25

When Huo Yanlin came to Shen Yin’s place, he happened to see the couple setting up food on the table in the small courtyard.

The courtyard’s lights were somewhat dim, and combined with the surrounding greenery, it had the vibe of a romantic candlelit dinner.

On the table, there was Cha Ji’s roast duck and He Ji’s porridge.

Song Tan was greedy, so she had a small bowl of porridge and two pieces of roast duck, but she couldn’t eat anymore.

Then, Shen Yin looked at her helplessly.

It was originally a harmonious and loving scene, but Huo Yanlin felt uncomfortable seeing it.

He didn’t know why he felt uncomfortable.

Clearly, he had no relationship with Song Tan at all.

Oh no, there was some connection.

The person sitting in front of her almost became him.

At that time, everyone assumed that Song Tan was interested in him.

Although he didn’t like her, he was prepared to marry her, but unexpectedly, her finger pointed to Shen Yin.

In this way, he became a laughingstock in everyone’s eyes.

Maybe that’s why he couldn’t remain calm when he looked at Song Tan.

Plus…

Some things were just too coincidental.

Huo Yanlin collected himself and stepped into the courtyard, breaking the romantic candlelit dinner atmosphere of the two.

He glanced at the two and then lowered his head to look at the things on the small stone table, saying, “If you want to eat something, you can order from the kitchen. There’s no need to buy from outside; it’s not clean.”

When Song Tan heard this, she saw Shen Yin purse his lips.

She thought to herself, Huo Yanlin came with his own feet to become a target.

Her expression changed instantly.

She looked pitiful.

“Young Master Huo, it’s easy for you to say that while standing there.”

She looked at Shen Yin with a sense of grievance in her eyes and continued, “You are the young master of the Huo family, and I…”

She sighed as she looked at Shen Yin, not saying it all, but the meaning was almost conveyed.

She was just Shen Yin’s wife.

In the Huo family, Shen Yin had no presence to speak of, and as Shen Yin’s other half, she had even less presence.

“You can ask the kitchen to cook whatever you want. But, how can I dare to make any demands?” She pointed to the food on the table and said, “These are all things that Shen Yin has heard me mention for several days, so he specially bought them from outside for me.”

Shen Yin looked at her performance, which seemed like Lin Daiyu’s reincarnation¹, and suppressed the smile at the corner of his mouth, opting to purse his lips.

It seemed as if he was tacitly agreeing with what Song Tan had said.

Huo Yanlin was getting a little irritated.

“How is that possible? Our Huo family isn’t some small, insignificant household. Just a meal, why won’t they cook for you?”

Song Tan knew he would uphold the Huo family’s dignity.

“What’s so impossible about it?” She pointed to the two-story small western-style building behind her and said, “Even the place we live in had to be vacated for you.”

Song Tan muttered, “The Huo family doesn’t seem that poor, why would they need to move people out to make a bridal chamber for you?”

“You…”

The Huo family certainly wasn’t lacking in accommodations.

Especially Huo Yanlin, from the moment he was born, he had his own separate place, right next to the old man’s residence, with a large garden.

Outside the Huo family’s old mansion, he had countless properties.

Did he need a bridal chamber?

Of course not.

The old man had them move to the South Courtyard because of Su Ran.

Su Ran belonged to Song Tan and almost ruined Huo Yanlin marriage, so the old man had to make a move against Song Tan.

As a result, Song Tan told Huo Yanlin that the Huo family was poor?

“Song Tan, don’t act foolish here. You should know why the old man wants you all to move to the South Courtyard.”

If Huo Yanlin hadn’t seen through her act, that would have been suspicious.

“Why? Is there a reason that can’t be said?” Song Tan looked at Huo Yanlin seriously and asked.

This matter also concerned Huo Yanlin.

He had come today to inquire about Su Ran’s situation. Now, asking Song Tan about Su Ran and placing the blame on Song Tan… he couldn’t do that.

So, Huo Yanlin remained silent.

But since he didn’t speak, Song Tan did. “Is it because the Huo family simply looks down on us, and they’re trying to indirectly drive us away?”

After saying that, without waiting for Huo Yanlin’s response, she held Shen Yin’s hand and looked at him with concern.

Shen Yin pressed his lips together, struggling to contain his laughter.

However, he went along with Song Tan, turned his head, and said to Huo Yanlin, “If that’s the case, I will move out with Song Tan.”

The old man insisted on keeping him and Song Tan in this old mansion, partly for his reputation and perhaps because he coveted the prescription in Song Tan’s hands.

But he wouldn’t bring it up himself; instead, he would push people to the brink and then go to them proactively.

That’s what that old man liked to do the most.

So, if Song Tan wanted to move out of the Huo family, it might not be so easy.

But they still needed to show a stance.

After all, they had to let the other side adapt in advance.

Shen Yin didn’t stop Song Tan; instead, he went along with her and opposed the Huo family.

Huo Yanlin narrowed his eyes.

“Tomorrow, we’ll move out. When the time comes, you can arrange this place however you like.”

Song Tan’s original weak appearance due to her poor health gave him a somewhat fragile look, and she didn’t need to deliberately pretend anything on her face; it naturally gave people the feeling that she had been bullied.

Huo Yanlin : ?

He didn’t do anything at all?

“It’s too late today, we need to rest. Please leave, and tomorrow I will call the moving company.”

After saying that, Shen Yin directly escorted Huo Yanlin out.

Would the previous Shen Yin have dared to do such a thing?

No, he wouldn’t have dared before.

