DPPM Chapter 74.2 – Patriarch (2)

However, in Song Yan’s eyes, last night’s affair was finally smoothly passed off thanks to Xia Zhiye’s ability to talk his way out of anything with his silver tongue.

However, after finishing their meal and returning to the bedroom, Song Yan still cast a disgruntled glance at Xia Zhiye, muttering “bootlicker” before turning his back and lying down on the bed.

Xia Zhiye found it amusing and sat down on the edge of the bed, pinching the back of Song Yan’s neck lightly. “Just trying to please the old folks, how does that make me a bootlicker?”

Song Yan felt itchy, slapped his hand, turned over, and said in a cold voice, “I asked you to coax the old folks, but I didn’t ask you to coax them to introduce you to a girlfriend.”

‘Oh, he’s jealous.’

The smile in Xia Zhiye’s eyes deepened. “Didn’t I refuse? If you still feel relieved, why don’t I  go tell them now that I already have a boyfriend?”

“Scram.”

Song Yan kicked Xia Zhiye.

Xia Zhiye smiled. He bowed his head and kissed him. “I already paid so much, and isn’t it all for the sake of a harmonious family relationship when I marry into your family? And yet, you still kick me, do you have any conscience?”

Song Yan was quite self-aware, so he didn’t argue with him. He let him play with his own hair, but his mouth remained firm. “Who agreed for you to marry into my family?”

Xia Zhiye did not hesitate to tell his answer. “Aunt Tan, ah.”

Song Yan: “?”

Xia Zhiye took out his phone and put it in front of him. “See for yourself.”

The chat interface showed that Tan Qing took the initiative to add Xia Zhiye’s WeChat just now.

[System prompt]: You have added [Clear Wind, Bright Moon] as a friend. You can start chatting. 

[Clear Wind, Bright Moon]: Xiao Xia, I’m Aunt Tan. You sister gave me your WeChat ID

[Wild]: Hello, Aunt Tan. 

[Clear Wind, Bright Moon]: What I said next may be a bit presumptuous, but after thinking about it, I still think I should talk to you.

[Wild]: Please. 

[Clear Wind, Bright Moon]: You should know that Xiao Yan has had a difficult life from childhood to now. His father may not have been a good husband or father, but I am not a responsible stepmother either.

[Clear Wind, Bright Moon]: Every time his father scolded or hit him, besides arguing with his father and crying secretly, I couldn’t think of any other way. I had to work and take care of Lele at the same time, so my care and attention to him were far from enough. So, sometimes he may seem distant and have a stubborn temperament, but don’t blame him. He is actually a good child.

[Clear Wind, Bright Moon]: So I am happy to know that someone can take care of him.

[Wild]: Auntie, actually

[Clear Wind, Bright Moon]: Don’t worry, Auntie is not here to blame you. I noticed something during my last visit to Nanwu. You young people don’t know how to hide your feelings very well, so Auntie thought about it for a long time after returning.

[Clear Wind, Bright Moon]：I don’t know if I could still accept and tacitly approve if Lele encountered a situation like today. I don’t have the qualification or confidence to say that I treat Xiao Yan and Lele exactly the same. However, I do hope Xiao Yan can have a better life from now on, and I also want to fulfill my duties as his elder.

[Clear Wind, Bright Moon]: In the past ten years, I’ve watched Xiao Yan grow up, and it’s only these days that I can see him truly happy, even being a bit childish and temperamental. So, he must have met someone who treats him well, at least better than me, his stepmother. I feel I have no right to interfere.

[Wild]: Auntie, don’t say that, Xiao Yan is actually very grateful to you.

[Clear Wind, Bright Moon]：I know, he’s a good kid, and so are you, but the path you’re both on will be much harder than others’.

[Clear Wind, Bright Moon]：Xiao Yan has already had a tough journey since he was young, so Auntie wants to ask you to please take good care of him if anything happens in the future. Don’t let him feel abandoned again.

[Clear Wind, Bright Moon]：Auntie may be a bit too talkative, but overall, she just hopes that both of you can be happy and live well.

[Clear Wind, Bright Moon]：Don’t tell Xiao Yan about these words. He’s thin-skinned and sensitive. If he finds out I know, he’ll definitely feel embarrassed. I’ll have to rely on you for that.

[Wild]: Auntie, don’t worry, I will always be nice to Song Yan. 

They talked a lot, resulting in a very long chat log. 

When Song Yan read it, he felt that he must have forgotten to turn on the humidifier last night. Otherwise, why would the indoor air be so dry that his eyes felt numb?

He handed the phone back without expression, and his tone remained calm. “Didn’t she tell you not to tell me?”

“Yup, but I didn’t promise her.” Xia Zhiye smiled like a cunning fox, “I only promised her to always be nice to you.”

“You scheming ghost.”

Song Yan cursed in a low voice, then turned over and faced inward.

Xia Zhiye lowered his head to look at him, lightly pinched his earlobe, and said, “Guess why I’m telling you.”

“Because you aren’t tied to a promise?” 

“Because I want to tell you that actually Aunt Tan and Song Lele both like you. And as long as you’re not blind or stupid, anyone can see that you’re worth liking. So from now on, you’re not allowed to say those self-deprecating words about being the most annoying person in the world.”

They descended into a moment of silence. 

Song Yan’s eyelashes lowered. His voice was as thin as a wispy smoke. “But she will divorce my father soon. By then, we will no longer have a connection.” 

“But I believe that as long as you need her, she will be happy to continue to be your Auntie. A family is a family, and you don’t need a blood connection to build a genuine, loving family. At least…” Xia Zhiye railed off, his tone was low and serious.

