“Take the cloth off his head.”
Deng Yu suddenly spoke. Nian Wu, who had been standing behind him, raised a hand, signaling the interrogator to step back. He personally stepped forward and removed the black cloth that had been covering Su Siyu’s head.
Only a dim, yellowish desk lamp illuminated the basement, but even this faint light was intensely uncomfortable for Su Siyu. Yet, Deng Yu’s voice, though unfamiliar, felt faintly familiar, as if he’d heard it somewhere before.
He strained to open his eyes wider, trying to clearly see the person in front of him, but tears blurred his vision, and he still couldn’t see clearly.
“Who? Who are you?”
“Who am I?” Deng Yu’s voice carried a hint of amusement, but his face remained utterly cold and expressionless. “Nian Wu, tell him who I am.”
The honest demeanor Nian Wu had once shown Su Siyu had vanished completely. His face was devoid of emotion, and Su Siyu, unable to clearly see his face, couldn’t connect the man in the suit before him with the Nian Wu he remembered.
“This is Young Master Deng,” Nian Wu said, his voice curt.
Su Siyu still couldn’t see clearly, but after spending so much time together, how could he not remember Nian Wu’s voice?
“You, you…” Su Siyu finally tasted the feeling of betrayal. He thought he had met a good, honest person, but it turned out even that was a lie.
“Is there anything else you want to tell me? Go on, I’m listening,” Deng Yu said. He watched Su Siyu, his eyes having returned to that nonchalant expression. But only he knew what he was truly thinking.
“Nian… Nian Wu? Deng Yu…”
Su Siyu’s voice trembled. How could he still not understand what was going on now? Yán Yunsheng’s suspicions were entirely correct. From the moment he assaulted the police and escaped, to being found by Nian Wu, to his escape from Licheng—everything had been meticulously orchestrated by Yan Sui and Deng Yu.
He suddenly burst into laughter, tears streaming down his face as he laughed. “Hahaha, hahaha… This is too funny, hahahaha…”
“Yan Sui still doesn’t know your intentions. He still thinks you’re his good junior brother.”
“You coward!” Even in his previous life, when Yan Sui hadn’t met Meng Ting, Deng Yu had never dared to confess his feelings to Yan Sui. Su Siyu was pathetic, but this time, he felt Deng Yu was even more pathetic than him.
Su Siyu expected Deng Yu to try and deny it, but Deng Yu merely watched him with an odd expression, then nodded in acknowledgment. “Yes, you’re not wrong.”
“But there’s one thing you don’t understand: I would never do anything to harm Yan Sui.”
However, Su Siyu’s laughter grew even more unrestrained and vicious. “But you never said you wouldn’t harm Yan Sui’s partner! Watching them so in love, you know exactly what you think in your heart!”
But Meng Ting was different from Su Siyu. He was too well-behaved. His life was so simple it could be described in a few sentences. Even if Deng Yu wanted to scheme, he couldn’t find an opening.
“As long as you want to, you won’t be without opportunity,” Su Siyu said, refusing to believe that Yan Sui and Meng Ting’s feelings could last forever. There would always be times of conflict, and perhaps that would be Deng Yu’s opportunity to strike.
Su Siyu was about to further provoke Deng Yu into targeting Yan Sui and Meng Ting when Nian Wu received a phone call. After whispering something in Deng Yu’s ear, Deng Yu stood up and left without a backward glance, while Su Siyu was then gagged and blindfolded once more.
The moment the black cloth was thrown over his head, Su Siyu finally remembered what fear felt like. To be honest, he had no idea what Deng Yu was thinking, but he knew that even if Deng Yu were to act on his words, he was unlikely to let him go. Falling into Deng Yu’s hands would be no better than going to prison.
***
The reason Deng Yu abruptly ended the interrogation of Su Siyu was Yan Sui’s arrival.
