BTMDY Extra 12

Lu Chengxuan knew his gift had missed the mark. Faced with Lin Shen’s cold indifference, he could only quietly retract his hand, pondering what he could do to make up for it.

 

From the moment he suddenly received the invitation to the party, he hadn’t been mentally ready to handle this.

 

A single longevity lock was the only thing he could bring that felt presentable.

 

Beyond that, he hadn’t even prepared a word of congratulations.

 

It wasn’t that he couldn’t think of anything—it was that he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

 

After a few awkward seconds, Xu Suinian gave a faint smile, closed the box, and slipped it into Lin Wangye’s coat pocket. He spoke gently, “Kids don’t understand—they only like things they can use. Thank you for taking the time to prepare this gift. I’ll make sure he keeps it safe.”

 

Earlier, Mr. Wang had been called away by someone else, leaving the area empty now.

 

Caught off guard like this, Lin Shen swallowed the teasing remark he had been about to make about ‘melting it into gold bars to buy a wife for the kid.’

 

Lu Chengxuan paused for a few seconds, silently grateful for Xu Suinian’s smooth intervention.

 

“Mm, thank you,” he said.

 

After Xu Suinian left with the child, only Lin Shen and Lu Chengxuan remained in the room. When Lu Chengxuan turned back, Lin Shen had already lit the cigarette Mr. Wang had given him not long ago.

 

The crystal chandelier scattered dazzling light across every corner.

 

Lin Shen lowered his eyes and leaned silently against the sofa. The cigarette rested between his fingers, while his other hand fiddled with the metal lighter, spinning it with the same familiar ease he had when twirling a pen back in school.

 

Listening to the crisp clicks as he snapped the lighter’s lid, Lu Chengxuan remembered that Lin Shen had always had little habits like this in school.

 

He’d rest his chin on his hand, repeatedly pressing the tip of a pen, or launch it at the ceiling from his desk when he was bored—often earning a scolding and a thrown chalk from teachers.

 

Fortunately, these unconscious habits hadn’t changed.

 

If they had, if his identity and appearance were different now, perhaps the two of them would no longer recognize each other.

 

Of course, such a scenario would never happen.

 

Yet in this moment, Lu Chengxuan still felt a quiet sense of relief.

 

Back on the sofa, they sat facing each other. Neither spoke, maintaining a shared silence almost instinctively.

 

Lu Chengxuan hadn’t expected their relationship to end up like this.

 

The last time they saw each other before he left the country was the day the college entrance exam results came out. Lin Shen had sent a photo of his score report, saying he’d been accepted to Ningchang University.

 

By then, his family had already lined up a school abroad.

 

To him, the college entrance exam results no longer mattered. After sending his congratulations in the chat window, he told Lin Shen the name of the school he’d been accepted to.

 

There was no reply at first.

 

A few hours later, he asked Lin Shen to meet up, and Lin Shen agreed.

 

They didn’t go anywhere special. They just wandered along the streets of this familiar city, aimlessly.

 

Maybe it was because he had already anticipated this outcome and was mentally prepared, but Lin Shen remained calm. He didn’t get angry. When they reached the entrance of a random supermarket, he bought a pack of cigarettes and silently listened as Lu Chengxuan talked about his plans for studying abroad.

 

For people like them, heirs to family businesses, going overseas and learning about foreign trade was beneficial. Most would choose to study abroad.

 

But Lin Shen didn’t.

 

He didn’t think domestic education was lacking.

 

He certainly didn’t think he was so incapable that staying home would doom his family’s business.

 

On top of that, he was in a cold war with his father. Going abroad would mean having to negotiate a truce, humbly asking for the high tuition and living expenses to be covered.

 

Lin Shen didn’t comment on Lu Chengxuan’s decision.

 

In fact, he barely spoke the whole time.

 

It wasn’t until Lu Chengxuan stumbled through conversations, finishing everything he wanted to say, that the two of them walked shoulder to shoulder in silence for nearly an hour. Finally, Lin Shen stopped at a bus stop.

 

He stubbed out his cigarette and tossed the empty pack from his pocket into the trash.

 

“How’d you do?” he asked.

 

Lu Chengxuan hadn’t expected this question after hearing nothing the whole way. After a brief pause, he gave a number.

 

His grades had always been steady, far higher than Lin Shen’s.

 

Getting into Ningchang University—and most of the other good schools in the country—wouldn’t have been a problem.

 

Lin Shen seemed like he had a lot to say, but in the end, he said nothing at all.

 

Those days, the weather had been grim, sudden rainstorms falling without warning.

 

Heavy, dark clouds rolled across the sky like a curtain, blotting out the sunlight, hanging overhead in a chaotic mass. The sky darkened in moments.

 

He said he had to go home for dinner and boarded the bus without another word.

 

The bus drivers in Ningchang drove like professional racers—every stop felt like a bomb was chasing them. Even when there were few passengers, the doors would close as they hit the gas.

 

In just a few seconds, Lin Shen was gone.

 

Not long after Lu Chengxuan left the country, Lin Shen’s father fell gravely ill.

