“Then… can I bring family members?”
Meng Ting immediately followed up with this question. Before Yan Mingya could react, Yan Manjia and Ning Zhou, who had been listening all along, couldn’t hold back their amusement. Yan Manjia tilted her head back with a loud laugh, while Ning Zhou simply pursed her lips and smiled.
Though their reactions differed in intensity, the sentiment was the same—they were utterly helpless when it came to Meng Ting.
Getting Meng Ting to part from Yan Sui seemed like an impossibly difficult task.
Meng Ting tilted his head and glanced at Yan Manjia and Ning Zhou, seemingly not understanding why they were laughing. But that wasn’t what he was anxious to know at the moment. After a brief look, then turned back to Yan Mingya, continuing to ask, “Can I?”
Yan Mingya nodded blankly. “I guess so.”
He naturally wouldn’t be so conceited as to think Meng Ting wanted to bring him—the family member he wished to bring was undoubtedly Yan Sui. After agreeing, he then remembered he hadn’t actually confirmed this with the organizers. “Let me check first.”
Meng Ting nodded and stood up. “Then let me know once you’ve confirmed. I have something else to do, so I won’t chat with you any longer.”
Having finished speaking with Yan Mingya, he turned to face Yan Manjia and Ning Zhou. “You two stay home, I’m going to find Yan Sui.”
“Go ahead, be careful,” Ning Zhou nodded. She knew how deep Meng Ting and Yan Sui’s feelings were. For him to stay home an extra half day for her was already quite rare.
***
Meng Ting went upstairs to change his clothes, then came back down and got into the car. It wasn’t until he arrived at the company building that he remembered he had forgotten to call Yan Sui before leaving. But since he was already here, there was no need to call now.
He was carrying a small box containing fruit and snacks that Ning Zhou had prepared for him and Yan Sui. When he stepped into the elevator, there was already another person inside—a man in a sharp suit, looking every bit the elite. However, Meng Ting frequently visited the Yan Corporation building, and he had never seen this person before.
“Delivering something to the CEO’s office?” the person proactively asked Meng Ting, his gaze sizing him up. He probably felt that Meng Ting didn’t quite fit the image of a typical delivery guy.
Hearing this, Meng Ting also sized him up before nodding. It was true—he was indeed heading to Yan Sui’s office.
“Give it to me, I’ll take it up with me,” the person said to Meng Ting, raising his hand as if to take the box.
But what he received wasn’t the food container—it was a swift, fierce kick.
The person was no mere pushover either; he dodged the blow and then retaliated, and the two of them exchanged blows inside the cramped elevator. From the ground floor to the top, the fight grew increasingly intense over the minute-long ride.
The security team in the monitoring room noticed the disturbance as soon as the fight broke out. By the time the elevator doors opened, four security guards stationed on the top floor were already waiting at the elevator entrance with stun batons. More guards were arriving via another elevator, and even Wang Feng and Yan Sui had been alerted and were heading their way.
The food box Meng Ting had brought was knocked over in the scuffle, but just before the doors opened, Meng Ting had pinned the suited man to the ground.
“Deng Yu, if you dare hurt him—!” Yan Sui’s voice rang out before he even appeared.
The person who was still struggling beneath Meng Ting froze, looking quite startled, but at the same time, he made no further rash movements.
Meng Ting looked up at the sound of Yan Sui’s voice. A moment later, the tightly packed crowd at the elevator entrance parted, and Yan Sui strode forward with a dark expression. But the scene before him was clearly different from what he had imagined—it wasn’t Meng Ting who was restrained, but Deng Yu, the man he had just warned.
“Yan Sui…” Meng Ting called out softly, then glanced down at the slightly bewildered man beneath him. Only then did he realize he might have misunderstood something. However, he still didn’t get up. Only when the security guards took over, restraining Deng Yu did he rise and walk towards Yan Sui.
Yan Sui immediately pulled him into a tight embrace, clearly shaken. After holding him for a moment, he released Meng Ting and began checking Meng Ting over from head to toe. When he spotted the faint bruise on Meng Ting’s temple, his expression darkened even further.
“Deng Yu, he is my wife!”
Without waiting for Deng Yu’s reaction, Yan Sui took Meng Ting’s hand and led him toward his office. Meng Ting himself still seemed a little dazed.
Meng Ting sat obediently, letting Yan Sui apply medicine to him, even allowing him to undo his clothes and check his body for any other harm. Only after Yan Sui finished his examination did Meng Ting finally asked, “He wasn’t a bad guy, was he? Did I hit the wrong person?”
