Chapter 167 We have no further relationship.

Yan Zongjing doesn't have a lot of screen time in the original book. Most of the time, he only appears as the "old man" who is highly respected by the Yan family and the group's senior management.

From Yan Zhaozhou's perspective, he was a dignified and solemn yet approachable grandfather.

Upon learning of the mix-up, Yan Zongjing immediately spoke out, strongly advocating for the return of Jiang Yingxu, who had been switched at birth.

At the dinner table with the family, they would gently inquire about Jiang Yingxu's preferences, learn about his past, and express pity for Jiang Yingxu's past life.

At the banquet announcing Jiang Yingxu's identity, she would personally take off her pocket watch, which she had worn for many years and which had become a symbol, and pin it to Jiang Yingxu's chest.

Yan Zongjing was such a gentle and loving elder.

Jiang Yingxu was always silent and distant—he would ignore Yan Shuli's apology, he could turn a harmonious dinner table atmosphere into a cold one with just a few words, and he would coldly reject everyone who approached him.

Yan Zhaozhou didn't dislike Jiang Yingxu that much at first.

When did you start to feel disgusted and repulsed?

After Jiang Yingxu, who was injured in the car accident, returned to the Yan family, he needed to rest according to the doctor's advice. So, whether intentionally or unintentionally, the servants vacated the room that originally belonged to Yan Shuli and threw Yan Shuli's things into the storage room.

Yan Zongjing suggested that Jiang Yingxu could familiarize himself with the group's affairs during his recovery period, so he suppressed Yan Shuli's resignation and let Yan Shuli teach Jiang Yingxu. As Yan Shuli approached with a complicated expression, Jiang Yingxu sat on the bed, pale-faced and aloof, his attitude keeping everyone at arm's length.

After Yan Shuli left the group, he returned all the money and gifts he had on him and tried to find a part-time job, but was politely refused, ridiculed, and treated coldly. Then one day, during a meeting with Yan Zhaozhou, he overheard acquaintances at the next table having a gathering, revealing that all of this was deliberately orchestrated by someone.

Yan Zhaozhou couldn't control his temper and angrily confronted Jiang Yingxu. Jiang Yingxu only said "No," his words as concise as if he were guilty after being exposed.

After graduating and joining the group, Yan Zhaozhou was in charge of an acquisition that was nearing completion. The team had worked overtime and made countless efforts, and were about to reap the rewards. However, Jiang Yingxu deliberately stole the credit by citing a flaw that had been discovered long ago.

The original book features Yan Zhaozhou as the main character.

Everything he saw and received told him how deeply ruthless and vicious Jiang Yingxu was.

Once he gained power, he personally sent his uncle and aunt, who had raised him for more than ten years, to prison and his former cousin to a juvenile detention center, simply because his uncle and aunt had valued their own son more and may have shown some favoritism and neglect towards Jiang Yingxu.

Even though they looked old and pitiful, they would hold Yan Shuli's hand, their eyes filled with tears, and say that it didn't matter if they were switched at birth, and that they would come back and live with them in the future.

They also pressured and ostracized Yan Shuli, making it impossible for him to find work or establish himself in the capital. Even when he returned to Ningcheng, he was constantly harassed and made difficult, eventually forcing him to flee abroad.

After joining the group, she would frequently sabotage Yan Zhaozhou's work and steal his credit, gradually rising to a high position in the group. In order to become the heir, she continued to use various means to suppress him.

But.

If the instructions to tidy the room come from the butler.

The person who secretly instructed Yan Shuli to be treated coldly had another identity.

Someone had noticed the flaw in the contract long ago, but only told Jiang Yingxu at the last minute, ordering him to "help" remedy it.

Who could it be?

Who knows the Yan family's temperament and personality so well that they could guess their various reactions?

Who has the power to block Yan Shuli, to the point that he has nowhere to turn but to leave his hometown?

Who was the experienced one who spotted the error early on but remained silent?

"..."

In the frozen silence, Yan Zongjing folded the towel without changing his expression and placed it back in the butler's hand.

I don't understand what you're talking about.

Yan Zongjing sighed, his gaze conveying a mixture of bewilderment and tolerance at the junior's unreasonable behavior.

