Raised To Be His Wife After Moving In - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Lin Qiusu had grown up in a small town by the sea in the south. The town was mostly filled with cypress trees and golden silk willows; he had never seen plants like the chestnut blossom (photinia).

So, when he picked the prize and saw the label, he naively assumed the candy would just taste a little bit “eccentric.”

Before, he had been so focused on blowing the biggest bubble that he didn’t have the heart to taste it carefully. Now, he finally detected the “exotic” notes.

…It was hard to say. The presence of milk and sweeteners was strong, but beneath that was a faint, unspeakable scent.

It was like… like a certain viscous liquid carrying paternal genetic material.

Furthermore, he had accidentally splattered it all over Xie Yu’s face!

Lin Qiusu felt utter despair: “I’m sorry.”

Xie Yu was clearly having a delayed realization as well. He looked shaken by the scene, his expression somewhat dazed.

After a moment, he let out a scoff: “Lin Qiusu, your apology sounds nice, but your body is very honest.”

Lin Qiusu snapped back to reality and realized he had instinctively backed away. His thin back was pressed against the car door, as far from Xie Yu as possible, looking ready to abandon the vehicle and flee at any moment.

“I have tissues here,” Lin Qiusu said, forcing himself to speak. “Here, let me wipe your face.”

Xie Yu cast a cold glance at him but didn’t move, remaining frozen in place.

Lin Qiusu pursed his lips and slowly shuffled back. No longer caring if they were “familiar” enough, he used a wet wipe to help clean the candy residue off the man’s face.

Although this candy had been rejected at the prize counter, the flavoring had actually processed the “scent” quite cleanly—you couldn’t really smell it unless you sniffed hard.

Unfortunately, with five candies at once, the concentration was high enough for anyone to perceive it.

Lin Qiusu had been single-mindedly pursuing victory earlier and thought nothing of it; now, his desire to die was very strong.

Xie Yu probably wanted to kill him too. After finishing the cleanup, he didn’t say a word for a long time.

Lin Qiusu decided to take the initiative to ease the tension, but his topic-switching skills were terrible—resembling a red-green colorblind person trying to cross the street.

“Did you take special leave to wait for me for so long?”

Xie Yu said: “I’m the head boss of the project team. I don’t need to ask anyone for leave. If I want to go, I just go.”

Lin Qiusu flattered him: “Even with no one managing you, you still work so hard. It must be tough.”

Xie Yu composed himself slightly and replied politely.

“After all, no one in the company would try to ‘go down in flames’ with me. I actually go to work every day to seek refuge.”

Lin Qiusu was wiping candy crumbs off his own face. Hearing this, he froze and lowered his head in embarrassment.

Xie Yu asked: “Have you not been going out much lately?”

“Um…” Lin Qiusu muttered, “Sometimes I go to the supermarket for fruit and fresh milk. I’ll start driving practice soon, so I’ll be out more frequently.”

“I’ll take you out to get some air later, get you familiar with the roads, and buy some clothes and shoes,” Xie Yu said.

Actually, Lin Qiusu had added some items already. The day he learned how to shop online, he had curiously ordered clothes and socks; he had enough for daily wear. Hearing that Xie Yu planned to go shopping, he quickly claimed he didn’t need anything—he already had more than he could wear.

Xie Yu remembered the strange sight on the balcony recently and nearly laughed: “Three identical white T-shirts—that’s what you call ‘buying several outfits’?”

Lin Qiusu asked blankly: “Is it not okay to wear them like that?”

Xie Yu paused and commented: “You applied for the Computer Science major, right? You haven’t even started classes and you’re already a standard ‘straight-guy’ coder.”

“That’s a stereotype. Don’t have professional prejudice,” Lin Qiusu corrected.

“Oh, and what are you studying?”

“…Computer Science.”

The car fell silent for a long moment; the atmosphere was even more awkward than before.

Then, Xie Yu asked incredulously: “You’ve only been an adult for a short while—the age where you should care most about your image. Don’t you have any desire to ‘show off your feathers’?”

Lin Qiusu shot back: “Were you very into dressing up when you were eighteen?”

Xie Yu didn’t value those things, but being asked, he wasn’t willing to let the other person set the pace.

He talked nonsense righteously: “Sorry, sometimes, when a person’s face is peak handsome, clothing is just a burden.”

Lin Qiusu: “.”

If you find it so burdensome, why don’t you just take them off?

Of course, Lin Qiusu didn’t say that out loud. While grumbling internally, he watched as the car drove onto the main road.

Having been here for over a week, the city was still very strange to Lin Qiusu. Every sight was fresh. The sky was azure and bright, the ground wide and flat, and the buildings were so tall you had to crane your neck to see the tops. It made the world feel vast and boundless—a place fit for breathing deeply, crying and laughing loudly, and growing wildly.

Xie Yu said he was teaching him the way, but he was actually showing him many practical locations. Where the Pearl Tower was, where the University District was located, the nearest hospital to the mansion, and which restaurants were good…

Due to the hot weather, Lin Qiusu had been huddled in air-conditioned rooms. After today’s whirlwind tour, he became more energetic and interested in going out.

