Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Wei Tianyi's collapse threw the Wei family into chaos.

Despite Zhaoliang's efforts to rouse him, there was no effect. The anxious Housekeeper Zhou frantically shouted for the maids to call an ambulance.

Wei Xi finally cleared the latest level of his game amidst the commotion and leisurely approached, casually glancing around before throwing out two punches.

Everyone: "...."

Five minutes later, Wei Tianyi sat expressionlessly on his sofa with two black eyes. Housekeeper Zhou timidly held warm eggs against his swollen sockets.

The atmosphere was awkward. Wei Xi tried to reassure them, "Don't worry, it's just a circulation issue. He has the constitution for a long and healthy life."

Oddly, Wei Tianyi didn't seem pleased by these auspicious words; instead, two veins popped on his forehead. Housekeeper Zhou fell silent, and the second young master of the Wei family, Wei Chengshu, silently studied his older brother for a moment before getting up to fetch a bucket and go outside to clean the family signboard.

This family was unbearable, even for a moment.

Zhaoliang sensed something amiss, but with his fan goggles on, he could only see Wei Xi with a tender glow in his eyes. His praise was sincere, "Impressive, impressive! A master's touch is truly remarkable. Look at those eye circles – so evenly distributed, both sides are perfectly round."

Wei Tianyi: "......"

Regardless, the plan to dismantle the sign had fallen through. The grand opening of Taicang Sect was inevitable, and not only did the major client, Zhaoliang, pay a gratitude fee, but he also sent two flower baskets afterward.

With his relentless promotion, news quickly spread within Wei Tianyi's social circle that his eldest son had established a company called Taicang Sect, which dealt with an unusually mystical line of business. Initially, people found it amusing, but gradually, the tone of the jokes took a strange turn, with some speculating if the young Wei had encountered some extraordinary experience during his time away.

This shift in perspective came about when another businessman from Beijing, surnamed Lin and hailing from Fengyang Town, returned home, bringing with him a piece of news that had sparked considerable discussion in the distant south.

The news primarily warned against overcrowding in tourist spots during the national holiday, urging travelers to maintain composure and avoid disputes. Such news was common during holidays, lacking any real novelty. However, the twist came when the protagonist claimed he had been pushed off a cliff but was miraculously saved by a talisman given to him by a chance encounter with a master.

The journalist, always eager for a scoop, interviewed the security guard on duty at the scene, who then revealed a scandalous revelation. Apparently, the security captain, who had had a conflict with this young man, soon fell into misfortune – hospitalized, his wife demanding a divorce, and now facing anonymous accusations of embezzlement through fines and lost tickets. As a result, the management was contemplating his termination.

In the video, the weeping vendor and her family expressed their gratitude to their unknown savior. The young security guard, interviewed with reverence, recounted the events. The Taicang Sect was mentioned repeatedly throughout the interview, and combined with such an inexplicable backstory, the story seemed utterly incompatible with the core socialist values. Only a local television station, with its less stringent censorship, would dare to broadcast it.

The comments section was dominated by local netizens. A skeptical top comment scoffed, "What's this Taicang Sect? Our Fengyang Town is famous for its Mountain God Temple, okay? Talking about fortune-telling and saving lives, spinning a tale as if it's real. xx TV will do anything for attention, shameless. Reporting."

Promptly, someone with inside knowledge countered, "You upstairs know nothing. Do you have proof that he's lying? The security guard mentioned in the news is my neighbor. His life has been a mess these past few days. His wife has taken her family and their son to court for a property dispute. Serves him right. That scoundrel deserves his misfortune, coming home drunk every day to beat his wife and kid. Everyone in our building avoids him."

Below this comment, locals chimed in, sharing their own accounts to verify the authenticity of the news story.

With a complicated expression, Xing Kai closed the public account and glanced at the familiar profile picture of the person who had forwarded the post. His friend, who had been leaning in to read the news with him, looked utterly bewildered. "Is Wei Xi out of a job now and has turned to online marketing?"

Another friend, however, seemed a bit fearful. "I don't think so. If it were online marketing, it would be understandable to hire rural people as promoters. But what about Lin Hanyang? I heard his luck has been incredible lately. He just signed two major deals in Beijing that had been stagnant for a long time."

After finishing his thought, this friend looked worriedly at Xing Kai. "Brother Kai, I think there's something strange going on here. Wei Xi hasn't contacted you since he returned to Beijing. Does he know what we've done?"

