Chapter 31

When Yan Songwei was called upstairs, he walked in to find Madam Yan with a stern expression, while Yan Yuan watched the scene with an amused look.

Yan Songwei cleared his throat. "Mom, you wanted to see me?"

"Sit down."

"No need, I can stand just fine."

"Sit."

Yan Songwei immediately sat down obediently.

"A married couple—both turning into drunkards?" Madam Yan asked directly.

Yan Songwei knew exactly what she meant, but he deliberately chuckled and corrected her, "It's a married husband and husband. Gender equality, Mom. And between two men, it's even more equal."

"Don't try to fool me with that nonsense," Madam Yan said, unimpressed. "You're a married man now. Can't you be a little more responsible? Or did you marry Xiao Qin just to spite me? Was it all just a game to you?"

Hearing this, Yan Songwei quickly shook his head. "Mom, what are you saying? Marriage is a serious matter—how could I treat it like a joke?"

Madam Yan spoke sternly, "Looking at you now, I've given up hope of ever getting the daughter-in-law I wanted. At this point, I won't ask for better. From what I see, Xiao Qin is actually quite decent. Though his circumstances aren't great, he's obedient—unlike those flashy, shameless women you used to date, like Qingqing."

Yan Songwei gave an awkward laugh.

"I'll leave you with one thing today—live your life properly and stop associating with those unsavory people. Don't think I don't know you still have someone outside. Tell me, how many people like Xiao Qin are willing to endure humiliation and put up with this? You should learn to appreciate what you have. From now on, you must be home by ten at night. No more drinking until the middle of the night, and absolutely no staying out overnight. Do you understand?"

Though Yan Songwei was already an adult, he had always remained a child in front of Madam Yan. He had grown up fearing his mother, which was exactly why, when she opposed his marriage to Tan Qingqing, he never dared to go against her directly. Instead, he resorted to roundabout tactics and childish schemes. But the moment Madam Yan furrowed her brows, he would back down immediately.

He laughed and nodded in agreement before slipping out of the room.

Yan Yuan then asked, "Mom, do you really think Second Brother will listen to you?"

"He's reckless, but he's easy to manage," Madam Yan said. "I used to think that since I suffered so much in my life, all my hardships were to ensure you all lived well. So I let him have his way. But the moment I put my foot down, he still listens.

"Men like him, they may seem playful and unserious, but deep down, they have soft tempers and are easy to handle. There's always a way to keep them in check, whether with gentleness or force.

"But your eldest brother—that's a different story. He's always been obedient, mature, and never caused any trouble. But if he ever truly rebels, that's when it's serious. Once he makes up his mind, he's as stubborn as a mule—nothing will change it, not even ten oxen pulling at once."

Some people are like this—they don't make decisions easily, but once they do, nothing can turn them back. This was what made Yan Bozong so frustrating, yet also what made him most admirable.

Yan Yuan chuckled. "When has my big brother ever acted recklessly? He's always been the model student."

"Sigh, just because he's never given me trouble before doesn't mean he never will." Madam Yan let out a long sigh. "When I woke up this morning, I got a call from your sister-in-law's family. They asked how your big brother was doing and if he had mentioned anything to me. It was so strange. I asked them to speak plainly, but they just laughed it off and said it was nothing before hanging up."

"You see? You see?" Yan Yuan immediately perked up. "I told you Big Brother has been acting off lately. Maybe something really is going on… Could it be that he and Sister-in-law are having problems?"

Madam Yan let out a cold laugh. "A married couple living apart—if there's no problem, now that would be strange. I've told them before, but they just wouldn't listen. A husband and wife who don't live together—how is that even a marriage? It's no different from those one-night stands people talk about these days. Meet up when there's a need, sleep together, then go back to living separate lives? And to make it worse, they're separated by mountains and rivers."

"So, Mom, if something really happens between Big Brother and Sister-in-law, who do you think will be the one at fault?"

