Chapter 81

Chapter 81

Mu Qi, with a somber expression and cold tone, addressed the cautious young man not far away, "Is there something you need?"

Mu Ban, upon entering, immediately noticed Mu Qi and felt relieved. He had just returned from a business trip abroad the day before.

After hearing about his elder brother's accident, he immediately booked a flight.

Since tickets for the same day were unavailable, he had to book for today, rushing over in a hurry, only to find his brother not in the coma as rumored.

Arriving worried due to the rumors, Mu Ban now realized his presence might be unwelcome. Looking down, he finally apologized, "I heard big brother was... ill, so I wanted to see if I could help in any way."

The butler, hearing this, was visibly upset and skeptical. Help? Not causing more trouble was enough.

After all, how could Mu Ban, who had committed such an act of ingratitude in the past, not feel hypocritical saying these words now?

Mu Qi's expression remained neutral, quietly observing the young man who dared not meet his eyes. This adopted son, brought up by his father but only staying until adulthood, had manners that prevented Mu Qi from speaking harshly. But he couldn't be cordial either, not after the harm done to his younger brother.

"I'm fine, as you can see. We have guests at home, so I won't keep you here," Mu Qi said, dismissively, also wary of any potential offense to the Master.

Mu Ban's pale lips quivered slightly as he responded with a subdued, "Sorry for the disturbance."

He quickly glanced up, then lowered his head again, turning to leave.

Just then, Mu Dong rushed back home, his loud voice filled with enthusiasm even before he entered the door: "Master! I heard my son has been awakened by you? You truly are our Mu family's benefactor. What are you doing here?"

Mu Dong's voice abruptly stopped as his expression soured, glaring at the butler: "What's going on here?"

The butler stood nearby, "Master, Young Master Ban came to see the young master and is just about to leave."

Mu Ban, not expecting to encounter his father, instinctively called out "Father."

Mu Dong, remembering what he had done, frowned deeply, but restrained himself from anger in front of the Master, gesturing dismissively, "Fine, we have a guest today, come back some other time."

Mu Ban had intended to leave, believing Mu Qi was fine after seeing him unharmed. But hearing his father's words, he realized the guest was the Master, suggesting perhaps Mu Qi really had been in trouble?

Had he arrived too late, just after the Master revived his brother?

Hesitating, he couldn't help but take a deep breath and look up with concern, "Father, my brother has always been healthy. How could he suddenly fall so ill?"

Mu Dong glanced at him, sighing, "Since you chose to leave, these matters no longer concern you."

Mu Ban rubbed his fingers against his suit pants, unable to hold back, "Is it possible that someone is deliberately targeting the Mu family? Shouldn't we investigate?"

He was worried his brother and father might not take it seriously. What if something like the past happened again?

He didn't understand before, but after years of struggles, he realized something was amiss.

The butler, unable to contain his anger, blurted out, "Young Master Ban, if someone was targeting the Mu family, wouldn't you be the first in line? Haven't you caused enough harm, leaving the second young master disabled and unable to stay with his family? Haven't you committed enough sins?"

Thinking of the suffering second young master, the butler, who had watched him grow up, felt his eyes well up with tears.

Xie Qingfeng was leisurely sipping his tea, as this matter didn't concern him.

It was a private affair of the Mu family.

He only needed to make sure Mu Qi was alright and then he could leave after this meal.

At the butler's words, he raised his eyebrows and looked forward, surprised. He even wondered if his cultivation had diminished. Could the butler be referring to the young man beside him?

Hearing the butler's words, Mu Ban shuddered, a look of pain crossing his face. He hunched over, quickly apologizing for his rashness.

After all, no one would likely believe what he had said.

Even he himself was confused.

As Mu Ban hurried past Mu Dong to leave, a voice from behind said, "Wait a moment."

Not sure if it was meant for him, Mu Ban instinctively stopped and turned back, surprised to see the young man seated at the head of the table.

Mu Dong was also surprised and, upon realizing the young man's seat, recognized him as Xie Qingfeng, the one who saved his eldest son.

He stepped forward respectfully, "Master, is there something amiss? This is my adopted son, but he hasn't been involved with the Mu family for years."

