Chapter 20: Returning to School
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Karai
Qinghu Garden.
Lin Lu wrapped herself in a blanket, looking like a little gypsy. She sat on the sofa, gloomily staring at the chandelier on the ceiling, just like Lin Su. But after five minutes, her neck began to ache unbearably. “No way, this is going to give me cervical spondylosis,” she muttered and changed tactics, clearing her throat. “I… feel… so… awful…”
Her voice trembled like a midnight thunder.
Lin Su put down the remote. “Want me to make you some brown sugar water?”
“I’m in the Yunlin stage, not on my period,” Lin Lu shifted closer, eyes sparkling. “Brother.”
Lin Su remained unmoved. “If you’re in the Yunlin stage, then go back to your room and sleep.”
“No way.” Lin Lu grabbed his shoulder firmly. “You can’t keep avoiding it. Just be honest — are you trying to make a move on Shi Ge?”
Lin Su immediately corrected her. “He’s the one making a move on me.” The order mattered. “Are you my sister, or his sister?”
Lin Lu had been brewing up a dramatic speech, but her brother’s blunt reply left her speechless for a moment before she finally said, “You said he was just a high school classmate, so how did this suddenly turn into ‘making a move’? Did you two have some grand romance back in school? Now it’s the seven-year itch of childhood sweethearts, breaking up and making up?”
Lin Su choked on the wild phrasing. “Is this how you media people do news?”
“Media are supposed to be truthful, accurate, objective, and fair. This is a reasonable inference within the rules.” Lin Lu thought it over and realized that all of her brother’s recent odd behavior started at the Shaya Yang concert — faking illness to join the group chat, then the fan meet-up, and before it even ended, whisking someone away to a hotel in the mist realm. Such rapid development would make for a TV drama that couldn’t even last three episodes without a happy ending. The time to save up the wedding gift money was running out!
So she stretched out her hands. “Give me a red envelope, and I’ll keep it from Mom and Dad. Otherwise, I’ll spill the beans immediately.”
Lin Su looked at her like, Oh my dear sister, what are you talking about? “Why hide it from Mom and Dad?”
Lin Lu suddenly lost her words. A hundred comments flashed through her mind, but none came out. Why hide it? Because you’re seeing someone! Can’t you respect societal norms a little? Usually, people like you have to go through the whole ‘guilty and hiding’ phase, biting the bullet before going public, and then parents fiercely objecting — okay?
Lin Su suggested, “You can call them now.”
Lin Lu firmly refused. “I’m not ready yet.”
Lin Su put his arm around her shoulder. “But the day will come. You have to face reality. Give me the phone, I’ll make the call.”
Lin Lu shook her head vigorously. “No, no, no. I need to think more! And can we follow the normal steps? You’re rushing to announce this romance, but I’m really not ready to play along. Shi Ge hasn’t even officially won you over. I think the longer this line holds, the better. Mom and Dad aren’t in a hurry.”
“Oh.” Lin Su stroked his little sister’s head with brotherly affection. “Alright, then go rest. The Yunlin stage needs plenty of rest. I’ll ask Aunt Li to cook for you later.”
“What about you?” Lin Lu asked.
“I’m going to the gallery.”
Lin Lu didn’t quite believe it — the workers had just delivered new designs at noon, so there was no need to visit again. But fearing that pressing further might uncover a date and have her brother lose himself in his shipper fantasies, she quietly held her tongue and went upstairs clutching her blanket. The Yunlin stage was unique to the White Dragon clan.
Their father was human, mother a White Dragon. Lin Lu was a dragon, while Lin Su, so far, showed no monstrous traits. Although some dragons didn’t grow horns until they were eighty, he still had to get annual checkups at Que Shan Hospital to prevent any sudden mutation.
Elsewhere, Shi Wenze had been stuck in meetings all day, only freed at 3 p.m. Que Shan Hospital was still crowded. Lan Weiwei and Xu You were talking secretly in the hallway, heads close together. Shi Wenze, perhaps because of his own scheming mind, saw romance everywhere and stepped forward, wrapping an arm around Xu You and resting the other on Lan Weiwei’s shoulder. “What’s going on?”
“Whoa, you scared me.” Xu You slapped his hand away. “How’s work on your end?”
“Could it be any other way? You can’t exactly hold a big award ceremony for something like this,” Shi Wenze said. “But judging by the fact that Director Zhou didn’t even open the report before praising your so-called ‘active social responsibility’ document as deep and comprehensive, I’d say he’s in a good mood.”
Xu You waved a finger. “You still haven’t memorized the full title of Guidelines for Actively Promoting the Adoption of New Security Devices to Accelerate the Construction of a Civilized and Orderly Shanhai Society? Anyway, since Director Zhou’s in a good mood, did he grant me a special few days off?”
“His exact words were that you can stay here but have to work remotely,” Shi Wenze replied. “When you get off work, run into Officer Yue. She said that Sen Ge is coming home the day after tomorrow and invited us all to her place for dinner this weekend.”