“See those two buildings on the left? Your brother rented an apartment there,” Xie Yu said.

It was a commercial-residential building that looked like it cost a fortune in rent. Looking through the windows, one could see the warm, clean layout of the lobby. Lin Qiusu thought to himself that Lin Guanqing was secretly a “winner in life,” practically bringing glory to the family.

A sense of pride for his family grew quietly. He wondered how many more surprises his brother had that he didn’t know about. Using his excellent eyesight, he excitedly read the scrolling text at the apartment entrance.

“You have entered a key area for anti-vice operations. This apartment has handled four cases this year…”

Halfway through, he stopped abruptly, beginning to wonder if someone with Lin Guanqing’s character might become a target for arrest.

Xie Yu guessed his thoughts and said: “Don’t worry, your brother doesn’t have the ‘means’ to commit a crime. If he tried anything like that, his roommate would slap him out the door first.”

Lin Qiusu asked: “He doesn’t live alone?”

“He shares a place with other colleagues. I remember they live in a two-story loft,” Xie Yu said. “There are three rooms. He mentioned before that once you arrived, there would be enough space for you to sleep.”

Lin Qiusu let out a soft “mhm.” He had almost forgotten that co-renting was common in Shanghai; even those with high incomes often lived in partitioned rooms. Someone like Xie Yu, who lived alone in a large flat at such a young age, was the exception of exceptions.

The car finally stopped in a VIP parking spot at a shopping mall. The manager personally opened the car door, making Lin Qiusu feel extremely uncomfortable.

“I saw the entry system recognized this license plate. I didn’t even need to check the records to know it was your number,” the manager said respectfully to Xie Yu with a smile. He added apologetically: “You could have just let us know you were coming; the security could have helped with parking… would you like to go to the lounge for some tea first?”

Xie Yu kept a subtle distance from the man but showed no emotion on the surface. His posture was casual yet graceful. He stood slightly in front of the flustered Lin Qiusu, calmly declining the manager’s hospitality.

“Just browsing, no need to trouble you with a reception,” he said.

The manager didn’t leave immediately, saying eagerly: “What are you and your friend looking for? Several new restaurants just opened on the fifth floor of Area C. You two can go try them if you get tired of walking.”

Xie Yu gave a non-committal response. Lin Qiusu bet that if Xie Yu nodded right now, the manager might offer to clear out the entire restaurant for them. After accompanying them in the elevator up to the third floor, the manager finally stopped following, and Lin Qiusu breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

He looked at the food photos on the advertisements and said expectantly: “Can we have hotpot later?”

Xie Yu glanced at his watch. It was five o’clock—about half an hour of browsing would be perfect before dinner.

He said: “Sure.”

The mall was divided into several zones, featuring luxury brands, fast fashion, and entertainment. Lin Qiusu walked slowly, avoiding the crowds, carefully taking in his surroundings. He was nearly blinded by the dazzling array of storefronts.

Xie Yu, afraid the boy was being too formal, said: “Your brother sent me a sum of money and asked me to buy you things as I see fit. If you like anything, just say so.”

He didn’t mention the amount, but Lin Qiusu knew it must be a lot. Lin Guanqing had always been generous to him; when they were kids, if they bought one set meal, the younger brother would eat the fried chicken while the older brother only ate the free mashed potatoes.

“I don’t feel like I’m lacking anything… Hey, do you usually buy clothes here?” Lin Qiusu asked. “There are so many people shopping.”

Xie Yu rarely went out for leisure. In school, he skipped grades in junior and senior high, and he did a double degree for his undergrad. He was so busy he didn’t even have time for adolescent rebellion. After graduating early and entering the company with a heavy burden, he worked day and night before projects launched. Once they became hits, his career got even busier; he simply didn’t have the mind for malls. Every season, his housekeeper would bring new clothes to his home, or brand representatives would bring the latest collection directly to his door for him to choose.

“I don’t buy much. I’ll take this chance to ‘expand my horizons’ too,” Xie Yu replied.

He made it sound like he was benefiting from Lin Qiusu’s company. Lin Qiusu appreciated this and started pulling him toward the livelier areas, as if they were exploring the world together.

Near a corner, they found a “Dog Cafe.” The beagles inside were all adorable, and Lin Qiusu immediately stopped in his tracks. He lingered in front of the glass display for a long time, staring at a puppy, before asking Xie Yu in a soft tone.

“Don’t you think the house is missing a pet?” Lin Qiusu asked as tactfully as possible.

Xie Yu teased: “Is it? One just joined recently, didn’t it?”

Lin Qiusu: “.”

He suppressed the twitch at the corner of his mouth and asked expressionlessly: “Really? A mouse or a cockroach?”

Xie Yu said: “I got bored waiting in the car earlier, so I ordered two boxes of ice cream to feed a ‘kitten.’ It should arrive tonight. I wonder if the cat will still be there.”

Lin Qiusu, wanting the ice cream, showed he could be flexible: “…Meow.”

If the little Lin-cat had a tail, it would be wagging coquettishly right now.

