Chapter 24

Tang Wan had just returned to the company after meeting with a client when the secretary told her that Xu Yao had arrived.

Thinking of the beating incident at school, she immediately walked towards her office. Xu Yao would always go to the office to wait for her.

As a result, after walking a few steps, she saw Xu Yinyin coming out of an office. Through the half-open door, she saw the tall Xu Yao and the tightly drawn curtains.

Actually, this was the first time Xu Yinyin and Xu Yao met. What on earth brought them together to discuss something so secretive?

Thinking of Xu Yinyin's thoughts, Tang Wan felt inexplicably fearful. Did she reveal all her negative information to Xu Yao in an attempt to alienate them?

Thinking of this, she could no longer sit still and walked over in a hurry.

Xu Yao was not surprised by his mother's arrival. He calmly pressed the remote control, opened the curtains, and then asked calmly, "Why are you here?"

"I should ask you this question. Why are you here? Don't you have classes this afternoon?"

"Today is the monthly exam, so we have a holiday in the afternoon."

"The monthly exam is coming up so soon?" Tang Wan couldn't help but be surprised. She felt like school had only started a few days ago.

Xu Yao did not respond, but just gave her a bland look, as if to say, you have never cared about my affairs.

After receiving the accusatory look, Tang Wan explained guiltily, "Mum has been busy negotiating the merger with TK recently, and she is too busy to attend to anything else. That's why I asked your cousin to go to school. Next time, Mom will go in person."

"What? You think the trouble I caused was not enough? Do you want to do it again?" Xu Yao snorted and laughed, with a hint of pain in his eyes.

"No, Mom knows you're a good kid. What happened today is definitely not your fault. It must be--"

"Since you trust me so much, why don't you help me get justice?" There was a hint of aggression in Xu Yao's eyes.

"I, I'm busy."

"Yes, you are busy, busy 365 days a year, busy fighting for power, busy partying every night, but never busy with your son. If you are so busy, why do you have time to get married and have children? Oh, I remember, you need a son as a bargaining chip to gain a firm foothold in the Xu family, right?"

"Xu Yao!" Tang Wan's face darkened. "Is this something a son should say to his mother?"

Xu Yao held up his hands, "A son's respect for his parents depends on the parents' equal care and love for their sons. May I ask, do you have that?"

"you!"

"I know you didn't go today because you were afraid of being embarrassed. After all, it was my father who got into this romantic debt, so he should be the one to go."

"Who told you that it was your father's fault? Was it Xu Yinyin?"

Tang Wan was shocked and also angry because of Xu Yinyin's outspoken mouth. How could she talk about her parents' shameful secrets in front of her children?

"See, this is your problem. Whenever you encounter a problem, you always blame it on others and never look for the reason in yourself. My cousin is not that idle. Shen Sheng told me in person that my father slept with his stepmother."

Tang Wan shuddered violently. She had not expected this move, and she was even more surprised when he called Xu Yinyin "cousin".

Does Xu Yao trust Xu Yinyin so much? It’s obviously just the first time they met. What kind of magic potion did she feed him?

Xu Yao continued, "But this is not important. I don't like his behavior anyway. I'm used to this kind of humiliation. But what makes me disappointed is that this is clearly your fault, but you want me to pay for it. Do you think this is fair?"

"It is said that parents are the guides of their children, and their every word and action affects their children. But my parents are different. They are the pavers of their children, and every move they make is blocking my way back. There is not a day that I don't want to leave this family, and I have been working hard for this."

Xu Yao looked at Tang Wan and said with unprecedented indifference and calmness: "I'm going to say this now. I won't take a single cent of Grandpa's property. You and my father should fight for what you want. Don't even think of using me as a tool to get involved in your bottom-line fight. If you push me to the limit, I will directly ask Grandpa to remove my name from the household registration book. Or, I can just disappear from this world, dust to dust, earth to earth."

After saying this, Xu Yao walked around Tang Wan and left.

Tang Wan stared at his resolute back in a daze. Her legs went limp and she fell onto the sofa, muttering, "From dust to dust, from ashes to ashes--"

Then, she quickly stood up and roared at Xu Yao's back: "Xu Yao, you can't do this to me. I am your mother, and no son can be so cruel to his mother."

