Ms. Tang Yue froze at the entrance of the lounge, not knowing what to say for a moment.

She had actually already learned what had happened earlier, and even she found it hard to believe.

The youngest Qin from the Qin family and her cousin’s son, that sharp-nosed Ye?

She didn’t even know whom she should pity first—but it certainly wasn’t going to be those two sharp-nosed guys.

She forced herself to perk up, calmed the guests down, and then heard her cousin’s assistant coming to ask for reinforcements.

Those two had actually started arguing in the lounge!

The only person present who could hold any seniority over Director Qin was Ms. Tang Yue herself. Besides, she had helped the Qin family quite a bit back in the day, so both emotionally and logically, she was the best candidate.

But Ms. Tang Yue only felt like she was being shoved onto the stage unwillingly. Trying to persuade Qin Yi?

Even though Qin Yi was ten years younger than her, she had always been afraid of this cousin since childhood!

Unfortunately, there really was no one else to pass the responsibility to, so Tang Yue had no choice but to hurry over.

And just as she shut the door, she heard a bombshell of a revelation.

—So it turned out that Ye hadn’t planned to invite Qin Qiu and Qin Shi at all. It was actually her cousin who had invited them?

Tang Yue whipped her head around to look at her serious-faced cousin and, for a moment, was at a loss for words.

Huh?

Why? What was he even trying to achieve?

While Tang Yue was still stunned, Qin Yi stopped talking too. He dropped the topic about control, as if he had picked up on some kind of secret cue, and instead said: “…It was my mistake. I just wanted to create a harmonious family image for the media, but I didn’t expect them to act like that—and I didn’t know you cared about them this much.”

The tall, handsome man’s tone remained steady, but there was a faint trace of anger hidden in his words.

However, his gaze toward Ye Wangxing remained completely calm and unreadable.

This also kept Tang Yue from stepping in to mediate immediately.

“—How could I not care? Have you even thought about what tomorrow’s public opinion and the company’s stock price will look like?!”

The attractive man was so furious he leaned back slightly and shouted.

“Your Qin Group just reestablished itself in the domestic market, and if the news breaks out that you personally beat your own younger brother and son, do you know how far your stock will fall tomorrow? Our Ye Group has already hit rock bottom—are you trying to join us there too?”

Seeing Ye Wangxing’s flushed face as if he was about to faint from anger, Tang Yue quickly stepped in to mediate.

“Alright, alright, you’re about to get married—what does this kind of quarrel look like? If you’ve got something to say, just say it calmly. Come on, Little Ye, cousin is here now, let’s talk things out.”

Ms. Tang Yue immediately pulled Ye Wangxing over as she spoke.

With a third party stepping in, the two of them finally calmed down a bit.

After asking some questions, Ms. Tang Yue finally understood what the argument had been about—it was all about how the earlier incident might affect the stock price if it got reported.

That was indeed something to worry about. Especially since one group had just regained a foothold domestically, while the other was still struggling, this kind of issue naturally needed to be handled carefully.

But before Tang Yue could come up with a solution, she heard Qin Yi ask: “So, what you care about is only public opinion and the company’s stock price?”

The attractive man almost rolled his eyes. He stepped forward aggressively, poked a finger at Qin Yi’s chest, and said: “What else would I care about? You should know I agreed to marry you only for your money.”

What he said was extremely cold and made Tang Yue frown.

But…

“I’ll have Qin Qiu handle everything. Only formal media reports will remain online, and the minor stuff won’t appear at all—unless Qin Qiu prefers to go help with construction in Africa.”

The man said this with noticeably better spirits.

“I’m glad you’re doing it for my money.”

His completely shameless tone made Ms. Tang Yue stiffen.

With his face still blank but his mood clearly uplifted, the man finalized things with one sentence: “Our wedding should continue.”

Ye Wangxing finally let out a breath of relief once he stepped onto the stage.

That close-up “performance” earlier had been a bit embarrassing, but thankfully, 19 had been very cooperative, and the scene had played out successfully.

That act had been purely for the people outside to hear—just vague enough to get them curious. And Tang Yue had been the “leak” he left for them on purpose.

This supporting character had always been a gossip in the original novel—never spilling the critical info, but spreading harmless tidbits everywhere.

Later, those rumors would be used to keep the parents from the Xu and An families focused, so no matter how chaotic the main character’s side got, there would still be a way through.

But right now, the most difficult task Ye Wangxing faced wasn’t the male lead.

