Xie Youzhou raced all the way home.
The moment he entered, he saw Father Xie and his older brother seated on the living room sofa, their faces dark and serious.
Xie’s mother came out of the kitchen with a plate of fruit, and upon seeing Xie Youzhou, she couldn’t help but exclaim, “Oh! Xiaoyou’s back so soon?”
“If he doesn’t come back and explain this to me, he can’t stay here anymore!” Father Xie’s voice suddenly boomed.
Mother Xie frowned immediately, setting the fruit plate on the coffee table. “What’s gotten into you, old man? You haven’t been home in ages, and as soon as you’re here, you’re angry? I think Xiaoyou is doing great, and Zhiyu too. Why do you object?”
“How can two men be together! As a mother, why don’t you straighten out your troublesome son? Has Lin Zhiyu cast some kind of spell on you?” Mr. Xie’s voice shook with anger as he slammed his hand on the table.
He then turned directly to Xie Youzhou, saying, “Break up with Lin Zhiyu now. I don’t have time to keep wasting on this.”
“Break up?”
Xie Youzhou had been observing silently, smiling since he walked in. At this moment, he finally couldn’t hold back his laughter.
Seeing his son laugh, Father Xie’s face turned dark as ink. He nearly burst with rage.
“Why are you laughing?” It was as though he might cripple his son at any second.
Xie Youzhou was entirely unafraid. He smiled and replied, “I’m laughing at how arbitrary and naive you are.”
“The reason I came back so quickly—why I rushed here as soon as I got the call—wasn’t because I’m afraid of you or here to admit any fault. I came because I was worried you might cause trouble for my gege and strain the relationship between him and me.”
“Father, I can say this clearly: I love Lin Zhiyu, even more than my own life. If that’s hard to understand, imagine the way you feel about the army and the country. My love runs deeper than that. You can’t be separated from the army and the country, just as I can’t be separated from my gege.”
Father Xie’s arms shook with rage. His older brother, sitting next to him, narrowed his eyes slightly and said, “Xiao You, you can’t make such comparisons. Apologize to Dad!”
Xie Youzhou didn’t respond right away.
Instead, he opened his bag and threw a stack of contracts onto the table.
“I haven’t achieved much in the past year. I just started a company, which is doing well. It’s currently going through the listing process. I estimate it will be worth tens of billions after it’s listed—not much, but enough that I’ll be able to support myself. I’ll also hire a lawyer to ensure that half of my assets will go to my gege. Honestly, I want to give him everything because I belong to him.”
Xie Youzhou’s smile was sweet, but Father Xie’s face grew tighter.
“But my gege would never take it all, so I’ll give him half. Even if he doesn’t want the other half, I have my ways and my determination. I hope you can understand our love, but I’m not here to demand it. My plans for the future are clear, and it’s good that you know about them now.”
Father Xie was livid, his face red with anger. He grabbed the remote and threw it at Xie Youzhou. “Get out! I don’t have a son like you!”
The remote hit Xie Youzhou, but he didn’t even flinch. Calmly, he gathered the contracts, put them back in his bag, and turned to leave.
Mother Xie stared at Father Xie, her expression angry. Finally, she couldn’t hold back anymore.
She pointed at Father Xie and said, “Xie Chonghua, let me tell you something. You’ve done right by the country and its people, but you’ve done nothing for us, your family! How many days have you spent at home since Xiaoyou was born? You weren’t even here when Xiaoyou was abducted, still busy in the army! Who are you to act as head of the family now? If anything, Xiaoyou’s the one holding this family together!”
Father Xie was seething, but he couldn’t say anything in response. The elder brother, trying to mediate, looked stiff as a board.
“Dad, Mom, why are we fighting? We’re finally all home. Shouldn’t we be happy for Xiaoyou’s love? Do you want him to stay single until he’s over 30 like me?”
Xie Youzhou paused mid-step: “?!!”
Is this his elder brother talking?
Was his brother really sacrificing himself to ease the atmosphere?!!
Then, Xie Youzhou heard his brother continue, “Actually, I also have someone I like, but I’ve been too afraid of your reaction to say anything. I’d rather stay single than go against your wishes.”
Alarms rang in Xie Youzhou’s head.
Sure enough, he heard his mother say anxiously, “Why didn’t you tell me if you like someone? Is it the same situation as your brother?”
“Not quite as bad as Xiaoyou. I like women,” his elder brother said, looking slightly tense.
“I’m interested in Captain Zhao Moan from the Third Army. She’s three years older than me, divorced, but with no children. I was afraid you wouldn’t approve.”
In the past, Father Xie would have been outraged.
But now…
He couldn’t muster any anger.
“Zhao Moan? She divorced her ex-husband because he cheated, right?”
Mother Xie hadn’t heard of her, but she didn’t expect her older son to be interested in her.
“If you like her, then pursue her! I’m not old-fashioned. So what if she’s older or divorced? Times have changed.”
Given her older son’s status, he could be quite selective, but if he really loved her, what else could she say?