 

Lu Chengxuan flew back in a single day but didn’t even get to see Lin Shen.

 

After that, Lin Shen never reached out first again.

 

There was no disgraceful farewell, no lost contact—yet everything had changed. Nothing anyone could do could reverse it.

 

Back in the banquet hall two years later, after Mr. Wang had left, Lin Shen clearly didn’t bother with polite small talk anymore. He just sat there, silently smoking, leaving the other person across from him without a single word.

 

It seemed that only at this moment did Lu Chengxuan truly realize how difficult it was to carry a conversation alone.

 

In the past, Lin Shen had always played this role.

 

He could talk about anything, endlessly rattling off trivial bits and pieces of his life. Even when he got little response, his energy never seemed to run out.

 

Lu Chengxuan’s father had once taught him that people don’t need to talk too much. Without purpose, communication itself is meaningless.

 

Now, on the other side, Lu Chengxuan discovered how unfair it truly felt to have a conversation without feedback.

 

After steeling himself and weighing his words, he finally spoke, using the quiet tone only the two of them could hear:

 

“Where’s the child’s mother?”

 

Lin Shen paused his fiddling with the lighter, turned it in his hand, and made no effort to hide anything.

 

“She died giving birth.”

 

Originally, Lu Chengxuan wanted to know what the child’s mother was like. Sure, he could have dug up the information by other means, but he wanted to hear Lin Shen say it.

 

Once this answer came, anyone with even a little social awareness would know not to ask further.

 

Even opening another topic became nearly impossible.

 

While Lu Chengxuan fell silent again, Lin Shen finished his cigarette. It seemed he had only intended to give Lu Chengxuan the time of one smoke. Once it burned out, he tossed it into the ashtray and stood, slipping the lighter into his pocket.

 

“There are quite a few guests. Excuse me,” he said.

 

Then he turned and left, just as Lu Chengxuan called out from behind.

 

“Lin Shen.”

 

He stopped, waiting for the other to continue.

 

Lu Chengxuan hesitated for a few seconds. Lin Shen didn’t look back. Staring at the familiar-yet-strange figure walking away, Lu Chengxuan, without thinking too much, said three words almost instinctively:

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

He didn’t know why he was apologizing, only that he felt he had to.

 

Lin Shen remained silent for a long time, then finally responded:

 

“It’s okay.” He paused briefly, then added, “You just gave a gift Xiao Lin didn’t like.”

 

With that, he lifted his steps and walked away without looking back.

 

That ‘I’m sorry’ was forced onto the issue of the first birthday gift.

 

Lu Chengxuan knew clearly he wasn’t willing to accept apologies in any other area.

 

After Lin Shen left, many people quickly approached Lu Chengxuan from all sides, turning what had been the most unremarkable corner into the liveliest spot in the banquet hall.

 

People surrounded him like stars around the moon, encircling the loneliest soul.

 

Meanwhile, Xu Suinian wandered casually through the hall, holding little Lin Wangye, accepting congratulations from guests. When the child began to look anxious from too many strangers crowding around, Xu Suinian left at the right moment, carrying him across the long corridor to sit by the hotel fountain, where few people passed.

 

Young children have delicate, sensitive skin, and Lin Wangye had always felt the edges and corners of the box digging uncomfortably in his pocket.

 

Earlier, he hadn’t been able to reach into the pocket, but now, sitting down, he finally freed his hands and pulled the box out, tossing it casually. The deep red little box splashed a few drops of water onto the surface of the fountain.

 

“Eh.”

 

Xu Suinian heard the splash and glanced over. The low ivory-white ledge around the fountain was suitable for sitting, but the pool itself was recessed, and though the box floated nearby, it was hard to reach while holding the child.

 

After a brief attempt, Xu Suinian looked down at the little boy in his arms, part amused, part exasperated, and gently poked his nose. In a soft voice, he asked,

 

“Baby, why’d you throw it away?”

 

Lin Wangye understood him and, patting his tummy, explained with a small pout, “Hurts.”

 

“Huh?” Xu Suinian didn’t understand at first. Concerned, he bent down to check, rubbing the boy’s stomach lightly. “Where does it hurt? Your tummy?”

 

The boy twisted his body, pointing at the box in the water, then patted his stomach again.

 

“Hurts.”

 

Xu Suinian finally realized and breathed a small sigh of relief. “Oh, so it was uncomfortable in your pocket, that’s why you threw it away.”

 

Lin Wangye nodded, then quickly shifted his attention elsewhere, stretching his hand toward the fountain’s high water jets. “Water! Fly water!”

 

Most likely, the term ‘fly water’ came from the word ‘airplane’ he had learned not long ago. Xu Suinian couldn’t help but smile, speaking softly,

 

“This kind of water that sprays up so high is called a fountain.”

 

The word ‘fountain’ was a bit tricky for a little over one-year-old to understand—he would at least need to know what a ‘spring’ was. But at this age, there was no need to fuss over exact meanings.

