DASFAM_21
The night continued to shroud the manor, and the study on the right side of the tallest building was brightly lit.
Old Master Shang, wearing a pair of custom-made glasses, was solemnly scrutinizing the financial report for the new quarter submitted by the group. His sharp, eagle-like gaze seemed intent on uncovering any hidden flaws within the numbers.
Knock, knock.
A knocking sound broke the silence.
The head butler stepped in lightly and thoughtfully placed a cup of herbal tea on the desk, "Old Master, it's late. You should rest."
Without looking up, Old Master Shang asked, "Has Yanan gone to sleep?"
Yanan was the name of Old Madam Shang. The couple shared the same family name.
When the two were young, Old Madam Shang came from a wealthy family, while Old Master Shang was penniless. He ventured into business before the age of twenty. But, despite her privileged upbringing, she never uttered a single complaint while following him through countless hardships and travels.
Together, they built their business from a small company with only a few employees into a large corporation with hundreds, eventually establishing the Shang Group as it stands today. After more than sixty years of trials and triumphs, the Shang family has firmly rooted itself among the elite of the Imperial Capital, securing an unshakable position.
Outsiders say that Old Master Shang has a strange and unpredictable temperament, but for decades, he has only ever doted on, cherished, protected, and respected Old Madam Shang without fail.
The head butler spoke softly, "The medicine has taken effect, and the headache has subsided. The servants said they have already attended to her, and she has gone to sleep."
"Okay."
Old Master Shang’s furrowed brows eased slightly. Catching a glimpse of the report from the corner of his eye, he added, “Ever since the third son and his wife passed away, she’s been carrying that pain in her heart. And to make matters worse, none of the ones left are easy to deal with.”
He took off his glasses and closed the financial report. "That second son and his son are both useless! The growth numbers for their branch companies look terrible!"
"All they do all day is scheme about how to snatch a piece from the third household. Do they ever stop to think if they can even bite off what they're after?"
The head butler, skilled at reading the Old Master’s moods, noticed signs of rising anger, "Old Master, have some water to soothe your throat. But I’ve heard that the overseas project under the first branch is progressing quite well?"
"......"
Old Master Shang took the health tea, lowered his gaze, and drank two sips, “That project was originally handled by Yanxiao. The reason Qishun and the others are doing well is because the foundation was already laid.”
The head butler smiled, “Indeed, Third Young Master has always been outstanding in his work.”
Thinking of Shang Yanxiao, who was still in a coma, the tea in Old Master Shang’s hand suddenly lost its flavor, “Is Queyan still hiding and refusing to go out? Did he skip Sun Miaochun’s banquet tonight?”
“Yes.”
“Useless.”
Old Master Shang slammed the teacup back onto the table, furious at Queyan’s lack of ambition, “How long has it been? Even self-pity should have a time limit. In today’s world, as long as a person is still breathing, what can’t be done?”
With modern prosthetics and advanced mobility aids, and with the Shang family never lacking money, as long as Shang Queyan could get past his own mental block, why should his future path be difficult?
“Sun Miaochun made such a grand entrance in the Imperial Capital and even sent an invitation specifically to the third branch. Isn’t that just to take a look at their current situation?”
Old Master Shang’s anger flared again, “That boy is hiding just to protect his pride. He was spoiled rotten in his younger years, and now that something has happened, he’s not even half the man his brother was!”
He couldn’t shield these children forever. The future of the third branch would ultimately depend on the two brothers themselves.
Seeing the Old Master’s temper rising, the head butler quickly tried to calm him down, “Old Master, don’t be so angry just yet. I was just about to tell you. Someone from the third branch did attend the Sun family’s banquet tonight.”
Old Master Shang frowned, “Who?”
The head butler had been working for Old Master Shang for many years. Although he usually only managed the manor, in reality, he kept his ears open and eyes sharp, knowing everything that went on.
"It was Mr. Bai Xu who went."
"...Yanxiao’s arranged marriage partner?"
Old Master Shang recalled his first impression of Bai Xu and asked, "What was he doing there?"
"Yes, not only did Mr. Bai go, but he also stirred up quite a commotion."
Seeing that Old Master Shang was interested, the head butler quickly recounted everything he had just learned in full detail—
From Bai Xu being drugged at the banquet, to his sharp instincts leading him to identify the culprit, then to his direct confrontation and humiliation of the Song father and son, and finally to even Sun Miaochun having to step in to mediate.
And of course, there was that final, earth-shattering declaration he made to uphold the status of the third branch.
