Chapter 80: We’re Not Getting Divorced

　　At two in the afternoon, Lin Feng returned with the evaluation results in hand.

　　“Have you two eaten yet?” Su Ling inquired, glancing at the pair who had just entered.

　　“Not yet!” Zhan Yang replied, giving his stomach an exaggerated rub. “We’ve been waiting all morning at the appraisal center. As soon as we got the report, we rushed back without a second thought.”

　　Su Ling turned around and asked, “Are there any leftovers from lunch, Aunt He?”

　　Aunt He, who had been wiping down the mahogany chairs in the guest hall, paused her movements. “Oh, yes! I made extra food for lunch and stored the leftovers in the fridge. Let me heat it up now.”

　　“Sorry to trouble you, Aunt He,” Su Ling responded.

　　Aunt He set the cleaning rag aside and headed to the kitchen to warm up the food.

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　　The ICU at the hospital enforced strict visitation policies, limiting access to only family members. Previously, it had been difficult to visit, but now that their relationship was confirmed, there should not be a problem anymore.

　　“Visits in the ICU are limited to just half an hour each day, and I’ve already used up today’s slot. You’ll have to wait until tomorrow, Mr. Su,” Zhan Yang explained.

　　He had arrived at the hospital before dawn, just to get a single strand of Xiao Fangqi’s hair. However, the hospital had its rules: visitation in the ICU was restricted to the hours between three in the afternoon and nine at night. It was only thanks to his status as the donor covering all the medical expenses that the head nurse made an exception, allowing him to visit at such an ungodly hour.

　　Su Ling’s gaze dimmed, disappointment clouding his features. “Alright…” he murmured.

　　Lin Feng pulled him into a reassuring hug. “It’s the same if we go tomorrow.”

　　“Okay.” Su Ling nodded in agreement.

　　Once the food was reheated, Aunt He wiped her hands on her apron and called the two to the table.

　　Zhan Yang’s stomach was already growling with hunger as he plopped down at the dining table. Without a thought for manners, he grabbed his chopsticks and began to wolf down the food. On the other hand, Lin Feng was far more graceful in his movements, though no slower in pace.

　　Su Ling took a seat beside him, ladling a bowl of soup and placing it in front of him. “Slow down. Eating too fast isn’t good for your stomach.”

　　“Mhm.” With a spoon in hand, Lin Feng slowly sipped the tomato and egg soup¹ 番茄蛋汤 (fānqié dàn huā tāng): It looks something like this – , letting its warmth spread through him.

　　Zhan Yang quickly finished his meal, wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin, and rose to his feet. “Mr. Lin, Mr. Su, I’ll head back to town now,” he stated.

　　Su Ling questioned, “Don’t you want to rest for a bit?”

　　Zhan Yang answered, “I still have work to do in town.”

　　“I see…” Su Ling turned to Lin Feng. “Why don’t you send someone to help Assistant Zhan? He’ll wear himself out handling everything on his own.”

　　Lin Feng set down his spoon and looked over at Zhan Yang. “Go to HR and request someone yourself.”

　　“Yes, CEO Lin.” Zhan Yang heaved a sigh of relief. To be honest, with everything piling up lately, he really was being pulled in all directions.

　　After Zhan Yang left, Lin Feng finished his meal and went upstairs with Su Ling.

　　Standing in the spacious, unused room, Su Ling animatedly gestured. “I reached out to an interior design company and reviewed their design proposal. I’m really impressed, so I’m planning to have them start the renovations the day after tomorrow. What do you think?”

　　Lin Feng paced back and forth, then rapped his knuckles lightly against the thin wooden wall. “We need to add some soundproofing.”

　　“Uh…” Su Ling’s cheeks flushed.

　　The house had been rebuilt on the foundation of the old ancestral home, with only thin wooden panels separating the rooms. Hence, there was hardly any soundproofing at all. Back when it was just the two of them, it did not matter if things got a little loud at night. But now that Aunt He was staying in the room on the west side, they did not dare make a move after dark.

　　He quickly pulled out his phone and sent a WeChat message to the interior design company, requesting the addition of premium soundproofing materials.

　　After hitting send, he turned to Lin Feng and raised an eyebrow. “Done.”

　　The corners of Lin Feng’s lips quirked up as he stood at the window, looking out at the picturesque view. “This room really has the best lighting.”

