Feeling the warm hand on top of his head, Meng Ting lifted his eyes as he looked upon him. He softly pressed his lips together before a slight smile emerged on his face.
"You've arrived."
Including the time when Yan Sui brought him supper, this time was only the third time they had met; but it was impossible to tell that they had only known each for a short span of time, judging by their familiarity and closeness.
Meng Ting stared at Yan Sui's hand while he felt all types of complex emotions deep within.
This beautiful little brother of Meng Qi — it appeared he had already captured Yan Sui's heart even though he had not even married him yet, and he allowed Yan Sui to touch his head, while Meng Qi would get punched as soon as he touched his hand. The treatment was indeed way too different.
The people that were more dumbfounded than Meng Qi were the crowd of onlookers in the hall. When Meng Qi walked around to greet them with Meng Ting, they did not make any innuendo about Meng Ting's identity as an illegitimate son, but they purposely, or perhaps… Unconsciously displayed a sense of alienation which, in turn, discriminated and segregated Meng Ting from the rest of them.
They wanted Meng Ting to understand that he would never be able to assimilate into their circle. Furthermore, they would never lower their style and status for him either.
When the alienation lingered, Yan Sui showed them otherwise — as if slapping their faces. A guy like him was even treating a person with such affection, what right did the rest of them have to act like snobs while alienating and drawing a demarcation line toward Meng Ting?!
Yan Sui's pupils darkened as his gaze swept to Meng Qi who was standing beside Meng Ting. Thereafter, the hand that was on top of Meng Ting's head moved down to hold his arms. In seconds, Yan Sui slid his hand down further before he took hold of his hand.
"Come with me. Let's go for a walk?"
"Okay." Meng Ting held onto his hand as well before he lightly nodded. Subsequently, he was led out of the hall by Yan Sui in front of multitudes of gazes.
After walking away from the hall for a while, Yan Sui still did not let go of his hand. When he was certain no one in the surrounding area could hear their words, he paused his footsteps, while conveniently pulling Meng Ting to a stop, too. All the while, the hand that was holding onto Meng Ting's hand still did not let go.
Meng Ting's face was very good-looking; however, his hand was not that great-looking. The palm of his right hand had a long and thin scar. There were also some small scars between the knuckles. Some were probably from a long time ago and some were left from not long ago.
The information he knew about Meng Ting flashed by in his mind. Initially, he felt it was very detailed, but that did not seem enough anymore. At the very least, the information when he was isolated for three years during high school was way too vague.
"Can you tell me now why you're not happy?"
Meng Ting did not think Yan Sui was that sharp, where he was able to see the tiniest of unhappiness that was left in him.
The lights in his eyes had sunken slightly as they moved toward their entangled hands. He eventually spoke after a long while.
"Yan Sui, I feel you'll regret what you've promised before."
"I'm probably more stupid than what I've told you. No, it's a lot more stupid."
At first, he thought as long as he tried with utmost effort to treat Yan Sui well after he married him, then everything would be fine. However, reality showed him — that would not be remotely enough. In his mind, he was not good enough for Yan Sui. He was far from it. There was an immeasurable distance between him and being a qualified "wife."
"There are things I might not be able to learn how to do it, ever."
Feeling utterly dispirited, if only he was smarter, even just by a tiny bit, then him and Yan Sui would not have a gulf in between them where it was impossible to leap over. If he was smarter, at the most, he merely needed to work harder and take a bit of detour — to get there.
"Such as?" Yan Sui listened as he remained calm as usual, while the corner of his eyes emerged with traces of gentle creases from the smile. At that very moment, he was no longer cold, he was warm and gentle. Unknowingly, Meng Ting had given him warmth and gentleness.
"Such as, speaking." When he faced occasions where he had to speak, either he would say something wrong or he would not be able to speak a single word.
"Such as, fake smile…." It was not possible for him to learn that type of smile. For him, if one was truly unhappy, why was there a need to smile at all?!