“Yan Lao Da is here. How come little sister-in-law didn’t come along?” Deng Yu asked, arms crossed, a nonchalant smile on his face and a hint of playful teasing in his voice. He knew Yan Sui didn’t like to have too much physical contact with people. They stood two steps apart, not overly intimate, but not distant either.
Deng Yu had harbored a secret crush on Yan Sui for so long without being discovered. This was partly due to their busy schedules and limited interaction, but also because of his precise control over distance, tone, and demeanor. He understood Yan Sui well enough to know the boundaries of what a close friend could get away with.
When Meng Ting’s name came up, Yan Sui’s stern expression softened noticeably. “Ting Ting wanted to come, but I didn’t let him.”
“Oh,” Deng Yu replied casually, not dwelling on Meng Ting any further. “Come on, let’s look into the Yán family’s situation. These black materials is more than enough.”
Deng Yu led Yan Sui to a study and handed him the compiled documents. Yan Sui’s eyes swiftly scanned the pages before locking onto a particular name.
Deng Yu, standing behind Yan Sui, noticed the sudden pause.
“What’s wrong? Is there a problem with this person?”
“He’s the one who caused the chain-reaction car accident that killed my grandparents.”
At the time, there were too many casualties and injuries, and the police treated it as a major traffic accident. The driver had stubbornly maintained he was drunk, making it difficult for Yan Sui to investigate, even if he’d harbored suspicions, especially since he never imagined it would be connected to Yán Yunsheng of Licheng.
“Report the case,” Yan Sui said after finishing the documents.
“Alright,” Deng Yu nodded, taking the papers and moving toward the door. Just as he reached it, he turned back to Yan Sui. “Su Siyu is being held in the basement. Do you want to see him?”
“No,” Yan Sui said, his expression still very cold.
Deng Yu smiled, then continued out of the study.
Yan Sui leaned back slightly, his brows furrowed, but in a moment, all signs of discomfort vanished, and he looked as though he was simply in thought.
Yan Sui stayed in Deng Yu’s study for half an hour, then he rose and went to the Xu family.
Xu Shumin showed no surprise at Yan Sui’s arrival. He looked at Yan Sui with concern in his eyes and voice. “Are your injuries fully healed?”
“All healed,” Yan Sui replied. There was no need to hide it from everyone now, but since the act had gone so far, Yan Sui was too lazy to spend time and effort explaining too many details to Xu Shumin, especially since Deng Yu was involved, making it even more troublesome to explain.
“Did you come because you’re worried about me?” Xu Shumin gestured for Yan Sui to sit down and personally poured him a cup of tea, a hint of helplessness in his expression.
Yan Sui smiled faintly but admitted, “Somewhat.”
Twenty years ago, Xu Shumin would not have been so soft-hearted, but now that might not be the case. However, this wasn’t the sole reason for his personal trip to Licheng.
Yan Sui’s smile faded as he looked at Xu Shumin. He spoke, “I’d like to ask you for a favor.”
Xu Shumin didn’t hesitate for too long. He nodded. “Alright, tell me.”
***
While Yan Sui was talking to Xu Shumin, Meng Ting and Xiao Zimuo were nearing Licheng. They had taken the Xiao family’s private jet to a nearby town and were now driving the rest of the way.
This time, Meng Ting had enlisted not only Xiao Zimo’s help but also Xiao Zi’ang’s.
“Big Brother won’t arrive until evening,” Xiao Zimo informed Meng Ting after hanging up the phone.
“Oh,” Meng Ting nodded, then turned his head to Xiao Zimo, earnestly saying, “Thank you, Big Brother, and Grandpa too.”
“Cough, cough,” Xiao Zimo nearly choked. He looked at Meng Ting with a hint of alarm. “How did you know the Old Master also…”
“I heard him,” Meng Ting replied, turning back to look out the window. “I remember Grandpa’s cough.”
Xiao Zimo’s face twisted for a moment. He quickly explained, “I didn’t expect the Old Master to suddenly appear behind me.”
