“Yan Sui!” Deng Yu called out again, struggling to stay on his feet, his clenched fists trembling uncontrollably. “Do you really think you can just walk out of here, walk out of Licheng? Aren’t you afraid I’ll approach Old Man Yán for cooperation, just as Su Siyu suggested?”
Yan Sui didn’t turn back. He simply stated coldly, “You wouldn’t dare.”
Perhaps ten years later, Deng Yu might have the capital to do so, but for now, his wings weren’t fully grown. The difference between a young master and a family patriarch was significant.
Yan Sui had asked Deng Yu for help not just because of their friendship, but also because Yan Sui had provided substantial assistance to Deng Yu in the past.
Families like the Deng family were different from families like the Yan and Xiao families. Their family head successors weren’t chosen by the current patriarch, but rather emerged from a brutal competition among their descendants—winner takes all, loser pays the price. Bloodshed and scheming were inevitable. Yan Sui’s contribution to Deng Yu becoming the current young master was immense.
At least at this stage, for both emotional and logical reasons, Deng Yu couldn’t afford to do anything against Yan Sui’s will, unless he truly wanted to sever ties with Yan Sui and no longer desired to be the most powerful young master of the Deng family.
As Yan Sui left the indoor sparring room, Nian Wu entered, glancing at the slightly disheveled Deng Yu. After a moment’s hesitation, he said, “The Xu family’s old housekeeper is waiting outside the winery.”
“Heh… Hahaha,” Deng Yu suddenly burst into wild laughter, a laugh more wretched than a sob. Then, his fist slammed against the wall with a resounding ‘bang’, as if releasing all his pent-up emotions with that single action. Deng Yu couldn’t laugh anymore, but he also couldn’t sustain his resentment.
Isn’t this exactly the outcome he had foreseen? Confessing to Yan Sui would inevitably lead to this. Brothers were brothers; even if Yan Sui didn’t have someone he loved, he would never allow their boundaries to be crossed.
Su Siyu’s words—whether they were his salvation or his utter ruin—remained to be seen.
“Send the recording of Su Siyu and the photos of Meng Ting to Yan Sui. You… deliver them personally.”
“Yes,” Nian Wu replied, bowing slightly as he left the sparring room. Outside, he quietly let out a sigh of relief, but it was for Su Siyu.
Falling into Yan Sui’s hands was undoubtedly more fortunate than ending up with Deng Yu. Of course, this fortune was relative. Yan Sui’s methods of punishment, while harsh, were at least somewhat transparent. Had Su Siyu fallen into Deng Yu’s clutches, his fate could truly be described as a living hell.
***
The favor Yan Sui asked of Xu Shumin was actually quite simple: Xu Shumin was to arrange for transportation for Yan Sui’s activities in Licheng over the next few days. For Xu Shumin, this was trivial, and he even felt Yan Sui’s formality a bit excessive. However, in the eyes of Deng Yu and others, it was not so.
Instead, they perceived that Yan Sui and Xu Shumin had reached some kind of agreement. Deng Yu connected this with Yan Sui’s earlier ‘you wouldn’t dare’ and even felt that Yan Sui was subtly threatening him. He began to suspect that Yan Sui had been suspicious of him all along, quietly preparing for this moment.
But in reality, that wasn’t the case. Yan Sui had been completely oblivious until his first encounter with Deng Yu earlier that day.
When they spoke of Meng Ting, Yan Sui couldn’t help but recall Meng Ting’s sour tone. And precisely at that moment, Deng Yu’s carefully maintained patience and restraint were detected by Yan Sui.
Yan Sui made his decision within a few hours of realizing the situation. To some, like Deng Yu, this might seem cold-hearted and merciless. But failing to cut ties decisively would have been irresponsible to himself, to Meng Ting, and to Deng Yu.
Yan Sui got into the car and made a phone call. As expected, it was turned off. He immediately dialed another number.
“Where are you and Ting Ting?”
Xiao Zimo’s throat tightened. He glanced at the bewildered Meng Ting, who had tilted his head to look at him, then chuckled awkwardly. “Brother-in-law, what are you talking about? Ting Ting went to A Country, didn’t he? How could he be with me?”
“Pull over, I see you guys.” Yan Sui rolled down his car window and had the old housekeeper honk the car’s horn.
Caught red-handed, Xiao Zimo saw no point in further denial. He pulled the car over to the side of the road, and where Yan Sui had also parked nearby.
Yan Sui got out of the car and walked to the passenger side door where Meng Ting sat. He leaned down and tapped on the window.
“Ting Ting, I know you’re in there. Open the door, be good.”
Earlier, when Yan Sui hadn’t emerged from the winery, Meng Ting had been brimming with bravado, as if ready to storm in and snatch him away. But now, at the tap on the window, he deflated like a punctured balloon, his usual confidence replaced by visible unease. He turned to Xiao Zimo for help.
“What are you afraid of? Your Second Brother is here.”
Xiao Zimo was about to get out of the car but stopped, leaning back in to reassure Meng Ting. Yan Sui’s tone carried no hint of menace.
Meng Ting was still hesitating whether to open the car door when Xiao Zimo stepped out and nodded. Yan Sui then strode over.
“Excuse me,” Yan Sui said, pushing past Xiao Zimo and getting into the driver’s seat.
Meng Ting’s gaze followed Yan Sui’s movements, slowly shifting until it settled on Yan Sui now behind the wheel. He found it impossible to look away.
“Yan Sui, I… I lied again…”
Before Meng Ting could finish his sentence, Yan Sui pulled him into a tight embrace. Yan Sui’s arms and chest muscles were somewhat rigid as he tried to control his emotions. “Ting Ting, I’ve missed you so much.”
