The scene remained still for at least ten seconds.
Father Lu awkwardly laughed, “Oh, I see.”
Su Chengyang nodded, “Um! Now that I have the means, I still want to go back to school. I’ve been self-studying during this time, and next year I’ll be taking the college entrance examination.”
“Then… you must be working hard,” Father Lu glanced at Lin Song, who had a stiff expression, and asked Su Chengyang, “What about the Lunar New Year…”
Su Chengyang said, “I’ve been celebrating the Lunar New Year on my own. It doesn’t make much of a difference to me.”
“Oh,” Father Lu cleared his throat, discreetly lowered his head, wiped away a tear from the corner of his eye, slowly stood up, hesitantly sat on the sofa next to Su Chengyang, and together they looked at the expressionless Lin Song across from them.
“Old Lin, it’s the Lunar New Year. Don’t be so serious. Chengyang has finally celebrated the New Year. Can’t you bring some joy to the occasion?”
Lin Song: “…”
Xiao Lu chuckled and whispered to Su Chengyang, “Congratulations, you’ve won my dad over.”
Su Chengyang shook her head and said, “It’s okay. Uncle, feel free to ask whatever you want. If you don’t want to see me for the time being, I can go back on my own.”
“Go back? Where will you go?” Xiao Lu hooked her arm around Su Chengyang’s shoulder and added, “You don’t even have a place to stay in the capital.”
“Old Lin! You’re acting inappropriate at your age! What does it have to do with you about other people’s children? Let the younger generation have their own future,” Father Lu stared.
Lin Song’s face darkened, he turned to look at Lin Yu, who seemed to be observing from the sidelines, apparently unwilling to get involved.
“Your background is indeed unfortunate, but that can’t be your bargaining chip,” Lin Song said.
However, Su Chengyang furrowed her brow and said, “Uncle, I don’t feel that my background is something to be pitied. I simply don’t have a conventional, complete family like most people do, but not everyone with a conventional family would have had the experiences I’ve had. If my upbringing had turned me into a burden on society, then that would be worth pitying.”
Lin Song was clearly stunned for a moment, finding it difficult to comprehend.
Su Chengyang spoke again, saying, “Uncle, Brother Lin and I came back today to celebrate the New Year with you. This doesn’t mean anything about my future with him, so you don’t need to worry for now.”
Su Chengyang gave him an opportunity to save face, and his expression eased somewhat as he coldly snorted and said, “Him? He hasn’t even stepped inside our house a few times in the whole year he’s been back in the country.”
Lin Yu smiled and said, “The old residence is too far from the company. Dad, I’m sorry.”
Lin Song’s complexion improved significantly. He stopped asking further questions and chatted with Lin Yu for a while before letting them go to eat.
After the meal, Lin Song asked Xiao Lu to take Su Chengyang to rest, and Lin Yu initially wanted to follow, but was stopped by a glance from him.
“Come with me to the study,” Lin Song said.
Su Chengyang looked worriedly at them, and Lin Yu smiled at her, indicating that there was no need to worry.
After entering the study with Lin Song, Lin Yu familiarly went to the low table to brew tea, while Lin Song sat opposite him.
There was a long silence, with only the sound of boiling water.
Lin Yu, compared to Lin Song, was evidently more composed, showing no signs of speaking up.
Finally, Lin Song couldn’t hold back any longer and asked, “Is there something you want to explain to me?”
Lin Yu washed the tea, without raising his head, and replied, “What do you mean?”
“Su Chengyang.”
“Didn’t Chengyang already say it? We only came back today to celebrate the New Year with you. If you don’t want to talk about anything else, then I won’t talk to you about it either.” Lin Yu’s expression remained calm and unruffled.
Lin Song squinted at him, clearly understanding his son’s temper. After a moment, he asked, “Is everything she said true?”
“Yes.”
Lin Song frowned, “Then why didn’t you tell me in advance? I said those things to her the first time we met.”
Lin Yu looked up and said, “I told you before I came here, let’s not involve Chengyang in our affairs. I don’t want to put pressure on her.”
