Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The two of them were stunned.

Yan Jihan, who always considered herself quite clever, struggled to recall — Teacher Lin?

Was it the Teacher Lin she was thinking of?

Lin Shengjin?!

But... But he's a man, isn't he?

Does Second Brother like men?

But his previous partner was Wen Changxiang.

She felt dizzy waves crashing over her.

Yan Jihan held her forehead, seemingly trying to find a support for her spinning mind.

Shen Sijian’s face darkened instantly.

His expression was so cold it seemed as if water could freeze from it.

He usually had a gentle demeanor with his family.

This was the first time Shen Siqin had seen him like this.

Shen Sijian clenched his fists tightly, veins bulging on his hands.

Yan Jihan noticed something was wrong and grabbed Shen Sijian’s hands. "Let's talk things out calmly, let's discuss this properly."

Violence won’t solve anything!

Wait, that’s not right.

Why am I treating my brother-in-law like a child?

Even in her confusion, Yan Jihan didn’t let go of her husband’s hands.

No matter what, violence is not the answer!!!

Shen Siqin looked straight at Shen Sijian without flinching, feeling a bit strange because according to the book, when Lin Shengjin later left due to a 'scandal,' Shen Sijian had commented that whether someone likes men or women is their own business, and those people had gone too far by making such a fuss.

Could it be that Shen Sijian is the type who supports others' choices rationally but can’t handle it when it comes to his own family?

Shen Sijian’s face turned red with anger, making the usually handsome man look somewhat menacing.

With his hands restrained by his wife, he couldn’t even slam the table.

All he could do was yell in a very aggrieved and unimposing manner.

"You like men, yet you dated Wen Changxiang! Aren’t you just misleading her?!"

Oh, he even lowered his voice to avoid waking the child.

Shen Siqin: "…"

Yan Jihan, holding her husband: Right, regardless of gender, isn’t Second Brother misleading the girl?

Yan Jihan released Shen Sijian’s hands and shot a sharp gaze at Shen Siqin.

Her eyes seemed to pierce through him.

Shen Siqin: "…"

It was the original host who did these terrible things!

This situation is truly unexplainable!

He couldn’t say that he hadn’t done these things.

So he chose silence.

When in doubt, remain silent.

If you’re going to get hit, stand straight.

Thinking about it, he was dating a young girl a few days ago and now he’s pursuing Lin Shengjin.

Ouch.

That’s really messed up.

"It doesn’t matter if you’re lazy or greedy; we should have some integrity. You’re not bad-looking, and the girl was willing to date you. Even if you were after her money, I wouldn’t say anything, as long as it was consensual."

"But now you pull this stunt. Explain yourself, explain yourself."

Shen Sijian tried to scold him but couldn’t find the words, instead reaching out his large hand—wiping his eyes.

He hadn’t taught his brother well.

He felt ashamed of himself before his parents!

Shen Siqin, expecting pain that never came, turned to see his older brother crying.

At first, he wiped his tears with his hand, then gradually started sobbing while clutching his head and biting his lip.

A tough guy shedding tears.

Shen Siqin: "???"

Alright, now he understood to what extent the male lead cared for his younger brother.

Not even hitting him!

Yan Jihan held Shen Sijian in her arms with concern, gently patting his shoulder.

"Second Brother, tell us clearly what happened." Yan Jihan thought that Second Brother seemed to be showing signs of reform and decided to give him a chance to explain himself.

Regarding this matter, Shen Siqin didn't even consider lying.

One lie would require countless more to cover it up.

Often, making things up on the spot wasn't difficult for Shen Siqin.

But not this time. He didn't want to plant any future emotional landmines for himself.

"About the past, I've been very clear. Wanting to take shortcuts was indeed a mistake. Now, I'm serious."

Seeing his sincerity, Yan Jihan felt somewhat moved.

She sighed and patted her husband's shoulder, saying, "Second Brother, as your sister-in-law, I should believe you, but I can't bring myself to say it sincerely."

She was speaking from the heart.

"I understand that."

The original character's credibility had been shattered.

Shen Siqin thought to himself.

"I was just about to mention that at noon, Sanlin is coming over for lunch, right?"

Yan Jihan nodded.

Even Shen Sijian's crying softened a bit.

Yan Jihan then realized something was off—how did it get decided that Sanlin would come over for lunch?

Thinking back to the taste of the braised chicken, Yan Jihan didn't object.

As a mother, who wouldn't want their child to eat well?

Shen Sijian, with tears in his tiger-like eyes, glared at Shen Siqin.

Seemingly trying to remind his brother not to mention the private funds.

Shen Siqin paused, now understanding why Sanlin always tried to communicate through looks.

It must have been learned from the male lead.

"If Lin Shengjin comes to buy something, I'll sell it to him; if he doesn't want to, I won't force him."

"Sanlin can vouch for me. In front of the child, what shameful thing could I possibly do?" Shen Siqin said.

Yan Jihan nodded.

Although her brother-in-law was unreliable, she didn't think he'd be that unreasonable.

He had even suggested moving the child away earlier.

Shen Sijian's tears lessened.

Shen Siqin secretly breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "I won't play tricks. Lin Shengjin isn't a woman; I can't directly pursue him. At most, I'll try to become friends with him first. I don't care about my reputation, but I still need to consider his."

