After that incident when his father dragged him back from the hospital and sent him overseas, Li Lin never contacted his brother again. He didn’t go home on weekends either, choosing to stay in the dorms instead. He didn’t ask his father for living expenses, supporting himself by livestreaming. Aside from that, everything seemed normal—he kept attending classes, had perfect attendance, and even won a scholarship for the academic year.
They’d talked several times about it, but every conversation ended in a fight. In the end, Li Chen decided to leave the brat alone and stop interfering, figuring that if he calmed down on his own, he’d eventually come to his senses. The more others tried to pressure him, the more rebellious he became.
What Li Chen couldn’t understand was this: he truly believed he’d done a decent job as a parent, so why had both kids turned out to be so unconventional? Neither had a “normal” sexual orientation—one was willing to risk everything to marry a man eighteen years older than himself, and the other had fallen for the brother he’d grown up with.
What kind of mess was this?
At first, seeing that Li Lin was only giving him the cold shoulder and arguing with him but at least hadn’t neglected his studies, Li Chen thought the kid still knew his limits. He never expected that Li Lin had been holding it in, getting ready to drop a bomb. He’d only just turned eighteen, yet without saying a word, he went and withdrew from school on his own and ran off. By the time Li Chen realized something was wrong, he had no idea where the boy had gone.
Shen Yuan knew Li Lin’s Weibo. He didn’t know what Li Lin was thinking, but they still followed each other. Since Li Lin hadn’t unfollowed him, Shen Yuan naturally hadn’t either.
The last time Shen Yuan posted something, Li Lin had even liked it.
Shen Yuan hadn’t dared to check Li Lin’s Weibo. He didn’t really scroll Weibo much anyway. But today, he finally worked up the courage to take a look. He found that Li Lin hadn’t posted in quite a while—but coincidentally, just as he was checking, Li Lin posted a new update. It was a photo of a contract with key details blurred out, announcing that he had officially signed with a club and become a professional player.
The comments were full of fans congratulating him.
He didn’t mention dropping out of school at all.
At least now they knew where the kid had gone.
After telling his uncle about it, Shen Yuan decided to go back to the country himself to talk to Li Lin face to face. He didn’t think he absolutely had to persuade the kid to come back.
Li Lin hadn’t been an adult before, but now he was. He needed to take responsibility for his own decisions. Still, as his brother and as his father, they couldn’t just watch him make such a reckless choice. Li Lin’s grades were excellent—dropping out was far too impulsive and such a waste. What had all those years of studying and finally getting into college been for?
So Shen Yuan discussed it with Qiao Hailou.
“Uncle Qiao, you take care of Little Peanut at home for three days. I’ll go deal with this and come right back.”
Qiao Hailou rejected it outright.
“No. I’m taking Little Peanut with me. Your brother—if I didn’t know he had inappropriate feelings toward you, fine. But I do know. There’s no way I’m letting you go see him alone. That’d be like sending a lamb into a tiger’s den. He’s immature and impulsive. You don’t like him, so he went dark—who knows what he might do. Don’t even think about it. I’m definitely not letting you go alone.”
Shen Yuan said helplessly, “But… if you’re there too, won’t it be even more awkward? And with you and the kid present, won’t that just provoke him more?”
Qiao Hailou was brutally heartless and chuckled.
“It’s because you’ve all coddled him that he’s gotten so arrogant. Provoking him is perfect. Provoke him more and he’ll get used to it—call it desensitization training.”
Shen Yuan: “……”
There was no way Shen Yuan could sneak off without Qiao Hailou knowing. They were husbands now—if they were going, then they were going together.
They flew back, bringing bodyguards along as well, just in case things escalated and someone needed to take the baby away. They didn’t return to K City, but went straight to S City, where the club Li Lin had signed with was located. After confirming by phone that Li Lin was there, they met up with his uncle and went together. The child stayed at the hotel under John’s care. Aunt Hui didn’t come. After all, she wasn’t officially on the Li family registry, and Li Lin never liked her. She tactfully stayed away.
