Chapter 28: Humans Are Amazing

Lin Jiangye was not blindly guessing, because the information revealed by the person opposite him was far too obvious.

He did not even need to actively draw anything out. Lin Jingyao had almost spilled his entire background himself, including his complicated emotional history, chaotic interpersonal relationships, and difficult family background… In all of A City, there probably were not many families with such bizarre circumstances.

The direction of the matter was very clear. Although Lin Jiangye had taken the initiative to talk to Lin Jingyao when he was at the Lin family home and had pointed out a temporarily safe path for him, Lin Jingyao did not fully trust him.

Very normal. If their positions were reversed, Lin Jiangye would not trust himself either.

But he really had not expected that in this world, the humans with love-brain were not limited to Lin Yu, that unusually stupid special case… Lin Jingyao’s logic was not much better.

This fake young master had been tossing and turning in the middle of the night, unable to sleep, then angrily spent a heavy sum of five thousand yuan on online divination, all just to ask one question.

Between Yu Lin and Lin Yu, who exactly was his true destined match? Who exactly would love everything about him? Who exactly would truly treat him well?

Actually, the answer was very obvious. Lin Jiangye did not even need to calculate to know the later content.

In the original book, after Yu Lin fell in love with the original owner, he wished Lin Jingyao’s very existence could be completely erased. He almost treated him as the source of all his sins, the originator of all his dark history, and the sole culprit behind all of the original owner’s suffering.

Yu Lin kissed the original owner, and the whole world followed by kissing the original owner. The Lin family naturally stood on the original owner’s side too.

Only Lin Yu was the most stubborn. He still tirelessly hated the original owner, made a chaotic mess of many incidents, and as always, attacked the original owner verbally regardless of the occasion. He exhausted every effort to control the Lin family’s resources and make them lean toward Lin Jingyao, firmly refusing to let the original owner come home, making the original owner very hurt… This was also an indispensable abuse point in a dog-blood story.

In reality, Lin Yu really had no sense, and he really was stupid, but he really was also an extremely pure love-brain.

Lin Yu’s behavior was simply beneficial to no one, but perhaps to Lin Jingyao… if he remained the same, then this might be the last true affection he would have in his life.

Lin Jiangye thought about it, turned on recording mode, and propped his phone beside him. Then he took two gemstones of about the same size from the drawer, held them in his palm, kneaded them for a moment, and tossed them into the air.

A strange cold wind blew from above his head, brushed across his face, paused, then vanished in an instant.

Immediately afterward, the blood-red gemstone fell onto his blanket and bizarrely shattered into pieces. The powder spread out, and for one instant, it looked like splattered blood.

Lin Jiangye froze, looking at the transparent diamond that had fallen back into his palm, then hurriedly climbed up to clean.

He had not expected the effect to be so shocking either… Choosing Yu Lin led to such a tragic fate that even a complete corpse would not remain?

Too bizarre. Then he should also stay as far away from Yu Lin as possible in the future.

As a return benefit for a high-spending client, Lin Jiangye sent this shocking video over and briefly explained which man each gemstone represented.

Lin Jingyao said nothing and silently sent him another fifty thousand yuan.

Lin Jiangye accepted this money with even less guilt. Even now, he felt his heart thumping wildly. Because if someone else had calculated this fortune, that cold wind might not have stopped immediately… They might even have been smashed to death by the ruby.

It was that bizarre and that dangerous.

After cleaning up, Lin Jiangye lay back in the blankets and let out a breath. He could not help doing another divination for both himself and Yu Wangxiao.

No fatal danger. As usual, whenever Yu Wangxiao was involved, everything was so ordinary, reassuring, and reliable.

From the looks of it, tomorrow’s cruise banquet should be fairly peaceful.

***

“You have dark circles.”

This was the first thing Yu Wangxiao said to Lin Jiangye the next morning after returning from his morning run.

Lin Jiangye felt slightly guilty and quickly picked up his phone to transfer money to him: fifty-two thousand exactly, leaving only three thousand for himself to buy food.

