ARBW Chapter 43

Chapter 43

When the two arrived at the Pei family’s ancestral home, someone came out to greet them before they even got out of the car.

The person who came out was Cai Cai, who had only recently learned that her uncle had gotten a boyfriend.

She had always been curious about what the other person looked like, so as soon as she heard that her uncle had returned, she eagerly came out to meet them.

Her uncle had never been in a relationship before, and the entire Pei family had been worried about him.

Her father had even said that if her uncle didn’t have any children in the future, she would have to take care of him in his old age.

Cai Cai had three siblings, and she was the youngest.

When her uncle had said he didn’t want to get married, her father had almost decided to adopt her out to him.

Of course, she wasn’t just her father’s child; with her mother, who was obsessed with her children, watching over her, her father couldn’t really go through with the adoption.

To be honest, she wouldn’t have minded being her uncle’s daughter.

It wasn’t that she disliked her parents; she just thought her uncle was the richest and most capable.

If she were adopted by him, she could inherit everything he had.

She would use that inheritance to take care of her uncle, as well as her parents.

Unfortunately, that was just a thought, and it never came to pass.

Knowing how picky her uncle was, she was extremely curious about the person who had finally won his heart.

What kind of person could make her uncle fall in love?

When Lin Mian got out of the car with Pei Yuhuai, he saw a sweet-looking girl staring at him with curiosity.

He was soft-spoken and a bit introverted, so when Cai Cai stared at him so enthusiastically, he couldn’t help but feel nervous and shy.

Cai Cai was naturally outgoing, and seeing his reserved demeanor, she introduced herself boldly: “Hi, I’m Pei Cai Cai, my uncle’s niece. Since you’re my uncle’s boyfriend now, should I call you Auntie?”

Pei Yuhuai interjected, “No need to call him Auntie, just call him Uncle Lin.”

Cai Cai nodded and then grabbed Lin Mian’s wrist.

Lin Mian was a bit uncomfortable, but he could sense that she meant no harm, so he didn’t push her away.

“By the way, Uncle Lin, how old are you? Are you still in school?”

Lin Mian shook his head at this question. “I… I stopped going to school a long time ago.”

He was illiterate.

“That’s great! Now that you’re not in school, we can hang out together. I have lots of friends from all sorts of fields—models, celebrities, cosplayers, even race car drivers.”

Pei Yuhuai frowned. “Even if he’s not in school, he won’t be running around the world with you.”

Cai Cai was too wild, and her interests were too varied. Lin Mian had never been exposed to such things and could easily be led astray.

Pei Yuhuai didn’t plan to let Lin Mian hang out with Cai Cai. Even if Lin Mian wanted to, he would have to wait until Lin Mian had adjusted to this world.

Cai Cai didn’t dare argue with Pei Yuhuai, so she just huffed silently in her heart.

What was wrong with her?

She wasn’t some delinquent; she just liked to have fun.

Her uncle was really overprotective, treating her like a thief.

Seeing her a bit upset, Lin Mian gently explained, “It’s not that I don’t want to hang out with you, but I have to be Mr. Pei’s secretary.”

“Secretary? For whom?”

“For your uncle.”

“Doesn’t he already have a lot of secretaries?”

“He has two, but I’m different. I’m going to take care of him.”

As they talked, they walked inside.

Just then, Pei Yuhuai had to take a phone call. Seeing that her uncle wasn’t following, Cai Cai lowered her voice and asked Lin Mian, “Why do you have to take care of him? He already has people to take care of him. You’re his boyfriend, not his nanny.”

“I… I mainly need a job. My education is low, and I don’t know much. The only job I can find is this one.”

“Silly, that can’t be the only job. You must have been tricked by my uncle. With your looks, you could be a celebrity or a streamer—that would be much better than being a nanny.”

“Not a nanny, a secretary.”

“To me, a nanny and a secretary are pretty much the same—both are jobs where you serve others.”

Seeing that Lin Mian looked a bit discouraged, Cai Cai started brainstorming ideas for him.

“Trust me, with your looks, you could easily be a minor celebrity.”

“But my education is really low.”

“How low?”

“I… I didn’t even finish elementary school.”

“Wow, that low? How about I introduce you to a tutor? You can improve yourself a bit, at least learn to read and write. I know a celebrity whose education was only up to middle school. Later, his company faked a university degree for him. If your education is too low, pretending to be a university student might not work. If they ask you to write something and you can’t, it would be embarrassing.”

Cai Cai’s words reminded Lin Mian that he really should work on improving himself.

Especially since he had the opportunity to be in this world, he shouldn’t just settle for enjoying love and comfort.

But improving himself required money, and Lin Mian didn’t have any. He wanted to hire a tutor but had no idea how much it would cost.

Later, Lin Mian met the rest of the Pei family with Pei Yuhuai. The last time, he had only met Pei Yuhuai’s parents, but this time, Pei Yuhuai’s brother and his family were also there.

