The summer night was deep and profound.

A heavy lead-gray cloud was dragged in by the evening breeze, like a curtain, sweeping across the horizon and obscuring the cool, pale moonlight. Even the stars grew dim.

Car headlights illuminated the road, one by one, with a posture more dazzling than the stars in the sky, leisurely flying into the main gate of the Yan family’s mountainside manor.

The driver parked the car and killed the headlights.

In the back seat, the men and women who had been whispering the entire way got out one after another. As they looked up, masks of purely social smiles instantly appeared on their faces.

The volume of their voices dropped by eight decibels.

“Do you think the Lin family will show up tonight?”

“Who knows? Lin Cheng is overseas and doesn’t manage things anymore. If anyone from their side comes, it’s probably only Lin Xiujie… Wow, wouldn’t that be even more awkward?”

“Half-brothers. Yeah, that’s awkward enough.”

“God, I still can’t believe Yan Ruojun broke off his engagement with Lin Xiujie less than a year ago, and now he’s publicly married to that… that Lin Zhu!”

“I heard this time it’s not just an engagement; they’ve already gotten their marriage certificate.”

“…What does he even see in him??”

“I also find it unbelievable. That’s Yan Ruojun! Did he really marry that Lin Zhu? Tell me, did your brother used to chase him, but couldn’t even get to see him?”

“Hey! How could that Lin Zhu compare to my brother!”

“That’s true. So, is he coming tonight?”

“He’s here. He probably came with a few friends; I didn’t come with him. Speaking of which, I’m actually more curious if Lin Xiujie will show up tonight…”

Suddenly, a companion quietly poked him in the waist with an elbow, cutting off his sentence, and signaled with their eyes and chin without a change in expression: “Hey, look over there…”

“Is that young Alpha standing next to Old Mr. Yan, Lin Zhu? Damn, looking at his profile, he’s actually quite handsome!”

The two who heard this whisper subconsciously followed their companion’s gaze—

The banquet venue belonged to the mountainside manor, but not the main residence where the Yan family lived; it was an open-air venue near an artificial lake.

The venue was decorated grandly.

The banquet hall behind was brightly lit, illuminating half the sky. Further back, the artificial lake was stirred by a light breeze, shattering the silver light across its surface.

Across the lake was a vast field of flowers.

The field was overflowing with summer colors, showing a gradual gradient of intensity under the coverage of the lights—it was incredibly beautiful.

The foreground, middle ground, and background combined to build a scene with great depth.

And at the center of the scene was the host family welcoming guests.

Although Yan Zihong had delegated power years ago, as invited guests, no one present failed to recognize the former head of the Yan corporation… But the young man beside him had almost never appeared in formal social occasions in this circle.

Many had heard of him, but never seen him.

If it weren’t for the fact that this banquet was held in the name of his graduation celebration, most people wouldn’t have recognized who he was.

—Lin Zhu.

The illegitimate son, who had never entered the gates of the Lin family and had caused quite a few jokes in the circle, was now standing in the Yan manor, even being personally taken around by Yan Zihong and introduced to visiting guests and friends as his son-in-law.

The evening breeze was intoxicating.

The young Alpha was quite tall, with broad shoulders and narrow hips, wearing a black suit. The suit was tailored perfectly; under the lights, the fabric reflected a faint satin luster, with dots of dark green flashing on his wrists.

Perhaps because the outfit leaned toward maturity, his bangs were brushed back, making the young Alpha look a few years older, his already deep-set facial features appearing even sharper…

Those eyes—

Those thin, cold, and gloomy down-turned eyes swept over lightly, like two killing knives, stabbing sharply at the two people watching from not far away.

The Alpha’s cheeks were flushed with an extremely faint pink, and the color at the corners of his eyes was inexplicably darker.

The knife was stained with this poison, aggression maxed out, but the allure was also maxed out. A kind of decadent yet vibrant hormonal aura rushed toward them, making it impossible to dodge.

