Chapter 158: Whenever You’re Ready To Be Our Child, We’ll Be Ready
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The bright rays of light in the house immediately enveloped him as he instantly felt a rush of warmth envelope him.
“Woof!” As Lin Chu had said earlier, Chu Xi was already waiting for their arrival by the door.
Originally seated by the doorstep, it got up the second it saw them coming in, its long tail wagging unusually vigorously like a whip.
It seemed surprised to see Yan Ningbai and Mo Jinxi over at such a late hour.
However, it pounced on both of them enthusiastically, one after the other, and before they could even take off their shoes, their small white hands and faces were already slimy from all the licks by Chu Xi, causing the two to roll with laughter.
Yan Beicheng placed the luggage aside while Lin Chu reached out to grab Chu Xi. “Chu Xi, behave and let them change their shoes first.”
“Wuuuu! Awuu!” Chu Xi threw its head forward and continued whining. However, it stopped pouncing forward and proceeded to stomp its front paws on the ground.
The two kids quickly changed their shoes and before Chu Xi could react, they rushed toward it and hugged it, one from the left and the other from the right.
Mo Jinxi had never been a lively and energetic kid. Although he was still a young child, he behaved solemnly like an old man, but after spending more and more time with Yan Ningbai, he gradually became livelier more childlike, which made Lin Chu extremely happy.
Chu Xi, on the other hand, was almost out of breath as the two hugged it tightly around its neck. It fell over onto the ground with its tongue sticking out and its four feet wriggling in the air as it rolled about.
Yan Ningbai and Mo Jinxi giggled at the sight of it and piled on top of Chu Xi.
Seeing the kids occupied, Lin Chu took the opportunity to help Yan Beicheng bring the luggage over to the guest room.
There were five bedrooms at home – the master bedroom was theirs, Aunt Zhuang had one bedroom, one was refurbished as a study, and the other was a gym. The remaining room served as the guest room which Yan Ningbai stayed in whenever he came over.
On the way back, Yan Beicheng had already called to ask Aunt Zhuang clean up the guest room.
Since Aunt Zhuang frequently cleaned the room, it did not take much for her to quickly get it ready for the night.
The bed in the guest room was pretty big too, and spacious big enough for two children to sleep on together.
Soon, Lin Chu began to unpack the kids’ luggage, hanging their clothes into the closet and leaving their pajamas out on the bed. She also took out their toiletries and placed them on the sink in the bathroom.
However, she did not touch Yan Ningbai’s toys as he could always put them away himself later on.
After she was done, she reached for Yan Beicheng’s hand and pulled him aside. “Come here, I have something I want to talk to you about.”
Both of them returned to their bedroom and Lin Chu closed the door after them.
Yan Beicheng’s eyebrow raised in curiosity as he sat down on the bed. He pulled her over and stood her in between his knees.
“What’s going on? Why are you acting so mysteriously?” Yan Beicheng asked with a soft laugh as she stood in front of him obediently looking just like a doll with her snow-white skin.
He could not resist the urge to hold her hand, and as his eyes naturally settled on the ring on her finger, his heart lit up with joy. It felt like he finally had her all to himself, like she was finally officially his. Now, all they had to do was wait for their license to be processed and he would no longer have to worry about it anymore.
He squeezed her arm softly. Her arms were thin, and he could still vaguely see the green veins running through the back of her hand. In his eyes, they were as beautiful as a piece of art.
Although her arms were thin, they were still soft to hold. Even as he squeezed her arms, he could feel her bones occasionally poke out, while at other times they were so soft she seemed to be boneless.
Yan Beicheng got more and more interested as he continued squeezing her arms whilst Lin Chu’s simultaneously felt her face getting redder and redder. She began thinking that the room was getting a bit too hot.
“Didn’t I mention that I’d like to adopt Jinxi after we get married? I just want to discuss this with you again, are you sure you’re okay with it?” Lin Chu asked, “I originally didn’t expect it to be so soon but we’re getting our marriage license on Monday and we’ll be husband and wife from then on.”
Yan Beicheng’s ears perked up at the mention of husband and wife. He liked the sound of it very much.
He nodded happily. “Yes, we’ll become husband and wife soon.”
Lin Chu giggled in response. “Well, Jinxi’s here today which is why I thought of it.”
After that, Lin Chu looked at Yan Beicheng uncertainly as she hopefully waited for his answer. “Are you willing to ——”
“There’ nothing I won’t do for you,” Yan Beicheng gave her hands another soft squeeze. “We’ve already discussed this before, but since he’s here tonight, let’s ask him and see.”
Lin Chu began to think that Yan Beicheng would promise her anything she asked. No matter how stubborn she was and how unreasonable her requests were, he would always be willing to satisfy all her wishes.
