Although Lin Zhu had never personally experienced an academic acceptance banquet, even if one hadn’t personally raised a pig, they had at least seen a pig run—within his conceptual understanding, a so-called acceptance banquet roughly consisted of the host family inviting close relatives and friends to set up a few tables of a feast, celebrating the child of the house testing into an excellent university.

It was merely that Lin Zhu found it somewhat difficult to imagine exactly what scale and procedural flow an acceptance banquet hosted by a family like the Yans would entail.

Consequently, he instinctively cast a glance toward Yan Ruojun, only to witness the man happen to return his gaze, whispering in a low tone with perfect tacit understanding:

“Puppy Lin, I am relatively pitiful; in the past, not a single person stated they would host an acceptance banquet for me.”

The dining table was only so large; no matter how low a whisper was, it couldn’t possibly be minimized to an imperceptible level. These words dropped into the ears of every single individual present without a shred of suspense.

This location specifically denoted Yan Zihong, who was seated at the head of the table.

Lin Zhu instantly felt sweat drenching his back. He couldn’t resist lifting his eyelids, rapidly darting his gaze toward Yan Zihong’s direction, only to discover the middle-aged man manifesting an utterly indescribable expression.

An interval of two seconds ensued.

Yan Zihong resolved to completely ignore this son of his who had already grown accustomed to putting on acts and selling coyness in front of his own Alpha, continuing to speak to Lin Zhu:

“Taking precise advantage of this timing, we can formally disclose your marital relationship with Junjun to the broader public, sparing external entities from having to speculate wildly as to who the child’s Alpha father is once the baby is born in the future.”

Hearing this, Lin Zhu instantly sat up even straighter.

Yan Zihong was currently stating,

“Regardless, your father… Lin Cheng has been residing abroad continuously over the past two years; you don’t even catch a glimpse of his face, so he is definitively incapable of managing this matter. In that case, our family will step forward to handle it, what do you think?”

It was just that if things were operated in this manner, it was estimated that Lin Zhu would be comprehensively stamped with the label of the Yan family.

After all, within the upper socioeconomic circles, no one had ever heard of a spouse’s maternal family hosting an acceptance banquet for a son-in-law.

It sounded more or less a bit absurd.

Regarding this, Yan Zihong possessed his own calculated considerations.

The primary factor was that the speed at which Lin Zhu and Yan Ruojun secured their marriage certificate previously had been far too rapid, and far too sudden.

In reality, on the exact night when the two obtained the household registration booklet but had not yet secured the certificate, Yan Zihong had long prepared a thick stack of prenuptial agreements. His original intention was to wait until Lin Zhu completed signing them before surrendering the booklet.

Yet he could never have anticipated—

That on a certain day, his only son—who was approaching thirty years of age, possessed an isolated and fiercely independent character, and had always looked down on Alphas with utter disdain—would actually behave exactly as though his soul had been usurped…

Not only did he cohabitate with a young Alpha he hadn’t known for very long, but he even shamelessly called the person his husband. When Pei Shurong returned that day to inform him of the reality, Yan Zihong manifested nothing across his face, but his jaw had practically dropped off in sheer shock.

Under the prerequisite that Yan Ruojun suffered from a rare genetic ailment while Lin Zhu, whose playboy reputation preceded him, constituted the sole Alpha capable of executing a permanent marking with him, Yan Zihong hadn’t harbored high expectations for this relationship, yet he possessed no alternative methods either.

It was Yan Ruojun who lacked alternative options, not Lin Zhu.

Originally, what Yan Zihong contemplated was utilizing the prenuptial agreement and a mutual exchange of interests to counterbalance and constrain Lin Zhu’s conduct, never anticipating in his wildest dreams… that these two would actually develop a genuine emotional bond.

If he hadn’t known explicitly beforehand that the window of opportunity for their encounter originated entirely from a 100% pheromone compatibility match, Yan Zihong would have truly believed they were engaged in a free romance, falling so intensely in love that they had even grown a complete “love brain.”

One was over twenty-eight years of age, an old house catching on fire.

The other was barely eighteen, a rogue executing a fierce, sudden about-face.

…Every single one of them had completely transformed their temperaments.

Particularly Lin Zhu.

