Removing the Great Burden from His Heart

Yue Qianchou felt that after resting for a day, his body should have recovered. Who would have thought this stinking sack of skin was far inferior to his body in his previous life? Though he was still a virgin, his constitution was terribly weak. It took nearly three days before he recovered. But that was not what depressed him most.

What depressed him most was remembering one thing that made his flesh ache. Having crossed over here, the hundreds of millions in his Swiss Bank account from his previous life had gone up in smoke. After doing the conversion, his former assets were worth more than ten times the Yue Family's current fortune. The more he thought about it, the more his heart bled, and for several days he could neither eat nor sleep. In the end, he had no choice but to think it through. Even if he had not crossed over, he would have been executed by firing squad.

There was no greater tragedy in life than wishing to care for one's parents only after they were gone. Guo Jianjun's parents had died early, leaving him unable to fulfill his filial duty. Now that he had become Yue Qianchou, his parents fussed over him several times a day, asking whether he was cold or warm and showering him with affection. Before long, they soothed the wounded heart that had suffered from losing such a vast sum of money. Deep down, he had come to regard the two elders as his own parents.

As Yue Qianchou wandered idly through the Yue Family garden, he thought of many things. The education he had received from childhood in his previous life had placed an invisible pressure on him when it came to his country and people. No matter how outrageous some things became, there had always been a line he did not dare cross. But things were different now. This place had not the slightest damn connection to that one. Guo Laoda—no, Young Master Yue—made up his mind to cut loose and raise hell here.

His mind was now filled with one thought: what method could he use to get rid of Xue Gaibao? He thought until his head hurt, yet still could not come up with a proper plan. His greatest concern was his current parents, especially his mother. She treasured this sole heir of the Xue Family dearly.

The flowers in the garden were in full, furious bloom. Yue Qianchou made several rounds, but still could not think of a good solution. Looking at a golden chrysanthemum before him, Young Master Yue stared at it with flickering eyes for a long while. Only after letting out a deep breath did he reach out, snap off the chrysanthemum, raise it beneath his nose, and inhale its fragrance. His eyes narrowed slightly as he muttered, "He who hesitates will suffer the chaos it brings. Fuck! These past few days, eating and drinking had me walking on eggshells. If this goes on, even if he doesn't kill me, I'll scare myself to death. I'm practically getting neurasthenia. Isn't he the Xue Family's only son? Well, I'm the Yue Family's only son too! Why the hell should I suffer this? You can do it on the first day of the lunar month, but I can't do it on the fifteenth?"

After Yue Qianchou left, the garden was silent. On the clean stone path lay only a chrysanthemum crushed to pulp.

Xue Gaibao was quite pleased. His cousin had been neither warm nor cold toward him these past few days, yet today he had unexpectedly invited him to drink and admire the moon in the rear garden that evening. He had always feared that the matter from before had left traces and Yue Qianchou had discovered them, leaving him restless and uneasy. It seemed he had worried too much.

After the Xue Family fell into decline, he had gone to seek refuge with his aunt. Though he had not been mistreated in the Yue Family, living under another's roof made someone accustomed to being a young master feel as though needles were pricking his spine. His aunt gave him no small amount of spending money, but compared to how lavishly he had spent at home, it still left him stretched thin. With Young Master Yue pressing down on him, this was not a place where Young Master Xue could point fingers and call the shots. Over time, resentment had taken root in his heart.

Once, while drinking alone in a tavern, he grumbled drunkenly, "Yue Changgui, you bastard! Without my Xue Family, how could you have what you have today? But what about you? You only give me a hundred taels of silver every month. How ungrateful..."

Every word of that speech fell into the ears of someone at the next table. That man was one of Bajiao Village's bandit chiefs. Upon learning that Xue Gaibao was the nephew of Yue Changgui, Swallow City's richest man, he developed the intention of befriending him. The two hit it off at once. They later plotted to kidnap Yue Qianchou and extort Yue Changgui, intending to silence him permanently after getting the money. Bajiao Village would gain wealth, while Xue Gaibao could inherit the Yue Family fortune. Yet to both men's surprise, though Yue Qianchou had been kidnapped, he escaped.

Afterward, when he saw Yue Qianchou being sent home, Xue Gaibao feared the matter would be exposed and murderous intent rose in him again. But his uncle Yue Changgui had stationed people there day and night, never leaving, and he never found a chance to act...

He had been quite worried at first, but today his cousin came smiling to invite him to drink and admire the moon. At last, his heart settled. His cousin clearly did not know he was involved in that matter. Not knowing was good. He could look for another opportunity next time.

After the maidservant helped him straighten his clothes, Xue Gaibao happily went to the appointment.

Wine and dishes had been prepared on the stone table in the garden. Yue Qianchou stood watch beside a lantern, waiting alone. Candlelight flickered over his face, making it shift between light and shadow. His fingers tapped lightly against the stone table when footsteps sounded. Yue Qianchou swept a cold glance toward the garden entrance, then immediately replaced it with an eager smile.

"Cousin! You made me wait so long!" Yue Qianchou rose with a smile.

