Ten minutes later, Yan Sui and Meng Ting met Li Lan’s grandfather, a man in his sixties who had been tormented by illness for many years. His back was slightly hunched, and his complexion was not very good, but the smile on his face was very kind. His keen eyesight might have enabled him to guess that Yan Sui and Meng Ting came from an extraordinary background, but he did not ask any further questions.
“I want to thank you all,” Li Lan was sent to make tea, and only then did his grandfather speak, his words and expression somewhat agitated.
“I’ve always known about the incident where Lanzi was framed, but I… couldn’t do anything. This child is too sensitive, and I’ve always been afraid he would get sick from holding it in. Thank you, thank you all.”
“No need, Li Lan… is very filial and well-behaved.”
Meng Ting couldn’t think of any particularly flattering words, and for a moment, he could only come up with these two. The first one was somewhat acceptable; he did treat his grandfather quite well and cared about him a lot. But the term ‘well-behaved’ was something even Li Lan’s grandfather wouldn’t dare to claim.
Li Lan came in with a cup of tea, clearly having heard Meng Ting praise him. His face turned red, a mix of shyness and anger, but when Meng Ting looked over, his face turned even redder, and he didn’t say a word in retort.
They had only been sitting in the Li family’s courtyard for a short while when Zhao Bing arrived with Yan Mingya.
Zhao Bing, following Yan Sui’s instructions, had Nanny Wang prepare some items for them to bring over. Naturally, it wasn’t food they had prepared themselves, but some dried seafood. Sure enough, Li Lan’s grandfather hesitated for a moment before accepting them. If they had actually offered money, they probably wouldn’t have been willing to accept it.
Zhao Bing still had his usual cold, expressionless face, but Yan Mingya looked somewhat haggard, even more so than the sick Yan Sui. However, when he saw Meng Ting, his eyes lit up as if he had just seen a rare treasure.
“Little Aunt, I agreed.”
This was the first thing he said when he saw Meng Ting. If possible, he would have signed the cooperation contract with Meng Ting right then and there, discussing all the details. But when he turned his eyes, he met Yan Sui’s gaze, and he could only suppress those impulses.
He hasn’t slept much since yesterday. Carrying the flowers Meng Ting gave him, he visited several perfume masters’ homes. Without exception, they were even more eager to meet the person who chose the flowers than he was. They were a part of it, and so was his own feeling—the feeling that the bouquet brought him.
As time passed, the fragrance of that bouquet changed, so much so that every perfumer he met had a different impression of it. And it was just a bouquet of flowers. He finally understood that this was what Yan Sui and Meng Ting wanted him to see.
The greatest advantage of this project does not lie in the Yan family and Yan Sui behind Meng Ting, but in the innate talent that Meng Ting possesses, a true gift from heaven. This kind of advantage is rare among other families.
Meng Ting had no reaction to his eagerness; he nodded, then squatted down to pick vegetables with Li Lan. Yan Sui was asked by Meng Ting to sit down, but Yan Mingya was sent away, “You go chat with Li Lan’s grandfather.”
“Okay,” Yan Mingya nodded and followed Yan Sui’s instructions. He now truly felt that it wasn’t him choosing the project, but rather Yan Sui choosing him.
***
It was almost noon when they finally got to eat. Li Lan’s grandfather cooking was quite good, but they couldn’t just leave everything to him.
Everyone pitched in together. Zhao Bing killed the chicken and also took care of the cleaning. Meng Ting and Li Lan prepared the vegetables. Yan Sui was sick, not to mention that he could not, and even if he could help, Meng Ting wouldn’t let him, so in the end, the only one who could help Li Lan’s grandfather in the kitchen was Yan Mingya.
Yan Mingya’s cooking skills need improvement, but the few dishes that Li Lan casually tossed together were actually quite good. This meal was a bit of a hassle, but the feeling of doing it with their own hands was quite special, and everyone seemed to enjoy it.
Around two o’clock in the afternoon, they got in the car and headed back to Haicheng. Meng Ting also left his phone number with Li Lan.
