WHI – Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It was at dinner that Lin Ting finally met Gu Yi in person. He was just like his father, impeccably dressed, speaking flawlessly, his gaze slightly raised and cast down from an imperceptible height, his hands hovering in mid-air while eating, as if touching the table would cause some catastrophe.

Gu Yi smiled politely, “Hello, I’m Gu Yi. May I ask your name?”

“Lin Ting.” He forced a smile, feeling as if the Gu family were acting in a TV drama, his mother’s taste in partners being a bit too extreme.

“My father mentioned we’re the same age, perhaps we have common interests? Besides studying, what do you usually enjoy doing? I love skiing and golf, I wonder if you’re interested.”

“I like playing Dance Dance Revolution, do you know it? The kind in arcades. Oh, right, you young masters probably wouldn’t know. It’s fine, I’ll take you sometime.”

Lin Ting wasn’t intentionally teasing. He simply couldn’t utter those refined words. Sometimes he felt as if there was a highway between his mouth and his brain, one with an ETC pass, and whatever he thought of just blurted out, uncontrollable.

As soon as the words left his mouth, he distinctly felt the gaze across the table freeze. Lin Ting suddenly felt like laughing, but it would be too inappropriate to burst out laughing now. He could only suppress it, and the more he suppressed it, the more he wanted to laugh. Finally, his head was almost buried under the dining table, his shoulders convulsing.

“Gu Jiang, I told you, this child carries that person’s blood…” It was his mother’s voice, spoken in an extremely calm tone that made Lin Ting unable to feel angry. He stopped laughing, propping his head up with one hand, looking blankly at the face so similar to his own.

“Su Li, Lin Ting is just not used to it. Believe me, within a year, he’ll be like the other children here. Gu Yi, take Lin Ting out with you more often.” Gu Jiang said with a conciliatory smile, not forgetting to pick up a couple of dishes for Lin Ting.

Gu Yi was clearly an obedient child. After hearing his father’s words, he immediately followed up, “Dad, Mom, don’t worry.”

With that, the dining table was filled with a joyful and relieved atmosphere. The faces of the family of three clearly conveyed, “You’re so filial, I’m so understanding, he’s so obedient.” At this moment, it seemed that all the unpleasantness brought by outsiders couldn’t destroy their warm and happy family.

Fortunately, the room had everything, from a bathroom tub to a toilet, otherwise Lin Ting wouldn’t have had the strength to even lift his foot out of the room to shower that night.

The next few days were the last few days of the National Day holiday. The streets were jammed with people. As Su Li took Lin Ting and the driver around various shopping malls, Lin Ting’s mind was filled with thoughts: either the scenes of booking out entire malls in TV dramas were fake, or the Gu family wasn’t rich enough.

Lin Ting thought it was likely the latter.

The night before he was supposed to go to school, just as Lin Ting turned off the lights, leaving only a small night light on to sleep, there was a knock on his door.

Lin Ting found it strange for anyone in this house to knock on his door. So he opened it and saw the person least likely to be at his door standing there—Gu Jiang.

Gu Jiang was still as elegant and refined as ever, his suit cufflinks all in place. Lin Ting couldn’t understand if he had just gotten off work or was about to go to work.

His eyes glanced inside the room, “Are you turning off the lights to sleep? Sorry to disturb you. Gu Yi usually doesn’t sleep that early, I thought all young people nowadays…”

“Different genes, just say what you need to say.” Lin Ting yawned.

Gu Jiang didn’t seem to mind Lin Ting’s impolite tone at all. He took out a thick stack of red envelopes from his pocket, “I should have given you this welcome gift when we first met, but I was busy and forgot. I thought I’d give it to you before school starts, so you have some pocket money for school.”

Not to mention Su Li had already transferred a considerable amount to him via WeChat yesterday, saying not to embarrass the family once he was out of this door. Lin Ting was not short of money at all. Besides, such a thick wad of bills, just looking at it, you could tell it had some weight in hand, much heavier and more formal than a string of zeros on WeChat. Lin Ting couldn’t convince himself to accept the money.

“Uncle Gu, I appreciate your kindness, but I’ve always been frugal. My mother gave me some yesterday, enough for me for more than half a year.” Lin Ting said.

Gu Jiang showed no displeasure on his face. After putting down the red envelope, he took out his phone and operated it. Lin Ting heard his phone beep. He picked up his phone and saw that the WeChat friend he had added only two days ago, with only “Hello, Gu Jiang.” and “Lin Ting” in their chat history, had transferred him several zeros.

Lin Ting really didn’t want this money. Although his mother’s money yesterday and the people he was living with now were surnamed Gu, the feeling of it being passed through another hand was different from this direct transfer.

It felt as if he had traveled all this way just to get money, selling his mother to someone to call her mother, dismantling his own home to fill gaps for someone else’s, turning from a biological son into a former son, receiving compensation from the receiving family.

Thinking of this, he suddenly felt like laughing. It was as if his mother was unwilling.

Gu Jiang didn’t linger. He said goodnight and left. Lin Ting didn’t intend to accept the money, nor did he intend to click to return it, just waiting for it to be automatically returned the next day.

The Gu family’s financial strength was indeed considerable. This room was likely a spare guest room or a backup room before he moved in, but the en-suite bathroom was the most luxurious Lin Ting had seen in over a decade. It was more luxurious than the hotel bathroom his parents had taken him to in the Capital City when he was young—that was his only trip, so he had reviewed it hundreds of times in his mind, and he could recall every detail instantly.

