“Are you asking us to empty the Meng family and then break away?” Meng Qi’s heart trembled as he spoke these words. Perhaps from the very beginning, this was Yan Sui’s goal when he approached him. He had elevated him to the position of acting CEO precisely because he was the most suitable person to carry out these tasks.
Hearing this, Yan Sui’s lips curled slightly, but it wasn’t a smile. The coldness in his eyes overshadowed everything else.
“More or less. If you don’t understand, I can have someone teach you. The key here is still your grandmother.”
“I understand.” Yan Sui’s words were so clear that if he still didn’t get it, he wouldn’t be qualified to have this conversation with Yan Sui.
Yan Sui nodded, “As soon as possible. Time is running out.”
“Alright,” Meng Qi nodded, clenching his fists. He knew that soon, Old Master Meng and the second house would hate him to death. Even his father might not understand his thoughts. But if he didn’t do this, the main house would have to suffer along with the second house.
The second house had already taken many things from the main house, and now they were being dragged down with them. Meng Qi would never accept this.
Even if he directly told Feng Zejiao, she would only support Meng Qi. If she still had any feelings for Old Master Meng, the main and second houses wouldn’t have coexisted for so many years.
She had endured for so many years because of her resentment and hatred. She wanted to reclaim what rightfully belonged to her and the main house. Otherwise, why would she have endured such humiliation? Meng Qi had a good relationship with her because he understood her.
Especially in the past six months, he had never been so clear-headed.
He looked at Yan Sui and said earnestly, “Although Meng Ting is no longer part of the Meng family, in my heart, he will always be my little brother.”
Yan Sui listened but neither agreed nor disagreed. Others might still have a chance to be Meng Ting’s brother, but Meng Qi would find it difficult. However, if he could break away from the Meng family, the situation might change.
Meng Qi stood up to leave but suddenly heard Yan Sui’s words.
“Meng Ting doesn’t lack brothers.”
This was just a statement of fact, but to Meng Qi, it sounded like Yan Sui’s possessiveness over Meng Ting was so strong that he wouldn’t even allow him to have a brother.
He said nothing more. Only when he had the capital and strength could he ever hope to stand where Meng Ting might one day need him—whether for a major crisis or a minor favor.
One reason was that he liked Meng Ting, and another was… because of Meng Ting, he, Meng Qi, had become the person he was today—seeing the people and things around him more clearly and living a more transparent life.
***
After meeting with Meng Qi, Yan Sui finally arrived at the Yan Corporation. Meetings big and small were constant. Those who had grown somewhat unaccustomed to his absence now found themselves relishing the ‘thrilling’ sensation of working under his cold and oppressive aura.
Indeed, they had missed it a little.
But soon, they would start missing the days when Yan Sui was kept at home by Meng Ting.
As for Meng Ting in the laboratory, his daily routine was quite simple—creating fragrances and recording data.
However, just before lunchtime, he received a call from Ning Zhou. After finishing the conversation with Ning Zhou, Meng Ting called Yan Sui, and then he received a call from Yan Mingya.
“Mm, thank you for your hard work.”
A smile appeared on Meng Ting’s face as he sincerely expressed his gratitude, “When you return, Yan Sui and I will treat you to a meal.”
“Thank you, Little Aunt. I’ll be looking forward to the meal from you and Ninth Uncle.”
Yan Mingya, who was far away in a foreign country, also responded with a smile. He wasn’t just making this trip for Meng Ting; it was also for their shared career. Meng Ting had already done more than enough. If it still didn’t work out, it would be his problem.
Meng Ting put down the phone and looked toward the direction of the knocked door, “Come in.”
“Master, it’s time for lunch. Let’s finish eating before continuing with work.”
Meng Ting glanced down at the notes in his hand, then looked at Cheng Guang and nodded, “You go ahead. I’ll follow shortly.”
“Alright,” Cheng Guang nodded and then closed the door.
Meng Ting stood up, placed the notebook in the safe, locked the data room, and then headed to the dining hall for lunch.
Actually, the laboratory was largely built according to Meng Ting’s specifications, including this data room. The safe could only be opened with his fingerprint; no one else could access it.
He took these precautions because of a data leak incident that occurred in the experimental base in his previous life. Although it was eventually determined that Meng Ting wasn’t at fault, it had made him vigilant. He wouldn’t pry into others’ work, but he also didn’t want his own work to be pried into.
