Tang Wan had just returned to the company after meeting a client when her secretary informed her that Xu Yao had arrived.
Thinking about the recent fight at school, she immediately headed toward her office. Xu Yao always waited for her there.
But after only a few steps, she saw Xu Yinyin walking out of an office. Through the half-open door, she caught sight of the tall figure of Xu Yao and the tightly drawn curtains.
This was the first time Xu Yinyin and Xu Yao had met. What matter had brought them together, discussing something so secretively?
Recalling Xu Yinyin’s inner thoughts, Tang Wan felt an inexplicable unease. Had she spilled all her secrets to Xu Yao, trying to drive a wedge between mother and son?
With that thought, she couldn’t sit still any longer and hurriedly strode toward them.
Xu Yao wasn’t surprised by his mother’s arrival. He calmly pressed a remote control, opening the curtains before speaking in an indifferent tone.
“Why are you here?”
“That’s what I should be asking you. Why are you at the company? Don’t you have classes this afternoon?”
“It’s the monthly exam today. We have the afternoon off.”
“The monthly exam already?!” Tang Wan was taken aback. It felt like school had only just started.
Xu Yao didn’t respond, only giving her a plain look, as if to say, “You’ve never cared about my affairs anyway.”
Receiving his accusing gaze, Tang Wan felt guilty and explained, “I’ve been busy with TK’s acquisition deal. I really couldn’t make time. That’s why I asked your cousin to check on you. Next time, I’ll go myself.”
“What? Do you think the trouble I caused wasn’t big enough and want a next time?” Xu Yao let out a mocking laugh, a hint of pain flashing in his eyes.
“No, no. I know you’re a good kid. This definitely wasn’t your fault. It must have been—”
“If you trust me so much, then why didn’t you stand up for me?” Xu Yao’s gaze turned sharp and aggressive.
“I… I was just busy.”
“Right. Busy, busy, busy. You’re busy all 365 days of the year. Busy fighting for power, busy indulging in lavish parties, but never busy with your own son. Since you’re so busy, why did you even have a child? Oh—now I remember. You needed a son as a bargaining chip to secure your position in the Xu family, didn’t you?”
“Xu Yao!” Tang Wan’s face darkened. “Is that any way to speak to your mother?”
Xu Yao spread his hands. “A child’s respect for their parents depends on the care and love they receive. Tell me, have you given me any?”
“You—!”
“I know the real reason you didn’t go today—you were afraid of embarrassment. After all, it was my father’s mess. He should be the one to clean it up, right?”
“Who told you it was your father’s fault? Was it Xu Yinyin?”
Tang Wan was shocked and furious at Xu Yinyin’s loose tongue. How could she expose such shameful family matters in front of a child?
“See? That’s your problem. Whenever something happens, the first thing you do is blame someone else instead of reflecting on yourself. My cousin doesn’t have time for this. Chen Sheng told me directly—my dad slept with his stepmother.”
Tang Wan trembled violently. She hadn’t expected this turn of events. And hearing Xu Yinyin being referred to as “cousin” made her even more stunned.
Did Xu Yao trust Xu Yinyin that much? They had only just met! What kind of spell had she cast on him?
Xu Yao continued, “But that doesn’t matter. I’ve never respected my father’s character anyway. I’m used to the disgrace. What truly disappoints me is that you all make mistakes, but I’m the one who has to pay for them. Do you think that’s fair?”
“They say parents are supposed to be a guiding light for their children, influencing them with their words and actions. But my parents? They’re roadblocks. Every move they make cuts off my path forward. Not a day goes by that I don’t wish to leave this family. And I’ve been working toward that goal.”
Xu Yao looked at Tang Wan with unprecedented coldness and composure. “Let me make this clear—I don’t want a single cent of Grandpa’s inheritance. Whatever you and my father want, fight for it yourselves. Don’t drag me into your bottomless power struggles as a pawn. If you push me too far, I’ll beg Grandpa to remove me from the family registry. Or better yet, I’ll disappear entirely. Dust to dust, ashes to ashes.”
With that, he walked away, brushing past Tang Wan.
Tang Wan sat frozen, staring at his resolute back. Her legs went weak, and she collapsed onto the sofa, murmuring, “Dust to dust, ashes to ashes…”
Then, suddenly snapping back to her senses, she jumped up and shouted after him, “Xu Yao, you can’t do this to me! I’m your mother! No son should be this heartless to his mother!”
