Inside the Sigour Estate, as soon as Gu Mai stepped off his private jet, the butler bowed and greeted him.
"Master, you're back!"
Looking tired and exhausted, Gu Mai didn't bother to pay attention and went straight back to his room.
Seeing the documents on the table that had arrived at the manor even before him was truly disheartening.
The position of head of the family, which he had worked so hard to obtain, was becoming increasingly dull and uninteresting.
There was a light knock on the door. "Come in."
The butler only entered after hearing Gu Mai's voice.
"Master, this afternoon tea is specially prepared for you to replenish your strength and restore your spirit."
Two plates of snacks and a cup of steaming milk tea were placed in front of Gu Mai.
Gu Mai glanced at it with raised eyelids, then waved his hand, "Okay, go out first."
The butler bowed, took a few steps back, and left, his head bowed, but his gaze remained fixed on Gu Mai's direction.
Gu Mai had barely closed his eyes when his phone's notification ring woke him up.
Looking at the name displayed on the screen, he answered impatiently, "What is it now?"
Before anyone could even say hello, an anxious voice came through the receiver, "It's bad, Master, our shipment has been seized!"
Gu Mai sat up straight, his voice rising, "What did you say? Didn't I tell you to use smuggling ships? How come someone is investigating?"
"Yes...yes, I don't know what happened. The royal family issued an order to strictly inspect ships entering the port without any public announcement. We...we don't know what happened either. This afternoon, the captain said that their ship had been detained by customs, and the cargo inside had also been seized."
Gu Mai's already aching head throbbed even more from this incident.
He took a couple of deep breaths to calm down a bit, and said to the person on the other end of the phone, "No matter what means you use, make the captain find a way to cover it up himself. This matter cannot be related to Si Ge."
After saying that, Gu Mai hung up the phone without waiting for a response from the other person.
He pressed his slender fingers against his temples and gently massaged them, only then did he feel the strange sensations in his mind subside slightly.
I picked up the slightly cooled cup in front of me and took a sip, a bitter taste filling my mouth.
He frowned and put down the cup.
Since Jiang Jiayao stepped down, the Sige family's businesses in Jiangcheng have not only lost their room for growth, but they also feel strained whenever Fu Siming puts in even a little effort.
Not to mention that Orland was behind it all. For so many years, he had not been able to find out anything about the feud between Sige and Orland. So why would Orland want to trip him up in Jiangcheng?
These actions were noticed even by the old folks in the family, and some of them couldn't keep it to themselves and wanted to bring it up.
One of the reasons Gu Mai came back this time was this. He always felt that the old man had left him a leaky, broken bucket, and more importantly, he couldn't find the hole himself.
Thinking about how he had struggled to emerge from a group of heirs and ended up with a mess, he felt speechless and wanted to laugh.
When it was time for dinner, the old butler came to the study to tidy up again. Seeing the little milk tea left in the cup, he nodded casually.
Gu Mai stared at the movements in his hands and pondered for a while.
Noticing his gaze, the old butler quickened his pace, carrying the tray and bowing as he prepared to leave: "Master, you may go down for your meal."
"Wait!" His voice interrupted her steps as she was about to retreat. "I remember that ever since we arrived in St. George, Lauren, you've been following the old patriarch, haven't you?"
His tone carried a hint of scrutiny.
"Yes, Lord, I am returning home."
"Oh?" He raised his voice. "Then do you know what happened between Scott and Orland in the past?"
The butler paused slightly, then quickly replied, "No, patriarch. As families that coexist and restrain each other in S country, even if there were conflicts between the S family and the Orland family, the royal family would intervene to resolve them, wouldn't they? You're overthinking it. There are no conflicts or contradictions between the two families."
A rhetorical question threw the problem back at him, and although the answer seemed watertight, it aroused Gu Mai's suspicion.
Knowing he wouldn't get anything out of him, he nodded in agreement.
"Yes, you're right. Okay, you can go down now, I'll be down in a bit."
The old butler was the old man's confidant. Even after his death, his will stipulated that he should continue to sit in his original position. If he were not going to speak, it would be difficult to get anything out of the Sigour Manor.
As Lauren closed the door, she felt a sense of relief mixed with unease. Why would the head of the family ask such a question? There had never been a single mishap in all this time.
How exactly are those people doing things over there? His expression changed slightly, but he quickly returned to normal.
When Gu Mai went downstairs, he found that Gu Mi was also there today, looking at him with a face full of resentment.
Ignoring him completely, he sat down in the main seat, picked up his knife and fork, as if he had no idea that Gu Mi was also eating at the same table.
Gu Mi was so angry that he slammed his wine glass down on the table covered with a napkin, making a dull thud.
"I thought my brother would make a name for himself in Jiangcheng when Father handed Sige over to my brother, but it turns out he's nothing special."
It was perfectly fitting for him to utter sarcastic and cynical remarks, since fierce competition was no secret within the Sige family.
There was no pretense of brotherly affection or respect between the brothers; instead, they were constantly at odds, vying for power and resources, a scene that even the servants found commonplace.
Despite Gu Mi's repeated mockery, the servants' actions of withdrawing the pieces from the game board remained orderly.
Gu Mai seemed completely unaffected, and even ate a lot.
He picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth. "My dear brother, you can't even eat in peace. I don't know how you define my wisdom in Jiangcheng, but I did learn a saying in China: 'Don't talk while eating or sleeping.' I think you're not hungry yet, otherwise you might choke."
After saying that, he stood up and said, "Take your time eating, I'm leaving now."
He turned around, and the slight upturn of his lips disappeared.
Seeing him like this, Gu Mi was so angry that his liver hurt, so he threw down his chopsticks and left the table.
On the way back to his study, Gu Mai's face was as black as ink. The servants all lowered their heads and walked past him quickly without saying a word.
It was late at night when I finished processing all the documents on the table. I received a message on my phone from my assistant that afternoon, saying that the matter with the captain had been resolved.
He walked to the window and looked at the dense, deep trees outside, casting dappled light on the ground.
The head of the household's study has a really good view.
Perhaps it was the milk tea with extra tea leaves in the afternoon, but Gu Mai felt much clearer-headed than when he got off the plane.
Staring at the spot of those specks of light and shadow for a long time, it seemed as if I could see a young couple embracing under the tree.
Gu Mai almost laughed, but shook his head. There was clearly nothing under the tree.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
