BTMDY Extra 16

Such heavy rain wasn’t something Ningchang City saw very often.

 

Most of the time, water wouldn’t pile up this badly, but now it was already past knee-deep in some places.

 

Nearby residents would inevitably face trouble getting around, and the flood would also bring economic losses to the shops along the street and the cars parked by the roadside.

 

Knowing he couldn’t leave the hotel for the time being, Lu Chengxuan felt a strange, hard-to-define emotion stirring inside him.

 

He couldn’t tell if it was a hidden sense of relief.

 

Though they were alumni, Lu Chengxuan and Xu Suinian weren’t particularly close; they had never interacted before and only knew of each other.

 

At this hour, it wasn’t the time to bother anyone for too long.

 

Seeing Lin Wangye’s mood visibly stabilize, he hung up, saved Xu Suinian’s contact in his phone, and switched to a completely different, gentle tone, asking, “Hungry?”

 

After all the fuss since waking up, Lin Wangye was indeed a bit hungry.

 

He nodded and blinked, looking at him expectantly, clearly ready for a meal.

 

Lu Chengxuan hesitated for a few seconds, trying to communicate with the little boy in front of him: “What do you usually eat? Milk or porridge?”

 

For young Lin Wangye, it was completely normal for someone to help him get dressed, wash his face and brush his teeth, and then set food in front of him the moment he opened his eyes.

 

He didn’t understand why this person was asking, but he still thought for a moment, rolling his eyes, and replied, “Milk… rice porridge.”

 

That answer immediately put Lu Chengxuan in a tricky spot.

 

First, he didn’t know if Lin Wangye was on breast milk or formula. From the little he knew, every child’s formula brand was different, and suddenly changing it could upset their stomach. Buying it blindly was out of the question.

 

It also wasn’t realistic to ask the child which brand he used.

 

For a one-year-old, being able to clearly say he drank milk and rice porridge was already impressive.

 

Whether the hotel had rice porridge or not was a secondary concern. Even if it did, Lu Chengxuan wouldn’t dare give it to the boy lightly—the hotel kitchen couldn’t guarantee absolute safety and hygiene.

 

He tried calling Lin Shen, but the line was still busy.

 

Lu Chengxuan fretted for a long time. After thinking it over, he knew he couldn’t just let the child go hungry, so he reluctantly dialed Xu Suinian’s phone.

 

The call was answered in less than three seconds.

 

On the other end, Xu Suinian sounded patient. After hearing the situation from Lu Chengxuan, he quickly asked, “Xiao Lin has an outing bag with him, right? Inside are formula, a bottle, wet wipes, diapers… Lin Shen didn’t give it to you?”

 

For a moment, Lu Chengxuan didn’t know how to respond.

 

Xu Suinian seemed to realize something from the brief silence and didn’t wait for Lu Chengxuan to speak, continuing, “Did you see a little brown bear-shaped backpack? Light brown, fluffy?”

 

As soon as he said that, Lu Chengxuan scanned the living room, then got up from the sofa and walked back to the bedroom, and unexpectedly spotted exactly that bag lying on the lazy sofa by the window.

 

Because it was almost the same color as the sofa, he hadn’t noticed it at first.

 

Reaching the sofa, Lu Chengxuan crouched down, set Lin Wangye on the floor to stand, then unzipped the backpack. Sure enough, everything Xu Suinian had mentioned was neatly inside.

 

He grabbed the bag and returned to the living room, pulling out the bottle and formula.

 

Throughout this, the phone hadn’t been hung up. Xu Suinian seemed to guess what Lu Chengxuan was doing from the sounds and said over the line, “The formula bag has a special spoon. Use five flat scoops. Pour 50-degree water into the bottle up to 180 milliliters. Water first, then powder.”

 

In front of him, even though he’d never done this before, as long as he followed the exact steps, there wouldn’t be any mistakes.

 

He followed the instructions while asking, “Then what?”

 

“Shake it evenly and give the bottle to him. He’ll drink it by himself.”

 

“Okay, thanks.”

