AITFYMIBP Chapter 88

TL: Hua

After returning home, Lin Yanran flew to Australia with his family.

Even though the timelines were different, Lin Yanran found that his family’s habits remained the same as before.

For instance, every winter, the whole family would fly to a warmer climate—sometimes within the country, sometimes to Southeast Asia, and sometimes to the Southern Hemisphere.

They wouldn’t return until the weather warmed up.

Of course, a major reason they used to fly to these places was that he was sensitive to the cold.

He remembered getting sick for a long time during a cold winter as a child, and ever since then, his family has always accommodated him.

His family’s habits aligned so perfectly with his own memories that he occasionally struggled to distinguish reality from illusion.

Lin Yanran wanted to figure out what was going on, but the clues were too few.

However, his intuition told him that those forgotten memories were the key.

If he could remember them one day, everything might finally make sense.

This time, they were vacationing at an Australian estate. It was massive, spanning nearly 80 acres.

As the helicopter flew over the estate, Xie Roufei gently patted Lin Yanran’s shoulder.

“Ranran, look down.”

Lin Yanran looked out the window and saw two lines of text mowed into the massive lawn.

[Ranran, Welcome Home!]

Below it was the same message written in elegant English calligraphy.

It was summer in the Southern Hemisphere, and with the sun shining on the lush green grass, the words seemed to glow brilliantly.

Looking at the welcome message, Lin Yanran was deeply moved.

He looked at his beloved family and whispered, “Thank you.”

“We were in such a rush to find you before that we didn’t have time to prepare anything,” Lin Yanhui said, looking at his son’s face with a lingering sense of guilt.

When they brought him home, there had been no grand ceremony or overflowing displays of affection.

Although he knew his child was independent and needed emotional care more than material compensation, they had lost him for twenty-two years. He and his wife didn’t say it aloud, but they both felt that no matter how they compensated Ranran, it would never be enough.

The helicopter landed on the estate’s helipad, where two Rolls-Royce Cullinans were already waiting.

Even though the entire estate belonged to the Lin family, the helipad was quite far from the villa, so a car was necessary.

Although Lin Yanran had been to Australia many times, he had never been to this particular estate.

After driving for a while and passing through a rose grove, they arrived at the central villa.

The estate’s butler, nannies, and gardeners were dressed in their finest attire, lining up at the entrance to welcome them.

As Lin Yanran approached the door, the butler placed a hand over his chest and greeted him with a polite, warm smile in Mandarin: “Young Master, welcome home.”

Built in 1922, the estate carried an air of ancient elegance, a testament to the passage of time. However, the integration of modern decor and high-end technology gave the historic space a renewed sense of vitality.

After the butler showed him to his room, Lin Yanran sent a quick message to Gu Siye to let him know he had arrived safely before heading for a shower.

Once he had freshened up, the butler drove Lin Yunzhe and Lin Yanran around the grounds in a car so that Yanran could familiarize himself with the environment.

As they passed the stables, Lin Yanran was struck by a wave of nostalgia.

Before he had transmigrated into the book, his grandfather had owned a similar estate—though not quite as large—which also featured a racecourse.

His older brother loved riding and would often take him along when they were children.

He was very, very young when he first rode a horse.

His older brother insisted on carrying him while they rode.

Their parents and the trainers were worried about potential accidents, but his brother had looked everyone in the eye with total confidence.

“I’m the big brother. I will definitely protect my little brother, even if it costs me my life.”

When Lin Yanran grew up and heard his parents recount that story, he thought the line was a bit melodramatic—but he also thought it was incredibly cool.

“Please stop here for a moment.”

The butler parked by the stables, and Lin Yunzhe stepped out of the car.

He had changed out of his usual formal suit into casual wear.

Noticing the eager glint in Lin Yanran’s eyes as he looked at the horses, Lin Yunzhe asked, “Do you know how to ride?”

Before Lin Yanran could answer, Lin Yunzhe added, “It’s okay if you don’t. Big brother will teach you.”

Lin Yanran looked at him with a beaming smile. “Brother, you already taught me. You’re the one who showed me everything I know about riding.”

Lin Yunzhe raised an eyebrow. Though he hadn’t lived through those specific memories, he felt a deep sense of satisfaction knowing that he and his brother shared such a history.

After deciding to ride, the two brothers changed into their gear.

In front of the stalls, Lin Yanran’s eyes landed on a sleek, coal-black English Thoroughbred. He walked up to the horse and greeted it.

