Chapter 57#

Extra: Ren Qiri’s Secret

Third Master Ren was not a man of many words.

The reason stemmed from his childhood, when the young Third Master Ren spent his days confined to his room. Unlike ordinary boys who loved to jump and play, he had no interest in superheroes or the toys that other children enjoyed. From a young age, he felt that watching television—whether it was figures darting between buildings or a group in strange costumes beating up doll-like monsters—was an eyesore and a drain on his spirit.

Thus, he had been ill since childhood and had no particular hobbies. Back then, his elder sister, Ren Junya, often came to show him care, clutching a fluffy plush doll in her arms and setting it on his bed. That was a disaster—a single careless inhale of those stray fibers would leave him wheezing for three days and nights.

Third Master Ren’s room was on the top floor of the Ren family mansion. This was because Madam Ren believed that living higher up meant fresher air. Moreover, everyone thought that a sick person needed peace and quiet to recuperate, and outsiders all regarded the Third Young Master as someone with nerves so delicate he seemed on the verge of death. As a result, for years, the third floor of the Ren estate was treated almost like a forbidden zone, where no unauthorized person dared to trespass.

Yet no one truly knew what was on Third Master Ren’s mind.

I recall one Spring Festival, which happened to be Third Master Ren’s zodiac year. Old Madam Ren doted on her son excessively, so when anyone opened Third Master Ren’s wardrobe, they would find nothing but bright reds and purples—dazzling to the eye. Third Master Ren himself gave a faint, indifferent glance, then turned away. Wen Jing silently closed the wardrobe, sighing inwardly—after all, on the first day of the new year, one had to save face for Old Madam Ren.

Thus, when Third Master Ren appeared before everyone in a bright red Tang suit, his expression remained as placid as ever. Old Madam Ren was the first to greet him, caressing her son’s face with barely concealed affection. The others exchanged subtle glances, did some quick mental calculations, steeled themselves, and then went forward to lavish praise in front of Old Madam Ren.

At that time, Third Master Ren was nearing thirty, with a face at its peak of youthful handsomeness—though his complexion was a bit poor. Paired with that red outfit, everyone secretly chuckled—it was utterly festive.

Third Master Ren himself rarely paid attention to his attire. His world leaned toward the pale and colorless, so when he saw that bright red, he felt a slight dizziness but quickly accepted it.

In fact, there was a reason for this.

Third Master Ren preferred silk garments because he found the fabric of suits abrasive against his skin. Those silk robes were all custom-made by master tailors, perfectly suited to his lofty, aristocratic air, typically combining simplicity with intricate details and elegance. Thus, they were mostly in light colors. One day, while quietly studying himself in the mirror, Third Master Ren thought: the clothes were fine, and wearing them wasn’t uncomfortable, but they lacked a certain vitality.

Therefore, when he saw that wardrobe full of red clothes, though a trace of resistance arose in his heart, he quickly suppressed it. During the New Year festivities, it was only right to be a bit more cheerful—not to dress as if one were attending a funeral every day. Third Master Ren thought to himself: perhaps this bright red would improve his complexion a little, and that child wouldn’t dart away the moment he saw him. Children all liked pretty things; maybe the child would be willing to get closer to him if he looked better…

With this thought in mind, Third Master Ren was completely cured of his resistance to the red crisis. In fact, he even became eager to try it.

Thus, when he deliberately set aside Wen Jing’s support, discarded his usual cane, and slowly forced himself downstairs step by step, his gaze was actually fixed directly on his young nephew Ren Qiri, who was entertaining guests in the living room.

But before he could make out Ren Qiri’s expression, Old Madam Ren rushed over to greet him.

It was as if mother and son were competing to outshine each other—one in bright red, the other in deep purple, standing together—a truly spectacular sight.

Ren Qiri was at that moment preoccupied with searching for Wang Zheng’s figure. So when he saw a crowd clustering toward the staircase, he realized it was his third uncle coming downstairs—yet he remained sitting dumbly on the sofa, forgetting to go up and pay his respects.

Sure enough, just as he expected, Old Madam Ren’s sharp gaze shot over. Ren Qiri nearly jumped up from the sofa. But since it was the first day of the New Year, Old Madam Ren didn’t want to criticize her grandson, so she just glanced and turned away. Ren Qiri no longer dared to look in that direction, and before long, he was pulled away by a few older male cousins.

Although Third Master Ren was swaying unsteadily amid the crowd, the rising chorus of praise gave him a bit of confidence. So he searched eagerly for his young nephew’s figure.