 

Holding the phone while doing this was awkward, so Lu Chengxuan politely hung up, strictly followed the instructions, and, once the formula was ready, handed the bottle to Lin Wangye.

 

Just like Xu Suinian had said, the boy obediently hugged the bottle and started sucking, “glug, glug, glug,” making things surprisingly easy for him.

 

Until now, Lu Chengxuan had never been particularly interested in children. In his mind, they were noisy little things, fine in small doses, but living with them long-term would surely get in the way of studying or work.

 

The same went for pets—he’d never had one.

 

But he knew that Lin Shen had been obsessed with keeping pets as a child—tiny fish, chicks, rabbits.

 

None of them survived, yet he loved raising them anyway.

 

Lu Chengxuan had never understood the appeal, but right now, he was starting to get it.

 

The boy was just… so good. Good enough that it was hard not to like him.

 

Worried that moving around too much might make Lin Wangye choke, Lu Chengxuan stayed in the same posture holding him, and a small curve of a smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.

 

Lin Wangye blinked his bright eyes at him, then curved them into a little smile.

 

Kids didn’t drink milk very fast, pausing now and then to catch their breath. Lu Chengxuan realized that staying in the same position for too long might be uncomfortable, so he placed some cushions on the sofa, set the boy on them, and sat down beside him.

 

Lin Wangye didn’t fuss about where he sat. He leaned into Lu Chengxuan, got comfortable, and buried himself in drinking his milk.

 

Lu Chengxuan wrapped an arm around him and turned on the TV.

 

Then, as if remembering something, he flipped up Lin Wangye’s collar for a quick look.

 

The boy’s neck was empty—nothing hanging there.

 

The children’s channel played cartoons almost twenty-four hours a day. At Lin Wangye’s age, he didn’t understand much, but the colorful characters on the screen captured his attention perfectly.

 

Time quietly passed during this little routine.

 

And the thing Lu Chengxuan had been worried about… never happened.

 

But the good times didn’t last long.

 

After finishing his milk, Lin Wangye stayed in his usual spot and watched two more episodes of cartoons. But it was obvious in his mind that something was weighing on him. He kept turning his head toward the door more and more often, and gradually, he started getting restless.

 

Sensing his anxiety, Lu Chengxuan tried calling Lin Shen again.

 

This time, the line wasn’t busy—but still, no one answered. The call eventually ended on its own after being left unanswered.

 

Lu Chengxuan put down the phone and tried switching the TV channel.

 

But Lin Wangye’s attention had completely left the screen. Not much time had passed since he woke up, and it wasn’t even noon yet.

 

Kids didn’t understand much.

 

They didn’t have a lot to do or think about, and they had no concept of time.

 

To him, the wait already felt endless.

 

With neither his dad nor uncle around, how could he not be anxious?

 

It was only when he noticed the boy’s eyes turning red that Lu Chengxuan realized—there’s no child in the world who can ever make you worry-free. No matter how well-behaved, it’s only temporary.

 

Lin Wangye wasn’t familiar with Lu Chengxuan, and everything around him was completely new.

 

He sat on the sofa, looking between the door and Lu Chengxuan, clearly frustrated. His nose reddened, and soon his eyelashes were soaked through with tears.

 

Lu Chengxuan, usually so composed, suddenly panicked. He didn’t know what to do. He picked the boy up, gently patted his back, and wandered around the living room, trying to calm him with a few words—but it was like pouring fuel on the fire.

 

Lin Wangye burst into full-blown crying, shouting for his dad.

 

No amount of coaxing worked, and even Xu Suinian’s call was useless. Lu Chengxuan had no choice but to try a temporary solution—he picked him up and headed for the door.

 

“Alright, alright, don’t cry. I’ll take you to see Dad, okay?”

 

Hearing that, Lin Wangye’s crying eased a little. He sniffled, tearful eyes blinking at him, and nodded.

 

Of course, Lu Chengxuan had no idea where Lin Shen was.

 

But as long as Lin Shen hadn’t left the hotel, it was manageable. If needed, he could always check the security cameras.

 

Thinking that, Lu Chengxuan twisted the door handle.

