Chapter 233: Uncivilized behavior

“Soon, soon, he’ll be here in a bit, in a bit.”

Facing his parents’ probing gazes, Lin Yu could only brace himself and laugh it off awkwardly. Taking advantage of lowering his head to drink tea, he quietly opened his contract bracelet under the table and frantically typed out a message, sending it over WeChat.

“The meal’s already started. When are you getting here?”

The other side quickly showed “typing…”

Two seconds later:

“Traffic’s bad. Might be a little late.”

“Damn it…”

Lin Yu cursed inwardly. This damned Xin Hai City traffic—never jams early or late, but just has to jam at a critical moment like this!

With no backup arriving anytime soon, Lin Yu had no choice but to hold the line by himself.

After a few rounds of drinks and several dishes…

As the family chatted, the topic somehow wandered around in circles and ended up back on Luo Shaotian, who still hadn’t shown up.

“Speaking of which, I remember that kid Shaotian very clearly. Good-looking, steady, reliable at a glance.”

Mother Zhang said while cracking a crab, her face full of approval.

“He’s a proper civil servant now, right? I told you before—being a civil servant is great! Iron rice bowl, stable no matter what! Son, why didn’t you take the civil service exam back when you graduated?”

Here it comes—the classic “other people’s child” segment of Chinese parents.

Lin Yu picked up a piece of Dongpo pork and mumbled vaguely,

“Mom… you think being a civil servant is that easy? That’s like thousands competing to cross a single-log bridge! Besides, police recruitment requires a physical exam. I’ve got a bit of nearsightedness—wouldn’t even pass the first round.”

“Nearsightedness is nothing! Medicine is so advanced now—you can just get that laser eye surgery!”

Mother Zhang immediately pulled out knowledge from her middle-aged group chats, speaking confidently.

“I saw it on short videos just a few days ago! That British king—what’s his name, William! Even he had that surgery! The technology is very mature now. It’s just twenty thousand yuan—we can afford it!”

“Forget it, cutting into your eyeballs sounds risky.”

Lin Yu waved his hand, tactically taking a sip of tea.

“And being a police officer isn’t as glamorous as you think. I’ve heard grassroots officers have to be on duty, pull all-nighters, go out in wind and rain catching criminals. Huge pressure, and they rely on chain-smoking just to get through the day.”

He patted his chest and shamelessly declared,

“I think my current job is pretty good. Sure, it’s a confidential unit so I can’t say much, but at least I don’t have to live in constant danger. Besides, didn’t I already find you a civil-servant son-in-law?”

He added quickly,

“Yeah, I can’t talk much about the job, but at least I don’t have to stay up all night hurting my health! In life, money doesn’t matter as much—health is the most important!”

“Oh really?”

Mother Zhang immediately caught the flaw and gave him a sideways look.

“You’ve got the nerve to say that? Don’t you smoke all the time?”

“I quit, I quit! Already quit!”

Lin Yu waved his hands repeatedly.

Ever since becoming a magical girl, this pure body had a physiological rejection of nicotine—he felt like throwing up just smelling smoke.

“Hmph, we’ll see about that.”

Father Lin, who had been quietly eating, suddenly set down his chopsticks, took a sip of ten-year-aged Nü’er Hong, and entered classic Chinese father defense mode.

“But don’t always use smoking as an excuse for poor health. Look at Zhang Xueliang—smoked for seventy years and still lived past a hundred! I’ve smoked for decades too, and my recent physical showed my lungs are perfectly fine! It’s all probability—depends on fate!”

Lin Yu and Lin Xue exchanged a glance and tacitly chose to stay silent.

Arguing with an older Chinese man about smoking being harmful? That’s asking for trouble.

Mother Zhang clearly didn’t want to argue either. She changed the topic:

“Speaking of life, it’s all about career and family. That kid Shaotian already has a career—has he started a family yet? You’re all nearly thirty. With his conditions, he should already have kids, right?”

“Him? Kids?”

Lin Yu nearly spat out his tea.

