BTMDY Chapter 129

After spending more than half a month in the hospital, Lin Wangye’s body had finally recovered enough.

 

On the day of his discharge, Lin Shen went all out in the hospital room—sprinkling water everywhere and hanging charms around Lin Wangye’s neck, claiming he had to drive away the bad luck from his unlucky child and chase all the misfortune away.

 

Lin Wangye, long used to his father’s eccentric rituals, obediently went along with it. After a good bit of fuss, he finally managed to leave the hospital building.

 

The moment he stepped outside, the wind hit like needles.

 

Such harsh weather was rare in Ningchang City. Just a few days after two days of heavy rain, the first snow of the year had fallen. The seamless transition from rain to snow had turned the city into a true frozen landscape, making it feel colder than usual.

 

Bundled up in layer after layer, Lin Wangye inhaled the frigid air and, surprisingly, it felt like a refreshing spring breeze.

 

Fresh air was amazing!

 

He was fed up with the lingering smell of disinfectant in hospitals and swore he never wanted to step foot in one again.

 

Every plant and rooftop around was blanketed in a thick layer of snow, the kind that looked like chunks of tofu. Overnight, the melting snow had refrozen on the ground, making the downhill road leading to the hospital’s entrance slippery.

 

The surface was solid ice, so the hospital had shoveled only a narrow path about a meter wide for people to pass safely.

 

But not everyone was content to walk.

 

For kids coming with their parents to visit patients or just released from the hospital themselves, this icy stretch was basically a natural skating rink. Scattered here and there, kids ran, slid, and laughed, taking long sprints on the smooth surface after a running start, making the scene lively and chaotic.

 

Seeing this, Lin Shen didn’t hesitate—he bolted forward with a swift ‘whoosh,’ shooting far ahead.

 

Lin Wangye’s eyes lit up instantly. He paused, ready to dash after him, only to be grabbed by the arm by someone beside him. Worried, the person warned, “Don’t try to copy him. You’ll fall.”

 

No sooner had the words left their mouth than Shi Yuan opened his mouth, and it was as if a passing deity had blessed him—the light in his eyes seemed to shine.

 

The kids on this impromptu skating rink were mostly small and light, barely old enough to have finished elementary school, and even if they ran, they couldn’t slide very far.

 

Lin Shen, however, was different.

 

At a full 1.8 meters tall and with a normal adult build, he clearly didn’t realize his own strength. Years of physics had apparently gone in one ear and out the other.

 

When he ran, he made no effort to slow himself down. With a ‘whoosh,’ he shot forward like an arrow released from a bow.

 

He moved extremely fast and couldn’t stop at all.

 

It wasn’t until his feet touched the icy ground that Lin Shen realized he was in trouble—but with so many pedestrians around, and Lin Wangye and the others watching helplessly from behind, not to mention a bunch of kids distracted by the scene nearby, things were about to get chaotic.

 

Clearly, his pride wouldn’t allow him to shout for help in a moment like this.

 

So, what happened was that from the very top of the uphill path, Lin Shen launched himself like a professional skier—cool, fast, and precise—before plunging headfirst into the snowbank piled up at the end of the downhill slope.

 

The adults watching were relatively restrained.

 

But the innocent kids, with no sense of decorum, burst into a series of uncontrollable laughs.

 

Lin Wangye, who hadn’t started running yet, slammed on the brakes mid-step and stood perfectly still.

 

Lu Chengxuan, who had already predicted this outcome when Lin Wangye started moving, sighed softly, walked over quickly but steadily, reached out, and pulled him from the snow, patting off the white powder from his clothes.

 

Luckily, the cold weather kept things from getting too hot.

 

Lin Shen’s face hadn’t turned red from exertion. He brushed the snow off his hair, straightened up, and spoke with righteous indignation:

 

“Slip-up, totally a slip-up! I could’ve made a super cool drift around the bend and straight to the hospital entrance, but some little brat got in my way. I only did this because I didn’t want to hit him. I heard someone laughing really loud—was that the kid who blocked me? I’m gonna go teach him a lesson.”

 

After speaking, he rolled up his sleeves, turned around, and looked like he was ready to find some scapegoat to spank.

