Our Entire Family Has Secrets [Transmigrated] - Chapter 39

To Yuan Bozhu’s surprise, Lin Shuanghuai learned very quickly.

Whether it was polishing the extraction or frothing the milk, he remembered every step very clearly.

For a novice encountering a large coffee machine for the first time, being able to familiarize himself with the machine in one go and make a coffee without errors was already impressive.

Even Pei Jinwang watched in astonishment, leaning on the bar with wide eyes, and asked, “Xiao Zhu, do you have some exclusive secret technique you haven’t taught me? How did Xiao Lin manage to froth milk so well on his first try?”

The froth was dense yet light, the latte art smooth and seamless.

Lin Shuanghuai, holding his first successful cup with glowing eyes, looked at Yuan Bozhu.

Yuan Bozhu glanced at him and nodded in acknowledgment of Lin Shuanghuai’s coffee.

Lin Shuanghuai happily placed the cup down and gazed adoringly at the small heart he had just created.

Pei Jinwang was still waiting for Yuan Bozhu to clarify his doubts.

Yuan Bozhu turned his attention back from Lin Shuanghuai and said, “You’re not using the correct angle when you insert the steam wand. If you introduce too much air while rotating, it will affect the texture of the froth.”

“But I followed your instructions,” Pei Jinwang protested, his curiosity inversely proportional to his practical skills. “I even learned how many turns to make from you.”

“Your hands are unsteady,” Yuan Bozhu said.

Yuan Bozhu had taught him these things many times before at the previous shop.

However, Pei Jinwang was the type who had a lot of theoretical knowledge but struggled with practical application.

When the steam wand heated up, he would get nervous, keeping the milk pitcher far away and avoiding directly engaging with the froth, thus failing to master the correct rotation pressure.

Compared to him, Lin Shuanghuai was practically a genius.

This person was neither afraid of burns nor of failure, and he remembered all the information he received, picking things up extremely quickly.

He replicated Yuan Bozhu’s every action almost exactly—whether it was the posture, angle, or timing for making coffee, or even the number of times Yuan Bozhu brushed off the excess powder, and which finger Yuan Bozhu used to adjust the machine’s switches.

This extraordinary learning ability seemed to carry over from his unconscious imitation method from that day. But now, he was conscious and rational, making the things he learned even more effective.

Yuan Bozhu felt a bit strange.

Seeing his own every move being recreated in Lin Shuanghuai was a difficult sensation to describe.

“Xiao Zhu, if you teach all your skills to Xiao Lin, how long will it take?”

Pei Jinwang, a university student just over twenty, suddenly displayed a cunning expression, smiling at Yuan Bozhu. “Can he learn everything by tonight?”

A boss who doesn’t exploit their former colleagues isn’t a good capitalist.

Pei Jinwang had ill intentions, which Yuan Bozhu saw through immediately.

“Not possible.”

Yuan Bozhu said this as he washed his hands at the sink, looking like he was done with the job.

“Ah, you’re not going to teach him? He’s only learned how to make a latte. What am I going to do when I open tomorrow? Xiao Zhu, save me~~”

Pei Jinwang’s tone shifted melodramatically.

Yuan Bozhu didn’t blink and replied, “You can open next week.”

Pei Jinwang seized the loophole in his words and said, “Oh, so a week is enough for you to teach Xiao Lin everything, right?”

“In a week, you could hire a professional barista,” Yuan Bozhu said, giving him no leeway.

Lin Shuanghuai listened to their conversation, with one digging a pit and the other refusing to jump in.

He seemed like an outsider, not worried at all about whether the café would open, happily enjoying his vanilla latte, taking pictures for his social media.

With a filter added, he posted:
【Trainer’s Hands-on Teaching, Little Bird Latte~】

Within two minutes, a flood of diverse comments appeared.

【Xu Zilong】: What’s this? Did the zoo and café collaborate? [Thinking.jpg]

【Han Banlan】: You really took a part-time job, impressive! Give me the address, I’ll come support you~

【Student Union-xxx】: Is this coffee made by senior? Really amazing!! [Admiration.jpg]

【Yu Yang’en】: Huai’er, reply to me quickly, there’s big news! Reliable sources say you’re being reassigned to another class! PS: Who is the trainer?

Lin Shuanghuai replied to each comment while listening to Yuan Bozhu and Pei Jinwang talk.

