Crossing Over to Yamada Love

Mo Lan chuckled at the chubby boy's words and said, "I miss you so much! I was even planning to have you take me sightseeing in the capital. I don't care, you're the host, you have to take care of me. If I want to travel around the capital, all the food, drinks, games, and things to bring will have to be paid for by you." Mo Lan started acting spoiled again; it had been a long, long time since she had argued with the chubby boy.

"I don't have any money. I can take you around, but you'll have to pay for it yourself," Xue Linglei teased Mo Lan in a serious tone.

"I'm so poor, where would I get the money? I don't care, I'm sticking with you now. You can't just ignore me. Not only do you have to take care of me, but also the Fifth Young Master, the Seventh Young Master, my grandmother, and, oh right, my great-uncle, you have to take care of them all." Mo Lan teased him as well.

"Haha, Lan'er is so filial, she hasn't forgotten her great-uncle." The old Marquis chimed in with a laugh. The old Marquis quite liked the Xue family's children. Usually, his own grandsons were very well-behaved in front of him, except for Wang Mingda, who would occasionally joke with him; the others all acted according to his mood. Actually, he also wanted to enjoy time with his children and grandchildren, but it wasn't possible. Seeing Mo Lan and Xue Linglei like this today, he felt quite cheerful.

“Of course! My great-uncle is good to Grandma and Lanlan. Lanlan certainly can’t forget my great-uncle, as well as my second great-uncle and cousin Mingda.” Mo Lan said ingratiatingly.

"I really can't do anything with you. You've already brought up the Marquis, so I have no choice but to agree. Alright, but girl, you'd better save your breath, my purse is pretty empty." Xue Linglei gave a forced smile and agreed.

"Hehe, don't worry, we guarantee we won't bankrupt you," Mo Lan laughed.

"By the way, Uncle, where is my father?" Mo Lan asked, because Mo Changhe was not allowed to enter the backyard, and Mo Lan had not seen her father since yesterday.

“Your second great-uncle and Mingda took your father out. They won’t be back until very late. Don’t worry, your father will be fine here,” the old Marquis said to Mo Lan.

"Yes, thank you for taking care of my father, Uncle." Mo Lan curtsied and expressed her gratitude.

"Alright, you young people go and talk. We'll have lunch at the manor. I'll have someone prepare it." The old Marquis wanted them to talk alone, as he had other matters to attend to.

"My lord, I would like to invite Mo Lan out for a meal and take her to see the capital. I hope you will grant me permission," Xue Linglei said, clasping his hands in a fist and palm salute to the old marquis.

The old Marquis looked at Mo Lan, and Mo Lan timely revealed her expectations to him. She wanted to go out; if she stayed in the manor, she was afraid she would have to go back to the inner courtyard for dinner, and she wouldn't be able to have a proper talk with them, which would be too uncomfortable.

"Very well. Let Lanlan go with you. But Feng'er, I'm entrusting Lan'er to you. You must ensure her safety and bring her back before dark. Don't make us worry." The old Marquis nodded in agreement, but solemnly instructed the three men to protect Mo Lan's safety.

"Yes, Your Highness, rest assured," Xue Lingfeng and the other two replied. Then they took their leave of the old Marquis and went out the door. Mo Lan told Granny Bai to go back and explain things to her grandmother, while she went out of the mansion with the three Xue brothers.

Four people sat in the carriage. Xue Lingfeng and Mo Lan sat in one side, while Xue Lingyun and Xue Linglei sat in the other. Xue Linglei's eyes darkened slightly. Mo Lan was the first woman he had ever liked, but unfortunately, he was young then and his marriage was not his own choice. He was afraid his parents would harm Lan Lan, so he dared not propose to her. Later, after he went to the capital, he heard that his mother had even tried to harm Lan Lan, but Lan Lan had injured her. He was furious that time and almost stormed back to Shangchang. He told his mother that if she continued to harm Lan Lan, he would never marry.

Seventh Brother was ruthless. Because of this, he secretly found two concubines for his father and gave them to him. His father was infatuated with them and became very cold towards his mother, which made her jealous and cause trouble every day. As a result, his father's future in the capital was given to someone else, and his mother's plans were thwarted.

Some time ago, the old Marquis even dealt with his maternal family. It seems my father's hopes of ever entering officialdom are dashed, and his maternal family is no longer what it used to be. My mother has also become much more low-key. She knows all of this stems from her actions towards Fang Molan, and she deeply regrets it.

It's not that I don't feel sorry for my mother. If she hadn't gone too far that time, trying to sell Lanlan into a brothel, I would never have let things develop to this point. But it doesn't matter. As long as my parents are safe and sound, their future doesn't matter. I will protect them so they can live without worry.

Xue Linglei sighed inwardly. By now, Mo Lan was worthy of his status, and his parents were willing for him to marry her. But he had long since lost that right. She now had his fifth brother protecting her. His fifth brother was much stronger than him and could better protect her and give her happiness. He could just silently watch over her and wish her well.

The group arrived at a restaurant, disembarked from the carriage, and Mo Lan looked around. It was a large restaurant with luxurious decor. It was very high-class, clearly a place for wealthy people to dine.

Led by the waiter, the four of them went up to a private room on the second floor. After ordering, the waiter brought tea and then left.