Xie Qingfeng hadn't planned to intervene, but considering Mu Qi's resemblance to his junior disciple, he felt a bit more patient than usual.

Besides, the person who harmed Mu Qi in secret hadn't been found, but it wasn't necessary to watch the Mu family take a wrong turn.

Xie Qingfeng pointed at Mu Ban, "Did you just say your adopted son caused a karmic debt, resulting in your second son's disability?"

Mu Dong nodded, "Yes, that's correct. He was the child of an acquaintance who lost both parents. I adopted him, but when he was around ten, he caused a mischief that led to my second son's disability. He has been reluctant to return from abroad due to his condition."

What happened years ago was unintentional, but he couldn't forgive him. Once the adopted son became an adult, he felt his responsibility was fulfilled. Since his departure, he had stopped inquiring about him, as if he had never adopted him.

After listening, Xie Qingfeng looked at Mu Ban, who was standing with his head bowed and body trembling slightly, and frowned, "Lift your head."

The young man hesitated, but as the silence around him deepened, he realized the command was for him and eventually looked up.

The Master from the Mu family appeared very young, frowning as he looked at him, but his eyes didn't show the disdain or hatred he expected. Instead, they were calm and undisturbed.

As if he hadn't heard his father's words at all.

Mu Ban stood there, stunned, unsure why the Master had asked him to lift his head.

Xie Qingfeng observed Mu Ban, who had no bangs obscuring his forehead, revealing his entire facial features, confirming he hadn't made a mistake.

Xie Qingfeng's eyebrows lifted as he met Mu Ban's clear eyes. Though in his twenties, the man seemed drained of vitality, exuding a sense of desolation and weariness. Moved by a rare sense of compassion, he slightly tilted his head towards Mu Dong, "However, what I see in his features does not align with what Mr. Mu just described."

Mu Dong was taken aback, not quite understanding, "What do you mean?"

Xie Qingfeng pointed at Mu Ban, "Based on his past facial features, he has never harbored intentions of harming others, nor has he incurred any karmic debts. In other words, he did not harm your second son."

Not only Mu Dong, but also Mu Qi and the butler looked in disbelief. What? What was the Master saying?

But the Master's abilities were witnessed by them, obviously not false. How could this be?

Mu Dong's voice wavered with hesitation, "Master, I trust you, of course. But, but that incident... he confessed to it himself."

Xie Qingfeng looked towards Mu Ban, who was also staring in disbelief, "Do you want to tell the truth now? This is your only chance to vindicate yourself."

Mu Ban, as if struck by a sudden realization, trembled all over, his mind a blur, taking a while to grasp the implication of Xie Qingfeng's words.

Like an awakening, Mu Ban's eyes reddened, his shoulders shaking. It took him a moment to stammer, glancing at Mu Dong and then at the puzzled Mu Qi, before lowering his head again, twisting his fingers, and murmuring softly, "I... I'm not very clear either."

Mu Dong and the others frowned, clearly puzzled by this response: "What exactly happened back then?"

Mu Ban shook his head, then nodded, struggling to reiterate what he knew, "I really don't know what happened that day..."

He was only twelve at the time, in the sixth grade of elementary school. He came home early from school, and the adults in the house hadn't returned yet.

Although he was a young master in the family, as an adopted son, he always kept his place and did what he could to help with chores.

For example, he would help with weeding, watering, and caring for the various plants in the garden.

He put down his schoolbag as usual and went to the garden to water the flowers.

At a corner, a nanny who hadn't been working in the house for long handed him a bucket with a lid, saying the water was turned off due to some repairs.

He was told to use the water from this bucket for watering.

Mu Ban, young and unsuspecting, obediently took the half-filled bucket intending to head to the garden.

Just as he was passing the balcony on his way to the back garden, Mu Zhong, who was leaning over the second-floor balcony, called him to help move something downstairs.

Mu Ban didn't expect Mu Zhong to be home from middle school so early, but since he was just a guest in the Mu family, he didn't dare to ask.

Just as he was about to set down the bucket, Mu Zhong said he needed to wipe down his desk and asked him to bring the bucket upstairs.

Mu Ban did so, first helping move things, but then, as he went downstairs and back up to the storage room around the corner, he heard a noise behind him and instinctively looked back.

