Chapter 81

The next day, Ye Mingxuan awoke to the warm sunlight. Reaching out beside him, he felt a warm body.

　　Ye Mingxuan lifted his head to find Tan Sizhe still sleeping beside him. Normally, Tan Sizhe would have already left for the office by this hour.

“Awake?” Tan Sizhe suddenly opened his eyes, his phoenix-like gaze softening. “There was thunder last night. Did it disturb you?”

Ye Mingxuan looked blankly at him. “Didn’t hear it.”

　　Tan Sizhe: “Good.”

Last night, rain had suddenly poured down, accompanied by muffled thunder. Tan Sizhe, fearing Ye Mingxuan might be woken, had gotten up to check on him several times.

“Sir, why didn’t you go to the office?”

“I won’t be going for the next few days. I’m staying here with you.”

　　Ye Mingxuan blinked twice, quickly realizing something: “Is it because of them?”

“Yes.”

“Sir, you really don’t need to worry. I can handle them myself.”

　　It was likely just verbal taunts again. He wasn’t the same person he used to be. If Zhao Dongxuan mocked him, he would fight back.

Tan Sizhe: “I feel more at ease staying here.”

　　Ye Mingxuan pressed his lips together. The kinder Tan Sizhe was to him, the more guilty Ye Mingxuan felt.

“Sir, would you be my model today?”

“What kind of model?”

“A painting model,” Ye Mingxuan replied. “I want to paint a portrait of you.”

　　Tan Sizhe chuckled. “A portrait? To hang in my office?”

Ye Mingxuan got up to change clothes. “The living room, study, or music room—anywhere is fine.”

Tan Sizhe helped him slip on a T-shirt. “Then I’ll frame it and place it by my bedside to see every day.”

　　Ye Mingxuan beamed, taking Tan Sizhe’s hand as they descended the stairs. Before reaching the bottom, they heard Tan Jing’s laughter.

The pair walked into the dining room, where everyone looked up.

Old Master Tan smiled: “Mingxuan and Sizhe are here.”

　　Tan Jing set down her teacup and chuckled, “Look how sweet they are—still holding hands even when they come downstairs.”

Yangyang pouted, “I’m so jealous.”

Tan Jing feigned sternness: “What are you jealous of? You’re still so young—don’t you dare start with that early romance nonsense.”

　　Ye Mingxuan smiled and sat down beside Tan Jing. “Auntie.”

Tan Jing beamed at him. “I got the perfume and face masks you sent me last time. They’re amazing! I’ve recommended them to all my friends.”

“Glad you like them, Auntie.”

　　Yangyang chimed in, “And my chocolate! My idol said it was amazing!”

Tan Jing: “Huh? Yangyang…”

Laughter filled the restaurant. Ye Mingxuan smiled along until Zhao Dongxuan’s voice echoed from behind them: “Everyone’s here! What a lively gathering!”

　　The air froze for a second. Ye Mingxuan turned to see Ye Xiangkai and his family approaching with three gift boxes. Judging by their appearance alone, they couldn’t be cheap.

　Tan Sizhe squeezed Ye Mingxuan’s hand under the table. Ye Mingxuan glanced at him and smiled.

Zhao Dongxuan walked in, her gaze briefly darting toward Ye Mingxuan before she composed herself instantly. “Hello, Mr. Tan. Hello, President Tan. And this is…”

　　Tan Jing greeted her coolly: “I’m Sizhe’s aunt. This is my son, Yangyang.”

“So you’re Mr. Tan’s aunt! My apologies!” Zhao Dongxuan took a seat with practiced ease.

　　Ye Xiangkai sat beside Old Master Tan and inquired about his health. Tan smiled and replied, “Fine, everything’s fine.”

Zhao Dongxuan eagerly produced a gift box: “Grandfather, this is a present we bought for you—ginseng and a teapot. We selected them with great care!”

　　Old Master Tan nodded. “Mr. Ye, Mrs. Ye, thank you for your thoughtfulness. Let’s eat. No need for formalities.”

Ye Mingxuan’s gaze lingered on Ye Xiangkai and Zhao Dongxuan for a few seconds before finally settling on Ye Yufan. He sat down without hesitation, gesturing for the servant to pour tea, yet his eyes darted toward Tan Sizhe.

　　But Tan Sizhe didn’t even bother to lift an eyelash. Ye Yufan bit his lip in frustration. Turning his head, he caught Ye Mingxuan staring intently at him. His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly looked away.

