Chapter 10

Knock knock.
Uncle Lin at the door.
Long struggle later, Queyan had dressed himself. Wheelchair turned. “Come in.”
Allowed, Uncle Lin opened up. “Fourth Young Master—the shuttle’s outside. We should head out.”
Monthly family dinner. Five-thirty sharp. Old Master hated lateness. Nobody dared.
Queyan checked the time. Breath sank. “Mm. Let’s go.”
Out of the room, Uncle Lin glanced upstairs. “Fourth Young Master—Mr. Bai’s not down. Should I fetch him?”
“No need.”
Queyan looked up, looked away.
Bai Xu’s marriage was Second House’s knife. If he rode with them to dinner, they’d use him to humiliate Yanxiao—open and sideways.
Queyan wouldn’t allow it. Wheelchair out the door. “We go.”
Uncle Lin hesitated two seconds. Followed.
Three minutes later the shuttle left—with Queyan and Uncle Lin. No Bai Xu.
“……”
Yanxiao watched from upstairs. Sighed.
Burn scars on his arm not fully faded. “Xie Qi—find Bai Xu. Tell him to hurry. Send a shuttle.”
New here—might miss the main house. Late to Old Master’s table—bad mark forever.
Xie Qi hid surprise. “Yes, Third Young Master. On it.”
“Wait.”
Yanxiao stopped him. Added, “You go with him.”
Xie Qi blinked. “Me?”
Yanxiao nodded. Gut feeling—
First dinner since the crash. Queyan and Bai Xu—first targets for poison tongues.
Words as weapons. Same as knives.
Yanxiao knew this family. “Watch Second House. Report everything.”
Xie Qi caught up. “Understood.”
…
Biggest building on the estate—Old Master and Old Madam’s near-four-story home. Monthly banquets here.
Shuttle pulled up again. Ten minutes to start.
Bai Xu and Xie Qi got out. Xie Qi noticed first. “Mr. Bai—Fourth Young Master’s not inside yet.”
Bai Xu silent. Looked—
By the garden fountain, Queyan sat quiet in the chair, watching the jets. Uncle Lin behind him, still.
Xie Qi unsure. “Call them?”
Bai Xu read it. Brow up. “No. Give him a minute.”
First time facing the whole clan since the crash. Probably froze at the door—needs a breath before walking in.
Before he finished, a loud, smug voice cut in. “Well, well. Our genius champion Queyan?”
“……”
Worst possible opener.
Pain on purpose. Classy.
Bai Xu’s brow twisted. The owner walked into view—
Open-collar casual suit. Hair perfect. Face… generously, “nothing special.”
Xie Qi low. “Second Young Master.”
Big family. Old couple had four—
Eldest daughter Shang Keyi. Husband took her name. Son: First Young Master Shang Qishun.
Eldest son Shang Yun. Wife Fang Yuhua. Son: Second Young Master Shang Songming in front of them. Daughter: Fifth Young Miss Shang Leer.
Second son Shang Qi. Wife Chi Li—Yanxiao and Queyan’s parents.
Youngest daughter Shang Keshu. Spoiled baby. Never married. Rarely home.
Book had the chart clear. Bai Xu matched. “Shang Songming?”
Xie Qi. “Mm.”
Songming was already on them—looking down at Queyan, joy barely hidden.
“First time seeing you like this. Takes getting used to.”
“……”
Queyan’s grip on the chair arms turned white. Face locked.
Uncle Lin held temper. “Second Young Master—mind your words.”
Cousins. Always fought. Used to fake nice. Now Third House dead and broken—no threat—so peel the scab raw.
Songming ignored Uncle Lin. Fake smile. “What did I say? Long time no see. Hard to get used to you going from this tall—”
Hand high—drop. “To this short.”
Red rimmed Queyan’s eyes. “Shang Songming—don’t push it!”
“Hey, joking. I’ve been thinking about you and Yanxiao. Old Master ordered us not to bother you.”
“……”
Joke? Thinking?
Bull.
Queyan didn’t want the time. “Uncle Lin. Let’s go.”
Songming blocked easy. “Temper, temper. Don’t be mad. I heard you’re coming to dinner—brought champagne I saved two months ago.”
Queyan’s thought snagged.
Then Songming smiled almost cruel. “To celebrate your first—and probably last—champion trophy.”
“……”
Breath stuck. Grief flared. He almost launched from the chair to die with Songming—
“Fourth Young Master, Uncle Lin—there you are.”
“……”
Air about to ignite—froze. Queyan looked up slow.
---
Bai Xu was already there. Not cold like yesterday at the lake—soft shy smile instead.
Curious innocent face turned to Songming.
Before Queyan processed, Bai Xu widened the “curiosity” at that plain face. “Uncle Lin—is he another butler on the estate?”
“……”
Soft polite question. Pure. Which made it worse.
Songming’s fake smile stuck. “What did you say?”
Bai Xu “didn’t notice” the edge. More confused. “You—you’re not a butler? I thought the outfit—I’m sorry.”
“……”
Uncle Lin heard the dig. Light pat on Queyan’s back. Lazy correction. “Mr. Bai—this is Second Young Master.”
“Huh?”
Bai Xu scanned Songming slow. Disbelief brow.
Songming twitched. “You—”
“Sorry.”
Bai Xu cut him with “sorry.”
Earnest face. “I’m new. Don’t know everyone yet. I just figured—Third and Fourth Young Masters are so good-looking—”
Pause. Lip bite. Mumble—still loud enough for the circle.
“You don’t… look like them. Mixed you up. My bad.”
Contrast kills.
Queyan—handsome type. Yanxiao in bed—legendary face, famous in Dijing rich-kid circles.
Cousin Songming—average everything. Forgettable.
Queyan shook off the rage. Laugh—mean. “No wonder you missed him. Second Brother doesn’t really take after the Shangs.”
Knife. Twisted.
“Shang Queyan! What’s that supposed to mean!”
Songming went black. Throat bobbed—
Four cousin brothers. His looks and height ranked last. Yanxiao like Old Master young—face and talent both.
Old Master loved Third House. All-in on Yanxiao. Soft on Queyan too.
Public events—Songming was the ignored one. The looked-down-on one. Nobody knew that sting better.
He hated Queyan. He hated Yanxiao more.
Overseas crash news—secret joy he couldn’t stop.
One coma. One crippled for life. His time to shine—or so he thought.
He came to poke Queyan into a scene at dinner, ruin Old Master’s mood—and Bai Xu walked in—
Second Young Master of the Shang Group mistaken for a butler? Public joke forever.
Face burned for no reason. Teeth at Bai Xu. “Bai Xu, right? I remember you!”
Why stick your nose in?
Trash like the rumors said!
“……”
Book or real life—Bai Xu hated Songming on sight. No patience left.
To the threat, deadpan misread. “Don’t remember me. I’m not into you. I like Third Young Master types.”
Songming choked. “What?”
Queyan’s mouth twitched—almost laughed.
Next second Bai Xu looked at him. Continued the invisible war. “Your brother’s way hotter~”
Queyan saw Songming eat it. Chest clear. “Damn right. My brother’s face is elite.”
Songming watched the duet. Teeth grinding. “You—!”
Before he exploded—a voice like iron cut the garden.
“What are you two brothers still doing outside?”