Even if they were meaningless words and nothing special, the fact that his beloved youngest son – whom he cherished and doted on immensely – said that another man, even if that person were his own biological son, was like a father to him, certainly couldn’t make him feel happy.

And even if Ling Houlong was annoyed by it, Ling Tangyun couldn’t be so foolish as to say the opposite: ‘Father here is the one who’s more like a father.’

“……”

For a moment, everyone lowered their eyes to the table, no one saying a word. Until Ling Houlong slowly spoke up, changing the subject: “Xinlu’s tea has gone cold. Bring out a new pot.”

And while observing the servants, Yuri thought to himself: ‘Such a gentle smile, but why does Ling Xinlu look so uncomfortable?’

Indeed, it was this. Though it was impossible to pinpoint exactly why, it made people feel as if they were sitting on a bed of thorns.

Yuri glanced at Ling Tangyun, whose face had turned pale as he drank his tea, and suddenly understood why he always had an ambiguous attitude toward his youngest brother. Perhaps it wasn’t out of dislike or annoyance, but a sense of unease, and maybe it also included things like this.

‘Why does he look so uncomfortable with such a calm expression?’ – Ling Tangyun wondered, glancing at Ling Xinlu. Meeting that gaze, Ling Xinlu smiled brightly.

“Thank you for worrying about me. But I’m fine. Mr. Gable has always taken very good care of me.”

“Ah, is that so.”

“Yes. I know I’m a difficult person, but he always takes care of me so well that I don’t even need to open my mouth. I’m truly grateful. Taking care of someone like me definitely isn’t easy.”

Ling Tangyun seemed to have realized why Ling Xinlu suddenly appeared uncomfortable. He looked at Ling Xinlu with a strange expression, then fell silent. By then, Yuri, who had been standing quietly by the pillar, felt awkward. He unconsciously rubbed his temples, blinked, and accidentally met Ling Xinlu’s wandering gaze. Upon seeing Yuri, Ling Xinlu smiled—a beautiful smile.

Yuri couldn’t say anything—not that he intended to say anything in the first place—. It was impossible to spit in the face of someone who was smiling.

Yuri understood Ling Tangyun’s feelings. Whether good or bad, he didn’t want to interact with his youngest brother. It felt like sticking your hand into a snake’s den.

[“Anyway, let’s meet this weekend. Rest well, and I’ll see you then.”]

After finishing work, since they met every weekend, there wasn’t anything particularly special to say, so Ling Tangyun exchanged a few pleasantries before ending the conversation.

“Yes, please rest well.” – After saying goodbye, Yuri waited for him to hang up first before putting the receiver down.

Just as he hung up the phone and turned around, Ling Xinlu emerged from the bathroom.

He stepped out of the bathroom with his cheeks flushed from the heat, and naturally took the glass of water from Yuri’s hand, then looked at him.

“Who was on the phone?”

“Mr. Ling Tangyun called to check in. He sent his greetings to you.”

“Ah, big bro.” – Ling Xinlu nodded, the corners of his eyes curving into a smile.

“Probably because I went to the house but didn’t visit, so he’s upset. Big brother really has it tough.”

“That person isn’t exactly easygoing, but somehow he ended up under the wing of such a powerful father.” – Ling Xinlu pretended to sigh, feigning pity.

Feeling a bit thirsty, Ling Xinlu drained the glass of water in one go and handed it back to Yuri, then walked into the living room. He picked up an apple from the fruit basket on the table, took a bite, and rummaged through the wooden box that usually held snacks, pulling out a few cookies.

Living with someone else, you’ll notice more things than you’d expect, and this was one of them. Despite appearances, Ling Xinlu actually had a bigger appetite than he let on. Once he sat down, he’d start eating right away—it had become a common occurrence. But if you counted the frequency of his eating, he probably ate twice as much as others. Yuri couldn’t figure out where all that food went and looked at him with curiosity. Noticing this, Ling Xinlu opened the cookie box and waved at Yuri.

“Eat with me. Earlier at dinner, I noticed you only picked at the vegetables. Aren’t you hungry?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Yuri shook his head. He was naturally a light eater and didn’t have much interest in food. Ling Xinlu looked at him with a curious expression.

“Then give me a massage. My eyes are so tired.”

Ling Xinlu chewed on a cookie while gently rubbing his eyelids. Yuri nodded and went into the bathroom to fetch a clean towel and a basin. He poured hot water into the basin and returned to the living room.

