Chapter 333

Yu Ci picked up his chopsticks, stirring the rice in his bowl, and added: "A Jin and A You are also here."

Yu Xing didn't ask further, just placed a piece of his favorite spare ribs into his bowl, saying: "Eat a bit more; if you're free later, you can go wherever you want to play, the driver will follow, this afternoon..."

Yu Ci saw that he hadn't understood his hint for a while, patiently repeated: "I mean, playing with A Jin and the others is always better than staying home watching people's faces."

Yu Xing then caught the hidden meaning in his words, gave a light cough to mask his embarrassment, saying: "I've said it, you accommodate Auntie…… she'll be divorcing later, and she won't come out these days."

Yu Ci gave a lukewarm comment: "That still counts as you having a bit of discernment."

"By the way, Yu Cheng won't be coming back, will he?"

"No way." Yu Xing said bluntly, leaving no room for doubt: "Anyone who dares to move against little Nan and even tries to target you truly thinks our Yu family has no one left."

Yu Ci snorted, his mood finally easing a bit: "At least you know how to handle things."

He recalled Gu Xingnan's gloomy expression yesterday and the message he'd received in the early hours, his chopsticks paused, and he casually remarked: "Gu Nan's father is forcing him into a marriage alliance again."

Yu Xing frowned, "The Leng family?"

"Who else besides them?" Yu Ci, thinking of Gu Xingnan's tone, felt annoyed for him: "Gu Nan is almost fed up to death, yet his father insists on shoving the Leng family's Second Miss onto him."

"It's like forced buying and selling."

Yu Xing set down his chopsticks, his expression darkening a bit: "Gu Feng is getting old and muddle-headed, letting just anyone into the house. Which of the Leng family's young ladies is well-behaved?"

"That little Nan thinks deeply; if pushed too far, who knows what he might do."

"He won't put up with it." Yu Ci said, "If you really push him to the brink, even the Gu family can't stop him."

His tone carried protectiveness: "Worst case, he can live at my place, I'll support him."

Anyway, he also has a key to the house.

Yu Xing looked at his son's clear intention to protect Gu Xingnan to the end, shook his head helplessly, yet didn't object: "Fine, let him stay; can the Yu family really spare one mouthful of rice for him?"

Only then did Yu Ci feel satisfied and continue lowering his head to eat.

The father and son ate in silence for a while, then Yu Xing seemed to suddenly remember something important and said: "By the way, this afternoon we're going to the Jiang family's old residence to pay New Year's respects; tidy up and come with me."

Logically, given the Yu family's standing, they ordinarily couldn't reach the Jiang family, a top-tier conglomerate.

But they couldn't resist the fact that Yu Ci and Jiang Liangjin had been childhood friends.

In their circle, when anyone mentions Yu Ci, the first thing that comes to mind is Gu Xingnan, who grew up with him, and second is Jiang Liangjin.

Thanks to this connection, interactions between the two families came naturally.

"To the Jiang family?" Yu Ci's eyes lit up instantly, he set his chopsticks on the bowl, "Really? Then I'll go change clothes right now!"

"Sure, you can go now if you want."

The Jiang family's old residence.

Mu Youyu held a custom-made deck of poker cards in her hand, boredly tossed them onto the table, "So boring, always winning, really no fun."

She's not stupid; how could she not notice that all the brothers in the room were deliberately letting her win?

The chips piled high on the table, and she didn't even know how many times she'd won from them.

Song Yusui sat opposite, seeing the little princess's listless look, quickly coaxed: "How about I let you lose? Losing a few hands to cheer you up."

Mu Youyu shook her head, walked around the coffee table, leaned against Jiang Liangjin's side, resting her head on his arm, "Always losing isn't fun either!"

The brothers hadn't figured out what to say to make the little princess happy, so Mu Xianqi generously handed her the bank card he'd prepared in his pocket, "Here, just swipe it."

"No."

Mu Xianqi heard his sister's refusal, turned away with the card, and shut himself off.

Mu Yichi walked over to him, "Don't give it to me, I want it!"

"Does your job still need money?"

"What's it to you?"

"……"

Jiang Liangjin lowered his eyes, his fingertips gently rubbing her scalp, comforting: "It's fine, after lunch we'll head out; Grandfather and the others have already made arrangements."

"Young Master, Young Master Yu has arrived." The servant at the door stepped in lightly to report.

Mu Youyu heard that and quickly lifted her head, "A Ci? Is he alone?"

"He came together with Mr. Yu; Mr. Yu went to the front courtyard to pay New Year's respects to the elders, and had Young Master Yu come over by himself to find you all."

As the words fell, a figure swayed into the living-room doorway.

Yu Ci wore a casual, loose black down jacket, his cap casually perched on his head, sauntering in with a carefree, rakish air.

In a room full of brothers with strong auras, anyone else would have been tense, but Yu Ci, having grown up mingling with them, felt not the slightest bit intimidated.

Yu Ci's gaze swept over and instantly locked onto the most conspicuous Mu Youyu in the crowd; he raised his hand in greeting: "Youbao, A Jin!"

Mu Youyu smiled as she went to meet him, "How did you come over?"

"My dad said to come pay New Year's respects."

He said that, then casually plopped onto the sofa, glanced at the cards and chips on the table, and clicked his tongue twice: "Not bad, you guys, gambling together during the New Year?"

Mu Xi lifted her eyes and gave him a faint glance, "Watch your mouth; we're just keeping the little sister company."

Yu Ci immediately raised his hands in surrender: "Alright, I was wrong, Xi ge's word is law."

He leaned over to Mu Youyu's side, curiously poked at the chips, "Always winning or always losing?"

"Always winning, it's boring." Mu Youyu obediently sat back in her original spot, "They're all letting me win."

Yu Ci slapped his chest, making a promise with a righteous expression: "Then I'll take over! I definitely won't let you win, I guarantee you'll feel the joy of losing."

Jiang Liangjin gave him a faint glance.

Mu Youyu's interest was piqued, "Really?"

"Truer than real gold." Yu Ci rubbed his palms together, eager to try, "No crying if you lose."

"You can relax."

Jiang Liangjin beside her lightly pressed the back of her hand, whispering: "Don't play too long, we still have to eat later."

"I know." Mu Youyu turned her head, gave him a smiling glance, and casually shoved the cards on the table to Yu Ci, "You deal!"

Yu Ci had just picked up the cards when a lazy voice interrupted him.

"Wait a moment."

Mu Yichen spoke slowly, his gaze landing on Yu Ci, tone calm: "You can play, but first agree—no beating my sister."

Yu Ci:?

He had just slapped his chest saying he wouldn't allow it, and the next second he was forced into compliance by the rules.

Mu Yichi leaned beside his brother, laughing schadenfreude, "Heard that? Losing's fine, winning's not."

Song Huaiyu added leisurely: "Lose naturally, don't overdo it; my sister's sharp, she'll see through it at a glance."

Song Huaixian summed up lightly: "Let her feel she won by her own strength, not because we let her."

Mu Youyu: "……"

Jiang Liangjin had nothing to say, and they also didn't know to avoid bringing up Youbao again.

Yu Ci stared dumbfounded at the houseful of sister-protecting maniacs, and after a while managed to utter: "……Are you playing cards? This is work."

He looked at the houseful of indulgence surrounding them, then thought of his own family's troubles, instantly felt sour, collapsed onto the sofa, and said: "No way, I also want to be let win—I'm a kid too."

Jiang Liangjin lifted his eyelids, his face showing little expression, "Then I'm a kid too."