Chapter 47
“Hehe… Are you planning to take action?” Ye’s father’s laughter came from the other end of the phone.
Ye Yixing was taken aback and realized, “Hey, Dad! Do you know everything?”
Ye’s father pretended to be innocent, “Where, where, I know nothing…”
Ye Yixing suddenly felt powerless.
From childhood to adulthood, Ye Shuyan knew everything about his son, delving into every little detail. If a cat’s curiosity is the greatest, then Ye Shuyan’s curiosity could rival that of a cat god.
He thought that once he went to university and left home, his father would mind his business less. But he never expected that his every move would still be under his father’s watchful eyes.
Ye Yixing didn’t know whether having such a father was a blessing or a curse.
“Now that you already know, hurry up and help us!” Ye Yixing coldly hummed.
“Oh no, darling, tell Daddy what happened!” Ye’s father sounded eager to help, feeling excited about his son seeking his assistance.
He Qianlu raised his eyes and whispered to Ye Yixing, “Does your dad call you ‘darling’?” A smile couldn’t be hidden from his face.
Ye Yixing felt embarrassed and heard Ye’s father continuing, “Help you guys, who are ‘you guys’? My precious son and adorable daughter-in-law?”
The moment He Qianlu heard the words ‘adorable daughter-in-law,’ his facial expression froze.
This time, it was Ye Yixing’s turn to chuckle.
“Hey Dad, that’s enough! He’s shy, you know!” Ye Yixing teased.
He Qianlu quietly twisted Ye Yixing’s arm in response.
Ye Yixing grinned and scolded him with a glare.
Ye’s father heard his son’s words and hurriedly said, “Alright, alright! If you need my help, fine. Tomorrow, you must bring that child to our house for me to see.”
Ye Yixing’s face turned hot, and he stammered, “Dad, he’s not ready yet.”
Ye’s father said with a slow tone, “You’re just like your mother. She gets jealous of her son, and you get jealous of me. I won’t eat him, you know…”
Ye Yixing couldn’t argue with the cunning old fox and said, “Okay, I’ll ask him.”
“Hey, my dad said he wants to meet you.”
“Huh?” He Qianlu nervously shrank his neck, “So soon?”
“Can we postpone it for a few days?” He Qianlu looked visibly uncomfortable, “Is it possible?”
Ye Yixing smiled and asked, “Are you scared?”
He Qianlu nodded honestly.
Ye Yixing couldn’t help but laugh and said into the phone, “Dad, he’s afraid of you!”
Ye’s father hurriedly replied, “Tell him, Dad is a good person! Don’t be afraid…”
Ye Yixing turned back to He Qianlu and said, “My dad wants me to tell you that he’s a good person.”
He Qianlu lowered his head, blushing, and said softly, “I heard it…”
Ye’s father had keen ears and heard He Qianlu’s voice, smiling contentedly.
“Don’t just be a messenger, I want to talk to him myself, let him hear!” Ye’s father said.
“Okay.” Ye Yixing smiled and agreed, reminding, “Don’t scare him!”
Ye’s father pouted, thinking, “Little bunny, do you think your dad is some kind of ferocious beast?”
He placed the phone near He Qianlu’s ear.
He Qianlu’s heart was pounding nervously. The fathers described in books were usually strict, and Ye Yixing’s father was probably a handsome and imposing uncle.
Then, he heard an extremely gentle call from the other end of the phone, amiable and just like the voice he had imagined his father to have.
Ye Shuyan probably used the gentlest tone he had ever used in his life to call him, “Xiao Lv… are you Xiao Lv?”
Because of the brief moment of uneasiness, He Qianlu snuggled against Ye Yixing.
Ye Yixing hugged him tightly, stroking his back to help him relax.
“Uncle, hello.” He Qianlu respectfully greeted.
“Hehe, little guy…” Ye Shuyan’s hands were holding a stack of documents, now wrinkled from the force he exerted. He coaxed, “Call me Dad, okay?”
He Qianlu was stunned for a moment, and suddenly realized that his nose was starting to get sour. He looked up at Ye Yixing with a pair of beautiful watery eyes.
Ye Yixing smiled encouragingly at him, “Go ahead, call him Dad.” The word “Dad” also had a dual meaning, resembling how Xiao Hei called himself and also guiding He Qianlu to call Ye Shuyan.
Tears welled up in He Qianlu’s eyes uncontrollably.
On the other end of the phone was a man in his fifties whom he had never met, but he exuded a warmth that made people want to naturally get close to him.
