Meng Ting looked at Yan Sui for a long time. He lifted his hands then tightly embraced Yan Sui by his neck. After that, Meng Ting buried his face in Yan Sui's neck.
"Thank you." It did not matter whether Yan Sui could really do it or not. Meng Ting was already grateful for Yan Sui's intention to protect him. When he woke up after he was reborn, he wanted to become a good-for-nothing. He intended to break his own pot since it was already broken, but he did not expect that he would meet Yan Sui.
He was lucky, but he did not know how long he could take hold of this luck. However, it comes with no surprise that, as long as he could seize it, he would use all his strength to seize it. It was not only because he wanted to stay away from his previous path of fate, but also because this man was Yan Sui, a person who already became special enough for him.
"We don't need to thank each other," Yan Sui said. He looked a little helpless. He reached out and ruffled Meng Ting's hair. In his heart, he knew very well that it would take some time and effort for him to build Meng Ting's absolute trust on him.
Meng Ting gradually became elated in Yan Sui's warm embrace. He still had his arms wrapped tightly around Yan Sui's neck, then he asked in a low voice, "Are you still going to the study room?"
Yan Sui gently smiled. He continued ruffling Meng Ting's hair and said, "No, I'm going to stay here to watch TV with you."
"Okay," Meng Ting answered, but he did not sit properly. He was still stuck close to Yan Sui. He was afraid that he would not hear what was said on the TV, let alone watching it.
Yan Sui's embrace and scent made him feel safe, making him feel loved. He just wanted to be hugged like this.
About half an hour later, Meng Ting fell asleep while leaning on Yan Sui's shoulder.
Yan Sui picked up Furball from off his lap first, then he placed it aside with one hand. After that, he wrapped his hand around Meng Ting's shoulders and used the other to hold up Meng Ting's thighs. Without waking Meng Ting up, Yan Sui carried him up and went to their room, step by step.
He laid the person on the bed and Meng Ting continued to sleep. Yan Sui breathed out a sigh of relief. However, Meng Ting's arms were still wrapped around his neck and had not let go, so Yan Sui also could not take off his clothes; hence, he lied down fully dressed like this and continued patting Meng Ting lightly. Yan Sui did not get up until Meng Ting was sound asleep.
He dimmed the light, went to the study to get his laptop, then went back to their room; however, it was not because he had official business that he wanted to work on; instead, he wanted to rush the person he ordered to make a thorough investigation to pass him over bits of information about the investigation that had come out. He took his laptop to read this information.
When this information was revealed right before his face, his expression gradually changed from serious to gloomy and disheartened. He consciously suppressed his emotions. If it was not because Meng Ting was sleeping soundly beside him, maybe his complexion would have been a little more ghastly.
The best information that he had gotten from the investigation about Meng Ting was that Meng Ting followed his grandmother back home at age of seven. From the age of seven to fourteen, a child would really grow up to maturity during this seven-year period, but those seven years of Meng Ting's life… in fact, really made people furious.
Meng Ting's grandmother was really his grandmother, but her relationship with Meng Ting's mother, Yu Meixuan, was basically not good. The mother and daughter were like enemies — practically to the point where they never contacted each other, so it was impossible expecting her to be good to Yu Meixuan's son, Meng Ting.
After she took money from the Mengs, she used it for gambling on horses all day long and directly locked Meng Ting in the house, almost every day. It was common for her not to go home for two or three days. At first, Meng Ting had some congenital deficiencies. He did not know how to cry and speak until he was seven years old. Even if he was very hungry, he could only endure it.
Yan Sui saw in the file that there were pictures of Meng Ting all throughout the season when he was eight years old. He looked deathly pale, his hair was yellow, his face was as big as a palm, and his eyes were particularly big. Those eyes were full of fear and helplessness. He did not get any love and care from his grandmother — only imprisonment and hunger.
This situation lasted until Meng Ting was nine years old. He was so ill so that he almost died. His grandmother was a little scared, but in those fears, she was probably more scared if Meng Ting died, later on, the Mengs would not give her money anymore.
After his illness was cured, Meng Ting — who had never received elementary education until he was nine years old — was sent by his grandmother directly to the third grade of the neighboring elementary school to study, so it was hard to expect Meng Ting to follow and understand the lessons in the classroom. One could imagine how helpless Meng Ting was when he came to school for the first time, and also how his teachers and schoolmates looked at him.
