4. Xue Family
◎Song Qinggui, how dare you!◎
Yan Fengqian paid to have the trending topic removed, and he even accompanied actress Xu Xiaofeng, who had repeatedly shown him goodwill, to a fashion event and gave an interview to entertainment reporters.
"Xue Lu and I grew up together. I did date Qing Gui, but we later found that our personalities were not compatible, so we chose to break up peacefully," Yan Fengqian said in a high-sounding manner.
"So, Mr. Yan called Miss Song immediately when he encountered a problem, does that mean he still has feelings for her?"
Yan Fengqian smiled politely: "I also called Lawyer Xue. When people are not sober, they tend to rely on their friends. Lawyer Xue and Qinggui are good friends."
"You can still be friends after breaking up?" a female reporter joked.
“Of course.” Yan Fengqian said casually, “But the premise is that we are all good people. Qinggui is a very good person, so of course we can be friends.”
"But we heard that Mrs. Yan back then..." The entertainment reporter still wouldn't give up.
"I know that for people in your line of work, choosing between traffic and the truth is difficult, but I think it's still important to have basic professional ethics and not to make unfounded accusations. I can only say that I have a past with Qinggui, but there's no such bad person involved in that past as you media expect." Yan Fengqian said solemnly, then changed the subject, looking tenderly at Xu Xiaofeng beside him: "My girlfriend has a new movie coming out soon, and it's been nominated for the Cannes competition. Don't you want to interview her?"
And so, the microphones from the media were finally handed to Xu Xiaofeng.
...
In the backstage lounge of a fashion event, Yan Fengqian was smoking when Xu Xiaofeng slowly walked in.
"This is the first time I've known that I'm your girlfriend." Xu Xiaofeng sat down next to Yan Fengqian.
Yan Fengqian didn't look at her, but habitually put out his cigarette. This was a habit that Song Qinggui had instilled in him. Song Qinggui disliked the smell of smoke and forbade him to smoke in the presence of women, saying it was a basic courtesy.
Seeing that Yan Fengqian remained silent, Xu Xiaofeng said self-deprecatingly, "You have to compensate me for using me like this because of Song Qinggui."
"What do you want?" Yan Fengqian then looked at Xu Xiaofeng: "How about the latest Hermès bag?"
"Heh... Mr. Yan, you've got quite the spending power." Xu Xiaofeng chuckled sarcastically, then a hint of self-pity flickered in her eyes: "But Mr. Yan, not all women are like Song Qinggui, after your money."
Yan Fengqian stood up: "Xiaofeng, don't make yourself sound so noble. Ask yourself honestly, if I didn't have the surname Yan, would you still have feelings for me? As for Song Qinggui... you don't understand her. If she only wanted my money, she would have many other ways to do it."
Xu Xiaofeng watched Yan Fengqian's retreating figure, her eyes gradually reddening.
She lowered her head and gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. She had a business dinner with a jewelry brand representative later, and she couldn't lose her composure.
...
That night, Xue Lu saw Yan Fengqian's interview.
Looking at Yan Fengqian's smile in the video, Xue Lu sneered inwardly, thinking that the kid must be grinding his teeth to dust.
The phone rang; it was Xue Lu's father, Xue Qielu. Xue Lu turned off Yan Fengqian's video call and answered the phone.
The voice on the other end sounded somewhat displeased: "Tomorrow is your third aunt's birthday. The family should get together. Remember to come back."
"Um."
"Um... bring your wife along too, I have something to say to her."
“Dad.” Xue Lu’s attitude also became sharp: “The CDC is going to the hospital for an inspection next Monday, and Qing Gui has to work overtime to prepare the materials. I told you about this a long time ago.”
"You're just going to protect her like this?!" Xue Qielu's voice rose: "Did you see that Yan family brat's interview today? My son, Xue Qielu, can have any woman he wants, let alone the Yan family's leftovers..."
"Dad!" Xue Lu was also angry: "Song Qinggui is my wife, watch your mouth!"
"Show some respect? Where's your respect?! How dare you talk to your father like that?!"
Xue Lu: "I am not you, I don't play around with women. I married Song Qinggui because I want to grow old with her. Your insult to her is an insult to me. If you really don't like my son, you don't need any more sons, one less won't make a difference."
“You…you scoundrel!” Xue Qielu shouted.
Lawyer Xue: "If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up."
"Get back here for dinner tomorrow!"
Before hanging up the phone, Xue Lu heard Xue Qielu say this.
After calming down for a while, Xue Lu pushed open the bedroom door, looked at the wall clock, and saw that it was already 10 p.m. Song Qinggui's slippers were still quietly placed in the entryway.
Xue Lu took out his phone and sent a WeChat message to Song Qinggui.
Xue Lu: "When are you coming back?"
This time, Song Qinggui replied quickly: "There's an emergency cesarean section in the obstetrics department. The mother has experienced placental abruption and massive bleeding, and she's being resuscitated. I won't go back; I'll stay at the hospital to see what's going on."
"Um."