Xu Yao paused, tilted his head slightly and said, "Really? Then let me be the first one."

Tang Wan's eyes went dark and she staggered against the door, as if all her strength had been drained away.

Xue Weiwei, who was delivering the information, saw this scene. She tried hard to suppress her excitement at encountering such a big thing, and hurried forward to support.

Tang Wan stood up with the help of this external force, took a deep breath, tidied her slightly messy clothes, and coldly told her to call Xu Yinyin.

She must figure out what she had done to Xu Yao.

After receiving the instructions, Xu Yinyin walked away puzzled.

[Weiwei said that Second Aunt and Xu Yao seemed to have a quarrel. She asked me to go over and try to stop them. Help, I really don’t want to get involved in this kind of family fight.]

[Xu Yao is a rebellious person, no one can persuade him, you just go through the motions.]

[Tsk, why is my second uncle's family so complicated? One is the heir, and the other married into a wealthy family. Isn't it good to be a law-abiding person? Why do they have to fight? ]

[Human nature is greedy. We always feel that it is not enough, so we fight. ]

【Why!】

Xu Yinyin did not comment on this personal choice. She had finally married into a wealthy family, so she lived her life in an orderly manner and was content with what she had. Other things were not within her consideration.

Xu Yinyin exhaled a heavy breath and pushed the door open, "Boss Tang, you're looking for me?"

"Come in and sit down. I'll talk to you after I sign this document."

"oh."

Xu Yinyin sat down in the chair opposite the desk in an orderly manner, with her legs crossed and her hands on her legs, feeling reserved and awkward.

Tang Wan caught a glimpse of her nervous look at the moment and found it funny.

If you haven't listened to your true feelings, she will think that the girl is cautious and dutiful, but once she eats the melon, you will be shocked.

Her courage must have been caused by swallowing thunder and lightning. She dares to say anything and eat anything!

After Tang Wan signed the last contract, she put it aside and looked up at her, a gentle smile slowly blooming on her face, "Are you used to working with my aunt?"

"I'm used to it." She nodded quickly.

[She wouldn't want me to be a spy and monitor my sister-in-law, right? ]

Tang Wan sneered in her heart, thinking that choosing someone who could be heard by everyone as a spy must be crazy!

In order to avoid being disturbed by her inner voice, she went straight to the point: "How was Xu Yao's mood when you went to school today?"

"He was quite calm and didn't show any extreme emotions throughout the whole process. On the contrary, the other party was more excited and arrogant. Maybe it was because he had his mother to rely on."

Tang Wan heard Xu Yinyin's hidden meaning, which was to accuse her of not going in person, leaving Xu Yao without support and at a disadvantage.

"Originally I should have gone, but I really don't have the time. I came to you just to ask for details. I'll go back tonight and have a heart-to-heart talk with him."

[Oh my, what a weird train of thought. If you want to be honest, shouldn’t you speak directly to the person involved? Why do you let me, a third party, relay your thoughts? You are crazy! ]

Tang Wan gritted her teeth silently.

"In fact, when I went there, the matter was almost over. The other party's parents were going to pursue the matter, but for some reason, they suddenly left. Then the principal said that if the other party did not pursue the matter, the matter would be settled, and then he let us go."

Xu Yinyin told Tang Wan the details truthfully, and after hearing them, Tang Wan felt her head hurt even more.

If I guessed correctly, it was probably because Xu Yinyin wanted to gossip that she revealed all the negative information about the other party's family. The other party felt ashamed and ran away.

It is estimated that all the school leaders now know about the shameful deeds between Xu Yanrui and the other party.

Tang Wan originally sent Xu Yinyin there because she was afraid of being embarrassed, but she ended up shooting herself in the foot. No wonder Xu Yao reacted so strongly.

Damn, she is regretting it so much now.

"Maybe it's not a big deal, and the other party feels there's no need to pursue it." Tang Wan said in a neutral tone.

"By the way, did you see the wound on Xu Yao's face?" Xu Yinyin suddenly asked.

