Chapter 73

Chapter 73

Shen Siqin's beautiful almond eyes were fixed intently on Lin Shengjin.

A flush slowly crept up Lin Shengjin's cheeks.

Fortunately, the darkness concealed it.

Lin Shengjin quickly typed two characters.

"Sleep!"

He hurriedly showed Shen Siqin the screen and then flipped over to face away from him.

Shen Siqin: "…"

Teacher Lin is really shy.

We've just confirmed our relationship, and he doesn't want to chat anymore?

Lin Shengjin demonstrated with his actions that he didn't want to talk any further!

Shen Siqin placed his phone back on the bedside table, lay down flat, and closed his eyes.

But he couldn't fall asleep at all.

He could hear the ticking of the wall clock, the sound of his own heartbeat, and the uneven breathing of Teacher Lin beside him.

All these sounds composed a gentle nocturne in the quiet night.

It took a long time for Shen Siqin to finally drift off to sleep.

Lin Shengjin thought he wouldn't be able to sleep either.

But as the surging joy gradually faded, fatigue washed over him.

His regular sleep schedule made him feel drowsy.

Lin Shengjin originally wanted to savor the feeling of his heart being filled.

In a daze, he fell asleep.

In his dream, he seemed to be in a university classroom.

He immediately recognized it as the large lecture hall in Building No. 3.

Lin Shengjin was puzzled.

Although he loved his job, wasn't it a bit too much to dream about work while sleeping?!

Lin Shengjin thought idly.

He felt very lucid, after all, knowing he was dreaming and still thinking logically.

Lin Shengjin soon saw a haggard 'Lin Shengjin' appear at the door.

His eyes widened involuntarily.

This is me?

Judging by the appearance, it seems to be a few years later?

Why am I having such a dream? Is it reminding me to take my work seriously?

Lin Shengjin's thoughts were jumbled.

The 'him' in this dream looked much more mature.

He appeared very reliable.

Though somewhat haggard, he was still handsome!

Lin Shengjin blinked and carefully examined this more mature version of himself.

Thinking about it... this is how I'll be in the future.

Apart from looking gloomy, I'm still quite reliable.

Lin Shengjin listened to himself give a lecture.

Although the 'him' in the dream looked gloomy, his teaching skills were still impressive.

However, during this class, Lin Shengjin only lectured halfway before arranging for the teaching assistant to supervise the students doing practice problems in class, to be submitted before the end, as a midterm test, which would count towards their final grade.

"This teaching assistant looks familiar too."

"Is it Sun Yanghong?!"

'Sun Yanghong' still had a gentle demeanor, but the childishness had faded. Sitting on the podium, he managed the class well.

Lin Shengjin originally wanted to look at his outstanding student for a bit longer.

But his body uncontrollably followed the departing 'Lin Shengjin' in the dream.

"I seem to be a spirit behind someone."

Lin Shengjin found today's dream incredibly strange.

The 'him' in the dream hurriedly left the school.

Rushing to attend a funeral.

Seeing the vigorous and spirited senior brother in the black-and-white photograph.

Lin Shengjin was shocked almost beyond thought.

Although Wen Shouhong was much older than him, he still looked young, and Wen Shouhong should still be in his prime. How could he have died?

This can't be happening!

In the mourning hall, Wen Changxiang wept her heart out.

Someone was gently supporting her, seemingly trying to console her.

Lin Shengjin stared blankly at the somewhat familiar profile.

"Brother Lin, our patriarch just left, and my father is gone too. Both my father and the patriarch are gone. What am I supposed to do now?"

'Wen Changxiang' rushed into 'Lin Shengjin's' arms like a fledgling swallow returning to its nest.

'Lin Shengjin' patted Wen Changxiang's back comfortingly.

But his sharp gaze fell on 'Shen Siqin' standing nearby.

Shen Siqin?!

Could it really be him?

No, it doesn't seem like him.

Shen Siqin would never slick his hair back in such an oily manner or display such a dark expression.

Lin Shengjin watched all of this as if he were an outsider.

As if watching a surreal tragicomedy.

"Professor Lin, my wife seems to be quite close with you."

'Wen Changxiang' lifted her head from 'Lin Shengjin's' chest and glared at 'Shen Siqin' playfully: "What are you talking about?"

"I'm just feeling jealous."

'Shen Siqin' spread his arms in mock hurt. "You didn't even cry in my arms."

'Wen Changxiang' managed a slight smile but quickly suppressed it. She stepped away from 'Lin Shengjin' and gave him an apologetic smile.

"Brother Lin, please don't mind him. He acts like he hasn't grown up."

"It's fine."

'Lin Shengjin' only said two words.

Strange.

The gentle and refined Wen Changxiang felt so unfamiliar.

Wen Changxiang should be someone who takes things in stride, especially after her graduation trip. Having seen so much, she had a serene demeanor. The person in front of him, although recognizable from her small gestures, seemed to have been deliberately spoiled.

Even Shen Siqin, who appeared normal on the surface but made him feel repulsed, was also unfamiliar.

Though Shen Siqin might speak without filter, this is a mourning hall! Shen Siqin would never flirt here!!

Absolutely impossible.

These two people felt like strangers to him.

Suddenly, Lin Shengjin wondered why he was having this dream.

Was it just to show him this absurd farce?

If that's the case, this dream is truly disgusting.

A sudden realization struck him.

He thought, if Shen Siqin hadn't told the truth that day but instead took Wen Changxiang away, this might be what the future would look like!!

Both the teacher and the eldest senior brother are gone, yet life must go on.

Lin Shengjin saw himself drowning himself in work to numb the pain.