Mu Ban saw the bucket he had left at the stairwell had toppled over. Startled, he hurried over to set it right.

But just as he reached the spot and was about to bend down to lift it, his toes cramped from running too fast, and the pain made him instinctively crouch down.

Before he could grasp what was happening, he heard a cry of alarm and the sound of something falling.

By the time he regained his senses, everything was already in chaos.

Mu Zhong fell down the stairs because of a bucket of water he had spilled.

Initially, it seemed like an accident, but when the Mu family discovered oil in the water bucket, which caused Mu Zhong's slip and fall, the situation took on a different light.

Just a few days earlier, Mu Zhong had intentionally bullied Mu Ban by bringing up his deceased parents, leading to a quarrel between them.

There appeared to be a motive; Mu Ban denied spilling the water, but even he didn't believe his own excuse.

It seemed unlikely that Mu Zhong would harm himself, right?

Later, when Mu Zhong's injuries were revealed to be severe, possibly leaving him disabled, Mu Ban was completely stunned. Mu Zhong hysterically accused him from his hospital bed, claiming he was maliciously harmed over a trivial matter.

Adding to this, Mu Ban couldn't find the nanny who had given him the bucket, and there was no repair work happening at home that day.

Mu Ban was too young at the time and couldn't clearly discern whether he had actually committed the act. Eventually, under the haze of Mu Zhong's accusations, he accepted the blame.

It was only after leaving the Mu family and recalling these events that he felt something was amiss.

But he couldn't figure out what it was.

Hearing about his elder brother's condition, yet in a coma, he couldn't help but think back to these events. Could someone in the family have always wanted to harm the Mus?

He couldn't help but mention his suspicion just now.

This was the first time Mu Dong and Mu Qi heard about these details. Frowning deeply, Mu Dong said, "Are you sure what you're saying is true? Back then, your brother woke up and accused you of deliberately spilling water mixed with oil on the stairs because of his insensitive comments about your deceased parents, and then pushing him down the stairs while he was ill. You even tried to shift the blame to the nanny, who had resigned a week earlier."

Xie Qingfeng raised an eyebrow upon hearing about pushing someone down the stairs, a plot he was all too familiar with.

After all, when he first arrived, Xie Weihuan had framed the original body in the same way.

Mu Dong was momentarily lost in thought after speaking. The reason for his certainty back then was, firstly, because the nanny indeed had resigned a week earlier.

Secondly, the surveillance footage captured no images of the kitchen, only showing Mu Ban walking with his head down, carrying the bucket.

Thirdly, at that time, only Mu Ban and Mu Zhong were in the house. Could it be that Mu Zhong harmed himself, causing his disability?

Additionally, Mu Ban eventually admitted to the deed, leading to their deep disappointment. The son he had personally brought into their home had harmed his second son for life, a fact he couldn’t forgive himself for, nor could he forgive the adopted son.

Raising him to adulthood was the greatest extent of his leniency.

Although Mu Ban spent most of his time living at school, rarely staying at the Mu residence.

But now, the Master was telling him that the incident wasn’t Mu Ban’s doing? Then who was it?

Mu Qi also looked puzzled, "There was no one else in the house at the time. If not you, could it possibly be Mu Zhong who harmed himself?"

On one hand, he believed the Master, but on the other, he found it absurd.

He Jixin, who had witnessed Xie Weihuan falsely accuse the Master and then harm himself by falling down the stairs, said, "Why not? Maybe your second brother tried to push the adopted son, but the adopted son's foot cramped and he squatted down just in time, causing your brother to tumble down instead."

Xie Qingfeng felt there was more to it. If it was just about pushing Mu Ban, there was no need to bring back a resigned nanny and go through such an elaborate scheme.

Clearly, the plan was to frame Mu Ban from the beginning.

But if Mu Ban had fallen himself, what was there to frame? Was he to frame himself?

Xie Qingfeng looked at Mu Qi’s features; he had a younger twin brother, the same age.

"You and the second young master are twins. Is it because of your abilities that you will inherit the Mu family, or simply because you are the eldest?" Xie Qingfeng suddenly asked a seemingly irrelevant question.

