After Transmigrating for the Third Time, the Real Young Master Decides to Slouch - Chapter 2

When Jiang Zao returned from the restroom, the two of them were still there, chatting and laughing. They no longer looked distressed as they had before; it seemed that during the time he was gone, the person had been successfully coaxed.

As Jiang Zao approached, he overheard their conversation again.

Lin Tang said with a smile, “Brother, I forgot to congratulate you on joining the Blue Sound Orchestra. You’re one step closer to your dream.”

Speaking of this, Lin Ran revealed a joyful smile: “Yes, being able to join the Blue Sound Orchestra has always been my dream. This is my best birthday present.”

Lin Tang, however, raised an index finger and shook it: “No, no, no, the dream I’m talking about isn’t that one.”

Lin Ran’s face instantly flushed red.

“Hehe,” Lin Tang laughed slyly, “Now that you’re in the Blue Sound Orchestra, you’ll have the chance to perform with Rong Jingcheng—and the chance to take things a step further with him.”

Jiang Zao’s foot slipped. The friction between his sole and the smooth floor made a harsh screeching sound, interrupting the brothers’ conversation.

Lin Tang turned around displeased, his brows knitted in anger: “You were eavesdropping on us!”

Jiang Zao pointed to the seat across from them: “I was just returning to my seat. And—”

He shrugged his shoulders helplessly: “Given the volume of your conversation, one doesn’t need to eavesdrop to hear it.”

“You!” Lin Tang was infuriated.

Lin Ran quickly held him back, turned, and said, “Jiang Zao, sorry for disturbing you. We’ll be leaving first.”

After saying that, he dragged Lin Tang away with a red face.

With no one left to disturb him, Jiang Zao sat back down and picked up his teacup. The water inside sloshed around, taking a long time to settle.

Jiang Zao looked at the tea leaves floating on the surface, his eyes shifting slightly. Rong Jingcheng…

It had been a very long time since he’d heard that name.

He tilted his head back and drained the tea in one gulp. Whatever. They had long since lost contact anyway; that person had likely forgotten a junior like him.

The Lin couple finally made their late appearance, and with their arrival, the birthday party officially began.

Jiang Zao rubbed his stomach; if they hadn’t arrived, he really would have bloated himself on tea.

Jiang Zao and Lin Ran stood together before the Lin couple. Mrs. Lin, who was well-maintained and looked to be only in her early thirties, gave Lin Ran a warm smile and a hug. Releasing him, she handed over a gift: “Xiao Ran, happy 25th birthday. You will always be Mama’s pride.”

“Thank you, Mama,” Lin Ran thanked her with a smile. “Thank you too, Papa.”

The Lin couple looked at this foster son who never caused them worry, their smiles filled with both relief and pride.

Then, their gaze fell upon the other child who was also celebrating a birthday today.

Mrs. Lin’s smile faded significantly, though it remained within the bounds of social etiquette. She gave Jiang Zao a hug as well, but the movement was noticeably more perfunctory than the one she gave Lin Ran—they had barely touched before she pulled away. She handed over a beautifully wrapped gift: “Jiang Zao, happy birthday to you as well.”

Jiang Zao took the gift, gave a slight nod, and said flatly, “Thank you.”

The Lin couple exchanged a look, both seeing disappointment in each other’s eyes.

Collecting herself, Mrs. Lin announced loudly, “Thank you all for attending the birthday party for my two children. Sorry to keep you waiting. Let’s have the cake brought out now.”

The lights dimmed. Accompanied by music, servants wheeled out a luxurious three-tiered cake. The warm candlelight seemed to carry blessings.

“Xiao Ran, Jiang Zao, make a wish,” Mrs. Lin said with a smile.

“Mhm!” Lin Ran nodded vigorously, closed his eyes, and pressed his palms together.

The guests all watched. Jiang Zao also closed his eyes, but he didn’t think of anything; he didn’t believe in this sort of thing.

