Stare—
"..."
Ye Lan's peripheral vision had just caught Sakuramiya Lily on her left—who appeared to be smiling but hid a suffocating sense of oppression beneath it—when she subconsciously retracted her gaze and turned the other way.
Stare—
"..."
However, on the other side, the tall Elvira was also staring at her faintly. The sheer weight of her imposing presence was even more intense than the slightly restrained Sakuramiya Lily!
Only now did Ye Lan belatedly realize that she was like a little lamb inadvertently led into a dangerous encirclent.
'Why did I inexplicably sit right in the middle?!'
The initially warm water in the bath now felt like boiling magma, leaving Ye Lan feeling scorched and a bit breathless.
"Splash—"
Consequently, she shifted a bit closer to the edge of the pool so the hot water wouldn't subrge her chest.
Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief and offer a polite smile.
"The children's matters should be left for the children to worry about. We can't interfere with the paths they choose to walk; we can only do our best to pave the way for them. Don't you agree?"
'Whatever,' she thought. 'I'll just firmly establish my identity as Xiao Huan's guardian for now. That way, I'll have a proper stance to deal with whatever these two say next.'
"Oh my, that is certainly true in principle... but if all the children in the world were worry-free, why would parents be willing to toil so hard for them?"
It would have been fine if this wasn't ntioned, but upon bringing it up, Sakuramiya Lily's face fell into a bitter expression, and she raised a hand to lightly cover her face.
"My Hitomi was raised by her grandfather since childhood, which caused so issues. Back in Sakura Country, she locked herself in a closet every day, refusing to see anyone. She had no friends and was incredibly reticent...
"I previously heard her older brother ntion in private that she had even considered... suicide."
Hearing this, Ye Lan's expression invariably changed.
"Suicide?"
"Yes."
Ye Lan had never t the child nad Hitomi before, nor did she expect Sakuramiya Lily's daughter to have such severe problems.
Behind her, upon hearing this, a trace of empathy inevitably surfaced in Elvira's sharp blue eyes.
Every ti she thought of the scenes from Aria's childhood—lying in a hospital bed covered in dical instrunts, or standing all alone in the manor, pointing at people and calling them little pigs and little birds—her heart still ached.
"As for Aria... I don't know if it's because of her congenital brain disease from when she was little, but she saw everyone besides
not as people, but as little pigs or little birds or the like.
"Therefore, I must help her plan everything out in advance, even if it seems a bit too early right now."
Ye Lan turned her head again, a look of astonishnt on her face.
"Little pigs and little birds? Ah, this..."
"Pat—"
Behind her, Sakuramiya Lily gently reached out and grabbed Ye Lan's shoulder, pulling her attention back.
"Fortunately, after coming to Linn and joining the Student Council at Far Moon Academy, Hitomi has finally gotten much better."
Ye Lan realized a lot from this subsequent sentence.
What did she an by 'getting much better after joining the Student Council at Far Moon Academy'? The underlying implication was actually, 'She got much better after eting Yan Huan.'
"Grip—"
Suddenly, a cold hand also gripped Ye Lan's shoulder from behind, frightening her into a full-body shudder.
It was exactly Elvira, who slowly spoke.
"I heard Aria ntion earlier that recently, when she looks at your Yan Huan, he doesn't seem like a little pig or little bird either, but rather his true form.
"After all these years, this is the first ti sothing like this has happened."
With the conversation reaching this point, Ye Lan suddenly understood why these two were so fixated on Yan Huan.
Logically speaking, with their backgrounds, their daughters could easily have their pick of any son-in-law they wanted. They shouldn't need to act like they were fighting over a limited-edition, ultra-rare treasure, projecting their formidable domains right here.
'But the problem is, their daughters aren't normal people at all!!'
'Every single one of them is a top-tier master full of imnse pressure. Just hearing about it makes
feel terrified. Yet Yan Huan can actually suppress them simultaneously and even guide them back onto the right track...'
'To so extent, Xiao Huan truly is a weightlifting champion to carry all this.'
'Furthermore, even putting all that aside, Yan Huan's personal qualifications are incredibly excellent!'
'He has a clean background, a strong and healthy body, an impeccable appearance, possesses talent yet works hard, and his whole body overflows with endless bull... oh wait, no, endless vitality.'
"..."
Comparing the supposed young geniuses in the other two mothers' families with her own Xiao Huan inexplicably made Ye Lan breathe a sigh of relief, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.
