Venom

《 Thirty-Five 》

"You think I'm gorgeous?" Lorenzo's face turned red.

Yifan stared at his lover intensely. "Have you seen yourself in the mirror?"

His words made Lorenzo freeze. He turned away from his husband shyly and Yifan smiled. Leaving the elder to his thoughts, the tiger left to change in the closet. Lorenzo ran to the vanity and covered the hickeys on his neck. He applied concealer and used a blending blush to hide the red skin. The smaller man went to the bathroom and hid there until he was calm again. Lorenzo went downstairs and had breakfast with Yifan who kept his eyes on him. The intensity of those noir eyes could kill a person, but Lorenzo felt alive again.

The couple stayed home for the whole day and spent time with the family. In the evening, Jia told everyone to get ready to go to dinner with a family friend. Everyone got dressed fancily and met in the living room. Jia was dressed in a fancy black full-length dress with a diamond necklace on her neck. The two teenagers were dressed in matching black suits and their faces were covered in light makeup. Yifan and Lorenzo came downstairs last.

The tiger was dressed in a fancy noir suit and his hair was put up in a small bun. The tight clothing showed off his muscles, making him look like a knight. There was an expensive watch on his wrist and his feet were covered in shiny black shoes. His coat was unbuttoned and under it was a black button-up and a dark blue tie. Lorenzo was dressed in a dark blue button-up and tight black trousers. His curly hair was filled with light gel and sat neatly on his head. Lorenzo had used light makeup with a little bit of mascara on his eyes. He smiled when he saw Yifan wearing the tie he had chosen for his husband.

Yifan had a small frown on his face when he saw that his lover had covered all the hickeys he had made in the morning. The tiger had wanted them on display tonight. Lorenzo knew exactly what his husband was thinking when he saw the younger man staring at his neck. Ignoring the taller man's pouty face, he smiled at the siblings. The family left the house and entered the white Range Rover parked in the garage. Grandma Jia made Lorenzo sit in the front and she sat in the back with the kids. The old woman and the two teens hid their smiles as they saw Yifan grab Lorenzo's hand. The elder felt his face heat up as his husband intertwined their hands together. He looked out the window and wondered where they were going tonight.

The ride to the destination took almost thirty minutes. They got out to see a fancy black restaurant. Grandma Jia grabbed Lorenzo's arm and they began walking inside. Yifan followed behind with Zhen and Maelin. The lights were dim inside and a server lead them into a private room. Jia smiled when she saw her close friend, Hana. Lorenzo stared at the old woman who was a bit shorter than him. There was a kind smile on her pale face that was void of any wrinkles. She was dressed in a red polka dot dress and black heels. Her short brown hair fell to her shoulders. Her aura was calming and similar to Jia's.

Hana stood up and hugged Jia. "Hello, dear friend. It's so nice to see you again."

"I have to say the same." Jia replied and they pulled away from each other.

"Oh my, look how handsome Yifan has become." The old woman teased as the tiger came forward to give her a small hug.

Zhen and Maelin greeted her politely. The two teens were a bit shy and hiding behind Lorenzo. Jia smiled and wrapped an arm around Lorenzo's shoulder. She pulled him forward with a proud smile. "Hana, meet Yifan's husband and a new member of our family, Zan Lorenzo."

The other woman was shocked for a quick second, but she smiled as Lorenzo shook her hand shyly. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Lorenzo. Please call me Auntie Hana." She said and the elder nodded. "My daughter is on the way here but let's all take a seat."

There was a large square table made of red marble, each side surrounded by two fancy black chairs. Zhen and Maelin sat down on the left side. Yifan pulled out a chair for his lover and the two sat down together on the right side. The two women sat down at the head of the table. Yifan grabbed the leg of Lorenzo's chair and pulled it closer to his own. Before the elder could say anything, they heard the sound of heels clicking.

Lorenzo looked up to see a familiar woman enter the room. It was Risa, the same woman from last night. She was dressed in a beautiful black dress and high heels, with shiny jewelry on her neck and wrist. What was she doing here? Risa smiled at Yifan who grabbed Lorenzo's hand and played with it, completely ignoring the woman. Jia smiled at Risa as the young woman gave her a light hug. What was going on?

"My daughter has finally arrived." Hana said and Lorenzo looked at Yifan in confusion. What the hell was going on here? The tiger simply squeezed his hand and sat silently.

"How was Japan?" The two old women began to have their own conversation.

A server came into the dimly lit room, and everyone ordered dishes to eat. Risa sat down on the empty side and scooted her chair near Yifan's end of the table. She sat in silence for almost twenty minutes, just ogling the handsome man. Lorenzo frowned and wrapped a hand around his husband's buff arm. The tiger looked at his lover and leaned in. Lorenzo closed his eyes as the taller man pressed a soft kiss to his forehead.

Risa had anger in her eyes but a smile on her beautiful face. "How are you, Yifan?"

She asked on purpose but before Yifan could reply, their food arrived. Lorenzo kept one hand on Yifan's arm and ate with his free hand. The tiger glanced at him with a questioning gaze, but he just smiled. As they ate, Hana stared at Lorenzo. She had a small smile on her face as she saw how close the couple were. The old woman cleared her throat and spoke with a teasing tone.

"I have to say Yifan. Your taste in everything has always been the best." She said. Jia smiled proudly and even Yifan had a small smile on his face. "Your husband is gorgeous."

Lorenzo hid his face shyly and Yifan smirked. Jia giggled as her grandson stared at his spouse like a lovesick puppy. The tiger left a soft kiss on his lover's cheek and Lorenzo looked around like a panicked deer. The two old women laughed at his reaction and Risa watched them with a bitter heart. Maelin and Zhen were too focused on their food and not meddling in the conversation, just as their brother had told them to do before coming here.

"Yifan." Risa called again with a fake smile. "I'm working in the cafe near your shop again, do you mind dropping me for the first week?"

"I completely forgot." Hana said while turning to Jia. "I haven't hired a driver yet and Yifan treats Risa like a little sister. Her dad can pick her up in the evening, but we are too busy in the morning unpacking. Is that okay?"

Grandma Jia glanced at Lorenzo who waited for her to speak. "That's alright. Yifan will take her to work the first week."

Lorenzo looked down to hide his disappointment. Risa smirked at the elder who glanced at Yifan. His husband had a calmness in his eyes as he intertwined their hands together. Yifan picked up a spoon and began eating his food. The two old women left the room to use the bathroom and silence filled the air. Lorenzo was eating his food when Yifan grabbed his chin.

"Fan, what happened?" Lorenzo asked using his nickname and the younger man felt his heart thump wildly.

"You have something on your lips." There was nothing on them. Lorenzo knew he was lying. The younger man was trying to irritate the young woman seated near them.

Yifan leaned in and Lorenzo gasped. He covered the taller man's lips with his palm as they tried to chase his trembling ones. The elder looked at the teenagers who ate while talking to each other. Good thing they didn't notice. Risa on the other hand had anger evident on her pretty face. Lorenzo looked back at Yifan and removed his palm away slowly.

"Babe, please behave yourself." He said calmly, secretly enjoying Risa's angry reaction. "We are in public right now."

Yifan held out his palm and his lover gave his hand to his husband. Risa's hand gripped a glass of water tightly, almost crushing it. The tiger smirked and pressed a soft kiss on his lover's knuckles. When he spoke next, his gentle voice dripped like honey.

"Sorry, love. You're just so irresistible."