Chapter 6: Sugary Water

“Brother.” Chen Xiao Cai tugged at Chen Xiao Mi’s sleeve to get Chen Xiao Mi’s attention.

Chen Xiao Mi noticed Chen Xiao Cai’s facial expression, “What’s wrong?”

“Mai told me that Lu Lin drank sugary water on the sly.” Chen Xiao Cai whispered at Chen Xiao Mi’s ear, enigmatically.

Chen Xiao Cai was so surprised when Chen Xiao Mai told him that Lu Lin offered him some sugary water, the thing was they didn’t have any sugar at home, so he figured Chen Xiao Mi must have had brought some sugar with him when the villagers sent him here.

Chen Xiao Mai didn’t give Chen Xiao Cai any more information other than the sugary water was so yummy, it was the yummiest stuff he had ever had.

Chen Xiao Cai was just an eight-year-old kid, of course he was interested in the ‘yummiest stuff’ that Mai said, but he was too ‘cool’ to ask Lu Lin about the sugary water like he wanted some as well.

Lu Lin was already feeling much better when Chen Xiao Mi was back, he looked Chen Xiao Mi up and down. The host was a very quiet and reserved person, he always lowered his head when he met someone, so there was no memory about Chen Xiao Mi’s appearance in the host’s mind.

Based on the stories Lu Lin had heard about him Chen Xiao Mi, Lu Lin thought this Chen Xiao Mi must be an ugly-looking guy with grossly offensive features, but to his surprise, Chen Xiao Mi actually had a striking good look, especially his dark eyes, so clear and sparkly. He was genuinely not expecting Chen Xiao Mi could be this cute.

‘A lie, if repeated often enough, will be accepted as truth. Chen Xiao Mi is sinister in appearance in those rumors, but look at him, he is a cute little boy.’ Thought Lu Lin.

The villagers carried Lu Lin to Chen Xiao Mi with two pieces of door planks, Chen Xiao Mi didn’t pay Lu Lin any more attention after he wrapped some blanket on Lu Lin.

Lu Lin kept tossing and turning that night, it was his wedding night even though there was no ceremony, he couldn’t fall asleep and he couldn’t help but recall what happened to him in his last life.

Lu Lin was gay. The modern society was more inclusive but the LGBTQ+ community still had a long way to go in C Country.

Lu Lin kept his sexuality a secret since he got his job, he planned on finding a partner and living a low-key and peaceful life in the city. But something unexpected might happen any time, a girl in the company had a crush on Lu Lin and wooed him for a long time, Lu Lin turned her down several times, but the girl was so persevered, Lu Lin’s attitude didn’t seem to bother her a little bit, she still kept on inviting Lu Lin to a ‘date night’.

Lu Lin had to tell the girl the truth about his sexuality, the girl left him alone, shocked to the core. And the next day Lu Lin was fired, his boss told him that they couldn’t afford to have a person who might be a bad influence in the company.

Needless to say, it was the girl’s doing.

Lu Lin disdained to argue with the girl or the company, he left the company, then he returned to his hometown and took over Lu’s Convenience store from his parents.

It wasn’t a big business, but Lu Lin could support himself with that job.

Chen Xiao Mi started to cook dinner not long after he came back, he asked Chen Xiao Cai to send Lu Lin a bowl of porridge and a drumstick.

Lu Lin’s eyes widened on seeing the drumstick, his First Aunt joked about he was going to have meat after he married Chen Xiao Mi, but he didn’t expect it was going to be true.

Lu Lin gobbled the drumstick even though it was so bland, Lu Lin thought he couldn’t really blame Chen Xiao Mi for this, there was only salt as seasoning in this house.

Chen Xiao Cai pouted on seeing the way Lu Lin gobbling the drumstick, ‘You should at least stand on ceremony with me and ask me whether I have meat to eat, but look at you, the way you eat, tut tut tut, so uncouth.’

Chen Xiao Mi and Chen Xiao Cai did the dishes together after everyone finished dinner, and everyone went to bed after that.

And soon Lu Lin heard Chen Xiao Mi’s snore, ‘Yep, it’s confirmed, he just married me as a tool to help him exempt that stupid tax, this is our wedding night, and yet he is over there snoring!’

Lu Lin looked around the house under the dim moonlight, ‘This house is just too shabby, there’s only one bedroom for the four of us, so cramped.’

Then Lu Lin thought about Chen Xiao Mi, he was actually quite pleased with Chen Xiao Mi’s appearance, he had been a virgin his entire life, he was looking forward to a change in this life. But obviously he knew he couldn’t hold his hope high for the time being, this Chen Xiao Mi just saw him as a tool to exempt tax.

There was also one more cold hard fact, Lu Lin had to deal a third wheel Chen Xiao Cai and also a ‘fourth wheel’ Chen Xiao Mai, especially that Chen Xiao Cai, that kid looked so hard to please.

With that being said, Lu Lin still thought the host shouldn’t just commit suicide because of this. ‘Your life is miserable back at the Lu Family, why not just marry this Bio, I don’t think it’s going to be any worse.’

Lu Lin started to feel drowsy as his mind ran wild, and slowly he had fallen asleep.