Getting Rich Legally 10

Director Zhang sent the mother and son back, granting Lin Qi two days of leave along the way. The mother and son thanked Director Zhang and went upstairs, holding each other's hands.

The two entered the house, still a bit dazed. Lin Yue'er squeezed Lin Qi's hand and seemed to regain her composure, "Mom will cook for you, you rest for a while."

Lin Qi nodded and returned to his own room. Only after closing the door did he recklessly let his rapid breathing show.

"System," Lin Qi called out anxiously, "System, come out quickly."

The System said leisurely, "What's the rush, are you trying to summon a spirit?"

Lin Qi was so nervous he could barely speak clearly, "Sun Chonghai is dead."

System: "Oh, and then?"

Lin Qi swallowed his saliva, "Who killed him?"

System: "I already told you in the last world. After the world line changed, I can't answer this question for you."

Lin Qi sat on his small bed in dismay. "Could it be... could it be..." He couldn't say it.

The System continued for him, "Could it be Meng Hui?"

Lin Qi bit his lip. He was unwilling to doubt Meng Hui in his heart. With Du Chengying as a precedent, he didn't want to associate every bad thing with the male lead. Even if his Blackening Value was at one hundred percent, it didn't mean he was a bad person. Lin Qi warned himself again and again.

However, Meng Hui's inexplicable distancing recently, his abnormal attitude, and what made Lin Qi feel most uneasy was the time Meng Hui said he would make Sun Chonghai disappear.

Sun Chonghai had truly disappeared.

At the same time, he thought of another question. Sun Chonghai disappeared, but what about Lin Yue'er? Would Lin Yue'er still fall ill and die? Or would she survive? If Lin Yue'er could survive, then what about him?

In the previous world, the System told him that his character setting meant he would definitely die when the death deadline arrived. He didn't struggle and still died in Du Chengying's arms according to the original setting.

If he could actually change his fate, then didn't Du Chengying endure that tragic ending for nothing?

The more Lin Qi thought about it, the more panicked and headachy he became. He fell onto the small bed and hugged his head, his temples throbbing with pain.

......

Lin Qi didn't rest at home for the full two days. There was nothing to rest for; the one who died was his stepfather. Lin Yue'er wasn't in a hurry to hold a funeral either and also went to work, so Lin Qi went straight back to school.

As soon as he entered the classroom, he felt the strange gazes of his surrounding classmates.

The police hadn't closed the case yet.

Whether Sun Chonghai committed suicide or was murdered was still inconclusive.

For the spectators, murder was of course more stimulating and topical.

Lin Qi braved everyone's gazes and sat calmly in his seat. The first to come over was the sports committee member. With a face full of smiles, he unrolled the hand hidden behind his back with a 'swish' towards Lin Qi, "Ta-da, Class Rep, the certificate!"

—Sports Meet Group C Team First Prize.

Gold lettering on a red background, it looked very festive.

Lin Qi smiled, "First place, huh."

"Of course," the sports committee member spread the certificate in front of him as if nothing had happened, "Please stick the certificate up yourself, Class Rep."

Lin Qi: "Alright!"

After Lin Qi finished putting up the certificate, he felt the atmosphere in the class was much better. The stagnant air began to flow again. Lin Qi looked at the sports committee member gratefully. The sports committee member understandingly pursed his lips towards the back, lowering his voice to say softly, "Thanks to you, Class Rep, and thanks to Brother Meng. We got so much face this year."

Lin Qi turned his head back. Meng Hui was lying on his desk. Unlike the other students, his desk wasn't piled high with books. It was empty, and his spiky hair lying on the desk was exceptionally conspicuous. Lin Qi squeezed his hands. It wouldn't be Meng Hui; this time, he chose to believe.

Lin Qi's arrival happened to coincide with the monthly exams. The tense exams diluted the strange atmosphere in the class.

After class, Lin Qi went to the restroom alone. Coming out of the restroom, he saw Meng Hui waiting for him at the door. His heart immediately tightened, "Brother... Brother Hui..."

"How are you doing?" Meng Hui said faintly.

