“My dad is also quite petty, huh?” 

Fei chuckled and muttered to himself as he had swum about three laps of the pool in a clumsy breaststroke, his head popping out of the water like a frog.

Although he knew that breaststroke was difficult to make look graceful, and felt disappointed, since he had drawn this stroke in the competition, Fei obediently listened to Yuri’s instructions, thinking that it would probably be difficult to impress the girl he liked.

Fei was naturally athletic, so it didn’t take him long to learn the breaststroke, although it was still quite clumsy. Because he grasped the technique fairly quickly, Fei swam around happily, completely forgetting his earlier lament about how this swimming style could attract girls. 

After swimming about three laps, having become so accustomed to the breaststroke that he no longer needed Yuri’s guidance, Fei swam absentmindedly and suddenly blurted out: “My dad is also quite petty, huh?”

Yuri, having just finished a lap, turned to look at Fei. Fei gave a forced smile, his expression awkward.

“Even though he jokes about it, he actually remembers what others say for a very long time. Moreover, he says it’s okay for him to criticize himself, but he doesn’t allow others to criticize him. It’s fine to complain about family matters to relatives, but if outsiders hear it, he gets very upset. Uncle Yuri knew that, so why did you say that?”

Fei spoke with more worry than reproach, seeming to have overheard most of the conversation between Yuri and Ling Tangwin.

It couldn’t be said that he was deliberately eavesdropping. The content of the conversation wasn’t a secret, and furthermore, Fei had been invited there. 

Perhaps because he couldn’t find a suitable moment to speak up, Fei had stood still in the shadows and listened to their conversation. He sighed, stood up out of the water, and climbed onto the steps of the pool.

“Uncle Xinlu will be fine. There’s no need to worry about work, he’ll learn it himself……. Although I’ve only heard rumors that the job involves witnessing a lot of unpleasant things, my uncle grew up in that kind of environment anyway.”

Fei smiled: “Growing up as the young master in such a complicated family, how could he not have witnessed unpleasant things?” Yuri silently looked at Fei for a moment, then nodded.

“Yeah. I meddled in things I shouldn’t have.”

“Oh, what are you saying, Uncle…… It’s true that those things are better left unsaid. Everyone has secrets they don’t want others to know. But it’s not to the extent of meddling in things you shouldn’t.”

Fei joked: “Everyone’s just pretending not to see it.”

Looking at this kind nephew trying to comfort him, Yuri shook his head.

“No, I meddled in things I shouldn’t have. I shouldn’t have said those words. I shouldn’t have said them to your dad, and there’s no reason for me, an outsider, to speak up about Mr. Ling Xinlu’s affairs. I was wrong.”

Yuri sighed, muttering: “It’s understandable that Mr. Ling Tangwin is angry.” Fei frowned: “Oh, don’t be sad anymore, Uncle.”

He stepped down from the pool steps, swam over, and patted Yuri’s shoulder gently as if to comfort him.

“You said that because you were worried about my uncle. I understand, how could my dad not understand?”

“It’s not like that. That’s something Mr. Ling Xinlu has to decide for himself; I shouldn’t interfere. He doesn’t like being arranged for, even by his own mother.”

Yuri sighed.

Although Ling Xinlu didn’t say it outright, he didn’t like his mother interfering in his work, whether it was through opposition or pleading. He didn’t like other people, even his own mother, meddling and arranging his life.

Yet Yuri had interfered with clumsy concern, even talking about his family matters.

It felt like it had been a long time since Yuri had ‘failed’ like this.

“Well…… what can be done about what’s already happened? I’ll formally apologize to your dad later.—Thank you for comforting me, Fei.”

Anyway, the story ended there. Things would proceed according to what had been decided, and Yuri could only try his best under the circumstances.

Yuri sighed, shook his head slightly, then said goodbye to Fei. Suddenly, his eyes met Fei’s, who had been silently watching him all this time.

“You’re welcome. What’s there to thank for, between us?” – Fei said, bowing his head exaggeratedly, then chuckled softly.

“But really, Uncle Yuri, you’re truly an ideal employee.”

“Huh?”

Yuri blinked and tilted his head at Fei’s unexpected words. Fei leaned back and floated on his back on the water’s surface. While drifting, looking at the moon above, he murmured with a smile:

“Since I was little, one of the things my dad often said to me was: ‘It would be so great to have someone like Uncle Yuri under my command.’ My dad has always coveted you. He said it’s rare to find someone you can entrust a task to and then forget about it, yet still feel at ease. But he also regrets that our family business doesn’t have much work that could fully utilize Uncle Yuri’s abilities.”

