The next afternoon, Yan Sui brought Meng Ting and Xiao Zimo to an entertainment club where Deng Yu was staying. Located in a bustling part of the city, the clubhouse was of moderate size, but it was a hodgepodge of people where all kinds of information could circulate.
Deng Yu had found the breakthrough for some of Yán Yunsheng’s dark secrets here. Now, acting on Yan Sui’s orders, the police should have already gone to Yán Yunsheng’s home to apprehend him. Yán Yunsheng and a few of his key managers and secretaries could not escape responsibility.
Behind what had once been hailed as Yán Yunsheng’s strokes of genius lay a cesspool of corruption, built on the lives of countless victims. For the sake of the Yán Corporation’s development, he could truly be said to have stopped at nothing, resorting to any means necessary.
“Yan Lao Da and Sister-in-law are here,” Deng Yu greeted them as he spotted them from afar. His expression was flawless, as if nothing had happened the previous day. In the past, his gaze would have been more focused on Yan Sui, but today, he was far more attentive to Meng Ting.
He understood perfectly well that whether he could salvage any semblance of friendship with Yan Sui hinged entirely on Meng Ting, on his attitude towards him. Meng Ting now held enough sway to influence Yan Sui’s decisions.
Of course, Deng Yu also knew that any remaining friendship would be superficial at best, limited to polite interactions. The camaraderie they had once shared was likely gone forever.
Yan Sui nodded, then leaned over to whisper something to Meng Ting before turning to Deng Yu. “Ting Ting wants to see Su Siyu. Please arrange it.”
Deng Yu raised an eyebrow in surprise. After a brief pause, he nodded. “Wait a moment. I’ll arrange it right away.”
Deng Yu returned less than ten minutes later. “It’s ready. Follow me.”
Yan Sui and Meng Ting rose and followed him. Throughout the journey, Deng Yu debated whether to say something, but ultimately held his tongue.
Since Meng Ting wanted to see Su Siyu, the meeting couldn’t take place in the oppressive basement. Su Siyu was brought to a furnished room, still bound to a chair, but the black cloth covering his head had been removed upon arrival.
“Go ahead. I’ll wait for you at the door,” Yan Sui said, gently kissing Meng Ting’s hair before releasing him.
“Mm,” Meng Ting nodded, glanced back at Yan Sui, then pushed the door open and entered.
To be honest, Deng Yu couldn’t quite understand why Meng Ting wanted to see Su Siyu alone.
He had actually prepared to be questioned or warned by Meng Ting privately. But since Meng Ting and Yan Sui arrived, Meng Ting had barely spoken to him, nor had his gaze fallen upon him. And now, the person Meng Ting wanted to speak with wasn’t him either.
“I received a call from my dad yesterday,” Deng Yu said to Yan Sui. It had been years since he’d spoken to Yan Sui in such a submissive tone, but given the circumstances, he had to lower his head and swallow his pride. He knew he had to show weakness, not just to Yan Sui, but even to Meng Ting, if necessary.
However, Yan Sui wasn’t interested in hearing this. Leaning against the wall, he interrupted Deng Yu. “Wait. We’ll talk later.”
Even if he were willing to speak with Deng Yu, Meng Ting would need to be present. Besides, he had promised Meng Ting he would wait for him at the door. How could he focus on anything else, let alone converse with Deng Yu? Knowing Meng Ting’s jealousy, he would definitely get angry.
“Alright,” Deng Yu smiled and nodded, then leaned against the wall diagonally opposite Yan Sui. But his hands, clasped behind his back, unconsciously clenched into a fist, a lingering resentment still simmering within him.
***
Inside the room, Meng Ting sat on the soft leather sofa facing Su Siyu. He didn’t rush to speak, instead simply observing Su Siyu, waiting for his eyes to fully adjust to the normal lighting and for him to clearly see the person in front of him.
“It’s me,” Meng Ting said with a slight nod, confirming Su Siyu hadn’t mistaken him.
“You… Meng Ting!” Su Siyu’s voice was hoarse with barely suppressed emotion. His eyes widened, fury and fear surging simultaneously within them, causing his body to tremble slightly.
Meng Ting scrutinized Su Siyu carefully before stating a blunt truth: “You’ve become ugly.”
“Although I never thought you were particularly good-looking before, now you’re truly ugly.” Meng Ting wasn’t just talking about Su Siyu’s appearance, but also the feeling Su Siyu gave him—his face was twisted with gloom and resentment, like an old man on the verge of death, radiating an indescribable sense of decay.
