Ye Yunjin couldn’t help saying, “Yunche, more than having you like her, I’d rather you respect your sister-in-law.”
Ye Yunche acted as though he hadn’t heard the warning in his brother’s words. Smiling brightly, he nodded and said, “Of course I respect her, big brother. Whatever she tells me to do, I’ll do it…”
He tilted his head slightly, a hint of provocation flashing in his eyes.
Zhu Liuyue could barely listen. Her mind immediately conjured up the way Ye Yunche had grabbed her hand yesterday and guided it beneath his clothes.
In the dim private room, he had asked in a husky voice, “Sister Yueyue, do you like abs?”
The goods had practically been delivered to her door. It would have been a waste not to enjoy them.
As expected of someone who practiced extreme sports, Ye Yunche had a body that showed the results of regular training. He looked slim and lean, but once you touched him, there was plenty of solid muscle beneath your fingers.
Especially since he had such a wild, rebellious face, yet deliberately put on the appearance of an obedient little kitten, eagerly catering to you.
Ye Yunjin remained expressionless as he picked up a piece of stir-fried asparagus and placed it in her bowl.
With a double meaning, he said, “Yueyue, ribs are too greasy. Eat this instead.”
Of course, Ye Yunche understood what he meant too!
His brother was insulting him by comparing him to greasy ribs, wasn’t he?
Hmph! What ribs? He looked slim in his clothes and had a six-pack when he took them off.
This was nothing but jealousy.
Zhu Liuyue was just about to respond when the asparagus had barely reached her mouth and she had taken her first bite—
The toe of a long trouser leg across from her lightly tapped beneath the table, then slowly brushed against her ankle.
Zhu Liuyue: “...!!!”
She wondered if she was imagining things. When she looked up and met Ye Yunjin’s eyes, he was smiling with gentle courtesy.
He looked exactly like an elegant, refined gentleman.
Ye Yunjin seemed like such an upright person. How could he possibly do something like this?
It should have been Ye Yunche.
But no, that couldn’t be right!
Ye Yunche’s hand was holding hers, and both his legs were obediently placed side by side beneath his chair.
Besides, the direction was directly in front of her.
There were only two people across from her.
One was Madam Ye, and the other was Ye Yunjin.
Once the impossible answer was eliminated, the even more impossible answer had to be the correct one!!!
Ye Yunjin.
What a secretly flirtatious man!
Ye Yunjin raised his eyes. His amber gaze shimmered as he asked in a low voice, “Is the asparagus good?”
“Mm... It’s good.” The moment Zhu Liuyue answered, that tingling sensation returned to her ankle.
Good grief.
Had both of the Ye twins taken some kind of seduction class today?
And they were doing this right in front of their parents. Weren’t they afraid of being exposed?
Throughout the meal, everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time.
Mr. Ye was very satisfied.
Madam Ye was very satisfied too.
Meanwhile, Zhu Liuyue had one hand held by Ye Yunche, while Ye Yunjin’s long leg across the table occasionally hooked around her ankle.
She was practically walking a tightrope right under his parents’ noses.
At last, when the meal was over, she let out a long sigh of relief.
The twins were truly terrifying when they decided to make their moves!
After dinner, Mr. and Madam Ye walked toward the back garden together and invited Zhu Liuyue to join them.
Before she could say anything, Ye Yunjin smiled and said, “Dad, Mom, you two go ahead. I want to take Yueyue around by ourselves.”
Mr. Ye was about to say something, but Madam Ye lightly patted his arm.
“All right, Old Ye. Let the young couple enjoy some time alone. We shouldn’t get in their way.”
Hearing that, Mr. Ye smiled and nodded.
“That’s right, that’s right. Let’s go.”
They had only taken two steps when he suddenly remembered the enormous third wheel still sitting there.
He turned to Ye Yunche and asked, “Little Che, aren’t you going to the racing club tonight?”
Ye Yunche shook his head. “No. My waist is sore today.”
Mr. Ye hinted, “You could still go tonight.”