Yuri silently looked at Fei.

He knew Ling Tangwin’s passing offer: “If anything comes up, come work for me”, wasn’t just empty words. If Ling Tangwin had seriously offered a contract, Yuri might have considered it.

However, as Fei had said, Yuri’s greatest strength was gathering small clues to draw useful conclusions, but there wasn’t much work for him to utilize that ability for Ling Tangwin. Therefore, they only maintained an acquaintance.

“But because I’ve heard my dad say that since I was little, I unconsciously think the same way. It would be so great to have someone like Uncle Yuri by my side…… Saying it like this sounds a bit calculating, but it’s not really like that.”

Fei smiled brightly, as if saying: ‘You know I like you, right?’, making Yuri laugh as well.

“Now that I’ve grown up and learned a bit, I’ve come to see it. Whether or not one can effectively utilize the abilities of a subordinate is a very important issue for a leader…… So, I’m a little hesitant…… but I still think working with Uncle Yuri would be great.”

“Thank you. But there are many people more capable than me. Among those under your father’s command, there must be quite a few with abilities comparable to mine.”

“That’s right. Uncle Yuri isn’t omnipotent.”

Fei giggled and mischievously bumped his head against Yuri’s waist while floating on the water. “You just complimented me and then immediately put me down?” – Yuri said, flicking water at Fei’s face with his finger.

“It’s not like that.” – Fei said, shaking his head as he gently bumped against Yuri’s waist. Watching Fei playing around on the water’s surface reminded Yuri of the mischievous and adorable little boy he once was, and he smiled.

“Not only in terms of work, but also in terms of mental well-being, I think you will be a very solid support. Like, if I happen to make a mistake, it’s okay because this person is here. Um…… speaking in terms of work, it’s like a wife?”

“It’s true that my job isn’t a prominent outward activity.” – Yuri murmured and was about to splash water when Fei tightly grasped his finger. “Water in the eyes hurts”, he grumbled.

“Anyway…… I was thinking that way, and suddenly, Uncle hired you, I really don’t know what to say. If I had known you agreed to live in China, I would have proposed a contract earlier. Tsk.”

Fei spoke while sighing and then fell silent, tilting his head back further. Yuri calmly looked at Fei, who was staring at him from under the water. Suddenly, Fei squeezed Yuri’s hand.

“When does your contract with Uncle end? When it ends, come work for me, okay?”

He said it as if it were a joke, but it wasn’t a joke. Yuri realized it immediately.

Come to think of it, Fei was no longer the mischievous little boy in Yuri’s memory. He was at the age to have his own career in the family and was beginning to have ambitions.

But, he was still such a child. So obvious. Although a few years older than Ling Xinlu, he was more childish, making Yuri chuckle. He was just about to open his mouth to answer him when……

“It doesn’t end.”

A cold voice echoed from behind.

The rustling sound of footsteps came from the camellia bushes.

Yuri turned his head. Fei also sat up from the water.

Ling Xinlu, with his hands in the pockets of his baggy shorts, slowly walked towards them and then stood before the lawn. His gaze, looking down at the two people soaking in the water, was somewhat cold.

“Are you two done talking? Are you about to leave?”

Today, Yuri thought they would be discussing work with the adults and would be back later, but it turned out they returned earlier than expected.

Yuri looked at the watch he had left by the pool and then stepped out. He stepped to the side so the water wouldn’t splash on Ling Xinlu and then wrapped a towel around himself.

He threw a towel to Fei, who was looking at him with a regretful expression: ‘Are you leaving already?’. Fei used the towel to dry his hair but didn’t get out of the pool, he playfully turned and said to Ling Xinlu:

“Aiya, I was having fun with Uncle Yuri, why did Uncle Xinlu come so early? Looking at the complexion of Father and the other uncles, I thought Uncle Xinlu would be held back for a long time.”

But that gently smiling question wasn’t answered. Instead, there was only a cold and indifferent glance.

The smile on Fei’s face suddenly disappeared. At this moment, Yuri realized that Ling Xinlu’s mood wasn’t very good, so he stopped toweling himself dry.

Had something happened? When he was surrounded by his father and older brothers to talk. Although silent, it seemed like his mood was very bad. Frighteningly so, to a rare degree.

