BTMDY Extra 25

Lin Shen said that just to tease his son—and it worked perfectly. He immediately started holding his stomach and laughing, so happy he could barely contain himself.

 

Sitting across from him, Lin Shen#’s eyes flicked to this familiar yet strange version of himself. Maybe it was that carefree laugh, so open and loud, that got to him. The corners of his lips, which hadn’t moved in what felt like forever, lifted on their own into the faintest smile. Then he lowered his eyes, as if finally letting something go.

 

Seeing that no one wanted to bring up the tense, ready-to-explode mess from earlier, Lu Chengxuan smoothly picked up the conversation and steered it toward their current situation. “Since we’re all here now, to avoid trouble or drawing attention, I suggest we don’t go out unless we have to. Especially… you guys without ID.”

 

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone looked at each other and nodded. No objections.

 

As ridiculous as it sounded, the six of them together could barely scrape up two valid IDs—Lu Chengxuan’s and Shi Yuan’s. As for the father and son pair, their household registration had already been canceled. If they ran into anyone familiar, it would be like bumping into a ghost.

 

Once he confirmed everyone was on board, Lu Chengxuan continued, “There are a lot of people living around here. Too many eyes. It’s already dark, and it’s getting colder lately. Let’s just make do for tonight. Tomorrow morning, I’ll take you to another property I own out in the suburbs. Fewer people there. Better environment too.”

 

“Okay, okay!”

 

Lin Wangye was the first to cheer him on. Then something hit him, and his eyes lit up like someone flipped a switch. “So if I’m technically a black card, does that mean I can just retire early and never work again?”

 

“Mm.” Lu Chengxuan nodded, then added, “But if you want to work, I can arrange something for you—”

 

Before he could finish, Lin Wangye waved both hands sincerely, shaking his head so fast it looked like it might fly off. “No, no, I don’t want to! You guys can support me! I don’t care! I just want to play!”

 

“Spend my inheritance? Stay home all day playing? No job, no social life, no going out? That’s not a life anyone should live,” Lin Shen said with a straight face. Just as Lin Wangye was about to argue, he suddenly changed his tone. “Damn. That’s basically a god’s life.”

 

The corner of Lu Chengxuan’s mouth curved up slightly, and he followed along. “Then it’s settled. I’ll handle the arrangements.”

 

Ever since earlier when Lin Shen# first saw Lu Chengxuan, he’d been curious. For years, the man had looked like he’d been welded into his work suit—always in a sharp business outfit, like he lived at the office. But today, he was dressed casually. Finally finding the chance, Lin Shen# asked, “You that free now? Not running the Lu family empire anymore?”

 

Lu Chengxuan explained calmly, “Most of the main affairs are handled by Lu Chengchen. There are a lot of capable people in the family who can help. I don’t really need to worry much anymore.”

 

After hearing that, Lin Shen immediately gave a thumbs-up.

 

“Lu Guoguo is amazing! Even back when he was a kid playing games, he’d always be upfront taking the hits for me. I knew he could handle things!”

 

“Brother Guozi is awesome!”

 

Lin Wangye chimed in like a little sidekick, cheering along.

 

“Time’s about right,” Lu Chengxuan said, flipping his wrist to glance at his watch. “There’s no food here, so I’ll have someone prepare some dinner and bring it over.”

 

“Ah!” Lin Shen interrupted suddenly.

 

Without a word, Lu Chengxuan understood immediately. “Don’t worry, I won’t let anyone in.”

 

“Good,” Lin Shen replied. Yawning, he stretched his limbs and let out a lazy stretch. “So tired… and sleepy. This has really worn me out.”

 

“What’s tired? What happened?” Lin Wangye asked, curious.

 

“Don’t even ask,” Lin Shen said, exasperated. “After I fell into the pit, I ended up in the Qing dynasty as the emperor. Every day, eyes open or closed, I had to deal with memorials. Finally, I made it to the time for choosing a consort, and just when I saw someone, I ended up here again. Really… speechless!”

 

At first, Lin Wangye thought he was joking. But seeing Lin Shen genuinely exhausted, not even in the mood to tease him, he realized it was true. He laughed at his misfortune at first, then felt a pang of sympathy.

 

“How did this happen? I just suddenly ended up here,” Lin Wangye pondered, then turned to ask Lu Chengxuan and Shi Yuan. “What about you guys?”

