DASFAM_43

The atmosphere in the living room grew increasingly heavy.

Old Master Shang slowly rose to his feet, leaning on his cane, but the anger and disappointment in his eyes hadn't subsided, "You still know I'm your grandfather? Shang Yanxiao, oh Shang Yanxiao, you've really opened my eyes!"

"......"

Faced with Old Master Shang's questioning, even though Shang Yanxiao had a thousand thoughts in his mind, he had no way to begin explaining himself.

Bai Xu understood Shang Yanxiao's difficult position and stepped forward, trying to help explain, "Old Master, Third Young Master he..."

"Shut your mouth!"

Old Master Shang suddenly struck his cane forcefully, treating Bai Xu without his usual indulgence, "I'm talking to my grandson, you're an outsider with no right to interrupt!"

Bai Xu helplessly stopped short, not daring to speak again and anger the old man.

Shang Yanxiao gave Bai Xu a look that said "It's fine, I'll handle it," then took half a step forward diagonally, blocking Old Master Shang's focused gaze from the other party.

"Grandfather, this matter has nothing to do with Bai Xu or the others. It was my own decision. Please calm down first, don't harm your health. Whatever you want to ask, I'll explain it clearly to you."

His tone was neither servile nor overbearing, with not a bit less of the respect that should be there.

Old Master Shang knew Shang Yanxiao's temperament and said in a heavy voice, "Where is the study?"

"Upstairs."

Shang Yanxiao indicated, "I'll take you up."

The grandfather and grandson went up the stairs one after the other.

It wasn't until the two figures disappeared around the corner on the second floor that the tense atmosphere in the first-floor living room eased somewhat.

Xie Qi pushed up his slipping glasses, "That scared me to death."

Chen Yufei met his gaze, expression tense, "Third Young Master won't have problems, will he?"

They had been at Shang Yanxiao's side for quite a long time already, but this was the first time seeing the Old Master show such an expression toward their boss.

Bai Xu knew the grandfather and grandson needed a quiet space to talk and didn't follow upstairs.

He reluctantly shifted his gaze back from the second floor, "How did the Old Master find his way here out of the blue? Why didn't you two tell us in advance?"

Chen Yufei explained, "Young Master Bai, it's not that we didn't want to, it's that the Old Master gave orders not to let us."

As an assistant, Xie Qi had always been monitoring the direction of various matters, but this time he was also completely in the dark, "We don't even know how the Old Master discovered the truth."

Shang Queyan back in the capital hadn't given advance notice, and the people Shang Yanxiao had arranged also hadn't discovered that Old Master Shang had quietly left the capital.

This afternoon, Xiao Deng, also a bodyguard, was guarding at the hospital as usual when Old Master Shang arrived alone like an uninvited guest, catching him completely off guard.

"How would Xiao Deng dare to stop the Old Master? As soon as he let him in, the secret was exposed."

Old Master Shang clearly knew that Xie Qi and the others were all Shang Yanxiao's trusted subordinates who would definitely tip them off after learning of his arrival in the Singapore City, so he first strictly required Xiao Deng to keep it secret.

"Xiao Deng didn't dare go against the Old Master's wishes. When the Old Master arrived here, he likewise ordered me and Old Chen not to give you advance warning, and then sat in the living room watching us and waiting for you all."

Old Master Shang's imposing presence was truly too strong. No one dared to act recklessly under his watch, fearing they would touch his pressure points and provoke even greater anger.

As for the butler and servants, they were truly outsiders in every sense. Whether it was Old Master Shang or Xie Qi, neither wanted them to know too much about the situation, so they found an excuse to send them away.

After hearing the whole process, Bai Xu felt somewhat uneasy, "How long did the Old Master wait?"

Chen Yufei said, "He came at five o'clock."

"......"

More than four hours? This is bad!

Tonight's impromptu dinner between him and Shang Yanxiao had delayed such an important matter!

Bai Xu frowned with regret, increasingly concerned about Shang Yanxiao's situation.

