ISWTDB Ch112

Chapter 112: My Husband Has a Split Personality (11,12)

The students sitting in front were all much older than the young man, with only his age appearing the youngest. However, no one around dared to look at him with any disdain.

This was not only because he, despite his young age, had already completed a large number of academic papers and obtained two master’s degrees, and was currently studying for a doctorate alongside them.

It was also because he had independently founded a technology company—Ye Cheng Technology—which had now become the leading enterprise in H Country’s technology industry, and was undeniably a commercial elite.

But most importantly, the young man was Ying Family’s young master, Ying Youjie.

Although there were many rumors about this young man in the outside world, some said he was the illegitimate son of Elder Ying, and others said he was actually the lover of the current head of the Ying Family, Ying Chengye.

But it was undeniable that Ying Chengye, the head of the Ying Family, valued him immensely. Everyone and everything had to be placed after this young man.

Although the head of the Ying family treated everyone with a cold, unapproachable demeanor, he became unusually gentle when facing this young man. It seemed that he was willing to do anything, even to pick the moon from the sky, if the young man asked.

There were rumors that when Ying Youjie was young, due to his outstanding appearance, he had been harassed by hooligans on his way home from school.

The head of the Ying family, who happened to be picking him up from school, immediately broke the arms of the hooligan. The method was harsh and ruthless.

Moreover, there was an attempt by a family to kidnap the young master of the Ying Family, but before they could even capture him, Ying Chengye discovered it.

The family that attempted to kidnap Ying Youjie, which was quite a powerful faction, was destroyed within a month, and no one in H Country heard any news about that family again.

From then on, people understood that this young man was the Ying family’s Achilles’ heel. If one were to scheme against him, it would be like touching the heart and soul of the head of the Ying family, with no chance of survival.

At this moment, Ying Youjie was attentively listening to the old professor’s lecture in class. Although he was now regarded as a genius by everyone due to his qualifications, he still hoped to do even better, simply to make that person view him as a source of pride.

As the class was ongoing, a tall, sturdy young man with a buzz cut, dressed in sportswear, sneaked in through the back door.

Sweating profusely, he slid into the seat next to Ying Youjie and whispered to him, “Bro, you’re working too hard. I remember your major wasn’t this one before!”

Ying Youjie glanced casually at the person beside him and said coldly, “Be quiet.”

Hearing Ying Youjie’s words, the buzz cut immediately made a zipping motion over his mouth, sitting quietly next to the young man and waiting for the class to end.

After the class was over, Ying Youjie slowly packed his things, while the buzz cut guy, Xu Hao, looked around restlessly.

When he saw that most people had left, he blinked and teased Ying Youjie, “I say, bro, you really are the child of someone else! When I was in middle school, you were in middle school. When I was in high school, you were in university. Now that I’ve finally entered the same university as you, you’re already studying for a doctorate! If you keep being this outstanding, I’ll never be able to live up to my mother’s expectations!”

The boy’s smile was bright, and his sunny demeanor made his ordinary features look a bit handsome.

However, having known each other for so many years, Ying Youjie naturally understood the nature of the other person, and said expressionlessly, “Speak. What do you want?”

Xu Hao, hearing the young man’s words, choked up. Realizing that he had been exposed, he smiled obsequiously. He hurriedly took out a pink envelope from his pocket, waved it in front of Ying Youjie, and said with envy, “Well, our class flower has taken a liking to you and asked me to deliver a love letter for her.”

But before he could finish speaking, he saw the young man’s stern gaze. Xu Hao shivered in his heart and quickly begged Ying Youjie, “I know, I know! You definitely won’t accept it. I’m just interested in her dormmate. I don’t need you to reply to her. She said she would help me set up a meeting with her dormmate if I delivered this letter. So, um, I’m leaving now!”

After Xu Hao said this, he planned to make a quick escape. However, before he could stand up, the young man easily grabbed the collar of his shirt with two fingers.

Ying Youjie did not even glance at the love letter in front of him. He picked up his class materials and stood up, saying coldly, “Uncle will come to pick me up later. You’ll come with me.”

Xu Hao, hearing Ying Youjie’s words, immediately looked distressed and said helplessly, “I say, bro, where is the friendship in this? You use me and then discard me! Every time I invite you, you never come out. It seems my only role is to be a background prop in front of your uncle!”

Unexpectedly, as soon as Xu Hao finished speaking, Ying Youjie nodded seriously, completely ignoring the other young man’s frustration.

