[ABO] The Little Mute Had His Thoughts Heard by the Villain’s Whole Family – CH28

Chapter 28: Birthday Banquet Prelude

A soft sound came from outside the balcony, and a black shadow jumped beyond the glass window.

Elaine returned to his usual expression and gently patted Shi Sheng in his sleep, confirming that the Omega was sleeping soundly.

The black shadow was still jumping, even tapping the glass once, though the sound was very light.

Elaine walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. He did not open the balcony door, only met the black shadow’s gaze through the glass.

It was a strange wild beast. It looked like a wolf, but its fur was an extremely rare deep black, and it had especially sharp fangs.

Its red eyes stared at Elaine.

“Go back,” Elaine said coldly. “Go find Lindsay yourself.”

Without looking back, the beast ran off. When it jumped off the balcony, it did not make even the slightest sound.

Two more days passed after that day. Before the Metropolitan Police Department’s investigation results came out, the crown prince’s birthday banquet arrived first.

Lindsay came to Yu Mian’s bedroom early in the morning and watched him drink the medicine.

Yu Mian lay on the sofa for a while, waiting for the beast ears on top of his head to gradually disappear, and for his slightly pointed teeth to return to normal.

“All right.” His voice was a little hoarse. “I’ll definitely be normal today.”

Lindsay rarely frowned. “Can’t you just not go?”

Yu Mian yawned. “Ah-Zhao personally sent the invitation. It wouldn’t be good not to go. Besides, I haven’t appeared for two days. Wouldn’t Shi Sheng get suspicious?”

“This timing isn’t very good,” Lindsay said. “It’s almost the day of the full moon to begin with, and you just had an episode.”

“Isn’t there still you?” Yu Mian said. “All right, that day must have been because I was in a bad mood. Today won’t be like that.”

Lindsay asked, “What happened to you? Why were you in a bad mood?”

Yu Mian did not answer and only complained, “You’re still the one who cares about me. Unlike Big Brother. I’d already turned into that, and he only wanted to chase me away, afraid I’d disturb Shi Sheng’s dreams.”

Lindsay said, “The Family Head cares a lot about Sister-in-law.”

“Sure.” Yu Mian shrugged. “I’m going to change.”

Lindsay said, “I’ll go bring some medicine for you all to keep on hand. Recently, only Izel’s condition has been a little more stable. It’s better to be careful.”

Yu Mian dragged out his voice to show that he knew.

The crown prince was holding a birthday banquet. Although there was still an opening dance, there was no requirement that everyone had to bring a dance partner.

Therefore, among the Carlos brothers, aside from Elaine accompanying Shi Sheng, the others did not bring anyone.

Shi Sheng was still wearing that beast-bone collar today. Yu Mian could not help looking at it several times.

“Is it really that good-looking? Wearing it every day.” He quietly complained to Lindsay. “It’s all black and gloomy.”

Yu Mian had a very gorgeous sense of aesthetics and completely could not appreciate what was nice-looking about beast bone.

Lindsay good-naturedly smiled. “I don’t understand much about this either.”

Yu Mian looked at him. “You only know how to deal with the research institute every day. Of course you don’t understand.”

Lindsay rarely attended gatherings of the capital’s nobles. He was going today entirely because he was worried about the other three.

His appearance was already outstanding among Betas. He looked like the kind of gentle and kind intellectual one could recognize at first glance.

There was no way to tell that he was the petty person Shi Sheng had once described in his heart, the one who would use tricks behind people’s backs.

A sudden weight landed on his shoulder. Lindsay raised his head and saw Izel draping an arm over him, lazily yawning.

Yu Mian glanced at his second brother. “I thought you weren’t going today. You’re always disappearing these days.”

Izel had not returned home for some time, and everyone only assumed that he had gone off being romantic again somewhere.

The blond Alpha looked listless, his wolf-tail hair hanging weakly against the back of his neck.

Recently, he had been investigating some matters. He had to attend this birthday banquet.

Yu Mian suddenly remembered something and felt a little amused. He leaned closer to Izel and quietly asked, “You’re not going there to find Noah and do that thing… what was it again… forced love, are you?”

Obviously, he had remembered the inner thoughts he had previously heard from Shi Sheng.

Izel smacked Yu Mian on the head. “You should worry about old men first.”

Yu Mian glared at him, then pulled Lindsay into the car first.

