Chapter 66: “Duan Zhuxian, come home with me.”

Duan Zhuxian turned to look at Jiang Yao. “Ask away.”

Jiang Yao took an almost imperceptible deep breath and spoke in a flat tone, “Before me, did you ever like someone else?”

“No,” Duan Zhuxian answered without hesitation. “I’ve told you, you are my first love.”

The night was dark, and Duan Zhuxian was standing with his back to the light. Jiang Yao’s night vision was poor, so he couldn’t clearly see Duan Zhuxian’s eyes or expression.

But even if he could see, it wouldn’t matter. If Duan Zhuxian wanted to deceive him, he would have a thousand ways to make sure he couldn’t find any flaws.

Duan Zhuxian teased, “Why did you suddenly think of asking this? Did you drink fake vinegar(jealousy) again?”

“Just asking,” Jiang Yao said, clenching and unclenching his fist. “But if you dare to lie to me, you’re finished.”

If Duan Zhuxian had really had someone he cherished before him, as his current lover, he would feel a little jealous, and a little uncomfortable. That was human nature. But he wouldn’t mind too much. After all, during his adolescence, he had briefly liked someone else too.

What he couldn’t accept was Duan Zhuxian lying to him about such matters.

Being upfront about the past is one thing; hiding it would be suspicious, as if the feelings lingered, as if the moonlight still shone, and the emotions were not entirely over.

Duan Zhuxian raised his hand, wrapped Jiang Yao’s slightly cool fist in his palm and pressed it against his chest. “I know, if I lie to you, you’ll beat me to death.”

Jiang Yao pulled his fist out and stuffed it into his pocket. “I’ve changed my mind. I won’t be so violent.”

Duan Zhuxian raised an eyebrow. “Being so kind to me?”

Jiang Yao lifted his chin slightly and hummed in response. “Beating you to death would involve legal responsibility, and I don’t need to drag myself into it. If you lie to me, I’ll just kick you out. We’ll meet at the civil affairs bureau. It won’t waste either of our time. Isn’t that kind enough?”

Seeing Jiang Yao’s suddenly cold expression, Duan Zhuxian pulled him into his arms, and a helpless smile formed on his lips. “Then you might as well beat me to death.”

Jiang Yao pretended to punch Duan Zhuxian’s back.

Duan Zhuxian let out an exaggerated groan and hugged him tighter.

Jiang Yao was forced to rest his chin on Duan Zhuxian’s shoulder and said nothing more.

Though he didn’t believe Duan Feiyi’s nonsense at all, and Duan Zhuxian had already assured him, there was still a small knot in his heart that couldn’t be untangled.

In any case, he felt uncomfortable.

*

Back in the house, the servants had already set up the table for the post-New Year’s Eve drinks in the dining room.

Elder Duan, feeling unwell, had gone back to thr quiet little garden to sleep.

A large crowd of people sat around the long table, and the focus was still on Duan Zhuxian. Many were curious about what Elder Duan had called Duan Zhuxian upstairs for, and subtly trying to pry information out, one after another.

Although Jiang Yao was sitting next to Duan Zhuxian, almost none of the elders took the initiative to talk to him, as if they were deliberately ignoring and isolating him.

He knew that this group of self-proclaimed old aristocrats of Lingbei looked down on the Jiang family from another place. With no fools bothering him, he was happy to enjoy the peace.

He was browsing on his phone with his right hand when suddenly his left hand, resting on his knee, was grabbed. The long and distinct fingers forced their way between his, and the slightly rough fingerprints slowly rubbing against his palm with a teasing intent.

Jiang Yao’s gaze remained on his phone. Not to be outdone, he flipped his hand over, pressed Duan Zhuxian’s hand firmly beneath his own, grinding it in a provocative manner, and waited for Duan Zhuxian to break free with brute force.

However, Duan Zhuxian didn’t make any big moves. He just lightly scratched Jiang Yao’s palm with his fingertips, and the tickling sensation instantly spread, reaching his heart.

Jiang Yao momentarily lost his composure, and in the next second, his left hand, which had just gained the upper hand, was pressed back down by Duan Zhuxian.

He chastised himself for being careless in his heart and glanced over at the person next to him.

The other person still wore that mask-like, composed expression on his face, speaking appropriately and skillfully navigating the conversations with the elders, yet secretly flirting with him under the table.

He pursed his lips and secretly commented, “hypocrite.”

These past two years, although Duan Zhuxian had been making rapid progress, catching the other Duan family members off guard, he always maintained a respectful demeanor in front of the elders. To them, no matter how impressive his exterior was, Duan Zhuxian was still the least favored junior of the Duan family.

After a few cups of baijiu(white liquor), someone finally couldn’t hold back their thoughts.

“Sigh, if only Sikai hadn’t been taken away by the police, our gathering would be even more lively this year.”

A middle-aged man with graying hair suddenly remarked, with his face and neck flushed red.

Jiang Yao raised his eyebrow.

The Sikai he mentioned was one of Duan Zhuxian’s distant cousins, who had been arrested for economic crimes before the New Year. His parents hadn’t come to the old house for the New Year’s celebration tonight.