"Also, everything they understand, I don't." The fashion or the brand… In Meng Ting's eyes, the difference was merely long sleeve or short sleeve and summer or winter clothes.
He thought to himself before he added another line, as if he had accepted his misfortune, "Even if you got someone to teach me, I won't be able to get it. I'm too stupid."
Meng Ting was still afraid to look at Yan Sui's face, he was afraid to see regret in his expressions. Even he, himself, felt it was only rightful for Yan Sui to go back on his promise. Or perhaps, for Yan Sui, the earlier he resiled the wiser he would be; stopping, in the nick of time, the loss from occurring by not marrying such a stupid person as him.
Yan Sui used his other hand to comfort Meng Ting's face, then he moved his hand down below his chin, raising the head that had been hanging low.
"I've said this before, I will not go back on my promise." Previously, it was because of He Wan, but from now on — it was not. He looked toward Meng Ting's eyes that had suddenly opened wider, while he attentively differentiated the color and radiance beneath those eyes, causing a faint smile to emerge, yet again.
"Who said you're stupid?"
"A lot of people have said that…" Except for the tutor from the university. The people he had encountered, even if they did not say it, it was clear from their attitude that this was what they thought. Regardless of how well he was able to blend and harmonize perfumes, those people still looked at him pitifully.
In fact, he truly did not like that type of pitifulness.
"I don't think you are." Yan Sui's thumb slowly moved upward, just as it was about to touch Meng Ting's cherry colored lips, he pulled back. "Every one of us are good at certain things and aren't expert on certain things. It's just that you haven't found something you're truly great at yet."
Yan Sui let loose of his hands and held onto his shoulders instead, then he continued. "Even if you don't find what you are great at in this lifetime, it doesn't matter. As my wife, there's no need to speak to so many other people. Also, there's no need to understand a lot of things. All you have to do is do the things you enjoy doing."
"I like to eat, I like to sleep, is that ok too?"
The radiance beneath Meng Ting's eyes lit up even more and the gaze that shot over from him was like it had weighed his entire world down; yet, he was also about to open his entire world up for Yan Sui.
"Yes, that's okay." Yan Sui lightly nodded to signify his assent. His hand that was underneath Meng Ting's chin moved upward before falling onto his soft hair; but after Yan Sui caressed his hair for not even half a moment, Meng Ting pranced into his embrace.
"I also like to cuddle you."
Nevertheless, what he wanted to express was gratitude. He felt it was not enough to only use the word 'Thanks' for Yan Sui had been so tolerant and accepting toward him. Using a hug to express it was also not enough, but that was the most intimate way of expression he could think of at that moment.
After a long while, Yan Sui softly responded with "Mmm" while Meng Ting had found an even more comfortable spot where he rested his head on Yan Sui's shoulder. Being in that position, the corners of his lips curved up. That was indeed what he liked, just like he said.
Yan Sui's gaze lowered until they met Meng Ting's eyes. Then, Meng Ting softly mumbled, "I want to cuddle for a little longer."
One of the biggest reasons for Meng Ting to go to the banquet tonight was to wait for Yan Sui's arrival. Since that had happened, he should be able to have a decent night's sleep.
Yan Sui was going to draw himself away from him because he noticed somebody was watching them; but he hesitated upon hearing Meng Ting's words. After a moment of hesitation, Yan Sui slowly twined his hands around his waist, while softly patting Meng Ting's back. They were fiancés — embracing the way they were was not counted as inappropriate whatsoever.
Last night they cuddled for over ten minutes. While tonight, after cuddling for almost half an hour, it was only then that Meng Ting contently let go of him. Feeling exuberant, lights shone in his eyes as he practically wanted to skip about.
Yan Sui caressed his hair again before he held his hand and led him back to the hall.
Yan Sui had already contacted Old Master Meng over the phone. He has also made many arrangements already. Their wedding would not have any more changes. As for He Wan, she definitely would be dissatisfied with Meng Ting one way or another, but she would not show her dissatisfaction before the wedding because, as a conceited person like her, why would she simply contradict her own judgement?!