Ye Mingxuan paused, sensing something was off. As he reached for his chopsticks, Ye Xiangkai spoke first: “Has Mr. Tan been busy with work lately?”

Tan Sizhe replied coolly, “If I were busy, I wouldn’t be here.”

Ye Xiangkai chuckled awkwardly, “Resting at home is good too. Spend more time bonding with Mingxuan.”

　　“I’m not as free as Mr. Ye. I’m merely working from home,” Tan Sizhe replied.

Ye Xiangkai’s lips twitched.

Zhao Dongxuan chimed in, “Mr. Tan works from home? That’s perfect! Yufan has been learning about company matters lately. Why not have Mr. Tan mentor her?”

　　At this, Ye Mingxuan paused mid-bite, and Tan Jing even stopped drinking water, both turning to look at Zhao Dongxuan with curiosity.

Old Master Tan: “Yufan is getting involved in office work before even graduating?”

“Yes,” Zhao Dongxuan smiled. ” Our Yufan excels at everything, so naturally he should inherit the family business early.”

Ye Yufan’s cheeks flushed slightly as he looked expectantly at Tan Sizhe.

Tan Sizhe served food to Ye Mingxuan while replying, “Isn’t Mr. Ye teaching him?”

Zhao Dongxuan retorted, “Well, his father isn’t teaching him properly, is he?”

　　Tan Sizhe chuckled: “If even Mr. Ye couldn’t teach him, how could I?”

“…” Zhao Dongxuan was stumped for words.

Old Master Tan chimed in: “True, Yufan is still young. Take your time with what he doesn’t understand—no rush. Mr. Ye himself is still quite young.”

　　Zhao Dongxuan gave a nervous chuckle: “You’re right.”

Old Master Tan beamed: “Speaking of excellence, Mingxuan’s paintings were sold for high prices at that art exhibition in Italy earlier.”

　　Ye Yufan froze. “Paintings?”

Old Master Tan replied, “Yes, didn’t you know?”

Zhao Dongxuan chimed in, “We truly didn’t know. Mingxuan, you dear boy, why didn’t you tell us? We could have shared in your joy.”

　　Ever since Ye Yufan entered the room and started staring at Tan Cize, Ye Mingxuan’s mood had been sour. Now Zhao Dongxuan was being sarcastic with him, practically walking right into his trap.

“Actually, I didn’t mention it because I was afraid it would upset Yufan. After all, he was recently criticized by Teacher Qi, and Teacher Qi took me to Italy…”

　　Ye Yufan: “You—!”

“Recently?” Old Master Tan asked Zhao Dongxuan. “What happened to Yufan?”

Ye Yufan quickly denied it: “Nothing. We actually knew about it and were just teasing Mingxuan.”

　　Old Master Tan: “Oh—”

Tan Jing served him some food: “Dad, eat your vegetables. They’re getting cold.”

　　The three across the table finally quieted down. Ye Mingxuan hadn’t taken any silent losses, feeling quite content as he polished off two bowls of seafood soup.

After dinner, Ye Mingxuan and Tan Size headed upstairs to rest. Zhao Dongxuan gave Ye Yufan a knowing look, and Ye Yufan rose, intending to sneak after them.

　　“Yufan,” Tan Jing called to him, “Since it’s our first meeting, why not join us for afternoon tea?”

Ye Yufan hesitated. Zhao Dongxuan interjected, “Sis Jing, I’ll accompany you instead.”

Tan Jing smiled gently. “That works perfectly. You, Mr. Ye, and Yufan—all come along.”

　　Yangyang waved his checkers game. “Yufan brother will play checkers with me, Grandpa. Isn’t that great?”

Grandpa Tan doted on his grandson. “Yes, let Yufan brother play with you.”

Ye Xiangkai and the others exchanged glances, then followed Tan Jing and Yangyang out.

…

　　After lunch, drowsiness set in. Ye Mingxuan returned to his room, flopped onto the bed, and opened his eyes hazily just as Tan Sizhe sat down beside him with his laptop.

Ye Mingxuan shifted his body slightly, leaning against Tan Sizhe’s shoulder to watch him work.

　　“Are you upset?” Tan Sizhe turned his head, studying Ye Mingxuan’s expression.

Ye Mingxuan smiled faintly. “No.”

He’d be happier if those three were as invisible as air.

“Once Grandpa’s birthday is over, I’ll have them leave immediately.”

　　“Mm.”

Ye Mingxuan smiled softly, burrowing deeper into the covers. The bed was filled with Tan Sizhe’s scent, soothing him.

