Who Wants to Be the Affectionate Cannon Fodder?! [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 8

The surrounding noise and clamor receded like a tide in an instant. Lin He seemed to have said something to someone, and before Yu Lin could react, even the Alpha he had been pinning down vanished without a trace.

Security guards in uniform swarmed into the hall, separating Yu Lin from the group of Alphas and Betas.

Lin He walked through the crowd to his side. Yu Lin felt his wrist being gripped as Lin He pulled him forward a step. His muddled brain couldn’t control his limbs, causing him to stumble instinctively, only to be scooped up into a horizontal carry.

“Brother, how do you manage to arrive so perfectly on time every single time?” Yu Lin felt as if he were floating on a cloud, his entire head spinning.

Lin He glanced at his flushed face, his tone neither hot nor cold: “If I didn’t come, you wouldn’t even know where you’d been sold off to by tomorrow.”

The choking smell of tobacco and pungent perfume invaded his nostrils. Yu Lin uncontrollably turned his head to bury it in Lin He’s chest, taking a deep breath, but he didn’t smell that cold cedar scent.

He couldn’t help but feel a sense of melancholy. Grabbing the stiff collar of the suit, he leaned his nose in and sniffed a few more times, looking like a foraging squirrel.

“Why is it gone?” Yu Lin complained in a small voice, his fingers rumpling Lin He’s suit.

The latter stiffened, his head lowering as the hand resting on Yu Lin’s back tightened its grip slightly.

“What are you looking for?”

“…” Yu Lin looked up. His almond eyes were moist from the rising alcohol vapors, and a hazy red spread across the corners of his eyes. He stared directly at Lin He for three or four seconds before saying slowly and in a muffled voice: “It doesn’t smell good.”

Lin He froze. “What?”

Yu Lin leaned dejectedly against his shoulder. But he hadn’t even been settled for half a minute—just as Lin He carried him out of the club—before he opened his mouth to ask: “Brother, what does your pheromone smell like?”

The hand Lin He reached out to open the car door stiffened once again.

“You want to know?” He set Yu Lin down, using his arm to support the boy’s swaying body.

Yu Lin nodded vigorously, like a pestle grinding grain.

Lin He opened the car door and stuffed him inside. “This counts as sexual harassment, you know.”

Yu Lin blinked, looking at his face blankly, his eyes lacking any focus.

Lin He didn’t want to talk much with a drunkard. He leaned over to fasten Yu Lin’s seatbelt, intending to close the door and head to the driver’s seat.

However, as he leaned in, Yu Lin suddenly lunged forward. He took a deep breath against the gland on the back of Lin He’s neck, his cool nose tip brushing against the hot skin, sparking a shiver of electricity.

Yet, he still smelled nothing. Yu Lin lowered his eyes in disappointment, but his blurry vision fell upon Lin He’s wristwatch.

The warm light from the streetlamp outside happened to sweep across the silver strap, which shimmered like a flowing galaxy. Yu Lin hooked his finger gently around it, causing it to slide smoothly off Lin He’s wrist and fall into his palm.

Sensing Lin He’s calm gaze turning toward him, Yu Lin cupped the watch with both hands and hid it against his chest, terrified he might take it back.

“Mine.”

“If you like it, keep it.” Lin He sighed and closed the car door.

Yu Lin shifted a bit, his nose lightly touching the surface of the watch. Detecting that familiar hint of cedar, he leaned back against the seat and fell asleep, satisfied.

By the time the car came to a steady stop, Yu Lin was fast asleep. He was still clutching the watch, his fingers wrapped tightly around it as if afraid of losing it.

Lin He’s gaze paused briefly on Yu Lin’s hand before moving past his delicate features and landing squarely on the seatbelt buckle.

He reached across Yu Lin’s lap to pick him up again, but the moment his fingertips touched the clothes, Yu Lin’s eyes snapped open.

Yu Lin curved his fingers to strike at his throat. Lin He quickly blocked with his palm. Within a few short seconds, they exchanged several moves; Yu Lin’s hand was like a snake, darting away the moment Lin He was about to catch it.

Lin He caught a glimpse of his unfocused eyes and guessed that instinct was driving him.

While blocking Yu Lin’s arm, he spoke up: “Lin Zhou, it’s me. I’m Lin He.”

Yu Lin’s hand paused. The next second, he relaxed completely, obediently allowing Lin He to clasp his wrist and lift him out of the passenger seat.

A lark sang a delicate tune outside the window. The morning light swept past the panes, casting golden shadows across the wall. A faint breeze slipped through the crack in the window, brushing over the humped figure on the bed, its chill teasing a stretch of fair, exposed ankle.

Yu Lin shrunk back, curling himself into a shrimp. He tossed and turned in the blankets for quite a while before waking up with a throbbing headache.

But the moment he opened his eyes, he saw Lin He sitting by his bed, looking at him expressionlessly.

He must have woken up the wrong way. Let’s try that again.

However, after he closed his eyes and opened them once more, what met his vision was still his “cheap” brother’s cold, handsome, “Grim Reaper” face.

“…Good morning, Brother?” Yu Lin asked tentatively.

Lin He crossed his arms and looked at him coldly: “Explain yourself. Who allowed you to go out drinking?”

Yu Lin stared at the shadows on the wall, his mind going blank.

Surprisingly, Lin He wasn’t buying it. He said coldly: “Don’t play dumb.”

“I’m sorry, I was wrong.” But I’ll dare to do it again next time.

Lin He narrowed his eyes at his face, finding not a single trace of guilt or a repentant attitude.

He sighed. He hadn’t expected a good “learn from your mistakes” attitude anyway. He held out his hand toward Yu Lin.