 

Shi Yuan said, “The moment I opened my eyes, I was in that study room.”

 

Lu Chengxuan replied, “A few dozen minutes ago, I recovered the memories of both timelines right in front of Lin Shen#.”

 

“That’s so weird,” Lin Wangye said, scratching his head, utterly puzzled. “I can’t seem to find any pattern.”

 

This made no scientific sense at all—there was simply no explanation.

 

Everyone fell silent, lost in thought, until Shi Yuan broke the quiet.

 

“Maybe it has something to do with what we’re fixated on… or our connection to this timeline?”

 

Lin Wangye thought for a few seconds, then smacked his forehead.

 

“That actually makes sense!”

 

“Bullshit!” Lin Shen cut in, exasperated. “You’re saying my obsession is… wanting to be emperor in the Qing dynasty?!”

 

Shi Yuan, studying his younger friend carefully, gave a small analysis of his mental state and concluded, “It’s not impossible.”

 

Lin Shen turned and glared at him, taking a deep breath.

 

“You—get out! I haven’t even gotten over you, that old cow eating young grass, trying to mess with my family and seduce my son!”

 

“Lin Shen, aren’t you tired?” Lu Chengxuan saw Lin Shen about to get worked up again. Pretending not to join the conversation, he spoke gently: “Go rest in your room.”

 

“Fine.” Lin Shen really was exhausted. Finally, he could skip work without guilt—he had been waiting for this. Stretching, he rose from the sofa. “I’m going to sleep.”

 

“Go ahead,” Lu Chengxuan nodded. “When you wake up, I’ll get you something to eat.”

 

Lin Shen nodded, turned to go upstairs, then suddenly remembered something. He spun back around and looked at Lu Chengxuan. “Today….”

 

But before he could finish, he caught sight of another version of himself sitting on the sofa. Words stuck in his throat, and he swallowed them without explanation.

 

Lu Chengxuan, waiting for him to continue, finally heard Lin Shen mutter,

 

“Never mind. Nothing.”

 

With that, Lin Shen went upstairs without another word.

 

Lu Chengxuan watched him disappear into the second-floor hallway. He didn’t follow, instead lowering his head to his phone to continue arranging dinner for the rest of the group.

 

With the last troublesome person gone, everyone’s mood stabilized, and the atmosphere became much more relaxed.

 

Lin Wangye and Shi Yuan had been together every day, but it had been a long time since he’d seen his father or Uncle Shi of this timeline.

 

When dinner arrived, Lin Wangye and Shi Yuan sat close together, mostly chatting and joking with the Lin Shen and Shi Yuan of this timeline.

 

Shi Yuan didn’t mind at all, listening curiously to stories he had never known.

 

Thinking about his father’s sudden death in his previous life, Lin Wangye felt uneasy and asked Lin Shen# in detail about his health.

 

Strangely enough, Lin Shen# had only lost consciousness because he felt unwell—but after arriving here, he felt completely fine, with no discomfort at all.

 

Seeing his dad looking much healthier than in his memories, and after Lu Chengxuan promised to arrange for foreign doctors to conduct a thorough checkup, Lin Wangye finally felt a weight lift off his shoulders.

 

After finishing dinner, everyone decided to rest early to prepare for tomorrow’s busy move to a new location.

 

The Lin family house was huge—plenty of rooms for everyone.

 

The master bedroom had already been claimed by the most stubborn person, but Lin Shen# didn’t care. He let it go, greeted everyone, and casually picked a guest room to rest in.

 

Lin Wangye, however, found himself in a dilemma over which room to choose.

 

One moment, he looked at the one who had shared mutual feelings with him since high school, loving each other all the way to now. The next moment, he looked at the one who had carefully stayed by his side as he grew up. Choosing either one risked hurting the other, and the guilt and pressure made him sweat profusely.

 

Reaching the second-floor hallway, the moment of decision finally arrived. Lin Wangye was completely flustered. Spotting Lu Chengxuan by chance, an idea suddenly struck him—he could secretly see what Lu Chengxuan would choose.

 

But to his surprise, Lu Chengxuan wasn’t conflicted at all.

 

He simply walked straight to the master bedroom where Lin Shen was, opened the door confidently, and went in.

 

Lin Wangye was left in utter chaos. Turning to look at the two people watching him, cold sweat practically poured down his back.

