Chapter 12

Queyan heard the tremble. Looked over. Pitiful hurt face—and blinked.
Wait.
Lake yesterday. Fountain today—cool clapbacks. Now little-white-flower mode?
Before he processed, Fang Yuhua spoke. “Bai Xu—what do you mean? The clip is clear. Fake?”
---
“Happened is happened. Fix it. Lying won’t help.”
Eyes to Old Master. “Father—right?”
Old Master didn’t answer. Picked up the sea-cucumber soup. Spoon slow in the bowl. Face unreadable.
Queyan saw the aim in Fang Yuhua’s words. No filter. Straight to Grandma. “Grandma—why’s Second Aunt’s arm bending outward?”
Fang Yuhua choked.
Queyan stared. “Bai Xu said—they looked down on us first. Your clip—how long? Cut head and tail—how do you know Bai Xu offended the Chens?”
Fang Yuhua scramble. “Not me—everyone’s saying—Bai Xu and your Third House—”
Queyan stiff. Loud cut. “Bull! Since when does Third House take gossip from outsiders?”
“Don’t think I don’t know your game!”
Use Bai Xu to climb—crush Third House in front of Old Master and the room.
“……”
First time a junior talked back straight. Fang Yuhua red.
Songming had been enjoying the show. Now sour. “Queyan—watch your mouth with my mother.”
—Clack.
Old Master dropped the spoon in the bowl. Sharp sound. Fight frozen.
Songming’s heat shrank. Silent.
Old Madam looked between grandsons. Soft peace. “Enough. Both of you—talk nice.”
Shang Yun smoothed for his son. “Family harmony. Don’t upset Grandparents.”
Tugged his wife’s sleeve. Eyes: stop stirring.
“……”
Old Master took the wet napkin from the steward. Slow wipe. “Bai Xu?”
“Hm?”
Bai Xu answered. Hurt and stubborn balanced on his face.
Old Master said, “You started this—you explain it clear.”
Voice weathered—then weight. “You. Everyone at this table—no lies. No spice.”
“……”
Fang Yuhua’s heart jumped. Eyes dropped guilty.
This was what Bai Xu wanted—Old Master himself speaking. Act picked up at once. “Yes. That’s me and Chen Yufei in the clip.”
Eyes careful. Words honest.
“The one hit is Jinbai’s young master Chen Shaoxuan. And his two friends.”
Facts everyone knew. No need to dodge.
Two lines. All eyes on him.
Bai Xu played unfit for attention. Both hands tight on untouched water. “Chen Shaoxuan and I were classmates. Three years of high school—he led others bullying me.”
“I—I was scared of him.”
Crossed thumbs rubbed hard—like moving pain.
Old Madam’s brow knotted. “Did the Bai family know?”
“They knew. Didn’t care.”
Bai Xu shook head. Poorer and poorer.
“Left the Bais in a rush. Needed clothes—went to Jinbai. No one said the store was booked. Chen saw me first—said awful things again.”
Queyan pushed. “Like what?”
Bai Xu deep breath. Big decision face. Eyes straight at Old Master. “He said—stray cats and dogs, farmers and workers—all allowed in the store.”
Old Master’s eyes locked at those words.
Bai Xu told the rest—store scene. “I—I couldn’t take it. Talked back twice. He wanted to hit me.”
“Chen Yufei—Third Young Master’s guard—stepped in for me. I just think it’s weird—”
Old Master saw the pause. Low. “Weird?”
Bai Xu pressed lips. Aimed at Fang Yuhua. “Second Madam said everyone saw Third House’s guard with me. Said I joined the family and already offended the Chens.”
“One tells ten. Ten tells a hundred. Nobody finds that odd?”
Since when does the Shang Group tiptoe around Jinbai?
“……”
Queyan fast this time. Young-master pride up. “What face do Jinbai and the Chens have?”
Need Shang to beg for partnership? Third House apologize?
All of it—probe Third House’s fall and Old Master’s mood.
Angrier. Blanket off. Legs bare. Wound on display.
Old Master’s face changed.
Old Madam heartache. “Xiao Yan—what are you doing?”
Queyan wasn’t stupid. Grabbed the moment.
Hate-look at Second House. Then Old Master. “Grandfather—my brother’s in bed. I’m like this. Forget outsiders—even family side-eyes us.”
“Tonight I want to ask—”
---
“Do you still count Third House? Are my brother and I still your grandsons? This isn’t about looking down on Bai Xu.”
They’re looking down on us!
Bai Xu’s eyes flickered. Push. “Sorry—Third Young Master shouldn’t be in this. If someone must apologize—I’ll go as me alone.”
Old Madam thought of Third House’s disaster. Soft to her husband. “Old Master.”
Old Master silent. Then firm. “You’re my grandsons—that’s that. Outsiders talk—they can’t change it.”
Meaning: Third House hurt—Shang Group and he still back them.
“I’m not blind yet—”
Eyes to Second House. Landed on Songming’s face. “Spread word—anyone in this family gossips or picks scabs again—out.”
“……”
Songming jolted. “G-Grandfather—why look at me?”