Hearing Lin Ran say “I’m finished,” Jiang Zao opened his eyes.

Lin Tang asked excitedly, “What did you wish for? Hehe, did you wish that at the next concert you could—mph mph mph!”

Lin Ran, blushing, covered Lin Tang’s mouth and shook his head hard: “No! I wished that everyone can be happy!”

He only realized what he’d said after the fact, his face turning even redder as he asked sheepishly, “Is that too childish?”

“Not at all, not at all!” the guests immediately chimed in. “Xiao Ran is just too kindhearted to make a wish like that. We’ll take your blessing—we’ll definitely be happy, hahaha!”

The already pleasant atmosphere became even more lively because of this interlude. Some guests offered sincere praise, while others joked and teased. Jiang Zao had good hearing; he even caught the whispers.

“Lin Ran is truly wonderful—beautiful and kind. Look at that Jiang Zao, so wooden, not even a smile. And with his eyes covered like that, he looks so gloomy. No wonder he’s unlikable.”

“True. There’s a reason Mrs. Lin prefers Lin Ran. If my biological son were like that, I’d also have to find an obedient and sweet foster son to dote on.”

Jiang Zao rubbed his ears.

They moved to the next segment: cutting the cake.

Lin Ran took the cake knife from a servant and said to Jiang Zao, “Shall we cut it together?”

“Sure.” Jiang Zao gripped an empty spot on the handle.

Lin Ran hesitated for a moment, dazed. According to his expectations, Jiang Zao usually disliked this kind of formalism; even if invited, he would most likely refuse. It was strange today that he actually cooperated.

“Hmm?” Jiang Zao turned his head to look at him.

This posture caused his bangs to slide slightly to the side. Lin Ran was caught off guard, his eyes meeting Jiang Zao’s gaze, and his heart gave a sudden jolt.

They were a pair of eyes difficult to describe. Their beauty was secondary to their depth and restraint; it was as if another world was hidden within them. Anyone who caught a glimpse would be deeply drawn in, unable to extricate themselves.

Lin Ran felt an inexplicable sense of crisis.

“Xiao Ran?” Mrs. Lin noticed something was wrong. As she called out, she surreptitiously glanced at Jiang Zao. What was happening? Had Jiang Zao done something to him?

Jiang Zao pretended not to notice that probing gaze.

Lin Ran snapped back to reality and smiled: “It’s nothing—let’s cut the cake.”

Together, they raised the knife and sliced into the cake.

This cut was crisp and neat, a clean break.

Jiang Zao walked out of the Lin family mansion empty-handed. He gave a deep stretch and rubbed his aching neck; it was finally over.

Having played along with the act for an entire evening, he considered himself to have done his duty. This could be called a “peaceful breakup.”

Although it was his unilateral decision, unless there were special circumstances, the Lin family likely wouldn’t reach out to him of their own accord. Yes, it was a breakup; they wouldn’t need to associate with each other anymore.

Getting into the ride-hail car he’d called, the driver confirmed with him: “Going to the A-University Faculty Housing Complex, right?”

Jiang Zao was about to say yes, but the words changed as they reached his lips: “Can I change the destination?”

The driver gave him a suspicious look and nodded: “Sure, just handle it on your phone.”

Jiang Zao changed the destination. After receiving the notification, the driver started the car.

Jiang Zao leaned back in the rear seat, closing his eyes to rest.

When the car stopped, Jiang Zao opened his eyes. After paying and getting out, he walked into this quite old and dilapidated apartment building.

This was the home of the original body’s foster parents. The original body had moved out after being recognized by the Lin family, but he hadn’t lived with the Lins for long—he stayed in dorms during high school, college, and grad school. After graduating, he rented an apartment near the university to better prepare for his exams.

