Unexpected Incident : Chapter 2

By the time they got home, it was already late. The villa was brightly lit, and because of the quiet, it seemed especially cold. The servants carried Rong Liu’s luggage down from the car one by one and took it to his room first.

Xiao Teng stood watching for a while, expressionless: “You really have a lot of stuff.”

Rong Liu smiled: “Yeah, I’m staying for a long time.”

The corner of Xiao Teng’s eye twitched slightly. He kept a dark face and went upstairs. Just then he ran into Mama Huang coming down with a tray. Xiao Teng looked at the slice of cake on the plate: “Did Xiao Pu eat dinner?”

“The young miss isn’t feeling well. I brought it several times but she wouldn’t eat. I’ll make her something else…”

Xiao Teng frowned. With an unrelated outsider present, it wasn’t convenient to explode. He only said coldly: “Leave it. If she won’t eat, don’t give her anything. Why spoil her.”

Mama Huang hurriedly agreed and went to set it down. She greeted Rong Liu with a smile, then took the empty plate downstairs.

Rong Liu followed into the room. Seeing his large luggage had already been put away, he looked around.

The spacious guest room, though temporarily put into use, was cleaned daily with good ventilation, so it was clean and fresh with complete facilities. Pulling back the curtains, one could see the English style garden below. The scenery wasn’t bad.

But it felt lacking in human presence. The air was ice cold.

“You’ll live here from now on.” Xiao Teng’s voice clearly lacked the warmth of a good host, but he still had the duty of a host. “If you need anything, just ask. Don’t stand on ceremony.”

“Can I ask for anything in any aspect?” Rong Liu, not knowing death when he saw it, still wore an adorable smile.

Xiao Teng looked at him coldly: “Your head isn’t very clear. You should go to sleep.”

“Aren’t you sleeping?”

“I’m reading.”

He spent very little time sleeping.

You can sleep all you want after death. Why waste precious life in bed now.

“Then I’ll keep you company.” Rong Liu followed him step by step.

Xiao Teng knew talking to him was useless. He ignored him and went straight to the study.

In the study were freshly delivered tea and small scones, both giving off fresh warmth. Xiao Teng’s usual habit was to spend a few hours amid the light fragrance of tea and the ink scent of books, then return to his room to rest.

Ever since his wife left, he spent more and more time in the study. The empty bedroom was uncomfortable. The densely packed books in the study at least seemed lively. Sometimes before he knew it, the sky was already turning light.

But today he couldn’t concentrate on reading. Rong Liu sat beside him, very well behaved, not making a sound at all, yet his presence was inexplicably strong.

Even Xiao Teng, who always treated others as if they didn’t exist, felt somewhat ill at ease. After flipping through for a while, he actually couldn’t read on. Finally losing patience, he pushed his chair away and stood up, putting the book back on the shelf.

“Aren’t you going to sleep yet?”

Rong Liu blinked his eyes and smiled: “You’re so lonely by yourself. Isn’t it nice that I keep you company?”

Xiao Teng felt restless from being stared at. He just wanted to gouge out both of his eyeballs: “I’m going to sleep.”

“Perfect, let’s sleep together…”

“Get away from me!!”

Though Rong Liu only touched him once, it still made his blood surge. He nearly broke Rong Liu’s fingers on the spot. He came out of the study with large strides, his face ashen. Rong Liu followed pitifully behind him, holding his bent finger: “Dear, you hurt me so much…”

In the quiet house late at night, this moaning accusation, neither too loud nor too soft, should have been heard by anyone awake.

“Shut up!” Xiao Teng ground his teeth.

“But you really used too much force. Though I don’t mind you treating me this way, at least be gentler. I’m not used to it yet…”

“I told you to shut up!” Xiao Teng was furious. His eye caught the cake still sitting on the living room table, untouched, and he couldn’t help frowning.

He figured Xiao Pu had probably tired herself out from making a fuss at home all evening. Her refusal to eat was just stubbornness. He had deliberately left the dessert in the living room. If she came out to sneak a bite, he could pretend not to see. He hadn’t expected her to be so stubborn this time.

Xiao Teng remembered he had instructed someone to buy something to comfort Xiao Pu. The item was still in his coat pocket. He wasn’t at ease after all, so he went to knock on his eldest daughter’s door.

“Xiao Pu.”

Light came through the door, but there was no movement.

“Asleep already?”

Xiao Teng knocked again, feeling something was wrong. He had the butler bring up the key to open the door. Pushing it open, a gust of wind hit them. The window was wide open, the curtains rustling loudly. The bedroom was empty.

Xiao Teng’s face instantly turned ugly: “Where’s Xiao Pu?!”

At the house of the boy throwing a late night party, a group of young people drinking, smearing cake, and reveling were scared stiff by several police officers bursting through the door with murderous energy. One of them grabbed Xiao Pu in front of everyone, ignoring her screams and struggles, and dragged her out.

When they got home, Xiao Pu was still crying and making a fuss. Her tears had ruined her makeup, and the area under both eyes was dark, making her look even thinner.

The commotion was so great that several of the children were awakened and came out opening their doors one after another. Xiao Zi seemed frightened, her small face pale, her hair and nightgown heavy, barefoot like a doll wrapped in elaborate lace. Xiao Yin worried she would catch cold and hurriedly picked up his little sister. Xiao Lin also stood stunned.

Xiao Teng didn’t have half a bit of pity. He only kept a cold face and had people drag her into her bedroom, locking all the windows.