He was almost nine years old, but he did not know a single character. He could not answer any questions and was incompatible with everything around him. Even without punishment and scolding, such a strange gaze was enough to crush a little boy, who was still less than nine years old.
However, this did not mean that Meng Ting's grandmother began to take responsibility. She still played cards and she would give Meng Ting some money when she remembered him. It was even more impossible for her to pick up and drop him off to school every day. Their living space was very messy. Meng Ting's particularity was very obvious, and he easily became the target of bullying for some older children.
From third grade until he finished junior high school, Meng Ting's daily routine was all about how not to starve, how not to get beaten, and how to make himself a little more normal.
Yan Sui looked at these few pictures. Every time he saw each of them, he felt very sorry for Meng Ting. Meng Ting's fear of taking pills and IV bottles probably started during this time. What did Meng Ting experience so that when he was hungry, he could only take medicine? Yan Sui really could not imagine it.
Yu Meixuan was too irresponsible. The Mengs were too irresponsible. Meng Ting's grandmother was also the same. She was the most irresponsible of them all. It was simply a miracle that Meng Ting was able to stay alive and reserve such temperament despite what he had experienced.
Yan Sui put his laptop aside, then lifted Meng Ting's right hand out of the quilt. There was a long thin scar on the palm of his hand. According to the results of the investigation, he had this scar when he was fourteen years old. It was before he was sent to the reform senior high school.
It was from the time when Meng Ting almost killed someone by mistake when he confronted a man. The scar was left by a middle-aged man who suddenly broke into his house and wanted to molest him.
According to the file, after a careful investigation on the man, he was actually Meng Ting's grandmother's lover. His grandmother was also partially to be blamed for the disaster that Meng Ting met.
In the end, nobody knew the situation at that time, except for Meng Ting and that man. However, everyone did not expect Meng Ting would be so fierce. He almost killed the man.
The man did not die. The Mengs spent their money and strategized to keep this matter under control. As a punishment, Meng Ting was sent to a reform senior high school, which they said would correct his violent behavior.
As for Meng Ting's grandmother and the man, they still lived well in Donglin Town.
These were all the contents in the file and there might be some mistakes and omissions, but either way, the experience that Meng Ting had in those seven years was the same as a nightmare.
Yan Sui looked at the long scar on Meng Ting's hand. The coldness in his eyes was even more distinct. He believed that the Mengs were behind this incident. Otherwise, it was impossible for Meng Ting to get away from the punishment. Instead of getting punished, he was subjected to distress continuously.
As for who was behind it, Yan Sui was still uncertain at the moment; but now that he was actually investigating it, he would not let go of all the people who were connected to the Mengs.
Yan Sui placed Meng Ting's hand back inside the quilt, then quietly got up and went to the balcony outside, which was connected to the room. He made a few phone calls then went back to the room and put the laptop away. After that, he went to the bathroom, then back to the bed, and did not do anything else. Meng Ting wanted Yan Sui to accompany him while sleeping, so Yan Sui accompanied him.
He slowly lied down and pulled Meng Ting into his arms. He hugged Meng Ting, leaned over toward Meng Ting's forehead and kissed him as he whispered, "Good night, Meng Ting."
Watching Meng Ting fast asleep, Yan Sui's knitted eyebrows loosened a bit. He reached out to caress Meng Ting's forehead, then he embraced the boy. After quite some time, he also closed his eyes and fell asleep, but after he slept, that painful feeling still lasted for a long time. It could not be completely dispersed from his chest.
Meng Ting woke up in Yan Sui's embrace and the gloom he had from yesterday had completely faded away. He obediently stayed in Yan Sui's embrace and when Yan Sui was about to wake up, he rose up and kissed Yan Sui's forehead, "Good morning, Yan Sui."
Little by little, Yan Sui's eyes brightened up and soon, Meng Ting's beautiful smiling face appeared right before him. Meng Ting's eyes and brows were curved. He smiled while looking at Yan Sui, with his lips slightly pouted. Yan Sui touched his forehead and his eyes lingered on Meng Ting's lips for a while.
He raised his hand to caress Meng Ting's cheek then asked, "Did you sleep well?"
"Very well," Meng Ting propped up his body with one hand and moved forward. With both hands on Yan Sui's cheeks, he bowed his head and kissed Yan Sui on the lips. Yan Sui did not respond, but Meng Ting's cheeks became redder, then he continued saying, "I slept with you and slept very well."
