On the way, Lin Xiao focused on driving and wasn't in a very good mood.
Bai Youyou sat in the passenger seat, stealing glances at Lin Xiao every now and then.
After a moment of silence, Bai Youyou tentatively asked, "Senior, are you in a bad mood?"
Lin Xiao kept his gaze fixed on the road ahead and answered calmly, "A little."
"Why? Is it because of Brother Feng Qi? Don't you want him to come back?"
"That's not the reason."
"Oh." Bai Youyou wanted to ask more, but looking at Lin Xiao's profile, her intuition told her that it was best not to annoy him anymore, so she shut her mouth.
After a while, Bai Youyou pointed to her fingers and said, "Senior, I'm going to see Brother Feng Qi. I don't mean anything by it, I just haven't seen him in a long time and I want to see him."
Lin Xiao gave a nonchalant "hmm".
At that moment, he had something more important on his mind.
Back at the Feng family home, everyone from the old house came over, and the living room was bustling with activity, even more festive than during the Lunar New Year.
Old Yang was hanging a red ribbon on a weeping crabapple tree at the gate of the courtyard when he saw Lin Xiao return. He was slightly taken aback at first, then chuckled and said, "Young Master Xiao, Young Master Qi is back. The old lady and the others are all here. Please come in and take a look."
Lin Xiao nodded slightly and quickly walked inside.
Bai Youyou gripped Lin Xiao's clothes tightly, lowered her head, and followed him inside.
Old Yang stared blankly at Lin Xiao's retreating figure, then sighed softly, thinking to himself, "Young Master Feng Qi is back. Young Master Feng Xiao is going to be in an awkward position. After all, he's not Madam's biological son."
Actually, after spending this time together, Lao Yang really liked Lin Xiao because Lin Xiao didn't have the typical spoiled brat attitude and always treated him with respect.
As soon as Lin Xiao entered the living room, the atmosphere in the house immediately became somewhat subtly cold and stiff.
But it was only for a brief moment.
Feng Bairan smiled and waved to Lin Xiao, "Ah Xiao, come over here quickly, you two brothers meet."
Lin Xiao strode over, his gaze landing on Feng Qi, who was surrounded by admirers.
It had been a year since I last saw Feng Qi, and he looked uglier. His whole demeanor was no longer the clean, sunny, and handsome one he used to be; instead, he looked somewhat dejected and bleak, as if he had aged ten years in an instant.
Lin Xiao was startled and couldn't help but wonder what had happened to Feng Qi.
In contrast, Lin Xiao in Feng Qi's eyes was a refreshing sight—tall, handsome, clean-cut, and noble—which made Feng Qi feel ashamed of himself and a little jealous.
The two brothers just looked at each other without saying a word.
Grandma Feng said with a smile, "Back then, Mr. Ya Ru's son, Qi'er, was born a few hours later than A Xiao. A Xiao, you should call Qi'er 'brother'."
This is how the order of seniority and rank between the two brothers was established.
Feng Qi is Li Yaru's eldest son, while Lin Xiao is an illegitimate child. Therefore, the inheritance of the Feng family will definitely fall to Feng Qi.
Lin Xiao's future will be spent making a living under Feng Qi's control, which is far worse than Feng Changsong's current situation.
Because Feng Changsong and Feng Bairan are brothers, with the old lady keeping them in check, Feng Bairan dared not treat his younger brother badly. The old lady also upheld the idea of treating everyone equally and often secretly subsidized Feng Changsong and his wife.
Feng Bairan and his wife knew about it, but they were reasonable people and didn't make a fuss about it.
Over the years, Lin Xiao has experienced the coldness and warmth of human relationships and has long understood that no one in this world can be relied on but oneself. Originally, as an illegitimate child, he did not want to compete for the Feng family's property, but now that he knows he is the real young master, he has no need to give way.
No one will praise his sacrifice for being tolerant and suffering injustice; on the contrary, he will continue to suffer injustice for the rest of his life.
He's not stupid; he wouldn't do something so foolish.
Seeing Lin Xiao remain silent, Feng Qi called out first: "Little brother, I'm so glad that you've been with Mom, Dad, and Grandma while I was away."
As he spoke, Feng Qi walked over, opened his arms, and was about to hug Lin Xiao, putting on a show of brotherly affection.
Lin Xiao felt uneasy, especially after learning that Feng Qi had taken credit for saving Meng Fanxue, and now he was even trying to usurp the position and become Feng Qi's older brother.
Lin Xiao took a step back, his dark eyes fixed on Feng Qi, trying to discern from his gaze whether he knew he was an imposter.
Feng Qi was a little embarrassed and looked at Feng Bairan for help.
The others' gazes toward Lin Xiao shifted from surprise to dissatisfaction and disappointment.
Aunt Cai Jinlan laughed and tried to smear Lin Xiao, saying, "That child, Xiao, is quite ambitious. He originally thought that since Qi'er wouldn't come back, the Feng family's assets would fall into his hands. You're wrong about that. The Feng family's assets belong to all the Feng family's descendants; it's impossible for any one person to take them all for themselves."
Uncle Feng Changsong also reprimanded him with a stern face: "Yes. Feng Xiao, I was praising you in front of your parents before, and now you're so immature, it really disappoints me. It's better not to be too greedy."
Lin Xiao didn't take the couple's words to heart. He looked at Li Yaru and could tell that she didn't look too good either.
She must feel the same way they do, that she was being too greedy.
Li Yaru frowned, her lips pressed tightly together, and remained silent the entire time.
She was trying her best to suppress her anger. She was indeed very dissatisfied with Lin Xiao's attitude, thinking that he was too greedy. However, she did not immediately accuse Lin Xiao because she was still mindful of the mother-son relationship that she had finally managed to build with him.
Although her biological son has returned, Lin Xiao is ultimately the product of her husband's betrayal. Human hearts are inherently selfish, but Li Yaru is still somewhat reluctant to sever this bond.
Feng Bairan was both disappointed and helpless. He raised his hand to slap Lin Xiao, but Lin Xiao remained unmoved. His stubborn gaze softened Feng Bairan's heart, and he withdrew his hand, letting out a heavy sigh.
"Ah Xiao, Qi'er is your brother, whether you acknowledge it or not, that's a fact. The Feng family's assets are still with your grandmother, uncle, and me; it's not your place to covet them. If you're not happy to acknowledge Qi'er as your brother, then go back to school, calm down, and think clearly about what's truly important," Feng Bairan said in a heavy tone.
Feng Qi looked at Lin Xiao, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes. He thought to himself, "With your status as an illegitimate child, you still want to compete with me? You're really overestimating yourself."
Lin Xiao didn't miss Feng Qi's gaze. He stared into Feng Qi's eyes and said slowly, "I disagree because I am the older brother, and Feng Qi is the younger brother!"
His pupils constricted in shock, his expression clearly showing some panic, but he stubbornly retorted, "Lin Xiao, what nonsense are you talking about? Dad, Mom, and Grandma all know about this. Just because you say you're the older brother doesn't mean you're the older brother!"
Lin Xiao's lips curled into a faint smile: "Oh, so you knew!"
Feng Qi met Lin Xiao's sharp gaze and asked nervously, "What do I know?"
"You know you're the one who's usurped my place!" Lin Xiao stared at Feng Qi, his eyes full of amusement.
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