The words made Yi Ling blush. She had become more feminine after the marriage. Pampered, too—she had put on weight.
“Uncle, grandpa,” they called.
Ye Sr. gave them red packets with a big smile. His temper was getting better and better ever since his previous near-death encounter. Some things he couldn’t work out before, suddenly made sense to him.
The world belonged to the kids—his era was already over.
Now, the only thing he hoped for was to live to the day to see his great-grandchild. However, Xinyu was not manly at all. Would there really be a girl who would want to marry a sissy like him?
Ye Xinyu had the face of a beauty.
“But Grandpa, it’s not my fault to be born like this! Mom gave this face to me, you can’t possibly ask me to disfigure myself! Plus, I’m a real man despite my effeminate appearance. I’m no sissy! And I’m only 20 this year,” he argued helplessly.
Being beaten up was one thing, but enduring the contempt from his grandfather was another.
He knew his Grandpa liked rough guys. Like the bearish Lei Qingyi, or the emotionless Lu Yi..
He wasn’t as tall as Lei Qingyi or agile as Lu Yi, but he had his own redeeming point—he had a pretty face. But what good is that?
“Oh cousin, you look as pretty as ever,” said Yi Ling. She was shocked every time she saw him. Apart from her Huanhuan, he was the prettiest…boy she had ever seen.
It’s a pity that he wasn’t an actor.
Ye Xinyu covered his face in embarrassment, then put a hand around his arm.
“Wait till you see this, Sis,” he said as he struck some poses. “Look at how built I am! Look at these muscles!”
“Yup,” nodded Yi Ling. “It’s like Barbie with King Kong’s body.”
Pfft! Lei Qingyi spat out the water from his mouth. He didn’t have time to choose an angle, so all the water went right on Ye Xinyu’s face. Ye Xinyu jumped up, his eyes widening.
“Ewww, brother-in-law!”
Lei Qingyi frowned. As he said, he hated sissy guys. Especially pretty sissies.
Ye Xinyu was still hopping around in disgust. It’s saliva! Gross! Yucks!
Can you be any less disgusting? How do I even clean this up?
Oh god, I’m a clean freak for god’s sake! I don’t want to live anymore.
In his predicament, a hand reached out from behind and lifted him up by the collar.
This strength…could it be?
Ye Xinyu shivered in fear. Since young, there was only one person who would carry him like this. How could he not know who it was?
“Brother…” he pouted. “We are celebrating New Year now, so can you put me down already?”
Lu Yi did as told and spruced up his clothes.
“What’s wrong? Were you getting bullied?”
Ye Xinyu’s eyes went round. Why was his brother being amiable?
“It’s him,” said Ye Xinyu, pointing at Lei Qingyi. “Brother Qingyi… I mean, my brother-in-law was bullying me!” The word brother-in-law was music to Lei Qingyi’s ears, so he let him off for being a sissy.
It’s noteworthy that Ye Xinyu was not only pretty but smart as well. He also had a way with words and knew how to please others, but all those couldn’t help him avoid the fate of being disliked in a family of bears because of his pretty face. He would have been cherished by the entire family if he were born a girl, but no one in the family liked a pretty boy.
Lu Yi helped Ye Xinyu fix his buttons.
“Just get stronger than him. Then he won’t be able to bully you anymore.”
Ye Xinyu just wanted to cry. What did he do to offend anyone?
“I’m back, Dad,” said Ye Shuyun, entering with Lu Jin and Yan Huan.
Ye Jianguo’s eyes narrowed when he saw Yan Huan.
This must be Lu Yi’s wife, thought Ye Jianguo. She’s very pretty, and somehow…familiar. Ye Jianguo liked her. Then he remembered that the Ye Family would have been in ruins without her financial support. They owed all they had now to her. That made his impression of her even better.
Lu Yi, clutching Yan Huan’s hand tightly, walked over to him.
“This is Yan Huan, Grandpa. Your granddaughter-in-law.”
“Good afternoon, Grandpa,” said Yan Huan obediently. Her delicate features gave her the air of innocent beauty, so she was naturally well-liked by older folks. Despite being an actor, she had a clean reputation in the sphere and never had a single scandal. That and her nickname as the Box Office Elixir made anyone think twice about gossiping about her.
Ye Jianguo chuckled like a kind old man.
“Good, good. Good afternoon to you too,” he took out the red packets he had prepared and distributed them among them. All of them contained a hefty sum.
Everyone had one.
Of course, Ye Chuji had prepared red packets too. He was also a senior now. But time really flies, doesn’t it? In the blink of an eye, he was already an uncle. He might even become a great-uncle soon.
His eyes narrowed when he saw his son gaping like an idiot.
“Idiot!” he slapped him hard on the head. “Close your mouth already, idiot.”
Ye Xinyu quickly hugged his head. “Don’t hit my head, Dad! I was just shocked.”
“My cousin-in-law is Yan Huan?!” he pointed at Yan Huan. “Do you know how much I like her? She’s my idol!! How can you steal my idol away, cousin Lu?”
God, he had to be dreaming. He was looking at Yan Huan! His favorite idol in the flesh! He watched every film of hers and even used her picture as his phone wallpaper! He even wanted to see her up close one day at a live performance or fansign.
He did see her up close now, but as her cousin-in-law. Could there be a more tragedy in the world?
Suddenly, he felt a chill down his spine. Turning back, he saw Lu Yi narrowing his eyes, within them a look he was all too familiar with. He shuddered as his skin tensed up.
Was he about to get thumped?
Lei Qingyi did not have any pity for him. He had always been roughed up in the Lei family for being pretty as a doll anyway. There’s a saying that goes: Don’t tease a friend’s wife. Not to mention a cousin’s wife. Not to mention a stingy cousin like Lu Yi.
