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Chapter 57: Overnight Stay
Engineer Qin is no longer the Engineer Qin of the past.
─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───
Gu Wuyi didn’t really want to invite Lin Xiaobo to his house—they weren’t that close.
But the rain was too heavy today, and all the city buses had stopped running. Although there were food vendors outside the school gate, the dormitory was empty except for him. If Lin Xiaobo didn’t go with him, he would either have to walk back in the rain or spend the night alone at school.
"Why don’t you come over to my place for a bit?" Gu Wuyi asked tentatively.
Qin Feng glanced at him.
—What is this kid saying?
Feeling guilty, Gu Wuyi quickly tugged on Lin Xiaobo’s sleeve.
Lin Xiaobo nodded at Qin Feng.
Qin Feng stepped aside and said, "Hurry up and come in."
But Lin Xiaobo remained motionless.
Qin Feng couldn’t help but sigh. Leading the way inside, he silently thought to himself—this kid sure is overly polite.
What he didn’t realize was that although Lin Xiaobo believed he could get into college, he had never dared to dream of attending the country’s top university.
Qin Feng wasn’t just a graduate of Imperial Capital University—he had also been sent abroad by the government for further studies, staying overseas for six full years.
As Lin Xiaobo’s father once said, people like Qin Feng were nearly impossible to come across unless by sheer chance—like selling watermelons.
Qin Feng was taller than the teenage Lin Xiaobo. At thirty, he was at the peak of a man’s charm—mature and steady, yet still in his prime. His life was smooth sailing—he had a happy family, a successful career, colleagues who flattered him, and superiors who favored him. As a result, he carried himself with an air of confidence, always looking energetic and assured.
To put it dramatically, even though he had never acted arrogant, he naturally exuded an aura of dominance.
That was Lin Xiaobo’s first impression of Qin Feng.
As they spent more time together, Lin Xiaobo found that Qin Feng handled everything with ease, as if nothing in the world could faze him.
For a rural boy like Lin Xiaobo, Qin Feng was both admirable and intimidating. His deep-seated apprehension turned into worry and fear—fear of making a fool of himself in front of Qin Feng, fear of being disliked by him.
That was why he needed Gu Wuyi’s support.
Qin Feng had no idea that a teenage boy’s mind could be so tangled with complicated thoughts. When he got home and heard the sound of running water from the bathroom, along with faint laughter and chatter, he knew that the four younger boys were crammed together, taking a bath.
The small Western-style house had an eaved veranda. Qin Feng told them to park their bicycles and leave their raincoats and umbrellas under it, then handed them two towels.
Lin Xiaobo looked puzzled.
Qin Feng smiled and said, “Wipe the water off your heads first. I’ll light the stove and heat up some water so you guys can take a bath later.”
The younger boys’ hair wasn’t wet, but Lin Xiaobo and Gu Wuyi needed to wash theirs. So Qin Feng filled a clean iron pot with more than half a pot of water. Then, he found some ginger—left forgotten for who knows how long—and peeled and sliced it before tossing it into the rice cooker to make ginger tea with sugar.
After plugging in the rice cooker, Qin Feng called Lin Xiaobo’s father.
Last year, the Lin family didn’t have a phone.
By the end of the year, more and more people were ordering watermelons from them. Lin Xiaobo calculated for his father that within a month, they could earn enough to cover the cost of installing a phone. Besides, receiving calls wouldn’t cost much. So, after the New Year, the Lin family got a telephone.
When Lin Xiaobo’s father received Qin Feng’s call, it felt like a dream.
Even after Qin Feng hung up, he was still in a daze.
It took him a while to snap out of it, and then he couldn’t help but express his gratitude to his children, saying it was a good thing they installed a phone. Then, he sighed again—Qin Feng truly was a good man.
Lin Xiaobo’s older siblings used to think their father exaggerated when he said that.