Mu Qi paused, then slowly nodded, "In the Mu family, it has always been the eldest who inherits. My father was also the eldest in his family."

"Our family is quite traditional, following the rule set by our ancestors that the eldest inherits the business and takes care of the parents in their old age."

"This old custom has been passed down through generations."

"Moreover, after being nurtured over time, I indeed turned out to be more suitable for managing and have a natural talent for it, so my father also tacitly agreed."

After listening, Xie Qingfeng quietly observed Mu Qi, a cruel thought flashing through his mind.

He Jixin and the others were still confused, but Jing Xi, who had seen sibling rivalry before, understood.

"Although that was in ancient times for fighting over the throne, who can guarantee they would willingly accept being inferior in modern times?"

Jing Xi looked at the bewildered Mu Dong and Mu Qi, "Do you have a recent photo of your younger brother? One showing his forehead."

Mu Dong was startled, "I do... but what's wrong with my second son?"

Jing Xi didn't speak until it was confirmed, just asking someone to fetch it, stating the Master needed it.

Mu Dong, fearing someone might also harm his second son, quickly pulled out his phone to find a recent photo from the overseas rehabilitation center and handed it over.

Jing Xi took it and showed it to Xie Qingfeng, "Take a look, is it as you suspected?"

Xie Qingfeng glanced at him, Jing Xi giving him a knowing wink.

Xie Qingfeng ignored it, looking down at the photo on the phone.

The photo showed a young man who resembled Mu Qi, sitting in a lounge chair, facing the camera with a gentle smile.

The background was sunlit, with lush green grass and beautiful scenery, but upon seeing the person's facial features, there was no smile on Xie Qingfeng's face.

Jing Xi, observing Xie Qingfeng's brief glance and then turning away, took back the phone, already knowing the answer.

Mu Dong took back his phone, anxiously asking, "Master, has my second son also been plotted against? Who could be so malicious?"

Jing Xi looked at him with sympathy, "I can't say if the heart is black, but the poison is indeed quite potent."

Mu Dong was taken aback: Why did he feel there was a hidden meaning in those words?

Mu Qi, however, was lost in thought. He wasn't foolish. Initially, he hadn't considered it, but the Master's words and his previous reading of Mu Qi's facial features made his hands tremble uncontrollably with a terrifying possibility he dared not believe, nor could he accept.

Xie Qingfeng noticed Mu Qi's realization, which would make revealing the truth easier.

The blow would only fall on one person then.

Xie Qingfeng addressed Mu Dong, "Your second son is fine, but you might lose a son."

Mu Dong's face turned pale, his lips quivering, "Wha-What? My second son isn’t... isn't dead, right?"

Xie Qingfeng clarified, "He isn't dead. If I'm not mistaken, the fall down the stairs was indeed his own doing. Sadly, in his attempt to harm others, he only harmed himself and failed to harm the intended target."

The hall fell into a deathly silence following his statement.

Mu Dong, Mu Qi, Mu Ban, and the butler were all stunned.

Xie Qingfeng continued, "Of course, his actions weren’t aimed at pushing down your adopted son. It was a test to see if pushing someone down the stairs could cause disability. If successful, his real plan was to incapacitate his own elder brother, making him a cripple. Coupled with previous surveillance showing the adopted son harming himself, any harm to Mu Qi could also be blamed on him. Then, it would just be said that the adopted son, being disabled, was psychologically twisted and resentful, wanting the elder son to share his fate. You would believe it because, for an adopted son, you would trust your own flesh and blood more."

Everyone present was stunned, unable to recover for a long time.

After a while, Mu Dong, pale-faced and trembling, muttered in disbelief, "What...what…"

Xie Qingfeng, feeling that the meal was now impossible, stood up, "Since we've come this far, let’s reveal the second young master's motives too. He couldn't bear being the second son by a mere ten minutes, losing his inheritance rights. If the elder brother were incapacitated, he felt he could become the sole heir. If I'm not wrong, your second son is likely behind Mu Qi’s recent unconscious state. Mr. Mu, you might want to investigate; your son probably hasn’t been at the rehabilitation center these years."

He Jixin listened in shock, finally closing his mouth after a long while: "Wow, just wow!"