The VIP box was located on the third floor, and as they reached the second floor, Su Tang’s phone began to ring. Glancing at the caller ID, he signaled for Xia Wan and Fu Ling to proceed to the third floor and then answered the call by the second-floor window.
“Hello, Auntie,” Su Tang greeted.
After a moment, he opened the window and peered out, confirming that Xue Wenxuan’s car was approaching.
“Our private room is on the third floor,” Su Tang informed Xue Wenxuan. “Would you like to join us for dinner?”
While speaking, he observed Xue Wenxuan getting out of the car, as he went to the back to open the door for Wen Yunzhi. Wen Yunzhi exited the vehicle while talking on the phone, adjusting her skirt as she did so.
Su Tang hung up the phone and hurried downstairs, coincidentally encountering Shen Xing, who was on his way upstairs.
“Why are you coming down?” Shen Xing inquired.
“My aunt and her family happened to arrive for dinner,” Su Tang explained.
Following Su Tang’s gaze, Shen Xing noticed that Wen Yunzhi and her family had entered the restaurant. Not many people from the Xue family recognized them.
The restaurant manager promptly greeted them and extended a polite welcome, addressing them by their titles, “Mr. Xue, President Wen, Chairman Xue.”
Xue Wenxuan smiled and asked, “Is there a private room on the third floor?”
“We have one more available,” the manager replied with a smile. “I will take your their.”
At that moment, Su Tang and Shen Xing approached, and Xue Wenxuan suggested, “Then let’s go up together.”
As they were about to go together, the waiter hurried down. He was the one who had led Xia Wan and Fu Ling upstairs.
Half of his cheeks were red and swollen, bearing clear finger marks. When he saw the manager, he was about to speak, but upon noticing the guests behind him, he tightly pursed his lips.
“What’s happening?” Shen Xing asked, hearing some noise upstairs.
“There is commotion happening upstairs ” the waiter whispered, glancing discreetly at Xue Wenxuan and his group.
“Who is quarreling with whom?” Su Tang was taken aback. He suddenly had a bad feeling about it.
Shen Xing had a sinking feeling; he looked at Su Tang and said solemnly, “Qiu Qi is upstairs. Maybe he’s ran into Xia Wan.”
Indeed, Xia Wan and Fu Ling had encountered Qiu Qi, but Xia Yang was also present.
Since their last meeting, Xia Wan hadn’t seen Xia Yang again, and even Xia Chengzhang had been hospitalized for surgery, and there had been no interaction between the Xia and Qiu families.
Although no one explicitly stated it, everyone was aware that the relationship between the two families had deteriorated.
Coincidentally, as soon as they reached the third floor, Xia Yang followed Qiu and emerged from the bathroom together.
The first person to spot Xia Wan was Xia Yang. He was currently attending to Qiu Qi. The moment he saw Xia Wan, he couldn’t help but feel a headache and involuntarily paused.
But it was just a split-second delay, and Qiu Qi immediately sensed that something was amiss.
“Your brother,” Qiu Qi remarked, glancing at Xia Wan with a sarcastic tone.
“He’s not my little brother,” Xia Yang wiped the sweat from his forehead, “Our families haven’t had any contact in a long time. We had stopped talking to each other.”
“Speak of the devil,” Qiu Qi grinned, strolling over casually, and addressed lightly, “Xia Wan.”
“Who is this?” Fu Ling furrowed his brows as he observed Qiu Qi and Xia Yang approaching together. He had encountered rude people before, but these two took rudeness to a whole new level.
“Who are you?” Fu Ling stepped in front of Xia Wan. Since the other party was being rude, he decided to be even ruder, “Xia Wan, do you happen to know this person?”
Qiu Qi glanced at Fu Ling and couldn’t resist sneering, “Oh, look, Xia Wan has some fans with him. Why are you surrounded by dogs?”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” Fu Ling retorted sharply, “It seems like you’re the one surrounded by a pack of dogs. How fitting.”
