TSINW3 Chapter 78

Trigger warning? Grooming/emotional manipulation for financial benefit in chapter.

Chapter 078 – This Miserable Stepfather – “Not married, not a stepfather” (01/08)

Xie Chenyang sat up from a hard wooden bed, surrounded by a bone-chilling cold that seemed to seep through every pore.

In the dim light, he surveyed the dilapidated mud hut and pulled his collar tighter.

[Brr, it’s freezing! There’s even a hole! Drafty!]

The next moment, Xie Chenyang suddenly felt no chill at all. The cold wind still blew in, but his body felt warm and cozy, without a trace of discomfort.

He curved his lips. [Thanks, Dad]

You Huang: “Read the original storyline.”

The original host, Song Yang, though living in the countryside, was an only child with parents who owned farmland. Their life was fairly decent.

After graduating high school, he failed to get into university and returned to the village. He planned to discuss retaking the entrance exams next year with his parents.

They naturally agreed and happily mentioned that Gu Wenyi, the Gu family’s head from the village’s outskirts, had returned. He had been the most learned man in the village before. They encouraged Song Yang to seek his guidance in studies during the current break.

Song Yang thought that the man’s son was already sixteen, so he’d probably long forgotten what he had learned in the past.

Nevertheless, he didn’t refuse his parents’ suggestion and went to seek Gu Wenyi’s guidance.

Gu Wenyi, now thirty-six, possessed a refined and dignified bearing. Both his dress and manner of speech conveyed that he was a city man, well-traveled and experienced.

Though Song Yang had studied in the county center, he had attended a boarding school and rarely ventured out. Among his teachers, few matched Gu Wenyi’s striking good looks, mature charm, and cultured elegance.

Upon hearing his proposal, Gu Wenyi agreed without hesitation.

As they spoke, Song Yang learned Gu Wenyi had returned because his wife had passed away, and he was back to arrange her funeral.

He explained that working away from home to support his family meant he rarely visited, leaving his son unfamiliar with him. That was why he planned to stay in the village a while and wait until they’d become more familiar before taking his son back to the city to begin the new school term.

Song Yang rarely saw the son.

The other boy seemed either holed up in his room or out wandering all day, seldom crossing paths with Gu Wenyi.

Song Yang thought Gu Wenyi was amazing.

Even years after graduating, he still remembered high school material and was a natural teacher. Whenever Song Yang got stuck on a problem or lacked a solution, Gu Wenyi could instantly point him in the right direction.

Song Yang was just about to turn nineteen. Having always struggled academically, he often buried himself in books and rarely socialized. He used to believe he lacked natural aptitude for learning and could only compensate by working twice as hard.

After meeting Gu Wenyi, he realized it wasn’t that he lacked talent, but rather that he hadn’t encountered the right teacher.

What surprised him was that Gu Wenyi seemed to be growing increasingly close to him.

Decades ago, the country had passed a law legalizing same-sex marriage. At first, Song Yang hadn’t read much into it, but gradually, he began to sense Gu Wenyi’s feelings for him.

Under Gu Wenyi’s deliberate guidance, Song Yang discovered that Gu Wenyi had fallen for him. Yet, because he had a son only a few years younger, his love remained restrained and suppressed. He could only draw near to Song Yang secretly and subtly, hoping the younger man wouldn’t notice.

Song Yang felt both helpless and distressed.

One day, when Song Yang rested his head on the desk, eyes closed, exhausted from studying, Gu Wenyi mistook his stillness for sleep and stole a kiss.

Song Yang had also found himself drawn to Gu Wenyi during this time. Knowing of his feelings, he didn’t avoid him but continued visiting daily for lessons. So when Gu Wenyi secretly kissed him, Song Yang opened his eyes immediately, catching him red-handed.

Gu Wenyi had no choice but to confess.

With deep sorrow, he confessed his love, explaining he didn’t want to affect Song Yang’s future. Fortunately, school would start soon, and he planned to leave the village with his son, never to return.

Song Yang couldn’t accept this. He embraced Gu Wenyi and declared his own feelings.

Gu Wenyi was both touched and troubled. “No, I’m much older than you, and I have a child. Your parents won’t agree to you becoming a stepfather.”

“My parents adore me most of all. They won’t refuse!”

