The butler told Wei Shanhe and Wei Yuanning everything. Wei Shanhe’s voice was indifferent. “Do as the old lady ordered.”

He didn’t dig any further. 

The public relations department quickly came to send a report. The trending topic was removed, and the news articles were being deleted one after another. Things should soon return to normal.

Wei Shanhe sat in his leather chair. He suddenly revealed an appreciative smile. ”This kid’s not bad. As expected from my grandson.”

There was a knock on the office door. Wei Shanhe sat up straight. “Come in.”

Wei Yuanning walked into the room, frowning. “Dad, I just heard that Wei Ximing’s being kicked out of the family.” 

Wei Shanhe said, “I allowed it.”

Wei Yuanning fumed, “Who the hell is messing with our family? Where did they find the guts to do this?”

He had no issue with expelling Wei Ximing from the family, but he didn’t like making a little family scandal public knowledge.

Wei Shanhe glanced at him helplessly and shook his head. “Don’t tell me you still don’t know who your opponent is?”

Wei Yuanning was taken aback.

Wei Shanhe waved his hand. “Leave. This issue ends here.”

Wei Yuanning was in disbelief. “Dad, that person hired a hacker to post the recording on our official website! He’s clearly provoking us! Are you just going to let him go?”

Wei Shanhe glanced at him. “What else do you want me to do? Kick your other son out of the family?” 

Wei Yuanning was stunned. He opened his mouth. “Dad… what do you mean by that?”

Wei Shanhe stood up. He pointed at his temple and said, “Use your brain to think about it. Stop spending all your time with your mistress and that illegitimate child of yours.”

Wei Yuanning’s eyes suddenly widened. “You’re saying Mingzheng did this? How is that possible? Where did he get the money and the courage?”

Wei Shanhe shook his head. He opened a drawer and threw a stack of documents on the desk in front of him. 

Wei Yuanning picked up the documents to take a look. It detailed Wei Mingzheng’s entire life.

Wei Shanhe said, “Yousee that? His adoptive father is called Shu Jun. He’s an investor who’s become rather well-known these past couple of years. He has a lot of financial resources, and his methods are brutal. He’s accumulated assets worth hundreds of millions in just a few years.”

“The person standing behind Wei Mingzheng is Shu Jun. If you think about who has the most to gain from this incident, it’s clear who was the one behind it.”

“What’s more, that nurse suddenly popped up out of nowhere to accuse Wei Ximing right after the recording hit the internet. It was clearly set up to trample him to death. Who else has a grudge against Ximing? Do you still not understand?” 

Wei Yuanning seemed to somewhat understand, but he was still in disbelief. “Is Mingzheng really capable of something like that?”

Wei Shanhe said, “I’ve already told you. He has Shu Jun guiding him. However, I don’t think someone like Shu Jun would get involved in the affairs of two children. Most of it was probably Mingzheng’s idea.”

Wei Yuanning still couldn’t believe it. “Mingzheng can really do something like this?”

Wei Shanhe laughed. “I finally have a grandchild that takes after me! Genetics sure is amazing. He didn’t grow up with us, but he turned out to be the smartest, the most daring, the most like me.” 

Wei Yuanning was shocked to hear his father say such a thing.

Chuzhou.

During dinner, Cai Qin put some ribs in Wei Mingzheng’s bowl. Then, she hesitantly asked, “Mingzheng, you guys have been at home for a couple of days. What are you going to do about your studies?”

Shu Jun also piped up, “It’s been about a week now. I heard that the high school curriculum is very stressful. If you fall behind, it won’t be easy to catch back up.” 

Wei Mingzheng was silent for a moment. Then, he finished off the ribs and said, “We’ll go back three days from now.”

Cai Qin and Shu Jun breathed a sigh of relief.

After eating, Wei Mingzheng waited in Shu Ning’s room.

Shu Ning had gone to take a shower. There was the sound of rushing water in the bathroom. Wei Mingzheng glanced at the clothes littered on the bed. Then, he walked over to pick them up and put them in the laundry basket. 

