Author: Jianjia Nizi

Translator: FoxyJung, Let4

Proofreader: KainGuru

Actually, even if Yan Shuya could not inherit the position of the head of the family, he would not be lacking as well since he would be well-provided for by Yan Zhenbo from the senior branch of the family. However, they suddenly became so persistent on the position of the family head. Yan Sui had his own purpose back then, but as for Yan Mu and Yan Shuya, he did not know.

Having heard what he said, Yan Sui turned to look at Yan Mu. The overtones in Yan Mu's eyes were unclear. Yan Sui paused again, then he suddenly smiled.

“You don't need me to persuade him. Just tell Uncle this and he'll agree as well.”

Obviously, this was not Yan Mu's original decision; rather, it was the compromise between him, Yan Shuya, and Linda after the three of them had talked it over. They believe that their son, Yan Shuya, could do it. And as for Yan Zhenbo and Yan Sui, they firmly believed that Yan Mingya could withstand such a test.

If Yan Mingya could not even compete against Yan Shuya, then he himself would not be qualified to directly surmount the people of his father's generation and become the next generation head of the Yans in F Country.

Yan Mu considered Yan Sui's words for a while, then he nodded. Yan Sui was, indeed, the brightest and most capable one in their generation. If that was what he said, then his father would basically have the same opinion.

"You all can continue to have some fun in here. I'll have to excuse myself first."

Yan Sui nodded and watched him leave, then he turned around and walked over to Meng Ting.

Yan Shuya was panting with rage, but when he sensed that Yan Sui was approaching, he became a bit gentler.

"Aunt doesn't seem to like me."

His statement was not meant for Meng Ting; rather, it was his disguise to complain to Yan Sui.

However, Meng Ting was oblivious to this. He still nodded honestly. "I don't like you."

He only likes Yan Sui, how could he like him?

He looked up at Yan Sui, took his hand, and confirmed it once again, "I don't like him.”

"If you don't like him, then so be it. Let's leave early tonight." Yan Sui did not look at Yan Shuya at all. He took a seat beside Meng Ting, pulled their clasped hands over his lap, then played with them.

"Have you eaten enough?" Yan Sui asked as he looked at the smooth plate that had been emptied by Meng Ting. Actually, it was really easy to satiate him—sweet, sour, bitter…no, apart from overly spicy food, he could eat everything else.

Meng Ting nodded. "I was already full since earlier. I was just idle and bored, so I might as well as eat."

Ignored, Yan Shuya's complexion darkened again. Idle and bored? He just accompanied Meng Ting. Did Meng Ting mean that he was boring?

"Is Haicheng fun? My mother's also Xianese. She and my father first met in Haicheng. I've never been there."

Yan Shuya adjusted a little and b.u.t.ted in again. Normally, he was not so inconsiderate like this. It was just that he was really angered by Meng Ting today and he was very curious about Yan Sui. Yan Sui was someone who could sit on the same level as Yan Zhenbo…no, he was someone who could influence his opinion.

Yan Sui was still so young and good-looking. He was more outstanding and dignified than anyone that Yan Shuya had ever met.

Meng Ting grasped Yan Sui's hand firmly, frowned, and turned to look at Yan Shuya. His voice got a little colder as well when he said, "Both of your mother and father know Haicheng. Why don't you ask them?”

“You're so strange!”

If it were not for Yan Shuya and Yan Sui's generation gap and Yan Shuya calling them Uncle and Aunt, Meng Ting would have suspected that he was coveting his Yan Sui.

Yan Sui still did not look at Yan Shuya. He raised his hand and ruffled Meng Ting's hair. "Let's go back to our room."

Meng Ting looked back at Yan Sui and nodded. "Okay."

Previously, Yan Shuya looked on helplessly when Yan Sui shut the door. Now, he looked on helplessly as Yan Sui took the boy away.

"What Uncle and Aunt…F Country's Yan clan and Haicheng's Yan clan have long been apart for three generations."

Therefore, it was no surprise that he had taken fancy of his “Uncle” Yan Sui. Furthermore, there were relatives of the Yans who already got married to n.o.bles of F Country.

After Yan Shuya muttered, he got up and answered a phone call, "Mom, Dad went to see Grandpa. The banquet won't be a problem."

When Yan Shuya spoke to the person on the phone, there was no gentleness, but he was quite calm. He tapped his fingers on the table, then smiled and said, "You're going to be the wife of the Yan branch family's patriarch soon. This is what you deserve…"

Yan Sui said that he wanted to return to their room but did not do so. He had been here several times and was still familiar with the way. He took Meng Ting for a walk to the parterre on the other side.

"What did you two talk about earlier?"

From a distance, he could see what Meng Ting was doing earlier, but as for what he and Yan Shuya were talking about, Yan Sui could not tell.

Now that he thought about it, he and Meng Ting were nearly ten years apart. Seeing Meng Ting with his peers, there was a sudden surge of indescribable anxiety in him. He was afraid that there would come a day when Meng Ting would dislike him for his age.

Meng Ting held Yan Sui's hand very tightly. When he was asked this question, he reached over with his other hand as well to hold on to Yan Sui's hand, then he thoroughly retold his conversation with Yan Shuya earlier.

After he retold what happened, he summed up his behavior earlier with one sentence, "I was neither sympathetic nor kindhearted."

He did not feel that Yan Shuya was pitiful. Such a thing like sympathy, perhaps he was born without it. Kindness…he probably did not have those as well for he often fought with others.

