DASFAM_68

"......"

Shang Yanxiao heard this question, his thoughts pausing for a moment.

Xie Qi beside him instinctively chimed in, "He definitely doesn't know. Given the Young Master's personality, if he ever found out there was an illegitimate child, he probably would have already secretly dealt with them long ago. How could he possibly let that person live until now?"

Shang Yanxiao also agreed with this, "Shang Qishun can't even tolerate us, let alone Wu Wei's illegitimate child."

Bai Xu raised an eyebrow lightly, "True."

Shang Yanxiao asked in return, "Are you thinking of letting Shang Qishun know about Wu Chengwang's existence? So they can tear each other apart?"

Bai Xu shook his head, "No, I think Wu Chengwang is no match for Shang Qishun. If we let the first branch's mother and son know about their existence too early, I'm afraid it would tip them off."

"Right now, there is nothing more important than getting Wu Chengwang caught and having him reveal the truth."

Bai Xu had a clear sense of priorities.

Since the third branch's car accident had an undeniable connection to Wu Chengwang, the killer should be brought to justice first.

As for Wu Wei and the first branch's mother and son, there would eventually be a right moment to expose everything.

"My aunt has always thought highly of herself. If she found out that Wu Wei had an illegitimate child outside, who knows how 'crazy' she might become."

Shang Yanxiao speculated, "By then, I'm afraid she wouldn't just resent Wu Wei. She might even hold a grudge against the person who 'exposed' it all."

"So, this is not something we can be the ones to tell her."

Bai Xu's eyes flickered slightly, a plan forming in his mind, "Xie Qi."

"Hm?"

"Wu Wei's so-called cousin nephew, what's his name again?"

"Wu Bang."

"Isn't he working at the company? Keep a close eye on him for me."

Bai Xu had always been good at reading people, "All these years, he's been using back-door connections that couldn't stand the light of day. He must have pocketed quite a bit. Some of that dirty money might have even been embezzled by Wu Wei through his hands."

Xie Qi caught on immediately, "Understood."

Shang Yanxiao also understood Bai Xu's thinking and smiled, "Those who end up crossing you really are out of luck."

Bai Xu huffed in displeasure, "What are you saying? Who do you think I'm doing all this planning for?"

Shang Yanxiao softened his tone to appease him, "The third branch owes it all to our dear Young Master Bai."

Xie Qi had long grown accustomed to the dynamic between the two bosses. He smiled without a word, waited a moment to confirm Bai Xu and Shang Yanxiao had no further instructions, then turned and left.

The door closed again.

Bai Xu, seeing that the truth was gradually coming to light, asked, "Shouldn't we tell Queyan the truth now?"

"He'll find out everything sooner or later. And I think after all the hardships he's been through, he should be able to handle it."

At the mention of the staged car accident and his late parents, Shang Yanxiao's expression tensed for just a brief moment.

Bai Xu noticed this and instinctively wrapped his hand around Shang Yanxiao's wrist, "Yanxiao?"

Shang Yanxiao pushed down the trace of pain in his eyes and regained his composure, "A' Xu, you're right. It's time to tell him."

Bai Xu nodded, "Alright, I'll be with you."

...

The two of them went downstairs, and as it happened, they ran into Shang Queyan returning from outside.

Their eyes met, and Shang Queyan spoke up first, "Brother, have you two eaten yet? I just finished having dinner with Grandmother at the main house."

Shang Yanxiao and Bai Xu exchanged a glance, then got straight to the point, "Queyan, come to my room for a moment. There's something very important I need to tell you."

Shang Queyan sensed the seriousness in his brother's manner, "Alright."

The two brothers went directly to the bedroom on the first floor. Bai Xu did not follow them in, but instead sat in the living room and waited patiently.

The butler, Uncle Lin, picked up on the subtle shift in the atmosphere and grew a little concerned, "Young Master Bai, has something happened again?"

Bai Xu shook his head to reassure him, "Uncle Lin, don't worry. With the two of them here now, no matter how big the trouble ahead, nothing can bring our third branch down."

Hearing Bai Xu's final words, 'our third branch,' the butler smiled, "Indeed."

Taking advantage of the wait, Bai Xu suddenly brought up something, "Uncle Lin, I'd like to ask you something. How well do you know the head butler?"

Uncle Lin looked surprised, "You mean the one at the main house?"

Bai Xu nodded, "I don't know much about him. Come to think of it, I don't even know his name."

Uncle Lin replied, "The head butler's surname is Sun, with the single given name Chuan. He's five or six years older than me."

