Chapter 36 – Slacker Couple
By the time he returned to the Zhong Residence, Lin Ganzhi’s mind was still replaying Uncle Yan’s drift. No, he had to ask Uncle Yan to teach him a thing or two.
“You’re back? Shengping, I need to talk to you about something. Let’s go to my study,” Zhong Wenwei said. Seeing Yan Shengping, his initial disdain was gone, replaced by an eagerness akin to a high school student who couldn’t go to the bathroom without his best friend.
Yan Shengping lowered his eyes, just about to agree.
“Oh my, hubby, are you not feeling well again? Let me help you!” Lin Ganzhi stuck to him like a piece of sticky candy.
Everyone present who had eyes fell into silence.
“I think Shengping is perfectly fine. Lin Ganzhi, if you have nothing to do, just stay downstairs and eat some fruit. I’m calling him upstairs to talk about something serious.” Zhong Wenwei’s anger was about to erupt, and he emphasized the last few words.
Lin Ganzhi stubbornly gripped the corner of Yan Shengping’s clothes, refusing to let go.
Let him go up alone? So you can bully him?
“I am feeling a bit unwell,” Yan Shengping said, his words startling everyone. He lied without a blush or a flutter of his heart.
It seemed that ever since Lin Ganzhi arrived at the Zhong Residence, Yan Shengping had been tolerant of everything he did.
“Then I’ll support you properly!” Lin Ganzhi held Yan Shengping’s arm and stood at attention. Yan Shengping even coughed cooperatively.
The couple sang in harmony, and with everyone in the living room watching, it was difficult for Zhong Wenwei to refuse.
“Dad, I’ll go up with you too,” Zhong Jingyi stood up. This eased Zhong Wenwei’s expression slightly. At least he was bringing someone with him, so it wasn’t a total loss!
The four of them went upstairs, each secretly competing with the others.
Entering the study, Zhong Wenwei sat on the sofa facing south.
Lin Ganzhi and Yan Shengping sat together.
Zhong Wenwei said, “Shengping, let me ask you, do you want to come back to the Zhong family?” He believed this was an offer no one could refuse.
This one sentence stunned Lin Ganzhi. The original novel never mentioned that Yan Shengping might return to the Zhong family. Had the plot changed?
Yan Shengping blinked calmly and said, “Not really.”
Damn! That felt good!
Zhong Wenwei, who had been ready to negotiate, froze completely. Zhong Jingyi also hadn’t expected Yan Shengping to give up such a good opportunity.
“What did you say?!” The advantage Zhong Wenwei had regained instantly turned into a disadvantage.
“Is this what Mr. Zhong wanted to talk about?” Yan Shengping’s tone was mocking, as if he couldn’t care less about the matter.
Zhong Wenwei struggled to calm himself. “Is it because I saddled you with someone who is completely unworthy of you?”
Lin Ganzhi, who was suddenly cued, was bewildered. ?? I’m here, why are you insulting a regular onlooker? Is being ordinary a crime?
Yan Shengping lowered his head and happened to see Lin Ganzhi’s rather hurt expression. He suddenly regretted letting the little fool come up with him.
“He is very good.”
Lin Ganzhi’s hurt expression gradually warmed.
“He’s very good at taking care of people.”
The corners of Lin Ganzhi’s mouth gradually turned up.
“And he’s quite cute.”
His proud little chest gradually puffed out!
Never, ever, had he been praised so continuously by Yan Shengping!
Even though it was a basic tactic against the Zhong family, Lin Ganzhi was delighted to hear it.
“You are also very handsome and dashing!” Lin Ganzhi gave Yan Shengping a thumbs-up. The atmosphere between the two of them was seriously at odds with the current solemn mood.
Zhong Jingyi was also seeing his serious and aloof brother praise someone like this for the first time in his life. He was so surprised he couldn’t utter a word.
Zhong Wenwei’s face turned red with anger. It took him a long time to squeeze out a sentence: “You don’t want the Zhong’s Chips that you worked so hard to build either?”
Yan Shengping’s face was devoid of desire. “It’s yours now.”
!!!
Although it was a bit painful to hear, he had to admit that the boss was really cool right now! He had the beauty of being indifferent to fame and fortune.
“Even if Zhong’s Chips is now facing a crisis?” Zhong Wenwei played his final card.
“Dad,” Zhong Jingyi wanted to stop him, but was silenced by a look from Zhong Wenwei. He was gambling on Yan Shengping’s feelings for Zhong’s Chips.
Yan Shengping’s hands rested elegantly on his crossed legs, his back straight as a ramrod, exuding an air of authority without anger. “Isn’t Zhong Jingyi managing it now? Mr. Zhong should be asking him about this problem.”
Zhong Jingyi’s face instantly flushed with shame. The humiliation of being suppressed by a superior made him unable to lift his head.
Zhong Wenwei thought, If I could count on him, why would I need you to come back!
But with Yan Shengping being so impervious now, he was completely at a loss. Could a person really become so brave after losing everything?
“Are you willing to remain so mediocre? Don’t forget, you were once a presence that could make the entire business world tremble!” Zhong Wenwei made a final attempt to awaken Yan Shengping’s ambition.
“Mmm, a peaceful, reclusive life. My current life is quite nice.” At this moment, Yan Shengping was invincible.
Lin Ganzhi nearly clapped his hands raw internally. It was too brilliant, simply too brilliant. And the expressions on Zhong Wenwei and Zhong Jingyi’s faces were even more brilliant.
A minute later, the two of them were kicked out. As the study door closed, the sound of things being smashed immediately came from inside.
As they walked, Lin Ganzhi secretly applauded Yan Shengping. “That was a brilliant move, dodging the issue like that~”
Yan Shengping snorted. “Not at all, I just learned it from you.”