When Shen Yuan arrived at the address provided by the club, the so-called training base turned out to be in a residential community.
The club manager came to open the door. The moment he saw Shen Yuan, he froze for a second, feeling like he’d seen this handsome guy somewhere before.
“Li Lin’s family?”
Shen Yuan nodded solemnly.
“Yes. We’re here to see him.”
The club was in an awkward position too. They’d assumed Li Lin’s family had agreed—after all, when he’d first come to train, his guardians had given their consent. They never expected him to have run away from home this time. When Li Lin’s family called the club, they questioned him about it. His response was that he was already an adult and could take responsibility for his actions. There was no need to consult his father.
Before coming, Shen Yuan had prepared himself mentally. He’d expected Li Lin to be gloomy, maybe even refuse to see them. Instead, everything was unexpectedly peaceful. Li Lin had been livestreaming a game. When someone told him his family was here, he finished that round, ended the stream, and came out to meet them.
When Li Lin walked into the living room and saw his father and brother, he smiled slightly.
“You’re here?”
Li Chen said irritably, “You ran off by yourself—why didn’t you tell me?”
Li Lin replied calmly, “I did talk to you about it.”
Li Chen’s face darkened.
“I don’t remember agreeing to you dropping out.”
Li Lin nodded.
“Right, you didn’t. Dad, want to take a look at where I live now?”
Li Chen wanted to scold him, but Li Lin’s attitude wasn’t terrible either. He didn’t know what to say. Li Lin had that look of someone who didn’t care if boiling water was poured over him.
Shen Yuan stepped in.
“Show us.”
Li Lin took them to his current place. A tiny room, less than ten square meters. No balcony—smaller than the bathroom he’d had at home. Inside was a wooden board bed, a desk, a wardrobe, and nothing else. No decoration. Worse than his college dorm.
Li Chen felt heartbroken at the sight.
“You live in a place like this? And you still brought me here to see it?”
Li Lin said evenly, “I think it’s pretty good. Look, I cleaned everything myself. Don’t you think I did a good job?”
Li Chen knew scolding him would be useless and only fuel his rebellion, so he tried to reason gently.
“Xiao Lin, even if you want to play games, couldn’t you have talked it through with me properly?”
“I did,” Li Lin said. “I talked to you. You just didn’t agree. So I had to make the decision myself.”
Li Chen had a splitting headache.
“I didn’t object to you playing esports. I objected to you dropping out! Yes, you’re good at games now, but how many years can that last? I looked into it—this industry is all about youth. At most four or five years, then you retire. When that happens, without a degree, how will you survive in society? You can’t do this forever. I thought you’d figured it out—you were doing fine before. Your grades were good. And then, without saying a word, you went and withdrew from school on your own.”
Li Lin gave a cold laugh.
“If I told you, you’d never let me quit. You say you don’t agree with me dropping out, but right now my dream and my studies are in direct conflict. You don’t let me drop out, which basically means forcing me to give up my dream. Don’t dress it up so nicely.”
Li Chen was at a loss. He looked at Li Lin, then turned to Shen Yuan.
What could Shen Yuan say? He’d originally thought Li Lin had gone off the rails because of him. But up to now, Li Lin hadn’t mentioned him once, as if he had nothing to do with it. Shen Yuan couldn’t quite tell—if he jumped in with something like “don’t ruin yourself because of me,” it would just sound self-important and painfully awkward. Yet Li Lin’s change was clearly because of him.
Shen Yuan stepped forward, bracing himself.
“Xiao Lin… if you don’t want to talk to Uncle, then… how about talking to me?”
Li Lin glanced at him, like he’d only just noticed him.
