ATIBESLM 28

Fei Qiang was deeply grateful for the presence of Ye Fengmian in his life.

After Ye Fengmian passed away, he had also regretted it countless times; if only he had managed to be as shameless as Jiang Hui, Ye Fengmian would never even have had the chance to touch her.

“Fei Qiang, I will definitely go before you and Jiang Hui. If I do go, look after Jiang Hui for me, will you?”

“Uncle Mian, what are you talking about?”

Who would have thought that Ye Fengmian really would leave before Fei Qiang? Although it was a given since he was more than a decade older than Fei Qiang—he left because of a car accident. In his forties, so young, dying in a cold operating room.

Fei Qiang was the first to arrive at the hospital. He was thinking that no matter what, he had to see him one last time—see his Uncle Mian one last time. Just as he reached the operating room door, panting heavily, the gurney was pushed out from inside. The reason one couldn’t tell who was on it was because they were covered by a white cloth.

“I’m sorry, we did our best.”

Thirty-year-old Fei Qiang’s eyes flooded with red streaks. “Are you people filming a TV drama? Where is my Uncle Mian?”

Fei Qiang closed his eyes, pulling himself out of the memory. So many years had passed, but he still remembered it so clearly—the heart-wrenching wails of the Ye family filling the corridor, Ye Zumin fainting in the hallway, and the younger generation of the Ye family immediately beginning their power struggle, attempting to carve up everything Ye Fengmian held in his hands.

As for those few children? They were of no concern to them.

“Let’s go,” Fei Qiang said softly.

“President Fei, that student looks just like President Ye did back in the day.” The assistant had been by Fei Qiang’s side throughout his career and knew the depth of the sentiments between the two men all too well. Just now, when he followed Fei Qiang’s gaze and saw the boy sitting on the flowerbed, he was also startled.

The resemblance… it was truly uncanny!

Fei Qiang chuckled lightly. “Uncle Mian’s son—how could he not look like him?”

“President Ye’s son?” Special Assistant Yao exclaimed in surprise, “Time passes too quickly. Ye San is already this big.”

After speaking, Special Assistant Yao paused for a moment and asked hesitantly, “You haven’t seen him in so many years, do you still remember what Ye San looked like?”

Ever since President Fei took Jiang Hui into his home, it was tantamount to completely burning bridges¹Literally “Tearing the face.” It means an open rupture in a relationship where all pretense of politeness is dropped. with the Ye family. The two families now, aside from discussing business, wouldn’t exchange a single unnecessary word. No one could replace the place Ye Fengmian held in Ye Zumin’s heart.

Fei Qiang slowly opened his eyes. “I remember. How could I not remember?”

He remembered everything related to Ye Fengmian.

Including his promise to Ye Fengmian. He took excellent care of Jiang Hui, but he truly had no interest in a fifty-year-old woman, even if she had maintained her youth like a girl of sixteen.

Special Assistant Yao sighed and said, “I’m going to say this, and please don’t get angry. You really should make things clear with Ms. Jiang. You treat her this well solely because of your promise to President Ye. Besides, you’ve ended up saddled with an extra son for no reason…”

He had never seen someone so eager to rush into wearing a green hat. In this world, one could probably only find someone like his President Fei.

Special Assistant Yao continued, “President Fei, I know you go along with Ms. Jiang in everything. Whatever she wants, you give—including her whim to hear the young master call her ‘Mother.’ You didn’t love President Ai, but the young master is your son.”

He had wanted to say this for a long time, so he seized the opportunity to let it all out.

“Enough,” Fei Qiang said indifferently.

Special Assistant Yao shut his mouth immediately.

He knew that President Fei was unwilling to offer extra explanations or say much about anything related to President Ye. That was a matter belonging strictly between the two of them, and he would not explain it to anyone.

The scenery outside the window, illuminated by the golden sunlight, shimmered into a haze. Fei Qiang recalled that not long after Jiang Hui had come under his care, she had rushed into his study, eyes red-rimmed. “Fei Qiang, I’m pregnant.”

“So what?” Fei Qiang was not surprised in the slightest. He had known long ago that a woman like Jiang Hui couldn’t keep to herself.

