TLSMLMMM Chapter 3

Si Yunyi brought Chu Junlie upstairs, found the room he had previously stayed in, and took two clean sets of clothes from the wardrobe, handing them to the man.

Chu Junlie carefully received the clothes, bowing his head, face flushed red as he took off the ill-fitting, tawny brown suit jacket in front of Si Yunyi.

His movements were slow, as if he were trying to hide something. Si Yunyi’s gaze instinctively dropped to the area the man was trying to conceal, and he remained silent for a moment.

The man’s figure was excellent—the standard-sized white T-shirt clung tightly to his body, and with it soaked through from alcohol, the contours of his muscles were faintly visible.

But that wasn’t what Chu Junlie was trying to hide.

Si Yunyi calmly looked at the dairy brand logo on the front of the man’s T-shirt, along with the words—stretched out across his prominent chest muscles—“Natural High-Quality Milk Source”, and fell into silence.

Even if he was marrying into the family…

This might be a bit too much.

“I—I’m sorry,” Chu Junlie nearly couldn’t bring himself to meet his eyes, trying to cover the slogan on his shirt with his arms, his ears flushed red and burning hot.

“No need to apologize,” Si Yunyi’s gaze swept over the man’s work pants and cloth shoes, his tone gentle. “You haven’t done anything wrong.”

The man’s voice was calm, with a subtle soothing quality to it. Chu Junlie slowly lifted his head, noticing that there was no hint of disgust in the other’s eyes. Those eyes were composed and spotless, as if no matter what he wore—or didn’t wear—it made no difference to him.

“I… didn’t have time to prepare proper clothes,” Chu Junlie couldn’t help but quietly explain.

“These were brought to me by Grandpa Chang from the supermarket.”

Chu Junlie slowly relaxed in front of Si Yunyi, pointing at the dairy brand logo on his chest. “This brand was having a promotion. Buy two boxes of milk and get a free T-shirt. This is the one I’m wearing.”

“Mm.” Si Yunyi looked at him with a steady expression and responded at just the right moment.

Chu Junlie blinked, as if suddenly realizing something, and hurriedly clarified, awkwardly, “I’m not trying to sell milk. I help unload goods at the supermarket.”

“Is unloading hard?” Si Yunyi naturally asked, watching the man gradually lower his guard.

Apparently not expecting such a question, Chu Junlie froze for a moment. Then an uncontrollable smile broke across his face. There was a sparkle in his eyes as he looked at Si Yunyi and earnestly shook his head.

“It’s not hard work. I don’t have a degree or any skills. Just being able to find a job is already good enough for me. Grandpa Chang treats me very well—he often gives me food that’s about to expire.”

“Your parents didn’t arrange a job for you?” Si Yunyi glanced at Chu Junlie’s waist, then opened the wardrobe and picked out a pair of suit pants.

“I’m already an adult. I can’t rely on my parents forever.” Chu Junlie’s smile faded, as if recalling an unpleasant memory.

“I had an accident before. They already spent a lot of money on me. I can’t trouble them anymore.”

Hearing this, the corners of Si Yunyi’s mouth lifted slightly. He placed the suit pants in front of Chu Junlie and gestured toward the washroom.

“It’s uncomfortable when alcohol dries on your skin. You can take a quick wash and then put these on before going downstairs.”

Hearing Chu Junlie’s repeated, sincere thanks, Si Yunyi left the room and stood in the hallway for a moment before pulling out his phone.

In the dream, Long Aotian—who is actually Chu Junlie—had lost both parents at a young age. Although the dream never detailed it clearly, one thing was certain: deep down, Chu Junlie craved parental love.

That was why he was easily deceived and used by the Yan family couple.

Now, just one person’s appearance could break all the lies.

Si Yunyi looked at the contact details of Mr. Chu’s assistant secretary that had just arrived on his phone. After thinking for a moment, he anonymously sent over information about Chu Junlie’s current situation.

The recipient seemed to be online 24/7. The message was marked “read” within seconds.

However, though it was read, there was no reply for a while.

