2
Math class was the last period of the day. As soon as the final bell rang, Xu Zhaixing hastily bid Cheng You goodbye, grabbed her backpack, and hurried home.
At this time, her family still lived in Rose Garden, a villa district in this city.
Rose Garden was S City’s longstanding affluent neighborhood, home to successful figures from politics and business alike. In her third year of high school, her father had sold this villa at a low price to repay loans.
Xu Zhaixing hadn’t been back here since graduating, afraid of the memories it would stir. But the way home was etched deep in her memory. After getting off the bus, she ran all the way, breathless with anticipation. Yet, standing before her own doorstep, she hesitated.
She was so afraid this was all a dream.
She stared at the door adorned with its character for ‘fortune’ for a long time, steadying her heartbeat before slowly pulling her backpack around and reaching in for the keys. Just as she unzipped the main compartment, the security door clicked and swung open from the inside.
Xu Zhaixing froze, every muscle tense.
A middle-aged woman wearing an apron and holding two bags of trash opened the door, smiling at her. “Zhaixing, you’re home from school. I’ll start cooking as soon as I take the trash out. Sweet and sour pork ribs today, your favorite.”
Xu Zhaixing’s throat felt tight. “Auntie Liu, are my parents home?”
The housekeeper, Auntie Liu, was already descending the steps. “Your father just got back. Your mom called saying she’s working overtime and won’t be home for dinner. Oh, and your Second Uncle is here too. He brought you some imported chocolates.”
The joy of coming home was instantly washed away by the mention of ‘Second Uncle’.
The chief culprit behind the Xu family’s bankruptcy was precisely this Second Uncle, Xu Zhiwen.
Back when the state encouraged private enterprise, Xu Zhaixing’s father had ridden the wave of supportive policies to found Morningstar Culture Media Company. In those days, few were in the advertising business. Morningstar Media gradually monopolized S City’s advertising industry, becoming the leader in traditional media.
However, with the rise of new media, traditional media faced massive impact. Xu Zhaixing was still young then and didn’t know her father’s company had already begun incurring losses year after year.
It was at this very time that Xu Zhiwen lured her father into venture capital investments.
Xu Zhiwen was the only highly educated returnee from studying abroad in the Xu family. Although her father had built a large business, he had little formal education and was straightforward by nature. Trusting his second brother completely, he began transferring funds.
What he didn’t know was that Xu Zhiwen’s own capital chain was already suffering from a massive deficit. Pulling her father in was merely to cover his own losses. Later, Xu Zhiwen successfully extricated himself using the assets transferred from her father, leaving her father to sink deeper and deeper.
When they decided to send her mother abroad for treatment, Xu Zhaixing had accompanied her father to knock on Second Uncle’s door.
She remembered Xu Zhiwen’s disgusting face vividly to this day: “Third Brother, it’s not that your Second Brother won’t help you, I really have no money. You suffered losses, but I’m a victim too. Investments come with risks, of course. How can you blame me?”
The very same Xu Zhiwen who claimed to have no money bought his son a limited edition sports car the day after her father sold off the company.
Her father was an honest man. Learning of this, he just wiped his tears and said to Xu Zhaixing, “Don’t hold it against him. Helping is a kindness, not helping is his right. We can’t blame others.”
Xu Zhaixing had always remembered those words. Even in the most difficult times, she had never asked the Xu family relatives for help again.
Memories she hadn’t wanted to recall for years flooded her mind, almost making her feel her hair stand on end with rage.
She was so angry it made her scalp ache.
Calculating the timeline, this very year was precisely when Xu Zhiwen would trick her father into venture capital investments.
Could it be today?
Xu Zhaixing didn’t even stop to change her shoes, charging straight up to the second floor towards her father’s study. Just as she reached the door, she heard Xu Zhiwen saying, “You can start by investing a small amount with me to test the waters. I’ve been following this project for a long time, working day and night. A good money-making opportunity, of course, I’d think of family first.”
Her father held a financial document he couldn’t really understand, chuckling happily. “Alright, alright, then I’ll just…”
“Dad!”
Xu Zhaixing pushed the door open and entered.
Her father looked up. The middle-aged man, not yet ravaged by illness, was full of vigor, his thick brows and big eyes radiating energy. “Home from school? Hungry? Your Second Uncle brought you chocolates from abroad. Go have a few to tide you over. Where’s Auntie Liu? Tell her to start cooking.”
Seeing her father like this again, tears nearly welled up in Xu Zhaixing’s eyes. But with Xu Zhiwen present, she forced them back, saying in a muffled voice, “I don’t like chocolate.”