Xue Lu replied with a sentence, then opened the food delivery app, ordered twenty cups of milk tea to be delivered to the maternity ward, and the recipient was Song Qinggui.
In this way, having Song Qinggui deliver the milk tea would not only be a way to show appreciation to the medical staff working overtime in the obstetrics department, but also allow her to do someone a favor.
Forty minutes later, Song Qinggui sent a voice message.
"The milk tea arrived. The mother and baby are out of danger. I told everyone that Mr. Xue knew we had all worked hard and treated us to milk tea. They asked me to thank you."
Xue Lu smiled helplessly. "Song Qinggui, are you really that unwilling to take advantage of your husband...?"
The next afternoon, Xue Lu arrived at the Xue family's old residence.
The Xue family structure was extremely complex and did not conform to public order and good morals—Xue Qielu had a total of five wives, and regardless of whether the law recognized it or not, they all had common-law marriages with this wealthy merchant from Lancheng.
The eldest daughter, Wen Shuangjing, had already seen through the vanities of the world and built a Buddhist shrine for herself in the Xue family's old residence, where she spent her days chanting scriptures and worshipping Buddha. But Xue Lu had the deepest affection for her.
Wen Shuangjing was Xue Qielu's wife, a woman of equal social standing. Precisely because she was from a respectable family, she couldn't tolerate Xue Qielu's philandering. Wen Shuangjing had no children and considered divorce, but was prevented by both the Xue and Wen families, thus delaying the process. Overwhelmed by grief, she fell seriously ill and nearly died.
Xue Qielu knew he had wronged his wife, so when she was on the verge of death, he sent his two-year-old son, Xue Lu, to her to raise.
Xue Lu was beautiful and sensible, and with his companionship, Wen Shuangjing's health actually improved. After recovering, Wen Shuangjing chose to become a nun. Although she was unable to leave due to family ties, she was no longer troubled by this feudal and distorted marriage.
The second wife was a foreigner who lived in China with Xue Qielu for a few years, but couldn't adapt. She took a large sum of money, left behind two sons and a daughter, and returned to Europe, never to be seen again.
Li Jinghe, the third wife, is the closest to Xue Qielu and is currently the de facto mistress of the Xue family. She throws a grand celebration for her birthday every year.
The fourth wife died in a car accident ten years ago, but she left behind an exceptionally talented son, Xue Tan. He and Xue Lu are widely recognized as Xue Qielu's most outstanding children. This excellence lies in the fact that their business achievements were not based on their family's influence, but rather on their own hard work.
As for the fifth wife, she was Xue Lü's mother, Chen Sujuan. She had been Xue Qielu's secretary in her early years and entered the household because of her beauty.
...
Xue Lu grew up in this "strange" family since he could remember. Outside the house were the high-rise buildings of Lancheng, fashionable and modern; but inside the house was a place of decay, as if the feudal dynasty had left a wisp of its soul here. The Xue family's huge old house was like a magnificent coffin.
After Xue Lu became sensible, he rarely talked about his family with his friends and classmates. His classmates were all legitimate successors of communism, and compared with others, he sometimes felt that he was just a feudal ghost wearing gold and silver.
Although Xue Lu arrived home relatively late, his brothers and sisters had already filled the living room when he entered.
“Not taking any living expenses from home is indeed a sign of your strong will; you weren’t even enthusiastic about Mom’s 60th birthday.” The one who spoke was Xue Lu’s third sister, Xue Rao, who was also the daughter of Li Jinghe, the birthday girl today.
This statement, though seemingly a joke, is actually ironic.
The undercurrents between the third wife and Xue Lu are related to the competition between the first wife and Wen Shuang.
Although Wen Shuangjing has become a nun, she still holds a considerable portion of the Xue family's shares, which Li Jinghe cannot compare to.
A few years ago, Li Jinghe secretly used methods to find media to dig up dirt on the Wen family, trying to force Wen Shuangjing to give up her shares. However, Xue Lu stepped in, found a legal team, and brought the matter out into the open for the Xue family. Xue Qielu, unusually, did not let lust cloud his judgment and made the decision himself, thus saving Wen Shuangjing's shares.
But from then on, the relationship between the third wife and Xue Lu became somewhat delicate.
Xue Lu glanced at Xue Rao and smiled: "In this family, the only one everyone calls 'Mom' is Ms. Wen."
Upon hearing this, the joyful expressions of the third wife and her children instantly froze.
Xue Rao couldn't hold back any longer: "Today is my mother's birthday, and Dad is going to throw a big party. Who gave you the guts to disobey Dad?"
Attorney Xue unbuttoned two buttons on his shirt: "It's probably Chinese law, since the law only recognizes Ms. Wen."
Li Jinghe was the birthday girl today. Her hair was neatly styled, and she wore a blue velvet cheongsam with an extremely expensive jade pendant around her neck. She had been all smiles, but Xue Lu was too sharp, and she couldn't save face. Her thin lips trembled slightly, and the anger she was forcibly suppressing made her face, which wanted to smile but couldn't, look ferocious.
