Chapter 24 Unworthy of Good Things

Chapter 24: Undeserving of Good Things

Zhou Yu was going to accompany Lin Yunshu back home.

As soon as this news spread, Lin Fang excitedly told all the neighbors.

On the day of the return home, Chen Shuyang was still asleep, bothered by the chirping sparrows outside his window.

He pulled the quilt over his head, and could faintly hear lively chatter from outside the wall.

"Aunt Lin, back from buying groceries so early?" a neighbor said.

Living on the first floor with the window open, Chen Shuyang’s room was always the first to catch any gossip from outside.

Chen Shuyang sighed, closing his eyes and listening as usual.

"Yes," Lin Fang said cheerfully. "Yun Shu is bringing his husband home today. He’s a big boss, you know, coming all the way to our little place for Yun Shu’s sake. We have to be hospitable."

The boastful tone made Chen Shuyang frown.

"Oh, Yun Shu has really made it! Always did well in school, got a good job, and now he’s married so well too. Aunt Lin, you’re so lucky!"

"Of course! I’ve raised Yun Shu since he was born. His uncaring parents never cared for him—not even a day of raising him or a drop of milk. I’ve been the one changing diapers and feeding him all along!"

"Look how happy you are! Finally getting your reward, aren’t you?" The neighbor’s tone was a mix of envy and teasing. "You should have Yun Shu take good care of both of you now. With such a great husband's family, won’t they send you on a world tour tomorrow?"

With that, the neighbor walked away laughing, whispering to a few others, "Look at her, really thinks she’s hit the jackpot…"

Lin Fang stood there, finally realizing they weren’t genuinely congratulating her but making fun of her.

Embarrassed but putting on a brave face, she retorted, "Just jealous!" She spat toward the neighbor’s back. "I raised him all these years, so he should take care of me! Otherwise, who should he take care of? You? With your own omega child, even a dog wouldn’t want them. Of course, you can’t stand others doing well."

Thinking this, her pride swelled. She lifted her chin, turned around, and swaying her hips as she walked, headed home.

Humming a tune, she opened the door and saw Chen Shuyang in an old undershirt, drinking water in the living room.

Her son’s hair was a mess, and he gave her an indifferent look before returning to his room and shutting the door.

"Who upset you now?"

Lin Fang scoffed. She was in a good mood today and didn’t feel like dealing with her unruly son. "Who are you giving that look to?"

She carried the groceries into the kitchen.

It was almost lunchtime when Lin Yunshu finally showed up with Zhou Yu.

Chen Shuyang had been sent to greet them. From afar, he could see Zhou Yu’s face, beaming as if he’d won the lottery.

Wait, no—a big boss like him wouldn’t care about a mere five million. That amount would barely count as pocket change for someone like him.

Chen Shuyang thought it over and realized that the only thing that could make an alpha this happy was winning over Lin Yunshu. There was no better explanation.

And Zhou Yu had achieved it.

The thought made Chen Shuyang even more depressed, acutely aware that his brother now had a partner.

And that partner was a smug idiot who was especially smug, afraid no one would know he’d married a beautiful wife.

Chen Shuyang sighed and reluctantly went to greet them.

Zhou Yu had toned it down, at least not recreating the scene from the simulated video or actually making Chen Shuyang act as a flower girl.

He’d toned it down, but not by much.

Though there was no red carpet or people throwing flowers, he made sure to hand out wedding candy to every neighbor.

Red envelopes were thrown everywhere for anyone to grab. By the time they were done, even relatives of the neighbors who’d been away for twenty years knew someone here had gotten married.

The short walk took half an hour.

Back at his aunt’s house, Lin Yunshu sat on the sofa catching his breath, his face pale.

Zhou Yu dabbed the sweat on his forehead with a tissue, full of concern and guilt. "My fault, my fault. I took too long handing out the candies. Did you get too much sun? Are you suffering from heatstroke?"

The late summer heat was intense recently.

