Translated by Eve

Edited by Kara

A heavy snowstorm took over the skies. The Capital welcomed its first snowfall.

Song Xuanhe was woken up by his alarm clock this morning. Upon raising his head, his eyes were blinded by the white light s.h.i.+ning in through his windows, forcing his eyelids to close again. Without any qualms, he fell back asleep.

The second time, he was woken up by Xiao Yuanmu's voice. “If you're tired, let's skip the birthday banquet at noon.”

Typically speaking, with how soundly Song Xuanhe tended to sleep, a quiet voice like Xiao Yuanmu's that wasn't a customized alarm sound would rarely be able to wake him. However, Xiao Yuanmu's cold voice caused his eyes to immediately snap open. He even skipped over his usual habit of lazing in bed, mind blank, and instead, sat up in a flash. His face was flushed from sleep, and he was still in a bit of a daze. However, his voice was determined. “We have to go.”

Xiao Yuanmu didn't speak. Er Gou, who had been very fl.u.s.tered but hadn't dared to wake Song Xuanhe because he was still deeply affected by Song Xuanhe's scolding in the past, sighed, sounding moved, 【I didn't think that you would be so serious in helping the big shot go back to his family, brother! I'm so moved!】

The System's voice had always been very loud. As it echoed through his mind, although it hadn't come in through his ears, Song Xuanhe still felt like his ears hurt. It immediately knocked him out of his daze.

It had been a really long time since he had heard this boorish, northern accent. However, Song Xuanhe didn't miss it at all.

Just a moment ago, Xiao Yuanmu could still see that Song Xuanhe had still been in a befuddled state. He hadn't expected for the other to so suddenly snap out of it. He couldn't help but smile. However, that smile disappeared very quickly.

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Song Xuanhe didn't notice Xiao Yuanmu's expression, because it was already ten o'clock. While the birthday banquet was set to start at noon, out of politeness, practically everyone would arrive at the venue around eleven. Even if there was no traffic, it would still take at least thirty minutes to get to the hotel where the banquet was being held from the apartment. If there was traffic, the commute would become indefinitely longer. Therefore, he rushed out of bed to wash up and change before setting out.

By the time Song Xuanhe had finished his shower and had walked out of his bathroom, Xiao Yuanmu had already disappeared. Song Xuanhe hurried to change into his prepared suit and then headed downstairs with his coat in hand.

Xiao Yuanmu was currently chatting on the phone while leaning against the window. His gaze was downcast, and the look in his eyes was that of indifference. He was wearing a form-fitting dark grey suit, which highlighted his wide shoulders and long legs. Although he was just casually leaning against the window, he gave off a formidable aura. However, the tan jacket draped over his arm subdued this aura a bit, making him appear both mature and self-restrained.

Song Xuanhe raised a brow. This was to be expected from an outfit he had tailored to Xiao Yuanmu's measurements. No matter how you looked at him, he looked good. The most important part, however, was that his tailoring skills hadn't diminished despite how long he had been out of practice. If his teacher could have seen this, he'd definitely feel very gratified.

Noticing Song Xuanhe's arrival, Xiao Yuanmu hung up the phone after bidding goodbye to the other party. His gaze fell onto the other's coat that was in the same style as his own. He then put on his own coat.

Song Xuanhe spoke up while putting on his shoes. “I've noticed that you've been on the phone a lot more these days. Are they all calls from Yang Jie?”

“Mn.” Xiao Yuanmu walked over to him and gave a quiet sound of affirmation.

“Yang Jie speaks to you in English?” Song Xuanhe asked.

Xiao Yuanmu remained calm and unruffled. “He's been helping with his company's expansion in America. He asked me to help him practice English.”

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Song Xuanhe was in a rush to leave, so he just rolled his eyes at this answer and then hurried over to press the elevator's b.u.t.ton. After heading into the elevator though, he glanced at Xiao Yuanmu, who was half a head taller than him, from the corner of his eye. “Tell me the truth, are you planning on quitting?”