After all, their families had never had any direct interactions. The fact that Qin Feng willingly took Lin Xiaobo into his home was surprising—especially since he had no reason to curry favor with them. The only explanation was that he was simply kindhearted.
People in the countryside were often short-sighted, and most who dealt with the Lin family were businesspeople—profit-driven and transactional. So when someone like Qin Feng, who expected nothing in return, suddenly appeared, the entire Lin family found themselves marveling at his kindness until nightfall.
Qin Feng went into Gu Wuyi’s room to find two clean sets of clothes for them, then grabbed a never-worn pair of underwear from his own room and handed everything to Gu Wuyi.
Gu Wuyi was stunned.
Qin Feng was puzzled. “What’s wrong?”
“A-Are we… washing together?” Gu Wuyi couldn’t help but glance at Lin Xiaobo.
Qin Feng chuckled. “Feeling shy?”
Gu Wuyi had never been shy about bathing at the public bathhouse in winter—so why would he care about washing with someone else now?
But the fact that the "someone else" was Lin Xiaobo made it a different matter altogether.
Qin Feng assumed he was just being self-conscious now that he was older. “Your clothes are almost completely soaked, so you go first. Xiaobo, only your pant legs and hair are wet, so you can go last.”
Lin Xiaobo hurriedly nodded.
Qin Feng took out some Banlangen granules and made them each a cup.
Just then, Miaomiao came out, towel-drying his hair. He immediately asked, “Where’s mine?”
“You want it? Make it yourself. Self-reliance brings prosperity.”
The boy was so stunned he couldn’t even speak.
Lin Xiaobo hadn’t expected Qin Feng to talk to his own son like that. He was caught between surprise and laughter, but he held back, feeling it would be impolite to actually laugh.
Miaomiao, seeing how red Lin Xiaobo’s face was from suppressing his laughter, shot him a glare and stomped upstairs in a huff.
Lin Xiaobo looked at Gu Wuyi, a bit worried.
Gu Wuyi reassured him, “Don’t worry. He gets mad at least eight times a day.”
Gu Xiao’er nodded. “Yep.”
“I’m really mad this time!”
The group was startled for a moment and looked up to see the young boy standing at the top of the stairs, his small face puffed up and his big eyes staring at them. The sight made them want to laugh again.
Miaomiao stomped his foot in frustration.
Just then, Qin Feng walked in. “What’s going on?”
With a quick swish, the boy darted back into his room.
Qin Feng noticed that Qingyun and the others were all wearing shorts, their upper bodies bare. “Go upstairs and put on some clothes. Wait—Xiao’er, is there any hot water left?”
The boys, unsure when Gu Wuyi would be back, hadn’t saved any.
Qin Feng shot them a helpless look.
Fu Lingyun asked curiously, “Dad, where did you get the hot water for the Banlangen?”
“The thermos in my study. There wasn’t even enough left for your big brother to wash his hair,” Qin Feng replied as he headed to the kitchen. He felt the water in the iron pot—it needed more time to heat up. So, he told Gu Wuyi to keep an eye on it while he went to the village.
Gu Wuyi quickly said, “It’ll be hot in just a bit. No need to go to Grandma’s to get more.”
“I’m going to get some mantou and vegetables. We’ll cook for ourselves tonight. If you have nothing to do, mix some dough. When I get back, I’ll make you guys some steamed egg cakes. Oh, and once the ginger water boils, scoop it out—each person gets half a bowl.”
As he spoke, Qin Feng rolled up his pant legs, put on Gu Xiao’er’s raincoat, and grabbed an umbrella.
The brothers couldn’t help but laugh at the sight.
“If you could come back like me, you wouldn’t even need a bath.” Qin Feng gave them a casual glance before stepping out.
Gu Xiao’er couldn’t help but ask, “Big Brother, what did Dad mean by that?”
“Idiot,” Gu Wuyi spat out a single word, leaving Gu Xiao’er speechless.