 

The door opened one second, and the person they were looking for miraculously appeared the next.

 

Lin Shen had a small piece of toast in his mouth and seemed about to knock. He looked a little surprised when he saw Lu Chengxuan, then quickly turned to his son.

 

“Whose little crybaby is this?”

 

Lin Wangye’s eyes were still full of tears. The moment he saw his dad, all the frustration inside him finally found a release. He leaned toward him for a hug, and more tears spilled out, streaming down his cheeks.

 

Lin Shen shoved the toast in his mouth and, taking his son from Lu Chengxuan, walked straight into the room, murmuring as he comforted him: “Oh, it’s my boy… poor thing, come here, Dad’s got you.”

 

The hallway was a little chilly compared to inside. Lu Chengxuan closed the door and followed him into the room.

 

Lin Shen immediately noticed the bottle on the coffee table. He grabbed a wet wipe from the bag to wipe his son’s tears, sat down on the sofa, and casually asked, “Did you drink your milk?”

 

After all that had happened, it was inevitable that the dynamic between the two of them felt… a little awkward.

 

Even Lu Chengxuan hadn’t figured out how he would face the next day before going to bed last night, leaving his worries for morning.

 

But when he woke up, the worries had shrunk from big to small.

 

Since Lin Shen had already chosen to avoid the topic—whether intentionally or not—Lu Chengxuan had no reason to bring it up recklessly.

 

Bringing it up abruptly would not only be awkward, but even more so in front of the child.

 

When Lin Shen asked him something, Lu Chengxuan simply nodded, letting out a soft, “Mm.”

 

“Wash the bottle,” Lin Shen said. “The milk stains inside have dried, it won’t scrub off easily.”

 

“Okay.” Lu Chengxuan took the bottle without hesitation and asked, “Use tap water?”

 

“Yes. Wash it clean first, then pour boiling water over it to sterilize.”

 

Hearing that, Lu Chengxuan nodded and turned to the bathroom to scrub the bottle.

 

Lin Shen watched him disappear around the corner before finally turning his gaze to his son, who was sitting on his lap with red, pitiful eyes. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

 

“Why are you crying? It’s not like I don’t want you.”

 

Lin Wangye, still clinging to him, pressed his little face against his chest without a sound, letting his dad wipe away his tears and runny nose.

 

Once his face was clean, Lin Shen tossed the wet wipe into the trash. Then, as if remembering something, he carried his son into the bedroom’s bathroom. Just as he pulled down his pants, he noticed a chair that shouldn’t have been there. Puzzled, he thought for a moment, then looked down and asked, “Did you pee?”

 

“Mm.” Lin Wangye naturally stepped onto the chair and pretended to rub his hands toward the sink. “Wash hands too.”

 

“You washed by yourself?”

 

“Mm.”

 

Lin Shen didn’t know what to say at first. He glanced at the toilet. “Do you still need to pee?”

 

Hearing this, Lin Wangye hesitated, unsure whether he really needed to go.

 

With the mood set and pants already down, he finally positioned himself toward the toilet and let out a few drops.

 

Lin Shen pulled his pants up and carried him back to the living room, where Lu Chengxuan had already finished scrubbing the bottle and was rinsing it with 100°C boiling water at the dispenser.

 

“This morning you let him stand on a chair to pee and wash his hands?” Lin Shen asked.

 

Lu Chengxuan glanced at him. “What’s wrong with that?”

 

“Wouldn’t it be easier to just hold him? He’s too short to reach on his own—he’s only one year old! Why don’t you let him take the graduate exam too?” Lin Shen couldn’t help but tease.

 

“I don’t know how to hold him to pee,” Lu Chengxuan replied.

 

“…”

 

For a moment, Lin Shen was left speechless.

 

Makes sense. This guy probably rarely interacts with children and has never seen an adult help a child on the toilet. Giving him the kid to care for was bound to be a knowledge blind spot—tough luck for him.

 

But remembering the child toothbrush and toothpaste he had seen in the bathroom, Lin Shen felt… something he couldn’t quite describe.