Xu Yao’s steps faltered slightly. He tilted his head and said, “Really? Then let me be the first.”
Tang Wan’s vision darkened, and she leaned unsteadily against the doorframe, as if all the strength had been drained from her body.
This scene was witnessed by Xue Weiwei, who had come to deliver documents. She suppressed her excitement at stumbling upon such a dramatic spectacle and hurriedly stepped forward to help.
Tang Wan steadied herself with the external support, took a deep breath, straightened her slightly disheveled clothing, and coldly instructed, “Go bring Xu Yinyin here.”
She needed to find out exactly what Xu Yinyin had done to Xu Yao.
Xu Yinyin received the summons and walked over, puzzled.
“Weiwei said Aunt Tang and Xu Yao seemed to have had a fight. Maybe she wants me to mediate? Help! I really don’t want to get involved in this family drama.”
“Xu Yao is rebellious. Who could persuade him? Just go through the motions.”
‘Ugh, why is Uncle Xu’s family so complicated? One is the heir, one married into a wealthy family. Can’t they just live peacefully? Why do they have to fight?”
“Human nature is greedy. It’s never enough. That’s why they fight.”
[Sigh!]
Xu Yinyin had no opinion on these personal choices. She had worked hard to get into a wealthy family and planned to quietly enjoy it. Contentment was key. Anything beyond that was none of her concern.
She took a deep breath, steadied herself, and pushed open the office door. “President Tang, you called for me?”
“Come in and sit. Let me finish signing this document first.”
“Oh.”
Xu Yinyin sat properly in the chair across from the desk, her legs together, hands resting on her lap, looking both reserved and uneasy.
Out of the corner of her eye, Tang Wan noticed her nervous demeanor and found it amusing.
If she hadn’t heard her inner thoughts, she would have thought the girl was cautious and well-behaved.
But once you knew the truth, she could drop bombshells that would leave you completely stunned.
She must have nerves of steel, daring to say anything and eat up any gossip!
After signing the last contract, Tang Wan set it aside, lifted her gaze, and smiled warmly. “Are you getting used to working with your aunt?”
“I’m used to it.” She quickly nodded.
“She’s not trying to make me a spy to monitor my aunt, is she?”
Tang Wan scoffed inwardly—who in their right mind would choose a person whose thoughts everyone could hear as a spy?
To avoid being distracted by her thoughts, Tang Wan got straight to the point: “How was Xu Yao’s mood when you went to the school today?” This chapter was taken from novelping dot com without permission.
“He was quite calm. He didn’t show any extreme emotions throughout, whereas the other party was more agitated and arrogant—probably because they had their mother as support.”
Tang Wan picked up on Xu Yinyin’s implication: she was accusing her of not personally going to support Xu Yao, leaving him at a disadvantage.
“I should have gone, but I really couldn’t find the time. I called you here to ask for details so I can have a heartfelt conversation with him when I get home tonight.”
“Oh wow, what kind of weird logic is this? If she wants a heartfelt conversation, shouldn’t she just talk to the person involved? Why make me, a third party, pass on the message? Is her brain malfunctioning?”
Tang Wan silently gritted her teeth.
“Actually, by the time I got there, the matter was mostly settled. The other party’s parents were originally going to pursue the issue, but for some reason, they suddenly left. Then the principal said that since they weren’t pressing charges, the matter would be considered resolved, and we were allowed to leave.”
Xu Yinyin relayed the details truthfully, and after hearing them, Tang Wan only felt a bigger headache coming on.
If her guess was right, Xu Yinyin’s inner monologue must have exposed all the other family’s dirty laundry, making them feel utterly humiliated and forcing them to flee.
Now, the entire school leadership probably knew all about Xu Yanrui and the other party’s disgraceful secrets.
Tang Wan had originally avoided going herself to save face, but now she had shot herself in the foot and made an even bigger mess. No wonder Xu Yao reacted so strongly.
Damn it, she was really regretting her decision now.
“Maybe it wasn’t that serious, and the other party felt it wasn’t worth pursuing,” Tang Wan said indifferently.
“By the way, did you notice the injuries on Xu Yao’s face?” Xu Yinyin suddenly asked.