"He's in his sixties? Why hasn't he retired yet?"

Uncle Lin let out a sigh, "Brother Sun has been by the Old Master's side for nearly forty years. I remember he mentioned it once, years ago."

The head butler's wife had passed away from cancer, leaving behind only a son who was not yet ten years old.

The old couple were kind-hearted at their core. Upon hearing this, they made a point of keeping both father and son, giving one a respectable position and putting the other through school.

Come to think of it, the head butler's son was only a little younger than Shang Yun and Shang Qi, and in earlier years they had been quite familiar with each other.

"Later on, the head butler's son gave up a perfectly stable job here in the country and insisted on going abroad to do business. Word has it he lost quite a lot of money."

Uncle Lin glanced at the tightly shut master bedroom door and lowered his voice, "I heard the Third Master mention it once. Butler Sun's son had drained all of his savings, and had also privately borrowed a considerable sum from the Third Master."

"He probably went to the other two branches as well, though whether they lent him anything, I wouldn't know."

"......"

Bai Xu furrowed his brow slightly, "How much did the Third Master lend him? Does the head butler know about this?"

Uncle Lin shook his head, "That I'm not sure of. But the Third Master was a kind man. My guess is he didn't say anything to anyone, for fear of burdening the head butler."

"Though if you ask me, Brother Sun is a pitiful man too."

"His wife left early, and his son has been abroad all these years without coming back. So even now that he's reached retirement age, where else would he go?"

Either way, the old Shang couple had grown used to having him manage the household, and he had nowhere else to go, so he had simply stayed on with the Shang family all this time.

Uncle Lin sighed, then turned the question around, "Young Master Bai, why are you asking about him?"

Bai Xu had not yet formed a solid conclusion in his mind. Before he could even answer, the bedroom door opened once more.

Shang Yanxiao and Shang Queyan walked out one after the other.

If Shang Yanxiao merely looked pale, then by comparison, Shang Queyan's reaction was magnified a thousandfold. His reddened eyes were more than enough to speak to the pain and hatred raging within him at that moment.

Uncle Lin was startled, "Young Masters, what's the matter?"

Shang Yanxiao simply said, "Uncle Lin, it's nothing. It's getting late, go ahead and get some rest."

"......"

Uncle Lin could tell that Shang Yanxiao had something he couldn't speak of, and could only swallow his worry, "Alright."

Once Uncle Lin had gone, Bai Xu rose and walked over to the two brothers, "All done talking?"

Shang Yanxiao gave a small nod, "Yes."

Shang Queyan took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, but the hatred in his heart had not diminished in the slightest, "I want to kill them!"

Bai Xu replied, "Killing them just like that would only let them off easy. And it would land you in prison on top of that."

Shang Queyan's throat tightened, and he said nothing.

Bai Xu continued to offer comfort in his own way, "What we need to do is repay them a hundredfold, and make them live in suffering, torment, and regret for the rest of their lives!"

Even if Wu Wei and the others deserved to die, it had to be the law that brought them down. Throwing oneself away in the process would simply not be worth it.

Shang Yanxiao added, "A' Xu is right."

"Xiao Yan, I know you're hurting inside. But we've already come this far, and that means we have to act with even more composure. Otherwise, all this time we've spent holding back will have been for nothing."

Shang Queyan closed his eyes for a moment and forced himself to nod, "So what do we do now?"

"Wait."

"Wait for the right moment."

They were going to expose every evil thing Wu Wei had done, and bring the first branch, who thought themselves so high and mighty, to a point where they could never hold their heads up again in the capital.

...

In the blink of an eye, another half month had passed.

The Old Master's recovery was progressing far better than expected. However, just as the attending physician had anticipated, the damage to his brain was still severe. Not only was he unable to speak in complete sentences, but his everyday thinking had also slowed considerably.

Although he had regained consciousness, he could not speak, could not lift his hands, and could not move his feet. His daily life depended entirely on assisted care.

Fortunately, the Shang family's vast wealth meant that hiring nurses and covering medical expenses was no difficulty at all. At the Old Madam's insistence, everyone arranged for the Old Master to be brought back to the estate to continue his treatment and recovery.

The night grew late.

When Bai Xu and Shang Yanxiao arrived at the main house of the estate, the head butler was just seeing the medical staff downstairs.

The head butler paused, "Third Young Master, it's nearly nine in the evening. What brings you here?"

Shang Yanxiao replied, "We were tied up in meetings all afternoon and couldn't get away. Grandfather came home today, so the two of us, as his grandchildren, had to come and see him."