Fu Lingyun reminded him, “Second Brother, go upstairs and put on some clothes. If you get sick, don’t expect Dad to carry you to get an injection.”
Having just taken a hot bath, Gu Xiao’er didn’t feel cold, and it wasn’t deep autumn yet. So he couldn’t help but protest, “You make me sound way too weak.”
Gu Wuyi put on a stern face. “Are you going or not?”
Gu Xiao’er immediately went upstairs.
Seeing how afraid he was of Gu Wuyi, Lin Xiaobo glanced at Gu Wuyi in curiosity.
Gu Wuyi touched his own face. “What?”
“Your brother seems pretty scared of you.”
Gu Wuyi shook his head. “They’re just afraid I’ll tattle to my dad.”
Lin Xiaobo nodded, showing he understood.
Gu Wuyi didn’t know what to talk about with him. At this moment, Lin Xiaobo was just a high school student, and he didn’t understand senior-year material yet. Plus, Gu Wuyi knew very little about the Lin family’s situation.
After a brief silence, Gu Wuyi asked him to check if the Banlangen tea was too hot.
The water from Qin Feng’s study had been boiled the previous morning. Lin Xiaobo took a small sip and, finding it wasn’t too hot, nodded at him.
Gu Wuyi told him to drink it while he went to check the stove.
The large pot of water wasn’t being heated with a gas stove, so there was no way it would be hot as soon as Qin Feng left.
But Gu Wuyi didn’t want to go outside, so he took out everything needed to make egg cakes.
Seeing him move back and forth, Lin Xiaobo walked over with his enamel mug. “Need any help?”
Lost in thought, Gu Wuyi was startled. He turned and, seeing it was Lin Xiaobo, let out a breath of relief. “No need. For simple egg cakes, you only need a few ingredients.”
Lin Xiaobo nodded to show he understood.
Noticing that he wasn’t leaving, Gu Wuyi tried to find something to talk about. “Want to learn how to make them?”
Lin Xiaobo nodded without hesitation.
Gu Wuyi then took out the small scale that Qin Feng had bought for him.
This scale was mainly used for weighing ingredients when making popsicles.
Popsicles had thin profit margins, so controlling costs was crucial to making money, and their flavors couldn’t compare to those from large popsicle factories.
Gu Wuyi first measured the flour, then picked up some eggs and separated the egg whites from the yolks. He couldn’t help but remark, “The most troublesome part of making a cake is whipping the egg whites.”
“How do you whip them?” Lin Xiaobo asked casually.
Gu Wuyi grabbed a pair of chopsticks, his eyes lighting up. “Want to learn?”
Lin Xiaobo had a feeling it might be difficult, but his family had a rice cooker too—his sister-in-law had bought it earlier that year, considering it a major household upgrade. He also wanted to make something for his family.
Cakes were too expensive for them; they only bought a little during holidays and special occasions.
“It’s not too much trouble, right?”
Gu Wuyi replied, “Not at all.” Without waiting for Lin Xiaobo to reconsider, he quickly started teaching him how to whip egg whites.
However, before Lin Xiaobo could finish, the water in the pot had already heated up.
Not trusting him to do it alone, Gu Wuyi decided to wash his hair right at the bathroom door.
By the time his hair was clean, the egg whites were nearly ready. He wrapped a towel around his head and started preparing the egg yolk mixture. But before he could mix in the whipped egg whites, the rice cooker started emitting smoke.
Gu Wuyi had no choice but to tell Lin Xiaobo to unplug it and scoop out the ginger tea.
Just then, Gu Xiao’er and the others came downstairs.
Gu Wuyi handed everything over to them and went to take a bath, while Lin Xiaobo went to the veranda to wash his hair.
Fortunately, the house had plenty of basins for washing.
The weather wasn’t too cold yet. Gu Wuyi had taken a shower at school the previous night, so he wasn’t very dirty. He quickly rinsed off and stepped out, making way for Lin Xiaobo, who had just finished washing his hair.
