Free Web NovelChapter 271: Chapter 271: Youchen, Want to Make a Bet?
The Xie Family estate was built in an area far from the city. Sprawling over a vast expanse of land, the main building crouched in the darkness like a slumbering beast.
The car came to a stop. A housekeeper attentively opened the door for Jiang Youchen, bowing respectfully. "Young Master, if you please."
Jiang Youchen glanced up at the man but didn’t move. The housekeeper grew anxious, lowering his head even further.
Xie Guanqi got out of the car first and spoke, as if it were an afterthought. "Cousin, this is Housekeeper Wu Zhao. The previous housekeeper was replaced a few years ago."
Her tone was thoughtful. "You haven’t been back in so long. Do you still remember the way? Let’s go to the study together. It’s a perfect chance for me to tell you about the changes to the estate over the years..."
"My apologies, miss." Housekeeper Wu interjected cautiously. "The Family Head said for the Young Master to see her alone."
Xie Guanqi’s expression immediately darkened. "Did Mother say so herself?"
Housekeeper Wu didn’t dare breathe. "Yes..."
Xie Guanqi shot a cold glance at Housekeeper Wu, then turned to Jiang Youchen and forced a smile. "Fine. Then I’ll have to trouble you to take my cousin there."
She spun around and walked away, furiously tapping out messages on her terminal. The sound of her high heels on the ground was sharp and grating.
Housekeeper Wu breathed a sigh of relief. He was about to invite Jiang Youchen inside, but when he turned, he saw that the young man was already heading in.
Inside the main building, it was as bright as day. Jiang Youchen made his way upstairs.
The layout of the Xie Family’s home hadn’t changed much from when he’d left, so even after ten years away, it didn’t feel unfamiliar.
He pushed open the door to the study. The current Family Head of the Xie Family, Xie Zhengliu, sat in a large rosewood chair, reviewing documents with one hand.
Xie Zhengliu was shockingly thin, her shirt hanging loosely on her frame. Her features, so similar to the young man’s, were shrouded in an aura of profound illness.
Hearing the noise, she looked up. "You’re here."
She tapped the surface of the desk and managed the smile of an elder. "What made you decide to see me? Have you changed your mind?"
"Lady Xie." Jiang Youchen slowly walked to the other side of the desk, looking down at his blood relative, his eyes swirling with deep loathing. "Let’s drop the act. There’s no need for it between us."
Ten years ago, his mother and father had died in a power struggle among the elite.
As a young boy, he had gone behind the Jiang family’s back and returned to the Xie Family, begging Xie Zhengliu to help him find the murderers. But the aunt who had once doted on him was only interested in self-preservation.
Xie Zhengliu wasn’t surprised by his animosity. Tapping her fingertips on the desk, she said, "Youchen, this is your true home."
"Here, you have your family, your kin, your backers, and immense benefits."
"You should understand by now that everything in the Jiang Family belongs to Jiang Qingli. It’s not for an outsider like you. No matter who you marry, no family is willing to give its resources to a male of a different surname."
"Only the Xie Family can elevate you to the highest position."
The young man remained unmoved, his expression cold. "Are you finished?"
Xie Zhengliu leaned back in her leather chair, her pale fingers toying with a coin from an ancient civilization.
She tossed the coin and caught it, its surface glinting sharply in the light.
The woman’s voice drifted out slowly. "Youchen, you’re so much like your father. Both the type to give up worldly gains for the sake of love."
"However, the biggest difference between you is that he found love, whereas you..."
Jiang Youchen’s pupils constricted, his expression turning sharp and sinister. "Xie Zhengliu! You dare touch her!"
Xie Zhengliu looked at him and suddenly laughed, the crow’s feet by her eyes deepening in triumph.
She sighed, feigning a mix of regret and bewilderment. "Why would I ever touch her? Thanks to your arrangements, she’s pursuing marriage alliances with several powerful males. She has protection from multiple factions, has awakened an SSS Level Superpower, and will be summoned by the Emperor in a few days. How could I possibly make a move on such a high-profile female?"
"It’s just... I was thinking... we in the Xie Family don’t seem to have anyone who acts out of pure selflessness."
"Have you never considered what you stand to gain from her?"
After a few flips in mid-air, the coin was deftly caught.
Xie Zhengliu slapped the coin face down on the desk and raised an eyebrow. "Care to make a wager, Youchen?"
"Come back to the Xie Family. Help your aunt manage family affairs. As for the Jiang Family... given the friendship between our families and our future mutual interests, I imagine a marriage alliance would not be difficult to arrange."
Jiang Youchen straightened up, his eyes narrowing slightly.
-
The night was deep and heavy.
Zheng Meng walked out of the bar, dejected. As he reached the entrance, he was jostled by the crowd and bumped into someone on their way in. A bouquet of crimson roses the person was holding fell to the ground.
A weak but vicious curse rang out. "Are you blind?!"
This place was frequented by the rich and powerful, so Zheng Meng naturally wanted to avoid trouble. He quickly apologized, "I’m so sorry... I’ll pick them up for you."
"Forget it!" the man snapped. "You blind fool."
"It’s no problem, the flowers are still good..."
Zheng Meng bent down to pick up the bouquet. He looked up to say something else, but his eyes widened when he got a clear look at the man. "Chi Yun? You’re awake!"
Chi Yun frowned, looking at him with disdain. "And who are you?"
The bodyguard behind him stepped forward, gave him a shove, and barked, "Don’t try to cozy up to him!"
"It’s me! Zheng Meng!" Zheng Meng pointed to his face and explained, "Don’t you remember me? I was working with Ling Actor, and you visited the set with Miss Bai. We played games together."
At the mention of "Miss Bai," Chi Yun clicked his tongue impatiently and cut him off. "All right, I remember now. Forget the flowers."
He was in a hurry to get inside, but Zheng Meng, eager to curry favor, sidled up to him. "Did you just wake up today? Why come straight here? Are you meeting friends?"
"Why so many damn questions?"
Chi Yun’s patience wore out. He shoved him aside with a swat of his hand.
But after his gaze swept around the bar a few times without finding the girl he was looking for, he yanked Zheng Meng back. "Where’s Jiang Qingli?"
"Jiang Qingli?" Zheng Meng’s voice dripped with envy. "Bad timing. She was in a booth on the second floor a while ago, but who knows which male she’s run off with to a private room to have some ’fun’ by now."
Chi Yun grew frantic. "Which male?"
"Jiang Youchen, Baili Jing, and some other guy I didn’t recognize, looked like a housekeeper... Oh, and a young male with glasses, acting like some good little boy!" Zheng Meng curled his lip. "A bunch of suck-ups. They’re a disgrace to all males!"
’It’s that Baili Jing again!’
’And it wasn’t just Baili Jing. A whole pack of males was swarming around Jiang Qingli.’
The realization sent Chi Yun into a panic.
When he’d woken up, his mind had felt startlingly clear, as if all the filth had been squeezed out of it. He was desperate to find Jiang Qingli, apologize for his past actions, and resume his pursuit of her!
But after tracking her down, he’d heard that she was with other males. How could he not be frantic and agitated?
Chi Yun shoved his way through the crowd and sprinted upstairs. The people he pushed aside hurled curses at him, but he paid them no mind.
Once upstairs, he scanned the area frantically and finally spotted the girl’s figure in the hallway.
’Finally! I found her!’
"Jiang Qingli—"
A flash of joy crossed Chi Yun’s face as he shouted her name and rushed toward her.
But just as he got close, he saw a tall figure follow right behind her and pull her into an embrace.
