Indeed, a child who has never received formal elite education, and a child who has been groomed as the next generation heir since childhood by Yan Zhengbo. Before he found out about Yan Shuya, he also thought that his nephew was quite good.
“You want to give Yan Shuya the best, but you should also consider whether he is suitable or not.” From his perspective, he also felt that Yan Mingya was more suitable than Yan Shuya. He pondered for a moment and added another sentence.
“You think it’s unfair to Yan Shuya, but how is it fair to Yan Mingya, who has been the heir for eighteen years, if you suddenly bring back a son?”
Being the heir to the family patriarch who meets everyone’s expectations is not an easy task. Yan Mingya must have sacrificed a lot for this, yet Yan Mu brought back a son who clearly wanted to compete with him for the inheritance rights. Isn’t that telling him that all of his past efforts may have gone down the drain?
Children with a poor temperament might do unpredictable things.
From Yan Zhengbo’s point of view, preventing internal divisions and fights within the family is also something he must consider.
Yan Mu is being too presumptuous.
“But Shuya is my son, and this is what he deserves.”
Yan Mu followed Yan Sui’s gaze and looked at Yan Shuya, his expression softening slightly. “Yan Sui, your cousin has never asked you for anything. I just hope you can discuss it with the Old Master. Give Shuya and Mingya a chance to compete fairly.”
In fact, even if Yan Shuya couldn’t inherit the position of the family patriarch, it wouldn’t take away anything from Yan Zhengbo of the main branch. However, they suddenly became so obsessed with the position of the family patriarch. Yan Sui had his own motives back then, but he didn’t know about Yan Mu and Yan Shuya’s motives.
Upon hearing this, Yan Sui turned to Yan Mu. The meaning in his eyes was unclear. After a pause, he suddenly smiled.
“You don’t need me to say it; if you tell Uncle like this, he will agree as well.”
Obviously, this was not Yan Mu’s original decision but rather a compromise reached after discussions among him, Yan Shuya, and Yan Shuya’s mother. They believe that their son, Yan Shuya, could achieve this. On the other hand, both Yan Zhengbo and Yan Sui have even more faith that Yan Mingya could withstand such a test.
If he couldn’t even compare to Yan Shuya, then he wouldn’t be qualified to directly surpass his parents’ generation and become the next generation patriarch of the Yan family in Country F.
Yan Mu pondered over Yan Sui’s words for a moment, then nodded. Yan Sui was indeed the most intelligent and capable among their generation, and what he said reflected his father’s thoughts as well.
“You all continue to have fun here; I’ll take my leave for now.”
Yan Sui nodded, watched him leave, then turned around and walked towards Meng Ting.
Yan Shuya’s sulky expression softened a bit when he noticed Yan Sui approaching.
“Auntie doesn’t seem to like me.”
Rather than saying this to Meng Ting, it was more like a roundabout way of complaining to Yan Sui.
However, Meng Ting couldn’t quite pick up on it; he honestly nodded, “I don’t like you.”
He only likes Yan Sui; how could he possibly like him?
He raised his head to look at Yan Sui, grasped his hand, and confirmed once more, “I don’t like him.”
“If you don’t like him, then you don’t like him. Let’s leave early tonight,” Yan Sui said, not casting even a single glance at Yan Shuya. He sat beside Meng Ting, pulling their intertwined hands onto his lap and playing with them in his palm.
“But have you eaten enough?” Yan Sui asked, glancing at the completely empty plate that Meng Ting had polished off. He was indeed easy to feed——sweet, sour, bitter… no, except for anything too spicy; he ate everything else.
Meng Ting nodded. “I’ve been full for a while. I was just bored and decided to eat something.”
The ignored Yan Shuya’s expression darkened a shade further. Bored? Just a moment ago, he had been accompanying Meng Ting——wasn’t that saying he was the boring one?
