Chapter 16#

8 PM, Oxygen Bar.

Feng Zhixian’s gaze never left the bar counter. A bartender was busy inside. He called a waiter over.

“Xiao Yan hasn’t come yet?”

The waiter shook his head. “He took leave today.”

Feng Zhixian was very surprised. “He…”

There was a commotion at the bar entrance. He looked over and saw the bar manager leading Xie Yunjie and another man inside.

Feng Zhixian knew Xie Yunjie, but the other one was…

He curiously took a few more looks. Unexpectedly, that gaze looked back at the same time. Their eyes met, and Feng Zhixian felt an inexplicable tremble in his heart, quickly withdrawing his gaze.

So much pressure…

Feng Zhixian’s voice lowered significantly. “Who is the man with President Xie?”

The waiter looked over and also lowered his volume. “President Lu.”

There were many people surnamed Lu in the capital, and quite a few presidents surnamed Lu, but the only one who could be referred to as President Lu instead of his name in the entire city was the head of the Lu Corporation, Lu Lin.

Feng Zhixian gasped. No wonder the aura was so powerful; it turned out to be him.

Since Yan Heqing took leave today anyway, Feng Zhixian simply stubbed out his cigarette, put his arm around the boy next to him, and whispered a few words. The boy’s cheeks flushed red as he listened, then stood up and left with him.

“What are you looking at?” Xie Yunjie followed Lu Lin’s gaze and saw two men leaving together.

Lu Lin indifferently withdrew his gaze. “Nothing.”

Xie Yunjie felt that Lu Lin was a bit strange today.

First, he actively proposed to drink, and now he walked through the main entrance of the bar. Usually, they would take the private entrance on the other side directly to the private room.

Entering the private room, the manager was all smiles. “President Lu, President Xie, a few bottles of Petrus arrived today. Should we open them?”

Xie Yunjie sat down on the sofa. “No need, bring two glasses of Xiao Yan’s Negroni.”

The manager bowed and scraped with an apologetic smile. “It’s unfortunate today… Xiao Yan took leave.”

Lu Lin looked over, and the manager immediately stood a bit straighter.

The manager was trembling with fear, but unexpectedly Lu Lin only asked, “What vintages of Petrus do you have?”

The manager immediately replied, “16, 15, and a bottle of 90.”

“Open the 90.”

“Yes, I’ll bring it to you right away.” The manager quickly retreated.

Xie Yunjie’s gaze kept circling Lu Lin. With his tongue pressing against his back molars, he asked, “Old Lu, were you planning to go fishing today?”

Lu Lin was dressed in casual clothes.

“It started snowing halfway.” Lu Lin picked up his water glass, his eyes obscure.

Xie Yunjie then remembered that it was snowing quite heavily tonight. On the way here, the traffic report said several roads were closed due to freezing.

Xie Yunjie was about to ask, “Even with a typhoon, you still go out to sea,” but just as he opened his mouth, he realized Lu Lin had no desire to talk and was silently turning his water glass.

So Xie Yunjie shut up.

…

On the other side, Yan Heqing returned to his residential compound. Today’s harvest was quite bountiful. He placed a few prepared fish in the area where stray cats frequented before going upstairs to his home.

Dinner was settled by the lake. Yan Heqing changed his clothes and went to the bathroom to shower.

The bathroom was extremely narrow, half occupied by a small toilet and half by the shower.

Previously, there was no shower curtain; Yan Heqing bought it himself.

The already small space felt even more crowded with the shower curtain, but Yan Heqing was overly thin and could barely turn around inside.

The white wall tiles, which had been there for some years, were yellowed but scrubbed clean by Yan Heqing. Hot water poured down from overhead. Yan Heqing closed his eyes, replaying the car he encountered at the foot of the mountain in his mind.

Black.

He didn’t recognize the car brand, but the license plate number was Jing A1111.

Lu Lin went fishing tonight.

And then…

That sound of braking.

Lu Lin saw him.

His previous few appearances were successful; Lu Lin remembered him.

After showering, Yan Heqing changed into clean, soft pajamas. It was almost 11 o’clock, but he still opened his laptop and went through the question bank according to plan.