She suspected that even if she committed a crime, he would do his best to help her out of whatever mess she was in.
When she thought of this, she suddenly felt ridiculous. Why was she thinking these random thoughts now?
“What are you laughing at?” Yan Beicheng asked with a smile. She looked as if she was laughing at an inside joke.
Looking back at his warm and gentle eyes, Lin Chu could not help but bend down and plant a kiss on his cheek. The kiss was innocent, and it felt like a soft feather had brushed his cheeks, immediately drawing out the fire hidden in Yan Beicheng’s chest.
Yan Beicheng’s eyes turned dark as he continued to stare at her. He gripped her waist as he slid his lips down onto her abdomen, such that only a layer of clothes lay between his lips and her skin.
Lin Chu’s legs weakened and she fell onto his lap, naturally wrapping her hands around his neck.
Seeing that Yan Beicheng was trying his best to reel in his emotions, she planted another kiss on his lips teasingly. “Yan Beicheng, what happens if you turn me into a spoilt brat?”
Yan Beicheng raised an eyebrow. He did not understand what she was saying.
“How can I possibly spoil you?” Yan Beicheng asked.
The confusion in his tone was that of complete innocent.
“Is there anything I can ask you that you won’t give me?” Lin Chu poked his chest gently. “It seems that until now, you haven’t disagreed with anything I’ve asked of you.”
“Well, you haven’t asked for anything that I can’t do,” Yan Beicheng replied with a smile and sneaked a kiss onto the corner of her lips. “You won’t ask me for anything unreasonable, nor do you throw me difficult requests, so how can I possibly spoil you? I don’t even have the chance to!”
Lin Chu stared at him in disbelief. How could he say such a thing? Had she not asked him any unreasonable requests?
Although adopting Mo Jinxi was a good deed, he was probably the only one in the world who would agree to something like this with zero hesitation!
The human heart and mind were normally very narrow-minded. In other families, only if the man of the house was very virtuous or was unusually aware would he agree to such a request.
If Yan Beicheng did not care much about adopting two children just because he was wealthy, then what about the other rich people in this world? Why have they not done it?
Adopting an orphan and raising him as one’s own was not the same as financially supporting one.
Many wealthy people were willing to donate money and such, but when it came to actually adopting a child, they were less willing to do so.
Therefore, Lin Chu knew how unreasonable her request was, but she also knew that if she asked Yan Beicheng, he would not reject her.
It was also because of this that she dared to bring up the subject without stressing too much over it. There was no psychological pressure on her as she knew that he treated her well and that he would agree to any request she asked of him.
In truth, she had unconsciously been spoiled by him, and even she had yet to notice it. It was a subtle change in her that had slowly happened over time.
She had only realized this moments ago when she thought about it.
Seeing Yan Beicheng’s reaction, it seemed that he had yet to realize it!
At that moment, Lin Chu thought that Yan Beicheng looked incredibly silly. With a soft giggle, she reached over and kissed his lips. She did not bother to explain to him how unreasonable her request was anymore.
Yan Beicheng took the opportunity and tightened his one arm grip around her waist while his other arm reached for the back of her head, deepening the kiss such that she was unable to leave.
The burning sensation spread from his lips throughout his body until he could no longer think straight. He was only aware of the sensation of soft lips against his.
Completely immersed in the kiss, he was oblivious to the noisy footsteps of the two children who were climbing up the stairs.
He only became aware of them when the two little guys began to shout outside.
Mo Jinxi, “Chu Chu’s not in our room!”
Yan Ningbai, “Big nephew! Big niece-in-law!”
Chu Xi, “Woof!”
Moments later, the two rascals began to knock on their bedroom door.
“Big nephew! Big niece-in-law!” Yan Ningbai’s voice called from outside the room.
“Are they already sleeping?” Mo Jinxi whispered to Yan Ningbai softly.
Yan Ningbai’s annoying voice sounded again, “Their uncle’s not asleep yet so how can they sleep first!”
By the time Lin Chu finally regained her senses, she realized that she was now on the bed with Yan Beicheng hovering over her. Moreover, her clothes had been flipped up.
He proceeded to nibble on her earlobe, but she quickly pushed him away. “Get… Get up! What if they barge in? We didn’t lock the door just now.”
Yan Beicheng took a deep breath and sat up with an extremely unhappy expression on his face. How could that rascal Yan Ningbai do something like this?
He glanced down at the uncomfortable situation below and said to Lin Chu in a frustrated tone, “Go get rid of them first, I’ll hide for now.”
He could not be seen by the two rascals while in such a state.
With that, he headed to the bathroom.