Su Siyu had imagined how Meng Ting would flaunt his success and mock his failure upon seeing him, but he hadn’t expected Meng Ting to be even more ruthless than he thought. Su Siyu never believed he was inferior to Meng Ting in any way; in fact, he thought he was smarter, more charismatic, better-looking, and more deserving of Yan Sui than Meng Ting was.
He felt his only mistake was a misstep in the most crucial choice after his rebirth, which led to a series of irreversible errors that had brought him to this point of no return.
“Do you really think you could be with Yan Sui if it weren’t for me?” Su Siyu suppressed the urge to vomit blood and roared at Meng Ting.
“I don’t know,” Meng Ting gently shook his head. There were too many branching paths in fate. After each decision, who knew if he and Yan Sui would ever cross paths? “But I do know that I am with Yan Sui now. He loves me, and I love him. We love each other.”
“Heh… love each other? Let me tell you, no man can resist straying! I’m telling you, Yan Sui and I were once husband and wife. Do you even know what being husband and wife means?”
“You’re lying. You’re trying to make me angry, but I won’t fall for it,” Meng Ting scoffed, his expression returning to indifference. He gazed at Su Siyu, as if seeing through the young man’s shell to the twisted soul trapped within, mired in the mud, unable to pull itself out.
“What does a good life even mean?” Meng Ting asked Su Siyu, but he already had his own answer to the question.
“When I was reborn, my goal was to be a useless person who could eat well and sleep soundly. Yan Sui changed that. Now, it’s about eating well, sleeping soundly, and loving Yan Sui even better.”
Su Siyu stared at Meng Ting, the resentment and bitterness in his eyes gradually weakening. At this point, he had to admit, he didn’t love Yan Sui as deeply as Meng Ting did. Meng Ting never deliberately flaunted his affection, but the unintentional expressions he occasionally revealed left Su Siyu with no doubt.
“Yan Sui… he didn’t have an easy life before, did he?”
Meng Ting asked softly. He truly wasn’t so bored as to come to Su Siyu to show off his affection or happiness. As long as he and Yan Sui were doing well, there was no need to care about anyone else’s opinions, whether they were blessings or curses.
He no longer cared much about his own past, but for Yan Sui, it was different. In his previous life, he had known nothing about Yan Sui, so he had no idea whether he had lived well or not. Su Siyu was the only one who might accurately know.
Su Siyu probably hadn’t expected that after all those things Meng Ting said, his final question would be about Yan Sui, not himself.
“I don’t know,” Su Siyu replied, turning his head away. “Yan Yu died, He Wan disappeared, Yan Manjia disappeared, Zhen Han went abroad to search for them, and I divorced him… I don’t know.”
Nearly all of Yan Sui’s close family members had suffered misfortunes one after another. He likely hadn’t had a good life, yet Su Siyu still couldn’t give Meng Ting a definitive answer.
In their previous life, Yan Sui had been too cold, so cold that Su Siyu had feared him. He hadn’t dared to approach him, let alone try to understand his true thoughts. Yan Sui always appeared so strong, so strong that he appeared to disregard the pain. That’s why Su Siyu couldn’t be certain.
Meng Ting’s eyes flickered slightly at these words. Then he stood up, ready to leave.
“Wait,” Su Siyu called out to Meng Ting, but his gaze remained fixed elsewhere. “I also know about the Xiao family.”
“Your parents were suddenly involved in a car accident. Your mother fell into a coma, and the power of the main house was nearly usurped. It was at this moment that the Meng family’s secret of hiding you was exposed. Your father and Yan Sui joined forces to launch a desperate counterattack. The Xiao family’s strength was somewhat damaged, allowing the Yan Corporation to rise and become the first of the Four Great Families.”
Su Siyu couldn’t tell if it was Meng Ting who had changed things, or if he himself had altered the course of events. Now, many things were likely different.
Yan Manjia returned to the country early and was not missing. Yan Sui took a bullet for Yan Yu, saving him from certain death, and even exposed the mastermind, Yán Yunsheng, ahead of schedule. As for the Xiao family, Su Siyu heard from Yán Yunsheng that the Xiao family had formally split their assets, making it much harder for the second and third houses to act against the main house, even if they still harbored such intentions.
Moreover, now that Meng Ting’s husband was Yan Sui, Yan Sui would undoubtedly intervene if anything happened to the Xiao family. This meant the car accident involving Xiao Huimin and Ning Zhou would likely never occur.
“Can I ask you a question?”
While Su Siyu was speaking, Meng Ting had sat back down, listening intently. Meng Ting naturally heard Su Siyu’s question and nodded. “You can.”