“Talk about what? I really don’t get you people. Why do you have to control me? I used to listen to you. You told me what to do, and I did it. Then you weren’t satisfied, looked down on me, said I had no opinions of my own, that I was childish. So I became independent. I don’t ask the family for money. I support myself. I waited until I was an adult, then followed my heart and did what I wanted. And you still don’t agree. So tell me—what exactly do I have to do for you to be satisfied?”
Those words weren’t even his. They were Qiao Hailou’s. Shen Yuan froze, finally realizing who the real culprit was. He glanced back at Qiao Hailou—so Li Lin dropping out and going into esports had all been provoked by him.
The instigator himself looked utterly unapologetic, as if none of this concerned him.
Shen Yuan shot Qiao Hailou a glare. Qiao Hailou turned his head to admire the scenery.
Noticing the small, unconscious interaction between the two of them, Li Lin felt a sharp stab in his chest, like being pricked by a needle. He turned his face away.
Shen Yuan took a deep breath, about to speak, but Li Lin cut him off, blunt and stubborn.
“Bro, don’t try to persuade me. I’ve already thought it through. This isn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision. I’ve said it before—I never wanted to study business management. That was never the major I wanted. You were the ones who made me study it. If I keep going, I’ll just suffer. Back then, I had no opinions and let you decide my life for me. Now I’ve figured it out. I want to choose my own path. Even if something goes wrong in the future, I won’t blame you for not stopping me.”
Shen Yuan: “……”
He looked at Li Lin for a long moment and sighed.
“You’ve really made up your mind?”
Li Lin nodded solemnly.
“Yes. I have.”
Shen Yuan had nothing left to say.
He truly couldn’t refute Li Lin’s words. Honestly, he felt Li Lin wasn’t wrong.
There was still some youthful impulsiveness, but it wasn’t childish. Li Lin had tried it for half a year, could support himself, and wasn’t dropping out out of spite or laziness. He had a clearer goal now and wanted to fight for it. What was wrong with that?
Li Lin said gloomily, “Bro, even if you think I’ve fallen, I won’t give up so easily. When I achieve something, will you finally acknowledge me?”
Shen Yuan nodded, as if conceding.
“I don’t think you’ve fallen. Since you’ve decided, I have nothing more to say. Just don’t give up halfway.”
Li Lin let out a long breath.
“Thank you, bro.”
At that moment, Shen Yuan felt that Li Lin had really grown up.
Li Chen was stunned. He’d expected Shen Yuan to help him persuade Li Lin. Instead, after just a few exchanges, Shen Yuan had switched sides. What the hell was going on?
Unable to accept it, Li Chen said anxiously, “Your dream—your dream is earning ten or twenty thousand a month? When you were at home, your allowance was more than that!”
“That allowance was money you gave me,” Li Lin replied patiently. “The money I spend now is what I earn myself. It’s different. Dad, calm down. Let’s talk properly, okay? I’m not doing this for money. I’m doing it to win championships.”
“But at least get a college degree!” Li Chen said desperately. “You’ll regret this one day.”
“If I finish four years of college and then come out to play esports, it’ll be too late,” Li Lin said. “I don’t know if I’ll regret it later. I only know that if I don’t do this now, I’ll regret it now.”
He said seriously, “Dad, can’t you trust me just this once? If you agree, that’s great. If you don’t, I still won’t change my decision. Even if you say you won’t recognize me as your son because I play games, I won’t change my mind. This is my life, and I’ll take responsibility for it.”
Li Chen was speechless, so angry his liver hurt, yet unable to argue back.
Qiao Hailou, who’d been quietly watching from the sidelines, found it quite a show and glanced at Li Lin.
Li Lin, irritated, turned straight to him.
“My dad and my brother coming to see me is one thing. But Uncle Qiao, what are you doing here? What does this have to do with you?”
He deliberately called him “Uncle Qiao,” just to annoy him and emphasize how old he was.
Now that the fire had reached him, Qiao Hailou wasn’t about to swallow it quietly. Since Li Lin had called him out, he was definitely responding.