“If you have the guts, try climbing out the window again.”

Xiao Pu’s big eyes sparkled with tears, her neck stiff: “What can you do to me? Might as well break my legs!”

Xiao Teng looked at her and smiled coldly: “That won’t be necessary. Whoever you mess around with, I’ll break their legs.”

Xiao Pu smiled coldly back: “Go ahead and scare me! You think I’m afraid of you?”

Xiao Teng’s face was ashen as he laughed: “You still have the face to fight with me? Look at the kind of people you know! They found marijuana in his house. Smoking that stuff, what are you planning to do next? Huh?! Even if he’s not an adult, he’s still waiting to rot in jail.”

“What do you old fogies understand! If you don’t understand, don’t meddle!” Xiao Pu was so angry she kept crying and cursing. “Bastard! How am I supposed to face them from now on? No one will talk to me anymore!”

“Perfect. Stop associating with those people as soon as possible.”

Xiao Pu still cried. After panting for a while, she spat forcefully at him: “I don’t want to be like you, without a single friend until I’m old and dead!”

Xiao Teng’s brain heated up. He grabbed something, whatever it was, and threw it at her head. The box smashed open against the wall, its contents shattering and falling onto the carpet. Only then did he see clearly that the gift he was going to give his daughter was originally a purple crystal swan.

The several children were coaxed back to their bedrooms to sleep by the old servants. Xiao Pu’s bedroom door was also closed tightly. Xiao Teng still stood outside the door, his anger not yet subsided, his face cold, no different from any father who had been thoroughly angered.

Rong Liu looked at him: “Go rest. I’ll talk to her.”

Xiao Teng frowned: “It’s not your place to butt in.”

Rong Liu wasn’t bothered by his nasty attitude. He showed a harmless smile: “Don’t worry. Her reaction to anyone will be better than to you, especially to a handsome guy like me.”

Xiao Teng looked at him with an icy chill.

Rong Liu hurriedly raised his hands in surrender: “Honestly I don’t care either way. She’s not my daughter after all. If she does something stupid inside and something happens to her, it won’t be me worrying…”

Xiao Teng said coldly: “She’s terribly afraid of dying. She doesn’t have the guts.”

After speaking, he turned and walked away, but he didn’t stop Rong Liu either.

Xiao Teng sat in the study for a while. Hearing footsteps of someone entering, he closed his book and asked with a frown: “Xiao Pu?”

“Drank some milk and fell asleep,” Rong Liu sat down beside him. “Actually she’s quite well behaved. It’s just that you’re too unlikable.”

Xiao Teng was expressionless and didn’t plan to respond to him. After the whole night’s fuss, his back ached terribly. While sitting in the chair, Xiao Teng stretched his arms back behind him.

Just as he was in an awkward position, two hands landed on his shoulders.

“What are you doing?”

“You’re so stiff here.”

Xiao Teng was about to curse when long, strong fingers were already skillfully pressing and kneading his shoulders. The feeling of his sore muscles gradually relaxing made him shut his mouth.

“You’re so tense. How long has it been since you had a massage?”

Xiao Teng kept a cold face and said nothing. If he had the ability to massage himself, he would have long since reached behind his back to slap that man.

Rong Liu said: “No matter how busy work is, you need to relax yourself appropriately. Don’t stay so tense.”

A vein jumped on Xiao Teng’s forehead.

Why did this young man talk just like that old man Wang Jing?

After enjoying the shoulder massage service, Xiao Teng’s repayment was to pull out a disinfectant wipe and rub the place that had been touched. He said with disgust: “You look perfectly healthy with all four limbs intact, and you say you’re here to recuperate?”

Rong Liu laughed: “I’m plagued by chronic illness, unhealed for many years. You don’t study medicine. How can you tell just by looking?”

Xiao Teng said coldly: “You didn’t come here just to recuperate.”

“Ah, you saw through me,” Rong Liu smiled.

Xiao Teng snorted.

“I’m here to be a corporate spy.”

Xiao Teng frowned, ignoring his nonsense: “What illness? I’ll have a doctor examine you another day.”

If they couldn’t find anything wrong, he could kick him right back.

Rong Liu smiled amiably: “No need to see a doctor. Because it can’t be cured. Dear, though you can’t tell now, you’ll definitely have a chance to experience it before long…”

“…”

Xiao Teng thought, if he dared to say the words “lovesickness,” he would smash his nose flat.

But Rong Liu didn’t continue. He just smiled as if he were discussing his body in a very serious manner.

Xiao Teng couldn’t help but wonder, could he really be sick?

Returning to the bedroom, Xiao Teng lay down but couldn’t fall asleep. He could already faintly hear the scattered birdsong outside the window, which made him feel even more awake. Sleep was optional for him. Probably because he rarely slept well, he didn’t have much longing for the taste of lingering in bed.

Just as he was suffering from insomnia, he suddenly heard someone knocking. Xiao Teng frowned, got out of bed, and opened the door. As expected, he saw Rong Liu standing in the doorway, dressed provocatively, hugging a pillow.

“Sir, do you need service?”

Xiao Teng nearly fainted. He roared: “Where did you learn that?!”

Rong Liu smiled: “It’s fun.”

Xiao Teng said sternly: “I don’t need service.”

Rong Liu said “oh,” put down the pillow, and under his half undone silk pajamas, his handsome upper body was fully visible, quite in the style of a top male escort: “Then I’ll go try selling in another room.”

