Chapter 47 - "I like you, I love you every day."

Afterwards, Yan Sui was awfully quiet in the car. He was wondering what caused the He family's Old Madame to want him to come over.

In any case, it should not be the case that after an episode of illness, she managed to come around and was willing to forgive He Wan, then along with that, accept him as well?

A sarcastic expression flashed in Yan Sui's eyes, and before he could even think much of anything else, his mouth was stuffed with a peeled sugar roasted chestnut.

"It's sweet and sticky. Very delicious."

As Meng Ting spoke, he once again immersed himself in continuing to peel the chestnuts. He was very slow with his movements and he had a very focused look on his face. It was as if it was only like this that he could peel the chestnuts successfully. As a matter of fact, this was actually the case. His everyday physical operational skills were indeed very lacking; even peeling chestnuts was not an exception.

Yan Sui chewed it. What Meng Ting said was not wrong. It was indeed very sweet and very sticky, just like Meng Ting, himself, whom he had tasted before.

He took the paper bag of sugar roasted chestnuts from Meng Ting's embrace. Using the speed that was three or four times quicker than Meng Ting's, he peeled a chestnut then also fed it to Meng Ting.

"I'll peel it." Yan Sui saw that Meng Ting stopped and was chewing his food. He lowered his head slightly and kissed the sweet-tasting lips while saying this.

Meng Ting could not help but cast a glance toward the front seat from the corner of his eyes. Unfortunately, Yan Sui leaned too close to him and he could not cast a glance at anyone else but him.

"Then I'll finish peeling this off." He said as he slightly moved forward and kissed Yan Sui on the lips in the same manner. When he looked up, amorous feelings overflowed from his picturesque features which instantly mesmerized the other person's eyes.

Yan Sui was good at restraint and it was only because of this that he could endure the urge to press down the boy and kiss him.

Meng Ting finished peeling the chestnut in his hands and as before, fed it to Yan Sui. After that, he got another one and continued to peel it slowly and seriously. At the same time, he was also fed a lot by Yan Sui.

The big bag of sugar roasted chestnuts went down by half. Yan Sui took a look out of the window, then rolled up the opening of the bag, and placed it into the cabinet in the car. "Keep it and eat it at night."

"Okay." Meng Ting answered. He was already satisfied. He was only able to eat this many at once because Yan Sui peeled it for him; otherwise, it would take a long time by himself before he could even eat one. This was especially a good feeling. It was even better because Yan Sui peeled them for him.

Yan Sui took out wet wipes from the cabinet and wiped his own hands. After that, he grabbed Meng Ting's hands to wipe them clean, then he raised Meng Ting's chin, and wiped his lips.

Meng Ting blinked as he watched. He had already gotten used to the meticulous way Yan Sui took care of him. At the same time, he also memorized these caring actions in his heart. He likes Yan Sui. He liked him more and more each day.

Zhao Bing, who was in the front seat driving the car, had also adapted to Yan Sui and Meng Ting's unrestrained public show of affection. Actually, it could not be called a 'show' because as long as these two stayed together, even without talking, the atmosphere was always warm and sweet. This was quite naturally revealed and it was already envied by many people.

The car stopped in front of the Hes' old residence. Yan Sui got out from the car first, then led Meng Ting out. A man wearing a suit and leather shoes walked out from the iron gate. He was called He Zhen. He was two years younger than He Yue and two years older than He Wan. He was forty-five years old this year. Although he was halfway through his forties, he looked quite young.

He looked at Yan Sui and a smile appeared on his face. There was not a single trace of him regarding Yan Sui as an outsider. "Come in, Yan Sui. Is this Ting Ting?"

"Second Uncle." Yan Sui called him. He then turned his head and whispered a few words to Meng Ting.

Meng Ting also followed him and called, "Second Uncle."

After hearing what was said, He Zhen's expression slightly froze. It seemed that there was hesitation regarding the 'Second,' but he could not retort with anything. Even during the years when He Yue was lost, he was still the second young master of the house and this was something that never changed. These years were also the same.