The matriarch introduced Lin Mian to everyone and led the way in giving him gifts.

Lin Mian was hesitant to accept, but when he saw Mr. Pei nod at him with a smile, he reluctantly accepted.

The matriarch gave Lin Mian a jade bracelet. Even though Lin Mian didn’t know much about jade, he could tell it was valuable.

The matriarch said, “Even though you’re a boy, and I shouldn’t be giving you a jade bracelet, I think jade is good for health. You don’t look very healthy, so wearing this might help.”

Indeed, good jade is beneficial for health.

Seeing the high quality of the bracelet, Pei Yuhuai immediately had Lin Mian put it on.

Lin Mian felt awkward wearing it, worried he might accidentally damage it. But seeing how happy the matriarch was, he knew he would have to wear it at least for the evening.

The patriarch gave Lin Mian a riverside property.

Yes, just as a greeting gift, he gave Lin Mian a property worth tens of millions.

It was clear that the patriarch liked Lin Mian, at least on the surface, giving him a lot of face.

Seeing this, the elder brother and his wife also took out gifts.

They were of the same generation as Pei Yuhuai, so they didn’t need to give overly expensive gifts, but they still gave something meaningful.

The elder brother gave a car, and the sister-in-law gave an embroidery she had made herself.

Pei Yuhuai’s sister-in-law came from a scholarly family and had learned embroidery from a young age.

She hadn’t learned it to be a good wife; it was a family tradition.

She was an artist, and her embroideries were treasures that could be displayed in exhibitions.

After receiving the gifts and having dinner, Lin Mian chatted with the matriarch for a while before she let him go find Pei Yuhuai.

Lin Mian secretly breathed a sigh of relief and returned to the second-floor room he shared with Mr. Pei.

Mr. Pei was reading some documents when Lin Mian finally returned. He put down the unfinished documents and gestured for Lin Mian to sit beside him.

“How was it? Are you tired?”

Lin Mian shook his head. He wasn’t particularly tired, but he did feel a bit of pressure.

The Pei family had been very kind and considerate to him.

Few people had ever treated him so well, so he couldn’t help but feel a bit pressured.

“Mr. Pei, I want to borrow some money from you.”

“What for?”

“I want to study. I want to hire a tutor to teach me.”

“Why the sudden interest in studying?”

“I talked with Cai Cai today and realized that being uneducated is really limiting. I don’t want to rely on you for everything, and I don’t want to be just a pretty face.”

When Lin Mian called himself a “pretty face,” a hint of embarrassment flashed across his face. He felt like the term wasn’t an insult but rather a way of complimenting himself.

As he thought this, he couldn’t help but glance at Mr. Pei.

“Should I hire one for you?”

“If you hire one, it would still be your money. I want to borrow the money so I can pay you back later.”

“But aren’t we getting married? My money will be your money.”

Lin Mian shook his head. He still felt it was different.

He was a man, and he didn’t want to remain useless.

Seeing how serious he was, Pei Yuhuai took out a pen and wrote him an IOU.

“Alright, if that’s what you want, we’ll do it that way.”

It was a small matter.

As long as Lin Mian was happy, Pei Yuhuai was willing to indulge him.

“How much do you want to borrow?”

“I want to hire a tutor to teach me elementary, middle, and high school material. After that, I want to take the college entrance exam.”

“Alright, I’ll lend you five million. You don’t need to rush to pay it back; take your time. I’ve never looked down on you.”

Lin Mian smiled at this. Of course, he knew Mr. Pei didn’t look down on him.

His sudden desire to study wasn’t just to match Mr. Pei; it was for his own future.

They say that relying on mountains will make them collapse, and relying on people will make them leave.

Lin Mian didn’t believe in eternal love. He knew that only by becoming independent could he avoid feeling anxious in the future.

Even if… even if Mr. Pei stopped loving him one day, they could part amicably, and he could still survive on his own.

The next morning, Xiao Su came to pick up Lin Mian. She was going to help him get a phone number, open a bank account, and handle his household registration.

Since the patriarch had given Lin Mian a property, Xiao Su could register his household there.

As for finding a tutor, Lin Mian wasn’t familiar with this world, so he had to rely on Xiao Su to help him find someone.

Lin Mian couldn’t come here every day, so the tutor would be paid by the hour.

Xiao Su found someone who could be available at short notice.

The lessons would take place at Lin Mian’s new home.

It was just a street away from Pei Yuhuai’s neighborhood, so Pei Yuhuai could easily visit Lin Mian.

Since they used VIP channels, Xiao Su and Lin Mian managed to get everything done in a single day.

Originally, Lin Mian was supposed to interview the tutor the next day, but Pei Yuhuai saw how tired Lin Mian was and decided not to make him go through that.

That day, Pei Yuhuai took Lin Mian to the riverside for a walk, and in the afternoon, they rested at home.

Lin Mian spent the afternoon playing games, specifically the game “Scarlet Town.”

