IHOEAYSTTTIW Chapter 91

“You have a conscience after all, knowing enough to…” Lin Yan counted the days on his fingers.

The first seventh day, the second seventh day, the third seventh day, exactly twenty-one days.

“Knowing enough to come into my dreams on the third seventh day.”

Yun Qi looked at the wound on Lin Yan’s forehead, his heart twinging. He wiped away the blood seeping from Lin Yan’s wound and gently comforted, “Brother, this isn’t a dream, I’m back.”

Lin Yan didn’t believe him, but he didn’t want to argue with Yun Qi. He busied himself examining the person before him, affectionately pinching Yun Qi’s face. “The texture is so bad, how did you lose so much weight? Where’s all the meat I worked so hard to feed you?”

Yun Qi felt a little pain from the pinching, but he tentatively snuggled closer to Lin Yan.

Lin Yan didn’t push him away. Instead, he ruffled Yun Qi’s hair and continued, “Tell me, what were you trying to get by staying by my side? Was it for those seeds? You could have just said so. You ancient people are so reserved, why go to so much trouble?”

For the seeds?

That could be a reason, but it was never the main point. If I said what I wanted was… for you to stay here with me, would you agree?

Yun Qi chased the big cat White out of Lin Yan’s arms, took its place, and, like a cat, batted his eyelashes, acting cute and affectionate.

“It’s not like I’m a stingy person. If you ask, I’ll give you anything.” The more Lin Yan said, the angrier he became. He raised his hand fiercely and gave Yun Qi a sharp flick on the forehead. “I trusted you so much, and all I got in return was this melodramatic story? Don’t you think that’s too much?”

Yun Qi covered his head, completely missing the point.

That story isn’t melodramatic at all! All the novels on your cellphone have this kind of plot!

As long as I ask, you’ll give me anything? Really? Then does that mean…

“You finally got what you wanted, so why are you still sticking around me?” Lin Yan pushed Yun Qi away, looked into his eyes, and asked, one word at a time, “Do you… like me?”

The change in tone was too sudden. Yun Qi wasn’t prepared at all. He stammered, trying to find the right words, “Brother, I…”

In Lin Yan’s eyes, that was a rejection.

Lin Yan was a little disappointed, but not surprised.

The Yun Qi he remembered was like this, like a gourd with its mouth sawed off. It was easy to get him to do things, but getting him to say the truth… was harder than finding a pig that could climb trees.

“Even now, you still won’t admit it.” Lin Yan pouted, hugged Yun Qi tightly again, and tears welled up in his eyes as he grumbled about the unfairness of the world. “It’s ridiculous. Other people who transmigrate become powerful figures, but I just became a naive fool. Forget ascending the throne, I can’t even go home, and I even got tricked out of my body and heart by you, you little ingrate…”

Yun Qi was stunned, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.

What did Brother just say?

Tricked out of my body and heart?

He tricked me out of my body and heart?

So…

Brother likes him?

Little flowers bloomed in Yun Qi’s heart. He didn’t hear anything else Lin Yan said after that, only repeatedly replaying the words “tricked out of my body and heart.”

“I’ve said my piece, is it time?” Lin Yan picked up the dazed Yun Qi and pushed him towards the door with a hard heart. “Get out.”

Yun Qi, who was suddenly pushed away, felt very wronged, but he didn’t say anything.

He only wanted to protect Brother in secret, but now he regretted it. He wanted to stay by Brother’s side until… Brother left.

If he wanted to stay by Brother’s side, he had to be obedient, well-behaved, and sensible. What did Brother just say?

Roll?

Yun Qi curled himself into a ball, spun around, and rolled.

Lin Yan raised his eyebrows, the corners of his mouth twitching upward uncontrollably. “When did you become so practical…”

Yun Qi blinked obediently, looking innocent.

“Take this to eat on the way.” Lin Yan took two pancakes from the pot, pulled out a few bank-notes from his arms, stuffed them all into Yun Qi’s arms, and reluctantly sent him out, muttering instructions, “When you get to the underworld, remember to tell your ancestors to read less of those trashy online novels. Be more careful when choosing people in the future, and don’t mess with clueless college students like us.”

Lin Yan sent Yun Qi out the door.

