Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 307

Su Fengzi was an expert at provoking others.

The next moment, Wang Chao grabbed the table leg, his head against the corner of the glass table, looking as if he would bash his head in if he wasn’t allowed to switch teammates.

Lin Chen, not wanting to keep the delivery guy waiting, reluctantly said, “Fine, let’s switch. Wang Chao and I will be a team.”

Although they had to switch teammates at the last moment, they didn’t need to start the game over since Su Fengzi himself had dealt the 7 bottom cards for this round.

Lin Chen led Wang Chao downstairs.

Before leaving, Su Fengzi gave him a meaningful look.

The budget hotel had only one elevator, and 9 o’clock was the peak time for room bookings, so the elevator had to stop at every floor, and it moved slowly.

Wang Chao followed Lin Chen into the elevator, first taking a young couple to the 17th floor, then descending in the empty elevator.

His A’Chen Gege looked calm and upright, holding the cards with one hand and the other in his pocket.

The sound of the lifting motor and cables filled the space, and the metal elevator door reflected the blurry pattern on the back of the playing cards.

Wang Chao swallowed, his mind wandering.

If they exchanged cards, would they be able to guess the general suit in the Demon King’s hand, and discuss the best strategy?

However!

Wang Chao looked at Lin Chen’s serious face.

How could such an upright gentleman like his A’Chen Gege agree to such a petty trick like the Demon King?

Thinking this, Comrade Xiao Wang decided to keep quiet.

“Wang Chao…”

Lin Chen began.

“Huh?”

His A’Chen Gege eyes were full of helplessness.

Lin Chen: “You really don’t know how to be considerate of adults.”

Wang Chao was even more confused.

“I… was wrong!” He admitted quickly, though utterly bewildered.

Lin Chen continued, “Look, I specifically brought the cards down, and you did too…”

Wang Chao clenched his playing cards. “Yeah, to prevent the Demon King from peeking at our cards!”

The elevator door swung open, interrupting Lin Chen’s words.

A delivery guy in blue was waiting at the front desk, holding a bag from a well-known ice cream brand.

Wang Chao was deeply touched. “A’Chen Gege, can we finish eating before going back up?”

Lin Chen’s face showed satisfaction, so Wang Chao took the ice cream bag, sat on the windowsill, and placed the cards beside him.

Lin Chen sat next to him and put his cards down too.

The two decks of cards were very close, and Wang Chao snuck a glance; he could easily see his A’Chen Gege’s cards if he reached out.

Ah, the world is full of temptations!

Wang Chao could hardly control his desire to peek at the cards and turned his back, holding the ice cream box, too nervous to open it.

Lin Chen noticed all of Wang Chao’s small movements.

He didn’t react immediately because he was also quite shocked. His actions were so obvious, and yet Wang Chao resisted the temptation and turned away?

Comrade Xiao Wang was so upright, and Lin Chen’s own thoughts seemed so petty that he was too embarrassed to speak.

An awkward silence lasted for the time it took to eat a bowl of ice cream downstairs.

Upstairs in the family room, things were very simple.

Under the dim chandelier.

First, Xing Conglian looked up.

Then, Su Fengzi looked up.

Next, their eyes met.

Finally, they simultaneously reached out and exchanged the cards in their hands.

When Lin Chen and Wang Chao returned upstairs, everything around the card table seemed normal.

Xing Conglian snuffed out his cigarette, obviously bored, looking at the ice cream that was still on Wang Chao’s face. He said impatiently, “Did you have to sneakily eat it downstairs? What, afraid your boss is going to steal it?”

Wang Chao waved his hand and returned to his seat. “Who knows, Boss? In my eyes, that’s just the kind of person you are!”

Xing Conglian took advantage of the situation and smacked Wang Chao in the head, which was followed by Wang Chao’s howling.

Under the lamp, Su Fengzi propped up his chin with one hand, watching the antics and smiling but not speaking.

Lin Chen stood up, looking down at Xing Conglian and Su Fengzi, feeling that everything about them was forced, and the air was filled with a strange aura.

He must have been showing it quite obviously.

Su Fengzi picked up his cards and glanced at him and Wang Chao. “Even if you were memorizing cards downstairs, you didn’t have to take so long. What happened to your high IQ?”

Wang Chao’s face turned bright red. “Who was memorizing cards? Would I be as shameless as you?”

Lin Chen’s gaze shifted to Xing Conglian. Surely, he wouldn’t conspire with Su Fengzi, right?

Xing Conglian raised both hands and shouted, “Husband, you have to believe in my integrity!”

Lin Chen was speechless and sat down beside Xing Conglian.

If one could say that the previous round of cards was simply played casually, with everyone watching Su Fengzi tease Wang Chao as they played, then this round had begun with everyone mysteriously becoming serious, each harboring their own ulterior motives.

Lin Chen observed Xing Conglian and Su Fengzi’s expressions while playing his cards.

Su Fengzi flipped his cards randomly, and it was impossible to discern his emotions from his face when he drew one to play.

Xing Conglian didn’t smoke, and he held up his cards to play seriously. However, he found them too high, covering most of his face.

As for Wang Chao…

Wang Chao was calculating his cards so fast that he didn’t need any reaction time. Through their pre-arranged signals, the teenager continuously informed him of the possible remaining cards in Xing Conglian and Su Fengzi’s hands.

“Five of clubs.” In the third to last round, Xing Conglian again led with the trump card.

Lin Chen looked at Wang Chao.

If Su Fengzi and Xing Conglian scored 80 points, Lin Chen and Wang Chao would lose no matter what.

At this moment, more than halfway through the game, Su Fengzi and Xing Conglian had already scored 65 points, putting them at a great disadvantage.

The worst part was that Su Fengzi and Xing Conglian knew what their last six cards were, but they did not know theirs.

Now he had two choices: play the big king, to beat the five of clubs, or play a small card, to keep the big king for the last two rounds. He could also force out Su Fengzi’s main card, the king of clubs, but if that card was hidden in the seven bottom cards, then the big king would be tricked out, and they would lose the entire game.

Lin Chen’s fingers gently stroked the edges of the cards without looking at Su Fengzi, who was the last to play, but instead watching Xing Conglian.

“Baby, don’t hold the cards so high; I’m not so good at reading micro-expressions. Don’t worry about me seeing through your hand,” he said to Xing Conglian.

Xing Conglian shivered but did not let his guard down, swiftly putting down his cards and covering his face with his hands.

Lin Chen chuckled.

His finger slid over the card, and he played a useless card.

Su Fengzi sighed deeply; his face was filled with the sorrow of wasted efforts. “It’s just a game of cards, Shidi. You’re too cautious.”

As he spoke, he played the king of clubs, easily stabbing them.

By now, Xing Conglian and Su Fengzi had scored 75 points, and the chances of victory were diminishing.

Wang Chao’s face turned red with anxiety, and he groaned in pain, casting Lin Chen a “Why did you play that way?” look.

Lin Chen shrugged, apologetic.

“Shidi, do we need to play this card?”

At this point, Su Fengzi smiled meaningfully, flipping over his own cards to reveal the big and small kings.

As a small king had already been played, there was no doubt that Su Fengzi’s cards were the biggest.

A complete sweep!

Wang Chao’s eyes widened.

“Damn! So shameless!” Wang Chao yelled. “You hid such big cards till the end!”

As he spoke, he threw out his cards, a pair of tens.

At that moment, Su Fengzi’s face changed slightly.