Xiao Yuanmu looked down at him. “Why do you ask that?”

“No reason.” The elevator reached the parking lot, and Song Xuanhe ended their conversation with a perfunctory statement.

There luckily wasn't any traffic, so the two of them arrived at the venue on time.

Wei Chen, who was receiving guests at the entrance, raised a brow upon seeing the two of them in their matching coats. His lips curled into a smile. “You didn't tell me whether you were going to come or not when I had given you the invitation. I hadn't thought you'd really show up.”

Song Xuanhe beamed at him. “How could I not come when Wei

shao

so badly wants me to come? Besides, Old Mr. Wei's birthday banquet is an event that many people can't attend even if they wished they could. Even if I didn't want to give you any face, I should show Old Mr. Wei some respect.”

Wei Chen was still thinking about the image of Song Xuanhe waving his claws and making Song Guochao speechless at the Song Group company. He hadn't expected for the other to make him his new target so quickly. Wei Chen's eyebrows lifted slightly. His unruly nature that had been suppressed by the mature, steady facade created by his formal attire began to leak out. “Your Song Family is definitely showing him a lot of respect. Mr. and Mrs. Song arrived before you.”

The smile on Song Xuanhe's face didn't change. “If there's nothing else, we'll head in first.”

Wei Chen nodded. After Song Xuanhe had taken a step, Wei Chen seemed to suddenly recall something. He said, “Right, a Miss Song also asked me when you would arrive. I had told her that you'd probably come soon. She's probably waiting for you in the lobby. Don't miss her.”

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Song Xuanhe didn't stop walking and continued to head inside.

Xiao Yuanmu hadn't spoken since they had entered the hotel. When he pa.s.sed by Wei Chen, he nodded his head coolly. The smile on Wei Chen's face didn't change, and he nodded politely in response. After their gazes had met, they both looked away at the same time as if they were nothing but strangers who rarely met. There were no emotions in their eyes.

One had to pa.s.s through the guest lobby to get to the banquet hall. Song Xuanhe and Xiao Yuanmu walked side-by-side, their gazes focused in front of them as if they didn't notice the other people sitting in the lobby. However, the people sitting there clearly noticed them—or rather, noticed Song Xuanhe.

Song Jiani stood up at once, her high heels clacking against the floor. She called out, “Xuanhe

gege

.”

Xiao Yuanmu looked down at him, and Song Xuanhe's steps paused. He subconsciously looked up to meet Xiao Yuanmu's gaze. He then looked away, feeling a bit guilty.

“Xuanhe

gege

.” Song Jiani walked over to Song Xuanhe and said in a lovable tone, “I waited so long for you. Uncle and Auntie said that you probably wouldn't come. It's good that I thought to ask Wei

shao

.”

“What do you want from me?” Although Song Xuanhe's voice was cold, there wasn't his usual impatience.

Song Jiani's eyes lit up, and her smile widened. “Right, it's been a long time since….”

As she spoke, she glanced at Xiao Yuanmu, who was next to Song Xuanhe. Disgust flashed through her eyes, and she changed her words. “Lu Chao is looking for you. He hasn't been able to reach you lately, so he asked me to talk to you. He wants to meet with you.”

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“Lu Chao?” Song Xuanhe frowned. “What does he want?”

There was still half a year until “Song Xuanhe” was supposed to be enticed into doing drugs. Furthermore, Lu Chao had stopped showing up in front of him since that time at the pool party. Back then, he had humiliated Lu Chao publicly and had thrown him into the water. Those who were well-informed all knew that he and Lu Chao had fallen out. The people who had wanted to cling onto him, and therefore the Song Family by extension, through Lu Chao had naturally acted in accordance to this news.

The Lu Family's business had suddenly shrunk to a third of what it once had been after the pool party fiasco. Right now, they were just barely managing to avoid bankruptcy. In less than three months, the Lu Family had nearly fallen to ruins.

All of this was because Lu Chao had fallen in rank: from being Song

shaoye

's friend to Song

shaoye

's abandoned dog.