“Please, him? He’s still a single dog!”

“Ah? Still no girlfriend?”

Mother Zhang raised her eyebrows in surprise.

Then her gaze shifted thoughtfully.

She looked at her son who was eating heartily, then at her daughter trying to stay invisible.

“Xiaoxue.”

Her voice suddenly turned extremely gentle.

“Are you… dating anyone at school right now?”

“Cough, cough, cough—!”

Lin Xue, who was chewing a rib, choked violently.

She waved her hands in panic:

“Mom… what are you saying? I haven’t even graduated from grad school yet—how would I have time for that?”

“That’s exactly why you should find someone while still in school! Once you enter society, all that’s left in the dating market are leftovers!”

Mother Zhang slapped her thigh and began lecturing earnestly.

“I’m worried about you two. You young people nowadays—why aren’t you anxious about marriage and kids? Back in my day, at your age, your brother was already running errands for soy sauce…”

As someone seasoned by life, Lin Yu knew exactly how long this lecture would last.

If he didn’t escape now, when would he?

“Ah—!”

Lin Yu suddenly clutched his stomach and inhaled sharply in an exaggerated manner.

“Uh… I think I drank too many iced drinks earlier—my stomach’s a bit upset! I’m going to the restroom. Dad, Mom, you guys keep eating and chatting!”

Phew… I’m alive again.

Only after rushing into the men’s restroom did Lin Yu finally let out a long breath.

This restaurant wasn’t just elegant outside—even the restroom was extremely high-end and clean.

The air carried a faint citrus fragrance, and the marble sink was spotless, without the slightest odor.

After relieving himself, he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

A few decades ago, public restroom culture in China had been terrible.

He didn’t know about women’s restrooms, but in his childhood memories, men’s restrooms always had sticky urine stains on the floor, a foul smell in the air, and those squat toilets often had… horrifying sights.

But now it was different.

After that disaster years ago, many refugees came to Xin Hai City, working as low-cost cleaners.

A cleaning cycle every fifteen minutes became standard for an international hygienic city.

Besides, as an international metropolis, residents here generally had higher standards.

At least in a high-end restaurant like this, those filthy conditions had basically disappeared. People were more self-aware, wouldn’t—

Hmm? Why does it smell like smoke?

Click.

At that moment, a stall door opened.

An older man walked out with a cigarette in his mouth.

Around fifty. Big belly, wearing a loose-collared striped shirt, belt hanging loosely on his hips—sloppy and ridiculous.

“Cough, cough… ha…”

He walked to the urinal, unzipped, took a deep drag, and let out a series of phlegmy coughs.

Then with a “khh,” he casually spat a thick glob of yellow phlegm—and the cigarette butt—into the urinal.

“…Ugh.”

Seeing this, Lin Yu felt speechless.

What kind of manners is that?!

There’s clearly a No Smoking sign on the wall—are you blind?

Sigh, figures.

Lin Yu rolled his eyes inwardly.

“China just has too many of these uncultured old-timers. One rotten apple spoils the whole barrel—that’s why people criticize us…”

He didn’t want to bother with someone like that and turned to leave.

“Mm…”

But just as Lin Yu took a step—

The old man, still relieving himself, suddenly stared straight at Lin Yu’s profile.

That gaze had no restraint—scanning him up and down, even carrying a strange excitement.

“…”

The hairs on Lin Yu’s back instantly stood on end, his whole body tensing.

What the hell?!

What’s going on?!

Why is this old creep staring at me?

Don’t tell me… I ran into one of those perverts who hunt in public restrooms?!

Better to avoid trouble!

But just as he reached the door, the old man suddenly raised his voice and shouted:

“Hey! Aren’t you Lin Yu?!”

“Huh?”

Lin Yu froze.

He turned back in surprise.

The man had already zipped up, not even washing his hands, and strode toward him.

“Ah! It really is you, kid! I thought you looked familiar!”

“What? Spent a few years in the big city and you don’t recognize family anymore?”

“I’m your uncle!”