Ling Xinlu complained about eye fatigue almost every night. During the day, he also tired quickly, and occasionally, Yuri could see him gently pressing on his eyelids.

Perhaps not wanting others to notice, he never did this when there were two or more people around. But when it was just Yuri and him, he sometimes sighed wearily like this. It seemed he didn’t want to show weakness even to Yuri, so when he caught Yuri’s gaze, he would often act annoyed and coldly say: “What are you looking at?”

Not long after leaving the main house and moving to this place, there had been a similar incident. That day, on the way back from the rehabilitation center, Ling Xinlu’s phone kept ringing, and he answered calls from his parents one after another. Especially his mother—she didn’t seem to want to end the call, even though Ling Xinlu had made it quite clear he wanted to hang up. Yet, she kept saying: “Yes, but……”

So, in the end, the conversation with his mother lasted longer than usual. Afterward, Ling Xinlu irritably threw his phone onto the seat and sank deep into the passenger seat. He pressed hard on his eyes and temples, rubbing and pressing, then let out a long sigh.

Suddenly, his gaze met Yuri’s through the rearview mirror. Yuri was silently driving, occasionally glancing at Ling Xinlu. Ling Xinlu suddenly glared at him angrily, as if venting his frustration:

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

“Try sighing harder.”

Yuri replied calmly. Ling Xinlu, who had been about to fire back with a sarcastic remark, suddenly fell silent because the response was so unexpectedly straightforward.

“Take a deeper sigh. Inhale deeply into your lungs and exhale forcefully. You’ll feel your chest lighten up. You can hunch your back slightly and relax your shoulders. You could also lean on something and close your eyes. Late afternoon is when everyone feels sleepy and sluggish.”

Yuri remained focused on driving, though he wasn’t looking at Ling Xinlu, his voice was steady. Ling Xinlu looked at him with a mix of surprise and annoyance.

“You dare, ……—”

He was about to say something, but then just sighed. “I don’t even have the energy to be angry anymore……,” – Ling Xinlu muttered irritably. Only then did Yuri turn to look at him. Ling Xinlu, with his shoulders slumped, glanced at Yuri with a sullen expression, but that was all.

Whether it was because he listened to Yuri or simply found it easier to ignore him, from then on, Ling Xinlu often showed signs of fatigue when only Yuri was around.

Like now, as night fell, he naturally turned his head towards Yuri and requested: “My eyes are too tired, massage them.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

Yuri waited until he heard Ling Xinlu’s response before gently placing a warm towel over his eyes. Ling Xinlu lay stretched out on the sofa, his head resting on Yuri’s lap, muttering like an old man: “Ah, so cool……”

“Cool?” – Yuri tilted his head and repeated, then gently placed his palm on the warm towel, adding a bit of pressure. After that, he began to gently massage around Ling Xinlu’s eyes, temples, and the surrounding skin.

Though it wasn’t anything professional, just simply placing a warm towel and gently rubbing, Ling Xinlu seemed to really enjoy it. Almost every night, he would lie stretched out, his head on Yuri’s lap, completely relaxed, surrendering his face to him.

“Does it hurt?”

“No, not at all. It’s really comfortable.”

Ling Xinlu sighed, his voice tinged with laziness. Yuri stared at him, Xinlu’s expression now truly relaxed.

Though Yuri often looked at Ling Xinlu normally, when he had the towel over his eyes, Yuri could gaze at him more freely. His face, even with his eyes covered, was perfectly beautiful. His steady breathing was also adorable.

While Yuri was engrossed in watching him, Ling Xinlu suddenly chuckled and said: “You’re staring at my face so hard it might burn a hole.” Even with his eyes covered, he could clearly feel Yuri’s gaze. “Sorry” – Yuri replied, but he continued to look at him without any hesitation.

“How are your eyes?”

“Still the same. Just seeing blurry patches of light and dark.”

The condition hadn’t worsened, but it hadn’t improved either. Despite regularly attending rehabilitation centers, undergoing acupuncture, using traditional therapies, eating foods good for the eyes, and having a comprehensive check-up every month, there was still no progress.

“Maybe it will always be like this. After all, the rehabilitation center—by its very nature—isn’t meant to completely cure, but to help me get used to living with one eye.”

Ling Xinlu spoke about how his eyes might never fully recover, but he didn’t show any sadness or anger. He had accepted and adapted to this reality. In contrast, those around him were completely the opposite; they continued to feel heartache and frustration. His mother, every time she saw her son, couldn’t contain her sorrow and had to take sedatives.

