“He was looking at you,” Yan Sui said as he placed Meng Ting on the sofa, emphasizing it once more.
Even if it were rare, it wouldn’t be a cake, but Meng Ting himself.
Yan Sui half-knelt in front of Meng Ting, meeting his slightly confused gaze, and his tone couldn’t help but soften and slow down.
“From the information I’ve gathered, he should be your second brother.” Not only is there a resemblance in appearance, but also the timing, method, and circumstances under which Meng Ting was sent to the orphanage all match.
Even though he couldn’t understand Li Yifei’s unusual behavior before, he could roughly guess one or two things now.
She might not have been involved in the kidnapping incident back then, but she definitely knew about Meng Ting’s origins. Otherwise, in both lifetimes, she wouldn’t have tried to control Meng Ting with such extreme measures, almost imprisoning him and restricting all his social interactions.
Hearing this, Meng Ting’s eyes widened slightly, and Yan Sui also stopped speaking, waiting for Meng Ting to digest the information first.
But who knows what Meng Ting was thinking, his face suddenly turned pale, and his grip on Yan Sui’s shoulder tightened again. He lunged forward, hugging Yan Sui, his tone filled with anxiety.
“Did you say you wouldn’t let me leave today because he came? Is he going to take me away?” Meng Ting felt he had vaguely grasped the key to Yan Sui’s loss of control in the laboratory, but at the same time, his own panic also surged.
What he feared most now was no longer hunger or nightmares, but Yan Sui abandoning him or him having to leave Yan Sui.
“I won’t go, Yan Sui, I don’t want to leave.”
Meng Ting clung tightly to Yan Sui’s neck, unable to imagine such a thing happening. “I don’t want anyone else, I just want you, only you.” If the so-called family that appeared were to separate him from Yan Sui, then he would rather not have them.
Yan Sui didn’t expect that the reason Meng Ting suddenly became scared was still because of his earlier loss of composure. He held Meng Ting and slightly rose to sit beside him, gently stroking Meng Ting’s back.
“Earlier, it was just my worry. I said I wouldn’t let you leave, and you have to believe me.”
Meng Ting felt a bit more at ease upon hearing this. He moved closer to Yan Sui, not only wrapping his arms around him but also draping his legs over Yan Sui’s, as if this way Yan Sui couldn’t escape. “Are they very scary?”
When it came to matters concerning Yan Sui, Meng Ting had always been quite sensitive. If Yan Sui was worried that he might be taken away, didn’t that mean the people on the other side were so terrifying that even Yan Sui might not be able to handle them?
“Not exactly.”
Yan Sui helplessly continued to rub Meng Ting’s neck and back, pondering for a moment before continuing.
“The person you just saw is originally named Xiao Zimo. He is the second son of the main house of the Xiao family in Beicheng. Your parents are the current patriarch of the Xiao family and the lady of the house. You are considered to be their youngest son, but in the family hierarchy, you are even younger, ranked seventeenth.”
This ranking included all the children of the same generation in the Xiao family’s main and collateral lines. Meng Ting wasn’t even the youngest, which showed the complexity of the Xiao family’s roots in Xia Country. However, while the top aristocratic families might interact, unless they were like the Yan and Zhong families in the same city of Haicheng, those from different cities and circles would hardly overlap in their social interactions.
Just like the Xiao family in Haicheng, which only had Xiao Mu, Meng Ting’s classmate, as their branch. He was merely an ordinary wealthy businessman, they were far from being part of the elite circle in Haicheng. If it weren’t for Xiao Zi taking the initiative to come to Haicheng and seek them out, Xiao Mu and his family would never have known about the situation in their own main family, let alone make the connection to the matriarch of the Xiao family just by seeing Meng Ting’s photo like Xiao Zimo did.
“You also have an older brother named Xiao Zi’ang. He is ten years older than you and the same age as me. He also came to Haicheng and was here earlier, but you were asleep, and he had something to do, so he left first.” Yan Sui had no intention of hiding the fact that the Xiao brothers had come to the Yan residence. Xiao Zi’ang didn’t get a chance to speak with Meng Ting today, but he would come again in a couple of days, possibly with the patriarch of the Xiao family.
Meng Ting had only heard about the Xiao family once from Meng Qi, and his impression was quite vague. The only thing he could think of now was the detestable face of Xiao Zi from the Xiao family. Meng Ting felt no joy at all about being a child of the Xiao family.