Qiu Qi’s expression darkened. “Child, it’s none of your business. It’s not too late for you to back off you better step aside now.”
“Thanks for the advice,” Fu Ling exaggerated, “I’m really scared.”
“Fu Ling, let’s go,” Xia Wan urged, tugging at Fu Ling’s wrist, not wanting to engage in a futile argument with them.
There were two main reasons why Xia Wan didn’t want to talk to them. Firstly, two people on the other side, and neither of them was worth his time or affection.
Plus, Xia Wan had noticed someone secretly taking pictures of him in the corridor. He had become a minor internet celebrity, so he needed to be mindful of his image, especially since he represented a brand.
Seeing Xia Wan’s dismissive attitude Qiu Qi became anger.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Qiu Qi was furious about Xia Wan’s disregard for him. His family was well-off, and he had been pampered his whole life. While they weren’t at the very top of society, they were considered part of the upper echelon. Throughout his life, no one had dared to disrespect him.
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Before he could enjoy the joy of engagement, he was forced to wear a cuckold.
After that, he managed to settle the issue with the Huo family, but the damage had already been done, and the Huo family had made their stance clear.
However things didn’t stay same.
Soon after, Huo Lin was promptly arrested by the police for harassing Xia Wan, and this incident became widely known and even trended on social media, turning it into a national joke.
Qiu Qi had never felt so humiliated or aggrieved in his life.
Honest, he didn’t really care about Xia Wan’s relationship with Huo Yu, their love, or even the issues with the Huo family. What bothered him was being repeatedly made a laughingstock.
Qiu Qi glared at Xia Wan’s attractive face, which was now so close. With black hair, fair skin, beautiful facial features, and a sense of purity and innocence in his demeanor, Xia Wan was undoubtedly the type that most men found attractive.
However, Qiu Qi found this display of innocence to be insincere and repulsive.
Despite clearly coming from a humble background and not even being worthy to carry his shoes, he behaved as if he were superior and looked down on speaking to him.
Such pretentiousness only made Qiu Qi feel even more disgusted.
If someone with a higher social standing than him were to put on this act, he might find it easier to accept.
But it was Xia Wan.
New and old resentments surged within Qiu Qi, causing him to sneer and feel an overwhelming sense of malice.
“If this face is destroyed,” he thought maliciously, “then he should go back to the swamp that belongs to him and stop being disgusting, right?”
He took a step forward and impartially blocked Xia Wan’s path, standing in their way at the entrance of the stairs.
“Planning to leave? It’s not that simple,” he declared.
“What? I want to leave, and you think you can stop me?” Xia Wan retorted, his anger flaring.
“A well-trained dog won’t obstruct the way,” Fu Ling chimed in, equally furious.
“Master Qiu,” the waiter who had escorted Xia Wan’s group up the stairs nervously pleaded, “You’re an adult, can you consider our boss’s reputation and let this go? We can talk about it later.”
“What? Are you trying to use Shen Yan against me?” Qiu Qi asked the waiter with a half-smile and then called out, “Xia Yang?”
Upon hearing his name, Xia Yang stepped forward and struck the waiter’s face forcefully with his hand. The waiter was knocked to the side, and his once pale face bore five deep finger marks, a shocking sight.
“You actually hit someone?” Fu Ling exclaimed in shock.
Not just Fu Ling, but Xia Wan was equally astonished by this turn of events.
As the main character of the original book, Xia Wan was taken aback by Qiu Qi’s actions and didn’t expect him to stoop so low.
Seeing their shocked expressions, Qiu Qi lazily smiled and glanced at Xia Yang.
Xia Yang usually exuded arrogance and dominance, but in comparison to Qiu, his demeanor appeared feeble.
His resentment towards Xia Wan ran deep. It was Xia Wan’s influence that resulted in him losing the side project promised to him by Huo Lin. This loss only fueled his animosity towards Xia Wan even more.