 

Of course, the other two couldn’t miss his feelings.

 

Though deep down they wanted Lin Wangye to care about them more, they didn’t want to make him feel any pressure.

 

This was Shi Yuan’s special indulgence toward Xiao Lin.

 

No matter how the timelines changed, this intention remained the same.

 

“You haven’t seen each other in a long time. Take some time to catch up,” Shi Yuan said first, casually opening the door of the guest room next to him. “I’ll go rest.”

 

“There’ll be plenty of time to catch up,” Shi Yuan# said. His tone was calm and generous, a faint smile on his face. “I’m sure you don’t want to be apart either. It’s fine—don’t overthink it.”

 

Shi Yuan said, “It’s okay. You must have a lot to talk about.”

 

Shi Yuan# added, “Leaving Xiao Lin to you doesn’t worry me at all.”

 

Shi Yuan hesitated. “I think maybe—”

 

Just as the two of them politely kept pushing the choice back and forth, Lin Wangye, who had been watching from the side, finally got unhappy. He crossed his arms, frowned, and complained,

 

“Huh? What do you mean?! You both don’t want me?! I thought you were going to fight over me!”

 

“What’s there to fight over?”

 

Shi Yuan# smiled, lifting a hand to rub his hair gently.

 

“Whoever Xiao Lin wants to stay with is fine. Really. It doesn’t matter.”

 

Hearing that he had to choose, Lin Wangye panicked again.

 

He drooped his head and shook it rapidly, playing dumb. “I’m a daddy’s boy, I can’t choose! I’ll go ask my dad.”

 

“All right, all right,” Shi Yuan said gently, grabbing his chin to stop him from wobbling around and possibly making himself dizzy. “Just pick whoever, no pressure.”

 

Lin Wangye thought for a while, then his eyes lit up with an idea.

 

“Then you two play rock-paper-scissors! Whoever wins picks!”

 

The two of them exchanged a glance and readily agreed.

 

Just a minute ago, they had been politely yielding to each other. Now, with just a simple game, they suddenly became serious.

 

Lin Wangye was fully focused on his hands and didn’t notice the silent battle going on between their exchanged glances. He just kept calling it out.

 

“Rock, paper, scissors! Huh? Again!”

 

“Rock, paper, scissors! Ah—why is it the same again?”

 

“Rock, paper, scissors!”

 

“Rock, paper—!”

 

After several rounds, the gestures they threw somehow kept matching perfectly every single time.

 

By the end, Lin Wangye’s throat was sore from shouting. He stared at them with deep resentment. “I seriously think you’re doing this on purpose. Forget it, I’m going to sleep with my dad.”

 

“Alright, stop overthinking it.” Shi Yuan somehow pulled out a coin and handed it to him. “Flip a coin. The side with the year is me. Fair and square.”

 

“That works!”

 

Lin Wangye took the coin and tossed it up without hesitation.

 

The coin spun rapidly in midair, then landed neatly in his palm.

 

He opened his hand—the side with the year was facing up.

 

Shi Yuan# didn’t argue at all. He gently patted Lin Wangye on the head. “Alright, it’s finally decided. Go get some sleep.”

 

Lin Wangye was reluctant, but he respected the randomness of the coin. He looked at him longingly.

 

“Good night, Uncle Shi. Sweet dreams.”

 

“Good night, Xiao Lin. Sweet dreams.”

 

Once Shi Yuan# turned and walked into the opposite guest room, closing the door, Lin Wangye turned back to look at the person smiling at him beside him, feeling a little guilty.

 

He moved closer, hugging Shi Yuan’s arm as they walked into the room together. One second he was still racking his brain trying to figure out how to explain himself—

 

The next second, he was pushed backward, his back pressed tightly against the door.

 

A warm kiss landed at the corner of his eye, light and soft at first, then slowly moving downward—until it fell hard against his lips, sealing off his breath.

 

The gentleness at the start felt like it was meant to comfort him.

 

The slight loss of control at the end, though, felt more like Shi Yuan was trying to calm himself.

 

They spent every day together, close enough to hear each other breathe. How could Lin Wangye not understand him?

 

He closed his eyes, trying to respond. After the deep, unrelenting kiss, he felt himself being pulled firmly into Shi Yuan’s embrace. Whispered words tickled his ear.

