TLSMLMMM Chapter 22

Landing such a high-quality, wealthy man and now he even wanted to add the landlord as a friend just to show off about getting married?!

The landlord squinted at the young man before him, realizing he had never met someone so utterly shameless and heartless in his life!

He was just about to scold the youth properly when the man standing at the door, cool and composed lifted his gaze and called softly, “Xiao Chu.”

Chu Junlie, who had been about to boast a bit more, immediately turned and hurried over, following closely behind the man. His eyes clung to him, a smile tugging at his lips, and without looking back once, he left.

The landlord’s words stuck in his throat. From the window, he watched the two of them get into a car, one with a professional driver waiting inside.

The landlord was so envious he couldn’t even speak. All he could do was sigh—this was fate.

Who could’ve imagined that a young man from the countryside could, in just three or four months, go from living below the poverty line to a life of luxury—stranger than winning the lottery!

In the car, Chu Junlie subconsciously scooted a little closer to Si Yunyi. When he saw that Mr. Si didn’t notice, he cautiously inched closer again.

Being just a bit nearer, he could catch that faint pleasant scent on Mr. Si, just like that day, when his eyes had been blindfolded, groping in the cold darkness, and he’d smelled that same cool, captivating fragrance.

After receiving Chu Junlie’s WeChat transfer, Si Yunyi had the driver stop by a pet store to buy supplies for Gale.

Large dogs ate more, had higher energy, needed bigger beds and were generally more expensive to care for.

With a dog bed tucked under his arm and two large bags of pet supplies in his hands, Chu Junlie followed behind Si Yunyi, quietly calculating the total cost. He quickly realized that what Mr. Si spent far exceeded the money he had just transferred to him.

He’d made Mr. Si spend even more because of him again.

Chu Junlie’s lips drooped a little as he looked down at the few dog toys in the bag. Remembering how Mr. Si had examined the shelf, picked out one toy, and lightly squeezed it between his long fingers, he couldn’t help smiling again.

That night, Chu Junlie moved all his things into the bedroom and set up Gale’s dog bed. The man and the dog exchanged a look, and Chu Junlie patted the dog’s head, his heart full of joy.

We have our own home now.

Thinking about how he and Mr. Si would be getting their marriage certificate tomorrow, Chu Junlie couldn’t stop smiling even in his sleep. He rolled across the bed twice, then laughed himself awake.

Gale cracked open his sleepy eyes, stared at his overly excited owner, then got up, grabbed his dog bed in his mouth, dragged it to the bathroom, shut the door, and went back to sleep.

Unable to fall back asleep, Chu Junlie got up early. He carefully picked out a black suit from the wardrobe, examined himself in the mirror from every angle, and even went to the bathroom to wake Gale up for a second opinion.

Once satisfied with his outfit, he hung the suit neatly and changed into a tank top. Checking the time, he headed to the kitchen in high spirits to make breakfast.

When Si Yunyi came out of the bedroom, he saw Chu Junlie humming a tune as he carried dishes to the table—wearing the cleaning lady’s apron again, giving it yet another undeserved indignity.

“Good morning, Mr. Si!” Chu Junlie greeted him, eyes sparkling with a brilliant smile, like a big, enthusiastic dog wagging its tail radiating pure, unstoppable warmth.

“Morning.”

Si Yunyi sat at the dining table, looking at the freshly made corn juice and the carrot pancakes beside it, cut into little heart shapes.

Chu Junlie, wearing heatproof gloves, took a tray of ham rolls out of the oven and placed it on the table. The cheese on top had melted into a golden crust, releasing a rich, savory aroma.

“Mr. Si, this is something new I learned today.” Chu Junlie removed his gloves and looked at Si Yunyi, his face full of eager anticipation.

Si Yunyi took a sip of the corn juice. Under Chu Junlie’s expectant gaze, he picked up one of the ham rolls and took a bite.

The timing was perfect, the ham was lightly charred and fragrant, pairing beautifully with the creamy cheese. There weren’t any extra seasonings, yet the ingredients’ natural flavors were strong enough.

“Very good,” Si Yunyi commented objectively.

“Thank you, Mr. Si!” The big dog of a man’s eyes lit up, overjoyed by the praise. He happily sat in his seat, drinking his leftover millet porridge and taking big bites of the heart-shaped carrot pancakes.

After breakfast, Si Yunyi changed clothes and went out with Chu Junlie.

From the moment he got in the car, Chu Junlie was too happy to sit still. He kept sneaking glances at the man beside him, then quickly turned toward the window, face flushed. Feeling hot, he rolled down the window, leaned out a little, and fanned himself with his hand while taking deep breaths.