Tang Wan was obviously stunned. She really didn't notice it, but as a mother, she couldn't show that she was remiss, so she said, "I saw it. Boys need to save face. He didn't tell me, and I was afraid that if I asked too much, he would be disgusted."

Xu Yinyin nodded in understanding and agreed, "That's right."

[Tsk tsk tsk, listen to me, how can a human being do this? Your son suffered an unprovoked disaster at school because of your and your husband's scandal. As a parent, you refused to let him go to school, but even when he was right in front of you, you didn't even care. I don't believe you don't know why he was beaten.]

[Although Shen Sheng's stepmother has some issues with her personal morality, she really protects her son. No matter if she is a stepmother or a biological mother, a good mother is one who can protect her children. My second aunt is really unworthy of being a mother, and my second uncle is also a scumbag father.]

[That's why I said she was a vicious woman, vicious and heartless. No wonder Xu Yao wanted to run away from home. It's really unlucky for him to have such troublesome parents who leave rotten things everywhere.]

[That's right. If you don't plan to raise your child well, why did you give birth to him? Are power and wealth so important that you would not hesitate to use your own flesh and blood as a tool to get them? God, he is your child, not a stray cat or dog on the street. You can pet him when you want and throw him aside when you don't need him anymore. This is too cruel.]

[Ah, I suddenly feel sorry for Xu Yao. Fine clothes and delicious food are good, but he was born in such a miserable family. Even mountains of gold and silver can't buy him a bit of happiness. Indifference is just his armor, and loneliness is his true nature. It's better not to have this rich family. ]

Tang Wan listened to her criticism silently, and miraculously she didn't get angry. Instead, she felt speechless and suffocated.

She certainly did not fulfill her duties as a mother, but as a wealthy family enjoying abundant material conditions, she also needed to fulfill her responsibilities and obligations.

Helping her to seize power and gain more benefits for the second house is Xu Yao's mission as a member of the family, and it is the same no matter who he is.

He can blame her and hate her now, but when he becomes her and reaches her position, he will naturally understand her good intentions. Now is not the time to be sad.

"Okay, I don't have any more questions, go and do your work."

"OK."

Xu Yinyin returned to her workstation, took out the first aid kit provided by the company, thought about it, and decided to take it to find Xu Yao.

Xu Yao was currently in the open-air garden on the top floor of the company. He was leaning back on a bench, staring at the azure sky in a daze.

The flowers and plants around him are vying for beauty, but his expression reveals a hint of loneliness. From a distance, he always gives people a sense of loneliness.

Xu Yinyin sighed softly and pushed the door open.

Hearing the voice, Xu Yao turned around, his eyes passed across Xu Yinyin's face, and then turned to the things in her hands, a can of milk in her left hand and a first aid kit in her right hand.

After a moment of surprise, he asked incredulously: "Don't tell me, the milk is for me?"

Xu Yinyin glanced at the milk and asked, "Is there a problem?"

"Only children drink milk. I don't want it."

Xu Yao was in a conflicted mood. The medicine box made him feel warm and cared for, but the bottle of ruined milk dissipated a lot of this warmth.

Is Xu Yinyin coaxing him like a child? Is she afraid that he will be hurt or that he will cry?

"You are not even 18 years old, what are you if not a child?"

Xu Yao frowned unhappily, and suddenly he couldn't find the words to refute, Tsk!

Xu Yinyin sat down next to him, stuffed the milk into his hand, then lowered her head to take out disinfectant, cotton swabs and iodine.

"Give me your face, I'll help you apply the medicine." Xu Yinyin gestured while holding up a cotton swab.

Xu Yao didn't hesitate and leaned his face forward, as if it was natural.

Xu Yinyin held his chin with one hand to hold it still, and with the other hand she used a cotton swab to disinfect him with iodine, and then applied ointment.

Xu Yao lowered his eyes and watched her movements, feeling the gentle force coming from his chin, and a long-lost sour feeling surged in his heart.

Apart from her aunt, Xu Yinyin was the first family member to treat her wounds.

Although he was well cared for since he was a child, he was rarely injured.

But even this rare injury could not attract the attention of his parents. He had just seen his mother, but she was only concerned with comforting herself and could not even see the opportunity for care that was right in front of her.

