“It was love at first sight with my husband!”
“Ding-dong.”
Su Yanqing pressed the doorbell.
It was quite ironic. As a child of the Su family, he did not even possess a key to the house. Despite this, the family had the audacity to pressure Su Yanqing into becoming a tool for a luck-changing marriage to cure the patriarch. Yun Xi felt uncomfortable; even though he was not truly in love with Su Yanqing, seeing him treated this way filled him with indignation. For a fleeting moment, he even wanted to pull Su Yanqing away and leave this eccentric family behind.
But he could not do that. He had planned this for so long and was on the verge of success; he could not let everything fall apart due to a moment of soft-heartedness. Yun Xi looked at the impassive Su Yanqing and silently took his hand. Su Yanqing paused for a moment before firmly gripping it back.
“Click.”
After waiting for two or three minutes, the villa’s main door finally opened a crack. A middle-aged man poked half of his body out, lowered his eyelids to look at them, and said, “The Second Young Master has returned.” The man pushed the door halfway open in a gesture of welcome.
“Butler Li,” Su Yanqing nodded. “How is my father?”
“The Master is currently having his pulse checked by the Grandmaster. It should finish in about half an hour. Young Master, please go to the guest room to rest for a while.”
Butler Li led the two to a room at the end of the corridor. When he opened the door, fine dust particles swirled in the sunlight. Watching Butler Li walk away, Yun Xi slowly clenched his fist and made two mock swings at the back of the butler’s head.
“What a character!”
With Masters and Young Masters everywhere, one would think they were in a feudal television drama. Even the butler acted like a total lackey. The guest room had clearly not been cleaned properly; a layer of dust covered the table, making it feel as though there was nowhere to even step. Yun Xi reached his limit and said impulsively, “Let us just go. Who cares if he lives or dies? It would be better if he died. What kind of people are these?”
Hearing this, a flash of surprise crossed Su Yanqing’s eyes. He hesitated for two seconds before asking in a low voice, “Why are you angry?”
Yun Xi asked incredulously, “Why would I not be angry? You are being treated so despicably.” He reached up, pinched the Alpha’s face, and gave it a tug. “Are you a pushover? You just let them walk all over you?”
Su Yanqing’s handsome face was slightly distorted by the tug, and his gray eyes held an unmistakable look of astonishment. Realizing his actions had crossed a line, Yun Xi sheepishly withdrew his hand and cleared his throat. “I just feel that someone as excellent as you should not be treated this way.”
Su Yanqing gently touched his face where a lingering warmth remained. For some reason, it made his heart feel a bit warm as well. He looked down at the crown of the Omega’s head and asked, “Are you angry on my behalf?”
Su Yanqing’s voice was very soft. Yun Xi suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. “Well, I do like you, after all. If you are not doing well, of course I will be angry.”
In truth, even if it were just a regular friend being treated this poorly, he would still be angry. Of course, he could not say that. Yun Xi pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, intending to wipe the dust off a chair. Before he could take two steps, his wrist was grabbed and he was pulled forcefully into a familiar, warm embrace.
“Mmph!”
His back hit the wall and his eyes were covered by a slightly rough palm, causing his vision to disappear. Simultaneously, his lips were heavily rubbed several times. Yun Xi held his breath; he knew exactly what was coming without having to think. His body immediately recalled the sensation of being circled in an Alpha’s arms, feeling weak all over. However, after a long moment, Su Yanqing only continued to caress his lips with his fingers without taking any further action.
Did he feel it would be disrespectful to that old man? Yun Xi opened his mouth in dissatisfaction and bit Su Yanqing’s finger, grinding it with his teeth. “Why are you not kissing me? Is it because we are at the Su house?” he asked, his speech muffled. He did not use much strength; it was less of a bite and more of a lick. That finger was licked until it was wet, the tip turning red and covered in the Omega’s saliva.
Su Yanqing’s gaze darkened as he stared at it for a few seconds before slowly withdrawing his finger. “No. It is because of your heat.” He removed his hand from Yun Xi’s eyes and took out a handkerchief to leisurely clean his finger.
As his vision returned, Yun Xi looked up. The man’s gray eyes had deepened into a dark shade, clearly suppressing something. Yun Xi narrowed his eyes and smiled, hooking his arms around the man’s neck. “It is fine,” he whispered, tilting his head back. “Did I not say it before? Just mark me.” Having said that, he stood on his tiptoes and kissed him.
After an unknown amount of time, a knock came at the door.
“Knock, knock.”
“Second Young Master, the Master has requested that you bring Mr. Yun to his room.”
“Knock, knock, knock.”
“Second Young Master? Are you in there?”
