As soon as he finished speaking, the originally cheerful and relaxed atmosphere suddenly froze.
Chu Nanfeng and Leng Ruxue both looked bewildered, while Chu Yuntian and Chu Mingcheng's expressions instantly turned serious.
The two exchanged a glance, and Chu Mingcheng asked with a cold expression, "Why are you suddenly asking this?"
His fingers tightened slightly as he held the chopsticks, and his usually authoritative voice carried a hint of negotiation.
Chu Liyue never spoke to them about her problems, for he was afraid she would refuse to answer.
Under their slightly tense gazes, Chu Liyue's eyes were deep and her voice was cold:
"The head of the Xiao family wants to see me."
A rare hint of doubt flickered in her eyes. Although Lingnan was thousands of miles away from the capital, she had heard of or had business dealings with some of the famous families there.
She had never heard of this family before, yet the unknown head of the Xiao family possessed astonishing power, and the matchmaker who arranged the meeting with her was someone at the top of the food chain in the capital.
Upon hearing this, Chu Yuntian and Chu Mingcheng frowned immediately.
Chu Nanfeng also asked in surprise, "Our Chu family doesn't have much interaction with the families in Lingnan. So where did this Xiao family come from?"
Chu Yuntian, sitting at the head of the table, interlaced his fingers and spoke in a deep voice:
“You young people don’t understand. The Xiao family is no ordinary family. It’s the largest behind-the-scenes financial family in the Lingnan area.”
"This family controls more than 80 percent of the wealth in the Lingnan area and has absolute say in Lingnan. They are the undisputed uncrowned kings of Lingnan."
Chu Nanfeng's eyes widened: "So powerful? How come I've never heard of them? I've never even heard of them among the families that frequently travel between Lingnan and the capital."
Chu Yuntian gently shook his head, his eyes solemn, his voice carrying the weight of years of experience:
"Many years ago, the Xiao family was also incredibly prominent, enjoying a great reputation in Lingnan and even throughout the entire China."
"But the bigger the tree, the more the wind blows, and at that time, Lingnan was not dominated by them alone; there were two other families that could rival them."
"Until twenty years ago, a huge economic crisis swept through the entire Lingnan region. Not only the lower classes, but almost all the prominent families and wealthy clans in Lingnan suffered severe economic losses and their industries collapsed. Some families were even on the verge of disintegration. Only the Xiao family managed to survive thanks to its strong foundation."
"Under the crisis of the two major families that were on par with it, greed arose, and they joined forces with a group of second-rate families to encircle and swallow up the Xiao family."
"Everyone thought this was a rebellion in which little devils gathered to devour the king, but they never expected that the king of the Xiao family was hidden deeper than anyone else. Not only was he not broken down, but he also swallowed all kinds of ghosts in one go."
"From then on, no one could shake the position of the number one family in Lingnan. However, that crisis also severely damaged the Xiao family, and they began to live in seclusion behind the scenes to recuperate until now."
"Those families you know well may seem glamorous on the surface, but in reality they are nothing more than puppets that depend on them for their existence."
Upon hearing this, Bai Jingxuan's eyes showed worry: "Who is this Xiao family patriarch? Why would he suddenly request to see Li Yue?"
Chu Yuntian's face was also full of confusion: "This Xiao family patriarch is extremely mysterious, but his skills are amazing. The Xiao family swallowed up other families under his leadership and became the king of Lingnan in one fell swoop."
"He never appears in public. He is probably ninety years old now. Even I know nothing about him, except that his name should be Xiao Qianshan."
"As for why he wanted to see Li Yue, that remains unknown."
Chu Yuntian's words caused a moment of silence to fall over the arena.
Chu Liyue held Xiao Wujie's waist, gently stroking his flat stomach with her fingertips, listening to the whole thing without any expression.
Her cold gaze flickered slightly only when Chu Yuntian mentioned Xiao Qianshan's name.
Suddenly, she felt some weight on her shoulder.
Looking down, she saw Xiao Wujie's head resting lightly on her shoulder, his charming eyes slightly sunken, his eyelids heavy, and his haggard handsome face tinged with deep weariness.
Chu Liyue gently squeezed his cool, delicate hand. "Sleepy, sweetheart?"
Xiao Wujie's breathing deepened slightly, and he rested his head lightly on her shoulder, humming softly, "A little..."
Bai Jingxuan quickly whispered, "Don't leave tonight, go upstairs to sleep. The room is always cleaned."
Chu Liyue's eyes flickered slightly, she nodded, and in front of everyone, she picked him up and carried him upstairs quickly.
*
Two hours have passed since dinner; it's 8:30 PM.
Bai Jingxuan, accompanied by Chu Mingcheng, gently knocked on the door.
The next second, her phone vibrated, and Chu Liyue replied: Come in.
Bai Jingxuan quietly opened the door and entered the room. Both of them tried to keep their footsteps as light as possible. Chu Mingcheng silently pulled over a chair and sat down, while Bai Jingxuan gracefully sat down on the edge of the bed.
On the bed, Chu Liyue had already changed into a black nightgown, her long hair was loose, and she exuded a fresh fragrance after her bath.
She leaned against the headboard, nestled in her soft, fragrant embrace. Xiao Wujie rested his head on her arm, half his face buried in her chest, his delicate nose lightly brushing against her fair, smooth skin.
Bai Jingxuan silently mouthed: "Baby, are you sleeping so early? Won't that disturb him?"
Chu Liyue reached out and covered Xiao Wujie's ears, lowering her voice to reply:
"I just woke up, I'm not feeling well, I'm sleeping soundly, just keep your voice down."
Under the soft light, her features were stunningly beautiful, and her gaze towards Xiao Wujie in her arms was filled with tenderness and heartache.
Bai Jingxuan nodded slightly, reached out and gently stroked Xiao Wujie's head, her face filled with maternal tenderness, and sighed softly:
"Such a good child, why does God just have to be so cruel to him?"
Seeing that she was about to become sad again, Chu Mingcheng secretly reached out and gently poked her lower back, signaling her to stop in time, for fear that she would evoke Chu Liyue's sadness and self-blame.
Bai Jingxuan withdrew her hand, awkwardly smoothed her hair, and muttered to herself:
"Look at me, I really am..."
Composing herself, she said in a serious voice, "Li Yue, your grandfather has contacted several of his old friends, one of whom has some connections with the head of the Xiao family."
"Your grandfather has already entrusted him to help investigate the purpose of the Xiao family patriarch's visit to the capital."
"In addition, your father and I have also gathered some information that might be useful to you."
Chu Liyue gently stroked Xiao Wujie's face with her fingertips and nodded to signal her to continue.
Bai Jingxuan took a light breath and said in a deep voice, "Your father and I found out that during the two years that Wu Jie was in a coma, a large number of spies from Lingnan entered the capital and secretly investigated the Chu family."
"But the investigation is not very thorough; it seems they just want to find out some information, but the content and purpose of the information are currently unknown."
"We also have some information about the Xiao family head and the Xiao family itself. The highest-ranking member of the Xiao family's direct line is the family head, Xiao Qianshan, who should have three sons."
"It is said that...his third son lost a child twenty years ago."
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