Chapter 16: Are You Done Acting?
The moment Ye Tingyun came downstairs, his gaze searched for Qiao Yubai.
When Qiao Yousheng went abroad to study with them, the person she mentioned most was him. When Ye Tingyun was about to return to the country, she didn’t forget to ask him to help take care of Qiao Yubai.
She said that when they were at the Qiao family, Qiao Wei was always very busy.
She told them that Qiao Yubai would stay at one uncle’s house for two days, and then go to another aunt’s house for two days. Since childhood, he had lived under others’ roofs and had to read people’s expressions, doing everything cautiously.
Qiao Yousheng told him that Qiao Yubai was very good, his personality wasn’t paranoid, and he valued feelings very much, including family ties. He was very easy to get along with.
Ye Tingyun looked over. Qiao Yubai had been sitting there obediently. Seeing the elders come down, he immediately stood up. The corners of his eyes and brows seemed to be observing the changes in everyoneâs expressions, likely a habit formed from living in various places since childhood.
In other words, he was a “little pitiful.”
Ye Ran knew why he was here today; he wanted to observe how the plot would develop after he changed the earlier events.
He remembered that in the original plot, Ye Tingyunâanother protagonist gongânoticed Qiao Yubai from his very first appearance and fell in love with him at first sight.
Today was their first meeting, and sure enough, Ye Tingyunâs gaze fell on Qiao Yubai from beginning to end.
He likely had already taken an interest.
Sure enough, the protagonist shouâs halo was like a magnet with its own attraction; whoever saw him would unconsciously fall in love.
If that was the case, the fact that Ye Ran hadn’t followed the original plot earlier and hadn’t provoked a rivalry between Chi Yuheng and the Ye family seemed to have no effect on the plot.
The protagonists’ romantic line hadn’t changed, and everything later seemed to be progressing according to the original plot. Was his previous change useless, or rather, was his ending still just a dead-end road?
Ming Qingyan and the auntie came out of the kitchen with dishes, smiling as they called to them, “Everyone, come and eat.”
At the dining table, Ye Hualin, as the head of the family, spoke a few words first, leading everyone in wishing Ye Ran a happy birthday. Everyone in the Ye family raised their glasses to celebrate with him, and Ye Ran drank a glass of wine.
Looking at the table full of dishesâa table that didn’t even have a birthday cakeâhe curled his lip, a mocking curve spreading on the corners of his mouth.
At the table, Ming Qingyan was exceptionally enthusiastic, constantly picking up food for Ye Ran. However, Ye Ran always felt that Ms. Mingâs performance of her “loving mother” image was a bit fake.
Afterward, she also picked up food for Qiao Yubai. Ye Muqing interjected appropriately, “Mom, we’re all sons. You’re biased; I don’t even get this treatment.”
Ming Qingyan laughed and scolded, “You’re already so old; can’t you do it yourself?”
Anyone seeing this scene wouldn’t think this was anything other than a harmonious family.
At this time, Ye Ran lowered his head, picking out every piece of food Ming Qingyan had placed in his bowl one by one.
Ye Hualin frowned as he watched his movements, finally unable to take it anymore.
His fingers unconsciously tapped lightly on the table, his gaze tightly locked on Ye Ranâs lowered head. His voice was full of disappointment. “What are you being awkward about? Your mother worked hard to make all these dishes you like. You won’t eat them properly and even pick them all out. Is this your upbringing?!”
Ming Qingyan wanted to pull Ye Hualin to stop him from speaking further, but she couldn’t.
The eyes of the whole table of people all turned toward Ye Ran.
Qiao Yubai was a bit anxious, fearing Ye Ran would be unhappy. “Uncle, Auntie, Ge might just be in a bad mood. He didn’t mean it.”
This sentence not only failed to have any effect but was also used by Ye Hualin for comparison. “Look at Xiaobai. You’re not even half as sensible as him.”
The Ye family and the Chi family were old family friends, but that didn’t mean Chi Yuheng liked the people of the Ye family.
He only came to the Ye family to accompany his Yezi. He just needed to follow the proper etiquette; now he didn’t even need to act anymore, and the air around him seemed to freeze instantly.
He didn’t speak immediately but only slowly raised his eyes. Those eyes, which were thirty percent gentle just now, now completely darkened, with an unobservable chill churning in their depths.
“When President Ye speaks of upbringing, are you questioning the upbringing of the Chi family?!” His voice was two degrees lower than usual, carrying a bit of suppressed coldness.
Everyone knew that the Ye family hadn’t raised Ye Ran for many years; Ye Ran grew up in the Chi family. Ye Hualin questioning him was equivalent to questioning the Chi family and Chi Yuheng.
Chi Yuhengâs powerful “short-protective” (čˇç˘ĺ) aura made those present not dare to speak easily.
He glanced at those so-called dishes Ye Ran “liked”âwhich were the dishes Ming Qingyan had put into Ye Ranâs bowl. “Ye Ran dislikes bamboo shoots and celery the most…”
As Ming Qingyan listened, Chi Yuheng almost listed every dish on the table. Her “luck” was truly “good” to have actually avoided every single dish Ye Ran liked.
“Furthermore.” Chi Yuhengâs gaze darkened by a few more degrees. “Ye Ran is allergic to peanuts and beans.”
After Chi Yuheng finished, the air seemed to become heavy.
All the dishes Ye Hualin claimed were Ye Ranâs favorites turned out not to include a single one he truly liked.
Ye Hualin was choked by Chi Yuhengâs words, not knowing how to speak further. Even Ye Tingyun and Ye Muqing seemed to be infected by this feeling of neglect. The atmosphere was suffocating.
Ming Qingyan awkwardly came out to smooth things over. “I remembered wrong. Previously, Shengsheng told me the dishes Xiaobai likes. I must have mixed them up…”
It would have been better if she hadn’t said this; after she did, the level of embarrassment rose several degrees.
Ye Muqing couldn’t listen anymore and called “Mom” in a low voice.
Ming Qingyan usually had clear logic and rarely made mistakes; she didn’t know what was wrong today.
Ming Qingyan glared at him, then turned to look at Ye Ran, her voice carrying a deliberate softness. “Xiao Ran, what do you like to eat? I can go and remold them.”
Ye Ran, who had been silent, slowly raised his eyes. Meeting the several gazes directed at him, he suddenly burst into laughter.
The laughter was light, the corners of his lips curling up slightly, carrying a bit of nonchalance that didn’t reach his eyes.
“Are you done acting?”
Ye Ran tilted his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over everyone present one by one. The smile on the corners of his lips vanished, leaving only cold mockery.
“You called me back because you wanted to put on a show for me, didn’t you? A grand drama of ‘loving parents’? Or ‘brotherly harmony’?”
“You didn’t want me when I was small, and now you have to go through the trouble of acting. There’s really no need.”
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