Having heard what he said, Yan Mingya was reticent for quite a while, then he looked up at Yan Sui. "Thank you."
His gaze slightly shifted toward Meng Ting. "And also Little Aunt."
"I was born in January. I should be older than you. I'm not little."
According to the information that Yan Sui provided, he was born in January. Although which day it was was still unknown, it was unlikely that Yan Mingya would be older than him.
However, Yan Mingya suddenly laughed. "I was born on New Year's Day [1]."
([1] New Year based on the solar calendar.)
Meng Ting was taken aback when he heard him. "Ah, then you might really be older than me. Fine, it's Little Aunt then." Zhen Han, Gu Lang, and the others also often called him little sister-in-law.
Yan Sui and Yan Mingya could not help but laugh at Meng Ting's quick acceptance. Yan Sui forked up a slice of fruit and sent it to Meng Ting's mouth. He glanced at it, bit it, then turned to look, and smile at Yan Sui.
Yan Mingya watched their interaction with raised eyebrows. He held much admiration and blessings toward Yan Sui's smile.
He was even more familiar with Yan Sui than Yan Mu. More precisely, he grew up listening to Yan Sui's deeds. Even until now, Yan Sui was still his goal that he was striving for. When he was a child, he even followed Zhen Han and lived with him back in Haicheng.
Yan Sui was a spiritual idol to him. He was someone whom he worshipped very much. Therefore, those things that others would say to him were not necessarily useful, but Yan Sui's words were different for him.
"Little Aunt, what do you think about this place?" Yan Mingya only asked after he saw that Meng Ting had chewed and swallowed the fruit.
Meng Ting looked around, then he turned to look at Yan Sui, and looked back at Yan Mingya. He said earnestly, "The food was very delicious, but the people here are hard to talk to. They only say things that I don't understand."
Having heard what he said, Yan Mingya listened to their surroundings carefully. There were people who used Xia Country's language, but there were more who used F Country's language. However, the topics they all talked about revolved around some gossips. Regardless if whether Meng Ting knew F Country's language or not, he would still be unable to understand it. This was not his fault.
However, Yan Mingya still felt that Meng Ting's words had a hint of 'Although the whole world is corrupted, I am distinct alone.' Sure enough, the person who could be liked by Yan Sui was also quite different—a man of great wisdom often seems slow-witted.
Meng Ting did not expect that a single sentence of pure honesty from him could make him earn Yan Mingya's admiration and even make himself stand almost on the same level as Yan Sui. When Yan Sui looked at their expressions from the side, he could not help but laugh.
The three of them talked and ate as time went by seemingly fast.
As the guests arrived on cue, Yan Shuya greeted a lot of them. When he finally got some free time, he looked around and finally saw the three men talking and laughing in one corner. Before he could even come over, he was called by his classmates who came to the banquet.
He stopped walking toward them and went to his classmates instead. He was surrounded by the crowd. Those who once looked down on him and pushed him aside were now making great efforts to kiss up to him. It was quite easy to get addicted to this smug and conceited feeling.
All of a sudden, a group of people who gathered around Yan Shuya walked over to Yan Sui and Meng Ting.
"What are you guys talking about? Why don't you go dancing?" Yan Shuya gently leaned on the edge of the sofa. He swept his gaze across Meng Ting, the three of them, and finally stopped at Yan Mingya. "Elder Brother, why don't you invite Aunt for a dance? Our family's ball is quite interesting."
When Yan Shuya walked over, Meng Ting consciously got closer to Yan Sui. He could sense that Yan Shuya had been trying to get Yan Sui's attention, even though Meng Ting had not realized how much he liked Yan Sui yet.
Having heard what Yan Shuya said, Yan Mingya's expression became cold. Even though he and Meng Ting had the same age, they had a different position in the family hierarchy, so he also should avoid arousing suspicion. How could he do this kind of thing that would displease Yan Sui?
However, Yan Shuya's look was quite sincere. It seemed that he really thought it was fine for him to ask Meng Ting for a dance.
Hmm…this cousin of his was still young, yet his skill at being pretentious was quite outstanding.