“…”

As the father of a daughter as beautiful as flowers and jade, Xiao Teng immediately grabbed his collar and dragged him inside, saying grimly: “If you dare harass my daughter, I’ll make you kneel and beg me to let you die quickly.”

Under his pull, Rong Liu exaggeratedly stumbled two steps and very accurately fell onto the bed, falling in a rather graceful pose. Then he smiled with a fawning expression: “Dear, don’t worry. I won’t make a move on children. I’m a person with principles.”

Xiao Teng ground his teeth: “Get out of my room.”

Rong Liu burrowed into the blankets, looking at him with a fawning smile.

Xiao Teng wanted to kick him but was hugged by him. But Xiao Teng wasn’t someone easy to take advantage of either. He threw a heavy elbow back into Rong Liu’s nose bridge.

Rong Liu let out a muffled groan and covered his nose. Though he was still smiling, blood slowly flowed out from between his fingers.

Xiao Teng was also startled. His face remained cold, but he pulled out a tissue and threw it over: “Plug it yourself.”

Rong Liu laughed and rolled two tissue balls, plugging for a long time, but the blood wouldn’t stop. His fingers trembled. Xiao Teng panicked a bit and hurriedly held his face, making him tilt his head back. He found cotton balls and stuffed them in for a good while before the blood slowly stopped.

There were several blood soaked cotton balls in the trash can. Xiao Teng broke out in some sweat on his forehead. Rong Liu also seemed exhausted, stubbornly curled up in the blankets and refusing to move.

“Dear, losing too much blood is hard work. Let me get a good sleep.”

Seeing him curled into a ball, Xiao Teng had the urge to beat him up while he was covered by the blankets. But it was just a thought. Personally getting his hands dirty didn’t fit his habits.

He was a tin can with firecrackers thrown inside and the lid shut. However it exploded inside, the outside remained cold.

In the end, he fell asleep in the same bed as Rong Liu like this. Xiao Teng was too tense to sleep. The slightest movement beside him and he would wake up alert. Yet Rong Liu was merely turning over unconsciously in his sleep.

He didn’t know when he fell asleep. When he opened his eyes again, the sky was already bright.

Xiao Teng’s slight disorientation vanished the moment he turned his head and saw that black haired head on the pillow. Seeing him sleeping so sweetly, thinking of how he had suffered through the night, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger. He kicked the sleeping young man off the bed.

Rong Liu tumbled onto the floor with a thud, “ouching” as he seemed to wake up. After a while, Xiao Teng saw a pair of hands grip the edge of the bed, then a beautiful half face emerged, a pair of naturally smiling eyes looking pitiful.

“Dear, it’s so early in the morning. Could you be a bit gentler…”

Xiao Teng looked at him coldly, got out of bed, and went to wash up on his own. Coming out of the bathroom, he found Rong Liu was still there and frowned: “Go back to your own room.”

“Dear, you’re not working today. Where are you going?”

“None of your business.”

Rong Liu sat upright on the bed, shoulders drooping, hands resting on his ankles, like an abandoned dog.

Xiao Teng pretended not to see and opened the door: “Go find your friends.”

Rong Liu was grievously wronged, his dark eyes turning watery: “I don’t have any other friends in T City.”

Xiao Teng’s foot paused, and he looked at him again.

Speaking of age, Rong Liu was about the same as Xiao Xuan, with similar habits. If not for those absurd things that had happened, his seniority was actually like a younger brother.

Speaking of which, Xiao Xuan hadn’t been home in a long time either.

Xiao Teng’s finger paused on the door handle. His tone was cold: “Can you ride horses?”

Many equestrian club members would bring their families to the club on weekends to spend leisurely time together. But Xiao Teng almost always came alone.

Xiao Pu and Xiao Zi had no interest in horses. Xiao Yin and Xiao Lin had too many other interests, and they were somewhat afraid of him. They didn’t think spending a weekend with him would be enjoyable.

Since Rong Liu had followed with great interest, Xiao Teng took him to see his two horses. The horse grounds were very quiet, the land wide open. Their conversation couldn’t be heard, and only a few staff members could be seen in the distance tidying up the feed.

In the stable, two thoroughbreds were enjoying themselves. Seeing people approach, one curiously stuck its head out, came up to sniff, and even tentatively bit at Rong Liu’s clothes corner. The other was exceptionally cold, glanced at the two of them, then turned its head away.

Rong Liu reached out wanting to pet it. It immediately irritably avoided, ears pinned back, stomping restlessly back and forth, looking alert.

Rong Liu withdrew his hand and smiled: “It really is like you.”

Xiao Teng snorted coldly and reached his hand toward the horse, calling it: “Glory.” The horse was willing to let Xiao Teng touch it. Though it didn’t reciprocate, it didn’t get angry either, letting Xiao Teng stroke its mane. Its behavior could be considered docile.

“How nice…” Rong Liu looked on with envy.

Xiao Teng snorted again. Naturally. Didn’t he see who the owner was? Even with his status, he had to obediently wait quite a long time to qualify to raise these two horses. Something he had finally obtained, how could he allow others to covet it.

Rong Liu wasn’t discouraged by the rejection. He smiled and went to feed mint candy to that one called Dream. As a result, Dream’s character simply couldn’t compare to Glory’s at all. It had no backbone whatsoever, eating the candy with such joy, rubbing its neck all over Rong Liu.

