Rongxuan didn’t answer. Instead, he asked, “Brother, do you believe what he said?”

“What?”

“That I’m not as innocent as I seem. That everything I do for you has a motive.”

Li Sinian thought for a moment before answering, “I think anyone with eyes can make that judgment for themselves.”

“You seem like someone who’s done pretty well for himself in your career. And honestly, someone successful like that? It’s impossible they’d be some naive little bunny. Come on, even using a toe you could figure that out.”

Jiang Rongxuan nodded, then murmured almost to himself, “So what you’re saying is… you do believe I’m not a good person…”

Li Sinian frowned slightly.

That wasn’t what he meant at all. What he meant was that no one would believe Jiang Rongxuan was truly naïve or harmless—not even without Lin Yuan saying anything. That was just an objective truth.

Jiang Rongxuan wasn’t the type to have low emotional intelligence or say stupid things, but today… the things he asked, the way he phrased them, really rubbed Li Sinian the wrong way.

And he didn’t stop there.

“Then brother,” Jiang Rongxuan asked again, “do you think the way I treat you has an ulterior motive?”

A wave of discomfort surged up in Li Sinian’s chest. “Forget what I think for a second. Why don’t you answer honestly—does everything you do for me come with strings attached?”

This time, Jiang Rongxuan didn’t answer.

He pressed his lips together, looking at Li Sinian with an expression like he’d been wounded.
“So you just don’t believe me.”

Li Sinian let out a sharp laugh. He felt like Jiang Rongxuan was being especially… unreasonable today.

He said, “The fact that you’re unusually good to me is true. And it’s also true that you have no reason to be. So why wouldn’t I question your motives?”

Jiang Rongxuan lowered his eyes. After a moment, he replied, “I do have a reason for being good to you. But it’s not what Lin Yuan thinks. I would never hurt you.”

Then he looked up again. “Brother… do you believe me?”

His eyes shimmered, like misted glass, and when Li Sinian met that gaze, the irritation he’d been holding onto disappeared completely—replaced instead by a flicker of heartache.

Forget it. No matter how capable Jiang Rongxuan might act, he was still only in his early twenties. With a family like that, it made sense that he lacked a sense of security.

Li Sinian sighed, and his voice softened. “I believe you. I trust my own judgment. I know who’s genuine and who’s pretending.”

He felt like Jiang Rongxuan was being particularly stubborn today, caught in a loop that wouldn’t go anywhere. No point dragging it out. So he returned to the question from earlier.
“Why do you call Lin Yuan ‘brother’?”

Jiang Rongxuan countered, “What do you think?”

He must have sensed that Li Sinian wasn’t too pleased, because he quickly added, “I figured you’d be able to guess, brother.”

Li Sinian shook his head, half in exasperation, and shared his thoughts. “You said before that before returning to the Jiang family, you were treated like an illegitimate child. Later, your maternal family took you in and changed your surname to Jiang.”

“If I remember correctly, the Lin family has three children. Lin Yuan is the eldest. His younger siblings all call him ‘brother.’ And just now, so did you…”

“So—your father is Lin Wenshui?”

Lin Wenshui was Lin Yuan’s father—and the chairman of Songyuan Foods.

Jiang Rongxuan nodded. “Yeah.”

“Huh… so it’s true.” Li Sinian pressed on, “So that brother you said treated you badly before… that was Lin Yuan? And that abusive family? That was the Lin family?”

“Yes.”

“Oh—so we went to the same school, then.”

“We did.” Jiang Rongxuan’s gaze was locked onto him. “I was two years behind you. When you were a senior, I was just a freshman.”

Li Sinian nodded and was about to say, What a small world, when he suddenly froze—like something had just clicked.

He looked up, eyes filled with disbelief.

Jiang Rongxuan had once said he’d had a crush on someone for six years. A senior, two years older, who once stood up for him when he was being bullied…

And he’d admitted just now—his kindness toward Li Sinian did have a motive, just not the one Lin Yuan assumed…

Jiang Rongxuan saw the change in his expression and knew he was getting close to figuring it out. He smiled faintly and, at just the right moment, changed the subject. “By the way, brother, I looked into the story about your biological father. It doesn’t exactly match what Li Cheng said. In fact, I’d say it has nothing to do with it.”

Li Sinian had a strong suspicion he was the one Jiang Rongxuan had liked all these years, but seeing how calm he seemed now, he wasn’t so sure anymore.

Was he? If he was, why not just say it outright? But if he wasn’t, why did the description match so perfectly?

And it wasn’t something he could ask outright, either. What was he going to do—look Jiang Rongxuan in the eye and say: Hey, remember that guy you said you had a crush on for six years? That wouldn’t happen to be me, would it?

Whether Jiang Rongxuan said yes or no, it would be unbearably awkward.

Jiang Rongxuan watched as Li Sinian’s eyes darted around restlessly. After a while, he asked again, “Brother? Did you hear what I just said?”

“Huh?” Li Sinian blinked back to focus. “Oh, sorry, I zoned out. What did you say just now?”

Forget it, he told himself. Jiang Rongxuan wasn’t saying anything, so there was no point in overthinking it. If he ended up being wrong, it would be mortifying.

