Four years later..."Wait, wait, let me get this straight." Yang Yulong drew out with a bewildered look on his face, "You don"t think the white gold band is a pretty little collar?" He stared at his older brother as if the man walked out of an alien s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p in a gray suit. Then his scrutinizing glance s.h.i.+fted to Chen Gaonan and Huo Qiudong, "You guys don"t think the same?"
Huo Qiudong paused his meticulous stirring of the iced peach tea. For the briefest second, the glaring sun nearly blinded Yang Yulong when he abruptly glanced up and nodded towards the black corporate tie Yang Yulong was wearing. "Isn"t that tie a collar to capitalism?"
"And isn"t that Patek Philippe watch you"re wearing a collar to capitalism?" Yang Yulong snapped back, adjusting the annoying thing strangling his neck.
"YOU"RE a collar to capitalism."
"And you"re a leash I"m going to tug."
Huo Qiudong rolled his eyes and went back to stirring the peach tea as a small whirlpool formed in the tall gla.s.s. "A collar and a leash are completely different things."
"They function the same, don"t they?"
"So basically you just disapproved of your previous point."
"What?"
"What?" Huo Qiudong repeated with a deadpan stare towards the second-in-command leader of the underworld. Thank the heavens that Yang Feng was still in charge. If not, the entire underworld would become a circus.
Speaking of the king, he was lying on a beach chair with his eyes shut, as if he couldn"t believe he was even around these bickering fools.
"You"re stupid." Huo Qiudong sighed as he annoyingly swished the metal straw back and forth. This d.a.m.n ice cube, why wasn"t it melting?!
"Says the idiot stirring a peach fuc—" Yang Yulong nervously licked his lips when his scorching back suddenly turned cold. "—freaking, I meant freaking okay?"
Yang Feng glowered at his younger brother with only one eye open before shutting it. He flicked his wrist, motioning the person beside him to fan faster while adjusting the sleeping cub in his arm.
"Look, do you want to see your soon-to-be niece or what?" Huo Qiudong snapped, growing equally aggravated as Yang Feng by the presence of the still-bachelor Yang Yulong, who at this point, was most likely going to remain single for life.
"Of course I do—"
"Yeah, well you won"t see her if you keep on yapping about my tea," Huo Qiudong scoffed, shaking his head as if he couldn"t believe his current condition right now. "The doctor said Ruqin can"t have anything cold during her pregnancy. And I"d be d.a.m.ned if a single ice cube puts her at risk."
"If we"re speaking theoretically, even if the ice melted, the drink would still be cold," Chen Gaonan finally piqued up from the magazine he was reading. He seemed so nonchalant in his casual attire that if someone had told him eight years ago he"d be spending his spare weekend with the Yang siblings, Huo Qiudong, wives, and a bunch of screaming children running around, he"d laugh and place the person in a mental asylum.
But this was the exact situation unfolding: A Sat.u.r.day barbeque, as Yang Ruqin called it. Speaking of the heiress, she was currently waddling her way into the pool, something Huo Qiudong would have a heart attack seeing had she not been blocked by a group of women.
"Qinqin, are you crazy? You can"t go into the pool!" A woman hissed, her voice as youthful as it was eight years ago. Her long hair was twisted into a messy bun on top of her head and she sported a white cap.
In all honesty, with the money she had, she should"ve paid more attention to her presentation, especially when she could easily stomp on all of the rich housewives of her husband"s business partners. She was nothing like how her age and position expected her to be.
Calculating but carefree, cunning but warm-hearted, she was also another person who couldn"t believe the outcome of events. She had never expected to be happily married with three very, VERY clingy children who would not stop clinging onto her. Even as she was wrestling her best friend from the steps of the pool, a tiny koala was burying its face into the dip of her back.
"But Feifei! Just one dip, I promise! It"s so hot and the water is so crisp and refres.h.i.+ng—"
"What if the chlorine in the pool hurts the baby?"
"Says the same woman who bickered with her husband through h.e.l.l and back just to wear heels!" retorted Yang Ruqin who huffed and threw her hands up but this very action caused her best friend to freak out and step between her and the pool ladder.
"My G.o.d, Xingyao, you have to tell Qinqin that she"s crazy!" Zhao Lifei sighed and turned towards the country"s most renowned female doctor, Chen Gaonan"s wife.