Lin Xiaobo entered the bathroom and saw white ceramic tiles on the walls, along with a toilet—just like the fancy hotels he had seen on TV. He immediately felt a sense of admiration for Qin Feng.
Unaware that this house had been built by Gu Wuyi’s grandfather, he mistakenly assumed it was provided by the factory for Qin Feng. As a result, after coming out of the shower, he asked Gu Wuyi what Qin Feng’s major was.
The question caught Gu Wuyi off guard, leaving him momentarily confused.
Seeing his reaction, Lin Xiaobo felt embarrassed, thinking he had been too forward. He quickly explained that he wanted to be Qin Feng’s junior in the same field.
Gu Wuyi was utterly speechless.
Just then, Qin Feng walked in, carrying dishes and a bag of steamed buns.
The sight of him made Lin Xiaobo instinctively shrink back, as if retreating into a shell.
Qin Feng noticed the two of them staring at each other in silence and asked curiously, “What’s going on?”
Gu Wuyi threw Lin Xiaobo’s question at him.
Qin Feng raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you want to be a lawyer? And your dad hoped you’d become a judge? I remember that correctly, right?”
Lin Xiaobo felt even more embarrassed. “That was before… when I didn’t understand much.”
“And now you suddenly understand? You don’t even know what my major was,” Qin Feng remarked.
Lin Xiaobo’s face turned red as he realized how impulsive he had been.
Qin Feng asked, “What did Wuyi tell you?”
Lin Xiaobo shook his head. “I just think working at Northern Railway Factory seems pretty good.” He then glanced awkwardly at the house.
Qin Feng suddenly understood. “This house wasn’t provided by the factory—it was a given from Wuyi’s grandfather. If you’re after this kind of lifestyle, you might as well apply to University of Political Science and Law and aim to be a Supreme Court Justice instead.”
Lin Xiaobo never used to listen to his father.
Over the past two years, however, he had come to realize that although his father could barely write his own name and only knew how to do accounting, in some ways, he was far more knowledgeable and experienced than him, a high school student.
For example, his father had once told him that since their family didn’t have any powerful connections, if he wanted to enter the public security or legal system, he would either have to work extremely hard or have exceptionally good luck. Otherwise, he would spend his entire career stuck at the bottom.
Lin Xiaobo wasn’t afraid of hardship—he was afraid that after giving his all, he would still end up as a low-ranking officer for life, or worse, become a martyr at a young age.
His older brother and sisters hadn’t studied much, and the entire family was relying on him to succeed. Lin Xiaobo didn’t want to sacrifice himself, so he had never considered applying to a police academy or joining the military.
“My dad actually doesn’t really want me to apply to a law and political science university,” Lin Xiaobo admitted, feeling a little guilty. His voice grew quieter.
Gu Wuyi nodded. “His dad wants him to be a teacher or a doctor. He mentioned it while selling watermelons.”
Qin Feng understood. “I see. Then I’d suggest you apply to a military-industrial university or something in aerospace engineering. The benefits are much better than mine. Don’t follow my path—I chose this career mainly because it was close to home, and there was a high chance I’d be able to return after graduation. You have one older brother and two older sisters; there’s no need for you to worry about supporting your family.”
Back then, without computers and with limited information in newspapers, even Lin Xiaobo’s teachers and homeroom teacher didn’t know as much about university applications as Qin Feng did.
Hearing this, Lin Xiaobo realized it too. “Uncle Qin, could you explain it to me in detail?”
Qin Feng nodded. “Let’s eat first.” Then, he suddenly remembered something. “Wuyi, is the cake ready?”
Gu Xiao’er walked out of the kitchen. “Almost done.”
Qin Feng said, “Alright, I’ll warm up the steamed buns and make some scrambled eggs with chili. The rain is too heavy to buy vegetables, so we’ll have to make do.”
