Chapter 55

Chapter 55

Time flew by, and before they knew it, November had arrived.

Tian Ruan had been attending school for over a month and had gradually adapted to the rhythm of Deyin. To sum it up, there was a short break in the morning, a long break at noon, and another short break in the afternoon. Every few days, he’d go out for a walk.

Not counting sleep, meals, and Sundays, study time and free time were split about fifty-fifty.

Fortunately, Tian Ruan hadn’t fallen behind. He maintained his ranking as second in his grade, was doing well in student government, and obediently did his homework when he got home.

Gradually, he moved his homework station from the study to the living room because Yu Jingmo liked sitting on the sofa reading newspapers. Tian Ruan would do his homework nearby and occasionally ask for help with problems.

To his surprise, Yu Jingmo still remembered the science knowledge from high school and college, explaining it even more clearly than the teachers—truly a walking encyclopedia.

The first time Tian Ruan heard his explanations, he was stunned. No wonder Yu Shang’s grades were so good—he’d been getting extra tutoring at home.

And now, Tian Ruan had managed to benefit from it too.

Being near Yu Jingmo felt warm and comforting, and Tian Ruan couldn’t help but inch closer, breathing in his pleasant woody, cool-toned cologne. His heart raced like there were butterflies in his stomach.

Tian Ruan thought maybe it was because the weather was cold—people naturally seek warmth, and Yu Jingmo was like a personal space heater.

One evening, as the autumn wind blew, Tian Ruan was trying to casually hold Yu Jingmo’s hand when the butler suddenly entered and said, "There’s trouble at Mr. Fada’s place. The third madam and sir have gone over. They sent someone to inform you."

Tian Ruan immediately straightened up and withdrew his hand.

But Yu Jingmo grabbed it and said, "Let’s check out the drama."

"..."

A limo took the family of three to see what was happening.

Yu Fada’s home was in an upscale neighborhood where only the front dozen buildings were villas. Yu Fada and his wife lived in the largest one, with a driveway that could fit five or six cars.

Inside, angry yelling and Shen Wanyue’s soft-spoken attempts to mediate could be heard. The men seemed to have disappeared into the woodwork, waiting for things to blow over, as if the women’s hysterics were nothing but unreasonable tantrums.

"...You’re unbelievable, Yu Fada! I must’ve been blind to think you were honest—and now you’ve got a bastard kid this old!"

"Sister-in-law, calm down. Let’s wait for Yu Jun to come back first."

"Oh, what terrible luck I have to end up with a man like this... Wahhh..."

Hearing the voices, Tian Ruan suddenly didn’t want to go in.

Yu Jingmo also paused and instructed his son, "Go take a look."

Yu Shang: "...Alright."

Yu Shang walked in, his calm voice cutting through the noise: "Second Uncle, Second Aunt, Third Uncle, Third Aunt, please stop arguing. The whole neighborhood can hear you."

As soon as he spoke, the commotion noticeably died down. Shen Wanyue asked anxiously, "Xiao Shang, where’s your father?"

Yu Shang: "Outside."

"Why isn’t he coming in?"

Yu Shang silently glanced at Yu Fada and his wife. Yu Fada’s wife wiped her tears and turned away, embarrassed. "Sorry, Xiao Shang, I got a little carried away."

Yu Shang: "Second Aunt isn’t wrong."

Yu Fada's wife sobbed, "Even a kid like you has more sense than your second uncle."

Yu Fada remained silent in embarrassment until Elder Yu arrived, shaking as he leaned on his cane, glared and whacked the disgraceful Yu Fada with it.

The hit wasn’t gentle. Yu Fada knelt before Elder Yu, his face pale. "Grandpa, I messed up. But the kid is innocent. Hai Chao’s grades are so good—"

"Shut up!" Elder Yu pointed at him. "You’re staying on your knees until Jun gets back."

Nobody else dared say a word.

Yu Jingmo sat there, unfazed, while Tian Ruan kept out of it. For a moment, the living room was dead quiet, with only the mess on the floor as proof of what had just happened.

It was so tense you could cut the air with a knife, so Tian Ruan shot Lu Qiuyan a text: *Call me.*

Lu Qiuyan called immediately.

Tian Ruan stood up and said, "Grandfather, I need to take this call."