It hadn’t even been a full day since Meng Ting boarded the plane that morning, yet the longing Yan Sui felt was far more intense than he had anticipated.
He had thought he could overcome such longing, but the truth was, he had overestimated himself. Now, seeing the person, those emotions poured out without restraint.
“I missed you too,” Meng Ting said, raising his arms to hug Yan Sui back. He tilted his head and nuzzled Yan Sui’s cheek, and as he nuzzled, he quietly kissed him.
Yan Sui’s hand slid to the back of Meng Ting’s neck. He too tilted his head, found Meng Ting’s lips, and then gently pressed him back into the seat, kissing him deeply.
Yan Sui’s tongue swept through Meng Ting’s mouth. He knew all of Meng Ting’s sensitive spots. With a light brush of his tongue, he could feel the uncontrollable trembles from the person in his arms. He entwined with the softest part, engaging in an endless, passionate kiss.
Their chests heaved faster and faster, and Meng Ting’s hands, clutching Yan Sui’s clothes, tightened more and more.
But then, as if remembering or sensing something, Meng Ting’s previously closed eyes suddenly snapped open. In the dim glow of the streetlights filtering into the car, Yan Sui’s passionate and focused brows were reflected in Meng Ting’s eyes. His nose twitched slightly as he gently pushed Yan Sui away and began to carefully sniff around him.
Yan Sui froze, then pulled Meng Ting back into his arms. His breathing remained ragged, but he couldn’t bear for Meng Ting to remain upset. “I just beat up Deng Yu.” This would inevitably left traces of Deng Yu’s scent on him, but there was absolutely nothing ambiguous about it.
Meng Ting stopped struggling, his eyes wide as he stared at Yan Sui. “He really didn’t touch you?”
“No,” Yan Sui replied, pulling Meng Ting closer and pressing a kiss to his lips. “I know I’m yours. I can’t let anyone else touch me.”
“It’s good that you know,” Meng Ting nodded. His hand slid to the seatbelt buckle, and with a gentle press, he released the buckle. Then he raised his arms and tightly wrapped them around Yan Sui’s waist. “It’s not just him, I was also worried about you.”
“I get anxious when I can’t see you. I was so angry when you wouldn’t let me come with you.”
“I know, it was my fault,” Yan Sui said, a pang of tenderness in his heart. He understood Meng Ting wasn’t just referring to this trip to Licheng, but also about Haicheng. Whenever Yan Sui left Meng Ting’s sight, Meng Ting couldn’t help but worry uncontrollably.
“I was so angry, so I lied to you,” Meng Ting confessed, tilting his head to steal a glance at Yan Sui’s expression. He nuzzled his nose against Yan Sui’s cheek. “Are you angry?”
“No,” Yan Sui met Meng Ting’s gaze, his voice firm, “I will never be angry with you.”
“Deng Yu… I didn’t realize before,” Yan Sui said. If he had even a hint of suspicion, he would never have allowed Deng Yu to interfere with his and Meng Ting’s lives. “Ting Ting, you must remember, I won’t like anyone you don’t like either.”
Yan Sui’s words might have sounded somewhat unprincipled, but that was the truth of the matter. There was no harm in stating it plainly. Just as he had told Deng Yu before, Meng Ting was the most important person in his life. But what did ‘most important’ truly mean? Yan Sui believed it meant sharing his likes and dislikes, his loves and hates.
“Mm,” Meng Ting nodded gently, a faint smile finally gracing his face. “I like you. I don’t like Deng Yu.”
Meng Ting’s feelings about people were entirely based on intuition, which might seem quite capricious. Yet from that moment on, Yan Sui resolved to trust Meng Ting’s instincts completely.
Yan Sui’s hand moved to Meng Ting’s cheek, gently caressing it, then leaned forward to kiss Meng Ting’s forehead.
He continued explaining to Meng Ting, “I initially didn’t want you to come with me because of Su Siyu. I wasn’t sure what else he might know, and I couldn’t estimate the danger he might bring, so I didn’t want you to come with me.”
Yan Sui had always known that Su Siyu, with his memories of a past life, was a double-edged sword. From the moment he decided to use this sword, he also had prepared himself for the possibility of being wounded by it. But Yan Sui didn’t want Meng Ting to bear any of those wounds.
This wasn’t about disrespecting or distrusting Meng Ting; it was a primal instinct of love—the overwhelming urge to shield Meng Ting from all storms and dangers.
Beneath this instinct lay fear. Yan Sui couldn’t bear the risk of losing Meng Ting. Conversely, Meng Ting felt the same about him, which was why he had followed without hesitation.
“I’m coming with you,” Meng Ting murmured softly, lifting his foot and resting it directly on Yan Sui’s thigh, as if afraid he might slip away again.
“I know. It was my fault this time,” Yan Sui said, gently ruffling Meng Ting’s hair, creating some space between them. He met Meng Ting’s gaze and said sincerely. “Can you forgive me?”
“Forgiven, I forgive you,” Meng Ting replied without a moment’s hesitation. He leaned in to kiss Yan Sui’s lips, a hint of mischief sparkling in his eyes. “Then you have to forgive me too, forgive me for lying to you again, okay?”
“Alright, I forgive you too,” Yan Sui nodded. He knew how important these words were to Meng Ting, and his nod was enough. There was no need to dwell on whether Meng Ting’s deception had been right or wrong.
Hearing this, the worry between Meng Ting’s brows completely vanished. He leaned even closer to Yan Sui and nipped at his lips, saying, “Let’s continue kissing. We weren’t finished earlier.”
[dropdown title=”List of Idiom in Chapter 101″]
功不可沒 (gōng bù kě mò): one’s contributions cannot go unnoticed (idiom); contribute significantly (to); play a decisive role (in).
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