“What’s your name?”

Lin Yunzhe followed his gaze and answered for the horse. “Its name is Sunny.”

Seeing that the horse did not show any aversion, Lin Yanran continued to talk to it, “Hello, Sunny.”

“Want to take it for a spin? Sunny seems to like you.”

Lin Yanran nodded.

With a graceful leap, Lin Yanran mounted the horse. The trainer led Sunny for a short distance at first, but once he saw that Yanran was a skilled rider and that the horse was comfortable, he let go of the reins.

It had been a long time since Lin Yanran had ridden with his brother. Watching Lin Yunzhe keeping pace beside him, he turned and challenged him: “Brother, want to race?”

Lin Yunzhe gave a sharp, handsome nod and immediately surged ahead.

“Then I won’t go easy on you.”

Lin Yanran smiled and chased after him.

“I’m not a bad rider myself.”

The two brothers compared their skills against each other, chasing one another and galloping freely as if they had let loose, running with great joy.

After getting tired from riding, Lin Yunzhe handed his horse to the trainer but walked to the front of Sunny to take up the reins.

He walked ahead, accompanying Lin Yanran on a stroll.

The setting sun stretched the shadows of the two brothers very long.

One sat atop the horse, beautiful and proud.

One held the reins, doting and indulgent.

After walking for a distance, Lin Yunzhe asked in a low voice, “Yanran, can you tell me about our experiences growing up together? Although I didn’t truly accompany you as you grew up, I hope I can possess these beautiful memories.”

In a way, this could be considered a means to make up for some of the regrets of the past.

Looking at Lin Yunzhe’s back, a surge of emotion and warmth flowed through Lin Yanran’s heart.

After slowly sharing some fun stories from the past with Lin Yunzhe, the butler informed them with a smile that it was time to eat.

Lin Yunzhe turned around, took out his phone to snap a photo of Lin Yanran on horseback, and then took a commemorative photo of the two of them together.

Lin Yanran sent one of the photos of himself riding to Gu Siye.

“Teacher Gu, I miss you.”

On the night of New Year’s Eve, the Lin family’s feast was very sumptuous.

The family was finally reunited, and Lin Yanhui even brought out red wine that had been treasured in the cellar for a long time, happily drinking many glasses in a row.

Seeing his father so happy, Lin Yanran also accompanied him for several glasses.

However, his alcohol tolerance was not good, and his head felt dizzy the entire time after the banquet ended.

Lin Yanran wanted to sleep, but because there was a time difference between his home country and this location, he kept enduring it, wanting to wait until midnight to send New Year’s blessings to Gu Siye.

But as he lay on the bed, his eyelids kept fighting to stay open, so he could only take out his phone and stare at Gu Siye’s contact info over and over.

As the New Year countdown approached, a message from Gu Siye suddenly jumped onto the phone screen.

Moon: The New Year gift has arrived by mail; please check and accept it, Teacher Yanran.

Lin Yanran, who was originally so drowsy he was about to fall asleep, suddenly lost all sleepiness after seeing these words.

He looked at the starry sky outside the window, feeling somewhat puzzled.

Light: There are still couriers delivering packages this late?

Moon: Yes.

Moon: Because it is a gift for Teacher Yanran, there is.

Moon: Do you want to come out and sign for it?

When Lin Yanran saw this final sentence sent by Gu Siye, his heartbeat suddenly accelerated significantly.

In that instant, he suddenly understood the meaning behind Gu Siye’s words.

Consequently, he clutched his phone, jumped off the bed, and ran directly downstairs.

The villa was still a long distance away from the estate’s main gate.

Lin Yanran glanced at the cars in the garage, originally intending to drive there.

But he remembered he had been drinking and that his driving skills weren’t very good to begin with, making it unsafe, so he dismissed the thought.

The alarm on his phone went off at that moment.

Seeing that the New Year was drawing closer and closer, Lin Yanran felt a bit anxious.

He looked toward the end of the streetlights and silently calculated in his head: if he ran over, would he just barely make it in time?

Just as he was preparing to run out, he suddenly discovered several mountain bikes parked at the door.

So, he hopped directly onto one of them and sped toward the estate entrance.

From a distance, Lin Yanran saw a car parked at the gate.

The car lights were on, and a figure was leaning diagonally in front of it.

In the dark night, the other person’s silhouette was so tall and upright.

Unsure if the person had felt his gaze, the man who was originally looking forward suddenly turned around, and then Lin Yanran saw that handsome and dashing face clearly.