“I have nothing to do with you,” Qiao Hailou said. “I have something to do with Shen Yuan. I came with him to protect him, in case certain people get hotheaded and do something irrational.”
Li Lin froze, realizing Shen Yuan was guarding against him. His expression darkened immediately.
Shen Yuan turned and tugged at Qiao Hailou.
“What are you saying?”
Qiao Hailou continued, “But after actually coming here, I see you’re not that irrational after all. Three days make a man new—one should look at you with fresh eyes. You’re no longer that kid throwing tantrums on the floor for toys. Personally, I support your decision. You did nothing wrong. Don’t listen to your dad. If you’ve thought it through and it’s not just a moment of impulse, then go for it.”
Li Lin: “……”
He hadn’t expected Qiao Hailou to praise him. His feelings were incredibly complicated—being praised by the rival he hated most brought him no joy at all, only discomfort.
He snorted.
“As if it’s your place to say anything. We’re not close. Don’t lecture me from on high.”
Qiao Hailou shamelessly pulled rank.
“Why wouldn’t it be my place? I am your elder. I have every right to lecture you.”
Shen Yuan began to sense trouble.
Li Lin sneered.
“Oh? Now you remember you’re an elder? Then when you abducted my brother, why didn’t you remember that? Can an elder do something that shameless?”
Qiao Hailou hesitated guiltily for two seconds.
“That… that’s different. Besides, when I first met your brother, I didn’t know I was his elder.”
“Oh?” Li Lin said. “So you didn’t know you were his elder—but could you not tell he was young? You still went for him. If that’s not beastly behavior, what is?”
Seeing Shen Yuan about to defend Qiao Hailou, Li Lin cut him off.
“Bro, I know what you’re going to say. You’ve told me before—how you were the one who pursued him first. So what? You were young and didn’t understand. He did. Couldn’t he have refused? Doesn’t that make him shameless?”
Shen Yuan: “……”
Qiao Hailou raised an eyebrow.
“I never said I needed a face. I’ve always been shameless.”
Li Lin was furious. He turned to Shen Yuan.
“Bro, I know seeing me makes you uncomfortable. Last time… last time I said the wrong thing, so I was embarrassed to come find you.”
He pointed at Qiao Hailou.
“I just think this old man doesn’t deserve you. I’ll wait. I’ll wait for you to get divorced.”
Shen Yuan: “…………”
At that point, even a saint would snap. Qiao Hailou laughed in anger.
“I don’t deserve him? And you do?”
Li Lin shot back, “I’m better than you. At your age, what room for growth do you even have left? Me and my brother—we’re not the same as an old man like you. You can only watch yourself go downhill, while my brother gets better and better. Five years, ten years from now, you’ll be on the way down and he’ll be on the way up. Do you really think you’ll still be worthy of him then?”
That hit home. Qiao Hailou had thought about it before—he’d just never dared to think too deeply. Now, with Li Lin laying it out so bluntly, he had no answer. He looked at Shen Yuan.
Shen Yuan’s face went pale.
“Li Lin!” he scolded softly.
Li Lin shut his mouth. Seeing Qiao Hailou finally take a hit, he felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
Shen Yuan couldn’t understand how things had gone so wrong. They’d come to talk about Li Lin’s future and education—how had it turned into Li Lin and Qiao Hailou fighting? And Qiao Hailou had even lost.
He never should’ve brought Qiao Hailou along in the first place—nothing but trouble.
Remembering how badly Qiao Hailou had mocked him before, Li Lin seized the chance to strike again.
“Bro, I saw the video of Qiao Hailou and your son online. The way he talked on that interview—is that really okay? He straight-up said his partner got pregnant and had a child. He doesn’t hide it at all, so high-profile. What if someone discovers your secret one day? Where would that leave you? Does he really love you? If he did, how could he do something like that?”
Shen Yuan answered without hesitation, “I agreed to it.”