“Xiao Zhu, you don’t know. Hiring a waiter is easy, hiring an apprentice is easy, but finding a barista who fits in all aspects is not. Forget about the skills; the key is whether the person has good character. I’m straightforward, but I’m afraid of encountering someone dishonest, or I’ll end up losing both the business and the person.”

After his complaints, Pei Jinwang started daydreaming, “I think Xiao Lin is great, and he’s your friend. I’m very satisfied! I’ll train him first, from barista to manager, how perfect.”

Yuan Bozhu replied, “He’s just a part-timer.”

“But a part-timer who performs well can become a full-time employee!”

“He’s in his senior year of high school,” Yuan Bozhu reminded Pei Jinwang. “He doesn’t have time.”

“Perfect timing to become a manager after the college entrance exams!” Pei Jinwang’s mind seemed stuck on one track, already envisioning Lin Shuanghuai’s career plan for the next decade in this café. “There are three universities here. Except for Qiancheng Arts Academy, which is a bit lower-ranked, the other two are second-tier. Xiao Lin can apply to one of them, balancing both academics and work, getting a head start on his life compared to his peers. What do you think?”

Yuan Bozhu looked at him and said solemnly, “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

Lin Shuanghuai’s academic performance was among the best in his school.

Even if he didn’t go to the Alliance Academy, he could still get into a top-tier university.

Who would set their future direction based on a part-time job at a café?

Pei Jinwang was just spouting nonsense.

Yuan Bozhu and Pei Jinwang were discussing Lin Shuanghuai’s future, while Lin Shuanghuai, the person involved, quietly sat in the corner of the workspace.

Sipping his self-made latte and watching Yuan Bozhu with an unabashedly bright gaze, he thought Yuan Bozhu was a very competent trainer.

A trainer takes care of his sleep, meals, and even helps him with his clothes, and now, like a parent, helps him navigate dealings with the dreaming boss.

Lin Shuanghuai only needed to sit by and watch without thinking.

It was quite interesting.

For the first time in his life, Lin Shuanghuai was waiting for others to make decisions for him.

He licked the vanilla-flavored sweetness from his lips and continued to watch Yuan Bozhu.

“Xiao Lin, Xiao Lin…?” Pei Jinwang called out to Lin Shuanghuai.

He didn’t respond.

Yuan Bozhu turned around and found Lin Shuanghuai staring at him intently, taking small sips of the milk foam on top of his coffee. When he noticed Yuan Bozhu looking at him, Lin Shuanghuai immediately straightened up with a spirited demeanor.

“Xiao Lin, how about you make a cup yourself now?” Pei Jinwang suggested with interest, glancing back and forth between the two. “While Xiao Zhu hasn’t abandoned us yet, let him evaluate the results of your training.”

“Sure,” Lin Shuanghuai agreed.

He put down the cup, licked his lips, and rolled up his sleeves, ready to get to work.

Yuan Bozhu hesitated for a moment but didn’t stop him; he simply walked out of the workspace to give him some room.

In fact, he had originally planned to find an excuse to leave.

He had come over thinking Lin Shuanghuai might encounter problems like Qin Rui, but it was clear now that everything was safe.

Pei Jinwang, aside from being an unreliable boss, posed no harm to Lin Shuanghuai.

Therefore, Yuan Bozhu didn’t need to stay any longer.

He had not invested in this café, did not receive any profit shares, and wasn’t paid.

There was no reason to spend time helping Pei Jinwang train a barista.

However, seeing Lin Shuanghuai so enthusiastic in front of the coffee machine, Yuan Bozhu refrained from saying anything to dampen the mood.

He and Pei Jinwang stood at the bar, watching Lin Shuanghuai work diligently.

Pei Jinwang was very satisfied and kept praising him.

“Look at Xiao Lin, he’s much smarter than me. Ah, his little actions with tamping the coffee are exactly like yours! He even likes to tap it after tamping, making it look really professional.”

“Wow, Xiao Lin’s milk frothing technique also resembles yours. Look at his expression while rotating the cup—so cool and professional.”

“Did you teach him before? He’s absorbed all your essence!”

Pei Jinwang’s endless chatter made Yuan Bozhu’s ears buzz.

He ignored the comments and silently watched Lin Shuanghuai, paying attention to his hands to see if he was pulling the cup at the right time or performing any dangerous actions.

The coffee was made smoothly.

Lin Shuanghuai, seemingly proud of his work, presented the cup to Yuan Bozhu.

