“I bumped into youngest uncle.”
“Youngest uncle? Uncle Xinlu?”
“How did that happen?” Pai asked, eyes sparkling with amusement. Xiaoqun opened her mouth to speak but stopped midway, clearly reluctant to explain.
“Just something like that. People will gossip about it later anyway, so you’ll hear then.”
She waved her hand dismissively and ended the topic. Curious, Pai kept stuffing food into his mouth while looking around.
“There—there’s uncle. Oh, we made eye contact.”
With his mouth full, Pai grinned broadly and waved. Ling Xinlu glanced briefly with a slight frown but nodded almost imperceptibly, then turned away, nearly ignoring him.
Pai shrugged without a trace of awkwardness.
“Uncle seems upset, too. That’s strange. He’s the type to ignore someone like Qingmin.”
Pai tilted his head, wondering how fighting with Qingmin could make uncle so visibly upset. After finishing the food in his hands, he ran back to the table and grabbed more.
Meanwhile, Yuri caught Ling Xinlu’s gaze as he glanced her way. Meeting eyes without reaction, Ling Xinlu turned his cold stare back to the person beside him, resuming conversation as if nothing happened.
“How’s Uncle Yuri? Been well?”
Pai asked, chewing cookies ravenously. Yuri turned toward him and said, “Yeah.”
“How about you? I heard you started learning the ropes. Is it going well?”
Pai’s face twisted into a grimace as he dropped the cookie from his hand, clearly losing appetite.
“Ah—I'm dying, uncle. Please talk some sense into my father. He’s making me learn everything in a month that takes others ten years, pounding me to exhaustion, telling me to learn this and master that. I swear I’m going to die.”
He complained as he shoveled cookies into his mouth, grumbling that his father pushed him so hard he barely had time to eat all day.
Yuri chuckled quietly, thinking Ling Tangyun was really pushing her only son hard.
“At your age, even if you try as hard as you can, you won’t die. It might only get risky when you’re as old as me.”
“True, they won’t die just by trying hard, but when I was at school, there was a guy who studied so hard he lost his mind…”
Pai grumbled, acting like he’d lost several kilograms in just a couple of months, then suddenly hugged Yuri and Xiaoqun both tightly.
“Eek! My blouse! Where are your greasy hands wiping off!”
Xiaoqun immediately scowled, punched Pai’s cheek, and escaped his embrace. She anxiously ran off, calling for a mirror, while Pai blinked pitifully at Yuri.
“Three seconds…”
“Want to clean it with my suit?”
Yuri took a handkerchief from her pocket and neatly wrapped Pai’s hands. Pai murmured, “Thanks, but somehow I feel a little sad,” as he rubbed his hands on the cloth. Yuri laughed quietly and said, “You don’t have to wash it, just give it back as is.” It lightened her mood a bit.
Seeing the siblings, who felt like real nephews and nieces from growing up with them, Yuri felt good. No matter how much time passed, they seemed less stained by the years than herself, and she loved them for that. These were the things she’d envied most about Ling Tangyun for a long time.
…But even that lightened mood wouldn’t improve beyond a certain point. The sharp gaze still touched her cheek. Ling Xinlu seemed deeply annoyed. His glances were casual at first, but over time they became direct and piercing. Whenever Yuri looked that way, their eyes usually met.
The more she thought about it quietly, the more her anger flared, making his gaze sting even more.
“Maybe it’s just my imagination, but since earlier…”
Pai, no fool, clearly noticed the stare. He turned slightly, using Yuri’s body to shield himself from Ling Xinlu’s view, forcing a wry smile.
“Looks like youngest uncle’s glaring. Did I do something wrong? Or was there trouble with Uncle Yuri?”
“If you don’t suspect yourself, then it must be with me.”
“Really? Oh, good—no, wait, if the atmosphere’s tense while living together, that’s worse. Our youngest uncle isn’t a bad guy, but when he’s upset, he can be a bit prickly. Uncle Yuri, are you okay?”
“Of course.”
Yuri had somehow managed to get along even with the much harsher, colder Ling Xinlu of the past. No matter how grumpy or upset he got now, it was nothing compared to back then. So yes, she was fine.
Shaking her head, Yuri said she was okay.
Pai looked at her with pity, his face revealing his true feelings. With a heavy sigh, he dried his hands with the handkerchief and gently placed his hand on Yuri’s head.
“Cheer up. I like youngest uncle, but you know I’m on Uncle Yuri’s side, right?”