It was precisely because of this that he had recently rushed over to please Qiu Qi.
He doesn’t know if his flattery has worked, as Huo Lin recently offered him the opportunity to invest in a new project.
Although he didn’t want to be manipulated, now was his chance to retaliate and vent his emotions. Naturally he would miss it.
He stepped forward, yanking Fu Ling away as forcefully as an eagle snatching its prey, and was on the verge of shoving Xia Wan behind.
Behind Xia Wan, there were stairs. Although they weren’t particularly high, there was a bend in the middle. Falling down would certainly result in discomfort.
Remaining composed, Xia Wan took a half step back, instinctively reaching out to grasp the railing for support. With a firm tone, he cautioned, “Xia Yang, if anything were to happen to me today and the authorities look into it, you’ll be held accountable.”
Qiu Qi, however, dismissed this, “Is calling the police all you can do?” He smiled, turning to Xia Yang. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”
With the sound of footsteps echoing downstairs, Xia Yang acted impulsively. Without much thought, he suddenly reached out and shoved Xia Wan on the shoulder.
Xia Wan swiftly dodged to the side, positioning himself next to the railing. Whether Xia Yang held back his hand deliberately or not, Xia Wan managed to evade the shove. Not only that, but he also retaliated by raising his leg and delivering a powerful kick to Xia Yang’s waist and groin.
Using brute force, Xia Wan’s kick sent Xia Yang stumbling back several steps, crashing hard into the corner wall.
“Wanwan, hurry downstairs, Xia Wan,” Fu Ling urged urgently.
Xia Wan swiftly turned around, but before he could take a step, he was forcefully pushed from behind.
However, rather than tumbling down the stairs, he found himself unexpectedly enveloped in a hug.
Xue Wenxuan embraced Xia Wan tightly and looked up at Qiu Qi with a cold smile on his, “Qiu Qi so irritated today?”
Qiu Qi was taken aback, feeling unfortunate that he had encountered someone from the Xue family. Before he could respond, he saw Wen Yunzhi and Xue Chong also ascending the stairs. Both of them wore displeased expressions, and their gaze fell upon Qiu Qi, sending a chill down his spine.
“Uncle Xue, Aunt Wen…” Qiu Qi stammered, attempting to force a smile, “What a coincidence.”
“It’s quite a coincidence,” Wen Yunzhi remarked indifferently, “I’ve heard about it a long time ago. The young master of the Qiu family has been raised to be arrogant, and today it seems that he is indeed living up to his reputation.”
While Wen Yunzhi was tough in business, she was usually gentle and kind to her juniors.
This was the first time Qiu Qi had seen her so merciless.
“Are you okay?” Xue Wenzuan inquired.
“I’m fine,” Xia Wan responded. He noticed that he was still in someone’s embrace and quickly stood up straight, saying, “Thank you, brother.”
When Xue Wenzuan referred to him as “brother,” it caused a flutter in his heart
“Come here Xia Wan,” Wen Yunzhi kindly extended her hand and suggested, “Let me see who dares to stop you.”
Xia Wan hesitated for a moment, then obediently extended his hand.
Holding his hand, Wen Yunzhi sensed a faint layer of sweat on his palm, and it filled her with concern. She couldn’t help but think of how different the situation might be if he was as Xue Wenke standing here instead of Xia Wan.
Wen Yunzhi was visibly angry and resentful.
“Mr. Qiu mentioned a project to me recently,” Wen Yunzhi took a few steps, paused, and spoke with a soft tone. “I believe we don’t need to consider it anymore.”
“Aunt Wen,” Qiu Qi panicked immediately upon hearing this, “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have played with Xia Wan. Please, be patient and don’t make hasty decisions about the project just because of our personal disagreements.”
No matter how oblivious he might be, Qiu Qi could see that Wen Yun She was fiercely protective of Xia Wan. Consequently, he didn’t dare utter another word, even if she wasn’t visibly angry.