After a while, Shu Ning walked out of the bathroom in a bathrobe, drying his hair. He wasn’t surprised at all to see Wei Mingzheng.

He had just taken a shower, so his skin was soft and supple because of the steam. His eyes were dark, and his hair was soft and damp. The neckline of the bathrobe was slightly open, revealing his delicate collarbone

This was a scene he had seen countless times before.

Wei Mingzheng turned his eyes away. He said softly, “I’m sorry.” 

Shu Ning walked over to the desk to get the hair dryer. When he heard Wei Mingzheng apologize, he sighed and asked, “Why are you suddenly apologizing?”

Wei Mingzheng was silent for a moment. “I think I’m a little too willful.”

Shu Ning was very surprised. “Why do you think that?”

Wei Mingzheng walked over to Shu Ning and took the hair dryer into his hand. “Sit down.” 

Puzzled, Shu Ning sat in his chair. Wei Mingzheng plugged in the hair dryer, and the hair dryer started humming. Wei Mingzheng stood beside Shu Ning and helped him blow his hair.

Shu Ning was used to it already, so he obediently stayed still.

The room was filled with the buzzing sound of the hair dryer. Neither of them spoke.

Boys had short hair, and it was easy to dry. Shu Ning’s was dry and fluffy in just a few minutes. 

Shu Ning took the hair dryer from Wei Mingzheng’s hands and put it back in the desk drawer. Confused, he asked, “What’s with you today? You apologized out of nowhere.”

Wei Mingzheng said, “I’m really willful. You obviously prefer being at home, but I still asked you to go to Beijing with me. Plus, because I decided to return to Chuzhou, you also had to skip school.”

Shu Ning was stunned for a moment. He didn’t expect Wei Mingzheng to apologize for these two things. He quickly replied, “I agreed to do all of that.”

Wei Mingzheng shook his head. “I let my emotions get the better of me and made my own decisions without taking your situation into consideration. Maybe, I knew that you wouldn’t reject my request, so I started doing whatever I wanted.” 

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Wei Mingzheng said, “Shu Ning, I’m too selfish.”

He secretly hoped that Shu Ning would only have him, only accompany him. However, once Wei Mingzheng saw how relaxed Shu Ning was in Chuzhou, he was shaken. 

Back then, Shu Ning had followed him to Beijing without the slightest hesitation. Now, Shu Ning followed him back without the slightest hesitation.

Wei Mingzheng felt that he had really gone too far. He had completely ignored Shu Ning’s thoughts and opinions.

Shu Ning saw that Wei Mingzheng was falling into a pit of self-criticism. He quickly said, “Mingzheng, don’t think like that. It was my own choice.”

Wei Mingzheng shook his head. “Don’t lie to me. I’m not blind. I can tell when you’re happy and when you’re not happy.” 

Shu Ning fell silent.

If he were to say that he was happier in Beijing than in Chuzhou, the little villain would definitely know that he was lying. However, if he were to say that he was unhappy, the little villain would probably blame himself even more.

He thought it over for a moment. Then, he tactfully said, “I’m probably just not used to the new environment. I’ll get used to it after a while.”

When Wei Mingzheng heard Shu Ning say this, he revealed a faint smile. Shu Ning had always been so considerate. Whether it was through his words or his actions, Shu Ning was always thinking about Wei Mingzheng’s feelings. 

This might’ve been the reason he had become so willful. It was because he knew that Shu Ning would always accommodate him.

“Shu Ning, I have a question for you,” Wei Mingzheng said.

Shu Ning could feel his seriousness. He said, “Say it.”

The little villain was so weird today! He didn’t even know how to respond! 

Wei Mingzheng asked, “If it wasn’t for me, would you have been willing to attend high school in Beijing?”

Shu Ning: “…”

Obviously not.

“Tell the truth.” 

Shu Ning rubbed his brows. When faced with the villain’s earnest gaze, he hesitated for a moment. Then, he helplessly admitted, “No.”

