For women, fat is their smudged foundation, splayed eyelashes, and a pimple on the tip of their nose.
This is the reverse scale, the most difficult thing to accept and tolerate.
Fang Yan called himself "fat" in front of his father and Ruan Jing, which made Ye Zi almost melt the spoon in her hand.
Of course, what Fang Yan actually said was "be careful not to gain weight", but Ye Zi had automatically ignored the three words "be careful not to gain weight".
"Do you think I'm fat?" Ye Zi's eyes widened and she looked at Fang Yan angrily.
"I didn't say you were fat." Fang Yan looked at Ye Zi in confusion and said, "I was saying, eat less and be careful not to gain weight----"
"Why should I eat less? Do you think I'm fat already?"
"I didn't mean that. I was just worried about the future-----"
"That's what you mean. You just dislike my fatness. Otherwise, why would you ask me to eat less? How am I fat? I'm less than 100 pounds, okay? You're the fat one."
"------"
"Humph, I have such a great figure, and you dare to complain that I'm fat. Do you have any aesthetic sense?"
"----I think gentleness is beautiful."
"you-----"
"My vision is still pretty good, right?" Fang Yan said with a smile.
"It's okay in this matter. I want to eat, so what? Who cares?" Although Ye Zi said this, she didn't dare to dig the millet porridge in the bowl with the spoon in her hand. She put down the half piece of mung bean cake in her hand, stared at Fang Yan fiercely, and said, "You fat guy."
Fang Yan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He looked at Ruan Jing and said, "Judge me, did I ever say she was fat?"
"Ah?" Ruan Jing looked up at Fang Yan in bewilderment and said, "What were you talking about just now? I was busy eating and didn't hear clearly----"
"Okay." Ye Daoling waved his hand, looked at his precious daughter and said, "Ye Zi, are you going to school?"
"No, I'm not in the mood." Ye Zi's eyes were still fixed on Fang Yan, and she said, "I'm going to practice martial arts. I want to lose weight."
"Fang Yan didn't say you were fat." Ye Daoling said impartially.
"He said it. He just said it clearly, and you still favor him-----" Ye Zi was also dissatisfied with her father. "He dislikes your daughter because she is ugly, and you still speak for him. Are you my real father?"
In the eyes of women, fat is ugly, and this has risen to the level of personal attack by Fang Yan.
"Alright, alright." Ye Daoling raised his hands in surrender. "I'll criticize Fang Yan later, you hurry up and go to school."
Ye Zi looked at Fang Yan and said, "I won't go. I want to stay and see how you criticize him."
Ye Daoling was helpless, looking at Fang Yan and said, "You usually seem to be quite talkative, what happened today? Can you say a girl is fat?"
"I clearly didn't say that." Fang Yan felt even more wronged. "I was just giving you a friendly reminder----"
"Swearing at someone with good intentions isn't really scolding? Killing someone with good intentions isn't illegal?" Ye Zi said in retaliation.
"------"
Ye Daoling looked at Fang Yan and asked, "How did your talk with the Qin family go?"
"That's good." Fang Yan said with a smile, "They think highly of me."
"Is it the Qin family that values you or is it the Qin family's eldest daughter, Qin Yitian, who values you?" Ye Daoling asked with his eyes narrowed and a smile.
“Does it make any difference?”
Ye Daoling pointed at Fang Yan with his finger and said, "You kid, you don't even tell the truth in front of your uncle----"
Fang Yan chuckled and said, "If my grandfather asked me this question, my answer would be the same - and they were really nice to me."
Ye Daoling looked at Fang Yan with burning eyes and asked, "Did they put forward any conditions?"
"Um?"
"Li Xinnian is a very powerful woman, the smartest woman I have ever met. People like her cannot be easily dismissed. She will definitely put forward various conditions to you. It is said that the Jiang family is ready to give her the entire Chaoyan. What can you give her?"
"I can give her a better future for Zhongli and Chaoyan." Fang Yan said with a smile. "She is a smart woman and should know how to make choices."
"Fang Yan, this war has come too early." Ye Daoling sighed softly. Obviously, he was not optimistic about Fang Yan and his friends' chances of winning against a century-old clan like the Jiang family.
"Then why did you invite me to eat fried liver?" Fang Yan put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth with a napkin.
"We all came from Yanziwu, so what's wrong with me treating you to a meal? Do people outside have any objections to this matter?"
"If many people like you are willing to treat me to a meal, they will re-evaluate my value and energy. They will think about what they can gain or lose by fighting with people like me. If the loss is greater than the gain, they will re-evaluate the matter."
Ye Daoling nodded and said, "I have no power, but I can still ride the wind with my sword. The art of leveraging power is very important, you should grasp it well. Many people are like me, they are willing to treat you to a meal, but they are also like me, they are not willing to accompany you to smash the pot."