“Child?” Wen Yunzhi’s smile was tinged with amusement. “Wanwan is still young and inexperienced, but what about you? How much older are you compared to him? You’re not much younger than Wenxuan. What kind of projects has Wenxuan undertaken? Do you have any understanding of them, being from the Qiu family?”
Qiu Qi felt a pang of discomfort at Wen Yunzhi’s pointed questions. He realized that she was indirectly questioning his capabilities and experience.
Despite feeling the urge to defend himself, he remained silent, knowing that arguing further would only exacerbate the situation.
Qiu Qi took a deep breath and turned to Xue Chong, saying, “Uncle Xue…”
Xue Chong was usually composed and more challenging to deal with than Wen Yunzhi. He rarely concerned himself with the younger generation, but this time it was his son Ake who had been bullied by Qiu Qi. How can he overlook it?
Xue Chong looked at Qiu Qi and spoke, “Let Old Qui take care of the child first, then we can discuss the project later.”
It wasn’t until a group of people had passed them that Qiu Qi snapped back to reality.
The way Xue Chong had looked at him earlier, outwardly calm but oddly menacing, left him feeling shaken and apprehensive.
The sense of unease lingered with him.
Qiu Qi swayed and, with Xia Yang’s help, regained his balance. He shook off Xia Yang’s hand, and unconsciously turned to watch the group of people as they moved further away.
“Wan Wan,” Wen Yunzhi held Xia Wan’s hand with concern, “Are you injured? Are you frightened?”
“No, Auntie,” Xia Wan smiled, “I even managed to kick him.”
“That capable?” Wen Yunzhi chuckled, looking him up and down.
“Thank you, Aunt and Brother,” Xia Wan expressed his gratitude with a smile and then turned to Xue Chong, saying, “Uncle, thank you too.”
“Your strength is incredible,” Su Tang couldn’t help but laugh, “Why do you always seem to run into the big bad wolf? If you keep going out, we might need to hire a bodyguard for you when you come out again.”
“No,” Xia Wan responded, “Huo Yu and I have never encountered these things together.”
He then turned to Wen Yunzhi and said, “Auntie, since we’ve run into each other, why don’t we have dinner together?”
Wen Yunzhi and Xue Chong exchanged glances, and finally, Xue Chong spoke, saying, “We have a reserved private room. You can continue with your plans. Talking about business wouldn’t be enjoyable for you.”
Xia Wan nodded and replied, “Sure, then next time, Huo Yu and I will invite my uncle and aunt for a meal to show our appreciation.”
He gazed at Xue Chong for a moment, he felt that this time, Xue Chong appeared more approachable for some reason.
“Alright,” Xue Chong and Wen Yunzhi smiled at each other and agreed.
The meal had taken up a significant amount of time, and Shen Xing had afternoon classes to attend. With this in mind, they quickly decided to part ways.
As they left, Wen Yunzhi and her family were still dining at the restaurant. They bid farewell, and Wen Yunzhi even walked them to the stairs before going back.
“Tangtang,” Fu Ling couldn’t help but praise as they got into the car, “Your aunt is so kind.”
“Isn’t she?” Su Tang said proudly. “How about it, would you like my aunt to be your mother-in-law?”
Fu Ling was about to laugh, but when he looked into the rearview mirror, he met Shen Xing’s scary eyes. He held back what he wanted to say.
Turning his attention to his phone, Fu Ling began browsing news about his idol.
Not long before, he stumbled upon a photo of Xue Wenzuan hugging Xia Wan tightly.
In the photo, Xue Wenxuan tightly embraced Xia Wan, enveloping him completely in his arms.
The headline of the photo was even more sensational: “Scandal Exposed: Future Leader of Xue Family Caught in Controversy.”
“Damn it!” Fu Ling couldn’t help but rebuke angrily, “These reporters really know how to jump to conclusions based on pictures.”