—It was how to kiss 19 as naturally as possible.

He didn’t know how!

Thankfully, 19 remained as reliable as ever.

[Host, don’t worry. Leave it to me.]

19 said calmly and confidently. …Though maybe a bit too confidently.

‘The system’s scans really were detailed beyond belief…’

As Ye Wangxing felt the other’s breath on him and tears almost came to his eyes, that thought flashed through his mind.

Finally, he was released right before suffocating. He gasped for air, eyes watery, face flushed red.

‘Humans really shouldn’t kiss robots.’

He rested his oxygen-starved brain against 19’s chest, thinking: ‘Too intense…’

The guests below the stage cheered merrily and offered their blessings.

Some even teased them to “do it again.”

Only Xu Feng looked shocked as he stared at the two people on stage.

He had heard a bit from outside the lounge earlier, but unfortunately, the room was very well soundproofed. Without opening the door, it was impossible to make out what was being said.

Only a few vague words and Ms. Tang Yue’s voice trying to break up the fight had come through.

And it was only now that Xu Feng realized Ms. Tang Yue was Director Qin’s cousin, and had been childhood friends with his own mother.

No wonder—even though their families didn’t have much business contact, Director Qin still sent his mother an invitation. So that’s what the connection was.

Soon, the three of them came out of the lounge, looking normal on the surface. Whatever had been argued about inside, Director Qin seemed to be in a great mood, while President Ye appeared a little anxious.

After a brief discussion with the staff, the wedding resumed as planned.

No one at the wedding mentioned the earlier drama. Everyone wore happy smiles, as if they’d been infected by the couple’s joy.

Especially when Director Qin held his new spouse in his arms and kissed him until his face was red and breathless—cheers erupted from the crowd.

Clearly, these guests were skilled actors.

Only the two groomsmen below the stage couldn’t keep up their composed expressions. They radiated murderous intent.

—But the four bodyguards seated behind them pinned them firmly to their seats.

Meanwhile, Sheng Hai, seated beside them, looked like he wanted to kneel and beg his boss to stop.

‘Boss! I don’t want to end up at the bottom of the sea!’ Sheng Hai thought, almost crying.

But unfortunately, the two men still wore dark expressions and looked like they might shout “I object!” at any moment.

Luckily, the four bodyguards managed to keep them in place.

When it came time to throw the bouquet, many people rushed forward. Unlike most weddings where guests avoided the bouquet like the plague, everyone here was ready for it.

—Even if this bouquet didn’t symbolize wealth, catching Director Qin’s bouquet was bound to leave an impression.

So everyone stood ready.

Even Xu Feng stepped forward instinctively, ready to fight for it.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, the attractive man on stage pursed his lips, showing none of the joy expected of a newlywed, and casually tossed the bouquet.

The bouquet—worth tens of thousands—drew a graceful arc through the air and landed in a man’s hands.

“Sigh—” Most of the crowd let out a disappointed sigh.

But the person who caught the bouquet didn’t look ecstatic like everyone had expected.

Xu Feng stood frozen, bouquet in hand, looking shocked or maybe just slow to react.

Because he suddenly remembered—

—There was another wedding next door that hadn’t been finished yet!

When An Yang came out of the lounge and saw the nearly empty wedding hall, he looked puzzled.

He didn’t understand what had happened while he’d been crying in the lounge. Most guests had left—was it because of Xu Feng’s outburst?

But why hadn’t anyone come to tell him?

Had they forgotten about him?

At that thought, An Yang’s face turned pale. He knew it wasn’t impossible.

He stood there awkwardly, wearing a stiff smile, not knowing what to do.

Thankfully, Xu Feng finally returned. Although he still looked a little dazed, at least he came back.

But then An Yang noticed something odd—not only was Xu Feng spaced out, but even the guests he brought back, including the Xu family elders, his own parents, all looked similarly dazed.

None of them noticed An Yang’s embarrassment or disappointment. They just went through the motions of the wedding like NPCs—exchanging rings, reading vows on stage—all of it robotic.

Only after the wedding ended did they slowly seem to snap out of it, chatting while eating.

An Yang looked around at what he had hoped would be a lively and joyful wedding, now cold and lackluster. A wave of sorrow rose in his chest.

But when he met Papa An’s gaze, who still hadn’t reacted and looked completely blank, An Yang trembled.

The next second, it was like someone had flipped a switch—An Yang completely cut off from his sadness.

He started questioning himself.