"I understand." Fang Yan looked educated and said, "I am very grateful."
"Have you met the gentleman?"
"No." Fang Yan said.
"I should meet you, sir." Ye Daoling said.
Fang Yan hesitated for a moment, nodded and said, "I was negligent."
"Yeah. It's not too late now."
After breakfast, Ye Daoling was going to work and asked Ye Zi if she wanted to go to school. He could give her a ride. Ye Zi shook her head and said no, she would not be in a good mood all day and it would be a waste of time to go to school.
Ye Daoling smiled and asked Ruan Jing to accompany Fang Yan, while he went to work with the driver.
Now that Ye Daoling was gone, there was no need for Fang Yan to stay.
Just as she was about to get up and leave, Ye Zi called out, "Fang Yan-----"
Fang Yan was startled and thought, is this little girl trying to cause trouble
He looked at Ye Zi with an apologetic look on his face and said, "I really didn't say you were fat, nor did I think you were ugly. I always thought that you and your sister were the most beautiful twins in Yanziwu. Even if you were placed in the entire Yanjing, you would be ranked in the top three."
"My sister and I are ranked in the top three. Who will get the remaining spot?" Ye Zi asked with a blink.
Fang Yan thought about it and said, "Then give it to Qin Yitian?"
"No." Ye Zi said angrily. "Although she is indeed very beautiful, I must stand on my sister's side. Fang Yan, why do you have to live in Qin Yitian's villa?"
"Because I can't live here." Fang Yan said with a smile.
Ye Zi thought about it, and said with a slightly red face: "How about you come and live in my house?"
"-----"
Seeing Fang Yan didn't say anything, Ye Zi stamped her feet angrily and said, "It's not like you haven't lived here before."
"How about, next time? I'm planning to go back to Huacheng." Fang Yan said.
Ye Zi was still a little unhappy and said, "Then it's settled. Next time -- next time you come to live at my house. You are not allowed to live at Qin Yitian's house. My sister is not here, so I have to help her look after you."
Fang Yan smiled bitterly and said, "Why are you looking at me? You should go to school quickly."
Sitting in the car on the way back, Ruan Jing suddenly asked: "Fang Yan, do you like Ye Zi?"
Fang Yan was stunned and said, "What are you thinking? Ye Zi and I have nothing to do with each other. No, she is Ye Wenrou's sister. That's the relationship."
"I feel like she likes you." Ruan Jing said.
Fang Yan sneered and said, "How can a guy like you who doesn't even dare to talk about love have the qualifications to say the three words 'I feel'?"
"-----"
------
------
Fang Yan first went home to visit his grandfather and mother. His mother was very happy to see Fang Yan back. She went out again with a small basket and said that she would go to the back mountain to pick some vegetables and fruits and make some delicious food for Fang Yan in the evening.
Old man Fang Huwei was in better spirits than when Fang Yan came back last time, and the light in his eyes was much brighter. After Lu Wan left with the basket, Fang Huwei waved at Fang Yan and said, "Fang Yan, come with me to the ancestral hall."
"Okay, grandpa." Fang Yan nodded and pushed Fang Huwei's wheelchair towards the ancestral hall.
Because the Fang family has few members, the Fang family ancestral hall is quite deserted.
After Fang Yan entered, he swept the dust off the altar and lit incense in front of the tablets of each of the Fang family's ancestors. Then he knelt on the cushion on the ground, looking at the tablet of his father Fang Yixing, and remained silent for a long time.
"Talk to your father." Fang Huwei said as he sat next to him. "He can hear you."
Fang Yan did not respond. He looked at the black and white photo of his father on the tablet and fell into reminiscence.
The strict yet gentle man, the man who was not good at expressing his emotions and urged his wife to call every time he missed his son, the man who loved calligraphy and painting but was despised and looked down upon by the people of Yanziwu all his life, the man who would rather die than surrender and was determined to stop the murderer-----
He is gone!
It becomes a scar in the heart, an emotional cancer, spreading throughout the body, and no advanced equipment can remove it.
"I know what you are doing, and I know how dangerous it is." Fang Huwei looked at the back of Fang Yan's head, his voice hoarse but powerful.
"I really want to tell you to give up and return to Yanziwu. However, if hatred has already blossomed and borne fruit, even Yanziwu cannot protect us. Your father is a painful lesson."
"Our Fang family has been a single-line family for generations, and your generation is no exception. As long as you are here, the Fang family still has hope. If you are not here, the Fang family will be extinct. Fang Yan, I don't have any other requests, I just hope that you can return safely."
Fang Huwei's eyes became moist and soon he burst into tears. The wrinkles on his face were like sharp knives, cutting Fang Yan's heart.
He did not hide his emotions. This old man who had been strong all his life and never bowed to anyone burst into tears and choked up and said, "I must come back alive." (To be continued)