Butler Li prompted impatiently for a long time before the door finally opened. Su Yanqing had removed his coat, his collar was slightly messy, and he stared at the butler expressionlessly. “Coming.” He slammed the door shut, nearly hitting Butler Li’s nose.
Butler Li’s face turned the color of pig liver. For a moment, he actually thought Su Yanqing had reverted to the person he was when he first arrived at the Su house: gloomy, cold, and always observing everyone silently with a gaze that seemed to see through everything. After many years, Butler Li had almost forgotten that look, as Su Yanqing’s change had been so drastic.
A month ago, when Su Yanqing returned to the Su family, he appeared completely different. He was poised, gentle, and polite. Even when faced with the Master’s unreasonable demands, he remained obedient, like a filial son. But at this moment, Butler Li realized that Su Yanqing might not have changed at all. He was still the ruthless character who could push Master Jilan down the stairs in front of everyone.
Inside the room, Yun Xi was slumped in a chair, his limbs feeling weak. Su Yanqing’s overcoat had been placed underneath him so he would not get dusty. His lips were red and his gaze was dazed, clearly not yet fully recovered. Seeing Su Yanqing approach, he instinctively reached out his hands, wanting to nestle into the man’s arms.
“Hold me.”
Su Yanqing did not heed the request. Instead, he buttoned Yun Xi’s clothes one by one. Yun Xi leaned lazily against the back of the chair as his clouded mind gradually cleared. He had heard the butler’s insistent knocking earlier, but out of a certain impulse, he had not let go of Su Yanqing. Instead, he had become even more demanding, clinging to the man with both hands and feet to prevent him from opening the door. Only after he had sufficiently made the snobbish butler wait did he graciously let Su Yanqing go.
Once the clothes were buttoned, Su Yanqing said softly, “Let us go. My father wants to see us.”
Yun Xi curled his lip and stood up, muttering, “We should have made them wait longer.”
Su Yanqing picked up the overcoat that had served as a cushion, casually patted off the dust, and put it on. He smoothed Yun Xi’s hair and said, “Do not worry. There will not be a next time.”
Before Yun Xi could understand the meaning of those words, Su Yanqing had already taken his hand and was leading him upstairs. Upon reaching the third floor, a strange and pungent smell flooded his nostrils. Yun Xi wrinkled his nose, feeling uncomfortable. Su Yanqing walked up to a room without changing his expression and knocked twice.
“Come in,” a voice called out from afar.
Pushing the door open, they were met with countless statues of gods and buddhas on shelves. Some were familiar, others were not; some looked solemn, others merciful. Entering the room felt like stepping into a religious sanctuary. However, the lighting was dim and the curtains were drawn tightly shut. Combined with that eerie scent, the room felt sinister. Yun Xi felt a bit uneasy and gripped Su Yanqing’s hand tightly. Su Yanqing patted him reassuringly and walked deeper into the room.
There stood a large bed with pale yellow silk curtains hanging down, obscuring the person inside. A middle-aged man in a black robe stood by the bed. He had a goatee and did not spare a single glance toward Yun Xi and the others.
“Putting on a spiritual show,” Yun Xi grumbled internally. As he approached the bed and saw the person lying there, he shuddered. That could hardly be called a person. It was unclear how long the elder Mr. Su had been tormented by illness; he was skin and bones, his wrists so thin they looked as though they would snap. His cheeks were sunken, his forehead was dark, and his eyes bulged out as he slowly looked over.
Yun Xi discreetly hid behind Su Yanqing. Husband, your father is a bit terrifying.
Su Yanqing’s expression remained unchanged. “Father, this is Yun Xi.”
The elder Mr. Su stared with bulging eyes for a long while before slowly looking at the man in the black robe. “Grandmaster?” he rasped.
The Grandmaster glanced casually at Yun Xi and said, “He will do. The wedding should be sooner rather than later.” Judging by the voice, this Grandmaster was the one who had told them to enter.
The elder Mr. Su finally seemed at ease. He closed his eyes and said, “Good.”
The Grandmaster turned to the two of them and said, “The Master needs to rest. You may leave.”
Being ushered out of the room, Yun Xi was completely bewildered. “That is it? Your father only said three words in total?” It was far too casual, as if it did not matter who it was as long as someone married Su Yanqing.
Just as he was about to complain more, the sound of wheels came from not far away. Yun Xi looked toward the sound. Butler Li was pushing a wheelchair with a long-haired man sitting in it. The man spoke from a distance. “My father is in poor health and lacks energy. Please be patient, Mr. Yun.”
Yun Xi’s brow furrowed slightly. As the man drew closer, he said with a light smile, “No, I should call you Second Sister-in-law now, should I not? Do you remember me? We were playmates for a time when we were young.”
“Su Jilan?” Yun Xi asked.