Wei Mingzheng seemed to have known that this would be the answer. His voice became soft. “If you take me out of the picture, would you rather attend high school in Chuzhou?”

Shu Ning didn’t want to lie to him and nodded. “Mingzheng, my family and friends are all here. How should I say this? In a couple of years, I’ll have to go to college and get a job. I don’t know where I’ll be going yet. I might have to spend less and less time with my family, so I would like to stay here and spend more time with my parents.”

Wei Mingzheng’s heart softened. He reached out and rubbed Shu Ning’s head. “If you want to stay, then stay.” 

Shu Ning was taken aback. He blinked. “Then what about you?”

Wei Mingzheng said, “I’ll handle the Wei family by myself.”

Shu Ning was a little uneasy. “Can you do it without me?”

Wei Mingzheng almost wanted to say no, but he swallowed the words back. Instead, he smiled and said, “Don’t underestimate me. Wei Ximing’s already been kicked out.” 

Shu Ning was shocked. “Wei Ximing was kicked out? When did it happen?”

“My mother told me on the phone.” Wei Mingzheng told Shu Ning about what had happened with the Wei family.

Shu Ning was completely dumbfounded. “Wei Ximing actually tampered with Li Yongna’s insulin?”

When they had first arrived in Beijing, the villain had someone look into the issue with the nurse. However, nothing really came of it. Shu Ning thought the villain had just been thinking too much into it, but he didn’t expect… 

“Yeah.” Wei Mingzheng nodded affirmatively, “He didn’t just tamper with the insulin. He knew about his true identity two years ago and kept it hidden.”

Shu Ning was even more surprised. “Wei Ximing knew about the truth two years ago?”

“Two years ago, Zhou Juan owed a lot of debt. She had no other choice but to go ask Wei Ximing for help. Wei Ximing refused to accept her as his mother, so Zhou Juan was forced to blackmail him. The two of them have been going at each other.”

Wei Mingzheng seemed to have thought of something. He suddenly revealed a meaningful smile. 

Shu Ning’s head was spinning at the speed of light. Zhou Juan was in debt two years ago?

Didn’t Zhou Juan and Wei Mingzheng have a falling out two years ago? Why was she suddenly in debt?

Moreover, a lot of stuff started going wrong for Wei Ximing right after they left Beijing. It was a little too coincidental. Shu Ning was sure that the villain had something to do with it.

In that case, when did he start plotting against Zhou Juan and Wei Ximing? 

Did he start plotting when he returned to the Wei family?

Or did he start plotting even earlier than that?

Shu Ning couldn’t help the shiver that ran up his spine. Wei Mingzheng was someone who was able to fight his way through the financial sphere. His methods were sure to be ruthless.

However, Wei Ximing and Zhou Juan were entirely to blame. 

When he thought like this, Shu Ning didn’t particularly want to ask Wei Mingzheng about what he did.

He thought about the Wei family’s complicated interpersonal relationships. Shu Ning hesitated for a moment. Then, he tactfully said, “You know, if the Wei family treats you badly, you can just stay with us.”

Wei Mingzheng stared at him for a moment. Then, he shook his head. “Mom is also a victim. She decided to choose me over Wei Ximing, so I can’t abandon her. I can’t force her to pick me over her adopted son and then abandon her. What kind of person would that make me?”

Shu Ning was stunned. He suddenly remembered that time he had thrown two hundred yuan on the ground for Wei Mingzheng to pick up. Wei Mingzheng did pick up the two hundred yuan, but he ended up giving it back to him. 

Over the past two years, the villain’s style of doing things had become more and more ruthless. However, once you peeled away his outer layers, he was still the child who refused to take handouts.

Shu Ning was originally a little worried that he would go down the wrong path. Now, he found that the little villain had stuck to his roots. He said, “I support your decision.”

In fact, he had also been thinking lately, “What should I do after sending the villain back to the Wei family?”