But Xing Conglian didn’t realize what had happened, flipping over his card and throwing it out, his face filled with triumph.

“Shidi,” Su Fengzi began, his gaze following.

Of course, this couldn’t stop Lin Chen from turning over his card.

Under the lamp, on the transparent square table.

All eyes were focused on those two cards.

They were two bright red big kings, with the joker’s bright red smiling face particularly noticeable.

Now the situation was strange; there could only be two big kings in two decks, but at this moment, there were undoubtedly three cards lying on the table.

Time seemed to slow.

Wang Chao slammed the table, stood on his chair, and pointed at Su Fengzi, yelling, “You’re cheating! Scum!”

Su Fengzi remained calm, arms crossed, leaning back in his chair.

His eyes were cold and deep as he stared at Wang Chao.

Su Fengzi: “You’re so good at counting cards; you should have known that I probably had both the big and small kings in my hand. Why were you so shocked just now?”

Wang Chao recoiled but was not to be outdone. “I was shocked at your shamelessness; you still dare to be so fierce even though you cheated!”

“Is it not by pretending to be shocked that you clear yourselves of the suspicion of buying two decks and secretly switching the cards?”

“Are we you? It’s just a game of cards, and how do you know about buying two decks?”

Su Fengzi smiled. “That’s strange indeed…”

Lin Chen had been quietly watching, while Xing Conglian had been staring at him.

Xing Conglian: “What does Consultant Lin say?”

“Very strange.”

Xing Conglian stifled a laugh. “What’s strange?”

“Now there are only two possibilities.”

“Hmm?”

“First, you cheated. Second, we cheated.”

“Oh?”

“It seems that our going downstairs to pick up a parcel and buying a new deck is more likely, but of course, it’s not impossible that Fengzi secretly brought a new deck.”

“So?”

“So, since it’s a matter of ‘he said, she said’, this round can only be counted as your loss.”

Wang Chao nodded.

“Why?” Xing Conglian was taken aback.

“Normally,” Lin Chen said matter-of-factly, “since everyone has revealed their cards, it’s clear who’s the biggest.”

If it were Wang Chao, he would certainly jump up and retort, “Clearly, this round should be invalidated.” But the benefit of having Wang Chao as a teammate was that he was sure to keep his mouth shut now.

Su Fengzi: “Shidi is waiting for me here. Why is your competitive spirit so strong?”

Lin Chen: “Shixiong has taught me well.”

“I didn’t teach you to cheat, did I?”

“First of all, I didn’t. Secondly, there was a time when the four of us were playing cards with the teacher in the laboratory. How do you explain the 10 various point cards, big and small kings, that were found on you?”

“That was to make you understand that there’s no kinship at the poker table.” Su Fengzi sighed. “I never thought Shidi would become so shameless. You’ve grown up.”

Lin Chen still confronted Su Fengzi, neither giving an inch, and the situation was at a stalemate.

“I have an idea.” Xing Conglian raised his hand. “We can check fingerprints on the three big kings. The one without everyone’s fingerprints must be the cheated card.”

“That’s fine. In that case, why not check all the cards on the table?” Lin Chen looked at Xing Conglian.

“That’s too much trouble.” Su Fengzi spoke up. “Don’t add to the police’s workload. Just check these three.” Su Fengzi pointed to the cards in front of Lin Chen.

Just then, there was a loud bang in the room.

Wang Chao knocked over the chair, glaring at Su Fengzi, grabbed his collar, and yelled, “You are shameless, utterly shameless! I’m ashamed to be associated with you!”

Xing Conglian quickly rushed to pull them apart.

Lin Chen looked at Wang Chao’s performance, astonished. This couldn’t be explained as mere exaggeration.

“What’s wrong with you?” Xing Conglian suddenly asked.

Lin Chen frowned, quickly walked over to Wang Chao, and touched his forehead.

Wang Chao began to laugh, then kicked his legs, cursing Su Fengzi.

Lin Chen suddenly remembered the way the teenager acted when he was drunk and thought this scene seemed familiar.

“I ordered a matcha strawberry double scoop, not rum flavor.” He sniffed near Wang Chao’s mouth, smelling only a faint sweet ice cream scent, making it hard to determine if Wang Chao had accidentally eaten rum-flavored ice cream.

Lin Chen began to call the delivery company, asking what they had sent.

Xing Conglian dragged Wang Chao into the side room.

The company said they would have to investigate, and Lin Chen and Xing Conglian stood by Wang Chao’s bed, watching the teenager wriggle like a caterpillar.

“You didn’t watch him eat?” Xing Conglian asked.

Lin Chen replied, “Of course not. I went to buy a new deck of cards at the time.”

Xing Conglian turned slowly, staring at him in disbelief.

Wang Chao began to act seriously drunk.

Lin Chen never thought his perfect plan to counter Su Fengzi’s cheating would be punctured by a misdelivered box of ice cream.

Su Fengzi looked annoyed. He had finally been able to catch someone to play cards, and now they were one player short. Moreover, the child had a fever, so the guests could hardly have the nerve to stay.

Su Fengzi flipped through his phone contacts, planning to find someone else to play cards with.

As he was leaving, Lin Chen escorted him to the door, with Wang Chao singing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” out of tune in the room.

“It seems a bit late, Shixiong. Would you like to stay?” Lin Chen asked politely.

Wang Chao yelled from the room, “Playing cards is fun! So much fun!”

Su Fengzi’s face was full of disdain. “Why would I stay? To play a CP for you to develop?”

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 306

During the meal, the atmosphere was turbulent…

Well, perhaps that adjective wasn’t quite right. Specifically, it was more like Su Fengzi unilaterally overwhelming everyone, making everything revolve around his joy.

If this meal gathering were turned into a game scene, it would be like the pea-size Wang Chao, wielding a sword, jumping to attack the giant Su Fengzi. The giant simply raised a finger and flicked the little pea to the ground. Despite the little pea’s cries, it got up and continued swinging the sword chaotically, but it couldn’t leave a scratch on the giant.

After all, it was a basic attribute for giants to have thick skin and blood.

After the meal, Lin Chen felt really full and walked back to the hotel with Xing Conglian.

Surprisingly, Su Fengzi decided to accompany them on the way, perhaps because he hadn’t encountered someone as entertaining as Wang Chao in a long time and it would be such a waste to not keep pressing Wang Chao down repeatedly.

“Come on, let’s compete in a game. I’ll use only one hand!” Wang Chao was still hopping mad.

“Why don’t you compete with me in programming?” Su Fengzi said leisurely.

“Sure, sure, let’s head to the internet café up ahead!”

Lin Chen finally couldn’t stand it anymore and turned around to remind him, “He’s mocking you.”

Wang Chao asked Su Fengzi, “Why are you mocking me?”

Lin Chen looked at Su Fengzi.

Su Fengzi smiled and didn’t answer.

Wang Chao asked, “Are you at a loss for words?”

Su Fengzi: “No, your A’Chen Gege wants to be your interpreter, so of course I’ll give him a chance.”

Lin Chen felt like he was also being mocked and couldn’t help but remain silent.

“Do you have anything else to say?” Su Fengzi added.

“A’Chen Gege, you don’t need to give me face,” Wang Chao said.

Lin Chen was helpless. Wang Chao had absolutely no awareness in this regard. The explanation Lin Chen wanted to provide him with now seemed utterly foolish. He asked Wang Chao with patience, “Why did you want to compete with him?”

