“…Very good, excellent.”  

“Right? This wine is so precious that even the blindest or most foolish person would recognize it instantly—unless their nose is completely broken.”  

Ling Tangyun laughed heartily with an extremely satisfied expression, pouring more wine into Yuri’s glass. The pale golden liquid gurgled as it flowed into the delicate glass.  

Contrary to his usual self, Yuri hesitated regretfully as he waved his hand in refusal:  

“No, I still have to drive, so I can’t drink any more.”  

“Ah, right. Well, just finish this last glass then.”  

“…Then just this one.”  

After a moment of hesitation, Yuri finally nodded and accepted the glass.  

Normally, he would have refused even this one, but the wine was truly too exquisite.  

Even Yuri, who rarely enjoyed alcohol, felt its flavor slowly seep into the tip of his tongue.  

“This is only produced in the Henan region, with no more than a hundred barrels made each year. Extremely rare. So, isn’t it excellent?”  

“It is.”  

Nodding and taking a few sips, the glass was soon empty. Yuri stared at the vacant glass with a wistful gaze. Xiaojun caught that expression and chuckled:  

“Uncle Yuri, even though you don’t like alcohol, it seems you really fancy this one, huh? Hey, let me tell you a little secret—Dad has set aside a whole bottle of this just for you to take home when you leave!”

“You little brat! A gift is only delightful when given unexpectedly—ruining the surprise takes all the fun out of it!”  

Ling Tangyun pretended to frown, scolding his daughter. Xiaojun deliberately shrank back, feigning fear. Nearby, Fei reached out to lick the last drop of wine from his glass and nodded:  

“It really is delicious. But drinking too much would probably give you a terrible headache.”  

“True, that’s its flaw… Plus, this is a warming liquor, people prone to internal heat shouldn’t drink it.”  

Ling Tangyun sighed with deep regret. Fei poured more wine into his empty glass, sipping slowly to savor it.  

“Are you planning to sell this variety?”  

“Hmm… It still needs a little tweaking.”  

Seeing Ling Tangyun nod in response, it seemed the Ling family – already established in the liquor distribution business – intended to market this wine.  

No sooner had those words been spoken than Fei immediately grimaced, putting on a theatrical display of despair:  

“Dad, I’m gonna die!——Right now, I’m already crushed by work, lying awake every night wondering if I’ll even wake up tomorrow, and now you’re——”  

“You little brat! It’s just one more variety of liquor—why are you making such a fuss!”

“Dad! These past few months, I’ve been learning so many things—do you really think adding one more product line only means a tiny bit more work? Oh Dad, do you want to turn your unmarried son into a lonely ghost or what——”  

Fei wailed, slapping the floor dramatically, only to be met with a solid punch to the back from Ling Tangyun. It wasn’t a slap—it was a real punch, making Fei yelp in pain: “UGH!”  

“Too noisy. Even if you were worried to death, this matter won’t be handed to you anyway.”  

“Huh? Really?”  

Fei, who had been rubbing his sore spot, suddenly sat bolt upright, then immediately beamed as if all his worries had vanished and poured himself more wine. “Well, then no problem at all!”  

“Exactly. Not just this matter, but the entire alcohol division—Your Grandfather has been considering gradually transferring it all to Xinlu.”  

Ling Tangyun muttered in a calm yet heavy tone. It wasn’t just speculation; there seemed to have been concrete discussions. Yuri, who had been rinsing his mouth with water, suddenly froze mid-motion.  

“The liquor business? My gosh, Grandfather is handing him such a major division? A lot of people are going to have stomachaches. Then again, considering how much Grandfather dotes on Uncle Xinlu, it doesn’t even seem like he’s giving him that much, huh?”  

“But that sector is so messy and complicated—can Uncle Xinlu really handle it? He’s never studied business or management.” – Xiaojun voiced her concern, adding: “Originally, he was planning to work at UNHRDO, completely separate from the Ling clan.” Fei also nodded in agreement. Ling Tangyun fell silent for a moment, slowly sipping his wine.

Indeed, rumors had long circulated that Ling Xinlu would soon join the family business. Though currently still recuperating due to poor health, he had reached the age to begin his career. Given the special affection Ling Houlong held for his youngest son, it was certain he wouldn’t let the boy remain idle forever.  

So Xinlu was about to become busy. He’d have to work twice as hard—not just handling his own responsibilities but also making up for lost time (though his rest period wasn’t entirely an excuse). He’d likely have it even tougher than Fei, who was always complaining about being worked to death.  

And of all things, the liquor business… It was hard to say whether this was surprising or not.  