Sen Ge was Yue Xiaoyu’s husband — a former five-star hotel chef who quit to run a countryside farm stay and often invited colleagues over. Lan Weiwei slipped her hands into her white coat pockets. “The farm stay near Huaxiang?”
Shi Wenze asked, “Are you going? Officer Yue said to bring a few more friends to try the food.”
“I’d like to, but I have to work both weekend days,” Lan Weiwei said, pointing to the VIP ward behind her. “A silver shark just transferred to Ward 13. Supposedly a wealthy and high-status client from Tangchen Yipin, but with a terrible temper and tons of quirks. He was in Jincheng on a business trip two days ago and got caught in a chain-reaction crash. Maybe that’s why he’s in a bad mood. He’s been picking fights with nurses nonstop, and the chief wants me to monitor him 24/7.”
“What’s so special about Tangchen Yipin?” Xu You shook his head. “We have an Auntie Wang next door who owns half of Tangchen. She’s got life experience thicker than any dictionary. If you can’t handle that silver shark, I’ll have her teach you.”
Lan Weiwei scoffed. “Can you even buy half a place in Tangchen Yipin?”
“Only Tangchen, not Yipin. She’s on Tangchen Beijian every day,” Xu You corrected. “But if she went head-to-head with Tangchen Yipin, she’d have at least a 50/50 shot — unless the other side pulls out Jin Dong first.”
Lan Weiwei rolled her eyes and bumped the wall with her head. I really must be bored to be chatting with you.
Xu You asked Shi Wenze, “Dinner tonight?”
“No time,” Shi Wenze glanced at the clock. “I’ve got plans with someone else and need to leave by 4.”
After saying that, he stood cool and low-key, waiting for Lan Weiwei or Xu You to ask who it was he’d planned to meet — but no one showed interest. Dr. Lan headed off to rounds, while Xu You yawned. “You go ahead; I’m gonna hit the restroom.”
Shi Wenze thought, No one understands me in this world. But it’s okay — at least one person does. Later, Shi Wenze rode his motorcycle to Qinghu Garden right on time to pick up Lin Su.
The garage was empty — no Ferrari or Lamborghini, just a small icy-pink electric car, the one Lin Lu usually drove. Lin Su took his new helmet. “I told Du Siyue to take his cars away — easier to just taxi.”
Shi Wenze said, “If you need to go out, just call me anytime.”
“I was supposed to go to Luhu Scenic Area tomorrow, but not anymore.”
“Why go so far?”
Lin Su felt that explaining would make him sound dumb — actually, Du Siyue had forced him to go. Jiang Yuhao’s group was holding a fan signing event at Luhu.
“But Jiang Yuhao seems sick and might not show up,” Lin Su said. “I didn’t ask for details.”
Shi Wenze thought for a moment. “Is Jiang Yuhao from Hucheng? Lives at Tangchen Yipin?”
Lin Su reacted instantly. “His registered address is No. 11, North Alley 2, Liushu Third Street, Chengming District, Su City.” He really didn’t want to remember it, but Du Siyue kept repeating it like a broken record. Then he realized: “How do you know where Jiang Yuhao lives?” Don’t tell me you have other crushes besides Shaya Yang?
Shi Wenze quickly distanced himself to show his integrity. “No, I ran into a chain-reaction crash silver shark at Que Shan Hospital today and just casually asked. I’m not interested in him.” But why did you know Jiang Yuhao’s registered address? Is this fan behavior illegal now?
Neither of them had any real interest in Jiang Yuhao, so they tacitly agreed to drop the subject, hopped on their motorcycles, and got ready to eat. Their destination was Shanhai High School.
“Has it been renovated?” Lin Su hadn’t been back to the school in many years.
“A little, but not much has changed,” Shi Wenze said as he rode through the narrow alleys with him. “That stationery store in the back is still there. The Sichuan noodle shop too. The Japanese restaurant expanded once — now it has three floors.”
“What about your favorite barbecue stand?”
“Still there. Old Sun’s place is practically a local hotspot now.”
“Then let’s grab some barbecue. But first, let’s take a quick look at the school.”
“Sounds good.”
Shi Wenze parked the motorcycle outside the school gate. Since it wasn’t a holiday, outsiders couldn’t get in, so he led Lin Su around to the east gate. They climbed over a low wall and slipped inside.
Inside the campus, the sounds of students reading aloud filled the air. On the sports field, a class was doing gym activities. They couldn’t get into the classroom buildings, so they circled the gym and finally found the largest old tree on campus. Lin Su reached out and touched its trunk.
“I used to come here all the time to memorize my lessons,” he said, then pointed behind him. “And that’s where I’d see you sneaking in and out.”
Shi Wenze paused. “That’s the only image you have?”
“Otherwise, I’d be getting punished by Old Wang to sweep the playground,” Lin Su said, sitting on a bench beneath the tree, frowning slightly. “Since it happened so often, I always wondered — did you really not know the lessons, or did you just like sweeping the playground?”
Shi Wenze replied, “…I don’t like sweeping the playground. Really.”
Honestly, who would have a hobby like that? It sounded pretty weird.
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