Chapter 105
Even Grandma couldn’t help but realize that something was wrong, seeing this scene.
Her Lin-zai couldn’t have secretly raised so many small pets outside, could he?
Although Grandma also knew that Lin Ran had liked kittens and puppies since he was young, he was always reluctant to bring them home, afraid of troubling the family.
Lin Ran, subtly feeling a headache and not yet having figured out how to explain, saw Grandma shake her head:
“It’s okay, since they’re all here, let’s have breakfast first.”
“All of them together?”
Lin Ran hesitantly glanced at the fluffy creatures behind him and found that Grandma had really gone to prepare breakfast.
She didn’t even ask where these fluffy creatures came from.
Lin Ran instantly breathed a sigh of relief and felt a strange sense of gratitude for Grandma’s unconditional trust.
However, Lin Ran, looking at the courtyard full of fluffy creatures, thought that this was a bit too much, but he also couldn’t help but feel that this was too blissful!
And these little guys were especially polite and quiet after entering, consciously lining up and running to A-Ran to have their heads patted.
Lin Ran even saw a baby deer carefully walking towards him, its ears twitching when he petted it.
The deer’s eyes were truly adorable, moist and clear.
“Baby, your eyes are so beautiful!”
Lin Ran couldn’t help but exclaim with a smile, and the little demon who had been secretly staring at A-Ran instantly blushed, his steps becoming a little flustered.
He had clearly thought about how to act before coming to see A-Ran, but when he actually saw him, his mind went blank.
Especially when A-Ran smiled gently, he couldn’t think of anything else.
So handsome.
Although he already knew that A-Ran was handsome from the Demon World forum, seeing A-Ran in person in the real world had a completely different impact.
“Ya…”
Ossi was a little jealous, trying to get A-Ran to look at his little pearls.
“These are Ossi’s tears, each one is of very good quality.”
Atylanthos helped explain, and Ossi hurriedly nodded vigorously, agreeing with his brother!
Each one was personally cried by him. It was said that those who obtained a merman’s tears would never shed tears again.
“Tears?”
Lin Ran looked at the box in surprise, and the line of poetry “Bright moon over the vast sea, pearls with tears” came to his mind.
“But why did you cry? It couldn’t really be because of the movie…”
However, Lin Ran looked at Ossi, reached out and touched the corner of his eyes, and Ossi shyly nodded.
But he wasn’t sad anymore, because he knew that A-Ran was right in front of him and could even hug him.
“So our Ossi is a crybaby?”
Lin Ran held Ossi, combed his hair, and asked with a smile.
Ossi instantly shook his head, saying that he wasn’t a crybaby, he had only cried this once.
“Then don’t cry so easily anymore, okay? Doesn’t it hurt your eyes to cry so sadly? What if your eyes swell up and become like little walnuts?”
Lin Ran looked at Ossi seriously, making the little guy feel that A-Ran was right.
Although he could give the little pearls to A-Ran when he cried, his eyes would indeed swell up and he would have to apply ice.
What if his big eyes weren’t pretty after crying, and A-Ran liked other little cubs more!?
Thinking of this, Ossi suddenly understood and nodded obediently, saying that he wouldn’t cry so easily anymore.
Atylanthos, watching this scene, once again realized that Lin Ran had a natural talent for coaxing cubs.
When he spoke those gentle words, perhaps even the most irritable cub would subconsciously quiet down and involuntarily want to get closer.
However, Ossi hesitated for a while and, while his brother Atylanthos wasn’t paying attention, shyly handed a shiny object from his pocket to A-Ran.
Lin Ran: ?
Lin Ran wondered what this was. After carefully observing the thin, fan-shaped piece, he had a guess.
Could this be Ossi’s scale?
Its color was dreamy, refracting colorful light under the sunlight, sparkling.
“Ya… Fi- first!”
It was Ossi’s first shed scale.
His brother had said that he should keep his first shed scale until he became an adult and then give it to the person he liked the most.
But Ossi felt that A-Ran was the person he liked the most, so he couldn’t wait to give it to him! There wouldn’t be anyone he liked more than A-Ran in the future!
“Ossi? What are you giving him!”
However, Atylanthos, after nodding to Shao Mian, was shocked to find that Ossi seemed to be doing something strange.
As expected, when cubs were quiet, they must be up to no good.
But before Ossi could give it away, he found his scale being snatched away. Seeing the other party, he was so scared that he shut his mouth and didn’t dare to make a sound.
Lin Ran also saw Shao Mian confiscating Ossi’s scale.
“Yuanbao? Why did you take Ossi’s scale?”
Lin Ran didn’t think Yuanbao had the personality to snatch a cub’s things.
“He’s not allowed to accept this, let him give it to someone else.”
Shao Mian, who had been unusually silent, spoke with an unquestionable tone.