“Shen Yin, ever since you got married, you seem to have grown bolder, daring to directly ask me to leave.”

As soon as Huo Yanlin said this, there came the faint voice of Song Tan : “So, Young Master Huo, you’ve had this sense of superiority since childhood.”

Huo Yanlin : “… Shut up.”

“Am I not even allowed to speak in the Huo family?” After saying this, she looked at Shen Yin and said, “You are considered half of the Huo family, and I am considered half of the Huo family as your wife. This status… is even lower than that of a servant.”

“Song Tan! Are you f*cking pretending to be innocent?”

Huo Yanlin had been quite irritable lately, and now, with Song Tan’s sarcastic tone, he was completely furious.

He even resorted to swearing.

Even though he usually values his manners the most.

Song Tan saw him getting angry and sneered in her heart : Young master of a wealthy family? Hmph, nonsense.

She clutched her chest and almost fainted. Shen Yin quickly supported her shoulder, preventing her from falling backward.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s okay, I just got a little scared, and it seems like I might be feeling unwell.”

Huo Yanlin : “…” D*mn, why did I have to run into such a drama queen?

Unfortunately, this drama queen also encountered a love brain who would protect her.

Shen Yin frowned and looked at Huo Yanlin directly. “Yanlin, you’ve gone too far.”

“Are you blind? She’s pretending.”

As soon as Huo Yanlin said this, Song Tan began to hold her temple and said, “Shen Yin, I also feel dizzy.”

Huo Yanlin : “…”

Looking at this couple, one pretending and one protecting, Huo Yanlin took several deep breaths to calm himself down.

“I don’t care how you two want to play this drama, but it’s the old man’s decision for you to move out. If you have any objections, you can take it up with him. There’s no need to act pitiful in front of me.”

He looked at Song Tan.

Just now, after being manipulated by Song Tan, he almost forgot the main issue.

“Did you say anything to Su Ran?”

Su Ran had blocked all his contact information.

Su Ran loves him so much, there is no way she would do it herself.

The only possibility was that Song Tan had told her something.

Song Tan was Song Jiajiao’s cousin, naturally on the side of the Song family.

If Song Tan said something to Su Ran, Su Ran might never talk to him again.

Thinking of this, Huo Yanlin felt like he couldn’t breathe.

Song Tan lay in Shen Yin’s arms and blinked when she heard Huo Yanlin’s words.

Her long eyelashes brushed against Shen Yin’s neck, making Shen Yin feel a bit ticklish.

It wasn’t just her skin that felt itchy; there was also a bit of itchiness in her heart.

However, at this moment, Song Tan didn’t notice Shen Yin’s peculiar reaction. She said to Huo Yanlin, “You’re about to marry Jiajiao, yet you’re still entangled with that girl named Su Ran… You…”

Song Tan didn’t finish her sentence, but Huo Yanlin understood the meaning behind her words.

Huo Yanlin furrowed his brow. “This is my business.”

Song Tan shrugged. “Then whatever I want to say is also my business.”

Huo Yanlin: “…”

From childhood to adulthood, no one had ever spoken to him like Song Tan.

He looked at Song Tan.

She didn’t seem like the sharp-tongued type. Her face was pale, and she spoke softly, her voice not very loud. If one didn’t pay close attention to what she was saying, they might think she was saying something pleasant.

However, in reality, her words were like a chokehold.

If she were a man, he could naturally handle it in a manly way. But she was a woman, and he was afraid that if he acted directly, he might scare her away.

For a moment, the two of them were locked in a standoff.

Standing beside Song Tan, Shen Yin played the role of her ‘protector’ and hadn’t said a word.

He was watching Song Tan’s performance.

Although it wasn’t the first time he had seen it, every time he saw her calmly stand up to someone with her soft-spoken but biting remarks, he found it a delightful sight.

Perhaps he had a particular fondness for seeing the members of the Huo family getting frustrated.

Huo Yanlin had been the pampered young master since birth, and he always had people to cater to him. Even if someone had a conflict with him, others would step in and handle it for him.

So, when he encountered someone like Song Tan, who appeared fragile but didn’t hold back with her words, he could only suppress his frustration.

Seeing him unhappy, Song Tan felt a sense of satisfaction.

“Shen Yin, what do you think?” After some serious thought, Huo Yanlin realized that he couldn’t resolve the situation with Song Tan and turned to Shen Yin for input.

Shen Yin is a man. He wouldn’t be as troublesome as Song Tan, would he?

Huo Yanlin confronted Shen Yin, but Shen Yin reached out and embraced Song Tan, saying, “I listen to Song Tan when it comes to our family matters.”

Huo Yanlin : ????

Song Tan blinked upon hearing this.

Shen Yin was truly cooperating well with her.

It seemed that Shen Yin had some issues with Huo Yanlin.

She tilted her head and said to Shen Yin, “I’m tired of living in this courtyard. How about you come back to my natal house with me?”

The Song family’s old mansion?

Not a bad idea.

“Okay.”

“Hmm,” she continued, casting a critical eye at the small courtyard. Her eyes seemed to carry some disdain. “This place is so small; it feels suffocating.”

The implication was clear.

The Huo family really seemed quite poor.

Giving them such a small courtyard to live in was one thing, but now they wanted to take it back…

Tsk tsk tsk, how embarrassing.

¹ Lin Daiyu is a character in a classic Chinese novel “Dream of the Red Chamber” who is known for her beauty, intelligence, and tragic fate. She is often associated with qualities like fragility and sensitivity. ↩︎