Madam Yan rarely gave him any praise, but this time she did:
"Your second brother likes him, I understand. I'm not an old-fashioned woman. To put it bluntly, my son married him and got plenty of enjoyment out of it, so I suppose I profited as well. But tell me, what does Shen He have? I won't even talk about her looks—just average, right? She's colder than your eldest brother and even less talkative. I sometimes wonder if she can't have children because she's just completely frigid."
"Then why did you let them get married in the first place?"
"Your brother was willing. Besides, back then, my company was going through a rough patch—there were some issues with going public. Shen He comes from a good family... Her only real advantage is having a father who's a high-ranking official. Honestly, I still feel a little guilty toward your eldest brother. He was only in his early twenties at the time. He's not like your second brother, who had one girlfriend after another since high school. When he met Shen He, he hadn't even had a single serious relationship. He probably agreed to the marriage just to help me out."
Yan Yuan sighed. "It's not so bad. I think Eldest Brother and Sister-in-Law are quite good together. Every time I see them, I think of a phrase—'mutual respect and harmony.'"
"You silly girl, mutual respect alone isn't enough in a marriage. Your eldest brother does respect your sister-in-law, but there's not a single spark in his eyes when he looks at her. Now, take a look at your second brother—just look at the way he looks at Xiao Qin..."
"My second brother looks at everyone with that kind of spark. His eyes have been lecherous since he was a kid—you know that. Who knows if the way he looks at Qi Liangqin is real or just an act?"
Madam Yan let out a sigh. "My good daughter, neither of your brothers is reliable, so I'm pinning all my hopes on you. When it comes to your marriage, make sure not only that I'm satisfied, but that you're satisfied too."
Qi Liangqin felt embarrassed for quite a while, but he had to admit that Madam Yan's words were quite fair.
He quietly took a step back, pushed the door open, then deliberately slammed it shut with a loud bang before finally walking out.
The moment Madam Yan saw him, her face turned cold. "It's just a family meal. Who are you dressing up for?"
Qi Liangqin lowered his head and spoke obediently. "I usually dress sloppily. I was afraid you'd be unhappy if you saw that… I'll dress more casually next time…"
Yan Yuan smiled and asked, "Why isn't Second Brother back yet? Where did he go?"
Qi Liangqin was stunned for a moment. "I don't know."
Madam Yan's face darkened again. "You don't know where your own husband is? Do you expect me to call him and ask so you can tell me?"
"Mom…" Yan Yuan tried to smooth things over, pulling on her mother's arm. "Look, Second Sister-in-Law is blushing."
Qi Liangqin was blushing, but not because he was too ashamed from being scolded.
No, it was because of one particular sentence from Madam Yan: 'You don't know where your own husband is?'
Husband…
Hee hee hee.
Qi Liangqin felt a little giddy. He didn't have a husband. But if he did—oh, if only he did! He would call him husband day and night, without stopping. His face burned as he sneaked a glance at Madam Yan, then quickly lowered his head again, clenching his legs together.
Husband… He was still savoring the word. Forget Yan Bozong, and not even Yan Songwei—put aside those rich and handsome men. Even if it was just an ordinary man, as long as he had a husband, he'd be satisfied.
"I'll call Second Brother," Yan Yuan said, pulling out her phone. "He's been out for so long, leaving Second Sister-in-Law home alone every night."
"Uh…" Qi Liangqin said awkwardly, "You don't have to call me that… Just use my name."
"No wonder it sounded weird," Madam Yan said. "Calling him 'Second Sister-in-Law'—like some kind of drag queen."
By then, Yan Yuan's call had gone through. She put it on speaker and teased, "Second Brother, Second Sister-in-Law is waiting for you to come home for dinner. Where are you?"
"I'm at the company. I have some business to take care of with a client. Tell him to eat first, don't wait for me."
Qi Liangqin coughed and leaned in slightly. "When are you coming back?"
"Not sure. Don't wait for me. Gotta go."
At this moment, where else could Yan Songwei be? Naturally, he was indulging in Tan Qingqing's embrace.
Madam Yan glanced at Qi Liangqin and said, "Keep an eye on your man."
"Songwei is very faithful," Qi Liangqin replied, though even he didn't believe it himself.
The two Yan brothers were worlds apart in both looks and temperament. Yan Bozong was cold—people called him upright. He sat properly, stood properly, and carried himself with the demeanor of a soldier. Yan Songwei, on the other hand, was relaxed—if he could sit, he wouldn't stand; if he could lie down, he wouldn't sit. He was talkative, always grinning playfully.
Yan Bozong had never been involved in any scandals, but Yan Songwei had been cycling through girlfriends since high school. A few times, he even got them pregnant.
Faithful? No one would believe it. Not even Tan Qingqing, who loved him. Not even Yan Songwei himself.
"I'll sleep at home tonight," Yan Songwei said, his arm wrapped around Tan Qingqing's soft waist. "If I don't go back, my mom's going to start getting suspicious."
"Then go." Tan Qingqing smirked, her eyes filled with feminine charm. Her legs coiled around him like a snake as she teased, "No one's got you handcuffed here. Who's begging you to stay? You're the one tiring me out every night."
