He Wanjun asked coldly, "Don’t you know exactly what you’ve done?!"
He Siyu replied lazily, "I’ve done too many things. How could I possibly remember them all?"
"You—!"
Old Madam He quickly intervened, "Don’t start scolding him the moment you see him. It’s been so long since you last saw A-Yu. Must you ruin the mood over such a trivial matter?"
"Mom, you always shield him! Look at how lawless he’s become!" He Wanjun was furious.
Old Madam He then turned a stern gaze toward He Siyu. "Did you secretly bring He Yun'an back to the country?"
He Siyu walked over and sat on the right sofa. "Oh, he was on break for Mid-Autumn Festival."
He Wanjun snapped, "What Mid-Autumn Festival does Australia celebrate?!"
He Siyu’s tone cooled considerably. "Dad, why must you take your anger out on a child? It’s not like he’s come to bother you."
He Wanjun’s face darkened. He had no patience left for this rebellious son and issued a direct order, "Send him back to Australia immediately!"
"Dad."
This time, it was He Xingzhou who spoke.
His voice was firm. "Let Yun'an stay in the country for school."
"Shut your mouth!" He Wanjun’s expression twisted as he pointed at him and berated, "If it weren’t for your disgraceful actions, the He Family wouldn’t have such a stain on its reputation! You’ve humiliated us all!"
He Xingzhou lifted his gaze, his expression solemn. "I was the one who made the mistake. Yun'an hasn’t done anything wrong."
Old Madam He’s face was grim. "Your mistake led to his existence. If he stays in the country, the past might resurface. Do you really want to drag the He Family’s name through the mud again? Xingzhou, you’re the eldest son. You should act like it!"
He Xingzhou clenched his fists, his expression tense.
He Jinxing interjected, "Isn’t today supposed to be a Mid-Autumn family reunion dinner? If you keep arguing, the food will go cold. Let’s leave this matter for another day."
Old Madam He took a deep breath. "Enough. It’s rare for the whole family to gather. At least have a peaceful meal together."
He Wanjun scowled. "None of you give me peace of mind. Not a single one of you is married. Every time I come home and see you lot, I feel nothing but frustration."
He Xingzhou remained silent.
He Siyu was unfazed.
He Jinxing sighed helplessly. "Understood, Dad. I’ll get married next year. That Miss Li from the last blind date will do."
What would this family do without him? Every single one of them was stubborn except him.
The tension eased slightly.
Then, He Siyu drawled lazily, "I’ll get married next year too."
The moment those words left his mouth, the entire room fell into dead silence.
He Wanjun stared at him in shock. Had his youngest son lost his mind?
He Jinxing and He Xingzhou exchanged bewildered glances, while Old Madam He’s eyes lit up.
"Really?"
He Siyu raised a brow. "Of course."
---
After Mid-Autumn Festival, the Pei Family hosted a banquet at the Pei Residence.
The Nan Family also received an invitation, much to Old Master Nan’s delight.
"Taking a loss on the Xinghong deal was the right move. Sacrificing one deal’s profit to connect with the Pei Family will surely open doors to more opportunities in the future. Even the Chen Family wasn’t invited to this banquet."
For the first time, Old Master Nan had outshone the Chen Family, and he was thoroughly pleased!
Nan Zhenming forced a smile. "You’re absolutely right, Father."
As usual, Sang Ning rode in the same car as Nan Siya, scrolling through her phone.
He Siyu sent her a message: [Are you here yet?]
Sang Ning: [Ten more minutes.]
[Oh.]
Pei Residence.
The grand villa was brilliantly lit, the hall filled with melodious music. Guests in suits and evening gowns mingled with glasses in hand, while others danced to the rhythm.
When He Siyu arrived, he went straight to the second floor, heading for Pei Songhan’s room.
As soon as he pushed the door open, he found the room already packed.
"Well, well, if it isn’t He Siyu? I didn’t think you’d show up." Gu Xingchen, lounging on the sofa playing a game, looked up in astonishment.
"What’s gotten into you? Ever since Songhan returned to the country, you’ve been attending every event. That’s not like you, Third Young Master He."
"None of your damn business." He Siyu’s tone was light, his voice carrying an unmistakable hint of delight.
Gu Xingchen gave him a strange look.
What was with that tone? Was he sick?
Ji Yan, holding another controller, cursed, "Gu Xingchen, can you pay attention? You died again! You’re dragging me down!"
Pei Songhan stood up to pour tea for He Siyu and handed it to him. "You didn’t mention you were coming. Isn’t your father back?"
He Siyu sprawled into a single-seater sofa, his tone indifferent. "If it weren’t for my father being back, I wouldn’t have bothered."
Pei Songhan: "..."
He Siyu checked his phone and frowned when he saw that eight minutes had passed since her last message.
Why wasn’t she here yet?
Annoyed, he turned off his screen.
As he reached for his cup, his gaze inadvertently landed on a red greeting card lying on the table.
His eyes froze.
He plucked the card with two fingers and opened it.
The elegant, meticulous calligraphy was unmistakably familiar—it was her handwriting.
Pei Songhan noticed him examining it and sat down beside him. "Old Madam He sent Mid-Autumn gifts, and this card was inside. The calligraphy is beautiful—doesn’t look like hers. Did she hire a calligrapher?"
He Siyu’s expression darkened. "No idea."
Ji Yan glanced over. "Oh, that? Sang Ning wrote it. I got one too—Old Madam He sent them to my family as well."
He Siyu: "..."
Pei Songhan was surprised and looked at the card again. "Really?"
"Yeah. Sang Ning told me Old Madam He knew she practiced calligraphy, so she asked her to write this year’s Mid-Autumn greetings."
Gu Xingchen chimed in, "Oh, then I must have one too."
He Siyu’s eyebrow twitched, his carefree demeanor subtly shifting.
Pei Songhan stood and casually took the card from his hand. "Old Madam He probably sent them to every family."
He Siyu watched as the card was taken away, his frown deepening.
Just then, voices sounded outside. "Miss Nan is here."
Ji Yan had already instructed the staff to bring Sang Ning upstairs as soon as she arrived.
He Siyu turned toward the door just as Sang Ning pushed it open, her eyes meeting his deep, inscrutable gaze.