Family

A gust of wind blew, and the snow-covered treetops outside the courtyard wall swayed slightly, causing specks of grayish-white snow to fall like feathers.

A few snowflakes splashed onto the dark gray courtyard wall beside them, instantly evaporating and melting away without leaving a trace.

As the sky above Nanshui Town grew dark and gloomy, and the streets and alleys were covered with mottled marks, only this large courtyard at the northern end of the town remained unchanged, its solemn and imposing presence heavy with ancient traditions.

The house, where even ice and snow cannot get in, seems to be protected by time, remaining unchanged year after year.

A faint light suddenly appeared on the surface of the wall, and those flowing lights of indescribable color rapidly outlined a strange array with a diameter of two meters. The moment the array closed, the central part suddenly seemed to collapse, revealing the mysterious space inside.

A leg stepped out of the space, the heavy black boot making a clear sound as it landed on the ground.

Immediately afterwards, a hand wearing a fingerless glove reached out and gripped the brick wall at the edge of the formation, and a tall figure emerged from the space.

Yan Li dusted off his hands and looked around.

The courtyard wall was very close to the main gate of the Fang Mansion, but it still deviated somewhat from his original location.

This situation could only occur if the location he chose was enveloped by another type of energy of a considerably higher level, thus affecting his teleportation array.

"This ability is really useful."

Yu Xing's sigh came from behind. Yan Li turned around and saw Yu Xing peeking half of her face out from that indescribable space.

"..." Although he knew that Yu Xing probably wanted to see what the other side of the array looked like first, from his perspective, Yu Xing really looked like a mask embedded in the flowing wall.

Yan Li coughed lightly. "It's safe outside the courtyard, there are no evil spirits. Come out directly."

As soon as she finished speaking, Yu Xing Medusa emerged one after the other.

Yan Li flicked his finger slightly, and a line was pulled out from the array on the wall. Instantly, the entire array collapsed and disappeared, and the strange space closed as if it had never existed.

The gray wall was restored to its original state.

Yu Xing was somewhat envious of this convenient ability. He knew that he was able to return to reality from Dead Silent Island thanks to Calodi's array in the island's inn, for which Calodi had prepared for a full month.

Compared to Calodi, who had to figure things out on his own without any reference, Yan Li was clearly more skilled and efficient in using the battle diagrams. If Calodi had Yan Li's speed, he could have returned to reality twenty days earlier, without even having to enter the apocalypse instance.

However, there are very few people skilled in formations, so it's impossible to criticize them harshly.

Yu Xing shook off the inappropriate thoughts in her mind and brought her attention back to the present.

This is the Fang Mansion.

Apart from the nominal youngest son of the Fang Mansion, the other two people present had been here before and were not unfamiliar with the environment, though not exactly. Only Yu Xing looked around with great interest, noticing the obvious sense of boundary in front of him.

A few steps away, the winter air was biting, but the area surrounding the courtyard wall was clean and not even that cold, as if an invisible barrier separated the two sides into two different worlds.

Moreover, the townspeople, who could be lurking everywhere, were nowhere to be seen. Outside the mansion was a long, deserted brick road, which was rather bland and boring, except for the fact that there were many more trees than elsewhere.

"I climbed over the wall to get in." Medusa said helplessly as she looked at the courtyard that had almost trapped her again. "Everything was fine before I went in, but who knew I couldn't get out after climbing over the wall? I felt something was wrong, so I climbed over the wall again, but I was already stuck in a maze."

"That means once you go in, you're 'marked,' and this building doesn't want you to leave." Yu Xing narrowed his eyes. The withered branches extending from the top of the courtyard wall were menacing, with sharp and pointed tips. Just looking at them gave people a feeling that they were not to be trifled with.

"I also climbed over the wall," Yan Li said casually. "The people who came here to investigate back then probably didn't want to alert the enemy, so they wouldn't have knocked on the door. The wall was too low, so it would have been a waste not to climb over it."

If both of them are like this, then unless something unexpected happens, others shouldn't have any different opinions.

"Such a rigid and formal building probably doesn't welcome people who don't follow the rules," Yu Xing laughed. He had guessed the worldview, and the core of this worldview was the Fang family.

In fact, he also found a very subtle point in the memory that Medusa showed him, which might be verified during this trip to the Fang Mansion.

"This time I'll go straight through the main entrance; I'm also eager to see my dear 'family'."

"Dong dong dong."

Yu Xing grasped the door knocker and knocked three times on the door.

Silence filled the air; separated by a door, none of the three heard footsteps approaching.

