IHOEAYSTTTIW Chapter 28

Chapter 28 He’s Sincere to You… Ah, Yes, Yes, Yes, You’re Right.

Chapter 28 He’s Sincere to You… Ah, Yes, Yes, Yes, You’re Right.

Lin Yan comfortably finished his bath but couldn’t get into bed right away. He had to pour the water out first before he could rest. Fortunately, Great Zhou in June wasn’t too cold or too hot, so this bit of pre-sleep exercise was bearable.

“So troublesome,” Lin Yan muttered as he walked outside, “I want to go home, I want a water heater.”

He casually dumped the water in the courtyard and was about to go to sleep when he saw a bit of light coming from the shop.

It’s so late, everyone should be asleep, right? Could it be that the shop’s renovation was too extravagant, attracting thieves?

Lin Yan hesitated slightly but decided to go take a look.

There were rustling sounds in the shop, and the sound of sobbing became clearer and clearer. Lin Yan’s legs started to tremble, his back was soaked with cold sweat, and all sorts of strange tales flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern.

If body transmigration is real, then embroidered shoes and ghost brides might also exist, right?

Lin Yan looked down at the wooden basin in his hand and instantly felt confident.

Peach wood, dispels evil spirits, it looks like a handy weapon.

Lin Yan tiptoed to the door, gently pushed it open, and the unlubricated door creaked, sounding particularly clear in the quiet night.

The sobbing in the shop stopped abruptly, and a familiar voice, laced with sobs, came from inside the shop: “Who’s there?”

It was Cheng Que.

“It’s me, Lin Yan,” Lin Yan’s heart instantly relaxed, followed by a bit of disappointment at not seeing a ghost. He obediently held the basin properly; there was no trace of how he was just about to use the basin as a weapon.

“Cheng Que, why haven’t you gone back to rest?” Lin Yan deliberately slowed his pace as he walked, giving Cheng Que plenty of time to adjust his expression.

“It’s, it’s nothing,” Cheng Que pretended to tidy up the counter, forcing a smile. “Thank you for your concern, Master Lin. I’ll go rest right away… right away.”

“Hey, what’s with the ‘Master Lin’?” Lin Yan raised an eyebrow, pretending not to notice Cheng Que’s unusual behavior. He casually helped tidy up things that didn’t really need tidying, chatting casually, “I’m a year older than you, just call me big brother like Yun Qi does.”

Cheng Que was about to shake his head, but the pendant on his ear began to warn him about overstepping. He quickly reduced his movements, gently waving his hand according to what he had learned, and whispered a rejection: “That won’t do, Master Mo will be jealous.”

Lin Yan pouted but didn’t reply.

Cheng Que and Gu Zhan really weren’t a family; they didn’t think alike. They had the same view of him and Yun Qi.

Having just discovered Yun Qi’s improper intentions, Lin Yan didn’t bother to dwell on the matter. Between “go back to sleep” and “let him be,” Lin Yan chose to gossip about others.

Lin Yan glanced at the purse on Cheng Que’s waist, which was clearly a matching pair with Gu Zhan’s, and teased, “Speaking of which, why aren’t you going back with Old Gu?”

Cheng Que used his lapel to cover the purse, whispering, “I’m not married to him yet, why would I go to his home?”

“True, being so close, it’s almost the same whether you live together or not,” Lin Yan assumed Cheng Que was just shy and continued to tease, “Once you two get married, you should be living together.”

Cheng Que chuckled softly, shaking his head, and his whole person looked even more lost: “That day will never come.”

Lin Yan felt that something was strange with Cheng Que. He carefully examined Cheng Que and realized that Cheng Que wasn’t shy, but rather seemed to have been touched on a sore spot.

…

Lin Yan vaguely guessed that something was wrong between the two, but he didn’t want to admit it. He tried to defend Gu Zhan: “How could that be? I think Old Gu is really good to you.”

“A Ge’er bought for two hundred taels of silver, of course they have to cherish them,” Cheng Que’s smile became even more bitter, and his hand unconsciously went to touch the purse at his waist.

