Epiphanies of Rebirth Chapter 83 (Part 3)
Translated by Pure
Chapter 83.3 Which wedding should he attend?
Lin Jingzhe looked at the little pigtail on Xiao Chi's head that was shaking with the vibration of the car in amusement, "You’re not angry anymore?"
"I wasn’t angry." Xiao Chi still refused to admit it.
Lin Jingzhe touched his lips that were still lingering in pain from being sucked in the dark just now, feeling both vexed and tickled. Although the occasional pettiness was fine compared to constant argumentativeness, Xiao Chi's little ‘act outs’ from time to time were still quite a headache. Now that he had calmed down, he was too embarrassed to admit that he lost his temper just now. As if he wasn’t the person who received a kiss during the darkness with his pigtail wasn’t happily wagging in the air.
This time it was a kiss in public, how can he coax him back next time? Lin Jingzhe felt as if he was raising a child, constantly having to buy toys for him and reading him bedtime stories before his child would be obedient.
The compound was quietest at night, with occasional cicadas chirping in the trees. In their rare moments of leisure, they got out of the car and looked at the clear starry sky of Yan City.
Lin Jingzhe sighed. "Gao Sheng and Zhou Haitang are really just my childhood friends."
Xiao Chi grabbed his hand and held it in his.
Lin Jingzhe seldom told him about his childhood. What Zhou Haitang and Gao Sheng's family had done for him when he was a child, even after several decades, he would never forget this gratitude. Hu Yu and Mother Zhou replaced the mother figure that his life lacked, while Gao Sheng and Zhou Haitang were no better brothers. Though without the bond of blood, they were emotionally linked, inseparably so. To put it bluntly, in Lin Jingzhe's heart, the Gao Family and the Zhou Family were more like family than Jiang Qiaiqia and Lin Runsheng.
There was no need to say anything about Jiang Qiaqia, and although Lin Runsheng was not a bad father, adding up his two lifetimes, the words they’ve shared in total couldn’t even surpass a normal day conversation between an ordinary father and son.
In his most vulnerable time in need, it was the Zhou and Gao Family who supported him through the difficulties. To this day, Lin Jingzhe still felt heartwarmed when talking about the warm breads that Hu Yu had Gao Sheng to bring to him every morning in school, and the dishes that Mother Zhou often cooked for him even though she was also in dire financial straits.
Xiao Chi’s heart pained at his story. Although his parents were busy with work and rarely accompanied him when he was a child, at least in daily life, these two figures had always existed. Even so, Xiao Chi and his sister still became what they were today because of the lack of time they spent with their parents. It was hard for him to imagine how a young child would live alone in a desolate house when his grandfather left his hometown to explore for antiques.
Lin Jingzhe felt Xiao Chi’s grip on his hand tightening and turned around to face Xiao Chi's frown. He couldn't help laughing, "What’s with you?"
Now that he was reminiscing back, perhaps since the bitter time had passed, Lin Jingzhe currently believed that his childhood was actually full of joy. With Gao Sheng and Zhou Haitang’s two families protecting him, he could find food at either house when he was hungry. When grandpa wasn't out hunting for antiques, the old house in Liyun Town wasn't that void. Although his aunt and uncle have always disliked him, they have never been able to get what they wanted in this life.
All the difficulties that he once thought he would not be able to bear, all the dilemmas where he had to gritted his teeth and continue to persist through, now that he looked back, had turned into insignificant stepping stones on the trail of a mountain.
Xiao Chi softly apologized, "I'm sorry."
Lin Jingzhe was pulled into his brace, looking at the moths fluttering around the light under the streetlamp, and couldn't help but laugh. In fact, he didn't object to Xiao Chi occasionally throwing his temper. It was enjoyable from time to time.
What he didn’t expect was that the past events that he felt were so heart-warming would make the listeners so sad. Lin Jingzhe changed the subject and betrayed his ‘teammates’ without hesitation, “Do you know how many people are staring at the plot of land by Wubao Mountain in your hands? That Li Dafa from Dafa Construction has been talking to me non stop about it, trying to guess when your company will go bankrupt. Please teach him a lesson as soon as possible, his words are so redundant and annoying."
Xiao Chi was surprised to hear there was such a thing and immediately made a mental note of the person’s name. He also informed Lin Jingzhe, "Same goes for Jinxin Real Estate. There will be another bid invitation soon, pay attention to your company’s employees. Their CEO, surnamed Jin, is very interested in your company's future intentions."
After the two exchanged information about their potential enemies, Xiao Chi suddenly remembered who Li Dafa was. He frowned and asked, "Is Li Dafa the one who had been following you all night?"
As soon as Lin Jingzhe heard this, he knew that Xiao Chi was having another jealous fit again, so he also retorted, "You still dare to ask me that? Let me ask you then, did you have a drink with a girl tonight? She had a bountiful chest and thin waist, a rather beautiful lady."
Xiao Chi looked lost for a moment, as if unable to recall. Lin Jingzhe had been catering to him all day long, but he refused to take things lying down. "Don't pretend to be confused with me. She was the one in a red dress, and kept standing next to you and even said several sentences. You better fess up and explain!"
A thin layer of sweat appeared on Xiao Chi's forehead, and his temples began to throb in pain. He had an inkling that something like that did happen, but he couldn't recall who the other person was. Torment into a fluster, without an explanation to resolve his current dilemma.
Tit for tat, in the sour fume of jealousy, the two stuck close to one other, holding each other accountable.
After turning the tables, a smile finally appeared on Lin Jingzhe’s face. There was a soft sound coming from the Shen Family's bypath, it seemed that someone was coming out. Lin Jingzhe planned to check on his father first, so he put his arms around Xiao Chi's neck, and shared another kiss. He made a mental note of this matter, so that the next time Xiao Chi mentioned something similar, he could bring it up again.
"You go home first, I will go back after checking on my dad."
Xiao Chi hugged his waist and rubbed his nose. "It's okay, I'll pick you up later."
The two reluctantly separated, and as soon as they turned around, the atmosphere fell into a long-lasting stagnation.
In a not so far distance, two figures stiffly stood side by side, staring blankly at the two youths who had just separated, like two stone statues.
Mother Zhou, who drove Lin Runsheng home because he drank too much, disbelievingly turned her gaze from Xiao Chi's face to his shadow, which was stretched by the street lights: "???"
Father Zhou, who accompanied his wife, felt a bit dazzled, and had the sudden urge for a gua sha[1] treatment: "..."
Lin Jingzhe, who was completely unprepared: "!!!"
Xiao Chi: "=.="
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Footnote:
[1] Gua sha (刮痧) - a traditional Chinese medicine practice in which a tool is used to scrape people's skin in order to produce light petechiae. Practitioners believe that gua sha releases unhealthy bodily matter from blood stasis within sore, tired, stiff, or injured muscle areas to stimulate new oxygenated blood flow to the areas, thus promoting metabolic cell repair, regeneration, healing, and recovery. It’s very similar to those jade face roller, but more intense and for the whole body.