Chapter 15: The Little Ghost Pranks the Villain

Song Yaoyao got out of bed and went downstairs. He found Xie Ningwan in the living room, where he was on the phone.

The USB drive incident had just passed, and Xie Ningwan was still investigating people within the group on the surface. He was about to follow the trail to the mastermind when he received a call from the Xie Family Old Manor.

Xie Ningwan had anticipated this. He answered the phone—it was Old Master Xie himself, asking him to return to the old manor.

“Hello, Ningwan. Come back for dinner tonight,” the elderly, raspy voice on the other end said, carrying the authority of someone long accustomed to power.

Xie Ningwan did not speak.

The other side showed no intention of waiting for him to respond. “How long has it been since you came back? It seems like you don’t care about your grandfather at all. You must come.”

With that, Old Master Xie hung up without refusal, not even asking about Xie Ningwan’s or the company’s recent situation.

Xie Ningwan sneered.

Old Master Xie did not concern himself with business matters, nor did he care if company files had been stolen or if his eldest son and daughter-in-law had died under mysterious circumstances. But he cared about Xie Ningwan continuing to investigate the truth, fearing it would implicate someone in the Xie Family. To him, this matter was extremely serious—it tarnished the Xie Family’s reputation and crossed his bottom line.

As expected, he must have heard about this incident from somewhere, or perhaps someone behind the scenes had sought his help. In any case, he had to step in as the peacemaker and force Xie Ningwan to stop “pursuing” it.

After ending the call, Xie Ningwan notified his assistant to prepare the car.

Hadn’t they called him back? Then he would go this time and see their performance.

Song Yaoyao floated nearby and heard the latter half of the call. He was furious.

The Xie Family had long since fallen apart. The Xie Corporation, now under Xie Ningwan’s control, had been built single-handedly by his parents and himself. It had no relation to the rest of the Xie Family, yet everyone wanted to seize and plunder it. Harming Xie Ningwan’s parents was not enough—they even framed him.

What was more, Song Yaoyao, who possessed the script, knew that they would continue plotting to harm Xie Ningwan afterward.

He would not let these people bully Xie Ningwan anymore!

Song Yaoyao scowled and followed Xie Ningwan back to the Xie Family.

The Xie Family Old Manor was in a distant suburban area. Though built grandly and magnificently, it showed signs of age.

As soon as Xie Ningwan’s car entered the gate, the servants guarding the entrance shouted loudly inside, “The young master has returned!” Then they hurried over to greet him.

Song Yaoyao followed Xie Ningwan out of the car, grabbed one of his arms, and peeked out from behind him to observe the place.

Before he could take a good look at his surroundings, a shrill female voice came from inside the gate, startling him.

“He just wants to stir up the entire Xie Family and make us uneasy!”

Song Yaoyao and Xie Ningwan entered. The people in the hall paused and looked at Xie Ningwan, then the female voice continued, “They say a thief got into the company—that should be investigated. But investigating leads right to our Hong’er. Isn’t that nonsense?”

“We’re all Xie Family members. For Xie Ningwan to suspect his own cousin like this—if word gets out, people will laugh at us and make us feel wronged and heartbroken…” As she shouted, she dramatically wiped the corner of her eye and glanced at Old Master Xie, who sat in the center on the rosewood sofa.

Xie Ningwan casually removed his coat and handed it to a nearby servant, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

He had not even truly caught the culprit yet, and someone was already rushing to confess?

Xie Ningwan remained unmoved, ignoring the woman’s words. He walked straight to the sofa and sat down, relaxed in posture, quietly observing the varied expressions of those present.

“Ningwan is here?”

A middle-aged man was the first to lose his composure and speak to Xie Ningwan.

“Ningwan, your younger brother is still immature. We’re all family—why make such a big fuss investigating him at the company? What do you mean by that?” Seeing someone take the lead, the woman immediately turned her spear on Xie Ningwan.

Xie Ningwan sat on the single sofa opposite them, his expression indifferent and unmoved.

Song Yaoyao sprawled on the back of the sofa, leaning close to Xie Ningwan’s shoulder to watch the show.

After several upheavals, few people remained in the Xie Family.

Xie Ningwan’s parents had passed away, and many collateral branches had reduced their contact with the Xie Family Old Manor to develop independently. What remained were only his second and third uncles’ families.

Almost everyone was present today. The speaking woman was Xie Ningwan’s second aunt, and the cousin in question was the son of his second uncle and second aunt—Xie Ninghong.

None of the remaining Xie Family members truly cared for Xie Ningwan. Instead, they constantly leeched off him. Even after the theft of files from his computer was exposed, they tried to bite back.