There were all kinds of rumors about this matter, some even speculating that Duan Zhuxian might be involved.

Another elder took a sip of wine and said half-jokingly, half-seriously, “Speaking of this, I can’t help but mention Zhuxian.”

Duan Zhuxian nodded slightly, appearing to listen attentively.

Seeing this, the elder took on an even more authoritative tone and said to Duan Zhuxian, “After all, we are family. How could you so easily provide evidence to the police?”

Duan Zhuxian appeared to be troubled and said, “The police came to the office with clues that day. I was caught off guard too.”

The elder shook his head. “You’re twenty-seven years old and still don’t know how to be flexible.”

He Lu, who was nearby, interjected, “Don’t be too harsh on Zhuxian. After all, he’s still a young man. How can he be expected to handle everything perfectly?”

The elder laughed, “Alright, alright. I know you care for Zhuxian, so I won’t say more.”

Second Uncle seized the opportunity to flatter, “Ah, after all these years, seeing how you have not only treated Zhuxian as your own but also cultivated him to be so outstanding, who wouldn’t be moved?”

At first, Jiang Yao was munching on sunflower seeds and enjoying the show, but gradually, he began to feel uneasy.

Having only glimpsed a fraction of this family’s hypocrisy, he dared not imagine the kind of environment Duan Zhuxian had grown up in.

No wonder Duan Zhuxian always wore a thousand masks, making it hard for people to figure him out.

A sense of damp and oppressive absurdity settled over Jiang Yao, stifling him. He could only drink more to push it down.

The conversation shifted to He Lu, and everyone praised her “magnanimity” for a few moments.

At this point, a middle-aged man nearby suddenly snorted coldly, “Fortunately, Zhuxian was raised under Sister-in-law’s care, unlike a certain morally corrupt woman. Married into the Duan family for barely half a year and caused so many scandals. If Zhuxian had followed her, who knows how crooked he might have turned out.”

The drunken remark fell, and the atmosphere grew quiet for a moment. Others glanced towards Duan Zhuxian’s direction.

Seeing Duan Zhuxian silently sipping his tea, just as before, without much reaction to mentions of his biological mother, they relaxed and joined in the criticism.

These people gossiped with such natural expressions, it didn’t even seem like an act. It was as if they had repeated the lies so many times that they had started to believe them themselves.

Jiang Yao secretly clenched his fists, his knuckles turning pale with the effort, unable to suppress his shock and anger.

As his fist unclenched, a cold smile tugged at his lips.

Even if Duan Zhuxian could endure it, he couldn’t stand it any longer.

He slammed the base of his cup heavily onto the table, silencing half the conversations and everyone’s eyes turned to Jiang Yao.

“Regarding the stories fabricated by the elders, I have a different version here.”

The chattering crowd suddenly quieted down, a bit taken aback by what Jiang Yao was saying.

Jiang Yao raised his hand, drawing a semicircle with his index finger toward the seated crowd, finally pointing at the forehead of the middle-aged man who had spoken the most offensively.

“You must be the infamous Fourth Uncle, right? So, it was you who hired someone to play the adulterer back then, trying to smear a lady’s reputation. Looking at your seemingly respectable appearance, one wouldn’t have thought you capable of such a despicable act.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the air, warmed by the fireplace, instantly tightened and dropped to freezing point.

The others couldn’t hide their surprise and strange expressions, their gazes once again drifting towards Duan Zhuxian.

These events took place around the time Duan Zhuxian was born. Back then, they had threatened that woman to ensure she wouldn’t reveal the truth to Duan Zhuxian, otherwise, he would have no place in the Duan family. That woman, being sensible, naturally wouldn’t speak out.

Over the years, Duan Zhuxian had grown up without any support. Although he didn’t behave obsequiously, he was relatively obedient, never fighting for anything, allowing others to take advantage of him. Even after he later rose unexpectedly, gaining the old man’s favor and gradually taking control of Hua Yan, he never retaliated against them.

They collectively believed that Duan Zhuxian was likely unaware of the grudges and disputes of the previous generation, and perhaps even saw his biological mother as a disgrace due to their twenty years of continuous indoctrination.

Duan Song gave a low growl, “Xiao Jiang!”

Jiang Yao ignored him, and his sharp gaze slowly swept over everyone.

Seeing this, Duan Zhuxian’s third uncle quickly lowered his voice, “Zhuxian, control your man. Tell him not to spread baseless rumors.”

After speaking, he immediately watched Duan Zhuxian’s reaction closely. However, Duan Zhuxian just leisurely took a sip of tea and said, “It’s fine, just some idle talk. I actually want to hear more.”

This unnervingly calm attitude made the third uncle’s heart race. His lips turned slightly purple, and he began to wonder if Duan Zhuxian had already heard these things before.

He was about to say something more when Jiang Yao interrupted, “Seeing you so eager to deny it, you must be remembering how you called the media to witness the staged affair, and intended to use public opinion to confirm the infidelity.”

The third uncle’s eyes widened suddenly, and his breathing quickened noticeably.