Tang Wan was obviously stunned—she really hadn’t noticed. But as a mother, she couldn’t afford to appear too negligent, so she quickly responded, “I saw them. Boys care about their pride. He didn’t mention it, and I didn’t want to ask too much in case it annoyed him.”
Xu Yinyin nodded in understanding and agreed, “That makes sense.”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk, listen to this! Is this how a parent should act? Her son got caught up in trouble at school because of his parents’ mess, and not only did they refuse to show up, but even when she saw him, she didn’t bother showing any concern. Don’t tell me she doesn’t know why he got beaten up?”
“Shen Sheng’s stepmother may have questionable morals, but at least she fiercely protects her child. It doesn’t matter whether she’s a stepmother or a biological mother—what makes a good mother is whether she stands up for her kid. My second aunt? She doesn’t deserve to be a mom. And my second uncle is just a trashy dad.”
“That’s why I say she’s a venomous woman—cruel and ruthless. No wonder Xu Yao wants to run away from home. With parents like this, it’s pure bad luck for him.”
“Exactly. If you’re not willing to properly raise a child, then why give birth to them? Is power and wealth so important that you’re willing to use your own flesh and blood as a tool to get them? My god, he’s your child, not some stray cat or dog you can pet when you feel like it and throw aside when you don’t. This is just cruel.”
“Sigh, suddenly I feel a bit sorry for Xu Yao. Luxurious wealth means nothing when you’re born into a messed-up family. His coldness is just his armor, but loneliness is his reality. If this is what being part of a wealthy family is like, it’s not worth it.”
Tang Wan listened to her criticisms in silence, and surprisingly, she didn’t get angry. Instead, she just felt an unspeakable sense of frustration.
She knew she hadn’t done her duty as a mother well, but being part of a wealthy family meant enjoying privilege while also shouldering responsibilities.
Helping her gain power and securing more benefits for their branch of the family was Xu Yao’s mission as a member of this household. It would be the same for anyone else in his position.
He could resent and hate her now, but when he grew up and stood where she stood, he would understand her good intentions. Now was not the time for sentimental nonsense.
“Alright, I have no more questions. You can go back to work.”
“Okay.”
After returning to her desk, Xu Yinyin took out the company-issued first aid kit. After hesitating for a moment, she decided to bring it to Xu Yao.
At the moment, Xu Yao was on the rooftop garden of the company building. He was leaning against a bench, staring blankly at the vast blue sky.
The surrounding flowers and greenery were in full bloom, but his expression carried a hint of melancholy, making him seem lonelier from afar.
Xu Yinyin sighed lightly and pushed open the door.
Xu Yao turned at the sound, his gaze sweeping over Xu Yinyin before landing on the items in her hands— a bottle of milk in her left hand and a first aid kit in her right.
For a moment, he looked confused before asking in disbelief, “Don’t tell me that milk is for me?”
Xu Yinyin glanced at the milk and asked in return, “Is there a problem?”
“Only little kids drink milk. I don’t want it.”
Xu Yao had mixed feelings. The first aid kit made him feel a rare warmth, like someone actually cared, but the ridiculous bottle of milk ruined the moment.
Was Xu Yinyin trying to treat him like a child? Was she worried he’d cry from the pain?
“You’re not even eighteen yet. If you’re not a kid, then what are you?”
Xu Yao frowned in displeasure, suddenly unable to come up with a retort. Tch!
Xu Yinyin sat down next to him and shoved the milk into his hands before lowering her head to take out disinfectant, cotton swabs, and iodine from the first aid kit.
“Give me your face, I’ll apply the medicine for you.” Xu Yinyin held up a cotton swab as a gesture.
Xu Yao didn’t hesitate and leaned in naturally.
Xu Yinyin held his chin with one hand to keep it steady and used the other hand to disinfect the wound with iodine and then applied ointment.
Xu Yao lowered his gaze, watching her movements and feeling the gentle pressure on his chin. A long-lost feeling of warmth and sourness surged in his heart.
Aside from the housekeeper, Xu Yinyin was the first family member to ever treat his wounds.
Although he had been carefully protected since childhood and rarely got injured, it was precisely because he rarely got hurt that he couldn’t even attract his parents’ attention when he did.