Yan Mingya obviously did not intend to pay attention to Yan Shuya's words. At this moment, amongst Yan Shuya's group, a caucasian student who was dressed in a burgundy suit suddenly came out. He walked over in two steps, slightly bowed, and said, "Pretty boy, can I ask you for a dance?"
As he spoke, he gave Meng Ting a bright and seductive look. That face looked pretty good, but the man looked a bit disgusting.
"No…"
Before Meng Ting could even finish speaking, the white man was pushed down from behind by another man, making himself pounce on Meng Ting. The smile on his face magnified, as if he wanted to get on intimate terms with Meng Ting this way.
Meng Ting briefly lifted his leg but then retracted it because Yan Sui, who was beside him, had already moved his hand…no, it was his foot.
Yan Sui's hard sole directly covered his face. Not only did he get a bluish black footprint on his face, but he also got kicked back so hard that he even took down quite a lot of people behind him. A passing wine server got caught up in the mess and eight glasses of red wine on the tray were knocked over.
Although Yan Shuya did not get caught up in the fall, the wine had splashed all over his white suit, completely ruining it.
The screaming and swearing piled up and the scene got out of control, but on the sofa facing the chaos, there were three men who remained unperturbed and only looked at them coldly.
Yan Sui wrapped his hand around Meng Ting's waist. His complexion was pitch-black. Just now, the white man clearly wanted to take advantage of Meng Ting; and Yan Shuya, who should be taking responsibility for this, was looking at the wine server with utter discomfort, completely ignoring the look on Yan Sui and Yan Mingya's faces.
Red wine was smeared on his white suit. His suit could as well as be considered ruined, and what was more serious was that this scene had resulted in extreme humiliation.
"A'Mu, go and ask Uncle Chen to bring someone over."
Yan Mingya stood up and gestured the panic-stricken wine server to leave.
Chen Mu nodded. No longer looking at Yan Shuya, he just turned around and left. Soon afterward, Uncle Chen, who had noticed the scene, came over with some people.
"Anyone who comes here is a guest. When you arrive at the Yans' residence, you're our family's guest, but if you don't have the self-restraint of a guest, then this isn't the place for the likes of you!" When Yan Mingya said this, his gaze was only directed at Uncle Chen. He completely ignored the raging Yan Shuya.
He truly had inherited a bit of Yan Sui's technique: treating people coldly and being supercilious. However, they both had what it takes to be supercilious. This was completely different from the superiority complex of those arrogant and conceited snobs.
"Uncle Chen, please ask them to leave. From now on, they're not allowed to enter this house."
"Yan Mingya, how dare you! They're all my guests!" Yan Shuya did not care about his dirty suit anymore. Yan Mingya did not look at him, so Yan Shuya went in front of him. His complexion was pitch-black and had completely lost his previously affectionate act.
Yan Mingya still did not look at him. He looked back at Yan Sui and Meng Ting.
"Did that frighten you, Little Aunt?" If Meng Ting was really frightened, it would not be as simple as just asking them to leave!
Meng Ting shook his head, then turned to look at Yan Sui. "It's not fun here anymore. Let's leave early." Even though he was not frightened, he still felt a bit disgusted.
"Okay." Yan Sui nodded at Meng Ting. After that, he turned to look at Yan Mingya, nodded gently and just like that, he held the boy and left.
Yan Mingya hastily kept up with them to send them off. "Today's festive mood was destroyed. I'm also at fault. Little Aunt, please don't dislike F Country just because of this."
Meng Ting looked at him and shook his head. "I like Rose Manor. Next time, when I'll come with Yan Sui, I'll invite you to come and visit as well."
Yan Mingya suddenly paused. A little smile appeared on his face and the worry in his heart was lifted. "Okay, I'll remember your words, Little Aunt. When that time comes, even if you don't invite me, I'll go by myself."
Whilst they were talking, Uncle Chen had already brought the bodyguards to escort Yan Shuya's classmates out. Those who were reluctant to leave were kept quiet and direct force was enforced. Yan Shuya was very loud when he tried to stop this, but Uncle Chen only obeyed Yan Mingya's instructions.