"Do you even need to ask?" Madam Yan's tone was laced with sarcasm and a hint of anger. "I know my own son's character. It's definitely Shen He who can't handle the loneliness."

"If that's really the case, then my big brother…"

"Don't worry," Madam Yan sneered. "If Shen He ever does something to betray your big brother, he'll divorce her without hesitation—no need for us to say a word. He may be good in many ways, but he has an extreme case of cleanliness, especially when it comes to emotional purity. Just wait and see. Over the years, no matter how much I've tried to persuade him to divorce Shen He, he's refused. No matter what faults Shen He has, your big brother has always covered for her. But if she ever truly crosses that line, your big brother will be ruthless like you've never seen before. Everyone has their bottom line, and for your big brother, this is his bottom line."

Qi Liangqin had some understanding of this particular bottom line of Yan Bozong.

Which made his path ahead feel all the more daunting.

How could a man who was so self-disciplined and devoted to his marriage possibly fall for someone like Qi Liangqin, who was not only unfaithful to marriage but was even attempting an illicit affair?

Everyone had their own principles and boundaries, and as luck would have it, Qi Liangqin had stepped right onto Yan Bozong's landmine.

Yan Songwei came downstairs, changed his clothes, and got ready to go out. Qi Liangqin also entered the bedroom and asked, "What did Madam Yan call you up for?"

"What else? It's about getting drunk. That was easy to guess." Yan Songwei fastened his tie and looked at Qi Liangqin through the mirror. "Tell me, do you think we've strayed from our original plan?"

"Hmm?" Qi Liangqin, sitting on the edge of the bed, turned to look at him.

"I mean, we got married so my mom would compare you to Qingqing and realize how much better she is, right? But now it feels like we're playing this married couple role too well—like we're actually a good couple. My mom is even starting to accept you. And I don't know why, but I've been getting along with you pretty well too."

"Isn't that the whole point? To make it look real so they don't suspect anything? If a straight guy like you suddenly 'turned,' they wouldn't believe it unless you played the part convincingly."

"That makes sense…" Yan Songwei tilted his head while looking at the mirror. "But it still feels weird. You shouldn't be acting too well at home. Like earlier at dinner—why did you take the initiative to serve my mom rice?"

"…I thought it was just something I should do…"

"Don't do that from now on. Just act like a spoiled, lazy, and temperamental young mistress. That way, my mom and the others will dislike you."

Qi Liangqin gave a small "oh" and asked, "Do I have to make them dislike me?"

There was something almost pitiful about his tone. Yan Songwei pursed his lips, glanced at Qi Liangqin, and said, "Alright then, you don't have to make them hate you. But at least don't let them like you too much."

"Do they like me?"

To his surprise, Yan Songwei actually nodded. "I think they do. And honestly, I feel like you've changed a lot since we got married—you've become more… domestic."

Qi Liangqin lowered his head and said, "Then you must be mistaken. Your mom is always making jabs at me, your big brother dislikes me even more, and only Yuan Yuan is polite to me."

"Speaking of my big brother, I've been wondering if he's figured something out."

"Figured what out?"

"That day at the racetrack, he suddenly asked about our relationship for no reason. We should avoid hanging around him too much from now on—he's really smart. If we're not careful, he'll figure everything out sooner or later. I should find a chance to tell him myself and get him on my side. Maybe in the future, he could even help me."

That was great news! Qi Liangqin couldn't wait for Yan Bozong to know that his marriage with Yan Songwei was just a contract. If he wanted to take things further with his proper, serious brother-in-law, the first step was to break down this barrier and clarify his relationship with Yan Songwei.

Unfortunately, the Qi Liangqin in the novel was too shortsighted and only focused on the present. He was fixated on staying by Yan Bozong's side and feared that if the truth about his contract marriage with Yan Songwei was exposed, he would be forced to leave the Yan family—cutting off all ties with Yan Bozong.

