As Yan Chong’s arrogant words echoed through the room, the entire living room fell into dead silence. The lights in the living room were dim, casting a particularly gloomy and terrifying shadow over Yan Hongfang’s aging face.
Su Xingyan was completely unprepared for Yan Chong to say such a thing. He turned his head and looked at him in disbelief. Yan Chong, however, merely raised an eyebrow calmly, slowly stood up, and strolled unhurriedly toward Su Xingyan.
One step. Two steps.
Yan Chong came to a stop right behind Su Xingyan and reached out from behind, intending to wrap his arm around his waist. Su Xingyan’s heart thumped wildly; just as he was about to dodge, he realized that the man was only loosely encircling his waist, not actually touching him.
Su Xingyan’s clear eyes flickered slightly as he raised his head and looked at Yan Chong with a complicated expression. Yan Chong casually looked at the furious Yan Hongfang, curling his lips into a playful smile as he retorted, “Did you come all the way here just to hear this? Well, are you satisfied with this answer?”
“Yan Chong!” Yan Hongfang was so enraged that his beard shook and his eyes widened. He raised his walking stick as if to strike Yan Chong down. “Do you have any idea what kind of outrageous nonsense you are talking about?! I, Yan Hongfang, have been wise and brilliant all my life, how could I have such an outrageous son like you!”
The thick rosewood cane was raised high, casting a sudden shadow over Su Xingyan’s face. Su Xingyan’s pupils dilated, and he instinctively stepped back to push Yan Chong away. Unexpectedly, Yan Chong didn’t budge at all. As Su Xingyan retreated, his lower back bumped into the arm Yan Chong was loosely encircling him with, almost at the exact moment of contact, Yan Chong pulled him firmly by the waist.
The grip was strong and forceful, leaving him no room to struggle.
Su Xingyan turned his head. Yan Chong wasn’t looking at him; he still maintained that calm, composed, and rebellious posture. “If you are so dissatisfied with me, why don’t you get another son? You swap a son, I swap a dad… wouldn’t everyone be happy then?”
“You think I don’t want to? You think I don’t want to?!”
The rosewood cane stopped a fraction of an inch above Yan Chong’s head. Yan Chong didn’t dodge. Yan Hongfang glared at Yan Chong with wide, furious eyes, but did not strike down. Truth be told, there were times when Yan Hongfang genuinely wanted to get a paternity test to see if a rebellious rebel like Yan Chong was truly his own biological flesh and blood.
Equally shocked was Su Xingyan. He had originally thought Yan Chong was merely wild and unrestrained on the outside, but he hadn’t expected him to be so arrogant at home as well. If such backtalk were to happen in the Su family, he would probably have been kicked out of the house long ago, Su Xingyan thought.
“Alright, today is my birthday. Are you arguing like this hoping I’ll go down early to join your great-grandfather? Yan Chong, do you no longer want your father, and now no longer want your grandmother either?”
Unlike Yan Hongfang’s rage, Old Madame Yan was noticeably much calmer. Rubbing her red sandalwood walking stick, Old Madame Yan looked at Su Xingyan kindly and compassionately, then let out a long sigh as she looked at Yan Chong. “What exactly happened today? Yan Chong, speak properly. Grandmother doesn’t believe you are the kind of person who would forcibly marry someone else’s wife. Are you?”
Meeting Old Madame Yan’s gaze, the playful and cynical air on Yan Chong’s face instantly vanished. He pulled back the hand holding Su Xingyan’s waist and replied solemnly to Old Madame Yan, “Today’s matter… the general situation is indeed as reported in the current news.”
“The company controlled by Wei Chengran had a product that ran into someone a while ago. He was probably afraid of taking responsibility, so he ran off early and before leaving, he took his secretary with him, who happens to be the other party at today’s wedding banquet, Tang Songzhi.”
“As for President Su Xingyan…”
Yan Chong paused slightly here, his gaze shifting toward Su Xingyan beside him. Su Xingyan was also looking at him, their eyes meeting. “He came today to look for his husband. President Su thought Wei Chengran would be here, reasoning that if Tang Songzhi was here, Wei Chengran would likely be here too. He didn’t expect that those two had already fled long ago. President Su suffered a high fever due to anxiety and anger, so I brought him back. That’s the whole story.”