'As expected, having an excellent child really makes a mother feel honored by association.'
But the very next second, the face of her actual daughter—Ye Shiyu—suddenly surfaced in her mind.
Ye Lan could practically picture her in the darkness, staring at her with an expressionless face, tilting her head and asking softly,
'Mama, then what about ? Do I still need to turn over a new leaf?'
"!!"
Instantly, cold sweat dripped down Ye Lan's forehead again.
'You have to! You must turn over a new leaf!'
'Otherwise, Shiyu, your whole life will be ruined!'
This suddenly made her realize her other identity apart from 'Yan Huan's mother': Ye Shiyu's mother!
'If we consider that layer, aren't I exactly the sa as the two mothers present?!'
'Equally possessing unique issues:'
'Super strong possessiveness, to the point of already walking on the edge of criminal behavior!'
'Equally experiencing an improvent in life after eting Xiao Huan:'
'She has recently beco more cheerful, started making friends, learned to dress up, restrained her possessiveness, and even started trying not to write her na on newly bought things!'
'Everything is clearly developing for the better, but if Yan Huan really becos Elvira or Sakuramiya Lily's son-in-law...'
'What on earth will Shiyu turn into?'
Ye Lan didn't even dare to think any further.
At this point, for the first ti in her life, Ye Lan put on a mask of pure agony. Her beautiful, intellectual face was already crawling with inner struggle.
She was on the verge of being completely twisted apart by her dual identities as 'Yan Huan's mother' and 'Ye Shiyu's mother'.
On one side was her determination to let Xiao Huan freely choose his own love and life.
On the other side was her selfish desire to secure her daughter's future.
'What exactly am I supposed to do?!'
"..."
But the current situation didn't even afford her the right to think.
Because things were still deteriorating.
After Sakuramiya Lily and Elvira spoke, their respective intentions had beco as glaringly obvious as possible:
Right now, they both had their eyes fixed on Ye Lan, treating her as the 'prospective mother-in-law'.
The situations of their own daughters were urgent, but there was only one Yan Huan. So what should they do?
Fight for him!
"Speaking of which, back in Sakura Country, that stubborn old fogey in my family actually used the children as pawns over so family matters. Otherwise, when Hitomi returned..."
"Your Yan Huan stepped forward boldly at that ti. He declared he was going to take her away. Even to an auntie like , those words sounded incredibly romantic."
Hearing this, Ye Lan blinked, unable to hide her astonishnt.
"Such a thing actually happened..."
She hadn't heard a single word of this from her own Shiyu.
"Yes, indeed. Thanks to your Yan Huan, Hitomi actually dared to directly confront her grandfather, who had practically beco her childhood trauma. It truly astonished
as well."
'Looking at it this way, Xiao Huan and Vice President Sakuramiya really share a deep bond...' Ye Lan mused.
"I rember that during the Club War at Far Moon Academy, both of you were present, right?"
At this mont, Elvira silently glanced at Sakuramiya Lily before her and suddenly spoke in a mild tone.
"Ah, yes. But I don't recall seeing Ms. Elvira there at the ti."
"Indeed, I was in Sakura Country back then. However, I observed and learned from the entire competition online."
Elvira nodded and continued,
"I must say, I was thoroughly impressed that Yan Huan competed on behalf of Aria's club without knowing I was watching."
Ye Lan actually knew about this.
Especially the earth-shattering kiss from Spencer at the very end, broadcast live to the whole school. It had triggered a severe stress response in her daughter.
If Ye Lan hadn't held her down, Shiyu probably would have snapped right then and there.
"...Oh my, that is certainly true. Though that forced kiss at the end was a bit..."
'A forced kiss? Did she just straight-up define it as that?'
Ye Lan looked in surprise at Sakuramiya Lily, who had made the remark without batting an eye. She instantly understood her angle of attack.
After all, no matter how special Yan Huan was to Aria, there was a high probability that it was rely one-sided wishful thinking, much like that forced kiss.
But her Hitomi was different.
Back then, it was Yan Huan who actively stepped forward of his own volition. When it ca to feelings, surely this level of initiative proved a deeper connection, right?
"In our country, that's not exactly an unusual occurrence. Besides, Yan Huan didn't reject it, did he?"
"Hehe... However, my Hitomi has known Yan Huan much longer. She understands him very well and felt it was sowhat inappropriate. I'm afraid Yan Huan likely thought the sa way, don't you think?"