“No, he deserved it!”
Yan Sui applied a bit more ointment to Meng Ting’s shoulder, his tone and the aura emanating from his eyes both exuding a dangerous edge.
Meng Ting looked at Yan Sui, unsure whether to believe his words. Since that Deng Yu was someone Yan Sui knew, he wasn’t the person he should hit.
“I’ve never seen him before, and he didn’t know me either. He knew martial arts and tried to take the fruit and snacks I brought for you. I thought he was a bad guy.” Worse, Meng Ting had suspected Deng Yu might be there to harm Yan Sui. Meng Ting’s initial kick had just been a test, but Deng Yu had parried it, even appearing to do so with ease. So Meng Ting held nothing back. He couldn’t let even the slightest possibility of Yan Sui being hurt go unchecked.
So even now, knowing he might have hit the wrong person, if it happened again, he would probably still strike first.
Yan Sui gently blew on the wounds on Meng Ting’s forehead and shoulder, murmuring softly, “Does it hurt?”
Meng Ting’s expression paused at the question. He assess himself for a moment before answering Yan Sui, “I only feel a little pain. He… probably hurts a lot more…”
Meng Ting spoke without any pretense. His kicking angles were tricky, aiming for places that would cause significant pain. And Deng Yu’s endurance repeatedly exceeded Meng Ting’s expectations, making Meng Ting hit even harder.
Before Yan Sui could say anything else, the office door was knocked. Yan Sui gave the injury on Meng Ting’s shoulder one last pained glance before pulling his clothes back up and calling out, “Come in.”
Wang Feng entered first, followed by Deng Yu. When Deng Yu met Yan Sui’s gaze, he shrugged helplessly. Like Meng Ting, he had thought the other’s martial prowess could pose a threat to Yan Sui, never expecting such a misunderstanding.
“My apologies,” Deng Yu spoke first. Truthfully, he had been the one to inadvertently cause the confusion. Catching a whiff of the medicinal ointment and seeing Yan Sui’s dark expression, he realized he probably really did injure Meng Ting. He could only continue to endure the pain that was enough to make one grimace.
“I’m sorry too.”
Meng Ting responded quickly, lightly tugging Yan Sui’s hand to soothe his anger as he spoke. After all, Deng Yu was Yan Sui’s friend or guest.
“Didn’t expect my sister-in-law to be so skilled,” Deng Yu remarked with a composed smile when he saw Meng Ting, no longer dwelled on it. He sat down on the sofa next to Meng Ting and Yan Sui, a polite smile gracing his face.
“You’re also better than them,” Meng Ting said, this ‘them’ referring to Yan Sui’s other childhood friends. During previous gatherings, Meng Ting had also helped Yan Sui in fights.
They were clearly not on the same level as Deng Yu. Meng Ting had only managed to subdue Deng Yu because the latter had let his guard down the moment the elevator doors opened. Otherwise, under normal circumstances, they wouldn’t have been able to determine a winner in such a short time.
“Thank you for the compliment,” Deng Yu said, his eyebrow slightly raised, then he smiled again.
Just moments ago, the two had been locked in a fierce fight, yet now they were exchanging praises. Yan Sui, however, was still bothered by the fact that Meng Ting had been injured. But as they spoke, he suppressed those feelings, no longer letting them show in his expression or words.
With a wave of his hand, Wang Feng bowed slightly and left the office, while Meng Ting stayed behind to listen to their conversation.
At first, he was only half-listening, but the name ‘Su Siyu’ came up so frequently that it eventually jogged Meng Ting’s memory—the man who still harbored designs on Yan Sui.
“He’s staying at the Yán family’s villa in Licheng. Every three days, Yán Yunsheng summons him.”
But out of all these occasions, Yán Yunsheng mostly sent someone to fetch Su Siyu, and after their discussions, he would have him escorted back to the villa. Nian Wu had very few chances to eavesdrop, but even in those one or two instances, they managed to uncover part of Yán Yunsheng and Su Siyu’s plan.
“They’re plotting against your father. The specifics aren’t clear yet, but his name was mentioned. You need to be extra cautious.”
This was the reason Deng Yu had come in person. When it came to Yan Yu, neither he nor Yan Sui could afford to be careless.
“I’ll have people keep a closer eye on that side. You should also remind Uncle to be careful.”
Yan Sui was deep in thought and didn’t respond immediately, but Meng Ting nodded first. He grasped Yan Sui’s hand and looked earnestly at Deng Yu. “We will. Thank you for your hard work.”