The shenanigans inevitably alerted Yan Zhenbo and Yan Mu. When they came over, before Uncle Chen could even speak, Yan Shuya opened his mouth first.
"Elder Brother is so rude. My classmate accidentally fell and made a mistake. Because of this, he drove them away." Yan Shuya spoke with an extra layer of watery mist in his eyes, as if he was about to cry. "How can I get along with them in school in the future?"
Yan Shuya's acting was quite deceptive, especially toward the elders who were prone to give compassion to the younger generation. At the least, Yan Mu saw that something was a bit off with Yan Mingya's expression. Linda tugged Yan Shuya and softly patted him. There was no need to say more about her protective posture.
"Mingya, what do you have to say to this?"
Yan Zhenbo asked. His mood, whether good or bad, was indistinguishable. However, if one were to listen to him abruptly, there would be a misconception that he was also defending Yan Shuya.
"Shuya's classmates wanted to harass me ,so Mingya drove them away."
Meng Ting and Yan Sui stopped their departure when they heard Yan Shuya's words. This new nephew of the Yans was terribly scheming. Mingya was quite capable, but he could not afford to suffer from such long-term obscure maligning and slandering.
"I'm Mingya's Little Aunt. He was trying to defend me. Was that wrong?" Meng Ting opened his mouth and asked Yan Zhenbo. His eyes were bright and clear and his words genuinely came purely from his heart. Compared with Yan Shuya's, Meng Ting's words were obviously more convincing.
If it was not for such fact, Mingya was almost misunderstood by them. With Meng Ting's identity, it was unlikely for him to speak about being harassed by a man.
"Jack, he didn't mean to…" Yan Shuya muttered in defense.
Meng Ting finally swept his gaze on him.
"The elders are still speaking. Who gave you the right to open your mouth!?"
Even Meng Ting, himself, understood this principle. How come Yan Shuya did not understand it at all? He had to be reminded by Meng Ting?
"And you're not him, how did you know?" Meng Ting's tone was still good, but what he said was not so good and difficult to refute; especially to Yan Sui, who had been reticent, he obviously shared the same standpoint with him. Meng Ting was quite imposing when he was teaching Yan Shuya a lesson.
"You're defending him because it wasn't you who was harassed, or did you want to see him harass me?" Even if he was a man, it would still be considered harassment if the foreign man wanted to kiss him. On top of that, he was already married to Yan Sui. The more Meng Ting thought about it, the more disgusted he felt.
Amidst Meng Ting's straightforward words, Yan Shuya could not keep his pitiful act anymore. That split second of hesitation truly exposed his intention. Like Meng Ting had said, he only wanted to see Meng Ting make a fool of himself. He wanted Yan Sui to see Meng Ting make a fool of himself.
He was nothing but an illegitimate child. By clinging on to Yan Sui, he was able to get the reputation he had now. Otherwise, who was he in front of the Yan clan? In front of him?
"Shuya, kneel down!" Yan Zhenbo abruptly opened his mouth. Yan Shuya and Yan Mu suddenly felt numbness on their backs. The surrounding onlookers in this drawing room were all prestigious people. What would happen to his reputation in F Country in the days to come if he knelt down?
"Dad, Shuya's young and insensible. He'll bear it in mind."
After Linda spoke to Yan Zhenbo, she looked at Meng Ting. "I'll apologize to you on his behalf."
She was one year younger than Yan Mu. She gave birth to Yan Shuya when she was nineteen. Now at thirty-six years old, she had groomed herself pretty well. She could even be mistaken for a fresh graduate.
However, at the moment, her complexion was a bit ghastly. She obviously did not expect that Yan Zhenbo would care so much about what Meng Ting had said, even to the extent of making Yan Shuya kneel.
Meng Ting did not respond. He was turned sideways by Yan Sui, so he could not see the crowd anymore. He lifted his eyes to look at Yan Sui.
He could not talk. He had spoken for so long, yet there was no resolution to this matter. Yan Sui got into action and settled it with a few words.