Meanwhile, Lin Chu got up and tidied herself up. Fortunately, her clothes were not as crumpled as she thought they would be.
She stood in front of her vanity table as she combed her hair with her fingers. However, her lips were completely swollen so she quickly pulled out her concealer from the desk drawer and applied some around the lips. Then, she applied some pale lipstick in the center of her lips, instantly making her lips look smaller such that the swelling was not as noticeable as before.
When Lin Chu finally looked presentable, she went to open the door.
The two rascals stood before her with the dog by their feet. Yan Ningbai stood with his arms on his waist as he greeted her, “Big niece-in-law, what took you so long to open the door?”
“We were washing up just now, so we didn’t hear you.” Lin Chu simply made up an excuse and let the group into the room, including Chu Xi who seized the chance to sneak in.
Yan Beicheng usually did not allow Chu Xi to enter the bedroom, but the two little guys were here tonight and they were adamant about being inseparable from it, so it eyed an opportunity to break the rules.
Yan Ningbai blinked as he processed the thought with zero hesitation. “Ah, my parents wash up together too. I understand,” he said as he nodded in an understanding manner.
Lin Chu was utterly speechless.
‘Yan Huaian, Yu Zi, your son just sold you out just like that…’ She thought to herself.
“Where’s big nephew?” Yan Ningbai’s eyes quickly swept across the bedroom and realized that Yan Beicheng was nowhere to be seen.
Lin Chu’s face immediately turned red as she quickly replied guiltily, “He’s still in the bathroom.”
“Oh,” Yan Ningbai nodded obediently. Lin Chu let out a sigh of relief as he finally stopped asking questions.
Lin Chu casted a glance at Mo Jinxi who was standing in the corner quietly, then led the two little boys over to the sofa. She sat them down on it before seating herself on the coffee table across them.
“Jinxi, I have something to discuss with you,” Lin Chu said.
Mo Jinxi was a very assertive child, and although he was still very young, he was unexpectedly mature.
The childish innocence within him would emerge every now and then, but he always behaved appropriately and was always especially careful when it came to serious matters. Therefore, Lin Chu would never speak to him in the tone she used to coax the other kids, but instead communicated with him the way she normally would with others her age.
When it came to serious matters, she always respected his opinion.
Lin Chu did not bother trying to keep Yan Ningbai in the dark either since there was nothing to hide as the Yan family needed to know the end decision of this matter regardless. Besides, if she pulled Mo Jinxi aside to talk about it secretly, Yan Ningbai might end up overthinking the situation, which would be much worse.
Nevertheless, Lin Chu was particularly cautious at the moment.
“What’s the matter?” Mo Jinxi sat straight up stiffly with his two white and delicate hands rested on his knees.
Although his short legs did not reach the ground, he still sat upright with his knees together.
Lin Chu loved his adult-like behavior. “Well, your Uncle Yan and I are getting married. We’ll officially become husband and wife once we collect our marriage license,” she said slowly with a soft smile.
Although the two little boys were innocent, they still had a vague idea of marriage. Once a couple became husband and wife, they would live together and eventually have children of their own and start their own family.
Although Yan Beicheng and Lin Chu were already living together, life after marriage would still… actually, it would not make much of a difference.
“I’ve already talked to your Uncle Yan about adopting you after we get married. Jinxi, are you willing to become our adopted son?” Lin Chu asked nervously. She was afraid he would not agree.
Mo Jinxi’s eyes widened in shock after he heard Lin Chu’s question. He was initially stunned, then he was overflown with joy. However, he quickly suppressed the emotions.
His clear bright eyes slowly calmed down once again.
Then, he shook his head.
Lin Chu was so surprised that she did not know what to say at that moment. Right then, Yan Beicheng came out of the bathroom and saw Lin Chu and the two children sitting quietly on the sofa. The three of them were gazing at each other in speechless dismay as if they were just struck by unsettling news.
Yan Beicheng silently made his way over and stood beside Lin Chu.
Lin Chu raised her head and looked up at him. He was tall, and since she was sitting down, it was tiring for her to keep staring at him.
The corner of Yan Beicheng’s mouth twitched and he moved over to the coffee table, seating himself next to Lin Chu. His long legs were cramped in the tight space, seemingly putting him in an uncomfortable position.
The gap between the coffee table and the sofa was not exactly spacious either. His calves were packed so tight against the sofa that they were already pressing into it.
Yan Beicheng had no choice but to shift the things on the coffee table aside and move himself backward. After adjusting his seat, he finally seemed comfortable.
With Yan Beicheng by her side, her arm that was pressed against his could still feel the heat on his body. However, this just made her calm down even more.
After recovering from the shock of rejection, Lin Chu finally found her voice again, “But why?”