The person who came to deliver the gift was indeed Gu Siye.

Lin Yanran parked the bike and walked to his side while panting for breath.

Gu Siye gently patted his back to help him catch his breath and then ruffled his hair.

“Teacher Gu, why are you here?”

Lin Yanran looked up at him; although he had already guessed in his heart, the shock and emotion of seeing the person face-to-face was indescribable.

Seeing that Lin Yanran was no longer panting so hard, Gu Siye opened his arms and pulled him into an embrace.

In the depths of the night, he whispered, “Because I want to give you the first gift of the New Year.”

Having said that, he placed a very large red envelope into Lin Yanran’s hand.

“Happy New Year, Yanran.”

Looking at the red envelope in his hand, Lin Yanran couldn’t help but chuckle softly. “Is this my New Year’s money? But I’m not a little kid anymore.”

A faint smile touched Gu Siye’s eyes. “You aren’t a child, but you are my boyfriend. Therefore, it must be given.”

Lin Yanran held the red envelope in his palm, accepted the gift, and smiled as he asked the person in front of him.

“But Teacher Gu, what if I didn’t prepare one for you…”

Gu Siye didn’t mind at all. “The purpose of my coming was originally just to deliver the gift to you personally.”

He then continued, “It doesn’t matter if you didn’t prepare one; I will just prepare one for you.”

The man’s voice was low, sounding exceptionally gentle in the silent night.

Lin Yanran lowered his eyes, glanced at the red envelope in his hand, and felt that the scent of flowers in the air was so sweet.

“Then I owe Teacher Gu a gift; I’ll put it on my tab for now and make up for it later.”

Even though he said this, he actually had prepared a gift.

It was just that he had been in such a hurry to come out and see Gu Siye that, amidst the surprise and joy, he forgot to bring it out.

Thinking about how he had just been “speeding” on a bicycle, Lin Yanran couldn’t help but laugh at himself.

So this was what being in love felt like.

In the past, he always felt that the plots about love and passion in TV dramas were very exaggerated.

But when it actually happened to him, he truly couldn’t stay calm.

“Teacher Gu, I drank tonight.”

Lin Yanran pointed to the bicycle beside him, his eyes curving into crescents as he smiled. “I also drove under the influence… and I might have been speeding, too…”

He didn’t finish the rest of the sentence.

But Gu Siye knew why, and in that instant, his heart softened into a complete mess.

His fingers lightly brushed against the other’s cheek.

Under the lights, Lin Yanran’s face was flushed red. Perhaps because he was drunk, he said many things he normally wouldn’t say out loud.

It turned out that when Lin Yanran was drunk, he had such a cute side to him.

Gu Siye gently cupped his face, desperately wanting to kiss him.

But just as he decided to do so, he heard the other say to him.

“Teacher Gu, Happy New Year.”

Lin Yanran pressed his phone to light up the lock screen; the time shown was exactly midnight back home—not a second more, not a second less.

“I should be the first one to give you New Year’s blessings.”

Amidst Lin Yanran’s smile-filled gaze, Gu Siye lowered his head and gently kissed his lips.

It was a long while before the two finally pulled apart.

“Happy New Year.”

“I am the first one, too.”

Under the starry sky, even Gu Siye’s voice was permeated with tenderness.

After the two met in the deep of the night, Gu Siye did not stay.

Once he had delivered the New Year’s gift, he immediately rushed back to their home country.

The next day, after sobering up, Lin Yanran recalled everything the two of them had done the night before and felt it was both crazy and unbelievable.

Because it felt so surreal, he even thought it felt a bit like a dream.

But the New Year’s red envelope lying by his pillow reminded him that it was all real.

On the night of New Year’s Eve, his lover really had come.

He had crossed the ocean all alone, just to give him the very first gift of the New Year.

Lin Yanran picked up the red envelope Gu Siye had given him.

He had already opened it the night before to take a look; inside were 52 banknotes from different countries, each with different patterns.

Looking at these currencies, he opened WeChat and discovered that after he had fallen asleep last night, the other had sent him a message.

Moon: I want to go to these countries with Teacher Yanran to spend this money.

Lin Yanran read this message several times over.

Then, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly as he understood Gu Siye’s meaning.

Lin Yanran stepped out of bed barefoot, picked up a pen, and slowly wrote five words on the cover of the red envelope:

Travel around the whole world.

After thinking for a moment, he added a line of letters at the very bottom:

sy&yr