"There's no need to apologize, but you should oversee Shuya's attitude. A blunder is a blunder, yet he pushed the responsibility to Mingya…we don't have this kind of vile conduct in my family."
Yan Sui spoke as his gaze fell on Linda. Linda was mainly responsible for Yan Shuya's behavior, but when he looked at her, Yan Sui was not blaming her for this.
"Patriarch, please calm down. I'll discipline him properly." Yan Zhenbo humbly bowed. He assumed an extremely low bow. This made everyone, including Yan Mu, astonished. However, this was the rule of the Yans. The authority of the main family's patriarch was not as simple as it seemed.
"Uncle is too modest." Yan Sui still looked indifferent. He did not even take a step forward to support him. He nodded, then grabbed Meng Ting by the waist, and turned around to leave.
Yan Zhenbo gave Yan Mingya a meaningful glance, then he hastily caught up with them to see them off.
Instead of returning to this household's guest room, they went straight out of the main gate where a car was waiting in front of the entrance for them.
Yan Sui and Meng Ting got into the car. The car window rolled down. When Meng Ting's face appeared before him, Yan Mingya stopped and took a step back.
"He's a bit bad and doesn't speak the truth. If you're bullied, don't hold back. If you can fight, then fight back. If you can't, then let Yan Sui know. He'll help you teach him a lesson."
After Meng Ting finished speaking, he was pulled back by Yan Sui, and Yan Sui also spoke.
"What your Little Aunt said was right. Just give me a call or Zhen Han if something's up."
A smile emerged from Yan Mingya's overly serious face. He bent over and said, "Thank you, Uncle. Thank you, Little Aunt."
When he took a step back, the car started, then disappeared into the intersection.
Today, if it was not for Yan Sui and Meng Ting, he might have been truly misunderstood and carry a reputation for bullying his younger cousin's classmates.
It was not the incident itself that had made him sad; rather, it was Yan Mu's reaction. This was the uncle who once liked him so much and was so kind to him…As expected, he was not his own son. Of course it was different.
Perhaps, the one who did not assume the right attitude was himself.
Looking at the street which was already quiet, he slowly turned around. Fortunately, Yan Sui had not changed and there was also a frank and adorable little aunt. Furthermore, he still had his parents and grandfather. There was no reason for him to be defeated by Yan Shuya.
In the car, Meng Ting leaned on Yan Sui's shoulder and no longer thought about the banquet incident. "Where are we going now?"
"Hotel." Yan Sui turned and kissed Meng Ting's forehead. "Tomorrow, I'll take you out to have some fun."
"Okay." Meng Ting responded. He grabbed Yan Sui's hand and made it touch the side of his lips, then he continued to throw himself in Yan Sui's warm embrace.
Yan Sui moved his hand and caressed Meng Ting's tummy. Meng Ting looked at Yan Sui, who seemed to be in the middle of thinking deeply. In a short while, he muttered to himself and continued to endure the itchy feeling that was brought about by Yan Sui's caress.
It was not because Yan Sui and Meng Ting could not stay in the Yans' residence in F Country, nor was it because Yan Sui himself had no place to stay in F Country's capital; it was because right before the banquet, he received a phone call from his friend. Tomorrow, Yan Sui's friend would be back to F Country and he invited him and Meng Ting for a meal and also conveniently arranged a hotel suite for them.
The hotel was very close to various scenic spots. He also arranged a special chauffeur to pick them up. So, Yan Sui brazenly accepted his hospitality.
It was already ten o'clock when they arrived at the hotel and it was not long before Meng Ting's usual bedtime. He yawned, then grabbed the clothes and towel that Yan Sui had prepared for him, and went into the bathroom.
When he came out of the bathroom, Yan Sui was sitting with his back facing him. He was looking at his laptop; to be more specific, the laptop was turned on, but he was looking outside the window, contemplating about something. Since the banquet, Yan Sui seemed to be constantly pondering over something. At the moment, he did not know whether Yan Sui was already finished thinking about it or not.
