DASFAM_69

In order to save face, Shang Keyi and Wu Wei's wedding anniversary banquet was held on quite a grand scale, deliberately inviting many friends from their social circle as well as notable figures.

As everyone knew, the engagement banquet between Shang Qishun and Bai Hui had ended in embarrassment, and the man's reputation had since taken a sharp fall. But after all, the title of 'Shang Family First Branch' still hung over them, and the position of Shang Family heir remained vacant with the outcome yet undecided—

Quite a few people were still willing to give the first branch this courtesy, and came to attend the banquet one after another.

Upon arriving at the banquet hall, Bai Xu clicked his tongue in amazement, "Looks like this banquet cost quite a sum. Your first branch really does have deep pockets."

They had thrown tens of millions down the drain on an engagement banquet that went to waste, and yet they still dared to be this extravagant? This banquet alone had to be in the seven figures at the very least.

Shang Yanxiao was unsurprised, "You know perfectly well what kind of person my aunt is, don't you?"

No matter what situation she found herself in, her dignity would always come first.

Shang Queyan concealed that hint of eagerness, "Brother, Bai Xu, let's head inside."

Bai Xu and Shang Yanxiao exchanged a glance, "Alright."

The moment the three of them stepped into the banquet hall, they immediately drew the gazes of many guests.

Shang Keyi, who had originally been at the center of the crowd receiving congratulations and compliments, caught sight of these three uninvited guests, and the smile on her face instantly stiffened.

She quickly approached on her high heels, her eyes filled with coldness and wariness, "Why are you here?"

As if she were not looking at her own nephew, but rather at some villainous troublemaker.

Shang Queyan curved his lips into a smile and assumed the polite demeanor of a junior, "We heard today is the anniversary of your and uncle's wedding. We happened to be passing by and thought we'd come take a look."

"This is the gift we prepared for you, aunt."

Bai Xu handed over the gift bag they had specially prepared, and placed deliberate emphasis with a meaningful tone, "Wishing you and uncle a lasting marriage and enduring affection."

With so many guests watching, Shang Keyi had no choice but to accept the gift bag first, "Thank you."

The bag was light as a feather, with barely any weight to it.

She fixed her gaze on Bai Xu's face, which feigned innocence and obedience, unwilling to suffer another loss, "However, seeing as we are no relation to each other, I'm afraid I cannot take on the title of 'aunt' from Young Master Bai."

Bai Xu gave a brief raise of his brow, thinking to himself that it was simply because calling her by any other title felt awkward and unsuitable.

Shang Yanxiao caught the fleeting little expression that crossed Bai Xu's face and privately found it endearing, "Aunt, the three of us came to share in the joy of you and uncle's celebration. Surely you wouldn't mind?"

"......"

How could there still be people who showed up uninvited?

How had she never noticed before that the third branch had such thick skin?

A trace of disgust surfaced in the depths of Shang Keyi's eyes, yet the curve of her lips remained, "Aunt appreciates your kind gesture. However, today's guests are all friends of my own generation, and it would not be fitting for you youngsters to stay."

"When the opportunity arises, aunt will invite you all separately."

The words had barely fallen when Shang Keshu came rushing over in a hurry, "Big Sister, it's rare for Yanxiao and these three children to have made the effort to come. Surely you should at least keep them for a drink."

"Besides, isn't Qishun coming later as well? They are the same generation and would have things to talk about."

"......"

The guests who heard these words clicked their tongues one after another.

This Miss Shu really had a knack for poking at sore spots, deliberately stabbing a knife right into her own elder sister's heart.

Who did not know that the rivalry between the first branch and the third branch centered mainly around Shang Qishun and Shang Yanxiao? Same generation and would have things to talk about? If anything, they would more likely end up quietly nursing a fresh grudge.

Shang Keshu asked with a smile, "Big Sister, surely you are not someone who cannot tolerate these juniors?"

Having been called out, Shang Keyi's expression darkened with faint displeasure, "What are you talking about? If you all don't mind the dullness, then stay."

The second branch couple hung back to the side, watching the scene unfold before them.

A flicker of contemplation passed through Shang Yun's eyes. Something felt off, "Yuhua, no matter what happens later, just watch. Don't say a word."

Fang Yuhua was surprised, "Could something actually happen?"

Shang Yun gave a slight shake of his head, a vague premonition stirring within him, "I'm not sure either. Let's just wait and see."

Ever since he had come to understand his own position and the current state of affairs, and had withdrawn from the so-called family power struggle, he had come to realize what it truly meant to be too close to see clearly, while a bystander sees all.

The relationship between the first branch and the third branch had already reached the point of being like fire and water.

Shang Yun did not believe for a moment that two nephews plus a scheming Bai Xu had come to an occasion like this merely to offer some inconsequential congratulations.

"......"

Shang Keshu led the three juniors and casually made her way to a table.

She glanced around, then lowered her voice, "Stop pretending in front of me, you three. The Old Madam has already given me the full picture. Tell me, what exactly are you planning to do tonight?"

Shang Yanxiao glanced at Bai Xu, "Aunt, tonight will be quite eventful. Just sit back and watch."

