Raised To Be His Wife After Moving In - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Chasing the summer sunset, the plane landed steadily in Shanghai.

Long shadows stretched across the ground. Lin Qiusu ran with light, agile steps, hurriedly boarding the shuttle bus. This trip had been prepared in such haste that he hadn’t even brought a suitcase; he only carried a thin backpack containing a simple change of clothes and his university admission letter.

As the shuttle headed toward the arrivals gate, people around him pulled out their phones to report their safe arrival. Lin Qiusu was no exception. For the past few years, he had been living at his uncle’s house, and his phone was one his uncle had given him—a “dummy” device exchanged for a 400-yuan top-up that didn’t even have internet access.

Not only was his internet restricted, but the signal was also poor; it took a long while for two bars to pop up. The screen lagged for a moment before notifying him of two unread messages. Both were from his biological older brother.

Lin Guanqing: One piece of good news and one piece of bad news. Which do you want to hear first?

Lin Guanqing: Actually, I’ll tell you the bad news first. My director sent me on a business trip at the last minute. It’s an emergency mission to the UK. I fought it with everything I had, but I couldn’t get out of it. I can’t come to pick you up.

Lin Qiusu froze for a moment and typed: I can just stay at your place alone.

Realizing Lin Qiusu’s signal was back, Lin Guanqing called immediately.

“Qiuqiu, have you arrived in Shanghai?” Lin Guanqing asked.

Lin Qiusu replied, “Yeah, I just got here. Which subway line goes to your rental?”

It was his first time in this massive city. Being unfamiliar with the place, he felt a bit timid. However, at the thought of finally being away from his uncle’s house, he felt that staying alone in Shanghai wouldn’t be so bad.

Lin Guanqing said, “Stay put at the airport for now. How could I feel safe letting you wander off alone? If I did that, would I even have a shred of moral fiber left as a brother?”

Lin Qiusu was curious: “Since when have you ever had such a thing as moral fiber?”

Lin Guanqing was seven years older than him. When they were kids, Lin Guanqing used to take advantage of his inability to resist by forcing him into dresses and braiding his hair; the house was never peaceful. After their parents’ accident, Lin Qiusu was left in the care of relatives, while Lin Guanqing boarded at high school and later moved to Shanghai for university and work.

In recent years, they saw each other less, but Lin Guanqing sent gifts and pocket money every so often and called every two weeks. Their relationship hadn’t grown distant; in Lin Qiusu’s eyes, his brother was still that same unscrupulous and annoying person.

Now questioned by Lin Qiusu, Lin Guanqing adopted a seemingly solemn tone. “At the very least, I can’t let you wander around blindly. Otherwise, when I go to heaven, how will I explain myself to Mom and Dad?”

Lin Qiusu: “…”

“The good news is that my colleague is coming to look after you. He’s almost at the airport; he’ll contact you then,” Lin Guanqing said. “Do you have enough money? Want me to send you more? Go find a shop and sit down for a bit.”

Unwilling to be a burden, Lin Qiusu said resistantly, “There’s no need to trouble others.”

Lin Guanqing chuckled. “How is it a trouble? He’s more than happy to do it.”

The way he said it was meaningful, and Lin Qiusu felt something wasn’t quite right. Unfortunately, after his long journey, his phone battery was critical. If he talked any longer, it would be forced to shut down. Although he really wanted to go against Lin Guanqing, his circumstances didn’t allow for it; for now, he had to compromise and be obedient.

He found a chain restaurant. Watching others habitually scan QR codes to pay, he used cash to buy the cheapest small cup of cola and then found an outlet in the corner. He didn’t approach directly at first; he sat quietly biting his straw, cautiously observing his surroundings like a cat confirming safety in a new environment. Only after seeing others charging their phones in the shop did he move over slowly.

“Excuse me, may I sit here?” he asked politely.

The airport fast-food joint was busy, and there were few empty seats; he had to squeeze onto a table with someone else.

The other guy was a streamer who had ordered a burger meal. He was busy trash-talking a video and looked up when he heard the voice. A stunningly beautiful face unexpectedly entered his view. Standing before the table was a clear, handsome youth, no more than eighteen or nineteen years old, with a slender and elegant profile—looking as if he had walked straight out of a manga.

The streamer was completely unprepared for the visual impact and froze for two seconds.

“Of course, go ahead and sit,” he said. “I might be a bit loud, though. If I bother you, just say so and I’ll lower my voice.”

Lin Qiusu shook his head: “It’s fine.”

He sat by the window. The sunlight spilled in, illuminating his pale face with a brightness that was almost dazzling. Other travelers noticed Lin Qiusu and excitedly tugged at their companions’ sleeves, whispering while stealing glances at him.

Lin Qiusu sensed several gazes sticking to him and knit his brows slightly. This was the first time the teenager had ever left his small town; his heart was beating fast and his sense of insecurity was strong. Facing the current situation, it never even occurred to him that this was because he was good-looking. He even suspected that his behavior was strange, drawing the scrutiny of others, and he lowered his head bashfully.

