Chapter 47 Passing

Chapter 47 Demise

A hush fell over both the live event and the streaming audience.

The equipment Si Junjian brought was top-tier; from less than two meters away, it perfectly captured every nuance of his expression, broadcasting it clearly to countless eyes.

From a confident smile, to stunned surprise at the question, then to anger as he processed it, and finally morphing into a ferocious rage.

The sheer terror of his expression shocked the millions watching the live stream.

He opened his mouth to speak.

With a loud "bang," someone kicked the door open. A tall, masked man pushed past the stunned onlookers, casually kicked Si Junjian as he passed, rushed straight to the front, and scooped up the child.

At the same time, the device in Wen Xiaoyi's hands was deftly taken, and his ears were tightly covered by another person.

He then found himself cradled between the two.

A moment too late, Wen Yu, covering Wen Xiaoyi's ears, looked up and realized he had nearly stumbled into the man's embrace.

That faint, familiar scent instantly filled his nostrils, now tinged with the fresh aroma of grass and earth from their recent days in the mountains.

Both were momentarily stunned, then quickly regained their composure.

Si Junjian, clearly less prepared, had been outmaneuvered by a child he’d dismissed. Overwhelmed by a surge of anger, he lost control and blurted out words he couldn't retract.

The live stream viewers, still reeling from the earlier revelations, were then subjected to a torrent of vulgarities and baseless accusations, instantly igniting their fury.

Online troll groups seized the opportunity, spreading clips of the incident and Si Junjian's outburst across various platforms.

The public outcry spread like wildfire.

At the scene, only Wen Xiaoyi, held in Xue Shu's arms with Wen Yu covering his ears, remained relatively calm.

Si Junjian's relentless tirade even made his own team wince.

Wen Yu pressed his hands tighter over the child's ears. He glanced down—the live stream had been shut down.

Looking up at Si Junjian, whose eyes gleamed with madness, he said with a smirk, "Mr. Si, aren't you going to answer your phone?"

The incessantly ringing phone now seemed to pour oil on the fire, intensifying Si Junjian's rage and further eroding his rationality.

But the person behind Wen Yu would tolerate no more disrespect.

Xue Shu lifted his eyelids, his deep eyes fixed on Si Junjian, looking at him as if he were already dead.

That gaze instantly reminded Si Junjian of Xue Zhu—equally cold, equally ruthless, like a beast emerging from the darkness.

He instinctively took a step back, his words catching in his throat. Regaining his composure, he muttered under his breath, "Madman."

Wen Yu's expression hardened, his smile vanishing completely. Coldly, he issued a dismissal: "So this is how Mr. Si truly sees us. In that case, there's nothing left to discuss. You may leave; we won't see you out."

Those two words clearly struck a nerve with Xue Shu, but before he could react, he heard Wen Yu's expulsion.

Xue Shu—yes, Xue Shu—in the midst of this confrontation, silently curved his lips into a smile, then openly, mockingly, and provocatively looked at Si Junjian, his eyes screaming "get lost."

Si Junjian was so enraged he could burst, yet he dared not engage in a direct confrontation with the two opposite him—after all, he had already experienced Xue Shu's innate combat prowess firsthand.

The people around him were merely hired hands, not loyal allies who would stand firmly by his side.

At the same time, not only his phone, but also his assistant's and every team member's phone were ringing incessantly, like a death knell reminding him of his impending ruin.

He closed his eyes briefly, then left, seething with anger.

With many eager to revel in his downfall, it was foreseeable that his end would likely be as dramatic as Xue Zhu's.

======

Only when Si Junjian and his entourage were completely out of sight did Wen Yu finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Turning his head, his breath mingled with Xue Shu's, and he distinctly felt his heart skip a beat.

Looking down, Wen Xiaoyi gazed up at him with wide, peach-blossom eyes, excitedly asking, "Daddy, daddy, I chased away that bad uncle. Aren't I amazing?"

All the emotions Wen Yu had been suppressing—worry and lingering fear—surfaced. He couldn't help but let out a cold scoff. "Amazing? Absolutely amazing!"

Sensing his father's unusual mood, Wen Xiaoyi paused, but his young mind wasn't sharp enough to detect the sarcasm. He then instinctively looked up at the person behind him.

Xue Shu, receiving his silent plea for help, stepped in.

"It was my idea… Mine. Don't scold him."

"Your idea?"

Xue Shu lowered his head under Wen Yu's gaze and whispered, "I'm sorry."

Wen Yu looked at the sheepish father and the confused son. "Do you think I'm a fool?"

"Your idea? Then tell me why you came up with this idea? Hmm?" Wen Yu's voice was soft, but anyone listening could sense the underlying anger.

"It was…" Xue Shu steeled himself and replied, "To drive him away…"

Wen Yu let out a cold "Ha": "Did you hope he'd provoke Si Junjian and get beaten? Or that he'd be exposed to public scrutiny? Or that he'd be tied to that scumbag, so whenever people mention that guy, they'd think of him?"

