“Auntie!”
Ren Bai also saw Lin Shuang get up from the sofa. He looked at Jiang Yu with surprise and joy. “How did you do it?”
Although Jiang Yu had taken Lin Shuang’s contact information that morning, Ren Bai had guessed he might try to find her. But if it had been that easy, they wouldn’t have failed to persuade her yesterday no matter how hard they tried.
He didn’t expect that once Jiang Yu stepped in, he was able to do what they couldn’t.
Jiang Yu simply said, “Of course, a wise man always has his ways.”
Even though the feelings between Yu Shiqing and Lin Shuang were still there, another family stood between them, forming a barrier. Lin Shuang didn’t explain the truth and let Yu Shiqing think she cared more about her daughter than him. It was natural they were drifting apart.
Yu Shiqing cared about Lin Shuang, so he wouldn’t force her.
But Jiang Yu was different. He had always been good at pushing.
As for Lin Shuang’s injuries, since he had promised not to mention them, he didn’t tell Yu Shiqing.
Ren Bai didn’t ask either. The fact that Lin Shuang came back was good enough.
He quickly gestured for Yu Shiqing and Jiang Yu to come into the living room.
“Shiqing, yesterday was my fault.”
Lin Shuang only spoke once they approached. She tightly clasped her hands, her eyes slightly red from the moment she saw Yu Shiqing to the moment the four sat down.
“I shouldn’t have treated you like that. I just thought if I didn’t drag you down, you’d live a better life. Over all these years, I haven’t fulfilled my responsibilities as a good mother. I even asked you for money…”
Yu Shiqing reached out and wiped the tears from her cheek. “Don’t say things like that.”
Lin Shuang held his hand and nodded. “Okay, I won’t.”
Ren Bai ran to pour a glass of water and handed it to Lin Shuang.
She fixed her hair and took it, smiling shyly. “Thank you, Bai.”
Seeing this, Jiang Yu sat up straighter and handed her a tissue from the table.
Only when she pulled one out did she realize it was Jiang Yu handing it to her. She looked a little surprised.
Back at the café, his strong attitude had made her feel nervous and want to avoid him.
But now, he seemed completely different maybe it was just her imagination.
Jiang Yu smiled at her.
Lin Shuang quickly said, “Thank you, Mr. Jiang.”
“Mr. Jiang?”
Yu Shiqing turned to look at Jiang Yu.
Jiang Yu: “…”
His expression darkened slightly. He told Lin Shuang, “Just call me Jiang Yu.”
Then he changed the topic. “I asked you here today because there’s something I want you to know.”
Yu Shiqing’s heart stirred slightly. He had already guessed what it might be.
Jiang Yu looked at Lin Shuang. “Auntie, I think it’s best if you tell him yourself.”
Lin Shuang nodded. Since she had already made up her mind and come all this way, there was no turning back. She wiped the tears from her face, took a deep breath, and said to Yu Shiqing:
“I came today to tell you I’m getting a divorce.”
Yu Shiqing had already guessed this, so he wasn’t surprised. What he thought of next, though, was Jiang Yu.
Once again, Jiang Yu had done something he himself couldn’t do.
Lin Shuang continued, “Jiang Yu was right. I shouldn’t give up without even trying. I should have trusted you.”
Yu Shiqing turned to look at Jiang Yu again.
Jiang Yu leaned over and whispered in his ear, “You better start thinking now about how you’re going to thank me.”
Yu Shiqing chuckled. “Alright.”
Hearing his laughter up close, Jiang Yu glanced sideways and met his smiling eyes. Jiang Yu quietly held his breath. He felt the warm breath on his neck it was hot and ticklish.
“What are you two whispering about? You’re sitting so close, let me hear too!”
Ren Bai’s voice snapped Jiang Yu out of it.
He coughed lightly, his voice cold and serious. “Stop spacing out. Let Auntie finish.”
Ren Bai: “…”
Are you kidding me? Who spaced out first!?
Jiang Yu had already sat back and turned to Lin Shuang.
Seeing this, Lin Shuang composed herself and repeated what she had told Jiang Yu in the restaurant to both Yu Shiqing and Ren Bai.
She skipped over the part about Gao Fan hitting her and only mentioned how he had threatened to take Gao Yuan away.
After hearing this, Ren Bai got so angry he rolled up his sleeves. “Is Gao Fan a thug? What gives him the right to just take her away like that?!”
Yu Shiqing asked, “Have you talked to Gao Yuan about the divorce? Are you sure she’ll choose to go with you?”
Jiang Yu frowned. “Yu Shiqing—”
Yu Shiqing placed a hand on his and interrupted him.
“Don’t worry about that,” Lin Shuang said with a slight smile. “I mentioned the divorce to Yuan Yuan. She said if it really came to that, she would choose me, not her father.”
Yu Shiqing asked again, “Where is she now?”
“She’s still in the hospital.”
“Move her to a private hospital and hire a caregiver. When she recovers, bring her home.”
“Exactly!”
Ren Bai punched the sofa arm. “Gao Fan thinks he can threaten you and take her? Let’s act first and move her ourselves!”
Lin Shuang’s eyes lit up, but she hesitated. “Wouldn’t that be too much?”
Ren Bai waved it off. “Not at all! Auntie, leave it to me!”
He rubbed his chin. “You told Yu Shiqing to move out yesterday, right? I looked at a neighborhood this morning we can view the apartment today.”