Pai rubbed Yuri’s head roughly but affectionately, speaking seriously. Hearing that, Yuri let out a soft laugh.
“You and Xiaoqun really are siblings.”
She laughed for a while, saying so.
“Xiaoqun? Why Xiaoqun?” Pai, the all-in-one sibling, blinked his kind eyes in puzzlement while still stroking Yuri’s head. Finding it endearing, Yuri stroked his hand in return.
Then—
“Let’s go back. I’m tired.”
A cold voice came from behind Pai.
Pai paused, lowering his hand, and turned. His blocked view cleared, revealing Ling Xinlu standing there watching them.
“Oh, youngest uncle. Leaving already? I just got here.”
Pai greeted warmly, but Ling Xinlu’s glance at him was cold.
“Looks like Xiaoqun is here too. Go play together.”
“Come on, is it the same with dogs I see every day and uncles I see occasionally?”
Pai said, but didn’t actually try to stop the tired person. He folded the greasy handkerchief neatly and handed it to Yuri. Yuri nodded and put it away, while Ling Xinlu glanced at them coldly. Then suddenly he nodded toward them and said abruptly,
“You two look closer than people who see each other every day, even if you meet only occasionally.”
“Huh?” Pai looked confused but followed Ling Xinlu’s gesture to look at Yuri, blinking. Then he brightened and laughed.
“Well, when I stayed at Uncle Yuri’s place all summer in Europe, seeing him every day made us as close as if we met every day now, even if we only see each other sometimes.”
Ling Xinlu, who had been watching them expressionlessly, snorted softly and twisted his lips.
“Went all the way on a trip and didn’t go around with your girlfriend but stayed with an old man—must have been lonely.”
Pai shrugged, praising Yuri, but Ling Xinlu didn’t soften. Instead, his expression tightened, jaw clenched.
Then, suddenly, “Really?” Ling Xinlu asked, his face relaxing and eyes narrowing into a smile.
“Did he treat you well? He gets mad at me.”
Ling Xinlu smiled at Yuri, but his eyes weren’t smiling. His jet-black eyes twisted tightly and shimmered darkly. Yuri guessed why he was in a bad mood—just like when he turned away upset earlier. The feeling hadn’t gone away.
Pai glanced awkwardly at Yuri and laughed, scratching his head.
“Hey… maybe youngest uncle didn’t do anything wrong? Uncle Yuri hardly ever gets mad. I stayed at his place and did lots of things I can’t tell anyone, but I never saw him get angry once.”
Yuri had no chance to thank Pai for backing her up. Ling Xinlu looked at him with that un-smiling smile. After a brief silence, even that smile faded, leaving no expression.
“You two must really know each other well. But Pai, did you recently get hired as Yuri Gabe’s spokesperson without telling me?”
With an expressionless face but surprisingly gentle voice, Ling Xinlu whispered to Pai. Pai’s smile vanished momentarily as he realized the sarcasm. He hesitated whether to answer but glanced at Yuri, worried it might cause her trouble.
Yuri said nothing and just stared at Ling Xinlu. Ling Xinlu stared back at Yuri without looking away for several seconds.
Yuri took a deep breath quietly. Ling Xinlu’s face darkened suddenly, looking fierce. He opened his mouth as if to say something but stopped midway, glaring at Yuri fiercely before sighing bitterly. His hand pressed against his closed eyes.
“Let’s go. I’m really tired.”
Ling Xinlu’s voice was heavy with exhaustion and displeasure. Yuri nodded quietly, putting down the glass she held onto the nearby pedestal, then looked at Pai standing beside her.
“I should get going. Have a good time. Say hi to Xiaoqun for me.”
“Oh… okay. It’s late, so be careful going home.”
Pai glanced between Ling Xinlu and Yuri but said nothing more, smiling regretfully as he waved. “See you later, youngest uncle,” he said, but Ling Xinlu didn’t respond and walked toward the parking lot. Yuri nodded lightly and followed.
They exchanged brief eye contact with passing people and quickly left the corridor. Ling Xinlu never looked back, walking fast and angrily, with Yuri following quietly two steps behind.
When they reached the parking lot, Yuri got into the driver’s seat, Ling Xinlu into the passenger seat. They didn’t exchange a word or look at each other. Yuri glanced at him as she walked behind, but Ling Xinlu didn’t turn. He stared forward without moving until he started the engine and gripped the steering wheel. Yuri quietly reminded him,
“Put on your seatbelt.”