"My mother wants to see you. Follow me."

Yan Sui nodded and led Meng Ting along to keep pace with him. The relationship between the two families had been cold all these years. Yan Sui and He Zhen had different positions in the family hierarchy and there were not many interactions between the two as well. Naturally, there were not really any related topics that they could talk about.

Today was the sixty-seventh birthday of the He family's old madame and there was quite a lot of people who went back and forth, sending gifts and joining in the banquet. As they walked by, naturally, there were people who recognized Yan Sui and Meng Ting. After saying their greetings, a lot of them turned their heads and muttered privately.

He Zhen did not take Yan Sui and Meng Ting to the banquet hall for the guests; instead, they detoured the hall and went to a small courtyard behind the master's residence. This was where the old madame and old master had been living in these years. They actually had the same habit as Old Master Meng who had particular requirements for tranquility.

They went into a teahouse. After He Zhen asked the servants to serve the tea for Yan Sui and Meng Ting, he left first, then soon after that, he helped Old Madame He to come in.

She was a sixty-seven-year-old woman. Naturally, one could not ask for her to continue to maintain the youthful beauty she had when she was young. The ruthlessness of time makes exceptions for no one, yet there were still some things that could not be erased by time.

Old Madame Su of the Sus was elegant, but Old Madame He was truly gentle. She used 'Wan' [1] for the name of her daughter and it was also the hope they had for He Wan. However, He Wan's conduct and deeds so far had completely deviated from this 'Wan,' and to say that it was irony would not be too much.

([1] "婉" = Wan = graceful)

She looked at Yan Sui and in an instant, tears swirled in her eyes. He Zhen consoled her as she sat down and they could even see that her hands were trembling non stop.

"Mom, you just recovered from your illness. Don't be so worked up."

He Zhen said as he glanced at Yan Sui and Meng Ting. "Hasn't Yan Sui come to see you?"

He said this as if it was Yan Sui who refused to have contact with them for all these years, when in truth, it was the complete opposite.

Old Madame He slowly took a few breaths and it was only through this that she had gradually calmed down. She waved her hand. "Go out first. I'll…talk with Yan Sui for a while."

The look on He Zhen's face slightly froze and it also carried with it a bit of hesitation, then he lifted his feet to walk out of the teahouse.

"Grandmother." Yan Sui addressed her. He could even address He Wan as mother so naturally, he was unhindered with these people. These terms of address did not mean anything. It was not only him who knew this. He Wan and the old lady before his eyes should be clear about it in their minds as well.

"Grandmother." Meng Ting also followed after him to address her. His gaze did not roam much to look at the inside of the room. He looked at Old Madame He when he addressed her. Once he finished addressing her, he lowered his eyes to look at his and Yan Sui's intertwined hands.

He could sense that Yan Sui did not look forward to meeting the old lady who was right before them.

"Hey," Old Madame He responded and her mood slightly fluctuated again. She swept her gaze all around, then looked at the servant inside the teahouse. "Close the windows and go out, too."

"Yes." The servant answered and did as requested.

What did Old Madame He want to say? He Zhen was not allowed to listen. The servant was not allowed to listen. She was even afraid that people would eavesdrop.

"Why did you want to see me?"

Yan Sui was the first to open his mouth when the servant closed the door. Before he met Meng Ting, Yan Sui was becoming more and more indifferent. The only two elderly seniors he gave exception to had already passed away. Yan Sui did not think that there was any need for him to perform any filial piety or any show of mutual forgiveness. It was like this before and now, it was still like this.

He thought the person before his eyes also would not want it either. Although she was worked up and sad, it was not because of him. He could see this with a single glance. Pretense was always different from genuine revelation.

Maybe his ability to make discerning judgements was related to the fact that he was becoming more and more indifferent. Up until now, Meng Ting was the only exception.