 

Hearing the word ‘fountain,’ Lin Wangye, still in the babbling stage, immediately tried to mimic it. From imperfect syllables to ‘pa-qu’ to ‘pen-qiu,’ the clever little boy soon managed to say the word ‘fountain’ correctly.

 

Moments like this called for praise. Xu Suinian’s eyes crinkled in a smile as he lifted the boy high into the air.

 

“Wow, so clever! You’re the smartest little baby in the world.”

 

Except for a few naturally timid kids, there’s no child who doesn’t love being lifted high.

 

Lin Wangye happened to be the brave type, and as his view expanded, he laughed joyfully in a stream of giggling sounds. His tiny, crisp voice carried far down the corridor. Xu Suinian soon heard the boy shout,

 

“Dad! Look at the fountain!”

 

Following the sound, Xu Suinian turned and saw Lin Shen walking from the far end of the corridor. First, he smiled broadly at his son, then sat down beside him.

 

Unintentionally, Xu Suinian seemed to catch a very soft sigh, followed by the faint smell of smoke.

 

He looked over and noticed that Lin Shen clearly appeared a little tired.

 

Because he had just smoked, Lin Shen didn’t sit too close and didn’t hold the child. Instead, he grabbed the little pom-pom under the hood of his jacket and swung it gently from side to side, teasing him.

 

“Tired?” Xu Suinian asked.

 

“Mm,” Lin Shen nodded, exhaling a long breath. “It was too stuffy inside. Needed to get some air.”

 

Xu Suinian acknowledged him with a nod. He knew that if Lin Shen didn’t speak voluntarily, he simply didn’t want to, so he didn’t press. Instead, he gave a subtle look toward the water behind him.

 

“Xiao Lin threw something in the water. I can’t reach it—can you grab it?”

 

“Oh, okay.”

 

With that, Lin Shen turned toward the pool. As he bent down, his eyes immediately landed on the box floating on the water, rocking gently with the ripples.

 

“Don’t want it.”

 

He withdrew his hand, nonchalantly sat back, and turned to look at Lin Wangye, finally showing a genuine smile.

 

“Good throw. That’s my son—well done. Really satisfying.”

 

Xu Suinian raised a brow slightly but said nothing. He simply bent down, cupped Lin Wangye, and handed him over.

 

“I’m going to the restroom. You watch him for a bit.”

 

“Alright,” Lin Shen said, but he didn’t reach for the child. Instead, he waved, “Put him on the ground.”

 

Lin Shen hadn’t hidden anything about his child from his friend.

 

It was just that Lin Wangye had been recovering at home and couldn’t see too many people. Xu Suinian was only seeing him for the first time today, after he had fully recovered.

 

He looked a little concerned and confirmed,

 

“Is it okay? He’s so little—can he walk?”

 

“He can. He walks well at home,” Lin Shen said. “He’s not exactly one year old—almost a year and a half, really. His bones are developing fine, a little walk won’t hurt.”

 

Hearing this, Xu Suinian finally relaxed and bent down to place Lin Wangye on the floor. Lin Shen held the child briefly, then let go.

 

Sure enough, the little boy could walk. His feet touched the ground, and he stood steadily.

 

Xu Suinian stood and searched for the restroom, walking to the fountain and bending down to scoop up the box, placing it next to Lin Shen.

 

Seeing the favorite uncle leave, Lin Wangye instinctively tried to follow. But just as he took a few little steps, his father pulled him back.

 

“Don’t run too far. Stay by me.”

 

The boy struggled, pointing at the distant figure and glancing back at his father.

 

“He’s just going to pee. He’ll be back soon,” Lin Shen said.

 

As soon as he heard this, Lin Wangye stopped worrying and crouched by the fountain, examining how the water could spray so high.

 

After Xu Suinian’s figure disappeared completely, Lin Shen finally lowered his eyes toward the box beside him. He stayed silent for a long while before opening it and taking out the small golden lock inside.

 

On the back was engraved the character ‘Lin’—not something bought casually at a jewelry shop.

 

Lin Shen held it in his hand, staring at it for a long moment, then turned to hang it around his son’s neck. After warming the little lock in his palm, he tucked it carefully into the collar.

 

“Keep it safe. If someday you accidentally run the company into the ground, consider this a token to ask for a few billion from him. That’ll work.”

 

Lin Wangye couldn’t understand a word he said, but he repeated after him.

 

“Work… work!”

 

Lin Shen couldn’t help but smile, lowering his eyes as if he were carefully thinking about something. After hesitating for a long while, he caught a glimpse of his son beside him and suddenly crouched down.

 

“Xiao Lin, do you remember that person with different hair?”

 

Lin Wangye blinked and nodded.

 

After confirming, Lin Shen pulled a card from his pocket, showed it briefly in front of the boy, and then tucked it into his pocket.

 

“Help dad with something. Give this to him.”

 

Although still young, the boy often watched his father work or make calls at home, so he completely understood what ‘help with something’ meant.

 

Receiving a mission from his father for the first time, the little boy’s big, round eyes lit up, and he clenched his tiny fists, eager to try.

 

“Okay!”

 

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