Xie Qi asked, "Young Master Bai, what do we do now? What the Old Master hates most is being deceived."

Now, the person connected to 'deception' was none other than Shang Yanxiao, whom he valued most. This anger and disappointment would likely come even more fiercely.

Xie Qi assessed the severity of the situation, "The Old Madam isn't here, and even the head butler didn't come along this time. If they start arguing upstairs, who could possibly mediate?"

Bai Xu's eyes flickered. After thinking briefly, he asked, "Xie Qi, I remember the Old Master loves drinking health tea. Do we have any at home? Make me a cup, I'll go up in a bit."

Xie Qi and Chen Yufei exchanged glances and started moving, "We should have some, I'll look for it."

As soon as the words left his mouth, a furious shout from Old Master Shang suddenly came from the second floor—

"Shang Yanxiao, kneel down!"

"......"

The atmospheric pressure in the study plummeted.

Shang Yanxiao didn't voice a single word of unwilling protest. His knees dropped without any cushioning, just brutally smashing against the floor—it hurt just to hear it.

A man's knees are worth their weight in gold. If he wasn't furiously angry, it wouldn't have come to ordering him to kneel right from the start.

Old Master Shang snorted coldly, "You certainly are stubborn!"

Shang Yanxiao kept his body rigid, but his gaze was lowered, "Grandfather, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have hidden this from you and Grandmother, making you worry for so long."

Old Master Shang asked directly, "When exactly did you wake up?"

Shang Yanxiao hesitated for two seconds, then told the truth, "I woke up not long after the car accident."

Hearing this unexpected answer, Old Master Shang's grip on his cane tightened even more—

He had originally thought that Shang Yanxiao had improved and awakened after treatment in the Singapore, and had deliberately concealed this news only due to some unknown circumstances.

But what he never expected was that the other party had actually been pretending for more than half a year? Playing the entire family for fools?

This was the grandson he trusted and valued most, yet in the end he had done something he completely couldn't understand—the very act of deception he hated most!

Old Master Shang was so angry that even his breathing trembled. His stern questioning came surging back, "Shang Yanxiao, what were you thinking? What did you take your family's concern for you as?"

"I'm asking you—you conspired with that boy Second Zhang and went through all that trouble to run off to the Singapore, what was it all for? Do you know what kind of state Queyan has been in at the company all this time?"

"As the elder brother, you're actually here hiding away and enjoying leisure? If the car accident damaged your brain, then get back to the hospital right now for treatment!"

The accusations came crashing down on his head.

This was 'treatment' Shang Yanxiao had never experienced in all his years growing up.

"......"

Shang Yanxiao's Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he allowed Old Master Shang to vent his dissatisfaction and fury.

Old Master Shang's cane struck the floor heavily as he roared, "I'm telling you to speak! What was the point of painstakingly pretending for so long?"

"Grandfather."

Shang Yanxiao raised his head again. The gaze he directed at Old Master Shang was mixed with long-suppressed pain, "Have you never suspected that the third branch's car accident was deliberately caused by someone?"

Old Master Shang's expression suddenly stiffened, "What are you saying?"

"Have you never considered that perhaps my parents' lives shouldn't have ended? And Queyan—"

"He had such a bright future ahead of him, could have pursued the racing career he loved, but just like that he lost both legs! Grandfather, you can't possibly not have heard how unbearable those gossips and rumors were back then."

"Queyan has resilience in his bones. He forced himself to move on. But this pain—I, as his older brother, remember it for him, remember it for our third branch!"

Old Master Shang tried to calm his breathing, his voice containing a trace of powerlessness, "That car accident—the overseas police already issued an appraisal notice. What are you still suspecting?"

A flash of hatred passed through the depths of Shang Yanxiao's pupils, "I suspect the first branch or second branch hired someone to cause the car accident and commit murder. I also suspect—"

He choked up imperceptibly, forcibly reddening his eyes, "Grandfather, you knew this car accident was suspicious, yet you didn't demand the police investigate further!"