He is really a bit incapable of loving a mother like this.

Xu Yinyin looked at the wound at the corner of Xu Yao's lip. Although it was just a small tear, the wound was quite deep. It would be a bit stinging if it came in contact with alcohol, but Xu Yao did not react at all. He was like a puppet, motionless, allowing her to move.

Thinking of his stubborn look and the fact that Second Auntie seemed oblivious to his obvious wound, Xu Yinyin couldn't help but say, "You know, crying children get milk."

Xu Yao was slightly startled. This was the second time he heard her say this.

When he was little, he was also very good at crying, but it turned out that not only did he not get any milk, but he also became hated and annoying.

But it doesn't matter. He has long passed the childish stage of crying to get attention. One day he will leave this home, a home that makes him full of hope but constantly disappointed.

Xu Yao said without any emotion: "That's someone else. In my family, a crying child will only cause trouble."

Xu Yinyin was silent, and the bitterness in her heart deepened.

She continued to comfort him, "Maybe they are just not good at expressing themselves. The love that parents have for their children can sometimes be very deep and reserved, just like the way grandpa treats his younger sister. He appears to be strict on the surface, but in fact, he cares and worries more than anyone else."

"Really?" Xu Yao raised his eyebrows and looked at her. "But what I saw was that Grandpa could sacrifice 7% of the retail investors' shares for my sister-in-law and let Guo Cheng take it, just to let her see the true face of the scumbag. And my parents already own 11% of the shares, but because they think it's too little, they don't hesitate to have a child to increase their chips. Do you call this kind of love deep and reserved?"

Xu Yinyin was suddenly speechless.

[Ah, it turns out that he has always known the reason why his parents gave birth to him. Wow, looking at it this way, Xu Yao makes people feel even more distressed. Why are there such heartless parents in the world? ]

[Some children are born out of love, while others are born out of profit. Your uncle and aunt are like this, and so is Shen Ling.]

"I'm sorry. Although I was trying to comfort you, I was actually making excuses for your parents' irresponsibility. This unfair comfort is more painful than saying nothing. I'm sorry."

Xu Yao smiled nonchalantly: "I accept your apology. You are just being kind and don't want our family to break up. But you should have seen the mess my family is in. My parents' marriage is twisted, and people's hearts are twisted too. Such a family can't be good at all, so I want to stay away."

"In my opinion, the most normal marriage in our family is that of my eldest uncle's family. Although it is a family marriage, they both contribute to the marriage. My eldest uncle earns money to support the family, and my eldest aunt takes care of the husband and children. The couple worked together to raise Sister Yao to be gentle, intelligent and elegant. Only when she has the security of being loved can the child be confident."

Xu Yao looked up at the vast sky again, his voice carrying a barely perceptible sigh: "Our family will never have these. In their eyes, my uncle and aunt are losers, but in my eyes, this is a successful life, with love, warmth, affection, and ties."

"Money is good, but too much money will make people lose their most basic humanity and become a walking corpse. So, I don't want to leave this home because I am hypocritical, but because I don't want to be a slave to money and live like them."

Xu Yinyin was slightly surprised, as if she had not expected that he would speak so many words to her from the heart. It must take a lot of trust to create such a heart-to-heart talk.

"Thank you for telling me so much. I always thought you were just having too many good days and wanted to prove yourself. I misunderstood. I'm sorry."

"Come to think of it, I should be the one thanking you."

"Thank me?" Xu Yinyin looked confused.

Xu Yao just smiled and said nothing. Thank you for letting me eat the big melon of Shen Sheng’s family. It not only relieved my hatred, but also added a lot of fun. It’s great!

"How long will it take for you to get off work? I'm so bored."

Hurry back and eat the melon, sister!

Xu Yinyin glanced at the time and became a little impatient. She suddenly approached mysteriously and whispered, "Why don't I go to class?"

"Is it okay?" Xu Yao was eager to try.

"Of course you can. Just take a day off and wait for me."

After saying this, she ran away in a hurry with the medical box.

After Xu Yao watched her leave, the smile in his eyes deepened. If she really left one day, he would probably be reluctant to part with his cousin and her friends.