Si Yunyi sat calmly next to him, expression as composed as ever.

The driver couldn’t help but glance at the rearview mirror, the young master looked just as he did on any regular workday.

Chu Junlie’s phone chimed twice. He checked it, a message from the restaurant manager. This afternoon would be the final training session, after which he could officially start work.

Two blessings in one day!

He looked from his phone to Mr. Si, pressed his lips together, and cautiously held the screen up to him.

“Mr. Si, about the restaurant job… I’m about to get it for real.”

Si Yunyi glanced down at the message. “Congratulations.”

“During the training, we had to take two tests,” Chu Junlie said, unable to hide his excitement. He scrolled up the group chat and opened a picture.

“I got first place both times.”

There was a note of pride in his tone, his eyes fixed on Si Yunyi’s face, as if hoping to see some reaction.

After a moment’s silence, Si Yunyi turned his head to meet Chu Junlie’s dark eyes.

“Excellent.”

Those eyes lit up instantly like an overjoyed dog wagging its tail so hard it could take off.

The driver smoothly parked in front of the Civil Affairs Bureau, watching silently as Young Master Si and the eldest son of the Yan family walked through the entrance together.

There weren’t many people registering marriages that day, so they didn’t wait long. After handing over their household booklets, ID cards, and photocopies, the clerk said they still needed a photo together.

The bureau offered the service onsite. Sitting next to Si Yunyi, Chu Junlie kept his hands properly on his knees, suppressing his excitement as he looked at the photographer.

“Newlyweds, a bit closer please,” the photographer gestured.

Chu Junlie turned, ears bright red, and gently leaned closer to Si Yunyi. When he saw that Mr. Si didn’t move away, he tilted a little more, closing the distance between them.

His heart thumped wildly. Through a few thin layers of fabric, this was the first time he’d ever been so close to Mr. Si.

He could smell the clean, faint fragrance that belonged to him, cool yet lingeringly warm, like a dessert with a thin shell of ice that melted on the tongue, revealing its sweetness bit by bit, something you couldn’t help but want to taste whole.

Feeling the closeness, Si Yunyi turned slightly and caught sight of Chu Junlie’s red ears and flushed cheeks, his Adam’s apple bobbing nervously, eyes bright and shy.

“Look at the camera, please,” the photographer reminded, waving his hand.

Si Yunyi looked toward the lens, noticing the photographer frowning in dissatisfaction.

“You on the left,” the man said with a strained expression. “I said smile, not grin. You’re smiling too wide, your mouth’s about to reach your ears. Tone it down a bit.”

Si Yunyi turned his head and indeed, the photographer wasn’t exaggerating.

“S-sorry,” Chu Junlie said quickly, pressing a hand to his cheek and rubbing it as if he could smooth out his grin. “I’m just too happy.”

“Of course everyone’s happy when they’re here to get married,” the photographer muttered, frowning deeper. “But I’ve never seen anyone smile that hard.”

When Chu Junlie finally managed to suppress his grin, Si Yunyi looked back toward the camera only to notice the photographer’s frown deepening.

He turned again, and sure enough, the corners of Chu Junlie’s mouth were twitching upward, his eyes still full of innocent joy.

“How about this,” the photographer sighed. “Take a moment to think of every sad thing that’s ever happened to you.”

So Chu Junlie did. He thought of waking up in the hospital, confused and lost. Of the Yan family’s deception. Of being kidnapped, almost missing his engagement party, the whispers and the mocking looks from the guests.

Slowly, his smile faded, replaced by a faint heaviness. But the moment he glanced at Mr. Si beside him and remembered that they were here to get a marriage certificate — together — that heaviness evaporated, and his brilliant smile returned.

The photographer gave up completely. “Maybe… take a moment off to adjust your mood?” he suggested weakly.

“No need,” Si Yunyi said, looking at Chu Junlie, his eyes darkening slightly as he leaned in close, his voice low and smooth.

“If you don’t calm down, your household booklet is going to be reported lost.”

Chu Junlie instantly straightened up, his grin disappearing as he faced the camera obediently.

The photographer was startled by how quickly the man’s expression changed. Within a second, he was wearing a perfectly measured, faint official smile the kind the bureau required as if afraid to delay the process for even a moment longer.

Once the photo was taken, Chu Junlie almost jogged over to the service window. After getting the marriage registration form, he filled it out at lightning speed. Next came a “No Blood Relation” statement, which he completed under the staff’s supervision and promptly pressed his fingerprint on.

Si Yunyi signed his name with composure, then dipped his fingertip in the red ink pad and pressed his own fingerprint beside it.

The next instant, Chu Junlie hurried over with a tissue, carefully taking Si Yunyi’s hand to wipe the red ink from his fingertip.