Elder Yu nodded.

Tian Ruan hurried out and answered the phone.

"Trouble?" Lu Qiuyan cut to the chase.

"Yeah." Tian Ruan wished he hadn’t stuck his nose in. "What are you doing?"

Lu Qiuyan: "Just got done scrapping. On my way back."

"..." Tian Ruan asked, "Why were you fighting?"

Lu Qiuyan paused. "...They started it, so I finished it."

Tian Ruan knew—when students from other schools picked fights with Lu Qiuyan, it was usually over girls; when thugs came for him, they were asking for it; when loan sharks targeted him, it was for money.

"Are you hurt?" Tian Ruan asked with concern.

"No."

"That’s good." Tian Ruan earnestly advised, "Pick your battles—bail if you’re outmatched. Live to fight another day."

Lu Qiuyan: "You nag worse than Yu Shang."

"..." Not wanting to sound like a broken record, Tian Ruan quickly changed the subject to share the gossip. "That talented student from the affiliated high school we met the other day? Turns out he’s actually my second cousin’s love child."

Lu Qiuyan: "Why the hell would I remember that?"

That’s the thing about gossip—no matter how dull, sharing it makes it a little more fun.

Though Lu Qiuyan acted indifferent, the fact that he never hung up showed he was into the gossip too.

...

At 6:30 p.m., Tian Ruan finally met the latest addition—Yu Jun.

Yu Jun had inherited his parents’ better features and was not bad-looking, but nowhere near as hot as Yu Ti and couldn’t hold a candle to Hai Chao. He was twenty-eight, only two years younger than Yu Jingmo, but they were night and day in looks and vibe.

Yu Jun was supposed to address Yu Jingmo as "Uncle" and Tian Ruan as "Uncle-in-law," but he couldn’t bring himself to say it to Tian Ruan. Instead, he coldly embraced his mother and pointed at his father. "Dad, how could you do this?!"

Yu Fada said, "I'm sorry to you both, I know."

"No bastard will ever set foot in the Yu household!"

"...Xiao Jun, your brother’s just seventeen..."

"Seventeen? So he’s the same age as Yu Shang? Yu Shang’s already dabbling in stocks!"

Elder Yu struck his cane against the floor and scolded sharply, "You know Shang’s got more sense and skill than you, and even younger."

Tian Ruan: "..." The old man’s a real expert at stirring up resentment.

Yu Jun exploded on the spot, "Great-grandpa, you’re playing favorites! This is exactly why I didn’t want to come back. Have you ever said a single good word about me? Yu Shang isn’t even Uncle’s biological son—what’s the point of treating him like a treasure? He’s still got someone else’s blood in him!"

Elder Yu’s expression turned thunderous.

Yu Ti, fresh on the scene, kept her mouth shut.

Tian Ruan nervously glanced over, but Yu Shang didn’t even flinch—he’d heard this crap a million times since joining the Yu family and was immune by now.

Yu Jingmo lifted his phoenix-like eyes, his dark gaze icy. "If I hear that kind of talk again, he’s cut off from the Yu family for good."

Without Yu Jingmo’s resources, Yu Jun would be stuck scavenging overseas.

Yu Jun abruptly shut his mouth. He knew when to fold—better to play it smart. "...Sorry, I spoke out of turn. Yu Shang, I apologize."

Yu Shang: "Mm."

Yu Jun didn’t shift targets, focusing instead on his father. "Dad, I’m so disappointed in you. You’ve been cheating all along, even having a bastard—where does that leave me and Mom?"

Tian Ruan sneakily video-dialed Lu Qiuyan, live-streaming the rich family’s yearly meltdown.

Lu Qiuyan: "..." Tian Ruan really didn’t treat him as an outsider.

On the phone screen, Yu Fada slumped in shame but offered no solution. Yu Jun jumped up and shouted, "Dad, call that woman right now and cut ties with her! Never see her son again!"

Yu Fada took a frightened step back, his knees trembling from kneeling too long. "No... Mingyue’s been through hell..."

Yu Fada’s wife hurled a vase to the ground—*CRASH*—and held a jagged piece to her throat. "Yu Fada, if you don’t make things clear with her, I’ll end it right here."

Yu Fada panicked. "Wife..."

