Chapter 26

The Uncle held up his business card and Yu Lan took it suspiciously, giving it a glance.

Fang Pingping, a self proclaimed well-known model agent. The card didn’t have his contact information…

Yu Lan: “…”

He didn’t know much but he could tell that this business card was weird and lacked a lot of necessary elements.

“My name is Fang Pingping. Uncle Fang is very excited to introduce myself to you!”

He rambled about his resume for a while.

For example, he said he once worked for a large model agency that was famous for supermodels. He had worked with many famous models. He had been in this career for fifteen years and he finally planned to ‌branch out on his own as an agent. He had temporarily opened a studio with a friend.

If Yu Lan followed him, this uncle would make him a big hit. Yu Lan would earn one million a year and reach the top of the fashion circle very quickly!

Fang Pingping finished speaking while panting, out of breath and eagerly said, “Kid, what do you think?”

Yu Lan slowly said, “Uncle, you need to work on your sales pitch.”

Fang Pingping,”???”

Yu Lan admitted, “I don’t have money to pay the training fee. You’re wasting your time.”

“What training fee…Wait!!!”

Fang Pingping said hoarsely, “I can see you think I look suspicious but I’m not! Believe me! There is no training fee, only one million a year in income! Kid!!!”

Yu Lan bowed his head and silently bypassed the man, walking quickly towards the door.

“Kid, please stay!” Fang Pingping hurried to catch up, stretched out his trembling hand only for it to be suddenly caught by a tall alpha!

Fang Pingping was shocked and the alpha said with a sullen face, “What do you want to do to him?”

Yu Lan stopped and quickly said to the bodyguard, “It’s okay.”

He hesitated and then looked at the man before saying flatly, “Uncle, don’t deceive people anymore. The path to a good life is to work hard and act righteous.”

After speaking, Yu Lan left with the bodyguard in a hurry, not daring to look back.

Left standing frozen in place, Fang Pingping, “…”

Does he really seem so suspicious?!

Far away from the uncle who looked very, very suspicious, Yu Lan calmed down and asked the bodyguard and driver to take him to another nearby shopping mall.

At the same time, far away in a mansion, there were six people sitting around a dining table. These people were having dinner and the entire dining room was filled with the sound of tableware colliding. No one spoke and the atmosphere was very subdued.

A well dressed woman met the eyes of a handsome man sitting across from her. The handsome man put down his tableware and broke the quiet atmosphere.

He said, “Mingyu, I heard that you have a Silver Moon Clan omega living with you?”

The mood in the room became heavy and everyone at the table stopped moving.

The old man sitting at the head of the table threw a glance at the woman beside him. She was a guest that had been invited for dinner; Jian Ling. She wiped her mouth with a napkin and remained silent.

The well dressed woman, Mrs. Shao, slowly said, “Song Ze’s father said that this child is the one you have been looking for? The one from back then?”

She had learned yesterday from her ex-husband that her son, Shao Mingyu, was raising an omega in the manor. They were attending an old school reunion and Song Ze’s father happened to be there at the time. They had discussed a lot of things that had happened the past two months.

Shao Mingyu had been working hard to find that child and he finally did.

Originally, after the initial surprise, Mrs. Shao was content to stay out of this business. But her ex-husband mentioned some alarming circumstances that she just couldn’t ignore.

Shao Mingyu seemed to care too much about that Silver Moon omega.

The woman’s tone was light, “It’s a good thing that you rescued him but the two of you are alpha and omega. Living together is inappropriate. Find a better place to settle him in.”

Shao Mingyu said indifferently, “Living with me is the best way for him to recover.”

Hearing that, Mrs. Shao put down her chopsticks, stared at him and said, “Isn’t he an orphan? It’s inconvenient for you to take care of him. How about I introduce him to some of my friends that may be willing to adopt him? He shouldn’t live with you like this.”

Shao Mingyu raised his eyes, his expression slightly cold, “You’ve been meddling too much in my affairs, Mother.”

His mother went stiff.

Jian Ling, the guest, smiled and said, “Mingyu, Aunty cares for you-”

Shao Mingyu interrupted her and said calmly, “I have been looking for him for sixteen years and not once have I resorted to asking you for help. How I take care of him now is none of your concern. Don’t bother me about it.”

His mother was livid and she said, “Shao Mingyu, he is from the Silver Moon Clan! You brought him home without even thinking about other people. What about your reputation!?”

Shao Mingyu narrowed his eyes, “How could my reputation be ruined by having such a good life partner?”

The words ‘life partner’ made the expressions on his mother’s and Jian Ling’s face change drastically. This confession clearly stated the Silver Moon omega’s position in Shao Mingyu’s heart!