Xu Hao was the first person who showed friendliness to Ying Youjie after he started school. Most boys felt some natural aversion to Ying Youjie due to his exquisite looks and excellent academic performance.

However, Ying Youjie had surprisingly good relations with girls. Although he always appeared cold and distant, he couldn’t stop girls from actively approaching him.

Xu Hao envied him greatly. Initially, he just wanted to learn a few things from Ying Youjie and thus proactively wanted to be friends with him. Who would have thought that the other person actually agreed?

But once he became friends with Ying Youjie, Xu Hao realized that this guy was like an ice block, showing no interest in girls. The girls surrounding him were only because of his looks.

It’s said that people are truly frustrating—being good-looking and having good grades means girls come to you without needing to pursue them.

He had worked hard for many years to win over girls with his grades, but even when he did well, he was still a single dog.

Xu Hao glanced at Ying Youjie again, pouting, and thought that he wasn’t that envious of this guy’s looks compared to his own.

However, Xu Hao still didn’t understand why the seemingly unapproachable Ying Youjie would agree to be his good friend.

‘Must be another one fallen under the spell of my brother’s charismatic personality!’ Thinking self-importantly, Xu Hao couldn’t help but praise Ying Youjie in his heart, ‘Bro, you have great taste!’

What Xu Hao didn’t know was that Ying Youjie agreed to be his friend simply because he remembered what Ying Zhao had told him after he started school.

Ying Zhao had once said he hoped that Ying Youjie could also have close friends and his own life. So, Ying Youjie felt that since his uncle had spoken, he must have a friend to make his uncle happy.

Thus, Xu Hao, who came forward, became Ying Youjie’s designated friend. He was always present beside Ying Youjie to show friendship whenever Ying Zhao appeared.

Although Xu Hao occasionally found it a bit strange, he was rather thick-skinned and just thought that Ying Youjie was simply a peculiar person.

Moreover, Ying Youjie treated him quite well. When Xu Hao was younger, he once encountered some small-time hooligans. It was Ying Youjie who quickly dealt with them.

Since then, Xu Hao admired Ying Youjie greatly and became his little follower.

After counting, they had been friends for five or six years. Thinking that he was friends with this genius campus heartthrob who was indifferent to everyone else, Xu Hao felt even more pleased to play the role of a friendship backdrop in front of Ying Zhao.

When Ying Youjie had finished packing up and it was almost time, the two of them left the classroom together.

Just after leaving the classroom, they didn’t walk far before seeing a very beautiful girl waiting near the teaching building.

When the girl saw Ying Youjie walking out of the building, her eyes immediately brightened, and she fixed her gaze on him, clearly waiting for him.

Beside them, Xu Hao immediately bumped Ying Youjie’s shoulder with envy, recognizing the girl as the class flower who had previously asked him to deliver the love letter.

However, Ying Youjie, as usual, completely ignored the hopeful look in the girl’s eyes and walked past her without looking sideways.

Xu Hao watched the girl biting her lip anxiously while looking at Ying Youjie and then glanced at his friend, who clearly did not want to acknowledge her. He twitched his mouth, thinking that Ying Youjie really was like a block of wood when it came to girls.

Although he was astonished in his heart, he knew that his brother had always been this way. He could only turn to the class flower and give her an apologetic smile.

Seeing that Ying Youjie ignored her, the girl gave Xu Hao a fierce glare, stamped her foot angrily, and ran away.

Xu Hao, feeling helpless, rubbed his nose and could only follow Ying Youjie. But he thought to himself that it seemed like it would be quite difficult to arrange a meeting with the girl’s dorm mate now.

However, the two had barely walked a few steps when Ying Youjie suddenly stopped. Xu Hao was stunned, noticing that the usually expressionless young man’s gaze ahead showed a hint of joy.

Quickly regaining his composure, he saw that Ying Youjie’s uncle, Ying Chengye, was standing not far away, looking at them with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile.

Although Xu Hao had seen Ying Zhao many times, seeing him again still brought a sense of amazement.

Although Ying Youjie’s looks were already exceptional, the head of the Ying Family, Ying Chengye, was equally striking compared to him.

The head of the Ying Family was handsome and not effeminate, with a demeanor that was cooler and more otherworldly compared to his friend’s.

He was very well maintained and did not appear to be over thirty, but his calmness was still perceptible. Even though he looked young, no one dared to underestimate this man.