Bai Xu curved his lips slightly, "We'll just go up and check on the two elders and then leave. Please go ahead with what you were doing."

The head butler hesitated, as if wanting to say something, "At this hour, the Old Master and Old Madam should both be..."

Before he could finish, the Old Madam's voice drifted down from the second floor hallway, "Is that Yanxiao?"

Bai Xu immediately replied obediently, "Grandmother, it's me and Yanxiao. Have you and Grandfather gone to bed yet?"

"Come on up."

With the Old Madam's permission, the head butler had no choice but to step aside and clear the way for them on the stairs.

Bai Xu gave the head butler a long, measuring look, "Thank you."

The head butler lowered his gaze, his expression unreadable, "You're too kind, Young Master Bai. I'll go and get the medical staff settled then. Please make yourselves at home."

The two of them went up to the second floor and followed the Old Madam into the master bedroom.

The master bedroom of the old Shang couple was very spacious, divided inside into several smaller rooms each serving a different purpose.

The Old Master was lying on the large bed with his eyes closed, seemingly already asleep, though his complexion looked considerably better than before.

The Old Madam drew her shawl more closely around herself and slowly sat down at the edge of the bed, "You two coming to find me this late, is there something you want to say to me?"

"......"

Bai Xu looked toward Shang Yanxiao. He had not expected the Old Madam to have already sensed the purpose of their visit.

Being busy during the day had merely been their excuse. Choosing to come at this hour was indeed to avoid the first branch, the second branch, and the rest of the family.

The Old Madam gazed at her husband sleeping on the bed and let out a silent sigh, "Among all the children in this family, Yanxiao is the one who cares most for his grandfather."

"When the Old Master was discharged and came home, there's no way you wouldn't have rushed over right away to help. The fact that you've waited until now means you must have had other intentions."

"Tell me. What is it that's so important that you had to avoid everyone else and come to me alone?"

"......"

Shang Yanxiao quietly drew a controlled breath, then dropped to his knees with a thud, "Grandmother, there are things I have to come clean to you about."

Bai Xu knew the purpose of Shang Yanxiao's visit and made no move to stop him.

It was the Old Madam who, upon seeing this gesture she had never witnessed from him before, let a flash of alarm cross her face, though she steadied herself almost immediately.

She turned the prayer beads in her hands, as if steeling herself for something, "Go ahead."

The night stretched on, and the truth was laid bare, piece by piece.

Until suddenly, with a sharp snap, the prayer bead bracelet the Old Madam had only just had repaired broke apart and scattered across the floor.

Tears she could no longer hold back streamed down her face as she trembled and asked, "Yanxiao, is everything you've said true?"

Shang Yanxiao struggled to speak, "Grandmother, I wish none of it were."

"Grandfather warned me not to say any of this in front of you before the truth had been fully uncovered. But this is the truth."

"The injustice of my parents' deaths, the hatred over what was done to Queyan, I have to avenge all of it."

"Grandmother, I'm sorry. I know you love everyone in this family equally. If I had any choice, I would never want to put you in such a difficult position."

The Old Madam was silent for a long while, seemingly still absorbing the weight of everything she had just heard.

No one could say how much time had passed before she gestured for Shang Yanxiao to rise, "Good child. Grandmother knows you would never joke about something like this."

"Whether it's Wu Wei or your aunt, if they have truly done these shameful things behind everyone's backs, then they are the ones who first turned their backs on family."

Those who bring ruin upon themselves deserve no forgiveness.

The Old Madam forced down the grief surging within her, "You don't need to spare my feelings. Do what needs to be done."

Things had come to this point. The bonds within this family had long since fallen apart.

The Old Madam looked over at the Old Master lying on the bed and sighed, "In the end, your grandfather and I failed to raise our children well, and failed to preserve the bond between those four siblings. The fault lies with us."

Bai Xu stepped closer to offer comfort, "Grandmother, you can't blame yourself for this, and you certainly can't blame Grandfather."

The old Shang couple had given their children a life of abundance from birth, never wanting for anything, and had raised each one of them to be accomplished in their own right. They had already been wonderful parents.

But people's hearts are ever-changing. There are always things no parent can teach, things no parent can stop, and 'money' or 'desire' can always blind people to right and wrong.

The Old Madam patted the back of Bai Xu's hand, knowing that he too was a kind-hearted soul.

With clear-eyed understanding, she asked, "I heard Keyi mention something today, something about holding a dinner banquet for their thirty-fourth wedding anniversary. Are you planning to expose everything on that day?"

