DASFAM_CH 12
Shang Queyan heard the slight tremble in Bai Xu's voice and instinctively tilted his head to look over. After confirming that Bai Xu was indeed showing an aggrieved and pitiful expression, he was momentarily surprised.
What?
Where was that sharp, unbothered attitude from yesterday by the lake, or just now by the fountain? Why had he suddenly switched to playing the pitiful role?
Before he could react, Fang Yuhua on the other side spoke first, "Bai Xu, what do you mean by that? The surveillance footage captured everything. Are you saying it was faked?"
"Since the incident has already happened, the focus should be on finding a solution. Lying and refusing to admit it isn’t going to help."
As she spoke, she deliberately glanced at Old Master Shang, "Dad, don’t you agree?"
Old Master Shang didn’t respond, but instead picked up the bowl of sea cucumber soup in front of him, slowly stirring it with a spoon. His expression was unreadable, making it hard to discern his true thoughts.
Shang Queyan saw through the veiled accusation in Fang Yuhua's words and didn't hold back in directly complaining, "Grandma, look at how Second Aunt is always siding with outsiders!"
Fang Yuhua choked.
Shang Queyan’s gaze bore into her, "Didn’t Bai Xu already explain? It was the other party who looked down on him first. And besides, how long is this surveillance footage? It’s been cut and edited, how can you just assume Bai Xu was the one who offended the Chen family?"
Fang Yuhua defended herself, "I didn’t say that! It’s just… that’s what people inside and outside the circle are saying. They’re saying Bai Xu and your third branch—"
Shang Queyan’s expression turned cold, and he cut her off loudly, "Bullshit! Since when has our third branch ever been something outsiders could gossip about and slander?"
"Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to!"
Wasn’t she just using Bai Xu’s situation as an excuse to escalate things and suppress the third branch in front of the Old Master and outsiders?
"......"
It was the first time Fang Yuhua had been directly rebuked by a junior, and her face flushed red.
Shang Songming had originally been enjoying the show, but now he was instantly displeased, "Shang Queyan, watch your mouth! Is that how you talk to my mother?"
—Clang.
Without a word, Old Master Shang tossed his spoon back into the bowl. The crisp clatter instantly brought the brewing argument to a halt.
Shang Songming, who had just flared up, was startled into silence.
The Old Madam Shang shifted her gaze back and forth between her two grandsons, speaking gently to mediate, "Enough. Both of you, speak properly."
Shang Yun stepped in to smooth things over for his son, "That’s right, we’re all family. Let’s keep the peace and not upset your grandparents."
As he spoke, he even tugged at his wife’s sleeve, giving her a look to signal that she should stop stirring up trouble.
"…..."
The Old Master took the wet towel handed to him by the butler and methodically wiped his hands, "Bai Xu?"
"Hm?"
Bai Xu responded, his expression still maintaining a delicate balance between grievance and defiance.
The Old Master said, "Since this matter started because of you, you’re responsible for explaining it clearly."
His voice carried a calm weight that came from years of experience, but in the next moment, it gained a subtle but undeniable authority, "That goes for you and for everyone else at this table. No embellishments, no exaggerations, and no nonsense!"
"......"
Fang Yuhua's heart trembled slightly, and her gaze instinctively dropped, betraying her unease.
From the very beginning, all Bai Xu had wanted was for Old Master Shang to personally step in. Now that the old man had finally spoken, he immediately continued his act.
"Yes, the people in the surveillance footage are me and Chen Yufei."
His gaze was cautious, but his words were surprisingly honest.
"And yes, the ones who got beaten were Jinbai's young master, Chen Shaoxuan, and… and his two friends."
This was an undeniable fact. There was no point in twisting the story any further.
With just those simple sentences, Bai Xu drew the attention of everyone at the table.
Feigning discomfort under their scrutiny, he clenched the untouched glass of water in front of him.
"Chen Shaoxuan and I were high school classmates. For three years, he constantly ganged up with others to bully me."
"I… I was terrified of him."
As he spoke, he rubbed his interlocked fingers together anxiously, as if trying to dispel the painful memories.
