Chapter 43

Chapter 43

As the people around them whispered, some as onlookers and others making comments, the old man on the stairs suddenly waved his hand. "Chen Mo, come here."

Chen Mo raised an eyebrow, got up from the door frame, and walked up the steps to stand beside the old man. "Grandpa."

After saying this, he exchanged glances with the person next to the old man. Xi Siyan's eyes showed no emotion, as if the commotion Chen Mo had caused did not concern him.

"Hmm." Old Man Yang nodded, placed his hand on Chen Mo's shoulder, and suddenly turned to address the guests and relatives in the hall: "Today is a good day for reunion, celebrating my grandson's return to our Yang family. The Yang family owes him much. I ask all of you to be witnesses today. When I pass away, all the personal assets under my name will be inherited by Chen Mo."

The entire hall erupted in shock.

Even Chen Mo took a moment to process what was happening.

He instinctively turned back.

The old man patted his shoulder reassuringly.

Sure enough, someone couldn't help but speak up.

The old man's assets were considerable, including various properties, antiques, paintings, and even twenty percent of the shares in the Yang Group. He had four children, each with their own children. Logically or emotionally, it made no sense for Chen Mo, who had only been home for less than half a year, to inherit these assets.

Chen Mo's aunt was the first to react.

Her face already pale, she said, "Dad, what nonsense are you talking about!"

"Exactly," added several of Chen Mo's uncles. "Dad, Chen Mo is just a child who doesn't know anything, not even an adult yet. Besides, you're in good health; isn't it too early to talk about this?"

The only one genuinely pleased was Chen Mo's biological father, Yang Qi'an.

Although Yang Qi'an managed the company, he often faced opposition from his siblings. Regardless of the old man's intentions, the inheritance would ultimately go to his son.

So the joy on his face was unmistakable.

Chen Mo's gaze swept across the faces of the Yang family elders, then met Yang Zhi's deep and somewhat complicated gaze, and finally saw the shocked and resentful look on Yang Shule's face.

He knew exactly what everyone was thinking.

What surprised him was the old man.

According to the original timeline, the old man passed away three years later without leaving any last words.

During Yang Qi'an's tenure, many problems within the group had already become insurmountable.

Later, when Yang Zhi took over, Chen Mo engaged in a long-standing rivalry with him, fully aware of the declining state of the Yang Group. He and Old K established their own tech company outside, partly to make up for past regrets and partly to provide a fallback plan for their allies, though it never came to fruition.

Now, when facing Yang Zhi, Chen Mo claimed he would be involved in the company, but he had no real interest.

In this situation, the old man's words weighed heavily on Chen Mo.

He didn't understand why the old man had suddenly made this decision.

Was it because of the occasional phone calls Chen Mo made to check on the old man, or the health tips he shared with the caretakers?

Chen Mo didn't think so.

"Grandpa," Chen Mo started to refuse.

The old man sighed, signaling him to be quiet, and turned to his children. "Don't rush to conclusions. I'm talking about my personal assets, not the company shares. This is my personal wish. Ask yourselves, has the Yang family ever wronged any of you? Chen Mo is different. It's shameful for a group of adults to compete with a child for these things."

Some still wanted to object.

Even without the shares, the inheritance was substantial.

But with the main asset excluded, the old man's words were final, and continuing the argument would only make things ugly, so they backed down.

After this scene, the living room returned to its lively atmosphere, and Chen Mo became the center of attention.

He avoided everyone and found Xi Siyan on the arched balcony of the small hall, where he was chatting with a few peers, two of whom were Chen Mo's cousins.

The balcony overlooked a small garden, and they seemed relaxed, leaning against the railing.

When Chen Mo appeared, everyone looked over.

His cousins, from the Zhou family, had been friendly since Chen Mo met Old Lady Zhou.

Seeing him now, they smiled and greeted him. "Chen Mo, looking for someone?"

"Not really," Chen Mo replied, holding a drink and walking over. "It's stuffy inside, so I came out for some fresh air."

"You find it stuffy?" someone joked exaggeratedly. "At our age, you must be the richest now. If it were me, I'd be laughing in my sleep."

Chen Mo leaned against the railing, tapping his can against Xi Siyan's. "Don't talk about me. I'm just a freeloader. If anyone's rich and capable, it's Brother Yan. He's not only wealthy but also smart. You should talk about him, not me."

Indeed, the conversation shifted towards Xi Siyan.

Xi Siyan smiled at the blatant attempt to deflect attention and deftly handled the teasing and questions.

Once everyone else left, only Chen Mo and Xi Siyan remained on the balcony.

It was quite cold outside, especially after coming from a warm room. White breaths appeared as soon as they stepped out.

Chen Mo leaned on the railing, looking outside. "Why did you tell my grandpa so much about me?"

"It's simply because the old man cares about you," Xi Siyan said, taking a sip and turning to look at Chen Mo. "Are you upset?"

"How could I be?" Chen Mo chuckled lightly.

But in his heart, he remembered the old man's words: "Your parents were foolish, your elder brother selfish. Despite all that, you've achieved so much. Grandpa is very proud. The Yang family hasn't produced many capable individuals, so giving you these assets won't be a waste. Live happily, that's what matters."

Chen Mo felt a bit guilty.

Deep down, he had never been an optimistic or proactive person, and he didn't have any specific goals he was determined to achieve. He wasn't sure if this meant he had let the old man down.

At that moment, Chen Mo received two messages on his phone.

They were from Old K, someone he had added and briefly communicated with—a senior who hadn't yet graduated this year.

Old K sent him two pictures.