“The Lu Family…” Song Jiani naturally knew why Lu Chao's family had suffered. Actually, this was all because of her. However, although her family was relatively well off, she didn't have the power to help Lu Chao. Moreover, she didn't want Song Xuanhe to hate her even more over him.

Song Jiani couldn't continue her sentence. She bit down on her lip and then cast her gaze down.

“What about the Lu Family?” Song Xuanhe acted like he didn't know.

“Something has happened with the Lu Family.” Song Jiani pinched a corner of her dress and said, “So, Lu Chao wants to meet with you.”

“What does the Lu Family being in trouble have to do with me?” Song Xuanhe raised a brow, looking confused.

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Song Jiani chewed on her lip. She didn't know what to say. Actually, the reason she had decided to speak up for Lu Chao was only because she had wanted an excuse to talk to Song Xuanhe.

“If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave.” Song Xuanhe glanced at the helpless-looking Song Jiani, nodded to her indifferently, and then pushed the doors to the banquet hall open.

It was already eleven twenty. Although the banquet hall was huge, and the division of s.p.a.ce was very obvious, there was about two hundred square metres of empty s.p.a.ce from the door. There were simple, unadorned, tasteful tables and chairs set against the walls as well as simple drinks laid out on top of them. There was room for people to rest and socialize. Further into the room, there was a small arched door. That door led to where they would be dining during the birthday lunch.

Currently, the guests were all outside. The majority of the people in the centre of the hall were immaculately dressed in Western formal wear, drinking and socializing in quiet voices. There were also middle-aged and elderly men dressed in Chinese tunic suits sitting by the tables on the side. Most of them seemed very imposing and would only chat with those near them. It was just that the gazes of the majority of those in the centre of the room would flicker towards them. It seemed like they wanted to speak to those dignified men.

Song Xuanhe more-or-less got a good read on the room after sweeping his gaze over the venue once. However, his eyes didn't stop moving despite that. The Xiao Family would definitely send someone to attend Old Mr. Wei's birthday banquet. It was just that he didn't know who this person would be, let alone whether that person would be able to recognize Xiao Yuanmu.

In the book, Xiao Yuanmu's biological parents had recognized him at first glance. Since they had been able to recognize him so easily, this meant that Xiao Yuanmu shared a strong resemblance with the other members of the Xiao Family. Or at the very least, he was very similar to a certain member of the Xiao Family. Therefore, it was reasonable to a.s.sume that the probability of Xiao Yuanmu being recognized by members of the Xiao Family was very high.

Upon seeing Song Xuanhe constantly scour the room with his gaze as if he was looking for someone, Xiao Yuanmu linked this to the undisguised look of antic.i.p.ation that had appeared on Song Xuanhe's face every time the Wei Family's banquet had been mentioned. The light in Xiao Yuanmu's eyes flickered slightly, and he quietly observed Song Xuanhe's expression.

But, Song Xuanhe's expression didn't change even as he scanned the room several times. This was because he didn't know which Xiao Family member would come. Not even the System could recognize them.

Song Xuanhe cursed the System for being useless. The System, however, didn't feel ashamed at all. 【The Xiao Family member here today isn't someone who appears in the plot. How would I have information on him?】

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He didn't have a specific target, so Song Xuanhe could only give up his search. As soon as Xiao Yuanmu had entered the room, there had been many gazes on him. Furthermore, considering how much he stuck out of the crowd, as long as the Xiao Family member was present, they'd notice him soon.

Therefore, there was no reason he had to search for them.

When Xiao Yuanmu noticed that Song Xuanhe had quit his search, he asked in a flat tone, “Who are you looking for?”

“Song Guochao, ah.” Song Xuanhe lied without batting an eye. “I'm dreading having to see him. Might as well find somewhere good to hide. Besides, if he sees that I've brought you, he'll probably point at your face and curse you.”

Song Xuanhe didn't feel any guilt while tarnis.h.i.+ng Song Guochao's reputation in front of this future big shot.

