FI CH68: We Won’t Be Joining This Party

The hall fell silent for a moment.

The association’s subordinates hadn’t even had time to grab their president. Everyone’s gaze fell upon them in unison: ???

Lin Su nodded. “Xiao Bai.”

Bai Jiang beamed. “Teacher, you’re eating here too?”

“A little get-together. We just finished.”

“…We?”

Bai Jiang blinked and turned his head, as if just noticing the silent, cold-eyed He Zhenling. “Oh, President He is here too.”

He Zhenling tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Of course.”

His answer was so matter-of-fact that Bai Jiang stared at him pointedly. He Zhenling rested a hand on his Tang knife and returned the gaze. The atmosphere was silent for a few seconds as the surrounding gazes shifted between the three of them:

“Who is that?”

“He was called President He, from the Surveillance Association…”

“Don’t the two associations get along? And who’s the other one? I heard President Bai call him ‘Teacher,’ but he looks twenty at most…”

Behind them, Shao Lan slowly came back to her senses.

She pulled Zhou Li aside to whisper, “Xiao Li, isn’t Student Lin… your ‘junior’?”

Zhou Li grinned foolishly. “I don’t know, I was just following along.”

“…”

Seeing the silence descend between the two, Lin Su spoke in a voice only the three of them could hear, “We just finished our ‘honeymoon’.” Bai Jiang’s pupils shook! He Zhenling’s hand on his sword relaxed, and he gently turned his head away.

Lin Su looked at the thunderstruck Bai Jiang and added gently, “What are you doing here?”

Bai Jiang quickly recovered and regained his spirits. “Here to discuss some business.”

Lin Su glanced at the grand procession behind him. “Aren’t you in a hurry?”

“Not in a hurry. It’s fine to make them wait a little longer,” Bai Jiang said brightly. “At forty or fifty, it’s the right age to temper one’s character. Greeting my teacher comes first!” ^▽^

Lin Su’s eyes showed approval, and Xuenima was also benevolent: [What a good disciple.]

As he watched, he heard a soft chuckle beside him.

He Zhenling said faintly, “A man in his thirties can also be tempered ahead of time.”

Lin Su, “…”

Bai Jiang, “…”

Bai Jiang stared back. “Is that so? May I ask President He’s venerable age this year?”

He Zhenling’s lips twitched, his meaning unclear. “I can’t remember.”

Bai Jiang paused, looking at him thoughtfully for a few seconds. Then he dropped his playful expression and smiled gracefully. “I’m going to my meeting now. President He, until we meet again.”

He then held out his two paws to Lin Su. “Goodbye, Teacher~”

Lin Su also held out his paws. “Bye-bye.”

Bai Jiang walked away, bright and sunny.

…

The surrounding gazes had not yet dispersed.

Lin Su turned to the Song Xiaotian couple and said, “Let’s head out first.”

The couple, being tactful, didn’t pry and just smiled as usual. “Okay.”

The family of three walked ahead, with Lin Su falling half a step behind, trailing behind with He Zhenling. He moved a little closer to the man and whispered, “You’re crowding me again. Where’s your fatherly love?”

“…”

He Zhenling’s gaze fell on him, a hint of a smile in his eyes. “Why aren’t you introducing our ‘relationship’ anymore?”

Lin Su said shyly, “I… I already told him about our private ‘honeymoon’ setting.” He looked over again. “Besides, you still haven’t said how you want me to introduce you, have you?”

The man was silent for two or three seconds.

In a few steps, they were just outside the restaurant. The glass doors of the lobby opened and closed, and the evening breeze swept through the night.

He Zhenling turned his head, the line of his jaw smooth, the prominent Adam’s apple catching the light. The line moved slightly, and a low voice drifted over, “It’s too early to say now… we’ll talk about it later.”

Lin Su, “?”

His face felt a little hot: Nima, although I don’t know what he’s talking about, I feel like he’s getting all hot and bothered again.

Xuenima covered its ears: [Shh, this does not need to be reported.]

Lin Su: =u=

With the case resolved, He Zhenling’s work had also long since wrapped up.

They had originally planned to return the next day.

But early the next morning, an invitation from the President of the Tianshi Association was delivered to the Surveillance Association headquarters.

When Lin Su got up for brunch, He Zhenling was already at the table drinking coffee, the letter lying on the table.

He pawed at it. “What’s this?”

He Zhenling said slowly, “An invitation from my dear son.”

“…”

Lin Su opened it and looked: [Sincerely inviting my brother teacher to the headquarters for afternoon tea. Xiao Bai 0v0]

“Xiao Bai is inviting us for tea.”

The man across from him lifted an eyelid, his expression unchanged. “Am I included?”

“Yes.” Lin Su turned the invitation towards him, pointing to the line of small text at the very bottom: [*…President He may also be invited.]

Xuenima was amazed: [The last time I saw words this small, it was on a pack of instant noodles.]

He Zhenling lowered his eyes. “…Hah.”

Lin Su put the letter away and demurely devoured a bagel. “So… are you going?”

