Wen Fei Fei was awoken by a terrible chest ache. She'd fallen sick the moment Xie ZhangWei left yesterday and was not able to leave her bed all day.
A quick glance to the digital clock by her bedside. It had already been 24 hours. Her electronic bracelet had been taken away from her and even the AI had been shut down by the attendants as they wanted her to rest properly.
She felt dissatisfied but they had good intentions so she let them be. ZhangWei must be worried about her as she'd been out of grid for over 24 hours. She sighed as she stood up.
"Ahem." Wen Fei Fei cleared her dry throat. She felt a little uneasy and there was no one around, even when she called out. Her heartbeat sped up so she quickly cleaned up and went downstairs to grab a glass of water.
Once she reached the living room, she was taken aback for a moment as the place was full of the Xie family members. Even the ones that usually stayed out or were in the military. They were all here.
She took in their looks of pity and sorrow with a look of confusion. What was wrong? Anyways, she was the eldest daughter-in-law and had to be composed at all times, so she quickly calmed down.
"Mother, father...." She went on to address who she was meant to address and received greetings from who she was meant to receive it from before looking to her father-in-law.
"Father what's happening? I didn't know there was a family meeting, I wasn't informed."
Father Xie coughed slightly and looked to his second oldest, Xie Hanwei. "It's nothing, just a little get together."
Wen Fei Fei frowned. A little get together? Did they think she was stupid and couldn't read the weird expressions on their faces? Would a little get together involve every single member of the Xie family, even the wives, uncles and elders?
She smiled gently. "Father must be joking. A little get together happened in such an abrupt manner, even grandpa is here too. If people outside heard, they'd think this daughter-in-law was incompetent as the eldest d-"
"If father said it's a simple get together, then it's a simple get together. What are you making so much fuss for?" Xie Hanwei's wife, Luo Ran, immediately spoke up.
Wen Fei Fei frowned as she looked around. They were all silent. She scoffed. Did they think she was a pushover just because their Xie family was slightly better than her Wen family?
She was about to speak when grandpa Xie cleared his throat and stared at the second's wife with a disapproving frown before looking back at her, more specifically, at her stomach.
Then he looked up at Wen Fei Fei with reddened eyes. Now that she looked clearly, he seemed to have aged a hundred years and his usually imposing manner was nowhere to be found. He was also trembling slightly, opening and closing his mouth with nothing to say.
She walked over and held his shaking hand. "Grandpa, what's wrong? Even if a meeting is to be held why not wait for Zhangwei to get back first? He's the current family head after all."
The old man only trembled further when he heard Zhangwei's name and could no longer suppress his grief. He broke into sobs.
Wen Fei Fei was dumbfounded. She looked up to see Luo Ran staring at her with a mocking smile. Even mother Xie had a gloating manner about her.
Her heart dropped to her stomach as she hurriedly wiped grandpa Xie's tears. "Grandpa it's okay now. Why should you cry like this? It's bad for your health."
The old man only sobbed harder. Mind you, this is a man who was well known as a formidable general in his prime, what could make him grieve this much?
Luo Ran couldn't take it anymore and stood up. "How useless are you? Your own husband is dead and yet you have no idea, truly pathetic."
Wen Fei Fei froze.
"W..what did you say? Luo Ran, i'm warning you, don't joke with me. If you dare think I wouldn't dare to do anything to you just because I'm pregnant then you should better think again."
She sounded resolute but her trembling figure betrayed her true thoughts. She held her stomach as she walked back a few steps.
"For what reason would I lie to you? Aren't you thinking too much of yourself? If you don't believe me then see for yourself." Luo Ran went on to directly switch on the massive 3D TV with her electronic bracelet.
Wen Fei Fei looked to the television. It was on a news channel. On the ultra HD screen was a picture of her husband, decked out in a full military suit with his numerous medals displayed on his shoulders for all to see.
She knew this picture, she'd personally taken it. She had to struggle and threaten him for so long before he arched his lips a little to smile.
She burst out crying as she laughed at the same time, remembering the fond memory. The picture she'd struggled so hard to take was now used as an obituary picture in the News.
Luo Ran looked at her in suspicion. "You couldn't have possibly gone mad from grief right?"
"ENOUGH!" Grandpa Xie stood up and directed a small amount of his spirit energy at Luo Ran with a humph. Did they think that just because he was old they could act so willfully before him? Did they forget who he was? "How can you be so shameless?"
Luo Ran immediately shut up when she felt the heavy pressure on her soul. Her legs eventually weakened and she collapsed on her husband.
Xie Hanwei held his wife as he looked to his grandfather with blame. "Grandpa, Luo Ran is your granddaughter-in-law too, was there any need to be so heavy handed?" The Xie parents hummed in agreement.
The rest of the Xie siblings from father Xie's generation just stared on as if they were watching a good show, no one wanted to get involved as each were already plotting on how to grab the now free position of the family head.
This position also came with the plump pig that was Xie Zhang Wei's military resources now that he was gone. With the various compensations from the military, their own children and grandchildren would be able to soar to even greater heights.
They all chose to selectively ignore Xie Zhang wei's unborn child. The little thing was no threat, if it had the ability why don't it pop out at this moment and fight for the resources with them?
Grandpa Xie looked at his second grandson and he felt the need to puke blood. He was useless as compared to Xie Zhang Wei. They'd once enrolled him in the military but his performance was too mediocre and he'd directly returned.
His only saving grace was the fact that his son happened to have an SS rank Spirit potential. Everybody could not be ultra talented like Xie Zhangwei, SS rank was already beyond wonderful and it added to the prestige of the Xie family.
The potential of his direct descendants were only so so and it was thrilling to find that the generation of his great grandchildren was filled with endless potential that if honed carefully, could carry the Xie family to unsurpassable heights in the Federation.
He sighed in sorrow as he thought of his dead grandson again before pinching his forehead to calm his rage.
"No need to drag things on, your wife should know her place and refrain from speaking recklessly. Are you trying to anger me to death?" His sad eyes looked to Wen Fei Fei who stood frozen in front of the television.
"Granddaugh..."
Wen Fei Fei waved at the old man. "It's fine grandpa. This granddaughter-in-law feels a bit unwell and wishes to retire. Please make sure to take care."
She slowly walked up to her room with an upright posture. She would rather die than continue to be weak in front of these green eyed wolves.
Grandpa Xie stared at her and his heart ached even more. 'Zhangwei, oh, Zhangwei, you were too rash. Leaving a pregnant woman in the middle of a hungry wolf pack.'
Even he couldn't do much. His power had weakened in the family over the years. The moment he handed over power to his grandson the fate of the family left his hands, now everyone would have to fight for it equally.
He feared for the immediate future of the Xie family, but even more he feared for the future of his fourth great grandchild.