“I’ve already gotten used to not being able to see with one eye.”

Suddenly, Ling Xinlu’s voice lowered, carrying a hint of weariness.

“It’s not just my eyes, but my whole body feels more tired than before. I didn’t expect that losing half my vision would drain so much energy.”

Ling Xinlu let out a long sigh. Yuri silently stroked his eyes gently.

When he first lost half his vision, bumping into things while walking was a common occurrence. In the early days, he sometimes even lost his balance and had to stop midway while walking.

Now, he had completely adapted to living with one eye, appearing no different from a normal person. But one thing remained unchanged: by the end of the day, he was always more exhausted than others.

“Mr. Gable, do you need me to do this for you?”

Ling Xinlu suddenly asked, causing Yuri to pause briefly, but he soon understood what he meant and shook his head gently, continuing the massage.

“No need.”

“Really? But it’s really comfortable. Placing a warm towel over your eyes and gently rubbing. I’m quite skilled at it too. Maybe I’m even better than Mr. Gable.”

Ling Xinlu muttered: “Mr. Gable does a good job too, but sometimes it feels a bit clumsy.” Yuri looked at him for a moment, then stopped his hands.

“Do you want to do it yourself instead?”

Yuri asked without any particular intention, but at that moment, Ling Xinlu tightly closed his mouth. Beneath the towel, his eyes seemed to dart back and forth.

“No. Sorry. Please continue.”

Ling Xinlu lay still, his hands resting on his stomach like a well-behaved child. Yuri looked down at him, smiled faintly, and then began to gently massage his eyes again. The towel gradually cooled. Ling Xinlu’s shoulders, which had been tense, slowly relaxed. “So comfortable……” – He sighed, then muttered as if talking to himself.

His voice sounded weary. Yuri dipped the cooled towel into the basin of warm water and said softly:

“If you’re sleepy, just sleep.”

When the towel was removed, Ling Xinlu opened his eyes and looked straight at Yuri. His cloudy eyes seemed to be trying to see Yuri’s clear, dark eyes clearly, then closed again under the new towel.

“Maybe so. I’ll sleep for a bit.”

His low voice was already half-asleep.

Yuri didn’t say anything more, just watched Ling Xinlu’s tightly closed lips. He remained silent.

Only the sound of steady, gentle, and peaceful breathing filled the quiet space.

***************

The Ling clan’s estate is located in a suburban area not far from the city center. It takes only a few dozen minutes by car, but this place is a quiet and ancient village, completely isolated from the noise and bustle of the urban area.

The Ling clan has existed in this land for hundreds of years and was once a major landowner. After going through numerous revolutions, most of their land was confiscated, many members of the clan died, and for a long time, the family’s power severely declined. But thanks to relentless efforts and determination across generations, the family is now more stable than ever, even more powerful than during its previous peak.

Even now, from the moment one sets foot on this land, those bearing the Ling surname still enjoy authority no less than that of the imperial family of old, especially those of direct lineage.

At first, Yuri was quite surprised to see people step back and bow slightly whenever Ling Xinlu passed by—some even went further, bowing deeply at the waist. But now, he has grown accustomed to it. It must be because the Ling clan not only has significant influence in China but also wherever the Chinese diaspora resides. Therefore, it’s not strange that they are treated like emperors on their own land. Now, terms like ‘Master’, ‘Madam’, and ‘Young Master’ have become familiar to Yuri.

And in that context, Yuri thought:

‘Perhaps this is what it feels like to be a courtier standing close to the emperor.’

“Young Master, you don’t seem happy today. Is something wrong? Or are you not feeling well?”

“Enough. He just returned from the rehabilitation center today. How could he be happy? …… Did they say anything about his progress there?”

“Can’t you tell the difference between a hospital and a rehabilitation center? Last week, he already went to the hospital. There, they said there wasn’t much progress, but there’s still hope. Didn’t you hear that?”

Listening to the children chattering away made Yuri chuckle softly. None of them noticed the smile hidden behind his calm expression, but one of the younger ones even warned: “Hey, you’re talking too much. Uncle Yuri is getting annoyed.” Yuri looked at them with affectionate eyes.

These children, most of them under twenty, were the sons and daughters of long-time servants of the Ling clan. In the presence of adults, they were as silent as statues, but when left to their own devices, they chattered like little birds. Yuri found them utterly endearing.

