Strategy to Capture Men

With a smile playing about the corners of her mouth, Han Yanyan shut down the screen of her neural link.

Glancing over at her, Patriarch Han asked, “Who are you talking to so happily?”

“Your little rabbit is coming here with my little rabbit,” she replied cheerfully.

Patriarch Han regarded her for a while before saying, “…don't break that child while amusing yourself.”

“Don't worry,” Han Yanyan said.
“I'm much nicer than you are.”

Her father narrowed his eyes.

“I have so many little mothers,” she smiled, “Yet I've never seen you being so unkind to any of them before.”

Patriarch Han's eyes became dangerous.
But Han Yanyan wasn't afraid.
She had nothing to hide from this man.
Who made her his only heir?

“About an hour away.” She picked up her juice and smiled.
“We haven't added anyone new to our family for a long time.
I'm really looking forward to it.”

Should one say…
that this child resembled him? Patriarch Han sipped his wine.
Just like him, she was born to find the weaknesses of others, no matter how hard they tried to hide it.

Xinya hadn't expected Han Yanyan to meet them at the door in person.
She was a tall girl, only about one head shorter than herself, taller than all other girls her age.

Her face was like an angel, but her eyes were as deep and dark as a pool of water, completely unreadable.
On that embarrassing night when had she opened the door, this girl's face had been completely calm, as if nothing at all had happened.

The calmer she was, the more embarrassed Xinya was.
She endured her embarrassment to greet Han Yanyan, who as if truly nothing had happened, greeted back quietly, “Aunt Xinya.”

She was much more warm toward Tang Ke, taking his hand and leading them to the small reception room where Patriarch Han was waiting for them.

Tang Ke was formally introduced to Patriarch Han for the first time.
Even though he hadn't been rude, he was keenly aware that his uncle didn't like him very much.
It was a difficult feeling to describe, subtle and vague.
It poured cold water on his joy and calmed him down.

Patriarch Han said some routine encouraging words before telling Han Yanyan, “Take Xiao Ke to settle in.
I'll entrust his care to you.”

“Thank you for all the trouble,” Xinya said quickly.

Han Yanyan smiled.
“Don't worry about that.
It's late, so why don't you stay over tonight as well, auntie?”

Xinya wanted to go with her to see the place where Tang Ke would be living.
She was just about to refuse when Han Yanyan reached out a hand to Tang Ke and said softly, “Little rabbit, come with your sister.”

Xinya drew in a sharp breath.

Had she overheard that night? Was she doing this on purpose? Was she– was she doing this maliciously? Her heart roiled with these thoughts.

But Han Yanyan's smile was very gentle, and her appearance so sweet and fine that she truly did look like an angel.
Xinya was unable to make out anything that might confirm her guess.

At being treated so gently, Tang Ke's heart that had just cooled once again jumped for joy.
He took Han Yanyan's hand a little shyly and said to Xinya, “Mom, don't worry.
I'll be good.”

In no time and at all, he and Han Yanyan left together, hand in hand.
She could vaguely seem to hear Han Yanyan calling him “little rabbit” once again.

Seeing her hand tremble slightly, Patriarch Han got up, sat down beside her, and held it…
The fragility this woman involuntarily revealed always made a person want to ravage her.

Patriarch Han smiled a very slight smile.

“My home is pretty big, so you have to remember the way and not get lost.
This is the West Wing, and everyone lives here,” Han Yanyan said.

“Everyone?” Tang Ke was a little nervous.

“Mn, all the children from the family, just like you.” Han Yanyan said, “They're all probably still awake right now, so I'll introduce you to them.”

The children were all currently playing in the recreation room.
There were both boys and girls, and their ages ranged from seven or eight to fifteen or sixteen.
There were over twenty of them all told.
Since there were so many of them, it was quite noisy, and the recreation room was in quite a ruckus.

When Han Yanyan entered, she didn't have to say anything.
Her spiritual power swept through the room, and it became quiet in an instant.

“Come here, everyone,” she called.

Every child, whether big or small, gathered round.

“Elder sister, who is he?” A boy about the same age as Tang Ke asked.
He was Han Yanyan's younger brother, although of course not from the same mother.

“Let me introduce you all to Tang Ke.
He'll be moving in starting today and will be attending school in Dongchen together with us,” Han Yanyan said.
“I hope everyone will get along well.”

Somehow, Tang Ke felt that her bearing had suddenly become different.
It was cool and fierce without any trace of her previous tenderness.

He greeted everyone.
“Hello everyone, I'm Tang Ke.”

“Which branch are you from?” someone asked.

Tang Ke had it well memorized and replied, “My great-grandmother was from the Fourth Master's family1.”

Then someone laughed.
“Pft.”

Unlike adults, who could shrewdly hide their feelings, a child's artless cruelty came intuitively.