139: La la la! Another day without a title!

After a while, the pair of birds circled in the air a few more times before tentatively landing back on the grass by the window. There was no more sound coming from inside, so they boldly began to eat the grass seeds.

The dining room inside was indeed very quiet now. Yan Zhuohua sat upright at the dining table, taking a sip of sweet porridge that was at just the right temperature. Looking up, he could see Yan Qinghe across from him silently grimacing in pain.

He was his husband after all, and he truly didn't want his mother to lose another son. Thus, Yan Qinghe had ultimately survived thanks to his mercy, though he couldn't escape the physical pain. Leaving no scars on his face so he could still step out with some dignity in the evening was already an act of immense kindness.

Yan Zhuohua ate a fried dumpling and smacked his lips in satisfaction before turning his gaze back to the restless Yan Qinghe sitting opposite him.

Meeting that gaze, Yan Qinghe asked cautiously, "What is it?" Was that beating just now not enough for you?

"Those photos..." Yan Zhuohua took another slow sip of porridge, his eyes falling on the scattered photos to the side.

"No way!" Yan Qinghe quickly gathered the photos and tucked them into his chest. These photos are going into the grave with me when I die!

Yan Zhuohua didn't say a word, merely lifting his eyelids to stare at him silently.

Yan Qinghe suddenly felt his aches intensify, but as he reached down to touch the photos in his shirt, it was as if he had suddenly gained a massive boost of courage. He looked up firmly to meet Yan Zhuohua's eyes.

"Haven't you had enough of a beating?" Yan Zhuohua was quite surprised; he hadn't expected him to have the guts to continue confronting him head-on.

"If you want to hit me, then hit me. What man hasn't been beaten by his wife a few times?" Yan Qinghe spoke with righteous fervor, "But I am absolutely not getting rid of these photos!"

You can't actually kill me, right? At worst, I'll throw away my pride and go complain to Eldest Brother, let him discipline you!

Yan Zhuohua was truly stunned by this man's "undaunted by a powerful foe" aura. It seemed he was determined to keep those photos.

"Fine, keep them if you like them so much." There was no need to give someone another beating over such a small thing. Family harmony required everyone to take a step back. Besides, he wasn't exactly the violent type anyway!

Yan Qinghe's eyes brightened instantly. He felt as though his aches had vanished, replaced by a sense of total comfort, as if he hadn't just been beaten but had received a massage instead.

Yan Zhuohua was almost amused by how he suddenly perked up. "However, let me tell you this in advance: do not let them appear in front of anyone, including me. Otherwise, don't blame me for not warning you." I'll buy you a pile of keyboards and make you kneel on them until they all break!

"Understood, understood! I'll make them disappear from your sight right now!"

"Don't move!" Yan Zhuohua barked at the man who was about to bolt upstairs, helplessly placing a fried dumpling in his bowl. "Eat breakfast first."

The two of them had a relatively pleasant breakfast. After finishing his last sip of porridge, Yan Qinghe didn't even put away his dishes before rushing toward the stairs, terrified that Yan Zhuohua might change his mind.

Behind him, Yan Zhuohua shook his head with a light laugh. He finished the remaining dumplings before clearing all the dishes from the table and heading into the kitchen to wash them.

By the time he finished washing the dishes and wiping down the kitchen, Yan Qinghe popped out from some corner just as he was about to head upstairs.

"Hidden them?"

"Mhm!" Hidden very securely, I guarantee you won't find them!

Yan Zhuohua chuckled. "Let's go. Upstairs to pick out some clothes."

At 5:30 PM, the two of them, dressed neatly, stepped into the private room they had agreed upon. The entire room was boisterous and lively, with Sheng Xufeng inside wailing into a microphone like a ghost.

Yan Zhuohua stood at the door with a look of disdain, unwilling to go further in. But now that he had entered, how could he not be noticed by those inside?

"Zhuohua! You're here!"

Sheng Xufeng's voice suddenly echoed through the speakers from all directions. In that instant, Yan Zhuohua felt his blood pressure soar. He wished he could just kill this good friend of his and be done with it.

Unfortunately, he couldn't; he still needed to ask him for a favor.

"Put the microphone down before you speak!" Yan Zhuohua held back Sheng Xufeng, who was lunging toward him, and snatched the microphone from his hand.

"Oh, we're brothers, what are you being shy for!" Sheng Xufeng smiled brightly, his mischievous gaze darting between him and Yan Qinghe. "Nice new earrings. A pair?"

Yan Zhuohua smiled. "A Valentine's Day gift from Qinghe. I only recently had the time to get my ears pierced and put them on."

Sheng 'Single Dog' Xu 'Spent Valentine's Day Alone' Feng: "..."

"Whoa! Why are you and Yan the Fourth dressed like college students? Matching outfits? So youthful and bright!" I refuse to believe this!

Yan Zhuohua rolled his eyes at him. "We are still college students."

Sheng 'Graduated Last Year' Xu 'Member of Society' Feng: "..."

"Fine! You're looking down on your brother for being old, aren't you?" Sheng Xufeng began ushering the two toward the drinks table. "See if I don't drink you both under the table today!"

The people around them, who had been a bit reserved, crowded around upon seeing this, making the scene even more lively.

"I remember this private room of yours used to look like a high-end club. Why has it turned into this today?" Yan Zhuohua took a sip from a bottle of beer and then handily pushed away the one being offered to Yan Qinghe. "We drove here, so only one of us can drink."

"I specially renovated it with Li Wu just for today's gathering!" Sheng Xufeng pulled over Li Wu, who was already getting into the spirit of drinking. "How's that? Our aesthetic is pretty good, right?"

"Not bad! Not bad!" Li Wu chirped like a broken record.

Yan Zhuohua looked at the two of them with pity, refraining from saying the words 'it looks exactly like a KTV.'

"Sigh, today is my farewell party. I have to report to the army next Wednesday. You two better show me some respect. Since Yan the Fourth isn't drinking, you have to drink double."

"Fine, fine, go sing your songs!"

After driving away the boisterous Sheng Xufeng and Li Wu, Yan Zhuohua finally had a moment to catch his breath. He turned to strike up a conversation with Sheng Xulin, who was chatting with Yan Qinghe.

"Wasn't he sad enough to die when we left last time? How did he recover his health so quickly?" Yan Zhuohua swallowed a shrimp that Yan Qinghe held to his mouth and asked Sheng Xulin.

"He's keeping it bottled up inside," Sheng Xulin sighed. "After you guys left, I originally intended to have a good talk with our parents, but can years of ice be melted in a single day? The current situation is just everyone maintaining a surface-level harmony."

Yan Qinghe nodded. "Then him going to the army can be considered a good thing."

"Indeed, being away for a while will bring about changes." Sheng Xulin took a sip of wine. "I'll just have to trouble your eldest brother to keep an eye on him."

"You're being too polite. Aren't we all one family?"

"You're right. I'll make sure Zhuoyang disciplines him well later, so he doesn't get too arrogant once he's in the Military Camp."

"Ha, haha..." Brother, I didn't mean to...

Regardless of whether Yan Zhuohua meant it or not, Sheng Xulin had already made up his mind and wouldn't change it. He could only pray in his heart for his good friend—that Eldest Brother wouldn't toss him into Lin Fang's hands.