The subtle ripples caused by that bowl of congee were forcibly suppressed by Lin Yang. However, once a seed is planted, it quietly begins to sprout, leaving his mind in a state of unrest.
He tried his best to avoid contact with Li Chenzhou, keeping the door to his apartment across the hall shut tight, as if that door could block out all confusing signals.
However, the tree craves calm, but the wind will not subside.
That afternoon, while Lin Yang was in his study absentmindedly flipping through a movie magazine, his old phone vibrated. It was a call from the landline of the Li family’s main residence.
His heart skipped a beat, accompanied by a sense of foreboding.
The call was from Li Chenzhou’s mother, a noblewoman who was always dignified and proper, yet whose smiles never quite reached her eyes. Her tone was as gentle as ever, but it carried an undertone that brooked no refusal.
“Yang Yang, there’s a small family gathering at the house tomorrow evening. It is just a few family members having a simple meal together. You and Chenzhou haven’t been back in a long time; make sure to come over together tomorrow.”
Family members? A simple meal?
Lin Yang sneered inwardly.
He had experienced the Li family’s “small gatherings” and “simple meals” more than once in his past life. They were nothing but wars without the smoke of gunpowder, where everyone wore a mask, words were daggers, and eyes were arrows. He was always the target of their collective fire, an “outsider” who had climbed above his station and was unworthy of the Li family.
His instinct was to find an excuse to decline.
“Mom, I haven’t been feeling very well these past two days, maybe,”
“If you’re not feeling well, all the more reason to come home,” Li Mother’s voice remained gentle, yet she cut him off. “It’s quiet at home, perfect for recuperating. Besides, Chenzhou will be arriving on time tomorrow. If you come back together, it saves him a trip to pick you up. It’s settled then, tomorrow evening at seven o’clock, we’ll be waiting for you.”
With that, she elegantly hung up before Lin Yang could respond, leaving behind only the rhythmic beep of a busy signal.
Lin Yang gripped his phone, his fingertips cold. He knew this wasn’t an invitation; it was a notification. When Li Mother called personally, it meant there was no room for maneuver.
That evening, when Li Chenzhou came over to “ask if the central air conditioning temperature was appropriate,” he predictably brought the matter up.
“Going back to the old residence for dinner tomorrow night,” he said in a flat tone, as if announcing the weather. “Six-thirty. The driver will pick you up.”
He didn’t even ask if Lin Yang was willing to go, as if it were merely a pre-arranged item on a schedule that required no discussion.
Looking at that cold, hard face, Lin Yang felt a surge of helplessness. He nodded without further reaction. “Understood.”
Resistance was futile, so he could only face it. At least this time, he was no longer the ignorant and helpless Lin Yang of his past life who only knew how to weep in secret.
The following evening, Lin Yang changed into a modest, dark-colored casual suit that was neither flashy nor disrespectful.
Li Chenzhou’s car pulled up downstairs right on time. When Lin Yang got in, Li Chenzhou was already inside with his eyes closed, resting. His profile appeared exceptionally cold and stern against the shimmering lights outside the car window.
The journey was silent.
As the car drove into the heavily guarded, castle-like Li family estate situated halfway up the mountain, Lin Yang’s heart couldn’t help but tighten.
The banquet hall was already brightly lit, filled with the scent of perfume and the rustle of fine clothes. There were quite a few “family members,” including Li Chenzhou’s parents, uncles, several aunts, and their families. In total, they occupied two large, full tables.
As the two entered, various gazes immediately focused on them. Some were scrutinizing, some were curious, but most were unabashed looks of superiority.
“Chenzhou and Yang Yang are here. Sit, sit.”
Li Mother greeted them with a smile, arranging for them to sit at the main table, right next to Li Father and Li Chenzhou.
After the pleasantries, they took their seats. Exquisite dishes were served one after another. On the surface, the atmosphere was harmonious, but the undercurrents were already churning.
Sure enough, after three rounds of drinks, a middle-aged woman wearing a jade necklace with high cheekbones, one of Li Chenzhou’s distant aunts whom Lin Yang remembered was surnamed Zhao, was the first to direct the conversation toward Lin Yang.
She lightly dabbed the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief. Her smile was kind, but her eyes scraped over Lin Yang like knives.
“Speaking of which, Yang Yang is truly blessed. Being able to marry into our Li family is a blessing cultivated over several lifetimes.” Aunt Zhao’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was enough for the entire table to hear. “Look at him, his complexion is getting better and better. It seems Chenzhou knows how to take care of his people.”
These words sounded like praise, but every syllable was a reminder of Lin Yang’s status as someone who had “married up.” Several women at the table let out low, coordinated chuckles, their eyes sweeping suggestively between Lin Yang and Li Chenzhou.
Lin Yang’s grip on his chopsticks tightened, but he maintained a polite, shallow smile and did not respond. He knew this was just the appetizer.