Xue Shu's head hung lower and lower. Though half a head taller than Wen Yu, the moment Wen Yu finished speaking, the other could clearly see the top of his head.

Fluffy, like a dejected large dog.

Wen Yu: "…"

He closed his eyes, trying to maintain his anger, and said expressionlessly, "Wen Xiaoyi."

The small body nestled in Xue Shu's arms trembled violently.

Xue Shu hesitated, still wanting to defend him: "It was…"

Wen Yu shot him a glance, and Xue Shu immediately fell silent.

"Wen Xiaoyi."

Wen Xiaoyi trembled again but still emerged from Xue Shu's embrace.

"Sorry, Daddy. I know I was wrong."

"Wrong about what?"

Wen Xiaoyi opened his mouth and chose the safest answer: "I should have admitted my mistake right away."

"…" Perfect. His son knew how to smooth things over.

Wen Yu sighed, "You should have discussed it with Dad first."

As he said, Wen Xiaoyi would never have thought of those negative consequences on his own, but if he had discussed it with him...

"He did discuss it with me," Xue Shu suddenly spoke up. "He wanted to surprise you and came up with a way to solve the things that have been troubling you these past few days. I encouraged him to go through with his plan."

"I don't think he should give up his goals because of those worries..." He raised his eyes and looked directly into Wen Yu's. "I swear, I will do everything I can to protect him, so he won't have any worries. So... he just needs to follow his heart, follow his own will, do whatever he wants to do. I... will always support him."

His meaningful words reminded Wen Yu of his earlier decision to have a proper talk.

At this moment, Xue Shu had taken this opportunity to lay all his thoughts bare.

A look that was both fearful and hopeful fell on Wen Yu's face.

That gaze trembled, several times making Wen Yu think he would look away, but it stayed firm, telling Wen Yu: no matter what decision was made, he would respect it.

Whether it was the resolve to stay away or to give him a chance... it only needed a word from him.

Wen Yu caught his breath for a moment, and he took a small breath.

He opened his mouth...

Suddenly, the door opened, and the elderly woman appeared at the doorway.

Both of them froze, but it was Wen Xiaoyi who reacted first, hopping off and running toward Wen Zhiqiu: "Grandma, you're awake?"

The old woman's hazy eyes looked at the child for a while: "Is that... Xiao Yu? Was Xiao Yu good today? Did you eat properly?"

Wen Xiaoyi shook his head, holding Grandma's hand: "No, no, I'm Mao Mao! Grandma, Xiao Yu is my dad, I'm Xiao Yu's son."

Wen Zhiqiu chuckled and patted his head: "Eat well, grow tall, okay?"

Wen Yu, snapping out of his interrupted thoughts, went over to help them: "He will. All the children from our orphanage grew very tall. Mao Mao will definitely grow tall too."

The three of them walked together, while Xue Shu stood to the side, looking a bit uncomfortable.

Wen Yu shot him a look, signaling that they would discuss the earlier matter later.

Xue Shu understood and nodded to him. Just as he was about to leave, the old woman's gaze turned toward him.

Her hazy eyes seemed to clear for a moment, but when looked at again, they were hazy once more.

Her gaze, as if she couldn't see clearly, settled on Xue Shu's face. He grew unusually flustered, freezing in place.

Wen Yu, the only one who could save him, didn't notice his look, instead thoughtfully watching Wen Zhiqiu's expression.

The old woman's eyes scanned Xue Shu from head to toe, with a kind of elder's affection and concern, inexplicably calming Xue Shu from his awkward state.

Then, Wen Zhiqiu smiled, as if finally recognizing him: "It's Xue Shu! You've grown so tall already! Ah, you mustn't argue with Wen Yu anymore, you know how his temper is..."

The familiar tone left Xue Shu somewhat bewildered, and he looked toward Wen Yu.

Wen Yu pressed his lips together and didn't respond, instead turning to gently coax: "Nonsense, I have a very good temper. I would never argue with him."

Xue Shu understood something then, and a somewhat awkward smile appeared on his stern face: "Yes, yes, we've never argued, and we never will."

Wen Yu glanced at him and received a slightly eager-to-please smile.

"That's good, that's good... always be well from now on... be well..." The old woman muttered on and on, as if reciting something she had been holding onto for a long, long time.

She made her way slowly toward the yard, slowly settling into a chair under the flower vines, then hugged Wen Xiaoyi, who kept making her laugh, and closed her eyes to enjoy the sunlight.

Wen Yu knelt down beside her. Xue Shu paused for a moment where he was, then also walked over and knelt on the other side of the chair.

They each held one of the old woman's hands, making small talk about the weather, about the child, and about future plans that never happened.

At one point, Wen Yu's hand suddenly trembled, and Wen Xiaoyi buried himself in Xue Shu's arms.

Their eyes were red, and they simultaneously stopped their now-pointless conversation.

Large tears rolled from their beautiful eyes, until finally, they were sobbing uncontrollably.