Chapter 418: 418: Burying the Hatchet, The Old Man’s Spring

Chapter 418: 418: Burying the Hatchet, The Old Man’s Spring

“Yes, yes, yes, I am a moron, only a moron would still be madly in love with you after all these years of abstinence!” Yin Bin said fiercely, feeling somewhat frustrated and frazzled, like a broken jar having nothing to lose.

Qin Keqin looked at him, the words on the tip of her tongue suddenly retracted.

Yin Bin stared back at her as if he wanted an answer from her at that very moment.

He told himself not to back down, not to be afraid, no matter what Qin Keqin’s answer was, he had already made up his mind in this lifetime.

Quite suddenly, the two of them fell silent.

Qin Keqin broke the silence, “If you had told me earlier about all the things Lin Ximeng did, we wouldn’t be in this situation now.”



Yin Bin was taken aback.

He pondered the meaning of Qin Keqin’s words.

Was she blaming him for not explaining things to her properly?

Was she blaming him for not finding her sooner?!

He watched Qin Keqin in silence, unable to utter a single word.

Qin Keqin seemed to have no expectations for Yin Bin’s response.

She said, “Let’s go.”

Let’s go.

More than half of their lives had already passed by.

Yin Bin stood there, unmoved.

“I said let’s go, it’s late.” In the past, she would have been in bed by this time.

Yin Bin still did not move, just staring at Qin Keqin, his eyes unwavering.



Qin Keqin became somewhat annoyed.

Even though she was slightly moved by what Yin Bin had said a moment ago, once again she found herself thinking he was an idiot, and they seemed to be on totally different wavelengths.

“Qin Keqin, do you like me?” Yin Bin said.

Qin Keqin was taken aback.

She didn’t expect him to suddenly ask such a question.

“Do you like me?” Yin Bin seemed persistent.

Those words they had once deliberately avoided were all laid bare on the table now.

Against Yin Bin’s rather aggressive demeanor, Qin Keqin replied calmly, “At this old age, who cares about likes or dislikes. Just live out the rest of your life peacefully.”

“I’m not old.” Yin Bin confidently told Qin Keqin

“...” Qin Keqin was speechless.

“I don’t want to spend my life in vain like this, I don’t want to die without knowing whether you like me or not?” Yin Bin suddenly appeared very emotional.

Seeing him like this, Qin Keqin was somewhat startled.



It made her think back to when they were still young.

The first time she saw Yin Bin, she was nearby his college campus.

Back then, she was also a college student, participating in a social club that was conducting a social survey.

She had disguised herself as a heavily pregnant woman, wandering around his school.

She lost her shoelace and couldn’t bend down to tie it, so she kept walking on the street with some difficulty, trying to tie her shoelace but failing to do so on purpose.

Many students passed by her, and almost no one helped her.

Just as they thought the outcome of their investigation would be “human indifference”, a young boy suddenly bent down, placing a book beside her foot. He said, “Don’t move, let me help you.”

Qin Keqin just looked at the young boy.

He was wearing a business suit that seemed more mature than his peers, his hair was neatly combed backward. At an age when everyone else was still wearing sneakers, he was already wearing shiny leather shoes, looking meticulously neat and maturely steady.

He tied a very sturdy knot for her, picked up his book and stood up, and said, “This way your shoelace won’t come loose easily. Be careful when you’re going out alone.”

He left after saying this.

Maybe he hadn’t really noticed what she looked like.



But she was deeply impressed by him.

To put it precisely... it was love at first sight.

Among so many people, he was the only one willing to bend for her.

People are more emotional and sensitive when they are young, just a slight difference can make someone stand out in a crowd, leading to love, a spark of romance.

When their parents arranged the blind date, she recognized him instantly, and knew that she wouldn’t refuse this marriage.

But the blind date didn’t go as smoothly as she imagined, Yin Bin didn’t seem to feel much for her, nor did he recognize her.

She didn’t tell him.

In their era, inter-family marriages were a common occurrence in high society. Unlike normal families, high society was less free. A match in status was essential and had become an unwritten rule. So even if this blind date were a failure, there would be another one. Few people could escape this fate and parental education from childhood led one to feel rebellion was unthinkable. Thus, resistance was highly unlikely.

After that blind date, she sensed from Yin Bin’s reaction that this possibility had probably already been lost.

She even prepared herself to forget him and wait for the next blind date.

However, a month later, Yin Bin took the initiative to invite her for dinner. At that time, she had been accepting her parents’ second arrangement. When she received Yin Bin’s call, she decisively refused the other match.