In another car, Shi Sheng saw the two brothers “fighting around” through the window and smiled as he turned toward Elaine.

“Their, relationship, is, really, good.”

Elaine glanced over, smiled, and did not speak.

Probably only Shi Sheng would think Yu Mian and Izel had a good relationship.

Those two had fought since they were little, especially after Yu Mian’s “curse” began to show itself.

Elaine remembered very clearly that after Yu Mian first lost control and beastified, he had argued with Izel for some unknown reason.

The child had asked Elaine, who had rushed over, with tears in his eyes and hatred in his voice, “Why can other people’s older brothers protect their younger brothers, but you can’t even love me?”

“Is it because we don’t have the same mother? But don’t we have the same blood flowing in us?”

“Or is it because I’m a monster? You don’t want a monster as your younger brother. I know!”

At that young age, Yu Mian did not know that his two older brothers were monsters too.

Back then, Yu Mian had not gotten an answer. After that, no one discussed the topic again.

The three Carlos brothers tacitly muddled through life like this.

However, tonight, they did have something they all cared about.

Elaine turned his head and saw Shi Sheng lying against the car window, looking at the scenery along the street, leaving only a fluffy red back of the head for him.

“What are you looking at?” he asked softly.

Shi Sheng turned back with bright eyes. “There, is, an, opening, performance, over, there.”

Actually, while they were speaking, the car had already driven far away, but Elaine still cooperatively said, “Mm. I saw it. Very lively.”

His gaze fell on Shi Sheng’s neck, and he reached out to adjust the anti-bite collar for him.

“I’ll be by your side tonight,” Elaine said in a low voice. “If there are people you don’t want to see, it’s all right not to speak to them.”

Of course, because of certain reasons, at least that cousin of Shi Sheng’s would not appear at the banquet.

Shi Sheng nodded, then smiled again.

The birthday banquet was still held in the palace, but not in the banquet hall used for the previous ball.

When entering, personal belongings had to be checked as usual.

But the people guarding the palace hall entrance today were not palace guards. They were a group of Alphas wearing Metropolitan Police Department uniforms.

Hovis leaned casually to one side with a cigar in his mouth, lifting his eyelids every now and then as he watched his subordinates carefully inspect this group of nobles.

Not far away, Yu Mian and Lindsay’s car arrived first, but they were stopped at the entrance.

For the first time, he was stopped because he carried a dagger. He found it completely baffling. “I always carry this.”

The Alpha from the Metropolitan Police Department spoke in an official tone. “No weapons may be carried tonight.”

“It isn’t a weapon.” Yu Mian lied with his eyes open, shaking the gorgeous gemstone on the dagger. “It’s only a decoration.”

“If it has been sharpened, it is not allowed, Young Master Carlos.”

No one knew which word stepped on a landmine. Yu Mian frowned and examined the other party’s badge and uniform, then said coldly,

“What if I insist on bringing it? Who can guarantee there won’t be another accident like last time?”

The Alpha said, “It is precisely because of last time’s accident that we are here, to fully ensure everyone’s safety.”

Yu Mian was full of anger. With a turn of his wrist, the dagger left its sheath.

But before he could do anything, a sharp pain suddenly shot through his wrist, and the dagger slipped uncontrollably from his hand.

Hovis’s police cap brim was pressed very low, making his whole person look dark and heavy.

“Young Master, what are you doing?”

Yu Mian looked at the Alpha walking over, withdrew his gaze coldly, and bent down to pick up the dagger.

“Yumi.” Lindsay quickly grabbed him and said in a low voice, “Bear with it. Recently, you already…”

“I wasn’t planning to do anything.” Yu Mian said calmly. He straightened up, looked at Hovis, and with a snap, threw that expensive dagger into the other party’s arms.

Yu Mian tugged the corner of his lips. “You’d better guarantee our safety tonight.”

After saying that, he left without looking back.

Hovis caught the dagger and frowned as he watched him walk away. “Dog temper.”

Shi Sheng and Elaine arrived a little later and did not know about the small incident at the entrance. Shi Sheng only felt that Yu Mian’s expression looked a little ugly.

Inside the hall, light and elegant music was already playing.

A faint fragrance spread through the air. It was a little different from the incense usually used at balls.

Not far away, noble young ladies were discussing what kind of scent it was.

