At six in the evening, Ji Huaijin put his work aside, picked up his phone, and contacted a restaurant. He chose a few light dishes and had them delivered to Jinhua Residential Community.
Then he called. As expected, no one answered. He chuckled softly and switched back to WeChat to remind the other person to collect the delivery.
A few seconds later, all he received was a frosty emoji.
[Smile.jpg]
Ji Huaijin's lips curved. He stopped teasing him and lowered his head to resume his work.
Lin Shuyang had a bit of luck on his side. His casual invitation happened to catch Ji Huaijin in a good mood.
Ji Huaijin readily agreed, picked up his jacket, and drove to the club.
Although the Ji Family's home base was not in Capital City, it was a prestigious clan whose roots could be traced back to the Tang dynasty. It had produced many great Confucian scholars.
On the surface, no member of the Ji Family stood at the center of power. In reality, its branches spread across the country, with members holding sway in their respective regions. Its influence was not to be underestimated.
Ji Huaijin was originally from Jiangnan, but he had come to Capital City for high school and later entered a renowned university there. In his junior year, his outstanding grades earned him admission to a graduate program at Harvard, after which he spent nine years studying abroad.
Lin Shuyang's family was in business and ordinarily would have had no way to gain the backing of a family like the Jis. But his great-grandfather had happened to form a friendly connection with the Ji Family years ago, bringing the two families into contact.
Lin Shuyang's grandfather was a man of considerable wisdom. He seized the opportunity to send gifts punctually on holidays, neither standing on ceremony nor trying to outshine anyone. His humble, courteous manner left a good impression on the Ji Family, and a genuine friendship gradually developed.
That was when the Ji Family's immense influence became apparent. In just a few years, the Lin Family grew from a small real estate company into a powerful enterprise, eventually becoming a titan of the business world.
Ever since Lin Shuyang could remember, he had accompanied his father to Sucheng every year. He still remembered his first visit to that elegant, old-fashioned residence. His little mouth had fallen so wide open that an egg would have fit perfectly.
"Dad, is this the new house you bought? I like it! I want to live here!"
His father did not even look at him. He grabbed him by the back of his collar and said mercilessly, "Does your dad look like a house to you? Why don't you just live on my face?"
Lin Shuyang kicked his legs a couple of times and asked in all sincerity, "Can I?"
His father said, "..."
We can't keep this kid.
Just as he was about to tell him to behave, a soft laugh came from a corner of the courtyard. Father and son turned to look.
"Wow! A pretty big brother!"
The boy was an honest little soul. At the sight of Ji Huaijin, who looked like a little fairy prince, he immediately made a request.
"Dad, can we throw my big brother away? I want this pretty big brother to be my big brother."
His father fell silent again.
Nice idea, but stop thinking about it.
By then, father and son had reached the entrance to the main hall. Everyone inside burst out laughing at those candid, childish words.
"Oh my, where did this little darling come from? How is he so adorable?"
Not the least bit shy around strangers, Lin Shuyang reached out for the beautiful grandmother in a cheongsam to pick him up, remembering to introduce himself earnestly.
"Hello, Grandma. My name is Lin Shuyang. I'm my mom and dad's son-their only son!"
Grandma Ji pressed her cheek to his and teased him. "But I remember your mom and dad having another child older than you."
"Oh, I don't want him anymore," seven-year-old Lin Shuyang declared brazenly. "As long as I don't acknowledge him, he's not my big brother!"
You certainly have a mind of your own.
The Ji Family laughed until tears came to their eyes, while Lin Shuyang's father fought hard to suppress the urge to smack his son.
And so, with his natural-born gift for charming absolutely anyone, Lin Shuyang delighted Grandma Ji so much that she decided on the spot that his father would send him to Sucheng every summer vacation.
His father was more than happy to agree. The Ji Family was a scholarly household, and staying there could only benefit his son. It might even help the little troublemaker settle down.
When it came time to leave, his father was still a little reluctant to part with him. Lin Shuyang himself, however, sat comfortably between Grandma Ji and Mother Ji, holding a plate of pastries and eating without even looking up, utterly unconcerned about his poor old father.
He even waved on his own initiative. "Bye, Dad! Remember to tell my big brother I've found a pretty big brother. Tell him he'd better watch himself."
His father's tender paternal affection vanished instantly. "...Just eat your pastries!"
From then on, Ji Huaijin had a clingy little shadow who followed him everywhere. When Ji Huaijin studied, Lin Shuyang sat beside him playing with blocks. When Ji Huaijin went to the bathroom, he squatted outside and stood guard.
He kept following him for more than a decade, right up until Ji Huaijin went abroad.
"Huaijin, fine, you wouldn't let us pick you up at the airport when you came back. But making us beg you over and over just to get you out for a gathering? That's not very decent of you."
The speaker was Tang Jiaran, one of the few friends Ji Huaijin had made after coming to Capital City. The son of a vice minister of public security, he had chosen to enlist after graduating from university and transferred to a civilian position in the Political Department four years later.
The moment Ji Huaijin stepped into the private room, Tang Jiaran gestured for the women gathered around them to leave.
A girl wearing a spaghetti-strap dress with a plunging neckline and a slit sidled closer, pretending it was accidental. Ji Huaijin stepped aside to avoid her, his brows drawing together at the pungent smell of perfume.
His friends noticed the little incident too, of course. After so many years together, they knew Ji Huaijin's temperament well. Whenever he was present, things had to be kept clean.
Tang Jiaran cast a cool glance toward the door. "If you can't walk properly, go back and stay put. Don't come wandering around."
The club manager hurriedly answered with deference, then stepped forward and dragged the ashen-faced girl out of the room.
The others, who had still been dawdling, instantly quickened their steps, each wishing she could vanish on the spot.
Ji Huaijin walked over at an unhurried pace and remarked casually, "It's been a few years, Director Tang. You've certainly grown more imposing."
Tang Jiaran laughed in exasperation. "Professor Ji, you really know how to turn the tables. I haven't even started giving you trouble, and you're already making fun of me!"
Their friends were long accustomed to this and watched the pair trade barbs with keen interest.
Once they had finished teasing each other, Ji Huaijin accepted a drink and clinked glasses with them, then turned toward Lin Shuyang, who was slumped to one side looking utterly defeated.
"What's wrong? Which older girlfriend broke your heart this time?"
Lin Shuyang's eyes widened indignantly. "My girlfriend treats me great!"
Xi Ming could not hold back a snort. "Are you for real? In this day and age, you're still pretending to be some poor kid? How clichéd can you get?"
"You don't know shit!" Lin Shuyang lifted his chin and declared shamelessly, "True love shouldn't have anything material mixed into it. It should just be me loving her and her loving me."
This time, even Tang Jiaran could not help himself. "Then have you ever heard the saying that love without a material foundation is like a pile of loose sand? It falls apart at the slightest disturbance."
Lin Shuyang stubbornly clung to his views on love, convinced they were simply jealous of his sweet romance and wanted to upset him.
"Just you wait. My love will definitely stand the test!"
Xi Ming laughed so hard he slapped his thigh. "Next time you need someone to pretend to be your brother and throw five million at her, remember to call us. Don't worry-we'll do it for free!"
Their eagerness to watch the drama could not have been more obvious. Lin Shuyang rolled his eyes indignantly. "In your dreams!"
Ji Huaijin had thought he was simply dating someone normally, but the more he heard, the more something seemed off. He frowned and spoke up. "Lin Shuyang, since when did you develop such a nasty sense of fun?"
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