The dining room was a sprawling hall of elegance, its polished mahogany table reflecting the golden glow of the morning sun filtering through the large windows.
Three teenagers in crisp school uniforms occupied seats on one side of the table, their expressions a mix of disdain and annoyance.
Opposite them, two young men in tailored business suits sipped tea and observed the brewing tension with varying degrees of amusement and irritation.
Yang Shu, the youngest at sixteen, scoffed loudly, tossing her short hair over her shoulder. Her voice dripped with mockery as she stared at the empty seat beside her. "Look at this outsider. How dare she be later than us?"
"Isn't it great, though? Grandfather will finally see how lazy she is. After all the resources handed to her, he'll realize it's a waste." Across from her, the seventeen-year-old Yang Xinye smirked, her tone sharp and condescending. "Shu, seriously, engage you brain sometimes, will you? Thanks to you, that outsider seems more clever in front of grandfather."
Yang Shu's face twisted with frustration. "I'm not the one trailing behind her in the school rankings, Xinye. Maybe you should engage your brain for once instead of blaming me!"
Yang Shu had always been the spoiled youngest among the Yang family heirs, her brash and willful nature often making her the subject of ridicule. Yet she wasn't one to back down, even when it came to her older cousin, who was equally sharp-tongued.
Xinye's face turned red, her sore spot prodded yet again. "You little—how dare you mock me! Repeat what you just said, Yang Shu? Just because you're the youngest doesn't mean you can act so spoiled! Grandfather might tolerate your antics now, but once you turn eighteen, you'll see how little patience he has for fools!"
Yang Shu pouted, her voice laced with mock innocence. "Aren't you just envious that Grandpa spoils me more than you?"
"Ugh! You're insufferable!" Xinye snapped, her voice rising.
The eighteen-year-old Yang Shen, seated beside them, groaned in frustration. He looked up from his phone, which displayed the latest mobile game he was engrossed in. "Ugh, so noisy. Can't you two just shut up? I'm trying to focus here."
Before either girl could respond, the man sitting at the head of the table lowered his tablet, his sharp gaze settling on the bickering cousins. Yang Jin, the eldest and the likely successor of the family, exuded authority even in his silence.
"Shu'er, Xinye," he said, his tone calm yet firm, "Shu'er, Xinye, stop bickering. This is the dining table, not a playground. Lower your voices before Grandfather hears you. Do you want to be kicked out of the Yang mansion? We have plenty of cousins who'd gladly take your place."
The two girls immediately quieted, though they exchanged glares before looking away.
Yang Jin turned to Yang Shen. "And Yang Shen, put your phone away. This is a family meal, not playtime."
Yang Shen clicked his tongue but obeyed, slipping his phone into his pocket. "Thanks to you two, I got scolded too. Great teamwork, huh?" he grumbled.
Yang Shu and Yang Xinye shot daggers at him but kept quiet, their animosity momentarily directed elsewhere.
Yang Xinye huffed, folding her arms. "First Brother, Shu's getting more insolent by the day. As if that outsider wasn't enough of a headache, now she's adding to it."
Yang Jin's gaze softened, though his authority remained evident. "Yang Shu, Xinye is your elder. Show her some respect. Xinye, the same applies to you. If you want respect, stop provoking her."
The two girls exchanged glares but begrudgingly nodded, their hostility simmering just below the surface.
Yang Ran, the second brother, chuckled, his smile sharp. "First Brother, you're so amazing. Always the peacemaker. Without you, this house would fall apart."
Yang Jin's expression remained neutral, but his gaze was piercing. "Yang Ran, I heard about the managerial position you took from someone else in the company. Status doesn't give you the right to undermine hard work."
Yang Ran raised his hands in mock surrender, his smile never faltering. "What are you suggesting Eldest Brother? Do you want me to step down and give it back? I'm sorry that i wont listen to you like Yang Shu and Yang Xinye who followed your every word blindly. If I dont rise in the position to keep up with you I might get kicked out of here and lose my heir candidacy" he paused for a moment. "Perhaps, you're aiming for that."
The tension in the room thickened as Yang Shu and Xinye glared at him, their rare unity shining through.
"In your dreams!" Yang Shu snapped.
"Eldest Brother would never stoop to your level," Xinye added, her voice sharp.
"Such loyal little followers. You two are so gullible." Yang Ran scoffed. "Stupid girls. You don't know anything at all. Because you two are so foolish and naive that our cousin sister, Qinru can step over your head!"
"Second Brother!" The two girls said in unison.
Yang Shu bristled. "What did you say?"
Xinye's voice rose. "Don't drag her into this!"
The argument threatened to erupt into chaos again, but the sound of light footsteps descending the staircase drew everyone's attention.
Yang Ran's smile grew wider, though his eyes gleamed with mischief. "Oh, Xiao Ru, you're finally here. We were just talking about you. Shu and Xinye were saying you cheated to get first place in the rankings. Is it true?"
Yang Qinru blinked, her gaze steady. To her surprise, she felt nothing—no anger, no frustration, not even annoyance. These petty provocations, which had once riled her up, seemed almost laughable now.
She met Yang Ran's gaze, her voice cool and uninterested. "Is Grandfather here yet?"
Her indifference seemed to unnerve the others, especially Yang Ran.
"Hey, what are you in daze for? Grandfather is on his way. Or do you want to greet him at the door instead?" Yang Ran seemed to bw enlightened as he said that. "That's a good idea, Xiao Ru, in that way you can get another favor from grandfather. You're really brilliant!" Yang Ran snickered.
Thr two girls gritted their teeth as they muttered how disgusting Yang Qinru's trick was.
Yang Qinru was speechless.
Such stupid provocation and obvious taunting. Yet these two stupid girls easily bought it.
These two girls are... really gullible.
If it was in the past she would've been wronged and threw a fit. She would yell at them and granfather would come and she will be scolded. Such obvious tricks.
She would be scolded and her favorable impression would go down the drain. This kind of incident happened a lot in the past.
The Second Brother, Yang Ran was a prankster, and likes to instigate fight between the heir candidates. And his favorite toy to play around was her.
Yang Qinru had an ugly yet complex relation with him.
Yang Qinru looked away and ignored them.
She did not have any interest to argue with them.