The suspicion from the deepest part of his heart was finally thrown out.

Resounding and forceful, it wasn't a tone of doubt at all.

Old Master Shang was instantly enraged by these words and used all his strength to strike his cane against Shang Yanxiao's right shoulder, "You bastard!"

—Bang!

Shang Yanxiao took the blow without dodging or evading, gritting his teeth so hard that not half a note of pain escaped.

The next second, Bai Xu couldn't hold back and rushed in, "Old Master!"

He had just been holding hot tea, quietly waiting outside the study. Originally he was still thinking about when would be an appropriate time to enter, but upon hearing that alarming striking sound, he instantly couldn't restrain himself.

Old Master Shang pointed with his raised cane, "What are you coming in for? Get out!"

Bai Xu noticed Shang Yanxiao's obviously drooping right shoulder, his emotions tightening, "Old Master, drink a cup of health tea to calm down. Let's talk things through properly."

Old Master Shang looked at the hot tea brought before him, in no mood to acknowledge it, "Talk things through properly? Does he look like he has the attitude to talk things through properly?"

He refocused on Shang Yanxiao who was still kneeling on the ground, his eyes showing a trace of complexity that was difficult to hide, "You suspect I'm covering for the first branch and second branch, so even after waking up you deliberately kept it from us, is that it?"

"......"

Shang Yanxiao pressed his lips together without answering, only silently straightening his posture that had been knocked askew.

Old Master Shang was so angry his heart hurt. He raised his cane to strike down again, "Shang Yanxiao, you're—you're really something!"

Seeing the situation getting worse and worse, Bai Xu hurriedly put down the teacup and rushed to shield Shang Yanxiao, "Old Master, Yanxiao's pain of losing his parents is the same as your pain of losing your son and daughter-in-law."

"Everyone in the capital circle says Third Young Master's temperament is most like yours. What attitude Yanxiao has toward you, whether he truly has that meaning in his heart—how could you not know, sir?"

"......"

Old Master Shang's chest heaved violently. The cane held high hesitated and couldn't bear to fall, only angrily striking the floor beside Shang Yanxiao.

He stepped back two paces and collapsed into a chair as if all his strength had drained away, "Good, very good! I, Shang Hong, have really raised a fine grandson!"

Bai Xu turned to look at Shang Yanxiao, both worried and reminding, "Yanxiao? Are you alright?"

"......"

Hearing this form of address, Shang Yanxiao's tense thoughts relaxed slightly.

Bai Xu simply half-knelt to meet his eyes at the same level, advising in a low voice, "Talk to the Old Master properly, will you? Please?"

Earlier at home, hadn't he told Shang Queyan how to get along with the Old Master? How come now when it was his own turn, he didn't know how?

Shang Yanxiao imperceptibly nodded. When he spoke again, his tone was much softer, "Grandfather, I'm sorry. I just– I just need the truth."

He remained kneeling on the ground without getting up.

"The truth?"

Old Master Shang's tone was still harsh, "What have you found out? Right now you have no evidence! You're suspecting your own aunt, your own uncle—suspecting them of harming their own siblings!"

By the last few words, Old Master Shang's voice also choked up.

Bai Xu quickly stood up and pushed the hot tea he had set down earlier closer to Old Master Shang's side, "Old Master, you're right. Everything requires evidence."

"Yanxiao knows what he's doing. He's never taken it out to spread around carelessly."

Bai Xu deliberately softened his tone, apologizing to Old Master Shang on Shang Yanxiao's behalf, "Faking illness and hiding it, causing you and the Old Madam to worry long-term—this is indeed his fault. But he's always had you, his grandfather, in his heart."

He remembered something else and added as testimony, "Oh right, that AI medical device collaboration that the third branch helped the company secure recently, do you know about that?"

"Yanxiao knew you had expansion needs in this area for the company. That project was actually personally negotiated by him with Director Zhang of Juesheng."

"......"

