Chapter 35 – Mutual Devotion
Lin Ganzhi, who had been quiet and well-behaved since entering the house, shouted this, stunning everyone at the table. Qin Taotao, sitting opposite him, had her eyes light up.
Even the well-seasoned Zhong family, who had seen it all, never expected Lin Ganzhi to be so audacious as to find fault on their own turf.
Zhong Wenwei shot a displeased look at Yan Shengping. With an important guest present, how could he say such a thing?
Unexpectedly, Yan Shengping completely ignored the look, put down his chopsticks, and fixed his gaze on Madam Qin. “My apologies, Ganzhi can’t eat any of this. Mr. Zhong called me here to discuss business today. I’ll take him out to eat something first and be back shortly.”
Since the Zhong family wasn’t giving him any face, he naturally didn’t need to maintain the final layer of hypocrisy with them.
Mr. and Mrs. Zhong were furious. Even Luan Yuanzhou hadn’t expected Yan Shengping to make such a decision.
“Brother, it’s not a big deal. We can ask Auntie Zhao to make a few more dishes. You haven’t been home in so long, and I wanted to chat with you. Don’t forget your little brother just because you’re married,” Zhong Jingyi said with a harmless smile.
The Black Lotus is truly living up to his name.
“Jingyi, look at you. You got a partner and forgot that your brother has a stomach condition and can’t eat chili peppers at all,” Lin Ganzhi replied with the same harmless smile.
Qin Taotao, who had come to eat with her mother, felt a jolt of excitement. Here it comes, here comes the drama of the wealthy families!
Zhong Jingyi’s expression cracked for a moment. He had never heard about this.
At this point, Madam Qin stood up. “President Zhong, while I did say I wanted to come to your home to taste the flavors of my hometown, you can’t disregard your son’s health just to accommodate me. No matter what, Shengping is a role model for his generation. He even tutored my son back in high school. If it weren’t for Shengping’s influence, that rascal of mine wouldn’t have even gotten into high school.”
The Zhong family looked stunned. Yan Shengping had never told them he had this kind of connection with the Qin family!
Qin Taotao then stood up. “Yes, yes! I was only in elementary school back then, but I always remember an older brother coming over on Saturday afternoons to tutor my brother. My brother, that slacker, was able to get into high school thanks to Brother Shengping’s ninety-nine percent contribution. My brother just played the part of being a person.”
She hadn’t dared to acknowledge him directly just now, but with her mother taking the lead, Qin Taotao naturally sided with Yan Shengping.
“Feichen is my junior, and he had a good foundation to begin with. I merely gave him a little push,” Yan Shengping replied amidst the shattered expressions of the Zhong family. The calm and steady aura he exuded made it seem as if he were the host at this table.
Damn! So that wasn’t a hypocritical high-society greeting earlier!
Lin Ganzhi felt his partner had suddenly become lofty and impressive, the kind of high-and-mighty protagonist from a power-fantasy story!
Zhong Wenwei was the first to recover from the shock and quickly tried to smooth things over. “Since Madam Qin and our Shengping get along so well, there’s no need to go out to eat. We can eat and chat at the same time.”
But at that moment, Yan Shengping stood up directly. “It would be too much trouble for Auntie Zhao now. I’ll take Ganzhi out to eat and come back.”
This was a clear indication that he had no intention of giving Zhong Wenwei any face.
Zhong Wenwei’s face turned extremely ugly, but with a distinguished guest present, he couldn’t do anything.
Madam Qin, however, smiled warmly. “That’s fine. Shengping, take Ganzhi out to eat first. We can continue our chat when you get back. President Zhong, you don’t have any objections, do you?”
How could Zhong Wenwei dare to have any objections? He could only smile and watch as Yan Shengping led Lin Ganzhi away, all his resentment bottled up inside.
After leaving with Yan Shengping, Lin Ganzhi felt much more relieved.
“Yan Shengping, you were so cool just now!” Lin Ganzhi gave Yan Shengping two thumbs up!
Little flatterer.
Yan Shengping’s eyes crinkled with a smile, his face modest as he began the mutual flattery. “Compared to you, I pale in comparison. You’re the first person to so boldly state your needs in the Zhong household.”
Lin Ganzhi said shyly, “Not at all, not at all.” He then asked, “Aren’t you angry that I was so disrespectful to your former family?”
Yan Shengping let out a humorless laugh. “Do I look unhappy anywhere?”
On the contrary, he was in an exceptionally good mood that Lin Ganzhi was willing to defend him like that. From a young age, living under someone else’s roof had taught him to avoid making requests as much as possible. Without the Zhong family’s grace in adopting him, he would never have had his current opportunities and life so early. Therefore, what he had given the Zhong family was never a return on investment, but continuous giving since he could remember.
For example, he started tutoring in high school, and he would use the fees he earned to buy gifts for the Zhong couple. After graduating from high school, even though he received invitations from the world’s top universities, he rejected them all according to the family’s wishes and completed his university studies in the country. During his university years, he even multiplied the Zhong family’s net worth several times over. He had given everything, and what he owed the Zhong family had long been repaid.
Lin Ganzhi was the first person in the Zhong family willing to stand up for him. If this little fool continued like this and didn’t betray him, he would gain much more than he had now.
In a good mood, Yan Shengping took Lin Ganzhi to a restaurant with equally beautiful prices. It was notoriously expensive in the city, but the dishes were excellent. The path to their table was lined with small bridges and flowing water, creating an antique and elegant atmosphere.
