Raised To Be His Wife After Moving In - Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Reminded by his own behavior, Lin Qiusu snapped out of his daze like a sudden awakening. He shuffled back toward Xie Yu inch by inch.

Realizing that he had indeed been a bit excessive and feeling a sense of self-reproach, he blinked hesitantly and called out the other’s name in a fawning manner.

Xie Yu glanced at him, looking unmoved.

Lin Qiusu lowered his eyes and reflected, feeling that the address wasn’t close enough and lacked sincerity. Thus, he added in a crisp, clear voice: “Xiao Yu Gege (Brother Xiao Yu).”

The youth’s voice was bright and pleasant; there was no hesitation or shyness in his call, nor was there any affectation. He was innocent and soft, cautiously and affectionately testing the elder.

As the voice drifted into Xie Yu’s ears, his body stiffened slightly, but his heart involuntarily melted into a puddle. He couldn’t bring himself to be stern anymore. He looked away from Lin Qiusu, struggling to keep his expression natural.

“I say, what’s suddenly wrong with you tonight?” Xie Yu cleared his throat and asked flatly, “Have I become a nuisance?”

Lin Qiusu kept his head low and murmured a denial. “No, it’s… I’m afraid that if I’m too close to you and someone misinterprets it, it would ruin your reputation.”

He spoke grandiosely, fearing Xie Yu would accuse him of hypocrisy, and used his peripheral vision to sneak a peek at the other’s expression.

Xie Yu remained calm on the surface but spoke in an affected tone: “So after being terrified for half the day, it turns out you were worried about tainting my name? You’re so good to your Brother Xiao Yu?”

Lin Qiusu: “…”

What is going on? Although I managed to muddle through verbally, why don’t I feel happy at all?

Lin Qiusu secretly ground his back teeth, a look of distress flitting across his exquisite features. When he glared at Xie Yu again, their eyes met. He saw that Xie Yu’s eyes were brimming with laughter; clearly, he was well aware of the truth and had guessed why the boy was suddenly being so deliberate about avoiding suspicion.

Lin Qiusu felt like he’d been caught in a lie. He buried his head in panic and didn’t utter another word of rebuttal.

Xie Yu had long noticed Lin Qiusu’s awkwardness and had initially been baffled. Having just heard the boy talk nonsense with such a serious face about “defending his reputation,” he nearly burst out laughing. At the same time, it dawned on him: the turning point for Lin Qiusu’s abnormal behavior was when the mall sales clerk misinterpreted their relationship.

At the time, Xie Yu hadn’t taken it to heart at all, but Lin Qiusu had been flustered and started obsessing over their physical distance.

Is he really that homophobic? Xie Yu wondered, perplexed.

The floor numbers on the electronic screen skipped upward steadily until the two reached the 12th floor. The sliding doors opened slowly to reveal a young man waiting outside.

The man’s bangs slightly brushed his brow, but didn’t hide his bright Phoenix-shaped eyes. His shoulder-length hair was dyed light flaxen and tied into a loose, Japanese-style bun. His ID holder featured a hand-drawn Chibi character taking a nap—a few simple strokes that made the figure look vivid. The name on the badge read [Su Yingzhong].

Su Yingzhong seemed to be heading out for a stroll and was in no hurry. When he looked up and saw the scene in the elevator, he let out two clicks of surprise. He squinted his eyes. “Wow, has the Great God Xie finally started ‘eating’ children? Where did you kidnap this beautiful youth from?”

Xie Yu walked straight toward the security gate, turning his head and lifting his chin slightly to signal Lin Qiusu to follow. He replied dismissively, “Don’t pin false crimes on me. He’s Clear’s younger brother. Who would be beast enough to go after a friend’s relative?”

Su Yingzhong muttered, “What was Clear thinking, trusting you to look after his brother? But I have to say, the brothers look quite alike—both very good-looking.” He looked Lin Qiusu up and down with novelty, the smile on his face deepening. “I love handsome boys the most. Can I be your friend?”

Lin Qiusu was not good at handling such scenes. He gave a shy, immature smile, his beautiful face flashing with restraint. This clumsy panic was interesting to Su Yingzhong, who became even more intrigued. Unfortunately, before he could strike up more conversation, Xie Yu spoke up coolly to block him. He even turned his body slightly to obscure Su Yingzhong’s view, preventing him from further observing Lin Qiusu’s reaction.

“Stop teasing him. He doesn’t like talking to strangers,” Xie Yu said.

Su Yingzhong didn’t mind Xie Yu’s resistance and slowly folded his arms. “If Clear warned me off, fine. But you and his brother are just temporary roommates at best. Why are you protecting him like he belongs to your house?” he said defiantly.

Xie Yu spoke righteously: “Lin Guanqing handed his brother to me alive and kicking; don’t I have to return him in one piece? What if you lead him astray?” He then shifted the topic: “Where is the team handling the incident meeting?”

Su Yingzhong wasn’t responsible for that, but after a second of thought, he rattled off the meeting room number. “It’s good you’re here. Hurry up and fix the bug. The people in there are about to sharpen their knives and slit their own throats from stress.”

