Chapter 72 Wrecking the House

Chapter 72: Wrecking the House

Coincidentally, they arrived at the Lin residence just then, and the car slowly came to a stop at the entrance.

Lin Qihua stared at the young driver with a faint, knowing smile until he began to sweat and squirm.

"Miss, we're home. Why are you looking at me like that?"

The young driver was now clearly uncomfortable.

He hadn't been working there long, and when he first started, the young mistress hadn't returned to the country yet. Today was his first time seeing her, and he hadn't expected her to be so beautiful. Surprisingly, she also seemed like quite the party girl.

The Lin family only had this one daughter. If he could marry her, wouldn't that mean he could essentially take over the Lin family?

So, when he overheard them discussing Lin Qihua's marriage arrangements and that things didn't seem to be going smoothly, he couldn't resist chiming in.

Miss Lin could definitely look beyond and not just focus on those second or third-generation rich kids. They were mostly useless, just living off their ancestors' achievements. Hardworking guys with ambition like him were clearly a much better choice.

But he hadn't expected that after his impulsive remark, Miss Lin would respond with what sounded like sarcastic remarks. And although she was very pretty, the way she stared at people was truly intimidating—he was really starting to feel uneasy.

"Nothing."

Lin Qihua retracted her intense stare, opened the car door, and stepped out briskly, leaving behind only a lingering scent.

The Lin couple also got out of the car. Normally, the car would be driven directly into the courtyard, but today they didn't want to ride with this driver any longer.

They would have to find out who hired this driver—both he and whoever recruited him could get their things and leave the Lin family together.

If anyone wanted to make a move on the Lin family, they'd better check if they were even qualified.

……

News of the Yan family's interest in marrying into the Lin family spread quickly. After all, both families were well-known families in Beijing, and such news was impossible to keep under wraps.

For a while, everyone was trying to find out more about the potential marriage alliance, but no useful details emerged.

That was because the Yan and Lin families hadn't actually reached any substantial agreement, and the marriage discussions were temporarily put on hold.

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During their last meal together, Bai Rong had noticed that the proposed marriage seemed to have made both Yan Anxuan and Bu Qiran quite unhappy.

Bai Rong really didn't understand it. Lin Qihua's looks, family background, and personality were more than a match for either of the brothers. It was just a meeting, not a finalized arrangement—why were they so upset?

It was only later, when she discussed it with Yan Ren, that she realized Yan Zhoubai, who had reason to feel guilty, was all smiles for some reason.

On the night after the meal with the Lin family, Yan Zhoubai didn't return home with them. Instead, he went shopping with Lin Qihua and came back carrying a small cake.

When Bai Rong asked if Lin Qihua had bought it, he first said no, then yes, stammering nervously.

If she didn't know what kind of person he was, Bai Rong would have suspected that his nervousness meant he and Lin Qihua had done something they wanted to keep from the parents.

It was at that moment that Bai Rong convinced herself: if Yan Zhoubai also liked or was willing to be with Lin Qihua, she would agree to it.

But when she asked, Yan Zhoubai made it clear that he didn't like Lin Qihua in that way at all—it was purely that they got along well as friends.

After the Lin family returned, there was no further news, so the matter was temporarily shelved.

Lately, Bai Rong wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but she felt like Bu Qiran was always picking on Yan Zhoubai.

Although the outcome was usually the two of them fighting or arguing, causing chaos in the house—to the point where the servants would avoid being in the same room as them to avoid getting caught in the middle—Bai Rong always felt that Bu Qiran was the one provoking Yan Zhoubai.

When Bu Qiran first returned home, Bai Rong had found him could do no wrong, after all, he was her biological son who had suffered for over a decade away from home. Consequently, she couldn't stand the sight of Yan Zhoubai.

Especially after Yan Zhoubai returned from Cangru Temple, his temper had noticeably worsened. He used to be quiet and shy, but now he wouldn't hesitate to complain about the smallest thing, and he'd make sure everyone heard it.

Logically, Bai Rong should have disliked this change, but instead of feeling displeased as expected, she found herself thinking that Yan Zhoubai actually had a right to be upset.

Recently, she had acted as a mediator in conflicts between Yan Zhoubai and Bu Qiran more than once. She never thought she'd have to do such things after the children had already grown up. It seemed she had to make up for lost time.

"It was him! He was the one who touched my rabbit plushie first—he almost tore its ear off!" Yan Zhoubai shouted in Bai Rong's ear.

"I didn't do it on purpose! I just thought it was cute and wanted to play with it, but I didn't realize my grip was too strong. Your rabbit is too fragile—I barely used any force and almost pulled its ear off. The quality is just poor. Stop making a fuss, and I'll buy you a new one, okay?"

