Parker entered and bit Si Ang’s clothes as a gentle attempt to mediate. This showed that while it remained neutral in terms of force, it was emotionally on Lin Chen’s side and didn’t want him to get hurt.
Si Ang said in a deep voice, “Parker? Stop messing around!”
“Roar!” Parker protested to its master.
Si Ang felt conflicted. He knew that Parker used to be the first to charge into fights.
“Parker! It’s only been raised by Lin Chen for two days and it’s already betrayed me.”
“We’re not fighting. I’m doing this for his own good.”
Hearing that it wasn’t a fight, the lion retreated to the side with some skepticism. Its beastly eyes were still fixed on them as if thinking: I’ll try to stop it when there’s blood.
In the eyes of a wild beast, a fight without bloodshed is just child’s play.
Lin Chen: “…”
He thought the lion could save him, but it didn’t. He continued to groan with a bitter face.
Feeling his limbs being pressed and acupoints massaged for a full 20 minutes, Lin Chen felt a sharp pain.
Although it hurt, Lin Chen knew Si Ang was doing it for his own good, and after the pain subsided, he solemnly thanked him.
Si Ang nodded: “Remember to exercise more in the future.”
Then he got out of bed.
Lin Chen felt deeply ashamed. The original owner didn’t like exercising, and neither did he. He admitted that his eight-pack abs were just boasting; he actually only had one, but it was very flat with no extra abs.
Si Ang, on the other hand, clearly had eight-pack abs. His grip was incredibly strong, and pressed Lin Chen until he was terrified.
For the next few days, Lin Chen didn’t go anywhere as his body was aching all over; Si Ang didn’t go out either, spending his days either working remotely from the garage or fishing with Lin Chen at the lake.
They caught so much fish that they couldn’t finish it all, so Si Ang actually called a helicopter to airlift it back, saying it was for someone else.
Lin Chen looked utterly bewildered as if he’d never seen anything like it before: “The energy consumption and labor costs for one flight are enough to buy 100 fish, right?”
Si Ang replied matter-of-factly, “These are fish I caught myself; they have a different meaning.”
Lin Chen thought to himself: Clearly, I caught half of them.
But it didn’t matter; it wasn’t the first time he’d been a go-to person for Si Ang, so he didn’t mind at all.
The steamed bun-making activity, which was in full swing and receiving excellent data both online and offline, was nearing its end.
They decided to return to the city after the activity concluded.
By the lake, Si Ang said to Lin Chen, “Thank you, Lin Chen. You’ve helped me a lot.”
Lin Chen replied, “You’re welcome.”
Si Ang turned to Lin Chen, his eyes sincere, and asked, “Besides giving you a generous reward, is there anything else I can help you with?”
As for the Lu family’s affairs, he could help if Lin Chen asked.
However, Lin Chen didn’t want to involve Si Ang. He took a sip of his homemade iced drink and smiled, “Mr. Si, my world is simple: money can solve 99% of my problems.”
“So I don’t need your help with anything.”
Lin Chen turned his head, and after a moment of eye contact, Si Ang nodded. “Alright, feel free to contact me anytime if you need anything.”
Shortly after he finished speaking, Lin Chen received a sum of money. It seemed like a considerable amount, but Lin Chen didn’t look at it. He simply continued to lazily lie down and fish, eventually falling asleep.
Although the climate was pleasant, sleeping outdoors was still cold.
Si Ang covered Lin Chen with a blanket.
Later, even when there were fish, they stopped fishing to avoid waking him.
Lin Chen woke up to find himself covered with a blanket, and the person sitting next to him had changed from Si Ang to a bodyguard. He had no idea how long he had slept.
“Thank you, I accidentally fell asleep.”
The bodyguard turned around, grinning. “If you want to thank someone, thank Mr. Si. He’s the one who covered you with the blanket and has been keeping you company.”
“He just called me over a while ago to keep an eye on your safety.”