Xiao Yuanmu's suspicions dwindled upon hearing this, because Song Guochao and his wife really weren't here in the hall. It was to be expected that Song Xuanhe would spend a bit more time searching if he was looking for them.

“When Song Guochao comes over, he'll definitely tell me to go pay respects to Old Mr. Wei with them. At that time, you should go around him.” Song Xuanhe continued to make the other sound bad, “Otherwise, if he catches you, although he won't say much here, because we're in public, and he values his reputation, he might use this as an excuse to make trouble for you at work.”

Xiao Yuanmu didn't care about this. He replied in a flat tone, “He has nothing to do with my department. He won't be able to cause me any trouble.”

“He can.” Song Xuanhe furrowed his brows at him as if he was looking at an innocent little lamb. “He's Song Guochao. Song Group's Chairman of the Board is his father. And, you're saying that he won't be able to cause you trouble? As long as he finds you an irksome presence, he'll have a myriad of ways to teach you a lesson.”

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Xiao Yuanmu didn't reply. Song Xuanhe continued, “You're being oppressed by the Song Family, because you're dating me and especially because you work for our company. Before, Song Guochao hadn't done much to you, because he thought I was just playing with you. But when he sees how I've brought you to such an important banquet, alarm bells will definitely start to ring in his head. He'll think that I'm serious about you. He'll even think that I might marry you in the future. When that happens, he will certainly try to think up ways to break us up. However, he can't do anything to me. Therefore, won't he try to vent his anger on you?”

Xiao Yuanmu lowered his gaze, his serene eyes darkening slowly. His tone was dark and unreadable. “Will you?”

Song Xuanhe was taken aback by Xiao Yuanmu's gaze. He didn't know how to react. “Will I what?”

Xiao Yuanmu s.h.i.+fted his gaze, the corner of his lips rising slightly. He said, “So, you had been pursuing me with intentions of marrying me from the start.”

Song Xuanhe finally reacted. He thought back to the nonsense he had been spouting while attempting to help Xiao Yuanmu avoid getting into an awkward situation. He licked the corner of his lips and was just about to explain himself when he saw Xiao Yuanmu turn to look at him again. The darkness had dissipated from the other's eyes. They had become clear and tranquil. It was just that there was now something else hidden in the depths of those eyes.

But before Song Xuanhe could think too much of it, he heard the other continue, “So, you were lying to me when you had said that you had

erectile dysfunction?”

Song Xuanhe had no clue how things had taken such a drastic turn. He was about to speak when Xiao Yuanmu once again beat him to the chase. “You're just unwilling to do it before marriage.”

Turned out, he could've just used this as an excuse!

When he heard Xiao Yuanmu say this, Song Xuanhe was nearly incapable of concealing his joy as this realization dawned upon him.

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To not want to do it before marriage…wasn't this the best excuse to use? It was the least likely to cause trouble for him in the future. Why hadn't he thought of this before?

Song Xuanhe realized the advantages of “admitting” to this at once. His acting skills came out full blast. He furrowed his brows and then turned his face away, eyes lowering as he pursed his lips slightly. It looked just like he was feeling guilty and was unwilling to admit to it after having been exposed.

A few seconds later, he spoke in an awkward voice, “Although few people care in this day and age, my family is pretty traditional.”

Xiao Yuanmu's gaze fell on the other's slightly trembling eyelashes. Based on the other's performance, it seemed like he was telling the truth. However, Song Xuanhe's eyes were lowered, so Xiao Yuanmu couldn't see his eyes. It was very difficult to tell whether or not he was being honest.

“Do you think I'm too old-fas.h.i.+oned?” When Song Xuanhe didn't hear Xiao Yuanmu respond, his tone became harsh as he “flew into a rage out of humiliation”: “If you can't accept it, then we….”

Before Song Xuanhe could finish speaking, his chin was forcibly raised. When his eyes met with Xiao Yuanmu's, he subconsciously wanted to look away out of guilt. However, he forced himself to endure it. He continued to stare into the other's eyes righteously. He even frowned and said, “Let go of me. If you can't accept it, just forget about it.”