Xie Ningwan had not yet fully uncovered the truth of his parents’ deaths. Later on, when these people panicked, they would attempt to murder him several times.

Song Yaoyao ground his teeth at the thought and glared angrily at the people before him.

Xie Ninghong himself, at the center of the topic, sat beside his father Xie Ming with his head lowered, putting on a guilty and repentant appearance. But the eyes hidden under his bangs were filled with malice.

“Our Hong’er is usually so obedient…” The woman began complaining again. “The company matters are all handled by Xie Ningwan—how is it related to Hong’er? What does he know? And yet, he sends people to the company to steal files?”

Xie Ming solemnly chimed in, “Yes, Ningwan. Isn’t there some misunderstanding this time—”

As soon as he spoke, Xie Ningwan looked up, his gaze meeting his.

Of course it was a misunderstanding. He did not believe Xie Ninghong was the mastermind behind it—that person was just as foolish as his mother had described, incapable of planting anyone close to him.

Seeing this couple anxiously push their son forward and twist the facts, it was hard not to see who was truly behind it.

Xie Ningwan neither confirmed nor denied it. He looked coldly at his second uncle. Before he could speak, Old Master Xie, who had been silently seated nearby, finally spoke.

“Enough,” Old Master Xie said, tapping his cane on the ground to interrupt them. He glanced at Xie Ningwan. “Let’s eat first.”

Old Master Xie still held a modicum of authority. Everyone harbored their own thoughts, exchanged glances, and rose to head to the dining room.

Song Yaoyao floated up as well.

Xie Ninghong, dragging his steps at the end, looked dejected. Under his parents’ prompting, he had taken the blame, but he felt no resentment toward them—only hatred for Xie Ningwan.

He glared venomously at Xie Ningwan’s back when suddenly, he stumbled out of nowhere, nearly falling. He steadied himself against the nearby wall.

The noise drew everyone’s attention backward. A servant nearby came to support him.

Xie Ninghong felt embarrassed and explained, “Something tripped me.”

Everyone looked at the ground, but there was clearly nothing under his feet.

Xie Ninghong looked down and saw it too. His face flushed and paled several times. He steadied himself and continued forward with a sullen expression.

The Xie Family had a rule of no talking while eating. At the table, everyone harbored their own thoughts, and the meal proceeded in silence.

Clatter—

The sound of shattering dishes suddenly broke the quiet.

It was Xie Ninghong again. As he picked up his bowl, it slipped from his hand for no reason and smashed on the ground, shattering into pieces.

Everyone looked over in slight surprise, and Old Master Xie’s face showed displeasure.

Xie Ningwan glanced indifferently, calm as ever.

“How do you eat like that?” Xie Ming first scolded his son, then smiled at the others at the table. “This kid is just clumsy and rash.”

“Hurry and clean it up, then bring new bowl and chopsticks for the young master!” He lowered his voice and shouted at the servant behind him.

The servant quickly brought new ones.

The meal ended, and the main event followed.

This time, Xie Ming spoke first, bypassing Xie Ningwan to address Old Master Xie directly. “Dad, we’re all family. How could Ningwan investigate and land on Hong’er? There must be some misunderstanding. Hong’er is also your direct grandson—why would he instruct someone to steal company files? Isn’t that all our own family’s business?”

As he spoke, he tugged Xie Ninghong, signaling him to go shed a few tears in front of Old Master Xie and play pitiful.

Xie Ninghong obediently stood and walked toward Old Master Xie.

Old Master Xie had been silent until then. Now he put on the air of an elder, turned to Xie Ningwan, and sighed. “Ningwan, let this matter go. No matter what, he’s still your younger brother—don’t go overboard.”

“Hong’er surely had no malicious intent.”

“Exactly! No matter what, we all share the Xie surname. Your parents are gone, and we are your elders…”

Mentioning Xie Ningwan’s parents made a meaningful cold smile curl at his lips. Just as he was about to speak—

Suddenly, Xie Ninghong, who had been walking fine toward Old Master Xie, tripped again as if by something invisible and faceplanted onto the ground!

The hall fell silent for a moment. This time, aside from Old Master Xie and Xie Ming’s family of three, everyone else covered their mouths and snickered.

Xie Ningwan: “…”

Watching Xie Ninghong inexplicably fall, Xie Ningwan recalled the earlier trip and the bowl he had broken at the table.

His brow twitched as realization dawned. The gloom in his eyes suddenly dissipated, and he rarely let out a chuckle.

The little thing had followed him again.