On the surface, it was just liquor, but considering the full scope of related operations, the scale was truly massive. As Fei had said, it was a ‘generous share’. Yet, compared to the special favor Ling Houlong showed Xinlu, it almost felt like less than expected.  

Still, Yuri shook his head after some thought.  

This wasn’t his concern, nor could he know the hidden internal details behind it. For instance, judging by Ling Tangyun’s solemn expression now, it was clear he didn’t consider this a ‘small share’ at all.  

“He probably won’t be back for a while. It’s already been quite some time.”  

“Grandmother summoned him. After so long without seeing him, do you really think she’d let him go so easily?”  

Fei muttered: “He won’t be back anytime soon”, and took a sip of wine. Yuri agreed; before leaving, Xinlu himself had sighed and said: “I’ll probably be held up till evening.”  

A few hours earlier, Xinlu’s mother had called him home, claiming she’d invited a renowned physician to examine him. She’d phoned repeatedly, insisting: “You must come back immediately”, until he finally had no choice but to set out in the late afternoon.

Ling Xinlu had shown clear irritation at having to go see his mother, while Yuri sat waiting in the manor’s parlor—only to be dragged away by Fei, who had just returned home, with the words: “Don’t just sit there alone, come hang out with me.”  

But unexpectedly, he ended up roped into this ‘hangout’ with Xiaojun and Ling Tangyun as well—those who had come home under the pretext of ‘the mother’s birthday’ (while the mother in question should have been leisurely shopping at the mall with her personal driver).  

“Hmm… Ling Xinlu will definitely do well. Since childhood, anything assigned to him has always been completed flawlessly.”

At this moment, Ling Tangyun set down his wine glass, pulling himself out of his wandering thoughts, and spoke up. It seemed he had been considering the responsibilities soon to be handed to Ling Xinlu.  

“Moreover, lately he’s become much more stable than before… Though there’s still a certain aloofness that makes people wary, that might actually be a good trait for a leader.”  

Ling Tangyun muttered as if talking to himself, then shifted his gaze to Yuri.  

“Before, even when he smiled, there was always a sharpness hidden in his eyes—but recently, that’s improved a lot. It’s all thanks to Yuri’s help.”

“Oh, uh, it’s nothing, really. Everyone matures with time.”

Yuri, who had been drinking water, startled slightly and gave a brief reply. He didn’t think he’d contributed much, but he was mature enough not to rudely dismiss the praise.  

That said, if you ignored the phrase “thanks to Yuri”, Ling Tangyun’s words were entirely accurate. Even Yuri himself had noticed that Ling Xinlu had grown far more stable and composed. Though he still couldn’t be called gentle, still occasionally spouting sharp remarks and acting difficult, he was completely different from before.  Ah, right. Most importantly, there was now a sense of reassurance about him.

For example, something that happened not long ago.  

Yuri had once called Kyle for business matters. Judging by the time, Kyle probably wasn’t at the office, so he called his home. The phone had barely rung once before the other end picked up.  

And immediately—  

[“WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT FROM ME?! SHOULD I SING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM FOR YOU OR SOMETHING?!” ]  

An ear-splitting roar erupted through the receiver, so vicious it made the listener instinctively clutch the phone tighter.

That was Jeong Taeui. His shout was so loud it practically leaked out of the speaker.  

Ling Xinlu, who had been sitting not far away flipping through work schedules, jolted in surprise, his shoulders tensing slightly as he turned to look. Yuri reflexively glanced back and met his gaze. The moment their eyes locked, Xinlu’s brow furrowed faintly—but then, without hesitation, Ling Xinlu stood up, calmly walked over, and pressed the speakerphone button.  

The audacity of openly eavesdropping left Yuri speechless. But then again, it was understandable—that person is Jeong Taeui, after all.

Yuri looked away from the phone, his gaze shifting to Xinlu, who was now leaning against the wall right beside him.  

“Thanks for the offer, but I’ll take a rain check on that performance. …Oh, long time no see, Mr. Jeong Taeui. You doing alright?”  

[“…Huh?…Oh. Mr. Gable?”]

After an awkward, brief silence, Jeong Taeui seemed to finally recognize the voice and called out Yuri’s name in confusion.  

[“Ah, sorry about that. That bastard kept calling nonstop so I turned off my phone, but who knew he’d call the landline? I thought it was…”]  

[“Because Rita started glaring at me with this terrifying look…” ] – Yuri didn’t bother asking who ‘that bastard’ Jeong Taeui was muttering about. Even without asking, he could guess.  

“Seems Mr. Riegrow isn’t home?”  

[“Yeah, he’s been gone since the day before yesterday. I heard he won’t be back for about another week.”]  