If Ossi wasn’t a cub, Shao Mian felt that he might have already made a move.
After all, a merman’s first shed scale had a special meaning in the Demon World.
“This is indeed my fault, I didn’t explain it clearly to Ossi.”
Atylanthos also sensed the warning in his aura and instantly held Ossi back, although his mood was a bit complicated.
“It is said that once the first shed scale is given away, they will become eternal lovers, so I told Ossi to wait until he grows up and give it to the person he likes the most.”
Atylanthos explained to Lin Ran, who clearly didn’t know this custom.
Lin Ran was stunned and his ears felt a little hot after hearing this, thinking about Yuanbao publicly snatching the scale.
How old was Ossi? This guy Yuanbao was really being unreasonable.
“But Ossi should wait until he grows up and give it to another merman, after all, it’s not appropriate for me to accept this scale.”
However, looking at the slightly frightened Ossi, Lin Ran still comforted him.
He didn’t know if he was comforting Ossi, or indirectly appeasing a certain angry golden tabby.
Only then did Shao Mian sneer slightly and return the scale to the little cub.
Ossi, unable to give it away, pouted and felt a little wronged, vaguely feeling that he had been mocked by the big lion.
Ossi felt that A-Ran originally wanted to accept it, but he was stopped! Lions didn’t have scales to give, so why couldn’t A-Ran accept his scale?
What was the difference between liking and liking?
His little head was full of big questions.
“There’s a big difference between liking and liking, Ossi will understand when he grows up.”
Lin Ran, amused and exasperated, didn’t know for a moment whether he should feel honored to be considered the person Ossi liked the most.
But perhaps it was just childishness, and it would be different when he grew up.
“Ya…”
Ossi responded dejectedly, still not understanding why he would understand the difference between liking and liking when he grew up.
Did it mean that he wouldn’t want to give his scale to A-Ran when he grew up?
But he wasn’t a fickle fish, he really, really liked A-Ran the most.
Fortunately, after Grandma brought out breakfast, Lin Ran gave each of the little guys an ear of glutinous corn, along with milk and pastries.
Even the fluffy creatures who didn’t like corn ate it diligently.
This was corn given by A-Ran! Of course, they had to finish it!
And seeing that everyone was eating, Lin Ran followed Grandma back to the kitchen: “Grandma, I’ll clean up.”
Grandma, seeing her grandson helping, smiled and responded habitually: “Okay.”
“I’ll help too.”
Unexpectedly, Shao Mian also walked into the kitchen and offered to help wash the dishes.
Grandma’s expression became subtle when she looked up at Shao Mian and didn’t greet Yuanbao as enthusiastically as before.
For Shao Mian, Grandma’s reaction was very noticeable, and he subconsciously stopped in front of her, as if waiting for her to ask something.
“Th-then Yuanbao, you go get some firewood.”
But Grandma felt very pressured being stared at by the big lion for so long, even though Shao Mian didn’t have this intention.
Grandma could only mumble and give him a random chore. Although Shao Mian raised an eyebrow, finding it strange, he still obediently went.
Before leaving, he glanced at Lin Ran beside him and met his eyes, subconsciously wanting to nuzzle him, but he held back, afraid of being seen by Grandma.
Lin Ran pursed his lips, hesitated for a moment, washed another dish, and finally looked at Grandma:
“Grandma… do you have something to ask me?”
Grandma Huang Guiying instantly froze and looked at her grandson.
She had indeed seen two figures very close together last night, and Lin-zai’s blushing as he pulled the person back into the room. She had been too shocked to speak at the time.
Although Grandma later wondered why she had only noticed something was wrong now.
Otherwise, why would he travel so far to stay in this small room in the countryside?
Grandma thought of the villagers’ discussions about the black car that drove to their house on the first day when she went to the fields to check on the corn. That price, for farming families, was an astronomical figure they couldn’t even imagine in their lifetime.
“Sigh… actually, Grandma doesn’t have anything to ask, Grandma just feels that if you’re really going to date someone, you have to be careful.”
Hearing this, Lin Ran almost dropped the dish in his hand, he didn’t expect Grandma to have actually noticed.
And the phrase “date someone” coming from Grandma sounded very strange?
“What’s with that look? Can’t us elderly people be observant and open-minded?”
Lin Ran’s surprised reaction made Grandma mutter to herself, wiping the table as she spoke.
She felt that this young Lin-zai was even more conservative than her?
“Grandma, we’re not…”
“Whether you are or not, finding someone you like is the best, but regarding Yuanbao, Grandma does have some concerns.”
Grandma rarely interrupted Lin-zai and looked at him seriously while tying her apron.
“Is it because Yuanbao is also a boy?”
Lin Ran asked softly.
“Of course not.”
