Xuan Mohan completely ignored the 'friendly' gaze of his good brother. The corner of his right mouth slowly curved upwards as he strode in with his long legs, looking pleasing to the eye from any angle.
Qi Jiayou followed closely. What did he have to fear? If a father-in-law was marrying off his daughter, could he only marry off one?
They were already on the same boat. Now, they should focus on how to make their father-in-law feel at ease about entrusting his daughter to them. It had to be said, those who wore the same trousers thought the same way.
Xuan Mohan had thought everything through on the way. Qi Jiayou's appearance had indeed put him at ease. No matter how much energy Normanis had, he couldn't keep an eye on two people at once. Moreover, by concentrating his attention, it could diffuse Normanis's possessiveness.
Alas... Xuan Mohan was thinking too optimistically. His daughter had finally been found, and he had barely held her for two days before she was almost taken away. He could be accommodating to anyone else, but not him...
After the two entered, just as they had expected, everyone who should be there was present.
Qi Jiayou immediately spotted the little woman, who was affectionately chatting with Lan Qianqian.
Hearing the movement at the door, the woman also looked up. Upon seeing the tall, slender figure, she was so excited that she almost screamed. Fortunately, she still knew where she was.
Seeing the little woman's reaction, Qi Jiayou was instantly relieved. He had truly thought she... had no feelings for him.
At some point, he too had become prone to worry.
As for Xuan Mohan, his gaze was fixed on no one else.
However... the two brothers consciously shifted their gaze to the middle-aged woman in the room, who was exquisitely made up.
Calling her a middle-aged woman was merely their judgment of her identity, but Yao Qianya looked very young. She could easily pass for a sister when standing with the two younger women.
These two men, like titans of the golden ratio, could hardly imagine a day when they would have to curry favor with someone else...
What's more, she hadn't even given them a direct glance; she had practically ignored them...
The two brothers exchanged a subtle glance. It was Qi Jiayou who spoke first, his light grey woolen coat making him appear much more refined.
"Auntie, hello. My name is Qi Jiayou, and I am... Ziyue's friend."
"What? Am I nonexistent..."
Calling her Ziyue, so intimately, made him furious.
Normanis's not-so-kind words successfully stopped Xuan Mohan, who was about to greet them after Qi Jiayou. Where was all this anger coming from...
If it were anyone else, he would have already made them speak while lying down. But these two, he couldn't afford to offend either of them...
He was pondering how to speak without giving them any room for criticism when suddenly...
"You're mute? Can't even say hello?"
"..." These words silenced everyone in the room.
Yao Qianya chided Normanis with a glare. She suddenly realized that both children had found someone they liked. It was merely reluctance. She had asked him to test their character, but why wasn't he saying anything good about them?
"Sit down, both of you. No need to stand."
This was the importance of having a mistress of the house. Otherwise, the three grown men might have had to visit the martial arts room...
However, Yao Qianya's kindness only extended to these few words. After sitting down, she kept pulling Jian You aside to chat, completely ignoring the two men opposite them.
"..."
Why did it feel like this conversation couldn't continue?
Although Norman Ziyue didn't know why Xuan Mohan was here, seeing that her parents didn't seem to favor them, she anxiously tried to break the ice: "Would you like some water...?"
"Or... should I get you some water?"
Norman Ziyue asked tentatively. Seeing that no one objected, she was about to act when she received a cold glare from her father.
Well... she'd better wait and see what they did. She believed they could definitely handle it!
"Um... Madam, are you alright?"
Seeing the stiff atmosphere, Jian You had to proactively initiate a topic. This was what she wanted to ask.
When she had first entered, Madam had kept asking her how her recovery was going and constantly observed her condition, leaving her no room to speak.
Jian You's gentle and pleasant voice made the couple's mood improve considerably. Yao Qianya nodded almost as soon as she finished speaking.
"Yes, yes, I'm fine. You need to take good care of yourself..."
As she spoke, Yao Qianya's heart ached at the memory of her daughter's near-death state not long ago, and her voice even became hoarse.
Jian You found Madam's reaction a little strange, but the discomfort in her heart overshadowed this doubt. She involuntarily clutched her chest.
Her reaction drew the attention of everyone present, as all three in the living room doted on her immensely.
"What's wrong? What's wrong? Is your wound not healed? Mom... Auntie will take you to the hospital..."
This statement was practically a giveaway, but Xuan Mohan didn't have time to think about it. He had already rushed from the sofa and was the first to reach Jian You's side.
"Does it hurt? I'll take you to the hospital, okay?"
He understood that it wasn't due to the wound, as he had already examined her. The reason she was like this was because more and more people were affecting her, and he was one of them.
Xuan Mohan pursed his lips, feeling immense heartache and helplessness.
...
Listening to the incessant sounds around her, Jian You quickly lowered her hand. She was becoming much more sensitive since being with Xuan Mohan.
"I'm fine, my chest just felt a bit tight."
Although she was saying words to comfort them, when Jian You looked up, she found their eyes filled with complexity. That vague feeling returned. She always felt they had more than the usual concern, as if they were hiding something from her...
Xuan Mohan heard her words and was about to rub her chest, but as soon as he raised his hand, he changed direction midway and gently patted her back instead.
"If you feel uncomfortable, you must say so."
Seeing Xuan Mohan's overflowing concern, Jian You smiled and nodded.
Because of Jian You's episode, the atmosphere in the living room became more natural, but... there was even less conversation.
In the middle of Jian You chatting with Yao Qianya and Norman Ziyue, Normanis called Xuan Mohan and the other man away.
In the study upstairs, Normanis remained silent after entering.
After a long while, he finally spoke:
"After dinner, send Jian You to your place. Let her stay by herself for a few days. You find an excuse to separate from her. I don't want... anything to happen to her."
When Normanis had called them, Xuan Mohan had already understood the situation, so he replied directly: "I'll send her back. I'll go to H City and arrange for people to protect her at all times."