It was so good so that he wanted to kiss Yan Sui a little more. As for why he targeted Yan Sui's lips, he merely acted on instinct.
Yan Sui gently wiped his lips. When Meng Ting was about to lean aside after speaking, Yan Sui pressed down his nape and prevented him from leaving. As they looked at each other's face, Meng Ting's cheeks blushed even more but he could still understand what Yan Sui's wanted to do and slowly drew nearer, then their lips stuck close to each other's. They exchanged a tender loving morning kiss.
At the end of the kiss, Meng Ting slowly opened his eyes and continued to hold Yan Sui's cheeks with both of his hands, then slowly nestled up against the man once again. He whispered, "Yan Sui, I like you." A kind of like that gradually became clear.
"Mhm," Yan Sui answered. He pulled Meng Ting's waist as they sat up together. He ruffled Meng Ting's hair and earnestly looked up at him, "I like you too, Meng Ting."
Meng Ting's eyes lit up when he heard these words and he was even more unable to stop smiling.
He could not help saying it again, "I'll always like you."
Even if the day comes that Yan Sui stops liking him, he would still like Yan Sui.
The tip of Yan Sui's eyebrows slightly raised, then he pinched Meng Ting's tender cheeks and confirmed, "This is a must."
Since they liked each other, of course, they should always like each other. He had to do it, and Meng Ting also had to do it.
Both of them got out of the bed and went for a morning run together. They went back to take Rhubarb for a run for half a lap. After that, they went back to their room and washed up. They then went to the dining room to have breakfast.
"I'm not going to the company today. Let's go together tonight."
Meng Ting raised his face from the porridge bowl. He looked at Yan Sui, blinked his eyes, then shook his head, "No need to do that. I'm not afraid of them. Yesterday, I was… just a little bit sad. It's completely gone now."
Meng Ting thought he would feel sad because he had a good time for the two days. If one understood what was good, one would even understand more what was bad; hence, he felt sad. As for the Mengs, he was not scared of them. He just hated them.
"If you have work, then you should go to the company. I'll wait for you to come home, or I'll go there and wait for you, it doesn't matter."
Yan Sui thought about it one more time and nodded, "Okay, I'll come home early."
"Okay," Meng Ting smiled and immersed himself in eating the porridge. Nanny Wang knew Meng Ting's big appetite and specially prepared a big bowl that could cover his whole face for him, so he did not need to fill it repeatedly. He could eat enough with just one portion. In any case, Meng Ting was very happy using it.
When Yan Sui went to the company, Uncle Xiao and Nanny Wang took several servants to Yan Sui and Meng Ting's room. They cleaned up half of the space that was originally filled with Yan Sui's belongings and filled that space with Meng Ting's belongings. While the room that had been arranged as Meng Ting's room turned into his storage room, there was nothing in it at the present.
There was an extra desk by the window in Yan Sui's study room which was also prepared for Meng Ting. Furthermore, Meng Ting also received his own laptop and tablet. Yan Sui also prepared other things for Meng Ting, but he wanted to hand those things over to Meng Ting personally.
After those people left, Meng Ting looked at the room again and could not help but feel warm. At first, he did not have many feelings toward this; but now, he really felt that this room belonged to him and Yan Sui.
Their clothes were placed in one cabinet. Their shoes were also in one cabinet. Half of the cabinet that was originally filled with Yan Sui's stuff was now occupied by his. This felt especially good.
"In two hours, Yan Sui will come home. By that time, let's welcome him together."
Meng Ting rubbed Furball, and there was no need to conceal the expectations on his face.
"Meow," With its eyes closed, Furball gently answered him, then continued to lie in his master's bosom and took a nap.
Although Furball and Rhubarb were nothing special to look at, they were more clever than ordinary pets. Meng Ting only took Rhubarb to recognize the people in the house once and it did not randomly bark when it saw those people.
Furball was not at ease because its body was still injured. Even if it wanted to get on the sofa by itself, it had to circle around Meng Ting's feet and call out softly. On the sofa, Furball also only stayed in Meng Ting's arms. It was as clever as his owner. This made Nanny Wang and Uncle Xiao change their mind about these pets.
Meng Ting was playing his phone in his room for a while, when he heard the sound of Rhubarb's barking and a woman screaming.
"What's this animal doing here? Throw it out for me!"
It was no doubt that the only woman who could talk like this in the Yans' residence was He Wan.