He stared at Yan Sui’s profile, then leaned in to nuzzle against the person. He loved telling Yan Sui these words and hearing Yan Sui say them back. The he loosened his grip slightly, but he still clung to Yan Sui. He whispered, “I want to hear you say you love me.”
“I love you,” Yan Sui said, turning his head to capture Meng Ting’s lips in a slow, lingering kiss. The tender affection more direct and heartwarming than words could express. Meng Ting was kissed onto the sofa, his body unconsciously softening.
After what felt like an eternity, Yan Sui finally released Meng Ting’s lips. His breathing was a bit uneven, but the sensation wasn’t unpleasant. His mind swam hazily, filled only with thoughts of Yan Sui—and things that made him happy and touched his heart.
He gently ran his fingers through Yan Sui’s hair, and when Yan Sui paused in his trail of kisses along his neck, Meng Ting embraced him again.
“The fruit and snacks I brought for you were all spilled.”
Meng Ting’s voice carried a hint of regret. If he had those fruit and snacks to munch on, he probably wouldn’t be as ‘hungry’ as he was now—a hunger for Yan Sui that couldn’t be suppressed even right there in the office.
“I’ll have someone buy more for you later.”
Yan Sui replied, but he was still leaning over Meng Ting. Their bodies pressed tightly together. Every reaction between them was unmistakably clear.
“Mm,” Meng Ting hummed softly, his focus shifting to thoughts of food. Gradually, the restless heat faded, and soon Yan Sui helped him sit up properly before stepping out to arrange someone to get food for Meng Ting.
Meng Ting’s gaze followed Yan Sui to the door, only relaxing into a small smile when the door reopened and Yan Sui reappeared.
***
Yan Sui continued with his work while Meng Ting sat on the sofa, nibbling snacks and watching him. Occasionally, their eyes would meet, and they’d exchange smiles. Without needing deliberate words, this quiet understanding felt perfect.
A little past five in the afternoon, they got into the car to head home. Yan Sui carefully examined the bruise on Meng Ting’s forehead—once just a slight red mark had now turned completely purplish. Meng Ting touched it belatedly, then remembered that his family seeing it might cause unnecessary worry.
He looked at Yan Sui with a touch of nervousness and asked, “Can my hair cover it?”
Yan Sui adjusted Meng Ting’s bangs, then shook his head. “Not sure…”
In any case, these injuries were as glaring as if a spotlight had been shone on his wounds in his eyes—impossible to miss. Whether Ning Zhou and Yan Manjia would notice as well, Yan Sui couldn’t be sure. After all, as women, they might be more observant and could possibly spot them.
“Then, what should we do?” Meng Ting didn’t want Ning Zhou and the others to worry about him. Being fussed over by a crowd of people felt unnecessary and uncomfortable for him. He hugged Yan Sui, leaning in to whisper in his ear, “How about we go out and have fun? We can come back after it gets dark and they’ve gone to sleep, okay…?”
“What do you want to do?” Yan Sui asked softly. Despite his lingering heartache over Meng Ting’s injuries, he couldn’t help but smile slightly. Meng Ting had only thought about the evening, but tomorrow morning, he’d still have to face Ning Zhou and the others.
“Anything’s fine, as long as we’re together,” Meng Ting said to Yan Sui, noticing the amusement in his voice. He didn’t quite understand why, but he didn’t dwell on it. As long as Yan Sui was happy, the ‘why’ didn’t matter much.
***
Not long after, Gu Lang received a call from Yan Sui. Even long after giving the address and hanging up, he remained stunned for a long while.
“What’s wrong?” Zhong Ming nudged Gu Lang’s shoulder, his eyes filled with concern. After all, Gu Lang’s expression after the call was hard to ignore.
“Yan Lao Da is bringing his wife over…” This was truly unexpected!
Ever since Yan Sui took over the Yan family, he rarely attended such gatherings unless there was a special occasion. This became even more true after he got married. Rumor had it he left work at five sharp every day, transforming into a model family man.
Yet now, he had actually called to ask where they were hanging out and even planned to bring Meng Ting along. No wonder Gu Lang was dumbfounded.