Lin Chen was taken aback, then smiled and said, “Mr. Si is so kind. I should thank him.”
Si Ang was working remotely from inside the RV. Lin Chen didn’t disturb him, quietly made a cup of tea, and left.
Si Ang indeed didn’t like being disturbed while working, but he had actually noticed Lin Chen and was even waiting for him to speak to him.
However, this younger brother, with whom he had the opportunity to spend time every day, had a very strong sense of propriety.
He wouldn’t take advantage of him, nor would he go along with it.
Si Ang hadn’t felt so comfortable around someone in a long time.
He picked up the tea Lin Chen had brewed, took a sip, and found it slightly bitter at first, then sweet.
Two days later, the event concluded successfully, and their trip ended. It was time to return to the city.
The RV drove directly back to Si Ang’s mansion. It was late when they arrived. Si Ang said to Lin Chen, “Stay here for the night. I’ll have someone take you back tomorrow, and also deal with the illegal intrusion at your house.”
He didn’t feel comfortable letting Lin Chen go back until the matter was resolved.
Lin Chen, too lazy to bother, nodded and replied, “Okay.”
Si Ang nodded, “I’ll go take care of things first. Go to the kitchen and see if there’s anything you want to eat; ask the chef to make it for you.”
Lin Chen had worked hard these past few days; he needed to be rewarded.
Lin Chen nodded eagerly, “Okay, go ahead and do your work.”
The two parted ways with Parker following closely behind Lin Chen. It didn’t seem out of place at all, except for the staff in the villa who seemed a little surprised.
Si Ang’s kitchen was incredibly luxurious, and Lin Chen didn’t stand on ceremony. Dinner consisted of top-quality ingredients and top-notch cuisine prepared by a top-notch chef. Every bite tasted of money, and was so delicious it brought tears to his eyes.
However, Lin Chen noticed that Si Ang seemed completely unfazed, and was not even as enthusiastic as he was about his own home-cooked meals. Was he serious?
The other party was definitely just giving him face…
As his thoughts wandered, Si Ang suddenly spoke: “What I said before was true. You’re welcome to work for me after graduation.”
This time, Lin Chen hesitated. To be honest, he had no great ambitions; he just wanted to be a contented, easygoing person. But being Si Ang’s confidant meant he couldn’t be an easygoing person.
Seeing this, Si Ang’s smile vanished instantly: “You’re unwilling?”
Lin Chen was taken aback, quickly shaking his head and explaining, “No, no, you misunderstand. Working at Si’s is a great opportunity.”
“I just feel that you don’t keep idle people around, and I don’t have any great ambitions. I just want to be a carefree person.”
“Having lived and eaten together these past few days, you should have figured out my background.”
“That’s just who I am.”
No ambition, averse to trouble, and yearns for a life of leisure.
Si Ang’s expression finally softened, and he silently took a bite of the chef’s carefully prepared beef.
“I know you, and I don’t want to force you to give an immediate answer, but Parker trusts you,” he said, looking at the now reserved Lin Chen. His gaze was sharp as he spoke frankly, “If you don’t come with me, it’s impossible for me to feel at ease.”
Lin Chen understood; that was true. He possessed special abilities and had participated in some matters, yet he wasn’t being used by the other party. His position was truly awkward.
If their positions were reversed, Si Ang’s thoughts would be his own; one should always be wary.
“I said I don’t want to force you.” Si Ang lowered his eyes, his sharp knife slicing through the bloody beef. “Remember one thing: don’t betray me.”
He was giving Lin Chen a chance to hurt him. If Lin Chen actually did it, there would be no more friendship between them.
Lin Chen nodded, picked up a glass of wine, and said to Si Ang, “I swear on this wine, if I, Lin Chen, ever have any disloyalty towards Si Ang, may this glass be my witness!”
He finished his wine and smashed the empty glass on the ground, shattering it into pieces.