Tan Sizhe placed the laptop on the nightstand, slipped under the covers, and pressed his warm body against Ye Mingxuan. “Get some sun these next few days.”

　　“Huh?”

“To ward off bad luck.”

Ye Mingxuan giggled softly. Leaning against Tan Sizhe felt incredibly comfortable, and he was drifting off to sleep. “Okay.”

Tan Sizhe chuckled softly and leaned down to kiss his cheek.

　　Just then, Yangyang’s loud voice echoed from outside the door: “Rainfan Brother, why did you come all the way here to use the bathroom?!”

　　“Shh.” Tan Sizhe held him close. “Don’t worry. I have servants on 24-hour rotation. No one will come near us.”

Ye Mingxuan relaxed, then heard Tan Sizhe add, “Yangyang is a competent little bodyguard.”

　　Ye Mingxuan couldn’t help but recall the first day he met Yangyang. The boy had bowed in a gentlemanly manner, declaring himself his bodyguard.

He closed his eyes, his eyelids reddening as tiny, crystalline droplets formed on his lashes. He turned his head away, refusing to let Tan Sizhe see.

…

　　Ye Yufan glared at Yangyang before him, seething with frustration. He’d finally slipped out under the pretense of using the restroom, hoping to locate Tan Sizhe, only for this brat to follow him again.

“I took a wrong turn.”

　　“Took a wrong turn?” Uncle Ma approached. “Mr. Yufan, I recall your rooms are all on the second floor. The third floor is the owner’s quarters. How could you possibly take a wrong turn?”

Ye Yufan glared. “Can’t I just get the floors mixed up?”

Uncle Ma smiled. “Ah, I see. In that case, please return to your room. Xiaoli, escort Mr. Yufan back to where he belongs.”

　　Xiao Li approached. “Mr. Yufan, please follow me.”

Ye Yufan clenched his fists and stormed off, seething with indignation.

Shortly after, the door behind Uncle Ma opened. Tan Sizhe stood leaning against the doorframe, the door ajar. “How did it go?”

　　“Rest assured, Mr. Tan. I kept a close eye on things.”

Tan Sizhe nodded. “You’ve done well.”

Uncle Ma shrugged. “No trouble at all. They only stayed because they knew the old man was soft-hearted. If it weren’t for him, I’d have kicked them out ages ago.”

　　Tan Sizhe patted his shoulder, then stepped back inside and closed the door.

Ye Mingxuan was already asleep, his pale cheeks tinged with a faint pink. Half the quilt had been pulled off, hanging loosely over him. Tan Sizhe tucked it back around him and lay down behind him.

–

　　“Three days!” Ye Yufan slammed his teacup down. “I haven’t even touched a single strand of Tan Sizhe’s hair!”

He sat in the room with Ye Xiangkai and Zhao Dongxuan. Zhao Dongxuan massaged her throbbing temples. “Who knows where those guys are? They stay upstairs all day and won’t let us go up!”

　　Forget a hair—they barely even saw a shadow.

Except for glimpses during meals on the first day, the second and third days only allowed dinner encounters. But what progress could come from mere meals? Any attempt at conversation was stifled.

　　The mansion was so vast, it felt like the Tan family was playing hide-and-seek with them—hearing voices but never seeing anyone.

Ye Yufan buried his face in hiis hands, sobbing, “That bastard! That bastard! It’s all Ye Mingxuan’s fault! He must have instigated this!”

　　“Enough with the crying. What kind of spectacle is this?” Ye Xiangkai frowned in thought. “We haven’t had an opportunity these past few days. We’ll wait for Old Master Tan’s birthday celebration.”

“Birthday celebration?”

“Yes. That’s when their guard will be down the most. That’s our chance.”

　　Zhao Dongxuan chimed in, “Exactly. I refuse to believe Tan Cize won’t be downstairs that day. Since it’s his grandfather’s birthday, he’ll be hosting guests downstairs the entire time.”

　　Ye Yufan looked up, hope reigniting in his heart.

The flame flickered to life. Tan Jing blew out the match, placed the scented candle nearby, and sat beside Yangyang. “My turn?”

　　At that moment, the four of them were playing a board game in the third-floor living room. Ye Mingxuan’s red plane was about to reach the finish line when Tan Sizhe’s green plane collided with it, sending it back to the starting point.

　　For the first time, Ye Mingxuan lunged at Tan Sizhe, as if he wanted to bite his arm. Tan Sizhe chuckled softly, wrapped his arm around him, and handed the dice to Tan Jing.