“You–” Mrs. Shao stood up, “I don’t approve of this! If you dare to further associate with that Silver Moon Clan omega, you can’t return–”

“Watch what you say! What are you talking about!?” The old man at the head of the table put down his chopsticks violently and interrupted Mrs. Shao’s angry words so suddenly that she was startled into silence.

“Dad,” the woman said, “are you taking his side? It’s fine if he goes out to play with someone from the Silver Moon Clan but to talk of taking him as a ‘mate’…what decent family would-”

“Shut up!” the old man, Elder Shao, shouted.

The woman went silent. Elder Shao took two deep breaths and then looked at his daughter with a calm face. In her fifties and she still couldn’t see reality clearly; so self-righteous and naive. It was his fault for spoiling her since childhood.

At this time, Shao Mingyu slowly stood up. Everyone immediately looked at him.

He had no expression on his face and he only said indifferently, “Is this the only reason you called me to come back home today?”

His mother was about to say something but the old man spoke first, “Isn’t it fine for me to ask you to come back and visit me? You kid, you don’t live at home anymore. How many times a year do I see you now?”

“Knowing that you are thinking about that child all day long, you don’t even want to come to eat with your grandpa. Fine! What’s the big deal? You bring him back here and we can all eat together. Anyway, I want to see him, too!”

With these words, his mother and Jian Ling were frozen in shock. They dared not call out to the old man. Was he going to approve of Shao Mingyu and the Silver Moon Clan omega?

These words finally changed Shao Mingyu’s cold expression slightly. He helplessly said, “It’s not the right time yet.”

“It’s not time?” Elder Shao froze for a moment, pondered deeply and then laughed loudly, “It’s not time yet? Are you saying there is someone out there who can resist your charms?”

“Grandpa.” Shao Mingyu raised his eyebrows, “It’s just not the right time for bringing him back here.”

“Hahahaha! You are stubborn to a fault!” The old man clicked his tongue at him and smiled, “You win this time. I’ll wait for you to bring him home.”

“Okay, you can help me water the flowers in the greenhouse after I’ve eaten. You go upstairs first. I have something to tell you.”

Shao Mingyu nodded and then immediately went upstairs.

The people left behind at the table all had different expressions.

Mrs. Shao’s face was tinged green and she said, “Dad, how can you approve of a Silver Moon Clan partner for Shao Mingyu? The family’s reputation will be ruined.”

“Don’t worry about outsiders. Did he not give himself his own reputation?” Elder Shao said rhetorically.

Mrs. Shao was stunned.

“Ask yourself, how have you taken care of him since childhood? How much attention have you really paid to him? Can’t you show him some trust?”

“I…” She became embarrassed .

Next to her, her current husband sighed. They were silent while their daughter lowered her head to eat.

“I don’t dare to say that it is because of me that he can grow into what he is today.” The old man said in a deep voice, “His career and his reputation are all obtained by his own ability. We have only given him a little bit of help. How can we dictate to him how to live his life?”

People must become strong so that they can’t be controlled by others. This old man had believed in this idea since he was young and he believed that his grandson thought the same.

Therefore, he thought that he saw Shao Mingyu’s motivation very clearly. His grandson had simply grown as a person to a point that his family could never control him. Thus, the way Shao Mingyu lived his life would be on his own terms. The old man refused to try to interfere because it would be impossible to do so.

As for the reputation of the Shao family…

It was difficult for the outside world to change their perception of the Silver Moon Clan.

The entire Clan reputation was indeed ruined because 80% of its members lived dishonestly.

Even though it was true that there were many normal and hard working Silver Moon, how many sensible and rational people were there in society as a whole?

And how many influential families had also succumbed to this kind of “irrationality”, choosing to avoid them out of fear and disgust?

The greater the power one had, the easier it was for a person to unscrupulously disagree with things considered unpleasant and suppress them. Therefore, so far, no influential family would be willing to welcome a Silver Moon into their home.

Although the old man didn’t think so badly about the Silver Moon Clan, he was also a realistic type of person. Most of the time, he was reluctant to deal with such troublesome things.

But if their family’s Sun Tzu was so determined…

“The Shao Family is not afraid of the gossip of those boring people!”

The rest of the meal was awkward and at the end of it, Mrs. Shao’s face was still tinged green. Jian Ling was mentally not much better, having no idea what to say. She was at a loss.

The Jian family and the Shao family were family friends. Because of this, Jian Ling and Shao Mingyu had known each other since childhood.

Shao Mingyu’s mother liked Jian Ling, always doting on her since she was young. She would always smile, touch Jian Ling’s head and say that she hoped Jian Ling could be Shao Mingyu’s future partner.

From then on, Jian Ling had always regarded Shao Mingyu as hers.

From elementary school to university, she tried every means she could to get herself and Shao Mingyu into the same school, or even the same class. As an adult, she also kept active in the social circle of Shao Mingyu.