“Is Haicheng fun? My mom is also from Xia Country. She and my dad first met in Haicheng, but I’ve never been there.”
Yan Shuya adjusted himself slightly and interjected again. Usually, he wasn’t this inconsiderate1沒眼色 (méi yǎn sè): not knowing how to be interesting; lack of vision; inconsiderate; unable to see the fitness of things., but today he was truly irritated by Meng Ting. Furthermore, he was very curious about Yan Sui, someone who could stand on equal footing with Yan Zhengbo——or rather, someone who could influence his opinions.
He was still so young, so good-looking, and more outstanding and imposing than anyone he had ever seen.
Meng Ting tightened his grip on Yan Sui’s hand, furrowing his brow and turning his face away, his voice growing a bit colder. “Your father and mother know about Haicheng; why don’t you ask them?”
“You’re so strange!”
If it weren’t for the difference in seniority between Yan Shuya and Yan Sui, calling them uncle and aunt, he would almost suspect that he was also coveting his Yan Sui.
Yan Sui still didn’t look at Yan Shuya; he raised his hand and ruffled Meng Ting’s hair. “Let’s go back to the room.”
Meng Ting turned to look at Yan Sui and nodded, “Okay.”
Previously, Yan Shuya watched helplessly as Yan Sui closed the door; now, he watched helplessly as Yan Sui took the person away.
“What uncle and aunt… The Yan family in Country F and the Yan family in Haicheng have long been separated for three generations.”
So it’s not surprising that he has taken a fancy to ‘Uncle’ Yan Sui; there have even been cases of siblings marrying among the nobility in Country F.
Yan Shuya muttered to himself and then answered a phone call, “Mom, Dad went to see Grandpa. There won’t be any issues with the banquet.”
While speaking on the phone, Yan Shuya was anything but soft; he was quite calm. He tapped his fingers on the table and then said with a smile, “You will soon be the Madam of the Yan family’s main branch. This is what you deserve…”
***
Although Yan Sui said they were going back to the room, they didn’t actually go back. He had been here a few times, so he was somewhat familiar with the path. He took Meng Ting for a stroll in the flower garden on the other side.
“What were you just talking about?”
From a distance, he could see what Meng Ting was doing, but he had no way of knowing what he was saying to Yan Shuya.
Speaking of which, there was nearly a ten-year age gap between him and Meng Ting. Seeing him sitting with his peers, he suddenly felt an inexplicable worry; he feared that one day Meng Ting would dislike him for being old.
Meng Ting held Yan Sui’s hand tightly. When he heard this question, his other hand came over to grasp it as well, and then he recounted the conversation he had with Yan Shuya.
After he finished speaking, he even summarized his performance with a sentence: “I am neither compassionate nor kind.”
He completely failed to see where Yan Shuya was pitiable; perhaps he was simply born lacking in compassion. As for kindness… he probably didn’t have that either, given how often he got into fights with others.
Yan Sui stopped in his tracks, looked at Meng Ting, and pulled him into his embrace, not allowing him to say the words he could guess.
“I think it’s good that you are like this; I like it.”
Meng Ting was born lacking certain things, yet he possessed an intuition that surpassed that of ordinary people. While it wasn’t infallible, at times it could protect him, and that was good.
Hearing this, Meng Ting leaned into Yan Sui’s embrace, a smile in his eyes. He said, “I know.”
He didn’t feel unhappy about Yan Sui’s conclusion about him; after all, that’s just who he was.
Yan Sui had also told him that he liked him just the way he was.
The two of them embraced each other in the flower garden, which naturally attracting some sidelong glances from passing servants, but Yan Sui didn’t mind. Meng Ting, having experienced the thrilling kisses with Yan Sui over the past few days, could also ignore those gazes.
***
The banquet was in full swing, with many high-society figures from Country F gathered at the Yan residence. The lights were dazzling; fragrant breezes wafted through the air, and bursts of hearty laughter occasionally echoed from the corners of the living room.