Yan Zihong remained utterly expressionless, stealing another passing glance at him.

The youth—at this age, an age that could temporarily still be categorized under a youth—possessed a pair of exceptionally narrow, drooping eyes, his eye sockets relatively deep, which caused him to look exceedingly detached while concurrently appearing completely devoid of vigor.

His personality was also diametrically opposed to the rumors circulating in the outside world.

Polite, earnest, it was simply that he was a bit too quiet.

Lin Zhu was incredibly silent, silent to the point of closely resembling an evergreen potted plant situated in a far corner, offering not a single syllable as he silently matured.

This distinct silence became even more pronounced in front of the elders.

To be precise, it manifested with the absolute highest intensity in front of Yan Zihong.

In front of Pei Shurong, the elderly patriarch Pei Yitong, or other non-lineal relatives, Lin Zhu could potentially converse for several more rounds. However, the exact second he sat entirely alone with the man, the youth would plunge back into silence, to the point where he appeared excessively tightly wound.

…Honestly speaking, he still looked rather well-behaved.

Of course.

Exactly what his personal impressions regarding Lin Zhu were didn’t constitute the primary rationale why Yan Zihong desired to thoroughly reel Lin Zhu into the Yan family. The absolute primary reason was—

He lifted his gaze, witnessing Lin Zhu restraining his movements to quietly deposit a portion of food into the bowl of his picky, foul-tempered son, and Yan Ruojun actually proceeded to consume it with absolute obedience.

Yan Zihong truly found it immensely difficult to imagine his own son displaying this kind of countenance and conduct that could be described as nothing short of spoiled and delicate.

Every single instance he witnessed it, he deemed it nothing short of mind-boggling.

And what about Lin Zhu?

The youth seemed to transform from a silent potted plant into a vibrantly energetic sunflower; as long as his face was oriented toward his own Omega, those listless eyes of his practically radiated blinding light.

Fine then.

Regardless, Lin Cheng was providing compensatory guilt packages on one hand, while simultaneously harboring an escapist mindset on the other, rarely meeting this son of his and possessing no intentions of permitting Lin Zhu to enter the Lin Corporation.

That happened to be perfect.

They would simply secure him entirely, stamping him with the official mark of their Yan family.

Yan Zihong once again pinched the printed pregnancy reports resting on the table surface, secretly contemplating with immense satisfaction: Abduct the big one and get the small one for free; every single one of them belongs to our Yan family.

Right at this exact moment.

He suddenly caught Yan Ruojun murmuring in a low whisper into Lin Zhu’s ear,

“Puppy Lin, let’s proceed with it. When that time comes, have my dad gift you a property located in the vicinity of A University, and I can happen to relocate and reside there along with you.”

Having finished speaking, Yan Ruojun held a piece of food between his lips, keeping his head firmly lowered, while Lin Zhu lifted his gaze, his expression thoroughly awkward as he shook his head, whispering back, “No… Ge, that’s inappropriate… Thank you, Father.”

So to speak, how could they possibly refrain from executing an abduction?

Yan Zihong murmured silently within the depths of his chest.

Lin Zhu didn’t let his thoughts wander down that path excessively, nor did he harbor any resistance toward this banquet. Stemming from certain highly hidden emotional states, he desired to explicitly formalize their relationship before the eyes of the world.

However, as the days elapsed one after another…

Lin Zhu’s foundational cognitive understanding regarding an acceptance banquet was gradually and thoroughly rewritten.

Over the course of this half-month, he and Yan Ruojun temporarily relocated back to the mountain-ringed estate. The man was progressively transitioning his corporate assignments out of his hands, and Lin Zhu’s online internship operations were proceeding in an orderly, stable fashion, but outside of those specific time frames…

Inside the excessively spacious walk-in closet.

Pei Shurong was clad in a smoky blue maxi dress, her posture elegant and graceful as she moved back and forth, arranging sets of privately tailored, high-end haute couture suits before Lin Zhu’s frame, directing him to try them on.

Every single one of these items had been customized strictly according to Lin Zhu’s precise physical dimensions; there existed no question of whether they fit his body or not, carrying merely minute variances within the finer details.