"Tenth Young Master, are you getting used to life in the capital?" Mo Lan asked Xue Linglei first.

"No, please just call me Little Fatty. I'm not used to you calling me that in such a formal way." Little Fatty first corrected Mo Lan's way of addressing him, then said, "It's alright. There are many capable people among the Xue family disciples. Not to mention the capital, just among the disciples of Shangchang, Sixth Brother is much more outstanding than me. Sixth Brother is now highly valued by the family. His status is much higher than mine. No wonder Fifth Brother and Seventh Brother are unwilling to come to the capital. Life in the capital is really too difficult. Everyone is fighting and competing all day long. How can it be as carefree and happy as it is in Shangchang?"

Hearing Xue Linglei's sigh, Mo Lan felt the same way. She had only been in the Marquis's mansion for a day and already felt uncomfortable; those rules were very restrictive. Not to mention the chubby boy who had been in the capital for so long, he must feel uncomfortable from the bottom of his heart.

Mo Lan wasn't wrong. Xue Linglei wasn't happy in the Xue family. He spent his days studying literature and martial arts, being taught all sorts of knowledge. Being in the Xue family, he had many peers, so fierce competition was inevitable. Everyone wanted to stand out and gain the family's attention, which inevitably led to scheming and plotting to suppress each other and win.

When he first entered the manor, he was framed twice. Fortunately, the truth was later uncovered and he was exonerated. However, from then on, he dared not trust anyone in the capital, not even his sixth brother who had come to the capital with him. He learned a lot in the manor, but he also grew weary of it. Only when he was with his fifth and seventh brothers, whom he was close to in Shangchang, could he feel so at ease, saying whatever he wanted without fear of being schemed against.

"He'll be fine anywhere. But you, Seventh Brother really didn't expect this. I thought you wouldn't last long before you were crying and begging to go back to Shangchang, but you actually persevered. I heard you're doing pretty well among these young men now, not the best, but certainly not the worst either," Xue Lingyun teased Xue Linglei.

Xue Linglei narrowed his eyes. He naturally knew who Seventh Brother was referring to at the beginning. It was Sixth Brother, Seventh Brother's biological brother. Sixth Brother and Seventh Brother were different. Although they looked alike, their personalities were very different. Sixth Brother was arrogant and cunning. He would frame anyone for his own benefit. When they were young, he could harm his own comrades, let alone the Xue family members in the capital who had no relation to him.

After Sixth Brother arrived in the capital, one person lost their life because of him, and several others were demoted. Now, almost no one dares to offend him, but Uncle says that those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trifles. It is precisely because one can be ruthless that one can protect the Xue family. Therefore, he and the other two young masters are being groomed as key figures, fearing that he will one day become a powerful figure in the Xue family, someone who can have influence.

However, I don't like him because he has no family affection in his heart. I know that although they all came from the same ancestral home in Shangchang, he has no feelings for me at all. Even if my fifth and seventh brothers become an obstacle to me in the future, I will eliminate them without hesitation.

He couldn't bring himself to be close to someone like that, so even though Sixth Brother was highly regarded here, he wouldn't fawn over him or try to curry favor with him. He just needed to do his job well.

Thinking of this, Xue Linglei gave the two of them a bitter smile and said, "I really want to cry and beg to go back to the ancestral home, to live a carefree and happy life with you every day. But my mother and the Xue family won't allow it, so I have to endure it and persevere. Slowly, I'll get used to it."

After Xue Linglei finished speaking, he glanced at Xue Wu and Xue Qi, and said, "But you two, my good brothers, not only do you not have any sympathy for me, but you are also gloating. I think I should talk to my uncle and ask him to let you stay as well, so that I can have some company. We good brothers will not have to be separated."

Xue Lingfeng and Xue Lingyun glanced at Xue Linglei simultaneously. Xue Lingfeng smiled but remained silent, while Xue Lingyun said with a smile, "It's true what they say, 'A scholar should be looked at with new eyes after three days' absence.' I didn't expect our little tenth brother to have grown up so much and know how to drag us into this mess. We've come to see you, haven't we? Don't worry, we'll stay here for a while. We brothers can have a good get-together."

"I'm already seventeen, but Seventh Brother still treats me like a child," Xue Linglei muttered.

“Yes, our little tenth has grown up and is old enough to get married. Come on, tell me and Fifth Brother, is there any girl you like? Tell us and your brother will help you find one.” Xue Lingyun joked with Xue Linglei.

Seeing Xue Linglei's face turn red, Mo Lan laughed. She felt a sense of relief, as if she had returned to her youth, to the time when the three Xue brothers chatted with her in their family shop.

Xue Linglei blushed for a moment, then chatted and joked with Xue Wu and Xue Qi for a few more minutes. He lowered his voice and said, "Fifth Brother, Seventh Brother, speaking of which, you accompanied Lanlan to the capital this time, but you stayed close to the Marquis's residence. Although the Xue family and the Marquis's residence have always been close and are on the same side, Uncle is still unhappy. He feels that you favor the Marquis's residence over the Xue family. Because the Marquis's residence is Seventh Brother's maternal family, Uncle won't say much, but Fifth Brother, Uncle is very dissatisfied with you staying at the Marquis's residence."