“Lawyer Xue, don’t forget that your mother was also a concubine. Aren’t you even insulting your mother?” Li Jinghe’s voice was calm.
Chen Sujuan was embarrassed. She usually had a good relationship with Li Jinghe, who had given her a lot of money and jewelry in private. Who knew that Xue Lu, that troublesome kid, would have to confront her on her birthday.
Xue Lu took a sip of tea: "My mother did indeed become a concubine, but a concubine should have the demeanor of one, unlike Third Aunt, who was so imposing and self-satisfied."
"you……"
Li Jinghe's eyes were filled with resentment.
"Cough cough..." A coughing sound came, and Xue Qielu walked in.
Everyone in the hall stood up, some calling him "Master" and others calling him "Dad".
Xue Lu was a half-step slower. He stood up and looked at Xue Qielu, only to find that Xue Qielu was also looking at him. The old man pointed at Xue Lu with his finger, gritting his teeth, but still said affectionately, "You... eat!"
The whole family sat around the dining table.
Xue Qielu looked at Li Jinghe: "Tianlan has been busy acquiring two overseas companies recently, and Xue Tan hasn't had time to come back, so he asked me to apologize to you."
Tianlan is a securities group founded by Xue Tan, and it is developing very rapidly.
Li Jinghe said with a kind and understanding expression, "It's a good thing that the child has his own career. Birthdays come every year, so it doesn't matter if he misses one."
Xue Qielu nodded, then looked at Xue Lu: "I heard your hospital has been involved in a dispute recently? The number of views on social media about this matter has exceeded one million."
Xue Tan, also known as Xue Qielu, said: "The rules have already been dealt with."
"That would be best," Xue Qielu said. "Your wife is no pushover either."
"Dad..." Xue Lu's voice carried a warning tone.
Xue Qielu looked displeased, but he didn't want to offend his youngest son. Li Jinghe seized the opportunity and spoke up: "Alu, there are some things your father doesn't want to say because he cares about you. But since you call me Third Aunt, I also treat you as my son, so I'll be frank with some things."
Xue Lu knew that Li Jinghe was playing chess with him, but he didn't stop her from continuing. He was eager to know what moves she would make.
Li Jinghe smiled kindly: "Qinggui... her past romantic history is too complicated, while you... you've been either studying or starting a business since you were young, you're too naive when it comes to relationships. So I've discussed it with your father, and you should bring Qinggui over when you have some free time to sign a prenuptial agreement. Don't worry, our family won't mistreat her. Signing this agreement is just in case..."
Upon hearing this, Xue Lu was furious, but he still managed to control his own money: "What, is it not enough for Third Aunt to take money from the Xue Group? You want to control my money too?"
"Law Xue! How dare you speak to your elders like that?!" Xue Qielu slammed his fist on the table. "Wasn't your third aunt doing this for your own good?!"
"For my own good?" Xue Lu raised an eyebrow: "What parent who truly cares for their son would try to drive a wedge between their son and wife?"
Xue Rao said sarcastically, "Oh, you've grown up, all wings have hardened. Returning your money? Soon it'll be Song Qinggui's money. Don't come begging to your parents after they've swindled you out of everything!"
Li Jinghe's eyes reddened at the right moment: "Alu, I didn't mean anything by it, I was just afraid you would be deceived."
“My affairs are none of your concern, Third Aunt. You should use that time to worry about your own children and make sure they don’t act arrogantly and domineeringly just because their father is rich, thus ruining the family’s reputation.”
“A-Lu, you…” Li Jinghe truly burst into tears this time.
"You unfilial son!" Xue Qielu blushed as well: "How could you become like this for a woman?!"
Just as Xue Lu was about to say something, the banquet hall door was pushed open, and Song Qinggui, dressed in a professional suit, walked in gracefully.
She was carrying a black swan cake, and looking at everything before her, she asked softly, "What's going on?"
Song Qinggui was truly beautiful. The wealthy people of Lancheng called her a beautiful serpent, but only those who had seen her in person realized that she possessed a scholarly air. This quality set her beauty apart, and several sons of the Xue family present were completely captivated.
Ignoring the stares, Song Qinggui placed the cake on the table: "I waited for a long time at the shop, so I'm late. Happy birthday, Third Aunt."
Then she sat down next to Xue Lu, elegant and poised.
Because Xue Lu had said that Song Qinggui would be working overtime today, the Xue family was prepared not to see Song Qinggui.
When a character who was not originally supposed to have any scenes suddenly appears, it takes some time for everyone to get used to it.
Moreover, one shouldn't hit a smiling face, and Song Qinggui's good attitude made everyone feel a little awkward.
However, Song Qinggui did not give them a chance to catch their breath.
Once she was seated, she took a sip of red wine, looked up at Xue Qielu, and smiled calmly, "I can sign the property agreement."
Everyone fell silent instantly.
Only Xue Lu said in a deep voice, "Song Qinggui, how dare you!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
