The consequence of this was that the next day, when Ning Zhou and Xiao Zimo arrived early at the Yan residence, they were told that Yan Sui and Meng Ting were still sleeping in.
“It’s fine, don’t disturb their sleep. We can wait.”
Uncle Xiao and Nanny Wang didn’t dare to neglect the lady of the house’s mother and brother, serving them fruits and tea. Yan Manjia also came out of her studio to entertain them.
She had been in the basement all day yesterday, and only found out during dinner that Meng Ting’s parents and two older brothers had visited.
“Ting Ting usually wakes up quite early,” Yan Manjia said, pausing awkwardly. She realized it was not appropriate to continue her words. The reason for their late rising was probably because the two of them had been too active the previous night. This wasn’t something she could mention to Meng Ting’s newly reunited family.
“Is it because of the injury on his waist?” Ning Zhou asked with a hint of urgency as she noticed Yan Manjia pausing.
“No, no, don’t worry. Meng Ting’s injuries are almost healed,” otherwise Yan Sui and Meng Ting wouldn’t have slept in so late. Yan Manjia replied, her eyes shifting slightly as she spoke with a touch of subtlety. “They have a good relationship and just slept in a bit longer…”
Ning Zhou wasn’t someone who didn’t understand things either; upon hearing these words, she immediately understood what Yan Manjia was implying.
Ning Zhou’s brows furrowed slightly. Although she hadn’t seen Meng Ting in person, she was still concerned about his injuries. However, chatting with Yan Manjia made the time pass more quickly.
***
Upstairs, Yan Sui had actually been awake for quite some time, but Meng Ting was still clinging to his arm, sound asleep[mfn]T/N: Totally unrelated, but this scene reminds me of the phrase ‘cut-sleeve’ 斷袖 (duàn xiù), a euphemism that refers to male homosexual individuals and male same-sex love in Chinese culture. The term dates back to the late Han Dynasty, around 10 BC. It originated from “The Passion of the Cut Sleeve” (斷袖之癖), a short story that follows the love between Emperor Ai (漢哀帝) of the Eastern Han Dynasty and his male lover, Dong Xian (董賢). The two men often took afternoon naps with one another. After one of these naps, Emperor Ai emerged from his light slumber in order to attend a court proceeding. His sleeve was caught under Dong Xian, who was still asleep. Not wanting to disturb his lover, Emperor Ai instead gently cut off his sleeve so that he could leave without waking the other up. More information: Link.[/mfn]. Other than gently stroking Meng Ting’s hair and pinching his face, there wasn’t much else he could do.
The previous night, Yan Sui had taken a phone call in the study, and Meng Ting had wandered around looking for him without even wearing shoes. Meng Ting might appear simple and carefree, but deep down, whether he truly felt at ease was something even he might not be sure of.
Meng Ting naturally woke up, and it was almost eight o’clock. With his eyes still closed, he hugged Yan Sui, and gave him a series of random nuzzles and kisses before finally opening his eyes.
“Yan Sui, good morning.”
Yan Sui ruffled Meng Ting’s hair and kissed his cheek before saying helplessly, “It’s not early anymore. Let’s get up.”
“Okay,” Meng Ting replied, continuing to roll into Yan Sui’s embrace, letting him help him up.
The two of them went to the bathroom to wash up, changed clothes, and came downstairs. By the time they were done, it was already past eight o’clock. Ning Zhou and Xiao Zimo had been at the Yan residence for nearly an hour, and Xiao Huimin and Xiao Zi’ang, who had arrived a bit later due to some matters, had also arrived.
Meng Ting, squinting, was led by Yan Sui, completely unaware that there were several more people in the living room downstairs. After taking a few more steps, he wrapped his arms around half of Yan Sui’s arm and closed his eyes again. “I was too tired last night. I really don’t feel like moving today.”
It wasn’t the kind of tiredness that came from sleepiness, but a deep weariness that seemed to emanate from his bones. He just wanted to lie still, and it would be even better if Yan Sui could stay with him. Meng Ting thought this but didn’t say it out loud. He knew Yan Sui had been very busy lately, and he didn’t want to add to his troubles.
Yan Sui glanced at Meng Ting and then picked him up to carry him.
He guessed that the Xiao family members would have arrived by now, and it might not be appropriate to carry Meng Ting downstairs. But since Meng Ting had explicitly said he didn’t want to move, it would be too much not to carry him, especially since Yan Sui was the one who had worn him out to the point of not wanting to move.