After hearing the head butler’s vivid retelling, Old Master Shang’s tightly furrowed brows unconsciously relaxed, "Is that really the case?"
The head butler nodded, "Absolutely."
Old Master Shang, who had been furious just moments ago, suddenly let out a rare chuckle, "This kid is quite interesting."
The head butler was surprised by Old Master Shang’s reaction but quickly responded, “When I first heard about it, I almost didn’t believe it. After all, during the family banquet not long ago, Mr. Bai seemed a bit…”
He searched for the right words, “Timid and submissive?”
Old Master Shang, having seen all kinds of people in his lifetime, saw through it immediately, “He was just pretending, playing the rabbit to appear harmless.”
Now, it was the head butler’s turn to be confused.
Old Master Shang didn’t explain further, but a realization had already settled deep in his eyes—
At that family banquet, Bai Xu had seemed powerless, allowing the second branch to manipulate the narrative without defending himself. But in reality, he had planned his response from the very beginning.
What had appeared to be a personal dispute between Bai Xu and Jinbai, he had cleverly escalated into an issue involving the entire third branch, forcing Shang Queyan to step in and support him.
On the surface, the conflict was between the second and third branch, but the one truly controlling the situation was Bai Xu! Even when Old Master Shang himself had to step in to resolve the matter, it was all because Bai Xu had anticipated one crucial thing—
Old Madam Shang’s deep sympathy for the third branch’s two grandsons and, more importantly, Old Master Shang’s inherent belief that family always came before outsiders.
"......"
So young, yet so clever.
These days, as long as one isn't harming others maliciously, using some tactics to achieve a goal isn't necessarily...
a bad thing.
Old Master Shang didn’t show any anger at being schemed against. Instead, a hint of rare appreciation flickered across his face, “I heard the Bai family treats this child as useless? With that kind of judgment? No wonder they’ve been declining all these years.”
The head butler chimed in with a flattering remark, “Old Madam has a good eye, she always said that Mr. Bai doesn’t seem like someone with ill intentions.”
Old Master Shang’s temper had completely subsided, “Yanan has always had good judgment. If Yanxiao were to wake up, he might not dislike Bai Xu. They could probably get along.”
The head butler chuckled, “Old Master, how can you be so sure? Didn’t you say before that the Third Young Master has high standards and might never get married in this lifetime?”
“Hmm, whether he marries or not is up to him. I’m just saying they could get along, even as friends.”
Old Master Shang slowly stood up, “In these past decades, when have I ever misjudged someone?”
Shang Yanxiao was his most valued and most proud grandson. He understood his abilities, temperament, and the ambition hidden beneath his exceptional exterior.
Since Bai Xu could remain composed and effortlessly respond under everyone’s pressure, he was certainly not an empty-headed fool. He was merely used to hiding his true capabilities.
As Old Master Shang walked out, he said, “It’s late. I’m going to sleep. Tonight, I’ll stay in the guest room on the third floor, so don’t disturb Yanan.”
The head butler hurried to keep up, “Understood. I’ll prepare some calming incense for you.”
...
A Night of Chaos.
When Bai Xu woke up again, he felt as if his head had been crushed and ground by a heavy object. Hugging the blanket, he frowned and lay there for a long time before finally forcing himself into the bathroom.
The hot water poured down, barely bringing back a shred of clarity.
Bai Xu struggled to recall everything that had happened after he got drunk last night, but his memory was badly fragmented. Only a few hazy impressions remained in his mind—
He had barged into Shang Yanxiao’s room and shamelessly taken 'advantage' of him? And… Shang Yanxiao's eyes?!
Scenes that felt like dreams yet not dreams surged through Bai Xu’s mind, startling him into greater clarity. He stopped the shower, quickly changed into clean clothes, and stepped out of the bedroom.
The air was thick with the rich aroma of food.
Xiao Deng was just about to change shifts. Seeing Bai Xu open the door, he asked, “Mr. Xiao Bai, you’re awake? Assistant Xie said you got drunk last night, so he had Uncle Lin prepare some hangover medicine for you this morning. Want to come down together?”
Bai Xu glanced at the tightly shut master bedroom door, feeling suspicious, “Shang Yanxiao hasn’t woken up?”
Xiao Deng looked confused, “Huh? No?”
"......"
Is that so?
Was it really just a drunken dream?
Bai Xu frowned, but the intense headache from his hangover was too overwhelming. He had no choice but to temporarily suppress his doubts and follow Xiao Deng downstairs.
