IHOEAYSTTTIW Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Although the Masquerade Can’t Be Dropped, Lies Can Still Be Added Upon

“That’s impossible.” Lin Yan interrupted the Village Head, shaking his head vigorously. The story he’d conceived wasn’t perfect yet, but it was time to tell it.

He tried to keep his tone steady, but his fingers tapped incessantly on the table. “You know, sir, the situation has been unstable these past few years. Last year we had a locust plague, so many refugees fled towards the Capital City. Xiao Qi is just…”

Yun Qi cautiously poked half his head out from the Kitchen. Lin Yan waved him over, calling the reluctant fellow out. His words were earnest: “Look at how skinny he is. How could he possibly be a noble from the palace?”

“That’s true.” The Village Head was tipsy, only vaguely seeing a tall, thin figure. But he clearly remembered Yun Qi’s appearance when he first arrived. He nodded, somewhat agreeing with Lin Yan’s statement. “So, you mean…”

Lin Yan stuffed two jars of wine into the Village Head’s hands: “You’ve worked hard, sir. Just register him under my name.”

The Village Head glanced at the wine in his arms, licking his lips. “Small matter, small matter. Just consider it that you bought a person. Someone like him…”

Bought a person?

Having been in the Great Zhou for over two months, Lin Yan knew that people bought had to be registered as lowly servants. He was thoroughly disgusted by the class system of this world, but he knew his limits. The change of eras and the overthrow of systems never happened overnight. He wasn’t ambitious enough, nor did he think he had the ability. But changing the system was one thing, and watching someone he spent day and night with become a slave was another.

Lin Yan hardened his heart and took out a Purse from the drawer. He brushed aside Yun Qi’s restraining hand and stuffed the Purse into the Village Head’s arms. “This child’s background is pitiful. If you could find a way to avoid registering him as a lowly servant, please do so.”

The Village Head weighed the Purse in his hand, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

With money, things became easier. The Village Head’s beady eyes darted around twice, and he had an idea. “It’s not impossible. If you bought him to be your adopted younger brother, he wouldn’t have to be registered as a lowly servant. He could be under your name, but…”

Lin Yan bowed deeply. “I’m in your debt, sir.”

“Alright, then I’ll wait to drink your wedding wine.” The Village Head stood up unsteadily, his smile so wide that his eyes disappeared. “This yellow wine is still too sour. The Daughter Red wine from Drunken Pleasure Tower is excellent. When the time comes…”

Lin Yan supported him as he walked out. “Understood, I’ll buy two jars and send them over to you then.”

The Village Head tapped Lin Yan on the forehead. “Sensible.”

The Village Head staggered away. Lin Yan ruffled Yun Qi’s hair, softly reassuring him: “It’s okay, your identity issue is resolved.”

If it had been earlier, Yun Qi might not have felt anything, but now that he was considered his adopted younger brother, Lin Yan’s touch made him a little awkward. A blush had already crept onto his cheeks. Yun Qi shyly nodded, like a docile little wife.

The table was a mess. Yun Qi began to clean up. The excitement from before slowly faded, and Yun Qi suddenly realized that Lin Yan probably didn’t know what “adopted younger brother” meant.

How could someone in this era not know what that meant?

Just to be sure, Yun Qi weakly asked, “Big Brother, do you know what an adopted younger brother is?”

Lin Yan shrugged, not taking it seriously. “An adopted brother, what else could it be? A child bridegroom?”

…He really didn’t know.

“Mm.” Yun Qi nodded. Those three words were burning his tongue. “It’s just a child bridegroom…”

Lin Yan froze for a moment, then waved his hand dismissively. “Hey, I’m not a Ge’er, so a child bridegroom is fine. Let’s get your household registration settled first, then we’ll talk about the rest.”

The corners of Yun Qi’s lips unconsciously turned upwards. The blush that had just faded crept back onto his cheeks. He nodded, his voice barely audible. “Whatever Big Brother decides…”

Lin Yan cupped Yun Qi’s face in his hands. He wanted to tug at his cheeks, but then he saw the wound on Yun Qi’s face. He wearily lowered one hand, only gently tugging at the side without the wound. “What’s with that expression? You don’t want to?”

