Held in the arms of the man, Wen Yan gradually calmed down.
Regardless of whether he had a blood relationship with his grandparents, they were his dearest family.
Although his grandparents had passed away, he would never forget their kindness throughout his life.
He nudged the man’s shoulder again.
Originally, he was the only one left in this world. But when he was most lonely and helpless, the man came into his life like a deity.
Since then, he gained another person to rely on, which was such a happy thing.
The two quietly embraced for a while, and Wen Yan suddenly remembered the incident when Aunt Wen mentioned going to the family elders to complain. He felt a bit worried.
He lifted his head and looked at Wen Xueli hesitantly, saying, “Uncle, tomorrow… will the elders give you a hard time?”
Wen Xueli grabbed his hand and kissed it gently, saying softly, “It’s okay, I have a way to handle it.”
Wen Yan lowered his eyelids.
In fact, he didn’t want to ruin the relationship between the man and his family.
However, the man had his own ideas, and according to him, it might be easier without the involvement of the Wen family. Naturally, Wen Yan supported that.
After a brief silence, he didn’t say anything more.
Instead, Wen Xueli touched his face and said, “Today was my negligence; I let someone break in. Don’t worry, as long as it’s in Hongcheng, no one will disturb you.”
The man was probably referring to the incident when Aunt Wen and A’Feng barged in.
Actually, he didn’t really care about it. Apart from Aunt Wen accusing them of having an improper uncle-nephew relationship, causing some confusion, he didn’t feel personally offended.
He felt more distressed for the man, knowing he had to deal with so many family matters.
But… he would be there with the man, no matter what.
So, he took the initiative to kiss the man’s corner of the mouth, silently comforting him, and received a deep kiss from the man in return.
*
On the second day, the two drove to the old house.
The Wen family’s old house was on the mountain, facing the sea, with excellent feng shui.
Since Grandpa Wen passed away, Wen Xueli also moved out. The old house was usually empty, occasionally visited by uncles with their children, claiming that the old house needed some lively atmosphere.
According to the elders in the family, it would be best if Wen Xueli could hurry up, get married, and have children. That way, his wife and children could live in the old house, making everything proper and legitimate.
Unfortunately, the eldest son and heir of the Wen family found a man, and to make matters more interesting, it was his own nephew.
Today, the elders and family members gathered at the old house, waiting to talk to Wen Xueli.
Wen Xueli, however, remained calm. Seeing the young man beside him nervously tugging at his pants, he grabbed the young man’s hand, held it in his palm, and smiled, saying, “No need to be afraid; I’m here.”
Wen Yan leaned against his shoulder, staying silent.
Half an hour later, the car ascended the mountain. Wen Yan had no interest in admiring the scenery along the mountain road. When the car arrived at the old house, his nervousness reached its peak.
Wen Xueli found his habit of nervously pinching his fingers adorable, but it also made him feel sorry for him.
Even though many servants were welcoming at the entrance, Wen Xueyi, with his younger cousins, was waiting for him and the young man to get out of the car. Instead of opening the car door, Wen Xueli embraced the young man, soothing him gently, “Just follow me later. Despite our conflicts, they are reasonable people.”
He cradled the young man’s face and kissed his forehead.
Wen Yan rubbed his palm against his, and after a while, whispered, “Yeah, I’m ready.”
Was the young man preparing for battle?
Wen Xueli looked deeply into his eyes, understanding that he valued this opportunity to meet the family but also feared making a mess, hence the self-imposed pressure.
He had already told the young man that, regardless of the outcome, he wouldn’t involve him in the family disputes.
However, the young man considered them as one entity and wanted to face it together.
He wouldn’t refuse, only offering continuous reassurance to the young man. Once the young man calmed down a bit, he led him out of the car.
Most of the direct relatives of the Wen family were gathered, standing in the hall, creating an inexplicable sense of pressure.
Wen Yan took a deep breath, trying to stay composed.
Luckily, the warm fingers of the man firmly holding onto him provided a sense of security.
The elders managed to remain calm. Wen Xueli led Wen Yan to greet them, and they responded calmly. They even handed Wen Yan a red envelope, a customary gift for the family’s younger generation.
However, the phrase “descendants of the Wen family” was intriguing.
This implied that Wen Yan was also a descendant of the Wen family, while Wen Xueli and he were openly engaging in incest.