“Don’t you hate them?” Compared to Meng Ting, Su Siyu’s past life was miserable, but that was only after he had left the Su family and Yan Sui’s protection. Meng Ting, on the other hand, had been born into privilege but never experienced a good day in his life before his death. Now that he had a second chance, Su Siyu couldn’t believe Meng Ting didn’t harbor resentment.
So why hadn’t Meng Ting sought revenge against the Meng family? Why had he willingly allowed them to manipulate his marriage, only to end up marrying Yan Sui by a twist of fate?
Meng Ting pondered Su Siyu’s question carefully before nodding honestly. “I do hate them.”
“But I want to live a good life. More than hating, I’m afraid of hunger, afraid of taking medicine, afraid of not being able to sleep. And I’m very stupid. If I focus on hating, I can’t do other things well.”
Meng Ting looked up at Su Siyu, speaking frankly. “I also think you’re stupid. See, you focused on hating, and you didn’t make yourself better either.”
Meng Ting had always admitted to being stupid, but Su Siyu never thought he was until he heard Meng Ting’s words.
“Only by making yourself better can both hatred and love become easier.” Meng Ting said, standing up once more. He took two steps, then turned back, adding, “Yan Sui is mine. You can’t hate him, and you can’t love him.”
With a click, the door opened. Before Meng Ting’s gaze could even land on Yan Sui, he was pulled into Yan Sui’s arms, who had moved sideways to meet him.
“Don’t worry, I’m fine,” Meng Ting said, patting Yan Sui’s back. He stood on tiptoe and kissed Yan Sui’s cheek.
“Mm,” Yan Sui murmured softly, then took Meng Ting’s hand before turning to Deng Yu. “Continue handling matters here. If you need anything, my granduncle’s side will cooperate.”
“Okay… Okay,” Deng Yu replied, his lips curving upward, though it didn’t look like a smile.
“Alright… alright,” Deng Yu replied, the corners of his lips lifting slightly, though it didn’t quite look like a smile.
“Go find Second Brother first. I want to say a few words to him,” Meng Ting said to Yan Sui, glancing sideways at Deng Yu.
Meng Ting was feeling particularly assertive today, determined to settle things with both his rivals in one fell swoop.
Yan Sui hesitated slightly at Meng Ting’s words, then nodded. But before leaving, he cast a subtly warning glance at Deng Yu.
“What do you want to say?” Deng Yu looked at Meng Ting, no longer forcing a smile.
Meng Ting didn’t answer immediately. He took a step back and leaned against the wall, his eyes flickering with complex emotions. Su Siyu couldn’t be sure whether Yan Sui had lived a good life in their previous life, but Meng Ting knew for certain that his Yan Sui had not.
But in his previous life, he and Yan Sui had no fate. He couldn’t love Yan Sui, but he hoped Yan Sui could live a better life. Yet Deng Yu… he never confessed, probably because he too feared Yan Sui’s coldness.
“I love Yan Sui. I will love him well. So, no matter what, you’ll never have a chance.”
Deng Yu had countless more opportunities than Meng Ting could ever dream of, opportunities that Meng Ting never had. But Deng Yu never seized them. Now that Meng Ting had met Yan Sui and fallen in love with him, Deng Yu had even less of a chance.
“I have money, I’m better-looking than you, and I’m better at fighting than you. I also have powerful grandparents, parents, and brothers. I have Dad He, Dad Yan, and Aunt Manjia who like me. Most importantly, Yan Sui loves me—he only loves me.”
“So, you can’t like Yan Sui anymore. Not even silently. I’m not happy about it.”
Deng Yu raised his gaze to meet Meng Ting’s, bit his lip, and said, “Okay, I understand.”
“Understanding isn’t enough, you have to do it.” Meng Ting emphasized again, then lifted his chin, and turning to leave. His steps quickened. When he saw Yan Sui and Xiao Zimo at the corner, his pace finally slowed.
“Yan Sui, we can go home now.”
“Alright,” Yan Sui responded with a smile. He pulled Meng Ting into his embrace, lowered his head to kiss Meng Ting’s lips, then leading him out.
Meanwhile, Xiao Zimo stood to the side, his face contorted with internal anguish. He had just witnessed Meng Ting’s assertive warning, only to be ignored by the couple and force-fed a mouthful of dog food. This life… he wanted to go home too!
***
As Yan Sui and Meng Ting left the club, Yan Sui received a call from Zhen Han. Yan Sui spoke first, “Ting Ting is with me.”
“…That’s good. Mom and I are transferring flights to come back right away.”