Pei Jinwang’s hand hovered in the air as he said with a forced smile, “Our Xiao Lin is truly a good kid who respects the old and loves the young. Alright, I’ll give this cup to Xiao Zhu.”

Yuan Bozhu looked at him as if he were a fool and then said to Lin Shuanghuai, “Give it to him.”

Lin Shuanghuai looked surprised and asked, “Don’t you want to drink it?”

“He’s interviewing you, not me,” Yuan Bozhu replied.

Pei Jinwang added, “I’ve finished the interview! I think Xiao Lin meets all my criteria, so he can start working anytime.”

He smirked meaningfully. “So, you should drink this cup. After all, Xiao Lin is your apprentice.”

Lin Shuanghuai nodded and eagerly said, “Why don’t you try it?”

Yuan Bozhu had a strange feeling.

He knew the taste of this coffee without even drinking it.

Since Lin Shuanghuai had mimicked his every move and detail so closely, he was almost certain that the taste of this coffee was very similar to what he would make himself.

But seeing Lin Shuanghuai’s hopeful expression, Yuan Bozhu took the cup.

After taking a sip, he frowned. The taste was not at all like what he had imagined.

Yuan Bozhu didn’t want to be too harsh, but the flavor did not align with most people’s coffee preferences.

“It’s too sweet,” he said.

“Really?” Lin Shuanghuai leaned over the bar with his upper body, placing his hands on it.

At first, Yuan Bozhu didn’t realize Lin Shuanghuai’s intent.

Then he felt a slight pressure on his hand.

Lin Shuanghuai’s lips had already brushed against the other side of the cup.

Lin Shuanghuai tasted a sip, savored it, and then said, “There’s too much vanilla syrup. I’ll remake it!”

Lin Shuanghuai stepped back and started grinding the coffee beans again.

His expressions, demeanor, and actions were all very natural.

It seemed as if having just shared the same cup of coffee with Yuan Bozhu was an ordinary occurrence.

If anyone was surprised, it was because they hadn’t seen much of this before.

As Lin Shuanghuai seamlessly began making a new cup, Yuan Bozhu slowly lowered his gaze and placed the cup down.

With a click, the ceramic cup set down on the marble bar.

In that moment, Yuan Bozhu’s heartbeat experienced a slight tremor, interrupted by a rhythm that didn’t belong to him.

“Xiao Zhu, are you still going to drink this vanilla latte? I remember you don’t like your coffee too sweet. Let me take care of it,” Pei Jinwang said, reaching out for the cup. “I can’t stand food waste, especially when it’s made with my own money.”

Before he could grasp the cup handle, Yuan Bozhu emotionlessly moved the coffee away.

“Wait for the next cup.”

 

Pei Jinwang paused, then instinctively asked, “So who’s going to drink this one?”

 

Without even looking at him, Yuan Bozhu replied, “I’ll drink it.”

At this point, Lin Shuanghuai, who had been flawlessly operating the coffee machine, suddenly got a burn from the milk jug.

Despite his busy appearance, his lips curled up into a secretive smile.

As night fell, Pei Jinwang and Lin Shuanghuai finally settled on the part-time job details.

The café would officially open tomorrow.

Yuan Bozhu and Lin Shuanghuai exchanged skeptical glances.

Seeing their disbelief, Pei Jinwang laughed and revealed, “Actually, this café isn’t run solely by me. I have a partner who’s very skilled in this area, but he’s usually too busy to come to the café often. However, he’ll definitely be around during the opening days.”

Lin Shuanghuai finally relaxed and finalized the last details with him.

When they left the café, the streetlights had come on, and the surrounding restaurants and shops were glowing with warm yellow lights.

The commercial area of the university town was bustling with people, with groups of boys and girls chatting and laughing, creating a lively atmosphere.

In contrast, Yuan Bozhu and Lin Shuanghuai seemed much quieter.

Lin Shuanghuai, who usually liked to initiate conversations, remained silent and walked beside Yuan Bozhu.

It was already seven o’clock, and Yuan Wanjiao had mentioned they were having hotpot tonight. She had mention Yuan Bozhu several times in the group chat.

Yuan Qifeng, unable to come back, was anxiously jumping around.

Yuan Wanjiao had even sent photos of the hotpot base and ingredients to show him.

Yuan Bozhu’s phone vibrated lightly in his pocket.

Suddenly, Lin Shuanghuai stopped.