Xue Gaibao walked over, pointed at himself, and said, "My clothes were not in order. How could I be so shameless as to come to my cousin's invitation like that?"

"We're family. Why fuss over such things? Sit, Cousin." Yue Qianchou invited him to sit and picked up the wine pot to pour him a drink. As he raised his hand, he carelessly bumped the lantern on the table.

The lantern fell to the ground, its candle snuffed out, and everything went dark in an instant. Yue Qianchou let out an "Oh!" and said, "Look at me, all clumsy hands and clumsy feet."

"Don't worry, Cousin. We can simply light it again. I'll pick it up." After Xue Gaibao smiled, he bent down to retrieve it. The instant he straightened, he saw a black shadow smash toward him. Xue Gaibao gave a muffled grunt and collapsed.

Under the moonlight, Yue Qianchou held a club. He circled around the stone table, gripped the club with both hands, and wildly smashed it down on the head of the person on the ground. Only after a long while did he stop. He kicked the body and said, "Fuck! I can't be bothered wasting words with you. I was afraid you wouldn't die!"

The candlelight came on again. Young Master Yue held the lantern over the bloody, mangled corpse on the ground, then poked it with his club. Seeing that he was thoroughly dead, he nodded. He set the lantern back on the table, poured himself a cup of wine, and drained it in one swallow. Smacking his lips, he said, "That menace is finally gone. Now I can sleep in peace. Feels damn good! The old man can worry about what comes next. I refuse to believe he'd send his only son to the authorities."

With that, he carried the club away, muttering to himself. Faintly, he seemed to be saying, "Fuck! This Yue Mansion is so damn big, yet I couldn't find a single suitable weapon. I had to dig out such a thick club from the firewood pile."

Young Master Yue carried the club to the kitchen, tossed it straight into the stove, dusted off his hands, and left. He circled around near the main gate and squatted in a secluded nook. After squatting there for only a short while, Yue Qianchou kept feeling as though something was missing. He touched his chest, froze, and sighed. "Even if I don't want to quit smoking, I have to. Fuck, where am I supposed to find cigarettes here?"

The main gate opened, and Yue Changgui, who had just finished socializing, returned with two attendants. He had only taken a few steps when someone suddenly called, "Father!"

It was his son's voice. Yue Changgui paused and turned to see Yue Qianchou squatting in the shadows of the corner. He could not help frowning. "Chou'er! Why are you squatting here? You've only just recovered. Be careful not to catch a chill."

"Father! I have something to discuss with you." Yue Qianchou slowly walked over. Yue Changgui understood that his son had been waiting here for him. It was the first time he had ever seen him like this. He said to the attendants behind him, "Go back and rest." The two respectfully withdrew.

"What is it?" Yue Changgui asked affectionately. Yue Qianchou said, "Father, come with me." The former asked nothing further and followed his son to the garden.

Yue Qianchou lifted the lantern from the stone table, illuminating the corpse on the ground. Yue Changgui followed the candlelight with his gaze. The person lying there was already a bloody mess, his head smashed to pieces beyond recognition. Yet Yue Changgui could still recognize the clothing worn by people of Yue Mansion, and he vaguely guessed who the corpse was. His brows knit slightly. "Your cousin?"

Yue Qianchou nodded. Watching his father's expression and seeing that his reaction was not great, he thought to himself, Just as I guessed. Of those who can build a business this large, how many could possibly be simple people?

Yue Changgui sat on a stone stool and stared at his son. "Why did you do this? Was your kidnapping last time connected to him?"

His son did not answer directly. He simply picked up the wine pot and filled the cup before his father. "The wine and food are clean. No one has touched them." Then he filled his own cup, sat down as well, drank a cup, and only then slowly recounted what had happened...

The more Yue Qianchou spoke, the darker Yue Changgui's face became. When the former finished, the latter slapped the table and roared, "So it really was that ungrateful dog! He actually wanted my Yue Family to die without descendants! I suspected him long ago. If not for your mother's sake, I would have made him beg for life but be unable to die!"

"Father! I killed him with my own hands. I'm afraid if Mother finds out..." Yue Qianchou had not finished speaking when Yue Changgui waved a hand. "You know nothing. Go back and rest! I'll handle this place."

"Understood, Father. Then I'll go wash up and sleep?" Yue Qianchou asked. His father across from him nodded.

Watching his son leave so calmly, Yue Changgui was somewhat surprised. He had never imagined his son would kill someone with his own hands, much less that he would remain so composed. Yue Changgui knew what kind of mental fortitude that required. It seemed the kidnapping had truly stimulated him, but now it did not seem to be entirely a bad thing. It was better than having him remain the muddleheaded young master he had once been. After drinking a cup of wine, he sighed. "My Yue Family has an heir."

"I haven't been the big brother for many years. I don't love the cold edge of the bed. Don't force me to miss you, don't force me to shed tears, or I'll turn my face..." With the great burden in his heart removed, Yue Qianchou washed up, lay on his bed with one leg propped up, hummed a song, and gradually fell asleep in peace.

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