When Yang Xiao returned home, Yang JianGuo and Zhao XueMei were currently eating noodles. The moment Yang Xiao entered the house, he said, "I'm starving, Mom. What did you make? I also want to eat it."
Zhao XueMei hadn't seen her son for a few days now, and when she heard her son say that, she naturally stood up at once. "It's already this hour and you still haven't eaten yet? Look at you. Your father and I cooked some noodles, do you want it?"
When Yang Xiao heard it was noodles, he frowned. "I've eaten a whole weeks' worth of noodles already. Why is it still noodles, Mom?"
Yang JianGuo was still angry about what had happened just then. When he heard him say that, he slammed down his chopsticks. "If you don't want to eat it, then forget it. You're already so old, yet you don't even know how to cook, and you're messing around outside even though it's so late. You still have the grace to say you're hungry? If you're hungry, then just stay hungry."
Before Yang Xiao could duck behind Zhao XueMei, she spoke first. "What are you saying? You're just like a loaded barrel. Our son just came home, so why are you in such a temper?"
Yang JianGuo made a rare rebuttal against Zhao XueMei. "Ask him yourself, what was he doing that made him come back so late?"
Zhao XueMei looked at Yang Xiao strangely. Yang Xiao scratched his head. "I just went to play mahjong with a few of my friends. It's nothing, we only played a little, but Dad insists that we're gambling."
Yang JianGuo said, "Friends, friends, you fool around every day with that gang of scoundrels. Why don't they teach you anything good? If they call you out to play mahjong in a mahjong club, no matter how little you play it's still gambling."
Zhao XueMei disagreed. "Why are you being so harsh? Didn't he just play a few rounds and lose a bit of money? You're making it seem like he's doing something much worse. Xiao Xiao still has some friends at least, but look at you, you don't even have someone to help out if you need it."
Yang JianGuo was blocked again to the point that he had nothing else to say, even though the only reason he didn't have friends was all according to this fearsome wife's wishes.
When Yang Xiao saw his mother speak up for him, he stopped worrying. Zhao XueMei also stopped talking when she saw Yang JianGuo stop. She turned and asked Yang Xiao, "If you don't want to eat noodles, Xiao Xiao, then what do you want to eat? Mom will make whatever you want."
Yang JianGuo couldn't bear to see Zhao XueMei spoiling Yang Xiao at all, but even though he couldn't bear it, his words didn't hold any weight either. In any case, Zhao XueMei never listened to him, so he picked up his bowl and went into the living room by himself.
Zhao XueMei looked at Yang JianGuo's back and said to Yang Xiao, "Ignore him, he doesn't know anything yet he's still throwing such a fit."
Yang Xiao had known since long ago that the one who spoke up and got things done in this house was his mother. He only needed to deceive his mom, and his dad's objections would no longer hold any significance.
"Mom, I want to eat rice with curry chicken."
"Okay, Mom will go and see if there's any curry in the fridge. If there is, I'll make it for you."
Yang Xiao smiled charmingly. "Mom, you're the best."
Zhao XueMei lifted a brow. "Your mouth is so sweet? Tell me, what else is there?"
He just knew that his mother understood him best. "I'm out of money."
While Yang Xiao acted spoiled, he also rapidly wove lies in his mind. As long as he could topple his mother, everything would be fine once he got the money. "It was a friend's birthday a few days ago, and aren't I good friends with him? So I have to express it, right? It's not like you don't know how much gift money you have to give nowadays. How can I get that amount of money when I don't have anything? When I get married eventually, won't he have to return it as well?"
Zhao XueMei thought it sounded reasonable, so she agreed. "Alright then, I'll give you another two thousand. You have to spend it, spend it more carefully this time, okay?"
Yang Xiao's eyebrows jumped. In his mind, he thought, It's probably not enough money to return to them, but at least I have some capital. Perhaps I can just scoop it back.
Zhao XueMei suddenly thought of another matter. She poked her head out and saw that Yang JianGuo was still sitting in the living room, so she went over and closed the door. She asked Yang Xiao quietly, "Xiao Xiao ah, did your grandpa call recently?"
Yang Xiao hadn't thought of his grandpa for many days now. When he heard his mom ask that, he finally remembered that it seemed as if his grandpa hadn't called for quite a few days. "Hm, Mom, if you hadn't brought it up I wouldn't have remembered. Grandpa hasn't called for many days."
Zhao XueMei crinkled her brows at once. "What? Hasn't called for many days?" Even though she hadn't planned on answering, if Old Man Yang didn't call, then that was another matter entirely.
"Yeah, he hasn't called ever since he gave me a call that one day."
"When did he call? What happened?"
Yang Xiao told Zhao XueMei about what had happened that day Old Man Yang called. When Zhao XueMei heard, she frowned even harder, and she immediately asked, "He said he's sick?"
"No, that's what the old man next door said."
"You said that he came over, but he didn't have the house deed?"
Yang Xiao nodded again. He didn't know what the point of that question was.
Zhao XueMei shook her head inwardly. That shouldn't be right. According to Old Man Yang's character, either he wouldn't come at all or he would've come definitely prepared to hand over the house deed. Why would he come empty-handed?
"Was there anything else besides this?"
Yang Xiao thought a bit and shook his head. He didn't dare tell Zhao XueMei the unpleasant things he had told Old Man Yang either. He was about to say no when he suddenly recalled, "That's right, it seemed like Grandpa didn't come alone. That Lin ShuYi also came. Could he have said something to Grandpa, so Grandpa didn't bring it?"