He fanned Lin Yunshu with his hand, feeling the room’s temperature wasn’t dropping, and snapped at Chen Shuyang, "Did your family buy this air conditioner just as decoration?"

"It’s a twenty-year-old relic. What do you expect?" Chen Shuyang handed him a fan. "Do it yourself."

Zhou Yu took it with disdain and gently fanned Lin Yunshu’s neck. "How is it? Feeling better?"

The two bickered as soon as they met, making Lin Yunshu couldn't help but laugh. "I’m fine, not heatstroked."

Zhou Yu poured him a cup of warm salt water, watched him drink most of it, then took it back and gently massaged his temples.

"Feeling dizzy?"

A light smile appeared on Lin Yunshu’s face. "It’s alright."

Not far away, Lin Fang, in an apron, leaned against the kitchen doorway and nudged Chen Hongming’s arm. "Look at how lovey-dovey they are. Do you think he really likes him?"

"What’s wrong with you? If he didn’t really like him, why would a big boss like him bother marrying into a family like ours?"

Lin Fang pursed her lips sourly. "He’s really lucky. His pheromone level is so low. I really thought he’d end up unmarried and stuck with us."

"He’s also good-looking," Chen Hongming remarked. "His mother was known for her beauty back in the day, a real standout. Pity she died so young."

Lin Fang fell silent, giving him a resentful look.

Chen Hongming was exasperated. "What now? Can’t I even state facts?"

Bang!

Chen Shuyang kicked aside a small stool blocking his path and walked over with a water cup.

"Why don't you speak louder? Should I call them over so you can say it to their faces?"

Lin Fang choked. "You brat!"

The noise drew attention from the living room. Zhou Yu glanced over, and Lin Fang immediately changed her expression, forcing a smile.

"Just a moment, President Zhou! Food's almost ready, almost ready!"

Zhou Yu gave a polite nod.

Chen Hongming quickly kicked Chen Shuyang. "Why are you just standing there? Want to cook? Why don't you show him around the house!"

Chen Shuyang: "..."

What's there to see in a three-bedroom apartment of just over eighty square meters (approximately 860 sq ft)? It's not even as big as the bathroom in Zhou Yu's place.

He walked out reluctantly, stood behind Zhou Yu, and coughed lightly. "Hey, want me to show you around?"

"Sure." Zhou Yu agreed cheerfully.

From the moment he entered the house, his attention had been entirely on Lin Yunshu, worried he might have gotten heatstroke from the sun outside, and he hadn't had a chance to check out the place.

He really wanted to see the environment Lin Yunshu grew up in.

"I'll show him around," Lin Yunshu said.

Chen Shuyang curled his lip. "Suit yourselves."

With that, he shoved his hands in his pockets and went back to his bedroom.

Yixin Quyuan was an old residential area, with buildings that were old-style walk-ups without elevators. The living room was a bit small, but the bedrooms were a decent size.

There was a spacious master bedroom, a secondary bedroom, and a small, north-facing storage room, shaded and packed with things the family didn't want but couldn't bring themselves to throw away.

Zhou Yu took a quick look around, then puzzled, rubbed his nose and asked Lin Yunshu, "Which one is your room?"

Lin Yunshu pointed at the storage room.

Zhou Yu glanced back at it, then turned around again.

"This is it," Lin Yunshu said. "It was a normal bedroom when I was little. It only started being used for storage after I left for school."

Zhou Yu: "?"

"No, this, this…"

He stared incredulously at the storage room, then at Lin Yunshu, as if his worldview was being shaken.

"How could this thing possibly fit a bed? My bathtub is bigger than this!"

"Not everyone has a house like yours, with beds starting at 2.2 meters (approximately 7.2 feet)," Lin Yunshu chuckled. "This is pretty standard for most families. A single bed fits just fine."

"But this room doesn't even get any sunlight. Staying here long-term isn't healthy."

"It's alright," Lin Yunshu said. "When I was little, I mostly shared a room with Shuyang because I had to look after my brother. I started living in the dormitory in high school. This room… I only lived here for a few years in middle school."

