Chapter 86 Uncle [VIP]

Qingran thought he was referring to the old man, meaning that if the old man got angry, Xing Chao would speak up for him.

Xing Chao did this from the moment he left home until he returned yesterday, even though he was a little late in reporting back.

He pressed on the man's shoulder: "You think too highly of me as timid and fragile. The old man may look fierce, but he doesn't actually like to argue with the younger generation."

Thinking about it, I added hilariously, "Just like Chaochao, cold on the outside but warm on the inside."

He chatted casually with the man: "I think Chaochao's features don't look much like yours." Nor does he look like the old man.

Xing Wendao nodded and said, "Chaochao looks like her mother, and I look more like my father. We both resemble our grandmother."

Grandma Xing was an only child. After she passed away, only a few remote branches of her relatives remained. These distant branches wanted to establish a connection with the Xing family, but the Xing family didn't bother with them.

As for Xing Wendao and Xing Chao's mother, although she was from a wealthy family, she was not valued by her family.

Back then, the old man was willing to help his eldest daughter-in-law's family a bit out of respect for his eldest son. However, after his eldest son and daughter-in-law passed away, this relationship gradually faded, and he rarely agreed to let his two grandsons live with their maternal grandparents.

After Xing Wendao and Xing Chao grew up, they learned about their biological mother's treatment at her maternal home and that she wasn't very close to her relatives there.

So it seems that there are actually more people in the manor from the side of the old man's remarried wife.

The old lady passed away, but she had given birth to a son and a daughter, who were Xing Wendao and Xing Chao's second uncle and third aunt, respectively.

My second uncle and third aunt got married when they reached a certain age, and each had several children.

The older of these children are almost as old as Xing Chao, and in a few more years they will be of marriageable age and have children.

Well, thank goodness the manor is large.

Qingran understood why the old man complained about the noise over there and told those people not to come here unless necessary.

With such a large group of people crammed together, everyone felt the air was too thin to breathe.

*

Qingran had been grumbling about this matter in her heart that morning, and then witnessed the whole family gathered together that evening.

It was the weekend, and according to the rules set by the old man, it was time for the family to have dinner together that evening.

To be honest, as far as the eye could see, there were countless dark heads, making even the large living room feel crowded.

"..."

Xing Wendao and Xing Chao both disliked such occasions. One of them had a detached expression and treated the two elders who came forward to offer their concern and feigned kindness with indifference.

One of them had a blank expression and ignored anyone who tried to talk to him.

In the past, the original owner would do his best to entertain guests on this day in order to maintain his status in the Xing family.

The original owner's idea was to at least avoid having both families speak well of him, and at the same time leave the old man with a good impression of being sensible and capable.

The two families, however, took advantage of the fact that the original owner's status was unstable and that she was easy to bully. They would ask her for anything she wanted, from luxury cars and watches to jewelry.

It's always the same kind of casual remark.

For example, they might whisper in the original owner's ear about which brand recently released a limited-edition sports car, commemorative watch, haute couture dress, or collaborative jewelry... how precious and rare they are, but unfortunately, they're short on cash lately, blah blah blah...

The implication is that the original owner should be sensible and buy it for them voluntarily.

What could the original owner do?

He wanted to stay in the Xing family for a long time; he couldn't afford to make himself surrounded by enemies. He had a distant relationship with the Xing brothers, and he couldn't let the other two families speak ill of him.

Therefore, if the original owner of this body and Xing Wendao were married for five years, and the annual salary was 50 million, their savings should have been at least 200 million.

When Qingran transmigrated, her account balance was only slightly over 150 million, and this was one of the reasons.

Now it's Qingran's turn to face this choice.

Before dinner even started, Aunt Xing Er and Aunt Xing San, who had been appointed as family representatives, began chatting idly with Qingran, occasionally asking for her opinion.

"That's an auction-grade sapphire, very valuable to collectors. It would be a great gift, wouldn't you say, Qingran?"

Qingran looked at Xing Sangu, who was speaking. The other woman was wearing a diamond necklace that the original owner of the body had given her. It was dazzling and luxurious.

Hmm.

Whether to maintain the original character's persona or slightly deviate from it, that is the question.