 

“Forget it.”

 

Lu Chengxuan stopped him, calm and casual as if he completely believed Lin Shen’s excuse: “Don’t bother arguing with kids.”

 

Facing the cleared steps ahead, Lin Shen naturally walked down.

 

Fortunately, Ningchang’s climate was cold and relatively dry, so the snow wasn’t sticky. Even snowmen were hard to build, and the snow fell off lightly with just a pat.

 

After shaking off the snow, Lin Shen turned and saw Lin Wangye sliding down as well—only he was being held securely by Shi Yuan, one hand extended to maintain balance, inching carefully down the icy path.

 

In this situation, there was zero chance of falling.

 

Watching these two get closer and closer in quiet, tender intimacy, Lin Shen remembered his own passionate collision with the snowbank earlier and felt an inexplicable surge of annoyance.

 

He deliberately looked away, pretending not to care, and after joining the two, he walked ahead with his hands in his pockets, his mouth running in sarcastic commentary:

 

“Coward, scared of falling? Don’t want to play, then don’t play.”

 

Lin Wangye stepped onto the cleared path, his hand still held warmly in Shi Yuan’s pocket, and argued firmly: “I’m not scared of falling! My boyfriend just cares about me—he doesn’t want me to get hurt.”

 

Lin Shen was struck dumb, gasping, his face turning serious: “From today on, I do not approve of this match.”

 

“Suit yourself,” Lin Wangye snorted lightly, unconcerned. “It’s even better if you don’t approve. The resistance from family just makes our love for each other even stronger—solid as a rock, deep as the ocean!”

 

Lin Shen felt his vision go black on the spot, nearly fainting right then and there.

 

His mind spun at lightning speed, scrambling to muster all the wisdom he’d ever learned just to reclaim a shred of dignity as a father. But the bond between these two right in front of him was so flawless, so untouchable, that even his attempts at sowing discord found no opening.

 

Just as Lin Shen’s mental CPU was about to overheat from the effort, a hand suddenly slid into his pocket and placed something inside.

 

He instinctively turned his head and saw Lu Chengxuan retract his arm as if nothing had happened, face blank, eyes staring straight ahead.

 

Lin Shen grabbed the object in his pocket and quickly realized what it was.

 

A thrill shot through him, and in an instant, he felt on top of the world.

 

“Xiao Lin, I’m giving you ten seconds to show me some real respect for your father. I want genuine emotion—try to make me cry,” he said.

 

Lin Wangye glanced at him, slightly confused.

 

“Dad, what’s gotten into you this time?”

 

“Countdown: five seconds,” Lin Shen said, giving him a mock-loving smile. “This is fatherly advice for you.”

 

Lin Wangye turned to Shi Yuan and muttered under his breath, “All day long he’s acting so… crazy…”

 

Before Shi Yuan could even respond, Lin Shen let out a long, dramatic sigh, pulling the object that Lu Chengxuan had just slipped into his pocket back out and holding it up in front of Lin Wangye.

 

Lin Wangye’s eyes went wide, and he froze in his tracks.

 

In Lin Shen’s hand was a keychain, looped over his index finger. Dangling below was a car key emblazoned with the Bentley logo, swaying lightly like a hypnotist’s pocket watch, commanding Lin Wangye’s gaze to follow every subtle swing.

 

“Wow!”

 

Lin Wangye had known that he’d been promised a car, but he hadn’t expected it to come this quickly. His eyes lit up, shining with pure excitement, and he let out an ecstatic shout—then reached out, only to grab nothing but air.

 

“I told you, I need to see genuine emotion.”

 

Lin Shen slipped the car key back into his pocket, pride written all over his face, and drawled slowly: “I’ll drive it for a couple of days first. When I’m in a better mood, I’ll give it to you.”

 

“Noooo!” Lin Wangye wailed, heartbroken and desperate, almost lunging to snatch it, pouting and whining: “Dad! Good dad, let me drive! I’m begging you, please!”

 

“No.”

 

To maintain his fatherly authority, Lin Shen kept walking, cold and unyielding: “You had your chance and blew it. Begging now won’t help.”