However, after being led into a clothing store, the “tail” became overly tense, standing straight like an antenna. He usually didn’t care about his appearance as long as he looked clean and neat. Once inside, he found every sales clerk eager to decorate him like a Christmas tree. They buzzed around him with praise, saying he was slim and tall—a typical “clothes hanger” who would look stunning even in a potato sack.

“With skin this fair, you can’t go wrong with any color. You don’t even need to try them on. If they don’t fit when you get home, just come back and swap sizes.”

“You’re so handsome. Is the one next to you your brother? Oh, is that your boyfriend?”

Lin Qiusu was nearly startled into “puffing out his fur,” waving his hands frantically: “No, no, he’s not!”

The first-tier city was very inclusive and open-minded. Sales clerks encountered all sorts of customers; seeing two attractive, well-matched guys together made it easy to mistake them for a couple. Hearing Lin Qiusu’s denial, they immediately moved on and didn’t take the interlude to heart.

But Lin Qiusu couldn’t act like nothing happened. Accustomed to a secluded small town, he was very uncomfortable being speculated about like that. His face turned from white to red and back again.

Even after thirty minutes when they sat down in the hotpot restaurant, Lin Qiusu was still stiff, insisting on sitting diagonally across from Xie Yu. They were assigned a six-person table, which was already spacious, but he went for the maximum distance—avoiding suspicion as much as humanly possible.

They ordered a split pot. When the waiter brought the broth and saw their seating arrangement, he couldn’t help but peek at them a few extra times.

Xie Yu finally couldn’t take it anymore and asked in surprise: “Lin Qiusu, am I that embarrassing? Do you really need to sit that far away?”

Lin Qiusu said awkwardly: “No… I just want to eat from the spicy side of the pot over here…”

However, the restaurant served authentic Sichuan flavor, which nearly killed the southern-born Lin Qiusu. His tongue temporarily lost its sense of taste, going numb in waves, but he refused to move across from Xie Yu, stubbornly continuing to dip his fatty beef into the red oil.

Xie Yu let out a light snort and reminded him: “Careful you don’t eat until your stomach hurts. It’s not worth it.”

“I won’t. I think it’s delicious,” Lin Qiusu insisted stubbornly without regret.

…

On the drive back home, Xie Yu’s phone lit up with a WeChat call. Since he was driving, the phone was connected to the car’s Bluetooth speakers. Lin Qiusu heard a slightly formal male voice on the other end.

The man greeted Xie Yu politely, saying there was a problem with the game—someone had posted a guide on how to exploit a bug to get limited rewards, and the spread was massive within just a few minutes. Unfortunately, Clear, the core pillar, was absent. The others had been frantically checking for half an hour but hadn’t patched the loophole yet. This couldn’t wait, so he had to skip Clear and report directly to the higher-up.

Xie Yu didn’t hesitate, saying succinctly: “Give me fifteen minutes.”

Lin Qiusu: ?

He looked up innocently at Xie Yu, clutching his seatbelt, wondering if he should consciously ask to be dropped off by the side of the road.

Xie Yu didn’t let him go. He explained that time was tight and he couldn’t drop him off first, heading straight for the company.

A whole area along the river to the south was concentrated with office buildings, mainly high-tech internet industries. The company Xie Yu worked for, [Honni], occupied two large campuses. Lin Qiusu knew Honni had many business lines, but the gaming sector was the biggest profit-maker, so resources were naturally tilted that way. But he didn’t know much more than that—Lin Guanqing never talked to him about work.

Being led inside by Xie Yu today, he was shocked to find that an entire campus was dedicated solely to gaming-related business.

“Is this person my brother?” Lin Qiusu pointed at a promotional poster on the elevator, seeking confirmation in disbelief.

The poster was about a Game Developers Conference, not yet replaced by newer events. In the middle were eye-catching words: Unlock the most valuable industry secrets! we’ve invited industry titan: “Liaoye” Lead Planner, Clear, to assist!

Xie Yu said casually: “Even though it makes my toes curl to look at it, that’s indeed the real deal—the one who abandoned his family and brother, Lin Guanqing.”

Lin Qiusu felt it was beyond words: “…”

“Why that face? He’s probably the second-fastest person to get promoted in the entire company, or even the whole industry, in the last few years. Five years in the business, participated in three major hits, and he’s the Lead Planner for one of them,” Xie Yu said.

Lin Qiusu was an outsider and didn’t understand exactly how significant that was, but it sounded very impressive. He nodded in surprise and asked: “And who is the fastest?”

Xie Yu looked down at him. The boy’s clear eyes were sparkling, full of ignorance and expectation.

Then, Xie Yu let out a short, cold laugh.

“The person right in front of you that you just finished being ‘annoyed’ by.”

Lin Qiusu: “…”

He didn’t understand why Xie Yu seemed to be radiating resentment. He defended himself: “When was I? If you say it like that, what counts as not being annoyed?!”

Xie Yu said: “Try not standing ten thousand miles away from me first.”

At that moment, Xie Yu was standing by the floor buttons, while Lin Qiusu had unconsciously shrunk into the opposite corner. In the small space, the two once again maintained the maximum possible distance.

Lin Qiusu: “.”