It really could not be said that Old Madame He had a smooth life. She got married at the age of nineteen and gave birth at the age of twenty. However, her child was only one year old when she lost him. The pain of losing her son followed her for more than twenty years, and it was with great difficulty that she was able to recognize her son and have him back. Then, her son and daughter fell in love with the same person at the same time.

One was her son for whom she had guilt in her heart; the other one was her daughter whom she had pampered from a young age. It was not right for her to help either one of them. The development was outside of her expectations. Her son died while the daughter gave birth out of wedlock. The mother and son were separated by death while the mother and daughter severed all of their ties…

Originally, she thought that her tragedy would last until she completely died, but not long ago, she discovered a turn for the better.

"Yan Sui, your eldest uncle maybe…no, it's not maybe. He's still alive."

She said as the tears that had not yet fallen and held in her eyes finally rolled down. Yan Sui and Meng Ting were seated opposite her; otherwise, she would want to grab his hands to let him understand her inexpressible excitement.

The dead man was still alive. What a huge consolation this was for people who had grown white hair.

However, no emotions appeared on Yan Sui's face. There was neither surprise nor understanding, as if he did not the least bit know about He Yue and his relationship with his biological father, Yan Yu.

"How did you find out about it?" Yan Sui asked this question calmly as before. He was not the least bit affected by Old Madame He's mood.

"He came back. Not long ago, he came back to offer incense for his adoptive parents."

Old Madame He was really sick before and she also underwent an internal emotional toil for many long years. Quite a lot of people thought that perhaps, her deadline was coming. Even she, herself, thought that as well.

When her sickness got slightly better, she asked her chauffeur to take her to have a look everywhere. Prompted by a sudden impulse, she went to He Yue's foster parents' house, but she could not enter without a key. Then, she made a detour and went to their graves. This was when she heard as the guard who led her mentioned that a few days ago, there was someone who came to see them as well.

"It's a man with bad legs and there was a person who carried him to get here." This, therefore, left a deep impression on the guard in-charge.

The moment Old Madame He heard it clearly, she immediately lost consciousness for more than half an hour. Once she woke up, her mental condition had changed.

She then carefully asked the guard. Although what he said was still a bit vague, in her subconscious, she was already certain that the one with bad legs was He Yue. Her eldest son, He Yue, who was once lost, recognized back, and then once again left and 'died.'

"Yan Sui, I'm begging you, please help me look for him. Please help me make sure of it." Old Madame He held her tears and looked at Yan Sui pleadingly, then her line of sight shifted to Meng Ting. "Ting Ting, please have Yan Sui help me. I'm begging you."

"But…why Yan Sui?

That was right. Why Yan Sui? Old Madame He has a husband and family and the Hes were not lacking either. Why was she keeping it from everyone and asking Yan Sui to investigate it? What were her misgivings? Or was it that she thought that his Yan Sui did not know anything and wanted to take advantage of him like this?

Meng Ting directly asked what he thought was the most astonishing thing. He once said that he did not have any sense of sympathy and it seemed to be true after all. An elderly person, who was of such age, was crying and begging pitifully, yet he did not answer and even asked her why it had to be them.

However, Meng Ting thought that he should ask. Even if Yan Sui did not ask, he still needed to ask.

Previously, Yan Sui did not know about the relationship between He Yue and Yan Yu, but Old Madame He had known it all along. Yan Sui's awkward situation had not changed whatsoever. If he was about to investigate, that meant that he had to face He Yue, face Yan Yu, then firstly face their hate and anger.

These things for Yan Sui never made sense, but apparently, it had to be him who should bear the wrath.

Old Madame He remained silent for a moment, but she was determined that Yan Sui was willing to help her. "I've never begged you before. Yan Sui, please help me investigate it. Please help Grandma bring him back. I'm his mother and this is his home."