Why was he even sad? He had married Xu Feng—the person he had loved since childhood—and the wedding had happened with both families blessings. Even if there had been some hiccups, Xu Feng had still obediently returned, and the wedding had been completed successfully.

The guests’ confusion seemed to be their own private matter, he could not force anyone to cheer just for his wedding.

Look, he had actually gotten what he wanted, hadn’t he?

So why was he so sad?

An Yang wondered for a moment, but then pushed the feeling aside and, with his parents, cheerfully saw off most of the guests.

He actually was not unattractive. His facial features were three-dimensional and aligned with the “bold” aesthetic, making him look like a young master from a wealthy family. Unfortunately, the makeup on his face dulled his natural color.

Although he was full of vitality, the makeup made him appear weak and pale.

His friends had also pointed this out before, but An Yang realized that Xu Feng only showed him some warmth when he wore that makeup, so An Yang kept it that way.

An Yang also knew about Xu Feng’s feelings for Yun Cheng and knew that when Xu Feng looked at him, he was really looking through him at Yun Cheng.

But he already had Xu Feng as a person, and they had a marriage certificate. How could he restrict Xu Feng’s heart?

He should be content.

An Yang thought.

However, a trace of bitterness remained in his heart. So, while seeing off the guests, he started chatting with Xu Feng’s parents to divert his attention.

“Mom, what just happened? When I came out, most of the guests had already left the wedding hall” An Yang asked curiously.

The previously tired Xu Feng’s mother suddenly became lively, her face showing a hint of gossip.

Then An Yang heard a detailed account of the antics between a younger uncle, a stepson, and the young bride/stepmother.

Xu Feng’s mother described it vividly, making An Yang forget his own sadness, staring at her in disbelief, almost shouting like in a famous painting.

“…How can this happen in real life? Didn’t they cause a scene later?”

An Yang’s worldview was shaken.

Xu Feng’s mother, however, looked calm: “You haven’t seen many things in real life. This one ranks high among such incidents, but at least no one got hurt. CEO Ye just seemed a bit uncomfortable. In the latter half, he refused to wear the ring until Director Qin whispered something in his ear, then he obediently put it on.”

She sighed: “Life is truly strange. Who would have thought that two people who were at odds ten years ago would become a couple ten years later?”

An Yang was puzzled. He was only 22 this year. Even though he knew about the Ye family’s financial issues, he didn’t know the relationship between the Ye and Qin families.

Xu Feng’s mother, still eager to gossip, continued: “The Qin and Ye families met thirty years ago. At that time, Director Qin and young CEO Ye were childhood friends, but somehow, when Ye turned 18, they broke off. After that, young CEO Ye didn’t get along with Director Qin until the Qin family went abroad to expand business two years later.”

“This is what I just found out. Our family had no business with the Qin family, and I only learned this through a partner.”

Xu Feng’s mother continued: “But this is just a rough outline. Even families with business ties didn’t know. They only knew that two years later, the Qin family focused on overseas business, staying abroad for ten years before gradually returning operations to China.”

“Not long after their return, the Ye Group’s financial chain ran into problems, and somehow, the families decided on an arranged marriage.”

Hearing this, An Yang felt a sense of longing.

He thought Director Qin must have loved CEO Ye, which was why, after reuniting, he moved business back to China and even married him.

However, Xu Feng’s mother laughed at this idea: “Oh, dear, people our age don’t fill their minds with love stories like you youngsters do.”

She smiled: “Most likely, Director Qin valued Ye’s domestic production lines and client channels, and marriage was the safest approach. He was 40, his child 20, marrying CEO Ye made sense. There was no worry about a new heir threatening Qin’s crown prince position.”

An Yang felt embarrassed. Xu Feng’s mother had told him this once before to help him accept that Xu Feng cared about Yun Cheng.

He accepted it. He wasn’t handsome, educated, or talented, Xu Feng was the best, kindest, and most family-like person he could access.

Without Xu Feng, where could he anchor his feelings? An Yang’s expression darkened.

At that moment, An Yang’s mother finally returned from seeing off the guests. She saw her son’s face, which looked like he had lost his mother.

She pinched the soft flesh of his waist sharply, then turned to chat cheerfully with Xu Feng’s mother. In a few words, the funding support was secured.

An Yang, standing aside, rubbed the sore spot on his waist but did not complain. He gave a faint look, hoping his mother would care if it hurt, but she was fully focused on the funding. Only as she left did she glance at him, signaling he should behave at the Xu family. He naturally complied—especially with his father standing behind her.