“I’m going to give birth to him. You will say this child is yours. I don’t seek a single thing from the Fei family; I only want you to stay by my side and accompany me forever.”

Fei Qiang turned a page of the document. “Give me a reason.”

Jiang Hui acted as if she were conducting a negotiation. She curved her lips into a smile. “You wouldn’t let Fengmian be subjected to gossip and finger-pointing after his death.”

The study was silent. After a long while, Jiang Hui received the answer she wanted.

As she turned to leave the study, every strand of Jiang Hui’s hair radiated delight. She knew that the men of the Fei family had always been ruthless and cold, yet deeply devoted. Look, isn’t Fei Qiang exactly that?

His son, Fei Lan, is the same. For Ai Shu’s sake, he could ascend to the clouds in a single morning or descend into hell in a single second.

—

Ye Lingwei was focused intently on waiting for Ye Cen. Naturally, he didn’t notice the car that stopped at the school gate for less than two minutes. When Ye Cen walked over, he didn’t move from his seat. He simply tilted his head up and called out, “Da-ge.”

Ye Cen looked at Ye Lingwei for a moment and asked, “Do you really like Fei Lan?”

Without a second thought, Ye Lingwei said, “I like him.”

Ye Cen: “…”

Seeing that Ye Cen remained silent, Xu Mei anxiously stepped forward. “How can you like Fei Lan? You know the current state of the Ye and Fei families—on the surface, we coexist peacefully, but underneath, we are like fire and water. Even as we negotiate business and sign contracts, we’re itching to tear chunks of flesh off one another.”

“You weren’t in the same middle school as Fei Lan, so you wouldn’t know. Let me tell you—do you have any idea how huge of an impact the death of Fei Lan’s mother had on him?” Even in her haste, Xu Mei didn’t forget to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “My cousin went to middle school with him. Back then, on the surface, Fei Lan was on top of his grade, held in the palms of the teachers’ hands. Yet in private? He was brawling constantly. There wasn’t a single person who wasn’t afraid of him.”

“You could have liked anyone else, so why did it have to be him?” Xu Mei’s tone grew sterner. She was genuinely worried that Ye Lingwei was being deceived by Fei Lan. At the same time, she truly believed that the like Ye Lingwei spoke of was that kind of like.

Ye Lingwei: “…”

“We’re just hanging out together, that’s all,” Ye Lingwei explained nonchalantly. “Da-ge, didn’t you say you didn’t care whether I lived or died?”

Ye Cen watched as the boy turned his face away. His tone was indifferent, completely different from the timidity of his childhood.

“I have a heart condition, yet Da-ge dumped me at school without a single care.” Ye Lingwei lifted his eyes and smiled. “What if I died?”

Ye Cen frowned slightly.

“Da-ge, if I died, would you be sad about it?”

“I’m surprised you came to school today, but I didn’t look forward to your coming at all.” Ye Lingwei said with a smile, his voice like a soft sword, “Whether you come or not, what difference does it make? You probably didn’t even know which classroom I was in until Xu Mei-jiejie told you.”

Xu Mei froze for a moment. Xu Mei-jiejie… Ooh, Ye San is such a sweet talker, she loved it.

She took the chance to glance at President Ye, and finding his face as cold as ice, she hid her surprise and reverted to being a model assistant.

“Da-ge, since you hate me, stop putting on a show. Where I die, where I rot—why do you bother caring so much?” Ye Lingwei said softly, the weight of every word capable of smashing a person until they were black and blue.

Saying such words while wearing an expression of such fragility, Ye Cen’s hand trembled. He wanted to reach out and ruffle the boy’s soft hair, but he hesitated.

“Da-ge, that Ye Lingwei whom you treated with cold indifference, the one you dumped at school and ignored, he has been dead for some time now,” Ye Lingwei murmured, yet Ye Cen heard every word with crystal clarity.

Ye Lingwei was speaking the truth. However, to Ye Cen’s ears, it signified a declaration—Ye Lingwei was no longer the Ye Lingwei of the past.

