Chapter 53
The others exchanged glances, sensing the underlying tension.
“Do I really need to introduce him? I thought you would have already investigated him.” Yu Congyan pulled Xia Wansheng slightly closer.
He knew these old foxes too well. They pretended to be curious about his relationship with Xia Wansheng, but they were just trying to subtly mock him, reminding him to know his place.
He wouldn’t fall for their tricks.
“We’ve been talking for a while, I’m sure everyone’s hungry, let’s eat first, other things aren’t important.” Uncle Yu, seeing the tense atmosphere, tried to smooth things over.
He wasn’t cut out for business, just following orders, not caring who was in charge.
After all, even if the Yu family collapsed, he could always find another job.
But his words only fueled the fire.
They had been waiting for a target, and now, with someone offering themselves up, they wouldn’t let this opportunity slip.
“I heard your recent performance wasn’t satisfactory, and you were publicly reprimanded by Eldest Young Master, almost losing your position?” someone said.
They all had their informants within the company, well aware of each other’s misfortunes. Bringing it up now was to create a sense of crisis, forcing Uncle Yu to choose sides.
“So what if I lose my position! As if I care, who knows who will be in charge in the future!” Uncle Yu, feeling insulted, retorted.
His words clearly indicated his support for Yu Congyan.
Even such an obvious bait was taken.
Xia Wansheng was amazed. No wonder Uncle Yu hadn’t become a leader, his intelligence limited his potential.
“Congyan, your uncle has spoken, you can’t disappoint him.” Second Uncle smoothly changed the subject to the power struggle, ignoring their earlier question about his relationship.
It was all the same, just to make Yu Congyan uncomfortable and put him in his place.
“Grandpa is still in good health, isn’t it a bit early to be discussing this?” Yu Congyan retorted, ignoring the underlying meaning.
This topic had been following him since he was young, no matter his answer, it would be brought up again from a different angle.
“Alright, alright, perhaps this topic isn’t appropriate, but we still have to plan for the future.” Second Uncle glanced at Xia Wansheng behind him, then added, “Playing around is one thing, but you should know what to do in the end.”
Marriage, for them, was just a business arrangement, there was no need to resist.
With intelligent people, there was no need to spell things out.
“We’re not the same,” Yu Congyan didn’t intend to let it go, “Let me offer you some advice, be careful when transferring assets, lest you end up in jail.”
Although it wasn’t the right time to target this old fox, he wasn’t without leverage.
The other elders, watching them leave, sneered, “Second Brother, see, calling him back was pointless, he even lectured you.”
Second Uncle, who had been calm and composed, was caught off guard by the implication, his hand gripping his cane so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
But his expression remained unchanged, even managing a smile: “It’s a good thing to have capable successors, it’s a shame the chairman has poor judgment, not knowing how to cherish such talent.”
It was better that he didn’t cherish him, watching the two brothers fight and weaken each other, creating opportunities for others.
He would just sit back and watch, it didn’t matter who he worked for in the end.
Ideally, both of them would be severely weakened, losing their authority, then forced to seek his help, that was the outcome he desired.
He wondered if Chairman Yu could see through this.
The scenery in the courtyard was beautiful, but their barbed words ruined Yu Congyan’s mood.
He had grown up in this environment, learning to distinguish between genuine and feigned affection, always met with the expected outcome.
“I shouldn’t have come, they haven’t changed after all these years.” Yu Congyan said irritably, clearly not wanting to deal with these old foxes anymore.
He hadn’t wanted things to turn out this way, but now he realized he had been too naive.
Xia Wansheng was only staying with him because of the threat, he didn’t even know how to answer when asked about their relationship.
“This has nothing to do with you, it’s their fault.” Xia Wansheng shook his head and comforted him.
He occasionally felt this way too, when recommending something to a friend, if the outcome wasn’t as good as he expected, he would instinctively blame himself.
Even if it was completely unrelated.
They soon reached their destination, the old Yu residence. After various incidents, no one lived here anymore.
“There used to be an amusement park next door, it was abandoned shortly after I left.” Yu Congyan explained, then noticed Xia Wansheng’s unusual expression.
He looked down and realized they were still holding hands. He froze.
He had instinctively grabbed Xia Wansheng’s hand during the chaos earlier, wanting to take him away.
Realizing this, Yu Congyan casually let go, trying to ignore the lingering warmth on his palm.
This place wasn’t remote, but it had been abandoned for a long time, the courtyard overgrown with withered branches and vines, the buildings covered in creeping fig.
“Want to take a look inside?” Yu Congyan asked.
He pulled out a rusty, bronze key from his pocket.
Since the rumors about his parentage started, he had rarely come here, not wanting to face their pity and feigned concern.
He was just here to retrieve a photo album.
Xia Wansheng looked at the abandoned courtyard, the intricate architectural details hinting at the former owner’s wealth.
