26. Cheap younger cousin and Sue

Yan Ling had made a reservation at a Nordic cuisine restaurant. Despite the threatening gaze from his cousin, Daniel confidently positioned himself as the third wheel for the evening.

Without waiting for Yan Ling to dissuade him, Daniel took out his phone and called the restaurant. After confirming that they could accommodate an additional person, he casually waved his phone, indicating that Yan Ling should pay for his portion.

Upon getting in the car and seeing the flowers on the passenger seat, Daniel exaggeratedly exclaimed, “Wow!”

Yan Ling held the flowers, unperturbed, and calmly took the driver’s seat.

Qiu Rong seemed preoccupied and didn’t speak much during the ride, while Daniel chattered away in the back seat. Yan Ling couldn’t be bothered to engage with him.

The restaurant was not large, with an open kitchen and waitstaff bustling around, carrying plates of exquisite food. Daniel took a stroll and went to observe the chef chopping vegetables. He successfully acquired a flower that was meant for decorative purposes on the plate.

The restaurant had both individual tables and semi-open private booths. Yan Ling and his companions sat in one of the booths. Daniel pinned the light blue flower near his ear, located Yan Ling and Qiu Rong, and sat down with a raised eyebrow, proudly boasting, “Look, someone also gave me flowers.”

Yan Ling: “…”

Yan Ling: “If I’m not mistaken, you should be eighteen this year, not eight.”

“Oh,” Daniel removed the flower from his ear and gently placed it above Yan Ling’s pointed ear, casually smoothing Yan Ling’s soft and silky black hair. He smiled with narrowed eyes and said, “Brother, you’ve got it wrong. I’m only three years old this year. I’m still a baby who needs your care, so please don’t chase me away, pretty please.”

Yan Ling: “…”

He took off the small blue flower from between his temples and threw it on the table. He decided not to respond to Daniel at all. Otherwise, this person wouldn’t stop, and no one would be able to have a peaceful meal.

Unexpectedly, Qiu Rong, who had been quiet all along, suddenly spoke up, “You’re eighteen this year?”

Clearly, chatting with Qiu Rong made Daniel even happier. He turned his whole body towards Qiu Rong, propped his chin on the edge of the table, and blinked his eyes, saying, “Yes, why? Does Brother Qiu Rong think otherwise?”

Qiu Rong met Daniel’s crystal-clear blue eyes and felt like someone would believe him if he claimed to be fifteen.

Foreign children generally had a more mature appearance, and Daniel’s distinctive looks and playful personality, coupled with his pink-dyed hair, made it difficult to determine his actual age.

Daniel reached back into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out a passport, which he unfolded and waved around with a deeper smile. “Here’s my perfectly genuine eighteen-year-old passport. Brother Qiu Rong, why don’t you consider breaking up with my brother and being with me instead?”

Glancing back at Yan Ling, whose face was as dark as the bottom of a pot, Daniel’s lips curved up, revealing a small tiger tooth. “Oh my, with my brother being so fierce, how can Brother Qiu Rong handle his foul temper?”

“Daniel,” Yan Ling set down the water he had just brought to his lips, and the glass made a crisp sound as it hit the table. He spoke coldly, “I will consider what you said, but if you continue like this, I won’t mind having Vincent book a plane ticket to send you back right now.”

“Okay,” Daniel sat up straight, indicating that he was being well-behaved. “You should have said so earlier. As long as you don’t kick me out, I promise I’ll listen to everything you say.”

Qiu Rong’s suspicion in his heart diminished when he heard Daniel claiming to be eighteen, but the fleeting glimpse of the photo in the passport reignited that doubt.

Qiu Rong squeezed Yan Ling’s hand, placed on the edge of the table, and said, “Your brother has a good temper. He usually indulges me.”

“It’s because you’re mischievous that he gets angry with you.”

Daniel: “…”

Look at this, is he speaking like a human?

Daniel rolled his eyes, but Yan Ling seemed pleased. He held onto Qiu Rong’s hand and squeezed it back, and the pink bubble between them quickly engulfed Daniel.

As the appetizers arrived, peony shrubs covered in caviar was served, with onion and yellow radish arranged as flower petals, supported by a semi-transparent shell at the bottom, just enough to fill one’s mouth, with distinct layers and rich flavors.

Qiu Rong ordered juice since he was driving, while Yan Ling and Daniel opted for wine.

During the interval between dishes, Qiu Rong casually asked, “How did you come up with the idea of dyeing your hair pink? I saw that you had blond hair in your passport.”

Daniel took a sip of white wine and happily narrowed his eyes. He genuinely enjoyed the pleasure that food brought.

“That’s the reason why I came to China this time,” Daniel said. “Studying is too difficult. I want to debut as a star!”

Qiu Rong: “…”

Qiu Rong: “Well, that’s one way to go.”

Daniel called Yan Ling “Cousin,” even though he was not only in his teens or twenties. For the sake of convenience, Daniel had various miscellaneous identities, with his age ranging from 15 to 28. This time in Huaguo, he created a persona for himself as a rebellious high school graduate.

Qiu Rong asked again, “Did you learn Chinese by yourself? You speak it very well, and I can’t detect any accent at all.”

Since they met, Daniel had been speaking Chinese to Qiu Rong, with occasional English sentences when talking to Yan Ling.

“Well, I can’t really say I learned it by myself,” Daniel replied. “Sue, my brother’s mother, used to take me to Chinatown, and I picked it up from listening a lot. Later, there was a Chinese class in high school, and I learned for a while.” As he said this, Daniel turned to look at Yan Ling. “Sue never mentioned you having a boyfriend. You haven’t told her yet?”