Zhao XueMei thought a bit. Based on Old Man Yang's temperament, this seemed like the only logical explanation. She instantly knitted her brows. "I just knew that those two brats had ill intentions living in your grandpa's house. They can't actually want your grandpa's house, right?"
Yang Xiao saw that his mother was finally taking those two brats seriously, and he exclaimed a "great" in his mind, but he didn't reveal anything on his face. He said, "No way, in the end they're outsiders. Grandpa wouldn't be so silly."
Zhao XueMei said, "That's not for certain. Your grandpa is the easiest kind of person to trick."
Yang Xiao got away with his cunning plan, and he didn't forgot to add a final stab. "That's right, the landlord of the place that you wanted to rent called a few days ago. He said that if you don't rent it soon, he'll give it to someone else."
Zhao XueMei clenched her teeth. "I'll go find him tomorrow."
Even though she said that, for the time being Zhao XueMei truly couldn't go.
The main reason why she said such vicious words in front of Old Man Yang was because she had figured out what Old Man Yang's temperament was. He had been softhearted and good-natured his entire life, so he definitely wouldn't be able to let go of JianGuo and Xiao Xiao. So she wasn't afraid of Old Man Yang suddenly changing his nature. Old Man Yang didn't like money, and he didn't value it that much at all, so it wasn't that he was unwilling to part with the house; it was that he was unwilling to part with the memories of his wife. That's why she said such vicious things, placing Yang JianGuo and Yang Xiao directly across from Old Man Yang just so he could know – one was dead, but one he still had right now. Old Man Yang absolutely wouldn't be willing to break off ties with Xiao Xiao. That was clear from how he insisted on calling daily before.
But she really couldn't think of a reason why Old Man Yang would stop calling. She knew that Yang Xiao probably hadn't told her the truth, but logically speaking, it shouldn't matter what Xiao Xiao said. Old Man Yang wouldn't get mad regardless.
However, the reason why she couldn't go right now wasn't purely because she couldn't overcome her pride. In comparison to the matter with the house, it didn't matter much even if she had to swallow down what she had said before. What was most important was that, if she went now, she would be at a disadvantage. It was clearly a last resort if she went to ask for it of her own accord, compared to if Old Man Yang sent it over himself. What's more, she still had to hide it from Yang JianGuo. If Yang JianGuo found out, all the things they had done previously would be exposed.
So, Zhao XueMei thought about it for a while before deciding that she would go to ChaoYang Street on her own behind Yang JianGuo's back. This time, it didn't matter whether she got the house or not, she had to chase those two brats out no matter what.
Once Old Man Yang recovered, he couldn't stay idle, and he opened the restaurant again.
During the days they were gone, the restaurant had remained closed. When many regular customers heard that Old Man Yang was sick, they all asked whether Old Man Yang was feeling a bit better and when he would come back. Now that XiQin Restaurant was finally open again, everyone was extremely happy. After all, they hadn't eaten the dishes here in a long time, so everyone missed it greatly.
They especially missed the two handsome guys in the shop.
Lin ShuYi was always inside making noodles with his sleeves rolled up and an apron wrapped around him, so Shen Fu would reveal his charming smile and show off, helping Lin ShuYi carry plates. The two of them brought out the best in each other and were connected on an extremely deep level.
At night when it was time to go back, the two of them left together. The cold wind blew gently, and the feeling of the two of them walking side by side inexplicably made the corners of Shen Fu's mouth curl upwards. "Lin ShuYi, how old are you again this year?"
Lin ShuYi recalled the age on his identity card and said, "Eighteen, what's the matter?" Even though, in reality, he should already be in his late twenties.
Shen Fu frowned. "Eighteen."
Why so young? The mature feeling that Lin ShuYi usually gave off always made Shen Fu think that he didn't seem like a child who had just come of age. However, it didn't matter. Eighteen, twenty-five, it was just seven years, not an incredibly large gap. He was still young, he could wait.
Lin ShuYi waited for a long time, but the rest of his answer never came, so he turned to look at Shen Fu only to discover that his lips were currently curled and he was smiling strangely. Lin ShuYi narrowed his eyes, getting this feeling that Shen Fu was plotting something evil. "Why are you smiling?"
Shen Fu rubbed at his lips roguishly. "Nothing."
He was calculating just how many years it would take before he could make a move on Lin ShuYi.
Lin ShuYi's house was as empty as ever. Besides the sofa which had suddenly appeared in the middle, everything else was the same as before. However, because there was now a sofa, that meant that there was also another troublesome person.
"Beloved cousin~ how much longer will you need?"
Lin ShuYi had just rubbed shampoo into his hair, and his eyes were currently narrowed in contentment as he massaged it in when he heard Shen Fu's purposefully drawn out, sappy call come from outside. He irritably opened his eyes again. "What is it?"
The door to the bathroom wasn't completely solid. There was a pane of thick frosted glass in the center. It wasn't transparent, and only the light could pass through, revealing a blurry silhouette leaning against the door. Shen Fu's smothered voice carried over again. "I need to answer the call of nature, can you let me in first?"
Lin ShuYi's face darkened immediately. It was always at this kind of moment that he felt taking in Shen Fu had truly been an annoying idea.
Even though, most of the time, he was slowly starting to feel like having another person around wasn't all that bad either.