Old Madam Shang frowned deeply, "Did the Bai family know about this?"
"They knew, but they didn’t care."
Bai Xu shook his head, his tone growing even more pitiful.
"I left the Bai family in a hurry that day. I just wanted to stop by Jinbai to buy some clothes. The store manager never mentioned anything about a private booking, but as soon as Chen Shaoxuan saw me, he... he immediately started saying awful things again."
Shang Queyan pressed, "What did he say?"
Bai Xu took a deep breath, as if making a major decision, and met Old Master Shang’s gaze directly, "He said likes, ‘Letting even stray cats or dogs, and peasant workers, into a place like this?’"
At those words, the Old Master’s eyes darkened slightly, though he gave no obvious reaction.
Bai Xu then recounted everything Chen Shaoxuan had done in the store, "I, I was really angry, so I finally mustered up the courage to talk back to him. But that only provoked him into trying to start a fight."
"Chen Yufei, as Third Young Master’s bodyguard, stepped in and fought back for me. I, I just found something strange…"
The Old Master noticed Bai Xu trailing off and asked in a deep voice, "Strange?"
Bai Xu pressed his lips together before shifting the focus onto Fang Yuhua, "Second Madam just said that everyone recognized the bodyguard beside me as belonging to Third Young Master. She also said that I offended the Chen family right after joining the Shang family."
"But with rumors spreading from one person to ten, from ten to a hundred, has no one stopped to question if something feels off?"
What was this supposed to mean?
Was the Shang family, compared to the Chen family, the side that had to be cautious and fearful?
"......"
Shang Queyan reacted quickly this time, his innate young master's arrogance flaring up, "Who do Jinbai and the Chen family think they are?"
Did they really expect the Shang family to lower themselves to cooperate? And even demand that the third branch personally apologize?
At the end of the day, wasn’t this just because they thought the third branch had lost its power after their misfortune? That they wanted to use this as an opportunity to test the Old Master’s attitude?
The more Shang Queyan thought about it, the angrier he became. In a burst of defiance, he flung off the blanket covering his legs, openly revealing his injuries without any hesitation.
The Old Master's expression immediately changed.
Old Madam Shang's heart ached at the sight, "Xiao Yan, what are you doing?"
Shang Queyan wasn’t foolish. He seized the moment with precision.
His furious gaze swept across the second branch before he turned directly to the Old Master, "Grandfather, my brother is still bedridden, and I’ve ended up like this. Forget about the rumors outside. Even within our own family, there are people who look at us with contempt."
"So today, while we’re all here, I just want to ask one thing—"
"Do you still see the third branch as part of the Shang family? Do you still see me and my brother as your grandsons?"
They were looking down on him and his brother!
Bai Xu’s gaze flickered slightly before he added fuel to the fire at just the right moment, "I’m sorry. This was never Third Young Master’s problem to begin with. If an apology is truly necessary, I’m willing to take responsibility for it alone."
Hearing this, the Old Madam thought of everything the third branch had suffered and couldn’t bear it, "Old Shang…"
Old Master Shang was silent for a moment, but when he finally spoke, his tone was firm, "If you are my grandsons, then you are. No matter what outsiders say, that will never change."
His words made it clear. No matter what happened to the third branch, the Shang family, and he himself, would always be their backing.
"I’m not blind, and I’m not heartless—"
His sharp gaze shifted to the second branch, finally landing on Shang Songming, "Pass this down. From this moment on, if I hear anyone in this family gossiping or poking at old wounds, they can get out!"
"......"
Shang Songming shuddered in fear, "G-Grandfather, why are you looking at me like that?"
Old Master Shang ignored him and instead lashed out at Shang Yun, "Keep your wife and son in check. If I catch them stirring up trouble again, I’ll reprimand you along with them!"
Shang Yun quickly stood up and apologized, "Dad, please calm down. We absolutely didn’t mean anything by it. This is all just a misunderstanding."
"Misunderstanding? Some people know exactly what they’re doing!"