The long-haired man nodded. “I am so glad you remember my name.”
Yun Xi was not glad at all. As for being playmates, he had too many friends as a child to remember who Su Jilan was. He only knew that Su Jilan was the most likely candidate to be Su Yanqing’s potential murderer. Yun Xi kept his lips pressed shut and did not speak. Su Jilan was not offended and turned to Su Yanqing. “Second Brother, it has been a long time. Last time you came home, I did not have the chance to see you before you left.”
Su Yanqing said calmly, “It has been a long time. How is your leg?”
Su Jilan’s expression changed slightly but returned to calm instantly. “Still the same; I cannot stand. Speaking of which, Second Brother, you came back for the anniversary of our mother’s death, right? I thought I saw you at the cemetery, though I wonder if Mother would recognize you.”
Yun Xi felt Su Yanqing’s grip on his hand tighten. He frowned and said, “There is no mother who would not recognize her own son.”
“Sister-in-law, you misunderstand. I did not mean anything else,” Su Jilan sighed. “Mother passed away right after giving birth to Second Brother and never saw him; that is why I was worried.” He took a long sigh. “Mother is gone, Father is gravely ill, and our Eldest Brother fell sick from being overworked recently. I am in this state as well. Fate is truly unkind to the Su family.”
Yun Xi could not help but say, “You keep mentioning Mother, Father, and The Su family. Were you not the one switched at birth? Where are your biological parents? They must be quite old by now. Why are you not by their side fulfilling your filial duties instead of staying here?”
The expression on Su Jilan’s face froze for a split second. He forced a smile and said, “They… did not want me. Fortunately, Father did not cast me aside and allowed me to stay in the Su family.” He glanced at Su Yanqing, seeing the man’s gaze grow increasingly dangerous. “It is just that Second Brother seemed dissatisfied with this arrangement and pushed me off the second floor. My legs ended up like this. I wonder if Second Brother’s anger has subsided after all these years.”
Yun Xi’s lip twitched. Is he trying to act like a victim in front of me? If he did not already know this guy was full of malice, he might have actually believed it. Yun Xi said bluntly, “You occupied Su Yanqing’s position for so many years; it is only right that you pay with a pair of legs. Just endure it.”
Su Jilan: “…”
A faint, indiscernible smile touched the corner of Su Yanqing’s eyes as he turned to look at the Omega beside him. Realizing that Yun Xi was not an easy target, Su Jilan stopped trying to smear Su Yanqing and instead invited the two to the dining room for a meal.
The eldest Su brother was recovering in the hospital and the father was lying like a corpse on the third floor, so only Su Jilan, Yun Xi, and Su Yanqing were at the table. The meal was exceptionally quiet. Afterward, Su Jilan brought up the wedding.
“Father is muddled from his illness and listens to the Grandmaster for everything; no one can stop him,” Su Jilan said with a bitter smile. “If I were Father’s biological son, I would not mind marrying to change his luck, but he chose to bring Second Brother back instead.” He looked at Yun Xi with apparent sincerity. “You two have not known each other for long, right? You do not actually have to listen to Father. I will try to persuade him. You do not need to force yourselves.”
Yun Xi smiled sweetly. “It is no trouble at all. My husband and I are truly in love. It is not forced.” He hugged Su Yanqing’s arm, acting like someone completely blinded by love. “It was love at first sight with my husband!”
Seeing Su Jilan’s face look as though he had swallowed something foul, Yun Xi’s smile grew even brighter. “You must come to our wedding. Or actually, it is fine if you do not come, since you are not really a member of the Su family anyway.”
After seeing the two of them off, Su Jilan’s face immediately went cold. Butler Li, who was standing nearby, said, “It seems the Second Young Master is determined to play the filial son to get a share of the inheritance.”
Su Jilan sneered. “He will have to see if he lives long enough to take it.” He would eventually have his revenge for his legs. “Increase the dosage of Father’s medicine.”
Butler Li hesitated. “Young Master, is that not a bit much? The Master’s will has not been changed yet.”
“Just do as I say,” a flash of ruthlessness appeared in Su Jilan’s eyes. “Once Su Yanqing is married and Father’s condition continues to worsen, Father will realize who his true heir is.” Once the will was finalized, he would be the master of the Su family. As for his father, he could then pass away peacefully.
Su Jilan’s schemes were transparent; Yun Xi could tell that there was a conspiracy afoot. But there was no way around it; this marriage had to happen, so he could only take it one step at a time. Upon returning home, Yun Xi took a bath first. The smell he had picked up at the Su house made him feel uncomfortable all over.
However, he did not expect that as soon as he stepped out after his bath, a long-awaited ache and numbness would strike the back of his neck. The heat he had been waiting for had finally arrived at this very moment.