"There are many people who have never begged Yan Sui…" Meng Ting muttered. They sat closely. He lowered the volume of his voice, but it was still enough for Old Madame He and Yan Sui to hear him. Old Madame He had Yan Sui took Meng Ting along when he came over, but this had definitely deviated completely from the desired result that she expected.

Although Meng Ting was a new 'son-in-law' joining his husband's household, he was neither hot nor cold toward He Wan, and in the same way, he did not feel that it was necessary to please Old Madame He. He was married with Yan Sui; naturally, he would be good to Yan Sui. These people were not good to Yan Sui at all and not in the least bit did he feel that it was necessary to have them like him.

Yan Sui tightened his hand as he held on Meng Ting's hand. Meng Ting glanced at Yan Sui and did not say anything else.

"The Yans don't owe the Hes. Maybe He Wan owes someone, but I don't." The look on Yan Sui's face stayed the same, as if he did not have any change in countenance. Old Madame He felt pitiful, whereas Yan Sui and Meng Ting, who was on his side, never had the care of fate.

They were all alone when they went through the darkest time of their lives, until they met each other. And so, he loved Meng Ting dearly and Meng Ting loved him dearly as well.

"What made you think that I can get him back?" The irony in Yan Sui's eyes was no longer concealed and his voice was low again. "If it were me, I wouldn't want to return."

Old Madame He thought that her inaction at that time was all right to be fair with everyone, but it was her inaction that indulged He Wan. "You should've dragged He Wan to get an abortion back then and not let her give birth to me."

When Yan Sui mentioned He Wan's name, he used the same tone as when he called her 'Mother.' It felt a bit amiss. She could detect his loneliness and complete indifference toward his own mother.

He was now mocking his grandmother's decision back then, thinking that she should have taken his mother to get an abortion. Since he was born, he had denied his own existence.

"I'm alive. It's proof that you all have betrayed He Yue, so he won't come home."

What's the point of her as He Yue's mother? This was his home. What's the use of it? Betrayal is betrayal and a mistake is a mistake. Everything had happened and the 'mistake' had grown up to become an adult and got married. It was already too late if she wanted to make up for it now.

Yan Sui was so sharp and so heartless. This was clearly beyond Old Madame He's expectations. She looked at him in a daze, as if she wanted to figure out something from the expression in Yan Sui's eyes.

However, there was nothing. She could not see anything no matter what.

Yan Sui's temperament was unlike He Wan's, unlike Yan Yu's, and even much like her two old friends…but it was also useless to analyze whom he resembled. This was the Yan Sui whom she had to face now—calm, rational, and almost ruthless.

"You didn't call on He Zhen…oh, it appears that you're not too muddled." Yan Sui did not say much hereon. The Yans did not educate their children well and the Hes did the same. As for He Yue, they were not the ones who educated him. He Zhen and He Wan were clearly failures.

The pleading look on Old Madame He's face gradually faded and the symptoms of her excitement, which she felt earlier until she nearly lost her consciousness, also vanished. She glanced over with a hint of gloom.

"You must live on, so that you'd know…what the end would be," Yan Sui said as he led Meng Ting to stand up. He nodded gently to Old Madame He, pulled Meng Ting by his waist, and went out of the teahouse. They did not bother to go to the living room. They went out of the iron gate, then went directly to their car and left.

"Yan Sui, there was someone else in the room just now. I could smell the scent of cigarette."

Although there was tea fragrance covering it up, Meng Ting could still smell the scent of smoke, which he did not like.

"That must be Grandfather." There was no surprise in Yan Sui's eyes and the wondering look in his eyes disappeared. He turned to the side and took Meng Ting into his arms. Meng Ting's intention to defend him made his heart feel very warm. Although he was in the place that he liked the least, he still felt warm.

Meng Ting did not know what to say. He hugged Yan Sui back and caressed his back.

"Grandmother knows it, but Grandfather may not know it." Yan Sui's last sentence was a warning to her. He was not a bargaining chip in He Wan's hands and he would not be hers.