Her father noticed something was off and put the document down, walking over. “What’s wrong? Caught a cold?”
Xu Zhaixing hadn’t yet figured out how to stop her father from investing, so she seized the opportunity. “I don’t know, but my head feels dizzy, and my stomach is upset.”
Her father grew instantly concerned. “Did you eat something bad? Or catch a chill? I told you to wear more!” He quickly held her shoulders. “Go back to your room and lie down. Auntie Liu, Auntie Liu, bring the thermometer up here!”
Only when he reached the door did he remember Xu Zhiwen was still there. Turning back, he said, “Second Brother, make yourself comfortable for a bit. This girl, Zhaixing, really makes people worry.”
Xu Zhiwen had a hunch his little niece’s attitude was odd today, but didn’t think too much about it. He nodded. “Should I call a doctor? Kids these days just have poorer health, can’t compare to our generation.”
Her father waved a hand. “No need. Let her rest first and check her temperature. If it’s serious, we’ll go to the hospital.”
Xu Zhiwen didn’t say more and went downstairs to sit in the living room.
Xu Zhaixing’s room was exactly as she remembered.
The moment she entered, emotions overwhelmed her. She could hold back no longer, her eyes stinging as tears fell. Her father was pouring water for her and, seeing his precious daughter cry, was so flustered he almost dropped the cup. “What’s wrong? Is it that bad? Come on, let’s go to the hospital right now!”
As he approached, Xu Zhaixing reached out and hugged her father, burying her face in the beer belly she had once dislike. “No, it’s not that. I just… I suddenly missed you so much. Missed you and Mom.”
“You silly child…” Her father’s heart warmed. He patted her head, earnestly promising, “Dad will definitely work less overtime from now on, and come home more!”
Xu Zhaixing knew he had been running around lately trying to manage the company’s declining business. Any traditional industry would wane in the face of new trends. Her father wasn’t a shrewd businessman; he hadn’t seized the moment for reform and renewal. Now that she was back, she absolutely had to intervene.
Not only must she prevent her father from participating in venture capital, but she also had to save Morningstar Media. She even wondered if there was a chance for her father to invest in real estate. This was precisely the time when real estate was beginning to boom, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
But she was just a high school student now. In the eyes of adults, the only important thing was studying. Meddling in her father’s company and assets? That was a pipe dream.
Xu Zhaixing suddenly felt the road ahead was long and arduous.
Seeing her expression, her father immediately made her lie down and ran out to call her mother. “Zhaixing is sick! Yes, I think it’s quite serious. Crying, frowning, and she said she missed her parents! Is the pressure of high school getting to her? Right, right, you hurry home!”
Xu Zhaixing’s mother was the editor-in-chief of the local S City Daily. Like her father’s company, print media faced even greater impact, with newspaper sales plummeting every year. Her mother tried every reform tactic, but still couldn’t keep up with the rapid changes.
She had a lively, energetic personality and was home in less than half an hour after hanging up.
Lying in bed, Xu Zhaixing heard her mother’s voice downstairs: “Lao Xu, has Zhaixing taken medicine? Oh, Second Brother, you’re here too. Sit, let me go upstairs and check on Zhaixing first. That girl, I tell her every day to wear more, but she never listens! Serves her right for getting sick, she’s the one who’ll have to get the shots and suffer!”
The voice grew closer, and soon the door opened.
Xu Zhaixing, eyes brimming with tears, called out, “Mom.”
Her mother looked at her reproachfully, but her tone softened. “Wouldn’t listen to Mom, caught a chill, didn’t you? Anywhere else feeling bad? Ah? You really don’t give me a moment’s peace.”
Hearing this familiar scolding again, Xu Zhaixing truly wanted to throw herself into her mother’s arms and cry for three days and three nights.
Fortunately, those years had tempered her resilience. A thousand emotions condensed into just one sentence: “Mom, I’ll listen to you from now on!”
Her mother was shocked. “Oh dear, something’s really wrong! Lao Xu! Lao Xu, come up here! I think we need to go to the hospital!”
Xu Zhaixing: “…”
In the end, Xu Zhaixing had to hold the thermometer in her mouth while repeatedly assuring them she was fine, drink two packets of 999 Cold Remix granules, and put on a thick coat before she was allowed to go downstairs for dinner with her mother.
Xu Zhiwen was still there, chatting with her father at the dining table.