Xu Yinyin asked Sun Min for leave, saying that she had to leave first because of something at home. Sun Min immediately thought of the news that Guo Cheng was sent to prison.

Xu Yinyin is now the weather vane for everyone. Only by participating more in family affairs can they have the opportunity to guess the intentions through their thoughts, respond accurately, and protect themselves.

So she approved it immediately without thinking twice.

*

Jiang Xin was surprised when she saw the two people suddenly appear.

"Good afternoon, aunt." Xu Yao greeted respectfully.

Jiang Xin came back to her senses and invited the person into the house, "Come in quickly."

She noticed the wound at the corner of his lip at a glance, but did not rush to ask. She took him to the living room directly, asked her aunt to prepare afternoon tea, and then sat down opposite them.

"Did you meet each other halfway?" Jiang Xin asked carefully.

"No, my second aunt asked me to go to school to deal with Xu Yao's matter. We will come back together after that."

Jiang Xin glanced at the corner of Xu Yao's lips again, and finally asked, "How is your injury? Do you need a doctor to check it out?"

"No, my sister has already taken care of it for me."

The word "sister" made Jiang Xin and Xu Yinyin stunned at the same time.

Noticing the two people's surprise, Xu Yao realized that he had leaked something.

He pretended to be calm, picked up the teacup, lowered his eyes and drank the tea, pretending to be dead.

[Ahhhh, he actually called me sister, he called me sister, does this count as treating me as one of his own? ]

[Tsk, look how happy you are, isn't it just calling me sister? If you like, I can call you sister too.]

The system doesn't like this showy mama's boy.

[You don't understand. Xu Yao is quite exclusive. It's not easy to gain his trust. But this way, I feel more assured to cooperate with him. People from the same family will not betray each other. He will definitely not reveal our family secrets like my second uncle and aunt.]

Jiang Xin looked at Xu Yao with a smile. She had always felt sorry for this child. He was obviously very outstanding and self-disciplined, but he did not receive the love of his parents. This was undoubtedly the most fatal blow to a child.

He has been able to withstand loneliness and his parents' neglect and has always been excellent, surpassing most children. Such a child would be spoiled in other families, but being born in the second family is a misfortune.

Now it is a good thing that he can be on good terms with Yin Yin. As his aunt, she can give him the warmth and care that his parents cannot give him.

When Xu Yao heard Xu Yinyin calling him his own, he felt very happy and raised the corners of his lips reluctantly.

Xu Yinyin looked around casually, "Mom, are Dad and sister back?"

Jiang Xin glanced at the time and smiled, "There's still an hour before get off work ends, and they're not in the same department, so they may not come back together."

Xu Yinyin nodded in understanding, then lowered her eyes to drink tea, and quietly nudged Xu Yao with her elbow.

Xu Yao received the hint and suddenly said in confusion: "On the way here just now, I saw my uncle and cousin go into the mall together, and I thought they were back."

"Why did they suddenly go to the mall?"

"He must be meeting a client. There seems to be a third person with him."

Three? Jiang Xin was puzzled and subconsciously glanced at Xu Yinyin. She felt that her daughter and Xu Yao came home early because they had something to say, but were hesitant for some reason.

Could it be --

[I don’t know if my mother would think that my sister secretly met with her. ]

Jiang Xin's eyes widened slightly. Sure enough, what was supposed to happen finally happened. She could understand that Yaoyao had a secret meeting with her mother, but why was Xu Yanwen also there?

Could it be that Zhou Xinyi first found Xu Yanwen, and then arranged for the mother and daughter to meet with his tacit consent?

Jiang Xin felt dizzy for a moment, and Xu Yinyin's warning suddenly flashed through her mind. She must take care of herself, otherwise the family of three would suffer.

Thinking of the scene of the three of them going to the mall together, Jiang Xin suddenly felt depressed and subconsciously raised his hand to cover his heart.

[Oh my, oh my, Mommy's face looks so bad, and she's covering her heart. Is she thinking about Daddy's secret meeting with Bai Yueguang? Did Xu Yao's hint work? ]

Jiang Xin: My dear daughter, thank you:)