“I see. But you said ‘calling nonstop’—is something wrong at home?”  

[“Ah, no, absolutely not! That bastard just drags me into his nonsense whenever he’s free, and this time’s no different. He’s called dozens of times already—‘Had breakfast yet?’ then hangs up, ‘What are you doing now?’ then hangs up, ‘What beer are you drinking today?’ then hangs up, and when he ran out of ideas, he went with ‘Sing me something’…” ]  

Mid-sentence, Jeong Taeui choked up, overwhelmed by emotion, before letting out a few curses. And right then *beep beep* the call-waiting tone cut in, as if seizing the perfect opportunity. Clearly, someone was calling, and given the flow of the conversation, Yuri could easily guess who this relentless caller was. He could even hear Jeong Taeui’s teeth grinding audibly.  

‘He seems to be suffering quite a bit… But is that man—acting so childishly it’s hard to believe—really the same person I know?’ – Yuri doubted his own assumption.

As both sides fell silent, the persistent call-waiting tone continued its relentless, unbroken beeping.  

“Ah… but Mr. Gable, Kyle isn’t here right now.”  

The deliberately slow, hint-laden voice made it clear he wanted to end the call. Jeong Taeui was probably planning to hang up on Yuri immediately so he could answer the other line—and then scream bloody murder at the caller.  

Unconsciously, Yuri flicked a glance toward Xinlu. His gaze met those cold, indifferent eyes observing him with arms crossed. In an instant, Xinlu’s brow twitched slightly, and he shot Yuri a razor-sharp glare.  

“…Right. Then please let Kyle know someone was trying to reach him.”  

Yuri hung up the phone. Only after the soft *click* of the receiver settling back into place did he turn to fully face Xinlu again.  

The young man was still silently watching him. Or rather, ‘glaring daggers’ would be more accurate.  

“Why are you looking at me like that?”  

Xinlu’s voice was icy, perfectly matching his expression. Yuri slowly shook his head.  

“I was just thinking… it would’ve been nice if the two of you had exchanged a few words.”  

Ling Xinlu’s gaze wavered, as if debating: ‘Should I say something? Even just a greeting? Taei-hyung… should I reach out?’ 

But in the next instant, his face twisted into a fierce scowl, and his eyes narrowed sharply.  

“Must you always read my emotions like this?”  

His voice twisted into a distorted tone, just loud enough to be heard, followed by a dry, emotionless laugh.  

“Besides, right now I’m more annoyed with you. Why do you always have to scrutinize my attitude?”  

“I’m sorry.”  

When Yuri apologized without hesitation, Xinlu’s eyes widened as if confronted with something absurd.  

“WHY ARE YOU SUDDENLY APOLOGIZING?!”  

Xinlu shouted, then immediately turned on his heel and stormed into his room. The door slammed shut with a jarring noise.  

Standing before the closed door, Yuri stared blankly at it, an indescribable emotion churning inside him. Not long after, the door unexpectedly swung open. Xinlu glanced briefly at Yuri, who was still standing there, with a look that suggested he had anticipated this, then strode into the living room and flopped heavily onto the sofa. He picked up the book he had been reading earlier, flipping the pages roughly.  

After turning a page or two, Xinlu suddenly muttered without lifting his eyes from the book:  

“I’m not angry.”  

As if deliberately proving he was no longer bound by the past, Xinlu only peeked out from behind the book. His gaze remained fixed on Yuri,… still slightly irritated but no longer as hostile as before, having softened somewhat. And at that moment, Yuri suddenly realized:  

‘This man has become much more stable now compared to before.’

No longer prone to erratic emotional instability or swinging unpredictably between impulsiveness and melancholy as in the past. Within certain limits—boundaries he could now control—Xinlu finally permitted himself to feel anger, sorrow, or sadness.  

‘…I see.’

Yuri’s heart suddenly felt lighter.  

‘I see. Everything’s alright now.’ 

As this thought settled, both his mind and body relaxed. Yuri pulled over a nearby dining chair to sit. However, noticing this movement, Xinlu’s observing gaze turned sharply cold:  

“Why sit there? Are you mad at me?”  

The unexpected question left Yuri staring blankly before shaking his head. “No.”  

“If you’re not mad, then come sit here. Why sit all the way over there like you hate being near me?”  

Though claiming not to be angry, Xinlu clearly still was—Yuri silently observed him with this suspicion while obediently standing and moving to sit beside him on the sofa as instructed. The way Xinlu immediately demanded: “Turn around. Don’t look at me”, the moment Yuri sat down only confirmed his suspicion.  

