Lin Wangye glanced at Lin Qianqian, stammering as he sought confirmation, “R-Really… is that true?”
“Family scandals shouldn’t be aired in public. There was no need to tell you,” Lin Qianqian said casually, wiping a smudge of glittery eyeshadow off her eyelid with her fingertip. “But since he’s not exactly hiding it anymore, I figured it doesn’t really matter.”
So that meant… this was definitely true.
Originally, he just wanted to figure out why Lin Shen was giving his family the cold shoulder, hoping he could maybe help patch things up. But instead of fixing anything, he’d somehow stumbled into a whole identity mystery.
Lin Wangye sat frozen, his mind an absolute mess.
His first thought was — could it be that his dad liked men now, but maybe he’d liked women before? Maybe that’s how he was born?
But that was just wild guessing.
Sexuality could be something people are born with or something that develops later. Whether someone’s gay or not depends on the person.
Honestly, Lin Wangye didn’t even think he was gay.
When he met guys he got along with, his first instinct was always to make friends — never anything more.
His feelings only ever started to bloom that one time, when he hit a certain age and his eyes landed on Shi Yuan… and out of nowhere, there was this sudden thump in his chest.
Who the hell knew what his dad’s situation was.
Thinking back now, Lin Wangye suddenly remembered all those moments he’d witnessed between Lin Shen and Yang Qingsen — little interactions he’d never thought twice about at the time. Now that he pieced it together, there was definitely a hint of something… something a little too close, a little too warm. His emotions twisted even further.
Noticing Lin Wangye’s sudden change of expression, Lin Qianqian’s instincts flared. She snapped her compact mirror shut and shot to her feet, already rolling up her sleeves.
“Wait… did he set his eyes on you? That bastard, I’ll kill him!”
“No, no!” Lin Wangye quickly grabbed Lin Qianqian’s arm, stopping her before she could go full rampage. He hurriedly explained, “He… he told me before that he has ‘zero’ interest in me! I was just… really shocked!”
Lin Qianqian gave him a suspicious look. “Really?”
Lin Wangye nodded like his life depended on it. “Really! Why would I lie to you? There’s no way anything could happen between us — absolutely no way!”
“What’s impossible?”
Lin Shen’s voice suddenly chimed in from behind. He’d just come back from the restroom, and before Lin Wangye could react, Lin Shen reached out and gave his hair a rough tousle, leaving it sticking up with static. Grinning, he asked, “What are you two talking about?”
Still reeling from the mental rollercoaster, Lin Wangye didn’t even have the courage to look up at him. He kept his head down, mumbling, “N-Nothing. Nothing at all.”
“Everyone full?” Lin Qianqian jumped in to save him, tucking her makeup mirror away and grabbing her purse. “If we’re done, let’s head out.”
From the moment they’d met up earlier, Lin Wangye and Lin Qianqian had been deep in conversation the whole time. Lin Shen didn’t think much of it — he just casually patted Lin Wangye’s head to smooth down his wild hair. “Alright, let’s go.”
Now, if there’s one thing men everywhere have in common, it’s that they hate shopping.
Unfortunately for Lin Shen, the restaurant they’d eaten at was inside a mall, and since it was still early — plus Lin Qianqian was in an unusually good mood — she announced they might as well go for a stroll.
Hearing that, Lin Shen threw his head back in dramatic despair, like a tortured soul resigned to his fate.
Lin Wangye, on the other hand, was unfazed. After spending half his childhood being dragged around malls by his aunt, he was completely used to this. He trailed behind Lin Qianqian without a hint of complaint, playing the role of a loyal sidekick like a champ.
Lin Qianqian’s real goal was to buy him some stuff under the excuse of ‘just browsing.’
Seeing how obedient he was made her even happier. In her mind, she instantly imagined a dress-up game app called ‘Miracle Xiao Lin.’ Every time she spotted something that suited him, she’d wave over a salesperson, swipe her card, and have it packed up. She was ‘on a roll’.
At first, Lin Wangye was too embarrassed to accept, but Lin Qianqian insisted — saying it was her duty to give him a gift since it was their first time meeting. Worried that turning her down too many times would actually upset her, he eventually gave in and accepted everything.
By the end of their shopping spree, Lin Shen had been transformed into a walking Christmas tree, bags hanging off him from every possible angle.
By the time they stepped out of the mall, night had fully settled in. Neon lights painted the bustling downtown streets in vibrant hues, the city’s nightlife thriving in every direction.