 

Meanwhile, Lu Chengxuan had been watching his expression for a few seconds, quietly distracted, and had forgotten he was still sterilizing the bottle.

 

Without realizing it, his fingers touched the boiling water.

 

At the instant the water made contact, there wasn’t much sensation at first. The sting reached his brain a moment later, followed immediately by a burning, searing pain shooting through his nerves. The shock made him jerk his hand back instinctively—and the bottle slipped from his grasp, hitting the floor.

 

Lin Shen was slightly startled. When he looked up and saw what had happened, his heart clenched instantly. He immediately stood up and rushed forward.

 

At a moment like this, Lu Chengxuan’s first reaction was… to bend down and pick up the bottle.

 

If the burn wasn’t treated immediately, it would blister fast. Lin Shen wanted to kick him, but holding the child made it inconvenient to move, so all he could do was urgently tilt his chin toward the bathroom: “Quick, go rinse it under cold water!”

 

Lu Chengxuan set the bottle down and turned to run his hand under the water.

 

In his entire life, Lin Shen had never seen Lu Chengxuan look so clumsy. He was both frustrated and speechless, and the memory of his fingertips, red and raw from just grabbing the bottle, made him uncomfortable deep inside.

 

Realizing a bit late that his own emotions were affecting the child, Lin Shen took a deep breath, slowly exhaled, relaxed his eyebrows, and started scanning the living room for the first aid kit.

 

The hotel’s medical supplies were all standard: alcohol, iodine, gauze, band-aids—no burn ointment.

 

He called the front desk, but they didn’t have any either.

 

Outside, the streets were flooded and impassable. There wasn’t a nearby pharmacy. Lin Shen stood there thinking for a while before stepping over to Lu Chengxuan.

 

Lu Chengxuan had his fingers under the running water. When he saw Lin Shen coming, he glanced at him without changing his expression.

 

“It’s nothing serious.”

 

Holding Lin Wangye in one arm, Lin Shen instinctively reached out. But just as his hand was about to touch, he paused for a moment, curling his fingers and pulling back.

 

Looking closely, he saw the skin was only slightly red. He figured Lu Chengxuan had reacted quickly, so it wasn’t serious. He gave him a nod.

 

“Keep rinsing.”

 

Lu Chengxuan glanced at his hand, then put his fingers back under the water without saying anything else.

 

The things that had been temporarily set aside by both of them last night—the unspoken, slightly intimate moments—suddenly resurfaced because of Lin Shen’s small hesitation.

 

They had done something more intimate, yet now they couldn’t even touch hands.

 

After knowing each other for over a decade, it felt… strange.

 

A subtle awkwardness rose in both of them.

 

The only one unaffected was Lin Wangye.

 

Though only one year old, he was at the age of intense curiosity about the world. From the previous actions, he had noticed Lu Chengxuan’s hand was hurt. He tilted his little head and blew toward the sink, puffing his cheeks.

 

Learning to walk always comes with bumps and scrapes.

 

Recalling what his nanny had told him, he simply believed that blowing on the wound would help it heal.

 

Even though it still hurt, he was convinced this was part of the process.

 

The intention was obvious, and both adults could immediately understand.

 

Lu Chengxuan watched the boy and said to Lin Shen,

 

“This kid is very obedient. You’ve taught him well.”

 

Hearing that, Lin Shen only smiled faintly. He didn’t respond directly to the compliment. Instead, he said, “Xiao Lin’s obedience is natural. I don’t impose any requirements on him, and I won’t in the future. When he grows up, I won’t expect him to achieve anything remarkable. It’s fine if he just becomes a little salted fish.”

 

Lu Chengxuan could hear that Lin Shen was opening up about his expectations for his child. Wanting to understand him clearly, he chose to ask directly.

 

“Not planning to let him inherit the company?”

 

“The reason I inherited the family business was my parents’ expectation,” Lin Shen said, his gaze softening as he looked at his son. “As long as my son is happy, that’s enough. The company? I’ll just oversee it casually. I’ll take care of all the troublesome stuff.”

 

He spoke as if he were describing something utterly unimportant.

 

But he was talking about his son.