Xiao Yuanmu let go as he had wished. This was because he had retrospectively remembered how good this person was in hiding his emotions when he met with Song Xuanhe's eyes.

Since he wouldn't be able to tell whether he was being honest or not, things wouldn't change no matter what he said. In any case, he wasn't actually all that curious as to what the answer was.

Because their appearances were too eye-catching, their interactions had drawn the gazes of many since a while ago. When they had seen Xiao Yuanmu raise Song Xuanhe's chin, a young lady in a short dress had even covered her face. “They look so good together. It's so sweet!”

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Another girl beside her felt regretful. “It's just a pity that they didn't kiss.”

The expression of Song Guochao, who had been pa.s.sing by them as they chattered, became ashen. But, he still forced out a smile as he greeted the other guests on his way over. He felt like he would go crazy from how drastically different his outward appearance was to his feelings.

Therefore, when he had finally reached Song Xuanhe, he couldn't hide his disgust for Xiao Yuanmu. He didn't even glance at him. Instead, he simply glared at Song Xuanhe and then looked at Li Nianan as if he was unwilling to speak to Song Xuanhe.

Li Nianan didn't mind. She first smiled at Xiao Yuanmu and then spoke to Song Xuanhe in a gentle tone. “Why didn't you tell Mom you were going to come? If you had told Mom, I would have prepared a suit for you. We were about to go say hi to Old Mr. Wei. Come with us.”

It was expected that a family would go greet the banquet host together. Since he had come, Song Xuanhe naturally would not refuse to do this, especially because it had been Li Nianan to suggest it.

In front of Song Guochao, Song Xuanhe pulled on Xiao Yuanmu's hand and said to him, “I'm going to head over there for a bit. Wait for me here.”

When he heard Song Xuanhe speak to him in an unprecedentedly gentle tone, a strange light flickered through Xiao Yuanmu's eyes. He then nodded his head in agreement.

Li Nianan had only attended this banquet with Song Guochao to show outsiders that the Li Family and Song Family were still getting along. Now that Song Xuanhe was present, Li Nianan naturally let go of Song Guochao and looped her arms around Song Xuanhe's. “He

bao

, you haven't come home in a few days. You look thinner.”

Song Xuanhe, who had never had an older family member show concern for him like this, didn't know that all mothers would always feel like their sons had gotten thinner after having not seen them for a few days. Therefore, he touched his face in surprise and honestly said, “I don't think I've lost weight. I weighed myself recently. I gained two and a half pounds.”

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Li Nianan carefully examined his face and sighed. “No, you really look like you've lost weight. It's probably because you haven't been able to eat at home, so you've been starving.”

Song Xuanhe: “Xiao Yuanmu is a really good cook. I eat a lot every day.”

“Then, maybe it's because you're not getting enough nutrition from his meals,” Li Nianan insisted, “Come home soon. Mom will help you make up for the lack of nutrients.”

If Song Xuanhe still didn't understand what Li Nianan was really hinting at here, he'd be a real idiot. But even though he had understood what she meant, he still didn't know how to respond.

“What's wrong?” When Li Nianan didn't hear a response, she looked at him, displeased. “I just want you to come home for a meal. Will it get in the way of your love life?”

“Of course not.” Song Xuanhe smiled. “I'll come home to eat with you sometime during the next few days when I'm free.”

Song Guochao was silent and had an icy expression on the whole way to Old Mr. Wei's lounge on the second floor.

However, as soon as the door to the lounge had opened, a smile immediately graced his face. He said, “Old sir, may your happiness be as immense as the East Sea.”

The lounge was huge. There was quite a number of elderly people sitting inside, including Old Mr. Wei. When he heard Song Guochao's blessing, he nodded. “Thank you for your kindness.”

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Song Guochao smiled and continued to give his good wishes. Old Mr. Wei had already gone through this with other guests and had already gotten used to hearing all sorts of good wishes. Therefore, the faint smile on his face didn't change. He looked very kind.