It was clearly his horse, yet it was so fawning toward Rong Liu. Did it have any sense of loyalty at all? Xiao Teng frowned, about to explode, when he heard Rong Liu say with satisfaction: “Horses really are spiritual. It must know I’m your darling…”

Xiao Teng flew into a rage. He had bought the horse a long time ago, but he hadn’t ridden it many times himself. He didn’t have time to care about how the rider trained it either. And this guy had clearly already degenerated to the point of being whoever fed it was its mother. After eating a few pieces of Rong Liu’s candy, it was practically ready to throw itself at him.

Though it hadn’t been easy to obtain, for something disloyal to him, he was immediately thinking of how to get rid of it.

Dream shook its mane and rubbed into Xiao Teng’s palm again, fawning and docile. Horses were very sensitive animals. Sensing something ominous, they wouldn’t make noise. They would only be exceptionally obedient, doing everything they were told, carefully trying to buy their survival. After being rubbed by it for a while, Xiao Teng snorted and poked its forehead.

The horse’s emotionally expressive big eyes, long sparse eyelashes, were practically like a human’s. They were said to be very loyal and understanding pets. Xiao Teng frowned but still raised his hand to stroke its smoothly groomed mane.

“It’s so cute,” Rong Liu petted Dream, then looked at Glory and smiled. “It looks very beautiful. I wonder what it feels like to ride.”

Xiao Teng’s brow moved slightly: “You want to try?”

Rong Liu looked at him and laughed: “Dear, you aren’t trying to get me killed, are you.”

“Since you put it that way, then forget it.”

Rong Liu put on a cheeky smile again: “If dear wants to see, I’d be willing to fall to my death.”

Xiao Teng didn’t bother with his nonsense. He only kept a cold face and led Glory out.

The moment the horse sensed Rong Liu approaching, it became very uneasy. Its eyes turned fierce. Looking at its retracted eyelids, you could tell it was about to get angry. When Rong Liu got a bit closer, it kicked backward in warning. When Rong Liu took the reins, it immediately raised its head and neck, its mane standing on end, looking like it intended to commit violence.

Rong Liu laughed and said: “Just as I expected.” Then nimbly stepped on the stirrup and swung himself up.

Glory had a violent temperament. Besides Xiao Teng and the rider, no one could get near it. Now that it was touched by a stranger, it immediately went crazy as if its behind had been slashed with a knife, furiously kicking and jumping, desperately trying to throw Rong Liu off.

The commotion made everyone on the grounds turn their eyes to Rong Liu. The horse beneath him looked crazed, running with a ferocity that wouldn’t stop until it threw him off, making everyone break out in cold sweat. Xiao Teng only watched coldly, unconsciously crossing his arms.

Glory ran around the grounds like a madman for several laps, constantly changing its tactics to make Rong Liu suffer, deeply and vividly expressing to everyone its hatred and resistance toward Rong Liu. The staff members who wanted to calm the horse and rescue Rong Liu were also at a loss.

This persistent struggle and hair raising process was quite long. Everyone’s eyes were glued until finally Glory was drenched in sweat and exhausted, snorting and trotting back.

Rong Liu’s face and body were covered in sweat, panting heavily. Arriving in front of Xiao Teng, he somewhat laboriously dismounted, one hand resting on the horse’s wet neck, the other touching his chest. He smiled at Xiao Teng: “This is called the art of persistence.”

Xiao Teng got goosebumps all over his back from his smile.

Fortunately they didn’t have to witness a bloody scene. The onlookers breathed a sigh of relief and also applauded gratefully, showing support for Rong Liu.

Xiao Teng averted his eyes and ignored Rong Liu. He only looked darkly at that disappointing creature. And Glory snorted again, casting an extremely similar cold glance.

Though Xiao Teng was very uncomfortable, he really couldn’t blame it. Rong Liu was sticky like a piece of gum stuck to the bottom of a shoe. Even he, a capable and resourceful living person, couldn’t shake him off. What ability could a mere animal have?

Fortunately, it had backbone. When Rong Liu went to pet it again, it wouldn’t transform into a little lamb either. It remained impatient as before, exhausted and irritable, always looking for a chance to kick.

Rong Liu didn’t mind. He still happily tried to get close to it despite the danger of being kicked: “It will listen to me sooner or later.”

Xiao Teng said coldly: “Young Master Rong likes it so much. Are you suggesting I give it to you as a gift?”

“No need,” Rong Liu’s smile was sincere, not out of politeness. “I already have four at a ranch in Canada. I just added a foal yesterday. I’m planning to breed more. The horse family will flourish.”

Then why are you harassing my horse.

“I actually don’t have much interest in galloping on horseback, but taming is quite addictive.”

Sick taste. Xiao Teng looked at him with disgust.

After taking Rong Liu to dinner at the equestrian club, Xiao Teng also finally realized that believing Rong Liu when he said he had “no friends” was truly seeing a ghost.

This guy was clearly a universal match. As long as the other party was alive, he could strike up a friendship. Men and women, old and young, all liked him. Wherever he went, there was inevitably a chorus of cheerful laughter. Several people chatted with bright smiles, and even the eccentric old man from the Song family, who could rival Xiao Teng in oddness, allowed Rong Liu to talk to his granddaughter.

If the Rong family fell on hard times, he could change careers to become a social butterfly and surely have a bright future.