But if he could have heard their inner thoughts, he would have been met with a series of screams:

Ahhh! Did I just run into a young idol? He’s so cute! Why is he so shy?!

Should I go ask for his WeChat? Honey, stop drinking cola, look at me, I’ll buy you an ice cream cone!

However, Lin Qiusu refused to look up. After some excited whispering, the girls didn’t step forward to disturb him.

Beside him, the streamer was watching a game developers’ conference but was broadcasting it to his own channel, chatting heatedly with his viewers. The media volume leaked from his crookedly worn headphones, only to be suppressed by his own noisy chattering.

“Next up is the grand finale, Burning Night. I’ve heard rumors that Island, who never shows his face, is going to appear. For such a grand event, he, the producer, ought to come out and take a walk, right?”

“Who doesn’t want to see him? Insiders revealed Island was a top student, skipped grades, and is only 22 this year. If he was standing in front of me, I’d probably ask him whose kid he is.”

“Oh wow, Clear is the one giving the report. Damn, he’s handsome. Totally unexpected. Did they put out the ‘visual’ of the team to hold the fort?”

On the screen, the commentator was in a suit and tie, full of smiles. Lin Guanqing, in a simple and low-profile black T-shirt, was representing the project team to answer questions.

Lin Guanqing was flippant and casual with his brother—that was a laziness he only showed to family. At this moment, that was entirely tucked away. On stage, his expression was a bit cold. Facing sharp questions, he was calm and composed, possessing the elite aura of someone who had been in a high position for a long time.

This image was very good at intimidating people. The streamer was a bit surprised and muttered a respectful “Damn, that’s impressive.”

Beside him, Lin Qiusu caught this scene and had only three words in his heart: What a poser!

While he was silently criticizing him, Lin Guanqing seemed to have a telepathic sense and coughed quietly a few times.

“Sorry, I have to go catch a flight,” Lin Guanqing said, looking at his watch. He explained, “I was suddenly assigned a business trip today. My brother just arrived, and I can’t even see him.”

The commentator chimed in, “You guys seem very busy lately. Why would Island send you away?”

Lin Guanqing said, “It wasn’t Island’s idea; it’s temporary assistance for another group. I suppose he and I are both victims? I had no choice, but I swear to god I’ll be back in two months.”

“Clear’s ‘pie-in-the-sky’ promises are so practiced. Did your boss believe you?” the commentator asked with a smile.

Lin Guanqing shrugged, finally willing to joke a bit now that his family was mentioned. He said, “Of course he didn’t believe me; he wouldn’t let me go at first. Since my brother is coming here anyway, I just handed him over as a ‘hostage.’ If I go back on my word, my boss can dispose of that eighteen-year-old college student however he likes.”

Lin Qiusu: “…”

He knew it! Lin Guanqing was incapable of being a decent human being!

In the video, the event was coming to a close. The streamer slowed down his pace and dipped a fry into some ketchup. While looking at the comments, he leisurely started some trouble.

“Is Island just some shut-in fat otaku? If you’re not a coward, come out and take a walk. Tsk, unless he’s 200 pounds and covered in acne, with his arrogant personality, he definitely would have shown off in front of the camera long ago!” he said.

A bullet comment floated across the page, saying maybe Island had gone to pick up the college student. Seeing this, the streamer gave a pitying click of his tongue.

“If Clear’s brother is in my stream, listen to your big brother’s advice: run as fast as you can if you have the chance.” He added, “Rumor has it that the guy hijacking you is gay.”

Lin Qiusu: “…………”

After the streamer finished talking to himself, he noticed Lin Qiusu looking at him blankly. Feeling intrigued, he took off his headphones.

“Hey, why are you so shocked? First time hearing that Island likes men?” he asked.

Lin Qiusu didn’t even know who Island was. He said dazed, “Huh?”

The streamer explained, “A lot of people have run into him in ranked matches. A few of them were beauties from the paid gaming circles who tried to add him as a friend. He rejected every single one.” From this, he analyzed: “If a girl’s looks are already top-tier and he’s still indifferent, the only explanation is that the gender is wrong.”

— “Maybe he just thinks the players are too trash? Why add them if you won’t duo-queue? Why waste a slot on the friend list?”

A voice chimed in lazily.

The two people whispering to each other immediately went silent. They both looked up. A tall young man had stood beside them at some unknown point.

Because he was wearing a mask, his lower face was hidden. What was immediately obvious was that he was broad-shouldered with long legs and excellent proportions. His exposed eyes were very handsome, and the bridge of his nose—though slightly covered—was high. He had an aura of sharpness that was hard to ignore. No matter how you looked at it, there was no doubt he was very attractive.

The streamer was stunned. “If that’s really the case—that Island only looks at stats and not faces when adding friends… he must have been a bachelor for eight lifetimes.”