"That's still unacceptable!"

Zhou Yu raised his voice, feeling a pang in his heart as he looked at the dark little room.

How could someone like Lin Yunshu have lived here?

How could he have grown up in a place like this?!

And what was that about looking after his brother?

Were the adults in this family dead, relying on one child to take care of another?!

Just thinking about it made Zhou Yu furious.

"Alright, why are you getting upset?" Lin Yunshu tried to calm him down. "Having a room of my own was already really good."

"How was that good?" Zhou Yu widened his eyes. "Lin Yunshu, I've noticed your standards are really low."

"It's not that my standards are low," Lin Yunshu laughed. "You probably don't realize, but a lot of kids grow up without ever having a room of their own that they can lock. But I did. That was already really good."

He explained, not wanting his childhood to sound pitiful, but Zhou Yu was being completely unreasonable.

"Not good," he insisted, grabbing Lin Yunshu's hand. "I say it's not good, so it's not good!"

Lin Yunshu said with a sigh. "Okay, okay, then it's not good."

He looked around to make sure no one was nearby, then covered his mouth and leaned in to whisper in Zhou Yu's ear, "That's why I bought a house. I bought it secretly without telling them. No one knows. Now I live in a big house."

What kind of big house was two hundred square meters (approximately 2150 sq ft)? Just moving from one pigeon coop to another.

Zhou Yu felt his heart ache and muttered, "I should've given you a higher salary."

At least then Secretary Lin could've bought a four-hundred-square-meter (approximately 4300 sq ft) place.

"What?" Lin Yunshu didn't hear him.

"...Nothing."

Zhou Yu took a deep breath and tried to compose himself.

He stopped looking at that frustrating storage room and instead glanced around.

The TV wall in the living room had several built-in shelves holding some discs, vases, and albums.

Zhou Yu pointed. "Are those photo albums?"

Lin Yunshu followed his finger and nodded. "Yes."

"Can I look?" Zhou Yu's eyes lit up, and his mood finally improved.

He hadn't seen what Lin Yunshu looked like as a child.

He must have been adorable!

The little radish version of Secretary Lin could cure anything.

Zhou Yu let his imagination wander for a moment and was already utterly charmed by the cartoonish little figure in his mind.

"Of course."

Lin Yunshu was perfectly fine with it and walked over to take the album down for him.

"Yun Shu—" His aunt called from the master bedroom.

Lin Yunshu turned. "What is it?"

"Come here for a second!"

Lin Yunshu handed the album to Zhou Yu. "You look first. I'll go see what she wants."

Zhou Yu nodded, smiling as he gently touched his cheek. "Go ahead, no rush."

Lin Yunshu flinched, covering his cheek and rubbing it self-consciously. "Mm..."

·

The curtains in the bedroom were drawn, and the light was on.

Lin Yunshu walked in and, at Aunt's gesture, closed the door behind him.

"Did you need something?" he asked.

Aunt sat on the edge of the bed and patted the space beside her. "Yun Shu, come sit here."

Lin Yunshu took two steps forward but instead sat down on the chair in front of the dressing table.

Aunt was taken aback and chuckled. "What's this? Are we really so distant now? You won't even sit next to me."

"My clothes aren't clean," Lin Yunshu said softly. "I don't want to dirty your bed."

Aunt shook her head and let out a soft, scoffing sigh.

She took a small box from the drawer and handed it to Lin Yunshu. "Take it."

Lin Yunshu accepted it, looking puzzled. "What is this?"

"Your parents left this for you," Aunt said.

Lin Yunshu paused briefly, then quickly opened the box. Inside was a jade bracelet, and judging by its quality, it was quite valuable.

"Back when your mother was pregnant with you," Aunt explained, "she said if it was a boy, it would be for his future wife, and if it was a girl, it would be part of her dowry."

"But you're a boy, and you won’t be taking a wife," she sighed. "I thought this would never be passed on, but you're lucky—you found a good man. I remembered this the other day and made sure to find the bracelet."