What he saw, however, was his young nephew leaving with several children from the branch families.

Third Master Ren’s expression remained impassive as he took a seat in the living room, though his eyes betrayed a hint of helplessness.

But it was still early; his young nephew would surely have to come and offer tea and receive a red envelope from his uncle. Thinking this, Third Master Ren perked up. He even managed to muster some energy to respond to the greetings and polite conversations around him. For the first time in a while, he seemed much more approachable than usual—almost glowing with vitality.

The banquet was in the evening. During the day, uncles and aunts brought their wives and children to the main residence to pay respects to the ancestors, visit the elders, and strengthen family ties—especially with Third Master Ren.

After countless people had come and gone before him, Third Master Ren forced himself to hold on until finally the younger generation came to greet him. After the older collateral descendants, it was his direct nephew Ren Qiri’s turn to offer tea. Ever since Third Master Ren had returned from abroad, this child had grown more and more distant from him. This made him deeply saddened… yes, sad. He felt such grief whenever his nephew spoke to him with such trepidation.

He wished he could, as in the old days, hug and kiss this little nephew who had grown into a young teenager—but that didn’t seem possible anymore. Ren Qiri resisted him too much. He still remembered the expression on Qiqi’s face as he clung tightly to Big Brother, saying he didn’t want Uncle…

Third Master Ren sighed.

However, when Ren Qiri approached, Third Master Ren quickly sat up straight. The young nephew kept his head slightly lowered as he personally poured tea, bent to first offer it to his grandmother, then turned and handed the cup to his uncle.

And at that moment, Ren Qiri finally looked up.

For an instant, he froze.

He stared at his third uncle—and froze!

This was…

Ren Qiri’s lips twitched, and he forced himself to suppress a smile. Third Master Ren, seeing his nephew’s rare faint smile, felt a slight tremor of emotion, followed by immense joy. He smiled calmly back at Ren Qiri, and after finishing the cup of tea, as he handed over the red envelope, he lovingly caressed his nephew’s hand as Ren Qiri received it.

Ren Qiri was almost holding back tears from the effort of not laughing. He absolutely could not laugh—especially since Third Uncle was being so kind to him today! It wasn’t that Third Master Ren’s outfit looked ridiculous; rather, the sight of it sent his thoughts wandering elsewhere. Especially later, when Third Master Ren handed out candies to the children, Ren Qiri felt as if he were looking at Santa Claus.

Seeing his nephew like this, Third Master Ren felt a strange satisfaction and naturally pulled the boy to sit beside him. Little did he know that Ren Qiri kept his head lowered, not daring to look up again.

Thus, Third Master Ren’s wardrobe full of red clothes paraded through the mansion from the first day of the New Year until the fifteenth.

And many, many years later—Third Master Ren finally got his wish. That year’s Spring Festival was a rare reunion. Although the Ren family now consisted only of himself and Ren Qiri, that was enough.

With nothing else to do, Ren Qiri helped Old He and the servants with the decorations—he planned to go to the United States after the Spring Festival. He owned a small food shop there, opened half a year ago. Later, he decided to return to China for a while, leaving it in Li Ling’s temporary care. That shop was in a small place. Once, he and someone had agreed to live together in that place.

Old He handled the New Year supplies, and new clothes couldn’t be neglected either. In particular, this year happened to be Ren Qiri’s zodiac year.

In one’s zodiac year, one offends the god of the year; without joy, there is bound to be misfortune. Hence, many families would wear bright red for good luck—that had been Old Madam Ren’s thinking back then.

This time, Third Master Ren found himself having the same idea…

One night before the Spring Festival, Ren Qiri suddenly had a whim to take a look. He opened the wardrobe and took out a brocade box containing clothes.

“…”

Silence.

Third Master Ren finally looked up from his documents, sighed wearily, and walked over. He gently embraced Ren Qiri from behind, stroking the pale nape of his neck.

Weekends were often the time when they could truly be together.

“That…”

Ren Qiri turned his head slightly and asked cautiously, “These are…”

Third Master Ren looked at the bright red garments, smiled, walked back to the wardrobe, and took out another brocade box. Inside was also a set of red clothes. He took it out and held it up against Ren Qiri’s body. Ren Qiri looked at the sea of red before him, including a large, vivid red peony, and raised an eyebrow calmly.

“… Are these for me?”

Third Master Ren nodded, then added, “Qiqi looks good… in anything.”

“Oh—” Ren Qiri’s lips curled, and he let out two dry laughs.

He thought mournfully—

Karma has arrived…