Chapter 2 The Dinner Party That Ended on a Sour Note

Chapter 2: The Dinner Party That Ended in Discord

That evening, because of Jiang Ji's return home, even Madam Shi, Jiang Meijiao, who usually only stayed in her room, made a rare appearance at the dinner party.

Jiang Meijiao was helped to her seat.

After sitting down, Jiang Meijiao looked at Shi Yu (the impostor) and said with a loving expression, "Xiao Yu, come sit next to Mom."

Seeing that the real Shi Yu hadn't arrived yet, the impostor went along with being called Xiao Yu.

Just as the impostor reached Jiang Meijiao's side, the real Shi Yu suddenly appeared behind Madam Shi and said softly, "Mom, I'm Xiao Yu. Did you forget me? The one next to you is a fake."

Jiang Meijiao turned and stared at the real Shi Yu for a moment, then became agitated. She pushed the impostor away, saying, "Yes, yes, yes, my Xiao Yu is back. You're not Xiao Yu, you're a fake..."

The impostor lost his balance and was about to fall backward when Shi Yan appeared just in time to catch him.

Looking at the real Shi Yu, Shi Yan's face showed displeasure and blame: "You know Mom can't be provoked, yet you deliberately provoke her!"

The real Shi Yu spread his hands and said innocently, "I'm just telling the truth, aren't I? It's that imposter's fault for using my name to swindle and deceive."

Shi Ciye looked at his dazed wife, then at the real Shi Yu, and shouted to the servants, "Help Madam back to her room!"

The impostor immediately walked over to Jiang Meijiao: "Let me help."

When Jiang Meijiao saw that it was the impostor helping her, her expression instantly softened, and she obediently followed the impostor away.

Watching the two of them walk off in a scene of motherly affection and filial piety, the real Shi Yu's hands clenched. It was always like this—whenever she saw him, she would cry and make a scene, but with that imposter, she was all kindness and love.

As the real Shi Yu was staring absentmindedly at the impostor and Jiang Meijiao's retreating figures, the chair beside him was pulled out.

The real Shi Yu turned around and saw Jiang Ji already sitting next to him.

He was about to sarcastically remark about how just anyone deserved to sit beside him when Shi Ciye spoke up: "It seems nobody wants to eat this meal, is that right?"

The real Shi Yu shot up from his chair, which screeched harshly across the floor.

"Dad, what do you mean by that!"

Shi Ciye met the real Shi Yu's gaze and said, "Exactly what you heard. I intend to let Jiang Ji take over Xinke."

The real Shi Yu's face turned dark: "But you said before that Xinke was meant for me!"

The Shi family's Times Group started out in real estate. After establishing a foothold, it quickly pivoted to telecommunications manufacturing, riding the wave of the times to become a trendsetter. Xinke is a subsidiary of Times Group responsible for artificial intelligence research and development.

The real Shi Yu had always believed that AI would be the next big trend, so he had long ago wheedled and cajoled Shi Ciye into agreeing that once he graduated, he would join Xinke.

But now, with only a year left until graduation, Shi Ciye announced he was going to give Xinke to Jiang Ji.

Hearing the real Shi Yu's words, Shi Ciye slammed his hand on the table: "Is that any way to talk! I'm not dead yet, and you're already scrambling for the inheritance!"

The real Shi Yu sneered: "My attitude? I've already had a fake getting above himself, and now you want to go over my head and hand the company over to an outsider. What attitude do you expect? If I don't fight, everything will be given away for free."

Shi Ciye picked up the cup on the table and hurled it at the real Shi Yu: "Get out!"

The real Shi Yu dodged the cup that came flying at him: "Why should I get out? This is the Shi family. My surname is Shi. I have a share in everything that belongs to the Shi family. The one who should leave is the cuckoo that's taken over the nest and now wants to kill the magpie."

Shi Yan said coldly, "Shi Yu, how dare you speak to Dad like that."

The real Shi Yu turned to Shi Yan: "You've joined Times early, so it's easy for you to sit there and make comments. If Dad had said today that Jiang Ji was taking over Times, you'd be jumping even higher than me!"

"Xiao Yu, stop arguing. Let's talk things out properly." The impostor stepped in as a peacemaker.

The real Shi Yu: "What business is it of yours?"

Jiang Ji, the center of the storm, stood up unhurriedly: "Uncle Shi, I don't think this meal is meant for me to eat. I'll take my leave now."

The impostor chased after Jiang Ji: "Brother Jiang Ji!"

Shi Ciye couldn't catch his breath, clutching his chest and gasping.

Shi Yan and the servants rushed over in a flurry, some giving him medicine, others patting his back to help him breathe.

By the time Shi Ciye was escorted back to his room by the servants, only the real Shi Yu and Shi Yan remained in the dining room.

Shi Yan looked at the real Shi Yu with a dark gaze: "Are you satisfied now? Can you just not stand a single peaceful day in this house?"

The real Shi Yu said bluntly: "I'm not comfortable. Why should those who make me uncomfortable be comfortable?"

Shi Yan stared at the real Shi Yu, his eyes full of complex emotions, but in the end, he left without saying another word.

The real Shi Yu stood there alone, looking at the untouched dishes on the table. The dinner party had ended in discord.

He took out his phone: "Xiaoma, I want the background information on someone."

The voice on the other end asked, "Brother Yu, who do you want to investigate?"

"Jiang Ji..."

After hanging up the phone, the real Shi Yu's face twisted for a moment. Xinke was his, and the Shi family... in the end, would also be his.

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