Lin Zhu swapped out one set after another, completely incapable of discerning a single shred of difference between them, yet Pei Shurong stared fixedly at him, remarking in a deeply thoughtful tone:

“Little Zhu, doesn’t this specific set appear significantly handsomer than the one just prior?”

Lin Zhu stood positioned before the full-length mirror; whenever Pei Shurong directed him to turn his body, he turned his body, and whenever she directed him to lift his arms, he lifted his arms. Hearing her query, he similarly cast his gaze toward his own reflection clad in the black suit, offering a hesitant response:

“…Is it?”

“Of course it is, dear. Your shoulders are relatively broad, after all,” Pei Shurong assisted him in smoothing out his cuffs, speaking with absolute expertise. “This set coordinates far better to emphasize your straight, upright posture, making you appear immensely spirited.”

“When the time arrives and your hair is styled up, you will look spectacularly handsome!”

Lin Zhu stared fixedly into the glass surface, mapping out a conceptual visualization of his own appearance according to Pei Shurong’s verbal descriptions. He couldn’t resist lifting a hand to rub his nose, lowering his tone to murmur, “Thank you, Mom.”

Pei Shurong let out a warm laugh, selecting another two sets,

“Then this specific set is officially locked in. Let’s select a few more, shall we?”

Lin Zhu let out a soft gasp, “Do I still have to keep trying them on?”

“Naturally, dear, it’s a banquet after all…” Pei Shurong spoke concurrently with her selecting actions. “Come, try this set on briefly.”

Concluding the selection of apparel did not constitute the finality of the process.

Pei Shurong guided Lin Zhu over to an adjacent room, revealing an entire counter packed with accessories, predominantly consisting of masculine details such as cufflinks and tie clips.

“Little Zhu, come and take a look as well,” she inquired with immense enthusiasm. “Which ones catch your eye?”

The array was dazzlingly packed, radiating a brilliant, shimmering luster.

Lin Zhu’s eyes were practically blurred by the glare. However, he didn’t hesitate for long, his gaze rapidly locking onto a specific tiny display box.

Within the box, a pair of deep emerald-green cufflinks refracted a vibrant, thriving luster beneath the overhead illumination. The styling and craftsmanship were exquisitely grand and atmospheric, capturing attention with distinct prominence.

Bearing witness to this development, Pei Shurong unbiddenly arched her brows slightly, asking with a smile playing across her face, “Do you truly harbor such an immense fondness for the color green?”

Lin Zhu fell silent for two seconds before letting out an affirmative sound.

Pei Shurong didn’t expose his underlying thoughts either. Once the selection of cufflinks concluded, she guided Lin Zhu back outside, directing him to wait within the first-floor living hall while she personally retraced her steps upstairs, requiring a substantial duration of time before descending once more.

When she returned downstairs, a photo album had materialized within her hands.

Pei Shurong settled down right beside his frame, laying the album flat across the center space separating the two of them as she opened it, speaking in a gentle tone: “My younger father is French, but I inherited my father’s Asian facial traits, presenting with thoroughly pure black hair and black eyes…”

This was indeed the reality.

Pei Shurong possessed a gentle, refined, and exquisite facial structure, yet her mixed-race heritage didn’t manifest with heavy prominence.

“Junjun executed a skip-generation inheritance, inheriting his younger grandfather’s green eyes, and his facial features are exceptionally delicate as well,” she turned the pages of the album, continuing, “When he was an infant, he looked spectacularly adorable. The coloration of his eyes was even greener than it displays currently, immensely clear…”

Rapidly, she turned to a specific page, pointing toward a photograph situated in the upper left corner, stating: “Look, this is a studio photograph captured when Junjun was just over a year old.”

Lin Zhu’s eyes instantly widened to their absolute limits.

“…”

Today, Yan Ruojun wrapped up his shift at the office relatively early.

The corporate responsibilities under his hands had already been transitioned away by a vast majority, and coupled with the fact that his morning sickness responses had progressively become more frequent recently, leaving his mental state somewhat depleted, he returned home ahead of schedule.

Following dinner, Lin Zhu accompanied him up the stairs.

The man ordinarily didn’t consume a massive volume of food to begin with, and currently navigating the early stages of pregnancy, his appetite was thoroughly suppressed, causing him to consume even less.