“Because he kept challenging me, and I wanted to educate him!” Wang Chao replied.

“Why don’t you just plug your ears and just ignore him?” Lin Chen suggested.

Su Fengzi laughed. “Shidi, I’m still here.”

Wang Chao: “That would be a bit pretentious, and it doesn’t fit my character.”

Lin Chen: “…”

People were passing by the riverside as they walked after the meal. However, Lin Chen felt that this stroll had no meaning in aiding digestion. Fortunately, after a few random remarks, they soon arrived at the hotel entrance. Lin Chen and Xing Conglian simultaneously stopped and turned to look at Su Fengzi.

Xing Conglian cleared his throat. “Fengzi, thank you so much for today.”

Meaning: Is it possible for you to leave now?

“What are you thanking me for? Otherwise, you would have bought Wangji just to have a meal of crayfish?” Su Fengzi retorted.

Xing Conglian felt embarrassed. “How could that be?”

“Shixiong, thanks for today,” Lin Chen added.

“Are you two teaming up to drive me away?” Su Fengzi pretended to be hurt.

Lin Chen asked directly, “Are you leaving or do you have other plans?”

……

Ten minutes later.

Two decks of cards were thrown on the table.

In the small living room of a budget hotel’s family room, four people, one on each side, stared at the playing cards in the middle of the table, silent.

“To be honest, I haven’t played cards in many years.”

Wang Chao had just returned from buying the cards, panting for breath, and from the mere term “playing cards”, one could tell that the young man had neglected this practice of a human cultural heritage that has been passed down for hundreds of years.

Xing Conglian looked at him coldly. “Not playing for many years implies that you have played before. Have you ever played?”

“Eh!” Wang Chao was taken aback. “Some tablets can only play Spider Solitaire; does that count?”

“That doesn’t count.”

“Oh, then I don’t know how to play cards.”

Wang Chao admitted honestly.

“You never taught him to play cards?” Lin Chen asked Xing Conglian.

“Why teach him? With his intelligence, who would want to play cards with him? I might as well play Fight the Landlord*.”

*A card game in the genre of shedding and gambling. It is one of the most popular card games played in China.

Hearing this, Wang Chao’s eyes lit up, and he slapped the table, pointing at Su Fengzi. “You’ve walked into hell!”

Su Fengzi didn’t respond, probably feeling hot. He finally slowly took off his suit, then reached over and slowly tore the packaging off the sealed deck of cards and began to shuffle them with a rattle.

The lighting in the small living room wasn’t bright enough; Xing Conglian had just smoked a cigarette, and the indoor smoke was swirling, floating like a thin veil under the light, creating a weird and solemn atmosphere.

“Can I check the rules for the card game ‘shuang ji*’ on Baidu Encyclopedia? Will one minute be enough?”

*Also known as level up, is a trick-taking card game played in China. They have dynamic trump, which cards change every round. As these games are played over a wide area with no standardization, rules vary widely from region to region. You can go to the Wikipedia to see the rules.

Su Fengzi also looked up and seriously asked Wang Chao.

In the blink of an eye, Wang Chao had already closed the Encyclopedia page, put down his phone, and replied, “Let’s do this!”

Xing Conglian had never played cards like this before, or rather, he had never played such a serious game.

Because of seating arrangements, Su Fengzi and Wang Chao sat facing each other, becoming teammates.

Wang Chao, although intelligent, had never played cards before, and was very awkward in the first round.

Su Fengzi sternly pointed out his mistakes, and Wang Chao even apologized earnestly.

Xing Conglian looked at his teammate, Lin Chen, and the two turned a blind eye to this instructional style of play.

“Pair of 9s, pair of 10s, pair of Jacks.” Wang Chao threw down another hand.

Su Fengzi stopped him. “They’re now grabbing points. If your A’Chen Gege throws QQ, KK, AA, we’ll be in big trouble.”

Lin Chen rubbed his forehead. “Shixiong, you’ve peeked at my cards again…”

Su Fengzi shrugged. “I’m not that kind of person, Shidi.”

Lin Chen didn’t believe it at all and turned his head to check all the reflective objects around him, then noticed the metal frame on the cabinet door behind him.

Su Fengzi looked surprised. “There’s actually a metal strip there, but don’t hurry to change places; I’ve only peeked in the first round.”

Lin Chen was speechless.

Wang Chao changed his play, but because of Su Fengzi’s spoilers, the teenager had already calculated their hands and played a pair of 10s, reporting as he played, “A’Chen Gege has Q-A, and the Boss didn’t play a pair of A’s in the last round, so the probability that the Boss has AA is very small. I don’t have it, so the pair of A’s should be in the hands of the big demon king!”

Su Fengzi shook his head helplessly.

“I told you not to teach him to play cards!” Xing Conglian complained.

“Endure it.” Lin Chen threw out a pair of Kings. “We’re leaving tomorrow anyway.”

“What do you mean?” Xing Conglian was stunned. “Tomorrow?”

“Yes, a game with Teacher Su takes at least 12 hours. Otherwise, why would he pester us so much?”

“Why?” Xing Conglian threw his cards out.

“Because his playing style is too shameless, and he’s skilled at counting cards, so basically no one wants to play with him.”

Lin Chen finally said, moving his gaze to the small glass table.

“Damn it!” Wang Chao jumped up, staring at the table in a perverted way, looking at the pair of A’s that Xing Conglian had finally played.

“You obviously had cards, why didn’t you play them just now!” Wang Chao said angrily. “Why are you so calculating!”

“Because this round is 40 points, the last round was only 20.” Xing Conglian educated. “40 is greater than 20, so the pair of A’s should be used here.”

Wang Chao ignored him, turning to the next person to question. “Why didn’t you remind me that you didn’t have a pair of A’s!”

“That would be cheating.” Su Fengzi continued the education. “Mainly to let you know how treacherous people are at the card table.”

“It’s too treacherous.”

“Yes.”

The two sang in harmony, and Wang Chao believed that Su Fengzi really didn’t remind him on purpose to teach him a lesson.

For Su Fengzi, shuang ji, a two-on-two game, was like playing Fight the Landlord; he himself was the only dealer, and as long as he could trap others, any way to play was fine.

But Lin Chen understood this quite well. For him, playing cards was too simple, so creating difficulties and then solving them was much more interesting than simply winning cards.

Lin Chen had to continue playing and looked at Xing Conglian, both equally speechless.

In fact, Wang Chao soon saw through Su Fengzi’s routine without Lin Chen pointing it out.

“Fuck, you did it on purpose, didn’t you!”

The good situation was once again uncertain because Su Fengzi had thrown the game.

The teenager angrily threw the cards; he was barefoot, and at this moment one foot stepped on the chair, and the other foot almost stepped on the glass table, tipping it over.

“You must have a calm mind when playing cards; being too competitive isn’t good.” Su Fengzi laughed.

“A’Chen Gege, I don’t want to be on his team anymore!” Wang Chao said.

“I don’t want to be on his team either,” Lin Chen said seriously.

Wang Chao’s eyes moved to Xing Conglian.

Captain Xing glared at him. “Comrade Xiao Wang, who gave you the courage to break up the CP?”

Wang Chao was almost in tears.

Lin Chen was helpless, and at that moment, his phone rang.

Lin Chen answered it; it was the takeout he had ordered earlier.

“Thank you, I’ll come down right away.”