The second time she had dinner with him, Yin Bin said they should get married soon, if she didn’t mind.



After all.

They were supposed to get married.

She nodded.

To her, marriage was inevitable. Marrying someone she liked was better than marrying someone she didn’t.

So, at the age of 20, and he at 21, they got married.

They hadn’t even graduated from college yet they’d already entered the halls of matrimony.

From confirming their relationship to getting married, it didn’t take more than three months. Their dates were sporadic within these three months, and Qin Keqin could feel that Yin Bin didn’t really like her.

She could understand it.

Cultivating feelings in a political marriage is rare, especially within such a short timeframe, so she never complained and she believed they could take things slowly.

Their first intimate encounter didn’t happen on their wedding night, because Yin Bin got drunk.

He was so drunk, he couldn’t even be helped up.

Since they missed out on their wedding night, it seemed both of them felt a little awkward to bring up the topic.



Their first real intimate encounter as a couple took place a month after their wedding, when they returned to Yin Bin’s parents’ house. His parents suggested they make plans soon to have a child, arguing that a man can only really become mature once he has a child. It would then be safe to hand over the family business to him to manage.

So that night, under the premise of having a child, they became intimate.

The process was not pleasant.

Perhaps it was the lack of deep feelings, or perhaps it was because Yin Bin was too young. Either way, it was not a happy experience.

However.

From the result of that unpleasant night, she got pregnant.

It happened faster than anyone could’ve imagined.

She was still in her sophomore year when she found out about her pregnancy.

She had no choice but to take a break from school.

Yin Bin had started working for the family business, the Milky Way, while also attending classes. However, he spent less time in class and more time at work. She had no idea that Yin Bin had a girlfriend while he was in college. She was under the impression that he was always busy dealing with work matters.

The fact that Yin Bin and his girlfriend were deeply in love and had been forced to break up because of his parents was something completely unknown to her. If she had known about it earlier, she would definitely not have allowed herself to be the third wheel. She would’ve chosen to step back even if Yin Bin probably wouldn’t have ended up with his girlfriend. It thoroughly opposed her values to break up someone else’s relationship, whether that be a romantic or marital one.

The thing she hated the most was now happening to her.

She found out that Yin Bin had had a girlfriend when she was six months pregnant. How did she find out?

She went to Yin Bin’s school one day, as he was giving a speech. It was quite impressive for a student yet to graduate to have already earned a place in the business world. Although Yin Bin’s position was small, it was still a big deal to the students. The school invited him to share his experience of studying and working at the same time, to encourage the students to plan ahead and not be too content with their current situation.

Out of boredom, she decided to go and listen to Yin Bin’s speech.

Despite having been married for quite a while, they didn’t understand each other very well.

Qin Keqin didn’t know what kind of person Yin Bin was. She thought she might find some answers from his speech.

She didn’t tell Yin Bin she was going.

Sitting in the large school auditorium, listening to his passionate speech, she felt somewhat excited.

Yin Bin was indeed more thoughtful and diligent than the average young rich people. This made her feel somewhat proud.

After an hour, the speech was over.

It was time for questions from the audience.

Yin Bin was able to answer every professional question asked.

However, some more exuberant students, deviated from the norm.

A student asked, “Yin, senior, is it true that you are married?”

“Indeed, I am.” Yin Bin answered.

“I heard the person you married is not Lin Ximeng?”

That was the first time Qin Keqin heard the name “Lin Ximeng”.

And that was a name she would not soon forget.

Her womanly intuition immediately told her who “Lin Ximeng” was to Yin Bin.

“Let’s respect personal privacy. Further inquiries might tarnish my shining image in your hearts.” Yin Bin humorously redirected the topic.

The atmosphere at the event was pleasant throughout.

Until the end.

People trickled out until no one was left.

Qin Keqin chose to stay behind in the auditorium.

On one hand, she was somewhat emotional, on the other, she was pregnant, which made her anxious in crowded places. So, she only left the auditorium after everyone else had left.

Outside the auditorium, she unexpectedly ran into Yin Bin.

Yin Bin noticed her as well, his lack of surprise suggesting that he had been waiting for her.

Had he noticed her earlier?

Yin Bin approached her, “Why did you come if you’re pregnant?”

His tone was somewhat accusatory.

“Staying at home is too boring, I wanted to get out.” She replied.

“Next time you want to come, let me know first. There are many people here, what if someone bumps into you?”