Jiang Rongxuan repeated himself. “What I found out is completely different from what Li Cheng said.”

That brought Li Sinian’s drifting thoughts back down to earth. “So… what is the truth?”

“According to what I’ve found, your biological father’s surname was Qin. He was smart and extremely gifted, but came from a poor background. His life was never easy—especially after getting involved with your mother.”

Jiang Rongxuan continued, “The most important detail? He died twenty-four years ago.”

Li Sinian’s eyes snapped to attention. “He died? Twenty-four years ago?”

That was the same year Li Cheng claimed his father had betrayed Lian Menglei.

Jiang Rongxuan nodded. “My information is accurate. He died exactly twenty-four years ago.”

“Your great-grandfather—your father’s grandfather—used to be a royal chef in the Qing court. The family wasn’t noble, but they lived quite comfortably.”

“When the Qing palace was turned into a museum, those chefs were dismissed. Your great-grandfather bought a house in a nearby county and settled there.”

“Thanks to his influence, your family were cooks for several generations. But your father was different—he was especially smart. He didn’t go into cooking. He chose academics instead.”

“He met your mother at Peking University. The school was holding a food festival, and thanks to the skills he’d picked up from his family, he won first place.”

“Your mother fell for him at that event. They had a long and passionate relationship. The Lian family disapproved of his background, but your mother stood her ground and eventually got her way.”

“You probably know what happened after that. There was an incident in the Lian family. Your mother had no other choice but to turn to Li Cheng. She and your father were separated for a year. When she came back, she believed your father had betrayed her.”

“But the truth is, he didn’t. Li Cheng told your father that your mother was unstable, suicidal even—and that it was all his fault.”

“Li Cheng said that if your mother was going to survive, your father had to disappear from her life completely. He even gave your father a script to follow.”

“I don’t know all the details, but your father was a very disciplined man. For him to go along with Li Cheng’s plan… Li Cheng must have pulled a lot of strings.”

“In the end, your father said some very cruel things to your mother—on purpose. Just to get her to give up.”

“She returned home, devastated. But he wasn’t doing any better. According to his old neighbors, your father spiraled after that. He quit his job, stopped going out. He drank all day. He was like a walking corpse.”

“Then one day, he disappeared. A month later, they found him dead at home. His body had already started to decompose. The whole place reeked.”

“Everyone said he died from alcohol poisoning. But as for the real cause… who knows? It’s been too long. His remains were cremated. There’s nothing left to investigate.”

Li Sinian stayed silent for a long time. Eventually, he nodded slowly.

“I understand. Thank you.”

“It’s nothing—just lending a hand,” Jiang Rongxuan said with a casual smile as he looked at him. “Brother, you’re not an illegitimate child. You’re the product of love between your parents. It was Li Cheng who swooped in and stole that love, who destroyed your family. It was never your fault.”

“Mm.”

There was still half the food left on the table, but it had already gone cold. It would need to be reheated before it could be eaten again.

Neither of them had much appetite anymore, though, so Li Sinian didn’t bother. He just packed the leftovers into the fridge.

It was getting late, and Jiang Rongxuan needed to head back. He said goodbye to Li Sinian and got ready to leave.

Li Sinian walked him out into the courtyard. Just as Jiang Rongxuan was about to turn and go, Li Sinian suddenly called out to stop him.

Jiang Rongxuan turned around. “What is it?”

Li Sinian asked, “Are you so determined to investigate my biological father because you used to be treated like an illegitimate child yourself?”

Jiang Rongxuan nodded. “Yeah. People always say kids are innocent—and they are. If there’s an illegitimate child, it’s the fault of the previous generation. Everyone knows that. But how many people can really separate the sins of the parents from the child?”

“I spent more than a year in the Lin family being treated like an illegitimate child. I know exactly what that label does to a person. That’s why I want the truth out. I don’t want you bearing the weight of a reputation you don’t deserve.”

“Thank you…” Li Sinian didn’t know what else to say, so he repeated it softly. “Thank you.”

Jiang Rongxuan gave a quiet laugh. “Aren’t I great?”

“You… You are.”

“I think so too,” Jiang Rongxuan murmured, then waved at him. “I’m heading out. Message me if anything comes up.”

“Okay.”

After seeing Jiang Rongxuan off, Li Sinian went back into the house and sat in a daze.

He’d meant to pull out his phone and play some games to pass the time, but for some reason, he just couldn’t concentrate.

One moment he was thinking about his origins, about how his tragic life had been shaped entirely by grudges from the previous generation, and how utterly blameless he was in all of it;
the next, he was thinking about how good Jiang Rongxuan had been to him—better than anyone he’d met in either of his lifetimes; then he wondered who Jiang Rongxuan secretly had feelings for; then he thought about what Jiang Rongxuan had said about his miserable year in the Lin household—just how bad had it been? Was that what had made him seem so mature now, like someone who had endured far too much too early?

The cheerful chime of his match-three game echoed through the living room as his thoughts drifted with the music.

At some point, without realizing it, he fell asleep.