This number was very pleasing. Yu Wangxiao put away the dissatisfaction on his face and, with a smile that was not quite a smile, temporarily let him off without asking anything.

Lin Jiangye really could not explain it well either. His self-check procedure last night had indeed consumed some energy, plus that kiss that made him dizzy, two simple divinations, and Yu Wangxiao’s favorability bar shooting up wildly above his head… For a while, his body’s nutrition could not quite keep up.

Because of hunger and subconscious insecurity, Lin Jiangye secretly ate some snacks before sleeping, and even dug out that little packet of jade pendant fragments and ate them.

That was right. After thinking it over and over, he had still decided to swallow this potential time bomb into his stomach.

Swallowing it into his stomach sounded sick, but in reality, this was the safest method of storage and isolation.

Even if the fragments exploded, at least they would explode inside his stomach. Unless they truly blew him into fireworks, they absolutely would not harm anyone else.

However, he really did not dare tell Yu Wangxiao about this. He was afraid Yu Wangxiao would cut open his stomach.

…Mm, although he definitely would not be able to cut it open, if he made Yu Wangxiao angry, then Lin Jiangye’s days definitely would not be easy.

So today’s Lin Jiangye was obedient and ate a lot. He stuck quietly beside Yu Wangxiao and took a nap, working hard not to cause trouble. The effect was very good.

After successfully passing a peaceful morning, the afternoon quickly became busy.

The evening banquet was approaching, and Yu Corporation’s styling team arrived. They skillfully and consciously put on masks and shoe covers, especially efficient and professional, then surrounded the two of them and began doing their styling.

Lin Jiangye had changed in advance into the clothes chosen yesterday. He obediently sat in front of the full-length mirror, listening to the gentle instructions by his ear, blankly raising his arms, tilting his head, closing his eyes…

The makeup artist said his skin was very good and only slightly improved his complexion. The makeup process ended very quickly.

But when Lin Jiangye opened his eyes again, he was a little shocked.

Because it was too professional.

This was not his first day wearing formal clothes. Lin Jiangye had also worn a suit when he went to the Gu family, but that time had been more rushed, and no one had specially styled him. So only now did Lin Jiangye intuitively feel how troublesome these things were when done properly… and how good the effect was.

The suit jacket, which had originally been ironed neatly, had actually been arranged by someone’s two hands to look even more refined and perfect. The folds of the suit trousers fell just right, and the shirt collar had also been adjusted into the shape that best suited his face.

His hair was blow-dried into small curls, and a little hairspray was added to set it. He could not help sneezing lightly.

Compared to soft, easily kneaded styles like hoodies and sweaters, formal clothes gave a much more mature feeling. They also added a bit of restraint.

“Do I look good?”

Lin Jiangye sat on the chair, staring at his slightly unfamiliar self in the mirror. After hesitating for a moment, he tilted his head and consulted Yu Wangxiao’s opinion.

The way Yu Wangxiao looked at him carried a faint heat. He took out his phone and unhurriedly took more than a dozen photos of him.

“You look good.” After saying this softly, Yu Wangxiao leaned over and took a few more photos. The distance narrowed, and his long legs wrapped in black suit trousers directly pressed against the armrest of Lin Jiangye’s chair. It was intimacy that was not hidden even in front of outsiders.

Lin Jiangye lightly coughed. His gaze could not help lingering at Yu Wangxiao’s waist, and his face grew a little hot. He immediately turned his head and drank a mouthful of warm water. Suddenly, he understood Yu Wangxiao’s daily mood. No wonder this person always liked wearing formal clothes.

Because looking good was a feeling, and this feeling, when expressed through clothes that perfectly modified the body’s shape, was shown vividly, almost explicitly.

After thinking about it, unable to resist, Lin Jiangye still pressed his face against Yu Wangxiao’s thigh. Taking advantage of the rare height difference, he hugged Yu Wangxiao’s leg with one hand and secretly squeezed it. With his other hand, he lifted his phone and decisively took a selfie.

