Chapter 23

Tan Sizhe hadn’t expected to encounter Ye Xiangkai’s family here. His voice was cool: “What are they doing here?”

“I invited them over,” Old Master Tan smiled faintly. “We’re all family now. I asked Mr. Ye and the others to come spend a few days here.”

Tan Sizhe hesitated, lowering his gaze toward Ye Mingxuan.

Ye Mingxuan frantically avoided his eyes, moving further away.

Tan Sizhe shifted the hand resting at his side but said nothing.

Uncle Ma, wearing a black vest and gold-rimmed glasses, announced, “Mr. and Mrs. Ye, lunch is ready. Please join us.”

“Oh, yes, yes!” Zhao Dongxuan clapped her hands. “We’ve been wanting to visit Old Master Tan for ages, but we were afraid dropping by unannounced might upset him. We were overjoyed when he invited us just the other day!”

Old Master Tan accepted the walking stick Uncle Ma offered. “Everyone, please take your seats. With so many guests today, let’s fill this house with warmth and cheer.”

Zhao Dongxuan nodded. She wore a jade-green qipao today with subtle makeup, appearing gentle and unassuming when silent—the sort to lower one’s guard.

She turned to Tan Sizhe with an ingratiating smile: “Mr. Tan, it’s been ages.”

Tan Sizhe, who had shown little emotion since earlier, told Ye Mingxuan they should go and strode toward the dining room.

Zhao Dongxuan dropped her smile. She couldn’t explain why, as an elder, she dared not speak loudly in front of Tan Sizhe, a junior. It was simply that the oppressive aura emanating from the man across from him was too strong, making her feel uneasy.

But Tan Sizhe was Tan Sizhe, and Ye Mingxuan was Ye Mingxuan. She dared not offend Tan Sizhe—did she really fear Ye Mingxuan?

Zhao Dongxuan gave a cold laugh and patted her son’s shoulder. “Go eat.”

Just like their first gathering, the old patriarch sat at the head of the table. On one side sat Tan Sizhe and Ye Mingxuan; on the other, Ye Xiangkai, Zhao Dongxuan, and Ye Yufan.

Grandfather Tan conversed with Ye Xiangkai, who lacked his usual imposing presence. Ye Xiangkai raised his cup in toast, his face plastered with an ingratiating smile, while Zhao Dongxuan chimed in approvingly beside him.

Ye Mingxuan had been unable to stomach rich, greasy foods these past few days. Fortunately, the Tan family’s dishes were all quite light, perfectly seasoned, and he ate without discomfort.

Tan Sizhe took only a few bites before answering a call and leaving. Old Master Tan took a sip of wine and remarked, “Sizhe is busy with work. Probably something urgent came up at the company, so he had to leave early. Don’t mind him.”

Ye Xiangkai replied, “Why would we mind? Company matters come first.”

Old Master Tan smiled and instructed Uncle Ma, “Send some food up to Sizhe later. Don’t let him go hungry.”

Uncle Ma nodded.

Zhao Dongxuan’s eyes darted around as she wiped her mouth. “Mingxuan, your parents haven’t been in touch lately. How have you been getting along with Mr. Tan?”

Ye Mingxuan swallowed hard and nodded.

Zhao Dongxuan recalled seeing Tan Sizhe with his young sweetheart earlier and asked Old Master Tan, “I imagine Mr. Tan has been popular since childhood, right?”

Old Master Tan beamed with pride at the mention: “Of course. Even in kindergarten, children would tell him they liked him.”

“He’s received countless love letters over the years. I even caught him with some once.”

“Really?” Zhao Dongxuan curved her lips, glancing at Ye Mingxuan. “Well then, Mingxuan, you’d better watch out. With Tan being so popular, you’ll need to keep a close eye on him.”

Ye Mingxuan didn’t understand the meaning behind Zhao Dongxuan’s words and remained silent.

Ye Yufan felt smug inside, thinking how miserable Ye Mingxuan must be married to Tan Sizhe—not only wearing cheap clothes, but also having a mistress on the side.

He couldn’t help but admire the decision to have Ye Mingxuan take his place in the marriage. It was absolutely brilliant!

After dinner, Old Master Tan went to the living room. Ye Xiangkai and Zhao Dongxuan insisted on accompanying him, so Old Master Tan told the two younger ones, Ye Mingxuan and Ye Yufan, to go play in the garden.

The garden was filled with the scent of earth and flowers. Ah Jin lay asleep on the grass. The warm sunlight streamed down, making its silky fur glisten.

A faint smile touched Ye Mingxuan’s lips as he crouched down to stroke its head.

Ah Jin had been dozing with half-closed eyes, but upon seeing Ye Mingxuan, it leisurely wagged its tail.

“Oh, a puppy!” Ye Yufan came over, shoving Ye Mingxuan aside so forcefully he nearly landed on his backside.

His spot taken, Ye Mingxuan stood up, brushed dirt and grass clippings from his hands, and silently moved aside.

Ye Yufan reached to pet Ah Jin’s head, but the dog suddenly stood up, baring its teeth and growling at him.

