"Brother Yunchen, are you leaving?" Ou Yunchen was bumped into by Amin as he was about to leave through the back door.
"Huh? Brother Yunchen, why are you carrying a bottle of alcohol?" Amin, this shadow, how can he always be so persistent!
"Oh, the sewer at home is a bit moldy, I'm going back to clean it," Ou Yunchen offered a strained explanation.
"I didn't expect Brother Yunchen to clean himself!" Amin chuckled teasingly.
"Yes, living alone, if I don't do these things myself, will I just let it get filthy? But why are you back? Where's your girlfriend? Is she alright?"
"Oh, she said some guests were drunk and causing trouble for her, so I hailed a taxi for her and sent her home to rest." Amin felt proud of his excellent boyfriend performance.
"Don't you need to go back and accompany her?" Ou Yunchen asked, feigning casualness.
"She said I didn't need to. If I take time off from Sister Hong, my salary will be deducted, and I might lose tonight's commission."
Ou Yunchen smiled and continued, "Then I'll be going. You go back to work."
Amin bid farewell to Ou Yunchen with a silly grin. This was probably the first time he had been able to chat with Ou Yunchen for so long. Amin felt as though their relationship had become closer, completely unaware of Ou Yunchen's strangeness.
Ou Yunchen walked into the back alley. He carefully checked that no one was following him and that there was no one else around.
At this moment, he walked to the side of the garbage pile, unscrewed the alcohol bottle, and poured the alcohol onto the garbage. He took out a lighter and lit the birth certificate and the napkin with the address written on it. When it was half-burned, he threw it onto the garbage pile.
Under the effect of the alcohol, blue flames quickly sprang up. Information about Mo Qingyun and axe would disappear here forever.
***
As Xie Youlin entered the house, Mrs. Xie was already standing at the porch, looking left and right.
The nanny took Xie Youlin's bag. "Young master, madam hasn't taken her medicine again while waiting for you."
Xie Youlin nodded. "Give it to me."
Xie Youlin sidestepped Mrs. Xie's gaze, deliberately walked behind her, and then presented a bouquet of baby's breath to her.
"Wow, what a beautiful bouquet."
Just as Mrs. Xie was about to embrace the bouquet, Xie Youlin deliberately moved it away.
"Son, you're back!!!" Mrs. Xie turned around following the bouquet, looking at her son with joy.
"Yes, as soon as I got back, I heard from the nanny that you hadn't taken your medicine again. It seems I can't give you this flower."
"A flower from my son... I'll take my medicine, I'll take my medicine, I'll take my medicine and then you give me the flower."
Xie Youlin handed her the medicine. The nanny watched Mrs. Xie take her medicine before reporting to the master. Xie Youlin had grown accustomed to these scenes, it seemed he had become a tool to make this crazy woman take her medicine.
Xie Youlin then put on a loving smile towards his mother. "That's a good girl. Here, for the most beautiful mother in the world!"
Mrs. Xie took the bouquet. Her excited appearance was truly like receiving the greatest gift in the world.
At this moment, Xie Hongtian suddenly came out. He glanced coldly at his son and draped a shawl over his wife.
"Why are you so late getting home? Weren't you told to accompany your mother for dinner tonight?" Xie Hongtian began to scold.
"There was some traffic on the way, which caused a delay."
"Then couldn't you have left earlier?" Xie Hongtian pressed on.
Mrs. Xie quickly intervened, "Son, your father is just concerned about you. It's fine, it's good that you're back. Auntie, tell the kitchen to serve the food."
Mrs. Xie pulled her son along, and Xie Youlin had no choice but to put on a show of mother-son affection in front of Xie Hongtian. Even during dinner, he had to constantly eat the food Mrs. Xie put into his bowl. Even if he disliked it and felt like throwing up, he had to force himself to swallow it!
But as he ate, Mrs. Xie put down her chopsticks, which made Xie Hongtian extremely nervous.
Xie Hongtian stared at Mrs. Xie. "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Mrs. Xie looked at Xie Youlin with a melancholic expression, her eyes filled with reluctance. This was the first time Xie Youlin had seen Mrs. Xie look at him like this. He exchanged glances with Xie Hongtian. Both of them were wondering if Mrs. Xie had discovered something? Had their years of acting left any loopholes?
Xie Youlin cautiously asked, "Mom? Is the food not to your taste? Should I ask the kitchen to make a new dish?"
Mrs. Xie shook her head. "No, I've been thinking a lot these past few days. Although taking medicine always makes me groggy, I always feel like I've let you down."
Xie Hongtian held Mrs. Xie's hand. "Wife, what's wrong?"
"Husband, I know I have a strange illness and need to take medicine to live a normal life, but... my son is grown up now. I can't always cling to him. He has his own life too, doesn't he?" Mrs. Xie said.
"Mom, why would you say that? I'll always be your precious son. I won't leave you," Xie Youlin said, tightening his grip on Mrs. Xie's hand to comfort her.
Xie Hongtian gestured with his eyes, signaling Xie Youlin to appease Mrs. Xie as much as possible, as he was worried this was a precursor to an episode. Xie Youlin repeatedly assured her that he would stay by Mrs. Xie's side and wouldn't go anywhere.
"I know you both mean well, but after thinking it over, I still feel that my son is grown up now, and it's time he found a girlfriend. In the future, when she's married into the family, I can be a mother-in-law."
Xie Youlin finally breathed a sigh of relief. So Mrs. Xie was thinking about this. Since it wasn't an episode, everything was negotiable.
"Mom, actually I have..."
Xie Hongtian suddenly interrupted Xie Youlin. "Alright, alright. Son is very busy now, he doesn't have time for a girlfriend. Besides, can a girl worthy of our Xie family be found just anywhere? We'll discuss this slowly later."
Mrs. Xie nodded. "That's true. Do you have any suitable children of your old classmates who could be introduced to our Youlin?"
Xie Hongtian paused. "I'll keep an eye out."
***
After dinner, after Xie Youlin had coaxed Mrs. Xie to sleep, Xie Hongtian signaled him to come to the study.
"Father."
"Your mother's words tonight..."
"I won't take them to heart."
Xie Hongtian nodded with satisfaction.
"You also know that your mother can only think like a normal person after taking her medicine. Once the medicine wears off, she might forget."
"I understand," Xie Youlin echoed.
"And one more thing, I want to reiterate. Remember your identity, what you can and cannot do. If you do anything out of line, I will not hesitate to send your biological parents to prison."
Xie Youlin lowered his gaze. He couldn't force out the "mm" in his throat. Every time he returned to this house, he felt a tightness in his chest. He also felt inexplicably suppressed when he saw Xie Hongtian, as if a chain was around his neck. He didn't need to be himself; he could only obey... Now, Xie Hongtian's requirement was that he couldn't even have feelings. Having a relationship was considered out of line, and being out of line would implicate innocent people.
Xie Hongtian reached into his jacket pocket. "Here's a card, take it."
Xie Youlin instinctively wanted to say he didn't need it, that he was already earning his own money, but Xie Hongtian's next sentence completely extinguished any remaining familial affection.
"Next month is your mother's birthday. Buy her a nice gift to make her happy."
Xie Youlin thought that if he were a filial son, he would never let his father give him money to buy gifts for his mother. But he suddenly felt that in this household, his role was that of a competent actor, and all their emotions were an act. Where was the need for filial piety?
Xie Youlin accepted the card. He didn't know how much money Xie Hongtian would put in it, but it wouldn't be a small amount. As long as it was to make Mrs. Xie happy, he wouldn't be stingy with money.