Xiao Teng clenched his fingers thinking about the hidden losses he had suffered at the hands of that man with the pleasing smile.

The flower butterfly scattered pollen everywhere. After flying around, it fluttered back, carrying a plate and chattering in Xiao Teng’s ear: “Dear, why aren’t you going over to sit with everyone? It’s so lonely here.”

Xiao Teng ignored him and continued eating on his own.

Rong Liu tilted his head, trying to study his expression from bottom to top. After examining for a while, he said excitedly: “Are you jealous?”

A guess even more inconceivable than the earth exploding today, Xiao Teng angrily got goosebumps all over his back again. He finally couldn’t help opening his mouth and said coldly: “In your dreams.”

Xiao Teng was too easily provoked to anger. He lacked patience for people with slow reactions, and those who were socially clueless only earned a cold laugh from him. With this kind of temperament, at occasions for entertainment and rest, those who didn’t want to invite trouble mostly avoided him if they could. Only Rong Liu liked to play the game of pulling the tiger’s whiskers.

“I’m socializing for your sake,” Rong Liu put on a look of bitter virtue. “We could be great partners. You handle the internal affairs, and I’ll take care of the external ones…”

Xiao Teng’s fork “thunked” into the fish fillet in front of Rong Liu with quite a penetrating skill, finally making him shut his smiling mouth.

After returning from the horse grounds, Xiao Teng’s days actually became easier. Rong Liu put most of his attention on that unruly horse. His packed schedule also helped him. When he was busy, Rong Liu couldn’t keep up with his pace and couldn’t cling to him, so he simply found other amusements.

In his view, Rong Liu was lazy by nature, often sleeping so much he couldn’t crawl up. He loved comfort and hated work, neglecting his proper duties. He was a pampered young master who believed in carpe diem, only going to harass his horses, completely useless.

In a certain sense, this actually pleased him. To deal with a playboy who had lost his ambition to toys, at most he only needed time.

Those two horses were being toyed with and tormented by Rong Liu for nothing. Though he felt somewhat pained, they were after all just animals. As long as they could divert Rong Liu’s current energy and spare him from being harassed, he wouldn’t interfere.

This time Xiao Teng kicked Rong Liu, who was clinging and insisting on going out with him, out of the house at home, and went overseas himself to attend a conference.

Several days later when he returned home, upon entering he saw everything was as before. He knew Rong Liu hadn’t caused any chaos while he was away and felt slightly relieved, but more than that, disappointed.

When he left, he had thought that his several children were all in their rebellious phase. Even he might not be able to control them. Teenagers at this age were all covered in thorns. If Rong Liu had to get along with them, his days wouldn’t be too pleasant. Xiao Teng had scruples about Rong Liu, but children didn’t.

No matter who bullied whom, as long as trouble arose, he would have a legitimate reason to invite Rong Liu out of the house and settle him in a mountaintop villa that was the farthest from home, requiring an hour’s drive down the mountain.

The servant took his luggage and overcoat. Xiao Teng asked: “Did anything happen while I was away these few days?” Receiving the reply “everything is fine,” he still wasn’t quite satisfied. Frowning as he went upstairs, he hoped to see traces of some post battle scene, or Rong Liu with a bloody head.

Everything was intact, but after going upstairs, he felt something was different.

In the hall, there was a harmonious atmosphere of joy. Rong Liu was lying on the floor playing puzzles with his little daughter Xiao Zi. A two thousand piece puzzle, a massive project. Xiao Teng had no patience to help and let Xiao Zi work on it bit by bit each day. Before he left, Xiao Zi had only completed a small corner. But now it was almost finished.

The progress was astonishingly fast. Xiao Teng couldn’t help but look a few more times. Rong Liu had quite a talent in this area, constantly finding the needed pieces from the remaining small pile with surprising accuracy. When Xiao Zi, eyes wide, carefully inserted the final piece, both burst out in cheers.

“Finished!”

The big and small person happily high fived each other.

“I’m going to hang this up!”

“Be careful not to knock it apart. I’ll help you.”

Xiao Teng watched this united and loving pair with cold eyes. Rong Liu turned his head, discovered him, and immediately showed delight as he stood up: “Dea… uh, you’re back!”

At least in front of children his mouth was somewhat well behaved. Otherwise Xiao Teng would personally sew his mouth shut.

“Mm.”

“You were gone for so long. We missed you to death.”

The corner of Xiao Teng’s mouth twitched violently. Rong Liu immediately looked at Xiao Zi, encouragingly: “Right, right?”

Xiao Zi nodded somewhat hesitantly. Xiao Teng suddenly felt somewhat uncomfortable, looking at his daughter who wasn’t very close to him: “I brought back gifts. This one is for you.”

Xiao Zi obediently took the box and said “thank you, Dad,” with adult like politeness, but without the childlike joy and innocence from just now, and without cheering and opening it on the spot. Xiao Teng grew even more displeased and frowned: “Where are the others?”

“Big sister is in her room. I don’t know about big brother and second sister.”

Just as he was speaking, Xiao Pu came out of her bedroom, her hair tied up high, makeup exquisite, wearing a black off shoulder fitted dress. She was beautiful, but the obvious curves and exposed shoulders again made her father furious enough.

“Where are you going?”

“I have a party to attend tonight,” Xiao Pu lifted her small chin. “This isn’t the kind of disreputable gathering you were talking about. A new collection launch, I can go to that, right?”

“Put on a jacket before you go out.”