When he had transmigrated, he thought his mission was to help the little villain return to his family and avoid his tragic death. Now, Wei Ximing had been kicked out, and Madam Wei had also chosen Wei Mingzheng. His mission was pretty much finished. What should he do next? 

In the past, everything he did revolved around the villain. He hadn’t really thought about what he’d do for the future. Perhaps, it was time to consider leaving.

The next day, the two flew back to the capital. If they didn’t head back soon, Madam Wei was going to come to Chuzhou herself.

Wei Mingzheng and Shu Ning talked about what they would do. Shu Ning didn’t want to stay in Beijing, but, for the villain’s sake, he was willing to stay. However, the villain didn’t want him to stay just because of him. The villain promised that he would be fine by himself.

Shu Ning couldn’t make up his mind, so he decided to follow the villain back to Beijing and observe him for a while. If the villain was truly able to handle himself, he would go back to Chuzhou in order to spend time with his parents and plan his future. 

To be honest, Shu Ning was both a little disappointed and a little gratified when he heard the villain say he didn’t need him anymore.

It was just like painstakingly raising a child. The child wanted to fly away and was no longer willing to stay by his parent’s side. As a parent, he was both happy because of how capable he was and sad because of how independent he was.

Shu Ning’s mentality wasn’t too bad. He did his best to adjust his thinking.

Even if the villain left, he still had Cai Cai, Papa Shu, and Shu Yang. 

Once they returned to the Wei family estate, Shu Ning’s first impression was that everyone’s attitude towards Wei Mingzheng had changed drastically.

“Son!” Madam Wei rushed up and hugged Wei Mingzheng, looking very excited. That happy appearance didn’t have a trace of pretense in it. She was full of emotion, as if the two of them had known each other their whole lives.

Shu Ning had always thought that Madam Wei was very good. Her only drawback was that she was too hesitant about Wei Ximing. Now, this shortcoming had disappeared.

Wouldn’t it be nice for Wei Mingzheng to have a biological mother who loved him wholeheartedly? 

Shu Ning watched silently from the side. He had a look of relief on his face.

After staying in the villa for a while, the butler from the main building walked into the hall and conveyed Li Yongna’s message. She hoped to meet Wei Mingzheng.

Shu Ning was instantly on alert. “Why does Grandma Li want to see Mingzheng?”

Within the entire Wei family, Li Yongna had been the only one to express her displeasure towards Wei Mingzheng. 

Li Yongna liked Wei Ximing. Could it be that she blamed Mingzheng for everything that happened?

Shu Ning was very worried.

The butler said to Wei Mingzheng, “The old lady wants to chat with Young Master Mingzheng because of the issue with Wei Ximing.”

It was just as he expected! 

Worried, Shu Ning walked over to Wei Mingzheng. “Mingzheng, don’t get angry if your grandmother scolds you. She liked Wei Ximing a lot. Now that Wei Ximing’s been kicked out, she’ll definitely take it out on you…”

The butler realized that something was wrong and quickly explained, “Young Master Shu, you’ve misunderstood. The old lady won’t scold Young Master Mingzheng. She knows that she’s misunderstood him and wants to talk to him.”

Shu Ning blinked, surprised.

Wei Mingzheng patted Shu Ning’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.” 

Madam Wei also piped up, “Grandma had even asked me about when you would be returning this morning.”

She wanted to repair the relationship between Wei Mingzheng and Li Yongna. No matter how she looked at it, it was best for Mingzheng to win over Wei Shanhe and Li Yongna.

Wei Mingzheng left with the butler. Before leaving, he smiled at Shu Ning, reassuring him not to worry.

Shu Ning also smiled back. 

Once the villain left, Shu Ning suddenly realized something. Mingzheng seemed to have been solving things on his own and comforting him for a long time now.

The days where he worried about whether the villain was eating, whether he was healthy, whether he was being beaten were long gone. In the past two years, he didn’t really provide any substantial help to the villain. On the contrary, it was the villain who gave him the money for his family to move into a villa. It was the villain who helped Papa Shu invest, do business, and earn money for the family…

Shu Ning realized that the little villain didn’t really need him anymore.