"I'm fine." Lin Qi lowered his head to hide the unusual expression on his face.

Meng Hui raised his hand and patted his shoulder, putting an arm around him as he strode towards the classroom, "I'll take you home today."

Lin Qi: "Ah?"

Meng Hui lowered his head, "What, you're not willing?"

It wasn't that he wasn't willing, it was just a bit strange. Lin Qi obediently let Meng Hui hook an arm around him, "Didn't you say you wouldn't take me home anymore?"

"I should be able to make it into the top ten of the class this time," Meng Hui said unhurriedly.

Lin Qi looked at him in surprise, "You?"

Meng Hui rubbed his face, his large palm covering his eyes, a smile in his voice, "What, looking down on me?"

Lin Qi pulled his hand away, his face full of pleasant surprise, "In just one month, you can improve that much?"

"Feeling threatened?" The smile on Meng Hui's face was bright and unblemished, making Lin Qi's heart unconsciously relax. He squinted and smiled, "If the results really come out like that, I'll give you a present!"

He had saved up a month's worth of pocket money, enough to buy something decent to give back to Meng Hui, like a T-shirt that didn't have game promotional slogans printed on it.

Lin Qi suddenly became curious and asked, "That high jump record, if you really jumped, could you break it?"

Meng Hui's footsteps stopped.

The two stopped in the corridor. People were coming and going, but no one paid them any attention. Meng Hui hooked his arm around him and leaned against the wall, saying to a completely bewildered Lin Qi, "You came to see me?"

Lin Qi turned his face away, his eyes dodging, though his tone was confident and justified, "I came. Didn't I even bring you water?"

Meng Hui stared silently at Lin Qi's side profile. His gaze, whether sharp or gentle, was always impossible to ignore. Lin Qi felt a bit restless whenever he was stared at by him. Even worse, he would sometimes develop an illusion under Meng Hui's gaze.

That illusion flashed through his mind, making it impossible for him to catch it.

Meng Hui rubbed his hair, "Thanks."

......

After a long time, the two walked home together after school. The weather had turned cold, and the street snacks had undergone a rotation. Eggettes were popular now, round and plump, packed in paper bags. They had a milky fragrance when eaten, and almost everyone leaving school had one in hand.

Lin Qi held his eggette waffle and took a bite, "Brother Hui, why don't you carry a backpack?"

Meng Hui had Lin Qi's canvas backpack slung over his shoulder and said leisurely, "I can't bear the weight of knowledge."

Lin Qi: "..." He began to feel doubtful about his ability to advance into the top ten of the class.

"You should carry less too," Meng Hui bounced the weight on his shoulder slightly. "Do you still have to study that much when you go back?" He reached out and gestured slightly above the top of Lin Qi's head, "You've gotten a bit taller."

"It's alright." Lin Qi wasn't obsessed with his height; it was already set anyway—175.6 cm, not a millimeter off.

Meng Hui gently scraped his eyelid, prompting Lin Qi to lightly glare at him. "How are your eyes?"

"They've always been like this. I'm slightly nearsighted." In another year or so, Lin Qi would have to wear glasses.

Meng Hui: "Pay attention to it yourself."

Lin Qi wondered if Meng Hui was dissatisfied with his glasses character setting. This was already the second time he had brought up the issue regarding his eyes.

A thought suddenly popped into Lin Qi's mind again—could... could he not be nearsighted?

The Alliance was meticulous in setting up his character; everything from appearance to personality had fixed values. But the System also said that the world line had already changed, and even it didn't know the future developments. Since this was the case, why was he bound to die?

"What are you thinking about?" Meng Hui patted his shoulder lightly. "You're always zoning out while walking."

Lin Qi came back to his senses, "Nothing, just thinking about family matters."

Meng Hui: "Don't overthink it. You're a kid, you don't need to worry about adults' affairs."

Gradually, Lin Qi also felt that his initial sliver of doubt towards Meng Hui was too paranoid. He smiled, "It's nothing big."