Xing Kai gritted his teeth. "Impossible. Both he and Ruan Shihang were drunk back then. We only took a photo from an angle during that Truth or Dare game, not actually doing anything ourselves. Who could have guessed it was us? Didn't you hear how Ruan Shihang scolded him the other day? If even Ruan Shihang couldn't figure it out, how could Wei Xi?"

But his friend remained anxious. "What if he did? When Ruan Shihang cursed at him, he thought Wei Xi had a crush on him. But Wei Xi surely knows whether he has feelings for her or not!"

He then sighed in frustration. "We shouldn't have been so ruthless in the first place. If your cousin didn't want to marry, she could have just caused a fuss with her family. Why keep her hanging for so many years and then use this as an excuse to break off the engagement? It's really excessive. Wei Xi likes her so much, but could he force her to the civil affairs bureau? Was it necessary to push her into such a corner?"

Xing Kai interrupted him. "You know nothing! This marriage was arranged by Wei Xi's mother when she was still alive. Do you think Wang Yue can just refuse to marry because she doesn't want to? And besides, do you really believe Wei Xi likes her that much?"

The man was taken aback, his face filled with disbelief. "How is that not liking her? Wei Xi acts like a servant around your cousin, practically worshipping the ground she walks on!"

Xing Kai's face darkened at this. "That's because of Wang Yue's family wealth! Since he has no chance of inheriting the Wei family's business, he needs to secure a wealthy wife. If not for Wang Yue accidentally discovering that her father doesn't value him at all, he might still be in the dark."

Silence fell upon the car after he finished speaking, each of their friends wearing different expressions.

Xing Kai couldn't be bothered with their thoughts. After a moment of silence, he started the car. Despite his confident words, he was still a bit worried. Thus, after much contemplation, he decided to investigate personally.

At the Wei residence, the second young master, Wei Chengshu, had already polished the signboard to a dazzling shine. Hearing the honking from behind, he turned around and saw his mother's perplexed expression.

Looking down at the bucket and rag in his hands, Wei Chengshu didn't know what to say. He gazed sullenly at his mother and muttered, "Mom."

Shu Wanrong, who had just returned from her trip, was baffled by this scene. Still a bit dazed after parking the car, she went to the door and looked again at the hanging sign. "Isn't this the door to our room?"

Staring at the door that resembled his own room in color and design, Wei Chengshu fell silent once more. After a while, he tersely replied, "This is a plaque."

Three question marks appeared above Shu Wanrong's head. "What is it?"

This time, Wei Chengshu gave a more detailed explanation. "It's Big Brother's plaque."

A hundred question marks now hovered over Shu Wanrong's head. However, seeing her son's unyielding attitude, she held back most of her inquiries and asked a simpler question. "Isn't this nonsense? Where's your father? Why doesn't he stop him?"

The answer should have been straightforward, but upon hearing the question, Wei Chengshu's expression grew even stranger. He glanced at her before silently entering the house with the small metal bucket.

Unable to decipher her wild son, Shu Wanrong assumed her irascible husband must not be home, allowing Wei Xi to act recklessly. To her surprise, as soon as she stepped inside, she saw Wei Tianyi sitting majestically on the sofa, reading the newspaper.

Wei Tianyi looked up at her when he heard the noise. "You're back?"

"Ahh," Shu Wanrong was about to ask about the sign when she was immediately distracted by something else. "What time is it? Why are you wearing sunglasses at home?"

Wei Tianyi: "…"

He rustled his newspaper. "Why so many questions?"

Shu Wanrong sensed that something was off but couldn't quite put her finger on it. She furrowed her brows in suspicion. Just then, she heard a faint sound and lifted her head to see Wei Xi strolling down from upstairs.

Wei Xi's attire was quite unconventional, not at all resembling his former obedient and earnest self. His gait was casual, and he was absorbed in playing a game on his phone, exuding an unfamiliar aura. Fortunately, his face remained unchanged, allowing Shu Wanrong to recognize him instantly. She smiled and called out to him, "Little Xi!"

Sure enough, Wei Xi looked up at her, but only for a fleeting half-second before he muttered an "Mm" and turned his head to the other side of the stairs. "Is dinner ready?"

Shu Wanrong was taken aback by his nonchalant demeanor. Though their relationship had always been strained and distant, they had maintained a decent facade. Wei Xi had always shown her respect, both at home and outside. No matter how dissatisfied he was, he would never express it in front of his father.

However, when Shu Wanrong turned to look at her husband, she found him still engrossed in his newspaper, seemingly not interested in voicing any opinions.

Feeling somewhat at a loss, she could only laugh and change the subject. "You child, disappearing for so long without contacting us. How reckless! Didn't you know we'd worry?"