Yan Sui stopped and looked at Meng Ting. He took the boy into his arms and refused to let him say that sentence which he could already guess.

"You're fine the way you are. I like it."

Meng Ting was born with some shortcomings, but he had an intuition that exceeded that of ordinary people. Although he was not omnipotent, if he could still protect himself from time to time, then that was quite good.

Having heard what he said, Meng Ting leaned against Yan Sui's embrace, his eyes and brows smiled, then he said, "I know."

He did not feel unhappy about how Yan Sui had summed him up. Anyway, that was just how he was.

Yan Sui also told him that no matter what kind of person he was, Yan Sui would still like him.

They embraced each other in the parterre, naturally causing some servants pa.s.sing by to cast sidelong glances, but Yan Sui did not pay any attention to them. A few days ago, Meng Ting was taken along by Yan Sui to experience a series of thrilling kisses. These kinds of gazes, he was already immune to them.

As the banquet was carried out, many elite figures of F Country came to the Yans' residence. The lights illuminated, the decadent lifestyle riffled, and the hearty laughter sounded from time to time in the corners of the drawing room.

On Yan Mu's left-hand side was Yan Shuya in a formal white suit and on his right-hand side was a beautiful and s.e.xy woman. The three stood together like a family.

Yan Mu introduced the two beside him to the guests who came. To some extent, the incoming visitors would give him a few words of compliment, then would congratulate him in a short while.

Yan Sui came with Meng Ting at seven o'clock, accompanied by Yan Zhenbo and Yan Mingya.

They were first invited by Yan Zhenbo to have dinner, then they sat to have a chat for a while as they waited for Yan Mingya's arrival, and the four came to the banquet together.

Yan Mingya was already a third-year university student at the age of eighteen. He was usually very busy with schoolwork, but he still took the time today to rush back from school.

Appearance-wise, Yan Mingya was not as good-looking as Yan Shuya, but he had an earnest and n.o.ble air. This was something that Yan Shuya could not obtain in a short time. His arrival with Yan Zhenbo and Yan Sui clearly expressed their standpoint.

Yan Mu's complexion became a little unsightly, but what Yan Zhenbo and Yan Sui had promised him were accomplished by them showing up altogether. Yan Shuya was acknowledged by the Yans, but the possibility of changing the family head's heir was extremely small.

"Dad, Yan Sui, Meng Ting, you all have met Shuya before. This is Linda."

Yan Mu tried to ease his look to the greatest extent and introduced Yan Sui and the rest to the beautiful woman on his side.

“This is Yan Sui and Meng Ting, Yan clan's main family's patriarch and his wife.”

When Yan Mu finished speaking, he continued to introduce Linda to Yan Sui and Meng Ting.

“h.e.l.lo.” She was full of smiles, decent and beautiful. Yan Shuya resembled her a lot. It could be fathomed in a glance that he was her son.

“h.e.l.lo.” Meng Ting was already accustomed to this kind of occasions. He became particularly smooth greeting whoever. On the contrary, there was hesitation that flashed in Yan Sui's eyes. After some time, he finally nodded to Linda in response.

“Mingya, you came, too.”

When Yan Mu talked to Yan Mingya, his heart was somewhat stirred. He used to be fond of this nephew of his very much a few months ago. When Yan Mingya was still a child, Yan Mu would often play with him. Their relations.h.i.+p was even better than that of Yan Mingya and his father, Yan Ya.

However, after acknowledging Yan Shuya, it was very likely that their relations.h.i.+p could no longer go back to the way it was before.

“Uncle, Aunt, Shuya.”

Yan Mingya behaved fairly well, and there was no superfluous emotion showed on his face.

“Grandpa, Uncle, Aunt, and Elder Brother, I'm Shuya.”

Yan Shuya was the youngest in the family hierarchy. Naturally, he was the last to talk, but he had a honey tongue. Even toward Yan Mingya, he spoke affectionately. However, when his eyes met Meng Ting's, his expression clearly became stiff at once.

It was true that Meng Ting did not play according to the routine; hence, he was somewhat hard to deal with.

Moreover, Meng Ting, Yan Mingya, and him were about the same age. Standing together like this, Meng Ting was superior in appearance, Yan Mingya was superior in temperament, while Yan Shuya seemed a little bit mediocre.

Yan Mingya smiled, Yan Sui stood still like a mountain, and Meng Ting was only looking at him. In the end, it was Yan Zhenbo who started talking.

“It's good that you're back. Study well in the future.”

After acknowledging Yan Shuya's return, he was considered a member of the Yan family. Even if he was inferior to Mingya, as the elder, Yan Zhenbo still hoped for his younger descendant to make progress.

After a while, a servant came to inform them that more guests had arrived.

Yan Zhenbo opened his mouth, “Go.”

Yan Mu left with Linda and Yan Shuya to receive the new guests.

Yan Zhenbo also had his old friends to greet; hence, he asked Yan Mingya to host Yan Sui and Meng Ting.

The three of them sat down in a corner. Yan Mingya suddenly became a bit silent, but his reticence was understandable. No matter how mature he was, eighteen was still a young age. The things that he had a.s.sumed to be set in stone were no longer a matter of course. It was impossible not to mull over it.

Yan Sui reached out and patted his shoulder. "There's no point in thinking too much. Only if you're strong can you choose. What's more, it could be a blessing in disguise…" Yan Mingya was different from him. Being the patriarch was not his only choice. Perhaps, the sky would open up for him from now on.

Yan Sui's words absolutely came from the bottom of his heart, but whether Yan Mingya could hear these or not, it was still up to him.