Lin Xiaobo quickly said, “Scrambled eggs with chili is fine.”
Qin Feng nodded. “Alright. The stove takes a while to cook, so you guys can watch some TV in the meantime.”
Miaomiao immediately found a cartoon. “Brother Lin Xiaobo, this one is really good!”
Hearing this from the kitchen, Qin Feng chuckled. “What kind of way is that to call someone?” He stepped out and said, “Either call him Brother Lin or Brother Xiaobo. You can’t just call him by his name.”
“Then Brother Xiaobo,” Miaomiao quickly corrected himself. “Are you hungry?”
At their age, still growing, after half a day of classes and a half-hour bike ride, how could they not be hungry?
Even Gu Wuyi, who had just been sitting on the back of the bike, was starving.
Miaomiao’s words reminded Gu Wuyi that there was a box of biscuits in the kitchen cupboard.
He had seen it while looking for eggs.
The box looked new, probably something his dad had bought a couple of days ago.
With five growing kids in the house, if they ate dinner a bit early, they’d be starving again by bedtime. That’s why their cupboards were always stocked with biscuits and powdered milk.
Gu Wuyi took out the biscuits and poured half a cup of water for Lin Xiaobo.
Noticing that Lin Xiaobo was nibbling on a biscuit piece by piece, as if squeezing toothpaste, Gu Wuyi realized he might be feeling embarrassed. So he called his younger siblings to eat together.
Miaomiao had no such reservations at home—he grabbed several pieces at once.
Gu Wuyi frowned. “Slow down.”
Miaomiao slowed down, and Gu Xiao’er and the others ate more leisurely too, but still one biscuit after another. This way, Lin Xiaobo didn’t stand out as much.
Feeling a bit tense at first, Lin Xiaobo unconsciously relaxed.
Qin Feng glanced into the living room. Seeing a group of kids with smiles on their faces, he couldn’t help but smile too.
Pulling up a stool, he saw that the cake was ready. He scooped it out but didn’t take it outside, instead preparing another batch.
He worked quickly and skillfully. By the time he poured the new batter into the rice cooker, the stove had just started smoking.
The steamed buns were large, and even after the pot was opened, they needed to sit for a while.
Qin Feng covered half of the stove burner and went to slice the chili peppers and beat the eggs.
Then, he stir-fried the eggs first, scooped them out once done, and continued frying the chili peppers.
As the chili peppers lost their raw taste, Qin Feng added the eggs back into the pan.
The rich aroma of scrambled eggs spread through the air, making the six growing boys suddenly find their biscuits much less appealing.
Qin Miaomiao went a step further—he simply put the biscuit tin’s lid back on and carried it straight to the kitchen.
Seeing the cake on the counter, the young boy exclaimed, "It’s ready?"
Qin Feng replied, "Leave it in the cupboard for tomorrow’s breakfast. There’s more in the rice cooker. Just set up the table and benches, and we’ll be good to go."
The kids immediately got to work pulling the table into place.
Gu Wuyi and Fu Qingyun came in to carry out the dishes and steamed buns.
Qin Feng took the egg cake out of the rice cooker, cut it into small pieces, and placed them on a plate.
Once at the dining table, Qin Feng gestured for Lin Xiaobo to sit down. "The cake is still a bit hot, but by the time we finish eating, it should be just right."
Qin Miaomiao, who had been about to grab a piece of cake, quickly switched to picking up some green peppers instead.
The young boy had planned to eat just half a steamed bun and stop, but he had forgotten how chewy homemade buns were. The slight sweetness lingered in his mouth, making him unknowingly eat more than he intended—and it made him thirsty.
After finishing the stir-fry, Qin Feng didn’t put out the stove fire. Instead, he placed the kettle on top.
The fire burned strongly, and just as Miaomiao was about to head to the kitchen for some cold water, the kettle began hissing.
The kettle was heavy. Worried he might burn himself, Qin Feng pressed a hand on Miaomiao’s shoulder and told him to wait.