Wei Mingzheng walked into Li Yongna’s room. 

Li Yongna was currently taking her medicine. After taking the medicine, she frowned and drank some water.

She hadn’t been in good health to begin with, but, after the incident with Wei Ximing, she had gotten even worse.

“Grandma.” Wei Mingzheng walked in and respectfully greeted her.

Li Yongna looked up. When she saw him, a complicated expression made its way onto her face. She placed the glass in her hand on the cabinet and motioned for the nurse to leave the room. 

After the nurse left, Li Yongna and Wei Mingzheng were the only ones left in the room.

The room was quiet, and the atmosphere was peaceful.

“Sit. Just sit wherever you like.” Li Yongna pointed at the chair and sofa as she spoke. Her voice was much more enthusiastic than before.

Wei Mingzheng chose the chair closest to her and sat down. “Grandma, I heard that you have something to talk about?” 

He cut straight to the point, causing Li Yongna to hesitate for a moment. Then, she nodded. “Mingzheng, have you gotten used to living here?”

Wei Mingzheng said indifferently, “It’s alright.”

Li Yongna suddenly didn’t know how to talk with him. She coughed and asked, “What do you think about the incident with Wei Ximing?”

Wei Mingzheng looked up in surprise. “Grandma, what do you want me to think? If you want me to speak on his behalf, then I’m sorry but I can’t.” 

Li Yongna smiled bitterly. “I didn’t mean that.”

“In that case, what am I supposed to think?” Wei Mingzheng said earnestly, “I made my attitude clear from the very first day I returned. I don’t like him, and I don’t care about him. If the family wants to keep him, I have no objections. If he messes with me, I definitely won’t let him do as he pleases. Didn’t you already know this?”

Li Yongna was silent.

It was true. Wei Mingzheng declared his stance the very first day he returned. His attitude had not changed from beginning to end. 

“I’m the victim, and Wei Ximing is the perpetrator. It’s impossible for me to forgive him like the hero from a movie. He’s a villain in my eyes. I don’t feel like putting on a show about how kind and generous I am in front of you. Grandma, I grew up in a bad environment, and my upbringing was poor. I don’t know how to be generous or how to be kind or how to beat around the bush. I hope that you can understand this.”

Li Yongna was stunned.

For most of her life, all the people she had met were respectful and deferential in front of her. Even if they felt sad or resentful in their hearts, they would still wear a smile on their faces.

Her sons and grandsons fought both openly and covertly with each other. However, when they were in front of her, they showed nothing but love for each other. Sometimes, even she found the hypocrisy unbearable. 

She had never had a grandson like Wei Mingzheng, a grandson who was neither humble nor arrogant, a grandson who told her the truth.

If he didn’t like something, he’d make it known. Once he made up his mind, he would stick with it to the very end.

Before, a lot of people thought that he was petty and narrow-minded because of his attitude. However, now that they thought about it, wasn’t it natural for him to not accept Wei Ximing?

Wasn’t it natural for the victim not to forgive the perpetrator? 

This grandson had made his attitude clear from the very beginning. He was bold enough to love and bold enough to hate. He was much, much better than those people who were always smiling on the surface yet did despicable things on the down low!

Her grandson wasn’t petty or narrow-minded. He was simply clear about what he liked and what he hated. He just had a free and easy temperament.

Li Yongna looked at Wei Mingzheng. He suddenly became a lot more pleasing to the eye.

This was the powerful effect of comparison. 

If Wei Ximing hadn’t made a mistake, Wei Mingzheng would still be an intolerant and narrow-minded person in her eyes. Now that Wei Ximing had made a mistake, Wei Mingzheng’s behavior had become straightforward and refreshing in comparison

There was no right or wrong attitude. It all depended on how people looked at it.

Wei Mingzheng knew this and took advantage of it. More importantly, he really couldn’t be bothered to cater towards the Wei family.