Xiao Pu didn’t speak, but her furrowed little face clearly wrote noncooperation all over it.

“If you don’t cover your shoulders with something, don’t even think about walking out that door tonight.”

“What do you know about these things.”

“Is that how you talk to your elder?!!”

The two were in a stalemate when Rong Liu suddenly spoke: “Xiao Pu, actually I think you’re a bit wrong.”

Xiao Teng was slightly surprised by his chiming in and frowned. Father and daughter both glared at him: “Outsiders shouldn’t butt in.”

Rong Liu was very innocent, touching his nose: “I mean, your hair and shoes are very elegant, and the bag is the right choice. Going for a retro elegant look is good, but this dress isn’t the most suitable.”

Xiao Pu was struck as if by a heavy blow: “What?”

Rong Liu said seriously: “Better take off the belt too, otherwise it will make people’s eyes very busy.”

Xiao Pu immediately looked down at herself: “How so? I’m going for a mature style. Women in their twenties wear this just right.”

“You can look however old you want,” Rong Liu smiled amiably, harmless to both humans and animals. “I’ll help you pick. I guarantee you’ll look just beautiful enough.”

Driven by her nature to love beauty, Xiao Pu wavered somewhat, but remained stubborn: “Then why should I listen to you.”

Rong Liu smiled: “Believe in my taste. Otherwise, try it on after changing, and you’ll believe in your own taste.”

Xiao Teng watched in surprise and anger as his eldest daughter actually opened her bedroom door and let Rong Liu in, grinding his teeth and nearly exploding.

But when Xiao Pu walked out wearing the Hepburn style dress that Rong Liu had put together using a super short jacket and several invisible pins, he couldn’t say anything anymore. Though this style was too mature for her age, it was an elegance and dignity he had never tried before. Besides her collarbones and calves, nothing was exposed at all. It indeed completely met his requirements.

Xiao Teng’s anger also subsided quite a bit. For a moment his mood was complicated, and he couldn’t explode.

Xiao Zi, who had originally been too scared to move, also became well behaved: “Sister, you look so beautiful like this, like a model. The necklace looks great too.”

Xiao Pu was overjoyed, bent down to pinch her face, and said generously: “Your mouth is so sweet today. When you grow up, you can pick anything from my wardrobe.”

This time it was a loving sister pair. Xiao Teng watched them go downstairs with a dark face, then turned to look at Rong Liu: “Where are Xiao Lin and Xiao Yin?”

Rong Liu answered very smoothly: “Xiao Yin went out. He promised me he’d be back by six. Xiao Lin is practicing.”

Indeed he was even clearer about things than he was. Xiao Teng had the annoyed feeling of someone digging at his corner. He was about to explode when he suddenly felt something was wrong: “Practicing what?”

“Taekwondo…”

“Who let her learn that?”

Rong Liu touched his nose: “She wanted to learn.”

Xiao Teng ground his teeth: “You taught her?”

“I happened to know it, so I gave her some pointers. It’s good for self defense and exercise. What’s wrong with that?”

Xiao Teng’s face was ashen, yet he had words he couldn’t say. Xiao Lin was already boyish enough. Forcing her to learn the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting to become more feminine, she hadn’t stuck with any of them. Now this was just great. She was building up her muscles and would be even more masculine.

“Are you trying to turn her into a man?”

Rong Liu was stunned for a moment, then laughed: “Dear, you’re overthinking it. A person won’t change gender just because they practice martial arts. Xiao Lin’s physical condition is very suitable for this kind of sport. It’s not good to stifle her talent.”

Xiao Teng frowned: “Girls should do what girls are supposed to do.”

“Not to criticize,” Rong Liu scratched his head, “but imagining her doing ballet actually gives me goosebumps. Anyway they’re all healthy hobbies. Isn’t it better to let her choose freely?”

Xiao Teng looked at him coldly: “She’s not your daughter, so of course you can say that.”

Rong Liu smiled cutely: “You’ve misunderstood. I treat them like my own daughters, dear.”

“…”

“Uh, well… even if you don’t approve, you don’t need to point a gun at me.”

Ever since Rong Liu arrived, Xiao Teng had high blood pressure and migraines every day. But the atmosphere at home seemed better than before.

The children all smiled more and spent more time at home than before. They often gathered together to play, rather than each going to their own rooms and doing their own things as before.

But this joyful and harmonious atmosphere actually had nothing to do with him. The children’s happiness and closeness were all because of Rong Liu. He was even more isolated outside this circle, appearing increasingly dislikable.

Before he could still tell himself that the disharmony at home was partly because the children were stubborn. These children were too willful and precocious, impossible to teach well. It wasn’t all his fault.

But Rong Liu got along very well with them. With Rong Liu around, those who should go to school went to school, those who should practice piano practiced piano. Each one was more obedient and likable than the last. No one showed the kind of face they showed when facing him.

This proved that those conflicts and disagreements were actually all his responsibility. It was that he didn’t have the ability to be a good father.

He sat at the table drinking tea and reading the newspaper. Xiao Pu ran down from upstairs wearing a very tropical floral tube top dress, her mouth shouting: “We’re having a beach party later. Help me look, do I look good like this?”

But this wasn’t directed at her father.

Rong Liu raised his chin from the side and commented: “The clothes and shoes are both good. The necklace and belt are bonus points. The hair is also very beautiful.”