Seeing Xu Zhaixing approach, he smiled and asked, “Feeling better, Zhaixing? I think you kids nowadays are just too lazy, don’t like exercise. If you went out for a few laps every morning, you wouldn’t get sick at all.”
Xu Zhaixing gave him a strained smile. “Is that so, Second Uncle? Does Cousin Chaoyang go out for a run every morning then?”
Xu Zhiwen was momentarily speechless.
Her father shot her a look. “Mind your manners with your Second Uncle!”
Xu Zhiwen chuckled awkwardly twice. “It’s fine, it’s fine, she’s still young, they’re all like that. My boy’s in university now, and still just as much trouble.”
The topic was brushed aside. Xu Zhaixing didn’t even want to look at him and buried her head in her meal.
Auntie Liu’s sweet and sour pork ribs… she really hadn’t eaten them in so many years. They were so delicious.
Xu Zhiwen and her father chatted while eating, and the conversation inevitably circled back to investments. Xu Zhiwen had just broached the subject when Xu Zhaixing suddenly looked up and said to her mother, “Mom! How many times have I told you? Eat slowly, chew your food well, and don’t drink anything too hot!”
Her mother had an impatient nature, which extended to her eating habits. Later, her esophageal cancer would have a lot to do with these very habits.
She put a piece of pork rib into her mother’s bowl and moved the bowl of hot soup away from her. “Let it cool a bit before drinking. Too hot is bad for your esophagus.”
Everyone at the table was taken aback. Her mother looked down at the rib in her bowl with a complicated expression.
Her daughter… was serving her food? And concerned about her health?
Xu Zhiwen, ever the smooth talker (how else could he have fooled her father so thoroughly?), immediately chimed in with praise. “Just now we were saying Zhaixing was a bit spoiled. Look at this, she knows to care for her mother’s health. She’s truly grown up. Chaoyang really should learn from his younger cousin.”
Her father waved his hands humbly. “She just pretends to be good around others. This girl is quite mischievous. Now that she’s in high school, we have a whole new set of things to worry about.”
The two men chatted a bit more about raising children.
Eventually, Xu Zhiwen steered the topic back to investments. “Third Brother, that Zhenlin project…”
Xu Zhaixing: “Oh right, Dad, the school is having a parent-teacher meeting this Friday. Do you have time?”
Her father looked over. “Parent-teacher meeting? Didn’t we just have one last month? Another one so soon?”
Xu Zhaixing shrugged. “It’s high school. That’s just how it is.”
Her father thought for a moment. “Alright then. I’ll clear my schedule for Friday.”
Xu Zhiwen, interrupted once again: “…”
The entire meal proceeded this way, with him repeatedly trying to bring it up and Xu Zhaixing repeatedly cutting him off. Winter was approaching, and it got dark early. After dinner, Xu Zhaixing asked her father to go upstairs to sign her test papers. Xu Zhiwen, not daring to seem too eager and finding no other excuse to stay, had no choice but to say his goodbyes and leave.
Walking out the door, the more he thought about it, the more it puzzled him.
Why did it seem like this little niece was deliberately targeting him?
It made no sense.
The third brother’s daughter had been raised in luxury, with a naive and carefree nature. She might have been a bit spoiled and willful, but she was fundamentally simple and childish. The entire Xu family doted on her. He had never missed sending gifts for holidays and festivals.
Where had he offended her?
He pondered this the whole way. Just as he got into his car, his son Xu Chaoyang called, asking for money right off the bat.
Xu Chaoyang was now a freshman in university, and even a monthly allowance of two thousand wasn’t enough for him. Xu Zhiwen, already in a foul mood, unleashed a torrent of scolding over the phone. This infuriated Xu Chaoyang, who actually started yelling back at his father.
Furious, his blood pressure soaring, Xu Zhiwen slammed his phone down.
Meanwhile, back at the Xu residence, having won the first small battle, Xu Zhaixing locked her bedroom door under the pretext of doing homework. She pulled out a brand-new notebook and began to outline her new life.
One: Mom’s illness must be prevented and treated early. The incubation period for esophageal cancer is one to two years. She must ensure her mother goes for regular check-ups.
Two: Stop Father from participating in venture capital investments. Find a way to steer him towards real estate investment.
Three: Change the operating model of Morningstar Media. Introduce new media strategies. Must not let her father’s life’s work go bankrupt.
Four: …
Xu Zhaixing pursed her lips and carefully wrote down that name.
Four: See Cen Feng.
Go see Cen Feng. She wouldn’t need to do anything, just sneak a peek.
To see him, alive and well in this world, would be enough.
**