“Then why was I in the orphanage? The headmistress said we were all unwanted children.” The majority of children in the orphanage were abandoned, and this belief was deeply ingrained in Meng Ting.
Leaning against Yan Sui, Meng Ting continued to voice his doubts, “Was it because I was too stupid that they didn’t want me anymore?”
There wasn’t much questioning in Meng Ting’s tone; it was more of a statement.
Indeed, apart from Yan Sui, he basically hadn’t met anyone who would think he was good.
For others, his childhood was just a brief record that could be summed up in one sentence, but for Meng Ting, it was a truly dark and helpless period. Back then, he didn’t understand much, didn’t know what ‘unwanted’ meant, nor what ‘useless’ meant, but he remembered these words and later experienced the hardship they entailed.
Yan Sui paused slightly upon hearing the words, feeling a bit sad for Meng Ting. In wealthy families, some conflicts are inevitable, and without a doubt, Meng Ting became the most innocent victim in that conflict.
“It probably isn’t,” Yan Sui tilted his head and kissed Meng Ting’s hair, feeling that his gentle caresses were no longer enough to comfort Meng Ting.
“Seventeen years ago, at the end of March, the main house of the Xiao family went on a trip to a small town in Beicheng. Xiao Huimin took his eldest and second sons out to buy something, leaving his wife, who was recuperating at home, and their youngest child behind. The nanny colluded with kidnappers, letting them in. The bodyguards were killed, and the wife and the youngest child were kidnapped together.”
Yan Sui didn’t emphasize that the youngest child was Meng Ting. He spoke as if recounting a distant and dangerous story, without much personal involvement. Yet, even so, Meng Ting’s attention was completely captivated by his words.
However, what Yan Sui could uncover in such a short time was quite limited. He didn’t know the details of the rescue process, only the final outcome. “In the end, only the wife was rescued. Their youngest child was reportedly killed, leaving the Xiao family with nothing but a bloodstained infant’s clothing.”
It was said that the child was killed and thrown into the sea. A three-month-old baby, not to mention the dangerous fish in the sea, just being exposed to the sea breeze could have been fatal.
“Among the kidnappers involved in the abduction back then, the mastermind was sentenced to death, with only a few receiving life sentences. But they probably doesn’t know much either.” Beicheng was in turmoil back then, and even Yan Sui, who was in Haicheng, also heard about it. Too many people were implicated in that incident, and any traces that might have been left behind were also wiped clean, making it even harder to investigate.
“So they thought I was dead, not that they disliked me and didn’t want me?” Meng Ting looked up at Yan Sui, showing little emotional response to the complicated grievances of the wealthy families. His gaze suddenly shifted slightly, “Then, seeing me like this now, they probably wouldn’t want me either.”
Certain thoughts were deeply ingrained in Meng Ting’s mind. Even though he had changed somewhat with Yan Sui, he remained the same when it came to others.
However, there wasn’t much regret or sorrow in his tone. Before meeting Yan Sui, the word ‘family’ was nothing but a nightmare for Meng Ting. They didn’t want him, but Yan Sui did, and that was fine. Meng Ting genuinely felt this way.
“I don’t know. Perhaps next time they come, if you still want to know, you can ask them.”
While talking with Meng Ting, Yan Sui hadn’t yet considered how Meng Ting would react when facing the Xiao family. Instead, he found himself comforted by Meng Ting’s attachment, but it also strengthened his resolve. Meng Ting deserved to have a clear understanding of his past.
Not for any additional wealth, status, or affection, but simply to uproot those deeply ingrained thoughts in his mind. It was worth it. Meng Ting had carried too much from his past, and Yan Sui didn’t want him to continue bearing that burden.
“Yan Sui, are you really sure they can’t take me away?” Meng Ting really wanted to believe Yan Sui, but he still couldn’t help feeling scared. He couldn’t imagine the situation where he and Yan Sui would be separated, nor could he bear the consequences of such a scenario.
“I’m sure,” Yan Sui leaned down slightly and kissed Meng Ting’s forehead. “I’m sure you won’t leave me.”
“Mm,” Meng Ting responded, but then he tightened his grip on Yan Sui’s hand and wrapped his legs around him a little more firmly.
“You saying that still makes me a bit worried.”
Yan Sui couldn’t help but let out a soft helpless chuckle at Meng Ting’s words. He tilted his head, occasionally planting a kiss on Meng Ting, patiently waiting for him to digest the information. Even if Meng Ting couldn’t fully understand it, it didn’t matter; with him around, he wouldn’t let Meng Ting suffer any losses.