Can’t you see that your brother wants some alone time with Xiaoyue?
Ye Yunche acted as though he didn’t understand. “I really am not going today.”
Madam Ye quickly tried to smooth things over. “You rascal, it’s been a long time since you’ve gone for a walk with your parents. Come on, let’s go together.”
Ye Yunche shook his head again. “No. My waist is sore. You two go enjoy yourselves.”
Seeing that he was completely impervious to persuasion, Mr. and Madam Ye could only leave helplessly. Before going, they glanced at Ye Yunjin and felt reassured.
Although their younger son was unreliable, their elder son was dependable. He surely wouldn’t interrupt his brother and Xiaoyue’s time together.
If Ye Yunche could have heard his parents’ thoughts, he definitely would have told them, You’re relaxing way too soon!
Ye Yunjin led Jiang Liuyue into a small reception room. He turned around to take an old photo album from the shelf.
The moment he had stepped inside, Ye Yunche followed after him as though he had timed it perfectly. He even thoughtfully closed the door behind him.
Seeing Zhu Liuyue sitting on the sofa, he naturally went over and sat down beside her.
“Sister.”
Ye Yunjin gripped the photo album. When he turned and saw him, a ball of anger clogged his chest.
“What are you doing here?”
Right in front of his brother, Ye Yunche boldly took Zhu Liuyue’s hand. With an innocent expression, he said, “Sister, look at my brother. He’s so mean.”
Ye Yunjin took a deep breath.
Then he sat down on Zhu Liuyue’s other side and opened the album. The first page held a paper photograph of the twins taken when they were a month old.
The two chubby babies looked almost exactly alike, each with a red dot painted in the center of his forehead.
One was facing the camera with a solemn expression, while the other was clutching a toy race car and looking completely carefree.
Zhu Liuyue pointed at the two babies in the photograph and guessed, “The one on the left is Yunjin, and the one on the right is Yunche.”
Ye Yunche hadn’t looked at his childhood photos in a long time. Taking the opportunity to lean closer, he examined the picture carefully and said with a laugh, “So I’ve loved playing with cars since I was little.”
Ye Yunjin pressed his lips together.
He shook his head and pointed at the baby with the serious expression.
“Yunche, that one is you.”
Ye Yunche stared at him in surprise.
“How is that possible? You mean I looked like a grumpy old man when I was little? And you loved playing with racing cars? How come I never knew that?”
Ye Yunjin said quietly, “That’s right. Because I was the older brother, all my toys were taken away after I turned five.”
Ye Yunche vaguely remembered that time.
When he was five, he had begun to form clear memories. He remembered wanting to find his brother to play with him, only to be pulled away by the nanny, who would tell him that Young Master Yunjin was studying with his tutor and that he wasn’t allowed to disturb him.
Little Che had asked, “Why does Big Brother have to study? I don’t!”
The nanny had smiled awkwardly and said, “Because Young Master Yunjin is the eldest son.”
Ye Yunche’s resentment toward his brother had begun to take root at that time.
They were both young masters of the Ye family, so why had their parents started carefully training his brother from such a young age?
As for him, he could play with whatever he wanted. He had no lessons or academic responsibilities.
Just because he was the younger son, no one would criticize him even if he grew up to be a spoiled wastrel.
Ye Yunjin’s eyes darkened.
He said softly, “Yunche, do you think you’re the only one who likes racing? I’m the eldest son, and I carry the family’s responsibilities on my shoulders. So I have to be strict with myself. I must always keep a clear line in my heart between what I should do and what I shouldn’t.”
“And you could do whatever you wanted.”
“When I was five, I cried as our parents shoved me into a room to study knowledge that was dry and difficult for a child my age to understand. I had to learn it, and I had to excel.”
“When I finally finished that day’s lessons and walked out of the room, I saw that the sunlight outside was beautiful, and Mom was smiling gently as she played ball with you in the courtyard...”
His smile was bitter. After a brief pause, he continued:
“Do you know how much I hated you back then?”