On Yan Mu’s left was Yan Shuya, dressed in a white tuxedo, and on his right was a graceful and alluring woman. The three of them standing together looked like a family.
Yan Mu introduced the two people beside him to the guests who had arrived, and the guests would more or less offer a few compliments and congratulations.
Yan Sui arrived with Meng Ting just after seven o’clock, and they came along with Yan Zhengbo and Yan Mingya.
They were first invited by Yan Zhengbo to have dinner, and then they chatted for a while. It was only when Yan Mingya arrived that the four of them came over together.
Yan Mingya, who is eighteen years old, is already in his third year of college. He is usually very busy with his studies, and today he hurried back from school as well.
In terms of appearance, Yan Mingya is not as good-looking as Yan Shuya, but the composure and elegance he carries are qualities that Yan Shuya cannot match in a short time. His presence alongside Yan Zhengbo and Yan Sui actually reflects their respective attitudes.
Yan Mu’s expression was slightly displeased, but Yan Zhengbo and Yan Sui appeared at the same time, which could be considered as fulfilling the promise they made to him. The Yan family had acknowledged Yan Shuya, but the likelihood of changing the family patriarch’s successor was extremely low.
“Dad, Yan Sui, Meng Ting, you’ve all met Shuya. This is Linda.”
Yan Mu tried his best to soften his expression as he introduced the elegant woman beside him to Yan Sui and the others.
“This is Yan Sui and Meng Ting, the patriarch of our Yan family and his wife.”
After finishing the introduction, Yan Mu continued to introduce Yan Sui and Meng Ting to Linda.
“Hello,” she smiled gently, looking graceful and beautiful. Yan Shuya resembled her so much that it was easy to tell he was her son at a glance.
“Hello,” Meng Ting had basically adapted to such occasions. When it came to greeting someone, he spoke particularly smoothly. However, a fleeting look of contemplation crossed Yan Sui’s eyes. After a pause, he nodded in acknowledgment.
“Mingya, you’re here too.”
Yan Mu said to Yan Mingya, feeling somewhat emotional. A few months ago, he still liked this nephew very much. When he was younger, he often took him out to play, and their bond was even closer than that between Yan Mingya and his father, Yan Ya.
But now that he had acknowledged Yan Shuya, things would probably never be the same again.
“Uncle, Auntie, Shuya.”
Yan Mingya behaved quite gracefully, showing no excess emotions on his face.
“Grandpa, Uncle, Auntie, and also Big Brother, I am Shuya.”
Yan Shuya was the youngest and also had the lowest seniority among them, so naturally, he spoke last. However, he has a sweet tongue; even when addressing Yan Mingya, he carries a warm demeanor. Yet, when he met Meng Ting’s gaze, his expression noticeably stiffened for a moment.
It was because Meng Ting really doesn’t play by the rules, and he found him somewhat difficult to handle.
The three of them——Meng Ting, Yan Mingya, and Yan Shuya——were of similar age. When they stood together like this, Meng Ting excelled in appearance, Yan Mingya stood out for his temperament, while Yan Shuya appeared somewhat mediocre in comparison.
Yan Mingya smiled; Yan Sui remained as still as a mountain; and Meng Ting just watched. In the end, it was Yan Zhengbo who spoke up.
“It’s good that you’re back. Study hard in the future.”
He has recognized him; after all, he is a member of the Yan family. Even if he can’t compare to Mingya, as an elder, he hopes that the younger generations can strive for progress.
After a while, a servant came to inform him that another guest had arrived.
Yan Zhengbo spoke, “Go ahead.”
Yan Mu left with Linda and Yan Shuya to welcome the new guests.
Yan Zhengbo also had his old friends to greet, so he left Yan Mingya in charge of entertaining Yan Sui and Meng Ting.