Unexpectedly, Grandma directly denied it.
Lin Ran subconsciously widened his eyes slightly and looked at her.
He thought Grandma would care about this the most.
Grandma was silent for a moment, not responding directly, but recalling his childhood:
“Since you were young, you’ve always been considerate of the family. You liked raising kittens, but you were reluctant to bring them home, secretly feeding them at the village entrance after school every day.”
“Grandma, you knew?”
The more Lin Ran listened, the more incredulous he became. He had thought he had hidden it very well at the time.
Seeing Lin-zai like this, Grandma chuckled.
“You were always around there when you came home from school. If you were late sometimes, I would naturally worry and go with your grandpa to check, and we would find those little calico cats surrounding you, eating.”
“So if you were late from school and couldn’t feed them, your grandpa and I would take turns feeding them.”
Hearing Grandma’s words, Lin Ran finally learned the answer to a childhood mystery: “No wonder they weren’t hungry at all when I went to find them with food in the middle of the night!”
So it was Grandma and Grandpa who had fed them in advance!
Grandma’s smile had a subtle hint of emotion as she looked at her grandson with wide eyes:
“Yes, so thinking about it now, it would have been good to bring them home earlier, maybe those things wouldn’t have happened later.”
Because those calico cats had all disappeared one day.
Someone in the village felt that the cats were too noisy at night, so they dealt with them.
That evening after school, Grandma saw little Lin-zai come back with red eyes. He wouldn’t say what was wrong when asked, and Grandma’s biggest regret at the time was: She should have brought them home earlier.
Lin-zai was sometimes too sensible, too reluctant to trouble others.
It made Grandma Huang Guiying wonder, if their family could earn more money, would the little guy’s personality be so sensible?
Other people’s grandchildren were all willful, but her Lin-zai was different.
“Later, I wanted to work more and save more, but then my leg got injured, and sometimes Grandma hates herself for being useless.”
“So when you were at school, I would often think at home, when will our Lin-zai stop being so sensible? Just do what you want and don’t leave any regrets.”
When Grandma said this, it was as if she had finally spoken a burden that had always been weighing on her heart.
“So that’s why Grandpa insisted on delivering goods, right?”
Even though their family’s situation had improved a lot now.
Lin Ran asked softly, controlling his emotions.
And looking at Grandma, Lin Ran suddenly remembered the words Yuanbao had said to him, they were subtly similar.
“But I don’t think there’s anything wrong, Grandma. I just want you and Grandpa to have an easier life…”
“Aiya, that old man just can’t stay idle!”
Hugging her Lin-zai, who was rarely acting coquettishly, Grandma seemed to have figured something out, took out a bankbook from the inner pocket of her clothes, and stuffed it into Lin Ran’s hand.
“All the savings from these years are here. I originally wanted to save it for you to use when you found a girl and brought her home, although finding a handsome young man is also quite good now.”
Grandma’s tone was strange. It was a bit unexpected that the dowry money suddenly changed its purpose, but as long as Lin-zai liked it.
“I don’t want this, Grandma, I don’t…”
Lin Ran was stunned and instantly wanted to return the bankbook.
It wasn’t easy for Grandpa and Grandma to save money, it was better for them to keep it for their retirement than to give it to him.
“No, you’re not allowed to refuse! Even if you’re successful now, this is our intention.”
Grandma directly interrupted Lin Ran’s refusal and forced him to keep it.
“The only thing I’m worried about is actually one thing.”
Hearing Grandma’s serious tone, Lin Ran immediately looked at her.
“That is, with Yuanbao’s conditions, you have to think carefully, what if he’s not serious about dating?”
Grandma hesitated for a long time and finally voiced her concern.
“Even if you’re looking for a young man, I think it’s better to find someone who’s a good match… why don’t you look around at school?”
“Of course, Grandma doesn’t really understand these things, but I just feel that we don’t want anything from him, if you’re going to date, find someone who’s a good match.”
After speaking, Grandma was also a little embarrassed, but her tone was very serious.
And Lin Ran, who was originally touched, was speechless, not knowing where to start.
Grandma’s views on love were really open-minded in some aspects, but also very traditional in others?
“Grandma.”
A voice from outside the kitchen almost made Grandma drop the rag in her hand.
Shao Mian was standing at the kitchen door, his head almost hitting the door frame because he was too tall. He looked like a lost and shocked giant golden tabby.
He never expected that it would be Grandma who was persuading Lin Ran to “find someone else”!
“Yuanbao, be quiet, don’t scare Grandma!”
Lin Ran could only be glad that Shao Mian didn’t explode instantly.
Even Ossi trying to give him a scale could make him explode, and now Grandma was persuading him to seriously find someone at school, this was simply dancing on a minefield.