He tossed the wet towel in his hand aside and turned to the head butler, "Have someone look into this tonight. If Bai Xu was telling the truth, cut off all cooperation with Jinbai immediately."
The butler nodded, "Understood."
Old Master Shang waved a hand dismissively, "That’s enough. Everyone, leave."
With that, he walked out of the dining room without another word.
Bai Xu slowly relaxed his grip, picked up his glass, and took a sip of water. The reflection of the light on the water surface mirrored the genuine satisfaction in his eyes.
Having read the original story, Bai Xu knew that the Shang and Jinbai's Group were about to enter a major development partnership.
This project would not only be handed to the second branch for profit, but it would also allow Jinbai, which was already on the decline, to survive for a while longer.
It wasn’t until Shang Yanxiao and Shang Queyan later took action that the deal was finally terminated, leading to Jinbai’s complete bankruptcy and acquisition.
Bai Xu understood all too well. Chen Shaoxuan had been able to bully the original host because of his privileged background. As a major business group, Jinbai would always prioritize profit. A temporary hit to their reputation meant nothing to them.
Only by cutting off their actual financial benefits could they be forced to reflect, regret, and truly feel the pain.
And the person most capable of delivering that decisive blow? None other than the Old Master of the Shang family.
So the moment Bai Xu learned about the family dinner, he had planned to push this matter into the spotlight. Sometimes, letting someone else wield the knife was far more effective than doing it yourself.
The way things started tonight had been a bit unexpected, but in the end, the outcome was exactly as he had anticipated.
…
Bang!
The front door of the villa slammed shut.
The moment they stepped inside, Shang Yun's expression changed completely. He threw his suit jacket onto the floor at his wife's feet, "Fang Yuhua, look at the mess you made!"
"Ah!"
Fang Yuhua flinched at his aggression, clutching her chest in shock.
The butler and servants exchanged glances before cautiously picking up the discarded jacket and quickly retreating, unwilling to get caught in the storm of anger.
Shang Songming, having long been used to his father’s two-faced nature, one for outsiders, another for family, was unbothered. Hands in his pockets, he scoffed, "Dad, what are you so mad about? If you ask me..."
"Shut up, you insolent brat!"
"......"
Fang Yuhua, already humiliated from being reprimanded in front of the servants, became even more frustrated when she saw her husband lashing out at their son. She snapped back, "Shang Yun, why don’t you have this kind of temper when facing to the Old Master?"
"Oh, so now that the doors are closed, you suddenly remember how to discipline your wife and son? How capable do you think you are? You're already this age and still being controlled by your father!"
Shang Yun's chest heaved with anger as he retorted, "Let me ask you. Did you even think to inform me about Bai Xu’s conflict with the Chen family beforehand? Did you have to get involved in front of the Old Master?"
"You and our son put on such a show at the dinner table, twisting the truth and making things worse. But the Old Master sees through everything. In the end, he publicly called out our second branch for punishment. So tell me, what exactly did you gain from this?"
Schemed to make trouble, but instead of harming others, it's just ended up harming them!
Fang Yuhua knew she was in the wrong, "I was just trying to use Bai Xu’s situation to suppress the third branch and test the Old Master’s stance."
"And who gave you the right to make that call? Your little plan completely backfired, and instead, you handed that brat Shang Queyan the perfect opportunity to play the victim!"
Originally, Shang Yun had arranged for Bai Xu, a useless young master, to marry Shang Yanxiao, not just to humiliate him, but also to send a message to the entire upper-class circle of the Imperial Capital:
Old Master Shang had already abandoned his comatose grandson!
Sure, same-sex marriage was legal, but in their social circle, it wasn’t exactly a desirable match.
Especially since the Bai family had fallen in status over the years. A marriage with them would only invite ridicule!
"But now, Bai Xu gets into a dispute with Jinbai’s young master, and what does the Old Master do? He immediately cuts off all business with Jinbai. If word of this gets out, people will think the Old Master is backing them. Then who the hell will dare to look down on the third branch anymore?"
"……"
Fang Yuhua was left red-faced after being scolded so harshly by her husband. She had nothing to say in her defense and instead turned to her son for help.