Listening to Yan Chong spin the story into something half-true, half-false, and downplaying the critical details, Su Xingyan tightened his grip slightly and glanced up at him. Yan Chong’s story was made up very logically, so logical that everything seemed perfectly natural.
Yan Youwei had probably uncovered some clues. Hearing Yan Chong’s half-truth explanation, he opened his mouth, wanting to refute him, only to see Yan Chong’s cold, stern gaze sweep over. Yan Chong asked with a faint, mocking smile, “Youwei, do you have something to say?”
“…No, no.”
Yan Youwei hastily offered a flattering smile and shut his mouth, not forgetting to steal a glance at his elder brother’s expression. It was fine to play little tricks behind his back, but face to face, Yan Youwei didn’t dare provoke Yan Chong. He was afraid of death, too.
“Is that so? Then today was certainly lively enough.” It was hard to tell whether Old Madame Yan actually believed it or not. After listening, she merely let out a long sigh, looked at Su Xingyan with a warm smile, and then turned to Yan Chong. “Yan Chong, come here. Grandmother has something to ask you.” With that, supported by Aunt Fang, Old Madame Yan walked step by step toward the study.
Yan Chong’s expression turned solemn. He knew his grandmother was not someone easily fooled.
Su Xingyan frowned slightly, looking at Yan Chong with a trace of concern. Because of their past business collaborations, Su Xingyan had previously researched the general background of the Yan family. Although Old Madame Yan had been recuperating at the Huixin Sanatorium all these years, anyone with clear eyes, except for that useless sac Yan Youwei, knew that the real person in charge of the Yan family had always been Old Madame Yan. Seeing that Old Madame Yan wanted a private conversation with Yan Chong, Su Xingyan had a subtle bad premonition.
“Yan Chong…”
As if suddenly understanding his thoughts, Yan Chong raised his Phoenix eyes and smiled calmly at Su Xingyan. As he brushed past him, he subtly touched Su Xingyan’s hand with the back of his own.
“Wait for me in the room.”
It was very gentle, like wind brushing against a wind chime.
After Yan Chong followed Old Madame Yan to the study, the previously lively living room instantly fell silent. Yan Hongfang, holding his walking stick, cold eyeballed Su Xingyan out of nowhere. Before he could speak, a heavy snort escaped his nostrils. “A perfectly fine wedding banquet, now ruined like this! The dignity of our Yan family’s old face has been completely lost today.”
Yan Hongfang spoke sarcastically, pointing his spear directly at Su Xingyan.
“Dad, why do you say that? Today’s incident came too suddenly; nobody wanted this to happen. Besides, all of this was just Grandmother’s birthday banquet, what’s there to be embarrassed about at a birthday banquet?”
Unexpectedly, Yan Youwei spoke up for Su Xingyan. While soothing his old father’s anger, he stole glances at Su Xingyan from the side. Truth be told, the Wei family really had exquisite taste to painstakingly select such a beautiful person. His side profile resembled precious porcelain, or perhaps translucent jade, yet his aura was so cold and noble that standing there, he unwittingly stirred up immoral thoughts in people.
…Of course, he wouldn’t dare. How could he dare touch Yan Chong’s person?
Yan Youwei swallowed his saliva silently. “Mr. Su…”
Su Xingyan suddenly turned his head back, his cold and clear eyes fixing straight on him. Su Xingyan’s eyebrows were lightly furrowed. After a moment of silence, he nodded politely to Yan Hongfang and Yan Youwei, and then…
He casually turned around and walked up to the second-floor master bedroom all by himself.
“He… he… he…”
Yan Hongfang’s eyes widened in sheer outrage.
What was wrong with this person? Why did he have the exact same temperament as Yan Chong?
Equally defiant, arrogant to the extreme!
“Calm down, please calm down. It’s getting too late. Are we going back to the old mansion? I’ll drive you back…”
The rain gradually softened, showing signs of stopping.
Having just gone through a heavy downpour, the entire city of Ronggang seemed washed crystal clear yet felt heavy and oppressive. Even the wind blowing past carried a chill. Having just recovered from a severe illness, Su Xingyan wrapped himself in a blanket after returning to the master bedroom and stood quietly by the window, gazing at Ronggang’s dense rows of buildings and vibrant nightlife.