Zhen Han hung up immediately after speaking. Meng Ting’s staged escape from the plane had terrified both Zhen Han and Yan Manjia. Even after Meng Ting personally reassured them, they insisted on returning immediately.
While Yan Sui was on the phone with Zhen Han, Meng Ting pulled out his own phone, only now remembering to turn it on.
“Are Auntie and Cousin angry with me?”
Before Yan Sui could answer, a car pulled up not far in front of them. Meng Ting’s eyes widened slightly. “Dad Yan, Dad He.”
Yan Sui turned around, and indeed, it was He Yue and Yan Yu. Several other cars followed behind them, apparently bringing many people.
“Nuo Nuo!” Ning Zhou called out, leaning out of one of the cars. She quickly opened the door and stepped out, accompanied by Xiao Huimin. Xiao Zi’ang emerged from the driver’s seat and shrugged. He had only told Xiao Huimin that everything was fine, but he hadn’t expected Ning Zhou and Xiao Huimin to rush over personally, bringing a whole entourage with them.
“Mom, Dad!”
Meng Ting called out, but his feet instinctively shifted closer to Yan Sui. When planning, he had worried about whether Yan Sui would be angry or not, but only now did he realize how everyone else might feel.
“I’m sorry, I made you worry.”
As Ning Zhou approached, Meng Ting hugged her proactively.
“No, it’s just that Mom missed Nuo Nuo and came with your dad to see you,” Ning Zhou said, patting Meng Ting’s back. Sensing something amiss, she tilted her head and gave Xiao Huimin and Xiao Zi’ang a warning look. She hadn’t mentioned this on the way here, but she couldn’t let Meng Ting know the truth.
“Mm,” Meng Ting happily responded, letting Ning Zhou hold him for a bit longer.
“Bang!” Before Meng Ting could react, Yan Sui had pulled him and Ning Zhou inside the clubhouse.
However, that shot was actually fired by Yan Yu. Yán Yunsheng had long been driven to desperation, and it was impossible for them to arrive unprepared. Before Yán Yunsheng’s people could even get into position, Yan Yu directly ordered his men to act.
Outside, there was only a single gunshot, followed by a brief commotion. But with Yan Yu and Xiao Zi’ang already controlling the vicinity, the disturbance was quickly quelled without escalating too much. However, this meant Meng Ting and Yan Sui’s plans to return home were temporarily put on hold.
They didn’t go anywhere else. Xu Shumin, who had received the news, personally called Yan Sui, then arranged for a car to pick them up and take them to the Xu family residence.
Soon after, Old Master Xiao and the patriarch of the Deng family arrived, bringing with them Yán Yunsheng, who had tried to escape to the airport in disguise. Of course, they hadn’t had time to make any specific arrangements; it was the patriarch of the Deng family who recognized Nian Wu and simply asked Old Master Xiao to ride with them.
No one had the patience to deal with Yán Yunsheng anymore. Even though he clamored to see Yan Sui and Xu Shumin, Xu Shumin remained silent as Yan Sui had him escorted to the police station, offering no further pleas for leniency.
***
“Ah Yu, let’s talk in the study.”
After a brief exchange with He Yue, Yan Yu rose to follow Xu Shumin to the study.
He Yue continued to speak with Meng Ting. Meng Ting nodded in agreement to everything, without exception. Fearing He Yue wouldn’t believe him, he emphasized again, “I really understand this time.” He admitted that he had indeed fooled He Yue and the others last time.
“I’m sorry, I lied to you and Dad Yan.”
He Yue reached out and ruffled Meng Ting’s hair, then chuckled. “From now on, if you’re going to lie, lie to Yan Sui. Your Dad Yan and I are always on your side.”
“I won’t lie to Yan Sui anymore,” Meng Ting said, not pulling away from He Yue’s touch but tightening his grip on Yan Sui’s hand. He turned to look at Yan Sui, a hint of urgency in his eyes.
“Really.”
“Alright, I believe you,” Yan Sui replied, squeezing Meng Ting’s hand and nodding with a smile.
Ning Zhou and Xiao Huimin, watching from the side, shook their heads helplessly.
The patriarch of the Deng family, Deng Yu’s father, had come to the Xu Residence with Old Master Xiao. Deng Yu couldn’t remain at the club either. Even though he’d been forewarned, he was still taken aback upon entering the Xu family’s reception hall. What Meng Ting had said earlier wasn’t an exaggeration; he had simply stated the truth.
Apart from Yan Manjia and Zhen Han, who had been coaxed by Meng Ting to go to A Country, everyone Meng Ting had mentioned had come to Licheng for him.