The three of them found a corner and sat down. Yan Mingya suddenly fell silent. However, his silence was understandable; at eighteen, no matter how mature one may be, one cannot be considered truly grown. Things that he had always taken for granted suddenly no longer felt that way, and it was impossible for him not to think deeply about it.
Yan Sui reached out and patted his shoulder. “Thinking too much is useless; only when you become strong can you make your own choices.”
“Besides, who knows if a setback is actually a blessing in disguise…” Yan Mingya was different from him; becoming the patriarch of the family was not his only option. Perhaps this would open up new horizons for him.
Yan Sui’s words are definitely spoken from the bottom of his heart, but whether Yan Mingya can take them to heart still depends on him alone.
About Panleukopenia—you can absolutely skip this
Feline panleukopenia (also called feline distemper) is a highly contagious, potentially fatal disease of cats caused by the feline panleukopenia virus (FPV, also called feline parvovirus). Kittens are most severely affected.Because FPV is everywhere in the environment, almost all kittens and cats are exposed to it at some point in their lives. Although cats of any age may catch the virus, young kittens, sick cats, and unvaccinated cats are most likely to become ill.
Infected cats can pass FPV in their feces (stool) and body fluids like urine and nasal secretions. Susceptible cats may become infected when they contact these substances, the infected cats themselves, or even fleas from infected cats. Infected, pregnant cats can also pass the virus to their unborn kittens.
Affected cats—especially kittens—also may suddenly die.
Illness in cats that survive FPV infection typically lasts no more than a week. Kittens younger than five months old are at greatest risk of death. Surviving kittens infected before or shortly after birth may suffer brain damage, causing incoordination and tremors when moving, or seizures. Blindness also is possible.
Source: Link.
As I said, my dad found her outside, and when we take her to the vet for vaccination, she had fleas and maybe worms. She may or may not contract the virus, I pray that she doesn’t. She had to be hooked to the IV for the night, so she’ll be staying at the vet for however long it’d take for her to feel better. If you have spares, I’d appreciate any donation for my kitten, Lucy.
List of Idiom in Chapter 042.3
付諸東流 (fù zhū dōng liú): lit. to throw into the east flowing river; (figurative) to go in vain; to go down the drain; to be completely wasted; wasted effort; come to naught/nothing; be lost forever; be irrevocably lost; to be thrown into the eastward water and washed away; it means that hopes come to nothing, achievements are lost, and all previous efforts are wasted, as if being washed away by the flowing water.聰明能幹 (cōng míng néng gàn): be bright and capable; someone who is gifted, has a strong memory and comprehension, and is capable of doing things. Comes from Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin, Chapter 82.
平起平坐 (píng qǐ píng zuò): to be on an equal footing; be on par; be on the same level; stand on equal terms; be equals; equal in status or power.
驚心動魄 (jīng xīn dòng pò): shaking one to the core; extremely disturbing; hair-raising (idiom); soul-stirring; profoundly affecting. Originally refers to the beautiful words and profound artistic conception, which make people feel shaken to the core. Later, it is often describe something shocking.
塞翁失馬，焉知非福 (sài wēng shī mǎ, yān zhī fēi fú): lit. When the old man from the frontier lost his horse, how could one have known that it would not be fortuitous?; the old man lost his mare, but it all turned out for the best (idiom); fig. a blessing in disguise; every cloud has a silver lining; a setback may turn out to be a blessing in disguise; it’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good; misfortune may be an actual blessing; a loss may turn out to be a gain. It is a metaphor that although you suffer a loss temporarily, you can still gain benefits from it. It also means that bad things can turn into good things under certain conditions, and vice versa. It is used to describe a person’s mentality, and you must be optimistic and positive. Everything has two sides, and the bad side may turn into the good side. From a tale in Huai Nan Zi. More information: Link 1; Link 2.
肺腑之言 (fèi fǔ zhī yán): words from the heart; heartfelt words; words from the bottom of one’s heart; sincere words from the heart.
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