 

Lin Wangye hurried to catch up, continuing to plead: “Ah! I thought you were joking. You’re the best! Please, let me drive!”

 

He tried sweet talk, coaxing, everything—but Lin Shen’s heart was ironclad. No chance.

 

Lin Wangye felt utterly defeated. Seeing no way to break through his father’s resolve, he turned to Lu Chengxuan, eyes full of hope, and said, “Brother Lu… you tell me, is this fair? This car was for me, and he still won’t let me drive. Can you talk to him for me?”

 

Seeing Lin Wangye turning to the ‘instigator’ for help, Lin Shen felt even more amused and hummed a little tune, ignoring them completely.

 

“The keys are with him; I can’t do anything,” Lu Chengxuan said, calm and unflustered.

 

Lin Wangye, originally planning to drive already, suddenly slapped his forehead when reminded: “Oh right, I haven’t even got my license yet!”

 

“Then get your license first,” Shi Yuan said gently, smiling softly. “I haven’t got mine either—I can go with you.”

 

“Okay!”

 

Lin Wangye nodded enthusiastically, then glanced at Lin Shen. The cold wind hit his face, making it easy to put on a pitiful, helpless look.

 

“After I get my license, give it to me, Dad…”

 

Lin Shen could hardly stand this act. He shook his head and waved his hand dismissively: “Fine, fine, you’ll get it.”

 

“Yay!”

 

The weather was harsh and the roads slippery.

 

For safety reasons, Lu Chengxuan didn’t drive today. The hospital was a fair distance from Grandpa and Grandma’s house—not too far, and walking wouldn’t be too exhausting.

 

Snow and mist filled the air, glittering like jade and crystal.

 

The pure white snow covered the whole world, dazzling in its brightness.

 

Because it was so cold, there were very few pedestrians. The four of them walked side by side on the sidewalk, leaving four fresh sets of footprints in the new snow from last night.

 

Lin Wangye tugged his hood over his head for warmth, then sneaked over to the greenery strip and scooped up a handful of snow.

 

Pressing his hands lightly together, he formed the snow into a ball.

 

He aimed carefully and threw it at Lin Shen, who was unsuspecting ahead.

 

The snowball traced a perfect arc through the air and landed squarely on top of Lin Shen’s head. The snow slid down his neck and into his collar, making him shiver.

 

“…You little brat.”

 

Lin Shen looked back, grabbed the hem of his coat, and shook off both the fallen snow and the droplets from the melted ice.

 

As he did this, Lin Wangye was already forming a second snowball, knowing Lin Shen would retaliate.

 

Lin Shen, wary, zipped his coat all the way up. The second snowball hit with a ‘thwack’ against his thick down jacket.

 

Lin Shen pulled on his hat: “You’re dead.”

 

With that, he shot forward like a gust of wind, crouched down, scooped up a handful of snow, and flung it straight at Lin Wangye’s face.

 

But Ningchang’s snow was dry, and he had been too hasty.

 

A gust of wind scattered the loosely packed snowball, blowing most of it back onto his own face.

 

“Ha ha ha ha ha!!”

 

Amid Lin Wangye’s loud, contagious laughter, Lin Shen stayed silent for two seconds. He wiped his face, rolled up his sleeves in the freezing winter air, grabbed a handful of snow, compressed it tightly, and hurled it forcefully at Lin Wangye.

 

Lin Wangye’s reflexes weren’t just good in games.

 

For an eighteen-year-old, dodging a snowball was a piece of cake.

 

He tilted his head slightly—the snowball barely grazed his ear.

 

“Is that all you got? That’s it? That’s it? That’s it?” Lin Wangye raised an eyebrow at Lin Shen, looking outrageously cocky.

 

Just as he crouched to scoop up another snowball, a massive snowball was suddenly placed in his hands.

 

Tilting his head, he looked over to see Shi Yuan, whose eyelashes were dusted with frost, and whose soft lips held tiny beads of chilly water.

 

Lin Wangye understood immediately.

 

The snowball Lin Shen had thrown just before, after being dodged by Lin Wangye, had landed squarely on Shi Yuan’s head.