But she knew how Shao Mingyu felt about her. She had never entered his eyes or heart.

Shao Mingyu was always indifferent, fully distant from the people around him. Except for his childhood friend, Song Ze, most people couldn’t stir Shao Mingyu to be emotional.

Jian Ling had failed. She was not a person that could reach him. She was gentle and polite, a picture of restraint.

In the end, if it weren’t that Jian Ling held onto him so tightly, she suspected that Shao Mingyu would have even forgotten her name.

She couldn’t accept this.

If Shao Mingyu was truly so out of reach, she could tell herself that the man wouldn’t want her or anyone else.

However, Shao Mingyu had fallen in love with a Silver Moon omega and even severely punished his own brother, Shao Yuan, for him. Before, Shao Mingyu had never bothered with his so-called brother.

Not reconciled. She’s not reconciled!

When Shao Mingyu came downstairs and was about to leave, Jian Ling followed.

For the first time, she allowed herself to be indecent, not caring about seeming improper. She panted, looking at him and said, “Mingyu, take me home.”

In the darkness, a breeze blew around them and Shao Mingyu turned his face sideways to look at her over his shoulder.

Jian Ling looked at him expectantly, even putting some pheromones into the air. It was a floral, jasmine scent.

She had always been cautious and conservative with her pheromones. This was the first time–the first time she had ever tried to convey her interest so straightforwardly to another person.

In the next second, Shao Mingyu narrowed his eyes and said, “Jian Ling, do you know Shao Yuan?”

Jian Ling froze.

It felt like a bucket of ice had fallen down on her head. She almost lost consciousness as the blood rushed out of her face. Her voice was a little strange, “…No, I don’t know him. Why do you ask?”

Shao Mingyu examined her expression carefully. After a long moment, he said indifferently, “Nevermind, it’s nothing. I’m not taking you anywhere. Let my mother arrange a car to take you home.”

After speaking, he turned and got into the car.

*

It was eight o’clock when Yu Lan got home.

Uncle Liu and Aunty Jiang fussed over him, saying he must be starving after coming back so late. He endured their behavior obediently and when they were satisfied, Yu Lan presented them with gifts he had bought while shopping.

They were both so touched that they couldn’t speak for a long time. Then they fell upon him, hugging and kissing him with joy.

Yu Lan ate dinner and watched TV on the sofa while holding Little Mars.

But Yu Lan was distracted from the plot the whole time. After all, he was only on the sofa to wait up for Mister Shao.

Then at ten o’clock, the sound of footsteps came from beyond the door.

Yu Lan and Little Mars turned as one and exclaimed,

“Mister Shao!”

“Woof!”

At the commotion, Shao Mingyu turned his head and saw a young man and a dog looking at him from the sofa. He was immediately amused by this lovely picture.

His shoulders relaxed and he walked over, “It’s late. Shouldn’t you be in bed?”

Yu Lan immediately produced a wrapped gift and held it out, “Mister Shao, this is for you!”

Shao Mingyu was stunned.

Yu Lan became embarrassed and said, “I got my first paycheck yesterday and I wanted to buy a gift for you. I don’t get paid much so I don’t have the money for expensive things…Mister Shao, I hope you won’t mind-”

Mister Shao moved fast to take one of Yu Lan’s hands in his. He softly said, “What is it?”

“Ah, it’s a tie,” Yu Lan, having his hand held like that, blushed before handing over the gift to Mister Shao. He whispered, “Open it and see if you like it?”

Shao Mingyu’s gaze slowly moved away from the young man and landed on the gift box.

He took his hand away, pulled off the strap wrapped around the box and opened the lid. Inside was a dark gray tie.

Yu Lan had lived with Mister Shao for nearly two months. He had seen a lot of the other man’s clothes and there was a certain gap in quality from what Mister Shao usually wore and this plain tie.

“I just wanted to get a gift for you. If you don’t like-”

“I like it very much.” Shao Mingyu rubbed the tie gently and looked at Yu Lan with deep eyes, “Tomorrow, I will wear it.”

He said the sentence so solemnly that Yu Lan was even more embarrassed.

Yu Lan was very pleased and he couldn’t stop his lips from curving up, smiling happily. His eyes darted around shyly, not daring to look at Shao Mingyu directly.

Shao Mingyu smiled in response, his eyes creasing at the corners and his lips tilting up.

“A-Lan, do you know how to wear a tie?”

“Huh?” Yu Lan looked up blankly.

Shao Mingyu took the tie and handed it to him, bracing himself with one hand on the back of the sofa to lean forward slightly, looming over Yu Lan.

The collar of his shirt was loose and his tempting collarbones were within Yu Lan’s immediate eye line.

Shao Mingyu smiled down at him, his warm breath puffing over Yu Lan’s face and his voice was low, “Help me put it on?”