There were two seconds of silence at the table. He Zhenling tugged lightly at the cuff of his uniform and stood up. “I don’t have anything else to do anyway… I’ll go change. Take your time eating.”

He then turned and went back to his room.

…

The Tianshi Association and the Surveillance Association were far apart.

The traffic in the capital was congested. The appointment was for three in the afternoon, so they set off before one.

He Zhenling pulled open the car door. The long trench coat made his figure look tall and straight. The hem lifted slightly, revealing a section of a gleaming Tang knife. He looked down, his bangs sweeping over his brow bone:

“Get in.”

Lin Su got in: Nima, his tail feathers look good today too.

Xuenima was calm as still water, closing its eyes: [He’s showing off for you. As long as you like it.]

A hand quietly turned up its volume.

After getting in the car, they drove all the way to the Tianshi Association.

The car stopped and started frequently. Lin Su leaned back against the seat, looked out the window, and gave a small yawn:

“Lately, the magnetic field in the capital is a bit messy.”

He Zhenling, propping his chin, glanced sideways. “Mm, a lot of people from the feng shui world have come. The family selection is after the New Year, so they’re all taking advantage of the year-end to make their rounds.”

Lin Su thought of Bai Jiang’s meeting yesterday. “I see.”

The car arrived at the headquarters before three.

Bai Jiang was in a meeting, so a subordinate first led Lin Su and his companion to the upstairs waiting lounge:

“Please rest here for a moment.”

Lin Su waved his hand, telling the person to go about his business.

The meeting room was just at the other end of the corridor, and they would be able to hear when it ended. Lin Su wasn’t in a hurry. He sat on the sofa and played a game of thumb wrestling with He Zhenling.

The large palm enveloped his, and with a few presses of the thumb, he was pinned down.

Lin Su nudged him, “…How are you so agile?”

He Zhenling chuckled lowly. “Practice.”

As they were sitting there, there was a sudden movement to the side. Turning their heads, they saw an association subordinate leading a middle-aged man in his forties over. The subordinate returned the letter of introduction to him. “The president is in a meeting. Please wait a moment.”

The man looked around. “Oh.”

The subordinate left, leaving only the three of them in the waiting room for a moment.

Just as Lin Su looked away, a voice came from the side: “Are you also here to see President Bai?”

He turned his head and met the man’s scrutinizing gaze.

He Zhenling wasn’t wearing a uniform today, and Lin Su was also in a casual Tang-style suit. Zhang Jiefeng didn’t recognize them and had a hint of competitive wariness:

“Which family are you from?”

He Zhenling didn’t answer. Lin Su said, “We’re from Lin Family Village.”

He Zhenling glanced sideways: “…”

Zhang Jiefeng searched his memory but couldn’t recall it. He figured it was an even smaller family than theirs, so he instantly relaxed and couldn’t be bothered to talk anymore. “Oh.”

Lin Su raised an eyebrow slightly and turned back.

After a while, the meeting room door opened with a clang, and a few sets of footsteps left. Just as Lin Su was about to get up, the person beside him stood up first and walked towards that end—

“…?”

Lin Su looked over. “You’re probably just in a hurry to use the restroom, not trying to cut in line, right?”

Zhang Jiefeng paused, a bit embarrassed at being called out. But he quickly glanced at him and took out a letter of introduction from his pocket. “I have a letter of introduction from the Qi family…”

He showed off the lacquer seal superiorly. “One of the four great families, you know?”

Lin Su, “…”

I know. It’s one of my regular tourist spots.

After showing off, Zhang Jiefeng put it back. “You can wait your turn.”

He then sauntered away.

The waiting room was quiet for two seconds. Lin Su recalled, “That seal doesn’t seem to be from the main family. It should be from a branch.”

“You’ve seen the main family’s seal?”

“I saw it when I was traveling at the Qi family’s place before. I played around and stamped a lot of them.”

He Zhenling said lightly, “…Oh.” He added, intentionally or not, “Was that when Qi Yuheng was the head of the family?”

Lin Su paused and poked his hand. “Nima was the one playing. Don’t crowd me.”

As they were talking, there was a commotion from the other end.

A set of footsteps hurried over, followed by a chase. “President?… Uh, President Bai? I was introduced by the Qi family…”

The footsteps suddenly turned out.

Lin Su looked up and saw Bai Jiang rushing over. Zhang Jiefeng, who had been chasing him, returned, still holding the letter. He looked at Bai Jiang, then at Lin Su, confused.

Before he could speak, the president’s cold face instantly brightened:

“Teacher~” 0▽0

Zhang Jiefeng’s eyes widened: …Who!?

Bai Jiang patted his heart. “I thought you weren’t coming.”

Lin Su stood up with a smile. “No, I just saw you were busy with official matters, so I’ll wait a bit longer.”

“Not busy! We agreed on three o’clock!”

As he was speaking, the subordinate from outside rushed over. He looked at the situation and quickly explained, “President, he has a letter of introduction from the Qi family, so I let him come up first…”

Bai Jiang turned his head with a smile. “It’s just a letter of introduction from a branch family. Even if the main family came, it’s first come, first served.” He then glanced faintly at the already sweating Zhang Jiefeng.