　　Su Ling rested his head on Lin Feng’s shoulder. “Yes, this room is supposed to be the master bedroom.”

　　Lin Feng suggested, “Why don’t we move into this room and turn the one on the east side into a children’s room?”

　　Su Ling shook his head. “No need. I’m used to the one on the east. Let the kid have the one with the better lighting!”

　　Lin Feng’s gaze softened. “You’ve grown quite fond of him, haven’t you?”

　　Propping his elbow on the windowsill, Su Ling rested his chin in his palm, the sunlight catching the curve of his smooth jaw. “The first time I saw that little one at the animal hospital, I felt an instant connection. I’m really glad I meddled. Who knows how much longer he would’ve had to suffer otherwise?”

　　“Thank you,” Lin Feng replied softly.

　　Su Ling looked at him sideways. “Come on, with how close we are, is there really a need for thanks? Oh right, have you told Mum yet?”

　　If Mother-in-law finds out she’s getting a great-grandchild, she’s gonna be over the moon.

　　Lin Feng answered, “Not yet.”

　　Su Ling blinked in surprise. “Why didn’t you tell her earlier?”

　　“Didn’t want her to worry.”

　　“Fair enough.”

　　She was getting on in years, after all. If she saw how the child had been abused, she might worry excessively, and he worried about how it might affect her health.

　　Su Ling’s fingers picked absently at the wooden windowsill, hesitant and unsure. After a pause, he asked, “Do you think… Mum would agree to let us take the child?”

　　Catching the unease in his eyes, Lin Feng reached over and clasped his restless hand. “I’ll convince her.”

　　Su Ling frowned deeply. “It’s been years since Elder Brother passed away. Mum will treasure Xiao Fangqi so much since he’s all she has left of him. I don’t want to break her heart.”

　　Lin Feng proposed, “We can return to the ancestral home and look after things from there.”

　　“No, that’s not possible!” Su Ling pointed toward the fields and village in the distance. “They still need me here.”

　　He could not possibly give up now. The poverty alleviation plan for Stone Creek Village had only just begun, and if he left now, how disappointed would the villagers be?

　　“And besides, I love it here. I can’t bear to leave,” Su Ling added, tilting his head back slightly and relaxing his features.

　　Life in the countryside was fulfilling and peaceful, steeped in the rhythms of nature. Surrounded by green fields and the sounds of birdsong, Su Ling found quiet joy in each passing day. Just living here brought him contentment.

　　From behind, Lin Feng wrapped his arms around him, nuzzling his cheek affectionately. “Let the child decide for himself.”

　　Leaning into the man’s warm embrace, Su Ling felt a deep sense of reliance and peace. “You’re right,” he murmured. “Some things can’t be forced.”

　　Lin Feng placed a soft kiss on Su Ling’s forehead.

　　Su Ling closed his eyes slightly, savoring the moment of tranquility. After a moment, he whispered, “I’ve always been too afraid to ask, but how did Elder Brother… pass away?”

　　All of a sudden, he felt the arms wrapped around him tighten ever so slightly.

　　“Lin Feng?” he murmured, puzzled.

　　“An accident.” Lin Feng responded, resting his chin on Su Ling’s shoulder. His eyes slowly drifted shut.

　　They were so close that Su Ling caught a faint whiff of that cold scent that clung to Lin Feng.

　　“What kind of accident?” he pressed. “Can I know?”

　　He was not oblivious, so how could he not sense that something was off with the man?

　　Lin Feng lapsed into silence.

　　However, Su Ling remained as patient as ever. “We’re partners, the closest people in the world. Trust is what we should have for each other.”

　　Since their last serious conversation, Lin Feng had begun to open up more, shedding some of his reticence. Though he still occasionally fell back into his old ways, a few gentle questions would soon coax the truth from him.

　　Lin Feng lifted his head from Su Ling’s shoulder, slowly opening his eyes to reveal a chilling gaze.

　　“It was murder.”

　　“Wh-what?”

　　Su Ling flinched, disbelief written all over his face.

　　“Murder?”

　　He never could have imagined that the truth behind his brother’s so-called accidental death would be this shocking.

　　“Did you find out who did it?” Su Ling placed his hand gently over Lin Feng’s cold one.

　　“No.” A biting chill emanated from the depths of Lin Feng’s dark eyes. “The murderer staged a perfect accident. Both my brother and the driver died on the spot.”