Yu Wangxiao: …

The firm feeling beneath his hand immediately became even firmer. Lin Jiangye squeezed again before reluctantly letting go of him, flipping through his phone to look at his own sincere smile. He was very satisfied.

Yu Wangxiao, however, seemed rather uncomfortable and quickly said in a low voice, “Tuantuan, don’t post this one on Moments.”

“Why?”

“Don’t let others know you pressed your face against a man’s leg. Don’t publicly post similar photos in the future either.”

“Why?”

Yu Wangxiao considered for a moment. “They’ll say bad things about you, and they’ll secretly edit the photo.”

“…Oh, I was wrong, I was wrong.” Thinking of the eye-burning photos Lin Jingyao had posted on Moments, Lin Jiangye suddenly understood and obediently put away his phone.

Heavens pity him. What he wanted to express was very simple—he really liked the lines of Yu Wangxiao’s thighs, and even wanted to bite them a couple of times. That was all.

Humans were bad.

***

When the black sedan drove away from Longjing Bay, the horizon had already taken on a faint orange-red color, like the citrus sundae Chen Ming had recently liked eating.

The makeup artists had already taken the chance to slip away. They had a separate seven-seater car and needed to hurry to the venue in advance to prepare. They would not depart at the same time as Yu Wangxiao.

Lin Jiangye looked at himself in the rearview mirror and pinched the unmoving curled ends of hair at the top of his head, feeling rather emotional. “Are the people on the styling team usually responsible for only your image? They’re amazing.”

“That would be too wasteful. Having them design makeup and styling for artists is where their talent is properly used.” Yu Wangxiao handed him his phone. On the screen was tonight’s trending search ranking.

Lin Jiangye curiously clicked in and saw entries all related to celebrities. Their direct red-carpet shots and styling at the harbor were climbing rapidly in discussion.

This banquet had indeed invited many celebrities. Both Yu Corporation and Gu Corporation had invested money. Although the theme of the banquet was to exchange and attract investors for each family’s new products, and to look for spokespersons along the way, it was also an excellent advertising channel.

For example, a big-budget film invested in by Yu Corporation was scheduled for the Lunar New Year holiday release. Naturally, they had to take advantage of the first snow to quickly begin building momentum. The starring artists would also attend tonight for promotion, and their goal was to outshine everyone.

Lin Jiangye listened with great interest and even asked Yu Wangxiao to teach him how to manage his expression.

Because tonight, the cruise ship had stage performances arranged. The venue would be livestreamed throughout, and there would be people responsible for filming the ship’s luxurious facilities and conducting phased livestreams.

After all, the cruise itself was also an advertisement. The tourism industry had strong government support. It was said that a new route would soon open, departing from A City’s South Harbor, following the river into the sea, all the way to Antarctica on a fifteen-day trip, with food, accommodation, and penguin viewing included. Average ticket price per person—one hundred thousand.

For many A City residents paying attention, one hundred thousand was not an astronomical price. Even if they could not afford it, they would notice the names of various product sponsors.

If Yu Wangxiao had not casually told him a few points to pay attention to, Lin Jiangye truly would never have thought there were so many ways to make money. Every available gap was filled with advertisements, not letting go of the slightest opportunity to attract business.

Humans were amazing.

Unfortunately, they had already arrived at the venue before they had chatted for long. A staff member in a suit bent down to open the car door. A slightly cool breeze blew in, wrapped in the refreshing scent of river water.

“Mr. Yu, welcome…”

Before the staff member could finish speaking, Lin Jiangye instantly heard explosive shutter sounds. The flashlights were so dazzling they were practically blinding, especially for people like him with overly sensitive perception… He took a deep breath, silently urged himself to manage his expression, and got out of the car while holding Yu Wangxiao’s arm.

Now, he still had to play the role of a boyfriend madly in love. He had to be professional!

“Pa.”

But at this moment, Yu Wangxiao raised his hand and put sunglasses on him. The constantly flashing world instantly became countless times calmer.