Old Master Shang was half-believing, half-doubting as he looked at Bai Xu trying to smooth things over, "Stop saying nice things to plead for him here. He kept it from me, didn't you help him keep it from me too?"

"Weren't you quite tough not long ago, not wanting to have any connection with our Shang family? How long has it been? Have you really become Shang Yanxiao's person?"

Bai Xu was choked by that last sentence and suddenly felt too embarrassed to continue speaking.

Shang Yanxiao readjusted his emotions and revealed the investigation clues he had originally kept hidden, "I paid overseas private investigators to look into this—"

"The accident driver who died, Charlie, had a warehouse management colleague he worked with before his death, named Chelkin."

This was the first time Bai Xu had heard of this matter. His expression instantly turned serious.

"Before the accident, Chelkin took sick leave. After the accident, he resigned due to illness. But the private investigators, through hospital connections, couldn't find any medical records of him from that period."

"Instead, within half a month after the accident, Chelkin frequently visited high-end establishments and purchased luxury goods worth tens of thousands of US dollars."

Bai Xu glanced at Old Master Shang and asked knowingly, summarizing the suspicious points for Shang Yanxiao, "Where would an ordinary warehouse manager get that much money?"

Shang Yanxiao also directed his gaze at Old Master Shang, continuing to mention the key point, "The transaction account he used for the card purchases was our Shang Group's overseas bank account."

Old Master Shang's heart stirred, but his face revealed nothing.

Shang Yanxiao continued stating the facts, "Later, I had Xie Qi use overseas banking connections to investigate—"

"The card Cherlkin used was registered with his own identity information, but the large sum in the account was deposited through an offline bank."

The surveillance footage captured someone wearing very concealing attire—sunglasses, mask, and cap, fully equipped.

"Currently we can only determine that the person was about 1.75 meters tall. The build doesn't match Cherlkin, so we're guessing it might be the behind-the-scenes contact person."

An ordinary warehouse manager suddenly becoming wealthy? And the person who transferred the money to him was completely disguised—this couldn't possibly not be suspicious!

If they could find these two people, it might become a breakthrough in the car accident case. But searching for a needle in a haystack—how easy could that be?

In the blink of an eye, another three months had passed. They still hadn't found Cherlkin, nor had they found this mysterious person who made the deposit on his behalf.

"Grandfather, I know I still lack concrete evidence, but my intuition tells me—the car accident matter is not simple. I must find this truth!"

The depths of Old Master Shang's pupils were filled with complexity. His questioning tone was stiff, "What if after all the investigation, it turns out to be nothing?"

Shang Yanxiao was rarely stubborn in his opinion, "It can't be nothing."

"You've already preset your position. No matter how much I say, it's useless."

In order to secretly investigate the truth of the incident, and to avoid leaking information, he was willing to abandon the company and hide here—he could even disregard his own elderly grandmother!

Old Master Shang stood up in disappointment, "Shang Yanxiao, I can't control you anymore. From today on, do whatever you want! Since you can throw all company affairs to your younger brother, then don't think about coming back!"

Bai Xu was alarmed.

Old Master Shang stood up and walked around him toward the exit.

Bai Xu quickly picked up the cane and followed, "Old Master, where will you rest tonight? Should I arrange for you..."

"No need. I've booked a hotel."

Old Master Shang interrupted Bai Xu's inquiry, "If I stay under the same roof as you all, I'll be angered to death tonight!"

"......"

Bai Xu hastily said placating words, "Old Master, your health is good. How could a grandfather and grandson hold an overnight grudge? Rest well tonight, and shall we come see you tomorrow?"

Old Master Shang snorted and went downstairs on his own.

Bai Xu signaled with his eyes to Chen Yufei and Xie Qi waiting in the living room, "You two are responsible for properly escorting the Old Master back to his hotel, understand?"

"Yes, Young Master Bai."

Old Master Shang snatched the cane back from Bai Xu's hand, as if complaining in dissatisfaction, but also as if deliberately informing him, "If you hadn't suddenly rushed in just now, I would have crippled both that bastard's hands!"