"Don’t call me wife. Are you going to do it or not?"

Finally, Yu Fada nodded grimly. "Tomorrow’s Saturday. I’ll arrange to meet her and her son—we’ll talk it out."

They called a shaky truce. Yu Jun and his mother sighed in relief—it seemed their father/husband still cared about them.

Only Tian Ruan saw the storm still brewing.

Hai Chao’s mother was named Hai Mingyue, and just like her name, she was a romantic and elegant woman. Yu Fada had been her classmate in high school and fell for her at first sight. Back then, however, Hai Mingyue wrote Yu Fada off as a dull, flaky loser.

Later, Yu Fada married early, while Hai Mingyue left for distant shores.

Ten years later, Yu Fada discovered by chance that Hai Mingyue had returned to Su City and, to repay her father’s debts, had turned to selling herself. Heartbroken, Yu Fada—like any guy with a white-knight complex—couldn’t resist saving her, especially since Hai Mingyue’s looks hadn’t faded a bit.

After rescuing her, Hai Mingyue realized Yu Fada had matured into a refined gentleman—she’d underestimated him back then, but now they could give it another shot.

A year later, boom—Hai Chao was born.

Before being exposed, Yu Fada didn't think he was in the wrong—he just wanted to give Hai Mingyue a home while not betraying his wife of many decades.

After the exposure, Yu Fada seemed to obey his wife, but in truth, he had already made up his mind—Hai Mingyue would always be his eternal crush.

Tian Ruan thought any woman ending up with Yu Fada was simply unlucky. Not only was Yu Fada indecisive, but he was also weak-willed and spineless, bold enough to act but too cowardly to take responsibility. Seemingly a nice guy, he ended up hurting everyone.

Clearly, the servants in the manor had also heard about Yu Fada’s affairs, whispering about it behind his back, but they wouldn’t breathe a word in front of Yu Jingmo or Tian Ruan.

After all, dirty laundry shouldn’t be aired in public, let alone to the masters.

Tian Ruan had no such reservations. Cradling a bowl of plain rice porridge, he said, "Mark my words, tomorrow, Second Cousin’s family will see some bloodshed."

Yu Shang frowned slightly. "Don’t be ridiculous."

Tian Ruan was basing this on the original novel’s plot, but whether it would actually happen, he didn’t know. "Anyway, I’ll keep my distance when the time comes. If you guys want to walk into harm's way, don’t blame me for not warning you."

"..."

Being a spectator takes skill. No matter how tempting the gossip, one must prioritize their own safety—otherwise, the spectator might become part of the spectacle.

Yu Jingmo elegantly ate his porridge with a silver spoon, chewing slowly before saying calmly, "In that case, no watching tomorrow."

Tian Ruan shot back, "No way! I still have to livestream it for Lu Qiuyan!"

Yu Jingmo fixed him with a blank stare.

Yu Shang fixed him with a blank stare.

Tian Ruan: "..."

Meanwhile, in the poorest alley of Nancheng, Lu Qiuyan, who'd just stepped out of a convenience store with a bottle of soy sauce, let out an unexpected sneeze.

Frowning, he rubbed his slightly red nose and muttered, "Who the hell's talking shit about me?"

As he walked, he sneezed twice more, almost sending the soy sauce flying. He glanced up at the sky—the night was star-studded, but there was no moon.

Kicking a pebble, it went clattering in the dimly lit alley. He suddenly stopped, took out his phone, and sent Yu Shang a WeChat message: "You talking about me?"

Yu Shang replied after a while: "?"

Lu Qiuyan: "Oh, never mind."

Yu Shang: "Tian Ruan was."

Lu Qiuyan: "Should've known it was him!"

Yu Shang: "Did he video call you today?"

Lu Qiuyan put two and two together, guessed what might have happened. Typing on his phone, he replied: "No, I called him."

Yu Shang: "If you want to watch, come over first thing tomorrow."

Lu Qiuyan: "?"

Yu Shang: "Not just to spectate—I’ll let you feast your eyes."

Lu Qiuyan: "Feast my eyes on what?"

Yu Shang: "For example, how my dad puts my little dad in his place."

Lu Qiuyan: "Why put him in his place?"

Yu Shang: "Because he's bound to be defiant."