Chapter 122: Hoping It Is, Yet Hoping It Is Not

Qin Yu maintained a very steady routine; no matter how late he stayed up the night before, he would still get up promptly early the next morning. Having lived in the compound since childhood, Qin Yu’s schedule was strictly aligned with the compound’s rhythms.

Logically, he should have seen the message by now...

The doorbell rang repeatedly, over and over, until it automatically stopped, yet no one came to open the door.

Qin Yu lived here alone, with no servants. The servants only came at set times to clean.

Lin Xi pressed her ear against the door, trying to catch any sound inside—there was none, not even footsteps. She pounded the door with urgency. “Third brother?”

“Third brother!” Since no one else lived on this floor and she wasn’t worried about disturbing neighbors, she called out louder.

Her patience began to wane. “Qin Yu!”

Lin Xi glanced down at the keypad lock in front of her.

Since Qin Yu had moved here, she had never entered this place, let alone knew the password.

Her index finger hovered over the lock for a few seconds, then on impulse, she typed in her usual code.

At the last digit, her fingertip hesitated, suddenly lacking the courage to press it.

It was hard to explain—her heart teetered uncertainly at that moment.

She both hoped it was, and hoped it wasn’t.

Lin Xi frowned. “Silly.”

She pressed down firmly on the final digit.

The lock responded swiftly, instantly clicking open. Lin Xi’s eyelashes fluttered as she yanked the door open and stepped inside.

“Third brother?”

The layout and style inside were unmistakably Qin Yu’s.

Minimalist, monochrome, cold and austere. At a glance, it resembled her place next door in some ways.

Unfamiliar with his space, Lin Xi didn’t know where his master bedroom was.

But as she walked in, she realized the room layout here was a carbon copy of hers—no changes whatsoever.

She knocked on the bedroom door, tentatively calling his name. “Qin Yu?”

When no response came, she pressed her hand on the door handle, just about to push it open, when the sound of the keypad unlocking came from the door.

“...”

Startled, Lin Xi stepped back toward the living room, only to collide with the figure just entering.

Their eyes met, both surprised to see each other here.

Qin Yu set down the items in his hands by the entrance and straightened. “Came looking for me?”

Lin Xi’s gaze shifted to a nearby cabinet, catching sight of what he had placed down.

It was breakfast from Feng Ji’s, the place she often ate at.

A faint smile tugged at her lips. “You just went out to get this?”

“Yeah.” Seeing her odd expression, Qin Yu explained, “Had to handle an urgent document, came back and picked it up on the way.”

“At this hour, was there a long line?”

“Not too bad.”

She was already dressed and must have been up for a while, so Qin Yu asked if she was heading out now.

Ten minutes later, Lin Xi still held the breakfast untouched.

“Not eating?” Qin Yu glanced at her quietly. “If you don’t eat soon, it’ll get cold.”

“Oh.”

Lin Xi was worried about leaving the smell in the car, but since he said so, she had no reservations.

After finishing breakfast, Lin Xi expected him to ask about her password or something, but Qin Yu didn’t mention it once. Compared to that, he seemed more concerned about whether she was eating well.

“It’s fine. Tastes the same as before.” This shop was just across from her old middle and high school. Sometimes she didn’t like eating at home in the morning and would stop by Feng Ji’s on her way to school.

She had been there after returning to China, too. She hadn’t expected that after seven years, a simple breakfast stall outside a school gate had turned into a trendy hotspot.

The storefront had been renovated; it no longer looked like a mere breakfast place. And although she went after ten in the morning, missing the early rush, the line still stretched out onto the street and curved around twice.

She wasn’t very patient sometimes, especially with lines.

To her, it felt like wasted time.

So since returning, she hadn’t had the chance to eat there.

At this moment, the two chatted about everyday trivialities, and being together didn’t feel so strange anymore.

—

At noon, several of them ate with the old master at the Cheng family home. The eldest aunt, knowing the second brother had returned, hurried back to arrange for everyone to go to the Lin residence that evening.

With nothing to do in the afternoon, they accompanied the eldest aunt to play mahjong.

Lin Xi hadn’t played before; after watching for a while, the eldest aunt pushed her to join the table. “Xi Xi, you help me play for a bit. I’ll check on the dishes in the kitchen.”

“...”

Lin Xi sat down, still a bit bewildered.

Zhou Jingheng asked, “I thought Xi Xi didn’t know how to play?”

She was very young before going abroad and never paid much attention to such things, so she hadn’t learned.

“I’ve understood the basic rules.” She learned quickly and after watching a few rounds had grasped the gameplay. As for how to actually play, that was another matter...

“No worries, just play along.” It was entertainment, a way to pass time with family—not something to take too seriously.

“Actually, I’m not very good either. I’ll just be the backup,” the second brother said with a smile.

The best players here were Cheng Si and Bai Xu—true masters.

Compared to them, Lin Xi was a novice, just filler. Zhou Jingheng was barely silver level, what old sayings called a half-baked player.

After a round, Lin Xi could clearly feel the difference.

It wasn’t about winning or losing, but the speed of drawing and discarding tiles.

Cheng Si and Bai Xu moved swiftly, almost without hesitation, casting a glance before playing a tile. Then it was Lin Xi’s turn.

That speed was really unfriendly to beginners.

Lin Xi was on high alert, focused as if conducting an experiment.

Fortunately, she was composed and didn’t let Cheng Si and Bai Xu’s pace disrupt her thinking. She shortened her play time as much as possible, trying to keep up.

Playing mahjong revealed the personalities of the four.

Zhou Jingheng was the typical person who didn’t care much about winning or losing, always looking out for others. To him, this family entertainment was about making elders happy and entertaining the children. As long as everyone enjoyed it, that was enough.

Lin Xi was the opposite—she cared a lot about results. Even if she didn’t particularly like mahjong, she played with full engagement.

Cheng Si wasn’t very serious, his mind elsewhere, playing casually. Bai Xu was simply there to stir things up—he had matters more important than mahjong.

Soon, Qin Yu returned from outside.

Cheng Si glanced over and quickly waved to him, clearly having waited for Qin Yu through these rounds.

“Is Third Brother coming?” Cheng Si wanted Qin Yu to join.

Hearing this, the second brother offered his seat: “I’ll go help Xi Xi with her tiles. You take my spot.”

Seeing Qin Yu unmoved, the second brother sighed, “You all know how I play. Come on, it’s your turn.”

Qin Yu had no intention to join, but Zhou Jingheng already stood and switched seats.

Lin Xi looked at him and asked, “Is Third Brother really not coming?”

Seeing this, Qin Yu reluctantly sat down—just in time to be Lin Xi’s upper hand.

(End of chapter)