Seeing his father’s gaze, An Yang was momentarily stunned, then offered a flattering smile.

His father nodded, satisfied, and An Yang stretched his smile a bit further for approval.

He didn’t realize that someone else had noticed his smile.

Yun Cheng stood behind a hall pillar, his gaze dark, staring at An Yang and Xu Feng standing together, tapping the pillar with his index finger.

Next moment:

“Hey! Handsome guy over there, don’t scratch the gold paint on the pillar! You’ll have to pay!”

The security guard’s voice made Yun Cheng blush and rush to the front desk, unnoticed by Xu Feng and An Yang.

He didn’t understand. He had followed his usual fishing strategy—give and take—but this time, things didn’t go as planned.

He had left the wedding early, knowing Xu Feng would feel guilty and obsessed over him. By pretending calm and clarifying they were friends, he expected Xu Feng not to wrong An Yang, achieving twice the result with half the effort.

But…

Xu Feng looked like a wandering soul, his gaze blank.

How blank?

Let’s just say, if Xu Feng opened his mouth slightly, saliva would dribble out.

Yun Cheng thought: “…”Has An Yang finally gone mad, mercury-drenched, and stupidly drugged Xu Feng?

That was impossible. An Yang, with his romantic brain, even comforted himself when he found ambiguous messages with Xu Feng, reasoning that Xu Feng hadn’t physically cheated.

An Yang could never do something like that, so what had actually happened just now?

Yun Cheng did not rush forward but quietly asked the hotel staff for information.

—Then he heard about the antics of the younger uncle, stepson, and young bride/stepmother.

Yun Cheng: “…”Is he even on Earth?

Even he, who deliberately toyed with other people’s boyfriends, felt it was scandalous.

Yun Cheng enjoyed toying with others while benefiting from them, never handling two “fish” at once to avoid mishaps.

CEO Ye was impressive—he managed three “fish” at once, all in one family. Yun Cheng dared not imagine the chaos if they lived together.

But now, increasing Xu Feng’s impression was more important. Qin family matters didn’t concern him, so Yun Cheng prepared to talk to Xu Feng.

He took a few steps forward but was blocked by a shadow.

Physically.

Yun Cheng stepped back and looked up to see a nearly two-meter-tall bodyguard in front of him.

He almost thought he had done something wrong.

Fortunately, the bodyguard was only clearing a path for his employer.

But Yun Cheng worried as Xu Feng began to leave. He planned to ask the bodyguard if he could go first, when a commotion inside the door caught his attention.

“Qin Yi! I still have things to do tomorrow. I have to return to my own home. I can’t go to your house!”

The speaker’s voice was clear and refined. From his tone, he was educated, though clearly frustrated.

He maintained composure, avoiding curses.

Another calm voice then spoke:

“That is also your home.”

The tone was unarguable.

“That’s just your home!” the other hissed.

At that moment, they emerged from the door into Yun Cheng’s view.

He immediately recognized the speaker, noting the slightly fierce expression—it was too conspicuous.

He confirmed the identity: CEO Ye.

Unexpectedly, he was very handsome, with upturned eyes and a natural pride.

Hadn’t he turned 30? Yun Cheng thought his looks would fade, but he still looked like this…

No wonder Director Qin was infatuated.

Yun Cheng shifted his gaze and saw a tall figure, immediately recognizing him as Director Qin.

Only someone in a high position could exude such an aura.

Director Qin wore a long coat, exuding a commanding presence, as if ready for battle. Though older, the shallow lines by his eyes added charm, complementing the handsome man beside him.

While observing, Director Qin seemed to sense resistance. He said calmly: “Are you resisting Qin Qiu and Qin Shi? I do not care about your past.”

Young CEO Ye spat through clenched teeth: “But I care!”

He widened his eyes and said firmly: “I absolutely will not share a house with my ex-boyfriend!”

Hearing this, Yun Cheng sighed, realizing that Ye had no experience interacting with men. At times like this, acting coy might prevent pursuit, but issuing a hard command would provoke resistance.

So, he cared so much about his ex-boyfriend. Did he still linger in his heart?

But the next second, Yun Cheng realized his experience didn’t work here.

Because Director Qin thought for only a moment before turning to the blond man who followed.

“I informed the butler to pack your luggage from home. Make sure your assistant picks it up before ten.”

The man calmly ushered his younger brother out.

“You’re grown up now, you should learn to avoid misunderstandings.”

 

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