Hearing this, Wei Xi finally paused in his steps and looked at her, saying,

"Oh... you came back just in time."

Shu Wanrong keenly noticed that both her husband and son lifted their heads to look at her, causing her confusion. As Wei Xi pondered for a moment, he slowly continued, "However, there aren't any menial tasks in the sect right now. Wait a few days first. Once I plant something in the courtyard, you can tend to the flowers and plants."

Shu Wanrong: "????"

Suddenly, her husband's angry outburst echoed, "What did you say? You want to plant things in my courtyard? I forbid it!"

This burst of anger startled Shu Wanrong, but to her surprise, Wei Xi seemed completely unfazed, replying calmly, "No rush. If you're interested, you can switch tasks with someone privately later on."

Wei Tianyi stood up, slammed the newspaper down, and panted, looking as if he was about to faint from anger. Yet, after panting for a while, he surprisingly didn't explode. Instead, he picked up the newspaper and sat back down where he was originally, like a timid little pig.

Shu Wanrong: "?????"

With a face full of confusion and a thousand question marks, she looked at her son. The second young master of the Wei family avoided his mother's gaze, his expression as if he had already experienced countless trials and tribulations.

With her endless curiosity unresolved, she continued through the meal, only to encounter an unfamiliar face at the table – a rather attractive one, in fact. The young man gave her a polite smile, and she tugged on her son's sleeve, asking, "Who is this?"

Wei Chengshu's response was as concise as ever, "He's someone Elder Brother brought back."

Shu Wanrong pondered for a moment and was suddenly struck with alarm. People outside said that Wei Xi was... that thing, could it be true? But wasn't this too blatant? Bringing a man home like this?

She wanted to ask her husband why he wasn't intervening, but when she looked closely, she was even more astonished. Her husband was frantically piling food into his bowl with his chopsticks while the butler served the dishes, completely disregarding manners. His speed was incredible, and before long, his small bowl was overflowing like a tiny mountain.

Then she turned to see her son doing the same thing. Though his expression was complicated, his speed was no less than his father's. He had even picked up a plump pork knuckle, struggling to balance it precariously atop the pile of food.

The questions swirling in Shu Wanrong's mind were so numerous that her neck felt like it couldn't support them all. Seeing his wife staring at him in shock, Wei Tianyi felt immense embarrassment, barely managing to utter through gritted teeth, "Stop looking, hurry up and get some for yourself."

In that instant, Shu Wanrong wondered if there was something wrong with the feng shui in their home. Otherwise, how could her husband and son have lost their minds just a few days after she left?

Next, Wei Xi picked up his chopsticks... Ten minutes later, she sat dazedly back on the living room sofa, covering her unsatisfied stomach in bewilderment.

Wei Xi empathized with her, lamenting, "We didn't even get full."

Shu Wanrong looked at him, her gaze momentarily filled with fear. Wei Tianyi hid behind the newspaper, pretending not to understand Wei Xi's subtle remark. Meanwhile, Wei Chengshu was lost in thought, recalling the single bite of that succulent pork knuckle.

Time seemed to have stepped back into the 1960s, as the entire Wei family found themselves struggling with hunger.

Not getting the answer he desired, Wei Xi continued playing his mobile game in disappointment. When Xing Kai and his companions paid a visit, they encountered this famished household.

The living room was filled with an awkward and impoverished silence, making the already nervous visitors even more uneasy. It took Xing Kai a moment to regain his composure before he smiled at Wei Xi, who was looking at him. "Wei Xi, you rascal! You came back without contacting us! That's not cool at all!"

Wei Xi returned his gaze calmly and indifferently.

Xing Kai was momentarily stunned by the look, his heart filled with uncertainty. Unable to decipher the meaning behind those eyes, he forced a casual gesture. "Leaving for so many months without even a call, I can't let that slide. Come on, buddy, I'll treat you to a meal!"

It might have been his imagination, but after his words, Xing Kai felt as if the entire Wei family was casting subtle glances their way.

Feeling a chill run down his spine, he saw the second son of the Wei family, Wei Chengshu, lift his face with a faint, enigmatic smile. His tone was equally loaded with hidden meaning. "I advise you not to."

Not what? Not to do what?

Before he could fully grasp the implications of those words, Wei Xi spoke up, his voice significantly warmer than his previous gaze, almost gentle. "You want to treat me to a meal? What will we eat? How much?"

Xing Kai sensed something off. What was going on with this family? He replied bafflingly, "Whatever you want, eat whatever you like. A state guesthouse should suffice, right? As for how much, that's obvious – we'll eat until you're full!"