‘If my first love had blossomed into something more, perhaps I’d have a daughter their age by now……’ – Yuri thought to himself. Maybe he was getting old. After all, he was already in his thirties, not exactly young anymore. The way he felt looking at these girls was akin to how an old man might feel looking at his granddaughters.

Perhaps because Yuri was a rare foreigner in this suburban area, the children initially only dared to sneak glances and whisper about him. But now, whenever Yuri visited the estate, the little ones would cling to him and start telling stories. The fact that Yuri, a foreigner, could speak fluent Chinese fascinated them, and above all, his closeness to Young Master Ling Xinlu – someone they could only admire from afar – made them even more enamored.

At this moment, while Ling Xinlu was called away by his father to play the role of the obedient son, Yuri was leisurely strolling through the courtyard. He hadn’t even taken ten steps before the children swarmed around him, eagerly launching into their tales.

Occasionally, a servant would pass by and scold: “You kids! Why are you crowding around and bothering the adults?” The children would immediately fall silent, but Yuri would wave his hand and defend them: “It’s fine, really.” Hearing this, the kids would chirp back: “See? We weren’t doing anything wrong!”

“Oh my, you’re too kind, that’s why you indulge them so much,” the servant muttered before walking away. But in truth, Yuri didn’t mind talking to the children—even though they were the ones doing most of the talking. He found them adorable, and the useful information they inadvertently revealed wasn’t insignificant either. Sometimes, children know more than adults realize.

“By the way, the private tutor came this morning. I heard he shamelessly flattered the Young Master, saying that every time he sees him, he looks even more handsome. But then later, he whispered to the Madam that, after all, the Young Master is just the son of a concubine.”

“It’s just jealousy because his own son isn’t as accomplished as the Young Master. Oh, I hate that whole family. I even heard Second Uncle say that the Master knows all about these things but chooses to let it be.”

“Really? Well, it makes sense. A few years ago, when the Master kicked that old man out of the family, it’s said that he listed every single bad thing the old man had done over the past few decades.”

“Yeah, that’s why Third Aunt was so scared back then, she immediately……”

It’s good that children know more than adults, but sometimes they can’t distinguish what should be said and what shouldn’t, or who should hear it and who shouldn’t. This really gave Yuri a headache.

Yuri wasn’t the type to dig for information about the Ling clan, so he didn’t want to hear any more unrelated gossip. He skillfully steered the conversation in a different direction.

“So, is Young Master Ling Xinlu playing chess with his father right now? Who do you think will win?”

Upon hearing this, the children immediately latched onto the new topic.

“How could we possibly know that? Until a couple of years ago, the Master always had the upper hand, but in the last year or two, they’ve been almost evenly matched.”

“But since the beginning of this year, I heard the Young Master has been winning more often?” – The girls whispered among themselves, their eyes sparkling with admiration for the Young Master. Even the formidable Master, whom no one dared to challenge, had to play chess on equal footing with the Young Master—even if it was just over a chessboard. Handsome, brave, gentle, and talented—he truly was like a prince.

“Is there anyone else like the Young Master? I don’t know who, but whoever marries him later will surely have a hard time.”

One of the girls clasped her hands and let out a long sigh, muttering with a hint of envy.

“That’s right. If it were me, I wouldn’t want to marry a perfect man either.”

Amid the children chattering: “Me too”, Yuri remained silent.

Yuri also liked Ling Xinlu, and perhaps his feelings were even more serious than the innocent admiration of the children. Sometimes, even Ling Xinlu’s flaws no longer seemed like flaws—it could be said that Yuri had become a little ‘blinded’ by him.

That said, Yuri didn’t think Ling Xinlu was perfect, and he could see many of his flaws. In fact, Ling Xinlu had more flaws than most people. He was someone whose strengths and weaknesses were both extreme.

Ling Xinlu wasn’t the type to try to hide his flaws, and as he had said, human eyes aren’t the eye of a needle, so when you’re close to someone, you naturally see both their strengths and weaknesses. But it seemed the children only saw his strengths. Yuri thought to himself: ‘So, idealizing someone—in this case, almost idolizing them—can be this terrifying.’

While the children chattered away, Yuri occasionally chimed in or nodded in agreement, but suddenly he fell silent. One of the girls glanced at Yuri, perhaps sensing something was off.

“Um, excuse me, about the Young Master…… is he secretly seeing someone?”

“Huh?” – Yuri blinked. Immediately, the children eagerly latched onto this fresh and intriguing topic.

“It can’t be a Young Lady from a middle-class family, right?”