Song Yan looked up at him. “At least what?”

Xia Zhiye frowned. “At least when it comes time for the wedding… that means I’ll be able to accept betrothal gifts from Song Lele’s mom, grandma, and grandpa. I’ve already thought about where to seat them.”

“?”

‘This person not only freeloads for food and drink, but now he’s even eyeing the betrothal gifts?! Unbelievable!’

“Xia Zhiye, have some shame!” 

Song Yan picked up the pillow near his hand and threw it at Xia Zhiye.

Xia Zhiye smiled as she caught the flung pillow, and then leaned down to kiss Song Yan on the cheek. “There’s no way around it. My boyfriend lives an extravagant and spendthrift lifestyle, so I always have to find ways to earn more money. Besides, I also want to accept the sincere blessings from the older generation.”

“Who is extravagant and spendthrift! You have no shame!”

Song Yan couldn’t bear it anymore. He grabbed Xia Zhiye’s collar and pressed him on the bed, then rolled over and sat on him, giving him a violent beating.

But Xia Zhiye was used to such “violent” beating. Not only was he not afraid to back down, but he even took the opportunity to take advantage of Song Yan.

Song Yan was reluctant to be really cruel, though. 

So after this round of “violent” beating, Xia Zhiye came out relieved and satisfied, while Song Yan blushed and panted.

He could only flung the last pillow angrily. Then, he climbed down from the bed, and sat in front of the desk, still full of anger. 

If he didn’t find some way to make Xia Zhiye eat some pain today, this person wouldn’t know what the Song family rules are.

But he couldn’t beat him in a fight, couldn’t out-argue him in a verbal quarrel, and when they engaged in yellow affairs he was still suppressed. How on earth was he supposed to teach Xia Zhiye a lasting lesson? 

Song Yan, who has been well behaved since childhood, frowned slightly and fell into distress.

Then out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the small box on the table containing a pair of earrings with the word “喜” on them. Lips curled into a cold smile, he finally found a promising avenue. Today, he’s going to let Xia Zhiye experience firsthand what it means to have an Achilles’ heel.

He picked up the box, turned around, facing Xia Zhiye, and smiled like a particularly charming viper. “Boyfriend, would you like to wear a couple earrings?”

Xia Zhiye was busy tidying up the bed that they had messed up badly. When he heard the chilling question, he stiffened and turned around. As he met Song Yan’s terrifying smile, his heart kept pounding. But his obedient nature made him unable to refuse. “I would like to, yes.” 

“How about I’ll pierce your ears today?”

“Okay.” 

“Then it’s decided. Put your things down and follow me downstairs.”

“?”

Seeing Xia Zhiye’s puzzled expression, Song Yan explained, “Song Lele also had his ears pierced when he was a child.”

Xia Zhiye: “So?”

“So, his ear piercings, his mom’s ear piercings, his grandma’s ear piercings, were all pierced by his grandma’s own hands. Today, it’s your turn to enjoy this blessing.”

“???” Xia Zhiye tried to reason, “Um, Yan-ge, isn’t piercing ears by hand too old-fashioned and unsafe? Can’t we go to the hospital and use lasers instead?”

“No.” Song Yan smiled kindly and dignifiedly. “Can piercings done by others be the same as those done by grandma? They have a golden marriage, you know, don’t you want to get their blessings and accept the sincere wishes from the elders?”

Xia Zhiye: “…”

He suddenly felt nostalgic for the initial Song Yan, who was silent and expressionless but remarkably simple and easy to deceive.

Now Song Yan has gradually turned black.

“Um, Yan-ge, about our ear piercings, we usually…”

“Do you want to wear a couple earrings?”

Song Yan coldly interrupted.

Xia Zhiye: “Want.”

“Then accept the blessing of the golden marriage elders.”

Song Yan stood up slowly, opened the bedroom door, and called downstairs, “Grandma, Xia Zhiye wants to trouble you with something.”

“It’s no problem, dear, what does he need?” 

She agreed so easily and in a happy tune, too. It’s absolutely impossible for Xia Zhiye to refuse. 

Xia Zhiye: “…”

He must go forward. 

Well-wishes from elders with golden marriage are very auspicious. 

As long as Song Yan is happy, it’s fine. As the boyfriend, he doesn’t mind playing along even if it means he dies once. 

Ten minutes later, a piercing scream echoed from the luxuriously decorated kitchen of a high-level villa in a residential area in Beijing. It belonged to a certain ferocious and undefeated bully from Nanwu No. 3 Middle, who was known for his ruthlessness.

At the same time, in the study room on the second floor of the villa, a certain third-grade elementary school student who was meekly writing a math test suddenly trembled, then rushed out of the room, grabbed the railing, and shouted in fear, “Ge!! I just heard a pig screaming!! I’m so scared!!”

At that moment, Song Yan finally couldn’t help leaning over Xia Zhiye’s shoulder and laughed out loud.

Several adults hurriedly suppressed their laughter as they explained to Song Lele why his handsome and gentle Xia-gege would make a pig-like scream.

As Xia Zhiye looked at Song Yan, who was laughing so hard that he was shaking uncontrollably while lying on top of him, he let out a resigned smile then ruthlessly ruffled his hair.

‘This badly-learned little thing…’

For the past decade, the quiet and empty house finally echoed with laughter filled with joy amid the festive couplets and “福” characters.

That was the only New Year in Song Yan’s entire youth that could be described as related to happiness and fulfillment, and it was another flamboyant and vibrant red brought into his life by Xia Zhiye.

Today, Song Yan found another reason to love Xia Zhiye. 

He’ll continue to do so, no matter how difficult this road may be in the future.