The young man: “.”

He was clearly choked up, seemingly wanting to refute but having nothing to say.

The streamer concluded for Lin Qiusu, speaking with such conviction it sounded quite believable. “Island is more or less a winner in life. Being a bachelor is just a sign of incomplete functional development… either way, he’s at least one of two things: gay or impotent.”

The young man: “…”

Lin Qiusu: “.”

Not expecting Lin Guanqing’s colleague to be part of such a wild discussion, Lin Qiusu’s ears were ringing.

The game developers’ conference officially ended. The streamer finished his trash-talk and soon left the restaurant, leaving the empty seat to be naturally claimed by the young man.

This person’s posture was casual and relaxed. He turned his face and cast his gaze toward Lin Qiusu.

“Why are you lowering your head to avoid me? Weren’t you just having a great time guessing Island’s sexual orientation?” the young man spoke.

Lin Qiusu tried to clear himself: “I just happened to overhear a little bit.”

As he finished speaking, he shifted slightly to the other side, creating more distance between himself and the young man. He didn’t know why, but this person gave him a different feeling than others. Based on some kind of intuition, Lin Qiusu subconsciously didn’t dare get too close to him.

Lin Qiusu bit the bullet and asked, “Are you waiting for a friend here? If you sit here, the view doesn’t seem very good.”

The young man didn’t respond immediately. He raised his well-defined, slender fingers and swiped through his photo album. He re-examined the identification photo his colleague had sent and compared it to the boy in front of him.

There was no mistake.

“I’m picking up a hostage,” he said. “Lin Qiusu? I’m your brother’s friend. Most people online call me Island, but you can call me Xie Yu.”

Lin Qiusu: ?

He stared at Xie Yu’s face in surprise. For half a second, his mind was a complete blank.

What happened to the 200-pound acne-covered fat otaku?!

If this person were taken to a photography studio, he could be a model; how could he have anything to do with being a shut-in? More importantly, he had just been discussing the man’s private business behind his back!

Lin Qiusu’s thoughts were in a mess. The subject of someone else’s gossip had suddenly appeared right in front of him; for a moment, he couldn’t think of how to react. He just felt that the streamer’s advice to “run” wasn’t entirely without reason.

“Lin Guanqing didn’t explain things clearly to me. Actually, I don’t really need to be picked up…” He tried to make an escape.

Xie Yu held up his phone to show him the ID photo Lin Guanqing had sent. It was a child around eight years old with eyes red from anger. Watery eyes were misted over as he tried his best to glare at the camera with the fiercest look possible. Unfortunately, the intimidation factor wasn’t enough; instead, he looked soft and squishy, his slightly puffed-out cheeks making one really want to reach out and pinch them. In short, he looked like he would have a very good “hand-feel.”

Lin Qiusu: ??

Is there really not a single normal photo of me? Lin Guanqing actually sent this ‘dark history’ photo? Ten years had passed; the childishness had faded, he was taller, and his face had matured. How could Xie Yu recognize him from that?!

Xie Yu saw through Lin Qiusu’s confusion.

“It’s not entirely different. This shop only has a dozen or so tables; it’s not that hard to filter people out,” Xie Yu explained leisurely.

Lin Qiusu nodded repeatedly, accepting this explanation.

Xie Yu added: “And to encourage me to come, your brother described you as being the cutest person in the shop—said I’d know as soon as I saw you.”

Learning that Lin Guanqing had bragged like that, Lin Qiusu couldn’t help his ears turning hot. He almost didn’t dare look at the other person, stumbling over his words: “Is that so?”

In a flash, Lin Qiusu recalled a rather terrifying detail. He turned his head stiffly, looked at the photo more carefully, and then felt his vision go dark.

His memory was correct. Back then, under Lin Guanqing’s oppression, he had endured the humiliation of wearing twin pigtails!!

“The moment Lin Guanqing chose to send this picture out, he was no longer my brother,” he said in despair, disowning him.

At the same time, he gnashed his teeth, his fingers secretly twisting the hem of his shirt, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

Xie Yu, however, looked completely calm. He said, “If you’ve cut ties with him, does that mean you’re not coming with me?”

Lin Qiusu was dying of shame and would rather live as a wanderer in this city. Because he wasn’t familiar with Xie Yu, he was a bit shy and didn’t know how to negotiate. After a while, he said in a small voice, “I didn’t want to make things difficult for you, but I really can handle my life before the semester starts on my own.”

Xie Yu pondered: “Mhm, but I promised Clear I’d look after you. That makes it a bit hard for me to explain myself.”

It sounded like he was going to have a heart-to-heart, but he didn’t directly persuade Lin Qiusu to be obedient, nor did he use harsh or forceful threats. Instead, he curled the corners of his mouth interestingly, a malicious smile flickering in his eyes.

“Qiuqiu, you wouldn’t want this photo to show up on the university forums, would you?” Xie Yu said.