“Don’t bother with them. Let’s go.” Yu Wangxiao spoke lowly beside his ear, his warm lips seemingly accidentally brushing his ear. “I’ll take you to eat raw marinated seafood.”

Lin Jiangye immediately felt hungry, and his attention instantly shifted. He tilted his head and whispered with Yu Wangxiao. “Okay. I’ll eat first, then you eat. That’s safer. I’m afraid you’ll get infected by parasites.”

“…Tuantuan.”

“This time I’m not ruining the atmosphere. Listen to me.”

“Alright, I’ll listen to you.”

The cruise ship was extremely large. The nearly endless deck was also covered with media, carrying cameras and interviewing celebrities. Yu Wangxiao did not linger. He took Lin Jiangye’s hand and walked into the cabin, skillfully avoiding the livestream cameras.

Of course, he had a dedicated suite. The dining room, bedroom, and bathroom were all complete. It was located on the third level of the cruise ship, facing the deck, with an entire wall of one-way glass, allowing one to stand higher and enjoy the sea view.

Dinner had been prepared in advance on the dining table. The portions were not large, but the plating was exquisite. The red wine had already been decanted, and there was also a bottle of champagne tied with a ribbon in an ice bucket. It should have been opened not long ago and was full of bubbles.

As for the raw marinated seafood Yu Wangxiao mentioned, perhaps because the cuisine style was different, it had been temporarily stored in the nearby freezer. These portions were quite generous, and the brightly colored side ingredients were very eye-catching. The sour-spicy aroma almost overflowed through the freezer. In any case, Lin Jiangye smelled it.

“Eat some staple food first. It’s good for your stomach.”

“Okay.”

Lin Jiangye obediently sat down and swept away the appetizer and cheese bread in front of him at the fastest speed, nearly choking. Then, under Yu Wangxiao’s helpless gaze, he quickly brought two large bowls of raw marinated seafood back to the table and casually took two fresh sea urchins that had been cut open.

He did not feel embarrassed at all and began focusing on the work of shelling. As usual, his efficiency was frighteningly high.

In the blink of an eye, a tall pile of shrimp meat rose before the two of them, like a mountain of flesh soaked in sauce. The texture was still chewy and resilient, and especially flavorful. Lin Jiangye currently needed this kind of high-protein energy the most, and he could not stop eating.

“How is it, Young Master? Can I eat now?” Yu Wangxiao patiently waited until he had eaten his fill before unhurriedly smiling and speaking.

“…Mm, no parasites.” Lin Jiangye lightly coughed and quickly pushed all the peeled shrimp in his bowl toward him. He himself used a small silver fork to spear two strands of jellyfish, trying hard to chew slowly.

The jellyfish in this world also had a very good texture, tender and crisp. Unfortunately, he had not managed to snatch a fresh soul before. He had only eaten something similar once that had lived for several thousand years. The taste was very abstract, and Lin Jiangye was unwilling to recall it.

“Are you full?”

“Half full,” Lin Jiangye answered honestly. “I can still fit lots of snacks and desserts.”

“Don’t choke yourself. Have some champagne first?”

“Drink!”

The tall glasses lightly clinked, and the dense bubbles burst under the vibration. The taste was a refreshing fruit fragrance.

“Now is the right time to take photos. Tuantuan, come over here.”

Lin Jiangye’s eyes lit up, and he went around the dining table without hesitation, directly sitting on Yu Wangxiao’s lap.

Yu Wangxiao froze for a moment, then silently wrapped his arm around his waist, feeling that he was gradually getting used to Lin Jiangye’s intimacy without warning.

With their backs to the richly colored, brilliant sunset, heads leaning together, they left behind a perfect smiling photo.

“Let me see, let me see…” Lin Jiangye opened the photo and found that his lips were very red, perhaps because he had eaten too much sour-spicy marinated shrimp. It looked a little like he had just been kissed. “Looks good. Should I post it?”