Jiang Yao leaned slightly in his direction, adopting a curious posture. “You had chased after her too, didn’t you? But you were already married and had accomplished nothing, always groveling behind a few cousins. She couldn’t possibly think highly of a useless person like you. If you couldn’t have her, you decided to destroy her. Quite something, really.”

“You—” The third uncle clutched his chest tightly, unable to speak for a long time.

Jiang Yao glanced at the woman sitting beside him, whose face had turned red with shock. “Don’t just sit there, give him some medicine.”

His wife, as if waking from a dream, quickly took out some fast-acting heart medication.

The wound, covered for over twenty years, was suddenly ripped open without warning, and the putrid pus flowed into the hearts of those harboring ill intentions, making them squirm uncomfortably.

Ever since they fabricated this story twenty-seven years ago, they had often brought it up in idle conversation, repeating it so many times that they almost believed the woman’s infidelity was true.

Duan Song, who had been in high spirits for a while, now had a face that alternated between pale and green. He awkwardly waved his hand at everyone, “Children don’t understand.”

Then he turned to Jiang Yao, and rebuked angrily, “Xiao Jiang, how can you speak to your elders like that? Where did you hear these rumors?”

“Rumors?” Jiang Yao crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. “Now that you mention it, I remember something else. Before orchestrating the scandal, who falsely accused Ms. Qin of being a mistress, nearly causing her to miscarry?”

Duan Song never expected his son-in-law to be so brazen and fearless, and for a moment, he was speechless.

He instinctively exchanged a glance with He Lu, their four eyes seemingly bound together by their shared gaze, unwilling to part.

The oldest man at the table, his face as dark as the bottom of a pot, angrily tapped the ground with his cane. “A junior with no name or status in Lingbei, stirring up trouble in the Duan family!”

A woman sitting further away muttered, “I said from the beginning that Zhuxian’s marriage was mismatched. Coming from such a small place, he indeed lacks manners.”

Duan Zhuxian’s usually calm expression flickered, and he was about to speak when Jiang Yao pressed him down.

Jiang Yao turned to the woman who had just spoken, smiling slightly. “Fourth Aunt, right?”

Their eyes met, and the woman quickly averted her gaze, clearly nervous.

Jiang Yao nodded, “You got it right. I am indeed a bit rough around the edges, not good at polite conversation, and my temper gets worse after drinking. I ask everyone to bear with me.”

As he spoke, he took a sip of his drink, and his attitude seemed quite sincere.

Duan Song’s livid expression softened a bit, thinking that the young man had realized his arrogance and was now trying to make amends. He was about to take on the posture of an elder and scold him a bit to stabilize the situation, but then Jiang Yao tapped his glass with a “clang” and looked up.

“So, I’ll continue to speak my mind,” Jiang Yao said with a casual smile. “Tell me, is it such a big deal to become part of your Duan family?”

“If you Duan family members think so highly of yourselves, too proud to associate with the lowly, then why do you resort to the dirtiest tricks in the gutter to harm others?”

Fourth Uncle slammed the table and stood up. “You insolent brat, are you trying to turn the world upside down?”

Jiang Yao laughed indifferently. “Fourth Uncle, I have some stories about you too. Want to hear them?”

Fourth Uncle immediately shut his mouth and sat back down with a thud.

Jiang Yao looked around at everyone, his gaze making them all avoid eye contact. “Uncles, aunts, if anyone else has something to say, feel free to speak up. Don’t worry about reminding me of anything; after all, I’m just rambling drunkenly, nothing to be taken seriously.”

His tone remained unhurried and even gentle, but his words were like hot oil splattering on their old faces, causing them visible discomfort.

These people had already been exchanging bewildered glances, and at a loss for what to do. They couldn’t very well throw him out, since the true authority here was the old man, who had invited Jiang Yao for the New Year’s meal and wasn’t present at the moment.

They had spent their lives as high-society elites, desperately maintaining appearances even when rotten to the core. They were used to associating with like-minded people who only exchanged compliments. Being publicly embarrassed like this was a first, and they didn’t know how to respond.

Jiang Yao waited a while, and seeing no one else spoke up, he glanced at his watch and nodded. “It’s getting late, it seems everyone is tired and out of words. Let’s drink together some other time. You can continue talking, and I’ll continue listening attentively.”

With that, he lazily stood up amidst the dead silence and extended his hand to Duan Zhuxian. “Let’s go, Duan Zhuxian. Come home with me.”

Jiang Yao maintained his arrogant demeanor, but there were faint traces of tenderness in his eyes that only one person in the world could see.

All eyes at the table were now focused on Duan Zhuxian.

After all, Duan Zhuxian was a member of the Duan family, with Duan family blood running through his veins.

Moreover, Duan Zhuxian had always conducted himself with grace and precision, never making mistakes in speech or action. How could he allow a country-bumpkin spouse to insult his family, disgrace them, and act recklessly?

Wouldn’t this disregard even his own dignity?

The brief three-second exchange of glances between the two felt like an eternity to the onlookers.

Then, under everyone’s watchful eyes, Duan Zhuxian finally set down the teacup he had been toying with for a while and placed his hand in Jiang Yao’s outstretched palm.