Lin Chen hung up the phone and said to Wang Chao, “I ordered ice cream for you.”

The teenager’s interest was quickly diverted. “A’Chen Gege, how can you be so nice!”

“Experience,” Lin Chen said, picking up the unfinished cards, standing up, and gesturing for Wang Chao to go downstairs with him.

“What kind of experience?”

“The experience of cooling down. The last teammate who played cards with Shixiong was so angry after five rounds that he wanted to take a heart-relieving pill.”

“Is it too late to not want to play now?” Wang Chao wanted to hit the wall.

“Do you dare? I don’t anyway,” Lin Chen said honestly.

Hearing him say that Su Fengzi was very pleased. “Shidi, you flatter me.”

He nodded, modestly.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 305

Comrade Xiao Wang’s pleas for mercy were in vain, but Lin Chen and Xing Conglian didn’t betray him.

How to put it? After all, it was Su Fengzi who came, and nobody could figure out what he was thinking.

Therefore, when Su Fengzi stood before them, Lin Chen and Xing Conglian exchanged glances, each hoping the other would be the first to greet him. Probably because they were too in sync, they found that both were trying to avoid taking the initiative, so they glared at each other.

Su Fengzi saw this and merely smiled, not saying a word.

‘Indeed, my Shixiong’s mind is as mysterious as the bottom of the sea and terrifyingly abnormal,’ Lin Chen thought, shaking his head helplessly.

He looked Su Fengzi up and down, from his suit to his shoes, and casually asked, “Isn’t it hot?”

“It’s hot, but since my Shidi needs me, I have to get dressed even if it’s hot,” Su Fengzi replied.

Lin Chen probably understood what was going on and casually said, “Thank you.”

Su Fengzi nodded but said nothing, standing tall in the night.

Xing Conglian and Wang Chao were at a loss. They felt that it was a bit strange that Su Fengzi didn’t make fun of them.

A disturbance suddenly arose at the entrance of Wangji’s restaurant.

Outside, diners were calling out, “Madam Boss”, “Madam Boss”…

A vigorous female voice responded politely, and soon, a woman was standing before them.

Xing Conglian’s eyes widened as he realized that the goddess of all crayfish enthusiasts, Madam Wang Meimei, was now standing in front of him.

Wearing a white dress and high heels and a sparkling diamond necklace around her neck, Wang Meimei was well-known on TV, especially during crayfish season. She was more than just an ordinary restaurant owner; she was almost considered a celebrity.

Now that the crayfish goddess appeared before them, it was obvious who she had come for.

Xing Conglian looked at Su Fengzi, more confused.

Indeed, the crayfish goddess only had eyes for Su Fengzi. She stepped forward, her cheeks flushed with excitement, and said, “Teacher Su, I’ve missed you so much.”

Her words weren’t flirtatious but full of genuine longing and respect for Su Fengzi.

Was Wang Meimei not part of Su Fengzi’s entourage but someone he had helped before? But Su Fengzi wasn’t like Lin Chen, meddling in other’s affairs…

As Xing Conglian was lost in thought, Wang Meimei explained herself.

“Will ‘The Domineering Tyrant’s Love’ be updated soon? I’ve been waiting so painfully!”

The crayfish goddess changed her tone and complained to Su Fengzi.

“…”

The room fell into silence, all stunned by the name.

Xing Conglian looked at the crayfish goddess, not expecting her to have such a taste.

Su Fengzi, however, acted as if everything was normal.

“How about I write a chapter for you to read?” he shamelessly offered.

Wang Meimei pondered seriously for a moment, then said, “I really want to read it, but since Teacher Su has come to have crayfish with me, let’s eat first.”

Su Fengzi nodded and asked, “Shall I tell you the outline?”

Wang Meimei’s porcelain-like face instantly brightened. “Yes, yes, but wouldn’t spoiling it be bad?”

As she spoke, she confidently led the way into the restaurant, taking them to a specially reserved private room, satisfying Xing Conglian’s vanity to the fullest.

“Why not? You’re so cute; what’s wrong with telling you?” Su Fengzi laughed.

Wang Meimei’s face turned red, and she sat down proudly next to Su Fengzi, looking honored.

Su Fengzi opened a napkin for her, and they began a passionate discussion about whether the Dragon Emperor liked the fourteenth Yunyang immortal more than the Crayfish Goddess.

Xing Conglian, looking at the well-dressed Teacher Su, finally understood who the suit was for.

“Interesting, right?” Lin Chen sat down beside him and smiled.

“Interesting,” Xing Conglian replied.

Wang Chao spread his chopsticks and made a face, silently despising Su Fengzi with a look that said, “You’re not braindead, are you?”

It was hard to tell whether Su Fengzi saw this look from Comrade Xiao Wang.

Lin Chen exchanged a glance with Xing Conglian, silently lamenting.

The dishes were served quickly. The four of them plus the restaurant’s boss sat at a table with more than half of the seats left empty, but the crayfish covered the entire surface.

Oil-braised crayfish, steamed crayfish oil, fried crayfish balls, scallion grilled crayfish…

To balance the richness, they also had garlic mashed cucumber, cold edamame, and marinated lotus root.

The sight was filled with red and green, and the spicy fragrance rushed to the face.

Xing Conglian ordered two bottles of Yongchuan draft beer, and as he heard the pleasant sound of the bottles being opened, he seriously considered the feasibility of acquiring Wangji.

It didn’t seem to cost much, and spreading Wangji restaurants all over the world would be a way to enhance the country’s prestige, right?

Su Fengzi continued to discuss the outline with Wang Meimei.

They had gotten to the part where the Dragon Emperor broke through and ascended to the Nine Heavens, where the great sect’s Senior Uncle’s Ancestor (female) fell in love with him at first sight, insisting on dual cultivation with the Dragon Emperor.

Upon hearing this, Wang Chao couldn’t help but spit out a mouthful of cola.

Su Fengzi put down his chopsticks and looked over.

“What are you looking at me for?” Wang Chao hurriedly wiped his mouth.

“Why did you suddenly spray cola?” Su Fengzi asked sincerely.

Wang Chao, perhaps emboldened, directly said, “Because you’re selling dog meat under the guise of mutton. Let me tell you, real male channel upgrade novels with a stallion theme aren’t like this. Your work has big problems!”

Su Fengzi didn’t get angry but smiled and said, “I would like to hear more.”

Basically, when Su Fengzi showed this expression, even Xing Conglian knew not to argue directly, as this person’s thinking was too bizarre.

But perhaps Wang Chao was too delighted with the meal, or maybe Su Fengzi’s acting was too good, as he thought Teacher Su was sincerely asking, so he benevolently instructed, “First of all, your title is very perverted. I thought it was a CEO novel, but you actually wrote a stallion story. There’s nothing like ‘Martial Arts’ or ‘Different World’ in the title. You dare call it a stallion? Isn’t your title a bit effeminate?”

Xing Conglian seriously doubted whether the cola in Wang Chao’s glass had been secretly spiked with alcohol. How else could a well-behaved kid go crazy like this?

Lin Chen was peeling crayfish like nothing was happening, and Xing Conglian also lowered his head, realizing that Lin Chen was more experienced in turning a deaf ear.

“Yes,” Su Fengzi replied to Wang Chao’s criticism, showing no resistance.

“And then there’s the female ancestor from the Nine Heavens Realm; this hag is a few thousand years old… Who wants to see her sleep with the male protagonist?” Wang Chao continued.

