Strategy to Capture Men

For the first time, Tang Ke understood that relatives could be close or distant.

He had never known his grandparents, and his father's side was few in number. Here he had many relatives, but as far back as he could remember, his grandparents had died suddenly and his father was struggling in a hospital bed. During the years while he was growing up, his mother had never had any time to spend with their relations.

He always thought that relatives were relatives, all the same.

But the sneering, mocking eyes of the children made him understand that it was… different. In their eyes, him being separated by "greats" and "once removed" meant that he was different from them.

It was just that he had not yet realized how much they were "different" yet. Han Yanyan's kindness to him was like a veil that obscured the meanness of others.

Xinya also stayed at the manor, so that she might watch Tang Ke leave the next morning.

"Sister Yanyan gave me a complete model of the Xiangrui X7614," Tang Ke quietly told her.  His eyes shone with happiness.

A complete, fully-simulated miniature model, every part of which could be disassembled. Calling it a model was doing it a disservice. Complete with an energy source, it was a full-on miniature mecha, and very expensive. Tang Ke had dreamed of it for a long time, but their current economic situation didn't allow for such an expensive "luxury".

Yet unexpectedly he had gotten it as a gift from Han Yanyan his first night in the manor.

Han Yanyan's excessive kindness to Tang Ke had always made Xinya uneasy. But if she said it out loud, it would be both ridiculous and rude.

She could only stroke Tang Ke's hair and say, "Don't forget to thank her."

When she leaned over, he noticed that there were red marks on the fair skin of her neck. He stared at them a little blankly.

The children all boarded the spaceship, and last of all, Han Yanyan walked out from the main building to board. The little private vessel rose into the air and disappeared in a flash of white smoke.

Her son was finally on the best road. Xinya felt both relieved and tired.

"Xinya--"she heard a man's voice calling.

When she turned around she saw that man standing on the steps to the main gate, wearing a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The shadows of the trees  cast a dappled light on him, and at first glance it looked as though he was the young man from back then.

Xinya flinched.

The man approached. Standing in the morning light, one could see the traces of the years in the skin around his eyes.

"You look dazed. What's the matter?" He asked.

"The children just left for school." She lowered her head. "I should go home, too."

"What's the hurry? It's his first day, don't you want to ask him in person how school was?" Patriarch Han said, stroking her hair and caressing her neck.

"Does it still hurt?" He asked in a low voice.

Her head lowered even more.

"There's an inner room in the study that contains my personal treatment cabin," said Patriarch Han. "I've given you permissions to it. Go and lie down."

Xinya's spiritual power was weak, so she had never been trained for mecha. The treatment cabin that mecha pilots used as frequently as a bathtub was strange to her. She inched away and just as she was about to leave, Patriarch Han suddenly folded her into his embrace.

He was silent for a moment before saying in a low voice, "I've never done this to anyone else…" As she was at a loss, wondering whether she should express her gratitude or be touched and honoured, her body flinched back honestly.

Patriarch Han let her go with a sigh. Watching her run into the building as if fleeing from him, he stood there for a while in the morning light with his hands in his pockets.

He had never before had any shady sorts of kinks. It was just that Xinya, Lin Xinya... He did so enjoy her broken expression.

Lowering his head, he lit a cigarette, inhaled, and let his mind wander for a while. The moment passed, and he flicked off the ash.

Tang Ke had only taken a spaceship once before when they moved back to the Eastern District, a large public craft whose conditions had been quite poor. It was his first time on such a small private ship, and his heart was thumping with excitement. After saying a few words to his mother as the other children got on board, he waved to her and got on board as well.

As soon as he boarded, he saw that the cabin was about half full with scattered people. The front row was empty, so he sat there.

Han Yanyan's younger brother immediately flipped out.

"Newcomer, get to the back!" He shouted.

"Can't I sit here?" Tang Ke asked, surprised.

"That's my sister's spot," the boy frowned. "You go to the back."

There were two seats there. Even if Han Yanyan came, they could sit together. Not to mention... Tang Ke actually wanted to sit with her. However, Tang Ke had been raised by his mother, and due to her influence he was used to avoiding trouble. If I sit here, it'll make Sister Yanyan's little brother upset...

Tang Ke hesitated, then stood up and made his way to the back. The whole way, it felt as though there were people watching him with mocking eyes. It felt very uncomfortable.

Han Yanyan hadn't gotten up late. On the morning of Tang Ke's first day of school, she arrived late on purpose.

When newcomers join a group, they should always first know where they stood in the hierarchy. It was said that in the army and in prison, newcomers got a thrashing the very first night for a very similar reason. Besides, she had laid the groundwork for today in advance.

Sure enough, when she got on the ship, Tang Ke was sitting at the back.

"Xiao Ke--" she smiled and waved to him. "Come over to your sister."

The entire shipful of children swiveled their heads to look at Tang Ke. It made his blood run cold, but his heart was elated. He hesitated before going over.

"Sit next to me." Han Yanyan pulled him to the seat beside her and helped him fasten his seat belt.

He was being treated like a child again! Tang Ke flushed.

He had taken after Xinya's good looks, with a cute face and fair skin, his face suffused with red. A shy little boy who just makes you want to bully him-- Han Yanyan thought.

'Girl Han Yanyan' wasn't a blank slate. She had a character setting. Most of the time, Han Yanyan's soul was in control, but occasionally the character setting would stir. This little Han Yanyan was truly Patriarch Han's biological child, with the instincts of a hunter.

Sitting next to Han Yanyan made the morning flight enjoyable. But this pleasure belonged only to Tang Ke - to others, it wasn't nearly so pleasant.

None of these children could afford a private shuttle to take them to and from school every day. They had all worked hard, left their comfortable homes to live in a guest room at the manor, and were living disciplined, restrained lives in order to build a good relationship with the future family heir. This was the assignment that their parents had hammered into them before they had been sent to the manor.

It's just that the Eldest Miss wasn't easy to get close to. She had never liked anyone else to sit next to her. Even her half-brother wasn't allowed to sit there. What gave this new, poor, distant relative the right?

Han Yanyan sensed the atmosphere in the cabin. Smiling slightly, she pressed a button to have the service robot send juice. Then she stroked Tang Ke's head and smiled at him, drawing more hostility his way.

These little enmities and hatreds would gradually accumulate in the future. Little children should never be underestimated - school bullying frequently destroyed a life.