“Tsk tsk tsk, big brother, big sister-in-law, if you had just asked the kid one more question when you came in, it wouldn’t have come to this.”

“Yeah, yeah, look at the expression on this kid’s face—no wonder he looked like he was covered in thorns just now.”

“If your son-in-law wanted to enter the international stage, he should have honed his acting properly. We all know his ‘Best Actor’ title isn’t worth much.”

The relatives spoke sarcastically, their expressions carrying a certain sense of satisfaction.

Ever since Song Yun and Shi Xuanzhu got married, the relatives often suffered mental attacks from Song’s father and Ye’s mother during gatherings.

Sometimes, it was because their son-in-law bought gold bracelets for Ye’s mother. Other times, he brought the whole family to the filming location, where they played around locally for a while.

If it ended there, it would have been fine, but Song’s father and Ye’s mother liked to put others down. They followed a pattern: after showing off their own matters, they would randomly pick a child or spouse from another family to ridicule.

As a result, every time the relatives gathered, as long as Song’s father and Ye’s mother participated, there would be a quarrel at home afterward.

This time, at the family gathering, they had initially intended to regain the previous atmosphere. After all, Ye Wangxing had returned from abroad, escorted by his older brother—not exactly a good situation.

Seeing the Rolls-Royce Phantom, they felt a bad premonition.

But seeing the kid looking a little pitiful, they suppressed that thought.

Unexpectedly, the kid was considerate, personally taking action, using reasons they could not refute.

This immediately put the relatives potential criticisms onto the moral high ground.

With that in mind, their gazes toward Ye Wangxing softened.

Song’s father and Ye’s mother looked extremely awkward.

Song’s father first cleared his throat, intending to say a few soft words to ease the situation. But Ye Wangxing ignored him and stood up directly.

“My assistant called. I need to step out for a bit. You guys enjoy your meal.”

With that, the handsome young man ignored Song’s father and Ye’s mother entirely, walked to the villa’s small courtyard, and began making a call, leaving the room in awkward silence.

Shi Xuanzhu, as the source of the incident, also felt awkward, but his thick skin allowed him to smooth things over.

The relatives did not take advantage either, they remained friendly toward Shi Xuanzhu, after all, he was a major film star.

Sometimes they even sought autographs or favors from him.

On the surface, the matter was covered, but when Shi Xuanzhu glanced toward Ye Wangxing outside, his previously gentle expression turned sinister.

Song Yun did not notice, he was still thinking about Ye Wangxing’s forlorn expression.

‘It seems Ye Wangxing really loved his husband, otherwise, he wouldn’t have missed him so much even after six months.’

He sighed while thinking this and felt even more angered at the absurd redhead, showing it on his face.

At that moment, Ye Wangxing returned from outside after finishing the call. Seeing Song Yun with a gnashing-teeth expression, he asked with slight confusion: “Brother, what’s wrong? Is something wrong with Mom and Dad again?”

Hearing his younger brother, Song Yun quickly shook his head: “No, no, nothing. Dad and Mom are probably reflecting on themselves right now.”

However, as soon as he said that, Ye Wangxing snorted.

Song Yun’s expression became awkward. He knew exactly what kind of people his parents were. He cleared his throat and quickly changed the topic.

Looking at the relatives who had already dispersed, he quietly approached Ye Wangxing and asked: “Ahem, if you don’t mind, you can tell your brother about your husband’s situation. Don’t keep everything bottled up. Don’t worry, I’ll keep it confidential.”

Song Yun spoke sincerely.

After all, bottling up everything without telling anyone would only lead to illness.

Besides, he wasn’t like his parents who always critiqued while others confided.

Ye Wangxing looked at his brother’s earnest expression, stayed silent for a moment, then said: “It’s fine. This matter doesn’t really need secrecy—so Wang Qi, you can come out from behind the sofa.”

The little cousin, who had been hiding behind the sofa playing on her phone: “…”

“Hehe, brother, can I really listen to this?”

She smiled awkwardly—clearly not very clever.

Ye Wangxing did not mind her. He nodded, and the little cousin promptly sat beside him.

“After all, it’s not a big deal. This will also expand your experience, so you won’t get fooled by men later.”

Ye Wangxing glanced at the little cousin and then began recounting that experience.

Song Yun felt distressed remembering his younger brother’s experience after running away, while the little cousin listened avidly, her eyes showing no longing, only shock.