Song Xuanhe simply stood on the side, arm around Li Nianan. He couldn't help but sincerely sigh upon hearing Song Guochao continually give Old Mr. Wei his blessings without ever repeating one. He thought that Song Guochao really wasn't meant to go into business. With this kind of wit, a profession in comedy suited him much better.

Song Guochao still hadn't finished speaking yet when someone knocked on the door. Old Mr. Wei quietly told the person outside to come in. Song Guochao also tactfully stopped speaking.

The person outside didn't say anything and directly walked in. When he pa.s.sed Song Xuanhe, he paused and said, “I didn't see you downstairs earlier. Turns out you were here.”

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When he had heard Wei Chen speak to the other in a rather familiar voice, Old Mr. Wei, who had had a perpetual faint smile on, suddenly looked up in surprise. He looked at Song Xuanhe and Li Nianan, who were standing in the back.

Song Xuanhe had everyone's curious gazes on him as well as Song Guochao's extremely shocked gaze. He smiled slightly and said, “I came to congratulate Old Mr. Wei for his longevity.”

Afterwards, he cast a polite gaze in Old Mr. Wei's direction. He bent down into a slight bow and said, “Old Mr. Wei, Mother and I hope that you always s.h.i.+ne as brightly as the sun and moon and that you are ever-young like the red-crowned crane and pine tree.”

Very few people knew that Old Mr. Wei's favourite plant was the pine tree and that his favourite animal was the crane. Song Xuanhe's good wishes had precisely aligned with his tastes. Furthermore, Song Xuanhe had spoken with an easy-mannered, steady att.i.tude. Altogether, this caused Old Mr. Wei to show a rare fondness for him. He smiled and replied, “Since you're Wei Chen's friend, just call me Grandpa Wei. There's no need to be so distant.”

Song Xuanhe complied. “Grandpa Wei.”

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Most of the people sitting here knew of the Old Mister's tastes. Although they were a bit surprised that he had taken a liking to this young man, it was just for a moment. After all, they all knew that Wei Chen, this youngster, had a cold personality and few friends. It was rare for him to have a friend outside of his usual few. Therefore, it was only to be expected that Old Wei would treat him more kindly.

Meanwhile, Song Guochao's eyes had widened in shock. You could count on one's fingers how many people in the Capital around his age were allowed to call Old Mr. Wei, “Uncle Wei.” Likewise, there were just as few people in Song Xuanhe's age group who could call him, “Grandpa Wei.”

He hadn't expected that Song Xuanhe would enter Old Mr. Wei's eyes in their first meeting. Moreover, he hadn't expected Song Xuanhe to be on good terms with Wei Chen, the Wei Family's only legitimate grandson.

Song Guochao wasn't sure how he felt about this. Song Xuanhe was his son. Even though they didn't have a good relations.h.i.+p, if other people knew that Song Xuanhe had won Old Mr. Wei's favour, his own position would rise up. It was just that, if Song Xuanhe had this kind of support and Old Mr. Song's support to boot, it would be even more difficult to predict whether the Song Family would be handed over to Song Xuanlin or Song Xuanhe.

When he recalled how he had inadvertently found out that Song Xuanlin and Wei Chen had a sort of friendly relation, Song Guochao sighed in relief inwardly. Perhaps Wei Chen looked at Song Xuanhe favourably because his relations.h.i.+p with Song Xuanlin was good. That might be why he was giving Song Xuanhe some face.

The author has something to say:

Truth or false:

Song Xuanlin: I'm not a bad person.

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Song Guochao: I won't go die so easily.

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Song Yansong: I have already decided on my successor.

Song Jiani: Even if I die, I won't give up on Xuanhe gege.

Xiao Yuanmu: I will never fall in love with anyone.

Wei Chen: I think that Song Xuanhe is a bit interesting.

Six questions, full score is sixty points. What do you guys think?

Eve: LOL SXH keeps digging his own grave. Sometimes I wonder if this boy processes the things he says. And SGC, dream on. WC def doesn't look at SXH differently because of his brother.