0113 113 Half a Star
Qi Shuyao is now glad that she merged the contacts on her old and new phones when she was bored, and she still has Xu Chaoyi's number saved. However, she did not dial the number directly, but instead called Xu Du.
In my memory, this young girl should not be an adult yet, but she is already quite skilled at handling overseas asset transfers. After agreeing on a time, Qi Shuyao arranged for Jiang Yu and the other person to stay at the hotel, and only took Chen Luo out.
When she was little, she followed behind Xu Chaoyi. Xu was still very young and would sweetly call her "sister." In order to show her sisterly demeanor, she secretly bought a lot of candy for her little sister. When Xu's mother found out, she laughed and spanked her.
The past is always so beautiful, without a single regret. The car in front of her flies away in an instant, taking away more than just her childhood dreams.
Xu still looks the same as when he was a child, but his overall demeanor has changed. Beneath his calm and mature eyes lies his most primal self.
She saw Qi Shuyao across from her and recognized her almost instantly. Her eyes lit up, and she was so excited she almost jumped up.
Qi Shuyao put a finger to her lips, shook her head at her, and walked away quietly with her head down.
"Sister, it really is you! I knew that voice sounded familiar..."
Xu finished speaking, suppressing his excitement, and then lowered his voice even further.
"I've seen what's happening back home. What is Uncle Qi planning?"
"Dealing with assets is just a pretext. Is your brother still living with you?"
Xu nodded.
"Can you help me arrange to meet him?"
"good."
There was no need to wait until the next day; Xu Du directly called Xu Chaoyi, and in less than half an hour, he appeared before Qi Shuyao.
The man rushed over and shielded her with his body, gripping her shoulders tightly with both hands.
What are you doing here? What happened?
"It's alright, it's alright for now."
"Then come find me..."
Do you know Pei Yuzhou? What kind of person is he?
"He's dead, why are you asking about him?"
"Not the him later, but the him before anyone knew him, the him before your father mentioned him, before he became famous..."
Asking such a question was undoubtedly like stabbing the siblings in the back. Qi Shuyao quickly tried to explain after speaking, but Xu Chaoyi pressed her hand down first.
“My dad often said that he was an ambitious man who would get whatever he wanted. However, his strong desire for promotion only came to light after my dad made a sacrifice.”
"Isn't his family involved in organized crime? How did he manage to get into the police station?"
"The Shen family acted as guarantors for him, but I don't know the specifics of how it was done. I heard from someone that the Shen family said he had separated from the family and would no longer have anything to do with them?"
"What is his relationship with the Shen family? How can the Shen family interfere in inland affairs?"
Qi Shuyao felt her blood run cold, as if she had heard something terrible. Xu Chaoyi, seeing her expression, also found it strange.
"The current head of the Shen family and Pei Yuzhou's father are brothers born of the same father, so they are originally one family. They had a falling out back then, supposedly because two younger members fell in love with the same girl and argued about separating the family. But the people who caused the argument are not important; they are still essentially one family."
Things have overturned her existing understanding and veered in another uncontrollable direction, but the facts are also right in front of her, which only provide further evidence for her guesses.
Raising her disheveled head, she met Xu Chaoyi's concerned gaze and realized they were standing a little too close. She stepped back to create some distance.
Do you hate Pei Yuzhou?
"He has nothing to do with me. My father's death cannot be attributed to him. Besides, he's already dead, and his reputation is so bad that I even feel sorry for him."
"Why?"
“Those crimes certainly weren’t all his fault; in the end, he was the one who took the blame.”
His eyes were bright and sparkling, just like when he was a boy. Qi Shuyao raised her hand and patted his shoulder, forcing a smile.
"Take care here, everyone. Let's get together again sometime. I'm leaving now."
Xu Chaoyi grabbed her wrist and pulled her close, lowering his voice...
"What's going on back home? Why are you here at this time?"
"It's okay, everything's fine. I'll be back soon."
She couldn't bear to look at his concerned eyes any longer, so she ran away.
Chen Luo stayed by her side the whole time and heard most of what happened, but he was slow-witted and couldn't understand many things.
"Miss, why are you asking about Pei Yuzhou's past?"
The agreed-upon location was very close to their lodgings, so the two of them walked straight back. Qi Shuyao explained to him as they walked.
“The night before last, the contact called me. He said that although Pei Yuzhou survived, his body was severely damaged in various ways. He was actually a seriously ill person to begin with. He had been in that room for several years and his mind was not good. He was crazy and couldn't remember some things. He had even forgotten what happened afterward and was calling out ‘Master’ to the blank wall.”
She walked very close to Chen Luo, speaking to him in a low voice, turning her head every now and then. Unable to see the road ahead, a car sped past them, and Chen Luo quickly pulled her back.