 

There are limits to patience.

 

He caught the huge snowball Shi Yuan handed him, lifted it high over his head, kicked up one leg for balance, and hurled it toward Lin Shen with all his might.

 

“Holy crap! You’re trying to kill your own dad!”

 

How big was this snowball?

 

So big that when Lin Shen looked up, all he could see was a shadowy mass.

 

Before he could even react, the snowball exploded over his head like a shower of icy petals. Had he not been wearing a hat, it would have stunned him completely.

 

Just as he was about to shout in protest, Lin Shen’s peripheral vision caught Shi Yuan crouching and forming yet another snowball.

 

“…Oh crap!” Lin Shen froze, flustered and furious. “You two are ganging up on me? No honor at all!”

 

“You hit me first,” Shi Yuan said calmly. Before handing the snowball over to Lin Wangye, he even thoughtfully held Lin Wangye’s hand and rubbed it. “Cold?”

 

Lin Wangye shook his head and took the snowball from Shi Yuan.

 

The snow wasn’t easy to pack tightly, so making “ammunition” took time. One person alone could hardly withstand the attack of two, and seeing things were going badly, Lin Shen bolted.

 

He ran ahead, with Lin Wangye chasing behind.

 

The snowy ground was slippery, so neither could run very fast. Shi Yuan, constantly forming more snowballs to supply Lin Wangye, soon had a fourth compact snowball at their feet.

 

“Have you two no shame? Do you even have a sense of decency?” Lin Shen shouted, both attacking and defending at the same time. A tall frost-covered tree branch shook, scattering white snow.

 

In front of your own dad, pride was clearly optional.

 

Taking advantage of Shi Yuan’s support, Lin Wangye was overjoyed. He grabbed the fresh snowball and slammed it onto Lin Shen’s back with a loud ‘BANG.’

 

Lin Shen was furious now — he stopped running for good.

 

He planted himself by the railing, turned his back to Lin Wangye, and let the snowballs hit his back. With quick hands he swept the snow off the railing into his arms and packed it into a tight ball.

 

Then he turned, took control, and started ‘educating’ his son without mercy.

 

“Hubby! Hubby! Save me!”

 

Lin Wangye was going all out and soon burned through Shi Yuan’s stockpile. By now the snow at their feet was trampled and dirty, so Lin Wangye couldn’t keep making solid balls; he had to turn and run to dodge Lin Shen’s next heavy strike.

 

Lin Shen was annoyed, but he wasn’t stupid — he knew not to fight two people at once. Watching Lin Wangye run back, he stayed unmoving like a rock, took off his coat, and used his arms to sweep more snow off the railing into the coat.

 

Lu Chengxuan didn’t really like chaos, and he had injuries on his hands and arms anyway.

 

At first he stood under the tree, hands-off and calm, watching this pair whose combined “emotional age” probably didn’t top five, plus the ever-helpful Shi Yuan causing trouble.

 

But when he saw Lin Shen pull down his down jacket and use it like a basket to scoop snow, he finally couldn’t stand it and walked over to him.

 

“Old Lu, you—”

 

Before he could finish, a stretched-out voice came from near to far, drawing out the sound—

 

“Watch out!!!”

 

Lin Shen flinched. The snowball’s path bent strangely in the air and, without missing, struck Lu Chengxuan right on the head.

 

Lu Chengxuan tilted his head, lowered his eyes like it meant nothing, and was about to tell Lin Shen to put his coat back on when Lin Shen, clutching the coat full of snow, dashed forward.

 

“Lin Wangye, you’re done—”

 

The words were aimed at Lin Wangye, but the snow was thrown at Shi Yuan.

 

Father and son, heads covered in snow, ran crazily across the yard, cheeks red and breathing hard.

 

Seeing Shi Yuan get hit, Lin Wangye, who’d just been baited away, grabbed another snowball and charged at Lu Chengxuan, planning to return the favor. But he slipped, and fell straight into the roadside bushes.

 

Lu Chengxuan bent, pulled the unlucky kid out of the greenery, and steadied him. Just as he was about to tell Lin Shen to put his coat back on, Lin Wangye slung a snowball at him.

