Chapter 40: Are you treating me like a weasel?

Near dawn, Lin Jiangye tried saying “I like you” many more times, but the effect gradually became minimal, nowhere near as efficient as the first time.

Because Yu Wangxiao was sleepy. He wanted to sleep.

At first, Yu Wangxiao had quite liked hearing it. Who could have expected that… the more he listened, the sleepier he became. He actually fell asleep just like that while holding Lin Jiangye, without the slightest sense of distance.

Lin Jiangye liked this a little, so he kept his eyes open and silently stared at Yu Wangxiao’s sleeping face in a daze, counting his breaths, counting his eyelashes, and counting how many cypress leaves there were.

After accidentally watching for several hours, he discovered that he finally understood Yu Wangxiao’s perverted behavior. He could also adapt very well to this way of getting along, so he simply slept peacefully for a while too.

However, once he got used to sharing a bed and pillow with a human…

Sitting alone in the empty large apartment, looking at the cold, simple dining room and living room, Lin Jiangye instead felt unused to it now.

He abruptly stood up, cleaned up the bowls and chopsticks, returned to the guest room, turned on the computer, and wholeheartedly threw himself into the ocean of online shopping.

Cute household items, small home plants, atmospheric floor lamps, Christmas decoration sets, silent dreamcatchers… Anything that looked decent, he bought.

Lin Jiangye acted quickly and decisively. He even bought a whole set of glass vases, planning to place them on the dining table and tea table in the future. There also had to be one on the entryway cabinet.

After buying things, playing games for a while, going to the terrace to observe the sea of flowers Yu Wangxiao raised, wiping the snowmelt that had fallen onto the counter, and changing into a presentable outfit… Lin Jiangye worked hard to keep himself busy, and the effect was not bad.

It seemed that in the blink of an eye, it was time to get off work, and Yu Wangxiao sent him a message right on time.

[Come downstairs.]

The elevator went directly to the underground garage. Lin Jiangye pulled open the car door and impatiently threw himself onto Yu Wangxiao.

“You came so quickly!”

“Mm. I felt like you were chanting my name behind my back. I was out of sorts all afternoon.” Yu Wangxiao closed the car door for him and said unhurriedly, “So I left work early and came back.”

Lin Jiangye did not touch his neatly arranged hair. After thinking for a moment, he turned sideways, kissed his cheek, and skillfully inhaled the human’s fragrance, quite justified. “Your inspiration is so strong. I missed you especially much and kept chanting your name.”

“I missed you too.”

“That’s more like it.”

“Oh right, I closed half the terrace windows like you said, but the wind is strong at night. Can your precious flowers withstand it?”

“It’s fine. This batch of flower seeds was cultivated through genetic modification. They’re very cold-resistant.”

“So advanced. I don’t understand.”

“Then let me say something less advanced. Have you considered graduating early? I talked with your academic advisor about your course plan. You can take more classes during winter break and come out for internship earlier.”

“Eh, who’s my academic advisor? Can I intern at Yu Corporation?”

“You can check in your A University official website account. Don’t forget the course selection time. If you come to my company for an internship, you have to work. You can’t spend all your working hours eating.”

“No problem. As long as you’re not afraid I’ll eat the employee cafeteria into bankruptcy…”

Once the two got together, they started muttering to each other. The more they talked, the more enthusiastic they became. From stewed soup recipes to where to eat on Christmas, they were so absorbed they practically forgot heaven and earth.

Chen Ming listened for a while and realized Yu Wangxiao still had not told him to drive. He could only hold back his nearly uncontrollable benevolent smile and step on the accelerator.

***

The atmosphere in the old residence was not very good, and its decoration style only intensified that feeling.

It was said to be the taste of the previous generation. Unlike Old Madam Gu’s preference for glittering jewels, the Yu family’s old residence was filled everywhere with black-red chicken-blood rosewood and rosewood. Everything was square and proper, with few bright colors.

Except for the few rooms Yu Lin could freely control, which had been turned somewhat unsuitable for children, the style of the other rooms and courtyards was very unified.

From a psychological perspective, perhaps only Yu Lin lived most comfortably here. Reddish décor was not suitable for long-term residence and could easily cause anxiety.

Even with all the lights turned on, the house still appeared inexplicably gloomy, carrying an indescribable sense of oppression. Opening the window to look at the dark, heavy back mountain outside the courtyard immediately brought the atmosphere to full strength. It was even rather suitable for an escape room horror theme.