 

“I overestimated myself. I’m even more jealous than I thought.”

 

Lin Wangye wasn’t surprised by this at all.

 

He even knew that Shi Yuan probably wanted to ask who he loved more. But to avoid putting Lin Wangye in a difficult spot, he had suppressed his feelings, pretending everything was normal.

 

In the darkness, Lin Wangye’s dark eyes shone brightly.

 

He tilted his head to meet Shi Yuan’s gaze, reached up, and touched his face. “Xiao Lin loves you because it’s you. Just you.”

 

The love in a young boy’s eyes was always sincere and passionate.

 

Shi Yuan lowered his eyes, covering the hand that stroked his cheek with his own, but he couldn’t help the small smile that curved his lips. “Just one sentence, copy-paste, and you make both of us happy… completely unreasonable.”

 

Lin Wangye knew he was joking and felt lighter. He hugged him and pressed his face against Shi Yuan’s chest, nuzzling gently. “If you ever feel uncomfortable, don’t hold it in for me. Don’t force yourself. If you’re unhappy, I’ll be unhappy too.”

 

Shi Yuan’s tone was gentle. “I know.”

 

“What do you know!”

 

Satisfied that he had calmed him down, Lin Wangye finally dug up some old ‘grudges’ from a few minutes ago. Pretending to be angry, he pushed him away, withdrew, and walked into the room, coldly saying, “Just now, you two were kicking me like a ball! Do you really not want me with you? If I didn’t pick you, wouldn’t your jealousy explode?”

 

Shi Yuan hurried after him, his tone completely sincere.

 

“I really meant it at the time.”

 

Lin Wangye looked half-believing, half-doubtful. “Huh? You trusted me that much?”

 

“Not that I trusted you.” From an angle Lin Wangye couldn’t see, Shi Yuan’s smile suddenly took on a deeper, almost teasing meaning. “I just trusted him enough.”

 

Before Lin Wangye could fully process what that meant, he was lifted off the ground, carried horizontally in the crook of Shi Yuan’s arms, and gently laid down on the bed.

 

“Again today? There are so many people in the house… I’d feel a little embarrassed, what if… hmm….”

 

***

 

Lin Family Villa, master bedroom, 3:30 a.m.

 

Lin Shen woke up in this extremely awkward hour.

 

Half-asleep, he habitually reached for the person next to him. Then, with a practiced roll, he pressed his arms and legs over the other, comfortably settling in.

 

Lu Chengxuan wasn’t a heavy sleeper and soon opened his eyes.

 

Seeing Lin Shen awake, he switched on the lamp in the darkness and sat up, sheets around him. His voice was low and smooth: “Up for some late-night snacks?”

 

Of course, Lin Shen was hungry—he hadn’t eaten anything before sleeping.

 

He murmured in agreement, squinting slightly, and froze for a moment when he noticed the layout of the room. Then, memories of what had happened before he fell asleep came rushing back. He shot upright in a sudden sit-up.

 

Lu Chengxuan, knowing he was rebooting his brain, said nothing and got out of bed to prepare snacks.

 

While putting on clothes, he suddenly heard Lin Shen’s voice behind him.

 

“Why are you in my room?”

 

Lu Chengxuan turned as he buttoned his shirt, looking at him calmly. “If not here, then where else?”

 

Hearing that, Lin Shen felt an inexplicable sense of relief in his chest.

 

But his face didn’t show it—he crossed his arms, deliberately teasing. “Don’t tell me the other me doesn’t like you, so you came to find me instead.”

 

Lu Chengxuan knew Lin Shen was just joking.

 

But after a brief pause, he looked at him seriously.

 

“Lin Shen… do you think love can disappear?”

 

Lin Shen had no idea why this guy suddenly went emo in the middle of the night.

 

Scratching the back of his head in confusion, he seriously wondered if the stacked memories from two timeline jumps had fried Lu Chengxuan’s brain.

 

Lu Chengxuan had promised Lin Shen he’d never lie to him, so he answered honestly.

 

“He said what he feels for me now is just obsession. Not love.”

 

The moment he heard the key word ‘he,’ Lin Shen dropped his joking tone. After a few seconds of silence, he still couldn’t help but laugh, raising an eyebrow at him. “So you actually got shut down by him. What are you, three years old? Feeling wronged so you came to me to comfort you?”