Tan Jing: “Six, six, six… six! Why is it three again? I still can’t get out!”

　　Yangyang ate strawberries: “It’s okay, Mom. Mingxuan will come back to keep you company.”

Ye Mingxuan sighed sadly: “Aah—”

Everyone laughed. Behind them, the big screen played The Shawshank Redemption. They were getting tired from playing, so Ye Mingxuan took the fruit bowl and leaned against the sofa to watch the movie.

　　He leaned softly against Tan Sizhe: “He’s so pitiful.”

Tan Sizhe nodded: “Mm.”

“He’s so clever.”

“Mm.”

“I think he’s about to escape.”

　　“Mm.”

Seeing the protagonist crawl out of the sewage-filled pipes during the thunderstorm, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Tan Jing glanced at the time: “It’s almost dinner.”

Yangyang: “I want to eat upstairs.”

“No, dinner must be eaten downstairs. Grandpa said so.”

　　“Hmph, I don’t want to eat with them.”

“Why?”

Yangyang crossed his arms. “I don’t want to see Brother Yufan.”

Ye Mingxuan turned back. Tan Jing glanced at him and asked Yangyang, “What’s wrong?”

　　Yangyang pouted: “On the first day, Brother Yufan said he needed to use the restroom, but he snuck off to the third floor. I caught him! After we got back, he was upset and threw away my chess pieces!”

Ye Mingxuan’s expression darkened: “He threw your chess pieces?”

　　Yangyang nodded: “Yeah. He said he mistook them for trash and tossed them. Luckily I bought lots of boxes. The ones we’re playing with today are brand new.”

Ye Mingxuan’s chest heaved as he clenched his fists and stood up.

Tan Sizhe looked up: “Mingxuan?”

　　Ye Mingxuan grabbed his jacket from the sofa: “Let’s go eat.”

When Old Master Tan arrived at the dining room, everyone was already seated, each one unusually quiet. The old man smiled cheerfully: “What’s wrong? Not a word between you all.”

Tan Jing smiled faintly: “We played ourselves out this afternoon. Hungry bellies just want to eat.”

　　“Speaking of which, we had no idea where you all were playing,” Zhao Dongxuan said. “We were bored with nothing to do and wanted to find someone to talk to, but the servants on the third floor wouldn’t let us go up.”

Old Master Tan sat down: “They wouldn’t let you upstairs? Is that so?”

　　Zhao Dongxuan feigned hurt: “Yes, Grandpa. We genuinely came to make friends. I don’t know what they’re guarding against… heh…”

Grandpa Tan frowned and asked Uncle Ma: “Uncle Ma, is what Mrs. Ye said true?”

Uncle Ma: “Well…”

　　Tan Sizhe interjected: “With all the preparations for Grandfather’s birthday celebration these past few days, many people have been coming and going. I asked them to monitor the third floor to prevent any opportunists from taking advantage.”

Old Master Tan nodded: “I see. Mrs. Ye, you heard that. These days are special circumstances, so please bear with us. Aside from the upper floors, you’re welcome to explore the first and second floors freely.”

　　Tan Jing retorted, “Does Mrs. Ye think the gym, home theater, and billiard room on the second floor aren’t enough for you to play with?”

“Of course not! They’re plenty!” Zhao Dongxuan lifted her teacup to cover her pursed lips, glaring at the jewels adorning Tan Jing’s neck with seething envy.

　　Guarding them like thieves—she couldn’t slip things away like last time. Damn it, she’d lost her chance to snatch jewelry!

Today’s chili-chopped fish head was a bit spicy. Ye Mingxuan choked twice, his fair cheeks flushing crimson. A glass of water was handed to him. He took it and looked at Tan Sizhe: “Thank you, sir.”

　　Ye Mingxuan loved fish head with chopped chili, but it couldn’t be too spicy. Today’s chef seemed to have overestimated the chili. Tan Sizhe picked up a piece of fish, carefully removing chili and bones before placing it in Ye Mingxuan’s bowl.

Old Master Tan glanced at the fiery red fish head, unable to bring himself to eat it. “Who cooked today’s fish head? There’s far too much chili!”

　　Their family preferred lighter flavors, and even spicy dishes were usually mild to suit most tastes.

The chef standing nearby approached, drenched in sweat. “I made it. My deepest apologies!”

　　Old Master Tan: “You? You’ve been with us for ages. How could you make something this spicy?”

