Chapter Twenty-Nine: Official McTeng

As Gu Yin expected, it was already past 9:20 when he arrived at Lishan Xinyuan.

Returning this late meant the neighborhood elders who usually danced in the square had already retreated to their homes. A faint, distant echo of music still lingered, though it had grown significantly weaker.

"Do you want to grab something to eat?"

Passing by the pedestrian street, the area was still brightly lit, with most of the street stalls still open for business. The schedule of young people differed from that of the older generation; eight or nine in the evening was when their nightlife truly began. Back when Gu Yin used to run delivery orders late into the night, he often found himself returning at this hour, typically stopping by this very street to grab a bite.

Tonight, having earned over ten thousand from Xia Qianyi, he arguably should have treated himself. However, it was simply too late, and he was exhausted and devoid of appetite. Catching sight of a bag of yogurt he had bought that morning in his car, he decided to just make do with that.

Skipping dinner was good for weight loss, anyway.

He had arranged to have his car repaired tomorrow, so he didn't drive into the residential complex as usual, instead parking in a secluded spot on the street nearby.

Walking home, he occasionally passed high school students heading back from evening study sessions, their backpacks slung over their shoulders. They wore black-and-white school uniforms; some walked while reading books clutched in their hands, while others, having just come from the snack street, were busy devouring roasted cold noodles or deep-fried skewers.

Watching them, Gu Yin felt a flicker of envy. People always tend to envy the young, for they possess an infinite future.

"I hope Gu Yue doesn't see me..."

He pulled the hood of his hoodie up, mimicking the way Xia Qianyi wore hers, and scurried along like a thief. It wasn't that he was afraid of his younger sister recognizing him, but rather he didn't want her to discover his car was broken and report it to their mother.

"I’m not lying~ Why would I need to lie~"

Humming a tune, Gu Yin soon reached his apartment building. As he rounded the corner, he saw a car approaching from a distance, its high beams blindingly bright, making it impossible to even discern the model.

Only as it drew closer did he realize it was a Volkswagen Magotan.

Several Volkswagen sedans were quite popular in the Shandong region, especially the Passat and the Magotan. Was it because they had superior performance or great value for money?

No, not at all.

It was because they were the standard-issue vehicles for civil servants and public institution employees. Gu Yin had once heard a saying:

"The ideal man in Shandong is a civil servant, driving a black Magotan, with a government pass displayed on the dashboard, a trunk full of rice and cooking oil just issued by his department, and two bottles of high-end liquor and cigarettes ready to be gifted."

Since he wasn't a civil servant himself, and having been disgusted by this mindset since childhood, Gu Yin harbored a deep-seated aversion toward such positions. Anything that reminded him of that world made him feel a sense of revulsion.

The Magotan entering the complex with its high beams on had already irritated him, and now, with the unpleasant associations it triggered, he felt an urge to spit on it.

As if by coincidence, the Magotan was heading the same way, turning toward his building. Gu Yin happened to be standing at the intersection when the black car signaled...

"Beep-beep!"

It honked twice at him.

Gu Yin was the type who would relentlessly honk at others while driving, yet he grew incredibly annoyed whenever someone honked at him while he was on foot. Had this not been right outside his own home—where he feared drawing his mother’s attention—he would have stood his ground and given the driver of that black Magotan a piece of his mind.

With the yogurt pouch held between his teeth, he stepped aside. He wouldn't stoop to a dog's level. He let the Magotan pass.

After making the turn, the black car stopped right at the entrance of his building. Gu Yin intended to walk around them, but before he could move...

The passenger door opened, and a familiar, graceful figure stepped out.

It was a young girl in a light blue dress. She was tall and slender, and her gentle smile, attire, and aura all seemed to embody the very essence of the word "tenderness."

"Chen Yunjin?"

Gu Yin paused, clearly surprised to see her stepping out of the Magotan.

Before he could react, a man in a grey administrative jacket stepped out of the driver's seat. He was carrying a gift bag and walked toward Chen Yunjin with a smile.

"The weather has been colder lately, so I bought you a scarf. Try it on when you get inside to see if it fits," the man said, beaming.

"Ah..."

A shy smile flickered across Chen Yunjin's face. Just as she was about to raise her hand to decline, her eyes inadvertently caught sight of Gu Yin standing not far away.

A look of panic flashed across her face, as if she had been caught doing something shameful. After all, she had offered an "olive branch" to Gu Yin that morning, only to be heartlessly rejected. Being dropped off at home by another man that same night was, by any measure, a difficult look to justify.

But then...

Her gaze landed on the pouch of yogurt held in Gu Yin's mouth.

"Doesn't he... dislike yogurt?"

In an instant, Chen Yunjin knitted her delicate brows. When she had offered him yogurt that morning, he had explicitly said he didn't like it. She had spent the entire day trying to comfort herself with