There was a sense of certainty in his words—it seemed that as long as Xie Yu arrived, everyone would have the courage to set down the heavy stone of anxiety in their hearts. This was recognition built on a foundation of ability through years of collaboration.

Though Xie Yu was humorous and casual in private, professionally he was characterized by composure, logic, and reliability, making people willing to entrust him with responsibility. Everyone marveled at his youth, but no one doubted his talent. Even without intending to put on airs, he was still unconsciously looked up to.

Walking through the office area, Lin Qiusu keenly felt that when people greeted Xie Yu, there was even a hint of adoration in their tones. Recently, as the two had gradually become less like strangers, Xie Yu was always joking around in front of him, so Lin Qiusu would bicker with him from time to time—their interaction felt more like playful peers.

In reality, in other settings, Xie Yu seemed to have a certain distance from others. Or rather, he was someone more worthy of being respected and admired.

Lin Qiusu realized this belatedly, then saw Xie Yu stop suddenly, causing him to halt in his tracks too. “Where is this?” he asked, looking around.

Xie Yu pointed in a direction and instructed, “I’m afraid you won’t know your way around, so I’ll take you to sit at my desk first. I have to go to a meeting. Call me if anything happens.”

He didn’t have a private office; everyone worked under the same roof. This was the R&D department, gathered with programming, planning, and art teams. The work they did revolved around games and required high-performance computers, so everyone was equipped with desktops. An acrylic nameplate stood on the monitor, clearly marking the user’s nickname.

Lin Qiusu looked over and quickly found Xie Yu’s seat. Island | Xie Yu

While others worked side-by-side at long tables with five seats per row, Xie Yu’s station had no one to his left or right. His back was to the wall and his side to the window, placed alone in a corner. Likely because he had a lot of business to handle and many colleagues coming to discuss things in person, his meter-long desk held three LCD screens and two identical chairs.

One of the ergonomic chairs was positioned straight ahead, with a high-quality shirt draped over the armrest—undoubtedly Xie Yu’s own. After Xie Yu left, Lin Qiusu thought for a bit and sat in the other chair slightly further away. He had nothing to do and didn’t dare talk to others, so he propped his beautiful face up with one hand, looking around boredly.

This spot was practically a “treasure trove” of Feng Shui—it was in the blind spot of most people’s vision, making it hard to get caught slacking off. Not only that, he could see at a glance whether other colleagues were “fishing” (slacking)!

Is this the joy of being a producer? Lin Qiusu sat up straight and began to observe curiously.

It was now past 7:00 PM, and about thirty people remained. Some were watching Virtual YouTubers while writing code, others were assembling figurines. Everyone’s desk was decorated flamboyantly, as if hosting an exhibition; one person even had a hamster cage.

Compared to their packed setups, Xie Yu’s area was clean and simple to the point of being empty. No snacks, no cushions, no posters or plushies. The headphones, keyboard, and chair were his own; the color scheme wasn’t loud, and the lines of the objects were as sharp as their owner.

Beside the monitor stand were several thick original English books with titles containing complex professional vocabulary far beyond the scope of high school English. Lin Qiusu could only understand a few scattered words, half-guessing that they were books explaining rendering technology.

He withdrew his gaze and swung his straight legs gently, finding the spot quite comfortable. He found the brand name engraved on the chair and typed it into Taobao, thinking he could buy the same one as a gift for Lin Guanqing in the future.

He hadn’t expected Xie Yu to be so “lavish” in secret—the price of a single chair started at five figures. Lin Qiusu froze for a second and silently closed the page.

Just then, Su Yingzhong arrived with two drinks, leaning against the corner of the desk with smiling eyes. He greeted Lin Qiusu friendly, “Hi, want orange juice or milk?”

Lin Qiusu said, “Thank you, I like juice.”

Su Yingzhong handed him the orange juice in his right hand, explaining it was an internal drink provided by the campus and had a good flavor. He tried to get closer by revealing that Lin Guanqing usually drank iced Americanos while Xie Yu loved ordering mint tea—the two of them together made for a perfect “corporate slave’s refreshing duo-meal.”

“I’m Su Yingzhong, I do art,” he introduced. “The art team is over in the east wing. The aesthetics there are much higher than the programmers here—nine heads, ten colors! You can come find me there next time.”

Su Yingzhong spoke modestly, but Lin Qiusu could sense that his rank wasn’t low. “Xie Yu isn’t here right now, you can secretly tell me your name,” Su Yingzhong said, the corners of his mouth curving. He sounded mysterious, as if the two were secret agents meeting to undermine Xie Yu.

Lin Qiusu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. After giving his name, he was praised: “What a lovely name.”

Then, Su Yingzhong leaned in and asked, “Xiao Qiu, have you been living at Xie Yu’s place lately? How are you guys getting along?”

Lin Qiusu said vaguely, “It’s alright.”