Father Xie was silent.
But his older son’s relationship didn’t raise as many objections as his younger son’s.
Xie Youzhou immediately realized his brother’s intentions beneath his serious expression.
Oh…
His brother was brilliant!
But he didn’t care.
Xie Youzhou walked out the door.
Father Xie, watching him leave, slapped his thigh in frustration.
Mother Xie looked at the elder brother with concern. “Have you been pursuing her? Have you liked her for years? You’re 33 now; why haven’t you confessed?”
The elder brother’s face reddened slightly. “I was planning to confess after the New Year.”
Mother Xie’s face lit up. “Good, good. If you settle down, I can relax.”
Then, glancing at Father Xie, she huffed, “Don’t think you’re the boss here. Xiao You’s independent. Besides, Lin Zhiyu is excellent! He’s known throughout the country for his contributions. If he were single, people would line up to marry him. Why should he put up with you?”
Father Xie blew his beard in frustration.
Who cared about talent? Lin Zhiyu was still a man!
He ignored her, turning on the TV. Surprisingly, the screen showed Lin Zhiyu in a lab coat experimenting.
The news anchor’s voice filled the room: “Following the 19-step synthesis of paclitaxel, Professor Lin Zhiyu and Professor Bai Chunling have developed a new drug for treating addiction. It is currently in phase one of clinical trials. As a distinguished leader among young researchers, Professor Lin has shown a deep commitment to—”
“Look, look!” Xie’s mother proudly pointed at the screen. “Honestly, Lin Zhiyu could have chosen anyone. He’s probably more popular than your son! He’s a handsome, talented professor with national recognition. If he wanted, he wouldn’t have to look at our family twice.”
“Besides, he’s a government-recognized talent! His father hasn’t opposed the relationship, so why should you?”
Father Xie was startled. “You mean Brother Lin knows? He doesn’t object?!”
“He didn’t say it explicitly, but I’m sure he knows.” The more she spoke, the more dissatisfied she grew. “Look at Brother Lin and look at you! Lin Zhiyu saved Xiaoyou as a child and has been involved with him ever since. His father didn’t object, so why should you?”
Brother Xie: “……”
It was the first time he had heard his mother say so many blunt words in a few minutes.
But Father Xie was speechless.
On reflection, if he were Brother Lin, he would indeed be more at ease.
But Brother Lin actually accepted it?
Mr. Xie wore a serious expression, speechless yet feeling complicated and slightly guilty.
It seemed his youngest son was determined to resist any break-up.
He had been angry, but now he felt guilty about facing Brother Lin.
Meanwhile, Xie Youzhou…
He was already downstairs at Lin Zhiyu’s home, unable to wait any longer to see his gege.
The more others opposed, the more he would hold tightly to his gege!
Xie Youzhou called Lin Zhiyu but couldn’t get through, so he ran all the way to the sixth floor, banging on the door.
It was Lin Zhaoqiu who answered, looking surprised. “Why are you here?”
“Where’s my gege?! I called, but he didn’t answer. Is he okay?”
“He just went out a few
minutes ago.”
As soon as Zhaoqiu said this, Xie Youzhou was about to rush out when he was stopped by a voice.
“Xiao Xie, come in.”
It was Lin’s father, approaching from the side.
Xie Youzhou paused, his back stiffening as he sensed something serious.
Still, he turned around with a smile, obediently entering. “Uncle Lin, you wanted to see me?”
Father Lin glanced at Zhaoqiu. “Qiuqiu, go to the supermarket and buy some scallions. I’ll make scallion pancakes for breakfast.”
Zhaoqiu sensed his father’s unusual seriousness, grabbed the keys, and ran out.
Xie Youzhou felt beads of sweat on his back.
This didn’t look good.
Did his uncle know about his relationship with his gege? Did he want them to break up?
Xie Youzhou’s heart pounded wildly.
Unlike the composure he showed with his father, he now felt extremely nervous.
No, he had to show his uncle his reliability and his unwavering commitment to his gege.
Straightening his back and clenching his fists, he adjusted his hair as Father Lin sat down.
As expected, he heard Lin’s father speak.
“Xiao Xie, what are your thoughts about your relationship with Zhiyu?”
He hadn’t planned to bring it up this soon or in this way.
But after seeing the Xie family arrive, he worried Brother Xie’s return might stir trouble.
He didn’t want his son to be hurt again or to face unpleasant objections.
So he decided to speak directly with Xiao Xie.
Hearing this, Xie Youzhou felt his heart race, but also a strange sense of relief.
He looked at Father Lin seriously. “Uncle, I love my gege. He means more to me than my own life. I intend to protect him for life, to make him happy and secure for life. No matter who objects, I’ll never give up.”
…
Lin Zhiyu had no idea his little wolfdog was being interrogated by his own father.
He had received a call from the Public Security Bureau saying that Tian Yuhao insisted on seeing him.
Since Xie Youzhou was busy, Lin Zhiyu hadn’t mentioned it to him and drove directly to the Bureau.