Ye Cen remained silent for a long time, his expression unreadable. After a long, long while, he tossed out the phrase look out for yourself, and turned to leave.

Xu Mei hurriedly followed him. Ye Cen’s pace was noticeably fast, and she struggled to keep up in her high heels. After getting into the car, Xu Mei was just about to speak when she saw Ye Cen take a white medicine bottle from a bag nearby.

Xu Mei watched Ye Cen take the medicine and frowned, saying, “President Ye, you really should make time to go see a doctor.”

Ye Cen’s body was clearly operating beyond its limits. Having shouldered the burden of the Ye family since he was sixteen, he knew what the city of Shencheng looked like at every single hour of the day.

“There’s no rush,” Ye Cen said in a flat tone.

Xu Mei sighed and didn’t press the issue any further.

Ye Cen’s mind was filled entirely with the image of Ye Lingwei saying those words—his expression, his tone. In that moment, he had felt not a shred of annoyance but instead, what arose simultaneously was a sensation of his heart being tightly gripped and his blood vessels being tugged at—a pain that radiated through his entire body.

He recalled that period during Ye Lingwei’s childhood when he was still quite lively. Ye Xuan hated him, and since Ye Lingwei couldn’t play overly strenuous games, he could only stay at home watching cartoons, playing with dolls, or stacking building blocks. There were only two things he looked forward to every day:

Big brother coming home from the company.

Second brother coming home from school.

Ye Cen was busy back then, often returning in the dead of night, so Ye Lingwei rarely managed to wait for him. During those rare times when Ye Cen had a moment to rest, he would see Ye Lingwei clutching a toy, running along behind Ye Xuan’s heels.

“Er-ge, Er-ge, wait for me.” When Ye Lingwei spoke, his voice was milky and childish.

Ye Xuan never paid him any mind. Sometimes, when he was thoroughly annoyed, he would even shove Ye Lingwei. “Get out of the way, don’t follow me! It’s all your fault that Mom and Dad died.”

Ye Lingwei simply couldn’t understand those words at all.

On Ye Cen’s twentieth birthday, Ye Lingwei was only three years old. However, he stubbornly waited until Ye Cen returned from the company. He rolled off the sofa, hugged the small cake from the coffee table, then stumbled and crawled all the way behind Ye Cen. “Da-ge, Da-ge… Birthday… Cake… Cake… Happy.”

Ye Cen stood on the stairs, looking down at Ye Lingwei with an indifferent expression. “Go back to sleep.”

Ye Cen was sixteen years older than Ye Lingwei. In the eyes of the tiny Ye Lingwei back then, Ye Cen was equivalent to a father figure. No matter how cold Ye Cen was, Ye Lingwei couldn’t help but want to be close to him.

After all, he was his big brother.

However, Ye Lingwei was only well-behaved in front of Ye Cen and Ye Xuan. The Ye family was wealthy and countless people came to visit. They were all happy to try and curry favor with Ye San—Ye San was young and easy to fool.

Ye Cen thought so too, until he saw Ye Lingwei from upstairs, sitting on the sofa while facing a middle-aged man. He asked in a soft and squishy voice, “Is it because my Da-ge ignored you that you came to find me?”

“But this toy you gave me, I already have the whole series. You’re so out!”

His mouth had been sharp and his temper unruly since he was small. Well, regarding Ye Lingwei’s sudden arrival of a rebellious phase now, Ye Cen wasn’t surprised at all. This was his true nature.

When did he start to change?

It was when the Ye family was having a reunion dinner. Ye Lingwei was six years old, sitting by Ye Cen’s hand. Ye Zumin said with an airy lightness, “At a time like this, Ye San should be kneeling while he eats.”

With the head of the house taking such a stance, the others naturally knew exactly what to say and how to act. They began whispering among themselves. Ye Lingwei, sensitive from a young age, felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles. He reached out to tug at Ye Cen’s hand, seeking salvation.

“Da-ge…”

Ye Cen hesitated for a moment, then brushed Ye Lingwei’s hand off the back of his own. Ye Lingwei froze, then turned to look at Ye Xuan beside him. “Er-ge…”

“Shut up. Don’t be annoying.” Ye Xuan was playing a video game and had no time to pay him any mind.