The two young Omegas who were whispering just a moment ago suddenly fell silent, their steps faltering. The two were silent for several seconds before lowering their voices again:

“He… he really seems taller than your brother, better looking, and younger. Plus, his cold expression… Damn, Yan Ruojun has such good taste??”

“…”

If Lin Zhu knew that one vacant look of his had sparked such a conversation, he probably would have been ashamed enough to dig himself and Yan Ruojun a hole to hide in.

Born with a face like this, what could he do?

He was just very, very nervous.

Under Pei Shu’s full-scale management, this graduation banquet had ultimately turned into something that wasn’t a wedding, but was even more grand than one.

The influence of the Yan family, coupled with this concept of a “graduation banquet,” meant that even those who hadn’t received invitations were doing their best to get a ticket.

Yan Zihong had taken the stance of a patriarch, leading Lin Zhu to recognize people throughout the whole time, then introducing him to other guests.

“Yes, my son-in-law.”

“He did well in his exams this year; just celebrating a little.”

“…”

After sending off another wave of people.

Lin Zhu stood beside Yan Zihong, wearing the smile he had practiced for a long time—a smile certified by Yan Ruojun as “handsome.” He sighed silently in his heart, his nervousness not decreasing by even half.

Fortunately, the entire process was dominated by Yan Zihong, and Lin Zhu only needed to play the role of the younger generation.

Luckily, high-society socializing mostly centered on chatting and verbal sparring, not on binge-drinking. Even when toasting, it was just a small sip to show courtesy.

Lin Zhu’s tolerance for alcohol wasn’t great, but he could handle it. It was just that amidst his nervousness, he was somewhat worried about Yan Ruojun, who was staying in the lounge on the second floor of the banquet hall…

Recently, due to the changes in his body’s sex hormone levels, the man’s morning sickness had become increasingly severe.

Before the banquet started tonight, Yan Ruojun suddenly felt nauseous and uncomfortable, dry-heaving for a long time. Even though he was completely wilted, he still wanted to accompany Lin Zhu to welcome the guests.

Lin Zhu didn’t let him.

He firmly took off the man’s suit jacket, and then with a tough attitude but gentle movements, stuffed him into the bed covers.

Yan Ruojun kept his hands hooked around his neck, frowning slightly, and complained with disdain: “Puppy Lin, there’s no scent of you on the pillow or the quilt; I’ll feel even more like vomiting.”

Lin Zhu fed him half a cup of warm water and stroked his slightly sweaty forehead, coaxing him in a low voice: “But you need to rest…”

“Ge, lie down.”

The man hugged him tighter, burying his face in the collar of his shirt, taking a deep breath. Only after smelling a noseful of peppermint candy scent did his brows slightly relax.

Two or three minutes later.

Yan Ruojun let go with reluctance. “Okay, go out. Otherwise, my dad is going to come over to catch you.”

Lin Zhu didn’t move.

He was still hunched over, one leg on the ground, the other bent, his knee resting on the edge of the bed. Half his body loomed over Yan Ruojun, until the man reached out and gently pushed him.

“Puppy Lin, are you stupid?”

Lin Zhu shook his head, suddenly raising his arm. His long fingers went straight for the buttons of the suit jacket at his waist, and he soon took off his own jacket as well.

He pulled back the quilt and draped his own jacket over Yan Ruojun. While kissing the corner of the man’s mouth, he instructed:

“Ge, you hold onto this first.”

Yan Ruojun asked: “Then what will you wear?”

“I’ll just wear yours,” Lin Zhu stood up straight, his shirt stays and cufflinks pulling taut. “Mom picked the same style for us; no one will notice if we swap.”

Yan Ruojun tucked the lower half of his face into the collar of his jacket, his peach-blossom eyes curving slightly, revealing a flash of cunning. He gave a very small “oh.”