"If he thought that way, why would he take the initiative to help Aria set up a Study Group afterward? Ms. Sakuramiya, you were the one who proposed overseeing the Study Group, so you should understand this very well."
"Perhaps Yan Huan is simply a kind-hearted boy? After all, back during Hitomi's birthday, even though they hadn't known each other for long, he actually dared to whisk her away from her ho right in front of her older brother, all just to take her out to see the fireworks since she was in poor health. Oh my, doesn't it really give you a feeling of love at first sight?"
Both sides were Imperial-level experts. This back-and-forth exchange of words was like crashing thunder, plunging their battlefield into absolute darkness.
Caught in the middle, Ye Lan watched them battle so fiercely for their daughters that the very fabric of reality seed on the verge of annihilation. She pursed her lips and lifted herself slightly higher out of the water.
She really felt the pool was too hot, as if it were about to boil.
Ye Lan listened to Sakuramiya Lily for a while and thought she made a valid point. Then she listened to Elvira for a bit and felt she also made sense.
Speaking purely as a mother, Ye Lan actually felt that either choice would be a fine partner for Xiao Huan.
'If he chooses Sakuramiya Hitomi, she and Xiao Huan would definitely have great chemistry, but her personality full of internal friction is quite worrying...'
'If he chooses Aria, Xiao Huan will definitely have a brighter future in Linn. After all, the Golden Lion Group is an undisputed juggernaut here. However, due to her condition, Xiao Huan would undoubtedly have to expend a lot of effort taking care of her...'
"..."
But as Ye Lan continued to ponder, the resentful gaze of her own daughter surfaced before her eyes once again.
Hiss...
'Wait, this isn't right.'
'Both of these girls sound like they have their own unique rits, and they've gone through a lot with Xiao Huan, but... what about my Shiyu?'
'Why does it feel like there is no such person found in this equation?'
'When Spencer forcefully kissed Xiao Huan at the Club War, she was just raging impotently by my side...'
'When Yan Huan eloped with Sakuramiya Hitomi from the Sakuramiya Main Residence in Sakura Country, she was practically invisible the entire ti...'
'Moreover, it seems neither of these two won even consider my daughter as a potential rival at all!'
'That's right, my daughter is nominally Xiao Huan's sworn older sister. And considering her personality and her bond with Xiao Huan...'
'They probably couldn't even be bothered to consider her, right?'
"Ms. Ye, what do you think?"
"I think Shiyu... ah?"
Ye Lan blinked, belatedly turning her gaze forward.
She saw that the two won beside her, Sakuramiya Lily and Elvira, who had just been arguing endlessly, were both looking at her, seemingly waiting for her answer.
"Ms. Ye, from the perspective of the boy's parent, who do you think is more suitable for your Yan Huan?"
Elvira had said so much that she couldn't be bothered to argue with Sakuramiya Lily any further.
Both sides claid to be right, so she figured it was best to simply let Yan Huan's guardian decide.
"Yes, yes, Ms. Ye. Feel free to speak your mind. That way, I can give my daughter a definitive answer when I get back.
"If it's truly impossible, it's better to make her give up on this idea early."
Sakuramiya Lily pursed her lips, speaking with such consideration that it gave Ye Lan quite a start.
This was an absolute retreat to advance strategy.
What if Ye Lan just casually blurted sothing out and caused a negative impact on these two children?
What if the person she picked wasn't the one Yan Huan truly liked? Wouldn't that just give Xiao Huan unnecessary headaches?
'Furthermore, my Shiyu isn't even one of the options!'
"..."
Facing the oppressive stares from the two noblewon on her left and right, Ye Lan sighed. At this mont, she had no choice but to speak.
She had already realized that both these won had stepped onto the battlefield as foreign aid for their daughters.
One had made moves in Sakura Country, while the other was directly plotting out the future. Yet she herself...
'Mama, look. Other mothers are about to help their daughters steal Xiao Huan away...'
In her mind's eye, a pitifully miserable Shiyu sat in a duck sit on the floor, looking back at her while murmuring with her head down,
'As expected, everything I've done, my attempts to turn over a new leaf... were they all useless?
'If that's the case... criminal actions, activate!!'
Then soone would call the police, and with police sirens wailing, her daughter would be handcuffed, dragged away, and sent to prison to operate a sewing machine.