"Is that not allowed?" While waiting, Medusa took out a hair tie and tied her long, loose hair into a ponytail at the back of her head.

Yu Xing recalled the rumors she had heard in town about the Fang Mansion, but it seemed that no one had ever said they had been a guest at the Fang Mansion.

The Fang Mansion must be a place that the townspeople cannot disturb, so presumably this door has never been knocked on by any of them.

Moreover, the Fang Mansion was not a real residence; it was simply a traditional family with a long history. The old stories about the Fang family that I saw at Never Forget Dwelling mentioned many members, but never a gatekeeper.

It's likely that the Fang family never expected anyone to knock on the door, so they didn't arrange for someone to answer it.

Since that's the case...

Yu Xing abandoned the polite but not loud door knocker and directly pounded on the door without pausing: "Thump thump thump thump thump--"

The noisy sounds were aggressive, like a group of thugs leading a gang to destroy a house. For some reason, when Yu Xing banging on the drum, he suddenly remembered the scene of Boss Hua playing with other people's children's rattles in the hotel room.

"Dong dong dong dong dong dong dong dong dong dong dong..."

The two people behind him had subtle expressions, because they really heard someone slowly walking in from behind the door.

Tsk tsk, and they say they value rules? It's like when you knock politely and people don't open the door, but when you get angry and bang on the door, people come to help.

"Who is it?" An aged voice drifted from the crack in the door, followed by a slight noise as the door was pulled open a crack.

A murky, wary eye appeared through the crack, and then the door opened a little wider.

An elderly man, emaciated as a rake, stood behind the door. His hair was half white and half black, and he looked to be over sixty years old. He was wearing a long-sleeved shirt with an apron over it.

There were a few sawdust shavings stuck to her apron, which fell off with the slightest movement, as if the old woman was doing something before she came to open the door.

It's hard to describe how incongruous it was to see an old man dressed in modern clothes in an old-fashioned mansion; Yu Xing couldn't help but take a second look.

This was the second elderly person Yu Xing saw in Nanshui Town. The previous innkeeper seemed to be a living person on the verge of death, while this old man stood upright and looked quite healthy, yet he also had the same deathly aura, and was also a living person who died of illness!

In an instant, Yu Xing thought of three pieces of information at the same time.

Firstly, in Fang Xiao's letter, she mentioned that Grandpa Gardener was about to die, and if she didn't come back soon, she wouldn't be able to see him one last time.

Secondly, there is a story about an old woodcarving craftsman who Never Forget Dwelling.

Thirdly, there is Yan Li's description. He said that when he entered the empty Fang Mansion last time, there was a rule-based ghost in the garden. The triggering conditions are currently unknown, but once triggered, anyone will turn into a withered tree.

These three elements merged into one when Yu Xing saw the old man in front of him, instantly confirming the old man's identity.

After losing his lover, the old craftsman became a gardener in the Fang Mansion, the "Gardener Grandpa" that Fang Xiao mentioned.

"Who are you people?" The gardener's hands rested on the edges of the door on either side, as if he might close it at any moment. He wasn't stern; on the contrary, he had a very kind demeanor. However, his tone was wary, as if he was worried that they were bad people.

Yan Li Medusa remained silent.

Aside from many hidden factors, the most obvious reason they wanted to come with Yu Xing was that if they could truly see another side of the Fang family, then they wouldn't need to fabricate their identities by following Yu Xing; they could simply be friends brought home as guests or friends accompanying the young master back from out of town.

Now it's clear that it was true. It was different from the moment they knocked on the door. Before, they had searched the Fang Mansion but couldn't find anyone alive. Now, as soon as the door opened, there was a living person.

According to the plan, all we need to do is let the young master of the Fang family talk to him.

"Grandpa Gardener." Yu Xing lowered his head slightly, looking at the old man who was much shorter than him, only reaching his chest, and reached out to remove his glasses a little, smiling, "Don't you remember me?"

Hearing his voice and seeing his face without the jewelry, the gardener trembled. He raised his hand in disbelief, as if wanting to touch the person before him to verify his authenticity, but hesitated, his voice filled with excitement. "You... you are... Little Xing?"

"It's me, Grandpa Gardener, I'm back." Because she wasn't sure what the gardener's attitude was towards "Fang Xing," Yu Xing didn't act warmly or coldly, wanting to observe the situation first.

Grandpa Gardener didn't pay any attention to his tone. He just stood there, muttering excitedly for a while, then suddenly looked like he remembered something and became anxious again.

The old man lowered his voice, sounding anxious. "Why did you come back, silly child!"

Oh?