Yu Wangxiao hesitated, but still did not stop him. He took out a handkerchief, pressed it to Lin Jiangye’s mouth, and wiped it. “Post it.”

With the order given, Lin Jiangye immediately posted the photo. The caption required no thought, paired with two big red hearts. He was still very professional and had to diligently create a loving atmosphere.

Many people liked his Moments post. Or rather, every post where Yu Wangxiao appeared had high engagement. Li Yushen and Ji Ting were also on the cruise ship and even left a comment, asking whether he wanted to go upstairs and play billiards together.

“Friends calling you to play?” Yu Wangxiao glanced at his screen, smiling but not smiling.

“Cough, it’s fine. I won’t bother with them.” Lin Jiangye folded the handkerchief and very naturally put it into his own pocket.

Recently, he had been collecting Yu Wangxiao’s handkerchiefs, because this kind of personal item absorbed scent very well. It absorbed Yu Wangxiao’s scent… In any case, it was pure natural harmless incense.

Yu Wangxiao smiled. “If you want to play, go ahead. Right now, my desire to control isn’t that strong yet.”

Lin Jiangye did not believe a single word, but he also knew that they could not be conjoined babies for the entire night.

So he simply stayed sitting on Yu Wangxiao’s lap for a while longer, staring at the lip bead dyed by red wine, completely unaware that there was something wrong with his own gaze. “Do you have to go get busy later?”

“Mm. He Chen will come call me.” Yu Wangxiao clearly did not want to work, but there was no helping it. “Be careful by yourself and don’t get lost. You can use South Harbor’s mini program to view the 3D map. There will be a fireworks show in an hour. I’ll come back to find you then.”

“Okay. What’s the little snack icon? Does it sell food?”

“It doesn’t cost money. It’s the drinks and dessert station on every level. You can directly order and have a server send it over. Don’t eat anything too cold.”

“Okay.”

…

The two of them stuck together for not long before He Chen indeed quickly came and dragged Yu Wangxiao away. Thunderous flashbulbs and shutter sounds rang out again on the deck.

Lin Jiangye stared resentfully at their departing backs for a while, then suddenly discovered that even from very far away, he could still hear Yu Wangxiao speak. His sense of security instantly multiplied.

Good hearing still had benefits. Yu Wangxiao had to place recording devices to monitor him, but Lin Jiangye could directly eavesdrop on his heartbeat through several layers of reinforced concrete, as long as he concentrated.

He stood up and stretched, tidied himself up, and prepared to go to a nearby dessert station to find some ice cream.

Because he had been craving those soft serves Chen Ming kept secretly eating for a very long time.

“Dong dong dong—! Bang bang bang—!”

But before Lin Jiangye could set off in high spirits, a fierce knocking suddenly came from outside the suite door. Very quickly, it turned into pounding, loud and unending.

The person who would act impulsively in this kind of situation did not need to be guessed.

Lin Yu was being blocked outside the door by Chen Ming, his shouting growing louder and louder. Today, he was not even afraid of Chen Ming. From the looks of it, he would not give up unless he forced his way in.

Lin Jiangye inexplicably felt uneasy, hoping that the death scene he had foreseen would not happen. He sighed, sat back beside the dining table, and once again forked up two strips of jellyfish skin. “Uncle Chen, let him in.”

The next instant, the tall man with an ashen face directly rushed in. Lin Yu raised his hand and pointed at Lin Jiangye. His arm trembled for a long time, and he was still panting heavily. It looked like he had sprinted over, and his shirt was already soaked through.

Lin Jiangye did not want to go near him. He threw him a bottle of water from afar and frowned. “What’s wrong? Where’s Lin Jingyao? Aren’t you accompanying him?”

Lin Yu drank half the bottle in one gulp, his expression still extremely ugly.

“Xiao Yao has been kidnapped! Hah, hah… He was kidnapped on the ship. I can’t find him. I searched all the rooms nearby. I’ve been searching for an hour! Fuck, I can’t find him!”