He had just seen his mother, but she was only concerned with justifying herself, completely missing the opportunity to show him any care—even when he was standing right in front of her.
With a mother like this, he found it hard to feel any love for her.
Xu Yinyin looked at the wound on the corner of his lips. Although it was just a small tear, it was quite deep. The alcohol would definitely sting, but Xu Yao didn’t react at all—he sat still like a puppet, letting her tend to his wounds without a single flinch.
Thinking about his stubborn nature and how his second aunt seemed oblivious to such a noticeable injury, Xu Yinyin couldn’t help but say, “You know, the child who cries gets the milk.”
Xu Yao paused for a moment—this was the second time he had heard her say that.
When he was a child, he used to cry a lot. But he soon realized that crying didn’t get him milk; it only made people resent and dislike him even more.
But it didn’t matter. He was long past the stage of using tears to gain attention. One day, he would leave this house far behind—far away from this family that kept giving him hope only to crush it again and again.
Xu Yao spoke with indifference, “That might be true for others. But in my family, the child who cries is just annoying.”
Xu Yinyin fell silent, feeling a deeper ache in her heart.
She tried to console him, “Maybe they just don’t know how to express their feelings. Sometimes, a parent’s love can be deep and reserved—like how Grandpa treats Aunt. He may seem strict on the outside, but deep down, he cares and worries about her more than anyone.”
“Oh, really?” Xu Yao raised an eyebrow at her. “Then why did Grandpa give up 7% of his shares just to help Aunt see her scumbag fiancé’s true colors, while my parents, who already own 11% of the shares, thought that wasn’t enough and decided to have a child just to increase their bargaining power? Would you call that deep and reserved love?”
“Ah, so he always knew why his parents had him… Ugh, knowing that makes him even more pitiful. Why do such heartless parents exist?”
“Some children are born out of love, while others are born out of profit—just like your uncle and aunt, and Chen Sheng too.”
“I’m sorry. I meant to comfort you, but instead, I ended up making excuses for your parents’ irresponsibility. That kind of unfair comfort is worse than saying nothing. My apologies.”
Xu Yao smiled indifferently. “Apology accepted. You meant well and just don’t want our family to fall apart. But you should see how chaotic our family already is. My parents’ marriage is twisted, and so are their hearts. This family will never be okay, which is exactly why I want to leave.”
“In my eyes, the only healthy marriage in our family is Uncle’s. Even though it was an arranged marriage, both of them worked to maintain it—Uncle makes money to support the family, and Aunt takes care of the home and children. Together, they raised Yaoyao into a gentle, intelligent, and elegant young woman. She has a sense of security from being loved, which is why she’s so confident.”
Xu Yao looked up at the vast sky again, his voice carrying an almost imperceptible sigh. “Our family will never have that. To them, Uncle and Aunt are losers. But to me, they’re the ones who truly succeeded in life. They have love, warmth, emotions, and connections.”
“Money is great, sure. But having too much of it makes people lose their basic humanity and turn into soulless machines. That’s why I don’t want to be a part of this family—not because I’m being dramatic, but because I don’t want to become a slave to money and end up like them.”
Xu Yinyin was a little surprised. She hadn’t expected him to open up to her like this. Just how much trust did he have in her to share all of this?
“Thank you for telling me so much. I always thought you were just spoiled and acting out to prove something, but I was wrong. I’m sorry.”
“If anything, I should be the one thanking you.”
“Thank me?” Xu Yinyin looked confused.
Xu Yao simply smiled without answering. “Thank you for letting me hear about Chen Sheng’s scandal. Not only did it give me a sense of justice, but it also brought me plenty of entertainment. So satisfying!”
“How much longer until you’re off work? I’m dying of boredom.”
“Hurry up and come back so we can enjoy the gossip together, sis!”
Xu Yinyin checked the time and felt a bit restless. Suddenly, she leaned in mysteriously and whispered, “How about… I ditch work?”
“Can you do that?” Xu Yao’s eyes lit up.
“Of course! I just need to ask for leave. Wait for me.”
After saying that, she grabbed the first-aid kit and dashed off.
Xu Yao watched her leave, his smile growing deeper. If he really did leave this place one day, he would probably miss his cousin and their shared gossip the most.