His head bowed, conflicted expression was seen by the two men beside him as a flower branch swaying in the wind and rain, wet and full of vulnerability and wretchedness.

"Your uncle has fallen so low that you've had to resort to begging, Third Aunt?" Xing Chao's cold question came from not far away.

The question was almost sarcastic, and the speaker didn't even bother to lower their voice.

So everyone in the living room, including a group of bored middle and high school students playing on their phones in the distance, and two grown men who seemed to be chatting nearby, all looked in the direction of the sound.

The minors put down their phones and fell silent, while the uncle who was named looked grim.

Xing Chao had originally pushed his brother outside to get some fresh air, planning to return around dinnertime, but as soon as he reached the door, he overheard that ambiguous conversation.

Neither of them were stupid; how could they not understand the implied meaning of those words?

In their minds, Qingran was gentle and bright; they had never seen him so lonely and helpless.

"Hey, it's just a family chat, Xing Chao, don't overthink it," the third uncle said, trying to smooth things over while giving his wife a meaningful look.

Upon receiving the signal, Aunt Xing quickly said, "Yes, we were just chatting with Qingran casually, don't misunderstand."

Seeing the two people pushing the wheelchair closer with indifferent expressions, Xing Sangu felt a little uneasy.

Because the old man has been blatantly biased over the years, neither of their families has ever felt confident against these two young upstarts from the main branch.

They targeted Yun Qingran, partly to gain an advantage, and partly to vent their anger. After all, Yun Qingran was a member of the main branch, and so easy to bully.

But haven't these two always ignored Yun Qingran's affairs? Have they lost their minds today?

Xing Chao stopped and gave a cold sneer.

Xing Wendao then reached out his hand to Qingran: "Qingran, come here."

With someone stepping forward, Qingran hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Aunt Xing Er and Aunt Xing San before walking over to them.

He crouched down: "Changqing?"

Looking up, his eyes were as clear as a pool of water.

Xing Wendao stroked the corner of his eye, then took the hand that was resting on his knee into his palm, his calm yet substantial gaze falling on the two seemingly unassuming men beside him.

"No matter what you took from Qingran, I want to see it returned to its rightful owner within a week."

Indeed, they hadn't paid much attention to Qingran's affairs in the past.

But human nature is inherently selfish.

When you don't care, you ignore them. Conversely, when you truly cherish someone in your heart, it's only natural to find every grievance they've suffered unbearable.

The two middle-aged men, both nearing fifty, turned pale upon hearing this.

One of them was the old man's biological son, and the other, relying on his sweet talk and ability to flatter his wife, had taken advantage of the Xing family's influence quite a bit; neither of them lacked money. Returning those things pained them, but it wasn't a serious blow.

What made them grim was that Xing Wendao's words were utterly merciless, no different from slapping them in the face in public!

If we swallow this insult today—

"Or do the two elders think that I don't have much time left, so they don't even respect me?"

How could they dare to agree to that? They were afraid that if they nodded one second, the old man would rip off their heads and kick them out the next!

Uncle Xing took a deep breath.

"What are you all arguing about?"

Just as he was about to speak, the old man's aged yet authoritative voice came from the elevator entrance.

He leaned on his cane, with his gray-haired old driver, who had been with him for many years, standing there for who knows how long or how much he had listened.

"It's nothing, Grandpa, just a small matter to handle," Xing Wendao said calmly, showing no signs of weakness even while in a wheelchair.

The old man nodded to himself. If Changqing could live... sigh.

"Dad," Uncle Xing said tentatively, as if he had seen a glimmer of hope, "Changqing's family gave us some things before, and Changqing said..."

The old man didn't let him finish speaking before slowly walking towards the dining table.

"Unless I give other instructions, Changqing will continue to make the decisions regarding the Xing family."

In short, do as Xing Wendao says.

Uncle Xing's face twisted in pain. It's happening again! It's happening again! He's over forty years old this year, how can he compare to those two kids who haven't even eaten as much salt as him!

After a long, forced smile, he could only manage a frustrated "Yes."

The old man walked to the dining table, sat down at the head of the table, and spoke. The others remained silent and took their seats one after another.