 

“Go!”

 

Lin Wangye hit Lu Chengxuan but hurt himself more than the enemy — after the sneak attack he spun and ran, hiding behind Shi Yuan, laughing proudly like a winner, standing tall in victory.

 

“One shot, bull’s-eye — I win!”

 

Lin Shen lost it on the spot: “How are you winning? Are you even playing fair? He wasn’t even involved!”

 

“Shi Yuan got hit by you too!” Lin Wangye argued, standing his ground, confident and loud.

 

“You get to burn down the town but the common people can’t light a candle — why are you so upset about being called out?”

 

Lin Shen was almost left speechless, but he gritted his teeth and shot back:

 

“Who’s getting worked up! I’m not worked up at all, why would I be? Don’t make stuff up—I’m not worked up, not even a little!”

 

If this went on, it would’ve turned into an argument between elementary school kids.

 

Thinking of Lin Shen at the same point in another timeline, Lu Chengxuan found it hard to reconcile with his past self.

 

But he still felt lucky to have preserved the best version of the person in front of him.

 

Youth fades,

 

but a young heart’s passion never expires.

 

Snow melting on warm skin disappeared quickly. Lu Chengxuan brushed it off casually, picked up Lin Shen’s down jacket from the ground, shook off the snow, and draped it over him.

 

“That’s enough for now. If you keep fooling around, you’ll catch a cold.”

 

A voice steadier and purer than the winter snow rang out. Lin Shen and Lin Wangye both silently called a ceasefire.

 

One of them shivered in the cold, finally wrapping up properly.

 

The other clung to his boyfriend, rubbing hands for warmth.

 

At their age, full of energy, a short run wasn’t enough to make them cold. Lin Shen cleaned the remaining snow from his pockets and shook off his sleeves.

 

“Let’s get something to eat. I’m hungry.”

 

“Sure!” Lin Wangye nodded, shoving his hands into Shi Yuan’s pockets to warm them, tucking his neck into his scarf. “I remember there are lots of snack shops after the next intersection. Let’s go check them out!”

 

By the northwest bridgehead, a small shop sold pan-fried dumplings. Even on weekdays, outside meal hours, people queued.

 

In the dead of winter, steam fogged the glass streaked with old oil, making only a vague shape inside visible. The cook, strong-armed, lifted the huge, griddle-like pan with one hand, shouting: “Done! Coming out!”

 

Across the street, Lin Wangye swallowed hard, eyes burning with desire. “That’s the one!”

 

“Your eyes look like you’re about to eat the cook himself,” Lin Shen teased.

 

“Push me too far, and I just might,” Lin Wangye shot back.

 

After eating hospital food for so long, he was starving for anything outside. Without hesitation, he nodded repeatedly.

 

Crossing the street, the clanging of the pan as the chef scrubbed it rang out clearly, followed by the sizzling sound as the iron pan hit the heat, evaporating the water, pouring oil, and frying the dumplings.

 

In winter, that sizzle sound was especially comforting.

 

Lin Wangye rubbed his hands together and stood at the end of the line. He pressed his warm hands to his cheeks, marveling at how hollow his face had become after hospital food. Then he turned—and met the depths of the eyes beside him.

 

Shi Yuan’s warm palms covered his ears, a smile on his face, saying nothing.

 

Warmth flooded Lin Wangye’s ears, sending a tingly rush through him. He rubbed his hands again, smiling, cupped Shi Yuan’s face, and shared the warmth from his palms.

 

Someone behind nudged: “Enough touching! Keep it moving!”

 

Lin Wangye tilted his head to look past Shi Yuan and saw Lin Shen.

 

Lin Shen stood there, hands in his pockets, staring at the two of them like they were a pair of fools.

 

As if by bad luck—or some law of the universe—when it was Lin Wangye’s turn to buy, the person ahead had just taken all the dumplings in the pan. He had to wait for the next batch.

 

At first, the comforting sizzle of the pan-fried dumplings, that Michelin-chef-worthy Maillard aroma, had been utterly soothing in the winter air. But now, impatience started to creep in.