Gu Wenyi’s intimacy with Song Yang had only ever been holding hands, hugging, and at most, a restrained kiss—just a light touch.

Facing Song Yang’s confusion, he cherished the moment. ” I believe you like me, but you’re not mature enough yet. To spare you future regret, I want to leave you room to change your mind.”

—I just treasure you too much.

Song Yang found this man utterly captivating.

To treasure him so deeply that he could even restrain himself! All because he didn’t want Song Yang to regret it later.

Song Yang told him he’d think it through carefully. For this reason, he returned home and confessed to his parents his desire to marry Gu Wenyi.

Mr. and Mrs. Song had always doted on him and rarely interfered with his decisions. But this time, they firmly refused.

They unanimously stated they wouldn’t interfere with his romantic choices, but marriage was too premature.

—If you still wish to marry him after graduating from university, we won’t stand in your way.

His parents carefully analyzed his current situation: he was preparing to retake the entrance exams, while Gu Wenyi was already established and thriving in the city. “Don’t you want to wait until you’ve made something of yourself, so you can be with him openly and proudly? You’re still a student. If you’re with him now, aren’t you afraid of gossip? Aren’t you afraid of what people will say about him?”

Parents truly knew their son best.

Hearing this, Song Yang saw things clearly. So he told Gu Wenyi they would date normally for now and marry after he graduated from university!

He threw himself into his studies even harder. He had no intention of repeating a year.

Gu Wenyi, of course, appeared supportive on the surface.

What Song Yang didn’t know was that during his time back in the village, Gu Wenyi had already mapped out the financial standing of nearly every household.

After careful calculation, the Song family proved to be the wealthiest in the village.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Song were only children in their respective families. After their parents passed away, they inherited large tracts of farmland. With only one son and minimal expenses, they had accumulated considerable savings over the years.

Unlike the Gu family’s mud-brick house, the Song residence was built with blue-glazed tiles.

In truth, Gu Wenyi had failed in his business ventures in the city and was now heavily in debt. The villagers assumed he’d returned to bury his wife, but his real purpose was to investigate whether she’d left any assets behind.

He’d never intended to come back after leaving. After all, they’d never registered their marriage; it had merely been a village banquet.

What angered him was finding nothing but a mud house at home—not even the fields remained, having been sold long ago to fund his son’s education.

He’d intended to simply abandon his son and leave, but then he encountered the well-dressed and handsome Song Yang.

He considered his situation: he was still in debt. Leaving without money meant debt collectors might track him down through his household registration.

Song Yang seemed like an easy mark. After all, a little emotional manipulation could leave young people like him completely disoriented.

He’d thought it was a sure thing, but now he had to wait until graduation? He didn’t have that kind of time.

Then, while buying supplies in the county town, he ran into a group of men at the train station asking about their village. They looked like tough men, not the kind you’d mess with.

He believed the debt collectors had arrived.

On the way back to the village, he encountered Song Yang’s parents. He’d imagined how the debt collectors might deal with him and was terrified.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Seeing no one else around, Gu Wenyi used the topic of Song Yang’s studies to lure them to the edge of the pond. Taking advantage of their lowered guard, he shoved them into the water.

Had they been prepared, they wouldn’t have been pushed by Gu Wenyi.

Mrs. Song knew how to swim. She could’ve pulled her husband back to shore. But Gu Wenyi stood on the bank, frantically hurling stones at them.

In the end, they sank beneath the waters.

Panic gripped Gu Wenyi’s heart, though he maintained a calm facade as he returned to the county town.

He deliberately made a detour through the market, spotting a fellow villager. He asked the man to deliver a message to his son at the Gu residence, claiming he’d met friends in the city and would stay overnight, not returning that evening.

When night fell and his parents still hadn’t returned, Song Yang grew worried and immediately sought out neighbors to search for them.

Villagers who’d encountered his parents in the county town mentioned seeing them around noon, when they’d already been preparing to head home.

So the search party combed the road from the village to the county town back and forth.

It wasn’t until dawn the next day when they found his parents floating in the pond.

The village was simple, and the county had a very low crime rate. No one suspected foul play.

Some wondered if they’d gone swimming to escape the summer heat and accidentally drowned.

Song Yang insisted his mother was a strong swimmer.

After rational analysis, villagers concluded that Mr. Song might’ve accidentally fallen in, and Mrs. Song went to rescue him. Perhaps due to cramps or his weight being too much to handle, both ended up drowning.