Ignoring her, Ling Xinlu kept staring ahead. Yuri leaned over and buckled his seatbelt herself, then started driving in silence.
Throughout the ride back, the car remained silent.
Until they arrived at the mansion and parked, Ling Xinlu looked out the window without moving. Yuri drove quietly, occasionally checking the rearview mirror but didn’t look at or speak to Ling Xinlu.
She thought he must be really upset. Yet at the same time, compared to the past when his anger made his face pale and uncontrollable, this was an improvement. …But it wasn’t exactly more comfortable than those days when he yelled loudly to vent his frustration. Yuri was not the kind to be restless in silence, but her heart was heavy like anyone else’s.
This was the first time she’d seen him upset like this, and she didn’t know how long it would last.
She hoped it wouldn’t last long. After parking at the mansion, she looked at Ling Xinlu in the rearview mirror. Though not asleep, he sat motionless, staring out the window, seemingly deep in thought.
“...We’re here.”
Thinking maybe he was so lost in thought he didn’t realize they’d arrived, Yuri spoke softly.
Ling Xinlu slightly tilted his head, showing he heard her, but remained still. Yuri reached out gently and unbuckled his seatbelt, then silently waited. Waiting was easy enough. She leaned her head quietly against the seat and hoped his mood would ease — or that he’d sort out his thoughts.
But the wait wasn’t long.
Ling Xinlu, who had been staring blankly out the dark window, glanced at Yuri.
“Are you angry?”
The sudden question caught Yuri off guard. If he’d just stated flatly that she was angry, she might have accepted it without hearing more. But instead, he asked if she was angry in an unpleasant voice.
Yuri sat up from leaning on the seat and looked back at him. He stared at her intently, almost glaring.
"......."
Yuri said nothing.
It wasn’t that she wasn’t angry or angry — rather, it was a question of whether she agreed with Ling Xinlu’s earlier behavior in the corridor. And Yuri still thought it was wrong. That probably wouldn’t change.
“I only talked to that woman. If she hadn’t followed me so easily, I wouldn’t have been so persistent.”
Ling Xinlu fully turned to face Yuri, speaking with a tone that sounded like he was frustrated or angry.
Ling Xinlu stared at silent Yuri but soon shut his mouth as if choked up. His lips twisted in pain.
“...It’s true. Her smile reminded me a bit of Taei hyung’s.”
A low confession filled with frustration, rising from the depths of his chest.
“So whether she had a boyfriend or not, whether she knew she was different from Taei hyung or not, I talked to her. She deliberately whispered words that might seduce me and smiled. But she had already been glancing at me even before I talked to her. She looked at me with eyes that desperately wanted me to say something. Every time our eyes met, she smiled hard, and when I finally talked to her, she just liked me without really knowing me and followed me.”
His angry words were a mean self-excuse and self-defense, which he knew himself. That’s why his face twisted more as he spoke.
“It’s the same for you.”
Ling Xinlu suddenly muttered after grinding his teeth for a while.
“You liked me even though you didn’t really know me. What was so good about me?”
“You didn’t know, either,” Yuri said quietly, turning Ling Xinlu’s anger back on him. She looked at him silently, as if he might collapse any second, holding onto his pain forcibly. Then she slowly spoke again.
“What parts of you do you want me to like?”
Yuri asked quietly.
For a moment, Ling Xinlu just stared at her, speechless.
They silently faced each other for a while before Yuri continued.
“I like you, including all those parts. …But what we should talk about now is different. I don’t like people hurting others’ feelings over mere whims. I don’t think it’s right, either.”
Yuri spoke calmly as Ling Xinlu said nothing, not even blinking.
“Just because I like you doesn’t mean I say your wrongs aren’t wrong.” This chapter is updated first at g.com.
She ended quietly.
She wouldn’t blame him, but she wouldn’t defend him either.
Ling Xinlu remained silent a long while. Staring hard at Yuri, he suddenly grimaced as if something welled up inside. Yet he said nothing, only closed his mouth again.
Finally,
“Don’t be angry.”
A faint whisper, barely audible.
“Don’t be angry. I was wrong.”
His dark eyes, which had once flared, now dimmed. His voice was equally dark as he spoke: I was wrong, so don’t be angry.
Yuri looked at him quietly. He glanced away briefly, then back up at her with a small movement of his eyes, muttering again, “Don’t be angry.”