“Oh… oh?” Zhong Ming also froze for a moment, then stood up and looked at the crowd, who were laughing and joking without much formality. “Yan Lao Da is bringing his wife over! If you want to bail, now’s your chance…”
Some of these people had attended the beach gathering last time, and the memory of the Yan couple’s double act was still fresh in their minds. When Zhong Ming said this, many people became conflicted. Their instincts urged them to flee, but their gossip-loving hearts wanted to stay and watch the fun.
Gu Lang kicked Zhong Ming lightly. “Why’d you have to say it out loud? I was looking forward to watching the show.”
“Heh heh, don’t worry, they won’t leave. Just letting everyone get a little nervous, setting the mood,” Zhong Ming said with a chuckle.
Gu Lang rolled his eyes, speechless, but he too started to feel genuinely nervous. Probably he hadn’t caused any trouble recently… right?
***
About forty minutes later, Yan Sui arrived with Meng Ting. The raucous party, where the noise had nearly drowned out the music, fell silent upon their arrival, leaving only the sound of music—and particularly slow, soothing background tunes at that.
It felt as if they weren’t there to have fun but to attend a slightly more relaxed seminar. This abrupt shift was both utterly amusing and exasperating. Even Meng Ting glanced around in bewilderment, finding the place didn’t quite match what Yan Sui had described as ‘a bit noisy’. It was clearly very quiet.
“Hello everyone!” Meng Ting took the initiative to greet them, his gaze sweeping across the room. Seeing familiar faces like Gu Lang and Zhong Ming, he even waved.
“Hello, Sister-in-law!” Many voices responded to Meng Ting, their voices surprisingly unified. Yet, while they were answering Meng Ting, their eyes were all on Yan Sui. They needed to ascertain Yan Sui’s purpose for being there before deciding whether to unleash their wild side and continue partying or rein in their playful nature and be well-behaved.
Yan Sui guided Meng Ting to an empty seat, then raised his hand slightly. “Carry on as you were.”
“Woo-hoo…” A chorus of excited shouts erupted, and the tense atmosphere instantly dissipated. Of course, with Yan Sui present, they certainly wouldn’t dare to play any overly outrageous games.
The music shifted to a different style, and the place gradually began to match the description Yan Sui had given Meng Ting before they arrived. As they sat down, drinks and snacks quickly covered the table. A few of Yan Sui’s closer acquaintances, like Gu Lang, gathered around to chat.
“That’s right! You should bring Sister-in-law out to play more often. Working all day, where’s the fun in that?”
Gu Lang said, initially intending to hand Meng Ting a glass of wine, but then paused and immediately swapped it for a glass of freshly squeezed juice. “Here, drink this. My personal chef made it.”
After the last incident, they had all become more cautious about these things. Whenever they held gatherings now, they would brought their own trusted chefs and bartenders from home.
Meng Ting picked up the glass, sniffed it, then took a sip. He nodded. “It’s very fresh.”
They had almost forgotten about Meng Ting’s incredible nose, a nose that could even detect medicinal ingredients. Gu Lang remembered something and shifted closer to Meng Ting, but he stopped when Yan Sui’s gaze swept over him.
“Sister-in-law, we’re all family here. Can we place an internal order?”
Gu Lang was quite different from Yan Sui and the others—he considered himself a man who truly understood life and refined taste. How could someone like him go without perfume?
At first, he had bought eight or ten bottles simply because it was his own sister-in-law’s company’s product. Even if he didn’t use them, stocking up was the right thing to do. But after receiving his order, he happened to open one bottle, and the scent instantly won him over.
It was practically tailor-made for a man as charming as him.
Meng Ting didn’t find the request unreasonable. He nodded and said, “Go find Mingya and ask him to give it to you.”
Given Gu Lang’s relationship with Yan Sui, Yan Mingya wouldn’t possibly refuse him this favor.
Hearing this, Gu Lang hesitated slightly. If he had just wanted an ordinary bottle, he wouldn’t have needed to ask Meng Ting for it.
“Not that kind, the kind you gave Yan Lao Da…” As soon as Yan Sui approached, Gu Lang had caught a whiff of the distinct fragrance, different from the ordinary bottles. “hat punk Shi He somehow got his hands on a bottle, I’m so envious…”
Meng Ting’s expression immediately turned serious. He pondered for a moment before speaking again.
