The couch was packed full. The ones who couldn’t sit were standing, and none of them went near Qiu Xianzhi. Only one of the girls sat a little closer, but there was still some distance between them.
One man, a few years older than Qiu Xianzhi, was the first to speak. He looked like his vitality had been completely sucked dry by some vixen, listlessly letting out a yawn, his belly straining his shirt buttons so hard they were practically popping open.
Qiu Fenghua: “Xianzhi, is there still an opening at the company? This is your uncle’s daughter-in-law’s nephew.”
At that moment, before the actual boss had even changed expression, Wu Yixiao’s face had already turned extremely ugly. He swept a look over the shameless Qiu Fenghua, who had the nerve to call himself the big brother, then stared at the others in the office.
After all, this still counted as the boss’s family matter. Since the boss hadn’t spoken, no matter how disgusted he was with them, he could only endure it.
Looking at her second son, Yao Yuzhen felt her temper rising. Ever since he was little, this child had never been close to her at all. He wasn’t even half as sweet-tongued as her eldest son and youngest daughter, and he never listened to her either.
Yao Yuzhen: “Xianzhi, your mother’s side only has one older brother left, that’s your own uncle. We’re all family.”
Yao Yuzhen spoke earnestly for quite a while, trying to move him with emotion, talking about how good his uncle had been to them when they were young, then turning it into how Qiu Xianzhi was surely a filial son who wouldn’t forget his childhood.
Jiang Zhuo quickly swept his gaze across everyone present. Qiu Xianzhi’s face was cold, his eyes looking at them as if they were a bunch of clowns, gazing down at the people before him with contempt.
Wu Yixiao’s resentment was so strong it could probably raise several evil sword spirits.
The group opposite them wore all kinds of expressions, smugness, disdain, but most of all, fear.
Seeing she could no longer persuade her son, Yao Yuzhen’s eyes shifted. She sighed, sat down beside her daughter Qiu Mujin, and her eyes started to fill with tears.
Qiu Mujin: “Mom, don’t make things hard for Big Brother. Big Brother won’t ignore Uncle, he’s just thinking of a suitable solution.”
Qiu Mujin had thin arms and thin legs, the sort of frail body that looked as delicate as a willow in the wind, and there was little color in her face.
Qiu Mujin: “Big Brother, a few days ago I went to the hospital where Cousin and his wife work for a follow-up checkup. Cousin’s wife kept sighing, I couldn’t bear to listen.”
As she spoke, her whole person seemed to wilt, and she looked pitifully at Qiu Xianzhi. “It’s also my fault for being so weak. I wanted to make mung bean soup for Big Brother, but I couldn’t even hold the bowl steady.”
Yao Yuzhen was heartbroken. She was faintly on the verge of losing her temper, but right before she exploded, Qiu Mujin wrapped her arms around her and began sniffling in grievance.
Jiang Zhuo found it downright amusing. They were playing the family card on Qiu Xianzhi, using feelings and morality to blackmail him.
Still, the trick really did work. Even though Qiu Xianzhi still looked dark-faced, that expression of disgust was gone.
His lowered eyelids showed it, he had compromised, and he was hurt too. Qiu Xianzhi was letting them wear down this bit of family affection.
That was Jiang Zhuo’s guess, at least, but in the end it was only a guess. He was sent downstairs to buy water.
He didn’t know whether they really wanted water or just wanted to send him away, so he simply had the front desk clerk send the water upstairs, while he sat in the lobby and waited until everyone had left before going back up.
He pushed the door open a crack. Inside, it was frighteningly quiet, and the atmosphere was so oppressive that Jiang Zhuo wondered if Qiu Xianzhi had set the air conditioning too low. He couldn’t help shivering before finally stepping into the office.
At first glance, it looked like Wu Yixiao was the one handling things, but a boss was still a boss. When something needed to be done, he still had to show up.
The ten o’clock meeting was postponed to eleven. Jiang Zhuo was still putting together the Lego, and halfway through, Wu Yixiao came in to get some documents.
Jiang Zhuo crooked a finger at Wu Yixiao.