If he did not go and look for Yan Yu, then it was natural that he would not go and look for He Yue as well. The Hes already lost their son a long time ago and the people in the Yans' family, who really wanted them to come back, had already passed away. Apparently, for Yan Sui, it was already enough for him to be assured that they were alive and well.

"A bad leg…"

Yan Yu was robust, so the one with the bad leg was He Yue. Yan Yu's frequent appearance in F Country must be related to this matter.

The sky was completely dark when they returned to the Yans' residence. After Yan Sui and Meng Ting had dinner and took a walk, they went to the study as usual. Yan Sui read his documents while Meng Ting worked on his exam papers. However, Meng Ting was obviously somewhat absent-minded tonight.

He worked on his exam papers for a little while, then he took a look at Yan Sui. After he finished working on his exam papers with great difficulty, he took out the roasted chestnuts with brown sugar and began to peel them. He peeled around twenty chestnuts and placed them beside Yan Sui.

"Eat these."

Yan Sui looked at the exceptionally cleanly peeled chestnuts on the plate, which was placed on the table, then he looked at Meng Ting's fingers, which had become sticky from peeling the chestnuts.

Meng Ting thought that Yan Sui was looking at his hands because he wanted to be fed by him. He immediately picked a chestnut up and reached out for his mouth. In Meng Ting's opinion, when he was not in a good mood, eating tasty treats would make him feel better. He was not sure if Yan Sui would be like that, but he wished his mood could get better.

Yan Sui lowered his head and bit it. Each time he finished eating a chestnut, Meng Ting would immediately feed him again. Only after Yan Sui had eaten all of the peeled chestnuts did Meng Ting feel pleased and nodded.

Meng Ting turned to his side seemingly wanting to peel the remaining chestnuts, thus making Yan Sui seize his waist.

"Let's rest a little bit earlier today and eat the remaining chestnuts tomorrow."

"Okay," Meng Ting answered, yet he inwardly sighed. His Yan Sui already ate chestnuts and was still not in a good mood. His mood was so bad that he wanted to sleep to recover. Meng Ting pondered once again and added, "I'll accompany you."

Yan Sui really liked Meng Ting's earnestness; especially when he used it on him.

Once they returned to their room, Yan Sui immediately took Meng Ting to the bathroom. Meng Ting looked at his own hands and he also thought that he had to go to the bathroom first.

"You're awesome. You can peel the chestnuts without staining your fingernails. I can't do it." Meng Ting looked at his own dirty fingernails. He looked amazed and ashamed. However, he was quite happy that he could use his own hands to peel chestnuts for Yan Sui to eat.

Yan Sui pulled a towel out and used it to wipe Meng Ting's hands dry, then he took a step forward and embraced the boy. "It doesn't matter. The chestnuts you peel are sweeter than mine."

Meng Ting looked at Yan Sui. He looked slightly unconvinced. It appears he did not intentionally pick the ones that were especially fragrant, because those that did not smell especially fragrant also tasted sweet and sticky.

Yan Sui grasped Meng Ting by the nape and kissed him. He protected the back of Meng Ting's head and pressed the boy against the wall of the bathroom and continued to kiss him.

Meng Ting took a moment to respond to Yan Sui's kiss. He was now someone who no longer needed to adjust his breathing and panting after kissing for a moment, most probably because he was being trained well.

The deeper the kiss was between the two, the lesser the clothing they had on.

The light in the bathroom was bright enough for Yan Sui to see the boy in front of him clearly—the slightly curly hair, the picturesque features, the redness on the cheeks, and the rosy lips kissed by him.

Not just his face good-looking. Meng Ting was constantly running in the morning, and he recently learned swimming and fencing. He had long limbs, well-proportioned muscles, and his skin was already fair. With better nourishment these days, it felt smooth as jade when touched. His Meng Ting was still growing and would only become more and more good-looking.

"Are you tired? How about if…you let me do it?"

