Xu Yinyin was still in a daze as she sat on the ebony wood-carved chair.
How had she gone from being a bystander, quietly enjoying the drama, to becoming the target of everyone’s sharp glares in an instant?
“Grandpa, are you lifting me up or setting me up?”
“You’re so wealthy already, can’t you afford to keep one more useless person like me? Don’t be so stingy, please, QAQ.”
The old man nearly lost his grip on the teapot.
How could his little granddaughter be this adorable, utterly lacking in ambition?
If he had heard this kind of talk when he was younger, he might have kicked the person out without hesitation. But now, he only found such a character trait incredibly precious.
“Yinyin, there’s no need to be nervous. Grandpa just wanted to have a nice chat with you. To avoid interruptions from others, I brought you to the study.”
The old man deliberately softened his tone, worried that his long-established authoritative presence might intimidate her.
“Grandpa, you’re overthinking it. I’m not nervous at all. You’re so kind and approachable—not scary in the least.” Xu Yinyin began laying on the flattery.
“That’s good to hear.” The old man gestured toward the tea. “This tea is very fragrant, no worse than the milk tea you young people like to drink.”
Xu Yinyin quickly picked up the teacup with both hands and took a small sip. She admitted honestly, “To be honest, I’m not great at appreciating tea. It all tastes the same to me. Just don’t blame me for being like a cow chewing on peonies.”
The old man burst into hearty laughter. “Why would I? My sweet granddaughter is both charming and funny. I couldn’t be more delighted.”
Overwhelmed by his doting attitude, Xu Yinyin laughed along nervously. “You flatter me, Grandpa. I grew up rough in the orphanage, so I lack a lot in many areas and need to learn more.”
“Speaking of humor, Grandpa, you’re the real master. Just now, when you joked about sending me to the company to gain experience, it scared me out of my wits. With my academic background, how could I possibly go to the company and embarrass myself, haha!”
Xu Yinyin tried to feign ignorance, attempting to muddle through.
“Grandpa isn’t joking. I’m being serious,” the old man said firmly.
“…” I’m not listening! I’m not listening!
“Academic qualifications mean nothing compared to bloodlines. If you’re so concerned, I’ll donate to a prestigious overseas university tomorrow and get you a sparkling degree to boost your credibility and save you face.”
“…” Xu Yinyin was utterly stunned.
“What? Can you really do anything you want if you have money? Where’s the morality, the bottom line, or even the school address?”
The old man stifled a laugh and continued, “Yinyin, setting aside your education and qualifications, every descendant of the Xu family must bear the tradition of inheriting the family business. Others dream of this chance but can’t have it, yet here I am, forcing it upon you, and you don’t even want it. It’s a bit hurtful, you know.”
Xu Yinyin’s mouth twitched in disbelief. “What? Now it’s my fault for not coveting the family fortune?!”
“Grandpa, have you lost your mind? Most elders grow more wary of their descendants eyeing the family estate as they age. Why are you so trusting of me? What happened to healthy suspicion?”
“Grandpa,” she said awkwardly, “it’s not that I don’t want it. I just lack the ability. Aren’t you afraid I’ll run the family business into the ground? Besides, the family has plenty of capable heirs. It doesn’t matter if I’m here or not. You can just treat me like air.”
If he weren’t an elder, she might have added, “Or even better, treat me like a fart and just let me go!”
“You won’t know your abilities until you try at the company. Don’t underestimate yourself.”
The old man sighed deeply. “Don’t blame Grandpa for making decisions on your behalf. My health is deteriorating day by day. I’m truly afraid that one day, I’ll leave this world, full of regrets, unable to move on. Cough, cough…”
Xu Hongshan suddenly covered his mouth with a handkerchief, coughing violently. His face contorted with the effort, and the veins on his temples throbbed with each harsh cough, making him look frail and pitiful.
Xu Yinyin jumped up to help him catch his breath, panicking. “I’ll call the doctor for you!”
“Waaah, Grandpa, please don’t have an accident now! If something happens to you after bringing me here for a private conversation, I’ll definitely be accused of plotting treason. No one will believe me!”
The old man caught a glimpse of his granddaughter’s trembling legs and decided to take it up a notch, coughing and waving his hand weakly. “No, no… Grandpa won’t die just yet, because I’ve found hope again.”
He looked up, his eyes full of expectation, and fixed his gaze on her.
“…” No, I don’t want to be your hope!
The next second, the old man discreetly pinched his white handkerchief and pulled it away from his lips.
Xu Yinyin instantly spotted the glaring red stain.
“!!! You’re coughing blood!” she exclaimed.
“Shh!” The old man held a finger to his lips, feigning mystery. “Don’t tell anyone. This is our secret.”
“…” No, I don’t want to know this kind of secret!