“Shut up! How can you talk about Teacher Su’s work like that!” As expected, Teacher Su’s number one fan, Miss Wang Meimei, couldn’t agree with it and rose to her feet, rebuking Wang Chao.

Su Fengzi, the author himself, took a small sip of the tea in front of him and smiled at his fan. “Don’t be angry.”

“But Teacher Su, he’s too much. How can he be so rude!” Wang Meimei was still furious.

“He’s just a child. He’s quite cute,” Su Fengzi explained gently, with a forgiving and magnanimous expression.

“That still doesn’t allow him to speak to you like that,” Wang Meimei insisted, still upset.

“It’s okay, it’s okay.” Su Fengzi gestured for his fan to sit down. “Shall I take revenge for you?”

Wang Meimei was momentarily confused.

Su Fengzi turned to Wang Chao. “You sing a song.”

“What? Why suddenly ask me to sing?” Wang Chao’s mouth was still full of crayfish, and he was utterly perplexed. “Are you looking for trouble?”

“Yes.” Su Fengzi smiled.

“Hey!”

“Don’t adults usually ask children to perform for guests when they take them out for meals?” Su Fengzi said softly.

“I’m an adult!” Wang Chao shouted angrily.

“An adult, huh…” Su Fengzi rested his chin on one hand, insinuating something. “Then can you recite a poem, like ‘Preface to the Prince Teng’s Pavilion‘?”

“Screw that!” Wang Chao yelled.

Su Fengzi and Wang Meimei looked at each other and laughed.

“Cute, isn’t he?” Su Fengzi playfully pointed in Wang Chao’s direction with the end of his chopsticks, as if he were no longer teasing Wang Chao, but instead asking Wang Meimei.

“He’s adorable. I want to pinch his cheeks!” Wang Meimei revealed a creepy-aunt grin.

“He’s the prototype of Eunuch Jiangling in the book.”

“Really, it does seem like him. Oh yes, that little eunuch in the book was teased like this the first time he met the Dragon Emperor.”

The two continued to chat as if no one else was there. Su Fengzi seemed to be letting Wang Chao off, but his voice was loud, clearly speaking for Wang Chao to hear.

Comrade Xiao Wang, a pure and innocent youth, never thought that one day he would be written into a book like “The Domineering Tyrant’s Love” as an eunuch. For a moment, he was thunderstruck, his worldview shaken. However, he couldn’t help but ask, “Who is that?”

“A little eunuch beside the Dragon Emperor. Don’t worry, there is no sexual relationship between them,” Su Fengzi answered.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 304

For Xing Conglian, the dividing line between spring and summer was marked by the large influx of crawfish to the market.

In reality, he had no particular requirements for food and often ate instant noodles and takeout with Lin Chen.

However, just like Lin Chen’s obsession with breakfast, he had a passionate love for crawfish.

Thirteen spices were good, steamed shrimp was also nice, but only spicy crawfish was the king, unparalleled.

Moreover, in a year, there were only one or two months when crawfish reached their peak in taste, so it wasn’t excessive to drive a hundred kilometers to Yongchuan to eat crawfish for two days during the weekend.

When he proposed this idea to Lin Chen, they had just left their office building.

“Then let’s go.” Lin Chen replied.

Wang Chao cheered from behind. Xing Conglian looked up at the fiery clouds in the sky and felt that the weather was truly pleasant.

As a genuine man, there was no need to prepare when going out. They arrived in Yongchuan with just one press of the gas pedal before the sky completely darkened.

This time, of course, they didn’t need to show off or worry about being embarrassed, so they decided to find a place not far from Yongchuan University to stay.

The suburban hotels like Cohen May couldn’t even order take-out. Besides a comfortable bed, they had nothing else to offer.

However, when they were getting off the highway, Xing Conglian still sought Lin Chen’s opinion.

Lin Chen opened his phone and randomly selected a budget hotel around 500 meters from the late-night food market based on ratings. When placing the order, Wang Chao in the backseat was still complaining, “Why do you need A’Chen Gege’s help to search for things? What’s my status?”

Lin Chen turned to ask him if he had any other ideas, such as staying near the children’s amusement park…

Wang Chao seriously considered this suggestion, but in the end, his overwhelming love for spicy crawfish prevailed.

And it didn’t stop there. Perhaps Lin Chen’s question triggered some memories in Wang Chao, and the teenager started rambling about his bitter experiences and reminiscing about the sweet moments.

“At that time, we really, during our hardest times, ate canned soybeans for three months, and even our farts smelled like that.”

“We even had to chew on camel meat in the desert, and the taste was simply bizarre.”

“When the Boss said he was retiring and returning to the country, I was so happy that I cried. Finally, we wouldn’t have to eat pizza every day. It was like living like a god!”

Wang Chao’s story became more and more outrageous. He even started to cry and wipe his tears in the lobby of the budget hotel while telling Lin Chen about the first time he had spicy crabs and cried over it.

“I held onto the table and refused to leave. The Boss tricked me and said there was crab at Mailin that was even better! Later, I found out it was a lie—a complete lie!”

“Okay!”

In the elevator, although Lin Chen’s face remained calm, Xing Conglian finally couldn’t help but stop Wang Chao. “Didn’t I compensate you afterward?!”

“Wow, Boss, are you talking about the month we ate stewed mutton as compensation? Mailin, tropical climate, scorching heat, and stewed mutton, for me!”

“What’s the matter? Do you have any complaints? The stewed meat was even airlifted from China.”

“But the dipping sauce! The key is that Mailin’s lamb dipping sauce is sweet! That’s what I mean by bizarre!”

“Bizarre.”

When the elevator arrived, Lin Chen, who had had his hands in his pocket the whole time, said nonchalantly.

Xing Conglian was dumbfounded and slowly turned his head.

“Eating soybeans for three months is also excessive.”

Entering the corridor after the elevator, Lin Chen said again.

Upon hearing this, Wang Chao almost choked up and clung to Lin Chen’s thigh.

“For these two days, just order whatever you want, and your boss will pay for it.” Lin Chen swiped the room key, firmly making the final decision.

Wang Chao felt like he had won a lottery and couldn’t help but shout for joy. To show his support for his A-Chen Gege, Wang Chao immediately turned around and said he wanted to queue at Wangji Spicy Crawfish. Within three seconds, he disappeared from sight.

Lin Chen entered the room and opened the window for ventilation. The hotel’s location wasn’t great, the furnishings were simple, and the family room had a small dining area with one table and four chairs. The bar counter only had an electric kettle and some tea. Lin Chen quietly boiled water and sat in one of the chairs, waiting for it to boil.

Xing Conglian sat down across from him, wanting to say something but not knowing where to start.

The air was filled with the hissing sound of an electric kettle boiling water, and the sound of vehicles passing by outside the window was clear yet somewhat distant. The atmosphere settled into a comfortable calm.

Xing Conglian looked at Lin Chen’s face under the soft yellow light and blinked gently. “Consultant Lin, what’s wrong?”

“Obviously, I’m feeling a little sorry for you,” Lin Chen said straightforwardly.

The water had just reached a boil. Lin Chen stood up to heat the cups and brew two servings of green tea.

Xing Conglian stood up and walked over to hug him. His stubbly chin rubbed against Lin Chen’s neck, but it didn’t interrupt Lin Chen’s tea preparation.

“Then I’ll have to treat you, you little glutton. You know how much you can eat,” he said with a smile.