They had brought Yan Yu and He Yue back precisely to protect his life. Now that they had uncovered the root of his ‘fated death’ in their previous life, they wouldn’t let such a thing happen again.
Deng Yu nodded, exchanged a few more words with Yan Sui about recent developments, then stood to take his leave. Meng Ting watched him until he reached the door, his gaze lingering even after Deng Yu had left. Before he could withdraw it, Yan Sui pulled him into an embrace.
“You think he’s impressive?” Yan Sui asked softly, his tone laced with a hint of jealousy.
Meng Ting returned the hug and took a long moment to consider the question before finally answering, “His skills are good.” That was the only positive thing about Deng Yu that Meng Ting could come up with after racking his brain.
“Did you grow up with him too?” Meng Ting’s voice carried a trace of sourness. His Yan Sui was just too outstanding—he had so many childhood friends. No childhood sweethearts, perhaps, but plenty of ‘brothers’, and among them, there were bound to be those who secretly or openly admired Yan Sui.
Yan Sui’s sudden jealousy went unnoticed by Meng Ting, but Meng Ting’s murmured discontent was impossible to miss. Just like that, Yan Sui’s sudden sourness was soothed away.
“Mm, we met when we were kids.”
Yan Sui replied, remembering that Meng Ting wasn’t very familiar with Xia Country’s aristocratic families. He added a couple more explanations. “In Xia Country, aside from the usual influential families, there are also some special ones. Their wealth and influence can’t be defined by ordinary standards.”
“Deng Yu and I learned martial arts from the same master. I’m considered his senior brother.”
“Oh…” Meng Ting responded, his tone tinged with even more sourness. He wrapped his arms around the person, feeling it wasn’t enough, he then lifted his legs to hook them around Yan Sui as well. “Then you definitely don’t like him, right…”
If Yan Sui had ever liked anyone before, Meng Ting wouldn’t have had the chance to claim him now.
“Mm, I like you.”
Yan Sui answered very naturally. Before falling for Meng Ting, he had no concept of liking someone—or perhaps he simply scorned the idea. But once he met Meng Ting, his heart stirred, and love followed. Everything felt perfectly natural.
He wasn’t in the habit of deceiving himself. He liked Meng Ting, and Meng Ting liked him. It was just right.
“I like you too. I love you. Only you.”
As he spoke, Meng Ting tilted his head to press a kiss against Yan Sui’s cheek. His earlier unease dissipated, and his smile returned.
[dropdown title=”List of Idiom in Chapter 089″]
上上下下 (shàng shàng xià xià): everybody; all; the whole; high and low; old and young; above and below; up and down; (Taiwanese Hakka) to come and go; to make round trips frequently; uphill and downhill; from cellar to garret; from garret to kitchen; from top to bottom; thoroughly; from head to toe; all levels; the whole organization; up and down, superiors and subordinates, and generally refers to the entire unit.遊刃有餘 (yóu rèn yǒu yú): to handle a blade skillfully; handling a butcher’s cleaver with ease (idiom); to do a task with skills and ease; to achieve something effortlessly; be more than equal to； accomplish a task with ease; be more than equal to a task; handle a butcher’s cleaver skillfully; do a job with skill and ease; have plenty of room for play of a butcher’s knife. From Zhuangzi: 今臣之刀十九年矣，所解數千牛矣，而刀刃若新发于硎。彼節者有間，而刀刃者無厚；以無厚入有間，恢恢乎其於遊刃必有餘地矣，是以十九年而刀刃若新發於硎。, Now my knife has been in use for nineteen years; it has cut up several thousand oxen, and yet its edge is as sharp as if it had newly come from the whetstone. There are the interstices of the joints, and the edge of the knife not thick; because the thin blade enters the gaps, there must be enough room for the blade to move freely, so after nineteen years, the edge is still as sharp as if it had just been sharpened.
齜牙咧嘴 (zī yá liě zuǐ): lit. to draw back the corners of one’s mouth and bare one’s teeth; to look fierce; to grimace in pain; to show one’s teeth; to bare one’s fangs; make faces; looking fierce or in unbearable pain.
掉以輕心 (diào yǐ qīng xīn): to lower one’s guard; to relax one’s vigilance; to treat something lightly; relax one’s vigilance.
絞盡腦汁 (jiǎo jìn nǎo zhī): lit. to squeeze out all the brain juice; to rack one’s brain; call forth all the faculties of the mind.
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