He lifted the kettle and poured hot water into the biggest enamel mug in the house before filling the thermos.
Qin Feng went back to the kitchen to add more water to the kettle since several thermoses were still empty.
Qin Miaomiao immediately opened the fridge, took out an ice cube, and dropped it into the large enamel mug.
Lin Xiaobo’s eyes widened in disbelief. "Is that… is that an ice pop?"
Gu Wuyi replied, "It’s just an ice cube. Made from plain boiled water."
Qin Miaomiao put the lid on the mug and shook it for a while, cooling the water down quickly.
Gu Xiao’er fetched some glass cups, and Miaomiao poured half a cup for everyone. After drinking, they all couldn’t help but burp, and suddenly, the sight of the cake no longer seemed appetizing—some even felt slightly queasy.
Miaomiao grumbled, "I suspect Dad did this on purpose."
Qin Feng walked out and asked, "What did I do now?"
Miaomiao thought about how his dad had let him eat first but never told him to finish a whole steamed bun. "You left the cake here just to tempt me on purpose."
"Then eat it," Qin Feng said with amusement.
Qin Miaomiao burped again.
Qin Feng burst into laughter.
Annoyed, the boy slammed the table and glared at him. "No laughing!"
Holding back his laughter, Qin Feng said, "Alright!"
Gu Wuyi couldn’t help but comment, "Can’t you just wait until you’re hungry again?"
"Yeah," Miaomiao agreed and stood up.
Qin Feng casually asked, "Where are you going?"
"To the porch to jump rope and help digest the food."
Qin Feng immediately felt the urge to smack him. He had never seen such a restless kid. "If your stomach starts hurting, don’t come crying to me."
The boy didn’t dare act up anymore and obediently went back to the living room to watch TV.
Since the stove was slow at cooking, by the time Miaomiao turned on the TV, the news had already ended, and a song was playing:
"The long years drift by, recalling the past is so confusing~~"
Lin Xiaobo suddenly turned his head. "Is this Kewang (Yearning)?"
Qin Feng nodded. "It’s a rerun. Have you seen it?"
Lin Xiaobo nodded vigorously. "Everyone in our town has watched it. But I saw it at my neighbor’s house—we don’t have a TV at home."
Qin Feng remembered hearing from his eldest aunt that the Lin family had sold their donkey and cow, withdrawn their savings, and bought a motorized tricycle.
"A TV is just for relaxation. Watching or not doesn’t really matter."
Gu Wuyi couldn’t help but ask, "But didn’t you say the news is important?"
Qin Feng nodded. "It is. Watching the news helps when answering political exam questions—you’ll know the right language to use. But you can also follow the news through the radio and newspapers. Especially newspapers—if you find good sentences or passages, cut them out. That’s much more useful than just watching TV."
Fu Lingyun agreed. "You forget what you hear on TV pretty quickly."
The boy was sitting next to Qin Feng, who ruffled his hair. "Are you full?"
Fu Lingyun put down his chopsticks and went to find Miaomiao.
With both sides of the table empty now, Qin Feng couldn’t help but stretch lazily. "Qingyun, help your second brother clean up."
Lin Xiaobo stood up as well.
Qin Feng said, "You and Wuyi have heavy coursework—go rest for a bit."
Gu Xiao’er couldn’t help but complain, "Did you forget I’m also in my third year of middle school?"
Qin Feng hadn’t forgotten.
At first, Qin Feng thought Gu Xiao’er would be as hardworking as Gu Wuyi—studying even after returning from night classes. But lately, he noticed that after evening self-study, Gu Xiao’er would eat something, wash up, and go straight to bed. He wasn’t in a rush in the morning either. That’s when Qin Feng realized that Gu Xiao’er was either smarter than Gu Wuyi or simply knew how to study more efficiently.
Of course, Qin Feng wasn’t going to spoil him the way he did Gu Wuyi. “You’re only in your third year of middle school.”