Bu Qiran stood beside Yan Zhoubai. Seeing him run to Bai Rong to tattle, Bu Qiran reached out with his long arm, pulled Yan Zhoubai close, and started dragging him away from behind.

"How old are you, still tattling to Mom? Are you a mama's boy?"

Yan Zhoubai always made a scene, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

Sometimes, Bu Qiran thought mischievously that Yan Zhoubai was like a toy that makes noise—bully him, and he'd make a sound. It was incredibly amusing, so he couldn't resist bullying him a little more.

He also realized that when he bullied Yan Zhoubai, he could naturally engage in some physical contact with him. He didn't want to overthink what he was doing—if it felt good, that was reason enough.

Once again, he tried to drag Yan Zhoubai away as he had done before. They were both adults now, and their arguments were always over petty arguments. Bai Rong surely didn't have time to deal with such things—she'd likely leave them to resolve it privately.

But to his surprise, Bai Rong stopped them this time.

"Ranran, what are you doing? Can't you see Xiao Bai is uncomfortable? How can you drag him around like that?" Bai Rong frowned.

It felt like in just a few days, Bu Qiran had become less likable in her eyes, taking on some of the rough, unruly demeanor she had always disliked.

Bu Qiran hadn't grown up in the Yan family, and the couple who took him away weren't respectable people. It was normal for him to have some street habits. When he first returned, Bai Rong hadn't found it bothersome, but now it felt increasingly wrong.

Hearing Bai Rong's words, Bu Qiran stopped. Yan Zhoubai took the opportunity to escape from his grip, quickly stepped aside, and made a fist at him.

Watch it, I'm not incapable of fighting back. I'm just giving you some face because Mom is here. You'd better not push me too far.

"I was just playing around with Xiao Bai," Bu Qiran said, using his usual excuse.

"He wasn't! He was bullying me! Mom, when you're not around, he bullies me! He's always touching my things and getting handsy with me!"

Yan Zhoubai immediately called him out. Bu Qiran was a total jerk. Lately, he seemed to have gone crazy—he wasn't even going out to loaf around anymore, just relentlessly picking on him. It was just crazy.

"Playing around? This isn't the first time. The last few times you two made a racket at home, I wrote it off as roughhousing. But recently, the servants have told me that when I'm not home, you two almost wreck the house. What, didn't get to wreck the place as kids, so you're making up for it now?"

After speaking, Bai Rong seemed to realize her tone was too harsh. She turned to Yan Zhoubai and whispered, "I didn't mean you."

"I wrecked things when I was a kid too, just not in the Yan family. You didn't see it, Mom," Bu Qiran muttered.

This comment was clearly meant to soften Bai Rong's heart. In the past, whenever he brought up his childhood, she would immediately overlook whatever he had done and be overwhelmed with guilt over his years away from home.

Upon hearing this, Yan Zhoubai mouthed the word "despicable" at him. Bu Qiran had gotten good at using such tactics lately, and it was really annoying.

But surprisingly, the trick didn't work today.

"I didn't see it then, but I see it now. If you really have nothing better to do, go intern at your brother's company. Stop provoking Xiao Bai at home all day. You're both eighteen, not eight. I don't want to come home after a long day and have to act as referee for you two."

These were the harshest words Yan Zhoubai could ever imagine Bai Rong saying to Bu Qiran, and today, he heard them for real.

But the recent Bu Qiran was not the same as before—the one who seemed understanding, emotionally intelligent, and knew how to talk to anyone. He immediately retorted:

"Isn't Little Bai just lazing around at home too? Why doesn't Mom find something for him to do?"

"Who says I'm idle! I'm waiting for my college entrance exam results. After I finish submitting my applications, I have my own things to do. Then you'll be the only one at home acting like a dumb Husky!"

Yan Zhoubai was furious that he was said to have nothing to do. He was a person with strong career ambitions, but he needed to confirm that he got into university first before starting his career.

He wasn't like Bu Qiran, a jobless slacker who dyed his hair yellow and bullied people—how is that any different from a street thug?

"What could you possibly have to do?" Bu Qiran expressed disbelief.

Someone with such delicate skin, it's better to stay quietly at home. On this point, his thoughts were very consistent with Yan Anxuan's.

Bai Rong was also surprised upon hearing that Yan Zhoubai had things to do, and she looked at Yan Zhoubai.

What could he have to do? she wondered: Is he going back to Cangru Guan?

"I've found myself an internship as an assistant, that pays really well."

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Author's note: Here we go.