Shang Keshu swirled her wine glass, a barely perceptible trace of worry hidden between her brows, "No matter how proud and haughty your eldest aunt may be, she is still a member of the Shang family. If it is ultimately confirmed that she was genuinely kept in the dark, leave her a way out."

Some ties of blood, even when broken, remain connected by sinew.

No matter how much the Shang family members schemed and fought for power, in her eyes, they would never go so far as to leave no survivors.

Shang Keshu lowered her gaze, still struggling to digest the complexity stirring within her, "Of course, if the accident turns out to be linked to her, then do whatever you need to do. I will not stand in your way."

Shang Yanxiao understood the softness Shang Keshu concealed beneath her exterior, and gave a nod, "Aunt, I know where to draw the line."

Shang Keshu drained the last of her champagne, "Good."

...

Shang Qishun arrived fashionably late, and the moment he stepped into the banquet hall, he likewise drew the gazes of countless guests.

"......"

Shang Qishun strained to hold the curve of his lips steady and made his way to Shang Keyi's side, "Mom, I still have matters at the company. I won't be able to stay long."

Shang Keyi knew what he was trying to avoid, and spoke to him quietly, "Qishun, there are some things you cannot run from. The more people talk about you, the more you need to hold your head up. What is there to fear?"

Was it not just a cancelled engagement banquet? Was it not just being pointed out for having some issues in his personal life? Who could say for certain that what Bai Hui and the others claimed was even true?

As time went on, these matters would naturally be replaced by other topics of gossip.

By then, Shang Qishun would still be the rightful eldest young master of the Shang family and the general manager of the Shang Group. In a couple of years, he would just as easily find a more suitable marriage partner.

"......"

Shang Qishun said nothing.

His peripheral vision caught sight of Shang Yanxiao and the others at the table to his right, and the eyes hidden behind his lenses instantly turned sharp, "Why are they here?"

Shang Keyi said, "They showed up uninvited with thick skin. It's not as though I could throw them out in front of everyone."

A flicker of suspicion crept into Shang Qishun's heart, "Mom, be careful not to let them scheme against you. Once the banquet has run its course, wrap things up and end it early."

Before Shang Keyi could even respond, the words from her own son had already sent a jolt of unease through her. Wu Wei walked back over, "Keyi, there are still some guests waiting for us to toast them."

"Since Qishun is here, let him come along with us."

The mother and son exchanged a glance, and had no choice but to set aside the topic for now.

Shang Keyi was the first to rein in her emotions, "Let's go. This banquet was meant to win back some face for our family to begin with."

Now that Shang Qishun had come, the toasting round could not be skipped.

Shang Qishun beckoned his assistant over and gave a quiet instruction, "Keep a close eye on the third branch."

Special Assistant Xiao cast a brief glance in the direction of Bai Xu and the others, "Understood."

Little did he know, this very scene happened to fall within Shang Queyan's line of sight, "We're being watched. Too bad they're watching the wrong person."

Bai Xu deliberately picked up yet another glass of champagne, "Just wait. The supporting act is about to make their entrance."

Shang Yanxiao called out, "A' Xu."

"Hm?"

The champagne was effortlessly plucked from his hand and replaced with a glass of fruit wine with a lower alcohol content, "You've already finished two glasses. No more."

Shang Queyan said nothing, quietly sipping his drink and watching the show unfold.

Bai Xu was unconvinced and let out a grumble, "Shang Yanxiao, what gives you the right to control my drinking?"

Shang Yanxiao kept a perfectly straight face, yet with a thread of teasing tucked beneath, "By virtue of the fact that we are friends with benefits."

"...Pfft!"

Shang Queyan nearly spat out his drink, choking and coughing until his face flushed red.

After quite a long moment, he finally muttered, "Brother, you two... you two really play it wild."

...

The banquet continued on, accompanied by flattery and compliments, whether heartfelt or hollow.

"Madam Shang, congratulations! Look at all these years that have passed, and yet yours and Mr. Wu's bond is still as solid as ever. Truly enviable."

"Exactly, all these years and the two of you are always side by side together, never apart."

"If my Old Wang could be even half as considerate as Mr. Wu, I'd be laughing."

"And that's not even the half of it– the son they raised turned out so outstanding, a fine and handsome young man at that."

Hearing the waves of exaggerated praise and flattery rising up around her, Shang Keyi reached out and took her husband's arm, and the smile on her face became a few shades more genuine, "All these years, it's thanks to Old Wu for putting up with me."

Wu Wei patted his wife's wrist, "If you hadn't made the firm choice to be with me back then, where would I be today?"

The two played off each other perfectly in front of the guests, projecting an image of extraordinary affection.

Shang Qishun followed alongside his parents. Hearing Wu Wei's tone filled with tenderness, a faint glimmer passed imperceptibly through the eyes hidden behind his lenses.

Just as the atmosphere of the banquet was at its most pleasant, a commotion suddenly broke out at the entrance.

"Let go of me!"

"What gives you the right to stop a married couple from going in!"

"You are nothing but hired help. What right do you have to block us? Do you have any idea what our relationship with Wu Wei is?"