Lin Qianqian had left early to handle some business nearby, leaving the three of them waiting for a taxi by the curb.
On the steps by the street, Lin Shen and Lu Chengxuan stood side by side.
The streetlamp directly ahead shone a little too brightly, making Lin Wangye squint as he stared into the glow. Through the hazy light, he could only make out two silhouettes — sharp contrasts of shadow and brightness.
One figure stood with a hand casually stuffed in his pocket, most of his weight shifted lazily onto one leg — laid-back, carefree, and almost careless.
The other stood firm and steady, like a pine tree in winter — calm, proud, and naturally commanding.
Lin Wangye found himself staring for a long time, unable to pull his gaze away. His mind inevitably drifted back to something that had been nagging at him.
If his dad really liked men, there was no way his grandfather would ever accept it.
Even for himself, back in his previous life, he’d planned to wait until Shi Yuan was ready to accept him before coming clean to his dad.
That way, even if his dad didn’t approve, at least Shi Yuan would have his back.
Anyone with half a brain would know that keeping things under wraps until they had a solid backup plan was the smart move, right?
If ‘he’ could figure that out, there was no way Lin Shen hadn’t thought of it too.
So far, Lin Wangye hadn’t seen anything that suggested his dad and Yang Qingsen had a real relationship — just some vague hints of something… something that felt a little too close.
But if it wasn’t for someone special, why would his dad go all in like this?
Why risk a huge blowout with the family, get his bank cards frozen, and even end up kicked out of the house?
It just didn’t make sense.
And if Lin Shen ‘did’ like men… then how did ‘he’ come into the picture later?
Was he born after his dad caved under family pressure?
Or… was he adopted through some other means?
The more Lin Wangye thought about it, the more convinced he became that there was a huge secret behind his birth — and chances were, the only person who knew the full truth was his dad from his previous life.
Right now, all he had was a small piece of the puzzle.
But one thing was certain: even after going back in time, the necklace around his neck proved that ‘he’ was still ‘him’. Same body, same genes. If he really wanted answers, he could always get a DNA test done — that would tell him if he and Lin Shen were actually related by blood.
“Xiao Lin, what are you daydreaming about?”
Lin Wangye snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of Lin Shen’s voice. Looking up, he saw his dad already seated in the taxi, waving him over. He quickly ran to the car, slid into the back seat, and leaned his head against Lin Shen’s shoulder, closing his eyes to fake sleep — still deep in thought.
The taxi cruised along steadily, the air inside calm and quiet.
Lin Wangye was still mentally sorting through potential ‘suspect moms’ — if he really was Lin Shen’s biological son, then aside from Shi Shi, who else could possibly be his mother?
Just then, he felt a faint tickle on his cheek.
A second later, someone gently pinched it. His dad’s voice, deliberately lowered, came from right beside his ear:
“Wow, Lu Chengxuan, Xiao Lin’s face is ‘so’ soft.”
Lin Wangye: “…”
Lying there pretending to sleep, Lin Wangye almost rolled his eyes straight into his skull. Unfortunately, the dim car lighting hid the way his eyelashes kept twitching with irritation. Completely unaware, Lin Shen reached over and gave his other cheek a squeeze too.
“Smooth skin, good-looking face… I mean, what kind of parents would abandon a kid like this?” Lin Shen sighed. “Hey, you think maybe he’s the long-lost son of some billionaire who got kidnapped or something?”
Suddenly, Lin Shen slapped his thigh like he’d just cracked a case.
“Wait a second — Ningchang’s richest guy ‘is’ your dad! Holy crap, should I grab a few strands of your dad’s hair so you can run a test?”
From the front seat, Lu Chengxuan’s voice floated back, cool and dry.
“…My dad wouldn’t lose his kid. Maybe ‘your’ dad’s the careless one — you should get ‘his’ hair tested.”
*
“…So, that’s a little historical trivia for you,” the teacher’s voice droned on. “Throughout history, royal families were very particular about bloodline purity. So when you’re watching historical dramas, don’t get misled. A classic example is Emperor Xuan of Han, Liu Xun — he was imprisoned during the witchcraft scandal, but thanks to an edict left behind by Emperor Wu, he was raised in the palace and later recognized as a member of the imperial family.”
Just as the teacher finished the explanation, the school bell rang — signaling the end of the day.
Lin Wangye closed his history book, his gaze lingering on the empty seat in front of him. Something felt off.
At lunch, Lin Shen had said he was sick of cafeteria food and was heading to Qingsen Internet cafe for some instant noodles. Lin Wangye didn’t join him since he’d already made plans with Fu Xuexue to review class notes.