Meng Ting lifted his long eyelashes and his dark brown eyes bloomed like a gem. Yan Sui's heart suddenly skipped another beat. He took the chance to draw near. His voice was a little bit hoarse because he was restraining himself again. He moved closer to Meng Ting's ear and whispered with a voice like stringed music, which stirred the lake in the heart of the boy who heard it.

"Whether I'm tired or not, you really don't know?"

Meng Ting's heart jumped because of Yan Sui's voice and because of his quick speed in getting close to him. His mind, which was not very clear, became a little bit chaotic immediately afterwards.

Yan Sui did not have the time to wait for him to understand what he said clearly. He kissed Meng Ting on his earlobe and took the boy under the shower nozzle. The sound of water, which was gradually rising, was accompanied by Meng Ting's crooning, Yan Sui's shallow gasping for breath, and the irrepressible sound of physical collision.

In almost a month's time, Meng Ting's body gradually adapted to Yan Sui. The fit of their bodies and the closeness of their souls were probably the most harmonious things in a married couple's life.

The water falling on Meng Ting's disheveled hair was not too heavy, but it sprayed in his eyes. He leaned against the wall with one hand, and grabbed Yan Sui's hand, which was touching his lower abdomen. His body only exuded a little redness, but it still became even more sensitive.

Whether it was the falling water or Yan Sui's lips which were still on his back, it all felt very distinct, let alone a certain part, which was even more sensitive.

"Yan Sui…I got it…" He knew that Yan Sui would not get tired so easily.

However, it seemed that it was already too late for him to realize the implication of these words at this moment. Both of his legs were floating and he seemed to be unable to stand.

"Then let go of your hand first," Meng Ting said as he tried to pull Yan Sui's hand, which was doing something naughty in front of him. However, he did not pull it away. He did not even dare to put forth his strength.

"Be good. It'll be fine in a moment."

Yan Sui bit the tender flesh of Meng Ting's nape, leaving shallow teeth marks, then he licked it gently.

However, the words of men are not very credible, especially for men who do this kind of thing. Yan Sui's "in a moment" and what Meng Ting thought were obviously not the same.

After a long time, Yan Sui embraced Meng Ting with both hands, and the two reached the peak of happiness at the same time.

However, the night was still young and Yan Sui, who came back to the room early, was still not satisfied. He took Meng Ting to the bathtub, where they made love again. After that, he conveniently gave the both of them a bath; thus, saving his time, instead of taking the boy back and forth. This also saved their time for taking a bath on their own.

Meng Ting laid down on the bed naked and pulled the quilt all the way up to his neck, then he looked at Yan Sui who was still busy applying medicine for him, massaging his legs, and kissing him.

"Isn't it that I'm a bit useless…" Obviously, his physical strength was also pretty good, but in the end, it was Yan Sui who had to get busy for him before and after.

Yan Sui looked at Meng Ting when he heard this. He continued to massage his legs, then he lowered his head to Meng Ting's leg and kissed it.

"You're useful."

Their standpoints were basically different and whether Meng Ting was useful or not was out of the question. However, Yan Sui could ensure that Meng Ting was useful. He was so 'useful' that Meng Ting could make Yan Sui unable to stop himself.

Yan Sui voluntarily wrapped a bath towel around himself and the exposed parts of his body also had marks left by Meng Ting. Meng Ting looked at those parts, then he blushed again, but he was not as shy as before. He felt that Yan Sui was so good-looking. He was so good-looking that he made Meng Ting blush.

"You're so good-looking."

Not only did he think about it, but he also told Yan Sui about it directly.

Yan Sui tucked Meng Ting's legs back into the quilt. He felt that his desire, which had been soothed a moment ago, had the tendency to be aroused once again.

"I like you. I like you more every day."

Meng Ting raised his legs, then he went to wrap them around Yan Sui's body, and then he also lifted the blanket. He looked at Yan Sui and said anxiously, "Hurry up and lie down with me."

Yan Sui's Adam's apple rolled up and down. "Okay."