 

“I’m just… confused,” Lu Chengxuan said quietly. “I never let go of this relationship from beginning to end. But not long ago, you told me yourself that the you in the future no longer loves me. I don’t know how I’m supposed to…”

 

At that point, Lu Chengxuan hit a wall he’d never faced before. His words stopped halfway, and no matter how long he waited, nothing more came out.

 

Lin Shen was a little surprised.

 

Even Lu Chengxuan had moments where he couldn’t put things into words.

 

And yet, even like this, Lin Shen still understood exactly what he meant.

 

For once, Lin Shen turned serious. Sitting cross‑legged on the bed, he looked straight at him.

 

“Love was never something fixed. It can fade, grow, change directions—all of that can happen. Lu Chengxuan, like you see now, my love can disappear. But right here, right now, I still love you. As long as we treasure this love and take care of it properly, it won’t lessen.”

 

Lu Chengxuan met his gaze. After a moment, he nodded.

 

“Okay.”

 

Finally finding an opening, Lin Shen went straight into complaining mode, words firing off like a machine gun.

 

“Then can you please learn something from Xu Suinian and pick up a bit of romance? At least stop making me remind you about surprises on Valentine’s Day, Qixi, and wedding anniversaries. You’ve got such a good brain—use it! Have some flair! You’re boring all day long, so I can only pick fights and threaten divorce just to feel something! Life is so dull—it’s less fun than going to work!”

 

“I did prepare something before,” Lu Chengxuan tried to defend himself. “But you went and asked Lin Wangye about my plan in advance, then said it wasn’t surprising enough and told me to save my energy and stop embarrassing myself next time.”

 

Realizing he was in the wrong, Lin Shen immediately got embarrassed and angry.

 

“And you’re still talking back to me!?”

 

Lu Chengxuan immediately got the hint and lowered his voice. “Don’t be mad. I’ll remember next time.”

 

Lin Shen wasn’t actually mad at all. Hearing that, he naturally lifted his face and pretended to be annoyed, letting out a cold snort and making it obvious: “You know how to make me calm down.”

 

Lu Chengxuan paused for a few seconds, seemed to sigh softly, and obediently said, “Husband.”

 

Lin Shen instantly lit up.

 

“Get your husband something to eat. I’m starving.”

 

Lin Shen hid the corner of his mouth to cover the grin tugging up uncontrollably, swung his legs off the bed, and muttered to himself as he walked toward the kitchen.

 

“At this age, why are you still arguing over love and hate like this every day? Haven’t you noticed that the other me only looks gentle when he’s looking at Xiao Lin? When he looks at us—or Xu Suinian—it’s like we’re idiots. Stop poking him. I still need to spend his inheritance.”

 

As dreams and reality overlapped, sunlight pierced the window sill and spread across every corner of the villa.

 

Lin Wangye and Lin Shen liked sleeping in. Even after everyone else was already awake, they hadn’t stirred, still buried under blankets, heads covered, deep in sleep.

 

Lu Chengxuan had left early to make preparations for today’s move.

 

When Shi Yuan# came downstairs, Lin Shen# and Shi Yuan were already sitting at the table having breakfast. They greeted him as he approached.

 

Seeing a computer in front of Lin Shen#, Shi Yuan# tensed slightly. But when he got closer and saw he was just catching up on the news, keeping up with what had happened over the years, and not diving into work, he relaxed. He turned and scooped a bowl of porridge from the kitchen.

 

Once Shi Yuan# sat down, Shi Yuan pushed the dishes closer and asked,

 

“Xiao Lin said you’re taking medicine—are you feeling okay?”

 

“Nothing serious,” Shi Yuan# replied. “Heart problems need heart medicine… I’ll be fine soon.”

 

Shi Yuan offered a suggestion. “Yesterday you said you wanted to go home to get some documents. I can go instead. You should rest more. Then when Xiao Lin wakes up, you can spend some time with him. He’s been learning an instrument and wants to play for you. Look, Lu Chengxuan had the guitar delivered first thing this morning.”

 

Shi Yuan# glanced at the guitar case not far away. “Xiao Lin can play guitar now?”

 

“Yeah, he’s been practicing for a while. I’ll go pack my things, you play with him.”

 

“Sounds good.”

 

They finished their conversation pleasantly, eating breakfast while going over the house address, the list of things to take, and where everything was.