Shang Songming rubbed his nose and said, "Dad, calm down. Didn't we already send people to test the waters?"
"Shang Yanxiao is practically a lost cause. There's almost no chance of him waking up, and even if he survives on medication, what good is that? Shang Queyan has never understood the business world. He's just another useless idiot."
"No matter how much Grandfather protects the third branch, there will come a time when even he can't do anything for them anymore. Instead of worrying about them..."
Shang Songming, quick-witted, decided to shift the focus elsewhere, "We should keep our eyes on the first branch instead. If a real power struggle breaks out, they're the ones who pose the biggest threat."
Shang Yun's expression darkened at the mention of the first branch. Any trace of family sentiment vanished from his eyes, "That dear older sister of mine, her husband, and their wonderful son... hmpf, they're just a nest of vipers."
…
On the other side, the car pulled up in front of the villa. Xie Qi and Butler Lin worked together to lift the wheelchair-bound Shang Queyan down.
As they entered the house, Butler Lin still felt a lingering sense of unease, “Fourth Young Master, you were too impulsive tonight.”
He and Xie Qi had been waiting in the private room next door, and they had heard everything loud and clear.
They knew better than anyone that Old Master Shang’s temper was unpredictable. By revealing his injury tonight, Shang Queyan had essentially forced the old man to take a stance. If that had backfired and angered him instead, their third branch would have been the ones to suffer.
Bai Xu spoke up, “But it worked, didn’t it? Now it’s the second branch that’s in trouble.”
Shang Queyan looked up at Bai Xu, who had already returned to his usual calm self, “So you were just pretending at the dinner table, huh? That innocent, pitiful act, weren’t you afraid Grandfather would see through you?”
Bai Xu didn’t deny it.
To him, deception and manipulation were already second nature in the corporate battlefield. Necessary disguises, feigned weakness, and calculated performances were all just means to secure victory.
Of course, once he had absolute control and the upper hand, he much preferred to strike with precision, leaving his enemies completely humiliated and powerless.
Xie Qi suddenly spoke up, “I’ll head upstairs to check on Third Young Master.”
Bai Xu remained silent, watching as Xie Qi hurriedly ascended the stairs. A faint sense of doubt crossed his mind—
Even as a personal assistant, wasn’t Xie Qi checking in on Shang Yanxiao too frequently? The man was unconscious, did he really need such constant attention?
Shang Queyan noticed his distraction, “Bai Xu, what are you thinking about?”
“Nothing.”
Bai Xu poured himself a glass of water and casually said, “Your reaction at the dinner table was pretty quick today. You had great timing too.”
With just a few words, Shang Queyan had pinpointed the key issue. A simple display of vulnerability had been enough to make Old Master Shang publicly declare himself as their backing. No wonder he was the original novel’s protagonist.
Shang Queyan misunderstood his meaning, “Don’t get the wrong idea. I wasn’t speaking up for you. I just hate it when people look down on my brother.”
Bai Xu was momentarily stunned before teasing, “Tsk, don’t be so distant. What’s my relationship with your brother? To outsiders, I’m also part of the third branch. Helping me is helping yourself, isn’t it?”
“Besides, didn’t I help you earlier? I still haven’t heard you say thank you.”
"......"
Shang Queyan went silent. After a long pause, he finally muttered awkwardly, “…T-thanks.”
Bai Xu genuinely laughed at this, "You're welcome, little brother-in-law."
Shang Queyan was speechless, "Do you really have such a relationship with my brother?"
Bai Xu thought about Shang Yanxiao’s nearly godlike face and replied seriously, “I want us to be. But since he’s unconscious, he might not react… Maybe I should test it out tonight?”
Shang Queyan finally caught the teasing tone in his words and his face turned red, "Bai, Bai Xu! How dare you?"
"Why wouldn't I dare? I’m heading upstairs right now."
Seeing this little brother's nervous reaction, Bai Xu laughed even harder.
As he turned to go upstairs, he couldn't resist throwing in one last cheeky remark, "Don't bother with my husband and me~"
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