In the underground parking lot, Yu Xi paced nervously, his anxiety palpable. He found himself caught between two formidable figures—Zhai Yunsheng and Jian Yuncheng—and he didn't want to offend either of them. The tension escalated when Jian Yuncheng sought Yu Xi out, and the moment Zhai Yunsheng learned of this, he insisted on meeting with him.
What could Yu Xi do? He had no choice but to wait in the parking lot, his heart racing with apprehension. Sitting still in the car was impossible, so he opted to walk back and forth, racking up thousands of steps on his WeChat.
Finally, Zhai Yunsheng returned, and Yu Xi hurried over to greet him. "Young Master Zhai, you didn't do anything to Young Master Cheng, did you?"
"Not really," Zhai Yunsheng replied casually.
Though Zhai Yunsheng's tone was dismissive, Yu Xi couldn't help but feel skeptical. "Are you sure you didn't get into a confrontation with him?" The worry hung heavy in his voice. After all, Jian Yuncheng had no recourse against Zhai Yunsheng, but that didn't stop Yu Xi from feeling apprehensive.
"Why would I confront him?" Zhai Yunsheng replied, feigning ignorance.
Yu Xi thought to himself, How would I know? He was still in the dark about why Zhai Yunsheng had gone to see Jian Yuncheng in the first place. After a moment, he asked, "So, what did Young Master Cheng want to talk to me about?"
"Dunno. Maybe he was just having a moment," Zhai Yunsheng said nonchalantly.
Yu Xi was taken aback by Zhai Yunsheng's offhand remark. "A moment…?"
Just then, Yu Xi remembered something. "Oh! By the way, Young Master Zhai, I saw about half an hour ago that Young Master Cheng had someone post on the Shenghua High School forum about that girl from their household. You know, the maid's daughter."
Yu Xi felt a mix of admiration and surprise at Jian Yuncheng's ruthless approach. It seemed that he had not softened even when dealing with a young girl. Bringing her father—who was embroiled in a world of vice—into the school to cause a ruckus would surely ruin the girl's reputation.
He couldn't help but wonder what she had done to provoke Jian Yuncheng's ire in the first place.
"How do you know it was him who ordered the post?" Zhai Yunsheng asked, an eyebrow raised in curiosity.
"The account that made the post belongs to someone I know—one of Young Master Cheng's former classmates. He's a computing prodigy named Huo Yu. He was quite well-known back in the day. After graduating, he followed Young Master Cheng abroad to develop his career. He openly used his own account to post, so it's hard to think it wasn't him," Yu Xi explained.
Indeed, there was no need for anyone to change accounts for something like that.
"Well, it seems I was a bit late getting him the goods," Zhai Yunsheng mused, shaking his head. If Zhai Yunsheng hadn't delivered the items to Jian Yuncheng in time, the latter had already retaliated without mercy.
---
Meanwhile, the old matriarch arrived to pick up Jian Yiling from school, her spirits high. As soon as Jian Yiling got into the car, the old woman beamed and announced, "I have good news for you, my dear! Your cousin is coming to stay at the old residence for a few days. It'll be lively around here!"
The matriarch was clearly delighted. Though she had many children and grandchildren, few visited the old house, so the prospect of having a younger relative around filled her with joy.
She continued to chatter, "I suspect your cousin is getting away from your second aunt. She can be rather obstinate, you know. She's overly obsessed with having the children take over the family business. Yumin going into the entertainment industry has upset her for years, and the two of them still aren't on good terms."
"Yeah," Jian Yiling replied, aware of the family dynamics but not fully grasping the extent of the issues at play.
What Jian Yiling didn't know was that her cousin, Jian Yumin, would be arriving at the old residence around the same time she did.
After returning home, Jian Yiling went upstairs to find that Jian Yumin's room was situated right next to hers. As she passed by, she heard the sound of a guitar coming from inside. It seemed that Jian Yumin was either practicing a song or working on new compositions.
The melody was beautiful, prompting Jian Yiling to pause for a moment, lost in the music. However, just as she began to appreciate the moment, the music suddenly stopped, and the door to the room opened…