Xing Wendao patted Qingran's hand: "Let's go eat too, don't be afraid."

Qingran straightened up and shook her head: "As long as Changqing is here, I'm not afraid."

But how much longer can I protect you?

The man looked somewhat somber as he glanced at the increasingly tall young man standing beside Qingran, then lowered his eyelashes and fell into thought.

In less than a week, within three days, Qingran received a list of gifts she had given out over the years.

Along with the list, various sports cars parked in the garage were also returned, along with a variety of luxury watches and jewelry in gift boxes in front of them.

"Tsk, you're really generous," Xing Chao said, glancing at the table that was almost completely covered with food.

"Xing Chao," Xing Wendao warned calmly. Wasn't the existence of so many things partly due to their inaction?

Several brand managers stood quietly nearby, not daring to say a word.

"Is there anything you particularly like?" Xing Wendao asked.

Qingran glanced at the table. The dazzling array of treasures was overwhelming, but apart from the value behind the items, nothing about the items themselves attracted him.

So he told the truth that he didn't.

“I guess you don’t like it either,” Xing Wendao smiled gently. “It’s hard to resist using things that other people have used, so I had a new batch sent over and took these things away.”

The money recovered was, of course, still from Qingran.

As soon as the man spoke, the brand manager and his men quickly cleared away the jewelry on the table and then brought out a batch of even better quality pieces.

One batch of gifts, carefully presented in red cloth-wrapped boxes, was taken out of a safe in front of Qingran.

Qingran realized something.

Xing Wendao noticed his gaze, picked up a snake-shaped brooch made of imperial green jade, and held it to his chest while saying, "These are my collection, they still hold their value. I will leave them all to you when I pass away."

A single piece of his antique collection, which exceeds Qingran's entire fortune, only received the assessment that it "holds its value."

"Chaochao, you can earn whatever you want yourself. I won't leave it for you."

"Brother." Xing Chao didn't like him saying such things.

Xing Wendao ignored him, carefully pinned another pink diamond brooch to Qingran's chest, leaned back and observed for a moment, as if he could already see Qingran standing tall and elegant in front of him in a formal dress.

“It suits you very well,” he said with a smile in his eyes.

"I don't want these," Qingran said, taking off the brooch and putting it back on the table.

The brand's staff wisely withdrew.

Xing Wendao patiently asked him, "Then what do you want?"

Sitting on the ground with her legs outstretched and her head resting on the man's knees, Qingran said, "I want you to live."

How much of that statement was genuine, and how much was just an act?

Xing Wendao didn't know.

Perhaps it was out of genuine concern, because if Qingran wanted to stay in the Xing family, the simplest way was for him to live.

This is the only thing Xing Wendao cannot do.

He gently stroked the young man's hair on his leg; the cool, silky touch felt like a refreshing mountain spring. The water flowed over his fingertips and also over the lingering warmth in his heart.

“Okay, I’ll live.” He gently made his promise.

Behind him, Xing Chao clenched his right hand and gritted his teeth. The image of the two of them embracing intimately on the window was deeply etched into his mind that day, and he would never forget it.

*

Two weeks later, Xing Wendao's body began to weaken rapidly, and his condition deteriorated sharply.

He spends most of his time sleeping each day, and the rest of his time is spent helping Xing Chao streamline the group's affairs.

Xing Chao took a long leave from school to spend more time with his brother, but when he returned, his grandfather urged him to make the most of his time to study with his brother.

What should we learn?

Learn how to be a qualified successor.

He took over the position that should have belonged to his brother, without any regard for his brother's thoughts or physical condition.

Xing Chao had a big argument with the old man because of this, and the argument was so loud that people outside the study could hear it.

Su Xiaobai, who had just finished packing, was startled and looked back in fear before quickly carrying the tray downstairs.

Good heavens! The old man looked so dignified and imposing, yet the second young master dared to slam his fist on the table and argue with him. She was utterly impressed.

Since the two were arguing like this, she had to tell Qingran quickly, lest Qingran accidentally walk into the line of fire.

Upon arriving at the Xing family, Su Xiaobai learned the true relationship between Qingran and the Xing family.