“?” Yu Lin was confused, thinking this was some kind of punishment. He suspiciously and slowly pulled his hand from under the covers and placed it in his brother’s. He even tried to act cute: “Brother, don’t hit too hard.”

Lin He: “The watch. Give it back.”

Fragments of memory resurfaced. Belatedly, Yu Lin dug out the watch he had snatched from Lin He’s wrist yesterday from under his pillow and handed it over.

Lin He pulled a tissue from the nightstand and meticulously wiped down the strap before clicking the watch back onto his left wrist with one hand.

His fingers were long and well-defined. As he moved, the muscles of his forearm tensed, creating sharp, clean lines that looked like a finely carved work of art in the morning light.

Yu Lin didn’t even realize that the act of wiping the watch was Lin He being fastidious. After admiring the view for a short moment, he heard him say:

“I’ve spoken with your Omega classmate. From now on, he will come to the house every evening to tutor you. I will pay for the lessons, and he won’t have to work at ‘White Tide’ anymore.”

Yu Lin blurted out: “Eh?” How did this turn into tutoring?

“Weren’t you worried about him being bullied at ‘White Tide’? That’s why you ran there in the middle of the night,” Lin He said. “This also saves you from having to rack your brain for ways to trick our parents about that 8-point math score next time.”

As the words fell, the system notified: [Affection Value +10. Contributor: Lin He.]

Yu Lin: 【Why does he think I went there to protect Xie Zhizhang? This actually works?】

007: 【How should I know? Likely your terrible acting successfully fooled him.】

Yu Lin thought it over and finally decided it was best to let this beautiful misunderstanding continue. Firstly, it allowed him to harvest more Affection Value. Secondly, if Xie Zhizhang could leave “White Tide” because of this, it saved him the trouble of stopping those future plot developments.

Having said his piece, Lin He saw Yu Lin let out a wide yawn. He glanced at his watch.

“It’s still early. If you’re tired, sleep a bit longer, but don’t miss school.”

Yu Lin asked: “Where are you going?”

“Didn’t you tell me to inherit the family business?” Lin He said. “I’m going home to work.”

Only then did Yu Lin notice that he was wearing a smoke-gray linen suit. When he stood up, he had broad shoulders and narrow hips; paired with that cold, detached face, his entire aura was noble and ascetic.

Compared to an Alpha like Xu Ze’an, who had a violent temper and a rugged vibe, his brother was like the moon in the sky.

Yu Lin evaluated honestly: 【Your taste in picking protagonists is really quite poor.】

007 was speechless: 【…】

“Brother, there’s one more thing I need to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“Xie Zhizhang—my classmate—has a persistent pursuer with the surname ‘Xu’.” Yu Lin intentionally put on a hesitant, conflicted look. “Because of Xie Zhizhang, he really dislikes me. He was the one who caused trouble for me the other day. I heard his family is quite… I’m afraid of him…”

Afraid he’ll do something desperate and drive our family to bankruptcy early. Yu Lin didn’t want to end up on the streets just yet. This was also why he had urged Lin He to return and inherit the business.

With Lin Zhou’s level of intelligence, he clearly wasn’t the type to maintain a family business. In the original plot, Lin He likely went out to start his own business as 007 said, but for some reason, he hadn’t helped.

As for managing a company, Yu Lin weighed his own knowledge—clearly a blank slate—so he could only place his hopes on this “cheap” older brother.

Besides, his IQ surely wouldn’t be lower than Xu Ze’an’s.

Lin He immediately understood the implication: “Surname ‘Xu’… the only son of the Xu Group?”

Yu Lin nodded vigorously. As expected of his brother—he understood instantly.

Lin He knitted his brows, appearing to be in thought. After a moment, he reached out and placed his hand on Yu Lin’s head. His warm fingers ran through the hair, gently mussing it into a messy bird’s nest.

“Don’t worry. I’ll handle it.”

【Wow, so reliable.】

007: 【…】

“I’m off.” Lin He withdrew his hand and took a few steps toward the door. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he turned back to Yu Lin. “If you can rank in the middle of the class for the next monthly exam, we’ll have hot pot.”

Yu Lin’s eyes lit up instantly: “Really?”

Seeing this, a trace of a smile appeared on Lin He’s face: “Really.”

After dinner, Xie Zhizhang arrived as previously arranged with Lin He. He thanked Yu Lin solemnly and sincerely.

“Mm,” Yu Lin replied vaguely with a lollipop in his mouth. “You should thank my brother. He’s the one paying.”

“I still need to thank you.” Xie Zhizhang gave a deep bow. The rate Lin He offered was the same as his wages at “White Tide.” Xie Zhizhang had initially assumed it was just charity out of pity.

However, although the man’s tone was detached, he spoke with sincerity. He said that hiring any other tutor would cost more than what he was offering him; it was just that Lin Zhou was so difficult to please that other teachers ran away within days, which was why he wanted a classmate to help.

More importantly, the hours were far more flexible than they were at “White Tide.”

Xie Zhizhang knew “White Tide” wasn’t a place he could stay forever, but he hadn’t been able to find a more suitable job before. But now, he had a new opportunity.

Although it might have been partly for Lin Zhou’s sake, at least it was an even exchange, preventing him from becoming a pathetic parasite.

The scratching sound of the pen against the paper was exceptionally clear in the quiet, empty living room. Xie Zhizhang suddenly heard Yu Lin humming while stuck on a problem and immediately leaned over to help.

Grateful for the opportunity given by the Lin brothers, he was naturally focused and dedicated, terrified of taking even a penny more than he deserved.

However, once he saw the exercise book pinned under Yu Lin’s arm, he fell into a long, deep silence.