 

Yet Lu Chengxuan sensed that these words carried weight—they weren’t just idle remarks.

 

This was a perspective he had never considered before. He didn’t have children, and marriage wasn’t part of his future plan; that day felt very far away, so he had never thought about it.

 

Meanwhile, behind Lin Shen, someone was already calling out for ‘Dad.’

 

In a way, the angles from which they now viewed life were completely different.

 

The few short hours spent with Lin Wangye today had made Lu Chengxuan reflect on many things—himself, his father, and even the happiness Lin Shen mentioned.

 

His thoughts were a little messy; these things couldn’t be untangled in a short time.

 

He stared at the boy’s innocent, adorable face, and on a whim, lifted his hand and flicked a few droplets of water toward him.

 

A few drops splashed onto Lin Wangye’s face. The tiny chill made him pause briefly, then he turned and buried his face against Lin Shen’s chest, wiping it off while a series of crisp, joyful laughs escaped his throat.

 

The action was clearly just a playful gesture to tease the child—but it perfectly triggered Lin Shen’s protective instincts.

 

Without thinking, he scooped up some water from the faucet and flicked it back at Lu Chengxuan.

 

Lu Chengxuan leaned back slightly. He couldn’t fully dodge, but he didn’t fight back either. He bent down and put his fingers under the running water again.

 

If you asked whether Lin Shen still felt some lingering resentment—of course he did.

 

He resented not being the one chosen decisively.

 

He resented not being the only standard, reduced to just one option.

 

But he couldn’t blame Lu Chengxuan for not overturning the deeply ingrained beliefs his father had instilled over twenty years.

 

For anyone, that would be impossible.

 

And in front of him was an undeniably better future.

 

A few silent little interactions left Lin Shen feeling an unprecedented sense of ease.

 

Maybe…

 

Maybe, even if they came from different paths, they could end up together.

 

Suppressing the undercurrent of emotions deep inside, Lin Shen reached up and wiped the remaining droplets from Lin Wangye’s cheek. Then, almost casually, he asked, “When are you leaving?”

 

“Tomorrow’s flight,” Lu Chengxuan replied. “Not sure if it’ll be delayed because of the weather. If I miss it, then I miss it.”

 

By sheer coincidence, a heavy rainstorm had trapped them here.

 

Since fate had once again offered this kind of connection, perhaps…

 

“I…”

 

Lin Shen was about to say something when a sudden vibration from a phone cut him off. It was Lu Chengxuan’s phone in his pocket.

 

Lu Chengxuan didn’t answer secretly. He pressed the call button in front of Lin Shen. The sound of running water was loud, and since he didn’t put it on speaker, Lin Shen couldn’t hear the other side.

 

Still, he keenly noticed a subtle change in Lu Chengxuan’s expression.

 

As usual, Lu Chengxuan didn’t say much. He replied briefly and hung up.

 

He looked at Lin Shen, a hint of hesitation on his face, but under Lin Shen’s clearly questioning gaze, he chose to speak honestly:

 

“My dad knows about the flood from the heavy rain. He sent a helicopter. It’s on the rooftop helipad now.”

 

Lin Shen paused briefly, dazed.

 

Everything that had happened from last night until now felt like falling into a long, surreal dream. And this call—at the most unreal point in that dream—woke him up.

 

No wonder the sense of relief he felt earlier seemed so unreal.

 

Maybe he had once cared deeply, tried everything to save him from being treated like a tool by the whole family.

 

But he later realized he couldn’t do it.

 

Now, he himself was caught in that same vortex—how could he rescue anyone?

 

All he could do was not make things difficult for the other person.

 

Despite the seemingly unexpected news, Lin Shen wasn’t surprised at all. He perfectly hid the faint sense of loss in his heart and lifted his head with a small, composed smile.

 

“Then go back quickly. Don’t worry the family.”

 

He immediately returned to his usual authoritative stance, giving Lu Chengxuan little room, and gently shook Lin Wangye’s soft little arm.

 

“Xiao Lin, say goodbye to Uncle.”