Not to mention that the current Yu family was extremely lacking in vitality. The dead were dead, the injured injured, the mad mad… Even salaries far beyond the usual circle could not retain people.

Because he could no longer bear Yu Lin’s increasingly strange temper, even the butler stationed at the old residence for a long time had run away. He could at least be considered a senior management talent with great endurance, but he simply secretly defected to Yu Wangxiao’s side and took up an ordinary nine-to-five job.

Lin Jiangye did not like this place either. After all, on the first night he transmigrated here, the experience had been extremely sour and refreshing. His eyes were swollen shut, his throat was dry and painful, his face burned from being struck with a bank card, and walking made him gasp with every step. He had almost wished he could collapse on the spot…

The past was too unbearable to look back on. Now, he had finally eaten himself back into a strong and healthy state, perfectly suited to return with force and throw punches and kicks.

Passing through the front courtyard, they entered the spacious, quiet living room, where the newly appointed butler stood. He looked quite young, tall and capable of taking responsibility, but his expression was not very natural.

Because there was a large bump on his forehead, and it was very fresh… It looked like Yu Lin had hit him by throwing something.

Before the butler who had come to greet them could speak, Yu Wangxiao slightly frowned. “You’ve worked hard. The medical expenses will be reimbursed. Go to the hospital tomorrow. If there’s a next time, you can hit back. He is not qualified to fire you.”

“…Okay, Mr. Yu.” The young butler looked stunned. It seemed he had not yet figured out the Yu family’s situation and had no idea about the terrible relationship between Yu Wangxiao and Yu Lin. For a moment, he was somewhat awkward.

But this awkwardness quickly turned into gratitude and relief. He let out a breath, stepped forward quickly to take the two people’s coats, briefly explained tonight’s dinner arrangements, then turned to prepare tea.

His working attitude was still very positive. Unfortunately, he had unluckily run into Yu Lin, who had been detained overnight and was full of anger.

Yu Wangxiao was also a little helpless. A useful and tight-lipped butler was very difficult to find, especially when the old residence housed someone very troublesome… Every profession had its own circle for communication. If this continued, this place would truly become notorious.

If one more ran away, he would have to drag He Chen over and force him to do this part-time job too.

“There’s no rush to eat. Let’s go out for some air first. We’ll go see Old Madam first and offer her incense.”

“Okay.”

Lin Jiangye glanced at the dark staircase corner and immediately agreed. Right now, he did not want to stay indoors. He felt uncomfortable all over, as if the place was filled with ghostly energy.

Xu Lifang’s coffin had been transported to the old residence last night and was currently placed in the garden in the back mountain courtyard, guarded by designated people.

Yu Wangxiao had given her enough dignity after death. None of the rituals and ceremonies required by A City customs had been missed.

The courtyard was full of the thick scent of incense, and firecracker scraps covered the ground.

Lin Jiangye earnestly imitated Yu Wangxiao’s movements, bowing, then inserting three golden-thread incense sticks beside the coffin.

Thud. Thud, thud…

When he straightened again, he suddenly heard a discordant sound of piano keys, like someone casually striking them at random.

Lin Jiangye turned back warily toward the sound, his gaze landing precisely on the attic at the very top floor.

His eyes met those of a woman with disheveled hair.

The woman lay against the narrow attic window, her bloodshot eyes open as she looked him over with great interest.

She was well maintained, with proper features. Her long hair flowed like ebony, and her skin, despite being nearly fifty, had few wrinkles.

Only her eyes were extremely unnatural, just like Lin Jiangye when his state had been wrong last night. They were wide and round, and for a long time, she did not close them.

But she was human. She should not be opening her eyes so forcefully. Long-term abnormal behavior had forcibly pulled out horrifyingly dense eye wrinkles, layered one upon another, almost drooping to both sides of her temples, thicker than the curtains in Yu Wangxiao’s home.

“Sister-in-law?” Lin Jiangye tilted his head.

He was not afraid. Instead, toward this terrifying extreme that a human body could achieve, he felt a strange sense of amazement.

So he greeted her warmly. “Sister-in-law, Sister-in-law, do you want to come down and offer incense to Old Madam Gu?”

The woman still did not speak.

But the chaotic piano sound rang out again, slowly spilling from the attic behind her.

Thud, thud… thud…