When they returned to the Yan family home, the private doctor Li Yi was already waiting. After examining Yan Sui again, he confirmed it was just a minor cold. Meng Ting’s still-worried heart finally eased a bit. However, it was impossible for Yan Sui to continue working.
Meng Ting also didn’t have the mood to chat much with Yan Mingya. He couldn’t talk about those things clearly anyway. He was responsible for formulating the perfume, Yan Mingya was responsible for selling it, and in the end, they would split the profits according to the agreement Yan Sui had made with him.
Yan Mingya left to prepare for the company’s and laboratory’s matters, as well as to confirm his own decision to temporarily stay in Haicheng. He would be very busy for the foreseeable future, so even though Nanny Wang invited him to stay for dinner, he postponed it.
Meng Ting’s heart is now entirely focused on Yan Sui. He serves tea and feeds him fruits, learning to care for Yan Sui bit by bit, just as Yan Sui used to care for him. From time to time, he criticizes himself or encourages himself.
“I haven’t done enough, I’m not skilled, but from now on, I’ll feed you more often, and you won’t choke anymore.”
Meng Ting wiped Yan Sui’s mouth, then muttered to himself.
Yan Sui’s expression was somewhat helpless, but there was not a hint of unwillingness in it. This was Meng Ting’s first time learning how to take care of someone, and it was also the first time he was being taken care of in such a manner. Although Meng Ting didn’t do it very well, his intentions were unmatched by anyone.
He pulled him into his arms, and placed a gentle kiss on Meng Ting’s hair. His voice was soft, yet there was a clear seriousness, “Meng Ting, I am very happy.”
Such a feeling, not to mention people of Yan Sui’s status, even the vast majority of people in this world would find it difficult to have such a clear and definite feeling. They always tend to first notice the aspects of life that make them unhappy.
In the past, Yan Sui was the same, but Meng Ting brought him immense happiness, overshadowing all the misfortunes, giving him a certain and surprising happiness.
Meng Ting didn’t quite understand the concept of happiness, or rather, he hadn’t thought about it carefully before Yan Sui told him this, but now that he thinks about it, it doesn’t seem that difficult, because he was already happy.
“Me too, I’m also very happy,” Meng Ting said, his gaze slightly lowered as he continued to ponder, “Meeting you, I’m happy. Liking you, I’m happy. Falling in love with you, I’m also happy… Even now, I’m happy, because you’re holding me.”
In the end, Meng Ting concluded, “You are my happiness.”
Yan Sui didn’t respond, but as he stroked Meng Ting’s back, he found it difficult to control the pressure of his touch for a moment. What Meng Ting said was actually what he wanted to express, but he couldn’t say it out loud. On the other hand, Meng Ting spoke more and more fluently.
But that’s not necessarily a bad thing; Meng Ting has completely opened his heart to him, which is why he’s willing to tell him everything.
Some people say that couples need to have personal space, which is not a bad thing. However, there is another kind of relationship where they completely occupy each other, including their private territories. They are completely honest with each other, with no secrets. Others may not understand, but they feel relaxed, intimate, and lucky this way.
It’s very, very difficult to find someone who would willingly go to such lengths for him, so he is very lucky.
***
In the next few days, until Yan Sui recovered from his illness, he enjoyed Meng Ting’s personal care. It was the first time for Yan Sui to experience being cared for wholeheartedly by the person he loved, but the illness would eventually get better, and he was reluctant to let Meng Ting continue to worry about him like this. In just a few days, Nanny Wang and Uncle Xiao couldn’t stand it anymore.
Yan Sui was in a very good mood, and everyone in the Yan residence could feel it, because it was very clear to everyone.
On Thursday morning, Yan Sui returned to his normal routine, going to work at eight in the morning. Meng Ting stayed at home; he was going to take Dahuang and Maoqiu to Zhen Han’s pet hospital for a follow-up check-up today. If there was no problem with the check-up this time, they wouldn’t need to go to the hospital again except for regular vaccinations.
As usual, it was still Zhen Han who personally came to check on Dahuang and Maoqiu. He was now quite familiar with Meng Ting as well. While examining them, he kept talking non-stop, and in the midst of his chatter, he accidentally let something slip.