"Miss, be careful!"
Although her body was unharmed, Qi Shuyao remained frozen in place. Chen Luo thought she was frightened, so he protected her and walked to the side, shaking her gently.
"Miss? Miss is alright, don't be afraid."
Qi Shuyao turned her eyes back and stared at him.
"You call me Miss because I'm my father's only daughter."
"What are you saying, Miss?"
"Then why did that contact person keep calling me 'Second Miss'?"
Something forgotten flashed through her mind—something she knew but others didn't, and things others knew but she didn't.
Qi Shuyao stood still and turned around. Looking up, she saw the room she had arranged for Jiang Yu, who was leaning against the window, waving at her.
She suddenly realized what was wrong, and at the same time, her phone rang.
The familiar number on the screen made her hair stand on end. She pushed Chen Luo a few steps away, smiled at Jiang Yu, and then answered the phone.
An aged voice seemed to echo in her mind.
"Yao Yao".
"……grandfather."
"How's the matter going?"
"What's wrong?"
"You left your own daughter behind, even for a safe life, to run off and take care of things."
Qi Shuyao took a deep breath. The blazing sun made her breathless, so she took a few steps back and leaned against the wall to steady herself.
"So you're the one behind all of this, right?"
"Your mind works pretty fast."
"Did you even arrange for the production of counterfeit drugs?"
Shu Li seemed to laugh on the other end of the line. He didn't answer directly, but instead changed the subject.
"When you were staying here, you always liked to go to the garden to watch the natural development of the food chain when you were daydreaming, and to pretend to care about some weak creatures, saying that you pitied them because they could not escape the control of fate. But how ridiculous, as if people can escape fate."
"Are people just objects in your eyes that you can kill or live at will?"
"Although Pei Yuzhou's theory is disgusting, you have to admit that he is right. Everyone should make full use of their own value. Useless people can only be used, otherwise their existence is meaningless."
But after he finished speaking, he suddenly seemed like an old man trying to salvage some of his kindness in front of his granddaughter.
"But the counterfeit drug incident has nothing to do with me. They were just too stupid to hand me any evidence against them."
"But the Bei family didn't appear in the news. How do you plan to use them?"
"They are the most cowardly, but also the most obedient capitalists. As long as you have their weaknesses, they will give you everything. Zhu Jiangxu is the same. They can separate their own brothers for the future and for profit, but in the struggle for profit, they will firmly stand on the side of their own family. However, I was too late and had Qi Yu send him to you."
Do you want me to send him back?
"I'll keep it for you for now. Qi Yu knows perfectly well that I'm going to use Zhu Jiangxu to push him to your side. You can't be that confused about why, can you?"
"Grandpa, how much do you really know? Pei Yuzhou faked his death, you didn't know from the beginning, did you?"
“Speaking of him, I forgot to introduce him to you, but your bodyguard has already met him. Our family’s real butler, Tong Kai, is the contact person you mentioned.”
Qi Shuyao leaned against the wall, one hand in her pocket, and suddenly relaxed.
"Grandpa, tell me about the past, the real history."
Where would you like to start listening?
"When you were my age."
“When I was your age, your grandmother was already with me, and your father was born. At that time, I had a best friend, but now I've forgotten his name. I only remember that he had a son, born in winter, whom we called Xiao Dongzi. That child was incredibly bright; of all the children, he learned things the fastest. The Shu family and the Gu family have always been the closest of powerful and influential families, one in the public eye and the other behind the scenes, enjoying equal wealth and luxury. I thought everything would continue peacefully, but they set their sights on my son. Your father is indecisive, idle, and pleasure-seeking, but none of that matters. He could have lived a carefree and ordinary life, but he was led astray by Xiao Dongzi from the Gu family. He took him to chaotic dance halls. With you sisters, I could tolerate all of that, but in the end, he got him involved in gambling, and I will never forgive him.”
What is your relationship with the Guan family?
“He is my adopted son, and I am his father’s killer.”
Shu Li was frighteningly honest with her, letting her hear too many bloody stories behind the power struggles. He was indeed powerful and ruthless to a certain extent, but he was still a slave to power, trapped by the string called power from mind to body.
"So, what does Grandpa want me to do today?"
“I know you have a lot of grievances against me, and I’m being honest with you. As for our relationship and feelings, I can only barely maintain a balance between my feelings for you and my exploitation of you. The most appropriate thing between us should be a transaction, or even a transaction that benefits you.”
"What?"
"Pushing Qi Yu up is a last resort right now, but it suits his wishes just the way it is. I can guarantee that you two will enjoy wealth and high status, but when I no longer need you, you will have to give up this position. I will not contact Qi Yu now; you can talk to him about these things."
"What if I don't tell you?"
"Your daughter is almost three years old now, would you like to let her meet her father?"
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