Chapter 402 Extra Chapter, Xiao Huan X Xiao Xu (Part 1) The Canary of the Xiao Family?
"Clap, clap clap clap—!"
"Ouch, ouch, ouch—!!"
"Waaaa, brother, please stop hitting me!!!"
Inside one of the Xiao family's sleeping quarters, Xiao Huan's wailing and howling could be heard continuously, causing the guards to shake their heads helplessly.
Since this young master Xiao Huan was found, he has been beaten every few days, and they have long since become accustomed to it.
"Brother, I was really wrong!!"
At this moment, Xiao Huan was pinned to Xiao Xu's lap and was being beaten by Xiao Xu, whose face was full of malice. He cried out and his face was covered in tears. He struggled to get up and escape, but Xiao Xu restrained him in one go.
"Tell me, what did you do wrong?!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Huan pursed his lips and immediately looked troubled.
In this situation, any answer will be wrong.
Therefore, Xiao Huan, who was mischievous since childhood, always had many ways of dealing with things and knew how to be opportunistic and how to avoid getting a beating.
But there was one exception: the eldest brother, Xiao Xu, standing right in front of him.
No matter how he answered, he couldn't escape being beaten, so much so that he was afraid of Xiao Xu from a young age and not very close to him.
"Are you mute? Speak!" Xiao Xu's face was icy cold, and his bloodshot eyes looked extremely frightening.
Xiao Huan looked at himself, his body trembling, and stammered, "I...I shouldn't have stayed out all night...I just drank too much, I...I'll never do it again..."
"Won't?"
"What will you do if you do it again in the future?"
Xiao Xu seemed to have no intention of listening to his reply. Instead, he grabbed his ankle and said fiercely, "Why don't you just cut it off? That way, you won't be able to escape anymore!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Huan's face turned deathly pale. Looking at his face, half of which was reddened by the candlelight, his eyes were exceptionally sharp. He trembled all over in fear, "Waaah, brother... don't scare me!"
Seeing Xiao Huan hiccuping and crying out in fear, Xiao Xu's icy expression softened slightly, and he gently patted Xiao Huan's back.
"You drank too much this time, but what about the time before that? During the days you were kidnapped, the entire Xiao family was on tenterhooks, and things were in complete chaos!"
Hearing Xiao Xu's reprimand, Xiao Huan gradually stopped sobbing, lowered his eyes and complained softly, "But I can't just stay home all the time, and besides, if I weren't the young master of the family, those people wouldn't bother with me..."
Xiao Xu frowned and looked at him for a moment, then reached out and wiped away the tears on his cheek. "You are the only direct descendant of the Xiao family. You cannot escape your identity and responsibilities. Why not try to accept them?"
Xiao Huan lowered his eyes, sniffed, and fiddled with the pattern on Xiao Xu's clothes. "Brother, I'm used to being idle, and I'm simply not cut out to be the head of the family. There are many things I really can't do..."
"Don't be afraid, your brother will help you."
"But you've managed the Xiao family quite well, so why must I take over?"
"Sigh, it's not just about bloodlines; it's also something we agreed upon with your father." Xiao Xu leaned back in his chair, as if all his strength had been drained, staring unfocusedly out the window. He sighed, "Besides..."
Seeing that he didn't continue, Xiao Huan couldn't help but ask curiously, "Besides what?"
Xiao Xu withdrew his gaze, looked at the person in his arms who was staring at him, and smiled: "It's nothing, you should eat. I asked the cook to make your favorite dishes."
"I don't want to eat..." Seeing his pale face, Xiao Huan explained shyly, "My butt hurts..."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Xu's eyes flickered slightly. He pulled down the man's pants, revealing that his buttocks were bright red and faintly bluish-purple. "Who told you to always make me angry?"
Although she scolded him, she had already summoned the best medicine and carefully applied it to his wound. In just a short while, the bruise disappeared before his eyes.
"Alright, get up and go eat."
Not hearing his response, Xiao Xu turned his head to look and couldn't help but chuckle.