The chef stammered, stealing a glance at Ye Yufan: “It was Mr. Yufan… He came to the kitchen this evening and asked me to add more chili…”

　　At this, all eyes turned to Ye Yufan. Zhao Dongxuan explained, “Our Yufan loves spicy food, so he asked the chef to make it extra spicy and numbing.”

Yangyang, chugging water to ease the burn, protested, “But you couldn’t just make the whole dish that way! There are so many people here—it’s not just for you!”

　　Ye Yufan bit his lip. “I thought you all liked it…”

“Alright, alright. Next time we’ll just make two plates of fish,” Grandpa Tan soothed Yangyang. “Grandpa bought you a new Ultraman. Go check it out when we get back.”

At the mention of a new Ultraman, Yangyang perked up. “Okay!”

　　Ye Yufan glanced at Tan Sizhe, who was still picking out chili peppers for Ye Mingxuan. It made him so furious he wanted to smash his bowl.

He’d asked the chef to add extra spice precisely to spoil Ye Mingxuan’s enjoyment. But with Tan Sizhe peeling out the chili peppers for him, Ye Mingxuan was eating even more freely!

　　The more affectionate those two across the table appeared, the more resentful he felt.

Ye Yufan cleared his throat twice. “This seems too spicy. I need some water.”

Zhao Dongxuan rolled her eyes. “Honey, you want water? It’s over by Mr. Tan’s side. Could you ask Mr. Tan to pour you a glass?”

　　Ye Yufan looked shyly at Tan Size. Tan Size finished picking out the fish bones, grabbed the water jug, and poured. Ye Yufan’s heart pounded as he reached out to take it.

Tan Size filled the cup to the brim and placed it in front of Ye Mingxuan. “Still spicy? If so, I’ll get some milk.”

　　Ye Mingxuan took the cup and shook his head with a smile. “Not spicy.”

Ye Yufan’s hand froze mid-air, jealousy nearly driving him mad. Tan Jing glanced at him and asked gently, “Yufan, what’s wrong with your hand?”

　　“N-nothing!” Ye Yufan gritted his teeth, awkwardly pulling his hand back….

After dinner, Yangyang and Tan Jing went to the garden to play with Ah Jin. Ye Yufan, afraid that the damn beast would bark at him, wanted nothing more than to hide far away. Unable to go up to the third floor, he could only carry his drink to the tea room.

　　The moment he stepped through the parlor door, Ye Yufan was shoved inside. Stumbling backward, he spun to see Ye Mingxuan entering.

“You?” Ye Yufan glared. “How dare you push me?”

　　Ye Mingxuan had held his tongue through dinner, finally seizing this chance to confront Ye Yufan. He cut straight to the point: “Grandpa Tan thought you came to celebrate his birthday sincerely.”

　　“He treated you as guests. Don’t overstep your bounds.”

“You’ve got that wrong,” Ye Yufan declared, downing his drink in one gulp before slamming the cup on the table. “Am I the guest here, or are you?”

Here we go again. Ye Mingxuan knew Ye Yufan was about to launch into his “You really think you’re Mrs. Tan” speech.

　　“I’ve said my piece,” Ye Mingxuan turned away, unwilling to argue. “I’m leaving.”

“Don’t you dare leave!” Ye Yufan grabbed his arm. “Ye Mingxuan, do you really think you’re the master here? You’re occupying my position. I am the true Mrs. Tan!”

　　Ye Mingxuan turned back, his eyes filled with equal parts confusion and shock.

“Why are you glaring at me? Am I wrong?” Ye Yufan retorted. “Without you, I’d be standing beside Mr. Tan right now. You’ve usurped my position, yet you have the nerve to act like you own the place!”

　　“Weren’t you the one constantly complaining about not wanting to marry him?”

“Who said that?” Ye Yufan retorted. “I never said that! You’re the one who stole my place!”

“I advise you to leave Tan Sizhe immediately and give him back to me.”

　　Ye Mingxuan’s pupils contracted. In that instant, something clicked. Scattered fragments from recent days flooded his mind.

No wonder Ye Yufan kept stealing glances at Tan Sizhe. No wonder their visit hadn’t specifically targeted him. No wonder Zhao Dongxuan had been chatting with Tan Sizhe during every meal these past days.

　　So that was it…

　　“Stop.”

Ye Mingxuan stepped before Ye Yufan, glaring at him with pent-up fury, fighting the urge to punch him:

“Don’t even think about it. He’s mine.”