“Not to mention, I have an appointment with my teacher and President He—”

Zhang Jiefeng was shaken again! He looked up:

“President… He…?”

No, you said you were from Lin Family Village!!

Bai Jiang turned his head and instructed, “Please see him out.” He then smiled lightly. “There won’t be a next time.”

“Yes, sir.” The subordinate then escorted the crestfallen Zhang Jiefeng away.

Once the person was gone, Bai Jiang turned back. “Sorry, there have been too many people coming and going recently. I’ve made a fool of myself in front of my brother teacher and President He. Please, come to my office~”

Lin Su waved his hand. “It’s a small matter.”

The President’s office was on the top floor.

The design was quite exquisite. Half was a regular office for work, and the other half was a glass room. Sunlight streamed through the glass onto the floor, casting patterns of light like water ripples.

It was also filled with lush green plants, full of life.

Just as Lin Su was about to speak with delight, his gaze shifted and suddenly fixed on the wall behind the desk.

A familiar frame hung there, covered in red seals.

Lin Su, “…”

He Zhenling, “…”

Lin Su, “Xiao Bai, what is this?”

Bai Jiang was flustered. “It’s my brother teacher’s calligraphy. Hanging it up there can supervise me to work hard.”

Xuenima was amazed: [Truly, the gods are watching from three feet above.]

Lin Su pinched it. Bai Jiang looked at the framed scroll, admiring yet regretting, “It’s a pity the signature on it is a pseudonym… By the way, is Teacher called ‘Lin Su’ now? You changed your name, so I didn’t use your previous title to address you.”

…No wonder it was all over the place.

Lin Su sighed. Actually, his real name was “Lin Su.” He didn’t explain much and just nodded. “You can call me whatever you want.”

Bai Jiang happily went to personally arrange the tea and snacks.

Lin Su and He Zhenling sat down.

Just as they were seated, a soft voice came from beside him: “What did he call you before?”

Lin Su met He Zhenling’s lowered gaze. The light from the glass room played on his cheek, his features excessively handsome. His heart itched, and he moved a little closer. “Xiao Bai was eleven or twelve back then. He just called me ‘brother,’ with a different alias at the time.”

He Zhenling said in a low voice, “Is it as nice to hear as ‘Kunkun’?”

“Ahem…” Lin Su’s face grew hot: Nima, I think it sounds good too, just as tasteful as me.

[zzzZZ…]

“…”

Lin Su pursed his lips. “My venerable titles, of course, all sound good.”

He Zhenling gave a noncommittal laugh.

…

The tea and snacks were soon served.

Exquisite tea sets, sweet pastries, and even a few small flowers for decoration. It was very much Bai Jiang’s style.

Lin Su didn’t stand on ceremony and devoured a wave of them on the spot.

Bai Jiang: OvO?

He Zhenling, accustomed to this, casually refilled his tea.

They chatted as they ate. Lin Su happened to ask about the family selection. “Is it still so intense this year?”

Bai Jiang held his teacup. “Yes, after all, it involves some quotas and resources. The four great families are unshakable, but the rankings of the families below them are always changing.”

Lin Su gulped down his tea. “I see.”

After chatting for a while, there was a knock on the office door.

Knock knock. Bai Jiang turned his head. “Come in.”

A department head came in with a stack of letters. “President, here is the summary of today’s letters. Most of them are from the various families…”

He suddenly remembered. “Oh, there’s one that isn’t. It’s an invitation.” He pulled out a red and white invitation from the stack. “President, is a friend of yours getting married?”

Bai Jiang: …?

He stood up and went over. “Let me see?”

Lin Su leaned over with interest and said to He Zhenling, “That’s great. At Xiao Bai’s age, he can attend so many banquets. We can’t join in on this kind of excitement…”

He Zhenling’s lips moved. He wanted to say something but held it back.

Lin Su turned his head. “?”

Before he could ask, a voice came from the other side. “Teacher.”

Both of them looked up and saw Bai Jiang holding the invitation, paused for a few seconds, and then flipped it open. “It’s someone we both know.”

Lin Su, He Zhenling: ?

They stood up and went over to look.

The invitation was in an exquisite Chinese style, half red and half white, with a hollowed-out “囍” (double happiness) character in the middle. Opening it, they saw the words written above:

『Sincerely inviting Mr. Bai Kang
to attend the wedding of Mr. Yan Guanyue and Mr. —.』

“…”

The two looked at the contents and fell silent at the same time.

Bai Jiang was still picking at the “—” character: “But, why write my pseudonym ‘Bai Kang’… And Teacher, what is this dash? Does it mean a ‘roll’? So playful~” ^▽^

As he finished speaking, he saw the two people in front of him step back in unison.

Bai Jiang, “?”

Lin Su even put his hands back in his sleeves, observing from a distance. “Once, I also received something that was censored.”

He shook his head. “Xiao Bai, we won’t be joining this party.”

__

Author’s notes:

Kun (Author): You’re on your own.
He Daniao (Big Bird He): I’ll call a car to send you. (Fatherly love erupts)
Bai-zai (Bai Cub): 0▽0?

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