During that trip, they stayed in a large hotel, which was said to be very expensive. His father, while paying at the counter, had counted the stack of bills back and forth with heartache several times. When he finally handed it over, he rubbed it with his hand, as if afraid two bills would be counted as one, and instructed the staff, “Did I count correctly?” which caused laughter from the people around.

His mother held him and stood by. The upper half of her face was furrowed, and the lower half was expressionless.

The hotel room at that time had two washbasins, a smart mirror, and a “small swimming pool”—Lin Ting later learned that thing was called a bathtub. The entire washroom gleamed magnificently, leaving a profound impression on his young self. As a result, after the trip, when he returned home and saw the dirty and old washroom, he cried and insisted on going to his grandmother’s house—he had visited his grandmother’s house a few times when he was young, and it was also very beautiful, but he only went with his mother. After he started elementary school, his mother stopped taking him.

His thoughts drifted further and further. Lin Ting stood in the bathroom, forcing himself to come back to his senses. He pondered the smooth and shiny large bathtub and took a comfortable bath.

The lights in the room were all warm yellow. Lin Ting lay in the water, watching the warm, sun-like light shine on him, and unknowingly fell asleep. He only vaguely opened his eyes when the water turned cold, tidied himself up simply, and got back into bed.

Lin Ting woke up the next morning. Three seconds after waking up, he heard his phone alarm ring and skillfully turned it off, getting up to change and dress without delay.

It seemed that in all his years, he had never found waking up troublesome.

When he went downstairs, the round-faced aunt from yesterday—Lin Ting didn’t understand she was surnamed Fang—Auntie Fang had already prepared breakfast and was placing milk on the table. Seeing Lin Ting, she was still extremely enthusiastic: “Young Master Lin… Lin Ting… Young Master Lin… Lin…”

Lin Ting looked behind him and indeed, his mother and Gu Jiang were coming downstairs.

He regretted opening his mouth yesterday. Look, he had messed up their language system.

“Good morning, Lin Ting. Did you sleep well last night? If there’s anything you’re not used to, just say so, don’t be shy. Later, I’ll have the driver take you and Gu Yi to school before I go to work.” Gu Jiang was still so enthusiastic. Lin Ting felt that anyone who saw this scene would have to say it was heartwarming.

“How could I not be used to such a nice house? I’m fine.” Lin Ting’s words were heartfelt.

Su Li just sat down slowly, opened the book she had been reading halfway yesterday, and said, “Control your temper. New classmates aren’t like those people before, don’t cause trouble.”

Lin Ting knew Su Li was referring to the times he had fought at school before.

“What kind of temper do I have? The Lin family’s kind? Or the Su family’s kind?” Lin Ting said, then put a piece of bacon from in front of him into his mouth, as if he hadn’t been the one speaking.

Su Li let out a soft hum and shook her head.

However, Su Li was right. The new school was close to here, and its teaching staff was top-notch. The students were almost all young masters and ladies from the nearby high-end residential areas. If there was an argument before, it was settled by fighting. This time, he had to think twice.

Tsk, as if I always look for fights, Lin Ting said truthfully. He had been a good student in the eyes of his teachers all his life, except he liked to sleep in class—mainly because he understood everything being taught, and it was rather boring. The few unpleasant incidents he had were always initiated by others.

Lin Ting finished eating before Gu Yi came downstairs. With a sleepy face, Lin Ting didn’t look at him, grabbed his bag, and was about to leave.

Gu Jiang, halfway through his coffee, stood up and said, “Shall we go out together?”

“I’ll walk there.” Lin Ting didn’t look back, waving his hand.

Gu Yi’s school was different from his. It was a very good private high school, though a bit far. Lin Ting had seen the school’s introduction online a long time ago, and heard they even had afternoon tea. He had gossiped about it with classmates back then… Until last night at dinner when they mentioned it, Lin Ting felt an unreal sense of illusion.

Anyway, he wasn’t as far as they were, and walking would get him some peace and quiet.

Lin Ting had looked at the map on his phone last night. He skillfully went out, turned left, and followed the map in his mind, winding his way to an alley entrance.

He heard some arguing ahead, which made him a little annoyed. He didn’t know whether to pretend not to hear and walk past, or wait for the voices to disappear before going.

“Next time I beat you, it won’t just be one punch!” He heard one of the voices from the alley say.

This was too uncivilized. Lin Ting shook his head. From this angle, he would be discovered. It was better to wait a bit longer, he didn’t want to go to school that early anyway.

“Thank you, Brother Wen! I’ll never dare again!” A voice that was neither grateful nor choked with tears belonged to someone else.

Brother Wen? It seemed these young masters were no different from ordinary people. Lin Ting felt sorry for himself for ever thinking that people here were all like the Gu family.

‘Brother Wen’ said something else to the crying voice, and then a series of footsteps gradually moved away. Lin Ting leaned against the wall, one foot resting on the corner, planning to pretend to pass by after the other person also left.

Not long after, the other footsteps also faded away.

Lin Ting sighed, his gaze on the clouds in the sky retracted and focused on the road. He lifted his foot to leave. As he passed the alley entrance, he couldn’t help but glance inside—sure enough, the people were gone.

“Who are you looking for?” A hand suddenly gently rested on Lin Ting’s right shoulder, a faint smile brushing past his left earlobe, causing the hairs on the side of his face to stand on end.