After going upstairs, Lin Qi pushed open the door to the house. Lin Yue'er was already home and looked quite energetic. "Qiqi is back, do you want some late-night snack?"

"Mom, why did you prepare a late-night snack?" Lin Qi put his backpack on the sofa, too embarrassed to mention that he had already eaten a whole eggette waffle on his way home.

On the dining table was a bowl of fragrant century egg and lean pork congee, along with a saucer of peeled sweet garlic. These were all things Lin Qi relatively enjoyed eating. Since it was rare for Lin Yue'er to show such motherly love, Lin Qi sat down, picked up a spoon, and started eating the congee.

Coming out of the kitchen, Lin Yue'er also pulled out a chair and sat down opposite Lin Qi.

"Qiqi," Lin Yue'er began cautiously, "Uncle Sun is gone, what do you think?"

Lin Qi kept his head down and said softly, "I don't have any thoughts."

Lin Yue'er sat quietly, an unbearable look revealing itself on her face. She raised her hand and gently covered Lin Qi's hand. Lin Qi lifted his face, meeting Lin Yue'er's tearful eyes. Lin Yue'er said softly, "Baby, Mommy has made you suffer."

Lin Qi was stunned.

"Mommy is useless, with bad judgment. Harming myself is one thing, but letting you suffer with me for all these years, Mommy is truly sorry..."

Tears fell drop by drop onto the glass table, scattering like flowers.

Lin Yue'er's hair was much whiter than before.

Before Lin Qi came to this world, this world was flat, and everything was merely a setting. Lin Qi didn't have much of a sense of reality either. But for an NPC like Lin Yue'er, ever since Lin Qi activated this plane, the previous thirty-plus years of her life were real. All the hardships and experiences were clearly engraved in her mind.

Lin Qi flipped his hand to cover Lin Yue'er's, saying solemnly, "Mom, many times, you didn't have a choice either."

Hearing her son's comforting words, Lin Yue'er cried even harder. She lowered her head and forcefully held it in for a moment, choking out, "It will be better in the future, Mommy will take better care of you."

"I'm already so grown up, it should be me taking care of you, Mom." Lin Qi patted the back of Lin Yue'er's hand. "Do you have the day shift tomorrow? Rest early, I'll wash the dishes myself after I finish eating."

"Mm." Lin Yue'er stood up and took a deep breath. "Qiqi, Mom doesn't oppose you making friends. When you have time, invite that friend of yours to our house for a meal."

Lin Qi's breathing suddenly stagnated, "...Mom, why are you suddenly..."

"You're so grown up now, yet I've never seen you bring a friend home," Lin Yue'er's eyes were red, but her expression was very gentle. "Since they are your friend, Mom will like them."

After lying in bed, Lin Qi was still thinking about the 180-degree turn in the relationship between Lin Yue'er and Meng Hui. Then, connecting it to Sun Chonghai's death, he visualized a 100,000-word crime plot in his head before overturning it again. He didn't sleep well all night. When he got up the next day, his eyes were so swollen he could barely open them.

On the dining table was a note left by Lin Yue'er—"Qiqi, eat your breakfast. Mom has gone to work and will make you a late-night snack when I come back tonight."

Lin Qi took the note, the sense of incongruity in his heart growing even heavier. What was going on here?

Meng Hui was waiting for him downstairs again. Upon seeing Lin Qi, he reached out to take off his backpack, performing the same maneuver as those parents picking up their kids at the elementary school gates. Lin Qi shook his shoulders, pulled his arms out of the backpack straps, and suddenly said, "My mom said to have you come over to our house for a meal when you have time."

"Alright," Meng Hui said naturally.

Lin Qi stared at him, "Did you meet with my mom privately?"

......

"Have you seen this child?" A police officer at the local station placed a photo right under Lin Yue'er's nose.

The boy in the photo had spiky hair, brown skin, and was wearing a T-shirt printed with gaming slogans. He was leaning against the door of an arcade, the light and shadows dim and flickering. The expression on his face was too mature for his age.

Lin Yue'er gripped her bag strap tightly and said slowly, "I have... my son's classmate."