Lin Yan remembered how Gu Zhan cherished the purse that day, and looking at Cheng Que’s current state, he vaguely guessed where the problem lay.

That day, Cheng Que’s second mother came to make trouble, Gu Zhan helped Cheng Que out of the situation, and Cheng Que was grateful to him, even willing to give his most precious shop as a thank you gift. If Gu Zhan had signed for 50% of Xiang Wei’s shares, or directly made Cheng Que write an IOU, Cheng Que wouldn’t have felt inferior, but the Gu family refused to take anything, and Gu Zhan casually said, “This is the money my mother left me to marry a wife, you can be my wife.”

The problem lay in Gu Zhan’s words. Gu Zhan made a joke, but Cheng Que took it seriously.

Cheng Que really thought that Gu Zhan had bought him, so he accommodated him in every way, was careful and cautious, and spoke and acted cautiously.

“He’s not just playing around with you,” Lin Yan explained dryly, but Cheng Que, who was usually the most easily persuaded, didn’t react at all.

The one who tied the bell must untie it; Lin Yan’s words had little effect.

“Perhaps,” Cheng Que only thought that Lin Yan was spoiled by Yun Qi and naturally thought that everyone was sincere. He clenched the purse at his waist, and his words carried a rare firmness, “After I pay back those two hundred taels of silver, then… we’ll talk about it.”

Lin Yan felt that this melon was bitter and astringent. He didn’t expect that his casual words would actually make Cheng Que so sad.

Hearing that Cheng Que wanted to save money to “redeem himself,” Lin Yan quickly “made amends.” He patted his chest and confidently guaranteed: “A mere two hundred taels, it only takes half a year… no, three months to save up. With my skills, Xiang Wei will definitely be crowded…”

“Empty, it’s really empty,” the shopkeeper of Yi Pin Ju across from Xiang Wei leaned on the door frame, clicking his tongue with a contemptuous look.

Gu Zhan glared fiercely at the shopkeeper of Yi Pin Lou, then turned to look at Xiang Wei’s signboard and scratched his head: “Why isn’t there even one person?”

“Tsk, it would be strange if there were,” the shopkeeper of Yi Pin Lou rolled his eyes and took out a copper gong from somewhere, shouting wildly, “Take a look, take a look, Yi Pin Lou’s three years, two months, and eight days grand sale! All dishes are 2% off!”

Three years, two months, and eight days, a completely non-integer number of days, a discount that was almost invisible.

The shopkeeper of the cloth shop next door poked his head out and teased, “Old Luo, you’re too stingy, only 2% off.”

Shopkeeper Luo bowed slightly, smiling without saying a word.

There was an unwritten rule in the Capital City: when a competitor opened, their own store would offer a discount. Shopkeeper Luo didn’t want to break this rule, but with Xiang Wei in this state, giving a 2% discount was already giving him face.

“Having a discount is already good, this street originally only had Old Luo’s store, but now…” a passerby glanced at Xiang Wei’s sign and shook his head repeatedly, “It’s still only one store.”

“Hey, how are you talking?” Gu Zhan patted the door frame and pointed to the top of his head, “Can’t you see such a big sign?”

The passerby glanced at it, casually perfunctory: “Saw it, saw it, both eyes saw it.”

“Give this little master some face, come in and try it?” Gu Zhan never begged anyone, but for Cheng Que, he was willing to stand at the door and solicit customers.

Gu Zhan’s bushy beard and loud voice, coupled with his nearly two-meter height, looked like a thug at the entrance of a black shop, soliciting customers like robbing customers. Entering the shop would be rewarded, with a reward of becoming a human meat bun.

“No, thanks, I want to live a few more years,” the passerby looked at Gu Zhan, then looked at Xiang Wei’s decor, shaking his head like a rattle.

“Please come inside, guest, what would you like to order today?” The waiter of Yi Pin Lou warmly greeted him, directly inviting the person into his own store, giving Gu Zhan a smug look before entering.