Although most of the money earned in the end wasn’t his, when the work was submitted, the name on it was his. That was the only thing he could claim at the time. Even now, Meng Ting had developed the habit of locking the safe without a second thought.
Apart from this, he was generally open with the four assistants regarding their questions. He would answer what he could and demonstrate what he couldn’t explain. However, Meng Ting wasn’t entirely satisfied with these four assistants.
But since they hadn’t been working together for long, some tacit understanding needed time to develop, so he wasn’t in a hurry to replace anyone.
After returning from lunch, Cheng Guang hesitated for a moment before speaking to Meng Ting, “Master, could you demonstrate that perfume blending technique for us again?”
As he said this, Li Shishi, Ye Zilan, and even Ma Jili’s eyes lit up. Honestly, watching Meng Ting blend perfumes was truly a pleasure. The ease and mastery he displayed were something they couldn’t achieve yet, and it was something they were eager to grasp.
There was no reason to refuse, so Meng Ting nodded, “Sure.”
He demonstrated the technique three times for them, deliberately slowing down the last time. He had Ye Zilan help him bottle the perfume, and then he spoke, “It’s still too early for you to try this. At least… it will take two or three more years.”
He was being somewhat reserved in his assessment. Among the four assistants, only Li Shishi showed some talent in Meng Ting’s eyes. The others were rather average. However, geniuses have their shortcuts, and the average have their own paths. As long as they were willing to put in the effort, they could still become perfumers.
There was once a colleague in the same experimental base as Meng Ting who wasn’t particularly talented, but the perfumes she created were still quite good. This was because she spent more time than others solidifying her foundation. Meng Ting believed they could follow a similar path.
The four of them nodded in unison. Meng Ting’s words carried some authority in the field of perfumery, and they also believed that learning under a master perfumer would undoubtedly allow them to grow faster than under an ordinary perfumer.
As Meng Ting spoke, he began blending fragrances again, this time using the severely out-of-stock gold bottles of Rose Vine and Blue Ice—the two perfumes he had personally crafted. He used large vials to mix the fragrances, producing enough for about ten bottles at a time. In just half an afternoon, he had created over a hundred bottles.
Looking at the neatly filled perfume bottles, Meng Ting’s eyes sparkled. It wasn’t so much satisfaction with his work but rather the thought of the money they represented—the money he had promised to earn for Yan Sui—that brought him joy.
“Call the company and have someone come pick these up,” Meng Ting said to Ye Zilan. He checked the time and was about to tidy up and wait for Yan Sui to pick him up when, upon looking up, he saw the very person he was waiting for had already arrived.
Meng Ting nodded to Ye Zilan and the others, removed his mask, and stepped out of the perfumery room. He stopped half a step in front of Yan Sui, his gaze filled with a hint of delight.
“I’m done. Let’s go home.”
Yan Sui took Meng Ting’s outstretched hand and nodded. He glanced toward the perfumery room, acknowledging the people inside with a nod, then continued leading Meng Ting to the changing room.
“That must be the person our master is planning to give a gift to. They seem very much in love. No wonder our master is in such a hurry,” Li Shishi remarked with a touch of emotion, a mix of envy but mostly well-wishes.
Of the other three, only Ye Zilan nodded in agreement with Li Shishi. The two men were more reserved and didn’t join in the gossip.
***
The following days followed a similar routine. Yan Sui would drop Meng Ting off at the lab, head to the Yan Corporation building, and return to pick Meng Ting up around 5:30 PM. Meng Ting would call or text Yan Sui at noon, and their daily rhythm returned to what it had been before Meng Ting’s injury.
However, during these days, significant events unfolded outside. First, the relatively established Meng family of Haicheng made headlines again. Feng Zejiao and Old Master Meng, Meng Jia, divorced, with Feng accusing him of bigamy. Shortly after, Meng Qi, representing the main house of the family, announced their separation from the Meng family.
Under the persuasion of Feng Zejiao and Meng Qi, Meng Yihang ultimately chose to side with Feng Zejiao and prioritize self-preservation. Since he followed Feng Zejiao, Meng Qi, as his son, naturally severed ties with the Meng family as well. Meng Qi made a public statement to avoid future complications.
Old Master Meng was furious. In his eyes, Feng Zejiao had no right to defy him, especially during a time of crisis for the Meng family. However, Feng Zejiao and Meng Qi now had the backing of the Yan Corporation, rendering the tactics he had once used against the Feng family ineffective.