Qin Keqin nodded in agreement.

“Let’s leave. I’ll take you back.” Yin Bin offered his arm to her.

Even though they weren’t deeply in love, they still showed each other the respect a married couple should.

Just as they were about to leave, a girl suddenly appeared before them.

Upon the first glance, although she had never met this person before, Qin Keqin knew that this girl standing before them was Lin Ximeng.

Indeed, it was Lin Ximeng.

“No...” Yin Bin replied, but as soon as he spoke he realized he might have misspoken, “Well, that’s an important part too.”

Qin Keqin’s face turned livid.

Yin Bin looked at her, fearfully asking, “Did I say something wrong?”

Isn’t that the truth when a man likes a woman, really likes a woman?

“Damn it, you’re indeed a moron!” Qin Keqin was furious.

Furious, she threw Yin Bin off her.

Yin Bin was left utterly confused.

What on earth did he do wrong?!

“Drive, let’s go home!” Qin Keqin ordered.

“Can I have a kiss before we go?” Isn’t that the ritual of getting back together?!

“Drive!” Qin Keqin yelled.

“Hey, can you be gentle? Think of your child’s education.” Yin Bin surrendered, muttering, “Your sister Yin Qin said there is a good chance you’ll have a daughter. She can’t be as hot-tempered as you...”

“And she shouldn’t be as idiotic as you either!” Qin Keqin said bitterly.

“I have a very high IQ,” Yin Bin rebutted, feeling a bit vexed, “I think Yin Qin’s IQ is low because of you...”

“Yin Bin!”

“I’ll start driving now, calm down.” Yin Bin conceded, “I’m the one with the low IQ. I’m the one who passed the low IQ to Yin Qin.”

As he spoke, he reached out to rub Qin Keqin’s belly.

Qin Keqin frowned.

Yin Bin’s soft voice said, “Little darling, you must inherit well. Don’t lean too far off course like your older brother.”

“...”

Yin Qin let out a sneeze while lying in his bed.

Damn.

He wasn’t cold, was he?!

Mumbling, he turned over and held Luo Xiaolang even tighter.

Yin Bin returned to the driver’s seat.

He drove them back home.

His mood was elated, and he hummed a tune as he drove.

Qin Keqin was speechless.

She covered her stomach and silently prayed: My child, please don’t inherit your father’s tone deafness.

All the way, Yin Bin seemed exceptionally excited.

He parked the car and then helped Qin Keqin out.

Qin Keqin tried to break free of his hold, yet failed.

Yin Bin put on a face of self-satisfied success.

It was already quite late, everyone else was asleep.

The two of them returned to the room together.

Looking at Yin Bin’s self-possessed appearance in her room, Qin Keqin held back her annoyance.

Yin Bin was very proactive, fetching a basin of water from the bathroom. He got Qin Keqin to sit on the sofa and took off her shoes for her, then helped her wash her feet.

Deep down, Qin Keqin was somewhat touched.

She watched Yin Bin washing her feet dedicatedly, without any sign of distaste...

Women tend to get moved by little things, and she was no exception.

After washing her feet for quite a while, Yin Bin lifted Qin Keqin’s feet out of the basin, placed them on his lap and started wiping them. After drying them, he suddenly gave her foot a quick kiss.

Her heart skipped a beat.

After the kiss, Yin Bin murmured, “It’s been too long, even a pig’s trotter seems delicious...”

All the affection in Qin Keqin’s heart evaporated in an instant.

She was so furious that she was shaking, and she kicked Yin Bin’s face hard.

Yin Bin, who was originally squatting over, got knocked down onto his butt by Qin Keqin’s sudden bout of strength, looking utterly confused.

Qin Keqin put on her shoes and went straight back to bed.

Yin Bin didn’t get angry either. He got up from the ground, dumped the foot-washing water, and then scurried off to take another bath.

He had already bathed earlier, but he just couldn’t bear how dirty the clothing was. Moreover, he didn’t want to be filthy when sleeping with Qin Keqin.

After his bath, he thought Qin Keqin would be sleeping, but instead, he saw her sitting on the bed typing on her lightweight laptop.

Yin Bin instantly felt thrilled.

He rushed over and grabbed her laptop, “You’re exposing our daughter to radiation like this!”

“Haven’t you brushed up on your knowledge?” Qin Keqin was at a loss for words.

Yin Bin was startled, realizing she was right.

Just as he was about to hand back the laptop, he suddenly closed it, “How can you play with the computer so late? It will disturb our daughter’s rest.”