“The court is in session today?”
Meng Ting asked with doubt, and Zhen Han closed his mouth, remaining silent for a while. He then nodded and said, “Yes.”
“However, I guess Yan Sui has forgotten too,” Zhen Han, Gu Lang and the others are keen on all kinds of gossip, and since this matter also concerns Yan Sui’s wife, their sister-in-law, they naturally paid more attention to it. If Meng Ting weren’t coming over today, he would have actually liked to skip work to watch the spectacle.
Meng Ting nodded upon hearing this, patted Maoqiu on the head, remained silent for a while, and didn’t continue the topic.
However, he was somewhat concerned, and Zhen Han noticed it. When he sent the person out, he cheekily asked again, “Do you want to go and see it?” The court session starts at ten, and it’s only nine now, so they have plenty of time to get there.
Meng Ting fell silent for a moment again, shook his head, and said, “I don’t like watching them.”
“Whatever the result, just remember to tell me.”
“Okay,” Zhen Han replied, and then watched as Meng Ting left with Maoqiu and Dahuang.
He thought for a moment, took out his phone, and called Yan Sui, confessing that he had let the matter slip.
Yan Sui only replied with a ‘got it’ and didn’t say anything else. Zhen Han couldn’t understand Yan Sui’s thoughts. After thinking for a moment, he called Gu Lang again, and the two of them really went to the court together after discussing it.
***
On Yan Sui’s side, only the lawyer showed up, while on the other side were Meng Xiao, who had been kept in custody, and Su Siyu’s lawyer.
Meng Xiao looked haggard; he probably hadn’t been doing well in prison over the past ten days. He seemed timid and genuinely scared. On Su Siyu’s side, only his lawyer had come, but based on Zhen Han and Gu Lang’s understanding of him, he probably still didn’t think it was a big deal.
But there is indeed a show to watch in this courtroom. Originally, it was Meng Xiao and Su Siyu’s lawyers debating with Yan Sui’s lawyers, but in the middle, Su Siyu’s lawyer clearly took the lead, placing the main responsibility on Meng Xiao, so Su Siyu could only be considered an accomplice.
Meng Xiao’s years of studying were not in vain; he naturally caught on to the nuances. What happened next was that he relentlessly clung to Su Siyu, and the scene descended into chaos for a while.
Zhen Han and Gu Lang had their fill of the excitement and then left. Zhen Han called Meng Ting and chattered non-stop, recounting the scene to him. Basically, it was a case of dogs biting each other, and both get a mouthful of fur[mfn]狗咬狗，一嘴毛 (gǒu yǎo gǒu, yī zuǐ máo): lit. dog bites dog, and both get a mouthful of fur. Similar to the idiom 損人不利己 (sǔn rén bù lì jǐ), to harm others without gaining anything in the process; to cut off one’s nose to spite one’s face; to harm others without benefiting oneself (idiom). Which means that when a person hurts others, he will also be hurt by what he has done. In the end, both sides will suffer losses, as the saying goes, to kill one thousand enemy soldiers while one loses eight hundred soldiers.[/mfn]. Anyway, Zhen Han and Gu Lang found it quite entertaining.
Meng Ting hung up the phone and thought for a while before continuing with the task at hand. He didn’t actually care much about the fate of Meng Xiao and Su Siyu; he was concerned about this matter because Su Siyu was somewhat special.
After all, he has indeed grasped some secrets known only to heaven, and he fears that he will take revenge on Yan Sui and the Yan family.
Of course, he worries, but he also knows his limitations. Especially when it came to things like this that required one to understand people’s hearts; he can’t help even if he wants to. He should just focus on earning money; Yan Sui doesn’t lack money, but having more money would still make him happy.
However, there was more news today than just the court hearing. The Su family has also brought back another illegitimate child, Su Yang, who has been recognized by Old Master Su and is now being raised in the Su residence. This is clearly the rhythm of directly training him as the heir.
[dropdown title=”List of Idiom in Chapter 058.2″]
親力親為 (qīn lì qīn wéi): to do something oneself; do sth all by oneself; to personally (directly) participate and not to be replaced by others.
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