 

Lin Shen# listened with one ear but didn’t really feel like getting involved.

 

After breakfast, Shi Yuan put on a mask and went out. The two of them looked so similar that even with masks on, nobody could tell them apart.

 

Around ten o’clock, Lin Wangye woke up.

 

Stretching lazily, he went downstairs and immediately spotted Lin Shen# using the computer in the living room, and Shi Yuan# studying guitar from a tutorial video on TV.

 

“Huh? Where’s Brother Lu and Shi Yuan?”

 

He paused, sensing something was off, and corrected himself.

 

“Uh… where’s Xiao Shi Yuan?”

 

Lin Shen# raised his eyes and smiled, and Shi Yuan# returned the smile.

 

“Lu Chengxuan went out for some errands. Xiao Shi Yuan went to get something from my place.”

 

“Oh~”

 

Lin Wangye didn’t ask further. His attention was immediately caught by the guitar in Shi Yuan#’s hands. Like a little kangaroo, he bounced down the stairs.

 

“Good morning, Dad! Good morning, Uncle Shi! Want to hear me sing?”

 

Lin Shen#’s care for the child was no less than other fathers, but objectively speaking, he hadn’t spent much time accompanying him.

 

In his previous life, Lin Wangye didn’t know how to play instruments, and neither Lin Shen# nor Shi Yuan# had ever heard him play guitar. As soon as Lin Wangye ran over, Lin Shen# closed his laptop and shifted his full attention to the boy, nodding with delight.

 

“Sure.”

 

Lin Wangye took the guitar from Shi Yuan# and sat on the sofa. As he leaned down to test the sound, a few faint, suggestive red marks appeared on his neck, clearly visible to the two sitting opposite him.

 

Lin Shen# cleared his throat and cast Shi Yuan# a meaningful glance.

 

Shi Yuan#’s eyebrows twitched. He coughed twice but said nothing.

 

No one understands a person better than themselves.

 

The two Shi Yuans were different in age and experience.

 

Their past experiences didn’t completely overlap.

 

But when facing each other, they could read one another like an open book. Even the thoughts buried deep in their hearts could be understood with just a single look.

 

At the end of the day, they were the same person.

 

Shi Yuan knew that if it were himself separated by a 19-year age gap, he wouldn’t necessarily be able to calmly accept Lin Wangye’s feelings.

 

Shi Yuan# also knew that if he weren’t bound by ethics or morality, facing Lin Wangye’s burning love would have him falling for it in an instant.

 

Last night, that polite yielding wasn’t just for show.

 

They both knew exactly what the other would do and wouldn’t do.

 

So in wanting Lin Wangye to be with himself, they were also willing to allow the other version of themselves to have his time.

 

At this moment, Shi Yuan# taking Lin Shen#’s sharp glances for the other self hardly felt unfair.

 

The guitar Lu Chengxuan had sent Lin Wangye wasn’t cheap, so the sound quality was naturally flawless. Lin Wangye didn’t know many songs well enough to play blindly, but for these two, it was more than enough.

 

Thinking that, he gently flicked his wrist and brushed across the strings. After playing a short intro, he lifted his eyes to look at Lin Shen#.

 

“These are the words from my father’s diary,

The prose his life left behind.”

 

He began singing a song about a father, his voice steady as his fingers moved across the strings. When the song ended, Lin Shen# sat in silence for a long while. Only when Lin Wangye eagerly shouted, “So? So? How was it?”—clearly fishing for praise—did Lin Shen# finally curve his lips and nod.

 

“It’s way better than I imagined.”

 

“Right? Right?” Lin Wangye beamed with pride, holding out his hand to show his fingers. “It was so painful when I first started—pressing the strings hurt so much. I even got calluses! Look, look!”

 

Lin Shen# examined his hand carefully, then couldn’t help but frown at the unnecessary suffering the child had endured. “If it hurts, don’t play anymore.”

 

“It’s fine! Once the calluses form, it doesn’t hurt! I’ll play a song for Uncle Shi.”

 

Saying that, Lin Wangye grinned from ear to ear, turned to Shi Yuan#, and strummed the strings.

 

“You’re the one I miss every night and day,

The one I love so deep —

But how do I even say it?

Will he… accept me…?”

 

Fingertips lightly brushed the guitar strings, and Lin Wangye’s clear, delicate voice floated slowly through the room.