The unusual situation in Nanshui Town is inextricably linked to the Fang family. First, the eldest son wrote a letter urging him to return, but the letter was full of incoherent nonsense, revealing his impure motives. Then, after entering the town, he always found some information that proved the Fang Mansion was looking for him, such as the doll lying in his backpack at this moment.

Everything proved that the Fang Mansion family wanted him to go home and had ulterior motives towards him.

Yu Xing was surprised that the old gardener would say such a thing to him right away.

It seems that this is indeed the case. Various pieces of information suggest that the father, mother, and nanny are all unkind to the young master, and the older brother's true attitude is also unclear. The only clue is that there is no indication that the gardener has done anything bad to the young master.

In the letter, Fang Xiao mentioned the nanny to him, saying that if he didn't like her, he could fire her.

When the topic turned to the gardener, he said he couldn't make it to see him one last time, seemingly certain that he and the gardener had a very good relationship.

Yu Xing's smile became more genuine, and she said calmly, "I've been away for so long, I should come back and visit. Besides, my brother keeps urging me to come home."

As he spoke, he stepped over the threshold past the old man without waiting for the gardener to say anything more.

[Exclusive Side Quest: Go home and visit before the Snow Festival begins. Completed]

[Exclusive Side Quest: Meet everyone in your household]

The system was broadcasting the mission status to him, while he observed the scene in the courtyard.

He had assumed the Fang Mansion exterior. However, upon entering the courtyard, he found it rather desolate, with old houses, many tiles missing, and various cracks in the walls.

It's like once a superficial project is completed, the substance is no longer valued.

A bamboo chair sits next to a flowerbed in the corner of the yard. A tree root, about half a person's height, lies on a low workbench. Various carving tools are scattered haphazardly on the workbench, and there are wood chips and scraps of wood of all sizes on the table and the ground.

Before the door was opened, the old gardener must have been sitting in the bamboo chair fiddling with this thing.

When the gardener saw him step through the door, he could only sigh repeatedly. He didn't express any reluctance to let him return, but he seemed to have lost his breath as he walked.

"Little Xing, who are these two people?"

It took him more than ten seconds to notice the two strangers. Yu Xing sat down on a stone bench in the courtyard and introduced them naturally, "These two are my good friends. They heard I was going home and wanted to come and see me."

"Oh, they're friends. That's great, Little Xing has friends now," the gardener murmured.

Medusa greeted the gardener, but received no response, so Yan Li simply ignored her.

The old gardener seemed lost in his own thoughts, his hands unconsciously clenching his apron, then tightening them again. Suddenly, he looked up and said, "--"

"Grandpa Gardener, where are my parents? And my older brother? They've been urging me so much, but now that I'm back, they're not even coming to greet me?" Yu Xing asked in a somewhat provocative tone, her nonchalant attitude making the words the gardener had just mustered to say swallowed back down.

The old gardener sighed and shook his head, "Master's legs are frostbitten, and his health isn't good. Madam has been taking care of him in his room. As for Xiaoxiao—he's in his room with Mingzhu. I'll go call them. They'll definitely be... very happy to see you back."

The old man slowly went to the depths of the courtyard to call for someone. Although it wasn't large, it seemed to have several courtyards. His figure quickly circled the houses and disappeared on the path.

"I have a feeling he's not so bad." Medusa took the opportunity to run over to the nearby wooden figure to check, and quickly confirmed that this target was the same wooden figure that had killed several diviners.

"It seems I should say he was just not bad to you," she quickly corrected herself, "He was also one of the ghosts in the Fang Mansion we visited."

"This gardener doesn't seem to want you back. He must know something and has his own reasons," Yan Li said, narrowing his eyes. "If you hadn't interrupted him, he probably would have advised you to leave immediately."

"Yes." Yu Xing could certainly read the old gardener's thoughts from his expression, but he had returned to conduct an investigation; how could he simply leave?

Moreover... if the other members of the Fang Mansion knew that the gardener had tried to persuade him, he might very well be the only Fang family member who could benefit him, and they would be killed out of anger.

After all, in this family, the nanny and gardener, who are not related by blood, should be the lowest in status.

As they were talking, a rolling sound suddenly came from the inner courtyard, mixed with different footsteps, approaching Yu Xing at almost running speed.

Medusa immediately moved away from the wood carving, sat back down at the stone table, and acted as a quiet guest.

"Is it really my son who's back?!" The woman's sweet and gentle voice sounded a little too urgent because she hadn't controlled her tone well. The next second, several people had already rushed into the courtyard.

A flicker of interest crossed Yu Xing's eyes as she glanced at it.