At that moment, Yuan Bozhu had a fleeting thought—should he invite Lin Shuanghuai for hotpot? But he quickly dismissed the unfeasible idea.

Yuan Bozhu hoped Lin Shuanghuai wouldn’t say anything troubling, like asking him to dinner or for a ride home—such reasons, used many times before, only made Yuan Bozhu uncomfortable.

“Thank you for coming today. I really wanted to invite you to dinner, but I assume your family is waiting for you, so I won’t delay you.”

Lin Shuanghuai took his heavy backpack from Yuan Bozhu and added, “It’s already so late; you should head home. I have some things to do and might head in the opposite direction.”

 

He spoke in a long, uninterrupted string of words.

Yuan Bozhu watched him but couldn’t read any issues from his flawless expression.

Yuan Bozhu nodded without saying goodbye, glanced around, and said, “Wait for me a moment.”

Lin Shuanghuai was more than happy to wait.

Yuan Bozhu rarely engaged in such back-and-forth dialogues.

Lin Shuanghuai, filled with anticipation and cautiously holding back his excitement, waited.

A few minutes later, Yuan Bozhu emerged from a store, carrying a paper bag.

Given the time constraints, he hadn’t bought anything fancy—just two filling hamburgers, with a pineapple pie as a bonus from the set.

Yuan Bozhu handed the items to Lin Shuanghuai.

Lin Shuanghuai took them dazedly.

For some reason, he suddenly chuckled and teased, “Oh, did you see my message from this morning? That was just a joke. How could I not have money for dinner…”

Yuan Bozhu neither confirmed nor denied it, simply nodded and said, “I’m leaving now.”

Lin Shuanghuai bit his lip and muttered, “Okay.”

He watched Yuan Bozhu cross the street and turn the corner, disappearing from view.

Holding the dinner Yuan Bozhu had bought for him, Lin Shuanghuai walked to a nearby park.

At this hour, the park was empty, poorly lit, and few people ventured inside.

He sat down on the most inconspicuous dark bench.

Unwrapping a hamburger, he began eating it with large bites.

It was his first meal of the day.Top of Form

Strangely, Lin Shuanghuai didn’t initially feel pity for himself or consider that running out of money and not daring to ask his father for more could be particularly distressing.

But after swallowing the warm dinner, he suddenly felt a pang of sadness swelling in his heart.

 

Lin Shuanghuai belatedly realized that he had been harboring grievances over the years.

He had stopped crying because no one paid attention to his tears and had given up on seeking justice since no one would provide it.

He had simply complied.

Now, however, someone could sense his void and fill it.

Years of delayed grievances surged to the surface all at once.

Before he had finished eating his hamburger, rustling noises suddenly came from the shadowy bushes nearby.

The tears that had almost welled up in his eyes were now caught at the brink of spilling.

He blinked, chewing and swallowing the fragmentary sadness along with the hamburger.

He maintained a neutral expression, as if he hadn’t heard the sounds nearby.

But the noises grew louder, initially approaching cautiously but then revealing themselves as several tall, burly men in black and one rather thin and weak-looking man emerged from the surrounding darkness.

Lin Shuanghuai put down his hamburger carefully and retrieved the pineapple pie from the bag.

He liked sweet foods, especially those bought by Yuan Bozhu.

But before he could eat it, a hand swiped it away.

The delicious pineapple pie fell to the ground.

The man in front of him said, “Last time at the mall, there were too many people, and you got away. This time, you won’t be able to escape.”

Lin Shuanghuai’s gaze fell to the ground, and he crouched to check if his pineapple pie had gotten dirty.

The man’s foot stomped down, destroying the pie beyond recognition.

Lin Shuanghuai clicked his tongue in frustration.

“Young Master Er, let’s talk about our business. If you don’t want to end up like last time, you’d better cooperate.”

“What did Chen Jin give you?” Lin Shuanghuai asked slowly, standing up while supporting himself on his knees.

“It’s not about the money,” the man coughed a couple of times.

The nearby bodyguards seemed to look down on the sickly man. If it weren’t for the fact that they were all paid by Chen Jin, they wouldn’t associate with someone so weak.

Lin Shuanghuai said, “I understand. He told you I’m some kind of necromancer, right? Back then, you told me I was destined to be a calamity, capable of killing many people.”

The man was surprised that Lin Shuanghuai could speak so calmly about this, “Since you know, then don’t run away. I’m here to verify if my prophecy was accurate.”