Xiao Huan had his eyes closed and was lying on his lap, having fallen asleep sometime earlier.
This unguarded appearance caused Xiao Xu to slightly withdraw his hand from his hips, his Adam's apple bobbed a few times in the shadows, and his cicada-wing-like eyelashes trembled slightly with restraint.
After a long while, he picked up the sleeping Xiao Huan and gently placed him on the soft bed, then bent down and kissed his smooth forehead.
"Xiao Huan, sweet dreams."
However, it seems that Xiao Xu's words had no effect.
That night, Xiao Huan was plagued by nightmares, mostly of the times he was bullied by his three older brothers when he was a child. Some of the scenes were so blurry that he forgot them the moment he opened his eyes.
It seems very important, but I just can't remember it.
He leaned against the headboard to rouse himself, when the maids heard the commotion and filed in to serve him attentively.
"Young master, please eat quickly."
After being cleaned up by the maids, Xiao Huan sat down, yawning and looking exhausted. He then realized that Xiao Xu was nowhere to be seen. "Lvyun, where is the eldest young master?"
Green Cloud lowered her head and fiddled with the bowls and chopsticks, her expression unreadable, and said, "Master, he left the manor last night and it seems he hasn't returned yet."
"Oh..." Xiao Huan picked up the food the maid brought him and chewed it casually. "Did something happen? Why is he out so late?"
"Hmm?" Green Cloud said casually, "It should be nothing serious. The patriarch often goes out on errands late at night, so don't worry!"
Upon hearing her words, Xiao Huan immediately lost his appetite and slowly put down the bowl in his hand. "Over the years... has he often done this?"
Upon hearing this, Green Cloud paused in her serving, looking at his hesitant expression, before simply giving a soft "hmm".
Xiao Huan clenched his chopsticks, not missing the disgust in her eyes, and continued eating the food in his bowl with his head down. "You can go now. You don't need to serve me anymore."
Upon hearing his words, Green Cloud's face stiffened, and after a moment she said, "Young Master, this servant has something to say, but I don't know if I should say it!"
Xiao Huan glanced at her indifferently, lifted the cloth covering the dishes on the small plate, and reached for the food he wanted. "Speak up, you seem so eager to eat."
"Since that's the case, then this servant will dare to speak frankly."
Green Cloud's eyes were full of dissatisfaction. "Although you are the direct heir of the Xiao family, you are so unambitious and have no sense of responsibility. You are not worthy of everything the clan has given you!"
"Oh? So?" Xiao Huan sipped his porridge casually, not even looking up at her, and continued, "Get to the point."
Green Cloud lightly bit her red lips, "The Xiao family's glory today is mostly due to the eldest young master's hard work. If you really have no interest in the position of family head, why not leave the Xiao family and cut off their hopes?"
Xiao Huan looked up at her and sneered, "Ha, I've never seen anything like this before. A maid I picked up from who-knows-where dares to presume to tell her master to leave?"
Green Cloud's face turned ugly, and she snorted coldly: "What I said is the truth. You are utterly hopeless and your existence will only be an obstacle!"
"Obstacles?" Xiao Huan sized her up for a moment, then leaned back in his chair and sneered, "Is it the family's obstacle, or yours?"
Seeing his mocking gaze, Lüyun's face turned ugly. "This servant doesn't know what you mean."
Xiao Huan didn't bother to explain, and simply waved his hand at her, "Go out."
Green Cloud bowed slightly, turned around and walked out quickly, then slammed the door shut.
At this moment, only Xiao Huan remained in the room. He buried his head in his food without saying a word, as if he had a fishbone stuck in his throat and could not swallow it.
A moment later, he suddenly smashed the bowl in his hand, the shattered pieces of porcelain scattered on the ground, and he slumped back in his chair, staring blankly at the ceiling.
"You make it sound like I really want to come back..."
The commotion had naturally alerted the guards, who rushed in warily, only to be chased away by Xiao Huan.
Seeing the young master suddenly lose his temper, everyone exchanged glances and then withdrew.