He Qianlu choked for a long time before finally saying in a trembling voice, “Dad…”
“Hey, my dear…” Ye Shuyan’s face lit up, and he sounded moved, “My good child, come home with Ye Ye tomorrow. Dad will personally cook delicious food for you both.”
Ye Shuyan was talking endlessly on the phone, as if he wanted to pour his heart out to his daughter-in-law.
Ye Yixing snatched the phone back and said, “Dad, who doesn’t know that nobody dares to eat your cooking! Just let Uncle Fu do the cooking! I’m hanging up now!” And with that, he promptly hung up.
“Why does your dad know about us?” He Qianlu buried his face in Ye Yixing’s embrace and asked with a heavy heart.
Ye Yixing hugged his lover tightly and said, “Actually, I don’t know either. My dad is a strange person.”
He Qianlu asked, “What kind of person is he?”
Ye Yixing said, “He knows everything related to me, but no matter if I’m right or wrong, he never says anything. He won’t proactively tell me what he knows unless I bring it up myself. But every time, I find out that he knew it all along, and what’s frustrating is that he always pretends to be clueless.”
Ye Shuyan had always played the role of a kind and benevolent elder, smiling warmly, indulgent, watching his son grow up slowly.
“He is a good father,” He Qianlu said in a muffled voice.
From childhood to adulthood, no one had ever tried to understand him. The word “Dad” was something only found in dictionaries.
Ye Yixing was truly fortunate.
“Hehe? Do you think so?” Ye Yixing smiled and continued, “When I was a child, I found him quite intimidating.”
“Why?”
“Anyone who lives without any privacy in front of another person would feel insecure, right? I felt like it was more like surveillance.”
“Is that so?” He Qianlu hadn’t experienced that, and if possible, he would rather be monitored by his father than not have a father at all. But he didn’t say anything and just listened quietly to Ye Yixing.
“For a while, I avoided him,” Ye Yixing recalled, showing a puzzled expression at this point, “But my dad looked as if he had been deeply hurt, always appearing in front of me with a mournful expression. And that made me feel like a wrongdoer.”
He Qianlu gently touched Ye Yixing’s chest and said, “Hehe, your heart is so soft.”
“Yeah, I’ve always been soft-hearted. I’m always like an elder sister when playing with kittens and puppies, and I can’t bear to step on ants, let alone my own father. The moment that guilt washes over me, it pours like a torrent into the sea!” Ye Yixing blinked and continued, “So, I ended up clinging to him even more, being more affectionate than when I was avoiding him.”
“That’s really funny,” He Qianlu said. “From the looks of it, you definitely wouldn’t want to see me sad either.”
“You just realized that? You’ve picked a treasure!” Ye Yixing said.
He would rather be uncomfortable himself than see the person he loved hurt…
“Yeah, I picked a treasure,” He Qianlu said with a slight smile, grabbing Ye Yixing’s chest and rubbing it. “So, what happened next? Did your dad become happy?”
“Of course, he was like a child who had just eaten candy, so happy that he didn’t know what to do with himself.”
At that moment, Ye Yixing somewhat understood the extraordinary doting love that Ye Shuyan had for him.
As a father, love for a child could take various forms. Undeniably, Ye Shuyan loved Ye Yixing, and he loved him indulgently. However, due to pressure from Ye’s mother, the indulgence couldn’t be open and direct. Hence, he secretly paid attention, silently caring. A middle-aged man was using a different approach to display his clumsy fatherly love, not letting his wife get jealous while not suffocating his son either…
Although it was quite immature behavior, he was still a good father.
“Your dad is really kind,” He Qianlu sighed again.
“He’ll be good to you too. He’ll appear in your life like a spy. Do you believe it?” Ye Yixing said.
“I welcome that,” He Qianlu said softly.
“Hey hey! I won’t allow it! You are mine!” Ye Yixing patted He Qianlu’s back.
“You’re jealous of your dad too,” He Qianlu teased him.
“You heard it just now. My mom is also jealous of me!” Ye Yixing said disdainfully.
He recalled overhearing a conversation between his parents in high school. On that day, his usually strong and resolute mother surprisingly complained to his father in a coquettish tone, “You care so much about our son. Why don’t you care about me?”
Then Ye’s father comforted her with soft words, “Darling, he is our son after all…”
…
It was at that moment that Ye Yixing realized that even mothers could get jealous of their sons!
And so, looking at his parents made him feel like they were just like children, incredibly adorable.
