Yán Yunsheng had become extremely cunning with age. He acted meticulously and hid very deeply. If Yan Sui hadn’t suddenly decided to directly target the Yán family as the subject of investigation, they might have had to face an even greater crisis before discovering it was him. By then, the Yán family would have accumulated enough capital to compete with the Yan family for the position of a top-tier wealthy family.
Yan Sui put down the phone and walked back to his desk to continue handling some matters for a while.
What he had to face now wasn’t just the Yán family of Licheng, but also the Xiao family of Beicheng. However, up to this point, the Xiao family of Beicheng hadn’t made any moves, as if they were unaware that Xiao Zi had been crippled by Yan Sui and Yan Yu.
Yan Sui hadn’t taken any action against them either. He was currently focusing all his efforts on dealing with the Yán family. Although Yan Sui was confident, he wasn’t so confident as to take on two families at the same time, especially when one of them was an old and powerful top-tier family like the Yan family.
But he wasn’t afraid or hesitant either. When he decided to act, he had already prepared for the worst.
***
Two more days passed, and after taking medicine for five days, Gu Li finally told Meng Ting that he no longer needed to take the medicine. His wounds had mostly healed, and although he couldn’t engage in strenuous exercise, he could get out of bed and walk around without any issues.
He was finally able to go downstairs to eat. However, he wanted to walk by himself, but he was still not allowed to do so because Yan Sui was around. Yan Sui carried him all the way to the dining table, and after breakfast, he carried him to the sofa.
Meng Ting didn’t refuse either. He could tell that Yan Sui really enjoyed holding him, and he also enjoyed being held by Yan Sui. So, he couldn’t think of any reason to refuse.
Yan Sui set Meng Ting down, and Meng Ting immediately kissed him on the cheek. “Go ahead and get busy. Maoqiu and Dahuang are here to keep me company.”
Yan Sui ruffled Meng Ting’s hair and kissed him on the lips before straightening up. “I’ll be in the study. You can come in anytime.”
“Okay,” Meng Ting nodded obediently, then hugged Yan Sui’s waist again before finally letting go.
He watched Yan Sui until his figure completely disappeared from sight before turning his gaze back.
“Maoqiu, Dahuang, we all need to be good and not cause any trouble for Yan Sui.”
Yan Sui hadn’t told Meng Ting much, but he hadn’t deliberately hidden anything from Meng Ting either. There was no need for them to deliberately conceal things from each other for the sake of the other’s well-being.
Meng Ting watched TV for quite a while before Yan Yu pushed He Yue out of the room. After they had breakfast, He Yue came to the sofa to watch TV with Meng Ting. Yan Yu had something to attend to outside. He went to pick someone up.
Dr. Bart was scheduled to arrive in Haicheng today, and to avoid any unnecessary incidents, Yan Yu decided to go personally to pick him up.
As for Yan Manjia, who usually came downstairs early, she hurried down after everyone had left, already dressed and ready to go out.
“I’m going to meet a lunatic, I’ll be back for lunch.”
With those words, Yan Manjia left, taking her driver and bodyguard with her.
The ‘lunatic’ Yan Manjia mentioned was someone Meng Ting had also heard about before—a person who was particularly fond of her paintings and had come all the way to Haicheng to negotiate with her. While Yan Manjia was quite annoyed by this, Meng Ting was actually happy for her.
After all, if Yan Manjia’s paintings weren’t good, no one would be so persistent.
Meng Ting turned around and met He Yue’s gaze. He smiled and said, “Auntie is always like this—impulsive and energetic, but still very endearing.”
He Yue nodded gently in response. “Man Man really likes you.”
Meng Ting nodded softly as well. He placed Maoqiu into He Yue’s arms and then turned to hug Dahuang, gently stroking its fur.
He Yue looked at the little creature stuffed into his arms and smiled softly, also starting to stroke Maoqiu’s fur. The two pets were very much like their owners—well-behaved and adorable.
***
After an hour’s drive, Yan Manjia arrived at the café owned by Meng Ting to meet the person who was so insistent on buying her paintings. Over the phone, she had heard a man’s voice, claiming to be a judge for the selection panel and a renowned painter. Based on her understanding, Yan Manjia had assumed he was a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties.