Su Xingyan had always kept a regular schedule and would usually be asleep by this hour. Yet tonight, he inexplicably felt a bit uneasy about Yan Chong, though Su Xingyan didn’t quite understand what there was to worry about regarding a person like Yan Chong. Standing by the window and catching the cool breeze for a while, Su Xingyan frowned, pulled out his phone, and checked the time. It was almost midnight. About an hour had passed since Yan Chong was called away by Old Madame Yan for their talk.
He wondered what they were talking about.
His phone suddenly vibrated. Looking at the words “Uncle Rong” flashing on the screen, Su Xingyan hesitated for a second before taking a deep breath and answering, “Uncle Rong.”
“Eldest Young Master, are you home right now?” On the other end of the line, Uncle Rong let out a long sigh holding his old push button phone. “What on earth happened today? Did Young Master Wei really… really…” Uncle Rong was the old housekeeper of the Su family who had practically watched Su Xingyan and Wei Chengran grow up step by step. Hearing the news, he only felt it was unbelievable. In Uncle Rong’s impression, Wei Chengran was just a somewhat naive and playful young master.
Standing inside Yan Chong’s master bedroom, Su Xingyan gripped his phone tightly and lowered his eyes, automatically skipping Uncle Rong’s first question. Everything that had transpired over the past few days welled up in his mind, the chaotic rainy night, the used condom in the trash can, and Wei Chengran weeping while handing him the divorce papers…
Su Xingyan closed his eyes, feeling exhausted both physically and mentally. “This matter… is a bit complex. I’ll explain it properly to you later… Where is Father? Uncle Rong, does Father know about this?”
“The Master is still vacationing abroad. According to his itinerary… let me check… according to the schedule, he should have at least half a year before returning to Ronggang.” Uncle Rong put on his reading glasses and flipped through the calendar. “The Master shouldn’t know about it right now.”
If he knew, he would have contacted Uncle Rong immediately.
Half a year… Su Xingyan exhaled softly and calculated the time silently in his mind. Half a year was by no means a short time, it was enough to properly resolve all this chaos. Su Xingyan closed his eyes. He didn’t want to live such a turbulent life, nor did he want to be held accountable by his father over this matter.
Click!
The door handle was pressed down from the outside.
Su Xingyan hung up Uncle Rong’s call and turned around, only to see Yan Chong walking into the room looking somewhat fatigued. Seeing Su Xingyan standing in the room, a trace of surprise flashed across Yan Chong’s dark eyes, which quickly turned into a playful, teasing smile. “I thought you had left long ago… What? Were you waiting for me?”
He asked on purpose, as if completely forgetting that the person who told Su Xingyan to wait for him in the master bedroom an hour ago was himself.
“Are you alright?” Su Xingyan frowned and walked up to Yan Chong in a few quick steps, turning a deaf ear to the teasing tone in his words. He remembered that when Old Madame Yan established the family business in her early years, her methods were ruthless, earning her the title of “Extinction Master” from the Ronggang media, though few dared to actually call her that to her face, as they too were afraid of death. Su Xingyan asked cautiously, “Old Madame Yan… what did she ask you?”
Yan Chong broke into a laughter, then narrowed his eyes, casually looking at Su Xingyan with amusement. “Are you worried about me?” Su Xingyan pursed his lips in silence. Yan Chong simply opened his arms toward him and deliberately teased him, “If you’re worried about me, give me a hug.”
Su Xingyan merely stared at him without reaction. Yan Chong was also looking back at him, his dark eyes looking romantic and uninhibited.
Yan Chong gestured to him. In the quiet room, Yan Chong’s voice was deep and laced with laughter: “Come here.”
Looking at those dark eyes, Su Xingyan walked over to him as if spellbound. Yan Chong slowly lowered his open arms as if he were truly going to embrace Su Xingyan. Su Xingyan instinctively took a step back, but Yan Chong grabbed his arm with one hand, while the palm of his other hand gently pressed against Su Xingyan’s forehead.
The warmth from Yan Chong’s palm transferred to Su Xingyan’s forehead.