 

Having received such instructions from his dad before, Lin Wangye almost didn’t hesitate. He waved at Lu Chengxuan and called out in his clear, childish voice, “Goodbye, Uncle!”

 

Lu Chengxuan’s Adam’s apple moved slightly as he looked into Lin Shen’s eyes, trying to read something.

 

But Lin Shen’s polite, seeing-off smile was flawless—he gave nothing away.

 

In the end, Lu Chengxuan didn’t say another word.

 

He had come alone, didn’t need to pack anything, just put on his coat, and left.

 

Except for the little golden lock, he left nothing behind.

 

Strangely, someone who usually didn’t speak much had seemed almost like part of the furniture while present. Once gone, the suite felt excessively empty and silent.

 

Lin Shen went to the next room, where he had been napping earlier, and opened a small toy car given by a guest for Lin Wangye to play with. He opened his laptop and sat on the carpet to work.

 

Busy with tasks, he had no time to dwell on thoughts.

 

After some unknown amount of time, someone suddenly knocked on the door.

 

As Lin Shen walked over, he wondered who it could be. The subconscious answer that popped into his mind made his heart race for no reason.

 

Even knowing it was impossible, he still opened the door with a hint of hope.

 

But standing outside wasn’t the person he’d been expecting—it was Xu Suinian.

 

Since starting college and working part-time, he had gradually built a small reputation. Life wasn’t nearly as hard as before.

 

Still, he looked a little disheveled—most of his pant legs and shoes were wet, and even a bit dirty.

 

From across the room, Lin Wangye spotted him on the sofa and shouted excitedly, “Uncle!”

 

“How did you get here?” Lin Shen’s eyes widened in surprise. He knew Xu Suinian had already gone home yesterday when there was no flooding. “It’s raining outside, and cars can’t get through, right?”

 

“Oh, so you’ve finished what you were doing.”

 

Xu Suinian had anticipated arriving in such a state. He even brought clean clothes and shoes. After entering, he waved at Lin Wangye, then said to Lin Shen,

 

“Lu Chengxuan called me. I heard Xiao Lin crying, and you weren’t around. I was a little worried, so I took a taxi and waded through the water from the nearest point. You too—didn’t you have a nanny? Lu Chengxuan wouldn’t take care of the kid. Isn’t this just making it harder for him and Xiao Lin?”

 

In reality, Lin Shen hadn’t really thought much about all this.

 

He hadn’t acted so recklessly in a long time.

 

Naturally, once he sobered up, he felt awkward and didn’t know how to handle the situation. In his panic, he decided to grab the child himself—a way to leave a deep impression on Lu Chengxuan, so that years later, he would still remember this child.

 

It was laughable. Even after all these years, Lin Shen couldn’t understand his own father, yet he could now deeply empathize with the puzzling, almost foolish way his father had planned for his child’s future.

 

Regarding Lu Chengxuan, Lin Shen didn’t want to bring up too much.

 

He brushed off questions with “uh-huh” and “yeah,” without explaining why he hadn’t left the child with the nanny. Xu Suinian noticed his evasiveness and, not seeing Lu Chengxuan in the guest room, guessed the truth immediately.

 

“Lu Chengxuan left?”

 

“Mm.”

 

“Outside’s flooded like this—how did he get away?”

 

“His family sent a helicopter to pick him up.”

 

“…”

 

Xu Suinian had no words. He couldn’t read anything from Lu Chengxuan’s cold, distant demeanor, but he understood Lin Shen.

 

After a brief silence, he couldn’t help but sigh,

 

“I thought this rainstorm holding him back would be lucky—a chance to resolve things.”

 

Lin Shen turned to fetch him a pair of slippers, lowering his gaze.

 

“Compared to the problem, it’s easier to deal with him. There was no need for him to be so troublesome and tired. Let it be.”

 

They were, after all, two people from different worlds—mutually letting each other be.

 

That small stroke of luck was what made their meeting possible.

 

*

 

In truth, Lu Chengxuan went abroad to accumulate the resources to stand up to his father. The Lu family couldn’t control him, but targeting Lin Shen would still be easy.

 

So there was no other way—what was missed, was simply missed.

 

---

 

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