Lin Zhu changed into the man’s jacket, taking the opportunity to stretch his arms.

His shoulders were broader than Yan Ruojun’s, so the jacket was a bit tight around the shoulders, but it wasn’t very noticeable.

“Ge, I’m going downstairs first.”

He couldn’t help but instruct him again before turning to leave the lounge to join the elders downstairs, and then he had been welcoming guests with Yan Zihong until now.

After toasting several groups of people, a faint red flush rose on Lin Zhu’s face. Just then, Yan Zihong glanced at him sideways and took the opportunity to remind him:

“You might see a few of the elders’ friends later. You’d better smile; don’t look so expressionless.”

Lin Zhu: “…”

He was silent for a few seconds before honestly saying: “Dad, I’ve been smiling the whole time. I’ve never stopped.”

Yan Zihong also suddenly fell silent. “?”

Lin Zhu then tried very hard to prove himself, pushing the corners of his mouth up by another few pixels, and said: “Ruojun-ge said that this smile of mine just now was the most natural.”

“But, Dad…” Lin Zhu turned his gaze to the middle-aged man, asking innocently, “Does a more exaggerated smile like this look better?”

The next second.

Yan Zihong watched as the youth’s eyes remained still, while the corners of his mouth curved up step by step, his sharp canines visible between his well-shaped thin lips…

Yan Zihong: “…”

“Alright, alright,” he hurriedly raised a hand. “The one from before was indeed more natural.”

After saying this, Yan Zihong couldn’t help but mutter in his heart.

…It wasn’t that he hadn’t seen this kid smile before. It had looked fine, just a bit goofy. Why does he look like a cold, heartless scumbag in this setting?

He really doesn’t look like an honest person.

He looked Lin Zhu up and down, thinking to himself: Perhaps his wife dressed him up too much.

As he watched, Yan Zihong’s mood became complicated again. He stared at the suit jacket on Lin Zhu and couldn’t help but lower his voice to ask: “You two…”

“What’s wrong with you two? Why do you like swapping clothes so much? Is it an addiction?”

Lin Zhu: “…”

He could even tell? It was the exact same style!

Seeing his expression, Yan Zihong understood everything. He grunted, stared at Lin Zhu for another half-minute, and finally, with a twitching temple, waved his hand at him, shooing him away with disgust.

“Forget it, go upstairs and find him. Come down with him when everyone is here.”

Seeing Lin Zhu standing there without moving, Yan Zihong waved his hand faster and faster. “Go on, go on.”

“I’m afraid if you stay any longer, the one upstairs won’t be able to sit still and will come down to find you himself.”

As soon as he finished speaking.

Lin Zhu’s phone buzzed.

He glanced quickly at the lit screen and saw that the notification bar at the top showed a message from Yan Ruojun.

【Yan Ruojun: [Photo]】

The man had sent a photo.

Yan Zihong had already turned his back, leaving Lin Zhu standing there, and walked over to other people.

The implication was very clear.

Lin Zhu pressed his lips together and quickly opened the message, discovering the man had sent him a real-time panoramic photo.

And the subject of that photo was none other than himself, talking face-to-face with Yan Zihong.

After looking at the photo, Lin Zhu keenly followed the perspective of the photo to look back.

He saw the man wearing the suit jacket he had left for him, standing on the open-air corridor of the second floor, both elbows resting on the glass railing, his phone turning and rotating in his long fingers…

The distance and light blurred the man’s brows and eyes.

Lin Zhu only knew he was smiling.

So, he opened the chat interface with Yan Ruojun, held down the microphone on the virtual keyboard, and said something to the phone.

“What are you smiling at?”

From afar, he saw the man also lift his phone, his mouth opening and closing toward the microphone, not knowing what he was saying.

But Lin Zhu soon had his answer.

Shoo.

Yan Ruojun sent a three-second voice message.

His tone was full of smiles, the tail end drawn out,

“—Laughing at you, you dummy.”