After saying this, he was the first to exit the villa.

Three minutes later, the car drove off. Only then did Bai Xu's tense nerves relax. He quickly turned back and returned to the second floor.

...

The master bedroom door stood open, and as Bai Xu approached for a look—

Shang Yanxiao had already gotten up from the study and returned to the bedroom. He was standing quietly by the window, and from his angle looking down, he could see off Grandfather Shang and the others as they left.

Bai Xu understood Shang Yanxiao's thoughts. He knocked on the door before approaching, "Don't worry, with Xie Qi and the others there, they'll definitely get Grandfather safely back to the hotel and take good care of him."

"Mm."

Shang Yanxiao responded almost inaudibly, turning to meet his gaze, "Thank you."

If Bai Xu hadn't appeared in time just now, speaking soft words for him and Grandfather Shang and mediating between them, today he probably would have gotten more than just that one cane strike.

"Why are you being polite with me?"

Bai Xu's inquiring gaze fell on his shoulder, "How's your shoulder? That strike from Grandfather must have been pretty hard, right?"

Shang Yanxiao shook his head, his face showing no signs of pain, "It's okay. It's getting late, why don't you shower first? I also want to take a quick shower."

Bai Xu knew that Shang Yanxiao needed some time alone to process things, "Alright, if there's anything, we'll talk about it later."

...

Fine rain began to fall outside the window without anyone noticing, making the oppressive atmosphere lingering in the house even heavier.

Bai Xu changed into his pajamas and came out of the bathroom. Still worried about Shang Yanxiao's condition, he walked to the small connecting door.

Thud.

Just then, the sound of something falling came from the master bedroom next door.

Bai Xu knocked on the door, both as a reminder and an inquiry, "Shang Yanxiao, are you done washing up?"

"Come in."

Shang Yanxiao's voice came through, very muffled, his breathing somehow a bit unsteady.

Sensing something was wrong, Bai Xu hurriedly pushed the door open.

Inside the master bedroom, only a dim bedside lamp was lit. Shang Yanxiao, who had already finished washing up, sat shirtless on the edge of the bed, bending down to pick up a tube of ointment that had fallen on the floor.

As Bai Xu approached for a closer look, his heart seized—

Shang Yanxiao's entire right shoulder was swollen, with the most severe area turning purplish and streaked with blood.

Noticing Bai Xu's stiffness, Shang Yanxiao said hoarsely, "Did I scare you? It's actually not serious, just looks a bit frightening."

"Don't give me that. It's swollen like this in such a short time, and you say it's not serious?"

Bai Xu frowned as he drew closer, rarely showing a trace of dissatisfaction toward Grandfather Shang, "Grandfather was too harsh. Didn't he say you were his favorite? What if the bones or tendons are really injured?"

Shang Yanxiao's eyes lowered slightly, "From childhood until now, today was the only time he's ever hit me. I made him that angry."

Sensing his low spirits, Bai Xu took the initiative to take the ointment from him, "It's inconvenient for you, let me apply it for you."

Shang Yanxiao didn't refuse Bai Xu's kindness, "Okay."

Bai Xu pulled out five cotton swabs and bunched them together into a small cluster, then squeezed a large amount of ointment directly onto Shang Yanxiao's shoulder.

The moment the cotton swab head touched the swollen shoulder, Shang Yanxiao sucked in a sharp breath.

Sensing his pain, Bai Xu lightened his touch even more, "Bear with it."

Shang Yanxiao endured, "It's fine."

To divert his attention, Bai Xu said, "Queyan probably doesn't know about these things you told Grandfather, right?"

That the car accident that took their parents might have been deliberate, and the culprit might even be someone from the family.

Shang Yanxiao replied, "He's already suffering enough. Before the facts and results are settled, I don't want to burden him with more."

Bai Xu understood the responsibility this person carried as an older brother and sighed, "You shouldn't have said those things in front of Grandfather today. At first he was only annoyed that you concealed your recovery. An apology would have been enough."