“And if it was wrong?” Lin Shuanghuai coldly asked.

“Then that would be the best outcome. I heard you’ve wanted to return to the Chen family for a long time. So why not come with us for a quick check? It’s better to prove that you’re an ordinary person.”

“So, you can’t guarantee how accurate your prediction is,” Lin Shuanghuai said, lowering his gaze slowly. His voice grew softer, barely audible over the wind in the park.

The half-blood necromancer wasn’t concerned with Lin Shuanghuai’s words.

His sole purpose was to confirm Lin Shuanghuai’s bloodline.

If Lin Shuanghuai was indeed a rare type, he intended to seize the energy core before Lin Shuanghuai fully awakened to enhance his own spiritual power.

If Lin Shuanghuai had no special bloodline and was just an ordinary person, he would follow Chen Jin’s instructions and give the useless brother a thorough beating—leaving him searching for his teeth.

Why Chen Jin hated his brother so much was not their concern.

“Come on, let’s escort Young Master Er,” the necromancer waved his hand, and the bodyguards immediately surrounded Lin Shuanghuai.

Lin Shuanghuai rubbed his eyes.

His eyelashes hadn’t been plucked out; after waking up, he had suddenly figured out how to restore their color.

He protected his eyelashes, which now fluttered and itched slightly.

Someone nearby pushed him, and another voice said, “Don’t waste our time.”

Lin Shuanghuai suddenly smiled.

He straightened up and glanced at the four bodyguards, saying, “You’re right, don’t waste time.”

As his words settled, the dark park corner was suddenly swept by a gust of wind.

In autumn, fallen leaves never seem to end.

The wind whirled them into a vortex in the air.

Lin Shuanghuai stood in the midst of that vortex, with everything and everyone trying to approach being kept at bay.

The lich’s eyes changed, and he temporarily performed divination, but his spiritual power was not enough, and there was no time – he only had time to see a dazzling light, and then the pain of his body being torn apart.

It seemed like a feather, or a sharp knife, scraping his face and body one by one.

Everything happened too suddenly, as if it was really to save time, so there was not even a warning.

Pain spread all over the body, and the heart-wrenching wails of the lich and several bodyguards broke through the sky.

Lin Shuanghui opened his blood-red eyes and watched them fall to the ground one by one, but his expression was very light – he might be deliberately imitating his breeder.

Calm, indifferent, and not shaken by anything.

Imitating Yuan Bozhu’s expression and movements can make Lin Shuanghui feel at ease.

Lin Shuanghui suddenly raised his hand, and he saw that his arm had grown a dazzling light spot, and each line was the color of blood.

He could feel the flow of power.

Lin Shuanghui has grown up, from being completely ignorant to being able to control his body now.

But the wings still did not grow on his back.

There was a call from deep in his blood, urging him to grow up faster.

Lin Shuanghui looked at his fingers, and when he gathered them together, the power in his body was held in his hands as if it were real.

He saw the arrogant lich who had just threatened him, falling to the ground, begging for mercy in agony.

“No, don’t kill me!! Please, don’t kill me! We are the same kind, we are all descendants of the Red Land, don’t–”

Lin Shuanghui felt noisy.

So he waved his hand and blew a surging wind on the lich.

The surrounding trees also shook violently.

Wipe, wipe.

The lich shut up.

The bodyguards were covered in blood, but they didn’t dare to make any sound.

Lin Shuanghui looked at them and said, “Will you tell Chen Jin about this?”

Their bodies were covered with bloody wounds, and they just covered their mouths and shook their heads violently.

Lin Shuanghui walked in front of them, slowly squatted down, and looked at them sincerely: “Am I that scary?”

He has only become such a monster for a short time.

Last night, he was so nervous that he wanted to vomit because he was afraid of pulling out his eyelashes.

This morning, he was anxiously running around in the room because he didn’t know how to take back the light spots on his body.

But now he can control these small changes.

Lin Shuanghui still looks like a human being.

Why are you afraid of him.

“Don’t… don’t kill us…”

“I don’t kill people.”

Lin Shuanghui sighed, patted their shoulders, and said, “At least today, no killing.”

The author has something to say:

Lin Shuanghui: A little bad guy who looks innocent and ignorant, but actually uses all his tricks to hook his husband.

Yuan Bozhu: A man who looks very stable and is actually stable, and can remain expressionless even if he is teased to the point, a stable man.