Chapter 192 No Gentleman

Chapter 192: You Can't Always Be a Gentleman

Upon hearing this, Lin Nanshu understood exactly what his grandfather was getting at.

He lowered his gaze, hiding the turmoil in his eyes, then rose and clasped his hands in salute, his voice carrying a barely noticeable bitterness.

"It's my fault for being unfilial, failing to bring joy to your old age, causing you worry, and bringing… shame upon the family."

Seeing him like this, Lin Zhufeng felt a sudden tightness in his chest, as if something was stuck in there.

It wasn't that he truly wanted to blame his grandson. He wasn't some stubborn old fuddy-duddy who wouldn't rest in peace without a great-grandchild.

It was just… he looked at his grandson, who was like jade and bamboo, perfect in every way.

Watching him head toward a life alone, the anxiety and heartache in his heart couldn't be held back.

He knew Lin Nanshu far too well.

On the surface, the kid seemed gentle and kind, considerate and thoughtful in his dealings with others, but deep down, he was stubborn and loyal to a fault.

Once his heart was set on something, he would never look back, even if he banged his head against a wall.

But unfortunately, he was not the type to go after what he wanted. Lin Zhufeng could almost picture it.

In the future, that carefree boy Cheng Ge might even have a house full of kids and grandkids.

And his own foolish grandson would probably still be tagging along, and upon seeing Cheng Ge's children, might even offer to help look after them.

Just thinking of that scene made Lin Zhufeng's headache and heartache even more.

No, he had to nudge this stubborn, silent mule out the door, even if only to crack the door open and let some light in.

He stared at Lin Nanshu meaningfully and drawled, "I saw you holding a hairpin earlier… it had a novel and unique design. Did you just get it?"

Lin Nanshu's fingertips paused briefly. After a moment of silence, he finally admitted in a low voice, "It's… from Muyu."

Knowing he had guessed correctly, Lin Zhufeng felt a quiet glee. Stroking his beard, he said, "It seems that Cheng boy does have some feelings for you after all."

But Lin Nanshu slowly shook his head, his fingers absentmindedly tracing the outline of the hairpin in his sleeve.

His voice dropped a little lower. "He… was just drunk. Stuff done while drunk can't be taken seriously."

"Drunk?" Lin Zhufeng couldn't help rolling his eyes, his tone turning urgent.

"What does being drunk have to do with it? Then why doesn't he buy hairpins for others when he's drunk? Why doesn't he go running to someone else's doorstep with a Baked Chicken? Why's he bringing them only to you?

Lin Nanshu, Lin Nanshu! You're usually so clever, how can you be so clueless when it comes to this matter!"

He leaned in closer, lowering his voice like he was sharing some deep wisdom.

"People often say, 'Wine reveals the truth!' That rascal usually goofs off and never takes anything seriously, and even he might not fully understand his own feelings.

But when he's drunk, he might spill his real feelings! The fact that he went out of his way for you shows that you hold a special place in his heart that others don't have!"

At the words "wine reveals the truth" and "a special place in his heart," Lin Nanshu's body suddenly stiffened.

His lowered eyelashes trembled violently, and the walls he'd built so carefully seemed to crack open a tiny crack.

Seeing his grandson's resolve wavering, Lin Zhufeng pushed his advantage, his tone taking on a knowing edge.

"Your granddad has been around the block. I can see clearly that Cheng boy probably hasn't even figured out his own feelings yet.

With a straightforward guy like him, if you just wait for him to figure it out on his own…

You'd be six feet under and he'd still be calling you 'brother'!"

He paused, lowering his voice even more, with a note of frustrated disappointment.

"In matters of the heart, sometimes you can't afford to be a gentleman! Being too polite and restrained will only make you miss your chance.

Last time at the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet, I saw it as clear as day.

That Third Prince from Nanling kept sending flirtatious glances toward Cheng boy, sending him secret signals with all his sly tricks!

You need to learn a thing or two from that. When it's time to take the initiative, you have to take it. And when it's time to… ahem, use some tactics, you can't be too honest!"

"The Third Prince of Nanling…" Lin Nanshu's eyes trembled slightly.

He wasn't stupid. He knew many people had ulterior motives toward Muyu.

But someone as pure as white jade as Muyu was bound to attract admirers. That was something he couldn't control.

He just hadn't expected that Third Prince to be so upfront.

Lin Nanshu's hand unconsciously clenched, the hairpin in his sleeve digging into his palm and hurting it.

Seeing this reaction, Lin Zhufeng knew his words had hit home. Satisfied, he waved his hand and said with a casual air,

"Alright, that's all I have to say. Anyway, you think it over yourself. Don't let yourself regret it later."

With that, he finally turned around with genuine contentment and sauntered out leisurely, leaving Lin Nanshu standing alone under the lamplight.

Silence returned to the room, broken only by the faint crackling of the candle flame.

Lin Nanshu slowly sat back down in his chair, taking out the green jade bamboo-knot hairpin from his sleeve and holding it in his palm. The cool touch now felt like it was burning.

He closed his eyes, and before him appeared Cheng Ge's pure, smiling eyes from his drunken state, and that soft murmur—

"Yuli looks beautiful wearing this—"

Under the candlelight, he gazed at the elegant bamboo-knot hairpin in his palm.

Deep within his usually calm eyes, something seemed to be quietly breaking through the ice, slowly stirring.

The next morning, Cheng Ge was awakened by a series of urgent shaking and calls.

"Master! Master! Wake up! If you don't get up soon, you'll be late for court!"

Lü Rou's voice carried obvious anxiety, and the force of her shaking was undiminished.

Cheng Ge struggled to open his heavy eyelids, feeling a splitting headache, as if his head had been hammered.

He blinked dazedly, his mind blank, with no recollection of what had happened the night before.

"Master! Stop daydreaming! Get up quickly!! It's almost seven in the morning!"

Seeing him awake but not moving, Lü Rou impatiently grabbed him, trying to haul him out from under the covers.

"Mao hour?!" These four words hit Cheng Ge like a thunderbolt, clearing the fog in his mind.

He leaped out of bed in a single motion, the hangover dizziness made his vision go dark, and he staggered before regaining his balance.

"I'm done for! I'm done for! I'm going to be late! My salary! My annual performance review!"

Cheng Ge wailed incoherently, spinning in place like a headless chicken, searching for his official robe.

Lü Rou quickly picked up the official robe from the side, helped him dress swiftly, fastening his belt and straightening his hat.

"Water! Rinse my mouth!" Cheng Ge mumbled indistinctly.

Lü Rou was prepared; she handed him a cup of warm water and tooth-cleaning salt.

Cheng Ge rinsed his mouth carelessly, wiped his face with a damp towel, and finally felt a bit more awake, though his head was still buzzing.

With his mind solely on his salary, Cheng Ge rushed out in a flurry.

Lü Rou watched his disappearing figure at the doorway, opened her mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed her words.

She let out a heavy sigh and turned to tidy the messy bed, only to hear more urgent footsteps approaching from afar.

Cheng Ge sprinted back in full speed, bursting into the room and heading straight for the food box on the table.

He flipped open the lid, ignoring the heat, and grabbed three still-steaming buns from inside, one in his mouth, one in each hand.

"Lunch... I want spare ribs..." he mumbled indistinctly, then dashed out again like a whirlwind.

Lü Rou: "..."