“What’s wrong?” Xia Wan and Su Tang looked over together.
Fu Ling scrolled down the page and felt puzzled: “Why doesn’t this report mention Qiu Qi’s bullying?”
“It was probably penned by the reporters Qiu Qi hired,” Shen Xing responded from the front seat. “And as for Qiu Qi’s influence, how could it compare to Brother Wenxuan’s?”
Xia Wan frowned and looked at Su Tang: “I don’t care, but I’m worried about your brother.”
Su Tang was equally baffled by the situation.
“My brother won’t mind,” he said to Xia Wan with a hint of sympathy, “But I’m more concerned about whether Huo Yu will be upset.”
“No,” Xia Wan reassured them with a smile, “Huo Yu trusts me completely.”
“It doesn’t matter whether Huo Yu believes it or not,” Su Tang stated with the wisdom of someone who’d been through this, “If a man isn’t jealous in a situation like this, there’s only one conclusion: he doesn’t love you.”
After Su Tang’s remark, Xia Wan spent the whole afternoon feeling somewhat distracted and checked his phone more often.
He hoped that Huo Yu would ask about the situation, but he also feared that he might not.
In reality, Huo Yu hadn’t even sent a single message. It was around five o’clock in the evening, just when Xia Wan had managed to regain his composure, that his phone rang.
“Come down,” Huo Yu’s voice came through the line, deep and tinged with indifference.
Xia Wan was taken aback and stuttered in response, “I….. coming.”
As he rushed to the school gate with his schoolbag, it struck him for the first time that he might have some feelings for Huo Yu.
He might like Huo Yu a little bit.
Xia Wan found himself in a dilemma. At least when he only desired Huo Yu’s body before, he wasn’t so restless and anxious.
Now, however, he realized he had developed deeper feelings for Huo Yu, he didn’t know exactly what he liked about Huo Yu, nor did he know how deeply he liked him.
Huo Yu had a volatile temper and a sharp tongue. He had to be coaxed all day long…
In theory, Xia Wan shouldn’t like this type of person.
Soon the image of Huo Yu bending towards Xia Chengzhang with warmth and care under the setting sun was tenderly etched into his heart.
He had to acknowledge, despite all the cons he seemed to like Huo Yu more than he wanted to admit.
T/N
I really thought I would be uploading it next week but once I translated this chapter I couldn’t help sharing it with you all. After all, this is the first time Xia Wan has acknowledged his feelings for Huo Yu.
💖
No, jealousy isn’t determinant of love! If parnters love each other they trust each other and don’t make a drama about something like that after talking (but small amount of jelly is ok!)
Thank You for the new chapter ♡〜٩( ╹▿╹ )۶〜♡ You are working extra hard and we appriceate it ❤
Thank you for the chapter!
по моему мнению зависть это всегда плохо
Спасибо за перевод ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️ ♥️♥️♥️
Jealous is always bad in my opinion
Thank you for your translation ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
Thanks for the chapter 😍
I just want them to be homest with each other feeling and no more misunderstanding.
Thank you so much for the update, highly appreciated and fighting.💚💚
Thank you for the hard work…. Can’t wait for the next one…
I’m confused.
When Mama Wen was reprimanding Qiu Qi, she said something about book collection. I think it was a direct translation for a name. But I can’t figure it out 😣
?
This is the passage:
[ But what about you? Are you older than him? Not much younger than the book collection, what does the book collection do? For a project like this, your Qiu family surely has some considerations, right? ]
Corrected. Thanks for pointing out. Actually, the name has been autocorrected by word.
+1 ❤️
Naah, too much jealousy just indicates a lack of trust for your partner not love imo. It depends on the person as well, some partners may love you to the moon and back but still never get jealous
Auuuuwww, I kinda want fu ling ends up with xue wenzuan more than shen xing
I was so excited that he finally realized and hit my thighs too hard, now it hurts.
is Su Tang trying to drive a wedge between the not-yet-true-couple?