Chapter 59: Do you want me to lie to you, or be honest with you?

Unexpectedly, instead of his usual display of shyness or embarrassment, the boy remained quiet and looked Hou Yizhen directly in the eye.

Hou Yizhen’s hands, which had been caressing the boy’s legs, paused, and his interest was piqued. It seemed that the boy had something to tell him.

"Uncle Hou," as expected, the boy began, "the reason I came to meet you is to tell you what has been on my mind."

The boy’s voice was hesitant at first, but it soon grew firmer.

"I don’t want to lie to you. After everything that has happened, if there’s one thing that has pulled me out of my aimlessness and stopped me from feeling lost, it is..." The boy paused, taking a deep breath. "It is the strong desire to live sincerely and stay true to my feelings so that I won’t be left with regrets. I just don’t know if you’ll be able to tolerate it..."

The boy sighed.

Hou Yizhen did not speak, allowing the boy to voice all his thoughts. He had also wanted to know what exactly this confused boy really wanted, and now that the boy had captured all his attention, he was willing to try to accommodate the boy’s wishes.

"Uncle Hou, please answer me honestly. Would you like to see me happy?"

Compared to seeing him weep or worry, Hou Yizhen naturally preferred seeing the boy smile.

The man nodded. "Yes."

The boy nodded as well, as if confirming something after seeing his nod. "Then, would you prefer me to lie to you or be honest with you?"

The man did not even think. "Honest." What kind of question was that, anyway?

The boy nodded again and hesitated for a moment, but still asked, "Uncle, if I tell you that I’m not very happy with our current relationship, will you be angry?"

The man’s eyes turned a little cold, and the large hands that had been gently rubbing the boy’s legs suddenly tightened their grip.

"You want to leave?" His tone was dangerous.

The boy shook his head before smiling wryly. "Uncle, I like you too much to bear leaving you."

The boy’s words were very sincere.

The man’s dangerous gaze remained fixed on the boy’s face, but his hands relaxed a little.

Lin Feng felt him loosening up again and added, "But it’s because I like you too much that I’m not happy."

The man did not speak.

"Uncle Hou, I am selfish. I hope that I can be with you with an open mind, but right now, I don’t dare to."

The man opened his mouth to speak, but the boy raised his hand and pressed a slender finger against the man’s lips.

"I don’t dare to because I don’t have the confidence to say that I’m with you wholeheartedly because of my feelings alone. Saying that would be a lie."

The man held the boy’s hand and bit the tip of his finger, making the boy flinch in pain, his eyes growing moist with grievance.

Hou Yizhen felt a little guilty and licked the bitten finger in comfort, sending a shiver down Lin Feng’s tailbone, before saying, "You clearly said you liked me. Why are you telling me now that it’s a lie?"

"Because, Uncle Hou, part of the reason I’ve stayed with you until now is that I had nowhere else to go before. I’m afraid to face the world. I don’t know how to support myself, and I have no confidence in making a way for myself in this world."

Hou Yizhen said, "I can support you. I’ll give you whatever you want. I can protect you so that no one can bully you."

The boy smiled, his eyes clearly pleased with the man’s words.

Lin Feng wrapped his arms around the man’s neck and rested his forehead against Hou Yizhen’s, whispering gently, "I know, so I stayed and fell even deeper for you, Uncle Hou. But... but I feel inferior. I’m worried about my own incompetence, and I always think, what if one day you become tired of me clinging to you like a dodder flower and abandon me? What if we fight and I make you unhappy? Then... then what will happen to me?"

Hou Yizhen opened his mouth to retort but suddenly froze when he remembered his previous thoughts about treating his relationship with Lin Feng as a novelty, thinking that he would enjoy it while the thrill lasted and then dump the boy afterward.

Had Lin Feng realized what he had been thinking back then? Was that why the boy had suddenly hesitated and said he wanted to think about whether they should continue their relationship?

The man fell into a daze, not realizing that the boy in front of him was observing his every reaction.

Seeing that the usually self-centered man had finally begun to see things from another perspective, Lin Feng’s eyes showed a look of sorrow. "If that happens, Uncle Hou, I might not be able to survive it."

Lin Feng knew that what he was doing was despicable.

He was blatantly telling the man that he might end his life if Hou Yizhen left him, if he, Lin Feng, was still wallowing in his former mindset.

This was not a lie.

The old Madam Lin would truly be unable to bear it if she lost Hou Yizhen, whom she considered everything she had in this world.

So he, Lin Feng, had to change.

As expected, the man’s face darkened.

His grip was so tight that it almost felt as though he were trying to crush the boy.

"Say that again. Are you threatening me?"

"No, Uncle Hou, I’m telling you the truth. That’s why I needed space back then, so I can breathe. Otherwise, what I told you would have likely been my fate."

The man’s dark, furious gaze met the boy’s sincere eyes.

The air fell silent for a long time. Only the man’s heavy breathing, driven by his immense anger, could be heard.

Slowly, the man’s cold, hard expression softened little by little, revealing a hint of someone who was at a loss.

It was faint, but this show of vulnerability finally relieved Lin Feng.

The man who was always above everyone finally stepped down from his throne.

The man Lin Feng loved was not completely unmoved!

Beneath the layers of the man’s hard shell, a small seed had long been planted and was beginning to sprout.

The corner of Lin Feng’s mouth twitched faintly, and he immediately dove forward.

He hugged the man’s neck and buried his face on the man’s shoulder, hiding the satisfaction that was brimming in his eyes and the smile that couldn’t be restrained on his lips.