Yun Qi mumbled, “No, no.”

“Oh.” Lin Yan released his hand, stacking the plates on the table and shoving them into Yun Qi’s hands, teasing him. “Then I’ll trouble my little husband to wash the dishes.”

The tender mushroom was completely red. It was probably ripe now.

He ate a bowl of rice for dinner, but that was still far from his usual three bowls. Yun Qi, who had only eaten half a meal, was woken up by his stomach rumbling in the middle of the night.

He sat up, holding onto the edge of the bed. He was hungry and had a terrible headache. He faintly heard the clanging of a spatula outside. Yun Qi forced himself to walk to the window, opened it, and saw the Kitchen was lit up. A slender figure was busily working inside.

Most of the painstakingly prepared Cured Meat Combo had ended up in the Village Head’s stomach. Lin Yan wasn’t full either, so he got up in the middle of the night to make himself a late-night snack.

Yun Qi put on an outer robe and was about to help, but he stopped after taking two steps. The discomfort in his body became more pronounced. The events of the day flashed through his mind.

Yun Qi didn’t look for medicine, nor did he go to the Kitchen to help out and mooch a meal. He almost masochistically enjoyed the discomfort in his body, using it to alleviate the guilt in his heart.

The situation in the Capital City was gradually stabilizing. On his way back, he had been planning how to apologize to Lin Yan, how to explain things to him. He had already prepared himself to leave, but now… he had another excuse to stay.

If the seeds in Lin Yan’s possession really could yield a thousand catties per mu, as he claimed, they could solve the Great Zhou’s problems. In that case, they weren’t just seeds, but human lives. Besides that… he also desperately wanted to continue enjoying Lin Yan’s care and favoritism, to enjoy that pure kindness without any ulterior motives.

The sounds from the Kitchen gradually died down, and the light dimmed.

Lin Yan had finished his late-night snack and would probably be out soon. Yun Qi faced the direction of the light and softly said, “I’m sorry,” before closing the window again. Lin Yan treated him with all his heart, but he had taken advantage of Lin Yan’s sincerity, fabricating lies and constantly adding to them.

The weather gradually warmed up, and there was more to do in the fields.

Yun Qi was born and raised in the palace. Being bullied and given the cold shoulder was commonplace. Only this kind of field work was something he didn’t know at all. But his foundation was good, and he had been carefully nourished by Lin Yan for over two months, successfully being cultivated into a good seedling for labor.

Yun Qi followed behind Lin Yan, imitating him, and quickly became skilled at it.

Two people working on one person’s job meant they could finish by noon. Master Lin, who had been busy all morning, didn’t want to cook, so he decided to just buy something casual to eat. Yun Qi returned home with a pile of random things, and as soon as he entered, he burrowed into the room. He had to maintain his persona as an “Internet-addicted youth.”

Cell Phones were fun, and games were very engaging, but those were just a front.

Yun Qi opened the game, feeding kills like crazy, letting the AI crush him economically, push to the high ground, and then pausing. He pulled up a small window from the background, opened the offline content, and matched it to the photos in Lin Yan’s album one by one.

The sound of the courtyard gate opening and closing was heard, and Lin Yan’s voice came from outside: “Xiao Qi, time to eat.”

“Coming, coming.” Yun Qi responded verbally, but his hands didn’t stop moving.

It was quiet outside for two minutes, and then came another urging: “Xiao Qi, the food is getting cold.”

“Almost, almost.” Yun Qi turned off the pause of the offline game, fed two more kills, and let the AI attack the crystal.

The door was pushed open from the outside. Lin Yan snatched the Cellphone from Yun Qi’s hand. “What kind of horse are you riding? Saccharin?”

“Big Brother.” Yun Qi reached out to grab it. He finally managed to get the Cellphone back, only to see the AI’s minions shoot the final arrow at the crystal.

“The crystal… exploded.” The word “Defeat” flashed on the screen, and Yun Qi deflated.

Looking at the wilting mushroom in front of him, Lin Yan felt a moment of guilt. He cleared his throat, trying to maintain the non-existent authority. “Alright, stop playing. Go eat.”

This site has no pop-up ads, permanent domain (volarereads.com)