“But I also feel a bit emotional. After feeling emotional, it’s appropriate to be a little angry.”

When Consultant Lin mentioned being “a little angry,” it meant just that—not too much or too little.

But with that peaceful tone, Xing Conglian was afraid that he might accidentally spill hot water on him.

He could only steel himself and say, “It’s not like I can’t apologize first. If I apologize, you will surely ask me what exactly I did wrong, and if I don’t know, I’ll have to kneel on the keyboard. But how could I not know? Everything that happened before is a thing of the past, like a dream or an illusion. It’s best to view it as such, and now everything is fine…”

Lin Chen finally put down the electric kettle and turned around. He also hugged Xing Conglian in return, and Xing Conglian let out a sigh of relief.

“If it were the old me, I would probably think that since you didn’t say anything, I shouldn’t ask either, and it’s fine to respect each other’s privacy regarding some past secrets…”

“That’s right!”

“However, that’s when I had secrets that I couldn’t tell. Now that I have no secrets, how could you still have secrets… Wife.”

As Lin Chen spoke, he kissed Xing Conglian’s earlobe, causing Xing Conglian to shiver and swallow a mouthful of saliva. “What do you want to hear?”

“Let’s start with the three months of canned soybeans.” Lin Chen paused. “You can skip the classified parts.”

Xing Conglian kissed him back and earnestly expressed his loyalty. “Actually, there are no classified parts, and how could there be anything I can’t tell you?”

“Why have you never mentioned it before?”

“A true man sheds blood, not tears.”

“Hm?”

Xing Conglian fell silent but held Lin Chen tightly. He could only say, “I felt very bitter. My personal qualities were not enough, and it wasn’t appropriate to talk about it as a casual chat.”

“On this point, you’re far inferior to Wang Chao,” Lin Chen said.

Xing Conglian let out a long sigh, unable to argue.

When Lin Chen said he was “inferior”, he meant that he wasn’t as carefree as Wang Chao, who didn’t take things seriously and would bravely face any situation.

For people like them, the most common way of dealing with things was to let the past be the past, not say much about it, and leave it at that.

However, some things would not truly be in the past until the day they were mentioned again.

This was probably some form of psychological treatment, but Xing Conglian thought it could also be classified as “when you’re unhappy, I’ll kiss you to make you feel better.”

In the end, this topic didn’t continue.

Wang Chao quickly called them, shouting in a panicked tone, “Boss, there are 500 tables waiting for Wang Ji. Has the world gone crazy?”

“If it’s so hard to wait at Wang Ji, don’t you have experience? Why didn’t you hack the queue system in advance?” Xing Conglian angrily replied.

“Boss, I’m a high-level expert, hacking a small crawfish restaurant’s queue system is beneath me!” Wang Chao said angrily, then turned into a flatterer. “But I have a new idea!”

“What do you want to do?”

“Why don’t you buy Wangji now?”

“Fuck off!” Xing Conglian was furious. “Do you think I’m demeaning myself by making a call for this kind of thing?”

“I think it’s quite imposing, like a domineering president.”

“Then hacking a queue system is also quite expert-like, right?” Xing Conglian sneered. “Or can’t you get in?”

“The art of provoking doesn’t work on me.”

Wang Chao wanted to say more, but Lin Chen finally spoke helplessly. “Do you guys still want to eat?”

“Of course!”

They both said simultaneously, on the phone and in person.

“No way, huh?” Lin Chen paused, then changed his tone. “Is there a way that you both don’t want to help?”

“As ordinary people, there’s really no way,” Wang Chao said righteously.

Looking into Lin Chen’s eyes, Xing Conglian also nodded.

“Alright then.” Lin Chen took out his phone and dialed a number. “I guess I’ll have to figure something out.”

20 minutes later, they stood together at the entrance of Wangji, surrounded by a dense crowd of customers. The aroma of crayfish wafted through the door, and Wang Chao was excited. “A’Chen Gege, you truly deserve to be the man supported by the boss. One phone call, and we’ve settled it with Wangji. Can we go in now?”

“Wait a little longer.” Lin Chen’s gaze drifted, giving a non-committal reply.

Wang Chao sniffed, his face showing a worried expression.

Sure enough, just at that moment, a figure in a tailored suit emerged from the end of the street. It was a scorching hot day, yet the person was still dressed in a smoking-gray suit with a dark blue tie, like someone from another world.

Wang Chao looked at the person for a few seconds, then exclaimed in fear, “Boss, is hacking the queue system still not possible? I was wrong!”

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 303

On weekends without work, life would change from a police drama to a sitcom, possibly the comedy type.

Lin Chen wanted to get up early but wasn’t careful when he got out of bed. While stuffing his hug pillow into Xing Conglian’s arms, he accidentally woke up Captain Xing.

At that time, he still held the pose of bending over and pinching the corner of the hug pillow. Xing Conglian probably felt something was off and opened his eyes in a flash, catching him red-handed.

Their eyes met, and the scene was very awkward for a moment.

“I… wanted to make you breakfast,” Lin Chen pointed to the closed door, saying seriously.

“You didn’t say that before going to bed last night.”

Xing Conglian embraced the pillow. A blue blanket was draped around his waist, exposing his strong chest and muscular arms. His skin was even fairer than Lin Chen’s, and as he lay on the deep blue satin sheets, he looked quite charming, though his moist green eyes looked very aggrieved.

Lin Chen felt a stir, but he steadied his heart and breath and earnestly said, “Captain Xing, you can just ignore what a man says when he’s lost in passion.”

He pinched Xing Conglian’s ear to comfort him.

“Is my technique not good?” Xing Conglian sat up, insisting on asking.

“Very good.”

“Weren’t you comfortable yesterday?”

“Very comfortable,” Lin Chen answered truthfully.

“You said we would do it again this morning. Why did you sneak away?”

Lin Chen sighed deeply and sat down on the bed. “Because it was too comfortable, I felt physically exhausted, and my legs are weak now.”

Xing Conglian wrapped his arms around his waist, slightly doubtful after hearing this answer. “Really?”

“Really.” Lin Chen nodded.

In an instant, Xing Conglian let him go, retreating to the other side of the wooden bed.

“What’s wrong?” Lin Chen asked.

“Consultant Lin, hurry and leave. I’m afraid I might lose control of myself,” Xing Conglian said, gritting his teeth, looking quite restrained.

Lin Chen found his acting first thing in the morning utterly adorable. So, he sat on the edge of the bed, crossing his legs, gently caressing the bedsheet, and chose not to leave.

“Why… are you not leaving?” Xing Conglian frowned, pretending to ask in pain.

Lin Chen didn’t speak and started unbuttoning his newly put-on home wear from bottom to top.

The curtains were still drawn, so the dim light cast an ambiguous shadow, outlining Xing Conglian’s handsome face.

Lin Chen bent down, hugged his back, and gently bit his shoulder.

Xing Conglian chuckled. “I’ll just rub it. I won’t go in.”

“Okay…”

But since this was a sitcom, there must be something to interrupt after he said “okay”.

Sure enough, at that moment, the living room resonated with Wang Chao’s agonizing cry.

Lin Chen rolled off Xing Conglian, panting.

The latter was even more direct, sternly saying, “Should I go kill him?”

Lin Chen’s heart almost stopped. He stroked Xing Conglian’s forehead and said, “Just knock him out with some chloroform or something?”

However, Wang Chao obviously wouldn’t give them the chance to discuss what drug to use.

