Ling Yuemei had only focused on Joy (Zhao’s son!) since the beginning and did not notice that something had gone wrong with the atmosphere at the banquet. When she raised her hand to ask Joy to come down and play with her, she saw his reddened eyes at close proximity as well as his lifeless-looking expression. It was only then that she realized something unusual had happened. Her face instantly darkened. “Joy, did someone bully you? Tell me, I’ll help you beat him up so that you can let off the steam!”
As soon as Ling Yuemei finished speaking, Ling Ran, who was following close behind her, heaved a sigh in resignation. “Ling Yuemei, you are a girl. How could a girl always use force and resort to violent means to solve issues? Be careful, no one would want to marry you in the future, and you’d end up alone for the rest of your life.”
In response, Ling Ran’s own young niece glared at him with incredible disdain. “I’m not going to be like a certain one who is approaching thirties, but hasn’t gotten a wife and is still a virgin!”
Her harsh words were like a sharp arrow that pierced straight into Ling Ran’s heart. Ling Ran pointed at Ling Yuemei with a trembling finger. “You… You… You…”
Ling Ran stammered for some time. He stretched out his hand to cradle his chest, as if he was Caesar and had just been betrayed by Brutus. He suffered a total defeat!
“Mr. Ling? You and Xiao Mei…” Zhao Youlin’s gaze moved back and forth between Ling Ran and Ling Yuemei. A hint of surprise showed up on her face.
“Ms. Zhao, you’re here too! Yuemei… She’s my niece, my elder brother’s daughter. My elder brother and my sister-in-law are in the military. As such, Yuemei is under my care now.”
“Under your care? Since when? It’s clear as day that I’m the one taking care of you. If I am under your care, I would have died in a ditch now. Hmph!”
“Ling! Yue! Mei!” Ling Ran gritted his teeth as he stared at Ling Yuemei. How he wished he could stuff his niece, who always pulled the rug from under his feet, back into his sister-in-law’s belly to recreate another being!
His elder brother was a serious man, while his elder sister-in-law was a gentle and thoughtful lady. He wondered why they had given birth to such a deviant! It was as if she came from another planet! It was truly a family misfortune!
Ling Ran and Ye Yan liked to attend various banquets among the upper-class society. Many people on the spot had learned of his identity. The moment they heard the way he made the introduction, they quickly understood what he was saying and realized that the child who had charged toward Zhao Youlin and her son was actually the precious daughter of the Ling family’s eldest young master, who was the one with outstanding military achievements.
When the guests heard that Ling Yuemei wanted to avenge Joy, they immediately understood that the young princess, who was the apple of the eye of the Ling family, had a very close bond with Zhao Youlin’s son.
Within an instant, the way the crowd looked at Zhao Youlin and her son changed again.
This woman and her son had been acknowledged by Mu Tingfeng and the Mu family. They also had a good relationship with the Ling family, who was one of the four greatest families. They were not as simple as they appeared to be!
Based on these two points alone, as long as they were not idiots, in the future, the upper-class society no longer dared to confront the mother-son duo recklessly and look for trouble like that woman just now.
At that moment, unbeknownst to Zhao Youlin, her inexplicably confusing network had caught the others by surprise and shocked them as well. Upon hearing Ling Ran’s explanation, only then did she recall he had once mentioned that he still had an elder brother in his family during their blind date last time.
However, she never thought his elder brother would have a child of this age. She was also Joy’s current classmate, as well as his good friend. One had to say, this was truly a pleasant surprise.
The moment Mu Tingfeng saw a man getting close with Zhao Youlin and also chatting so happily with her, he furrowed his eyebrows. He immediately cast aside the couple that he terrorized so much that they were about to die of fear and walked toward Zhao Youlin. He wrapped his arms around Zhao Youlin’s waist with a strong sense of possessiveness. He cocked one of his eyebrows as he asked, “Ling Ran?”
Ling Ran was stunned upon seeing Mu Tingfeng’s sudden appearance. He subconsciously cast a cursory glance at Mu Tingfeng’s hand, which he had wrapped around Zhao Youlin’s waist. It gave off a strong sense of ownership. Ling Ran’s eyebrows twitched.
On top of that, despite the fact that Mu Tingfeng had definitely stepped out of bounds, Zhao Youlin did not refuse him at all. She merely glared at him sulkily.
Judging from Mu Tingfeng’s current attitude toward Zhao Youlin alone, he was leading way ahead of his good buddy. It looked like his best buddy really stood no chance this time.
At that moment, little did Ling Ran know that Ye Yan had also been invited to the banquet today. Moreover, he had already entered the living hall a few minutes before Ling Ran and the rest did.
However, at that time, everyone gathered their attention on Zhao Youlin and the rest of her group. They did not notice that someone had entered through the door from outside and hid among the shadows of the crowd.
From afar, Ye Yan watched as Zhao Youlin and Mu Tingfeng hugged each other intimately. Zhao Youlin was also holding Joy in her arms. He unwittingly clenched his hands, which were dangling by his side. He refused to accept this, and it showed in his eyes.
After a brief moment, he slowly turned around and retreated into deeper darkness before he left quietly.
Ling Ran smiled dryly. He greeted Mu Tingfeng, “Young Master Mu, nice to meet you.”
Mu Tingfeng stared at Ling Ran for some time before he turned his head around and asked Zhao Youlin, “You guys know each other?”
“Urm…” ‘If I were to say the person in front of me was actually my blind date last time, I wonder how he would react to this.’
Zhao Youlin surveyed her surroundings before she decided not to take the risk. She faked a cough and explained to him, “Mr. Ling’s niece is Joy’s kindergarten classmate.”
“Yes, yes, yes. That’s right.” Mu Tingfeng’s cold stare was threatening, and it was also a warning. Ling Ran felt his back had been stabbed with something sharp under his stare. Upon hearing Zhao Youlin’s words, he quickly continued along with the conversation and drew a clear line between them.
Mu Tingfeng sized Ling Ran up. He furrowed his eyebrows. Apparently, he did not quite believe in Ling Ran’s words.
Just then, another child’s voice rose from behind and interrupted the adults’ conversations.
“Uncle!” The girl’s child-like voice carried a hint of pure joy.
Zhao Youlin and the rest looked in the direction where the voice came from. They were greeted by the sight of a small figure in purple color rushing toward them. She threw herself and reached Mu Tingfeng’s legs.
“Who is she?” As Zhao Youlin watched the girl who was about the same age as Ling Yuemei, she asked in puzzlement.
“My cousin’s daughter, Mu Wanting. Wanting, this is your aunt and cousin.” Mu Tingfeng looked down and cast a glance at Mu Wanting before he briefly introduced Zhao Youlin and her son to his niece.
The corners of Zhao Youlin’s lips twitched. She forcibly held back the urge of slapping Mu Tingfeng’s head. She glared at him fiercely. How dare this rascal introduce herself to the child like this?!
“Aunt and cousin?” The smile on Mu Wanting’s face turned stiff. Her small face tensed up. She sized Zhao Youlin and Joy up for a moment and said unhappily, “Uncle, aren’t you already divorced? I don’t have an aunt and cousin.”
“That’s right. Both of us have already divorced. Who are we to be called her aunt and cousin? Hmph…”
Mu Tingfeng thought to himself. ‘Did the lass purposely come here to cause me trouble?’