 

Not to mention Lin Shen’s cutting ‘hmph,’ dripping with sarcasm.

 

And then came the cherry on top: “Little unlucky one, that exorcism I gave you earlier was totally wasted.”

 

The steaming dumplings were brought into the shop. The four of them sat at a table with uneven legs—there was always one leg a little short. The server casually wiped the table with a rag and said, “Chopsticks are right there, and chili oil and vinegar are at the back.”

 

The four seated there were in a subtle situation.

 

Lin Shen and Lin Wangye had similar tastes by nature. Lu Chengxuan could eat anything without flinching. Shi Yuan, on the other hand, had a somewhat peculiar palate. As each of them took their first dumpling, their reactions varied:

 

Lin Wangye, used to bland hospital food, experienced the flavor but couldn’t fully process it—his expression froze.

 

Lin Shen, taking a bite himself, immediately clamped Lin Wangye’s mouth shut. “Son, spit it out! This thing is sweet.”

 

Lu Chengxuan silently stood and scooped a bowl of chili oil.

 

Only Shi Yuan looked at everyone, asking, “Sweet? Not sweet, right?”

 

Lin Wangye finally realized what was happening. Like a browser finishing loading, his face froze in horror. “What the heck! Sweet dumplings? I mean, I’ve lived long enough to see anything—but this! How can dumplings be sweet? Aren’t they supposed to be savory? I can’t accept this! What’s going on? What even is this?!”

 

The dumplings were already on the table—wasting them wasn’t an option—so they forced themselves to eat.

 

After the owner’s explanation, they learned that sweet dumplings were a specialty from the south. Many people loved them, hence the long lines.

 

Lin Shen liked spicy food; dipping them in chili made the sweetness more bearable, and he quickly adjusted to the sweet-and-spicy combo.

 

Lin Wangye, however, struggled. In his world, desserts were sweet, dumplings were savory—end of story.

 

“This place must be full of southern folks working up north!” he thought.

 

He didn’t expect something that smelled so heavenly to taste sweet. After a few bites, he gave up and went next door, happily munching on a box of spicy ‘wolf tooth’ potatoes.

 

Once they were done, the group stood up to leave, treating the remaining walk as a way to digest.

 

Lin Wangye walked shoulder to shoulder with Shi Yuan, unable to resist asking, “That dumpling just now—don’t you think it’s sweet? Doesn’t it taste kind of weird?”

 

Shi Yuan: “Honestly? It’s fine.”

 

Lin Wangye stared at him for a long time, pouting, then sighed, a touch of concern in his eyes. “I guess because you didn’t get to eat much good food before, your taste buds got… trained? Now everything just tastes good to you.”

 

“Don’t overthink it,” Shi Yuan said, relaxing his expression, a small smile on his lips. “I just don’t really care if food is fancy or not.”

 

Lin Wangye understood he was reassuring him, so he stopped overthinking. Soon, he smiled brightly, eyes soft, and lifted his chin proudly: “Or maybe… Xiao Lin is just too sweet. Some dumpling can’t possibly be sweeter than you.”

 

“I felt gross just eating those abstract sweet dumplings earlier,” Lin Shen said darkly. “You two, stop being all lovey-dovey and making me want to vomit, okay?”

 

“Hahaha!”

 

Lin Wangye grinned from ear to ear. After a while, the phone rang. Seeing it was Lu Wei, he quickly picked up.

 

“Hi, Auntie.”

 

Vivian’s gentle voice came through the phone: “Sweetheart, I heard you got discharged today. Are you feeling better?”

 

“I’m all good, Auntie! Don’t worry about me! I’m fine!”

 

“That’s good to hear. Do you have time to come by today? We’re moving, so check if there’s anything important you need to take. I haven’t seen you in so long—I’ve been missing you a bit.”

 

Hearing this, Lin Wangye suddenly remembered.

 

The park at Lu Chengxuan’s house, twenty years later, had first been planned this year, and the timing just happened to be now.

 

Since Vivian mentioned it, Lin Wangye definitely wanted to go see it.

 

After agreeing over the phone, he immediately turned his attention to Lu Chengxuan. “Brother Lu, Auntie wants me to come over. Do you want to come with me?”