Li Lin: “……”
Shen Yuan chose his words carefully.
“This used to be a secret. I’m sorry—I kept it from you and Uncle before. Back then, I couldn’t accept it myself. But Qiao Hailou helped me accept who I am. I even considered conversion surgery once. Now I’ve figured it out. Even if people know, it’s fine. I didn’t ask him to hide it.”
“Xiao Lin, if you still respect me, then please respect my husband as well.”
“When you question him, you’re questioning my judgment. I know you think we don’t match. But to me, he’s the best person in the world. He helped me understand and accept myself. He protects me, helps me, cherishes me. Don’t talk about waiting for me to get divorced—we won’t be getting divorced.”
Li Lin felt utterly defeated. Even if he’d won against Qiao Hailou, what did it matter? Shen Yuan’s heart belonged entirely to him.
The talk ended on an unhappy note.
Father and son each took a step back and reached an agreement. Li Chen would give Li Lin two years. Two years—if his results in competitions were mediocre, he’d go home and return to school. If he made something of himself, he could continue playing esports.
Shen Yuan noticed that Qiao Hailou seemed a little down, which was rare. Didn’t Uncle Qiao usually sulk only when he wanted to?
At first, Shen Yuan didn’t think much of it—he even felt a bit smug and teased him.
“What’s wrong, Uncle Qiao? Did you really get intimidated by a kid?”
Qiao Hailou looked at him deeply, so deeply that Shen Yuan couldn’t laugh anymore.
“What is it…?”
Qiao Hailou said, “Some of what he said wasn’t entirely wrong. I am much older than you. When you’re in your prime, I’ll already be old. By then… maybe you’ll despise me.”
Shen Yuan froze.
Seeing Shen Yuan suddenly get truly angry, Qiao Hailou realized he’d stepped on a landmine.
“Do you look down on me?” Shen Yuan snapped. “Is that the kind of person you think I am?”
Qiao Hailou: “……”
Shen Yuan launched into a familiar rapid-fire scolding.
“Qiao Hailou, do you think you’re some kept beauty whose looks will fade and love will disappear? You’re way too full of yourself. If it were about looks, Wang Ziqin is pretty handsome too. You’re not even that good-looking to begin with. Don’t worry—even if you’re old, ugly, and impotent someday, I’ll still love you. I’ll turn into a wrinkly old man too sooner or later. Then we’ll look about the same. What’s there to worry about? You’re seriously overthinking this.”
Qiao Hailou didn’t know whether to be angry or amused. Either way, his mood improved considerably.
Shen Yuan was still sulking.
“What are you laughing at? Apologize.”
Qiao Hailou smiled and shook his head.
“Okay, okay. I’m sorry.”
Li Lin’s issue was finally resolved.
While back this time, Shen Yuan posted an update on his Moments, planning to take the chance to catch up with some old friends back home. He made dinner plans—ones that didn’t include Qiao Hailou.
After hanging out with friends for a while, Shen Yuan felt it was about time to head back. Then another matter came up—his maternal uncle contacted him, saying his cousin was getting married. Since Shen Yuan was back in the country, did he want to come over, acknowledge the family, and have a meal together?
Qiao Hailou asked, “Aren’t you not close with this uncle? We didn’t even tell him about our marriage, right? Do you really want to go?”
Shen Yuan frowned.
“I should still go.”
“Want me to come with you?” Qiao Hailou asked.
Shen Yuan thought about it. It wasn’t that he believed his uncle couldn’t accept Qiao Hailou—his uncle already knew his secret. He was more worried his uncle would be too accepting and try to latch onto Qiao Hailou. He shook his head.
“Next time. I’ll explain your situation to him first. I have a bad feeling about this—my cousin hates me. There’s no way he’d suddenly invite me out of goodwill.”
Qiao Hailou laughed.
“Then why go?”
“Why not?” Shen Yuan replied. “If I don’t go, doesn’t that mean I’m scared of him?”