With light steps, Meng Ting walked toward his back and suddenly embraced his neck.
When Meng Ting was approaching him, Yan Sui had already seen this through his reflection from the window. His raised hand had not reached Meng Ting's face when Meng Ting pressed his lips on Yan Sui's cheek. The sound of the light smack resounded which could make the listener's heart itch.
When he had kissed enough, he muttered to ask, "What are you looking at?"
Meng Ting glanced at it. It was the same email that Yan Sui had shown him the other day. Instead of the written part, it was a photo which was displayed on the screen.
"Is she Yu Meixuan?"
Yu Meixuan did not attend school again after her sophomore year. On Yan Sui's laptop was her enrollment photo. She was simply dressed, delicate, pretty, young and inexperienced.
How come when Yan Sui looked at her photo, he was lost in his thoughts again?
"Hm." Yan Sui responded. He held Meng Ting's hand which was embracing his neck. "Don't you think the woman in this photo looks very familiar?"
Having heard what he said, Meng Ting seriously fixed his gaze on the photo. After a little while, he wondered, "Yan Shuya's mother?"
If it was not for Yan Sui's prompting, Meng Ting would not have connected the two of them. Looking at the photo, there was a lot of changes, both in appearance and temperament.
"Then Yan Shuya, he…"
Yan Sui nodded. "There can't be this much of a coincidence and the age is perfectly right. I'll have my men check on it again." Basically, this could already be confirmed.
Yan Shuya was actually the illegitimate child who the Mengs should be looking for. He did not die; instead, he was taken abroad by Yu Meixuan, who was now Linda. Back in those days, her passionate romance with Meng Yide was the talk of the town, but in the end, she conceived Yan Mu's child. The child was initially abandoned, then got taken back.
The file indicated that the two-month-old baby died prematurely, but that child, Yan Shuya, was actually still alive and well. It may have been the case that those records from a long time ago were wrong, or Yu Meixuan might have had those people deliberately say so.
Meng Ting looked at the photo and felt a bit upset. "He's quite lucky. He's got a loving mom, a dad, and other family members."
Yan Shuya may not feel how great his previous days had been, but he was absolutely lucky compared to Meng Ting.
He was not starved until he would eat medicine as food. He was not rejected from childhood until adulthood. He was not sent to confinement in a senior high school where no help would come no matter how he cried everyday. He was not controlled by the Mengs and had a life that was not his own.
However, even if he really wanted to blame them, apparently there was not much to blame. Yan Shuya was also a child at that time and Yu Meixuan did not amount to anything in front of the Mengs. The initiator of those evil deeds were still Wu Fengjiao and some of the Mengs' people.
"My luck has changed for the better, too. I have you." Thinking this way made it not so depressing anymore.
Yan Sui turned to his side, then pulled Meng Ting over a bit, and kissed him on the lips. Their breaths intertwined and the slightly different temperature blended with each other. Yan Sui's tongue lingered between Meng Ting's lips and teeth gently with some power of reassurance.
At the end of the kiss, both of their foreheads met and their breaths were slightly erratic.
Yan Sui closed the laptop, got up, then walked over, and took Meng Ting's hand and brought him along to the bed.
They still have not reached the bed yet when they both kissed again. This kiss was not like the kiss of reassurance on the sofa; instead, like fire, it could scorch. The kiss was so passionate that it could set him and the other party ablaze.
The two kissed one another and fell back together on the bed, yet the kissing never ended.
Yan Sui ran his hand through Meng Ting's soft hair. That distressed feeling had once again flooded his heart. He rarely felt sorry for others like this. He had long been numbed, even by his own experience. However, when dealing with Meng Ting's matters, he had such uncontrollable feelings.
"What are you thinking about?
Meng Ting asked. The fluctuations in his chest remained unchanged. He raised his face and rubbed it on Yan Sui. "You need to focus."
Kissing required concentration; making love also required concentration.
"Okay, I'll focus."
Yan Sui lowered his lips once again. From Meng Ting's forehead, he went down to where he could kiss all of his skin. When his lips touched his, both of them sat up and fiercely kissed again.