He didn’t know why Yu Congyan had left this place so resolutely, but it must not have been pleasant.
He could tell from his expression.
Yu Congyan rarely spaced out, the last time he had this look was when he said he was going home to retrieve the documents, as if trapped in some unpleasant memory.
Xia Wansheng followed him to the back of the courtyard, also filled with rockeries, but very different from the previous one, lacking any artistic refinement.
The gifts were probably just to please the old man, their artistic value… questionable.
They continued walking until they reached a plain, three-story building, seemingly simple, but not covered in dust or vines.
“I had someone clean it beforehand, but I didn’t want them to touch the other decorations, I don’t like them.” Yu Congyan explained.
This place didn’t hold any fond memories for him. If he didn’t have to spend half a day here, he wouldn’t have bothered cleaning it.
But he couldn’t let Xia Wansheng see his house covered in dust, as if he was unwilling to face his past, it would leave a bad impression.
Yu Congyan opened the door. The layout inside was still familiar. He tried to avoid dwelling on those unpleasant memories, walking directly to his bedroom to find the photo album.
Xiang Haichao had sent him a wedding invitation a while ago. The date wasn’t too soon, understandable since his fiancé was still abroad on an exchange program.
But he insisted on including some strange activity at the wedding, asking guests to bring photos from their school days for a video.
Yu Congyan thought he could only provide a few class photos, along with his student ID and awards certificates. He wasn’t sure if he had any pictures with just a few friends.
As he reached for the album in the corner of the box, he suddenly realized he didn’t have any proper pictures with Xia Wansheng, despite knowing him for so long.
He looked up and saw Xia Wansheng trying to reach a mystery novel on the top shelf, standing on his tiptoes.
Yu Congyan walked over.
If they could take a picture together, even if Xia Wansheng eventually left him because of the threats, he would at least have a memento.
It sounded absurd, but that was his genuine thought at this moment.
Xia Wansheng was still struggling with the book on the top shelf, his fingertips brushing against it.
But he missed it slightly, pushing it further back.
He stepped back in frustration and bumped into someone’s chest.
It wasn’t a full collision, as Yu Congyan wasn’t standing directly behind him, but this position was convenient for him to lower his head slightly, his voice almost whispering in his ear,
“Is this the one you’re looking for?” Yu Congyan took the book down from the top shelf. Having been there for a long time, it was slightly dusty. He wiped it clean with a wet tissue before handing it to Xia Wansheng.
“Unfortunately, only the first volume is here, the rest are in the study at the villa, I’ll ask the housekeeper to bring them for you.” Yu Congyan said, recognizing the title.
After finishing the first volume, he had been busy with other matters. His family members were all occupied, and the occasional visiting relatives only offered empty words of sympathy, no one truly cared.
They just used his situation as gossip and entertainment, enjoying his distress, finding a perverse pleasure in his misfortune.
Yu Congyan wasn’t oblivious to this. Children were sensitive to adults’ malice. He could sense most of them were just there to confirm the rumors.
During that period, he had become a spectacle, a transparent glass display, no one caring about his thoughts or feelings. They were just there to observe a cautionary tale, reinforcing their own sense of superiority.
So he moved out as soon as he could, severing all ties with this place.
He didn’t take much with him, leaving quickly and resolutely before those relatives could catch wind.
He left many things and people behind, including the unfinished ending of this book.
“I’ve seen the other volumes at the villa, so I was wondering if you might have the first one here.” Xia Wansheng took the book, explaining.
He rarely read mystery novels, this was one of the few he had almost finished.
Or rather, he had seen the later parts of the story first, then learned about the protagonist’s past, what kind of experiences had shaped him.
“You might not like it, the writing and plot in the first volume are still immature, many of the choices wouldn’t be ideal now.” Yu Congyan said, recalling the story.
He had enjoyed the book when he first read it, but as he grew older, he realized the characters’ choices were limited by their circumstances, often wrong in the long run.
Just like his own decision to abruptly leave his family. It had caused a stir at the time, but if he had stayed, things might have turned out differently.
“Not necessarily, I might like it, after all, he became a good person in the end.” Xia Wansheng said with certainty, lowering his head and opening the book.
“You can take it if you like.” Yu Congyan continued sorting through the photo album.
He found a few older albums, looking at his younger self without much emotion.
He felt like his life wasn’t worth commemorating, mostly just endless work, trying to prove his worth to some unknown entity.
Proving he deserved everything he had.
But stripped of all this, the meaning of his life seemed empty.
He had no one to share it with, no one to travel with. Even his friends were mostly acquaintances he rarely initiated contact with.
Yu Congyan paused, then, as he was about to close the album, he met Xia Wansheng’s gaze.
Xia Wansheng, seemingly reluctant to put down the book, held it close, his gaze fixed on the open album, his voice filled with curiosity and delight: “It’s you! Can I take a look?”
His eyes were soft and gentle.