After being hung up on by his son, Ye Shuyan wasn’t angry at all. He touched the photo in his hand, showing Ye Yixing and He Qianlu, which had been secretly taken by someone at some unknown time. The two young men in the photo looked very happy, and the one who should be called “daughter-in-law” was playfully pinching Ye Yixing’s ear.
He wondered what good deeds he had done in his lifetime to experience this knowing one’s destiny in his old age, and then be given another son by heaven! This lovely child was incredibly handsome…
…
Custom-made white handmade suits hugged Wen Min’s slightly plump body, and this fifty-year-old woman always stood tall and straight, with sharp eyes and a commanding presence.
“Mrs. Wen…” Mo Lingfeng began to speak but was interrupted by Wen Min.
“Please call me Mrs. Ye,” the woman’s gaze was like a torch, her tone steady and compelling. “Mr. Mo, we are not discussing business in the real estate industry now. Please don’t bring work pressure into our casual conversation. As a wife and mother, I only want to solve some necessary troubles for my husband and son, and that’s all.”
Mo Lingfeng’s shoulders trembled imperceptibly, refusing to address her by her last name, he said, “Madam, you are still dwelling on what happened twenty-five years ago…”
Mrs. Ye interrupted him sharply once again, “Twenty-five years ago? If you had any self-awareness, you shouldn’t bring up those past events here!”
“Min, calm down. At that time, both Shuyan and I were still young…”
“Young?” Mrs. Ye sneered, “How many more years are you planning to use that excuse? Shuyan has a good temper and a soft personality, but unfortunately, he encountered a scum like you at the best age of his life!”
Mo Lingfeng’s face turned pale, “How can you speak like that!”
Mrs. Ye looked at him coldly, “Don’t blame me for being harsh with my words. Everyone knows that Wen Min doesn’t speak politely. I am only polite to you because I thank you for ‘abandoning’ Shuyan back then, which gave me the chance to meet him! I have worked hard for so many years, endured numerous hardships, just to build my own family, for the man I love. I will not make any mistakes for him!”
Mo Lingfeng was speechless and defeated, sighing, “You are still so sharp.”
“To someone like you, who is fickle and indecisive, I don’t need to be overly kind,” Mrs. Ye retorted.
“You!… In any case, I won’t allow Xiaolü to be with your son!”
“Not allowed? Do I need your permission? Moreover, who can prove that He Yanlu is your son? The deceased He Xiuqing? Or your family’s household registration?”
Mo Lingfeng’s face alternated between red and white, “He is indeed my son! I can do a DNA test to prove it…”
“What a joke! After avoiding and denying for more than twenty years, what difference will it make if you provide proof now? Would Mrs. Mo allow her husband to bring back an illegitimate child twenty years later?”
Wen Min pressed him with every question, and Mo Lingfeng retreated with every step.
“He Yanlu is already an adult. It’s his freedom to be with whomever he chooses. As long as he chooses to be with Ye Yixing, he will be my Ye family’s daughter-in-law! I’m telling you this today to give you a wake-up call. Please discipline your son Mo Yanze a bit. His morals and conduct are poor, and now he has learned to use his power to bully others! Remind him to be careful in his actions and not to mess with my Ye family’s people! You have spent most of your life unable to bring happiness to Shuyan, are you going to hinder Shuyan’s son’s happiness as well?”
The last sentence made Mo Lingfeng’s face instantly look decrepit, a man who was almost sixty but still vigorous, now appeared like one in his twilight years.
“Mr. Mo, I have said some harsh words. If there is any offense, please have a broad mind and don’t take it to heart. Family matters are not suitable to be used as chips. Although I speak rudely, I still have some basic principles. Otherwise, in the future when we meet in the business world, it will be awkward.” Wen Min adjusted her collar and was about to leave but was called back by the man behind her.
“Mrs. Ye!”
Wen Min stood still without turning her head.
“Sorry… tell Shuyan I’m sorry!” Mo Lingfeng said.
“These three words, you said them before. I don’t need to convey them a second time,” Wen Min said.
“I know… also, if possible, please… take good care of Xiaolü… he has been alone since he was a child, if he doesn’t do well, I hope…”
“Don’t worry,” Wen Min hesitated for a moment and said, “Shuyan will love him, even more than he loves his own son.”
After speaking, Wen Min walked away without looking back.
Mo Lingfeng watched her receding figure. She was a great woman and a perfect mother.
At that moment, he imagined Ye Shuyan’s gentle smile and imagined the affection he would show to He Yanlu, causing his eyes to sting. However, no matter how uncomfortable he felt, he had no tears left to shed for many years.
His tears had dried up years ago.