Although Jiang Zao had never lived here, he had a strong impression of the place. Initially, his foster parents were afraid he wouldn’t adjust to the new environment and always told him to come back when he had time so they could cook for him. The younger brother in the foster family also tried hard to make him happy. Even though these things were from a long time ago, Jiang Zao surprisingly missed them.

Jiang Zao smiled and knocked on the door.

The thin door panel couldn’t block the sounds from inside. Jiang Zao heard the “thump-thump-thump” of footsteps, and then the door opened. Behind it was a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy whose features bore a slight resemblance to Lin Ran.

Jiang Zao greeted him: “Tong Tong.”

“Eh, Brother?” Jiang Tong was pleasantly surprised. He turned and shouted into the house, “Mom, Brother is back!”

After hurried footsteps, a middle-aged woman with half-white hair came out of the room. Seeing him, she cried out joyfully, “Xiao Zao, why are you back?”

“Came to see you.”

Jiang Zao entered the house. The air was filled with the cloyingly sweet scent of cream. His gaze landed on a cake on the living room dining table: “You’re eating cake?”

Mother Jiang looked back, hesitating and not speaking. Jiang Tong said cheerfully, “That’s right! Isn’t today your birthday, Brother? We wanted to help you celebrate, so we bought a cake. Brother, since you’re back, let’s eat together!”

Jiang Zao looked at the cake. It was very small, only enough for two or three people, and the appearance wasn’t delicate at all. It couldn’t compare to the luxurious three-tiered cake at the Lin house.

“Hehe,” Mother Jiang spoke up, smiling. “Xiao Zao, don’t listen to Tong Tong’s nonsense. We were just joining in the fun. A birthday should definitely be spent with your family. We just wanted to share in the joy; we didn’t mean anything else…”

Jiang Zao suddenly spoke: “Mom, do you want to keep all the food for yourself and Tong Tong?”

Mother Jiang froze.

Jiang Zao smiled: “I want to eat cake too.”

“Ah? Okay, okay!” Realizing what he meant, Mother Jiang immediately rushed to the dining table. “I’ll cut a big piece for you—ah, no, the birthday boy has to cut the cake.”

Seeing her flustered, Jiang Zao walked over: “I’ll cut it.”

Holding the cake knife, Jiang Zao neatly sliced a large piece and handed it to Mother Jiang: “Mom, you eat first.”

Mother Jiang pushed it back: “I can’t eat this much. You eat, you eat.”

While the two were demurring, Jiang Tong leaned over and raised his hand: “I’ll eat it!”

Jiang Zao conveniently stuffed the cake into his hand: “Here, eat it all.”

“Thanks, Brother!” Jiang Tong poked a piece of cake and stuffed it into his mouth, his face full of happiness.

Jiang Zao cut two more smaller pieces, giving one to Mother Jiang and holding the other in his hand. He said, “This is for Dad.”

He turned and walked to the other end of the living room, placing the cake on the altar stand. He pressed his palms together: “Dad, have some cake.” He took three sticks of incense, lit them, bowed toward Father Jiang’s memorial tablet, and solemnly inserted the incense.

After finishing, he returned to the dining table. Mother Jiang had her head down, wiping away tears.

Jiang Tong handed her a tissue: “Mom, why are you crying? It’s rare for Brother to come back.”

Mother Jiang shook her head while wiping tears: “Mom is just happy—sorry, Xiao Zao, Mom spoiled the mood.”

“It’s fine.” Jiang Zao sat down and pushed the cake toward her. “Let’s eat.”

The three of them ate cake, chatting casually about this and that. Mother Jiang asked about Jiang Zao’s recent life, and Jiang Zao answered ambiguously, the core message being that he was fine and they didn’t need to worry.

Hearing that everything was well, Mother Jiang nodded. She then asked caringly, “Then how is your exam preparation going? Is it very hard? Look at you, you look haggard.”

Only after swallowing the cloyingly sweet cake in his mouth did Jiang Zao speak: “I don’t plan on taking the exam anymore.”