“…Anyway, after that upgrade, my husband and I got in touch. After realizing our interests and values aligned, we got married. He really treated me well too.”

As he spoke, a slight smile appeared on his lips. He enumerated his husband’s qualities: “Handsome, generous, strong-willed but reasonable. Sometimes, for investments I wanted, he would give the money directly without even looking at the proposal.”

“…It sounded like that really had been a wonderful time.”

The little cousin spoke with some envy.

“Yeah, he even took me to school to study, helped me expand my knowledge, and helped me get my university admission letter—though now I can only take classes remotely.”

The young man said this with a faint smile at the corner of his mouth.

“Sigh, why? You can’t go back?” The little cousin asked curiously, but as soon as the words left her mouth, she remembered what had happened to her cousin.

She cautiously pointed at the phone, and the young man nodded.

“—Damn redhead.”

The little cousin squeezed the words out between her teeth. For any Chinese student, dropping out was completely unacceptable, especially after having received a university admission letter but being unable to attend due to force was unbearable

Luckily, remote classes were still possible, otherwise, she thought she could have bitten her teeth to pieces.

The young man, however, did not dwell on these thoughts. He simply spoke about some of their daily interactions and let the little cousin and Song Yun know that the man had silver hair and blue eyes.

“…Very beautiful, like Elsa, so when it snowed, I would even sing ‘Let It Go’ to him on purpose.”

As he said this, he chuckled lightly. Even though he spoke of a happy memory, his eyes were fragile, like shattered glass.

Then his tone changed abruptly, and the smile on his face disappeared.

“…So when that news came last year, I couldn’t believe it.”

“The person who kissed me good morning that morning… how did he become a pile of rotting flesh by noon?”

His once calm eyes now resembled two deep, empty wells. His pupils shrank violently, black to the extreme, like a lone boat dragged into endless darkness, bewildered and helpless.

His fine eyelashes trembled slightly, like butterfly wings or leaves fluttering in the wind.

He looked utterly pitiable.

“Second brother…”

The little cousin felt guilty. She shouldn’t have brought up the topic and made her cousin sad.

She also hadn’t expected her cousin to have such a deep bond with his husband.

But thinking about it, it made sense: a perfect lover had died at the happiest moment. One could tell he had been a white moonlight in his life.

Her guilt nearly overwhelmed her, as if she would wake up in the middle of the night to slap herself and curse herself for being so foolish.

“Ahem, ahem, ahem, let’s not talk about sad things. By the way, now that you’re back in the country, what are your plans?”

The young man wiped his eyes lightly and spoke in a steady voice.

“I already explained that earlier. Tonight, I’ll probably stay at your place. The nearby five-star hotels are a bit far, about an hour away. It’s too late, I don’t want to go.”

The handsome young man leaned lazily on the sofa, talking about his upcoming arrangements.

“Tomorrow, the housing bureau opens. If my assistant brings me good news, maybe I won’t even need the hotel and can move directly.”

Song Yun naturally had no objections. Especially after everything his younger brother had experienced abroad, he could even stay with him for a while if Ye Wangxing wanted.

Logically, it would have been best for Ye Wangxing to live with his parents for a while, adapt to the current social environment, and then go out. But…

Song Yun immediately thought of his parents.

If his parents made this request, their faces would surely show the expression: “See, you can’t do without us.”

He ultimately decided to make a little effort himself and stay with Ye Wangxing.

At this, the young man’s expression finally softened.

The little cousin quickly raised her hand: “Cousin, even though I can’t sleep with you at night, I can play with you!”

This eased the atmosphere considerably. Song Yu also stood up, ready to tell Shi Xuanzhu, while the little cousin returned to her parents, who gave her some money for the upcoming arrangements.

Combined with her own allowance, she didn’t have to let Ye Wangxing spend more money over the next few days.

After all, even though he was rich, they couldn’t keep making him pay. He was family, not her father.

…Although the little cousin really wanted to claim this cousin as her “dad.”

Then her real father grabbed her, messing up her hair in the process.

While the little cousin’s family was making a commotion, they did not notice that the young man smiled and left the sofa, walking into the garden again to call his assistant.

“Contact the people in the estate, and check ‘his’ DNA again.”

A smile lingered at the corner of his mouth, but his words were starkly different from the fragile widower reminiscing about his husband just moments ago.