“Ling……”

But before Yuri could call his name, Ling Xinlu, who was silently looking down at Fei, spoke first.

“It’s good to be able to recognize talent, but look elsewhere. Objects can be replaced, but talent cannot. And don’t you know, I extremely hate those who show up late and steal other people’s people.”

Ling Xinlu’s last sentence was mixed with a bit of gritted teeth. And simultaneously, Yuri recalled an old memory from his words.

Showing up late and stealing someone else’s person.

Jeong Taeui, who originally should have belonged to Ling Xinlu, was stolen by Riegrow.

That was also a small thorn stuck in his heart, and it couldn’t be pulled out. Time passed, the wound healed, it no longer hurt, but the small thorn remained.

That memory would never disappear, deeply etched in the bottom of his heart, it would revive whenever there was even the slightest stimulation.

Even though he thought he had calmed down, even though he thought he could look at him with a settled heart.

Yuri suddenly fell silent. That blue-gray fury, no longer a single smile, only a coldness frozen like ice, was it perhaps because of this?

His heart ached slightly. The heavy feeling that had just been released into the water now weighed down on his chest.

Yuri put down the towel, just about to open his mouth to say something to Ling Xinlu, when Fei, standing in the water with a serious expression, looking directly at Ling Xinlu, suddenly had a strange look on his face and said:

“If you say it like that, then, Uncle Xinlu, I met Yuri first. According to Uncle Xinlu, you were wrong, so now it’s my turn, right?”

Fei spoke with an incredulous expression and glanced at Yuri.

“Did you sign a lifetime contract with him? Why wouldn’t the contract end?”

Yuri blinked his eyes in bewilderment, looking at Ling Xinlu.

Ling Xinlu, still silently looking at Fei with an icy expression, seemed to notice that gaze, so he turned to look at Yuri. The anger seemed to be directed towards him, causing Yuri to shiver inwardly, but he didn’t show it outwardly. He hesitated for a moment and then opened his mouth with a troubled expression:

“I remember it wasn’t…… It seems like a one-year contract. I didn’t sign a lifetime contract.”

Yuri muttered: “Maximum 3 years”, but there was no reply. Ling Xinlu silently looked at Yuri with eyes as sharp as knives for a long time, then only replied curtly in an icy voice:

“Go put on some clothes.”

“Yes?”

“Clothes. Don’t stand there naked like that.”

Yuri looked at Ling Xinlu in confusion for a moment, as if he was asking why he was acting like this, and then nodded. It was true that if Ling Xinlu was finished, they should go home.

“What, not take off clothes at the pool? You expect him to wear a suit in the pool?”

Fei grumbled as if dealing with an unreasonable person looking for a fight. But Yuri wrapped the towel around his body, which was rapidly cooling in the chilly air, and walked towards the bathroom.

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

Yuri glanced at Ling Xinlu through the rearview mirror. He was looking out the dark window, looking unhappy. He had been like that since a while ago.

When they first arrived at the Ling family home, Ling Xinlu was still smiling. But since they met again, he had been silent, his face devoid of any expression. It seemed like something had bothered him.

Even when Yuri finished showering and came out, Fei, who was still at the pool with Ling Xinlu, grimaced, pretending to cry.

“Uncle Xinlu told me not to go swimming, said if I went down to the pool in the middle of the night, I should just drown.” – He whined as if tattling, but Ling Xinlu didn’t even blink at the tattling, just coldly said to Yuri, who had just stepped out of the bathroom: “Then let’s go.”

And from then until now, he had been mostly silent, only occasionally saying a few words.

Yuri glanced at the rearview mirror again. He saw Ling Xinlu’s cold cheek turned towards the window.

Perhaps the conversation with the elders in the family hadn’t ended well.

“Did the talk go smoothly? It seems to have ended earlier than expected.” – Yuri finally spoke, breaking the silence. He asked a question that Ling Xinlu could ignore if he didn’t want to answer, and then focused on driving. He felt eyes looking at his cheek.

“Big Brother said he didn’t want to talk much today, said to see Uncle’s health condition next week and then continue. Thanks to that, nothing happened.”

“Is that so.” – Yuri fell silent.

He recalled the image of Ling Tangwin smiling after talking to him.

That smile was clearly a rejection, but he hadn’t completely ignored his suggestion. Even if it was only temporary.

“I heard you said things you shouldn’t have said to Big Brother.”