It was because of Ying Chengye’s cold personality and his ruthless and decisive methods that the Ying Family stood firm as one of the top families in H Country.

Before Ying Zhao took over, the Ying Family was already one of the powerful families in H Country, known primarily for its soul power cultivation.

However, after Ying Zhao took over, not only did the soul power legacy continue, but the Ying Family also emerged strongly in the commercial sector, becoming the number one family in H Country in terms of overall strength.

In everyone’s mind, Ying Chengye had become a legendary figure because he was not only a level nine soul power practitioner but also a major player and elite in business.

The Ying Family now monopolized almost half of the country’s industries and was a family that truly controlled the country’s lifeline.

Xu Hao looked at the two men standing together, who were exceptionally eye-catching. If he didn’t already know that Ying Youjie and Ying Zhao were not related by blood, he would have marveled at how powerful genetics could be. Both of these leaders of the Ying Family were dazzling.

However, Ying Youjie’s remarkable achievements at such a young age were likely due to the head of the family’s relentless cultivation of him.

Seeing Ying Zhao look at him, Xu Hao immediately nodded politely and greeted, “Uncle Ying, are you here to pick up Xiao Jie again?”

Seeing Xu Hao’s polite greeting, Ying Zhao also smiled and greeted him. Then he walked up to Ying Youjie. When the young man saw Ying Zhao, his eyes were already focused solely on him.

Gently tugging at Ying Zhao’s sleeve, Ying Youjie looked somewhat like a child at that moment. Although the joy in his eyes was unmistakable, he reproachfully said, “Uncle, why didn’t you wait for me in the car at the school gate?”

Noticing that Ying Zhao was still wearing the black suit he wore to the company, Ying Youjie felt a pang of sympathy and said, “Uncle must have come directly from the company to pick me up, right? It’s too hard for you. I can go back by myself, or let Uncle Ying come to pick me up instead.”

Hearing this, Ying Zhao gently ruffled Ying Youjie’s soft forehead and joked, “Picking up my own child isn’t considered hard work.”

Although Ying Youjie forced a smile at Ying Zhao’s words, he couldn’t hide his disappointment. However, he still tried to cover it up, following Ying Zhao with a smile as they chatted and walked towards the school gate.

Xu Hao, who had been completely ignored, twitched his mouth as he watched the two of them leave, chatting away. He had long gotten used to their self-centered personalities.

Even the fact that Ying Zhao could smile at him was already something he felt proud of. After all, even his own father would rarely receive such courtesy from Ying Zhao in the business world.

And because of his relationship with Ying Youjie, he was clearly treated much better in front of Ying Zhao. Who didn’t know that Ying Chengye was a cold-faced figure? For him to smile at him was almost like being regarded with special attention. Thus, this temporary human backdrop wisely slipped away to find some food.

Seeing that it was getting late and considering that the young man had been in class all morning, Ying Zhao didn’t intend to linger on campus. He took Ying Youjie directly back to the car.

Then, quite naturally, he helped the young man fasten his seatbelt, without noticing that the person beside him had swallowed several times in restraint as they got closer.

As the man leaned in, a small piece of fair skin was visible from the collar. The enchanting cold scent lingered around, making Ying Youjie feel a bit dizzy.

The effort to restrain and distance himself over the past year seemed to have had no effect, instead intensifying. This made the young man’s heart fill with fear. No! It couldn’t go on like this. If Uncle found out, he would probably lose him.

He squeezed his palm tightly, trying to stay awake. Then he heard Ying Zhao smilingly say, “Xiao Jie, even after all these years, you and Xu Hao are still so close.”

Ying Youjie, absentmindedly, nodded. Ying Zhao noticed and his gaze flickered. He recalled being somewhat surprised when he first learned about Ying Youjie and Xu Hao’s friendship.

Regarding Xu Hao’s identity, Ying Zhao found it interesting. In the past, he had read the story, and Xu Jin, who was the most scheming and ultimately benefited the most, came from the Xu family.

The Xu family’s old master fell seriously ill a few years ago, and Xu Jin is now the acting head of the Xu family. Xu Hao, on the other hand, could barely be called Xu Jin’s cousin.

The Xu family and the Mo family were also notable soul power cultivation families, and the two families had always supported each other due to their connections.

With Xu Jin leading the Xu family in recent years, the family had been doing quite well. Although it still couldn’t compare to the Ying family, Xu Jin was a person Ying Zhao felt he had to be wary of due to his heavy scheming and great ambition.