Moreover, considering that he and Meng Ting had been married for nearly half a year, how they chose to interact was entirely up to them. Even if the Xiao family had opinions, it wouldn’t matter.
As Yan Sui carried him, Meng Ting’s eyes opened slightly, and he kissed Yan Sui’s cheek.
“I thought you didn’t want to carry me today.”
“Of course I would,” Yan Sui replied, already carrying Meng Ting down the stairs.
Hearing the commotion, Ning Zhou and the others all stood up and looked over. Meng Ting was still nestled against Yan Sui’s neck, speaking softly, his eyes curved into a smile. The two of them looked exceptionally sweet together.
Yan Manjia immediately turned her head away, feeling a bit of a toothache, but she was used to it. If Meng Ting and Yan Sui weren’t this affectionate one day, that would be the real surprise.
The Xiao family wasn’t as accustomed as Yan Manjia to such displays. Watching Meng Ting’s affectionate demeanor towards Yan Sui and comparing it to how he treated them, they couldn’t help but feel a bit sour inside. However, no matter how sour they were, they didn’t have the right to show it.
Yan Sui carried Meng Ting all the way to the dining table before finally setting him down. Only then did Meng Ting shift his gaze away from Yan Sui, his eyes widening slightly as he instinctively leaned closer to Yan Sui’s side.
“Mom, you guys are here…” Meng Ting noticed they were still staring at him and Yan Sui, so he blinked and offered an explanation, “Yan Sui likes to carry me, and I like it too. We’re at home, so it’s fine.”
If they were outside, Meng Ting would still slightly restrain his possessiveness towards Yan Sui a bit. At most, he would hold Yan Sui’s hand tightly, but he wouldn’t insist on being carried all the time.
“It’s fine,” Yan Sui reassured Meng Ting first. He nodded to Ning Zhou and the others, then gestured to Nanny Wang before turning back to Meng Ting, “Let’s eat first.”
At the mention of food, a small smile appeared on Meng Ting’s face again. “Okay.”
He suddenly remembered something and looked at Ning Zhou, “Mom, have you eaten? Would you like to join us?”
Only Ning Zhou received this special treatment from Meng Ting. The few people beside her, including Xiao Huimin, were completely ignored.
“I… I’ll have a little more,” Ning Zhou replied. She had eaten a bit before coming, but not much. She wasn’t particularly hungry at the moment, but she could still eat. She cherished every moment spent with Meng Ting, so she naturally wouldn’t hesitate to take the opportunity.
She left Xiao Huimin and the other two behind and walked over to sit down.
Meng Ting watched as Nanny Wang placed several of his favorite dishes on the table. The corners of his lips curled up slightly. He glanced at Ning Zhou and reminded her, “Mom, you’re too thin. You should eat more.”
“Okay,” Ning Zhou responded, her eyes glistening with tears, but her face was filled with a happy smile.
Meng Ting could sense that she was pleased. He nodded and then turned to Yan Sui, “You should eat more too. You work hard every day.”
“Okay,” Yan Sui agreed, picking up a plate and serving a generous portion of food, placing them in front of Meng Ting before he started eating himself.
Meng Ting has a good appetite; those who see him eat for the first time would probably be a bit surprised, but Ning Zhou doesn’t feel that way at all. She’s just worried that Meng Ting won’t be able to eat enough, and would never think that he’s eating too much.
***
Yan Sui waited for Meng Ting to finish eating, then whispered a few words to him. He walked over to greet Xiao Huimin, and then he, Xiao Huimin and Xiao Zi’ang went to the study upstairs together. Meng Ting took Ning Zhou and Xiao Zimo to the lawn for a walk.
Not long after Yan Sui and Xiao Huimin Xiao Ziang finished speaking, Zhen Han knocked on the door of the study. After entering, he handed a test report to Yan Sui.
“You’ve worked hard, go and have a rest..” Yan Sui took it and immediately said this to Zhen Han.
In fact, it wouldn’t matter if it was a few days later, but Zhen Han still stayed up late to finish it.
“Mm, I’ll eat something and take a nap.”
After Zhen Han finished talking to Yan Sui, he nodded to Xiao Huimin, then walked out of the study. His attitude towards Xiao Huimin already indicated the results of the report; otherwise, with Zhen Han’s temperament, he wouldn’t have changed because of Xiao Huimin’s status as the patriarch of the Xiao family.