Suddenly, Ling Xinlu spoke up. Yuri turned his head to look at him.

“I’m sorry…… Was he very angry?”

Yuri bowed his head in apology. Ling Xinlu glanced at Yuri and was silent for a moment, then turned his face away.

“It seems like he was more regretful than angry.”

Yuri looked doubtful, but Ling Xinlu didn’t answer immediately. Then, as if suddenly overwhelmed with emotion, he clicked his tongue softly and continued:

“He said it’s rare to meet someone outside the family who cares about others like that, told me to treat you well…… Big Brother is also a man of loyalty and affection.”

The muttered words: “Look at his own son, he left him behind and left”, were so small they were almost inaudible. Yuri silently looked straight ahead.

Both Ling Xinlu’s words that Ling Tangwin was regretful, and Yuri’s thought that he would be angry, were probably correct. Ling Tangwin wasn’t someone who accepted outside interference in family matters, no matter how close they were. So, if this happened again, he probably wouldn’t be regretful but would show his anger more clearly. He wasn’t someone who repeated himself many times.

“Don’t interfere in other people’s family affairs. No matter how well Big Brother treats you, once you offend him, it will be very troublesome.”

Ling Xinlu seemed to think so too, he spoke in a gentle warning tone. Yuri immediately replied:

“I apologize.”

“And I think you also know, besides family matters, it’s the same with me personally. I don’t like unrelated people interfering in my business.”

Yuri was silent. After a while, he said again: “I apologize.”

He had known this beforehand. It wasn’t that he didn’t know Ling Xinlu’s personality. He had known from their first meeting that he didn’t like others interfering in his affairs.

But even so, the fact that he bluntly said “unrelated people” still hurt Yuri a little, and he smiled bitterly. That smile only flitted across the corner of his lips and then disappeared.

For a long time, no one said a word. Only the sound of the car engine running on the dark road and the wind blowing from the heater filled the void.

Then suddenly……

“But thank you for worrying about me.”

Yuri turned his head at that casual remark. He saw Ling Xinlu looking out the window. Ling Xinlu’s image was reflected on the car window like a mirror, and their eyes met.

Yuri unconsciously smiled. The smile only briefly appeared on his almost expressionless face, but Ling Xinlu seemed to recognize it through the blurry glass. He also slightly curved his lips.

Yuri only nodded slightly in response.

Alright.

That was enough.

Once Ling Xinlu had accepted, there was nothing more for him to say.

Then the remaining problem was……

If things really started to get busy, even if he could manage for a short time, in the long run, this wasn’t something Yuri could handle on his own. He needed to find someone more professional, more familiar with running a business, to ask for help.

Although it was a shame about James, it probably wasn’t possible to bring him here, so should he ask him to find someone? If he said: ‘I want someone like you’, James would definitely grumble: ‘That doesn’t sound like a compliment.’

Thinking about that, Yuri shook his head.

There it was again. This wasn’t something he should be thinking about.

Choosing someone was Ling Xinlu’s part, unless he directly asked for his help. Moreover, the Ling family could easily find capable people without Yuri having to ask anyone for favors. He didn’t need to worry about that.

Yuri should worry about his own work—although he didn’t need to worry—……

After completing the contract and returning, what should he do next?

Surely his mailbox back home in Berlin was overflowing by now. Hannah occasionally went to take care of his house when he was away, she probably carefully placed them on the table.

Yuri sighed inwardly. Time flew by so fast when he looked back.

The time spent with Ling Xinlu was wonderful. Although sometimes unexpected things happened that confused him, just being able to look at Ling Xinlu was enough to make him happy. So, how could those moments not be wonderful?

He hoped that after returning, they could still keep in touch.

Relationships between people couldn’t be maintained with only one-sided effort, so he didn’t know if he himself could keep in touch and maintain a relationship with someone for a long time. It wasn’t a matter that depended only on one person.

He felt that even if they didn’t contact each other for 10, 20 years, if he suddenly called, this person would still smile and greet him naturally: ‘How have you been? I missed you’, but he didn’t think they would regularly contact each other and share news. Although always smiling gently, this person still had a cold and decisive side.

Then he would be the one to make contact. On New Year’s, Birthdays, Christmas. Whenever there was a reason.

Thinking like that made his heart feel a little lighter, and Yuri sighed softly. Just then……

“Hey.”

Yuri was about to reach out and turn on the radio when Ling Xinlu spoke. He stopped his hand and silently waited for Ling Xinlu to continue.