A thirty-fourth anniversary was no milestone worth celebrating. What was there to commemorate?

It was nothing more than Shang Keyi feeling that the cancelled engagement banquet had been a terrible embarrassment not long ago, and wanting to use her 'devoted marriage' as a pretext to invite a crowd of people, win their favor, and salvage some face.

Bai Xu made no attempt to hide it from the Old Madam, "Yes."

The words had barely left his lips when the Old Master on the bed suddenly opened his eyes.

Shang Yanxiao noticed immediately, "Grandfather, you're awake?"

Upon making out Shang Yanxiao's face, the Old Master became suddenly agitated, "Mm... ah... ugh, I..."

The Old Master had lost a great deal of weight during this time, and the veins on his neck were visibly straining. Words caught and muddled in his throat, impossible to make out.

The Old Madam immediately drew close, "What's wrong? Don't rush, are you feeling unwell somewhere?"

Shang Yanxiao was quick to soothe him as well, "Grandfather, I'm right here. Don't worry."

"Ah..."

The Old Master mustered every last bit of his strength trying to raise his hand, trembling as he pointed toward the writing desk on the far side of the room, only for his arm to drop back down a moment later.

Bai Xu seemed to realize something, "Old Master, is there something over there you want to show us?"

Shang Yanxiao reacted at once and quickly made his way to the writing desk.

However, every drawer was locked with an electronic password and could not be opened at all.

The Old Madam understood, "0312."

Shang Yanxiao entered the code, and sure enough, all the drawers unlocked and opened at once.

After searching through them for quite some time, Shang Yanxiao finally retrieved a paternity test document from the very bottom of the lowest drawer.

He had only skimmed through it briefly, yet the surprise on his face was plain to see.

"Grandmother, look at this."

Shang Yanxiao handed the paternity test report to the Old Madam, though his gaze remained fixed on the Old Master, "Grandfather, is this the paternity test for Wu Wei and Wu Chengwang?"

Bai Xu added, "Old Master, don't worry. If the answer is yes, just look at the Old Madam."

The Old Master's eyes shifted toward his wife, who was in the midst of examining the paternity test report. The answer was plain.

"......"

The Old Madam's hands were trembling with rage, "That Wu Wei, he actually did something like this behind Keyi's back. What a heartless, shameless man!"

If it weren't for Shang Keyi's insistence back then, if it weren't for the Shang family giving him a stepping stone, where would a penniless nobody like Wu Wei be today?

Bai Xu sensed that something was very wrong and quickly moved closer to the Old Master, "Old Master, I know it's difficult for you to speak right now, but let me ask you a few things."

"If the answer is yes, look at Grandmother. If it's no, look at Yanxiao. If it's somewhere in between or unclear, look at me. Alright?"

At this, the Old Master looked toward the Old Madam once more, making it clear he had understood perfectly.

Bai Xu and Shang Yanxiao exchanged a glance, then got straight to the point, "Old Master, you can't speak, but your mind is still sharp. The reason you've been deliberately playing confused is because you're afraid someone in the family might harm you, isn't it?"

"......"

The Old Master's gaze settled steadily on his wife.

The Old Madam met his eyes, and her tears fell before she could stop them.

The Old Master tried to reach out to comfort her, but even that was beyond him. All he could do was continue to make some muddled sounds.

The Old Madam sensed her husband's intention and reached over to take his hand in hers, "A' Hong, I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

Bai Xu's ability to piece things together had always been sharp. He pressed on, "Old Master, after you returned from Singapore, you had someone help Yanxiao investigate the person who made the deposit at HS Bank. That's how you found out about Wu Chengwang."

"......"

The answer was yes.

"You discovered Wu Chengwang's true identity, and that's why you summoned Wu Wei to confront him on the day it happened?"

"......"

The answer was yes.

"Was it Wu Wei who pushed you when he realized he'd been found out?"

"......"

The Old Master's answer was just as clear.

The Old Madam wept softly, while Shang Yanxiao stood beside her, his face dark, a storm quietly brewing behind his eyes.

Bai Xu's gaze flickered slightly, "Old Master, I have one last question."

As the question left Bai Xu's lips, the Old Madam froze in disbelief, and even Shang Yanxiao seemed taken aback.

In no more than three seconds, the Old Master's gaze once again landed on the Old Madam's face, unwavering.

The question that had long lingered in Bai Xu's mind finally had a clear answer. He turned to Shang Yanxiao, "It seems my guess was right."

–

TL: Muji

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