In the first-floor dining hall, Shang Queyan and Xie Qi were sitting diagonally across from each other, having a meal.
Hearing the movement on the stairs, both of them shifted their gazes. Xie Qi asked, "Mr. Xiao Bai, are you feeling better?"
Bai Xu waved his hand, too uncomfortable to speak.
Shang Queyan glanced at him for a couple of seconds before calling out, "Uncle Lin, bring the hangover soup when it's ready, and get me another bowl of rice while you're at it!"
Bai Xu took a seat in an empty spot across from him, his gaze sharp with understanding, "Little brother-in-law, you're in a good mood today? You usually don’t even have the appetite to eat."
"......"
Shang Queyan heard this form of address and frowned unhappily, "Don't call me that."
Butler Lin, who was well prepared, came out of the kitchen and handed a steaming bowl of hangover soup to Bai Xu, “Mr. Xiao Bai, have some to ease yourself first. Drinking too much is harmful to the body. I’ve also made some nourishing porridge in the kitchen, I’ll get you a bowl later.”
“Thank you, Uncle Lin.”
Bai Xu accepted the kindness and slowly took two sips. As the warmth spread through his stomach, the nausea finally eased a little.
Now that the discomfort had subsided, his thoughts started to clear up again.
He turned to Xie Qi and asked, “How did I get back last night?”
Xie Qi’s expression remained as usual as he replied with a question of his own, “Mr. Bai, you don’t remember? Dr. Zhang brought you back. He said you were very drunk and even had me meet you at the entrance.”
“But as soon as you got out of the car, you refused my help and went straight to your room on your own.”
Bai Xu had a vague impression of it but still felt something was off, “Really?”
Xie Qi nodded, “Yes. Why?”
Bai Xu took another two sips of the hangover soup, then turned his probing gaze toward Xie Qi and got straight to the point, “Shang Yanxiao hasn’t woken up?”
"......"
Xie Qi met Bai Xu’s gaze, a flicker of nervousness surfacing in his eyes.
Before he could respond, Shang Queyan, who was sitting diagonally across, suddenly put down his bowl and chopsticks with a sharp clatter and pressed, “My brother woke up? When? Why don’t I know about this?”
“Fourth Young Master, if Third Young Master had woken up, how could you possibly not know?” Xie Qi looked helpless as he turned back to Bai Xu and asked, “Mr. Xiao Bai, are you sure you weren’t just too drunk and confused?”
Seeing Shang Queyan’s shocked reaction, Bai Xu’s suspicions eased a little.
That’s true.
If Shang Yanxiao had really woken up, there was no way his overly protective younger brother wouldn’t know. His reaction alone proved that. Besides, in the original novel, there was still some time before Shang Yanxiao was supposed to regain consciousness.
As Bai Xu's thoughts drifted, a commotion sounded from the entrance of the villa.
Three workers were carrying a pile of still-packaged bedding and a mattress. The one leading them called out, “Is Butler Lin here? We need a signature for reimbursement.”
“I’m here.”
Uncle Lin quickly approached and instructed, “Take it to the room on the far right of the second floor.”
"......"
Suddenly changing the bed in his room?
Bai Xu was surprised, and a fleeting image flashed through his mind. The doubt he had just suppressed resurfaced, "Who ordered my bed to be changed?"
"It was because you got drunk last night and made a fuss, insisting that your bed was uncomfortable and demanding that Xie Qi change it for you," Shang Queyan responded quickly, not forgetting to add a jab, "You should drink less in the future. You made such a scene last night that you even woke me up."
Bai Xu refused to believe it, "…I never make a scene when I'm drunk."
He had always been highly vigilant and had rarely gotten drunk. Even now, when his alcohol tolerance was temporarily low, it was impossible for him to lose control and act recklessly in front of people he wasn’t close with.
Xie Qi chuckled, “Mr. Xiao Bai, you didn’t exactly make a scene last night. But you did say the bed was too hard and that you wanted it changed. Then, right after saying that, you fell asleep.”
Bai Xu thought about it and felt that Xie Qi’s version of events was much more in line with what he would actually do.
Seeing Bai Xu lost in thought, Xie Qi seized the opportunity to shift the topic to serious matters, "By the way, Mr. Xiao Bai, I've already found a legal team for you."
Bai Xu asked, "Is everything ready?"
Xie Qi nodded, "Yes. Within this week, they can proceed with filing a lawsuit against Taojing Studio according to your instructions!"
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