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6. Chapter 6
Han's father had just attended the wedding of Yu Antong and Xing Lixuan. He had found Antong familiar and now realized that the spouse of the Xing family’s young master was his son's classmate.
After hearing this, Han Lele was in shock. He had spent the summer vacation abroad, and most of the family's social affairs were handled by his father and brother, so he was completely unaware.
It was hard to believe that their roommate, who seemed to be financially challenged, had married into a wealthy family.
Han's father said, "You should hang out with him more; this way our family can get closer to the Xing family..."
Before he could finish, he reconsidered and said, "Never mind."
Han Lele asked, "Hmm? What?"
Han's father elaborated, "During the wedding, I noticed Mr. Xing's discontented expression. He probably doesn't like your classmate. Be cautious with your interactions and don’t offend him."
Han Lele didn’t say much. His relationship with Yu Antong was neutral to begin with. He felt it was best to just continue as usual.
Yu Antong hailed a cab to the city mall, planning his itinerary along the way.
First, he'd find a place to eat, then shop for comfortable clothes and skincare products. He aimed to be an exquisitely groomed individual.
After paying the cab fare, he received an SMS linked to his bank card.
[Dear user, you have spent 26.50 yuan from your personal account. Available balance: yuan]
Yu Antong was momentarily taken aback.
He used to buy things without looking at the price tags, money was just a number in his mind, but now for the first time, he truly felt how poor the original owner was.
Yu Antong browsed through his mobile banking statement as he walked into a traditional Chinese restaurant.
The waiter looked up briefly, put down his phone, and uttered an insincere, "Welcome."
Yu Antong found a spot and sat down, oblivious to the waiter's indifferent attitude, and casually ordered a few dishes.
His attention was entirely focused on the mobile banking statement. The sporadic small to medium deposits took a long time to accumulate, and with just one tuition payment, there wasn't much left.
Since the original owner became an adult, Yu Qingnian stopped giving him an allowance. The original owner had to work part-time to support himself through college.
Frustrated, Yu Antong locked the screen of that old, quickly-draining phone, cursing Yu Qingnian in his mind.
How stingy could he be? Not even willing to pay for his own younger brother's tuition.
If he genuinely had no money, that would be one thing, but he's a well-known figure in the business world. He’s really disgraceful and doesn't seem to care about his reputation.
As Yu Antong ranted internally, his old phone rang. Ironically, the caller was Yu Qingnian.
"Where are you?" Yu Qingnian's tone was imperious. "Come home tonight, I need to talk to you."
Just hearing that tone irritated Yu Antong, "I’m busy tonight. If you want to find me, I’ll send you an address."
Who does he think he's ordering around? won't indulge his bad habits.
Yu Qingnian was taken aback. When did his timid nephew become so assertive? He shouted, "Yu Antong! Who taught you to speak to an elder like that? Don’t think you've grown wings just because you married into the Xing family. Let me remind you, if I can get you into the Xing family, I can get them to kick you out too... Hello? You dare hang up on me?"
The waiter brought the dishes. Yu Antong promptly hung up. He wasn't in the mood to be lectured.
He took a bite of the glutinous rice chicken. The soft rice carried the aroma of the lotus leaf wrapped around it, and combined with the delicious chicken, it was unexpectedly tasty.
Yu Antong’s eyes lit up, and all the negativity from Yu Qingnian disappeared.
Looking around, he wondered, the food here is good, why is their business so slow?
When he came in, he was too engrossed in his phone to notice. But now he realized that the restaurant had only a few scattered customers, and since his arrival, not a single new customer had walked in.
It was peak dining time. Given its location in a busy mall, it shouldn’t be this empty, especially with such delicious dishes.
Could it be that the prices are too high?
Thinking of the balance in his account, he felt a jolt of anxiety.
It was the unease felt by the financially constrained.
Yu Antong quickly put down his chopsticks and skimmed the menu on the table.
Glutinous rice chicken: 128 yuan.
Crispy beef: 298 yuan.
...
This shouldn't be considered expensive, should it?
Making a quick mental calculation, he realized he could afford this meal. Only then did Yu Antong start eating at ease.
"Why would you choose to dine here? Such an ill-fated place!"
By the time Yu Antong was almost done with his meal, Yu Qingnian arrived, fuming.
Hanging up on him earlier had nearly driven him to throw his phone in anger. After some contemplation, he decided to meet Yu Antong in person, all for the upcoming Jiang City Commerce Association deputy chairman election.
Yu Antong frowned, clearly not in the mood to deal with this greasy middle-aged man. "What's wrong with this place?"
He thought, "I should cleanse my eyes later with the sight of my handsome husband."
"This place is on the verge of shutting down. It can't even be sold! You intentionally chose this spot to curse me, didn't you?" Yu Qingnian, seeing no sign of Yu Antong giving up his seat, grudgingly took the seat across, "You have no manners."
"Manners? My principle is simple: don't provoke me, and I won't provoke you." Yu Antong retorted disdainfully, "Considering what you've done to me in the past, what have you done that warrants my respect?"
"Fine, fine. It seems I've raised an ungrateful wolf." Yu Qingnian reddened with anger, "After your father passed away, out of brotherly affection, I took you and your sister in. Now that you've grown up, this is how you repay my kindness?"