In reality, 'Lin Shengjin' was secretly investigating Wen Shouhong's medical records.

Neither the 'Lin Shengjin' in the dream nor the dreaming Lin Shengjin believed Wen Shouhong would pass away so young.

'Lin Shengjin' found little useful information.

But soon, he discovered a crumpled piece of paper among his teacher's belongings.

The wrinkled note was hidden under the bed.

If 'Lin Shengjin' hadn't been thorough in cleaning the house left by his master and master's wife, he wouldn't have found this crumpled note.

'Lin Shengjin' unfolded the note and saw the wobbly handwriting.

From it, he learned that this was a note written by 'Wen Shouhong,' tossed under the bed while visiting his critically ill teacher.

At that time, he had already suffered a 'stroke,' and 'Shen Siqin' and 'Wen Changxiang' were taking care of him.

It took him several months to write this note.

The letter not only detailed Wen Shouhong's final situation but also mentioned that he believed he had been poisoned and hoped Lin Shengjin would seek justice for him. Additionally, if possible, he asked Lin Shengjin to take care of Wen Changxiang and his grandson.

Wen Shouhong eventually sensed something was amiss. He did not trust his daughter, who he believed had been rendered useless, nor did he trust Shen Sijian, with whom he had collaborated for many years. After all, Shen Sijian was Shen Siqin's brother, and he could not be sure whether Shen Sijian knew about everything.

As for others, whether they were relatives leeching off him or subordinates around him, he could not trust any of them.

In the end, the only person he could believe in was his junior martial brother, who was not particularly close!

"Would Shen Siqin do such a thing?" Lin Shengjin watched as his dream self conducted the investigation, yet he found himself troubled.

Shen Siqin was clearly someone who could laugh it off even if someone stole his techniques right in front of him—a man of great magnanimity.

He would never stoop so low as to do something so underhanded.

The Shen Siqin he knew and the Shen Siqin in his dream were like morning sunlight warming the earth and a rat skulking in the gutter.

Lin Shengjin simply could not equate the two.

This dream was long and gave Lin Shengjin enough time to ponder.

Perhaps the two versions of Shen Siqin were fundamentally different!

Recalling the information Wen Changxiang uncovered about Shen Siqin's behavior in the village, Lin Shengjin vaguely arrived at an unbelievable conclusion.

Perhaps the dark and cunning Shen Siqin in the dream was the real Shen Siqin!

Lin Shengjin watched as Shen Siqin, upon discovering something was wrong, sent people to investigate him. He saw old information about himself being dug up, and Shen Siqin, after learning that he liked men, hired a bunch of boys to tarnish his reputation.

He was expelled.

With his teacher gone, he was expelled too.

He left N City in disgrace.

Fortunately, many of his friends and students still believed in and helped him, allowing him to start anew step by step.

Perhaps he truly had a knack for business; in just five years, he became a more powerful boss than Wen Shouhong, albeit choosing the familiar field of civil engineering.

Five years later, he returned, no longer a teacher. Even though he liked men, many people merely saw it as changing the gender of those he associated with.

What did it matter?

However, his dream self did not accept this. Upon returning, he immediately began investigating the past.

Shen Siqin, who had taken over Wen Shouhong's business, was a formidable opponent in Lin Shengjin's eyes, requiring stealthy investigation.

But after five years, Lin Shengjin, now investing back in N City, no longer feared the small figure of Shen Siqin.

With the Wu family's help, he quickly found clues, though the evidence was incomplete due to the passage of time. After careful deliberation, the dream Lin Shengjin presented the fragmented clues to Shen Sijian.

Shen Sijian, after grieving, was convinced to help with the investigation.

Shen Sijian had never suspected Shen Siqin of murder.

Similarly, Shen Siqin looked down on his brother, whom he had always manipulated, focusing his attention on the openly returned Lin Shengjin and not guarding against Shen Sijian.

Soon, Lin Shengjin saw himself standing with Shen Sijian, watching the resentful Shen Siqin being taken away.

His dream self's face was cold, like a deep, tranquil lake, calm and unfathomable.

It was the mature demeanor he had imagined for himself.

Only, the process was very different from what he had envisioned.

Lin Shengjin sat up abruptly.

His heavy, panicked breathing echoed in the living room.

Lin Shengjin looked around the familiar living room, momentarily disoriented.

"What's wrong?" Shen Siqin, hearing the commotion, groggily sat up, noticing Lin Shengjin's panic. Reaching out to rub Lin Shengjin's head, he was suddenly dodged.

Lin Shengjin looked at him with a stranger's wary gaze.

Shen Siqin's heart sank with each tick of the clock.

Such a look and reaction...

A likely guess began to form in his mind.

Teacher Lin seemed to know he was not the original Shen Siqin.

Lin Shengjin slowly lowered his gaze. In the dim light of the bedside lamp, Shen Siqin noticed Lin Shengjin glancing towards the bedroom direction. Lin Shengjin, hesitating, turned to fumble around the pillow for his phone.

Shen Siqin knew he was looking for his phone.

This person was always so restrained; even now, his questioning was silent and controlled.

Shen Siqin reached out and gently held Lin Shengjin's hand searching for the phone, feeling it tremble slightly.

Sighing inwardly, he silently withdrew his hand and swiftly retrieved Lin Shengjin's phone from beside the bed.

He pulled Lin Shengjin's hand and placed the phone in his palm.

The cool phone felt like a burn to Lin Shengjin's hand, which instinctively closed around the phone Shen Siqin had placed in it.

Lin Shengjin lifted his eyes and met Shen Siqin's gentle gaze. Although Shen Siqin did not speak, Lin Shengjin seemed to hear him say, "Ask what you want to ask."