As he played, he said to Mr. Pei, “Mr. Pei, I’ll be going back this afternoon. Will you come over today?”

Pei Yuhuai shook his head. “Probably not.”

Lin Mian was a bit disappointed. He put down his phone and walked over to Mr. Pei.

Pei Yuhuai looked up, about to explain that he had some things to do in the evening and that it wasn’t that he didn’t want to join Lin Mian in the game.

But as he looked up, he saw Lin Mian lean down and kiss him on the lips.

Lin Mian’s lips were as soft and inviting as his personality.

Every time they kissed, Pei Yuhuai felt a deep sense of happiness.

After the kiss, Lin Mian asked, “Mr. Pei, do you want to do it?”

Since Lin Mian had been able to come to this world, Mr. Pei hadn’t been intimate with him.

Lin Mian felt that Mr. Pei had become somewhat distant in that regard.

Pei Yuhuai’s eyes flickered slightly.

He was a bit surprised by his little boyfriend’s boldness. In his memory, Lin Mian was always shy and reserved.

Even when he wanted to be close, Lin Mian would always be nervous and timid.

This was the first time he had seen Lin Mian so straightforward.

Pei Yuhuai cleared his throat slightly. “I think we should wait until after we’re married.”

“But… Mr. Pei used to just go to bed with me before.”

“Back then, I lacked self-control. Now, since we’re getting married, I think we should wait until…”

Before Pei Yuhuai could finish, Lin Mian’s eyes turned red. “Does Mr. Pei not like me anymore?”

“Why would you think that?”

Pei Yuhuai said this and pulled Lin Mian into his arms.

Once in Pei Yuhuai’s embrace, Lin Mian felt like he had been foolish again.

Of course, Mr. Pei still liked him.

If Mr. Pei didn’t like him, why would he want to marry him?

But… but Lin Mian also felt that Mr. Pei had indeed become more distant recently.

Not in his attitude, but in bed, where he seemed to avoid him intentionally or unintentionally.

“Then… then why don’t you want to be with me anymore?”

He had been so proactive; why was Mr. Pei still rejecting him?

“Because it’s a rule in the Pei family that during the period between engagement and marriage, the groom cannot sleep with the bride. You’re the Pei family’s new bride, so you have to follow this rule.”

The Pei family did have this rule, but it was mainly for female brides.

The purpose was to avoid premarital pregnancies.

Many men, in order to control their fiancées before marriage, would deliberately get them pregnant.

Because in this world, whether in ancient times or modern times, society is still harsh on women.

Even for couples about to marry, if news of a premarital pregnancy got out, the woman would still be criticized.

The Pei family had strict rules, and the women they married were from respectable families.

To avoid appearing uncultured, the Pei family had a rule that the groom could not get the bride pregnant before marriage.

Of course, this rule didn’t really apply to Lin Mian.

Lin Mian was a boy, and boys couldn’t get pregnant.

As for why Pei Yuhuai used this to deceive Lin Mian, it was because he still wasn’t fully comfortable with his virtual lover becoming a real person.

He definitely liked Lin Mian; otherwise, he wouldn’t want to marry him.

But liking someone was one thing, and immediately becoming intimate with them was another.

Given Pei Yuhuai’s personality, he preferred to take things slowly.

He didn’t want his future memories with Lin Mian to be of him as a lustful husband with no other redeeming qualities.

Seeing that this was a “family rule,” and knowing that the Pei family had many rules, Lin Mian didn’t doubt it.

“Then… when will we get married?”

“The next time you come, the family will hold an engagement party for us. After that, we’ll slowly choose a wedding venue, decorate it, and buy household items. Once all that’s done, we’ll have a grand wedding.”

“A grand wedding? That means a lot of people will come, right?”

Lin Mian imagined the scene and couldn’t help but nervously hug Mr. Pei’s neck.

“I… I think the wedding doesn’t need to be that grand.”

Pei Yuhuai held him closer, comforting him like a child.

“What kind of wedding do you want?”

“I… I want something simpler. Also, can I not wear a wedding dress?”

“Of course, you’re a boy. You’ll wear a suit, just like me.”

Hearing that he didn’t have to wear a wedding dress, Lin Mian breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness; he thought he’d have to wear a wedding dress in front of everyone.

“According to Mr. Pei, it seems like our wedding will still take some time?”

“Right. If you have any requests or preferences, you can think about them and tell me. As long as it’s within my means, I’ll do my best to fulfill them.”

“Really? Won’t your parents be upset?”

Would it be inappropriate for an outsider like him to make decisions?

“No, their biggest wish is for me to find a partner. Now that you’re here, you’re the savior of their lonely son. They won’t be too harsh on you.”

Lin Mian’s mood suddenly improved. He felt that Mr. Pei was really good at comforting him, treating him like a child.

He smiled and leaned closer to Mr. Pei, unable to resist kissing his face repeatedly.

“Mr. Pei, you’re my savior too.”