Lin Zhu deposited dishes into his bowl, yet didn’t dare heap too massive an amount.

As the evening approached just before ten o’clock, the two of them had already fully washed up in the shower, changed into clean sleepwear, and laid down onto the bed together.

Yan Ruojun had just experienced another brief bout of dry heaving a moment ago, the outer corners of his eyes appearing slightly flushed. Currently, his entire frame had gone completely soft and listless, sprawling inside Lin Zhu’s embrace without uttering a syllable.

Lin Zhu’s palm was intensely hot. Slipping his hand beneath the fabric of the man’s sleepwear, he traced along the line of his spine, smoothly stroking downward from the nape of his neck one repetition after another, before retracing his path upward, executing the sequence in a continuous loop.

“Ge, are you still experiencing immense discomfort?”

His eyes closed, Yan Ruojun let out a nasal hum of agreement,

“Mm.”

His heart aching with sympathy, Lin Zhu pressed a firm kiss against the side of his forehead.

This was merely the early stage of pregnancy. Once the months progressed, the embryo inside the man’s abdomen would gradually mature and take shape, which would not only distend his abdominal wall but also exert physical compression upon his other internal organs, heavily impacting his endocrine system as well.

Bringing a child into the world was never an easy feat.

Musing up to this point, Lin Zhu held the man as he sat up, resting his own back against the headboard, before shifting the man sideways to cradling him horizontally within his embrace, gently rocking him back and forth one motion after another.

Despite the fact that Yan Ruojun refrained from opening his eyes throughout the sequence, he couldn’t resist letting out a soft chuckle, throwing back a question: “Puppy Lin, exactly what kind of holding posture is this? Are you treating me as an infant?”

Hearing this, Lin Zhu stared fixedly at his face, yet within his brain, the countenance of the man at one year of age surfaced vividly—a completely chubby face, his black baby hair slightly long and secured upward by a tiny clip, revealing a pair of large, rounded eyes, the emerald-green irises spectacularly circular.

The green-eyed child smiled radiantly toward the camera lens, two tiny rice-white teeth peeking out from the center of his pink, tender lips, adorable to the point of making it physically impossible for an entity to avert their gaze.

Lin Zhu continuously rocked him back and forth from time to time, the corners of his lips curving slightly upward.

Right at this exact juncture.

The man suddenly extracted a photograph from beneath his pillow. Opening his eyes to inspect it briefly, he flipped it over, inquiring: “Puppy Lin, how on earth do you possess a photograph of me from my infancy?”

Without waiting for Lin Zhu to formulate a response, he answered his own query:

“My mom gave it to you, right?”

Lin Zhu fell silent for two seconds before nodding his head.

He had completely forgotten that Yan Ruojun harbored an extraordinary interest regarding his pillow; it was estimated that he had casually reached his hand over just now, resulting in him unearthing the photograph in one motion.

“Ge…” Lin Zhu silently reclaimed the photograph from the man’s fingers, instinctively casting several fixed glances at it before carefully slipping it back beneath the pillow, “This was a gift Mom gave to me.”

Yan Ruojun originally hadn’t manifested much of a cognitive reaction, but witnessing his fiercely careful demeanor, his bedroom eyes snapped open in a single instant, demanding: “Are you harboring fantasies that the baby will mature to look exactly like the way I looked during infancy?”

Lin Zhu nodded his head once more.

He pursed his lips into a smile, his eyes brilliantly bright.

Yan Ruojun stared fixedly at Lin Zhu for a long duration, gently pinching the flesh of his cheek as he stated in a strictly serious tone: “Puppy Lin, let’s be entirely reasonable here. You already possess a photograph of me from infancy; simply looking at the photograph is more than sufficient!”

Lin Zhu blinked his eyes, launching a silent protest.

“Forget it, speaking to you is completely futile,” the man let out a cold hmph, abruptly lowering his head to shout directives straight toward his own abdomen, “Cub, you must absolutely pattern your appearance toward your Big Dad’s looks… mgh…”

The youth watched as Lin Zhu suddenly lifted his palm to firmly cover Yan Ruojun’s mouth, and beneath the man’s fiercely stern gaze, he tenaciously maintained the physical action, refusing to loosen his grip in the slightest.

Sudden Rebellion.jpg.