Part 2
Having been praised, Yu An revealed a smile. He gave Wen Xun’s face a round of kisses and nuzzles, appearing incredibly intimate.
“Ahem…” Xu Yening really couldn’t hold it back. He gave two fake coughs to draw Wen Xun’s attention. If he didn’t, Wen Xun might never notice his existence.
Xu Yening put on a brilliant smile and offered his hand to Wen Xun. “Senior, long time no see.”
“Hmph~” Yu An didn’t like the Xu Yening who spread rumors about him. He turned his head away with a huff of temper.
Wen Xun looked at Xu Yening, his gaze unfamiliar and distant. He lowered his head to ask Yu An, “Is this the person who bullied you?”
Yu An shook his head. Although the Principal Uncle was annoying, he hadn’t bullied him.
On the other side, Xu Yening’s smile froze. It seemed his “Senior” didn’t recognize him at all… This was a critical hit to his heart.
Lin Huaichen had clearly realized this too. His joy was impossible to suppress. To keep his schadenfreude from being too obvious, he even considerately raised a hand to block his upturned lips.
Unfortunately, Xu Yening’s “world-shattering” expression made him want to laugh out loud far too much. He couldn’t help it, and a chuckle escaped his lips, drawing the attention of the others.
Yu An looked at Lin Huaichen curiously. “Papa?”
Today’s Papa was very strange. Not only had he not given him a hug immediately, but he kept staring at the Principal Uncle.
Connecting this to the gossip he’d heard from Little White, Yu An used his small hands to hug Wen Xun even tighter. He looked warily at Xu Yening, terrified the man was here to steal his Papa.
Lin Huaichen gave his slumped rival a triumphant look and pulled Wen Xun’s shoulder, asserting his ownership as he brought both his wife and child into his embrace.
“A-Xun, you’ve forgotten? He’s the junior from back then, the Xu family brother who used to play with Ruoyi all the time.” Lin Huaichen offered a “kind” reminder, speaking in the tone of an elder. “It’s been so long; this child has grown so much.”
He was implying in every way that Xu Yening was just a “younger brother,” lower than them in seniority.
Xu Yening clenched his fists, gritting his teeth at Lin Huaichen’s meddling. But with Wen Xun present, he had to maintain proper behavior.
He endured the urge to snap and managed to pull his lips into a stiff smile, staring fixedly at Lin Huaichen. If looks could kill, Lin Huaichen would have been riddled with holes.
“Yes, thanks to Brother Lin’s ‘guidance’ back then, I grew so much while abroad.” Xu Yening squeezed the words out through his teeth. “I truly have to thank you.”
How could Lin Huaichen not hear the sarcasm? He smiled indifferently. “No need for thanks. It’s what an older brother should do. It’s just a shame you couldn’t attend our wedding. But you’ll have another chance in the next life; you can witness our wedding with your own eyes then.”
Snap!
The pen in Xu Yening’s hand broke. He gave a cold laugh, tossed the broken pen into the trash, and stopped acknowledging Lin Huaichen.
Yu An’s gaze darted back and forth between the two. This spacious office had unknowingly become their battlefield, with invisible smoke lingering in the air.
Xu Mingyao, unaware of their past grievances, listened to their “friendly reunion” in a daze. He felt something was off; there was an indescribable, bizarre atmosphere between them.
Having learned that this stranger was an old acquaintance, Wen Xun was rarely silent for a moment in embarrassment.
He was never good with names or faces. If they met and didn’t speak, it would be fine, but to unilaterally not recognize someone was a bit rude.
Wen Xun searched for a long time before finally dredging Xu Yening’s image from his deep memory. “Is it… Yening?”
Just as Lin Huaichen had said, Xu Yening had changed a lot. Before he left, he was still an adolescent boy who followed them around calling them “Brother.”
Because their parents were busy with work, Ruoyi was brought along by Wen Xun. Adding one more child like Xu Yening wasn’t a bother. Besides, the boy was very obedient—he’d do whatever he was told—making him much easier to look after than Ruoyi.
Xu Yening cast aside his reserve and nodded repeatedly. “It’s me.”
He tentatively walked to Wen Xun’s side, using the same well-behaved manner he had as a child. His voice was soft. “Brother… I missed you so much…”
This time, it wasn’t just Lin Huaichen who looked at him strangely; even his own brother spare him a very unfamiliar look.
Xu Mingyao watched in shock, as if he were seeing a Tyrannosaurus Rex holding a lace handkerchief and acting spoiled. It was so eyesearing he wanted to gouge his own eyes out.
He really was blind.
Lin Huaichen imitated him with a sarcastic tone. “‘Brother, I missed you so much…’ Ugh, how disgusting.”
“Don’t miss him!”
A sharp, milky voice suddenly rang out. The adults turned their gaze to Little Yu An in Wen Xun’s arms. Yu An’s face was pressed tightly against Wen Xun, his mouth pursed as he looked warily at Xu Yening.