?? Why do I feel like I just got subtly insulted again?
Yan Shengping stopped by a window in a certain room.
At this moment, many things passed through Yan Shengping’s mind: the first time he came to this house, trying hard to please the Zhong family, studying until dawn every day, secretly chugging water in his bedroom after every meal, and being kept awake at night by the sound of the wind outside.
After growing up, countless times he had pushed open the door to this room at midnight to sleep, then wake up, living like a machine.
“Yan Shengping?” Lin Ganzhi turned back.
Yan Shengping lowered his eyes and raised the corners of his mouth. This time, it was a real goodbye. “Let’s go.”
The two went downstairs. The living room was already empty. They didn’t mind. Just as they were about to leave, Auntie Zhao, who had been standing at the kitchen entrance, came out.
“Young Master, how did you eat over there? Are you feeling better?” Auntie Zhao was over fifty and had watched Yan Shengping grow up. But she also had her own family. When Yan Shengping was kicked out, she couldn’t leave with Uncle Yan. By that logic, she didn’t really have the right to come over and ask after him. But she always felt that if she didn’t ask this time, she would never have the chance to ask again.
Yan Shengping looked at Auntie Zhao with surprising calmness. “I’m better, thank you for your concern, Auntie Zhao.”
Auntie Zhao hadn’t expected Yan Shengping to be willing to talk to her. Her eyes instantly turned red. She then looked at Lin Ganzhi. “The Young Master’s good fortune is yet to come. He’s found a good partner. His days will only get better from now on.”
Leaving the man-eating Zhong family, even starting over from scratch, was a good thing.
Yan Shengping didn’t linger. He took Lin Ganzhi’s hand and returned to the car.
However, neither of them was in high spirits at the moment. Yan Shengping, in particular, looked out the window wearily.
Uncle Yan started the car without a word, but this time the speed was noticeably slower, giving his master some time to recover.
As the car drove out of the courtyard, Lin Ganzhi looked out the window and happened to hear a scream.
Outside, under a decades-old locust tree, stood two women and a girl, anxiously looking up at something.
Lin Ganzhi looked up and saw a man struggling to climb the tree about two meters off the ground. A little higher up, on the thickest branch of the locust tree, stood a kitten a few months old, recklessly testing the edge of the branch.
“Yan Shengping, can we stop?” Lin Ganzhi tugged on Yan Shengping’s sleeve, his eyes filled with anxiety.
Yan Shengping had discovered that whenever Lin Ganzhi wanted something from him, he would tug on his sleeve, his eyes misty, looking pitiful, just like the stray cat he had fed at the orphanage.
“Uncle Yan,” Yan Shengping called out.
Uncle Yan immediately stopped the car. Lin Ganzhi opened the car door and ran out, completely forgetting to invite his husband in the car.
…
“Sir,” Uncle Yan called out cautiously.
Yan Shengping snorted coldly. “Did I say I was getting out?” After speaking, he deliberately looked out the opposite window.
Uncle Yan’s expression was complicated. The master had all but written the word ‘tsundere’ on his face.
Lin Ganzhi quickly ran over. It turned out that under the tree were Madam Zhong, Madam Qin, and Qin Taotao. The one climbing two meters up was Luan Yuanzhou.
Was it too late to leave now?
“Ganzhi! Can you rescue the kitten?” Qin Taotao was the first to spot him and quickly called for help.
“How do you know I can?” Lin Ganzhi was puzzled.
“I’m your fan! I watched that whole week of live streams!” Qin Taotao said excitedly.
!!!
A live fan?!
Lin Ganzhi was shocked. He really wanted to ask the young lady why she would be so misguided as to be his fan.
But saving the cat was the priority now.
Lin Ganzhi didn’t delay. He took off his suit jacket and casually placed it somewhere.
“Meow~” the little cat on the tree cried out. Its paws were already on the edge of the branch, but it was completely unaware of the danger. It held its little head high, like a leader inspecting its territory.
“Kitty, don’t move around!” Qin Taotao shouted nervously.
Madam Zhong looked impatient. It was just a stray cat, what was the big deal? She really didn’t understand what these young ladies were thinking.
“Lin Ganzhi, don’t cause more trouble. Yuanzhou will rescue the kitten.”
Qin Taotao gave Madam Zhong a speechless look. Lin Ganzhi, causing trouble?
Baby Ganzhi, hurry up and show this woman what you’ve got!
Lin Ganzhi didn’t notice the war between the women. He rolled up his sleeves, hugged the other side of the locust tree, and nimbly climbed up, using the uneven surface of the tree.
Luan Yuanzhou had just managed to move up a dozen centimeters when the boy on the other side had already easily passed him, climbing towards a higher branch, this time without any tools.
“Sir! Ganzhi is climbing the tree! That child, how could he climb such a tall tree without any support tools!” Uncle Yan called out anxiously, about to unbuckle his seatbelt.
But Yan Shengping was even faster than him. By the time he got out of the car, Yan Shengping had already gone over.
Qin Taotao watched Lin Ganzhi climb the tree, staring nervously. Suddenly, she felt pressure from behind. When she turned around, Yan Shengping’s handsome brows were furrowed together. She had long heard that Yan Shengping was good-looking, but seeing him up close for the first time, Qin Taotao was still thoroughly stunned.
With a face like that in the entertainment industry, even if he couldn’t do anything, he could become a top star on his looks alone.
“Sheng—”
“Shh!” Yan Shengping placed his long index finger to his lips. His cold eyes carried a warning. His low, hoarse voice escaped his lips: “Don’t say my name, you’ll scare him.”
“Oh, oh!” Qin Taotao nodded frantically.
Why do I suddenly ship it?!