Jiang Yu suddenly said, “There’s no need to rush about the apartment.”
Ren Bai asked, “What do you mean?”
Jiang Yu looked at Yu Shiqing. “I bought the house back.”
Yu Shiqing asked, “When did that happen? You never mentioned it.”
“Not long ago,” Jiang Yu replied vaguely. “The renovation finished during the travel shoot, and I didn’t want to bother you while dealing with Auntie’s situation.”
“So, you plan to move back in?” Yu Shiqing didn’t think much of it.
Unlike him, Jiang Yu had more sources of income concerts, copyright royalties, endorsements, events…
Jiang Yu was never poor. Selling the house was probably just for temporary funds.
Jiang Yu replied, “Not just me. Us.”
Ren Bai hadn’t caught on yet.
Yu Shiqing said, “That’s not necessary.”
It wasn’t just him moving in. Ren Bai could stay in his rental, but Lin Shuang couldn’t. And soon, Gao Yuan would be discharged too.
Jiang Yu stared at him, expressionless.
Yu Shiqing looked a bit helpless. “Jiang Yu, I really am moving this time.”
Jiang Yu countered, “Wasn’t I moving in last time too?”
Yu Shiqing said, “I just thought it might not be convenient for you.”
Jiang Yu replied, “I’ve lived here for over half a year. Never felt inconvenient.”
“That’s different.”
Hearing this, Lin Shuang finally realized something. She looked surprised.
“The person who’s been living with Shiqing… is Jiang Yu?”
Jiang Yu was about to speak but froze slightly and sat behind Yu Shiqing, silently watching the back of his head, waiting for him to answer.
Yu Shiqing said, “Yes.”
Lin Shuang widened her eyes. “So, you two…”
“Yes?”
When she didn’t finish, Yu Shiqing looked at her.
Lin Shuang seemed dazed. She took a sip of water, thought of what Jiang Yu had said earlier, and asked, “You’ve been living together for over half a year?”
Yu Shiqing said, “Yes.”
His calm reaction made Lin Shuang hesitate for a long time before finally asking, “Is Jiang Yu a beta?”
Had she misremembered? But Jiang Yu clearly was—
“He’s an alpha.”
Yu Shiqing didn’t understand why she suddenly cared about Jiang Yu’s gender but answered anyway.
“A… alpha?”
Lin Shuang gasped. “Alpha?”
Yu Shiqing asked, “Is there a problem?”
Lin Shuang looked at him, then at Jiang Yu. After a long pause, she swallowed her words.
Since marrying Gao Fan, she had owed Yu Shiqing so much. Even now, she needed his help to fight a divorce lawsuit. She wasn’t in any position to judge his life choices.
And besides it had already been over half a year. She had no reason to interfere now.
“No problem,” Lin Shuang said quietly. “You two keep talking. I don’t mind.”
Yu Shiqing could hear the double meaning in her words and was about to ask more.
“See? Auntie doesn’t mind,” Jiang Yu said. “So, what else do you want to say?”
Yu Shiqing was cut off. “That’s not what she meant.”
“I think it is.”
“Jiang Yu—”
“Just say if you’re coming or not.”
Yu Shiqing paused and said calmly, “I’ll come.”
Ren Bai: “…”
He closed his eyes and rolled them silently at himself.
After calming down, he asked, “So when do we move?”
Lin Shuang suggested, “The sooner, the better.”
Ren Bai asked, “Should we move today, then?”
Yu Shiqing looked at Jiang Yu.
Jiang Yu said, “Fine by me.”
Ren Bai stood up. “Then pack up. I’ll call the moving company.”
“I’ll go home to pack, too,” Lin Shuang said.
Ren Bai quickly stopped her. “You don’t have to! We can just buy new clothes and stuff.”
“No, I need to go back once,” Yu Shiqing said to Lin Shuang. “But just to get the documents. Nothing else.”
Lin Shuang understood they couldn’t leave any evidence and nodded. “Got it!”
After she left, Ren Bai called the moving company and consulted a lawyer through New Times for the lawsuit.
Not long after, Jiang Yu also booked a hospital bed for Gao Yuan.
Yu Shiqing was in the study organizing a script. When Jiang Yu came in, he asked, “You finished packing?”
Jiang Yu waved his phone and told him about the hospital bed. “Auntie doesn’t need to worry anymore.”
Yu Shiqing stopped what he was doing and turned to him.
Jiang Yu leaned against the door with arms crossed. “Now you can relax too.”
Yu Shiqing said, “I still haven’t figured out how to thank you, and now I owe you another favor.”
Jiang Yu straightened up and walked over. “You really don’t know?”
“What, is there something you want?”
“I want—”
Jiang Yu looked closely at him but didn’t see any reaction. The words caught in his throat, and he gritted his teeth. “You guess.”
Yu Shiqing was intrigued. “What is it?”
“I don’t know,” Jiang Yu grunted.
Yu Shiqing laughed. “If even you don’t know, how can I guess?”
“With a sincere heart, anything is possible,” Jiang Yu said coldly. “If you can’t guess, you’re not sincere enough.”
Yu Shiqing smiled. “Are you just messing with me?”
“So, what if I am?” Jiang Yu looked him in the eye, then looked away, suddenly remembering something. He smirked slightly. “But I think Auntie already agreed.”
“My mom?”
“Yup.”
“What does she have to do with this?”
“Nothing.”
But no matter how he tried to hide it, Jiang Yu’s smile kept sneaking back.