He had just finished his phone call with Meng Ting when he turned around to find Old Master Xiao glaring at him, looking as if he had been listening for quite some time. With that, there was no way he could keep it a secret. However, he had agreed with Old Master Xiao not to tell Ning Zhou, so she wouldn’t worry. As for Xiao Huimin, they wouldn’t hide anything from him if necessary.
Meng Ting didn’t reply to this. In fact, he didn’t care about hiding it from anyone except Yan Sui.
“Why are you so insistent on following?” Xiao Zimo asked casually while driving.
Meng Ting pondered for a moment before replying, “I’m angry!”
“Yan Sui went with someone else and didn’t take me. I’m angry.”
Xiao Zimo raised an eyebrow. So, his little brother had skipped a flight and planned this escape because he was jealous.
“But even if I’m angry, I still have to come. I’m worried about Yan Sui.”
Their quarrel was one thing, but Meng Ting couldn’t remain indifferent when Yan Sui’s safety was at stake. He certainly couldn’t go abroad to attend some conference. If Yan Sui wouldn’t let him follow, he had to find a way himself.
However, he also didn’t want to overcomplicate things and put Yan Sui and himself in danger. He thought all night before coming up with the idea of involving the Xiao family.
“If I’m using you guys, will you be angry?”
Meng Ting suddenly turned to ask Xiao Zimo, his eyes holding a serious sincerity. This concern had indeed been weighing on his mind.
Xiao Zimo was speechless for a moment before replying, “This isn’t using us. I’m your biological second brother, your true family. Even if you marry Yan Sui, you’re still my little brother. Helping you is what I should do, and I do it willingly. So it’s not using us, remember?”
“Mm,” Meng Ting replied, smiling at Xiao Zimo. “If Second Brother ever needs my help in the future, I’ll be there for you too.”
“That’s more like it,” Xiao Zimo said as he stopped at a red light. He turned and ruffled Meng Ting’s hair.
Meng Ting blinked and didn’t dodge, but when Xiao Zimo tried to pat him a few more times, he protested. “Second Brother, focus on driving.”
“Alright,” Xiao Zimo reluctantly pulled his hand back, the smile on his face growing even wider.
But in the car beside them, a camera lens poked out from a lowered window, pointing at them, capturing the moment Xiao Zimo ruffled Meng Ting’s hair. Xiao Zimo’s face was quite blurry, but Meng Ting’s profile was crystal clear.
Meng Ting suddenly turned his head, looking directly at the lens. The person secretly filming was clearly startled, but Meng Ting, upon realizing he was being filmed, remained unperturbed. He simply turned back to Xiao Zimo and said, “We’re being followed.”
Xiao Zimo nodded, unsurprised. “Don’t worry, we’ll shake them off soon.”
After driving for a while, Xiao Zimo added, “Looks like they’ve been tailing you for a while.”
Xiao Zimo then recalled the phone call Meng Ting had made to him that day, starting with a statement that left him dumbfounded:
“I think someone wants to snatch Yan Sui from me. Can you help me?”
Meng Ting’s feelings weren’t entirely baseless. His perception of hostility was far more acute than Su Siyu’s, and he was particularly sensitive when it came to Yan Sui. Deng Yu’s gaze towards Yan Sui made him uncomfortable, and while his smiles for Yan Sui seemed genuine, while those for others were very fake.
Meng Ting still worried about Yan Sui’s ‘injury’ from the previous incident. Though Yan Sui had orchestrated it himself, Meng Ting saw it as a potential preview of their future—a future he couldn’t accept. He refused to stand idly by and wait for it to unfold.
“It’s no use eyeing him. Yan Sui is mine.”
Meng Ting replied to Xiao Zimo, his tone calm but his eyes unwavering.
Xiao Zimo chuckled and didn’t respond. He focused on driving, shaking off their pursuers, but inwardly, he was very pleased. Meng Ting’s possessiveness truly had a touch of their Xiao family’s demeanor.