Meaning out of the ten-plus lightbulbs in the house, half are broken, I’ve snapped a kitchen knife, and I’ve splattered bubble gum all over the owner’s face… Just barely surviving.

“Getting along ‘alright’ with Island is already quite impressive!” Su Yingzhong said.

Based on Lin Qiusu’s observations, Xie Yu was very popular here, but Su Yingzhong’s tone made it seem like… there was gossip!

Su Yingzhong raised an eyebrow slightly. “Want to hear about the ‘jerk’ things he’s done?”

Lin Qiusu nodded. He did, of course he did!

Su Yingzhong was a “visualist”—chatting with beautiful people was a form of therapy for him. Thus, he was very happy to share his sightings with Lin Qiusu. After taking a sip of milk, he spoke unhurriedly.

Previously, an intern girl had joined the team—a lively, wealthy beauty who fell in love with Island at first sight. She wrote love letters and sent bento boxes. In truth, many people harbored feelings for Island; in all fairness, Xie Yu was indeed someone who made hearts flutter easily. Out of professional courtesy, a normal person would stop in time and maintain proper boundaries and dignity.

But that time, after Xie Yu rejected her, the intern persisted in sending “heartfelt” meals several times. “Once, the box had sweet and sour pork. He wouldn’t eat it or give it to me; he actually threw it back, and the next day it appeared in the trash… Such a waste of God’s gifts!” Su Yingzhong sighed.

Lin Qiusu listened with great interest and agreed, “How could he waste food!”

According to Su Yingzhong, after the intern resigned and went back to school, it didn’t end. She used her connections to ask the company director to put in a good word for her. “The director hinted for Island to consider it more. The girl’s family has good resources; it wouldn’t hurt Island, and he’d definitely be able to use those connections later,” he said.

Lin Qiusu tilted his head slightly. “What did Xie Yu say?”

“He posted directly in the group: ‘If the news that the People’s Republic of China was founded hasn’t reached everyone’s home, then let me kindly remind you now…'” Su Yingzhong paused for dramatic effect, then added, “‘Selling oneself is illegal now.'”

He shrugged. “Island really has the guts. That was the executive group—even the Chairman was in there. The director was so angry he refused to come to the office for half a month.”

The story ended there. Lin Qiusu couldn’t even imagine the expressions of the people in the group; his stomach hurt from trying to hold back his laughter.

Su Yingzhong said, “Xie Yu just has that temper. He’s arrogant to the bone, acting like he’s the king of the world. If he ever does anything to make you unhappy and Lin Guanqing isn’t back to handle him, you can come complain to me.”

Lin Qiusu froze for a moment, belatedly realizing Su Yingzhong’s intention, and nodded understandingly.

They whispered about trivial matters until the topic returned to themselves. Su Yingzhong mentioned he had experienced sleep paralysis recently, and Lin Qiusu listened with great interest.

Before long, Xie Yu finished handling the accident. From a distance, he saw Lin Qiusu and Su Yingzhong whispering together. The conversation had shifted to fortune-telling and palm reading. When the two turned their heads to see Xie Yu returning, they looked at each other with an unspoken understanding—their expressions were full of lingering interest and reluctance to part.

Xie Yu: ?

Having just been showered with “rainbow farts” (flattery) by several planners, Producer Xie suddenly felt like he was being isolated.

“Are you using feudal superstition to harm the flowers of the motherland?” Xie Yu asked Su Yingzhong.

“Just playing around. We didn’t take it seriously. I just saw that Xiao Qiu’s destiny is plagued by ‘Peach Blossom’ (romance) luck lately. If it works out, he can respond to national policy and have three kids.”

Amidst Su Yingzhong’s nonsense, Lin Qiusu laughed uncontrollably. Forgetting to be polite to Xie Yu, he waved his hand to invite him to play too. Xie Yu had no interest in non-scientific activities; he pulled Lin Qiusu back to his side and shooed Su Yingzhong away.

The colleague who caused the trouble treated everyone to pizza—everyone who was caught in the overtime got a share. The delivery arrived at everyone’s station, and Xie Yu gave his share to Lin Qiusu. The food was hot, and it was crispy and delicious. The flavors of beef, cheese, pizza crust, and toppings blended together perfectly.

Lin Qiusu was so full his stomach hurt. On the way to the parking lot, he let out soft groans.

Xie Yu was puzzled: “Are you in that much pain from being full?”

“Yes.” Lin Qiusu frowned in distress and muttered, “I feel like I have at least two ‘cubs’ in here right now.”

Afraid Xie Yu wouldn’t believe him, he grabbed Xie Yu’s wrist and placed it on his stomach through the thin summer fabric. Lin Qiusu was tall and thin; no matter how much he ate, his stomach wouldn’t bulge much. Unlike other well-trained boys with muscles, his body lines were immature and soft, like a peach that had turned pink but wasn’t yet ripe.

How can someone be so soft all over? Xie Yu thought absentmindedly.

Although the palm of his hand was covered by the youth’s T-shirt, the warmth of the skin seeped through, making his fingertips twitch.

He pulled his wrist away in a panic.