Instantly, Parker, who was standing guard nearby, looked up sharply at Lin Chen. Several staff members rushed over, their expressions tense.
Lin Chen was embarrassed. Breaking someone’s glass had alerted them, and he felt guilty. But Si Ang seemed quite pleased, instructing, “It’s nothing, just an accidental breakage. Go away.”
“Yes.” The people immediately left to avoid disturbing the two’s meal.
Lin Chen rubbed his nose. “Sorry, um, was the glass expensive?”
Si Ang looked at the young man. “Tch, you only realize how serious it is after breaking it?”
“…”
“Not expensive, and even if it were, you wouldn’t have to pay for it.”
He was just a little shocked.
Si Ang picked up his own wine glass, took a sip, and the frustration of being rejected dissipated along with the shattered glass.
In all his life, Si Ang had never seen such a strange way of swearing an oath, but in Lin Chen’s case, it seemed perfectly reasonable.
Lin Chen’s uniqueness, and his inherent aloofness and nonchalance were refreshing and inexplicably convincing.
He accepted.
“Then it’s up to you. If you don’t want to work for me, then be my friend.”
It was unbelievable to anyone who heard it; Si Ang was quite afraid Lin Chen would refuse this request.
This was unprecedented.
Lin Chen didn’t want to work for him, afraid of trouble, lacking ambition—would he not even want to be his friend?
Lin Chen: “Okay.”
He glanced at the large lion, his mind racing. Being Si Ang’s friend meant he could often pet his friend’s lion, right?
“That wine was quite good.” Lin Chen picked up a new glass from the table, poured himself a fresh glass of wine, and stood up. “Mr. Si, I’d like to propose a toast.”
“Didn’t you consider me a friend? Why are you being so polite?” Si Ang frowned. “Don’t call me Mr. Si anymore, just call me by my name.”
Lin Chen: “Sorry, I haven’t gotten used to it yet.”
“You’re older than me, can I call you ‘brother’?”
Si Ang laughed upon hearing this. He had just said this kid wouldn’t know how to take advantage of a situation, but wasn’t he quite good at it?
“Sure.” He didn’t object.
Lin Chen walked directly to Si Ang, bowed, and smiled, “Brother Ang, I’d like to toast you.”
Si Ang picked up his glass and happily drank the toast offered by his ‘younger brother’.
Since the wine was so good, Lin Chen overindulged, and by the end of dinner, he was already half-drunk.
He didn’t have any bad habits when he drank except that he became very outgoing.
“Brother, brother…brother, come on, let me toast you again.” Lin Chen had initially sat a little distance from Si Ang, but after getting drunk, he sat down next to him.
Si Ang didn’t stop him, and just raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t expected Lin Chen to be like this when drunk; it was rather cute.
“You’re drunk, drink less,” Si Ang said, but he always accepted Lin Chen’s toasts.
“What’s the point of drinking if you don’t get drunk?” Lin Chen slurred, “Drinking involves playing rock-paper-scissors, come on, let’s play.”
Si Ang glanced at the arm around his shoulder and agreed, “Okay, let’s play.”
Lin Chen was indeed drunk. He said he’d play rock-paper-scissors, but his actual game was rock-paper-scissors. Si Ang was speechless and could only adjust along with him.
Si Ang lost the first round and promptly drank the penalty shot.
Unexpectedly, he lost the second round too, and drank the penalty shot again…and then Si Ang kept losing, making him wonder if Lin Chen was really drunk?
After owing the drunkard ten drinks as a gambling debt, Si Ang didn’t want to drink anymore. He casually took off his wristwatch and shoved it into Lin Chen’s hand: “Alright, that’s enough playing. Go to sleep.”
Lin Chen didn’t wear a watch and, oblivious to the urge, refused.
“You really don’t want it?”
“Drunkard, this is a good thing. You can’t buy it with money.”