“Are you Amos?” Yan Manjia asked, her tone still laced with doubt when she finally met him in person. She couldn’t yet call herself a painter, but she wasn’t completely unaware of the art world either. Amos’s works had recently been auctioned for over five million yuan at a recent auction.
Yan Manjia had even attended his exhibition. The value of his works hadn’t reached its peak yet, and in a few years, they were likely to fetch even higher prices. However, he had kept his personal information well-protected, and Yan Manjia had always assumed he was around her age.
“Yes, I am Amos.”
He admitted it, and Yan Manjia scrutinized him for a few more moments before sitting down. He looked about the same age as her Han Han, or at most, no older than Yan Sui. She really was getting old.
“You are actually so young…” Yan Manjia was very affected; the younger generation was surpassing the older, and she was like the old wave that got crushed on the beach.
Amos smiled and said, “Everyone who knows me says that.”
He didn’t seem the least bit embarrassed; he glanced at the watch on his wrist and decided not to waste any more time.
“I’m willing to pay one million for your painting.”
Yan Manjia couldn’t help but mutter in her heart. As for one million, while her family background certainly didn’t lack for money, earning a million from her own painting was something she had never experienced before. After some hesitation, she decisively shook her head.
“No,” she said, but then added, “That’s not my best work. If you like my paintings, you can look at others. Feel free to pick any one, and I’ll sell it to you.”
To be honest, Yan Manjia felt quite flattered that Amos was so eager to buy her painting. That particular piece was a birthday gift for Meng Ting and couldn’t be sold, but the others were fair game. With the money from the sale, she planned to buy gifts for Meng Ting and Zhen Han, which made Yan Manjia feel somewhat excited.
Amos took the tablet Yan Manjia brought and flipped through some of the works, but eventually shook his head.
“Let me be honest with you. I want to buy that painting to give it to my mother as a birthday gift. I really like the feeling of the person in the painting, and besides, he bears a certain resemblance to my mother.”
If it weren’t for the fact that his mother rarely leave the house and there were no photos of her circulating, he would have suspected that Yan Manjia had painted it based on her likeness. If not, then it must be fate, which is why he was so determined to acquire the painting.
Yan Manjia raised her eyebrows in surprise and took a closer look at Amos. Finally, she also shook her head. “The person in the painting is my family member, and I’m also going to give it to him as a birthday gift. What a coincidence.”
It should be said that it was such a coincidence… Amos wanted to give it as a birthday gift, and so did she.
With Yan Manjia’s firm stance, Amos knew that pressing further would not only be rude but also futile. He could tell that Yan Manjia wasn’t short of money, and even doubling the price wouldn’t sway her.
He looked down at the tablet, continuing to swipe through Yan Manjia’s paintings, but then his finger paused and he swiped back.
It was a photo of Meng Ting holding a white rose, teasing a cat. His facial features were fully visible in front of him. If Yan Manjia’s painting bore some resemblance to his mother, then Meng Ting himself, aside from having more defined facial lines, looked almost exactly like his mother in her youth.
People can resemble each other, but not to this extent.
Seeing Amos staring intently at Meng Ting’s photo, Yan Manjia thought for a moment and tried to take the tablet back. She didn’t want to inadvertently create a love rival for Yan Sui. However, Amos held on tightly, and Yan Manjia couldn’t pull it back no matter how hard she tried.
“This is the person I’m giving the birthday gift to. Let me tell you, he’s my nephew’s wife!” He’s already taken, already married.
Amos’s hand suddenly let go, and Yan Manjia, clutching the tablet, sat back down. She held the tablet close to her chest, looking at Amos with great surprise, sensing that something was off with Amos’s expression.
“Hey, what’s wrong with you?”
His gloomy demeanor was a bit frightening, and Yan Manjia even considered calling in the bodyguards and driver waiting at the door.
“How old is he this year?” Amos could tell that Yan Manjia was very guarded, but he couldn’t wait to investigate slowly. He almost pleaded, “Please, you must tell me.”
