81: turmoil

They waited in the study for an hour before the long-overdue Yan Zhuoyang finally arrived.

He looked travel-worn and hadn't even had time to change out of his military uniform; he had likely rushed back the moment he received the news.

Seeing his eldest brother enter, Yan Zhuohua subconsciously stood up straight.

“Eldest Brother, you look very tired. Why don't you go change and take a shower first? It's best to get some rest; it won't be too late to scold me tomorrow.”

“Stop trying to play tricks, and don't think about stalling.” What a joke—if he let him off tonight, he’d find an excuse to run away tomorrow, dragging things out until the matter was dropped. Yan Zhuoyang had seen this many times since they were children.

Seeing that his usual stalling tactics weren't working this time, Yan Zhuohua could only frantically signal Yan Qinghe with his eyes.

Yan Qinghe sat there, motionless.

“You know why I called you back, right?” Yan Zhuoyang took a sip of water and began his lecture.

“I know, I know,” Yan Zhuohua smiled ingratiatingly. “I know I was wrong.”

“You know you're wrong, but you still won't change, right?” Yan Zhuoyang got straight to the point. “Tell me, how many times has it been? Since you first learned to talk, how many times have you recklessly done dangerous things?”

“Do you have any idea how worried we'd be if something happened to you? Do you want Mom to lose a child after already losing her husband?”

Yan Zhuohua lowered his head and muttered in defense, “But didn't I turn out fine?”

“You're fine? If something happened, you'd have to apologize to me in a dream! Didn't I tell you? Sun Qian's death was clearly a silencing. They did it so cleanly, and there was no trace when they swapped the children back then—they are definitely not good people! Tell me, if they set their sights on you again, can you guarantee you'll be perfectly safe? They are desperate criminals who care about nothing but their mission. What about you? Can you compare? I told you not to investigate, not to investigate! You agreed to my face, but behind my back, you didn't take it seriously at all! Have my words lost their authority?”

“They have authority, they do! I know I was wrong, Eldest Brother, I really know I was wrong.” Yan Zhuohua began to beg for mercy.

“You certainly know. I won't say any more. Just go get the family rules and prepare for a beating. I think a beating will be more effective.”

“Don't!” Yan Zhuohua's eyes widened, and he hurriedly turned to give Yan Qinghe more frantic eye signals.

“Eldest Brother,” Yan Qinghe finally spoke up.

“What? Are you going to plead for him, or take the beating in his place?” Yan Zhuoyang's voice was sarcastic.

“Neither. Zhuohua indeed did wrong and should be punished.” Yan Qinghe's words made Yan Zhuohua's face beside him nearly contort.

“Then you can go help me get the family rules,” Yan Zhuoyang said coldly.

“No, what I mean is, he definitely needs a lesson, but he's already married to me. He's my wife, so he's under my jurisdiction. If he makes a mistake, I'll be the one to discipline him. Don't worry, Eldest Brother, I will definitely give you an explanation!”

Yan Qinghe's words even stunned Yan Zhuoyang.

Seeing this, Yan Zhuohua nodded quickly. “Right, right, right, I'm under his jurisdiction.”

“Are you two playing with me? Qinghe, leave it to you? Won't you just take him to bed for punishment? Who knows if it'll be a punishment or foreplay by then.” Yan Zhuoyang had practically seen through Yan Qinghe's true colors and exposed him bluntly.

Yan Qinghe rubbed his nose awkwardly. “I promise, Eldest Brother. I can guarantee that if he does it again, I will personally hand him over to you. For this time, for my sake, leave the disciplining to me. I will make sure he remembers this lesson deeply.”

“Right, right, right, I'll definitely remember.” Yan Zhuohua was like a hype man, constantly chiming in from the side.

Yan Zhuoyang glared at him, and Yan Zhuohua immediately fell silent.

Yan Qinghe continued to persuade: “Besides, Eldest Brother, it's not like you haven't disciplined him like this before, and it wasn't very useful, was it? Leave it to me now; maybe I can give you a surprise?”

Yan Zhuoyang stared at him and thought for a long while before finally speaking.

“Fine, I'll give you a chance. But if he does it again, I'll punish you right along with him.”

“I won't let Eldest Brother down.”

The three finally left the study. Having escaped a calamity, Yan Zhuohua followed happily behind Yan Qinghe.

Yan Zhuoyan, who was waiting nearby to watch the spectacle, was stunned.

“It's over just like that? It hasn't even been ten minutes?”

Yan Zhuoyang didn't even give him a glance. “Otherwise?”

“No, Eldest Brother, he made such a huge mistake. Doesn't he deserve a round of the family rules?”

“Someone stood as his guarantor, saying they would definitely educate him properly.”

Yan Zhuoyan shifted his gaze to Yan Qinghe, who gave a gentle smile. Behind him, Yan Zhuohua poked his head out and smugly raised an eyebrow at Yan Zhuoyan.

“Good grief, so you have a protector now, huh?” Being provoked by his younger brother, Yan Zhuoyan almost turned dark.

Yan Zhuoyang sat on the sofa and started eating an apple. “Don't worry, Qinghe said that if he isn't taught well, the punishment will include him too.”

Hearing this, Yan Zhuoyan suddenly laughed brightly. He patted Yan Qinghe on the shoulder. “Then you're in big trouble. Why bother?”

Yan Zhuohua bared his teeth at him in dissatisfaction.

“Alright, it's already ten o'clock. Don't you all have work tomorrow?” Their mother, Jiang Fuyue, finally stepped in to end the topic. She said to Yan Zhuohua and Yan Qinghe, “It's too late today. If you're free this weekend, come back and explain exactly what happened.”

No one dared to disobey their mother. Several people got up to head to their rooms, though Yan Zhuohua and Yan Zhuoyan didn't forget to have a small scuffle behind her.

Back in the room, Yan Zhuohua truly felt like he had escaped a catastrophe and finally relaxed.

After washing up, the two embraced under the covers. Yan Zhuohua poked Yan Qinghe's collarbone.

“Why didn't you save me right at the beginning? You let me get scolded for so long.”

“Didn't I have to let Eldest Brother vent his anger first? Otherwise, how could he have let you off so easily?” Yan Qinghe caught his mischievous hand.

“That's true.” With his hand caught, Yan Zhuohua didn't struggle and let Yan Qinghe toy with it.

After a while, Yan Zhuohua spoke up again in confusion.

“I keep feeling like something's not right. I've been reviewing it—did you do this on purpose?”

“Hmm?” Yan Qinghe questioned.

“First, you used the fact that I kept things from you to get all sorts of benefits out of me. Then, under the banner that no one could save me if you sold me out, you let me shoulder the blame alone. Then you used the fact that you saved my life to continue demanding benefits from me... That's right! You're the ultimate winner! You got all the benefits! Tell me, Yan Qinghe, how are you so naturally talented at bullying me?” Yan Zhuohua discovered his sinister intentions and was no longer willing to let him play with his hand.

Yan Qinghe chuckled. “I can't help it; my wife is just so easy to trick. However, it's too late for you to realize it now!”

Yan Zhuohua didn't want to talk to him, but then he remembered something else.

“So when you said that day that Eldest Brother would definitely be on your side, it was because of this!” Yan Zhuohua glared coldly. “You had a plan this early on?”

Yan Qinghe laughed out loud. “You figured it out?”

Yan Zhuohua completely shut down. He stopped talking to him, tucked himself into the covers, and fell asleep.