Back in high school, Li Cheng had already been forcing him to study the company’s operations. Every weekend, he’d have to tag along to business banquets. Even though he was just a kid, still underage, he had to drink glass after glass at those tables—all under the guise of “learning how to socialize.”

His entire high school life had been crammed full of academics, work, extracurriculars, socializing, networking… everything. Every moment of his time was consumed.

He didn’t even remember what high school was supposed to feel like—only that he’d always been so, so tired.

But that night, a long-buried, barely remembered memory slipped into his dreams.

Back then, he and Lin Yuan had already been close. At school, Lin Yuan was the person he saw the most every day.

He remembered it happened right after a PE class. A group of them went to the campus convenience store to buy drinks. Lin Yuan had been joking and chatting with him—until his eyes caught sight of someone else. His whole expression darkened.

That was the first time Li Sinian had ever seen Lin Yuan act like a bully.

Lin Yuan bought a cup of hot milk tea, then called a few of his close friends over. Together, they cornered the boy who’d made him scowl and poured the steaming drink over his head.

Everyone at school knew Lin Yuan came from a powerful family. No one dared to interfere, much less report him to the teachers.

And no one dared to help the kid he was punishing either.

Li Sinian wasn’t the type to be overly sympathetic, but he genuinely hated people who abused their power.

He’d wanted to step in and help the boy drenched in milk tea. But then Lin Yuan had said that the kid was his father’s illegitimate child, the one who’d destroyed his family.

So Li Sinian had backed off.

Just like Jiang Rongxuan had said—everyone knew kids were innocent. But how many people could truly separate a child from their guilty parent?

Li Sinian didn’t help that younger student.

But fate seemed determined to throw them together. After school, when he stopped by the bathroom, he ran into the boy again.

The kid had stripped off his shirt and was scrubbing his blood-stained uniform in the sink.

Compared to that afternoon, he looked even more pathetic—bruised and battered, one eye swollen shut.

There weren’t many people around after class. As Li Sinian walked in, the boy lifted his head, and their gazes met in the mirror.

Despite how miserable he looked, the boy’s eyes were full of cold, sharp defiance. That glare wiped out any pity and left behind something closer to… unease.

Even back then, just a freshman, the boy already had eyes like that.

He seemed to recognize Li Sinian as one of Lin Yuan’s people. He gave a mocking curl of his lips, then lowered his head again and went back to washing his clothes.

Li Sinian stared at his back for a few seconds before turning and walking away.

He quickened his steps to the infirmary to grab some medicine. When he returned, the younger boy was just pulling on his still-damp clothes, ready to leave.

Good—he made it in time.

Without a word, Li Sinian shoved a handful of medicine packets into the boy’s arms.

The boy looked down at the bag in a moment of surprise. Then, without hesitation, he flung it aside as if it were the filthiest garbage he’d ever touched.

He said something then—Li Sinian couldn’t quite remember what—but whatever it was, it stung. The boy stepped around him, ready to walk away.

But Li Sinian felt a sudden surge of anger. He wasn’t sure if it was because of the boy’s attitude or the words he’d said—maybe both—but either way, it boiled over before he could stop it.

He grabbed the younger boy by the collar from behind and slammed him back against the wall, forcing the medicine bag back into his arms.

He said something too—he couldn’t recall the exact words anymore.

This time, the boy didn’t throw the medicine away. He held onto it and said nothing.

The dream moved in fragments after that—jumping from one scene to the next.

In one, he was on the rooftop of the school building, handing over a spare piece of cake he’d accidentally brought that morning. In another, he was placing a carton of milk on someone’s desk. Then there was the memory of passing medicine in a blind spot from the surveillance cameras.

The specific actions changed each time, and so did the things he brought—but the setting was always the same: somewhere within the school grounds.

Li Sinian’s memories of high school and college life were practically nonexistent. He couldn’t even remember the faces of teachers he rarely saw. Yet in this dream, everything came flooding back—the vividness of campus life that he thought he never had.

When he woke, he realized something: he had done more in school than he’d thought. He had memories—not just the weekends spent being dragged to drinking parties by Li Cheng, where he had to down glass after glass of liquor under the guise of “learning social etiquette.” Not just the nights he stayed up past one or two in the morning, forced to finish assignments while also handling company affairs.

He had pure, youthful memories, too.

Li Sinian sat up on the couch, the one he’d apparently crashed on the night before. His sleeping position had been awkward, and now his back and waist ached. Every little movement made his joints creak audibly.

His phone was still in his hand, but the screen had stayed lit all night, and it had shut off automatically once the battery died.

He plugged it in. As soon as it powered on, WeChat notification tones filled the quiet room.

He had a new friend request. The note read: “I’m Lin Yuan.”

Li Sinian was just about to hit “Reject” when another message popped up at the top of the screen.

It was from Li Wenxing. He said he wanted to meet and talk.

Li Sinian’s finger hovered above the “Reject” button, then shifted. He tapped “Accept” instead.

He backed out to the main chat list and messaged Li Wenxing: Where do you want to meet?

He didn’t really want to have anything to do with the Li family anymore.

But there was one thing he was curious about.

Why had Li Wenxing spent so long trying to take everything from him?

What was he really thinking?