The crude outburst, so out of place at a banquet, quickly drew the attention of many guests.

In less than ten seconds, a middle-aged couple dressed in shabby, unfashionable clothes shoved past the waitstaff blocking their way and forced themselves in.

Bai Xu sipped at the fruit wine he had been forced to switch to, his interest growing keener, "The banquet is nearly over and they've finally made it just in time."

The guests around them caught sight of these two unfamiliar faces and could not help but break into whispers.

"Who are these two?"

"No idea. Never seen them before."

"Some poor relative of someone here?"

"Who among the guests here would have poor relatives?"

"Did I just hear correctly? They seemed to mention Mr. Wu's name?"

Before the crowd's questions could even fully form, the middle-aged man who had barged into the banquet hall had already zeroed in on his target.

Wu Jiu dragged his wife and made straight for Wu Wei, "Cousin, I've finally tracked you down!"

"We are family after all. You have to save us, it's a matter of life and death!"

"......"

Shang Keyi sensed immediately that something was wrong and turned to look at her husband, "What is going on?"

What sort of relative was this?

Had he not said he had already cut ties with all these distant, barely-related relatives when they had gotten married back then?

Wu Wei was equally unprepared for this sudden turn of events, and his expression grew somewhat awkward, "What are the two of you doing here?"

The middle-aged woman instantly found her footing, "Cousin, we only came looking for you because nobody picks up when we call! I'm begging you, please save Wu Bang! He is your cousin's son after all! You watched him grow up!"

Shang Keyi's expression had completely fallen, "What do you mean some vague distant nephew? Stop making up connections that don't exist!"

The middle-aged woman met Shang Keyi's forceful manner and trembled involuntarily.

Wu Jiu saw his wife shrink back in timidity and was immediately displeased, "Who the hell is making up connections? Your husband was raised by my father! And my son, Wu Bang—"

"Ever since he graduated from university and was placed into your group, when has he ever not been working for you, his cousin uncle?"

"And now the police are saying he committed embezzlement, that he siphoned money from your group, and they've taken him away to face prison time!"

Wu Bang had already been taken away by the police two days ago. The moment the couple received word, they had rushed over from their hometown, yet no matter how many times they called, they could not get through to Wu Wei.

Had it not been for an anonymous text message telling them that Wu Wei and his wife were throwing a grand banquet, Wu Jiu and his wife would have had no way of finding their way here so quickly.

They only had this one son. How could they not be anxious?

Wu Jiu was not an educated man, and when faced with trouble his words came out naturally agitated, "I know my own son. He is lazy and idle, good for nothing, but when it comes to something this serious, he would never have the nerve! Wu Wei, dare you say this wasn't done on your orders?"

Some of the guests had pieced it together well enough and summed it up, "So Mr. Wu used his connections to let a relative's son in through the back door of the group, and the nephew secretly embezzled money and got into trouble?"

"......"

Shang Keyi had been completely in the dark about any of this. Her breath caught, "Wu Wei, you had better make this clear to me."

Wu Wei met his wife's look of disbelieving disappointment, and his heart sank with dread.

He turned to look at Wu Jiu and his wife, who had shown up without so much as a word of notice, and did his best to adopt a conciliatory tone, "Don't panic, the two of you. Once the banquet is over I will go and look into this properly. These past two days have been incredibly busy, and I genuinely missed your calls..."

In order to keep his wife from finding out, the number he used to contact Wu Jiu and his wife had been purchased separately, and the two sides had not been in contact for quite some time.

Faced with dozens of pairs of eyes fixed upon him, Wu Wei had no choice but to brazen it out, "Why would I instruct him to do something like that? There must be some misunderstanding."

Shang Qishun standing to the side could not shake the feeling that something was off.

He instinctively looked toward Bai Xu and Shang Yanxiao, and the moment he caught the identical look of amusement on both their faces, he immediately realized this was yet another trap.

This couple had clearly been goaded and misled. If they were allowed to keep going, there was no telling what else might come spilling out.

"Dad, Mom, why waste words on them?"

Shang Qishun made a swift decision and signaled to his assistant, "Have someone throw them out. Don't let them keep rambling here and ruining everyone's mood."

The assistant immediately approached with hotel security, intending to forcibly drag Wu Jiu and his wife out.

Wu Jiu had a fiery temper and was not about to stand for treatment like this. He immediately struggled and broke into a scuffle with the security guards.

Wu Wei instinctively stepped forward to break it up, but was stopped by Shang Qishun, "Dad!"

"......"

Wu Wei froze mid-step. While hesitation played across his face, Wu Jiu on the other side lost his footing in the scuffle and came crashing hard to the ground.

A sharp crack rang out from somewhere along his lower back near the tailbone, and his face instantly contorted with pain.

Wu Jiu's wife panicked and rushed to throw herself down at her husband's side, "Old Jiu, are you alright? Don't- don't scare me."

Summoning courage from she knew not where, she threw all caution to the wind and screamed at Wu Wei, "Wu Wei, a person must never forget their roots! Don't you forget—"

"The illegitimate child you secretly fathered outside of the Shang family– it was us, this couple, who raised him!"

–

TL: Muji

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