He started late today and didn’t finish until two o’clock.

Sitting for too long made Yan Heqing’s cervical spine uncomfortable again; he had cervical spondylosis.

Living on the small balcony of the Yan family for years, where it was damp for most of the year, plus that bed where he could only curl up, his cervical spine had been unhealthy for years.

Closing the computer, Yan Heqing massaged his neck for a while before going to bed.

Lin Fengzhi was also sleeping.

These past few days, he locked himself in his room and ignored anyone who knocked.

His bedroom was a suite, with a game room, a darkroom for developing photos, and a living room equipped with a refrigerator and a snack cabinet.

Servants would replenish drinks and ice cream in the refrigerator and snacks in the cabinet every week. Lin Fengyi knew Lin Fengzhi wouldn’t starve.

But by Monday, Lin Fengyi was still worried that snacks would hurt his stomach, so he forcibly removed the door lock.

The bedroom curtains were drawn tight. The light from the hallway shone in, revealing a small mound on the wide, soft bed.

Lin Fengyi tiptoed in carrying hot food.

Walking to the bedside, he placed the tray on the nightstand and squatted down, whispering to coax Lin Fengzhi, “Zhizhi, drink some porridge before sleeping. It’s your favorite king crab porridge.”

Lin Fengzhi ignored him, still buried in the quilt.

Lin Fengyi tried to lift the quilt. “It’s uncomfortable to be smothered in the quilt, you…”

Lin Fengzhi immediately grabbed the quilt and struggled, not letting Lin Fengyi lift it.

Lin Fengyi had to let go. He sat on the carpet. “If you don’t eat, I won’t eat either, and Mom won’t eat. The whole family will starve with you.”

After a while, a corner of the quilt was finally lifted. “Mom didn’t eat?”

Lin Fengyi curled his lips dotingly. “You are her heart and soul. If you don’t eat, can she eat? Mom is lying in bed now, it seems her stomach…”

The next second, the quilt was thrown open. Lin Fengzhi hurriedly got out of bed and ran barefoot.

Lin Fengyi couldn’t help laughing and followed him.

Lin Fengzhi rushed to Mother Lin’s room. Mother Lin was fiddling with that vase of carnations.

Hearing the commotion, Mother Lin turned around, very delighted. “Zhizhi is up.”

Lin Fengzhi realized he had been tricked.

He stared wide-eyed, then suddenly deflated.

After these few days, he had actually accepted the fact that he was adopted.

He was upset that Lu Lin ignored him.

He sent several text messages to Lu Lin, but during the darkest days of his life, Lu Lin didn’t reply to a single one.

Thinking that Lu Lin didn’t care about him, Lin Fengzhi’s eyes quickly turned red. Mother Lin hurriedly put down the flowers and walked forward, gently hugging him. “My baby has been wronged, don’t cry, don’t cry.”

Lin Fengzhi’s tears fell instantly. He buried himself in Mother Lin’s arms and cried freely. “Boohoo, Mom, I feel terrible…”

Lin Fengyi also arrived at this time. Seeing Lin Fengzhi finally regain some vitality, he was relieved but also cursed Yan Heqing in his heart.

Making his dear brother so aggrieved, he wouldn’t let him off easily!

Lin Fengzhi cried for a long time, and his mood finally calmed down.

He looked up, his eyes red and swollen. He took a few deep breaths and finally made up his mind.

“I’m going to find Yan Heqing tomorrow.”

Mother Lin was very gratified. She wiped the tear stains from Lin Fengzhi’s face. “Good child, Mom is proud of you.”

Lin Fengyi was unwilling. He was worried that Lin Fengzhi would become closer to Yan Heqing in the future.

But since Lin Fengzhi took the initiative to speak, he couldn’t object, so he said, “I’ll take you there.”

Lin Fengzhi had too many things to ask Yan Heqing; it was more convenient to go alone.

He shook his head. “I’ll go by myself.”

Early the next morning, Lin Fengzhi took a taxi alone.

He remembered Yan Heqing’s address.

The taxi stopped at the entrance of the unit building. Lin Fengzhi got out of the car and was momentarily stunned by the dilapidated environment.

Did the driver go to the wrong place? Yan Heqing lives in a place like this?