“Eighteen…” Since she lived at home, Yan Manjia naturally knew a lot about Meng Ting. He wasn’t a child of the Meng family; he had been abducted by traffickers and taken to that orphanage. It was such a long time ago that even Yan Sui hadn’t yet uncovered Meng Ting’s true origins.
“Why… why are you asking this?”
Yan Manjia was somewhat anxious herself. She really couldn’t see any resemblance between Amos and Meng Ting. They didn’t seem like family. Meng Ting had just survived a dangerous assassination attempt, and she absolutely couldn’t let his information leak out.
Amos didn’t answer her. He stood up, nodded slightly to Yan Manjia, and then left the café with his bag.
As he walked, he made a phone call, “Brother, our little brother… might still be alive…”
***
Meanwhile, Yan Manjia didn’t linger in the café either. She got into her car and headed straight home. It was only 10:30 in the morning. After greeting Meng Ting and He Yue, she went directly to the second floor and knocked on the door of Yan Sui’s study.
“Come in.”
Yan Manjia entered, placed her bag on the sofa, and walked over. Only then did Yan Sui lift his head to look at her.
“Sui Sui, I have something to tell you.”
Yan Sui nodded, and Yan Manjia didn’t waste any time. She recounted her meeting with Amos an hour earlier to Yan Sui, including everything they had discussed, and all the details she had noticed.
“He had called me several times before. I could tell that initially, he just wanted to buy my paintings…”
Yan Manjia felt a bit guilty. Sending her own painting to a competition was fine, but she had submitted one that depicted Meng Ting. Now, she wasn’t sure if it was a blessing or a curse, but she knew she had messed up again.
“…I’m not sure if he’s Ting Ting’s family. He looked shocked and very anxious.”
After Yan Manjia finished speaking, she glanced at Yan Sui and took the initiative to admit her mistake.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have submitted Meng Ting’s painting to the competition, and I definitely shouldn’t have let outsiders see Meng Ting’s photo.”
That photo was one she had taken; she planned to paint it soon. She hadn’t noticed it was still on her tablet, and she never expected Amos to see it or to have such a strong reaction.
Yan Sui was indeed a bit angry, but now wasn’t the right time to hold Yan Manjia accountable. He tapped his fingers on the desk, seemingly pondering or perhaps also warning Yan Manjia.
“I… I’ll call right away and get the painting back.” Yan Manjia felt her scalp tingle from the tap. Yan Sui’s stern expression was something everyone in the house feared, except for Meng Ting, and she was no exception.
“No need,” Yan Sui waved his hand, signaling for Yan Manjia to leave, but his tone still carried a warning, “Don’t let it happen again.”
Yan Manjia had already informed Meng Ting about submitting the painting to the competition. He was probably also waiting for news of Yan Manjia winning an award. Taking it back now would disappoint even Meng Ting for a while, but Yan Sui wouldn’t tolerate anything like this happening again.
“Yes, I understand,” Yan Manjia said, picking up her bag. She glanced back at Yan Sui once more before leaving the study.
Yan Sui picked up his phone and dialed a number, “Investigate the family background of the painter Amos, as soon as possible.”
[dropdown title=”List of Idiom in Chapter 072.2″]
突發奇想 (tū fā qí xiǎng): suddenly have a thought (idiom); suddenly be inspired to do something; to suddenly come up with an ingenious idea; hit upon a strange idea.風風火火 (fēng fēng huǒ huǒ): rash; vigorous; bustling; energetic; hasty and rash; hustling and bustling; describe someone who is in a hurry or being reckless.
長江後浪推前浪 (Cháng Jiāng hòu làng tuī qián làng): lit. In the Yangtze River the waves behind push on those ahead; the rear waves of the Yangtze River drive on those before (idiom); fig. the new is constantly replacing the old; new things replace old things; the younger (new) generation replaces and surpasses the older (previous) generation; each new generation excels the previous; (of things) to be constantly evolving; in the Yangtze River the wave behind pushes/drives on the wave before—it is inevitable that the younger generation surpasses the older one; a metaphor for the situation where new people and things with certain accumulated accumulation push the development of old people and things in certain aspects. It can also mean that new people and new things with certain qualifications are better than old people and old things.
下不為例 (xià bù wéi lì): not to be repeated; not to be taken as a precedent; just this once.
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