Yuri dutifully turned his back, instantly feeling weight press against his shoulders. Xinlu had leaned against him like a backrest, his entire body weight tilting backward. The sound of pages turning followed, though whether he was actually reading was unclear.  

Then, abruptly, a small voice murmured:  

“Don’t be mad anymore. When Mr. Gable gets angry, it’s really scary.”  

The sulky tone sounded ready to pick a fight, completely at odds with the words being spoken.  

Yet hearing this, far from getting angry, Yuri instead felt warmth bloom in his chest and let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head slightly:  

“I’m not angry.”  

After that calm response came a brief silence. Moments later, a terse “Good” sounded as the body leaning against him gradually relaxed its weight, as if settling in comfortably.  

That pressure, that warmth,… it all seemed to say: ‘Everything’s alright’, making Yuri truly feel that all was well.  

“No, I mean it sincerely. Thanks to you, Xinlu has become much more composed, I’m genuinely surprised and grateful for that. I doubt I’m the only one who thinks so.”  

Ling Tangyun wore a knowing smile, his tone intimate, as if revealing a secret. Of course, it wasn’t any real secret, and Yuri had long been aware of it.  

“No, even I would find it surprising.”  

Yuri replied evenly, then shook his head. Though Xinlu always treated others with an amiable smile, Yuri knew well that he inherently disliked close contact. Living with someone outside his family was truly a rare occurrence.  

But perhaps they didn’t know the real reason.  

Yuri spoke measuredly:  

“Originally, Xinlu was quite hostile toward me. In the beginning, he’d fly into a rage just at the sight of me. It was precisely to regain control over those emotions that he proposed working together… Though of course, that wasn’t the only reason.”  

Since his deeply wounded pride and raw vulnerability had already been laid bare, Yuri no longer needed to conceal or disguise them. And being someone who clearly understood his own capabilities, Yuri Gable had never considered this situation unfavorable in the first place.  

“Haha, that brat must’ve just been joking. If Xinlu truly hated someone, he’d never let them stay close. He’d eliminate them outright to never have to see them again. You’re the first person he’s voluntarily allowed by his side.”  

Ling Tangyun burst into hearty laughter. Yuri felt slightly embarrassed but quickly responded with a brief: “Is that so”, before falling completely silent.  

Whatever.  

No matter how it began, he now knew Xinlu no longer resented him as before. No—precisely as Ling Tangyun said, he’d even become more open with Yuri than with others.  

That was more than enough. Though Xinlu still occasionally erupted with anger upon seeing him, it paled in comparison to his current stability. Clearly, Xinlu had gained control over his emotions.  

This was fine. Yuri felt he’d fulfilled his responsibility.  

“Must you always badmouth me when I’m not around, big bro?”  

Right then, an irritated click of the tongue sounded from behind the sliding screen.  

The door slid open, revealing a scowling Ling Xinlu stepping inside.  

“I’ve never killed anyone just because I hated seeing them. Talking about such bloody matters behind my back—you’re really too much, brother.”  

As he spoke, Xinlu entered the room and stood beside Yuri. The conversation had paused at the sudden appearance of its main subject—though it wasn’t exactly a bad topic.  

Ling Xinlu perched on the armrest of the sofa rather than sitting properly, making it clear he didn’t plan to stay long.  

“You’ve been drinking? Why did you dilute the wine with water?”  

Xinlu tilted his head, eyeing the small glass in Yuri’s hand.  

“I only had two glasses. It won’t affect my driving.”  

“You could always ask someone else to drive. But I’m curious—why drink at all when you don’t even like alcohol? Did some new premium liquor arrive?”  

Ling Tangyun pushed a few bottles from the many arranged on the table toward Xinlu.  

“Take some with you. These are varieties our family is considering for business. Some we’ll sell as-is, others we’ll modify slightly.”  

“Ah, sure.”  

Xinlu nodded with effortless ease, showing no particular surprise.

It seemed the rumors about Xinlu joining the family business weren’t just circulating among the executives. At the very least, Xinlu himself had been informed in some capacity—likely including his future involvement in the liquor division.   

Yuri silently accepted the bottles Ling Tangyun handed him. Fei, standing nearby, quickly piped up: “I’ll help you with those, Uncle.”  

As Yuri held the liquor bottles, Xinlu – seated beside him – merely shot Fei a sidelong glance. A flicker of irritation passed through his eyes, but in the next instant, he stood and walked away as if nothing had happened.

“Let’s go, Mr. Gable. See you later, big bro. Thanks, Fei.”

Xinlu cut off Yuri’s chance to speak, snatching the bottles from his hands before striding out of the room.