Ling Xinlu was silent for a moment after starting the conversation.

He was silent with a slightly hesitant expression, and when Yuri thought he wouldn’t say anything more, he suddenly spoke. His tone was slow, seeming a bit reluctant.

“You seem very close to Fei.”

“Fei? Ah, we’ve known each other for a long time.”

‘Suddenly talking about Fei, it seems like he was about to say something else and then stopped.’ – Yuri tilted his head. But he didn’t really care. If it was something he didn’t want to say, he didn’t want to hear it either. Therefore, Yuri just smiled lightly and went along with Ling Xinlu’s topic.

“Although we’ve known each other for a long time, if you count the number of times we’ve met, it’s not that many, but because I’ve witnessed him since he was a little kid, I feel like I know him well. Plus, he’s very approachable. His mischievous personality hasn’t changed since he was little.”

Even with people who seemed to dislike joking around, he still grinned and teased them like always. Yuri smiled as he recalled the image of Fei occasionally teasing even the always indifferent Ling Xinlu.

Ling Xinlu’s gaze suddenly turned towards him. “That’s right.” – He muttered in a tone that sounded very dissatisfied. Another short silence followed.

“It’s good to be close, but……”

His voice was slow, with a bit of sharpness in it, but immediately after, Ling Xinlu spoke in a softer tone, as if acting spoiled:

“Was it absolutely necessary to embarrass me like that? That contract, it can be rewritten. Rewriting it into a lifetime contract is fine, what’s the problem with telling him it’s a one-year contract, not a lifetime one?”

Yuri froze. Ling Xinlu in the mirror was still looking out the window. He didn’t know if his own image was still reflected there.

“……”

Although he spoke in a soft tone, it seemed like he was really annoyed about this. This proud young man, perhaps he felt he had lost face.

But at this moment, Ling Xinlu seemed to regret the words he had just spoken. Perhaps he thought he had unnecessarily revealed his childish thoughts. He scratched his forehead and clicked his tongue, glancing at Yuri. It seemed like he realized he had gotten unreasonably angry. But immediately after, he waved his hand dismissively.

“Fine, then. At the next renewal, I’ll change that part to lifetime.”

“Yes?”

But as soon as he finished speaking, Yuri asked back in surprise, causing Ling Xinlu to look at him blankly. Yuri tilted his head, wondering if he had misunderstood something, and then looked at Ling Xinlu. Yuri slowly said:

“I don’t sign lifetime contracts.”

It had always been like that. Although he could extend the contract for a few years, or a few decades, to make it almost like a lifetime contract – in fact, he had worked at T&R for almost 10 years – he never signed such a long-term contract. So far, the longest contract had only been 2-3 years, and he only signed such a long contract in unavoidable circumstances.

Ling Xinlu looked at Yuri with a puzzled expression as he spoke decisively. Then, suddenly, Xinlu frowned.

“Why? The conditions here will definitely be better than other places. If you’re worried about the salary, I can add a clause for annual adjustments according to the market.”

“No, it’s not a matter of salary or conditions. No matter what, I won’t sign a lifetime contract.”

Yuri shook his head again. And this time, Ling Xinlu was silent for longer.

He stared at Yuri for a moment, and then just asked: “Why?”

Yuri found that question strange again. He tilted his head, not understanding why he was asking such an obvious thing, but still answered:

“Because I don’t know what my future will be like. I don’t know where I’ll want to go, what I’ll want to do. I want to be free to go anywhere I want, whenever I want.”

Ling Xinlu didn’t say anything.

His face became expressionless.

As if he had just heard something unexpected. No, as if he had just heard something he shouldn’t have heard.

Yuri briefly thought that he might have said something wrong, and then hurriedly waved his hand, thinking that there might have been a misunderstanding.

“No, I don’t mean I’ll leave before the contract ends. I mean after the contract ends——.”

“Are you leaving?”

Ling Xinlu suddenly interrupted Yuri after being silent for a while. His low voice was somewhat cold. Yuri thought for a moment and then tilted his head: “I’m not sure.”

“Currently, I don’t have anywhere I want to go long-term, so I haven’t thought about it…… But personally, I think it’s better not to renew the contract.”

If Ling Xinlu officially joined the family business, it would be better to have someone who understood that work by his side rather than Yuri supporting him. At least, that person shouldn’t be Yuri.