Many people were secretly looking at the Carlos family. After all, the chance of seeing these brothers appear together was truly too small.

But very quickly, everyone’s attention was drawn elsewhere.

Crown Prince Ning Zhao slowly entered, accompanied by his dance partner for tonight.

“It really is this one…”

“Looks like the rumors are true. We really are going to have a commoner crown princess consort.”

Ning Zhao still looked as warm and gentle as the morning sun. His gaze slowly swept around the hall, carrying an elegant smile. First, he thanked everyone for coming, then wished them all a wonderful evening.

A noble familiar with him joked, “What are you saying, Your Highness? Of course everything will be wonderful tonight. Even this fragrance smells especially delightful.”

Hearing this, Ning Zhao seemed to only then notice that today’s scent was different. He smiled. “What bad timing. I only just noticed too.”

He turned and looked gently at Noah. “Did you prepare this? Thank you for your hard work.”

Being so intimate in an occasion like this made everyone feel that this Beta was indeed favored.

Noah had a smile on his face, but the hand holding Ning Zhao’s arm unconsciously tightened a little. “It’s all what I should do.”

[When we came just now, I seemed to hear Viscount Deri’s name.]

Shi Sheng’s inner voice suddenly entered the brothers’ ears.

Elaine turned his head and saw Shi Sheng staring at Noah, his fair face showing little expression.

[Isn’t that the old man Yu Mian ends up marrying?]

Yu Mian also turned his head, his gaze landing among the crowd.

[I keep feeling uneasy. Is it because Yu Mian saw the crown prince entering with Noah, so he got jealous? Is that why the plot will happen?]

[But where would Yumi get the drug from?]

[Let me secretly look. He really does seem a little unhappy.]

The brothers’ gazes all glanced toward Yu Mian from different angles.

“…” Yu Mian endured it and did not speak.

[Forget it. No matter what, we have to be wary of Noah.]

[Even if Yu Mian doesn’t make a move, that doesn’t mean Noah won’t cause trouble.]

Yu Mian nodded in agreement.

Amid the crowd’s chatter and laughter, the orchestra on stage began playing a new song.

Ning Zhao took Noah’s hand and glided into the dance floor. The banquet officially began.

Shi Sheng was still staring at Noah when a shadow suddenly fell over his eyes, his entire person covered by the Alpha’s figure.

He raised his head. Elaine’s face was a little hazy against the backlight.

But he also seemed able to clearly see the gentleness in the other party’s eyes.

“May I have the honor of asking you for a dance?”

Elaine bent down and extended his hand toward Shi Sheng.

Shi Sheng’s heart pounded. Without thinking, he carefully placed his hand into Elaine’s palm.

At this moment, he forgot that he did not know how to dance.

But what did that matter?

Halfway through the banquet, Izel discovered that Noah was no longer present.

The crown prince was surrounded by the crowd, wearing a flawless smile on his face.

Izel looked for a while, gestured for Lindsay to keep an eye on Yu Mian, then turned and walked out.

In the long corridor, Noah hurried past.

Izel slowly came out from around the corner and reached out to block his way.

“Where are you rushing off to?”

Noah raised his head in panic and could only see the careless smile on Izel’s face.

Lindsay took some desserts from the dining table and had just turned around to speak with Yu Mian when he was bumped by a passing attendant.

The things in the attendant’s hands fell to the ground with a clang, spilling everywhere and splashing onto Lindsay’s clothes too.

“I’m sorry! Please forgive me!” The attendant hurriedly apologized. Lindsay waved his hand to indicate that it was fine.

A strong scent lingered at the tip of his nose. His gaze fell to the ground.

“What is this?”

“It’s the fragrance that was originally going to be changed in.” The attendant answered.

The fragrance in the air grew even stronger.

Yu Mian waited at the entrance of the washroom, internally complaining that Lindsay even had to call him along just to clean up.

But he was also clear that Lindsay was probably worried he would encounter the accident Shi Sheng had mentioned.

However, tonight seemed to be going fairly smoothly.

Thinking this, Yu Mian paced back and forth out of boredom and was about to open his mouth to urge Lindsay.

Messy, sluggish footsteps came from behind him. Yu Mian turned his head.

He saw Viscount Deri, his face flushed red, swaying as he walked toward him.

[ABO] The Little Mute Had His Thoughts Heard by the Villain’s Whole Family