Soon, the bedroom door opened. Chu Junlie came out, looking a little uncomfortable. He tugged awkwardly at the hem of the suit, standing in front of Si Yunyi with his head slightly lowered. His hair was still wet and not yet dried.

The suit was a bit small, but Chu Junlie managed to squeeze into it, unintentionally accentuating his figure.

The shirt was made of stretch fabric, slightly bulging at the chest, outlining a graceful arc even through the cloth—perfectly embodying the phrase “full and shapely.”

Only now did Si Yunyi realize how well-built Chu Junlie was—tall, upright, and toned. Previously, it had all been hidden under that oversized brown suit.

This was exactly the kind of figure some of his younger relatives would adore.

“You look great. Can I take a photo?” Si Yunyi smiled and pointed at his phone.

It was like hearing the greatest compliment ever—Chu Junlie’s eyes lit up, and his ears turned red as he stood straighter.

“Of course!”

Si Yunyi snapped a photo and hit “send,” forwarding it to the same contact as before.

Now that he had both photographic and physical proof, it wouldn’t take long to verify its authenticity. The Chu family would surely come retrieve their only heir.

“Fourth Young Master,” a servant came quickly, “The master, your older siblings, and several young masters have all arrived. They’re in the reception hall, waiting for you and Young Master Yan.”

Si Yunyi nodded slightly and followed the servant, heading to the reception hall with Chu Junlie.

All the main members of the Si family were gathered in the reception hall. The Yan couple sat among the guests, forcing somewhat awkward smiles.

Five juniors stood obediently in front of everyone. Chu Junlie walked over, glanced at his parents, and silently aligned himself with the Si family’s younger generation—deliberately putting some distance between them. His eyes couldn’t help but follow the man who had come with him, watching as he sat beside the Si family patriarch.

That seat, beside the old master, was traditionally reserved for the eldest son. Yet no one opposed Si Yunyi sitting there, and the old master himself seemed quite pleased, his previously furrowed brow visibly relaxing.

“My dear brother-in-law, I didn’t believe it when the kids told me you were here.” The eldest sister-in-law greeted him with a smile, her tone subconsciously flattering. “We talked things over, and the Yan couple have agreed to compromise—”

“Ahem.” The old master coughed, and the sister-in-law immediately fell silent and sat upright.

The old master looked around the room, his gaze resting briefly on the Yan family’s eldest son, then shifted to his grandchildren.

“You all know that our Si and Yan families have an arranged marriage. The Yan family’s younger son is abroad, focused on his studies, so they’ve brought their eldest son, Chu Junlie, to fulfill the marriage agreement with our family.”

The juniors gave Chu Junlie a few glances. Noticing he had changed clothes, they sized him up, then showed clear disdain.

Si Yunyi looked at Chu Junlie and saw that the latter was also looking at him. Their eyes met for two seconds before Chu Junlie suddenly realized what he was doing and turned away in a fluster, lips tightly pressed together, ears completely red.

“Our family has many children, so we’ll let you all choose first.” The old master looked at his grandsons with a gentle tone.

The juniors looked everywhere but at him—sky, ground, walls—none of them saying a word, all strangely in sync. The old master frowned and started naming them.

“Si Beicheng, you’re the eldest grandson. You go first.”

Si Beicheng looked at the elders seated above, thought for a moment, and earnestly turned to the Yan couple.

“Although I’ve already started working, I still want to get a part-time graduate degree. Like your younger son, I’m obsessed with learning—I want to swim in the ocean of knowledge and have no time to bathe in the river of love.”

“Second?” The old master didn’t even bother to expose the excuse of his academically weak eldest grandson. He turned to the next one.

“Grandpa, allow me to ask a question first.” The second grandson smiled and turned to Chu Junlie.

“May I ask, how much do you earn in a month?”

Chu Junlie paused, then answered seriously:

“This month, I earned 3,472.60 yuan.”

Hearing this, the other juniors tried hard to stifle their laughter. The Yan couple looked away in embarrassment, unwilling to spare their son another glance.

“Sorry.” The second grandson raised his eyebrows with satisfaction. “I make tens of thousands in minutes. You and I are worlds apart. I love making money—money is my baby. I’m too busy getting rich to get married.”