Hidden in the words was a subtle message, and Wen Yan understood it well. Fortunately, the man had informed him of the truth yesterday, so he remained composed.
Several uncles and senior uncles of the Wen family exchanged glances, feeling that this child might be quite clever. He accepted their gifts without changing his expression, treating their words as if they were unheard.
Once seated, the second paternal uncle spoke directly, “Xueyi, take your nephew to the backyard for a stroll. We need to talk to your cousin.”
He emphasized again that Wen Yan was Wen Xueyi’s nephew, indirectly reminding Wen Xueli not to confuse the family hierarchy and ethics.
The second paternal uncle and Grandpa Wen were blood brothers. After Grandpa Wen passed away, the second paternal uncle became the eldest elder among the direct relatives, respected by the clan for his integrity.
Since the second paternal uncle had spoken, Wen Xueyi couldn’t disobey. However, on the other side was his eldest cousin…
He looked toward Wen Xueli.
Wen Xueli smiled faintly, “It’s okay. Yan is my partner, and he can hear anything.”
This was a straightforward revelation of their relationship.
The elders’ expressions changed abruptly. The second paternal uncle, using a cane, stood up and walked to Wen Xueli and Wen Yan, silently observing them for a while. He then turned to Wen Xueli and said, “I heard that yesterday Wen Qing came to trouble you, and you expelled her. In the evening, her husband’s family was driven out of Hongcheng?”
Wen Qing was the aunt who caused trouble at the villa yesterday.
Wen Xueli nodded, “She cursed me with the words ‘break the family line,’ so naturally, I couldn’t let it slide.”
Hearing the words ‘break the family line,’ the expressions of the second paternal uncle and other elders turned grim.
They only heard Wen Qing’s complaints, and she naturally exaggerated Wen Xueli’s faults, never mentioning her unfounded accusations.
The second paternal uncle squinted and said, “Well done. It’s not her place to dominate our family.”
Wen Xueli smiled lightly.
Wen Yan, however, was quite surprised.
He had always perceived the elders of the Wen family as stern, even considering them as adversaries to Wen Xueli. Unexpectedly, they… actually cared for Wen Xueli.
Wen Xueli chuckled and said, “But she wasn’t entirely wrong. I indeed plan to break off the family line.”
The second paternal uncle was taken aback.
Wen Yan: “…”
Wen Xueli smiled at him and turned to the second paternal uncle, saying, “I’ve already undergone sterilization. I can’t have children.”
This revelation stirred up a hornet’s nest, and the elders surrounded them.
The second paternal uncle, using his cane, heavily struck the blue-and-white porcelain floor, saying, “You’re confused!”
Wen Xueli took a step back with Wen Yan and signaled his younger cousins to come and assist the elderly, preventing them from getting overwhelmed.
Once the elders calmed down a bit, he continued, “You might have heard rumors in the community about my ‘performance’… The truth is, I have no interest in women.”
This was, of course, a lie. He wasn’t naturally inclined towards men; he had simply lost interest in women due to past experiences.
He made this statement to expedite the elders’ acceptance.
As expected, their faces displayed a defeated expression.
The second paternal uncle, his voice trembling, said, “Is this… true? You’re not deceiving us?”
Wen Xueli sighed, “Why would I deceive the elders? And besides, there’s still Xueyi and the others for continuing the family line.”
Xueyi was his paternal uncle’s eldest son. Entrusting the Wen family to Xueyi in the future would also be fulfilling his grandfather’s wishes.
The second paternal uncle and the other uncles exchanged glances, remaining silent.
Wen Yan silently observed as Wen Xueli, with just a few words, managed to ease the elders’ anger. He couldn’t help but admire how calm and collected Wen Xueli was.
Earlier, he was nervous, fearing that the elders would cause trouble. However, Wen Xueli seemed confident and had everything under control.
The elders turned out to be much more amiable than he had imagined.
It was no wonder the man had been comforting him, asking him not to worry.
Amid the silence, the second paternal uncle suddenly glanced at Wen Yan and said to Wen Xueli, “It’s fine if you like men, but you can’t be with him.”
Wen Xueli remained composed, smiling, “Are you concerned that being with Yan violates ethical norms due to potential blood relations? If you take a look at these documents, you won’t think that way.”
Saying this, he had someone distribute the prepared documents to the elders.
Wen Yan: “…”
He hadn’t expected the man to be so well-prepared. Suddenly, he felt that his previous concerns were indeed unnecessary.
