Lin’s Father chatted a bit more with Jiang Linyuan, mostly centered on how Lin Yilin’s college life was going.
As the conversation went on, he gradually picked up on some hints. A department senior who was quite caring toward his own daughter, a relationship somewhere between friends and lovers. Probably leaning more toward friendship. He figured the reason the two hadn’t gotten together yet was, on one hand, his daughter’s shyness, and on the other, this young man still had some reservations.
Like the girl beside him, for instance.
Lin’s Father glanced at Su Muzhi, who had been silent the whole time, and felt she wasn’t easy to get along with, rather proud by nature. Linlin had said she was just traveling along, but now it didn’t seem that way at all—she was clearly accompanying someone on a trip. In that regard, Linlin just wasn’t trying hard enough.
Lin’s Father thought to himself, then looked at Lin Yilin, who was staring at Jiang Linyuan with wide, blinking eyes. He let out another sigh and turned to Jiang Linyuan:
“It must be tough for you young folks to sit around chatting with an old man like me, so you’re probably not comfortable. Why don’t you head up to the room on the second floor? Linlin can show you to it.”
“Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.”
Lin Yilin nodded like crazy and led Jiang Linyuan and Su Muzhi upstairs.
A little while later, a middle-aged woman walked over with a smile and sat down beside Lin’s Father, saying, “That young man is really handsome, and he’s quite polite too.”
“If that’s what you’re thinking, then other parents are probably thinking the same,” Lin’s Father said slowly.
“You mean the girl beside him?” Lin’s Mother looked toward the second floor.
“It’s normal for girls to like him, but bringing one here isn’t normal,” Lin’s Father added.
“What’s not normal about it? That young man likes that girl and sees Linlin as just an ordinary friend—that’s normal, isn’t it?” Lin’s Mother said with a smile.
“You... don’t let Linlin hear you say that, or she’ll get upset again.” Lin’s Father shook his head with a wry smile.
“That’s just the truth. That girl follows him everywhere, and our Linlin just sits at home waiting for him like an idiot. It makes her look really clueless.” Lin’s Mother spread her hands helplessly.
“Linlin’s still young. It’s normal for her to be clumsy with feelings. Talk to her when you have a chance and tell her to put some effort in.”
“Every time I bring up boyfriends, she just curls up in her blanket like an ostrich and babbles nonsense. I’ll have a proper talk with her later.”
“Oh, you, do you have to wait until she’s already hurt before you say something?”
“If she doesn’t get hurt, she won’t listen.” Lin’s Mother smiled.
...
Up on the second floor, a bunch of young people had gathered—some adults, some middle and high schoolers, even a few elementary kids. They were huddled in groups of two or three, playing cards, scrolling on their phones, or watching TV.
“Hey, Linlin’s back?” An older sister sitting on the couch spotted them and asked with a smile.
“Yeah, big sis, I’m back. These are my classmates, here to hang out,” Lin Yilin said, then introduced them to Jiang Linyuan: “This is my big sister. Just call her Sister Bamboo.”
“Hello, Big Sister,” Jiang Linyuan said.
“I told you to call her Sister Bamboo!” Lin Yilin puffed out her cheeks.
“It’s fine, it’s fine.” Sister Bamboo winked at her. “He’s only a year older than you, and he’s younger than me. Calling me Big Sister works too.”
Lin Yilin’s face turned bright red. That’s totally different!
“How long have you and Linlin been together?” Sister Bamboo, seeing this, pulled over a small stool, sat down, and looked at Jiang Linyuan with curiosity.
“Hehe, we’re not together,” Su Muzhi replied with a smile before Jiang Linyuan could say anything.
Sister Bamboo looked at her, paused for a moment, then glanced at Lin Yilin, who looked a bit stunned but didn’t argue. She thought for a second, then grinned at Jiang Linyuan:
“Then can I chase you?”
“No!” Lin Yilin’s hair instantly stood on end.
“Hehe, you can try,” Su Muzhi replied with a sweet smile.
Well, one card, two bombs. Linlin, see that? Big Sis already gave you a push.
“No can do, Linlin won’t let me chase you, so I’m out of luck,” Sister Bamboo said with a fake helpless look, not mentioning Su Muzhi’s reply. She’d leave Linlin’s business to her to handle herself.