“He’s my Papa. You can’t miss him.” Yu An霸道ly (domineeringly) rejected Xu Yening’s longing, holding Wen Xun tighter as he murmured stubbornly, “Mine…”
This was the first time Yu An had shown such strong possessiveness and exclusivity. He was always well-behaved, but facing someone trying to “steal” his Papa, Yu An raised all his thorns and wouldn’t allow anyone to get close.
Lin Huaichen was moved, patting Yu An’s head twice. “Good kid. Papa didn’t spoil you for nothing.”
With Yu An being so repulsed by Xu Yening, Wen Xun naturally wouldn’t get too close to him. They maintained a safe social distance and exchanged a few brief words, the subject of which was Yu An.
After confirming that Yu An really hadn’t fought and that the chaos was caused by a few thugs from outside the school, Wen Xun breathed a sigh of relief. He turned his attention to Zhou Xia standing to the side.
Wen Xun looked Zhou Xia over and, once confirmed there were no external injuries, placed his hands on the boy’s shoulders. “If anyone bullies you again, tell this Uncle directly.”
The bullying between children was often blunt and cruel. Since Zhou Xia lacked family protection and was a misfit at this school, it wasn’t impossible for him to be targeted by bad students.
Xu Yening was naturally willing to listen to Wen Xun. “Rest assured, it is my responsibility.”
Yu An held Wen Xun’s hand, giving Xu Yening a suspicious look. Though he didn’t trust the Principal Uncle at all, the man was the Principal; he could better protect Zhou Xia in school.
Having seen Wen Xun, even though he’d been tricked into leaving the country by Lin Huaichen, seeing the family of three together and knowing they were happy helped extinguish his other thoughts—alongside the heartbreak.
With Yu An’s matter settled, Wen Xun and Lin Huaichen prepared to leave. Before going, Lin Huaichen specifically pulled Yu An aside to tell him what a petty person Xu Yening was. If Xu Yening treated him poorly, he had to tell them immediately.
He even dragged out Claude, Little White, and Monday, instructing them each to keep a close eye on Yu An.
Claude cracked an eye open lazily to spare him a glance, waving a small tentacle to signal he’d received the message. Little White offered a proper military salute with its wings, its voice powerful. “Mission guaranteed!”
Monday mimicked its manner. “Woof!”
[Mission guaranteed!]
Wen Xun and Lin Huaichen left together. Zhou Xia was taken away by his homeroom teacher, and Yu An and Xu Mingyao returned to the classroom to continue their studies.
On the way, Xu Mingyao kept trying to find a chance to speak to Yu An, but Yu An remained uninterested, only nodding occasionally to show he was listening.
Xu Mingyao looked at Yu An awkwardly. “Are you still mad at me?”
Yu An was stunned. “Eh?”
“About… about that time I misunderstood you.” Xu Mingyao’s face turned red. He took a deep breath and gave Yu An a solemn bow. “I was wrong. I shouldn’t have thought of you that way. I just… I wanted you to play with me…”
“You’re always playing with Fu Yunshu. I’m not any worse than them, so I wanted you to play with me too…”
Xu Mingyao had the temperament of a child—if he wanted something, he had to have it. Only after hearing his family explain how inappropriate his behavior was did he feel deep regret. He’d spent days at home reflecting before working up the courage to apologize.
Yu An froze, only then remembering the incident Xu Mingyao was referring to. He spoke the truth. “It’s okay, I don’t care.”
He hadn’t taken the matter to heart at all. If Xu Mingyao hadn’t mentioned it, Yu An would have forgotten it entirely.
The heavy stone in Xu Mingyao’s heart finally lifted. He let out a sigh of relief. “That’s good, that’s good…”
He looked at Yu An expectantly. “Then… are we good friends?”
This time it was Yu An’s turn to be surprised. “We’re friends?”
How come he didn’t know?
The joy on Xu Mingyao’s face vanished instantly. He lowered his head like a puppy abandoned by its owner. Yu An couldn’t bear the sight and changed his tune. “Alright, we’re friends.”
Xu Mingyao was instantly happy again, his smile looking exceptionally “cheap” and mindless.
Translator’s Note:
- Jiujiu (舅舅): Maternal Uncle.
- Lickspittle/Simp (舔狗 – Tiǎngǒu): Literally “licking dog.” Used to describe someone who goes to extreme, often humiliating lengths to please someone they like who doesn’t like them back.
- Backstory: So Lin Huaichen is a master manipulator! He tricked his rival into getting a PhD just to marry the guy he liked. Truly a black-bellied CEO.
- Yu An’s protectiveness: Our little cub is so cute when he’s being possessive of his “Papa.”
- Zhou Xia’s mutation: It seems the bullying triggered some instinct in the rabbit youth.
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