Qin Keqin was speechless.

“Go to bed early.” Yin Bin said as he moved to close the laptop.

As he closed the laptop, he saw the large words on the screen: “Married Life, Three Rules!”

Reading that, he suddenly burst into laughter.

His laughter was radiant and unrestrained.

Qin Keqin frowned.

Was this guy really a fool? What was there to laugh about?

Only Yin Bin knew how blissful he felt upon seeing the words “marriage.”

“I’ve been thinking, since we’re starting over, we should establish three rules. Otherwise, I’m afraid one day you’ll do something that will infuriate me.” Qin Keqin expressed straightforwardly.

Yin Bin seriously replied, “How could that happen? I could barely find time to love you let alone make you angry!”

Qin Keqin rolled her eyes at Yin Bin.

Yin Bin gave in, “Alright, whatever you say.”

Qin Keqin said, “I’ll dictate, you write. Once it’s done, print it out tomorrow, sign it, and stamp it with our handprints.”

“Is that necessary...Alright!”

Qin Keqin pursed her lips and said, “First, while pregnant, do nothing that harms the baby.”

As he typed, Yin Bin responded, “Of course.”

“To be blunt, we must refrain from getting too intimate.”

Yin Bin looked at Qin Keqin.

Qin Keqin glared at him, “What are you gawking at, keep writing.”

With great dissatisfaction, Yin Bin continued to type.

“Second, unless mutually agreed, refrain from overly intimate actions. This includes: 1. Kissing, which includes all parts of the body, not just the lips; 2. Hugging; 3. Holding hands.”

“Third, don’t be overly exposed in each other’s presence. The standard for exposure is no bare upper bodies and no underwear only. Like right now, your wrapping yourself in only a towel constitutes a serious violation of the agreement!”

“Fourth, sleeping together is allowed. However...no body contact is permitted. In other words, we can sleep on the same bed but not on the same pillow. I’m not comfortable snuggling too close. I fear having nightmares.”

“Fifth, no fooling around with the opposite sex. If extramarital affairs happen again, divorce is the only option!”

“Would I be so stupid to cheat inside my own marriage.” Yin Bin muttered while typing.

“The definition of marital infidelity is: you can’t have any physical contact with other women, can’t maintain excessive eye contact with other women, and can’t have improper conversations with other women.”

“Sixth, no snoring during sleep.”

As Yin Bin typed, there was an emotional clatter from the keyboard.

“I have poor sleep quality! If I’m having insomnia and you are snoring beside me, I’m afraid I might kill you.”

Yin Bin looked at Qin Keqin.

Qin Keqin said, “Seventh...”

Dear lord, there’s more!

“Seventh, don’t force me to do anything. Even though I am pregnant, I still have my own freedom. You can’t tell me what I can or can’t do, what I can or can’t eat! I’m not exactly thrilled to carry your child again, but since she’s a girl, I won’t make a big fuss with you. I know how to protect her.”

Yin Bin continued to hammer away at the keyboard.

Typing very loudly.

“Eighth.” Qin Keqin said, pausing for a moment, “That’s all I can think of for now. Any additions will be made when I think of them.”

Yin Bin lifted his hands from the keyboard.

“Why did you stop?” Qin Keqin raised an eyebrow.

“Didn’t you say you’d add more when you think of something?”

“That sentence should be added too! What if you refuse to recognize it later?!”

You win!

Yin Bin added that sentence, too.

“That’s all. If either of us fails to adhere to these rules—with no warnings, no chance for improvement—we’ll head straight for the divorce bureau.”

You’re a tough one!

Yin Bin typed it down, clearly not pleased.

“Save it.” Qin Keqin reminded.

Yin Bin saved the document.

“Now we can sleep. Don’t forget to turn off the lights.” Qin Keqin said.

Qin Keqin lay down on her bed.

As she turned to face away from Yin Bin, a smile broke out on her face.

She had thought that’s how her life would be, cold and silent till the end.

She never imagined she would have another chance to fall in love at this age.

Yin Bin shut the laptop and turned off the light.

Naturally, his body moved closer to hers.

“What does the fourth rule say?!” Qin Keqin fumed.

“Qin Keqin, business is all about the contract being enforced! The contract isn’t in effect yet, what can you do to me?” Yin Bin cunningly retorted.

She had the impulse to curse.

“Sleep.” Yin Bin held her in his arms.

With a face full of contentment.

Cunning and treacherous old fox! Qin Keqin was both speechless and exasperated.