Due to traffic, he arrived later than usual.
The accident involving Lin Zhiyu more than a month ago had indeed been linked to Tian Yuhao.
Tian Yuhao confessed to arranging money and contacting the two hitmen. He also admitted he’d accepted the task via the dark web and claimed he bore no personal grudge against Lin Zhiyu.
Regardless of intent, a crime was still a crime. Tian Yuhao had been detained, awaiting trial.
Once the trial began, prison was inevitable.
Despite this, Tian Yuhao insisted on seeing Lin Zhiyu.
At first, the authorities ignored him, but after he began a hunger strike, they decided to contact Lin Zhiyu.
Without any specific response, Lin Zhiyu simply agreed to go, out of respect for life.
When he arrived, a staff member guided him in.
“We’re so sorry to inconvenience you, Professor Lin.”
“No problem. How’s he doing?”
“It’s only been four days, but any longer and he’d be in real danger.”
As they approached Tian Yuhao’s room, the staff member quieted.
“Professor Lin, he’s inside.”
Lin Zhiyu nodded slightly.
He paused before pushing the door open.
Inside, Tian Yuhao lay on a thin frame bed, struggling to sit up, his face sallow and eyes hollow.
Having heard footsteps outside, Tian Yuhao knew Lin Zhiyu was there. He tried to sit up excitedly but failed.
Lin Zhiyu regarded Tian Yuhao calmly, his gaze cold.
“It’s foolish to threaten others with your life.”
“But…isn’t it effective?” Tian Yuhao managed a twisted smile.
“I know only the soft-hearted and kind respond to this, but that’s who you are, Professor Lin.”
Lin Zhiyu looked at him steadily.
“Say what you need to say. You won’t get a second chance to use this trick.”
“Professor Lin, how can you be so cruel?”
Tian Yuhao’s face showed some sadness, but he soon laughed with a crazed look.
Lin Zhiyu frowned, momentarily thinking Tian Yuhao needed psychological help. Then he heard Tian Yuhao speak again.
“In court, I didn’t tell the whole truth.”
Tian Yuhao smiled weakly.
“The reason I took that job wasn’t for tuition. I took it because I wanted you dead, Professor Lin.”
Lin Zhiyu raised his brow slightly. “Oh?”
“Yes, you never would have guessed it, right? I did this to avenge Jiaojiao. Ever since I saw her on TV, I was in love with her. I learned everything I could about her, only to find out that I could have met her if she hadn’t left for abroad…because of you!”
Lin Zhiyu nearly laughed.
“So?” he asked.
“I wanted you dead.”
Tian Yuhao sat up straighter, staring at Lin Zhiyu.
“But…”
He suddenly hesitated.
“Four days ago, I couldn’t remember her face. It was like she was there but not there. I thought I loved her, but now…now it feels like I don’t. It’s like I’m a fool. What did I do? What did I do! What have I done!?”
Tian Yuhao’s laughter turned hysterical, his face distorted.
He slammed his head against the wall. Staff rushed in to restrain him.
Lin Zhiyu’s expression finally shifted.
Watching Tian Yuhao struggle, he said, “Tian Yuhao, I think you may need psychological assessment.”
Tian Yuhao froze.
Lin Zhiyu’s gentle eyes were icy as he looked at him.
“You’re gay. How could you love Ruan Jiaojiao?”
Tian Yuhao’s face showed shock.
“You took days to think of this? If Hoggs and Ruan Jiaojiao died four days ago, I’d suspect the protagonist’s death caused your delusions.”
Xie Youzhou’s investigation revealed Tian Yuhao spent most of his money on gay bars, despite his outwardly honest appearance.
Lin Zhiyu hadn’t exposed him earlier, but this latest performance was dull.
Without another glance, he left.
Stepping out, he opened his phone to see news notifications.
“Breaking news: Hortes dead, Ruan Jiaojiao paralyzed from waist down. Click for details…”
“Marceau found Ruan Jiaojiao, rescued from Hortes. Hortes died in the shootout. Ruan Jiaojiao, seriously injured, is paralyzed…”
“Marceau vows to care for her but postpones the wedding…”
Lin Zhiyu raised his gaze, frowning.
If Marceau was so infatuated, why would he postpone the wedding?
And Wright and others—why hadn’t anyone visited her?
This wasn’t normal…
Could it be that…
The world was returning to normal?
Lin Zhiyu looked up at the sky, his mind swirling.
Suddenly, an idea formed.
Could it be…?
Not abnormal…
But normal at last?
Feeling a release from endless chains, he smiled as his strength left him, letting himself fall…
But just as he expected to meet the ground, strong arms caught him.
Looking up, he saw a beloved face.
“Gege, what’s wrong?!”
Xie Youzhou couldn’t hide his worry. Lin Zhiyu looked at him intensely.
Then…he pulled Xie Youzhou closer, pressing a kiss to his lips.
As they fell together, only Xie Youzhou knew that his gege had chosen him, pouring all his love into that one embrace.
“Xie Youzhou, I love you.”