Xiao Huan got up and walked towards the inner hall, feeling even more aggrieved.
In fact, he always knew that few people in the Xiao family treated him as a proper master, so he often felt that ignoring him might make life easier.
He overlooked one thing: a look can kill.
It was as if soft knives, like white silk, were strangling his breath, slowly suffocating him to death.
...
Seven days later, Xiao Xu returned home after going out.
Upon returning, they discovered that Xiao Huan had not only lost weight but also appeared quite depressed.
Only after asking the maid did they learn that he had been frequently throwing tantrums and had barely eaten anything these past few days.
Xiao Xu asked him several times, but he avoided answering each time, which gave him a real headache.
"Green Cloud, what exactly happened to the young master while I was away from the manor?"
Green Cloud paused in her work, concealing the guilt in her eyes, and said, "No, he stayed in his room the whole time and never left the manor."
Seeing Xiao Xu frowning as if deep in thought, Green Cloud placed a cup of tea on her plate and cautiously inquired, "Patriarch, what exactly happened?"
Hearing her question, Xiao Xu simply waved his hand at her, "It's nothing, you can go now."
Seeing that Xiao Xu seemed to be alright, Lü Yun breathed a sigh of relief, lowered her eyes, bowed, and left the room.
The next day.
Xiao Huan was leisurely sunbathing in the backyard, fiddling with his fishing gear with some impatience, when suddenly two servants strode over and invited him to the council hall, which had nothing to do with him.
Immediately, he had a bad feeling, so he got up somewhat reluctantly and asked, "What is it?"
"I do not know."
Xiao Huan clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction and helplessly put down the fishing rod in his hand. "Let's go."
Although he had some idea of what was going on, he didn't expect such a grand spectacle. He glanced around and found that almost all the clan elders were present, sitting upright and looking at him, which almost made him stumble and twist his ankle.
Xiao Xu, who was in the main seat, put down his teacup, waved to him, and said with a smile, "Xiao Huan, come here quickly."
"oh……"
Xiao Huan responded softly, then walked towards him somewhat timidly, asking in a low voice, "Brother, what is this...?"
Xiao Xu smiled and gestured for him to sit down first, "You'll find out soon enough."
Helpless, Xiao Huan could only sit down. He felt extremely uncomfortable sitting next to him, and his mind was racing.
"Alright, now that everyone is here, let's begin the meeting." Xiao Xu said from the side, "There is something I need to announce after gathering everyone here today."
"Three days from now, I will pass the position of family head to Xiao Huan. I hope that everyone in the clan will continue to do their best to assist the new family head."
"I disagree!" Xiao Huan stood up abruptly. Seeing everyone in the hall looking at him, he rolled his eyes and said timidly, "I... I just got back, and there are still many family matters that I don't understand. Isn't this too hasty?"
"Xiao Huan, don't panic." Xiao Xu patted his shoulder and smiled gently at him: "Brother will help you."
"Yes, that's perfect." At this moment, an elderly man with white hair and beard on the head seat below said with satisfaction, "Xiao Huan is the rightful heir of the Xiao family."
As soon as he spoke, many people echoed his words, while many others looked at Xiao Huan with complicated expressions and furrowed brows.
Xiao Huan, sitting in the main seat, clearly saw the situation before him. He frowned and pondered for a long time before saying in a deep voice, "I will not be the head of the family!"
Upon hearing this, the council hall fell silent. The elderly man at the head of the table stood up. "Xiao Huan, don't be ridiculous!"
"Uncle, I'm not being silly!"
Xiao Huan looked at Xiao Xu beside him, his eyes filled with guilt. "Since Father's passing, the Xiao family has been declining and on the verge of collapse. Everything has been handled and managed by my brother. This is not fair to him!"
"He's just an adopted son, how can he inherit the Xiao family's vast fortune!"
Xiao Huan: "If it weren't for your adopted son, who has been working tirelessly to protect the Xiao family, this little bit of family property would have been completely divided up long ago!"
"you--!"
At this moment, everyone in the hall fell silent, all watching the two locked in a stalemate.