As Lin Fang spoke, she watched Lin Yunshu's reaction closely.

His expression remained calm, betraying little emotion, though his brow twitched slightly when his late parents were mentioned.

"Yun Shu," Lin Fang said, stepping closer and taking his hand. "It wasn’t easy raising you all these years. We may not be a wealthy family, but you can say in all honesty that Aunt never let you go hungry or without clothes, right?"

Lin Yunshu slipped his hand free unnoticeably, closed the box, and carefully placed it in his bag.

"What did you want to talk about?"

"Now that you're married, your uncle and I are truly happy for you," Aunt said, patting his shoulder. "You're a filial child, and you'll need to help out the family more from now on."

Lin Yunshu looked up. "For example? How should I help?"

Lin Fang hadn't expected him to be so straightforward and was delighted. "It's nothing too big. We don't want to impose too much on your life as a couple."

She said with a smile. "But you know, your uncle and I are getting older. With the delayed retirement policy, we'd have to work several more years, and we just can't handle that! I was thinking of applying for early retirement."

Lin Yunshu nodded. "That's good. You should enjoy your retirement."

"Oh, I knew you'd understand!" she said affectionately, taking his hand once more.

"Don't mention it," Lin Yunshu replied. "I’ll check what the requirements are for early retirement later. If it’s possible, I'll help you with the process."

Not hearing what she had hoped for, Lin Fang's smile stiffened. "Th-That's not urgent. We can handle it ourselves. You're busy with work—we wouldn't want to trouble you."

"Is that so?" Lin Yunshu smiled. "Alright then, I won’t get in the way."

He stood up and walked toward the door, signaling the end of the conversation.

"Hey, Yun Shu!"

Lin Fang got flustered and quickly stopped him. "You're such a literal-minded kid!"

She chuckled chidingly. "If your uncle and I both take early retirement, our pay will drop. We raised you—food, clothes, everything cost money. We really haven't saved much over the years."

Lin Yunshu looked at her calmly, his expression impassive, as if he genuinely didn't understand.

Lin Fang paused briefly and finally spoke bluntly:

"Aunt isn't trying to make things difficult for you. How about you just give us thirty to fifty thousand each month? Consider it your way of taking care of us... What's with that look?"

She added pointedly, "Don't tell me you can't afford it. I can see how much Boss Zhou is fond of you. If you just whine or act cute, that amount is probably less than his spending money for you, right?"

Lin Yunshu said nothing.

Nor did he show any sign of anger.

He simply cocked his head a little, a look of confusion in his eyes.

There was one thing he had never understood since childhood.

He had always excelled academically, ranking first in every exam. He was empathetic, helping Aunt with household chores from a young age, and later taking on all of them himself.

He believed that, as a junior, he had been exceptionally capable and sensible. Yet, Lin Fang and Chen Hongming always seemed to think he wasn’t as good as others, unworthy of anything good.

The saddest part was that this wasn't a deliberate put-down—they genuinely believed it, a deep-seated belief.

Thirty to fifty thousand wasn't much; Lin Yunshu could easily afford it.

From his first day at university, he had explored various ways to earn money. By his junior year, his stable income far exceeded that amount.

Yet, to this day, Lin Fang believed every cent he earned was merely "spending money" given to him by others.

"Yun Shu?" Seeing his continued silence, Lin Fang assumed he was reluctant, a touch of scorn in her eyes. "I never thought Boss Zhou, a big boss, would be so tight-fisted. It's fine if you really can't afford it—"

"You think thirty or fifty thousand is enough?" Lin Yunshu suddenly spoke.

Lin Fang paused, then lit up, thinking that everyone fell for taunting. "So you mean..."

"When I burn spirit money for my parents, I start with billions at a time," Lin Yunshu said.

"Don't worry," he said with a faint smile. "When you and Uncle pass away, I'll make sure you get the same."

Author's note: Shushu says: Drop dead.

-----------------------