It was the height of summer, and the bodies shouldn’t be left floating long.

Villagers kindly helped Song Yang arrange the funeral.

After Gu Wenyi returned, he was feeling quite anxious. He repeatedly expressed regret to Song Yang that he shouldn’t have stayed in the county for his friend instead of returning to the village.

No one suspected him. Song Yang certainly wouldn’t. With his parents gone, Song Yang suddenly found himself an orphan, feeling lost.

Although his parents hadn’t made any enemies, Song Yang just couldn’t believe they would both drown.

But if it wasn’t an accident, who would want to harm them?

His town hadn’t seen a murder case in decades. Everything was peaceful…

Seeing his sorrow, Gu Wenyi frequently thought of ways to cheer him up and comfort him. Song Yang became immersed in his tender affection and agreed to leave the village with him, to study in the big city and live together.

Having reached adulthood, Song Yang could make many decisions independently.

He followed Gu Wenyi’s advice and sold his family’s fields and house. Combined with his parents’ savings, the total amounted to over two hundred thousand yuan.

This sum was insignificant to the former Gu Wenyi, but for the heavily indebted man he was now, it was undoubtedly the capital needed to break even!

He treated Song Yang even better.

Just as they finished packing their belongings to leave, Gu Wenyi suddenly expressed hesitation.

He explained that in the city, he’d always lived alone in a one-room apartment, which clearly couldn’t accommodate three men. He wanted to go ahead first to find a new place. Once everything was settled, Song Yang could bring his son to join him.

Song Yang thoughtfully agreed, even offering to give him some money. Gu Wenyi firmly declined.

After Gu Wenyi left, Song Yang and his son, Gu Shiyu, settled into the mud-brick house.

Song Yang had a cell phone and exchanged sweet messages with Gu Wenyi daily.

Upon arriving in H City, Gu Wenyi sent him numerous photos of different apartment layouts, asking what kind of place he wanted. He then went to ask Gu Shiyu. But Gu Shiyu had a distant relationship with his father and showed even less warmth toward this potential stepfather, completely ignoring him.

With no other option, Song Yang told himself that time would reveal true character, and his relationship with Gu Shiyu would gradually improve.

Though only three years older than Gu Shiyu, he adopted an elder’s demeanor. He took the cold shoulder in stride, showing immense patience and kindness.

Gu Shiyu insisted it was pointless.

Just three days after Gu Wenyi excitedly called Song Yang to announce he’d bought a house ready for renovation and that they’d meet soon, Song Yang received no messages from him all day.

Assuming he was busy, Song Yang didn’t think much of it.

But that evening, he received a call from someone claiming to be from the hospital. They said Gu Wenyi had been in a car accident, was currently unconscious, and the hospital had administered emergency treatment. However, they demanded immediate payment; otherwise, treatment would cease.

Song Yang panicked.

Fearing he wouldn’t believe it, the caller even sent photos of Gu Wenyi lying in a hospital bed, covered in injuries and hooked up to tubes.

Convinced, Song Yang promised to buy a ticket immediately to make the payment.

The caller noted his address, explaining that even with the fastest connections, multiple transfers would delay his arrival by a day or two. The hospital required payment right away.

Following the instructions, Song Yang rushed to the county town overnight, found an ATM, and transferred 200,000 yuan into the so-called “hospital account.”

At dawn the next day, he brought Gu Shiyu to the county town. Just as they were about to buy tickets at the station, he realized he didn’t know which city Gu Wenyi had gone to. When Gu Wenyi left, he hadn’t let him see him off, saying he wouldn’t be able to bear leaving if he saw him.

He hurriedly called Gu Wenyi, only to find his phone turned off. He felt a bit lost.

Gu Shiyu sensed something was wrong and coldly declared he must’ve been deceived by Gu Wenyi, urging him to report it to the police.

Song Yang refused to believe it. He insisted the phone was just dead.

But day after day, his calls went unanswered. Song Yang still wouldn’t accept it, convinced something terrible had happened.

“Let’s wait here for your dad,” Gu Shiyu insisted. “What if he comes back looking for us and can’t find us?”

Maybe his phone was stolen, maybe… In any case, he was determined to wait for him.