“But I still feel like something is missing,” Xiao Pu lifted her skirt looking left and right. “Is something not right? Is it the color of the newly dyed hair?”

Rong Liu thought for a moment: “You’re too pale.”

“Ah! That’s right!” Xiao Pu hurriedly ran upstairs.

When she came down again, her whole body had been tanned to a healthy skin tone with bronze makeup and light pearlescent lips, a completely different style.

Xiao Pu happily went out the door. Xiao Teng frowned looking at the man beside him: “You understand women’s dressing so well. Are you even a man?”

Rong Liu smiled: “Can someone who doesn’t understand women enough be called a man?”

Xiao Teng’s face turned cold: “I’m warning you, don’t get any ideas about my daughter.”

Rong Liu smiled even more beautifully and movingly: “How could I? The type I like, you know best.”

Xiao Teng only gave him a cold snort.

However, it couldn’t be denied that everyone in the family, besides Xiao Teng, all liked Rong Liu very much.

Because Rong Liu not only seemed to know everything, but was willing to play with them. He was amiable to the servants, would spar with Xiao Lin, helped Xiao Pu pick clothes and accessories, and would lift Xiao Zi up, making her giggle. Even Xiao Yin loved going to buy books with him.

But Xiao Teng was completely immune to his act: “Don’t think you can please everyone.”

Rong Liu blinked his beautiful eyes: “Of course I can’t. I’m not money.”

“So save your energy.”

Rong Liu smiled: “I don’t treat people well to please them. I only treat people I like well.”

“Hmph.”

“You have it hard raising kids,” Rong Liu moved close to him. “How about I help you raise them and relieve your worries?”

Xiao Teng only gave him one word.

“Scram.”

But Rong Liu clearly wouldn’t scram. Xiao Teng could only stand up himself and walk away with large cold strides.

“Dear…” Rong Liu chased after him with a smile, looking at his expression. “Are you angry? Really angry? What’s wrong?”

“…”

“Ah, don’t misunderstand. How could I steal your things? They’re all yours. Even I’m yours, dear…”

Before the last word fell, Xiao Teng had already slammed the door in his face.

No matter how much Xiao Teng wanted to chop Rong Liu into pieces and throw him into the sea, he had to endure and accept the fact that a tail named “Rong Liu” had grown behind his back.

After all, Rong Liu was openly here to “learn some things and broaden his horizons from Mr. Xiao.” As long as Rong Liu wanted to, he could only let him follow.

Only at cocktail parties and similar social occasions could Xiao Teng relatively tolerate having Rong Liu by his side. Because this kind of place already had plenty of hateful people and things. One more Rong Liu was like throwing another lump of mud into muddy water, not much difference.

At the cocktail party, Xiao Teng brought Rong Liu and an assistant, meeting some people back and forth, drinking some wine. He saw an excessively thin woman wearing an extremely luxurious off shoulder long dress, a crowd surrounding her like stars cupping the moon, lavishing praise on her. In fact, her face showed signs of aging, her features stiff, and her flat front and back really had no aesthetic appeal. But she was already showing herself off front and back.

Rong Liu exclaimed: “Wow, who is that?”

The assistant accompanying them hurriedly introduced: “This is the famous Miss WING.”

Rong Liu smiled: “Hearing about it a hundred times is not as good as seeing it once. If you didn’t tell me, I would have thought she was Miss WING’s mother. How old is she exactly?”

The assistant said tactfully: “The official statement is just over twenty.”

“Cough…”

Miss WING was still showing off her haute couture dress: “Isn’t this dress beautiful? Every gem is hand sewn on. Do you know how much labor this takes?”

Naturally there was a chorus of praise all around.

Rong Liu smiled: “Those people praise her so much. Is it because they all like a human shaped crystal lamp?”

The assistant was helpless: “She’s Mr. Song’s daughter. Who would want to be the first to offend her?” Old man Song’s gang status was unshakeable. No one wanted to make enemies with the underworld for no reason.

No matter how unbearable it was, they inevitably had to go over and greet her. When Miss WING saw Rong Liu, after hearing the introduction, she said coquettishly: “Big Brother Rong.”

Rong Liu couldn’t help but laugh out loud, saying straight away: “The honor, the honor. I don’t dare, I don’t dare.”

Xiao Teng frowned, but as a man, he reserved a certain respect for women, so he didn’t say anything. He only waited for the pleasantries to end quickly.

But Rong Liu was too much of a magnet for bees and butterflies, and he wasn’t just any golden turtle. There was a crowd of noble ladies around him that needed his attention. For a moment, how could he get away? Xiao Teng was also implicated and had to continue listening to their nauseating, brainless flattery. His face slowly sank.

Miss WING was still saying: “Only a figure like mine can wear this dress elegantly. Those with too full a bust only make people think it’s vulgar. If you want to know the secret to maintaining a devil’s figure, I’ll teach you later.”

Another chorus of sweet voiced thanks and lavish praise. Rong Liu was even more beside himself with joy. Xiao Teng only coldly darkened.

Probably also feeling that his expression wasn’t supportive enough, one of the noble ladies struck up a conversation with him, saying coquettishly: “Sister WING is really super beautiful like this, with an otherworldly and refined temperament. You all appreciate this type, right?”

Xiao Teng lowered the glass in his hand and raised his eyelids: “Are you all blind?”

Rong Liu “pfft” and sprayed out a mouthful of wine. In the stiffness of the whole room, only he was still smiling from ear to ear, looking like he was about to convulse from laughing.