***
Downstairs, after Uncle Xiao had seen Xiao Zimo off, Yan Manjia spoke haltingly under Zhen Han’s furious glare.
“So it’s little sister-in-law’s family. I thought you’d found some fickle, tender grass[mfn]花心嫩草 (huā xīn nèn cǎo): 花心 (huā xīn) means someone who is unfaithful in the relationship; fickle (in love affairs), unfaithful. 嫩草 (nèn cǎo) means tender grass; young grass. From the idiom 老牛吃嫩草 (lǎo niú chī nèn cǎo), lit. an old cow eating young grass (idiom); May-December relationship; to rob the cradle; a romance where one partner is significantly older than the other; describe couples with a large age gap.[/mfn] from somewhere…”
Yan Manjia was silent for a while before she grasped the meaning behind Zhen Han’s words. Her face turned even redder. “Are you saying I’m an old cow?”
The phrase ‘an old cow eating tender grass’ implied that Zhen Han considered Xiao Zimo the tender grass, which meant he thought of her as the old cow…
Zhen Han continued to lean against the sofa, completely unfazed by Yan Manjia’s anger. As he pondered the matter, he casually replied to Yan Manjia, “Is it possible that you still think that you are a young flower?”
With a son as old as him standing there, Yan Manjia might not look old, but those little fresh meat[mfn]小鮮肉 (xiǎo xiān ròu): (neologism, slang) young handsome boy; (coll.) teen idol (male); a term popular in brothels in the old society. It was used by older women to refer to young and good-looking clients. In Internet slang, it refers to young men in the film and television and modeling circles.[/mfn] and little tender grass probably wouldn’t even be to her taste anymore.
Yan Manjia was so furious she felt like she was having a heart attack. She stood up angrily, glaring at Zhen Han, but she didn’t dare to retort directly. Otherwise, she would only be met with even more disdain. She turned around and went back to her room to put on a face mask.
***
As for Xiao Zimo, after leaving the Yan residence, he headed straight back to the hotel he had booked in Haicheng. He had spent most of the afternoon at the Yan family’s home, which should have been enough time for Xiao Zi’ang to investigate Meng Ting’s past more thoroughly.
It would have taken Yan Sui a lot of effort and time to investigate, but for them, it was much easier. The information Yan Sui had revealed at the press conference had already pointed them in the right direction, and the time they had was more than enough.
Xiao Zi’ang had gone through the information three times and had even sent a copy to his father. When Xiao Zimo returned, he was on his fourth read…
With each read, his anger grew, his face darkening to a terrifying degree. He hadn’t been this furious in years, but he had to hold onto this rage; and unleash it on the person who deserved it.
“Brother…” Xiao Zimo called out to him, but when he received no response, he turned the computer screen toward himself.
Xiao Zi’ang barely managed to compose himself, but before he could ask Xiao Zimo anything, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He glanced at Xiao Zimo, whose expression was now as grim as his own, and walked over to the window to answer the call.
“Alright, please convey my thanks to Yan Sui.”
Xiao Zi’ang had received a call from Wang Feng, informing him that Yan Sui had sent him an encrypted email. While the content wasn’t specified, it wasn’t hard to guess what it was about. The only thing that could bring their two families together like this was Meng Ting.
Something must have changed Yan Sui’s mind, prompting him to take the initiative to share Meng Ting’s past with them. Perhaps it was to help them better uncover the truth of what had happened back then.
“Yan Sui sent me an email. Move over, let’s take a look together.”
Xiao Zimo’s eyes were slightly red as he stared intently at a photo of Meng Ting from when he was seven years old. His hands clenched into fists, his body trembling slightly, barely under control. They had enjoyed the best food, wore the best clothes, the best of everything, but Meng Ting’s life hadn’t even come close to a tenth or a hundredth of what they had.
Surviving that incident was already a stroke of luck amidst misfortune, but fate still did not favor him. Even in a proper orphanage, a child like Meng Ting might not have fared well, let alone in a profit-driven, illegal orphanage.
His hand brushed against the screen, as if trying to wipe away the unease in the eyes of the seven-year-old Meng Ting, but it was futile. Even if he could change the photo, he couldn’t change Meng Ting’s tragic past.
[dropdown title=”List of Idiom in Chapter 074.1″]
老牛吃嫩草 (lǎo niú chī nèn cǎo): lit. an old cow eating young grass (idiom); May-December relationship; to rob the cradle; a romance where one partner is significantly older than the other; describe couples with a large age gap.
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