“I was wrong. Really, I just… wanted to talk for a bit. I guessed it might cause trouble between those two, but I didn’t mean to make that happen.”
His voice grew weak, almost fading.
Yuri watched silently, a little confused. Seeing his expression darken like the light had been extinguished in an instant, she wondered helplessly how to handle it.
I’m not angry. I’m calm now. It’s okay.
Those words lingered briefly on her tongue before disappearing. None seemed right.
So Yuri quietly reached out to the still silent Ling Xinlu, gently placing her hand on his bowed head.
His neck twitched slightly but he didn’t move. Ling Xinlu quietly accepted her awkward caresses, and his tense shoulders gradually relaxed. His dark, dull face slowly calmed.
Finally, he lifted his gaze from his hands to meet Yuri’s eyes. She hesitated briefly, then nodded faintly. That was her answer.
At last, Ling Xinlu’s dark expression softened. He breathed quietly and carefully examined every inch of Yuri’s face.
“Ah… really…”
He murmured like a sigh.
His body, drained of energy, leaned toward Yuri. Resting his forehead on her shoulder, he whispered softly,
“I hate it when someone who doesn’t usually get mad actually gets mad…”
Muttering as if exhausted, Ling Xinlu stayed pressed against Yuri’s shoulder for a while. Yuri stroked his hair, then looked at his floating hand and gently lowered it. Ling Xinlu rubbed his forehead lightly on her shoulder. Yuri froze at the gesture.
It was like a kitten being affectionate, but since he was so big, more like a sleek lion.
The soft hair tickling her neck, the warm body heat on her shoulder, the faint scent wafting with every movement of his head. All combined like a vivid, tangible sensation.
"........"
Yuri was momentarily flustered.
Perhaps it showed on her usually impassive face. Ling Xinlu probably didn’t notice, but Yuri blinked, realizing her embarrassment.
That small hesitation reached Ling Xinlu, who raised his head with curiosity and stared intently at her blinking eyes.
"......."
"......."
In less than two seconds, he seemed to read her stern expression.
Then, unexpectedly,
A shy light crossed Ling Xinlu’s face.
Yuri hadn’t expected him to look so embarrassed or bashful, let alone smile or brush it off with a joke. Ling Xinlu’s flustered and sheepish face surprised her greatly.
Surprised, she stared at his face without realizing.
“What are you looking at? Why are you so embarrassed?”
Ling Xinlu suddenly frowned and pulled his body away from Yuri, even turning his head.
Yuri guessed he must have disliked showing his vulnerable side, even briefly. She quietly shook her head, saying, “No.”
Ling Xinlu stared out the window for a moment, then soon looked back at Yuri. His face had returned to normal as if nothing happened.
“Shall we go upstairs?”
He asked with a bright smile and a slight nod, looking as usual—no longer angry or gloomy—as he opened the car door.
Watching Ling Xinlu’s usual face, Yuri realized the chain of emotions from tonight’s quarrel had settled. There were no lingering feelings between them—just as before.
Yuri smiled softly, not too visibly but warmly relaxed, and quietly said, “Yes,” then got out of the car.
“But…”
As they entered the elevator, Ling Xinlu suddenly spoke, hesitating slightly, then glanced at Yuri as if waiting for her to respond.
“What was that thing Pai said about you doing things you can’t tell others while staying at Gabe’s house?”
“Huh? …Oh.”
Yuri chuckled lightly, saying, “It’s nothing.” Pressed by Ling Xinlu’s steady gaze, she confessed what little shame she had, like a niece—not really effective with Pai though.
“I got a virus from visiting adult sites daily on my computer, or I didn’t do laundry for so long that I had no clean underwear and had to wear my swimsuit instead. It’s a bit embarrassing to say, but not really anything you can’t tell others.”
Yuri remembered Pai begging her not to tell anyone, especially not Xiaoqun, or the whole population would know. But thinking about the chaos from losing two months of data and restoring it, she didn’t feel much guilt.
Ling Xinlu looked at her with a somewhat displeased expression.
“Do you still wear that swimsuit?”
“...Yes, it’s fine.”
Swimsuits these days are more durable than before and it wasn’t very old. Yuri assured him it wasn’t worn out yet. Ling Xinlu stared as if wanting to say something but ended up just clicking his tongue as they exited the elevator.
“You seem a bit worn out… Go inside and have your eyes massaged soon.”
15