Yan Songwei chuckled, pulling her closer for another kiss.
Tan Qingqing pressed her hands against his firm, fair chest and said, "Just stay loyal, that's all I ask."
"In my own house? Under my mom's nose? What, you think I'd bring someone home to mess around?"
"You know exactly who I'm talking about."
"Qi Liangqin?" Yan Songwei burst into laughter. "Do you really think your man is into guys?"
" Liangqin is good-looking, everyone knowsthat. I heard from my girlfriends that you filthy men, once you have some money, love to mess around. Sometimes, when you want a change of taste, you' ll even sleep with men. Don't think I don't know. "
"I' ve never slept with a man before, " YanSongwei chuckled. " But hearing you say that makes me curious. I' ve got some buddies who' ve tried it. They say it's tighter than a woman, tight and lively enough to drive someone crazy. "
Furious, Tan Qingqing bit down hard on Yan Songwei's neck. " Qi Liangqin is my childhood friend. If you dare touch him, I' ll make sure you regret it!"
Yan Songwei laughed, wrapping his arms around her smooth back. " My little sweetheart, you really get jealous so easily. That's what I love about you. Can't even look at anyone else. "
The two tangled together again. It was almost nightfall by the time Yan Songwei finally returned home.
Inside, Madam Yan and the others were watching TV, chatting idly. Qi Liangqin sat there properly, well-behaved as always.
"Mom, I'm back," Yan Songwei said, feeling a little guilty. When he saw Yan Yuan beckoning him over, he bent down. Yan Yuan handed him a piece of kiwi, which he ate before straightening up and saying, "I'm going to take a shower. Talking business with clients was exhausting."
After Yan Songwei left, Yan Yuan commented, "Who bit Second Brother on the neck? I can see it's bleeding."
Hearing this, Qi Liangqin immediately stood up and awkwardly said, "I'll go check on him…"
With that, he quickly retreated to the bedroom. As soon as he stepped inside, he saw Yan Songwei undressing. He hurriedly turned around to leave, but Yan Songwei called out to him, "Why are you avoiding me? Afraid I'll take advantage of you?"
Qi Liangqin paused and replied, "I just thought you might need some privacy."
"We're both men. What's there to be inconvenient about?" Yan Songwei smirked. "Qingqing even told me today that she's afraid I might sleep with you."
Qi Liangqin chuckled. "Aren't you straight?"
"Aren't you?" Yan Songwei stopped what he was doing and turned to look at him.
"…Yes," Qi Liangqin answered, clearly lacking confidence. "Of course, I am."
Yan Songwei chuckled, his tone carrying a hint of amusement. "Don't pretend with me. Qingqing already told me—you had a crush on your class monitor back in middle school."
Qi Liangqin felt extremely awkward, unsure of what to say. Yan Songwei continued, "It's fine. I've got a few friends who are into guys too. I don't discriminate."
Even though Yan Songwei claimed not to be prejudiced, when it came to sleeping arrangements, he still took the big bed while Qi Liangqin slept on the floor. This had been the rule from the start. Despite both being men, sharing a bed felt a little awkward. Thankfully, things played out just like in the novel—otherwise, Qi Liangqin wouldn't have had a choice but to sleep in the same bed as Yan Songwei.
But Yan Songwei snored in his sleep, and it was quite loud. Qi Liangqin tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. Feeling irritated, he got up and went to the living room. He poured himself a glass of water and slumped onto the sofa.
After drinking the warm water, he began to sweat a little. He loosened his collar, revealing part of his chest, and lay sprawled on the couch. Eventually, in search of comfort, he kicked off his slippers, letting his pale feet rest on the sofa's edge.
He had no idea how long he had been lying there when, suddenly, he jolted awake. It was still dark outside. Rubbing his eyes, he realized that at some point, someone had draped a thin blanket over him.
He quickly got off the sofa and looked around. The room was pitch dark, with only a faint light coming from outside.
He had no idea who had seen him sleeping there. If it were Madam Yan, she might have held back from scolding him tonight, but tomorrow, she would definitely give him an earful.
Thinking of this, he hurriedly grabbed the thin blanket and returned to the bedroom. Just as he was about to lie down, he noticed a light outside the window.
More precisely, the light was coming from the house opposite—Yan Bozong had come home, in the middle of the night.
So this blanket… it was Yan Bozong who had covered him with it.
Suddenly, all his sleepiness vanished, replaced by a rush of joy. He started to wonder—had he looked ugly while sleeping? Was he sprawled out in an unseemly way, exposing too much? He remembered that his chest had been bare in the cool night air—had Yan Bozong seen everything?
He lowered his head and looked at his own body. As the ultimate uke in the novel, Qi Liangqin had everything an uke should possess—the most exquisite features, each part of him a tempting delicacy, waiting to be tasted.
The Qi Liangqin in the novel wanted to offer himself up, but he wanted to hide.
He could only show his body to his future husband! If Yan Bozong wasn't his husband, how could he possibly look?
Blushing, he buried himself under the blanket, his mind filled with Yan Bozong's strong and handsome face.