Feng Zejiao was adamant about the bigamy charge and sought to take a significant portion of his assets. After the main house and Old Master Meng completely fell out, Meng Qi secretly orchestrated several maneuvers. If Feng Zejiao’s lawsuit succeeded, the Meng family would be left with little more than an empty shell.
The second house’s actions would likely plunge them into debt.
On the morning before Yan Sui’s birthday, the Meng family made the news again. This time, it was announced that Old Master Meng and Feng Zejiao had successfully divorced, and that Old Master Meng was sentenced to prison. Although the sentence was only two years, by the time he was released, the Meng family of Haicheng would likely be nothing more than a thing of the past.
Feng Zejiao’s military maneuver was indeed ruthless, but who made him protect Li Yifei, who had offended both the Yan and Xiao families?
The Meng family no longer existed, and even his name would rarely be mentioned. This was probably the final outcome of Old Master Meng’s ‘blessing of having two wives’. And this was just the beginning of their hardships.
Apart from the Meng family’s affairs, the Yán family of Licheng had been in high spirits recently. They had competed with the Yan family for a project and ultimately won it. In other times, he might have suspected it was a setup by Yan Sui, but now, with Yan Sui facing the combined forces of the Yan and Xiao families, he felt that even if Yan Sui wanted to, he couldn’t do it.
Rumors about the Yán family replacing the Yan family as one of the four top aristocratic families in Xia Country were also fermenting and spreading in various elite circles.
The families affiliated with the Yan family naturally worried for them. It was easy to enjoy the shade under a big tree, and without the Yan family as their shelter, they would likely be implicated. Other families not directly involved were mostly observing, but some were waiting for an opportunity to gain benefits.
There were many speculations about the Yan family and Yan Sui in the outside world, even imagining him anxious and irritable. Some even spread rumors about Meng Ting, saying that Yan Sui married Meng Ting and was implicated by the Meng family, which led to this situation.
However, these words were not dared to be spoken in front of Yan Sui or Meng Ting. Even the invitation to Yan Sui’s birthday banquet was still hard to come by, as many were not qualified to attend the banquet at the Yan family.
On Yan Sui’s birthday, Meng Ting naturally wouldn’t go to the laboratory.
When Yan Sui woke up in the morning, he was greeted by Meng Ting’s smiling face and a passionate kiss.
“Happy birthday,” Meng Ting said to Yan Sui. Without waiting for Yan Sui to respond, he turned and sat on Yan Sui, pressing him back onto the bed and continuing to kiss him fiercely. The sound of ‘mwah mwah’ was light and extremely sweet.
“Yan Sui, you must be happy.”
Meng Ting pressed his face against Yan Sui’s cheek and spoke very seriously. He truly hoped Yan Sui could be happy.
“Okay,” Yan Sui’s hand gently stroked Meng Ting’s back, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Waking up to Meng Ting’s sweet blessings, how could he not be happy?
[dropdown title=”List of Idiom in Chapter 077.3″]
過眼雲煙 (guò yǎn yún yān): something as transient as clouds and mist; ephemeral (idiom); transient; fleeting; shortlived; momentary. The idiom refers to the clouds and smoke that pass by. It was originally used to refer to things outside of one’s body that need not be taken seriously. Later, it was used to refer to things that disappear quickly.齊人之福 (Qí rén zhī fú): lit. the happy fate of the man from Qi (who had a wife and a concubine) (idiom); fig. (ironically) the joy of having several partners; the life of a pasha; refers to the happy combination of one wife and one concubine; From Mencius, 《齊人有一妻一妾》 (Qí rén yǒu yī qī yī qiè), ‘The people of Qi have one wife and one concubine’; a famous essay of Mencius, humorous and thought-provoking. Through a vivid fable, the article poignantly satirizes the kind of people who disregard propriety, justice and integrity and use despicable means to pursue wealth and success.
意氣風發 (yì qì fēng fā): high-spirited; full of mettle; to be high-spirited and vigorous; be daring and energetic.
大樹底下好乘涼 (dà shù dǐ xià hǎo chéng liáng): lit. great trees are good for shade; under a big tree the shade is plentiful (idiom); fig. to benefit by proximity to an influential person; a man’s livehood or career is assured if he has influential friends; a metaphor for having someone to lean on to make things easier; with the help of relationships, one can gain something without any effort.
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