Chapter 65 "He doesn't have Bai Yueguang."
The end of the year is approaching in the blink of an eye.
On New Year's Eve, Jiang Yao first took Duan Zhuxian back to his home for a reunion dinner. His brother Jiang Chen and his sister-in-law were also there. The four younger generations each received a big red envelope full of love.
In the afternoon, the two went to the Duan family's ancestral home.
The century-old house located halfway up the mountain exudes the same dark and gloomy atmosphere that Jiang Yao had in mind.
Two rows of red lanterns were hung along the way, and red ribbons were tied to the bare branches, as if to make every effort to prepare for the festival. However, all of this did not seem to have the flavor of the New Year. Instead, it seemed as if it was covered with a layer of illusory joy, which made the inner coldness even more apparent.
Sitting side by side in the car, Duan Zhuxian patted Jiang Yao's tense back and said, "Relax, don't be so nervous."
Jiang Yao suddenly relaxed his brows: "Who's nervous?"
He was indeed a little nervous, but not because he was afraid of anyone. Instead, he was worried that he would not be able to control his temper when the group of Duan family members surrounded Duan Zhuxian. After all, listening to Old Qin's story was one thing, and seeing it with one's own eyes was another.
Duan Zhuxian said, "You're worried about me, afraid that I'll be wronged here."
Jiang Yao was stunned when the thought hidden deep in his heart was exposed without any warning.
It turned out that Duan Zhuxian had already seen through it, but he had been deliberately keeping it to himself and not exposing it all this time.
The tips of his ears suddenly turned red, but he no longer tried to hide it. "Yeah, I heard the Duan family is full of ruthless characters who eat people without leaving any bones. I'm afraid that your little cabbage, which is growing beautifully, will become the target of public criticism."
Duan Zhuxian raised his eyebrows slightly: "Little White Cabbage?"
It's not a nice word, but when it comes out of Jiang Yao's mouth, it is inexplicably cute.
He nodded and said, "Then today I will be a little cabbage, hiding behind your big tree with lush branches and leaves."
Jiang Yao's nervousness instantly dissipated after being teased by Duan Zhuxian. He crossed his arms and raised his chin slightly: "No problem, I'll be responsible for sheltering you from the wind and rain, and you'll be responsible for growing strong and healthy."
A smile appeared on Duan Zhuxian's lips. It was the first time in his life that he felt the feeling of having a "backer".
After passing through the black iron gate and the car stopped, the two of them walked towards the small garden on the east side under the guidance of the housekeeper.
They arrived quite late, and when they entered the house, everyone in the room looked at them.
The first one to take action was Duan Song. He immediately stood up to greet Duan Zhuxian and Jiang Yao with a kind smile on his face. He looked no different from an ordinary old father.
Seeing this, other relatives began to compliment him, praising Duan Song for his good teaching and raising such an outstanding son. They also suggested that their own children learn from Duan Zhuxian.
Duan Song waved his hand and said, "No, no, no," then turned to his second son who was sitting in the middle of the sofa and said, "Fei Yi, sit over there and give your brother a seat."
He Lu's expression turned grim for a moment when she heard this.
Duan Zhuxian raised his hand to stop them, pulled Jiang Yao to sit on the two chairs at the side, and greeted the elders present. He really looked like a graceful and elegant young man.
Soon, the corner where they sat became the focus of everyone's attention, while Duan Feiyi's so-called middle position was neglected and turned into a dead corner.
Jiang Yao was not familiar with anyone. After greeting them lightly, he sat there, seemingly looking at his phone casually, but in fact he was observing everyone's expressions calmly.
To be honest, the scene was completely different from what he had imagined, but it was also quite reasonable.
Duan Zhuxian is one of Huayan's current decision-makers after all. Even among the elders present, few have more power than him. Those who can survive in such a treacherous family are all shrewd people, so naturally they dare not act presumptuously in front of him.
The relatives chatted about family matters with Duan Zhuxian as the center, and they wished they could write the word "hypocritical" on their faces.
At this moment, He Lu, who was serving tea and water, suddenly said, "Zhuxian and Xiaojiang have been married for two months now, right? When are they planning their honeymoon?"
Just as Wen Wenrou's words fell, another voice came from far away: "Sister-in-law is still as worried about the children as ever."
Jiang Yao's eyebrows jumped and he looked up from his phone. A man in his sixties walked over with a smile and sat opposite him.
He Lu smiled and said, "Children are a debt, so naturally we have to think about them for the rest of our lives."
Jiang Yao almost vomited when he heard this.
The man looked at Duan Zhuxian and Jiang Yao and continued, "It's vacation time recently, and I happened to have invested in a resort hotel on a small island in the southern hemisphere. How about—"
"Who is this?"
Jiang Yao put away his phone and interrupted lazily.
Duan Zhuxian introduced calmly: "Second uncle."
Uncle Duan smiled and said, "I attended your wedding with Zhuxian, so I should remember it, right?"
Jiang Yao smiled apologetically: "I don't think Second Uncle looks much like the Duan family, so I didn't recognize him at first."
The smile on Second Uncle's face suddenly froze.