Seeing Lin Chen’s reaction, Si Ang was even more eager to give it away, so he simply put the watch on Lin Chen’s wrist, thinking the other would thank him the next morning.
“Parker, I… I want to sleep with Parker…” Lin Chen’s drunkenness had reached its peak, and all he could think about was Parker.
The drunkard staggered to his feet to leave, but Si Ang quickly stopped him: “There’s broken glass on the floor… never mind.”
Why waste words arguing with a drunkard? He simply picked him up and carried him to the room.
“You can even get drunk on wine. You shouldn’t drink anymore,” Si Ang said, covering Lin Chen with the blanket. Then, he told the large lion beside him, “Parker, you stay here with him.”
Parker jumped onto the bed and lay down next to Lin Chen.
Lin Chen, still smelling of alcohol, seemed to enjoy it, sniffing and licking him like a mother caring for her cub.
The alcohol in the wine was indeed weak. Lin Chen sobered up in the latter half of the night, reached out to touch the warm Parker beside him, and then fell back asleep contentedly.
The next morning, Lin Chen woke up feeling embarrassed about what had happened the night before.
Lin Chen quickly took a shower, and removed his obviously expensive watch from his wrist before going to find Si Ang.
“I’m sorry, I got drunk last night. I caused quite a ruckus, didn’t I?”
“Here, take this watch back.”
Si Ang said bluntly, “Keep it. Everyone knows it’s my watch. It’ll be good for you.”
A custom-made watch?
Lin Chen was even more frightened and hesitated to accept it: “I’m afraid I’ll lose it.”
Si Ang said, “It has a locator. Even if it’s lost, someone will obediently return it. No one will dare to sell it.”
“…” Lin Chen understood. Si Ang still didn’t quite trust him. Now, he had no choice but to accept it: “Okay, then I’ll take it.”
The elegant yet sophisticated men’s watch was placed back on Lin Chen’s wrist.
This time, upon closer inspection, he discovered a hidden detail on the dial: the character ‘Ang’ was clearly visible, making it instantly recognizable as Si Ang’s watch.
Once Si Ang trusted him more, the watch would eventually return to Si Ang’s possession.
Si Ang looked at him and said, “I’m going to the company. Are you going home today or…”
Lin Chen said, “Home. I’ll go say goodbye to Parker.”
Si Ang nodded and then instructed the two bodyguards from before to escort Lin Chen.
The bodyguard was happy to take on the task. They followed Lin Chen to the rented apartment, confirmed nothing was missing, and then went to the building manager to check the security footage.
Regardless of whether they pursued the matter further, they at least needed to find out who did it.
“Do you know them?” the bodyguard asked, pointing to someone in the security camera footage.
Lin Chen nodded. The person who brought the men to kick down his door was none other than the ruthless Lu Zhibai. “The other party’s identity is very troublesome. I don’t want to call the police; moving is fine.”
Asking Si Ang for help was possible, but unnecessary. Lin Chen didn’t want to waste time on the Lu family; it wasn’t worth it. He’d rather spend his time making more money.
The bodyguard asked, “Really not calling the police?”
The master had instructed them to protect Lin Chen’s rights at all costs. Whether it was an earl or a duke, the Si family wouldn’t back down.
Lin Chen: “Hmm, it’s such a small matter, we can’t even kill him. Calling the police would be a waste of energy.”
“Alright.” They didn’t press Lin Chen, and asked, “So, what kind of house are you looking for?”
Their boss owns most houses.
Lin Chen: “A detached house in the suburbs with a large yard for growing flowers, and a big pickup truck for easy transport.”
“Growing flowers? Lin Chen, you really have the leisure for that.” The bodyguard laughed when he heard he wanted to grow flowers.
No, Lin Chen just wanted to grow some precious flowers to earn money to support his family.
Then, gardening enthusiasts can get more beautiful treasures, and he can supplement his income—a win-win situation.
Author’s Note:
Lin Chen: If the east isn’t bright, the west will be!