Currently, Xu Jin had not made any moves against the Ying family, but if he were to direct his attention towards them in the future, Ying Zhao would not mind replacing the head of the Xu family.

Xu Hao, who had a good relationship with his child, seemed to be a good candidate for that.

After considering the serious matter, Ying Zhao turned to chat about something casual with his child but noticed that the young man still appeared absent-minded.

Frowning, Ying Zhao remembered that when he came to pick up his child at school today, there had been a girl waiting near the teaching building. It was clear that the girl’s purpose was to approach his child.

Although Ying Youjie ignored the girl, Ying Zhao felt a bit uncomfortable in his heart. The two of them were of similar age and looked very suitable together, which made him feel somewhat displeased.

Could it be that he’s thinking about that girl? Ying Zhao felt a pang of bitterness. He knew very well how much his child had always attracted others, but he also knew it wasn’t Ying Youjie’s fault. It was simply because the young man was too outstanding.

After all, his child was already nineteen years old now. Six years passed in the blink of an eye. The child who used to only reach his chest had now grown into a tall adult.

The child who used to cling to him every night, refusing to sleep alone, had suddenly grown up so quickly. And after his eighteenth birthday, he suddenly proposed to sleep in a separate room, never wanting to share a room with him again.

He remembered being quite surprised when his child made this request. After all, despite having experienced so many worlds, his lover had never been willing to be too far from him.

But this time, he refused to share a bed and insisted on staying in the next room. Ying Zhao couldn’t help but wonder what the young man was thinking.

If it weren’t for the fact that he could still feel his lover’s affection for him in their daily interactions, he might have suspected that the other person was falling for someone else in this lifetime.

However, since he had raised the child, taking the first step himself seemed too shameless, and he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. So their relationship remained harmonious yet with no breakthroughs.

Although he trusted his lover, Ying Zhao still couldn’t help but ask the young man, “Xiao Jie, who is that girl who was waiting outside the teaching building today?”

As soon as the words were out, Ying Zhao felt that his questioning tone seemed a bit obvious. He cleared his throat and softened his tone, continuing, “Uncle is just concerned about you. After all, you’re still young, and it’s important to carefully consider your potential partners.”

Ying Youjie heard the obvious hint of sourness in Ying Zhao’s tone and felt a jolt in his heart. Though he was incredulous, he couldn’t help but feel some hope.

He quickly shook his head and said, “No, Uncle, I don’t know her. I don’t want to be in a relationship with anyone. I—I only need you, Uncle!”

Hearing this, Ying Zhao’s mouth curved into a smile. He didn’t deny Ying Youjie’s words, and the young man’s answer made him feel much better.

He thought that since they lived together now, and even though their relationship hadn’t made any breakthroughs, he still had confidence in his lover’s feelings for him. So, he no longer dwelled on what he had seen at school today.

The old residence of the Ying family was still quite a distance from the school where Ying Youjie was. So, after driving for a while, they finally arrived at their destination.

When they got out of the car, just as they entered the gate of the residence, Ying Youjie, who was usually so calm, suddenly threw himself into Ying Zhao’s arms.

Now, the young man was no longer the skinny boy he used to be. After months of careful nurturing by Ying Zhao, he had grown rapidly.

Although in Ying Zhao’s heart, he was still just a nineteen-year-old child, his height had shot up to nearly 190 centimeters.

With a tall and well-toned figure, it was no problem at all for Ying Zhao, who was only 182 centimeters tall, to embrace him fully.

So, Ying Youjie’s effort to make himself appear to be trying to burrow into Ying Zhao’s embrace seemed a bit odd. Seeing his child suddenly act this way, Ying Zhao raised his eyebrows in surprise and asked in confusion, “Xiao Jie, what’s wrong?”

Unexpectedly, the person hugging him, bending down, looked up with a very aggrieved expression. He revealed his eyes that shone like rubies, blinked at Ying Zhao, and said with great grievance, “Uncle’s heart only has Xiao Jie, and not me!”

Seeing this, Ying Zhao showed a helpless smile and gently patted the person in his arms, comforting him, “So it’s Ming!”

“Hmph, otherwise, who does Uncle think it is?!” Ming, hearing Ying Zhao’s words, wrinkled his nose, clearly looking unwilling.

Ying Zhao looked at Ming’s appearance and chuckled, giving his nose a playful flick. He thought that, over the past two years, Ming had actually been a bit closer to him than Xiao Jie.