 

“Do you need me to come with you?” Lu Chengxuan asked in return.

 

Lin Wangye knew that Lu Chengxuan’s relationship with his family was a little complicated right now. If they went back home and ran into his father, it would probably just create awkwardness. Thinking it over, he shook his head, preferring to avoid extra trouble. “No need. I just wanted to check.”

 

Lu Chengxuan nodded and looked at Shi Yuan.

 

“You go with him. My mom’s at home—nothing will happen.”

 

Shi Yuan had already planned to go anyway and nodded in agreement.

 

Of course, Lin Shen wouldn’t go to the Lu house with Lin Wangye, so the four split at the intersection: Lin Shen and Lu Chengxuan went back to the company, while Lin Wangye and Shi Yuan headed to the Lu residence.

 

By winter, the well-kept Lu estate was blanketed in snow, giving it a serene, quiet beauty.

 

As far as Lin Wangye knew, the Lu family hadn’t taken much money from this land—they practically donated it for the park’s construction.

 

For others, this might seem odd, but it wasn’t surprising for the Lu family. They weren’t short of money, and as times changed, hoarding land became less favorable. Instead of waiting for higher-ups to come personally, they handed it over graciously, earning a good reputation.

 

Lin Wangye and Shi Yuan arrived at the villa. Vivian was waiting for him in the living room.

 

It was clear the moving process was underway. Lin Wangye hadn’t been back in a while, and the place already felt emptier; Lu Wei and Lu Chenghan probably weren’t living there anymore.

 

Seeing Shi Yuan with him, Vivian smiled and greeted him, then turned her attention to Lin Wangye, frowning slightly. “Dear, you’ve lost weight.”

 

Vivian had always treated Lin Wangye with great care—almost like her own child.

 

Having grown up without a mother’s warmth, Lin Wangye was particularly fond of her. Seeing concern in her eyes, he perked up and smiled at her: “It’s fine, I’ll put the weight back on soon.”

 

Seeing him so full of energy, Vivian relaxed a bit. “As long as you’re safe, that’s what matters. I’ll keep an eye on this case myself.”

 

“Mm, okay!”

 

Lin Wangye nodded. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a very familiar box on the coffee table. He felt he’d seen it somewhere before. After thinking for a while, it suddenly came to him.

 

It was the little snowman that Lu Chengxuan had kept in the fridge for many years.

 

“Auntie, I remember this isn’t Brother Lu’s?”

 

Lin Wangye felt a little puzzled. “Why take it out of the fridge?”

 

Hearing him, Vivian let out a soft sigh, then reached out and opened the lid of the box.

 

Lin Wangye’s eyes widened in surprise.

 

Inside, only some dry twigs and two bottle caps remained. The snowman he had seen before was completely gone—clearly melted.

 

Lu Chengxuan had never shown such persistence over anything.

 

Vivian’s parenting approach was entirely different from Lu Chenghan’s. No matter how stubborn her husband could be, she always believed that the way she raised her own family was the healthy way—everyone should have independent thoughts and ideas.

 

To her, this was the one thing her child had truly cherished.

 

So Vivian took it very seriously. Lin Wangye saw her rare frown, her eyes seeming to carry a thousand worries. “His father cut off all the electricity at home… I’ve been so busy that by the time I remembered, it was already too late. I still don’t know how to tell Xuan Xuan… He really cares about this box.”

 

Lin Wangye hadn’t known where the two snowmen came from before.

 

Seeing the box again after so many years, he understood almost immediately.

 

“Auntie, can I have it?”

 

“Do you want to deliver it to Xuan Xuan for me?”

 

“I know what to do with it.”

 

Many of Lu Chengxuan’s thoughts were unknown to Lu Chenghan, but Lu Wei knew.

 

Considering everything Lu Chengxuan had done surrounding Lin Wangye, Lu Wei didn’t hesitate and handed the box over to him.

 

Looking down at the two ordinary bottle caps and dry twigs in the box, Lin Wangye felt like he had found the key—the crucial piece to open the door between Lin Shen and Lu Chengxuan.

 

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