Yuri thought that Ling Xinlu had probably also thought of this, so he implicitly said that he wouldn’t mind if Ling Xinlu terminated the short-term contract.

However, looking at Ling Xinlu’s completely expressionless face, Yuri thought that he probably hadn’t thought of that.

“There will be someone who can support you better than I can——.”

“That’s not something you just thought of, is it?”

Yuri was about to say more, but was interrupted again by Ling Xinlu.

His voice was quiet. But there wasn’t any warmth in it.

“It seems like you’ve been thinking about this for a while, haven’t you, Mr. Gable?”

His low voice sounded like an interrogation. Yuri frowned slightly.

“Because…… even though I don’t know about the distant future, I usually think ahead about the near future.”

“So you’ve already decided to leave after this contract ends. Since when?”

Yuri suddenly fell silent. The conversation was going in a strange direction.

He didn’t necessarily have to leave after the contract ended. He just thought that if things went naturally, it would be better for Ling Xinlu to sign a contract with a more suitable person, so there probably wouldn’t be a contract renewal with him. It could be renewed, or it might not, but if he found a more suitable person, there would be no need to sign a contract with him anymore. It would be a waste for him.

Yuri silently looked at Ling Xinlu. He was thinking about where and how to begin the conversation. Seeing Yuri suddenly become quiet, Ling Xinlu’s face gradually grew colder.

“It’s better to find someone more suitable to support you.”

Finally, after thinking for a while, Yuri spoke. It was the easiest way to put it for him.

Ling Xinlu looked away from Yuri. He silently lowered his head and looked down for a moment as if in thought, then raised his head again, his face still cold.

“I don’t understand.”

He spoke decisively, as if unable to accept it, and then looked directly at Yuri.

“During the contract period, did I do anything wrong? Or do you not like this job?”

“No, that’s not it. Actually, this job is too cushy compared to what I’m receiving. That’s not it. Anyway, in this situation, it’s the logical thing to do.”

Yuri shook his head. He was surprised to see that Ling Xinlu seemed to have never thought about this.

Ling Xinlu silently looked at Yuri. It was more accurate to say he glared directly at him.

And after a short silence.

“Me, —being by my side…… isn’t good?”

His low voice sounded as if confirming something. Faced with that haughty question, the question of someone who clearly knew that Yuri was in a weaker position in this relationship, left Yuri speechless.

‘Being by your side—is very good.’

Beautiful, dazzling, and lovely. And it was still like that now. Yuri liked being by his side, and he had never thought about leaving him. He was just preparing himself for the possibility that things would turn out that way.

But regardless of that……

“What does that have to do with Mr. Ling Xinlu?”

Yuri calmly stated the conclusion. A cold conclusion directed at himself.

The one who was fond was him. The one leaving – if he left – was also him. The one who would feel heavy-hearted, the one who would become melancholic because of it, was also him.

But at the same time, the one who had the right to choose whether to renew the contract that Ling Xinlu was pretending to magnanimously offer as a favor – during the renewal period – was also him.

Ling Xinlu was silent as a statue, not even blinking. Those jet-black eyes bored into Yuri as if trying to pierce through him. As if probing to see if there was anything hidden inside that he didn’t know about.

Maintaining his gaze on Ling Xinlu, Yuri was silent for a moment and then sighed softly. He murmured in a somewhat helpless voice:

“I don’t understand why you’re angry. No matter how I think about it, I don’t see any reason for Mr. Ling Xinlu to be angry.”

“Did I do such a good job? I don’t even remember doing anything significant.” – Yuri spoke as if joking, but his heart felt heavy. He didn’t understand why Ling Xinlu was angry, why he had made him angry. Perhaps it was because he had presumptuously speculated and decided about his work—whether to end the contract, or sign a contract with someone new.

Ling Xinlu silently pondered something for a long time. Those pitch-black eyes remained fixed on Yuri as if nailed there. It was a cold stare, or rather, a blatant, hostile glare.

“Right,”

Finally, Ling Xinlu spoke. His voice was as cold as ice, a stark contrast to his dark eyes.

“I don’t intend to keep someone who wants to leave, so I’ll find someone else before the contract expires. Thank you for the advance notice.”

Yuri’s hand on the steering wheel trembled slightly.

Ling Xinlu exuded an icy atmosphere that made people freeze. He turned back towards the window and looked away.

And until they arrived home, Ling Xinlu didn’t say a word to Yuri. He didn’t even look at Yuri once.is matter. The things the Ling family was doing, the things that couldn’t be revealed—the things they didn’t want others to mention.