Ignored. To Shang Yun—sharp. “Control your wife and son. Stir again—I scold you too.”
Shang Yun stood. “Father—calm. No bad intent. Misunderstanding.”
“Misunderstanding? Some hearts know.”
Dropped the napkin. Nod to chief steward. “Tonight—investigate. If Bai Xu’s truth—cut cooperation with Jinbai at once.”
“Yes, sir.”
Old Master waved. “Dismissed.”
Left first.
Bai Xu slowly unclenched. Sipped water. Light in his eyes—real satisfaction.
Book said Shang and Jinbai had a dev deal coming.
Second House profited. Jinbai limped longer on it.
Later Yanxiao and Queyan killed the deal—Jinbai bankrupt, swallowed.
Chen Shaoxuan bullied on family money. Mall group chased profit—bad PR was pocket change.
Cut the money pipe—they’d hurt. Maybe regret.
Best cutter: Old Master.
So when dinner was set, Bai Xu planned to surface this—borrow the knife. Sometimes better than your own hand.
Opening surprised him. Ending matched the plan.
…
Bang!
Second House villa door shut.
Shang Yun’s face flipped. Suit jacket thrown at his wife’s feet. “Fang Yuhua—look what you did!”
“Ah!”
Fang Yuhua jumped. Hand on chest.
Staff stared. Picked up the jacket. Fled the fight.
Songming knew Dad’s two faces. Not scared. Hands in pockets. “Dad—why mad? I say—”
“Trash—you shut up too!”
“……”
“Shang Yun—got guts for Grandfather, none for us?”
Fang Yuhua already lost face before staff tonight. Husband yelling at the son—she snapped back.
“Door closed—you know how to bully wife and kid! Big man at your age—still leashed by your father!”
Shang Yun’s chest heaved. “Chen mess—you didn’t tell me first? Had to perform in front of Father?”
“You two sang a duet at table—black to white. Father saw clear. Named our branch. What did we gain?”
Evil plan—backfired.
Fang Yuhua knew guilt. “I wanted to press Third House—test Father’s mood.”
“I’m here! Your call? Lost the chicken—Queyan sold pity and won!”
He’d set up useless Bai Xu plus coma Yanxiao—humiliation—and signal Dijing: Grandfather gave up on the vegetative grandson. Man-man marriage legal—not classy in their circle.
Plus Bai family shrinking—marriage looked pathetic.
“Bai Xu fights Chen kid—Father drops Jinbai deal. Word gets out—like he’s backing Third House. Who dares look down then?”
“……”
Fang Yuhua red, silent. Looked at son for help.
Songming rubbed nose. “Dad—chill. We probed, right?”
“Yanxiao probably never wakes—meds keeping him alive. Queyan knows zero business—also useless.”
“Grandfather protects Third House—but not forever. Worry less about Third—”
Songming clever—shift target. “Watch First House. Real fight—that’s the snake pit.”
Shang Yun thought First House. No warmth in his eyes. “My sister, brother-in-law, that son they raised—vipers, all of them.”
---
…
Shuttle stopped at Third House villa. Xie Qi and Uncle Lin lifted Queyan’s chair down.
Inside Uncle Lin still shaky. “Fourth Young Master—you were too rash tonight.”
He and Xie Qi heard everything from the side room.
Old Master’s temper—odd, volatile. Queyan showing the wound—forcing a stand—one wrong move and Third House pays.
Bai Xu spoke. “Bet paid off. Second House pays.”
Queyan looked at normal-again Bai Xu. “So the table act was fake? Little white flower—afraid Grandfather saw through you?”
Bai Xu didn’t deny.
Business war taught him—mask, weak play, act—all for the win.
Enough power and certainty—he preferred needles until they couldn’t lift their heads.
Xie Qi cut in. “I’ll check on Third Young Master upstairs.”
Bai Xu silent. Watched Xie Qi hurry up. Question flickered—
Even for a private assistant—isn’t Xie Qi up there a lot? Yanxiao’s out cold—need that much guarding?
Queyan caught his drift. “Bai Xu—what?”
“Nothing.”
Bai Xu poured water. Casual. “You were fast at dinner. Good timing.”
Few lines—hit the point—sold pity—Old Master pledged cover. Book hero material.
Queyan misread. “Don’t flatter yourself. Not for you—for my brother.”
Bai Xu blinked. Teased. “Don’t be shy. Me and your brother—what are we? Out there I’m Third House too. Help is help.”
“Plus I helped you at the fountain. Still waiting on thanks.”
“……”
Queyan silent. Long beat. Mumbled. “Th-thanks.”
Bai Xu really laughed. “Anytime, little brother-in-law.”
Queyan deadpan. “You and my brother—are you there yet?”
Bai Xu thought of Yanxiao’s unfair face. Serious. “I wish. He’s out—might not respond. Want me to try tonight?”
Queyan got the joke. Face red. “B-Bai Xu! You wouldn’t!”
“I so would. Upstairs now.”
Brother-conductor short-circuited. Bai Xu laughed harder.
Turned for the stairs. Last line, wicked and light. “Me and my husband’s business—stay out of it~”