"Xiao Huan, you can't be so rude." Xiao Xu patted his shoulder, gesturing for him to apologize quickly.
Xiao Huan naturally knew that he had indeed offended his elder, and bowed apologetically to him, "Uncle, it's all my fault, please forgive me."
"Hmph, I wouldn't dare! I'm nearing the end of my life, and there are many things I can no longer manage!"
After saying that, he turned and left angrily, leaving behind a crowd of people gossiping.
"Quiet!" Xiao Xu's authoritative voice rang out, and the hall immediately fell silent. "The preparations for the ceremony will remain unchanged. You will all perform your duties and begin preparations."
"yes!"
As everyone dispersed, Xiao Huan left in a huff, his face full of displeasure.
"Hey, Xiao Huan!"
Watching the person leave quickly, Xiao Xu was also full of helplessness, and followed him all the way back to his palace.
"Okay, don't be angry."
"Shouldn't I be angry?" Xiao Huan said. "Shouldn't you have discussed this with me before making this decision? You've caught me completely off guard!"
Xiao Xu: "You don't need to prepare anything, I've arranged everything for you."
"Arrange it for me?"
Xiao Huan's pent-up anger finally erupted, "Am I an inanimate object? You can do whatever you want with me! Did you even ask for my opinion?!"
"Xiao Huan..."
Xiao Xu didn't expect him to be so emotional, so he stepped forward, put his arm around him, and comforted him, "If you're really not ready, then I'll postpone this."
"Knock knock knock!"
Just then, there was a knock on the door from outside, and a maidservant said timidly, "Master, it's ready."
"Come in."
With a creak, the door opened, and a maid entered carrying two bowls of noodle soup. She then gently placed them on the table and left.
"Noodles?" Xiao Huan asked, puzzled. "What are these for?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Xu's eyes flashed with disappointment. He pulled him to sit on a stool and said, "I noticed you didn't eat much for lunch, so I figured you must be hungry. That's why I had the kitchen make some noodles."
"I don't want to eat."
Xiao Xu stirred the noodles with his chopsticks, feigning sadness as he sighed, "Today is my brother's birthday. Are you not even willing to share a bowl of longevity noodles with him?"
"Birthday?!" Xiao Huan's face showed surprise, and after a moment he said with deep remorse, "I'm sorry, brother, I..."
He really forgot!
A wave of guilt washed over her, and she quickly picked up the chopsticks on the table and began to wolf down her food, mumbling, "Brother, you eat too!"
Seeing his expression, Xiao Xu smiled and said, "Eat slowly, there's more here."
Hearing his words, Xiao Huan felt even more guilty, "Brother..."
Xiao Xu: "Hmm?"
Xiao Huan: "Why are you so good to me?"
Xiao Xu smiled: "Idiot, what do you think?"
Xiao Xu's undisguised affection made Xiao Huan's cheeks burn. He stirred the noodles in his bowl to hide his shyness and embarrassment, saying, "I'm not stupid..."
Looking at his adorable appearance, Xiao Xu suddenly seemed to remember something, took out something, stood up and put it on him, saying, "Don't lose it."
Xiao Huan held the object hanging around his neck and asked in confusion, "What is this?"
"Longevity Lock".
"ah?"
Seeing him lower his eyes, Xiao Xu frowned and asked, "You don't like it?"
Xiao Huan: "No, I like it... It's just that today is my brother's birthday, but I haven't prepared anything. How can I accept my brother's gift?"
"You've already given it."
"Um?"
Just as Xiao Huan was wondering what was going on, he suddenly felt his body lighten and was being lifted up in his arms. "Brother, what are you doing?!"
"Unwrap the gifts."
After saying this, Xiao Xu placed him on the bed, slowly and deliberately untied his belt, staring intently at him with lust churning in his eyes like magma, as if he were about to lose control at any moment.
Perhaps the gaze was too intense, for Xiao Huan blushed crimson. "No, no! It's still broad daylight!"
"It's okay, we can keep going until dark."
"???!"
...
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