“That was for Yan Sui. Only for him. Where’s Shi He? Tell him to come here!”
Gu Lang’s previously bold demeanor suddenly faltered—not because of Yan Sui, but because Meng Ting’s anger carried an intimidating aura of its own. Caught off guard, Gu Lang was genuinely startled.
Under Meng Ting’s piercing gaze, he suppressed the urge to step back and said, “He’s not here. I’ll call him right away and tell him to come.”
“Mm.” Meng Ting gave a cold hum before finally shifting his gaze away from Gu Lang. He turned to look at Yan Sui, his tone still firm. “I’ll find the truth for you.”
If this perfume was circulating on the market, then it meant there had been a breach in his lab’s security. This was the only birthday gift he had promised Yan Sui, and he would handle the matter personally.
Yan Sui ruffled Meng Ting’s hair and wrapped an arm around his waist. After a pause, he nodded. “Alright.”
***
Shi He had last returned to Xia Country for Yan Sui and Meng Ting’s wedding. This time, he planned to stay until after the Spring Festival[mfn]春節 (Chūn jié): Spring Festival (Chinese New Year); Chinese Lunar New Year; Chinese New Year is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar. In Chinese, the festival is commonly referred to as the Spring Festival, as the spring season in the lunisolar calendar traditionally starts with lichun, the first of the twenty-four solar terms which the festival celebrates around the time of the Chinese New Year.[/mfn] before leaving again. When he received Gu Lang’s call, he didn’t hesitate and came straight over.
Spotting Gu Lang waving at him, Shi He greeted everyone cheerfully as he made his way over.
“Yan Lao Da! And Little Sister-in-law! You’re here too? Gu San[mfn]顧三 (Gù sān): lit. Third Gu T/N: Similar to how Lao Da 老大 (lǎo dà) means the eldest among siblings or the most respected person in the group, This 三 (sān) means third brother/sister or the person who held the third place in the group.[/mfn] didn’t tell me.”
Shi He grinned broadly, his expression full of sincerity, but at the same time, he felt a subtle sense of unease. Everyone, including Zhong Ming, was looking at him with slightly strange expressions. He subconsciously reflected, but ever since being ‘educated’ by Yan Sui and Meng Ting last time, he had been very well-behaved. He was certain he hadn’t caused any trouble.
“Come a little closer,” Meng Ting looked at Shi He and gestured for him to approach.
Shi He wiped the smile off his face, squeezed past Gu Lang and Zhong Ming, and took a few steps forward.
Meng Ting didn’t need to lean in too close—just as Shi He took those two steps, he caught the scent. His gaze sharpened instantly.
“Speak. Where did you buy the perfume you’re wearing?”
“I bought it at a black market in A Country. It was auctioned at a sky-high price, but since I saw it was your work, Sister-in-law, I bought it…” Shi He answered without delay. His voice, however, inexplicably grew weaker and weaker. He didn’t dare to find a place to sit down either—under Meng Ting’s gaze, his posture was remarkably standard.
“How many bottles were auctioned at that time?” Meng Ting continued to ask. He didn’t think it would be such a coincidence that Shi He just happened upon one bottle. If his lab’s stock had been leaked, there were likely more out there.
“Before I got that bottle, three bottles had already been auctioned off, all for sky-high prices…”
“Hmph!” Meng Ting was truly angry now. Of course, he wasn’t angry at Shi He or Gu Lang. If it weren’t for them, he wouldn’t have known that the perfume he had made exclusively for Yan Sui was already being used by so many others.
Meng Ting turned his head to Yan Sui. “I need to go to the lab. Are you coming with me?”
“Of course,” Yan Sui nodded. Although he wanted Meng Ting to stop being angry, seeing him so serious because of him made Yan Sui inexplicably fond of this side of him. He reached out and ruffled Meng Ting’s hair. “Don’t let it upset you too much.”
“I’m not upset—just angry!”
Meng Ting replied rather bluntly, then took Yan Sui’s hand and walked straight out.
Gu Lang, Zhong Ming, and Shi He exchanged glances before standing up as well.
“Should we… go take a look too?”
Zhong Ming suggested. Gu Lang and Shi He both nodded simultaneously—after all, they were partly responsible for provoking Meng Ting’s anger.
There’s no new idiom in this chapter.
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