One showed the back of a middle-aged woman in a wheelchair, busy in the kitchen. The second picture was of a wooden table set with a simple and humble New Year's Eve dinner, featuring dishes like stir-fried garlic sprouts with cured meat, braised fish, and dry-fried bamboo shoots.

Old K's message was straightforward.

"My mother has recovered significantly. If it weren't for you, I might not have tasted my mother's cooking this year. Thank you."

"Additionally, there is some money left over from what you sent. I've used it to start a business project with classmates as per your request, considering it an investment. If convenient, we can discuss formalizing the contract."

In Chen Mo's memory, Old K was always extremely serious and meticulous.

The first sentence was surprisingly emotional.

Chen Mo had anonymously transferred the money to alleviate any burden, but he hadn't expected to hear from Old K again.

As Chen Mo was replying, Xi Siyan politely looked away.

Just then, halfway through typing, a dispute erupted from a corner diagonally opposite them, behind a large indoor potted plant.

It was a man and a woman.

To their surprise, it was Yang Zhi and his girlfriend Su Qianran.

Yang Zhi: "What do you mean?"

Su Qianran: "Whatever you mean is what I mean, Yang Zhi. We agreed from the beginning to not interfere with each other. If you insist on being so unreasonable, then we might as well end things now."

They seemed to be breaking up.

After a few hurried steps, Yang Zhi seemed to grab Su Qianran.

"I'm not trying to interfere with you," Yang Zhi explained, restraining his temper, showing patience. "Right now is a critical period for our families' cooperation. You insisting on investing in a college student startup at this time puts me in a difficult position."

The woman scoffed.

"You're in a difficult position? What difficulty exactly? Are you upset because our relationship isn't bringing you the expected benefits, or am I supposed to sacrifice my dreams to please you? Let me tell you, Yang Zhi, you're dreaming."

Yang Zhi took a couple of deep breaths, clearly furious.

He suppressed his anger, "When have I ever stopped you from pursuing your dreams? Can't you be reasonable!"

"Reasonable with you?!"

"Su Qianran! I'm your boyfriend, not one of those young college students who only want your money!"

"Are you out of your mind? It's a legitimate investment!"

Chen Mo stopped typing and exchanged a glance with Xi Siyan.

Encountering a couple's argument was somewhat awkward.

Although Chen Mo had always known that Yang Zhi and Su Qianran's relationship wasn't great, they still had some feelings for each other, given that they had stayed married for years, requiring extraordinary patience.

But right now, Su Qianran seemed genuinely angry.

A woman in her twenties with short, neat hair and a light gray professional suit, her face was flushed with anger, adding a touch of mature charm to her already striking appearance.

Seeing her about to turn and leave, Yang Zhi stepped forward to grab her.

Chen Mo spoke up, "Sister Qianran."

Since they weren't married yet, Chen Mo naturally didn't call her "sister-in-law."

Both of them paused and turned toward the balcony.

Yang Zhi hesitated when he saw who was on the balcony.

Su Qianran, however, composed herself and smiled, "Chen Mo, right? Hello." She then looked at the person beside him, "Siyan, you two know each other?"

Being in the same circle, Xi Siyan obviously knew Su Qianran.

He nodded and smiled, "Classmates."

"Yes, sorry for the scene," Su Qianran adjusted her hair, maintaining a composed demeanor.

Chen Mo said, "Sister Qianran, are you working on a college student investment project? Coincidentally, I know someone who's starting a business. Would you be interested in learning more?"

"Chen Mo," Yang Zhi interrupted him, frowning, "don't meddle. You're just a high school student; what do you know about entrepreneurship or investments?"

Before Chen Mo could respond, Su Qianran sneered, "Who are you looking down on? Do you think everyone is like your other brother, pretending to know nothing but actually prying into my family's affairs? You seem to like him so much, but he's learned quite a lot over the years, hasn't he?"

This ridicule left Yang Zhi green-faced.

It also confirmed that Su Qianran's dislike for Yang Shule was not without reason.

Yang Zhi pressed his brow, "I apologize for this."

"Exempted." Su Qianran, cold and aloof, added Chen Mo's contact information and strode away.

This time, Yang Zhi did not continue to chase after her.

Instead, he looked at Chen Mo, then at the nearby Xi Siyan.

Chen Mo thought that tonight, Yang Zhi would certainly be displeased with the old man's decision and would treat him coldly. But after glancing at Chen Mo's leg, Yang Zhi unexpectedly said, "It's cold outside; you two should go in soon. Siyan, keep an eye on him."

Baffling.

Xi Siyan, however, was well-mannered and nodded, "Alright."

As soon as Yang Zhi left, Chen Mo looked down at his own leg, doubtful, "Was he just sympathizing with me?"

"Sympathy is unlikely," Xi Siyan said, "Your elder brother sometimes lacks a bit of heartlessness."

Chen Mo felt that if Xi Siyan were someone like Yang Zhi, he might do things even darker than Yang Zhi by a thousandfold.

But he wasn't, and couldn't be.

Xi Siyan asked, "The investment you mentioned earlier, was it to help Su Qianran out of a tight spot?"

"Why must it be about helping her out?" Chen Mo smiled, "It could also be for myself."

Chen Mo turned back to look outside.

He raised his head to gaze at the night sky, "Brother Yan, it's the New Year."

"What New Year's wishes do you have?"

"Freedom, perhaps."

Not escaping from this mess, but freedom from both body and mind.

The old man's decision imposed something new upon Chen Mo.

He thought that maybe he could do something he truly cared about, something he didn't get to achieve in his previous life.

Like ideals.

Like the future.