"Even if my inviting that young lady you were talking to over for tea made you unhappy, Xiao Xu, you shouldn't assume that about me."

“I am your own grandfather, what kind of person do you think I am?”

As he spoke, he turned his head away with a somber expression and let out a long sigh. His once energetic face seemed to be shrouded in a layer of dejection and defeat.

Old Deng, the cunning and calculating man, just loves to act.

Yan Zhaozhou, who was listening in a daze, looked conflicted. He moved his lips and looked at Jiang Yingxu, seemingly hesitant to say something to smooth things over and ease the tense atmosphere.

Yan Zongjing did not admit it.

That's normal.

Jiang Yingxu had anticipated this.

After all, Old Deng is thick-skinned and best at lying through his teeth.

Moreover, many things have not yet happened, and his behind-the-scenes actions have only just begun.

Jiang Yingxu's words were not primarily intended for him.

Under the watchful eyes of several people, Jiang Yingxu casually picked up his phone, his long eyelashes slightly lowered, and tapped the screen.

He asked calmly, "Did you hear me clearly?"

The hands-free call was turned on, and the unsteady breathing on the other end was clearly recorded and transmitted into the space.

"……Um."

Yan Shuli hesitated before speaking, "I have indeed heard some rumors recently."

Unlike the original story, this time, Jiang Yingxu was protected by the Cat God and escaped the most serious injury, appearing on the field of the selection competition and even the international competition.

Jiang Yingxu was not injured and did not return to the Yan family, so Yan Shuli was not forced to stay by Yan Zongjing.

Yan Shuli swiftly resigned from the group and even became friends with Jiang Yingxu.

Upon hearing those remarks, Yan Shuli's first reaction was disbelief.

Jiang Yingxu, who would carefully remember his parents' favorite flowers and leave his keys with the security guard, may have a cold and indifferent demeanor, but he must still have a soft heart.

How could someone do something like attacking someone behind their back?

Yan Shuli initially thought it was just a rumor spread by people in the circle.

Isn't that how rumors start?

Until this one call is connected.

Yan Shuli was personally raised by the old man, and he understood Yan Zongjing's character and methods far better than anyone else.

Looking back now...

Why did Jiang Yingxu receive a message from the housekeeper on his first day at home, asking him to go back and get something, and then be kept behind for a longer talk, which led to him bumping into Jiang Yingxu and Ji Cailing's group?

Why is he being repeatedly rejected even when he just wants a temporary job to earn a living? And why are there so many provocative and slanderous words around him, each one intentionally or unintentionally leading him to think about Jiang Yingxu?

It turns out that he was also part of a process to incite anger and temper Yan Zhaozhou.

"..."

As Yan Zongjing stared at Jiang Yingxu, his expression slowly darkening. His aged, deeply lined face, bathed in the morning light, appeared somewhat sinister and terrifying.

He spoke slowly, his words carrying an unspoken warning.

"Xiao Xu, what do you mean by this?"

Jiang Yingxu hung up the phone and put it back in his pocket.

Can't you tell?

He calmly looked back at me, saying, "I want to completely expose your intentions, draw a line between us, and hope you will stop bothering me."

After carefully reviewing the original plot, Jiang Yingxu came to this conclusion.

His subsequent interactions with the Yan family members somewhat confirmed the accuracy of his guess.

He hadn't planned to reveal his true colors so soon.

I wanted to stabilize the plot's completion level, fearing that suddenly revealing details would affect the assessment of its completion.

Unfortunately, Yan Zongjing's reach was too long and his attitude too self-righteous.

They even approached Shi Miao.

Jiang Yingxu could not describe in detail the emotions that surged in his heart when he received the phone call and heard Shi Miao's angry complaint, including how much anger, guilt, and regret he felt.

He realized he was wrong.

In the original storyline, he didn't care about being alone.

But now, he is sometimes alone.

Why should Shi Miao be subjected to such condescending scrutiny and examination?

"Since blood ties are just a tool you use at will, I suppose you don't care about someone like me who doesn't suit your taste."

Jiang Yingxu said, "I will not return to the Yan family. You can focus on honing your precious sword and nurturing your Yan Zhaozhou."

"From now on, we have no further relationship."