As the staff began reviewing their documents, Chu Junlie kept holding onto Mr. Si’s hand under the pretense of wiping, unwilling to let go.

Mr. Si’s hands were the most beautiful he had ever seen, long and slender, with distinct joints and pale skin. His nails were neatly trimmed with a faint pink hue; every movement, every grasp, was elegant enough to make one’s gaze linger.

“Ahem.” The staff member reviewing the forms gave a pointed cough, pulling the man back to reality.

Reluctantly, Chu Junlie wiped away the last bit of red from Si Yunyi’s finger and released his hand.

“After review, both of you meet the conditions for marriage registration.” The staff member placed two small red booklets under the embosser. “Congratulations from today on, you are officially married!”

With two crisp ka-ka sounds, the steel seal was pressed into the covers of the marriage certificates. The staff handed them over.

“Mr. Si!” Chu Junlie clutched his own little red booklet, eyes shining with excitement. The smell of fresh ink was intoxicating. He opened it, staring at their photo and the printed names, his hands trembled slightly.

He and Mr. Si were really married now!

He and Mr. Si were husbands!

Unable to hold it in, Chu Junlie laughed out loud, drawing curious glances from other couples around them.

Si Yunyi calmly put away his marriage certificate and walked ahead. Seeing that, Chu Junlie hurried after him, still grinning from ear to ear.

“Mr. Si, we’re married!”

“Mm.” Si Yunyi took out his phone and called the driver.

Even after getting into the car, Chu Junlie couldn’t stop admiring the certificate. He held it close, inhaling the faint ink scent, beaming at the photo of the two of them.

Then, as if remembering something, he carefully put the certificate away and turned toward Si Yunyi.

“Mr. Si, I’ll work hard and earn money to buy you the most beautiful diamond ring!”

Inside the civil office, all the other newlyweds were wearing dazzling rings, big and small but all of them had one.

What others had, Mr. Si must have too!

Si Yunyi turned his head slightly at that.

“I already secured two jobs,” Chu Junlie said with determination. “One is at a clothing store as a salesperson. The base salary is at least 5,000 yuan a month, four days off a week. When I’m not there, I’ll do hourly shifts at a restaurant — 25 yuan an hour. That’s 200 yuan a day!”

He calculated carefully, eyes bright. “So that’s over 7,000 a month at least.”

He unlocked his phone and started browsing rings searching specifically for “pigeon egg” sizes. After a while, he found a stunning unheated ruby ring, three carats, priced at 250,000 yuan.

Staring at the image, he imagined how it would look on Mr. Si’s hand, and his eyes gleamed with excitement.

Si Yunyi glanced at him and at the ring on the screen.

Two hundred fifty thousand yuan exactly what Chu Junlie might earn after three years of working nonstop. By that time, Si Yunyi thought, the person Chu Junlie wanted to give the ring to would likely no longer be him.

“Mr. Si, do you think this one looks nice?” Chu Junlie asked, showing him the screen carefully.

Si Yunyi smiled faintly. “It’s beautiful.”

That tiny curve of his lips made Chu Junlie’s heart feel like it was about to burst.

Mr. Si smiled he liked the ring!

Chu Junlie immediately took a screenshot, eyes fixed on all those zeros, his expression firm with resolve.

Watching him, Si Yunyi turned to the window for a moment, then looked back.

“If, in the future, you meet someone you like,” he said softly, meeting Chu Junlie’s gaze, “you don’t have to feel guilty or indebted.”

“You can tell me directly. I’ll give you your freedom.”

Chu Junlie froze, instinctively clutching the little red booklet in his chest, the one he’d longed for, worked for, dreamed of.

Why would Mr. Si say something like that?

He quickly put his phone away and placed both hands protectively over his chest, over the booklet.

Why would he need freedom?

His thoughts tangled into a confused mess, but a vague unease crept in — was Mr. Si… hinting at something? Was he saying that if he ever fell for someone else, he’d expect Chu Junlie to give him freedom too?

Chu Junlie’s lips tightened into a thin line. He held the marriage certificate closer, stubbornness burning in his eyes.

He wasn’t that generous.

This was his one chance, his only piece of luck.

If Mr. Si ever liked someone else, Chu Junlie would do anything to stop it.

He was Mr. Si’s — no one else had the right to be.

The driver, overhearing from the front, was stunned. Through the rearview mirror, he glanced back at the two men.

Mr. Si had turned away, calmly gazing out the window. The young master of the Yan family, meanwhile, sat with both hands over his chest, jaw clenched tight, eyes fierce and cold.

The young master’s sharp features, deep eyes, defined brow bones, and cutting profile already carried an intimidating air. Now, with that expression, it was almost chilling.