Bai Xingyao"s displeased face softened at the sight of the protective Zhao Lifei and grumbling Yang Ruqin. "Some studies have said it"s fine to swim, but some studies from back in the days said chlorine can harm the baby. Take your pick."
Zhao Lifei opened her mouth to emphasize her point to Yang Ruqin, yet again, but her friend cut her to the chase and used her brother as a scapegoat, "Feifei shouldn"t you have something else to worry about?!"
Zhao Lifei rolled her eyes, "Oh please. I"m fine. My kids are more responsible than you."
"I"m referring to Feng-ge. Look at him, he"s abusing your baby!"
Zhao Lifei"s head whiplashed in the direction of Yang Feng as her impatient face transformed into a dark, thundering look. She was the very embodiment of a mama bear with her lips curled into a snarl at the scene that she saw.
Her oldest son, such an adoring little ball of ice he was, was fanning his father. Yang Wenxu bore a scowl on his face, ruining his perfect features, while his hands worked the handheld fan. He grumbled all sorts of unpleasant words about his father under his breath. It was a miracle that Yang Feng even convinced Yang Wenxu into this position. And only the two boys knew the promise that was exchanged.
"A little faster. I need to drown out Dumb and Dumber besides me." Yang Feng waved his hand the same way a king did towards his servants.
Yang Wenxu opened his mouth, ready to slap the sperm donor with a complaint until he saw something approaching them in the distance. His scowl slowly transformed into a devious little smile. Five...four...three…two——"I"m tired, dad."
With his eyes still closed, Yang Feng let out a humorous chuckle, "Dad? Well, that"s a surprise. I see you want something."
Yeah. For you to face the fury of a mama bear. "How can you see when your eyes are closed?" Yang Wenxu scoffed while rolling his eyes at his father.
"I saw that. For the record, if you"ll continue to be this bratty, how about I withdraw our promis—"
A chilly and unamused voice interrupted him, "How about I snap you in two and you get blue b.a.l.l.s for as many months as the minutes you made my precious son fan you?"
"Mama." Yang Wenxu tossed his handheld fan to the ground and attached himself towards his mother, hugging her and purposely lifting his head to reveal the hair sticking to his sweaty forehead. He was only eight years old, but his growth spurt was insane. And it was all thanks to his "donor"s freakishly long legs."
He momentarily glanced behind his protective mother and nearly chuckled at the sight of his younger brother who had attached himself onto Zhao Lifei like an unrelenting koala. He must"ve waddled behind her when she stormed towards Yang Feng.
Yang Bincheng is at the age of being a forever mommy"s boy, something Zhao Lifei wasn"t sure if she should laugh or cry over. All of her children were so needy for attention, and they always got it in the most calculative manner.
Yang Feng"s eyes snapped open as he immediately sat upright. A devilishly handsome grin graced his features. He spread his arms out and leaned towards Zhao Lifei, "My sweet, beautiful, darling wife—"
Zhao Lifei pressed her palm against his face and pushed him back, "Who"s your wife?" She scoffed, "I don"t have a child-bullying husband."
"But you do have a very, very handsome husband who showers our lovely daughter with so much love and adoration." Yang Feng grinned upon the little ball of energy tucked in his arms. She laid beside him, lying on her side and in a deep, tranquil sleep.
"My love, I was only making sure our darling daughter doesn"t experience discomfort." Yang Feng sweetly smiled towards his son and when Zhao Lifei glanced down at Yang Wenxu, the older Yang had the audacity to stick his tongue out.
"Mama, does that mean Rina will not feel discomfort at the expense of my own discomfort?" Yang Wenxu pitifully asked, burying his face into her oversized and unb.u.t.toned t-s.h.i.+rt, before turning half of his face towards his father and flashed him a cunning smile.
Yang Feng narrowed his eyes, "why that little brat—" He hissed in pain when Zhao Lifei grabbed his ear and tuted, "A grown man bickering with his son. Have you no shame?"
"Yeah, dad, don"t you have any shame?"
"Obviously not, since my son didn"t inherit any as well." Yang Feng retorted back as father and son glowered at each other for a solid five seconds as both boys rolled their eyes and looked away with a loud, "Tch."