Gu Shiyu called him foolish. But Song Yang wouldn’t let him report it.

They lived together like this for over two years. Gu Shiyu’s relationship with him gradually improved, and he successfully got into university.

As for Song Yang himself, he didn’t continue his studies. Instead, he found a job in the county to support Gu Shiyu.

It was during this time that Gu Wenyi returned. He was dressed in fine clothes. He explained that after waking from the car accident two years prior, he’d lost his memory. His phone, whether smashed or not, had died and wouldn’t charge or turn on. He’d tossed it in the trash.

By the time he remembered not removing the SIM card, it was gone.

Now that his memory had returned and he understood what had happened, he came to repay the debt. He returned the 200,000 yuan to Song Yang.

Song Yang was overjoyed. He had always believed Gu Wenyi had his reasons and wasn’t a fraud. Indeed, he’d been right.

But what followed wasn’t good news for Song Yang.

Gu Wenyi revealed that during his two years of amnesia, he had married someone else. Though his memory had returned, he couldn’t betray his family, so he had to break up with Song Yang.

Song Yang was heartbroken, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask Gu Wenyi to divorce his wife and reunite with him. He smiled and said it was fine.

Gu Wenyi wanted to take Gu Shiyu with him, but Gu Shiyu refused and chose to stay with Song Yang instead. This brought Song Yang some small comfort.

Yet Gu Wenyi insisted that for Gu Shiyu’s sake, Song Yang should take him to the big city where he lived, arguing that the education there was superior.

Song Yang hesitated for a long time.

Gu Wenyi pointed out that with only his high school diploma, he was unable to find a decent job. Gu Shiyu’s university education would be costly, and given his excellent grades, he might pursue further studies. Gu Wenyi would be able to afford it, and Song Yang’s indecision would only ruin his son’s future.

His words carried such weight that Song Yang had no choice but to agree. Song Yang left with Gu Shiyu and Gu Wenyi.

This departure would lead to tragedy.

While transferring trains en route, Song Yang stepped away to use the restroom. When he returned, the father and son were gone.

The problem arose.

Gu Wenyi had purchased all the tickets. Song Yang didn’t know their destination or which train they were supposed to transfer to next. He didn’t know Gu Wenyi’s phone number, and Gu Shiyu’s phone was turned off.

Song Yang sat in the waiting room for a long time, utterly lost, until several hours later he received a message from an unknown number.

—Shiyu relies on you too much. My current wife’s extremely jealous. Having my son with me is one thing, but bringing along an ex-lover would turn my life upside down. I’ll take good care of Shiyu. You should go back to your county town and continue with your life. Don’t bother us.

This time, Song Yang truly had nothing left.

He returned to the county town in a daze.

Later, Gu Wenyi found him again. He said that since regaining his memory, he couldn’t stop thinking about Song Yang. His wife had noticed, leading to their divorce.

He hoped Song Yang would take him back and marry him.

Xie Chenyang kicked the wooden bed, and the rotten frame collapsed from the blow.

[What the hell? Song Yang actually agreed!]

You Huang: “Song Yang didn’t know the truth. He believed Gu Wenyi had waited two years for him. His obsession was obvious. Gu Wenyi divorced for him, and then there’s Gu Shiyu… he has feelings for that child, too.”

Weighing all these factors, Song Yang agreed to reunite with him.

[But that’s a load of bullshit.]

The truth was, the so-called car accident was entirely staged. The hospital call was fake. The divorce after amnesia was fake, too.

Yet this scumbag had a lucky break. He took that 200,000 yuan, made some reckless investments, and somehow actually profited. His earnings steadily grew, and he reopened his company.

Two years later, he returned only because he’d fallen ill and needed a bone marrow transplant. Since relatives had a higher chance of matching, he thought of his son Gu Shiyu and went back to the county town to find them.

The marrow match was successful. Gu Shiyu knew how much Song Yang loved Gu Wenyi, so he agreed to the transplant only on the condition that they reconcile and he could care for Song Yang for the rest of his life.

[That little bastard Gu Shiyu is also an idiot!]

He thought he was doing it for Song Yang’s sake, believing it was what Song Yang needed.

You Huang: “Don’t get angry. At this time… Gu Wenyi will be arriving back in a few days.”

[…I remember now. This time he’s coming back to pay respects to Gu Shiyu’s late mother.]