Lin Song was a little dissatisfied, “What’s wrong with me asking her a few questions? I am your father, after all.”
“It’s fine if you ask her. Chengyang doesn’t think she needs sympathy or that your questions are offensive. Don’t worry about it. If you feel guilty, just treat her better from now on.”
Lin Song fell silent for a moment and asked, “Have you thought it all through? Can’t you change your mind?”
Lin Yu nodded, “Yes. If Chengyang doesn’t want to, it can still be temporarily changed. But please, don’t think about using any foolish means to force her to break up with me.”
Lin Song widened his eyes, unable to believe it. “In your mind, am I such an unfeeling and heartless person?”
“No, just as a precaution,” Lin Yu replied calmly.
Lin Song gave him a stern look, “You have the same temperament as your mother, I know. If you don’t want to change your mind, no one can change your mind. I just don’t understand why it has to be Su Chengyang. She is nothing special, just like Mary whom you previously brought along.”
“She’s different from Mary, she’s different from everyone. Mary was a work of art, Chengyang is my collection.”
“Occasionally… I can let the world see her.”
Lin Yu still had some Italian genes in him, and he liked to romanticize everything a bit.
Lin Song remained silent for a long time and said, “Does your mother know?”
“She knows.”
“What did she say?”
“She really likes Chengyang. After the college entrance exam next year, I will take Chengyang to Italy to see her.”
When Lin Yu came out of the study, it had already been an hour. Lin Song was arguing with his mother on video.
Sometimes he didn’t understand why his mild-tempered mother would become furious when talking to Lin Song.
As he approached the door of the room where Su Chengyang was, he overheard Lu Yin talking to her.
“Chengyang, it seems that my cousin brother won’t give up on you voluntarily. What if uncle forces you to give him up?”
“Forces me?” Su Chengyang was puzzled.
Xiao Lu said, “For example, threatening you.”
Su Chengyang shook her head, “I have nothing for him to threaten.”
“You have everything you have now.”
“If I don’t have everything I have now, I can slowly regain it in the future. But if I lose Lin Yu, I will never be able to regain it. So if he doesn’t let me go, I won’t let him go either.”
“Brother!! Did you hear that?!” Xiao Lu suddenly shouted, and Su Chengyang looked terrified towards the door as Lin Yu walked out from the side.
Su Chengyang’s face instantly turned red from the top of her head to the base of her neck, and in the instant their eyes met, she lowered her head.
Lin Yu glanced at her, didn’t say much, and asked Lu Yin, “How did you know I was outside?”
Xiao Lu proudly said, “I heard footsteps and breath.”
Su Chengyang angrily punched her.
Lin Yu looked at her, then looked at the door. Xiao Lu immediately understood his meaning, made an “OK” gesture, jumped off the bed, left the room, and closed the door for them.
Once Xiao Lu left, there were only two people left in the room. Su Chengyang was extremely nervous, her cheeks blushing, and she scolded, “Why were you eavesdropping?”
“I wasn’t eavesdropping, I didn’t hear anything.”
Su Chengyang was overjoyed and looked up, “You really didn’t hear anything?”
Lin Yu held her hand and walked together to the edge of the bed, making her sit down. “Hmm, so say it again.”
Su Chengyang pushed him lightly, “I won’t say it.”
Lin Yu smiled, “You won’t say it? Then I’ll listen for myself.”
After saying that, he suddenly pushed Su Chengyang back, making her lie down in the soft quilt. Before Su Chengyang could react, a warm body covered her.
“…Lin Yu! This is your home!”
“I know.”
The rest of the words were all silenced by his lips.
Lately, Lin Yu’s kisses had become more intense and longer, sometimes seeming as if he wanted to devour Su Chengyang whole.
. . . . .
On New Year’s Eve, after finishing dinner, the family gathered in the living room to watch the Spring Festival Gala.