Ye Lingwei sat dazed. After a long while, he obediently placed his hands on his knees and lowered his head. The light in his eyes slowly extinguished, turning into a pitch-black void.

From that moment on, Ye Lingwei’s personality changed.

It must have been from that moment, Ye Cen thought with his eyes closed. Later, during a heart episode, the boy had even called the family doctor himself. It wasn’t until the doctor walked out of his room that the rest of the family found out Ye Lingwei had fallen ill again.

Seeing that Ye Cen looked unwell, Xu Mei tried to offer comfort from the side. “President Ye, it will be fine once things are talked out. Ye San is young—he was just speaking out of anger. Don’t take it to heart.”

Xu Mei thought Ye Cen would at least say a few words in response, but the man simply opened his eyes, looked at her, and asked indifferently, “What meetings do I have this afternoon?”

Xu Mei: “…”

“Also, get me Fei Lan’s phone number.”

This was easy to find out. She could call the school which had all the students’ information or use other channels to track it down. Xu Mei agreed immediately.

—

The parent-teacher meeting was over. Most of the class had taken their parents to the cafeteria for lunch, leaving only a scattering of three or four people in the classroom.

Fei Lan and Gao Linhao had watched the entire scene while leaning against the window, though their expressions were vastly different. The former was nonchalant, while the latter’s eyes were gleaming with excitement.

“Holy shit, holy shit! Ye Lingwei’s ge is f*cking handsome! He is totally my dish, totally my dish²A very common Chinese idiom. “He is my dish” means “He is my cup of tea” or “He is my type.”. I like him, I like him!” Gao Linhao wiped the corner of his mouth, practically throwing himself out the window.

Fei Lan glanced at him. “He would eat you alive without leaving a single bone.”

Ye Cen was hardly someone safe to have a crush on.

Gao Linhao froze for a moment, and then his face flushed an explosive red. “Lan-ge, what are you saying?”

Fei Lan: “…”

Fei Lan watched as Ye Lingwei sat for a while longer after Ye Cen left before leisurely walking back toward the school building. He recalled the first time he had ever seen Ye Lingwei.

Despite his hair being a bit too long, his clothes thrown on carelessly, and his expression timid, Fei Lan still felt that this little boy was so beautiful.

After hearing from Ai Shu that he had a heart condition, Fei Lan had, with genuine sincerity, treated Ye Lingwei as his own younger brother.

In those years, Ye Lingwei had been quite clingy.

Who could have foreseen that when he grew up, he would turn out to be such a little white-eyed wolf?

Beside him, Gao Linhao sighed, wearing a very sorrowful expression. “Sigh… you guys are all so rich. I feel like I’m not worthy of associating with you anymore.”

Fei Lan looked at him.

“Lan-ge, would you be willing to help me become worthy of you guys?”

“Not willing.” Concise and to the point.

Gao Linhao wanted to say more, but Fei Lan’s phone started vibrating. He looked down at it—an unfamiliar number.

“Hello,” Fei Lan said indifferently.

“Hello. This is Ye Cen.”

Gao Linhao didn’t know who was calling. Brother Lan hadn’t said a word. The person on the other end must have been doing all the talking. He watched helplessly as Brother Lan’s expression grew cold. Gao Linhao’s heart gave a little tremor, and he shuffled a few steps to the side.

To avoid collateral damage, one must stay away from the battlefield.

“Fei Lan, I just spoke with Ye Lingwei. As his da-ge, I am very concerned about his physical and mental health, as well as the company he keeps at school.”

The man’s tone was cold. “Frankly speaking, I do not believe you are suitable to be friends with Ye Lingwei. Of course, personally, I do not advocate parents interfering in their children’s friendships. However, concern clouds judgment. You are both young and lack foresight in your actions. As Ye Lingwei’s guardian, I have no choice but to step in and offer a word of caution.”