"Fine, fine, you're at least a little sensible," Shen Sijian sniffled.

A university professor needs to maintain his reputation; he can't let Second Brother act recklessly.

Thinking about it, having Sanlin come over for meals might actually be useful.

Shen Siqin closed his eyes.

He sincerely reflected inwardly, apologizing to his brother.

Your crying is really unbearable; only your sister-in-law can tolerate you.

"He runs every day. If he doesn't like me, I can't force him, can I?" Shen Siqin lifted his not particularly strong arm. "I don't have the ability to do so anyway."

Hearing this, Shen Sijian almost choked on his own saliva!

What kind of talk is this!

But after sizing up his second brother,

he thought that what Second Brother said... made sense.

Shen Siqin was indeed a bit thin now.

His fitness plan hadn't started yet, and his arms lacked muscle.

"I won't ask anything else, just one more question," Shen Sijian wiped his tears and asked solemnly.

"This time, are you truly sincere?"

At these words, a faint smile appeared on Shen Siqin's lips.

"To say how deeply I love him, we've only met a few times. How could it be possible?"

"Only, it's so hard to find someone whose temperament and appearance both suit me. I want to give it my best effort."

He could swear by his health.

This was the truth.

Shen Sijian let out a long sigh of relief.

"Alright, you said it. If you cause any more trouble, I'll break your legs and lock you up in the countryside!" Shen Sijian said hoarsely.

This was the harshest punishment he could think of.

Shen Siqin felt warm inside, even though he knew that Shen Sijian's indulgence wasn't right.

But there was still a hint of emotion.

"I understand." He answered calmly after taking a deep breath.

Shen Libin found his parents strange today.

They were happy after eating their fill, but why did they seem preoccupied when they left?

He wisely kept quiet, only accepting the steamed buns from Uncle Sijian under his parents' hesitant gazes.

"Take the rest for breakfast tomorrow," Shen Siqin patted his little nephew's head.

After seeing them off, Shen Siqin breathed a sigh of relief.

Reaching such an understanding with his credit in shambles was already quite difficult.

Sigh, wanting to date is harder than being a couch potato.

Shen Siqin gave a helpless smile.

Despite his helplessness, his mood couldn't help but lift.

He hummed an off-key tune as he washed the dishes.

To celebrate, he decided to make a legendary beginner-level pastry for breakfast.

The ingredients were simple: cornstarch and low-gluten flour mixed in a 1:1 ratio by weight, sifted together; butter weighing about the same as the flour; sugar; and two cooked egg yolks, also sifted and mixed evenly.

Since the sugar was granulated, not powdered, Shen Siqin added a bit of milk powder to adjust the texture and dough consistency.

Having once again hand-mixed the butter and baked the low-gluten flour, Shen Siqin thought he needed to find a way to buy a mixer next time.

If there was no mixer, modifying an electric drill might work!

If making pastries always required 'arm workouts,' it would be too exhausting.

Dividing the dough into small portions, he pinched each one, flattening them into round, flat cookies with a few tiny cracks at the edges, making them look even cuter.

Finally, he placed them in the oven.

Twenty minutes later.

Margherita cookies were done!

These cookies were easy to make, and the recipe could be adjusted. As long as the dough consistency was right, they almost never failed.

Shen Siqin divided the cooled cookies into three portions. One portion was for his elder brother's family as a snack.

One portion was for his own breakfast.

The last portion was neatly arranged in a round metal mooncake tin.

*******

In the early morning.

Lin Shengjin warmed up methodically, preparing for his run.

He heard footsteps approaching and someone slowly rotating their wrists and ankles.

The movements seemed a bit unpracticed.

Lin Shengjin didn't pay much attention. After finishing his warm-up, he turned towards the track.

That's when he saw who was standing beside him.

"Good morning, Teacher Lin!"

Lin Shengjin instinctively turned to look.

He met Shen Siqin, dressed in blue sportswear.

Bathed in the sunlight, Shen Siqin's smile was refreshing and bright.

Whether it was the sun or the person's smile that was blinding, Lin Shengjin instinctively looked away.

He had a feeling that Shen Siqin had deliberately smiled so charmingly at him.

This thought was quickly suppressed by Lin Shengjin, who silently repeated: Don't overthink it! Don't overthink it! Don't overthink it!

What he didn't know was that Shen Siqin had indeed adjusted his angle to let the sunlight enhance his features!

After finishing his simulation, Lin Shengjin asked without looking at Shen Siqin, "Why are you here?"

Shen Siqin shrugged. "To exercise."

Though this body is likely to live a long life, it still needs some maintenance.

Moreover, he wanted to come over today and try his luck.

To see if he could run into Lin Shengjin during his morning exercise.

"Meeting you openly is not easy."

"Openly?"

Lin Shengjin blurted out, "Are you really being kept locked up?"

He recalled Shen Siqin's appearance that night; he did look like he was being confined.

This time, it was Shen Siqin's turn to be taken aback.

He didn't quite understand what Lin Shengjin meant.

Lin Shengjin's lips curled slightly, his eyes curved with a smile as he turned around. "Feel free; I'm going for a run."

Shen Siqin blinked his perfectly almond-shaped eyes.

He quickly caught up.