“It’s none of your business,” Yan Ling responded coldly.

“Hey, don’t be like that. Uncle might not be a good person, but Sue still cares about you. She just doesn’t know how to express it,” Daniel said.

One sentence successfully earned Yan Ling’s warning gaze, and Daniel raised his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, I’ll shut up.”

Qiu Rong intended to ask Daniel a few more questions, but he noticed that Yan Ling didn’t appreciate too much attention on Daniel. So he redirected his focus back to his own CEO.

Setting aside Daniel’s occasional inappropriate comments, the meal was enjoyable. The restaurant specialized in Nordic cuisine but had made localized adaptations, which was a novel experience for Daniel.

The chef of this restaurant had a penchant for incorporating flowers as elements. Before leaving, Daniel made a trip to the kitchen and came back holding a bunch of hydrangea flowers.

Yan Ling mocked him, saying, “What’s this? Are you planning to marry yourself?”

Qiu Rong went to retrieve the car, while Daniel and Yan Ling waited for him on the roadside.

Daniel held the blue and purple hydrangea flowers in his hand, turning them around in front of his eyes. He smiled ambiguously and said, “I have no worries about getting married. How about you, brother? Have you confessed to your little friend about your favorite food?”

Yan Ling gazed at the bustling traffic on the street without responding.

“Are you serious? Being in love with a human being,” Daniel turned to look at Yan Ling as if surprised. “I used to think that ancestral bloodline was everything to you, but it turns out uncle’s bloodline still has some use. So, you have a love-struck mind too, huh?”

Yan Ling: “…”

Daniel always had a way of making people feel hot-headed.

Yan Ling scolded him, “Shut up.”

“Okay, okay, don’t get angry,” Daniel didn’t mean to provoke Yan Ling. He put down the hydrangea flowers and said, “But brother, based on my vast experience in reading people, I kindly remind you that your little friend at home is not as simple as he appears. The Werewolf kid I deceived and your Qiu Rong have some similarities. That kid was genuinely naive, but your little friend here, he’s got quite a lot on his mind.”

“I know,” Yan Ling didn’t like Daniel comparing Qiu Rong to others. “His upbringing wasn’t good, but he has worked hard to live a pure life. Everyone has their own secrets, and not everything needs to be dug up.”

“Hah,” Daniel realized that Yan Ling indeed had a bit of his biological father, Prince Morel Kate’s, love-struck mind. He decided not to say more and simply said, “As long as you’re happy.”

“One more thing,” Qiu Rong’s car came out of the garage, and Daniel looked at the car, which was clearly bought with Yan Ling’s money. He said, “Sue really misses you. When she asks Vincent about your well-being, it’s only because she cares about you. It’s a good thing to have someone you like. Take some time and give her a call.”

“To be honest, Roy, I’ve always been able to sense that all the kindness Sue has shown me over the years was actually a reflection of you. Although we don’t resemble each other at all, in the family, I’m the only one who still looks young enough to let her experience maternal love.”

“Roy, she loves you.”

Yan Ling’s mood remained low until they returned home.

On the way, Qiu Rong first dropped off Daniel at the hotel Vincent had booked for him. Before getting out of the car, Daniel seemed to have sobered up after the breeze hit him throughout the journey. He said to Yan Ling, “I’m sorry, I drank too much today, and I shouldn’t have brought them up. Forgive me.”

Yan Ling glanced at him and said, “I’ll find a manager to accompany you. Now get lost.”

After a meal with three or four different types of wine, Yan Ling was also slightly intoxicated. After changing his clothes, he went straight into the bathroom.

Qiu Rong packed up the bouquet he was taking home, changed into pajamas, and after some thought, he also entered the bathroom.

Yan Ling had submerged himself in the bathtub when he heard some noise, so he emerged from the water.

The water temperature wasn’t high, and Qiu Rong ruffled the water’s surface. He sat outside the bathtub, with his arm resting on the edge, and his chin propped up, gazing quietly at Yan Ling.

Yan Ling used his damp fingers to touch Qiu Rong’s cheek and leaned in to kiss him.

Yan Ling had never elaborated on his family matters to Qiu Rong, and Qiu Rong wouldn’t deliberately ask. Today, when Daniel mentioned a few things, Yan Ling responded coldly.

But Qiu Rong could tell that Yan Ling did care.

At least it’s not like he claimed, where he treated his parents as strangers.

After a deep kiss, Qiu Rong gently pecked Yan Ling’s rosy lips and asked, “Do you want to tell me?”

Yan Ling stared into Qiu Rong’s eyes for a moment. The fading intoxication seemed to have melted into his limbs, leaving him without any strength.

He lifted the thoroughly wet cat out of the water, rinsed it off, dried its fur, and wrapped it in a large, soft towel before carrying it back to the bedroom.

Yan Ling leaned against Qiu Rong’s warm embrace and said in a faint tone, “It’s not really anything.”

“Daniel said my father had a love-struck mind, and this is pretty much a love-struck story.”

“The person my father loved most in his life was my mother. He only loved her.”

“When they had me, it was an accident. In my father’s eyes, I was just a parasite depriving my mother of her nourishment. If my mother didn’t have a slight fondness for children, he would have made her get rid of me at the first opportunity.”

“Unfortunately, Sue saved me, but she had a difficult delivery.”

“I almost took Sue’s life.”

“Sue was unconscious for a long time, and my father already didn’t like me. Now he despised me even more.”

“He initially wanted to strangle me directly.”

Author’s Note:

Recovering… Thank you for waiting and caring. *Crying*

TN:

Flashback to Bella’s pregnancy in twilight. Minus the psycho father coz Edward could never. He was too sparkly for that.