It wasn't that Uncle Yun and Aunt Yun were working as assistants to rich people as they claimed; it was that they were working as wives to rich people.

What do you think of Su Xiaobai?

My thought is, why doesn't this kind of good thing happen to me?

Her colleagues, both men and women, shared this view. It's just a wedding to ward off bad luck, not a ghost marriage where you'd be buried. As long as the money's there, everything's negotiable!

Almost everyone in the Xing family's servants circle was envious and jealous of Qingran's luck, envying that he had a lucky birth chart that matched the eldest young master's.

But once outside, all those mixed emotions had to be buried deep inside, and not a single word could be revealed to anyone.

A confidentiality agreement was signed.

However, she was also quite lucky. Qingran remembered to introduce her to a good job, otherwise, with her mediocre education, she wouldn't have been able to find a job with such good pay.

Su Xiaobai's mood soared again. After putting away the tea set in the kitchen and confirming that she didn't have any work to do for the time being, she sneaked out to look for someone.

Qingran was playing frisbee with Heixuanfeng on the lawn outside.

Xing Wendao was still asleep, so he took this opportunity to come out for some fresh air and to clear his mind.

Qingran's emotions were far more complex than he had anticipated regarding Xing Wendao's rapid deterioration of his condition.

It's impossible to cut it all; it's impossible to untangle it all.

[Host, Su Xiaobai has arrived.]

Seeing that the host seemed unaware of anyone approaching and was still using the system reminder of walking the dog with a frisbee with an ultra-long standby time, the system alerted the host.

Qingran withdrew her thoughts and quietly dissipated her spiritual power, so the flying disc that had lost control in the air was caught by the black whirlwind with a leap and snatched into its mouth.

The five nimble black dogs, carrying the frisbee, trotted back to Qingran's side.

"Qingran, Qingran." Su Xiaobai also found Qingran's side.

She glanced enviously at the dog that was obediently lying in Qingran's hands, being petted.

Sigh, she's been the one feeding the dogs lately, so why won't Black Whirlwind let her pet him?

She counted them carefully, and it seemed that Black Whirlwind only allowed the eldest young master, the second young master, and Qingran to touch him.

"Did you need something?" Qingran turned around and asked her.

Su Xiaobai remembered the important matter: "Oh, it's just that I just heard the Second Young Master and the Old Master arguing, and I wanted to remind you to be careful."

She wouldn't be worried if Qingran were truly the legitimate young mistress, but this is just a title.

"Why are they arguing?" Qingran asked in surprise.

Su Xiaobai scratched his head: "It seems that the second young master wanted the eldest young master to take good care of his health, but the old master told him to seize the time to learn how to take over the group. That should be it, but I didn't dare to listen carefully."

“You’re right not to listen,” Qingran advised. “Don’t tell anyone you hear about your employer’s family in the future, including me.”

Su Xiaobai smiled and her eyes narrowed: "Okay, I understand."

But she would still speak up if there was anything that truly endangered Qingran. Su Xiaobai didn't have many other merits, but loyalty was one of them.

"Black Whirlwind, I'm going upstairs to see Changqing. How about letting Xiaobai play with you for a while?" Qingran asked, stroking the dog's head.

Su Xiaobai's eyes showed anticipation.

Black Whirlwind glanced at the Great Demon King, then at the frizzy human beside him, grabbed the frisbee, turned, and ran off.

It went to find its owner to play with it.

Su Xiaobai's face fell.

Qingran gave her a helpless look, then went to wash her hands and went upstairs.

The bedroom on the third floor was quiet, with the blackout curtains drawn. A handsome man lay asleep in the middle of the bed with his eyes closed.

Qingran tiptoed to the bedside chair, sat down, reached under the covers and took the man's cool hand, gazing at the bed in a daze.

The system said that even if the dreams induced by [Dream Pill] were frequent, they would not burden the body; on the contrary, they would have a soothing effect on the mind. Therefore, he did not stop using the drug.

Whenever Xing Wendao felt sleepy, he would feed him one so that he could sleep better.

At this moment, he looked at the person on the bed and wondered what Xing Wendao's dream would be like.

"Qingran..." the man on the bed murmured.

A note from the author:

Thanks for watering! *kiss*

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