By ten o’clock the following night, Yan Manjia and Zhen Han had also arrived. Of course, they didn’t come to settle scores with Meng Ting; their anger was directed at Yan Sui. However, because Meng Ting guarded Yan Sui so closely, few of those who wanted to scold Yan Sui succeeded.
It was rare for the Xu family to host so many prominent guests at once. Xu Shumin had no time to grieve over Yán Yunsheng’s fate. Everything had finally settled: the Yán family had fallen, Yán Yunsheng was sentenced to death, and Su Siyu was brought back to Haicheng prison to serve his sentence.
***
“Yan Sui, are we going home now?”
Meng Ting emerged from the bathroom, wrapped his arms around Yan Sui’s waist from behind, and whispered the question.
“Home,” Yan Sui replied, turning around. Leaning against the windowsill, he pulled Meng Ting closer. He gently tilted Meng Ting’s chin, and leaned down to kiss him.
Meng Ting’s eyelashes fluttered as he closed and opened his eyes, his gaze meeting Yan Sui’s, and the two continued to kiss.
Hearing a knock at the door, Meng Ting leaned against Yan Sui’s shoulder and earnestly murmured, “Let’s go home and continue kissing…”
“Alright.”
Yan Sui replied, pressing more kisses to Meng Ting’s cheek. He released Meng Ting, took his hand, and they walked out together.
The author has something to say:
The main story is complete! I’ll continue updating with a few sweet extra chapters tomorrow.
Another book is about to be completed! Thank you to all my dear readers who have accompanied Nizi on this journey. I hope you’ll consider following Nizi’s author profile and pre-saving my upcoming new book. Nizi is a professional at spreading sweetness!
End of Main Story. There’s still 3 extra chapters left: Birthday, University & Past Life.
[dropdown title=”List of Idiom in Chapter 103″]
魚龍混雜 (yú lóng hùn zá): lit. fish (bad) and dragon (good) mixed together(idiom); dragons and fishes jumbled together; good and bad things or people being mixed together indiscriminately; crooks mixed in with the honest folk; the good and the bad mixed together; a mixed bag; a motley crew; a mix of good and bad people; a hodgepodge; good people and bad people are mixed together.神來之筆 (shén lái zhī bǐ): lit. a stroke of God; a stroke of genius; inspired writing; (figurative) masterstroke; an inspired passage; a delicate touch; brilliant idea; divine touch; describe a work with brilliant sentences and vivid writing.
行將就木 (xíng jiāng jiù mù): lit. to enter the coffin soon; to be close to death; to approach death; to approach one’s coffin (idiom); with one foot in the grave; be getting nearer and nearer to the coffin—be near death; will die soon; be fast approaching death; one’s days are numbered; be at death’s door; a person’s life span is coming to an end and he will soon be put into a coffin. It is a metaphor for a person approaching death. From Zuo Zhuan, Spring and Autumn Annals: 將適齊，謂季隗曰：「待我二十五年，不來而後嫁。」對曰：「我二十五年矣，又如是而嫁，則就木焉。請待子。」, Before Chong’er (later Duke Wen of Jin) left for Qi, he said to Jikui (his wife) “Please wait me for 25 years. If I don’t come back, you can marry another man.” Jikui replied, “I’m now 25 years old now. If it’s like that (after 25 years), I’ll be entering the coffin very soon when I marry another man. Please let me wait for you.”
天之驕子 (tiān zhī jiāo zi): God’s favored one; an unusually lucky person; specially privileged person; unusually lucky person.
陰差陽錯 (yīn chā yáng cuò): lit. both yin and yang are wrong; an accident arising from many causes (idiom); a freak combination of factors; an accident, mistake or event arising from many different unforeseen causes; a strange combination of circumstances; accidentally; serendipitously; mistake or error due to a strange combination of circumstances.
直言不諱 (zhí yán bù huì): to call a spade a spade; to speak without reservation; not to mince one’s words; to speak bluntly (idiom); give an honest opinion; make an unflattering remark; speak with frankness; be outspoken in one’s remarks; to speak frankly; to speak out facts, opinions or feelings without reservation and frankly; it describes a person who speaks directly and without hiding anything.
一言不發 (yī yán bù fā): to not say a word; to be silent; remain silent; keep quiet; say nothing; to remain silent and not make any comments.
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[dropdown title=”Here’s the summary”]
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Check out my completed & current project at my carrd. If you like my translation, you can buy me coffee at Ko-fi~ Thank you.
I’m glad I pitched my tent ⛺. The plot, the twists, the anticipation! Thank you for the story.
Thank you for translating this novel~
I loved it ❤️✨