Stunned, Ye Yufan snapped, “What’s this beast doing? Doesn’t it have any sense?”

He reached out forcefully to grab Ah Jin’s ear. Ye Mingxuan rushed over to stop him, pushing Ye Yufan’s hand away. “Don’t pull its ears!”

Ye Yufan was shocked. “You dare push me?”

Ye Mingxuan froze, realizing what he’d just done instinctively. He immediately apologized. “I’m sorry, Young Master.”

Ye Yufan crossed his arms and snorted coldly, “Being Mrs. Tan really changes things, doesn’t it?”

“What?”

“Your hair’s done, new clothes and shoes, you look healthier. Seems like life’s treating you well.”

Seeing how Ye Mingxuan looked stunning with just a simple makeover, Ye Yufan seethed with envy.

He reached out and grabbed the ribbon on Ye Mingxuan’s clothes: “Nice outfit. How much did it cost? Tell me so I can gloat.”

Ye Mingxuan pulled the ribbon back without showing emotion and whispered, “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” Ye Yufan sneered. “Forgot which street, which stall you bought it from?”

“You won’t wear the clothes I give you, you tasteless fool. But then again, you only deserve to wear this kind of trash.”

“Come on, how much was this outfit? A hundred? Two hundred?”

Ye Mingxuan shook his head. “I really don’t know. The gentleman bought it for me. I have no idea how much it cost.”

“What did you say?!” Ye Yufan thought she’d misheard. “Who bought it for you?!”

Startled by Ye Yufan’s voice, Ye Mingxuan stammered, “The… the gentleman.”

“Tan Sizhe bought you clothes? How could Tan Sizhe possibly buy you clothes?!”

If Tan Sizhe really bought this for Ye Mingxuan, then the price of this outfit…

No matter how much Ye Yufan tried to convince himself otherwise, he couldn’t ignore the fact that the fabric was exceptionally high-quality, and the craftsmanship and cut were both exquisite.

“Impossible!” Ye Yufan grabbed Ye Mingxuan’s shirt. “Where did you buy this knockoff from some street vendor? Tell me!”

Ye Mingxuan frowned, afraid Ye Yufan would tear the shirt, and quickly grabbed his hand. “I don’t know! Mr. Tan really bought it for me. I don’t know how much it cost. You can ask Mr. Tan yourself!”

Suddenly, a dog barked. Ye Yufan saw Ah Jin charging toward him and jumped back several meters in fright.

Ah Jin blocked Ye Mingxuan, baring his teeth at him.

“This damn beast!” Ye Yufan searched the ground for stones, but the garden was too pristine—he couldn’t find a single pebble to throw.

Ye Mingxuan immediately bent down and patted Ah Jin’s face. “Come on, let’s go.”

Ah Jin whined twice, as if understanding human speech, then wagged his tail and walked away.

“Ye Mingxuan, are you deliberately trying to antagonize me?”

“I’m not.”

“You say you didn’t!”

Ye Yufan lunged forward, grabbed Ye Mingxuan’s shirt buttons, and ripped one off.

Ye Mingxuan stared at the loose thread, his eyes widening in shock. “Young Master, what are you doing?”

Ye Yufan tried to repeat his move, reaching out to grab Ye Mingxuan’s clothes.

Ye Mingxuan countered by seizing his hand. After years of hard labor, his strength and speed were no match for Ye Yufan’s.

With a deft push, Ye Yufan was sent tumbling backward, landing flat on his backside with his legs splayed wide.

“You!” Ye Yufan sat on the ground, blood surging in his head. “You dare push me?!”

Ye Mingxuan tried to help him up: “Young Master, I didn’t mean to…”

Ye Yufan slapped Ye Mingxuan’s hand away and wailed loudly: “Waaah! Mom! I got pushed down! Waaah!”

Ye Mingxuan: “Young—”

“What’s going on?! What’s going on?!”

Zhao Dongxuan rushed over. Seeing Ye Yufan sitting on the ground and Ye Mingxuan looking flustered, she instantly realized what had happened.

“Ye Mingxuan! Why did you push Yufan?!”

“I didn’t mean to…”

“Meant to? I think you did it on purpose!”

Old Master Tan and Ye Xiangkai also rushed over: “What happened?”

Zhao Dongxuan helped Ye Yufan up, brushing the dust off his clothes: “Don’t be afraid, Mom will get justice for you.”

“Mr. Tan, this is our family matter. I failed to raise Ye Mingxuan properly, allowing him to develop such an arrogant character. I apologize for the embarrassment.”

Mr. Tan remained oblivious: “Could this be a misunderstanding? Kids roughhousing is perfectly normal.”

Zhao Dongxuan insisted, “There’s no misunderstanding. Yufan was wronged today.”

“Ye Mingxuan, apologize to Yufan immediately!”

Ye Mingxuan clutched his clothes. “I… I didn’t mean to…”

Zhao Dongxuan grabbed Yufan’s arm and held it up for Old Master Tan to see. “Yufan’s arm is injured, and you’re still making excuses!”

“What’s all this commotion about?”

Hearing the voice, everyone turned to look. Akin came trotting over, tail wagging, with Tan Sizhe following close behind.