“Hehe, why won’t little Linlin let her big sister chase classmate Jiang?” Su Muzhi looked at Lin Yilin cheerfully.
Lin Yilin had no idea how to explain. Her heart was fluttering with panic, but Su Muzhi’s question made her a little angry too, so she just shouted, “Wasn’t Senior Su just as against it a moment ago?”
As the words came out, a sour feeling surged into her heart, stuck in her throat, leaving a bitter taste.
“Hmm? I said you can try, which isn’t the same as being against it.”
I’m okay with you chasing him ≠ I won’t mess with you for chasing him.
Su Muzhi said with a sly smile.
“Oh... oh... I see.”
Lin Yilin took a moment to process, and it felt like a weight had lifted off her chest. But that wasn’t right either. What did it have to do with Senior Su if she wanted to chase Senior Jiang? What did “you can try” mean? Could Senior Su actually like Senior Jiang?
Lin Yilin’s thoughts twisted and tangled like a knotted rope, but she couldn’t untangle them no matter how hard she tried.
Su Muzhi watched her dejected expression and couldn’t help but laugh. How amusing.
“Hehe, actually, I like classmate Jiang, so that’s my way of saying no one else gets to chase him.”
When Lin Yilin heard that, all her jumbled thoughts shattered into a blank white void. It took her a long moment to snap back to reality, and she blushed, shouting, “Senior Su is messing with me again! I’m ignoring you!”
Who just blurts out that they like someone like that! And not even to the person they like! Combined with Senior Su’s past pranks, it’s clearly just to make me look stupid!
“Hehe...” Su Muzhi shook her head with a smile, not bothering to explain further.
She’d leave this to him.
Little Yilin, crying her heart out, and him, tormented inside. When that moment came, all she’d have to do was step in with a gentle push, and that so-called harem dream would be nothing but a castle in the air.
Lin Yilin stopped looking at Su Muzhi and turned to Jiang Linyuan in a huff, ready to tattle! But when she turned her head, she found him playing with a little kid.
“Big brother, will you play house with me? Nobody wants to play with me,” a tiny girl tugged at Jiang Linyuan’s clothes and asked in a pitiful, soft voice.
Oh man, there’s even family cold-shouldering going on here.
Jiang Linyuan patted her head. “So how do you want to play?”
“Big brother is the daddy, and I’m the mommy.” The girl looked at him pleadingly.
“Mm... and who’s the child? Just the two of us can’t make a family.”
“Tsk.”
Did he just hear some weird sound effect?
The little girl turned to a little boy and said in a sweet voice, “Can you come be our son?”
The little boy looked at her, a bit hurt. “Can I be the big brother instead?”
“No, big brother is the daddy, and I’m the big brother’s mommy. You’re the big brother’s child, so you have to call big brother ‘daddy’.”
“But I don’t want to be your son. Can I be the mommy?”
Jiang Linyuan was lost. Kids’ conversations were getting hard to follow.
“Senior! Senior Su is so mean!”
A muffled voice sounded in his ear. He turned to see little Yilin pouting. She’d come to tattle.
“Then Linlin-jie can be the little sister!”
When the little girl spotted Lin Yilin, her eyes lit up, and she ran over.
“Linlin-jie, be the little sister! Be the little sister!”
“Ah...” Lin Yilin wasn’t good with kids and shot Jiang Linyuan a desperate look.
“Mom, no... wait, kid’s mom... no, little girl, Linlin-jie is really stressed right now, so don’t bother her.” Jiang Linyuan pulled the little girl over.
The little girl looked thoughtful. “Just call me Mom, big brother. Little sister is sad, so Daddy, go comfort her.”
Human language was universal.
It took Jiang Linyuan a second or two to figure out what the little girl meant: “Alright then, big brother will take little sister away. Don’t miss Daddy too much, Mommy.”
“Mm! Daddy, take Linlin-jie to the room! If you don’t comfort Mommy well, I’ll get mad!”
The little girl nodded firmly.
Hmph, Sister Bamboo was useless, Linlin-jie was hopeless. It was all up to her to save the day!