She noticed the happiness in Mo Jinxi’s eyes when she asked the question and it was clear from his enthusiastic reaction that he was more than willing to live with them.
So, what made him change his mind?
Mo Jinxi scratched his knees before responding softly, “If I move out with both of you, it’ll only be Shi Tou and Tian Tian left in the orphanage. Although they’re just a little bit younger than me, they’re still the oldest kids in the orphanage after me. However, if I leave, they’ll think that nobody wants them and they’ll feel unwanted. I’m sure they’ll be extremely upset so I’m scared… I’m scared they’ll start to think like Aunt Zhu, like I’m the one who stole their opportunity and that you guys are being biased.”
Mo Jinxi quickly shook his head and continued, “I know that they’re all good and well-behaved children. They’re really nice and they’re so much better than Aunt Zhu. I know they won’t think that way, but I’m still worried they’ll be sad so…
“So, I still want to stay in the orphanage and be good buddies with them and continue playing with them all the time.” Mo Jinxi’s face began to turn red as he felt embarrassed.
As she stared back at Mo Jinxi’s pure and innocent eyes, Lin Chu could not come up with the words to reply him.
After a while, she finally said, “Jinxi, Shi Tou and Tian Tian are good children, they won’t turn out that way.”
“I know,” Mo Jinxi nodded and looked up at her solemnly, “but I’m still worried.”
Lin Chu stopped talking and looked at him in dismay. She was so eager to take care of such a thoughtful and understanding little boy.
“In truth, things are already good the way they are. Both of you are always visiting us at the orphanage, and you take such good care of us too! That’s already good enough,” Mo Jinxi suddenly paused and began to look at her with uncertainty. “But… But if they’re adopted later on, is it alright for me to accept your request then? Will both of you still want me if that were to happen?”
The hint of redness was evident on his small delicate face while his eyes were filled with uneasiness.
“Yes, we will,” Lin Chu nodded without hesitation. Then, with a huge smile on her face, she pulled him over for a hug. “Whenever you’re ready to be our child, we’ll take you in. And if you change your mind at any time at all, please let me know. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about because I’m serious about wanting to adopt you. Even if we don’t adopt you, you’re still good friends with Ningbai so both of you should come here more often to play, alright? Think of it as getting a taste of life with us, alright?”
This time, Mo Jinxi agreed right away with a bright grin as he let out a hearty laugh. He looked extremely handsome, but still carried a hint of childishness because of the dimple on his left cheek.
Mo Jinxi was good-looking, but he had a strange dimple. He only had it on his left cheek, and it was not obvious at all, only showing when he laughed hard. This was something people often found weird when they were seeing it for the first time.
He rarely let it show too, so many people were often intrigued on the few occasions that they caught sight of it. His innocent and childish cuteness would immediately wash over his adult-like demeanor whenever his dimple showed.
Mo Jinxi had always been good-looking so it was interesting to imagine how he would look when he grew older. The dimple in particular, once it settled itself on a grown man’s face, would be a lady-killer.
It seemed that Mo Jinxi would most likely grow up to have a cool and icy persona, but despite the dimple not being noticeable most of the time, the contrast was too great to dismiss whenever he laughed and enjoyed himself.
Was there not a type of cuteness known as the contrast cuteness? If a man’s face were to have such an effect, girls would become obsessed and throw themselves at his feet.
Lin Chu smiled and patted his head adoringly while Chu Xi looked on by her side. Then, it suddenly stood up on its hind legs and placed its front paws on the coffee table before rubbing its head against Lin Chu’s waist.
Lin Chu was getting itchy from its scratches and could no longer resist its charming mannerism. Thus, she let Mo Jinxi go and reached out to scratch Chu Xi’s head.
As a result, Yan Ningbai came closer and declared loudly, “Big niece-in-law, I want one too!”
Lin Chu, “…”
With that, Lin Chu’s right arm stretched out to scratch Chu Xi while her left hand patted Yan Ningbai’s head.
Yan Beicheng was getting annoyed by the sight of this and quickly pushed the little boy and dog away. “Look at the time, it’s getting late. You guys should go wash up and get ready for bed!”
“But it’s Sunday tomorrow!” Yan Ningbai argued. He did not want to sleep yet.
Although it was not his first time over, he was still excited at the new change of space.
Moreover, it was his first time having his buddy Mo Jinxi over with him together along with Chu Xi, so Yan Ningbai was particularly happy.
“Even if it’s Sunday tomorrow, are you planning on not sleeping the entire night? I’m sure it’s already way past your bedtime now so if you still don’t sleep, I’m going to call your parents and ask them what’s your usual weekend bedtime,” Yan Beicheng threatened.