But now, Lin Shen had been gone the entire afternoon.
Lin Wangye tried calling him, but the call wouldn’t go through. He couldn’t sit still a second longer. Grabbing Lu Chengxuan by the arm, he bolted straight for the internet cafe.
As soon as they arrived, the cafe attendant, Xiao Wang, rushed up to them.
“Thank God you’re here! Go check on Lin Shen — he got into a fight and ended up in the hospital! He’s in Room 502 at the affiliated hospital next door!”
“What?!”
Lin Wangye’s scalp tingled, and for a second, he just stood there frozen. Then, snapping out of it, he bolted for the door. As he pushed past the curtain at the entrance, he caught sight of Lu Chengxuan already halfway down the street.
Luckily, the hospital was only about 500 meters away. Running full speed, they reached it in no time.
Once inside, Lin Wangye lost track of Lu Chengxuan. After stumbling around unfamiliar hallways and asking for directions a few times, he finally found himself outside room 502 in the inpatient ward.
Bursting through the door, he spotted his dad right away — head wrapped in gauze, a few scrapes on his face, and yet still grinning as he waved cheerfully at him.
Seeing that Lin Shen wasn’t seriously hurt, Lin Wangye finally breathed a sigh of relief. Gasping for air, he walked up to the bed.
“Who’d you fight with? How’d it get this bad?”
“Eh, just some guy from our school,” Lin Shen shrugged, lounging against the pillows with a remote control in one hand and the other resting in a plaster cast. “He’s hurt too — he’s in room 520, just down the hall.”
Seeing Lin Shen in such a sorry state ignited a sudden surge of anger in Lin Wangye. Without thinking, he rolled up his sleeves and stormed out of the room. His footsteps echoed down the corridor as he raced to the far end, stopping at the door of room 520.
Through the glass window, he spotted three hospital beds, but only one was occupied.
‘Found you.’
With that, he shoved the door open with force.
“So you’re the punk who messed up Lin Shen? Watch me—”
Lin Wangye stormed inside, brimming with fury — only to freeze the second his eyes locked onto the person in the bed.
His breath hitched.
Then, without a word, he spun on his heel and bolted right back out.
*
Back in room 502, Lu Chengxuan sat beside Lin Shen’s bed, casually peeling a piece of fruit while Lin Shen continued his story.
“You know Qu Liuliu — my sister’s friend?” Lin Shen began. “I happened to walk past that alley and saw her there. Her eyes were all red, like she’d just been crying. There was some guy standing across from her, so I figured she was being bullied. I didn’t think twice — just grabbed the guy and shoved him against the wall.”
He paused, shaking his head.
“But the stupid wall must’ve been a hundred years old — it crumbled like dry cookies. Next thing I know, me and that poor guy are both tumbling down the ditch on the other side.”
“Why was Qu Liuliu crying?” Lu Chengxuan asked.
Lin Shen shrugged. “All a big misunderstanding. Turns out she’d just confessed to someone and got rejected. Can’t blame her for crying — you’d have someone bawling too if you rejected their love letter to their face.”
Lu Chengxuan: “Then, why didn’t you stop Lin Wangye?”
“What’s the point?” Lin Shen grinned lazily. “Once he figures out what happened, he’ll end up apologizing for me.”
Lu Chengxuan: “…”
Lin Shen smirked. “By the way, aren’t you supposed to bring something when you visit a patient? Not even a carton of milk? Cheap bastard.”
*
Outside room 520.
Lin Wangye stood by the door, taking deep breaths to calm his racing heart and shaky hands. After a moment, he raised his fist and knocked three times.
“Come in,” a clear voice called from inside.
Holding his breath, Lin Wangye pushed the door open.
The guy in the bed didn’t look quite as roughed up as Lin Shen, but his left leg was in a cast — clearly a broken bone.
As Lin Wangye stepped inside, the guy glanced up at him. His gaze was calm yet distant, sharp eyes giving off a cool, detached vibe. But those long, dark lashes softened the edges, leaving a hint of unexpected warmth.
“Hello?” The guy’s voice was crisp and smooth, pleasant to the ear.
“H-Hi…”
Awkwardly, Lin Wangye bent down and set the basket of fruit and carton of milk on the floor. As he straightened up, their eyes met again, and his face instantly turned beet red. His palms started sweating, and he nervously clenched his hands together, rubbing them anxiously.
“I… I’m here to apologize…”
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