“I assume you are fully aware of the grievances between our two families. Ye Lingwei was young back then and has no memory of it, but you have been intelligent from a young age. I have always viewed you as a future rival in the business world—I admire you, and I look forward to the day you become my opponent. However, right now, I am speaking as Ye Lingwei’s da-ge. I hope you will cease all contact with Ye Lingwei. If you cannot, I will use my own methods to put a stop to your association.”

“If I have caused any offense, please forgive me. Goodbye.”

Having said his piece, Ye Cen hung up the phone without hesitation. He wasn’t asking for Fei Lan’s opinion, he was simply notifying Fei Lan: Please do not associate with Ye Lingwei anymore.

Expressionless, Fei Lan shoved his phone back into his pocket. He cast his gaze downward, looking toward the spot where Ye Lingwei had been earlier.

It was empty. He must have nearly reached the classroom by now.

Gao Linhao didn’t dare look openly at Fei Lan’s expression. He stole a few glances, quickly retracted his gaze, and then asked cautiously, “Lan-ge, what’s wrong?”

Fei Lan remained wordless.

Gao Linhao felt even more unsettled.

Just as he was feeling on edge, Ye Lingwei walked in through the back door, peeling a candy wrapper as he went. He looked to be in a very good mood. When he saw Gao Linhao’s pitiful expression, his eyes curved into a smile.

“What’s up?”

Gao Linhao leaned close to Ye Lingwei’s ear and ‘whispered,’ “Lan-ge took a call and turned into this. I asked him, but he didn’t say anything. You go ask.”

With a candy in his mouth, Ye Lingwei mumbled, “If you couldn’t get it out of him, I won’t be able to either.”

Gao Linhao: “…”

Look! Just look at that, Brother Lan, look! This is the treasure you hold in the palm of your hand—this little white-eyed wolf!

“Oh, just shut up.” Gao Linhao gave Ye Lingwei a shove, pushing him directly in front of Fei Lan. Gao Linhao himself slipped away to a safe distance in a flash, covering his eyes. The scene is too bloody; not suitable for children.

Ye Lingwei: “…”

Well, since he was already standing right in front of him, Ye Lingwei thought, he might as well ask.

Ye Lingwei gave Fei Lan a nudge. “What’s wrong with you?”

Fei Lan glanced at Ye Lingwei. His eyes were pitch-black, like deep water buried beneath an iceberg—bone-chillingly cold. However, it wasn’t entirely cold. Within that gaze, there were things Ye Lingwei couldn’t comprehend.

Ye Lingwei found this to be quite intriguing.

Ye Lingwei hopped up and sat directly on the windowsill. Since Fei Lan was looking out the window, he used his own body to block the view, intercepting Fei Lan’s entire line of sight.

Fei Lan lowered his eyelids, looking at Ye Lingwei with an indifferent gaze.

Ye Lingwei tilted his face upward and wrapped both arms around Fei Lan’s neck. Fei Lan glanced at the arm resting on his shoulder—slender, pale, and thin, resembling a warm and smooth white jade.

Ye Lingwei smiled ingratiatingly, his eyes bright. He asked in a whisper, “Gege, what’s wrong? Are you unhappy?”

The fingers of the hand lightly clasped behind Fei Lan’s neck idly grazed the skin there, causing a faint itch, a subtle tingle.

After a long while, Fei Lan peeled one of Ye Lingwei’s hands from his neck. Ye Lingwei expected him to cast it aside—that was exactly the sort of thing Fei Lan would do—but to his surprise, Fei Lan held it in his palm, toying with it.

Ye Lingwei felt a heat rising in his wrist. He attempted to reverse the grip and clasp Fei Lan’s hand, only to sense the other’s unyielding control.

Fei Lan finally raised his eyes. They were smiling now, a stark contrast to his previous cold demeanor—it was as if he were a completely different person.

“Yes, Gege is unhappy. How about Jiaojiao coaxes Gege?” Fei Lan’s tone was unhurried and coaxing, yet it brooked no argument.

• 1
  Literally “Tearing the face.” It means an open rupture in a relationship where all pretense of politeness is dropped.
• 2
  A very common Chinese idiom. “He is my dish” means “He is my cup of tea” or “He is my type.”