　　A sudden chill shot up from the soles of Su Ling’s feet, swift and piercing. He spun around and came face-to-face with the man, instinctively pulling him into a tight embrace.

　　“The truth will come to light. The killer won’t get away with it.”

　　“Absolutely,” Lin Feng affirmed, his voice low and steady. “Once we gather enough evidence, we’ll bring them to justice.”

　　Su Ling gently patted Lin Feng’s back. “Was your car accident in Country L also staged?”

　　If the killer could pull off a perfect accident once, there was no reason they could not stage another. From the video Lin Zhou sent, there were no signs of tampering in the footage of Lin Feng’s crash.

　　“Yes,” Lin Feng answered, not denying it.

　　Su Ling trembled uncontrollably. “Thank goodness… you’re safe.”

　　Every time he thought about how Lin Feng had risked his life abroad for his illness and nearly got hit by a car, the pain in his chest flared like a blade twisting through his heart.

　　“Don’t worry, Baby,” Lin Feng soothed gently.

　　“You have to stay well,” Su Ling whispered, eyes glistening with tears. “I will too. We’ll grow old together, just like we promised.”

　　Lin Feng captured his lips in a kiss. Unable to help himself, Su Ling parted his mouth, and the two sank into a breathless tangle, lost in each other. Just then, a shrill ringtone sliced through the air.

　　“Mmm… the phone…” Su Ling clutched the front of Lin Feng’s shirt as he leaned back, breathless and dazed.

　　Still yearning for more, Lin Feng parted his lips slightly, drawing shallow breaths.

　　The phone trilled on without mercy. With a resigned sigh, Su Ling fished it out of his pocket.

　　The caller ID displayed an unfamiliar landline number with a City S area code. Su Ling frowned slightly, suspicion flickering in his eyes. Still, he asked politely, “Hello, may I ask who’s calling?”

　　“Is this Mr. Su? We’re calling from the Civil Affairs Bureau in City S. You and Mr. Lin filed for divorce half a month ago, and your certificate is ready for collection.”

　　“Huh?” Su Ling snapped back to reality, giving himself a light slap on the forehead. “Oh sorry, I completely forgot!”

　　Time had flown by without him realizing it!

　　He had spent a week in Country L with Lin Feng for his treatment, and after returning home, he became entangled in Xiao Fangqi’s affairs. Before he knew it, another seven days had gone by. The divorce had slipped entirely from his mind, and had the Civil Affairs Bureau not called, he would have forgotten all about it.

　　“Just a reminder, please make sure to go to the Civil Affairs Bureau together today to pick up your divorce certificate. If you’re late, you’ll have to start the application process all over again,” the staff stated in a no-nonsense tone.

　　“Um…” Su Ling looked at Lin Feng, his mind a jumbled mess.

　　Lin Feng took the phone and stated evenly, “I’m sorry, but we’ve decided not to go through with the divorce.”

　　Su Ling opened his mouth to speak and reached out to snatch the phone back, but Lin Feng sidestepped him neatly and continued, “Thank you for letting us know, and we apologize for the trouble.”

　　“Very well, I wish you both a happy marriage,” the staff said before hanging up.

　　Lin Feng handed the phone back to Su Ling, who snatched it and cried out, panic rising in his voice, “We have to get divorced! Have you forgotten your agreement?”

　　Time was almost up. If Lin Feng failed to keep his word, he would be forced to step down as the CEO of Lin Enterprises!

　　“Silly thing,” Lin Feng said with a smile playing on his lips.

　　“This is funny to you?!” Su Ling glared at him, exasperated.

　　Lin Feng brushed his thumb lightly across Su Ling’s lips. “We have a child now.”

　　“A child?” Su Ling repeated blankly. Then the realization hit him. “Ah, right! We have Xiao Fangqi!”

　　Xiao Fangqi is his elder brother’s grandson, the rightful heir of the Lin family!

　　“But…” Su Ling’s voice wavered with doubt. “We’re Xiao Fangqi’s Great-Uncle.”

　　He had originally wanted to adopt Xiao Fangqi and dote on him like a son, but the matter of familial hierarchy could not be ignored. It simply would not be proper.

　　“A grandson would work just fine even if we don’t have a son,” Lin Feng remarked.

　　Su Ling’s brows snapped together. Something about that sounded seriously off.

　　I haven’t even been a father yet, and now I’m somehow a grandfather!?