Another aunt, wearing a suit skirt with her short hair permed impeccably, immediately chimed in with an air of feigned concern. “That’s right. Yang Yang isn’t acting anymore, right? That’s good. That kind of public-facing work is indeed not very suitable for a daughter-in-law of the Li family. It is better to stay home and enjoy a life of leisure, right, Sister-in-law?” She turned to look at Li Mother.
Li Mother’s smile remained unchanged. She gently stirred the soup in her bowl, neither confirming nor denying. Her ambiguous attitude only fueled the silent pressure.
Lin Yang felt those gazes pricking him like needles, making him feel as though he were sitting on a bed of thorns. He lowered his head, staring at the exquisite patterns on the bone china bowl in front of him. The food he had just eaten began to churn in his stomach.
He told himself to endure it and it would pass. Just like in his past life, do not respond and do not give them the chance to continue.
“By the way, Chenzhou’s recent overseas acquisition was truly brilliant. I heard he made a significant amount again.” An uncle-figure tried to steer the topic toward business to flatter Li Chenzhou.
However, Aunt Qian clearly didn’t want to let Lin Yang off the hook. She pulled the conversation back, her voice carrying a deliberate tone of pity. “Oh, but wouldn’t staying at home like this be too boring for Yang Yang? Chenzhou is busy with work and has no time to accompany you. Why not consider finding a quiet position in the family company? At least you’d have something to do. Although you might not be able to help much, it’s better than being idle. It sounds better to outsiders, doesn’t it?”
The word “idle” was like a poisonous thorn driven deep into Lin Yang’s heart. He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms, barely suppressing the urge to stand up and leave.
The table fell silent for a moment. Everyone’s gaze, whether open or hidden, landed on Lin Yang, waiting for his reaction, or more accurately, waiting for Li Chenzhou’s.
Li Chenzhou had remained expressionless, eating slowly and methodically as if the surrounding undercurrents had nothing to do with him. It wasn’t until Aunt Qian finished her piece and the subtle silence settled over the group that he finally set down his silver chopsticks.
The movement was light, but as the silver chopsticks hit the bone china plate, they made a crisp, faint clink.
Instantly, everyone’s attention was drawn to him. Li Chenzhou picked up a napkin and wiped the corner of his mouth with elegant composure. Then, he looked up, his calm gaze sweeping over Aunt Qian, then Aunt Zhao, who was wearing a look of anticipation, and finally landing on Li Father at the head of the table.
He spoke. His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried clearly across the entire table, imbued with an unquestionable coldness.
“My spouse does not need a job to prove his value.”
Those words were like ice water poured into boiling oil, causing the entire table to fall instantly silent. The smiles on Aunt Qian’s and Aunt Zhao’s faces froze; their complexions turned from red to white. The other relatives, who had been prepared to enjoy a joke, quickly straightened their expressions, not daring to say another word.
Li Chenzhou’s tone remained flat, but every word hit like a hammer. “Whether he is happy or bored is for me to worry about. There is no need for the elders to trouble themselves.”
He didn’t raise his voice or scold them harshly; there wasn’t even any obvious anger on his face. But the powerful aura stemming from absolute strength and status, combined with the undisguised protection and sense of boundaries in his words, placed immense pressure on everyone present with hidden agendas.
He paused, turning his gaze toward Li Mother, whose expression had also become somewhat unnatural. His tone softened slightly but remained distant. “Mother, today’s soup is good. Lin Yang’s stomach has just recovered; it is suitable for him to have more.”
He even personally used the serving chopsticks to scoop a small spoonful of light mushroom soup into Lin Yang’s bowl.
This action was even more shocking than his previous words.
Everyone was stunned, including Lin Yang himself. He stared blankly at the soup that had suddenly appeared in his bowl, then looked up at Li Chenzhou. The other man had already withdrawn his hand and picked up his own chopsticks again. His profile was as cold and hard as usual, as if the person who had just defended him and even served him soup wasn’t him at all.
An awkward, long silence descended upon the dining table. The aunts who had been so silver-tongued moments ago were now like quails with their necks squeezed, lowering their heads and not daring to steal another glance in their direction.
Lin Yang’s heart beat rapidly, a complex and indescribable surge of emotions crashing in his chest. Was it relief, surprise, or a deeper sense of unease?
The latter half of the meal concluded in this eerie atmosphere. No one dared to bring up Lin Yang again.
When they left the old residence, the night breeze was slightly cool. Only after sitting in the car, isolated from the suffocating atmosphere of that magnificent cage, did Lin Yang slowly exhale a long breath.
He stole a glance at Li Chenzhou, who was resting beside him with his eyes closed.
Why did this man do that?
Was defending him in front of the family merely for the sake of the Li family’s reputation, to prevent outsiders from laughing? Or, was there some other reason?
He found that he understood Li Chenzhou less and less.