 

Shi Yuan# sat quietly, listening intently until the last note. When the song ended, he lowered his gaze, avoiding Lin Wangye’s eyes for a moment. Then he lifted his head and tugged the corner of his mouth into a gentle smile.

 

“That was really beautiful.”

 

Lin Wangye hadn’t meant to prove anything with the song or make a declaration—he had simply wanted to sing it for him.

 

The two exchanged a smile, and then a soft cough, carrying a hint of a reminder, caught their attention.

 

Lin Shen#, whose fatherly feelings had been stirred to life by the song about the father, had them forcibly pushed back by the antics of these two, and he lowered his head sharply.

 

But his personality now was much calmer than when he was younger.

 

If it had been the other Lin Shen, he’d probably be yelling by now.

 

Just then, a familiar voice came from the second-floor hallway.

 

“Seriously, when you play guitar, could you at least think about the dad who’s trying to sleep? Showing off so early in the morning, you just had to wake me up. Their lives matter, but mine doesn’t, huh?”

 

“It’s practically noon! I was just calling you to eat!” Lin Wangye quickly found an excuse, speaking with full confidence. “Most people don’t get the Xiao Lin wake-up service. You should feel lucky, Old Lin!”

 

“Whatever…”

 

At last, everyone was fully awake.

 

After breakfast, Lin Wangye and Lin Shen finished eating, and Lu Chengxuan and Shi Yuan returned almost simultaneously.

 

The car was already ready, and without wasting time, everyone set off.

 

The property Lu Chengxuan had mentioned was in the suburbs. It wasn’t exactly remote, but it was far from the noisy city center, nestled on the coast by mountains and water.

 

“Wow! What a big yard!”

 

“There are fish in this pond too!”

 

Lin Wangye leapt out of the car, cheering, and ran straight to the small garden filled with plum trees, circling it once before rushing to the swing under the locust tree. He pumped himself high into the air, laughing with delight.

 

The traces of life in this yard clearly showed someone had been living here, and Lin Shen quickly sensed that something wasn’t quite right. He felt a little puzzled.

 

Most of the decor looked normal, but the swing stood out completely—it didn’t match Lu Chengxuan at all.

 

He frowned and turned to Lu Chengxuan.

 

“This is your place, right? Why would you put a swing in the house?”

 

Lu Chengxuan replied calmly, “This yard was bought when Lin Wangye turned one. I thought a child might like a swing, so I put it in. It just… never got removed.”

 

Hearing this, Lin Shen# glanced sideways at him. His eyes quietly settled on Lu Chengxuan, lips moving slightly, but he didn’t say a word.

 

When faced with regrets, people always feel crushed, as if they could shatter at any moment.

 

It turned out that in places he never knew about, Lu Chengxuan had planned a future that included him.

 

But the world’s cruel twists of fate came one after another.

 

That heavy pride—Lin Shen had stubbornly refused to let it go.

 

And Lu Chengxuan’s natural dullness with emotions made all his quiet efforts seem clumsy, unseen.

 

In that long tug-of-war, they had both lacked honesty and courage.

 

Luckily, now, every regret finally had a chance to be mended.

 

Lu Chengxuan hadn’t lost the capacity to love—he had even learned how to love.

 

He still had plenty of time to reclaim the joys that had been lost in his life.

 

Under the swing, Lin Wangye soared higher and higher, eyes lifted toward the treetops where startled birds flew, and shouted out the door in a loud, excited voice.

 

“Brother Lu, I want a dog! And a cat too!”

 

“You little brat, always trying to squeeze the two of us dry,” Lin Shen laughed and scolded. “Why don’t you go ask Xu Suinian instead?”

 

“He can only raise me, not allowed to raise anything else!”

 

“Fine, fine. You’ve thought this through.”

 

The Chinese-style courtyard was simple and spacious. The tiled roofs with antique-style decor felt like a page from an old memory, lightly turned by the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees.

 

Everyone’s eyes focused on Lin Wangye, smiles tinged with the same indulgent love.

 

“Brother Lu, buy me a cat!”

 

Lu Chengxuan set down the last suitcase and looked at him, bathed in the soft sunlight.

 

“Okay.”

 

The leaves rustled, singing a blessing carried by the gentle breeze.

 

Life is short, but the days ahead are long.

 

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Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters.  (๑>ᴗ<๑)