He was a child adopted by Old Master Duan as a charity show. He suffered from exclusion and insults since childhood. After decades of hard work, he finally had a place in the Duan family. He hated it most when people mentioned his background.
Under everyone's mixed gazes, Second Uncle's face hurt a little, but he still put on the generous air of an elder and continued, "What do you think of my suggestion? That island has complete facilities, pleasant scenery, and the weather has been excellent for half a month. I think it's better to go today than to wait for a day."
Jiang Yao said with a half-smile, "Second uncle is even more anxious than us."
As he spoke, he looked at the second uncle of the Duan family and He Lu. Both of them felt a little guilty under Jiang Yao's undisguised gaze.
Jiang Yao appeared calm on the surface, but sneered in his heart.
After the New Year, Huayan has an important project to bid for. Old Master Duan intends to let Duan Zhuxian take charge. At this critical juncture, he instigates Duan Zhuxian to go on a honeymoon. It is simply obvious that only a fool can't see the trick. How can he still expect Duan Zhuxian to fall for this incompetent trick?
He was about to reject the offer on behalf of Duan Zhuxian, but he heard Duan Zhuxian suddenly say, "Well, it's time to think about it."
Jiang Yao: "?"
He reached out from under the coffee table and grabbed the back of Duan Zhuxian's hand, shaking it hard as a warning, but Duan Zhuxian shook it back again, pressing his fingers together on his thigh.
Duan Zhuxian took a sip of tea and said slowly, "However, the Southern Hemisphere is too far away and it's inconvenient to travel back and forth, so let's just book it in Yuan City."
Yuan City is the hometown of Duan Zhuxian's mother. Flowers bloom everywhere and it is like spring all year round. However, it is a forbidden place in the hearts of many people in the Duan family. After all, the number of people who directly or indirectly persecuted her in the past cannot be counted on one hand.
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire living room fell silent for a moment, with only Duan Zhuxian still drinking tea calmly.
Jiang Yao looked up and saw that Duan Song and He Lu's expressions had indeed changed slightly, especially Duan Song, who stared at Duan Zhuxian with his hawk-like eyes. For a moment, he wanted to get angry, but because of his face, he was afraid that Duan Zhuxian would continue to say something.
Jiang Yao felt relieved, but also became even more annoyed with this group of people.
Someone saw that the situation was not right and immediately came out to change the subject.
Using the noise of other people's conversation as a cover, Jiang Yao leaned close to Duan Zhuxian's ear and said, "Are you stupid? Your stepmother and your second uncle are in collusion. They just want to get rid of you. Fortunately, the company is playing tricks. You don't want the project opportunity you worked so hard to get?"
Duan Zhuxian turned his head and whispered, "They've done a lot of shameful things in the company. My people are collecting evidence, and now they're just missing the last link. They've already noticed it, and only when I'm not in Lingbei will they dare to destroy the evidence and reveal their true colors."
Jiang Yao was stunned, thinking that Duan Zhuxian did not disappoint him. He was indeed insidious and he liked it.
Duan Zhuxian's voice suddenly tinged with laughter: "Baby, how much of my stuff have you checked?"
Warm breath poured into Jiang Yao's ears, and his face instantly turned hot. This was the first time Duan Zhuxian called him like this outside the bed.
He snorted twice in a particularly unreasonable manner: "I've already checked it out. There's no point in coming to me to settle the score."
Duan Zhuxian's smile became more obvious, and he said softly, "I'm actually very happy that you are willing to understand me."
Jiang Yao: "..."
Half an hour later, the old man finally woke up and came down from upstairs on crutches. The Duan family members in the living room immediately rushed over and became harmonious.
*
After dinner, Duan Zhuxian was called away by the old man for a private talk.
When the others saw this, they all became jealous.
Duan Song was modest on the surface, but in his heart he was increasingly wary of his eldest son, whose power was growing stronger and was about to get out of his control.
Jiang Yao put on his coat.
Duan Zhuxian was not here for the time being, so there was naturally no need for him to stay here. He chatted with several peers from the Duan family. When he saw the nanny bringing the Spring Festival couplets written by a calligraphy master, he took the initiative to take on the job of posting the couplets.
As I walked out the door, the biting north wind of the evening hit me in the face.
The gathering dark clouds extinguished the last ray of sunlight, and a dim light came on at the door.
The weather forecast says there will be heavy snow tonight.
Everything here seemed to be against him.
But rather than playing cozy with those idiots, Jiang Yao would rather face the darkness.
He glanced at the people in the room who had ulterior motives, and deliberately pasted the word "Fu" crookedly.
I wish you have this day every year. If you are pressed to the ground and rubbed by Duan Zhuxian for your whole life, no blessing will ever come to you.
After pasting the Spring Festival couplets, Jiang Yao walked to a vent to light a cigarette when he suddenly heard a conversation coming from a dark corner not far away. He listened for a few words and found that it was Duan Feiyi and a cousin.
Duan Feiyi lowered his voice and said, "My brother controls most of Huayan now, and the projects assigned to us are all rubbish. If we work together to fight for that government project and show grandfather our achievements, maybe we can still have a chance of winning."