The cold wind from outside blew in, making Lin Yan shiver.

He felt his mind gradually clearing, and he was about to wake up from his dream. Lin Yan looked at Yun Qi again, waved his hand, and reluctantly closed the door, preparing to face the empty room and endless loneliness.

Lin Yan closed his eyes and opened them again, opened them again and closed them again.

The scene before him didn’t change. The cramped Kitchen, the burning fireplace, and the noticeably reduced bank-notes were still there.

He pinched his arm, and then cried out in pain.

Good, he wasn’t dreaming. That little liar was back.

Lin Yan opened the door expressionlessly and, sure enough, saw the little liar squatting pitifully at the door, gnawing on that pancake that looked so unappetizing.

“Where did this little beggar come from?” Lin Yan said expressionlessly, chasing him away. “This young master has already given you two pancakes, why don’t you leave quickly?”

Yun Qi shrank into the corner and took a bite of the pancake.

The teeth collided with the sweet pancake, making a crisp “click” sound, which was reminiscent of weathered tiles falling from a dilapidated building. The rich, burnt taste exploded in the mouth, and the crumbs fell like debris from an explosion site.

“How is it?” Lin Yan reluctantly suppressed his heartache, casually poured a cup of tea, and turned back to the door to continue admiring Yun Qi’s embarrassment.

Yun Qi used the tip of his tongue to press against his upper palate, trying to peel off the stubborn pancake crumbs. Hearing Lin Yan say this, he immediately raised an exaggerated smile, the sweet taste making his voice tremble uncontrollably: “This… this earthy, burnt aroma paired with the grainy texture of the coarse sugar…”

The burning sensation that suddenly surged into Yun Qi’s throat made him crack, the ending turning into a strange gurgling sound.

“Drink some water.” Lin Yan’s voice was cool as he haughtily dragged Yun Qi into the Kitchen. “This young master is in a good mood, so I’ll make an exception and let you eat in the Kitchen.”

The warm water slid down his esophagus, and Yun Qi felt like he had been resurrected, almost bursting into tears.

The strange taste was diluted, so… continue?

Yun Qi looked at the half-eaten pancake in his hand and opened his mouth to take a second bite.

“This kind of good stuff is too cheap for you to eat. I’m going to save it for White.” Lin Yan snatched the pancake from Yun Qi’s hand and threw it in front of White.

White, who hadn’t eaten anything good in half a month, woke up to find that its dietary standards had been lowered again. Its fur instantly stood on end, and it let out a sharp, explosive sound.

“As for you…” Lin Yan glanced at Yun Qi, who was about to cry from being wronged, and quickly looked away.

Lin Yan looked around the Kitchen and finally found some surviving ingredients.

A wilted little green vegetable, an egg that was probably premature because it was so tiny, enough flour to make half a steamed bun, and a bowl of lard that he hadn’t noticed earlier…

A perfect home-style meal.

Lin Yan put the ingredients on the table, ordered Yun Qi to sit on the stool in the corner like he was training White, and then rubbed his hands together.

“I’m just making some dumpling soup, don’t get any ideas!” Lin Yan chopped the cutting board loudly, the vegetable leaves breaking into emerald stars under the blade. The warm light in the Kitchen enveloped his flushed ear tips.

The dumplings had to be evenly sized.

Lin Yan dipped his fingertips in flour and lightly touched the warm water, the silver spoon stirring clockwise, drawing ripples on the bottom of the porcelain bowl, the flour flocculent condensing into pearl-like round balls.

“Big or small, it can all be eaten anyway…” Lin Yan muttered, but his hands honestly broke the slightly larger dough in half.

The cast iron pot gurgled and bubbled, the lard rolling in the water, the water droplets splashing up as the dumplings were put into the pot, Yun Qi looked a little frightened, but Lin Yan’s rhythm of stirring the soup spoon was not disturbed at all, the egg liquid falling into silk, not a single lump.

“Salty or bland, it won’t poison you anyway…” Lin Yan said “won’t poison you,” but he tasted the soup three times while scooping it, and finally sprinkled salt into the pot like he was weighing reagents in the laboratory.

The soup started to bubble, Lin Yan slammed the bowl fiercely on the table and ordered in a harsh voice: “Eat.”