He seemed unaware of the voice around the corner as he spoke into the phone: “—I must confirm that the one in the grave is really ‘him.’”

The young man looked up at the nearly twilight sky, his voice carrying a hint of ice-coldness.

“I don’t believe that guy who’s like a ghost could be reduced to a pile of rotting flesh by such simple means.”

When Song Yun told this matter to Shi Xianzhu, Shi Xianzhu, who had just returned from outside, instinctively opposed it.

“You will go stay with him? No way!”

Shi Xianzhu instinctively refused outright, which made Song Yun frown.

“I just left home for a while, and during the day my cousin will accompany me. I only need to stay with him at night, and he just returned to the country. I’m a little worried about him.”

Song Yun looked at Shi Xianzhu’s somewhat skeptical expression and instinctively began coaxing him in the usual way.

“And if I stay by his side, won’t you also be able to quickly build a good relationship with him?” Song Yun said softly.

“Then you can tell Ye Wangxing some requests without feeling so awkward, right?”

Shi Xianzhu found it difficult to explain his opposition.

After all, the scene he had just witnessed outside could have been denied by the young man, especially the dead corner—there was no surveillance camera installed there.

…Wait, did the young man happen to walk there, or had he already noticed that there was no camera at all?

Shi Xianzhu immediately broke out in a cold sweat, and some of it showed on his face, which made Song Yun instinctively think Shi Xianzhu was still worried about the dinner table incident.

“Alright, I know my brother’s words at the dinner table were a bit harsh, but he just returned from abroad, and his husband was just buried. At a time like this, asking him to contact that person from the Aldrin family, of course, he would be resentful.”

Song Yun said softly: “You are a little impatient, but I also know that at the Dragon Boat Festival gathering, your father criticized you a bit, so you got anxious. In such matters, more haste leads to less speed. We should be steady, first refine the acting, right?”

Shi Xianzhu just recovered from his earlier panic and heard Song Yun say this. He instinctively frowned. What his father criticized was his own matter. If Song Yun said this, it implied that he was wrong.

“Song Yun, I was just toasting your brother to please him, so he wouldn’t give me trouble. But he suddenly spoke like that. I thought he was your brother, so I didn’t respond. I didn’t expect him to be so disrespectful to your parents as well!”

Shi Xianzhu said abruptly.

He truly believed that Ye Wangxing disrespected his parents and genuinely thought that what his parents said was not wrong. On the contrary, it was an opportunity to make Ye Wangxing recognize his mistakes.

But looking at what Ye Wangxing did—he publicly insulted his parents!

“—This is utterly unfilial!”

Shi Xianzhu said very seriously, which shocked Song Yun and made him open his eyes wide.

In Song Yun’s eyes, if his parents were people like that, then his brother scolding them was fully deserved.

His brother had lost his spouse less than half a year ago, and he encountered such things. His parents not only did not support him but also criticized him, thinking he was a disgrace. Could his brother not be angry?

Moreover…

Song Yun recalled what his brother had previously described.

His brother’s husband treated him well, and he inherited most of his husband’s estate. It was evident that the husband usually respected him. Ye Wangxing had developed some temper, which was completely normal.

His parents publicly embarrassed him. His brother’s scolding was already restrained considering his parents behavior.

—If his parents had been abroad, Song Yun believed his brother might have been so furious that he could have drawn a gun.

And such understandable behavior was seen as utterly unfilial by Shi Xianzhu?

Song Yun felt as if he was seeing his husband for the first time. They had been married for seven or eight years, yet Song Yun did not know that Shi Xianzhu thought this way when facing elders.

Song Yun’s gaze, as if inspecting some old Qing Dynasty artifact, also made Shi Xianzhu uncomfortable. But the discomfort finally cleared his mind, and he quickly patched his words: “…Of course, this is understandable. Our brother just lost his spouse, and Song Yun, you should also understand your parents. Your brother left home silently for five years. Naturally, your parents were upset, though they spoke too harshly.”

Shi Xianzhu once again spoke with worried eyes, and this explanation was acceptable enough for Song Yun to nod.

“As for why I opposed you staying with your brother, it’s mainly because your brother just returned, and he certainly has many matters. Sometimes it’s inconvenient for you to avoid attention. It’s better to have dinner with him at night and then come back.”