Yan Sui didn’t avoid Xiao Huimin and Xiao Ziang; he directly opened the file folder and looked at the comparison results.
There was basically no joy or anger on Yan Sui’s face that Xiao Huimin and Xiao Ziang could discern. Although they were quite sure that Meng Ting was their family member, they still felt inexplicably nervous at the moment.
“The comparison results on my end confirm that Ting Ting is indeed your and your wife’s child.”
This result was actually quite predictable, but it still left Xiao Huimin and Xiao Zi’ang feeling quite emotional for a while.
Xiao Huimin looked at Yan Sui and said very seriously, “Yan Sui, thank you.”
Thank you for choosing and protecting Meng Ting before they even knew about him. Xiao Huimin felt it was necessary to say this ‘thank you’.
“No need. Meng Ting has given me far more than I have given him,” Yan Sui didn’t think he was exaggerating at all. The value of Meng Ting could only be understood by those who had interacted with him. “He is my beloved, and everything I do for him is only natural.”
The term ‘beloved’ obviously should should have sounded a bit cheesy coming from someone else, but when Yan Sui said it, it didn’t feel that way at all. He was merely stating a fact. To him, Meng Ting was not just his wife but also the one and only love of his life.
Xiao Huimin and Xiao Zi’ang exchanged a glance and nodded in unison. This marked their genuine acceptance of Yan Sui as Meng Ting’s husband, and from that moment on, Yan Sui would also be considered part of their family.
They continued their earlier discussion about the Meng and Yán families, but the tone and feelings towards each other had changed.
It was no longer a conversation between the patriarchs of two prominent families but rather a discussion among in-laws—father-in-law, brother-in-law, and son-in-law—plotting how to seek revenge and outwit their adversaries.
They talked for over three hours. By the time they came downstairs, Meng Ting, Ning Zhou, and the others had already returned to the living room. They were watching TV and chatting, creating a warm and harmonious atmosphere.
Sensing the movement, Meng Ting turned around, his eyes lighting up instantly. “Yan Sui, are you done talking?”
His words were simple, but the sparkle in his eyes betrayed how much he had missed Yan Sui. It had only been a little over three hours since he last saw Yan Sui, yet he was already missing him terribly.
Yan Sui walked over and sat down beside Meng Ting, and he immediately nestled into his embrace. Meng Ting began murmuring to Yan Sui, exuding a sense of peace and joy that was unique to their relationship.
“I took Mom for a walk, and we played with Dahuang and Maoqiu. I even cut some fruit for her.”
Meng Ting’s hands were skilled in perfumery but clumsy at most other tasks. Usually, when it came to cutting fruit, Yan Sui wouldn’t let him near a knife. Every time, Yan Sui would cut the fruit and feed it to Meng Ting. Upon hearing this, Yan Sui first checked Meng Ting’s hands to ensure he hadn’t hurt himself before letting it go. He didn’t ask any more questions.
“But I didn’t cut it well, and someone snatched the fruit and the knife away from me.”
Meng Ting glanced at Xiao Zimo, who looked slightly exasperated. However, at that moment, it wasn’t just Xiao Zimo who had wanted to intervene; even Ning Zhou and Yan Manjia, who were watching nearby, had the same thought.
“Still dare to tattle on me… Do you know how dangerous it is to put your fingers near the blade?” Xiao Zimo’s expression was a mix of helplessness and frustration as he listened to Meng Ting’s complaint.
“That apple kept rolling, so I had to hold it steady.”
Leaning against Yan Sui, Meng Ting felt more confident. His eyes widened as if he had a perfectly valid point.
But this time, even Yan Sui didn’t side with Meng Ting. He held Meng Ting’s hand and examined it carefully. “You’re not allowed to touch knives anymore.”
Meng Ting turned to look at Yan Sui upon hearing the words, but he just nodded obediently. “Okay, I won’t touch it anymore…”
[dropdown title=”List of Idiom in Chapter 076.2″]
言過其實 (yán guò qí shí): to overstate the facts; to stretch the truth; to exaggerate; boast; talk big; make something sound better than it is; overemphasize; embellish; exaggerating what is said and not being consistent with the actual situation. From Guanzi: 物固有形，形固有名。此言不得過實，實不得延名。. Things have inherent forms; forms have inherent names. Words should not stretch the truth, and truth should not be used to go after immoderate fame.
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