Although Chu Yunxuan wanted to leave the wealth for his mother to enjoy herself, the situation outweighed his intentions. He was merely a ten-year-old child now and truly did not possess much of a private treasury. He had no men at his disposal, no money, and no connections; he was filled only with unbridled rage. Thinking about how he had lived another life, yet still had to reach out to his mother for resources instead of providing her with protection, his face flushed with embarrassment, regardless of how thick-skinned he tried to be.
Seeing Chu Yunxuan’s bashfulness, Lin Yanran did not expose him. She directly ordered two identical small boxes to be brought up. Pointing to the two boxes, she explained, “I have roughly divided everything into these two portions, and these boxes contain the inventories. It is impossible to achieve absolute fairness, so it is just about even! You two brothers choose one each. Once chosen, there is no going back; if you have any complaints, blame your own luck!”
Upon hearing this, Chu Yunxuan and Chu Yunheng looked at each other and said in unison, “Mother, we are not that kind of people.”
Lin Yanran did not react further. As for the human heart, who could really say? “Oh, so which of you will choose first?”
The two brothers deferred to each other:
“Big Brother should choose first!”
“Second brother should choose first!”
After saying this, neither moved, both gesturing for the other to take the lead.
Seeing this, Lin Yanran made the decision for them: “There is an order of seniority; Xuan’er, you choose first. It is all about the same anyway.”
Since his mother had spoken, Chu Yunxuan did not decline further. He reached out and took the box closer to his hand, “I will take this one, thank you, Mother.”
Chu Yunheng happily grabbed the other one. Being impulsive, he opened it as soon as he held it. Seeing the thick inventory list, he let out an excited “Wow.” Watching her younger son’s eyes light up, Lin Yanran felt quite pleased; she liked such sincere children. However, she still poured cold water on his excitement: “You can only keep the list for now. These treasures will only be given to you after you pass the second grade of the imperial examination or get married.”
Chu Yunheng hugged the list and giggled, “I am happy with that, too.”
Chu Yunxuan was also quite surprised; he had expected a lot, but not this much. His surprise grew even further after opening his own box: silver, jewelry, mansions, shops, farms, and ancient books—everything was there. Furthermore, many of the fine items inside were not even in his father’s private treasury after he inherited the title in his past life. Thinking about who might have benefited from these treasures in his previous life, Chu Yunxuan’s eyes deepened.
Looking at the jewelry in the inventory, Chu Yunxuan sincerely said, “Mother, I do not need the jewelry in this. I am not yet married, so please keep them and wear them yourself!”
Chu Yunheng agreed completely with his big brother, “Mother, the jewelry in my box is also for you.”
Lin Yanran waved her hand carelessly at the two brothers, “Mother accepts your filial piety, but you should keep the items yourselves. Your mother has plenty of fine things; I couldn’t possibly wear them all. Keep them for your future wives or daughters. If you are truly thoughtful, when you are grown and have the means, I will be happy with whatever you buy me.”
The original owner’s dowry was generous, and she had managed it very well over the years; she truly did not lack these things.
Chu Yunheng was the first to excitedly make promises to Lin Yanran, “Mother, just you wait; when the time comes, I will buy you many, many pieces of jewelry.”
Watching his younger brother competing for their mother’s affection, Chu Yunxuan felt a sense of nostalgia for the taciturn brother of his past life for the first time. The battle for maternal love was always like this: “Mother, just wait. I will surely grow up faster than my brother, and I will be the one to buy things for you.”
At this moment, Chu Yunxuan had already decided how to manage his assets; he needed to establish his own power base immediately. If he wanted to curb his father’s actions, harsh words alone would not suffice.
Lin Yanran still encouraged this ambition: “I will look forward to both of your filial devotion.”
After speaking, she remembered something and turned her gaze to her younger son, Chu Yunheng: “Aren’t you going to be late for school?”
Upon hearing this, Chu Yunheng stood up instantly, placed his box on the table before Lin Yanran, and bowed hastily, “Mother, please keep this for me for now.”
He then hurried away with his servant. As he walked, he didn’t forget to shout loudly, “Mother, Big Brother, I will be back to have dinner with you both tonight!”
Watching his younger brother’s spirited and lively nature, Chu Yunxuan’s expression was full of indulgence. Seeing that Chu Yunheng had left, Lin Yanran began to urge her eldest son as well, “You go attend to your own business, too. I am tired and need to nap.”
Fearing his mother might be distressed, he had intended to spend the afternoon with her, but seeing her current state, he realized she did not need his company. He obediently bowed and took his leave.
After Chu Yunxuan left, Lin Yanran went into her inner chamber to nap. She wasn’t just brushing him off; she truly had the habit of taking an afternoon nap. In her past life, the original Lin Yanran had been very driven since childhood to compete for inheritance with her father’s illegitimate child. After living those years of looking ten steps ahead for every step taken, she was exhausted. If she hadn’t been so tired and full of suppressed emotions, she would not have fallen in love with extreme sports, and she would not have met her tragic end. So, in this life, she just wanted to manage the dowry well and live out a leisurely, peaceful existence. Of course, she was also grateful to the original owner; if the original owner hadn’t given her the body, she wouldn’t have had a second chance at life. Therefore, she would treat the original owner’s sons as her own and protect them as they grew up.
Meanwhile, Chu Yunxuan returned to his Qinyun Courtyard, where Qian Duo and Qian Lai were already waiting. They had already gathered information on everything that had happened in the estate over the past few days. Seeing the Heir had returned, they reported everything they had learned. As for what they couldn’t find out, there was nothing to be done. After all, their Heir was only ten years old and had spent most of his time in the palace as a companion, having no foundation of power within the household. It was only natural that many things remained out of their reach.
Listening to their report, Chu Yunxuan pinched the bridge of his nose. He was not yet accustomed to the feeling of being “blind.” He could only force himself to adapt to his current weakness. He felt that the harsh words he had spoken to his father that morning were like a joke. A wolf cub without teeth—no matter how fierce the expression or how desperate the resolve—was ineffective.
Chu Yunxuan calmed down for a while. Thinking about the path ahead, he realized he would still have to act as a slightly obedient, good son in front of his father for the time being. Without the ability to resist, no matter what he thought in his heart, he would still have to endure.