Following the house number, he climbed to the third floor. Lin Fengzhi looked at the rusty iron door, didn’t knock, and called Yan Heqing.

“Are you home?” Lin Fengzhi was a bit awkward. “I’m at your door.”

The door opened at the same time.

Yan Heqing was wearing an apron, holding a spatula, his smile warm. “Come in.”

Seeing Yan Heqing again, Lin Fengzhi was still not quite used to it. His eyes dodged as he nodded and entered the room.

Stepping inside, Lin Fengzhi was shocked.

This is Yan Heqing’s home?! It’s not even as big as his cat’s room…

Yan Heqing didn’t miss his expression. He nodded towards the shoe rack. “The blue pair are clean slippers. I’m cooking, sit wherever you like.”

Yan Heqing went into the kitchen.

Listening to the sound of cooking, Lin Fengzhi hesitated for a few seconds before taking off his coat and hanging it behind the door, then taking off his shoes and changing into slippers.

The slippers were just the right size and very soft.

Lin Fengzhi walked inside and saw everything at a glance.

A sofa, a coffee table, a bed, and that was it.

Fortunately, it was kept very tidy and clean. A large vase of wintersweet was placed by the sofa, emitting bursts of faint fragrance.

Ten books were stacked on the armrest of the sofa. Lin Fengzhi glanced at them: “Cell Biology”, “Immunobiology”, “Life Science”, “Molecular Cell Biology”…

Then there were some in Japanese, Russian, and some languages he didn’t know.

Lin Fengzhi withdrew his gaze and sat on the other side of the sofa.

He waited for a few minutes, and Yan Heqing came out with the dishes: a plate of tomato and scrambled eggs, and a plate of stir-fried pork with chili.

After placing them on the coffee table, Yan Heqing went back to the kitchen and brought out two bowls of white rice.

“This is the first time you’re eating food I cooked.” Yan Heqing curved his lips. “I’m very happy.”

Lin Fengzhi pursed his lips and picked up his chopsticks. He had never eaten such simple dishes. He picked up a piece of egg, but it was unexpectedly delicious.

Lin Fengzhi picked up another piece. The atmosphere was much more relaxed than at the beginning, and he gradually started talking more.

“Do you live alone? Where are your parents? Do they not live with you? Or are they out of town?”

Yan Heqing’s voice was calm. “My parents passed away. If you are asking about my adoptive parents, I have severed ties with them.”

Lin Fengzhi was initially awkward about the first sentence, but he immediately became unhappy at the second sentence.

He had a harmonious relationship with his parents and really couldn’t understand Yan Heqing’s behavior.

“Did you sever ties with them because you found out they weren’t your biological parents?”

Yan Heqing’s movements paused slightly, but very quickly, he continued picking up food as if nothing had happened. “I didn’t lose my memory. There are other reasons for severing ties with them.”

“No matter what the reason, they raised you.” Lin Fengzhi put down his bowl. “Doing this will hurt them very much.”

Yan Heqing suddenly thought of Lu Muchi’s description of Lin Fengzhi in the novel.

[My innocent and kind little deer.]

Indeed, his brother was as crystal clear as crystal, pure and flawless, stupid, and so detestable.

Yan Heqing smiled calmly and put down his chopsticks. “I’m going to the bathroom. Could you please clear the bowls to the kitchen? Just put them in the sink.”

Lin Fengzhi felt it wasn’t good to eat Yan Heqing’s food for free. Although he had never washed dishes, he volunteered, “It’s okay, I’ll wash them!”

The corners of Yan Heqing’s lips raised slightly. “Thank you for your trouble.”

Lin Fengzhi went into the kitchen. Listening to the chaotic sounds inside, Yan Heqing picked up a water glass, walked to the entryway, and calmly splashed it onto Lin Fengzhi’s coat.

At the same time, his tone was gentle.

“Fengzhi, I’m not feeling very well. Can I ask you to go to my school to pick up something?”

Lin Fengzhi’s voice came from the kitchen. “When?”

“Now.”

Yan Heqing looked at the alarm clock.

1 PM. Zhao Huilin and Yan Shengbing should have finished lunch and gone to the school to block him again.