Lin Ganzhi stammered and fidgeted nervously.
Yan Shengping had seen through him from the start. Just before entering the private room, he coolly said, “If you dare to say the word ‘expensive,’ I’ll never bring you here again.”
This threat cured all of Lin Ganzhi’s ailments. Since Yan Shengping had said so, he would be the one paying. Not eating would be his own loss!
Once seated, Lin Ganzhi began ordering assertively, getting all the expensive and delicious dishes on the menu. After ordering, he still cautiously glanced at Yan Shengping’s expression, only to see him sitting calmly across from him, sipping tea, not even batting an eyelid. Uncle Yan sat beside them, watching with a cheerful smile.
Alright, he had underestimated his marriage partner’s wealth.
While waiting for the food, Lin Ganzhi idly fiddled with the ring on his left hand. According to his current persona, shouldn’t he be doing something? After all, they had bought rings. If you truly liked someone, wouldn’t you want to show it off in every way possible?
“Yan Shengping!” The pink-haired man suddenly leaned over.
Yan Shengping’s hand, holding the teacup, trembled slightly. He managed to ask calmly, “What is it?”
“Can I post on my Moments?” Lin Ganzhi’s eyes were full of anticipation.
A phrase suddenly flashed through Yan Shengping’s mind: marking territory.
Has he already reached this point with me?
Yan Shengping pressed his lips together, a myriad of complex emotions flashing through his eyes. Finally, he said, “Do you need my hand?”
Lin Ganzhi was stunned for a second or two, then immediately showed his willingness with his actions. He dragged his chair, which weighed at least twenty kilograms, forward. But the weakling’s strength only ever erupted when carrying food. In a span of ten seconds, Lin Ganzhi had barely managed to move the tip of his chair a few millimeters.
The atmosphere became awkward for a few seconds.
Just as Uncle Yan was about to help, Yan Shengping had already single-handedly lifted his chair and sat down next to Lin Ganzhi. The cool scent of pine instantly invaded Lin Ganzhi’s senses.
Lin Ganzhi’s brain short-circuited. “Does this count as mutual devotion?”
The next second, the weakling was frantically holding onto Yan Shengping’s chair, preventing him from leaving, while desperately shouting that he wouldn’t say it again.
Although the process was a bit bumpy and embarrassing, Lin Ganzhi managed to take a photo of their hands touching. The two simple silver rings looked harmonious together, but only the two owners knew just how fake their love was.
One of the protagonists of this fake love, Lin Ganzhi, posted the photo on his sparsely populated Moments feed. He didn’t add any text, but instead added two sun emojis to represent his current fake mood.
As soon as the post was up, before all the dishes had even arrived, all his friends had commented one after another.
Wenren Yi: [Is it really appropriate to be showing off your love like this when you’re already married?]
Que Jin: [Blessings~ The rings are beautiful!]
Qi Lan: [This style is really nice, very suitable for Ganzhi and your husband.]
Bi Wu: [When are you bringing your husband over to my place?]
These replies were all quite normal, and Lin Ganzhi replied to them one by one.
Chi Feibai: [Blessings, (ps: since it’s dog food anyway, dare to show me something even more explosive? Did you use the clothes you bought at my store, Ganzhi? The translucent one would look best torn to shreds!)]
Tian Nini: [Blessings plus one. Feibai, you don’t get it. Our boss is the type who’s outwardly cold but inwardly passionate. He’d never tear clothes. It’s more likely he’d hide them away and never let Ganzhi wear them at all!]
Lin Ganzhi: [Have you ever considered that you’re a mutual friend of me and my partner?]
Tian Nini: [One message has been retracted.]
Tian Nini: [Oh my god! Flowers, flowers! What kind of heaven-made love is this? I’m about to burst into tears on the spot! I wish the boss and the boss’s wife an eternity together, never to be separated.]
Lin Ganzhi: Thanks, but please don’t curse me like that!
“What did Tian Nini retract?” Yan Shengping asked from the side.
He didn’t expect Yan Shengping to be looking at his Moments too! A little devil possessed Lin Ganzhi. “I didn’t see it clearly, but after I told him you and I were his mutual friends, he immediately retracted it.”
“Hmph.”
Yan Shengping sneered.
Lin Ganzhi jumped for joy on the spot!
Tian Nini shivered all over, feeling that something bad was about to happen.
After the meal, it was already one o’clock. Lin Ganzhi rubbed his round belly and lazed in the car, unwilling to move.
“You couldn’t even swallow the last bit of soup just now, so why did you still eat it?” Besides impatience, there was a hint of heartache in Yan Shengping’s eyes.
“Hic!” Lin Ganzhi burped, his right hand trembling as he placed it on Yan Shengping’s shoulder. “Then did you see the price of that bowl of soup? Two thousand!”
Lin Ganzhi held up two fingers, which were promptly pushed down by Yan Shengping.
At this moment, although Lin Ganzhi’s body was in some pain, his expression was serene. “The last mouthful of soup I swallowed wasn’t soup, it was my bottom line!”
Yan Shengping sighed helplessly. He said he would take care of him, but he himself was like a small child.
“Uncle Yan, please go to the pharmacy and buy some digestive tablets.”
“Yes, sir.”
After getting out of the car, Lin Ganzhi’s eyes widened as he watched Uncle Yan execute a drift on the spot.
Are old people these days all so wild?