“When my brother was in third year, you didn’t say that,” Gu Xiao’er reminded him.
Qin Feng replied, “That’s because your brother was diligent. Let’s not talk about other things—just washing socks, for example. This time last year, how many times a week did you wash your socks?”
Gu Xiao’er had nothing to say and obediently continued cleaning up the dishes.
Qin Feng rinsed his mouth, wiped his lips, and placed the cake on the coffee table.
Miaomiao covered his eyes. “Dad!”
Qin Feng chuckled and carried the cake upstairs. “Wuyi, I’ll leave it in your room. If you get hungry later, eat it. If not, put it in the kitchen cupboard.”
“Got it. Dad, cover it with something—I suspect there are mice upstairs.”
There were no mice upstairs. Qin Feng’s mother frequently rummaged through cabinets—sometimes looking for Qin Feng’s money, sometimes tidying up for them, and sometimes checking for mold on clothes and bedding to air them out. The constant disturbance made it impossible for mice to settle there.
Still, Qin Feng covered the cake with clean paper to keep insects away.
Hearing Qin Feng come downstairs, Gu Xiao’er couldn’t help whispering to Fu Qingyun, “I used to hear people in the village say that parents dote on the eldest, spoil the youngest, and the middle child gets ignored. I didn’t believe it before.”
Fu Qingyun glanced at him. “Dad doesn’t care about you?”
“He used to,” Gu Xiao’er sighed dramatically, shaking his head in mock regret. “But Engineer Qin is no longer the Engineer Qin of the past.”
Fu Qingyun nodded. “Yeah. Before, when you were sick, Dad would let you sleep with him. Now, when Miaomiao wants to sleep with Dad, he complains about his snoring. If we want to sleep with Dad, he complains about his own snoring.” Then he mimicked Gu Xiao’er’s head shake. “He really has changed.”
Gu Xiao’er was speechless.
After all, among the four brothers, only he had ever slept with Qin Feng for a full week.
Fu Qingyun glanced outside and saw that their father was still watching TV and wouldn’t be coming over anytime soon. “And you still have the nerve to say Dad is biased? Your third year of middle school is nothing like Big Brother’s. You’ve been to college already—middle school knowledge doesn’t take any effort for you to understand. You just need to review it. Big Brother, on the other hand, didn’t even finish eighth grade.”
“…I forgot.”
Fu Qingyun smirked. “Of course you forgot. You’d better make sure you get into City No. 1 High School as the top scorer, or I’ll tell Dad you’re in a relationship.”
Gu Xiao’er’s eyes widened. “You wouldn’t dare!?”
“Try me.”
Gu Xiao’er opened his mouth, then scoffed. “Dad wouldn’t believe something baseless like that. He’s not an idiot.”
Fu Qingyun nodded. “If I said Big Brother was dating, Dad definitely wouldn’t believe it. You, though? That’s another story.”
Gu Xiao’er narrowed his eyes. “Go ahead and try.”
Fu Qingyun thought for a moment. “Before I do, I’ll ask one of the girls in my class to write you two love letters. Then, I’ll slip them into your backpack when you’re not paying attention. After that, I’ll tell Dad—”
“You—” Gu Xiao’er cut him off, glaring. “You’ve got guts!”
Fu Qingyun wasn’t targeting him for no reason. It was just that this second brother of his had no sense of urgency. He was the same in his third year as he had been in his first and second years.
Morning reading sessions were mandatory, but Gu Xiao’er would always stroll into the school gate just as the bell rang.
Classes ended at 8:30 PM, yet somehow, he always managed to be home by 8:40.
Anyone who didn’t know him would assume something terrifying was lurking in the school.
But Fu Qingyun knew better—Gu Xiao’er simply didn’t want to attend morning reading or evening self-study, and he especially didn’t want to eat at the school cafeteria.
