Jiang Cheng, Red Maple Garden.

As a property passed down through the Yu family for generations, Red Maple Garden is usually closed to outsiders unless invited by the owner. But today is different from the usual.

All sorts of luxury cars are streaming in, and waiters in uniform are bustling through every corridor. Their final destination is the banquet hall located at the very heart of Red Maple Garden’s scenic landscape.

Today is the eighteenth birthday of the Yu family’s Little Young Master, Yu Li. The Yu family has been planning this banquet for months, inviting almost every notable figure in Jiang Cheng to the event.

Inside the hall, it’s lavish and grand, with the clinking of glasses and the sound of lively conversations filling the air. 

As the star of this coming-of-age ceremony, Yu Li is dressed in a well-tailored dark blue suit. With a phone in one hand and a small piece of cake in the other, he’s sitting on a sofa in the lounge area.

Yu Li inherited his parents’ excellent genes, boasting a strikingly beautiful face. Almond-shaped eyes, a delicate nose, red lips, and white teeth, with silky black hair cascading beside his fair and smooth cheeks. Sitting there with his head lowered, he resembles a dewy lotus flower.

However, at this moment, this beautiful lotus is half-heartedly dealing with the noble young men who keep approaching him for conversation, while his fingers are flying across the keyboard, making the screen click and clack.

Li’s Thoughts: [Pei Yu!! Where are you!!]

Not long after the message is sent, the other party’s status changes to “typing…”

Pei’s Money Counter: [Just got out of the car, your garden is huge, my legs are about to break from walking.]

Yu Li wrinkles his nose, typing quickly: [Hurry up, my parents and brother went upstairs mysteriously, I don’t know what they’re doing. I’m all alone down here, and people keep coming to talk to me, I can barely keep smiling.]

Li’s Thoughts: [Angry Pink Bunny.jpg]

Pei’s Money Counter: [I’m running, wait for me!]

Yu Li stares at the message for a moment, then turns off the phone screen and places it back on his lap, scooping a bite of cocoa-flavored cake into his mouth. 

When you’re in a bad mood, a little sweet treat can cheer you up.

As the youngest child of the Yu family, Yu Li was destined from birth to be showered with love and affection from his parents and brother. He never lacked money or love, and was practically raised in a honey pot. The grand scale of this coming-of-age ceremony is a testament to how much the Yu family values him.

Even though the future heir of the Yu Corporation is already set to be his older brother, Yu Huaiyuan, there are still plenty of noble young men eager to get acquainted with Yu Li.

“Yu… Yu Li, happy birthday.”

This is yet another person who seems to be giving a gift but is actually trying to get familiar with him, holding a velvet gift box and blushing as they push the gift towards Yu Li.

This person seems to be doing it on purpose, standing too close, with a perfume scent so strong it stings the eyes.

Yu Li subtly leans back, holding his breath as he gives a formulaic smile: “Thank you, you can give the gift to him.”

The “him” refers to the attendant standing next to Yu Li.

The person is dazzled by Yu Li’s smile, dazedly handing the gift to the attendant. Just as they are about to seize the opportunity to chat more with Yu Li, he shifts his gaze away and raises his hand towards someone behind them: “Xiao Yu!”

Pei Yu arrives fashionably late, holding a box and panting as he sits next to Yu Li.

Lifting his eyelids slightly, Pei Yu watches the person leave disappointedly because of his arrival, and teases with a smile: “Did I come at just the right time?”

Yu Li huffs lightly, glancing at the gift box in Pei Yu’s hands, and asks, “What gift did you bring me?”

Pei Yu doesn’t keep it a secret, casually opening the gift box and taking out a sapphire-embedded earring.

He waves the earring in front of Yu Li, then puts it back in the box, muttering, “I specially ordered this, the craftsmanship is a bit complex, almost couldn’t bring it to you on time. By the way, you said your parents and brother went upstairs, if you don’t want to deal with them here, why didn’t you go with them?”

Yu Li pouts, taking the gift and handing it to the attendant to keep, answering, “They wouldn’t let me go up.”

Pei Yu chuckles: “Probably preparing a surprise for you.”

With Pei Yu’s arrival, Yu Li focuses on chatting with him, not sparing a glance for anyone else. 

Because of this, those who wanted to chat with Yu Li before the banquet started found no opportunity and had to leave reluctantly.

Without the constant interruptions, Yu Li’s mood improved significantly, and a genuine smile gradually appeared on his face.

However, their conversation didn’t last long. A few minutes later, a middle-aged man in a butler’s uniform descended from the floating staircase on the second floor, walking straight to Yu Li’s side and bending down to whisper, “Little Young Master, Madam asked me to bring you upstairs.”

Yu Li looks at Pei Yu, who waves him off, saying, “Go ahead, I’ll wander around down here.”

The second floor of the banquet hall is not open to guests unless invited by the host. Otherwise, anyone who tries to enter will be stopped unceremoniously by the tall bodyguards stationed at the staircase.

Yu Li walks leisurely beside the butler, stopping in front of the largest lounge in the corridor. The butler gestures for Yu Li to enter, then turns and leaves.

The lounge door is ajar, and Yu Li can see the scene inside at a glance.

As the largest lounge in Red Maple Garden, there are only four chairs placed in front of the red curtain, leaving a large open space, making the room feel particularly spacious.