Shang Yanxiao understood Grandfather Shang's temperament better than he did, "Grandfather came all this way, and once he realized I'd been deceiving him long-term, even if I didn't say anything, he would have gotten to the bottom of it. There's no hiding it."

"True."

Bai Xu continued to comfort him, "To Grandfather, your parents were his children, but the first and second branches are also his biological children. He loves them all equally."

"You have 'no evidence,' relying entirely on intuition. It's normal for him to be angry from his perspective. Don't be too upset."

Shang Yanxiao nodded, "I know."

Bai Xu's hands didn't stop moving, and he carefully probed further, "But, do you really suspect Grandfather?"

"......"

Shang Yanxiao met his gaze, the redness in his eyes not yet completely dissipated.

Bai Xu froze, afraid the other might misunderstand, "Well, I wasn't eavesdropping on purpose. I had just arrived at the door with the tea, wondering when would be a good time to go in."

"I know."

Shang Yanxiao stopped Bai Xu's restless unease, "You don't need to explain these things. I trust you."

Because of this trust, Shang Yanxiao chose to lay everything out—

Although after the initial investigation, the verdict stated it was an accidental incident, the police still suspected the possibility of deliberate intent based on the at-fault driver's delayed departure and sudden lane change.

"At the time, the other party gave Grandfather a verbal suggestion as the family member to file a report for another round of investigation. Grandfather agreed at first, but three days before I woke up, he withdrew the case."

Because there was no substantial evidence, the withdrawal went smoothly.

Shang Yanxiao only learned about these things later.

"Grandfather has been strong-willed his whole life. In everything, he must pursue a result. If he had suspicions, it's impossible he would easily dismiss them."

Shang Yanxiao choked up and paused, as if suppressing some bitter emotion, "I know I didn't control my emotions well today. What I said just now was too much and hurt the old man. It's all my fault."

The loss of his parents was not a scar that could be easily erased for Shang Yanxiao. The longer it dragged on, the more the festering in his heart spread.

As an older brother, he could persuade Shang Queyan to look forward in everything, but he couldn't persuade himself.

No one knew about Shang Yanxiao's tossing and turning in countless deep nights, how much he wanted to return to that day—

"I've thought more than once, if I hadn't said I was tired from work that day and let Queyan drive in my place, would the result have been different?"

"Perhaps I could have helped them avoid that disaster. Even if I couldn't, at least the one who lost his legs wouldn't have been Queyan."

"Shang Yanxiao, enough, stop talking."

Bai Xu called out low to stop him, a dull pain spreading in his heart that even he himself couldn't describe, "You can't keep thinking like this. This matter was never the fault of either of you."

"Yeah, things have already happened and can't be changed."

Shang Yanxiao smiled bitterly and turned his body away, not daring to easily reveal his vulnerability, "It's late, go back and rest. This small injury on my shoulder is nothing."

Bai Xu stared at Shang Yanxiao's profile, feeling an indescribable sadness.

Almost instinctively, he gently grabbed the man's wrist, "Yanxiao."

No longer using his full name, but a more intimate and gentle form of address.

Shang Yanxiao's somber mood suddenly shifted as he looked back.

Bai Xu met his gaze, suppressing that inexplicable shyness in his heart, "I'll stay with you."

Shang Yanxiao was stunned, "What?"

Bai Xu said to him word by word, "I'll accompany you tomorrow to apologize to Grandfather, and I'll also accompany you until the day the truth comes to light."

Even though Bai Xu hadn't read the specific plot details of this book to the end, he couldn't be wrong—in the original summary, this car accident was a deliberate conspiracy all along!

"You're not at fault, and you don't need to blame yourself."

"Besides, aren't we allies? So—" Bai Xu found a reason for his actions, "Even if the sky falls, I'll be there with you."

Shang Yanxiao finally let out a light laugh, "You're sure you want to accompany me?"

Bai Xu smiled along with him, completely forgetting the decision he had made some time ago, "Of course, I keep my promises."

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