Even if the gossipers passed the things that had happened here to her ears, she would still only take it as if he purposely created that type of misunderstanding for her to see.
"This is…" A person who was similar in age as Old Master Meng asked Yan Sui. Over the years, he had never taken any male nor female dates with him to any of the banquets and, although Meng Ting was not brought by him, he was the only person who he led and protected wherever they went.
"Fiancée, the wedding invitation will be delivered to your place tomorrow."
"Ah, okay, congratulations."
The feeling was completely different when Meng Ting walked around the block with Yan Sui, compared to when he walked around with Meng Qi. Previously, the glares given by those people were as if they wanted to peel away everything from outside to his core, until nothing was left; but now, except for extreme cases, not many people dared to judge him anymore.
Most importantly, he trusted Yan Sui. He felt extremely safe when he was hugged by Yan Sui. When his hand was held by Yan Sui, he also felt safe. Yan Sui was such a great and powerful person in all aspects. He would never beat him in a fight. Therefore, it must be safe!
When Yan Sui chatted to other people for just a short while, his gaze would return to Meng Ting who was not glancing at all corners anymore. He was either looking down or he would be looking at him. He no longer appeared low in spirit like when he saw him before.
"Are you bored?"
"No." Meng Ting shook his head before he swayed their hands that were still linked side to side. "Following you is truly great. I really like it."
Toward Yan Sui, Meng Ting was great with his words. It could disrupt Yan Sui's state of mind with any of his random words.
That was clearly a banquet where Yan Sui would attend. Hence, there was no reason for Su Siyu not to go. He was rather 'fortunate' to have witnessed the entire course of Yan Sui's arrival until he held Meng Ting's hand and led him out. When he chased them out of the hall, he and Meng Qi saw the two of them embracing each other tightly. Initially, he wanted to go up to them to pull them apart. Unexpectedly, Meng Qi pulled him back.
"That's my little brother and brother-in-law, what are you going to do when you go over there? What right do you have?" Meng Qi ridiculed and, without any mercy in his tone of voice, Su Siyu was once again dragged back to his past life, during the years when he was unbearably old and charmless… when he did not have any money… when he did not have anyone… when he had nothing. Nothing… nothing at all!
"What right?! No one else has more rights than I do!" Although he said that, he did not step forward.
As soon as Su Siyu and Meng Qi followed their footsteps back to the hall, they heard Yan Sui introducing Meng Ting to everyone. Seeing that, he was unable to control the awkwardness appearing in his expressions.
Nevertheless, even Meng Qi did not try to calm him down this time. He held up a glass and went to find his friend instead because he despised being next to a moody person like Su Siyu, since he would lose his status.
Yan Sui led Meng Ting around the hall once before he took him to where the food was. After he selected a couple of plates of food that Meng Ting liked, they went to find a quiet spot, while Meng Ting ate and watched.
"You eat so much. Why haven't you gained any meat?" Right now, Yan Sui had the right to speak even more since they cuddled for ages a moment ago.
Meng Ting responded after swallowing all of the food, "I go for a run in the morning. I run every day."
Without responding, Yan Sui took out a napkin from his pocket, then he slightly turned toward Meng Ting to wipe off the cream that was left on his cheek.
Meng Ting blinked his eyes blankly and lowered his head to continue to eat. After he finished the whole plate, he lifted his eyes and glanced at Yan Sui, then his cheeks reddened bit by bit from Yan Sui's gesture [1] — that reaction arrived so slowly, like it had circled around the earth once first; but nothing was unknown in the end [2].
([1]. The original text did not have "from Yan Sui's gesture". This was added since the author mentioned that MT blinked his eyes and it wasn't until after he finished eating that he reacted and his face became red. So, I assumed it was because of YS's gesture.)
([2]. This is one of many lines that the author likes to throw in where it doesn't make any sense. :()
As for Yan Sui, just like he promised Meng Ting — he has tried to like him, and that was not hard. It was not hard at all.