There were many groups of people protecting Meng Ting: those sent by Yan Sui, those sent by the Xiao family, and those sent by Deng Yu who had communicated with Yan Sui. But all these people, barring any unforeseen circumstances, should have gone to A Country. Yet, Meng Ting and Xiao Zimo were discovered by Deng Yu before they even reached Licheng.
This meant Deng Yu was watching Meng Ting unusually closely, perhaps even to the point of crossing a line.
***
In Licheng, Deng Yu could be considered a semi-local host. It was only natural for him to treat Yan Sui to a meal upon his arrival.
“We’ve been to this winery before, remember?” Deng Yu walked ahead, pushed open the door to a private room, and turned back to smile at Yan Sui.
“I remember. We drank here during summer vacation when I was eighteen,” Yan Sui replied, settling into a seat by the window.
Deng Yu sat down as well, picked up a bottle of red wine, and moved to pour Yan Sui a glass. Yan Sui raised a hand to refuse. “I won’t be drinking today.”
Deng Yu raised an eyebrow, a little surprised. “Why? Are you giving up drinking for little sister-in-law?”
“How do you know Ting Ting can’t drink?” Yan Sui didn’t answer Deng Yu’s question, but instead countered with his own.
Deng Yu remained unperturbed. He didn’t press the issue, pouring wine into his own glass and smiling. “I heard from Gu Lang. On your wedding day… little sister-in-law got drunk.”
Deng Yu took a small sip of wine, then said, “Little sister-in-law isn’t so obedient after all. My people saw him in Licheng half an hour ago.”
Deng Yu unconsciously paid attention to Yan Sui’s expression to this news, but Yan Sui merely raised an eyebrow, showing no shock or anger. Instead, he looked somewhat amused yet inexplicably helpless.
Looking back, Yan Sui finally understood. Meng Ting’s unusually obedient behavior the past few days wasn’t because he’d taken Yan Sui’s words to heart, but because he had no intention of going to A Country in the first place. Meng Ting’s lack of reminders wasn’t just because he was angry, but also because he was planning to come to Licheng himself.
“But we lost track of him…” Deng Yu gently swirled his wine glass, his gaze drifting off as if deep in thought.
“Here are some photos my people took. Take a look.”
The photos were chaotic and cluttered, with only Meng Ting’s profile shot relatively clear. But this was only what Yan Sui saw. Deng Yu had also seen a photo of Meng Ting suddenly turning around to look, his eyes clear yet subtly sharp. Deng Yu interpreted this as Meng Ting’s provocation towards him.
Yan Sui looked at the photo of Meng Ting getting his hair ruffled, his brow furrowing slightly. He looked up at Deng Yu. “You don’t need to have your people follow him anymore. Give me all the photos, including the negatives.”
This wasn’t about protection anymore; it was more like stalking, surveillance. Meng Ting was acutely sensitive to such gazes. Even if Deng Yu has no ill intent, Meng Ting wouldn’t like it, and Yan Sui wouldn’t like it either. Yan Sui himself couldn’t bear the thought of Meng Ting’s privacy being invaded by others.
“You weren’t…” Deng Yu’s heart suddenly skipped a beat. He had always believed he understood Yan Sui better than anyone else in the world, but in that moment, he suddenly felt he didn’t know Yan Sui as well as he thought.
“Angry?” Yan Sui shook his head at the question. “That’s his Second Brother.”
Even if Yan Sui hadn’t recognized the person as Xiao Zimo, he wouldn’t have been angry or suspicious. If he ever doubted Meng Ting’s feelings for him, he would be truly despicable.
Silence hung heavy in the private dining room for a long time after Yan Sui spoke, broken only when a waiter entered with their meal, dispelling the increasingly eerie quiet.
“Not drinking wine? How about a cup of tea?” Deng Yu glanced at Yan Sui, his hand on his knee subtly clenching. He knew he had been affected by Su Siyu’s words today, and his composure had wavered slightly. The person in front of him was sharp enough to notice if he wasn’t careful.