“Boss, Boss, A’Chen Gege! Xiao Wang is missing!”

The teenager pounded at their bedroom door, shouting loudly.

……

“Is this what you call ‘missing’?”

About a minute and thirty seconds later, they stood by the window facing the river in the living room while Xing Conglian coldly questioned Wang Chao.

The gauze window was torn with a large hole, and the light blue plastic gauze that was bitten was swaying in the wind. Just outside the torn window, on the lower left corner of the air conditioner unit, Comrade Xiao Wang was fearlessly basking in the sun.

Indoors, Wang Chao was sweating so profusely that he might even kneel down and beg for mercy in the next three seconds. “I… I… I was too nervous about Xiao Wang’s safety!”

“Hm?” Lin Chen stood against the wall with his arms folded and surprisingly joined in the conversation.

“A’Chen Gege, look. When I got up and saw such a big hole, I was afraid that Xiao Wang had accidentally taken a leap of faith into the river and died. It’s well known…”

Before finishing the sentence, the orange cat lying on the air conditioner unit woke up leisurely.

Every strand of its fur was sparkling. It got up, shook its fur, and then turned its plump body around. Its front paws reached the window ledge, and then it kicked with its hind legs, swiftly passing through the hole and landing steadily on the floor. Its agile figure was the best mockery to Wang Chao.

“Haha.” Xing Conglian laughed out loud.

Wang Chao’s face turned red, and he grabbed the orange cat’s waist and shouted. “I’ll fight you!”

Then…

Xiao Wang shook his front paw and slapped Wang Chao firmly on the face.

This time, even Lin Chen couldn’t help but laugh.

Wang Chao was shocked, covering his face, and watched as Xiao Wang’s figure slowly walked away, unable to believe everything he had just experienced.

The teenager pointed to the cat and then pointed to his own cheek.

“It hit me!”

“Well deserved.”

Xing Conglian responded smoothly.

Wang Chao held his chest, feeling very hurt, looking as if he was about to run away from home.

Lin Chen took a step forward, blocking Wang Chao’s escape route, causing the teenager to almost fall to the ground.

Xing Conglian kicked Wang Chao’s butt.

“Stop pretending,” Lin Chen said. “You can’t run away.”

“You two are teaming up on me!” Wang Chao shouted aggrievedly. “I really just care too much about cats.”

Lin Chen leaned against the wall and looked at Xing Conglian. “Zhang Xiaolong said that the bureau has been shorthanded in organizing old paper files recently.”

“Yeah, a big group of people have to work overtime on weekends.”

“It’s too hard.”

“Indeed.”

“If there’s extra help, especially someone skilled in computers, it should improve efficiency, right?”

“Naturally, as colleagues in the police station, we should lend a hand.”

At this point, they both looked at Wang Chao.

“This is the first weekend I’ve had off in twenty days!” Wang Chao stated indignantly.

“You care too much about cats that you don’t need this kind of vacation,” Lin Chen said.

“Get lost!” Xing Conglian summed up the statement.

……

Although Xiao Wang’s disappearance was just a false alarm and it ended with Comrade Wang Chao working 48 hours of overtime, Lin Chen later searched online and found that plastic gauze windows were easily torn by cats. This was their mistake.

The disrupted morning couldn’t continue, so Lin Chen and Xing Conglian changed their clothes, closed all the doors and windows, had a quick breakfast, and went straight to the home improvement store.

Of course, the salesperson recommended replacing all the doors and windows at home and gave a very shocking quote.

There were too many doors and windows at home, so they calculated the price and found it unnecessary.

Xing Conglian searched for DIY cat protection net tutorials online, and he and Lin Chen studied it together. They felt that it seemed safer than replacing all the gauze windows.

So, ignoring the disdainful eyes of the salesperson, they turned around and left, went to the hardware area, and bought a bunch of materials based on the measurements.

In the afternoon, the other party arranged for the delivery.

Lin Chen looked at the large pile of wire mesh in the courtyard and then at the police captain, who had changed into a sleeveless vest and was ready to work vigorously and gave up the idea of helping.

“Consultant Lin, you rest. I’ll take care of everything!”

Xing Conglian stood in the sunlight, stepping on the wire mesh with excitement.

He had broad shoulders and graceful muscle lines, making him even more attractive under the sun. Lin Chen scanned him from head to toe, then headed to the kitchen to make a cup of tea and grab a random book. He lay down under the umbrella, signaling Xing Conglian to proceed as he pleased.

Captain Xing was experienced in outdoor survival, and repairing equipment was a piece of cake for him. He had complete supplies at home.

Lin Chen watched him move a large pile of tools from the cellar of the gazebo, some of which might come in handy, while others might not, and continued drinking his tea.

Perhaps Xing Conglian’s movements were too loud. Starting from when he began cutting, Xiao Wang, who had been sleeping on the cherry tree in the courtyard, was suddenly awakened.

The orange cat, who was still half asleep, rubbed against the pink cherry blossoms a few times, looking dazed and not very stable.

Lin Chen put down his teacup and walked to the foot of the tree. Xiao Wang cooperated well and jumped down gracefully, hitting Lin Chen’s chest like a cannonball. The famous saying “ten oranges, nine are fat*” was indeed well-deserved. Lin Chen took a few steps back before catching the cat.

*It’s a saying referring to how, out of 10 orange cats, nine are fat.

“Are you okay?” Not far away, Captain Xing, who was working seriously, even took the time to show concern.

Lin Chen waved at him and held Xiao Wang by the neck, sitting back under the umbrella and yawning.

With a cat on his lap, tea in his hand, his lover in “revealing” clothes not far away, the warm sunshine and sweet cherry blossoms, and a book purely for show, it made him feel drowsy, so he actually fell asleep.

The nap wasn’t long. At least Lin Chen felt that he was probably woken up by something licking him as soon as he closed his eyes. The tongue was smooth and flexible, obviously not Xiao Wang’s. Lin Chen chuckled and hooked the person’s neck without opening his eyes.

The other person struggled and said, “Let go, let go. I need to work.”

Lin Chen opened his eyes.

Xing Conglian’s face was very close to him. His white overalls were soaked with sweat and thin to the point of transparency. Their noses were almost touching, and their breaths were entwined.

Lin Chen playfully nudged Xing Conglian’s calf with his foot and wrapped his arm around his waist, gradually lifting his overalls. He said seriously, “Here, I’m working too.”

Kinky Thoughts:

Never trust a man when he says, “just the tip” or “I won’t put it in”.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 302

Adopting Xiao Wang was a wonderful accident.

It was pouring that day, and Wang Chao went out to the internet cafe to play games, coming back home drenched like a drowned rat.

As he was shaking his hair under the eaves, he saw a cat, soaked and muddy, crouching by his feet, shaking off the water with him.

“Wow, I think this is a wonderful fate, so I took it in!” Lin Chen opened the door to find a soaked teenager pointing at the soaked cat at his feet saying this.

There was muffled thunder in the sky, and dark clouds pressed low.

Everything, including the pond’s koi, was gloomy and damp, and only the teenager’s smile was brilliant.

Lin Chen crouched down and petted the cat lying on its back, showing its belly, and found it to be a similarly brilliant orange cat, so he had no reason to refuse.

Lin Chen turned and led the two wet comrades into the house.

He found a fluffy large bath towel from the wardrobe to wrap the cat, while Wang Chao had already shouted “so cold” and rushed into his bathroom.