"Threatening me won’t work." Fu Qingyun was completely unfazed. "If you dare hit me, I’ll tell Dad that you’re forming gangs at school."
Gu Xiao’er wiped his hands, kicked him on the butt, and ran off.
Fu Qingyun stumbled forward, hurriedly steadying himself against the table, and shouted furiously, "Gu Qingkuang!"
"Bullying your younger brother?" Qin Feng turned to Gu Xiao’er.
Gu Xiao’er moved to the farthest spot from his dad. "How could I? I’ve always loved my little brother the most." Before Qin Feng could speak, he quickly changed the subject. "Dad, how are we sleeping tonight?"
Qin Feng looked at Gu Wuyi.
Gu Wuyi really couldn’t bring himself to share a bed with Lin Xiaobo. "Should I sleep with Dad?"
Qin Feng nodded. "That works too. Saves us from making another bed." He then turned to Lin Xiaobo. "We have plenty of guest rooms, but since no one usually stays in them, they’re a bit musty."
"I’m fine with anything." As a guest, Lin Xiaobo didn’t want to be picky.
Gu Wuyi let out a sigh of relief.
Qin Feng had Gu Wuyi take Lin Xiaobo upstairs. "If you’re tired, just go to sleep. If not, there are books upstairs too. As for the major you want to apply for, we can discuss it in the morning."
Hearing this, Fu Qingyun thought about all the classic literature and martial arts novels in his fourth brother’s room. He followed them upstairs and got them to help move Fu Lingyun’s books into his room.
Gu Wuyi reminded him seriously, "Your second brother is in his third year of middle school. Don’t let him read them."
His desk had a built-in cabinet as well.
When Qin Feng was young, he hated when his parents went through his things, so he gave each of his sons a lock so they could secure their belongings in their cabinets.
Fu Qingyun found his key, unlocked the cabinet, and had them place the books inside, leaving one out for himself to read that night.
Lin Xiaobo also loved books, but classics were too expensive for him to buy. Not wanting to fight over them with Fu Qingyun, he waited until they were in Gu Wuyi’s room and then asked if he had any.
Gu Wuyi actually had a copy of One Hundred Years of Solitude in his room. "You might not be able to understand this one."
Lin Xiaobo took it, flipped it open, and was stunned. "It’s all in English?"
Gu Wuyi nodded. "I didn’t expect that when I got it either."
"Is there no Chinese version?"
Gu Wuyi shook his head. "I’m not sure. There probably is. But my dad doesn’t need it, so all foreign classics like this are in English."
"Your dad is amazing."
Looking at the book in Lin Xiaobo’s hands, Gu Wuyi couldn’t help but sigh. "Yeah. Even when someone secretly had his child and didn’t want to raise them, they didn’t dare make him take responsibility."
Hearing this, Lin Xiaobo glanced at him.
Gu Wuyi noticed his strange look. "What?"
"Have you ever thought that maybe that woman left Miaomiao at the temple because she couldn’t find your dad?"
Gu Wuyi replied, "That’s what my dad says too. But if that woman could go abroad, she was either really rich or had overseas connections. She could have used her overseas relatives to track down my dad. He was a waiter—even if he was a temp, the hotel would have had his contact information."
Lin Xiaobo thought for a moment. "That’s true. Maybe she hated your dad?" Then he reconsidered. "That doesn’t make sense either. She had plenty of chances to abort the baby."
"We’ve considered that too," Gu Wuyi said, pausing before adding, "Leaving Miaomiao behind didn’t necessarily mean she couldn’t afford to raise her. Maybe she wanted to remarry, but the man didn’t want to become a stepfather."
"That’s possible," Lin Xiaobo agreed. "But if a man like that truly loved her, it might have just been a fleeting infatuation."
Gu Wuyi chuckled. "Well, that would be her own fault." After a brief pause, he added, "You might laugh at me for saying this, but for such a heartless woman, I hope she ends up with someone like Wang Genbao."
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