"Can we really move Duan Zhuxian just by ourselves?" The cousin clearly had no confidence in himself. "And from what I know, hasn't your mother been helping you with this?"
Duan Feiyi said: "My mother's surname is not Duan. After all, she is an outsider. Although she is a little clever, she will never achieve anything great."
Jiang Yao couldn't help but curl up the corners of his lips when he heard that.
Some people get so rude that they even belittle their own mothers.
Jiang Yao lit a cigarette, and the sound of the lighter's grinding wheel startled the two conspirators.
The cousin reacted quickly. When he saw it was Jiang Yao, he quickly evacuated with his head down.
Duan Feiyi had no time to leave, so he had to bite the bullet and ask, "Why are you eavesdropping on people's conversations?"
Jiang Yao stood on the steps and said condescendingly, "Don't worry, he probably won't take you seriously."
Duan Feiyi suddenly froze.
Duan Zhuxian had indeed never taken him seriously, no matter when he took advantage of the fact that he had a mother to bully Duan Zhuxian, or when Duan Zhuxian became successful later.
Having been precisely stepped on in his most vulnerable spot, Duan Feiyi gritted his teeth and said, "You are wholeheartedly on my brother's side."
Jiang Yao raised his eyebrows: "Otherwise, who else here is worthy of my support?"
Duan Feiyi gritted his teeth and pretended to point out something: "I still say the same thing. My brother appears to be gentle and reasonable to everyone, but in reality, he doesn't recognize any relatives. Marriage is just a tool for him to fight for power and profit. You should know that the person you were originally proposed to marry was me. He had no interest in it at first, but one day he suddenly saw the benefits and immediately intercepted it. After he uses this marriage to his advantage, he might even kick you out."
While Duan Feiyi was chattering, Jiang Yao didn't look at him. Instead, he blew smoke rings in another direction and said at the end: "If I remember correctly, you seem to have said these words once. Sowing discord requires some strategy."
Seeing that he couldn't move Jiang Yao at all, Duan Feiyi couldn't help but use his old trick again: "You may think I'm exaggerating, but the only one he really cares about and can't bear to touch is his first love, Bai Yueguang, whom he has always longed for."
Back then, at the racetrack, he had mentioned Duan Zhuxian's love interest, and Jiang Yao's reaction at the time was quite indifferent. But now things were different; he could see that Jiang Yao's feelings for Duan Zhuxian had undergone a drastic change.
After the words fell, Jiang Yao's gaze finally fell back on him, but his voice was as cold as usual: "You are wrong, he doesn't have Bai Yueguang."
"But I've read his diary," Duan Feiyi said confidently, "and two years ago, Grandpa wanted to arrange a blind date for him. He also said that he had someone he liked, and his attitude was very firm. It seemed that he had to have that person."
The wind tonight was very violent, blowing the smoke rings all over the place like a fist. Jiang Yao simply put out the cigarette and took a few steps towards Duan Feiyi.
"Diary? Seeing you can bring it up so shamelessly, you must have stolen a lot of Duan Zhuxian's personal belongings in the past, right?"
Duan Feiyi was caught off guard and was immediately forced into a corner by Jiang Yao. He was half a head shorter than Jiang Yao, and his back was slammed against the wall, making him look particularly embarrassed.
He unconsciously raised his voice: "What do you want to do?"
Jiang Yao grabbed Duan Feiyi by the collar, lifted him up onto his toes with one hand, and said in a stern tone, "Duan Zhuxian will give you some face because of his brother's status, but I won't."
"I'll remember everything you did to Duan Zhuxian. Aren't you and that idiot Li Ruizhi good brothers? You can go to the jail and ask him what happens if you mess with me."
Duan Feiyi's hair stood on end when he heard this.
He knew that Li Ruizhi had originally wanted to deal with Jiang Yao, so he brought a large group of people with him, but was beaten badly by Jiang Yao alone. He didn't dare to go out and see anyone for several days.
He had originally thought that Jiang Yao was somewhat of a presentable person, and that in an occasion like his old house, he would at least act politely like his sanctimonious elder brother. He had not expected him to be so arrogant and rude.
Duan Feiyi's voice and legs trembled: "This is my home, you, don't mess around."
Just at this moment, the cell phone in Jiang Yao's pocket vibrated.
"Look how cowardly you are." Jiang Yao let go of Duan Feiyi, took out his vibrating phone, and said calmly, "Go away. I don't have time to deal with you right now."
Duan Feiyi ran away with weak legs and feet without looking back.
After standing in the wind and answering a New Year's greeting call from Chen Yiqi, Jiang Yao turned around and found Duan Zhuxian walking towards him.
"Have you finished talking to your grandfather?"
"Well, we talked about some things in the company."
Duan Zhuxian walked up to him and asked, "It's already dark, what are you doing outside?"
Jiang Yao said, "Take a breath."
Duan Zhuxian nodded and said, "I'll accompany you."
The two stood side by side in silence for a while, and Jiang Yao suddenly said, "Duan Zhuxian, I have a question for you."
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