Chu Junlie lowered his head slightly, clutching the edge of his clothes.

Before the old master could call for the third grandson, the third one impatiently stepped forward, pointed at Chu Junlie, and turned to the Yan family.

“This is what you’re offering us? He doesn’t even have the Yan surname! Earlier, he was wearing some hideous yellow suit, carrying an old-fashioned phone, and his hair looked like a dog’s nest. This country bumpkin—you can choose him yourselves!”

“I’m not choosing either!” Si Xuanxuan, emboldened by her cousins’ reactions, stepped forward. “If you force me, I’ll—I’ll…”

“You’ll what?” the eldest sister-in-law asked curiously.

Si Xuanxuan gritted her teeth, pulled a small electric hair clipper out of her pocket, and declared, “I’ll renounce worldly affairs and become a nun!”

As soon as she finished speaking, she raised the clipper and made a move to shave her head. Her three cousins panicked and rushed to stop her. Even the old master hurriedly stood up, waving his hand anxiously.

“Xuanxuan, calm down! You’re Grandpa’s only granddaughter! Even if your cousin has to go instead, Grandpa would never let you be wronged!”

Hearing that, Si Xuanxuan finally calmed down. But three-year-old Si Beiqi stood frozen, staring in disbelief at his grandfather, before bursting into tears with a loud “waaah!”

“Grandpa was joking!” the eldest sister-in-law quickly comforted her son. “You’re only three—you don’t even have hair yet! What marriage alliance?!”

Seeing that the old master didn’t respond, the eldest sister-in-law cautiously followed up:

“Right…?”

While the younger generation of the Si family was causing a commotion, Chu Junlie stood quietly off to the side. For some reason, his mind wandered to the unsold food and goods sitting unnoticed on supermarket shelves.

Covered in a thick layer of dust, slowly waiting to expire.

As Grandpa Chang would say, “Should’ve never stocked that stuff. Now it’s all garbage no one wants.”

But if no one wanted him—what would he say to his mother?

Chu Junlie kept his head down, the hand by his side clenched tighter and tighter. The noise around him merged into a chaotic buzz in his ears.

The third cousin glanced at his younger cousin’s partially shaved hair and at the crying toddler. Glaring fiercely at the Yan couple, he then turned that anger on Chu Junlie.

“This is all your fault, you bastard!”

He reached out to shove Chu Junlie. But Chu Junlie remained where he was, eyes downcast, not dodging.

Just as the third cousin took a step forward, he suddenly felt his ear being grabbed. His body kept moving forward from inertia, but the sharp tug on his ear sent a searing pain through him!

“Ow ow ow!” he yelped, hopping in pain as tears welled in his eyes. He was about to struggle when, out of the corner of his eye, he realized it was his uncle who had grabbed him—and immediately gave up.

Hearing the commotion, Chu Junlie slowly looked up and saw the man before him. His eyes flickered.

Si Yunyi met Chu Junlie’s gaze. The numb black eyes in front of him now glimmered faintly, locked onto him like a drowning man catching sight of his last chance to live.

Remembering that he had already contacted the Chu family, and that once Chu Junlie regained his memory—as the book said—he would eventually meet his destined true love, Si Yunyi turned his head slightly, avoiding the boy’s eyes. He led his third nephew back to his original spot and spoke in a cold voice:

“Is this how the Si family shows their upbringing?”

The younger generation froze for a second before realizing there were outsiders present. They quickly composed themselves. Even little Si Beiqi sniffled and looked at his uncle, covering his mouth with both hands.

Seeing his youngest son restore order, the old master sighed and dismissed the younger ones along with Chu Junlie. Then he turned to the Yan couple sitting among the guests.

“You’ve seen it too. None of the children in the main branch of our family are willing to enter into a marriage alliance with your eldest son.”

Madam Yan’s eyes flickered, and she quickly said, “Uncle Si, if there’s no suitable match in the main branch, then what about the extended family?”

[mfn]If you enjoy my translations, you can show your support by leaving a comment or donating to my Ko-fi. It will be much appreciated. Thank you! [/mfn]