Lin Chen held the cat by the window to dry it.

Outside the window, the rain was heavy, turning the river into black mud. The sound of splashing water came from the bathroom. The room was filled with the unique chill of the southern region, but when holding the cat, everything was peaceful and warm, even carrying the unique warmth of small animals.

In short, the connection between cats and people always caught one off guard. Often, you wouldn’t think much before going out, but when you came back, suddenly you were a person with a cat.

However, for Wang Chao, this serendipity lasted only until Xing Conglian came back from duty.

Xing Conglian came in and saw the cat sleeping on the rush mat while closing his umbrella, so he threw the umbrella at the door, and excitedly went to Lin Chen, exclaiming, “Wow, do we have a cat now?”

Wang Chao, hiding in the corner playing mobile games, heard this and jumped up, shouting, “It’s not ‘we’, thank you. This is my cat!”

But Xing Conglian paid no attention to what Wang Chao said, as the view by the window was too good.

Lin Chen was sitting cross-legged on another rush mat, holding his chin in one hand and looking at his phone, showing a serious and thoughtful side face and a delicate, flexible neck.

His other hand was slanting by his side, with the fluffy head of the orange cat resting on the back of his hand, leaving only his fingertips lightly touching the edge of the rush mat, as if trying to maintain balance, afraid to pull his hand away carelessly.

Xing Conglian quietly came over, crouched down next to Lin Chen, and looked at the round orange cat, clicking his tongue in admiration. He was so happy he didn’t know what to say.

He leaned over and kissed Lin Chen’s ear, then asked in a low voice, “What should we name our cat?”

Lin Chen did not answer but looked at the irate Comrade Xiao Wang next to him.

The teenager immediately came over and seriously gave his opinion. “I’ve thought about it. Let’s name it Pikachu! The color, the cuteness, it’s all very close!”

Probably because Wang Chao’s voice was too loud, the orange cat suddenly lifted its head and looked at him in confusion with its green eyes, not knowing what was going on.

“What?” Xing Conglian didn’t understand.

“It’s Pikachu from ‘Pokémon’!”

“Did you say Mantis Shrimp*?” Xing Conglian asked back.

*Clarity: Pikachu (皮卡丘) vs [Pipixia] (皮皮虾)

“That joke’s outdated, Boss. You older people’s pop culture sense is so embarrassing,” Wang Chao said seriously.

Xing Conglian was about to grab Wang Chao’s scalp.

Lin Chen relaxed his palm and scratched the orange cat’s fluffy forehead with his fingertips, staring into the cat’s eyes, and seriously asked, “Xiao Wang?”

The orange cat meowed softly.

“Eh?” The teenager was quite bewildered.

Xing Conglian stared at Lin Chen’s finger, reacting faster. “Calling it Xiao Wang is good. How about adding an eight*?”

*Clarity: The joke is [wang] (王) combined with eight (八) becomes bastard/son of a bitch (王八). So it’s like Little Bastard (in reference to Wang Chao).

“Why, what kind of joke is this?” Wang Chao was dissatisfied.

“Because it’s similar,” Lin Chen casually replied, looking at the teenager in front of the sofa and then at the clever orange cat on the rush mat.

The heavy rain came and went in haste.

Wang Chao was tangled in a matter regarding the name for a while, but the rain stopped, and the sky revealed a pale gold hue at dusk.

Lin Chen put his mobile phone back in his pocket, finally stood up, found a canvas bag at home to put the cat in, and prepared to leave with it on his back.

Seeing this, Xing Conglian went to the door ahead of time and stood in front of Lin Chen. “Consultant Lin, can we still be with people with a cat?”

“A’Chen Gege, where are you taking Xiao Wang?” Wang Chao asked from behind.

Lin Chen put on his shoes and waved his phone at them. “The encyclopedia says, if you find a stray cat, first take it to the vet for a check-up…”

He picked up the bag, walked a few steps, and looked back at them. “Why don’t we have teppanyaki for dinner?”

Wang Chao cheered while Xing Conglian took the bag holding the cat from Lin Chen but didn’t seem very pleased.

They walked along Yanjia Lane.

After a downpour, the river had risen considerably, and households along the street began to cook; the fragrance of cooking oil wafted everywhere.

Black tiles, white walls, green trees, yellow flowers, humid air.

Xing Conglian put a cigarette in his mouth but, realizing he was still carrying the cat, didn’t light it.

Lin Chen walked beside him and naturally held his other hand. Xing Conglian quickly grasped it, feigning seriousness on his face.

“Captain Xing, what are your demands? You can raise them now,” Lin Chen casually asked.

“When can we have a world for just the two of us, without any third wheels?” Xing asked.

Xing Conglian looked back at the mentally handicapped teenager, who was walking a long way behind them and was still playing with his phone while yelling. He was quite upset.

“When we sleep,” Lin Chen said seriously.

“That’s restrictive too. You’ve been very suppressed lately, Consultant Lin. It’s not good for your health in the long run, right?” Xing Conglian approached while asking with a smile.

“Don’t you like this style?” Lin Chen’s dark eyes lifted slightly, revealing a faint smile.

Such a light smile, yet Xing Conglian felt his heart touched by a soft feather.

He immediately thought of Lin Chen’s restraint and suppression, even curling his toes in his sleep, and wanted to throw both the cat and Wang Chao away and take Lin Chen home immediately.

Lin Chen was clearly teasing, saying, “But we have a cat tonight, so it might not work.”

The cat was uncomfortable in the canvas bag, peering out, not understanding what they were saying.

Xing Conglian held up the cat, looking at its fluffy paws and head. Although the cat was… utterly adorable, having those eyes watch them at night during their passionate times seemed inappropriate…

With resolve, he shouted, “Wang Chao, get your ass over here.”

The teenager ran over instinctively, braking suddenly when he realized he was being too obedient, and yelled, “What for, Boss!”

Xing Conglian was heartbroken, but Lin Chen slightly lowered his head, looking regretful.

He could only bear the pain and hand the canvas bag to Wang Chao, emphasizing, “Your cat!”

Wang Chao was shocked. “What!”

“Only yours at night!” Xing Conglian stressed.

The pet hospital was where Duan Yang once worked.

Time had changed, and the doctor was now a very cute girl. She patiently examined the cat, gave it a bath, dewormed it, and told them to come back for vaccinations in a few days.

Apart from being overweight, their cat had no problems, which greatly pleased Xing Conglian.

Wang Chao, to assert his authority over Xiao Wang, paid all the examination fees and bought various cat supplies, insisting he could carry the cat litter, cat food, litter box, and the cat itself back home without any issues.

Xing Conglian had no objection.

It was already dark. Lin Chen was still holding hands with him; his handsome face held an indescribable meaning in the hazy night.

Xing Conglian thought back to Lin Chen’s reaction to the cat and suddenly realized he might have overlooked something.

“You… don’t actually like cats?” he asked.

Lin Chen looked at him helplessly. “No, I like them.”

“Then…”

“Why didn’t I help you and instead let you give the cat to Wang Chao?” Lin Chen asked.

“Mm.”

Lin Chen smiled, stopped, and ruffled Xing Conglian’s hair.

Under the dim streetlight, this simple gesture almost made Xing Conglian’s heart leap out of his throat.

Just then, Lin Chen leaned forward. His gentle breath brushed Xing Conglian’s ear.

“Because, the only one who can sleep with you is me, Captain Xing.”

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>