So he did everything he could to stop Yan Songwei from revealing the truth, constantly finding ways to delay it. He even tried to break up Yan Songwei and Tan Qingqing, all in hopes of securing a long-term place in the Yan family.

In some ways, the Qi Liangqin in the novel wasn't entirely wrong to worry. He probably just wanted more time to get close to Yan Bozong—to win him over first. Then, once he had successfully seduced him, he could reveal the truth about his contract marriage with Yan Songwei. By that point, he and Yan Bozong would already have something going on in secret, so he wouldn't have to worry about being kicked out of the Yan family.

But he underestimated Yan Bozong's self-control and misjudged his character, which ultimately led to him ending up with nothing—like scooping water with a bamboo basket.

As an outsider, he could naturally see things more clearly now. But at the moment, there was no choice—he still had to stop Yan Songwei.

So he said, "Don't rush it. Take your time and test the waters first. I think Big Brother is a pretty proper and serious person. He might not even accept something like a fake marriage. Sound him out first before you decide whether to ask for his help."

Yan Songwei nodded, picked up his bag, and headed out. Just as he reached the door, he suddenly turned back with a grin. "Oh, by the way, our marriage isn't fake. Even if it's a contract marriage, it's legally registered. You're a real member of the Yan family now."

"Then why don't you say that you're part of the Qi family?"

"Anyone with eyes can tell who's the wife and who's the husband in this relationship. No point in acting tough with words when you're not tough in other places. Hahaha!"

Laughing heartily, Yan Songwei walked out the door, leaving Qi Liangqin blushing.

A series of major events was about to unfold—Qi Liangqin was about to launch a full-on offensive against Yan Bozong. His mission for today consisted of two crucial tasks: doing the laundry and stealing underpants.

The latter would require some serious mental preparation, but the former was an easy job.

Washing Yan Bozong's clothes? That was practically his duty! Who else but him should do it?

Yan Bozong's clothes were divided into two categories: underpants and outerwear. Being a bit of a clean freak, he always washed his underpants himself. There was a designated washing machine for underpants on the balcony of their room. But as the young master of a wealthy family, it was impossible for him to do all his laundry on his own—especially since some of his coats required dry cleaning, and some had to be ironed after washing. These tasks were left to Aunt Chun. Of course, even Aunt Chun didn't wash everything by hand—she would sort everyone's clothes, arrange them accordingly, and contact an external service to pick them up, clean them, and send them back.

But in order to get closer to Yan Bozong and demonstrate his diligence and domestic skills, Qi Liangqin deliberately picked out Yan Bozong's clothes from the batch that hadn't been sent out yet.

It was just a shirt—he knew better than to hand-wash suits and dress pants, and he didn't dare mess with them since they were all expensive. As for Yan Bozong's underpants, he would have liked to wash them for him, but Yan Bozong had impeccable hygiene habits. Every night after showering, he would put his used underpants into the designated washing machine and then hang them on the balcony to dry.

Qi Liangqin quickly sneaked out the shirt. To cover up his unspeakable secret, he even took Yan Songwei's shirt as well. Both shirts were spotless—even the collars showed no trace of being worn.

Gripping Yan Bozong's shirt, Qi Liangqin pursed his lips before finally bringing it close to his nose and secretly taking a sniff.

There was a faint fragrance.

Could a person's body actually have a scent? Was this what they called natural body fragrance? The term itself sounded pretentious and overly romantic, bringing to mind the likes of Xiang Fei—delicate and effeminate, not something one would associate with a man. But people did have their own unique scents, subtle and intimate—something that perhaps only long-time lovers who shared skin-to-skin contact could distinguish. And yet, Qi Liangqin could easily recognize Yan Bozong's scent.

It was fragrant, but not in the way perfume smelled. Maybe it was something akin to the scent of male pheromones—or perhaps it wasn't exactly a fragrance, just a scent that, when inhaled, triggered an inexplicable sense of pleasure, making one instinctively associate it with something pleasant.

Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, Qi Liangqin quickly brought the shirt to his nose and took a deep breath.

He felt like he was getting drunk.

This was Yan Bozong's scent, and just the thought of it filled him with satisfaction, making his heart race and sending an indescribable ripple through his body.

And then, shame crept in.

Was it normal for people in love—men and women alike—to be so obsessed with their lover's scent? Or was it just him? Was he the only one, simply because he was naturally too lewd?

It was probably a sense of shame at play. To comfort himself, Qi Liangqin also picked up Yan Songwei's shirt and took a sniff. There was a faint scent to it as well, but it did nothing for him. To him, it was just a shirt that had been worn—nothing more.

That made him feel that scent was more a trick of the mind than anything else. It was nothing more than tiny, fleeting particles, yet emotions gave it a soul-stirring power.

He carefully washed both shirts. The weather was lovely, with bright sunshine. He hung them up in a corner of the small garden where the sunlight was strongest. A rope was tied between two trees—sometimes Aunt Chun would use it to dry clothes. The crisp white shirts swayed gently in the breeze. Aunt Chun, noticing them, asked in surprise, "This is…?"

"I saw Songwei's shirt sitting in a box, so I took it out and washed it."

"Oh dear, those were the clothes I set aside for dry cleaning. You might not know this, but their clothes have special washing requirements. I don't even dare wash them myself—I always send them to a laundry service. The owner there knows exactly how to handle them. Next time, don't wash them yourself. Even your own clothes, just leave them to me."

Qi Liangqin nodded, feeling a little guilty. In truth, for the past while, he had simply tossed his worn clothes into the laundry basket, and by the next day, Aunt Chun had already taken them. A day later, they'd return neatly folded. For him to suddenly wash clothes today was indeed unusual.

"From now on, we'll wash our own underpants," he said.

Aunt Chun chuckled and replied, "Madam mentioned this to me a few days ago, but I didn't bring it up with you two. When the brothers were younger, she always taught them to wash their own undergarments. Bozong got into the habit—he's a bit of a clean freak and doesn't like anyone else touching his undergarments. But ever since Songwei went to college, he got lazier, and once he started working, he got even busier. He's never been the type to wash his own clothes, so I've always done it for him. That's why we have a separate washing machine just for undergarments. Madam insisted that men and women shouldn't mix their laundry, so we bought an extra one specifically for Songwei's undergarments. Up until now, I've been washing both of yours together. But since you two are married, Madam thought it'd be better if you handled it yourselves. Personally, I don't mind—I've watched Songwei grow up. But if you want to do it yourself, just use the blue washing machine—that's the one for your undergarments."

Qi Liangqin had never thought about this before, but hearing that his underpants had been washed together with Yan Songwei's sent a jolt of horror through him. He immediately nodded and said, "I'll do our laundry from now on. I'll do it myself."

But in reality, he was overthinking it. Every time his and Yan Songwei's clothes were returned, they were always neatly separated. Men's underpants all looked about the same—how could Aunt Chun tell them apart? That meant she had probably sorted and washed them separately. But Qi Liangqin wasn't thinking that deeply. The mere thought of his underpants being tossed around in the same machine as Yan Songwei's unsettled him. He hurried back to his room, took a shower, and changed into a fresh pair.

After dressing, he stood by the window and found himself being ridiculous. It was just laundry—why was he making it seem like something intimate? He was just overthinking it. Besides, Yan Songwei was a very clean person—probably even more so than him. So what if they were washed together?

And yet, he still felt a deep aversion to the idea. His gaze drifted to the balcony across from him, where Yan Bozong's underpants were hanging.

Boxer briefs. Gray and black. Very fitting for Yan Bozong's serious and proper nature.

Just one glance, and his heart grew warm.

Ah, the human heart—so complicated, so fickle, so unfair.

If it were Yan Bozong's underpants being washed together with his, would he still find it unbearable?

Most likely, yes—but not in the same way.

Qi Liangqin's face flushed red.