“Maybe that’s why the Young Master doesn’t dare tell the Master and Madam, so he’s meeting in secret. Honestly, does it make sense for such a handsome Young Master to still be single?”

“But, a few months ago, there were rumors that the Young Master was heartbroken over a failed romance and even locked himself in his room. Could it be because of that?”

In the children’s minds, the image of a prince and a commoner girl secretly in love was vividly taking shape.

“Hey, Uncle Yuri, what’s the deal? You know, right? You’re always with the Young Master.”

“We won’t tell anyone. It’ll just be our little secret, promise! Okay?”

Amid the children pouncing on him like a pack of hyenas that had just found their prey, Yuri glanced up at the sky, feeling slightly awkward. He lived by the principle of being as honest as possible, but if necessary, he could lie without batting an eye. And he had no intention of spilling everything to the children.

But at that moment, he was flustered because he didn’t know which answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ was the correct one.

“So it’s true? You’re not answering, so it must be true!”

“Really? Aaa——, what kind of person is it?”

Torn between tears and excitement, the children pressed closer to Yuri, now just 10 centimeters away from burying him under their collective weight. Just then……

“Why are you all so curious about that?”

A voice rang out from behind.

The children, who had been chattering like sparrows, immediately fell silent. Even Yuri, who had done nothing wrong, instinctively flinched. The children stepped back, creating distance from Yuri, and from the gap, Ling Xinlu appeared with a gentle smile and a playful glint in his eyes. It was unclear how long he had been standing there, just a few steps away. He approached slowly but cheerfully.

“Hey, you ladies are having fun without me? Did you hear anything interesting? I’m sure you heard a lot, right?”

Ling Xinlu added: “Things that would probably make the adults really angry”, and completely ignored the children, as if they didn’t exist. But he definitely knew about their panic from the way they shrunk back and glanced at each other.

“I heard there’s a red dot on Ling Xinlu’s tailbone, is that true?”

Amid the group of children, Yuri blinked once and then calmly asked. Immediately, the girls who had just been whispering about it – even going so far as to discuss: “Our Young Master has a nice butt too”, making one wonder if they were truly innocent children – screamed and hastily ran away. Perhaps they were afraid Yuri would continue talking about butts.

Ling Xinlu stopped in his tracks, glancing at the fleeing children with a somewhat displeased expression, but he didn’t seem intent on pursuing the matter further. He calmly walked over and sat down beside Yuri. The warm sunlight gently bathed the wooden floor, and Ling Xinlu slightly closed his eyes, looking like a cat basking in the warmth of the sun.

“How did the Go game go?”

“I lost. By half a point.”

Ling Xinlu answered without a hint of regret, his eyes crinkling into a smile.

“Sometimes you have to let him win. Lately, he probably hasn’t had much to be happy about…… But.”

He glanced at Yuri, his eyes carrying a mysterious smile.

“Why did you give such an ambiguous answer? By the end of today, the whole household will definitely be gossiping that I have a secret lover.”

Yuri silently looked at Ling Xinlu for a moment. Facing that unwavering gaze, Ling Xinlu gradually grew flustered and wiped the smile off his face. Only when Yuri turned his head away as if nothing had happened did Ling Xinlu blink wide and open his mouth: “Wait a minute.”

“Why did you look at me like that? I almost started to suspect that I had a lover without even knowing it.”

Ling Xinlu forced a laugh, feigning surprise. Yuri only vaguely replied: “Ah, I see.” This time, Ling Xinlu completely dropped the smile and said: “Wait a minute.”

“Why is your answer so vague……? What’s going on? Did you hear something? Is someone trying to arrange a marriage for me?”

Even if a hundred people tried to arrange a marriage for Ling Xinlu, he wouldn’t care in the slightest, but he couldn’t hide his irritation.

Lately, he had been frequently hearing marriage proposals. Rumors had spread that a few months ago, Ling Xinlu had been so heartbroken that he locked himself in his room for a long time, leading people to believe that he was now more open to such proposals.

But then one day, Ling Xinlu suddenly lost his temper and shouted: “I’m sick of dating and romance!” And since then, the marriage proposals had gradually decreased.

Yuri intended to shake his head and avoid the question, but Ling Xinlu’s sharp gaze was scrutinizing every expression on his face, making it impossible to do so. Knowing full well how perceptive Ling Xinlu was, and realizing it wasn’t something that needed to be hidden, coupled with his own curiosity, Yuri slowly opened his mouth.