In the past, Yan Sui had never loved anyone, so he wouldn’t understand. The current Yan Sui, with someone he loved, found it even harder to notice others. But this was only if Deng Yu didn’t act too obviously or unusually.
“You recognized Ting Ting that day, didn’t you?” Yan Sui tapped his fingers lightly on the table. His expression remained largely unchanged, yet showed no hint of softening. It was clear he hadn’t come to reminisce with his old friend, but to settle a score.
Deng Yu pressed his lips together and nodded. “Yes.”
The moment Deng Yu nodded, Yan Sui’s gaze noticeably sharpened, becoming dangerous. He slowly rose to his feet. “Let’s move somewhere else.”
“Alright,” Deng Yu nodded again.
But they had barely reached an indoor sparring ring at the winery when Yan Sui struck without mercy. Having trained under the same master, Deng Yu’s skills were nearly equal to Yan Sui’s, and the two quickly engaged in a fierce exchange.
Normally, Yan Sui would have held back, but Deng Yu had injured Meng Ting—and Yan Sui knew Deng Yu had done it deliberately. He could no longer tolerate it.
“Deng Yu, remember this! He’s my wife, the most important person in my life. Not to mention you; even if Yan Yu dared to touch him, I wouldn’t let it go!” Yan Sui no longer restrained his imposing aura. His strikes grew merciless as he landed another punch on Deng Yu’s shoulder, sending him crashing to the ground. Only then did Yan Sui step back, ceasing his attack.
“Is he really that good?” Deng Yu got up from the ground and called out to Yan Sui. He knew exactly why he was turning away. But he was also angered, and his long-suppressed emotions could no longer be contained.
“Do you even remember what you told me here? You said you’d never fall for anyone in your life.”
Deng Yu had always known Yan Sui didn’t reciprocate his feelings. Yet he firmly believed Yan Sui wouldn’t fall for anyone else either. He was well aware of He Wan’s persistent attempts to set Yan Sui up with potential wives, but he’d never cared. As long as Yan Sui’s heart remained unmoved, it didn’t matter who occupied that position.
Of course, this was just his self-deluding belief. When he received Yan Sui’s wedding invitation, and when he saw the photos Gu Lang and others sent him, he realized how wrong he’d been. He cared, he cared immensely.
That’s why, even though Yan Sui’s wedding day was fast approaching, Deng Yu found an excuse to flee overseas. If he had stayed in the country, if he had attended Yan Sui’s wedding ceremony, he feared the feelings he’d buried for so many years would finally surface.
As for Yan Sui… he was too ruthless. Once he learned of Deng Yu’s feelings, their current friendship would be shattered beyond repair. Deng Yu couldn’t bear to lose even the right to silently admire him, so he couldn’t come, so he had to keep hiding.
Yan Sui slowly turned around, his gaze settling on Deng Yu, who was desperately trying to suppress his emotions. He nodded. “Yes, you’re right. He is that good. So good that someone like me, who never thought I could like anyone, fell for him. No, it’s love. I love him.”
[dropdown title=”List of Idiom in Chapter 100″]
朝夕相處 (zhāo xī xiāng chǔ): be together morning and night; be closely associated; be closely associated; describes living together from morning to night and emphasizes the closeness of interpersonal relationships.漫不經心 (màn bù jīng xīn): be careless (about); be casual; be negligent; indifferent; absent-minded. It means that a person does things carelessly and does not take them seriously.
瞠目結舌 (chēng mù jié shé): to be stunned; to be shocked; to be struck dumb; to be embarrassed; to be in an awkward position; stupefied; flabbergasted; stare confounded/tongue-tied/dumbfounded; stare stunned and speechless; be all at sea; be flabbergasted and have nothing to say; to be speechless with eyes wide open and tongue raised. It is used to describe a person’s embarrassed or stunned look.
毫不留情 (háo bù liú qíng): to show no mercy; ruthless; relentless; to show no quarter; without gloves; with the gloves off; in spades; without mercy; no matter what a person does or says, he or she will not care about other people’s feelings. There is no room for negotiation.
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