Chapter 116

"It is just an affair. Men will be men; which man isn't fickle? Which man doesn't stray? Come, Fengyun, sit down."

The words of the Matriarch left everyone stunned. This was not something the Matriarch would ever say! Lin Yuzhen looked at her mother in astonishment, wondering what had come over her to make her suddenly so magnanimous. Everyone was suspicious, but out of social obligation, they kept their doubts to themselves and simply echoed her sentiments.

Ye Fengyun, however, frowned. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and his perception shifted. The previously cheerful hall now appeared to him to be shrouded in a gloomy chill. A dark shadow was perched upon the Matriarch's neck, whispering into her ear.

"Ye Fengyun, did you really have an affair?" Lin Qinghuan asked, pulling him down to sit, her expression one of disbelief.

Ye Fengyun did not answer. Instead, he stared at the Matriarch opposite him, his expression complex.

"Old woman."

Suddenly, Ye Fengyun spoke.

"How insolent!" Lin Heng slammed his palm onto the table. "You are being far too rude, boy!"

Flustered, Lin Yuzhen hurriedly signaled to Ye Fengyun to apologize. But Ye Fengyun ignored her and Lin Heng entirely, his eyes locked onto the Matriarch.

As Ye Fengyun had expected, the Matriarch continued to smile kindly. "It is fine, it is just a form of address. Today is a good day; let us not spoil the harmony."

Lin Heng was shocked once more. What was wrong with his mother tonight? Why had she become so forgiving?

Ye Fengyun revealed a meaningful smile and cautioned, "Old woman, some words may sound pleasant, but you should be careful not to listen to the whispers of ghosts."

The shadow perched on the Matriarch's neck paused, baring its fangs at Ye Fengyun and emitting a sound as grating as glass being scraped. Lin Heng, however, assumed Ye Fengyun was targeting him with those words, and his gaze toward the young man grew even colder.

The seemingly harmonious birthday banquet was actually rife with undercurrents. What puzzled Ye Fengyun most was why Yun Lanzong was present at the Matriarch's birthday, as only her relatives were invited. Ye Fengyun looked toward Yun Lanzong, his gaze piercing through the table to see the man's hands fiddling with two beads underneath.

Those were no ordinary beads; they radiated a faint, ghostly aura. With Ye Fengyun’s keen eyes, he could see at a glance that they were crafted from corpse oil. It seemed Yun Lanzong truly intended to make a move against the Lin family.

During the dinner, the Matriarch remained all smiles. Suddenly, she said to Ye Fengyun, "Fengyun, since you are going to divorce Shihan anyway, why don't you marry Qinghuan instead?"

"What?!" The guests nearly spat out their food.

"That way, you can stay with our Lin family. Our family is wonderful—far better than the shabby Tang family," the Matriarch added, speaking without restraint.

Tang Dahai’s expression darkened.

Tang Shihan looked at the Matriarch in surprise. Since when had her grandmother become so caustic?

"Grandmother! What are you saying!" Lin Qinghuan blushed. Although she had long harbored feelings for Ye Fengyun, he was already married. Even if he were to divorce and marry her, it should not be discussed in front of so many people!

The Matriarch acted as if she had not heard her and asked Ye Fengyun, "Fengyun, what do you think?"

Ye Fengyun smiled, having already seen through her scheme. He glanced at Tang Shihan and saw her expression turn icy, her hands clenched into trembling fists beneath the table. A mischievous urge struck him; since she did not trust him, he would play along.

"Very well," Ye Fengyun answered deliberately.

Tang Shihan’s body shuddered. She let out a huff and lowered her head to eat.