“The more secrets you know, the quicker you die! Grandpa, are you seriously setting me up here?”
“Yinyin,” he said, voice soft and pleading, “please help Grandpa. I truly have no one I can trust. Think of it as helping an old man hold on a little longer. Just try going to the company, will you?”
“Ah, this—” Xu Yinyin was utterly conflicted.
She could almost see a dying emperor desperately searching for someone to inherit his legacy, his urgency and helplessness clear.
But she really just wanted to stay a salted fish, not be dragged into a palace power struggle!
In a flash of inspiration, she thought of someone.
“Grandpa, I recall that my cousin is about to graduate from high school. Since you can buy me a degree from a foreign university, you can do the same for him. Why not let him join the company early?”
“Damn, Second Aunt has been hyping her son non-stop. How did I not think of this before? Yes!”
Caught off guard, Xu Hongshan was momentarily speechless.
“…” Damn, how did I forget about that kid?!
After a moment of scrambling for words, the old man hesitated and looked at Xu Yinyin with a deeply forlorn expression. “Perhaps you didn’t know, but Ah Yao has always wanted to sever ties with the family. He doesn’t want my success to overshadow his achievements. He would never join the company.”
“What?! Cousin is this rebellious? Throwing away a life born in Rome just to prove himself?!”
“Tch, this is clearly someone who hasn’t been beaten down by society or tasted the bitterness of life!”
“Ugh! Yet another day of resenting spoiled rich second-generation kids!”
The old man doubled down. “Ah, it seems I’m destined to die with endless sorrow and regret. Forget it. If you’re unwilling, Grandpa won’t force you.”
He slowly walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and gazed at the pitch-black night sky.
The moon hung alone, its light accentuating the vast emptiness of the heavens, making the scene all the more desolate and lonely. This chapter was copied from novelping.com without permission.
“Outsiders only see the Xu family’s global empire and wealth. How many know the struggles I faced to build it? If starting a business is hard, maintaining one is even harder. If I’m destined to lose everything, I wish I had never had it to begin with.”
Xu Yinyin’s conscience was ruthlessly tormented by his melancholic lament.
“Waaah, am I being too heartless? Grandpa is so helpless—can’t I agree to his small request?”
“But if I agree, I’ll be dragged into the whirlpool of a wealthy family’s power struggle and never escape unscathed!”
Xu Yinyin silently watched the old man’s back. Moments ago, he had stood tall and commanding. Now, he seemed like a weathered tree battered by storms, his stooped figure radiating age and helplessness.
“How did things come to this? This is such emotional blackmail! Who forces a salted fish to rise and fight? Waaah!”
Meanwhile, the old man quietly listened to her inner thoughts, feeling no guilt for playing the pity card. Instead, he brimmed with confidence, having calculated every move to perfection.
If Xu Yinyin could hear her grandfather’s thoughts, she would definitely retort: With your cunning, how did you manage to raise three useless kids? Tch!
After five minutes of silence, Xu Yinyin resigned herself and spoke up:
“I’ll go, okay? Grandpa, please don’t be upset anymore.”
Xu Yinyin silently scolded her spineless conscience.
The old man pretended to stagger and slowly turned around, his sharp eyes now misty with unshed tears.
Xu Yinyin’s eyes widened in alarm.
“Is Grandpa crying out of gratitude? No way! This just makes me feel even guiltier!”
She quickly walked toward him and grabbed a tissue.
When she looked up again, tears were silently streaming down his aged cheeks, landing like a hammer on Xu Yinyin’s already guilt-ridden conscience.
Her hand trembled slightly as she wiped away his tears.
She felt like she had witnessed far too much today, things she shouldn’t have seen. If this were a palace intrigue drama, such actions would definitely cost her her head!
“The emperor’s vulnerability? That’s not for someone like you to see! Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
“Grandpa, don’t worry. I’ll work hard and do my best with whatever Auntie assigns me. I promise I won’t cause you any trouble.”
“Yinyin, are you sure you’re not forcing yourself out of sympathy for Grandpa? I don’t want to guilt you into this,” the old man said with apparent concern.
Xu Yinyin gave a bitter smile. “No, no, absolutely not. I’m doing this willingly.”
“You cried in front of me—how could I possibly refuse? It’s not moral blackmail, but you’ve certainly cornered me with guilt!”
“You’re lucky I’m easy to manipulate—uh, I mean, reasonable. If I had truly decided to play dead, no one could have convinced me!”
The old man patted her shoulder with satisfaction. “Thank you, Yinyin. Thank you for helping Grandpa with such an important matter.”
Xu Yinyin forced a polite smile, doing her best to play along. She had initially thought that becoming a wealthy heiress would allow her to live a laid-back life. Who would’ve guessed she still couldn’t escape the fate of working?!
Sigh…
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