“Seems like… you don’t have a fever anymore.”
Yan Chong frowned, pulled his hand back, and touched his own forehead to check. Su Xingyan’s high fever had indeed broken, feeling only slightly warmer than his own forehead now. Yan Chong didn’t release Su Xingyan’s arm; his dark eyes stared intently into Su Xingyan’s eyes. “It’s too late tonight. Just stay here. Hmm?”
“I…” Su Xingyan opened his mouth to say something, but heard Yan Chong lightly add, “You sleep here, I’ll go to the guest room.”
Su Xingyan fell silent, he seemed to have no reason to refuse.
The night in Ronggang remained vibrant with neon lights and bustling entertainment. Yet the Yan family residence, situated far from the city center, was extraordinarily quiet, with scattered stars twinkling in the night sky.
Su Xingyan was actually someone who had trouble sleeping in unfamiliar beds. Back when he first moved into the Wei family’s old residence, he tossed and turned at night, unable to fall asleep no matter what. Wei Chengran, on the other hand, slept soundly like a pig. Back then, Su Xingyan would look at the soundly sleeping Wei Chengran from the side, let out a soft sigh, and silently get up to take sleeping pills.
Su Xingyan thought tonight would be the same, he was already prepared to stay awake until dawn. However, perhaps because too much had happened today, or perhaps because he was still recovering from his illness, Su Xingyan slept in Yan Chong’s bed, covered by Yan Chong’s blanket, and slept dreamlessly until morning.
The next day, just as the sky was turning pale, Su Xingyan frowned and slowly fluttered his eyelids open. The phone on the nightstand was vibrating. Su Xingyan instinctively picked up the phone to answer, only to hear Shao Qing’s somewhat anxious voice from the other end: “President Su, are you awake? …Something bad happened. The child who was hit by President Wei’s company product lost their heartbeat at eight o’clock last night. I heard the family members raised such a fuss that all the doctors in the Department of Cardiac Surgery were dispatched. But in the end…”
“They declared death.”
Hearing those final four words, Su Xingyan sat up abruptly. Perhaps because he got up too fast, he felt a wave of dizziness. He could even imagine the scene where Wei Zhenning threw a furious tantrum at the company and urgently ordered Hongye to cut ties with CY. If possible, he would probably cut ties with the runaway Wei Chengran too. Wei Chengran was quite sensible in that regard. He had already run away. Fled far away, where no one knew his whereabouts.
Su Xingyan took a gentle breath, gave a few instructions, and hung up the phone. He then got up, changed his clothes, and prepared to head out. Unexpectedly, as soon as he stepped out into the living room, he saw Yan Chong walking out from the second floor dressed in casual home wear. Having rested for a full night, Yan Chong looked spirited and high-energy. Even in casual cotton clothes, he still appeared charming and elegant. When he smiled, his narrow Phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, lazy and comfortable.
“Awake so early.” Looking down at Su Xingyan from the second floor, Yan Chong curled his thin lips into a faint smile and gestured to him, “Come here. Let me see if your fever has gone down. It was too late yesterday, and I forgot to make you take your medicine.”
“…I don’t have a fever anymore.”
Su Xingyan furrowed his brows and instinctively took a step back. Gathering his composure, he spoke politely yet distantly, “If you haven’t had enough sleep, go back and sleep a bit more. I have some business to attend to, so I’m leaving first.” With that, Su Xingyan stepped toward the front door and pressed down on the handle, only to find he couldn’t open the door after several attempts. At the same time, Yan Chong’s muffled chuckle sounded from behind him.
“President Su Xingyan, have you still not figured out the situation?” Yan Chong let out a slow sigh, frowning and even adjusting the rimless glasses on his nose with a bit of annoyance. Then, with one hand in his pocket, he walked slowly toward Su Xingyan. “Didn’t I tell you already? As long as Wei Chengran doesn’t bring Tang Songzhi back, don’t even think about leaving this place for a single day.”
“What? Forgot again?”
Yan Chong raised his eyes to look at Su Xingyan and even broke into a slow smile. The morning sunlight streaming through the sealed floor to ceiling windows cast a chilling aura over the smile at the corners of his lips.