Shi Xianzhu spoke gently, seeming sincere in his concern for Song Yun.

“Moreover, I can’t be without you. I will soon join the crew, and Brother Qian has registered us for a variety show. Then the two of us can act as observation room guests, conveniently promoting the film.”

Shi Xianzhu spoke matter-of-factly, but Song Yun frowned.

“You are about to join the crew and attend a variety show. Can your schedule handle it? Besides, with your acting skills, entering the film crew and studying the role carefully is the proper way. Attending a variety show to promote a film might distract you.”

Song Yun genuinely analyzed for Shi Xianzhu. His acting skills were strong, far surpassing the ugly children of capitalists. But this time, the film crew he wanted to join was a national-level production with countless veteran actors. Studying the script was what he should do now.

Shi Xianzhu frowned, feeling that Song Yun belittled him.

The two immediately disagreed and began whispering arguments.

Shi Xianzhu thought participating in the variety show would not take much time. He just entered the crew, playing a small role with few scenes, so he had plenty of time to study the script.

But Song Yun thought even a small role required script preparation before acting. Moreover, if Shi Xianzhu focused on the variety show, most of his attention would go there. Would he have time to study the script?

Their argument grew more intense, drawing the attention of Song Yun’s father and mother, who anxiously watched, ready to intervene.

Even the little cousin hid behind them, observing.

At this moment,

“Ding-dong—”

The doorbell rang.

Shi Xianzhu looked at the approaching dusk, puzzled why someone would come at this time.

Song Yun’s father, mother, and little cousin also turned their attention to the door.

Shi Xianzhu did not realize how many people were behind him. He opened the door and saw a man standing outside.

The man was very tall, taller than Shi Xianzhu, who was 1.8 meters.

Shi Xianzhu swallowed his words and stepped back unconsciously, finally seeing the man clearly.

—The man’s appearance was at the top of the entertainment industry. High nose, deep-set eyes, with strong yet gentle facial lines. His face alone could make fans go wild.

His golden hair was fixed firmly, styled into a slicked-back look showing a superior hairline. The hair seemed caressed by the gentlest wind and warm sunlight, each strand reflecting golden light—extravagant yet elegant.

Such a refined man, looking like he was about to attend a banquet, smiled gently at Shi Xianzhu and then spoke: “Hello, Mr. Shi, I came to see Ye Wangxing.”

The man spoke matter-of-factly.

He did not act like it was his first meeting with Shi Xianzhu and even directly named today’s newly arrived young brother-in-law.

Shi Xianzhu felt something was off and instinctively suspected the man’s intentions, but the man’s luxury items dispelled his suspicion.

Before he could react, Ye Wangxing’s voice came from behind him.

“Octo? Why are you here?”

The handsome young man approached, expression still cold but tinged with surprise.

Shi Xianzhu saw Ye Wangxing and the man seemingly recognizing each other and asked instinctively: “Ye Wangxing, is this your friend?”

But the two ignored him.

The man, who had just smiled gently, widened his smile like a golden retriever seeing its master when he saw Ye Wangxing.

“Wangxing! I finally meet you!”

He spoke excitedly, almost exaggeratedly, making Shi Xianzhu imagine a wagging tail behind him.

“Great, you are safe. By the way, that crazy Chris didn’t do anything to you, right?”

The man’s face showed slight worry as he stepped forward, seemingly to give a polite hug.

However, Ye Wangxing ignored him.

He stepped back, avoiding the man’s embrace, rubbed his forehead as if troubled, and then asked coldly: “I just found out this address two hours ago. How did you find it?”

His voice was calm, but Song Yun and his parents behind him were not. They gasped and instinctively looked for weapons. The little cousin thought faster and ran to the kitchen for a knife.

Shi Xianzhu remained stunned, staring at Ye Wangxing and the man confronting each other.

The man who had smiled warmly earlier looked even gentler when he heard Ye Wangxing’s words.

But his words were so gentle they did not match his expression: “It’s a secret, my dear.”

He raised a finger to his lips, eyes softening at the handsome young man, slowly curving into a crescent.

“—I won’t give you a second chance to send me to the police.”

Song Yun’s family, just relieved: “…Ah?”

The little cousin holding the knife: “…”

Question: Does attacking a man at the door who tried to barge into a widow’s house constitute a crime?

Urgent, waiting online.

 

 

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