'Ahaha, Mama, the sewing machine in prison is actually quite nice to use... Look, this is the wedding dress I embroidered in my cell for my marriage to Xiao Huan. Is it pretty?'
'No way, I can't let that happen...'
Whatever. She had promised that if Shiyu reford herself, she would help her.
She had been too busy with work before to do anything, but now it was ti to put in so effort. She would treat it as indulging a bit of her own selfishness as a mother...
Thinking this, when Ye Lan opened her eyes again, a divine gleam flashed within them.
She smiled slightly and suddenly spoke,
"I can't speak for Xiao Huan, and you two have truly given my boy far too much praise.
"To be fair, the children are all still in school. The abilities and character they've displayed so far are only a fraction of their true selves. We need more varied situations to properly evaluate them."
Saying this, she looked at Elvira beside her.
"Does what Ms. Elvira ntioned earlier regarding official business still count?"
Elvira and Sakuramiya Lily both harbored secret suspicions, not knowing what Ye Lan ant by this.
Still, Elvira nodded, responding to Ye Lan's question.
"Of course."
"Since the Golden Lion Group and Ye International are rely putting on a show, there's no reason we can't collaborate between ourselves, right?"
"Indeed. And so?"
"It's like this. Sumr vacation is just around the corner, and I've been thinking about giving my Shiyu—who is Xiao Huan's 'older sister'—so practical experience..."
Ye Lan smiled faintly and addressed the two of them,
"How about this? If Elvira is willing to cooperate, we can try establishing an interdiary departnt for initial coordination and collaboration during the sumr break.
"When the ti cos, I'll have my Shiyu and Xiao Huan intern there. anwhile, the young miss of the Sakuramiya family can intern at the Golden Lion Group to coordinate with us. What do you both think?"
Hearing this, the two mothers couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
For both mothers, this proposal had its benefits.
First, as Ye Lan said, stepping out of the school environnt would inevitably expose the children to more diverse problems, which would better nurture their abilities.
For the Sakuramiya family, Hitomi and Yan Huan being able to et at the Golden Lion Group every day would allow them to further cultivate their feelings.
For the Spencer family, it was even simpler.
If the Linn branch of the Golden Lion Group was to be handed over to Aria, it would inevitably be entrusted to Yan Huan to manage in the future. Letting him familiarize himself with the business operations in advance was certainly not a bad idea.
Furthermore, the Golden Lion Group was the Spencer family's territory. Having Yan Huan right under Elvira's nose would allow her to more closely observe whether he was a qualified candidate...
"Then..."
"However, although Far Moon Academy does have such quotas for internships, shouldn't we ask for the children's opinions first?"
Ye Lan smiled lightly as she stated this.
Beside her, Sakuramiya Lily pondered for a mont before saying with a cheerful smile,
"That won't be difficult. Their school's Culture Festival is coming up this week. I will be attending, so why don't we take that opportunity to talk with the children?"
"Agreed."
After thinking it over, Elvira didn't see any downside to this proposal, so she also agreed.
But in reality, Ye Lan's arrangent was already subtly paving the way for her own daughter.
No matter what anyone said, Xiao Huan would still be working in Ye International's interdiary departnt, and he would still be with Shiyu.
At that ti, she could conveniently use the excuse of work requirents to have them both live in Ye International's employee dormitory.
After all, the South Ward was much too far away, making the commute highly inconvenient.
This would also fulfill Shiyu's long-standing desire to have Xiao Huan move back ho to live.
By the ti these two noblewon realized sothing was wrong and asked, 'Hey, why is your Yan Huan secretly living with your Shiyu?'
Ye Lan naturally had a ready-made excuse.
'They are older sister and younger brother. Isn't it perfectly normal for them to live together?'
In this way, she could completely cross the sea under false pretenses and create a heaven-sent opportunity.
Phew...
Thinking up to this point, Ye Lan still couldn't help but worry.
'Shiyu, Mama can only help you to this extent. At most, I can put in a few more good words for you in front of Xiao Huan.'
'If you still don't show any promise after this...'
'It's not like Mama can pursue a romantic relationship with Xiao Huan on your behalf, right?'
Sigh.
'Regardless, during this Culture Festival, I definitely must give my daughter proper instructions and strive to resolve everything over the sumr vacation.'
Inside the bathhouse, the previously tense standoff had suddenly eased considerably.
anwhile, the three mothers in the pool all coincidentally had the exact sa thought pop into their minds.
Reviews
All reviews (0)