If he was going to be himself, he was going to have to make others accept him as he was. 

Li Yongna saw Wei Mingzheng’s calm attitude and was in a good mood. She wanted to apologize for misunderstanding him, but, as someone who had been raised on a pedestal all her life, she couldn’t bring herself to say the words. Instead, she said, “Mingzheng, you’ve been wronged this time. Once Wei Ximing returns his assets, they’ll all be given to you. I’ll even add a car to it.”

After speaking, she waited for Wei Mingzheng’s happy reaction. However…

“Grandma, I don’t even have a driver’s license. What do I need a car for?”

Li Yongna: “…” 

Her grandson truly had an unusual personality.

Li Yongna calmed herself down and said softly, “What would you like?”

“You’ll give me anything I want?” Wei Mingzheng was doubtful.

Li Yongna: “…” 

Li Yongna said, “So long as it’s within reason.”

Wei Mingzheng immediately blurted, “I want shares in Pegasus Incorporated. Is that okay?”

Li Yongna was incredibly surprised. She thought about it for a moment. “I’ll have to discuss this with your grandfather.”

When she saw that Wei Mingzheng was still staring at her, Li Yongna added, “I don’t know much about the corporation’s shares.” 

This was the truth. She really didn’t know which companies the family had shares in because there were simply too many.

Wei Mingzheng finally revealed a smile. “Thank you, Grandma.”

Li Yongna finally got a smile from him. Suddenly, she felt that, if she wasn’t able to get the shares for him, she would be letting him down.

Her heart was full of pity and guilt for Wei Mingzheng. She used to deeply dislike him, but, now, she pitied him even more. 

Once an emotion reached its peak, it would inevitably move in the opposite direction.

Wei Mingzheng left Li Yongna’s room and sent a message to Darker: [I’ve arrived in Beijing. Let’s meet up some time.]

Darker quickly replied: [You’re in Beijing? That’s great! You’re almost an adult, right? You should hurry up and start working at my office. We can start developing VR technology. Let’s talk more in person.]

LoveToEatShiitake: [My opinion on the VR project’s visualization is still the same as before.] 

Darker: [Can you stop being so stubborn? We have been arguing about this for half a year already! I’m the project leader, and I’m most familiar with the contents. Therefore, I have the final say!]

Darker: [I’ll be in charge of the project’s direction. You just need to listen to me. Come and work for me. I definitely won’t treat you badly.]

Darker: [I know you made a name for yourself at just fifteen years old, but you should be aware that there’s always going to be someone better than you. Besides technology, there’s also the issue of business. You can’t put all your energy on just the technology. You also need to be aware about the ways of the world. Money is king! Without money, you won’t be able to develop new technologies! Basically, you’re still too young. You don’t understand. Once you come to Pegasus, let’s have a good chat and then you’ll understand.]

LoveToEatShiitake: [Oh.] 

Wei Mingzheng put his phone away. He couldn’t be bothered to keep hashing it out with Darker. If a person was incredibly skilled and became successful at a young age, they were more likely to be obstinate and stubborn.

Over the years, Wei Mingzheng and Darker had cooperated and communicated many, many times. He pretty much had his personality figured out, and the two often quarreled.

Their fights were usually along the lines of “I’m right, you listen to me” and “No, I’m right, you listen to me”.

Despite the few bumps in the road, the software that they cooperated on had been developing well. Wei Mingzheng was Darker’s trump card. Over the past two years, Pegasus managed to grow through the continuous development of software. It now stood shoulder to shoulder with several other internet giants. It could be considered a unicorn company, and its stock price was rising every day. 

In this kind of situation, how could Wei Mingzheng be willing to remain a trump card?

As Darker’s advisor, the fees he was paid weren’t low. However, he wouldn’t be able to see any real profits, and he wouldn’t truly be able to implement his own ideas.

This time, he was going to get those shares no matter what.

After all the preparation he’d put in, those Pegasus shares were pretty much guaranteed.