“Let’s go.”

Tossing out one word, Xiao Teng turned and left. Rong Liu and the assistant followed with varied expressions, switching to the other side to socialize.

When going to get a drink, two of the noble ladies who had just been praising Miss WING came over, approached him, looked up, and smiled: “You were so cool just now. Thanks to you saying that, you vented our anger for us. Otherwise we were about to die from holding it in. We also think she’s so tacky, and ugly, and narcissistic.”

Xiao Teng glanced at them and said coldly: “If you think she’s ugly, then go tell her. What are you coming to me for?”

The two never expected to get this kind of response. They left stiffly. Rong Liu laughed even more uncontrollably, pounding the wall: “Dear, you’ve offended people on both sides.”

Xiao Teng only snorted.

Those who speak gentle and soft words aren’t necessarily doing good from the heart. Many are just doing it to be seen as good people, wearing a “good person” halo, fishing for a good reputation.

And no matter what, he dared to be the bad guy. He didn’t care.

The cocktail party was half over, and Xiao Teng gradually felt suffocated because Rong Liu was always by his side, staring at him with a smile, making his face stiff to the point of almost cramping.

He was afraid that if this continued, he wouldn’t be able to resist committing violence in public. So he turned and went to the balcony to get some fresh air and clear his head, so his desire to kill wouldn’t be so strong.

This banquet hall had many small balconies, covered with green vines. In the night, if you didn’t look carefully, you couldn’t see the people on adjacent balconies. Most didn’t pay much attention. But the moment Xiao Teng stood still, he heard a female voice say: “What makes that surnamed Xiao think he’s so great? Who does he think he is!”

“Exactly. I think he’s mostly psychologically twisted, specifically abusing women. Otherwise his wife wouldn’t have run away.”

“What woman could stand someone like him? And he still acts so arrogant. I want to slap his face just looking at it.”

The voices were exactly from the two noble ladies who had come over to show goodwill just now but were coldly shut down by Xiao Teng.

The two women spoke ill for a while, doing their utmost to be mean and vicious. When they got to “maybe he can’t even get it up, and all his kids are evidence of him being cuckolded,” Rong Liu finally couldn’t hold back and “pfft” laughed out again.

The two women turned their heads. When they recognized it was them, their faces looked even worse. Before they could make any move, they paled in fright and hurriedly lifted their skirts and ran.

Rong Liu glanced at the man beside him. Unexpectedly, he didn’t see a Xiao Teng driven mad by anger. Cold gloominess as the one hundred and first set of sure expressions, Xiao Teng’s face didn’t change color, not even a bit more gloomy.

“Huh, you’re not angry? They said such awful things.”

Xiao Teng frowned: “What’s the big deal. I’ve heard worse than that.”

“Uh, those words really don’t make you angry?”

Xiao Teng smiled coldly: “There are plenty of people who want to slap me. The question is, can they actually slap me? When they have that ability, then I’ll get angry. It won’t be too late.”

Those with the ability to be his enemy were one thing. Those who only talked tough behind his back, he didn’t even look down on.

The next day at home, eating breakfast while reading the newspaper, Rong Liu came over to share gossip with him. Now Rong Liu’s information network was unlimited. In the short time since coming to T City, the extent of his gossip information network had already left Xiao Teng in the dust.

“Dear, I heard those two women got beaten up last night. Their faces were swollen like pig heads, but fortunately there were no serious injuries.”

Xiao Teng responded with a disinterested “mm” and continued reading his serious news.

“You don’t care at all? People are saying you did it.”

Xiao Teng raised his eyes to look at him and frowned: “Not my doing.”

“But they talked bad about you, and you heard it, and then they got beaten. It’s hard not to suspect you.”

Xiao Teng said coldly: “It’s true I’m ruthless. But if I had to kill everyone who talked bad about me, this city would have been half empty long ago.”

His methods were to be used on people who truly posed a threat to him, like Ouyang Xiwen. Those small fry who gossiped behind his back, he couldn’t be bothered with. His temper was bad, yes, but only a fool would have the energy to seek revenge for every little grievance.

Rong Liu nearly looked at his handsome profile with infatuation, supporting his chin: “But this way, you’re very wronged, being hated for no reason.”

“Let them hate if they want. Anyway, if they guessed wrong, they’ll continue to suffer losses in the future. What loss do I have?”

He never worried about the stupidity of his opponents.

Ordinary people usually can’t bear the emotion of “being disliked by others,” desperately trying to avoid encountering others’ hatred. But he was calmly hated by most people and had grown used to it.

This was perhaps a kind of talent that someone like him, who accomplished great things, had to possess.

But even someone as indifferent as Xiao Teng, on Father’s Day, with an empty table and not a single gift, would also be somewhat affected.

Though the gifts in previous years had all been very perfunctory. All ready made, randomly picked, things that could be bought with a swipe of a card. And the card bill was still paid by him.

But at least they were gifts from his children.

And this year they didn’t even show their faces.

With Rong Liu around, they simply forgot about the holiday, too lazy to even be perfunctory.

Xiao Teng looked through the study and bedroom, upstairs and down, and searched, confirming that not a single thing had appeared out of nowhere. For some reason, he suddenly lost his appetite for dinner.

The living room downstairs was also dark. Even Rong Liu wasn’t there. He had probably gone out to play with those children of his. Xiao Teng only closed his door alone.