Xu Yinyin went to Sun Min and asked for leave, saying there was a family matter she needed to handle. Sun Min immediately thought of the news about Guo Cheng being sent to jail.
Right now, Xu Yinyin was like a walking barometer for the family’s affairs. The more involved she was, the better they could predict the family’s dynamics through her inner thoughts and react accordingly to protect themselves.
So without hesitation, Sun Min approved her leave.
*
When Jiang Xin saw the two of them suddenly appear, she was visibly surprised.
“Good afternoon, Aunt,” Xu Yao greeted respectfully.
Jiang Xin snapped out of her thoughts and quickly invited them inside. “Come in, come in.”
She immediately noticed the wound on the corner of his lips but didn’t rush to ask about it. Instead, she led them to the living room, instructed the housekeeper to prepare afternoon tea, and then sat down across from them.
“You two ran into each other on the way back?” Jiang Xin asked cautiously.
“No, Second Aunt asked me to go to the school to deal with Xu Yao’s situation. After that, we came back together.”
Jiang Xin glanced at Xu Yao’s wounded lip again and finally asked, “How’s your injury? Do you need a doctor to take a look?”
“No need, my sister already took care of it.”
The word “sister” made both Jiang Xin and Xu Yinyin freeze for a moment.
Noticing their surprise, Xu Yao realized he had let something slip.
He pretended to stay calm, picked up his teacup, lowered his gaze, and took a sip, trying to play it off.
“Ahhh, he actually called me sister! He called me sister! Does this mean he considers me as one of his own?”
“Tsk, look at how happy you are. It’s just “sister.” If you like it that much, I can call you sister too.”
The system didn’t like this overly eager mama’s boy.
“You don’t understand. Xu Yao is quite reserved. Gaining his trust isn’t easy. But now that he sees me as one of his own, I can trust him more in our collaboration. Family doesn’t betray family—he definitely won’t leak our family’s secrets like Second Uncle and Second Aunt.”
Jiang Xin smiled as she looked at Xu Yao. She had always felt sorry for this child. He was obviously talented and disciplined, yet he never received his parents’ love. For a child, that kind of neglect was the most devastating thing.
The fact that he had endured loneliness and his parents’ indifference while continuing to excel was already beyond what most children could achieve. If he had been born into another family, he would have been a treasured child. But in the second branch of their family, it was a misfortune.
Now that he was getting along with Yinyin, it was at least a good thing. The warmth and care his parents failed to give him, she—his eldest aunt—could provide instead.
Hearing Xu Yinyin call him “one of us,” Xu Yao felt a rare joy, even as he winced from the pain of his lip injury while trying to smile.
Xu Yinyin casually looked around and asked, “Mom, have Dad and my sister come back yet?”
Jiang Xin glanced at the time and smiled. “They still have an hour left before work ends. Plus, they’re in different departments, so they might not come back together.”
Xu Yinyin nodded knowingly, then lowered her gaze to drink her tea. She subtly nudged Xu Yao with her elbow.
Catching the hint, Xu Yao suddenly said in a curious tone, “On the way here, I saw Uncle and my cousin going into a shopping mall together. I thought they had already come back.”
“Why would they suddenly go to the mall?”
“Probably to meet a client. It looked like there was a third person with them.”
Three people? Jiang Xin was puzzled. She instinctively glanced at Xu Yinyin, feeling that her daughter and Xu Yao had come home early for a reason but were hesitating to say it outright.
Could it be—
“I wonder if Mom is thinking that my sister secretly went to meet her biological mother.”
Jiang Xin’s eyes widened slightly. Sure enough, what was meant to happen still happened. It made sense that Yao Yao would want to meet her birth mother, but why was Xu Yanwen there too?
Could it be that Zhou Xinyi contacted Xu Yanwen first, and then, with his approval, arranged for the mother and daughter to reunite?
Jiang Xin suddenly felt a wave of dizziness. Xu Yinyin’s warning flashed through her mind—she needed to take care of her health, or else she’d just be making things easier for that family of three.
Thinking about the scene of those three going to the mall together, Jiang Xin suddenly felt a tightness in her chest. She instinctively raised a hand to press against her heart.
“Omo, omo, Mom’s face looks so pale, and she’s clutching her heart. Is she thinking about Dad and his old flame secretly meeting? Xu Yao’s hint is working!”
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