It was Su Chengyang’s first time experiencing this atmosphere, feeling a bit nervous and excited. When everyone found the Gala uninteresting, they brought out a deck of cards. Lin Song, Father Lu, and Lin Yu started playing cards together, while Su Chengyang and Xiao Lu sat beside them, snacking. The atmosphere was very harmonious.
Lin Yu played cards with incredible skill, even the two old folks together couldn’t beat him and ended up losing miserably.
After losing to Lin Yu once again, Father Lu said directly, “I originally thought that being with Chengyang would definitely be a disadvantage for you. But it turns out, you’re like a sly fox, you can’t be at a disadvantage no matter who you play against.”
Xiao Lu smiled and said, “You guys don’t know, my cousin brother has a special way of dealing with Chengyang. He knows just how much to push and pull, it’s amazing! Everyone who sees it can’t help but feel sorry for Su Chengyang.”
Father Lu looked at the bashful Su Chengyang beside Lin Yu and said, “Then why don’t you run away? Who knows, he might sell you without you even knowing.”
Lin Yu, while winning the game, looked at Su Chengyang and laughed, “She can’t run away. Even if she does, I can catch her and bring her back.”
Everyone burst into laughter, even Lin Song had a hint of a smile on his face, but Su Chengyang wished she could bury her face in her neck.
Xiao Lu chimed in, “That’s right! My cousin brother is quite cunning. I even suspect that he had this idea during the audition.”
Lin Yu had an ambiguous attitude, smiling without admitting or denying.
That night, after the Spring Festival Gala ended, Lin Song and Father Lu went back to their rooms to rest. Xiao Lu pulled them aside and said they should stay up to celebrate.
Su Chengyang usually slept on time and soon fell asleep on the sofa.
Seeing this, Lin Yu lightly pushed the drowsy Xiao Lu and said in a low voice, “Go back to the room to rest. I’ll take Chengyang with me.”
Xiao Lu rubbed her eyes in a daze and asked, “Huh? Isn’t Chengyang sleeping with me?”
Lin Yu pursed her lips and glanced at her, and the latter immediately understood, “Please, please.”
Lin Yu bent down and lifted Su Chengyang from the sofa, saying to Lu Yin, “Don’t tell your dad.”
Lu Yin rolled her eyes and replied, “Got it.”
After speaking, Lin Yu carried Su Chengyang out of the living room and returned to his room.
He gently placed Su Chengyang on the bed, and the latter slowly woke up.
“Lu Yin?” Su Chengyang’s voice was a bit hoarse.
“It’s me,” Lin Yu responded and casually turned on the bedside lamp.
“Where’s Lu Yin?” Su Chengyang asked, puzzled, as she sat up.
Lin Yu replied, “She went back to her room to rest.”
Su Chengyang’s mind was a bit groggy, and for a moment, she didn’t pay attention to the environment she was in. She yawned and said, “Then I’ll go back too.”
As she tried to get up and leave, Lin Yu pulled her back with one hand and embraced her, whispering, “You’re sleeping with me tonight.”
Su Chengyang was taken aback, and her cheeks started to blush.
Lowering his head, Lin Yu kissed the back of her neck, feeling Su Chengyang slightly stiffen. He chuckled softly and said, “Don’t worry, I won’t do anything else tonight.”
His voice was low and had a captivating power, to the point that Su Chengyang realized, after lying drowsily under the covers, that she couldn’t resist him anymore.
Lin Yu simply held her and softly chatted with her in an extremely gentle voice. Listening to his tender and affectionate voice, Su Chengyang gradually relaxed her guard.
When she felt her consciousness becoming hazy, Lin Yu stopped speaking and used his warm lips to gently caress her neck. His lips moved from bottom to top, finally meeting Su Chengyang’s lips.
Su Chengyang was too sleepy and instinctively responded to Lin Yu’s actions. Their bodies pressed close together, radiating heat. Lin Yu’s kisses no longer confined themselves to the lips but gradually explored other areas. Su Chengyang honestly responded to him.
The image of Lin Yu kissing her remained in her mind until she fell asleep.