But Shao Mian, being held back, emphasized very seriously: “Grandma, I’m the one seriously pursuing him, I’m interested in Lin-zai, not the other way around.”
“Ah… ah?”
Grandma, looking at this, wondered if Yuanbao, this blond young man, was really a foreigner, his words didn’t sound like Chinese.
Yuanbao, as if to prove himself, directly reached out, trying to take that sacred bankbook and obtain the legal status recognized by the whole family.
Lin Ran’s face was completely red, and he directly put away the bankbook Grandma had given him.
“Everyone, be quiet! I’m about to catch the high-speed rail back to S City!”
>///<！
Facing Lin Ran’s outburst, the elderly and the fluffy creature instantly quieted down and stopped arguing about who was interested in whom.
However, with the popularity of “Mountain,” returning to school would definitely mean being treated like a panda and surrounded by people. Fortunately, there weren’t many classes left this semester. Lin Ran originally thought that he might as well go to Supervisor Tao Shu and work overtime to avoid the limelight.
But now, with the bankbook incident, Yuanbao had completely set his sights on it, he had never wanted something so badly in his life.
Even though there was only a total of 100,000 yuan in the bankbook.
“This is different. Or do you want to give it to someone else? A young person from school who’s a good match, right?”
Shao Mian, who finally followed them out of the kitchen, sneered several times, seemingly indifferent but actually extremely concerned. The next second, he was slapped by Lin Ran, whose face was red.
“Is your throat broken, Yuanbao?”
Always sneering.
Lin Ran was almost speechless, certain that there would be another new problem when he returned to school, that is, being suspected by Yuanbao of being a “good match” with someone.
“Ya~”
Ossi, who had finished his corn, looked at A-Ran, who had finally come out, and reached out for a hug.
But just then, Director Ma Sai actually called him personally.
Lin Ran rarely checked his messages recently, but important or close people would still contact him by phone.
And Director Ma Sai’s call brought unexpected news: “Lin-zai, have you considered doing a magazine shoot? An Xun will also be there.”
“Magazine shoot?”
Lin Ran paused.
After understanding, he learned that this was a commercial collaboration that Director Ma Sai rarely thought Lin Ran could try among the many offers he had received recently.
It was mainly because the photo of the three of them had become incredibly popular online, and its unexpected expressiveness had attracted the attention of “Global Garden,” the most prestigious fashion magazine in the industry.
Although Director Ma Sai knew that Lin Ran didn’t intend to enter the entertainment industry, so many other acting offers didn’t need to be considered, but this commercial collaboration seemed to be quite lucrative and prestigious, with little work involved.
“This is a magazine that even many top stars have to schedule their time for. This is the first time they’ve invited a newcomer to be the cover model.”
Director Ma Sai also felt that it would be a waste not to take more photos of Lin Ran’s face.
“And you can also go to the Rhine Forest, a very interesting theme of humans, nature, and wild beasts. The invited photographer is the famous David Klein…”
Director Ma Sai said a lot, but what truly made Lin Ran, who was originally hesitant, suddenly interested was undoubtedly this beast theme.
Did it mean that he could take photos with fluffy creatures?
O.O!
“Yes, but the types of animals might be limited, after all, we have to consider the danger, and naturally, the shooting cost is also a factor.”
Sensing that Lin Ran, this young man, was indeed interested in petting big cats, Director Ma Sai realistically gave him a heads-up.
The famous photo “Dancing with Elephants” in the history of fashion wasn’t cheap to shoot.
“Also, you might need to carry the sales, but you’re a newcomer after all, ‘Global Garden’ shouldn’t be too demanding…”
But Lin Ran, who was already interested, simply wanted to ask: Could the magazine accept him providing some fluffy models to cooperate with the shoot?
Because he really wanted to take some photos with the fluffy creatures at home as a memento.
An Xun naturally understood: “We can say that we’ve secured sponsorship!”
An Xun said, his gaze falling on the big lion guardian.
If A-Ran brought out so many fluffy creatures alone, it would naturally be suspicious, but if Morson sponsored it and hired a professional team to cooperate with rented wild beast models for the shoot, it would be very reasonable.
The problem was that Shao Mian wagged his tail and really wanted to directly set the theme to lions.
“Tsk, wouldn’t it be good to just make it a lion theme?”
He could “find” a very strong and mighty golden lion, and it would be very cooperative for the shoot.
Shao Mian had already started to think about the shooting angles and content, such as having Lin Ran touch his mane in the forest!
But as soon as he finished speaking, all the fluffy demons present stared at him with wide eyes, almost daring to point their little paws at him despite the risk.
Even Atylanthos wanted to quietly mutter that he could also sponsor it.
How about shooting a set of A-Ran’s ocean-themed merman photos?
He was a little anxious, how should he contact the human magazine? As long as it could be shot, he could help boost the sales!!