Sensing the driver’s gaze, Chu Junlie suddenly lifted his head, locking eyes with him through the mirror.

The driver flinched in shock, heart pounding, he nearly lost control of the steering wheel.

Chu Junlie noticed the driver’s reaction and quietly took out his phone to sneak a look at his own reflection. He raised a hand and rubbed his face, trying to smooth away the gloom between his brows.

Mr. Si definitely wouldn’t like him looking like this. Mr. Si liked obedient people and he would be the most obedient one.

As long as Mr. Si liked him.

“Xiao Chu.” Si Yunyi suddenly turned to look at him. Chu Junlie immediately put away his phone, lifted his head, and leaned slightly closer, eyes filled with eager attention.

“I’ll make a separate card just to store the money you hand over to me,” Si Yunyi said calmly. “I’ll keep it somewhere accessible at home and tell you the password, so it’ll be convenient for you to buy things.”

His tone remained as composed as ever.

Chu Junlie thought of that ruby ring and nodded obediently several times.

“How much pocket money do you want this month?” Si Yunyi asked, taking out his phone and opening his chat with Cai Gou.

“But my salary hasn’t come in yet…” Chu Junlie lowered his head and spoke softly.

He hadn’t even turned in his salary yet, and Mr. Si was already giving him pocket money.

“This is what we agreed on,” Si Yunyi replied plainly.

Thinking of his payday, Chu Junlie hesitated for a moment, then carefully held up one finger.

Mr. Si was already providing food, housing, and clothes and as they’d discussed before, a hundred yuan would be enough for his daily commute.

Si Yunyi glanced down and tapped a few times on his screen.

A moment later, the “money received” chime came from Chu Junlie’s phone. He opened Zhipay and saw a transfer from Mr. Si — a “1” followed by several zeros.

“Mr. Si, that’s too much!” Chu Junlie was stunned for a long time. The pocket money was probably more than what he turned in every month!

“You’re part of the Si family now,” Si Yunyi said, putting his phone away. “The Si family won’t treat you poorly. If it’s not enough, you can tell me.”

Chu Junlie snapped back to reality — right, he had married into the Si family. He was now one of them.

He looked down at the transfer again and realized Mr. Si had specifically sent the money through Zhipay instead of WeChat, so it would go straight into his balance automatically.

His face warmed. For some reason, being the one “married in,” living off Mr. Si, felt oddly… nice.

That afternoon, Si Yunyi went to the old family estate to accompany Elder Si, while Chu Junlie headed to a high-end restaurant in the mall for his final training session and to receive his staff uniform.

“Xiao Chu, you’re doing great overall,” the assistant manager said, handing him a book. “It’s just…if you could pick up a bit more English, that’d be perfect.”

Chu Junlie accepted the book “Practical English for Restaurants” and flipped it open. His eyes landed on a sentence, and before he knew it, he read it out loud fluently.

“You can speak English, Xiao Chu?” The assistant manager looked surprised. The young man’s English was not only smooth but even carried a faint British accent.

“I… don’t know,” Chu Junlie said, puzzled, shaking his head.

He seemed to recognize every word on the page, could read them instinctively yet he didn’t know what they meant, nor why he could read them.

“That’s pretty strange,” the assistant manager said, but didn’t press the matter. “Go over it again at home. I’ll test you in a few days. If you do well, you can serve foreign guests, they usually leave tips, so that’s a nice bonus.”

“Thank you, Assistant Manager.” Chu Junlie tucked the book into his bag along with the new uniform.

As he took the elevator down, a message came in from Mr. Si: he’d be dining at the old house and would be home late.

Chu Junlie replied obediently, but couldn’t help touching the pocket where he’d placed the marriage certificate he’d just received.

He wouldn’t see Mr. Si tonight. The thought left him a little deflated.

Leaving the mall, he suddenly noticed a boutique on the first floor. In its display window, a mannequin wore a thin, translucent white nightgown, the dark triangle of underwear faintly visible beneath and a pair of bunny ears perched on its head.

Chu Junlie blinked rapidly.

Weird… better take another look.

“You like it, young man? Come take a look inside,” the middle-aged shopkeeper greeted him warmly.

“N-no, that’s okay.” Chu Junlie clutched his bag and quickly turned away.

“A good nightgown can make a couple’s relationship much closer, you know,” the shopkeeper called after him.

For some reason, Chu Junlie’s steps faltered. He couldn’t help turning back.

“Come in, young man,” the shopkeeper said confidently. “Let me show you a few of our bestsellers. If your relationship doesn’t get warmer after wearing them, I’ll give you 20% off next time!”

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