Yu Qingnian, who naturally had a loud voice, now boomed even louder. The few customers in the restaurant started glancing their way, either discreetly or openly.
Yu Antong sneered, "Brotherly affection? Kindness? You only adopted us for our father's inheritance, didn't you?"
Noticing the stares, Yu Qingnian, caring about his image, suppressed his anger, "Shut up. Do you want the whole world to mock our Yu family?"
"Now you're afraid of being the talk of the town? When you mistreated my sister and me, you weren't concerned then?" Yu Antong shot back, "If you had the audacity to do it, then bear the consequences."
Yu Qingnian couldn't fathom the transformation in Yu Antong, "What are you trying to achieve? Creating a scene won't benefit you. Think about how the Xing family will view you if they see you disrespecting your elder. They value their reputation, and they wouldn't want a daughter-in-law who's a laughingstock."
Yu Antong gritted his teeth, searching for a polite way to rebuke him.
Misinterpreting the silence, Yu Qingnian believed his threat about the Xing family had worked. "Understand this, the Yu family is your true support, not the Xing family. Only when the Yu family prospers will you live comfortably."
"You think I'm naive," Yu Antong thought, eager to see Yu Qingnian's next move. "What do you want?"
Seeing Yu Antong seemingly relent, Yu Qingnian smirked internally, thinking him still naive. "There's a business gala in a few days. I want you to get me an invitation from the Xing family."
The gala was for real estate moguls nationwide, and he didn't qualify for an invitation. The Xing family could easily get one, but he didn't dare ask them directly, forcing him to approach Yu Antong.
How boring. Yu Antong leaned back, no longer wanting to endure the conversation. "Since you've used my relationship with the Xing family for your advantage, from now on, I have nothing to do with the Yu family. The fact that I haven't brought up your past wrongs should be good enough for you. Who are you to ask for favors?"
Yu Qingnian's face darkened, but the importance of the gala, coupled with the potential profits from the real estate sector, forced him to restrain his anger and feign a concerned demeanor.
"Antong, all those past decisions were made by your aunt. I only recently found out about her mistreatment of you and your sister. I've already reprimanded her. From now on, we'll treat you as our own son."
Burning text
Yu Antong couldn't believe that Yu Qingnian could shift all blame to his wife when they were both equally at fault.
Today, he truly witnessed the epitome of despicable behavior.
Being around someone like this was a sheer waste of time. Yu Antong felt a wave of nausea, and as he rose to leave, he remarked, “I have no intention of playing the role of your son. It’s best if we have no connection at all.”
Seeing this, Yu Qingnian hastily grabbed his arm. “Antong, don’t go. I’m not doing this for myself. It's for our family, for you and your sister. Annan is growing up so fast and will be of marriageable age soon. If our family prospers, she’ll have a good background, ensuring a good match and protection from mistreatment.”
Yu Antong fixed his gaze on the hand Yu Qingnian used to hold his arm, as if trying to burn a hole through it. Coldly, he demanded, “Let go.”
Yu Qingnian, taken aback by that icy stare and Antong’s command, immediately complied, only to regret moments later that he was so easily intimidated by the younger man's front.
Yu Antong sat down and scoffed, “Since you brought up my sister, let me clarify something: I intend to regain her custody.”
Naturally, Yu Qingnian objected. With Annan’s custody in his hands, he had leverage over Antong. He had plans of marrying Antong into the Xing family and having him work for the family's benefits, relying on the fact that Antong would never abandon his sister.
Yu Antong continued, “Also, I’ve come of age. Isn’t it time you return the family property you’ve been managing as my guardian, Uncle?”
A fierce glint appeared in Yu Qingnian’s eyes, “You make it sound as though I stole your family’s property. You were too young to understand that your father's business failed and owed a lot of money. When your parents passed away, they left nothing. I’ve been using my own money to raise you and your sister.”
Yu Antong retorted, “Really? Unfortunately, you can’t deceive me. I remember the lawyer's announcement during the guardianship proceedings. My father left me tens of millions – was it eighty million or ninety million? My memory is a bit hazy.”
Yu Antong tapped his temple, pondering.
“Nonsense! Your father's inheritance was only sixty million...” Yu Qingnian impulsively blurted out, instantly realizing his slip.
Yu Antong replied, “Ah, so you admit it. If you say it’s sixty million, then sixty million it is. When will I receive it?”
He skimmed the novels, recalling only the inheritance of several million. He had attempted to bait Yu Qingnian just now and surprisingly succeeded.
Yu Qingnian had underestimated Yu Antong, his perception from the past twenty years of Antong's perceived weakness and incompetence blinding him, and in his agitation, he fell right into Antong's trap.
Yu Antong pressed on, “Furthermore, the house your family resides in belongs to mine. I’m certain of that since I've lived there since birth.”
Sweat beaded on Yu Qingnian’s forehead. Taking out a handkerchief, he wiped it off, “Antong, we’re family...”
Yu Antong snorted coldly, “Playing the family card? Too late for that.”
He was no longer the naive individual from before.
Before leaving, Yu Antong left a warning, “Ensure the funds are ready. I'll contact the lawyer from back then to verify the property. Oh, and a piece of advice: it would be best if you vacate my house soon. Otherwise, homelessness awaits you.”
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