Cen Rujun, dressed in an emerald green cheongsam, is sitting on one of the chairs. Seeing Yu Li, her gentle and beautiful eyes curve into a smile as she calls out, “Darling, come to mom.”

“Mom, what are you all up to, being so secretive?” Yu Li mutters, stepping to the center seat, his almond eyes narrowing as he casts a suspicious glance at the three of them.

Cen Rujun takes Yu Li’s hand, guiding him to sit beside her, and with a light laugh, she takes a small item from her bag and places it in Yu Li’s hand.

Yu Li looks down to see a flamboyantly colored car key lying quietly in his fair palm.

Yu Li had heard Pei Yu mention that this car was just released last month, with only five units available worldwide, and it sold out instantly.

He never expected that one of those five car keys would end up in his hand.

Cen Rujun gazes lovingly at her youngest son, whom she raised with care, her eyes filled with endless affection: “Our darling is an adult now, it’s time for you to have your own car. Once you get your driver’s license, you can drive around.”

Yu Li looks at the key in his hand, his eyes curving into a smile sweeter than honey: “Thank you, mom, I love it.”

Just as he finishes speaking, Yu Xiangguo can’t help but raise his hand to cover his mouth, lightly coughing.

Yu Li turns his head at the sound, shifting his gaze over.

Cen Rujun glances at Yu Xiangguo, giving him a glare, but Yu Xiangguo pretends not to see his wife’s disdainful look. He also takes a key from his pocket, placing it next to the car key.

Yu Xiangguo says, “This villa is in the city center, a three-story standalone with a private garage. It’s quiet, in a good location, and close to your university. The renovation is all done according to your preferences, so when school starts, you won’t have to squeeze into a dorm like everyone else. You can just move in with your bags.”

He adds, “The car your mom bought is already in the underground garage. I’ve also added a few other brand cars for you, all in the garage, in various colors to match your outfits when you go out.”

Seeing Yu Xiangguo’s expectant gaze, Yu Li’s smile grows even sweeter. He places the two keys into his chest pocket, playfully saying, “Thank you, dad~ I love the gifts from both you and mom.”

As he speaks, his peripheral vision catches the sight of his well-dressed, handsome brother, Yu Huaiyuan.

Sure enough, the next second, Yu Huaiyuan mimics Yu Xiangguo’s cough, taking a folder from behind him and pulling out a printed contract, placing it in front of Yu Li.

Yu Li takes a glance.

It’s a share transfer agreement for the Yu Corporation.

Although Yu Xiangguo is still the chairman of the Yu Corporation, it’s essentially Yu Huaiyuan who runs the show now.

Even though Yu Li is also a child of the Yu family, he has no interest in inheriting the company and has barely visited the Yu Corporation headquarters.

The Yu family is one of the few in Jiang Cheng where brothers genuinely care for each other and don’t fight tooth and nail for the heir position.

Though he doesn’t plan to compete with his brother for the company, as a member of the Yu family, he naturally gets a share of the Yu Corporation.

With Yu Huaiyuan around, Yu Li can sign this agreement and enjoy shareholder dividends every year without having to go to the company. This gift is essentially pocket money for him.

“Thanks, bro~” Yu Li doesn’t hesitate, signing the agreement without even looking at its contents.

Yu Huaiyuan’s handsome face is full of helplessness: “You’re not even going to check?”

Yu Li pushes the agreement back to him, smiling like a little fox: “No need, anyone might trick me, but not my brother.”

Yu Huaiyuan is thoroughly pleased by this, his face beaming as he puts away the agreement: “But my gift isn’t just this one. Why don’t you guess where the rest of the gift is, Xiao Li?”

Yu Li raises an eyebrow at this, glancing at Yu Huaiyuan’s flat pockets and empty back, jokingly saying, “Where else could you hide a gift? It can’t be behind the curtain, right?”

He says this casually, as the lounge is so spacious that if there were really a hidden gift, it could only be behind the curtain.

However, Yu Huaiyuan looks surprised, exchanging a glance with their parents, not expecting Yu Li to guess so quickly.

Yu Li is momentarily stunned, muttering softly, “It’s really behind the curtain? I was just guessing…”

Yu Huaiyuan chuckles, telling Yu Li, “Since Xiao Li guessed it, go ahead and unveil the curtain.”

Looking at the red curtain, Yu Li stands up slowly, wondering what kind of gift his brother has prepared that requires such a large curtain to cover.

Is it a life-sized robot model? A giant doll? Or…

With these thoughts, Yu Li stands in front of the curtain.

Trusting his brother, he doesn’t hesitate, raising his hand to pull the cord, causing the curtain to swiftly part in the middle.

The red fabric sweeps to the sides, revealing the scene behind—

No life-sized models, no giant dolls, but a whole row of broad-shouldered, long-legged men in suits.

They stand in a neat formation on the lounge’s open space, each with their hair slicked back, wearing sunglasses that cover their eyes, revealing only their chiseled lower faces.

Behind the flamboyant red curtain, hidden is a row of muscular men.

Yu Li is stunned on the spot, staring wide-eyed at the unexpected scene, too shocked to speak for a moment.

After a while, he snaps out of it, looking at Yu Huaiyuan with a complicated expression.

“Bro…”

“You gave me male models as a gift right after I turned eighteen, isn’t that a bit much?”