Zhao Dongxuan’s fiery demeanor instantly cooled by half: “Mr. Tan, this is our family matter…”

Tan Sizhe stepped beside Ye Mingxuan: “Mingxuan is married to me now. This is a matter between our two families. Tell me what happened.”

Zhao Dongxuan choked on her words, but she shrugged it off and told Tan Sizhe that Ye Mingxuan had pushed Ye Yufan.

“The old man saw it all. Yufan fell to the ground, and Ye Mingxuan admitted to pushing him himself.”

Ye Mingxuan lowered his head.

Tan Sizhe chuckled: “Ye Mingxuan pushed Ye Yufan. ”

Zhao Dongxuan: “That’s correct!”

Tan Sizhe: “So why did Ye Mingxuan push Ye Yufan? What did he do? Let him explain.”

Ye Yufan froze: “I…”

Tan Sizhe’s cold gaze fixed on him: “Speak.”

Ye Yufan flinched. Tan Sizhe’s usual presence was formidable, but the way he spoke now, his brows furrowed, sent shivers down one’s spine.

Zhao Dongxuan immediately interjected: “Mr. Tan, what do you mean? Are you saying Yufan provoked Mingxuan first?”

Tan Sizhe ignored Zhao Dongxuan’s question, lowering his gaze to Ye Mingxuan. “Are you hurt?”

Ye Mingxuan shook his head.

Tan Sizhe shifted his attention to Ye Mingxuan’s shirt. The top button was missing, leaving only a white thread.

He turned to Ye Yufan. “Hand over the button in your hand.”

Ye Yufan froze, panic immediately setting in. He hid his hand behind his back. “N-no.”

Tan Sizhe: “Uncle Ma.”

Uncle Ma stepped forward, grabbed Ye Yufan’s hand, and pulled the button from his palm. He held it up. “Mr. Tan.”

Old Master Tan stared at them, utterly bewildered.

Tan Sizhe lowered his gaze again and asked Ye Mingxuan, “Tell me what he did to you.”

Ye Mingxuan lifted his head, meeting the man’s dark eyes. His heart skipped a beat as he spilled everything: “He pulled my clothes.”

Ye Yufan: “I didn’t!”

Tan Sizhe: “Then how did his button end up in your hand?”

Ye Yufan: “I…”

He tried to wriggle out of it: “Ye Mingxuan dropped his button. I picked it up. He thought I pulled it off, so he shoved me!”

Zhao Dongxuan quickly interjected, “That’s right, that’s right! Mr. Tan, please don’t believe Ye Mingxuan’s one-sided story. Yufan would never pull his clothes.”

Ye Mingxuan felt a tightness in his chest. He opened his mouth: “But it was clearly…”

“Mingxuan, you must tell the truth,” Zhao Dongxuan hinted at him. “Don’t forget how things were at home before you got married.”

Ye Mingxuan’s pupils contracted.

Tan Sizhe sneered coldly: “Ms. Zhao, look up. The garden is covered in surveillance cameras.”

Zhao Dongxuan glanced up and saw three cameras mounted on the tree directly opposite them.

Her eyes widened instantly, speechless. “I… I…”

Tan Sizhe stated, “A simple review will confirm whether Ye Yufan pulled off that button.”

Ye Yufan trembled like a fallen leaf, his face flushed as he kept his head down.

Zhao Dongxuan shifted her expression: “Mr. Tan, it was just kids roughhousing. Let’s just let this go.”

“Let it go?” A flicker of contempt crossed Tan Sizhe’s eyes. “Why didn’t you say ‘let it go’ earlier?”

Zhao Dongxuan gave an awkward laugh. “Yufan is still young and doesn’t understand.”

Ye Xiangkai chimed in, “That’s right, Yufan doesn’t know any better. He was just playing around with his younger brother.”

“Mingxuan, you should cut Yufan some slack.”

Ye Mingxuan bit his lower lip.

Their words felt like a sealed plastic bag wrapped around his lungs, suffocating him.

Time and again, he yielded. Time and again, he compromised.

They carved fresh wounds into him, and over time, he grew accustomed to the pain.

Yet each new cut still stung, still brought sorrow.

Yet no one could see his wounds. They were invisible, hidden beneath his skin, etched upon his soul.

Not even his own mother could see them. How could anyone else? How could anyone tend to his wounds? No one…

“I recall Ye Yufan is two years older than Ye Mingxuan.”

Ye Mingxuan’s detached soul was pulled back by the man’s voice. He slowly shifted his eyes to look at the man.

Afternoon sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, scattering like stars across the man’s shoulders.

Tan Sizhe stepped forward, positioning himself in front of Ye Mingxuan. “I’ve never heard of the younger yielding to the older, Mr. Ye. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Ye Xiangkai and Zhao Dongxuan fell silent simultaneously.

Ye Mingxuan’s clear pupils fixed on the back of Tan Sizhe’s head as a gentle breeze swept by, lifting his fringe.

A blurred haze filled his vision. Ye Mingxuan blinked, warm droplets splattering onto the ground.

He grabbed Tan Sizhe’s clothes.