No matter how close they were, Yuri was still an outsider.

“……I didn’t expect to hear such words from you.”

Ling Tangwin spoke softly, not showing any displeasure. But Yuri felt an invisible wall rise between them, causing him to fall silent.

If it weren’t for Ling Xinlu, he wouldn’t have said anything. If it weren’t for his worry for him, his worry that he would be thrown into boiling water without any preparation.

“I just thought that if he were to learn the other things first, it would be better……”

“You could say that. Like throwing a child who knows nothing about the business into the most dangerous place.”

“But look, Yuri. Do you think Xinlu is someone who’s easily bullied? You’ve been by his side for so long, haven’t you?”

Ling Tangwin even had a smile at the corner of his eyes. His voice was unexpectedly gentle as he continued, while taking out a second cigarette and putting it in his mouth.

“As you’ve also noticed, I don’t like Xinlu very much. He doesn’t have any of the innocence of a child his age. Although he’s still childish now, often making a mess of things, in just a short time, he’ll become a very formidable opponent. That’s why I don’t like him. I’m not strong enough to deal with him. Do you understand what I mean?”

Ling Tangwin, already over fifty, frowned as usual when speaking about his youngest brother, who was less than half his age. It seemed to have become a habit of his.

He was silent for a moment, gently tapping to shake off the ash, then calmly continued.

“No matter what pit he’s thrown into, he’ll quickly climb back out. Moreover, the place he’s going isn’t even a pit. Although he has to deal with troublesome and risky matters in distribution, what he’ll learn is work meant for the ‘brains’……. In other words, while he’ll have to witness more dirty and despicable scenes, sooner or later it’s one of the things he has to learn.”

When he said that, Ling Tangwin took another drag of his cigarette. The conversation paused. He exhaled the smoke, then extinguished the cigarette, a long portion still unsmoked. An indirect way of showing he didn’t want to continue this topic any further.

Ling Tangwin tilted his head, looking at Yuri. His narrow, long eyes held a slight smile.

“It seems you’re very worried about Xinlu. As his older brother, I find that very dependable. Thank you for caring about our youngest brother.”

“……It’s nothing. It’s what I should do.”

Yuri shook his head. But Ling Tangwin chuckled and waved his hand dismissively.

“No, if you’ve said that to me, then you must be very worried about Ling Xinlu. You’re someone who understands better than anyone what should be said, what shouldn’t be said, who to say it to, who not to say it to, yet you said that to me.”

Ling Tangwin’s voice was the same as always. It was gentle and rounded like a kind uncle. But at this moment, he was making it clear to Yuri that what he had just said had touched a boundary that shouldn’t be crossed. He wouldn’t do anything to Yuri right now. Everything would be overlooked as if it never happened.

But Yuri had overstepped, and Ling Tangwin was warning him: Don’t take another step.

“But anyway…… I sincerely thank you for caring about Xinlu. Moreover, I didn’t expect you to be someone who would speak up like that; seeing a different side of you is quite interesting.”

Ling Tangwin spread a bright smile on his lips. He finished his warning and returned to the guise of a close friend.

Then Yuri also had to return to being an ordinary friend.

“I didn’t expect to say such words myself……. I just wish Mr. Ling Xinlu a happy life.”

“Oh my. Look at me, I’m also living a happy life.”

Ling Tangwin feigned a wry smile, patting his stomach lightly. The slightly bulging belly of a middle-aged man jiggled.

‘Yes, a life like that is also good.’

Yuri looked at Ling Tangwin and thought.

Although Ling Tangwin was a cold, selfish, and ruthless person to outsiders, he himself lived a life without regrets or suffering. Yuri thought: ‘That’s not bad either.’

Beside Yuri, Ling Tangwin turned to walk away, saying: “Oh dear, I’ve lingered too long. I have to go.” But then he abruptly stopped, and stared behind Yuri.

“Why are you standing there like a statue? You should say something when you arrive. And what are you wearing?!”

Yuri turned his head in the direction Ling Tangwin was looking. Fei, who had been standing there for who knows how long, was huddled up in a bizarre appearance with a thick life jacket over his swimsuit.

His face, usually cheerful and mischievous, now clearly showed an innocent worry, blinking slightly.

“Because I saw you two were having a serious conversation. I was afraid that if I spoke up, I’d get caught in the crossfire. Are you two done talking?”