How interesting, the whole family turned out as soon as they heard the news.

Four people ran over. The one in the lead was a tall and handsome young man who looked somewhat like Yu Xing. He must be Fang Xiao.

This "cheap older brother," whose attitude he couldn't quite gauge, had a very well-developed and well-proportioned physique, and the thin shirt he wore added to his scholarly air.

Her exposed skin was as fair as Yu Xing's, her hair was very short, and she had a scar on the bridge of her nose. Her dark eyes were quite shrewd, and even when she smiled, she gave people a feeling of being unfathomable.

Although Fang Xiao and Yu Xing play brothers, Fang Xiao leaves a completely different first impression.

Yu Xing wore glasses to appear refined; if someone didn't know him, they would definitely think he was a frail painter.

Fang Xiao looks like a respectable person, meticulously dressed on the surface, but in reality, he's the kind of ruthless person who would swing an iron bar and smash someone's head.

A few steps behind Fang Xiao was a short woman whose entire body was tightly wrapped up. The woman's clothes were tasteless, and even her head was covered, leaving only her eyes showing.

Judging from her eyes, she was definitely not a beauty; on the contrary, she exuded a dark and repulsive aura.

Her gaze was even more unsettling, as if anyone she looked at had tiny insects crawling all over them.

Ah, Nanny Li.

Yu Xing noticed that the other person's gaze had been fixed on him from the moment they saw him, carrying a strong sense of obsession and pure malice.

With such a nanny around, Yu Xing could understand why the Fang family's poor youngest son was so afraid of her when he was little. Perhaps she intentionally showed the child her most disgusting and wicked side just to enjoy the child's fear.

The two people on the other side were even more interesting.

One was a young woman wearing an expensive slip dress and a gemstone necklace.

The woman looked to be only in her early twenties, and there was no noticeable age difference between her and Fang Xiao. It would be difficult for outsiders to guess from their appearances that the woman was Fang Xiao's "stepmother."

She was indeed as beautiful as the rumors said, with skin like jade, eyebrows like willow leaves, and her big eyes seemed to contain countless kinds of liveliness. No wonder the townspeople said she was more beautiful than Xu Wan, the first wife of the Fang family.

Yu Xing was so certain that she was the "stepmother" and not Mingzhu for two reasons, besides the surprised question she had just asked. She was pushing a wheelchair with a thin man in his fifties sitting in it. The man's face looked stretched out from years of plastic surgery.

Even in his current dire situation, seemingly terminally ill and unable to even move his head, the man still stared at Yu Xing with his shrewd eyes, as if assessing the value of an object.

He was covered from his chest with a blanket, completely obscuring his legs and feet. When his eyes met Yu Xing's, the man opened his mouth with difficulty, but could only utter some "ah" sounds.

Yu Xing raised an eyebrow. He could sense the man's eagerness to talk to him, but unfortunately, his body wouldn't allow it. He didn't look like he was frostbitten; rather, he looked like he had suffered a stroke.

Fang Deming... how did the Fang family, who was rumored to be so dignified and somewhat cruel, end up like this?

Yu Xing observed these people very quickly. Even after receiving all the information they could get at first glance, it was as if they were reuniting after a long separation. He simply glanced at each of them slowly.

Fang Xiao, who was writing to him, stared at him intently. For a fleeting moment, Yu Xing saw the same complex emotion in his eyes as the old gardener, but that emotion vanished in an instant, replaced by a deeply hidden excitement and madness.

"You're finally back, little brother." Fang Xiao smiled broadly, stepped forward, and opened his arms, as if wanting to give Yu Xing a tight hug.

But Yu Xing was still sitting. Fang Xiao didn't get to wait for his younger brother to stand up on his own, and that's when he noticed the other two strangers.

His smile remained unchanged. He withdrew his hand and asked politely, "Are these two your friends? Are they reluctant to see you return to Nanshui Town, so they came to see you off? You must be tired from your journey. Why don't you stay in my guest room tonight and leave tomorrow?"

Medusa waved her hand, equally impeccable. "Thank you for your concern, Young Master Fang, but we'll listen to Little Xing."

Yu Xing gave a half-smile, not answering immediately. He wanted to observe their reactions further to deduce their individual thoughts.

These people were running so fast to see him that it wasn't until then that the old gardener, who was walking slowly, returned from behind.

Beside the gardener was another person, but it wasn't the absent Mingzhu; it was... Doctor in a white coat.

Yu Xing was taken aback. What was the Doctor doing here?

He hadn't encountered the Doctor since leaving the hotel, and assumed the Doctor had other matters to attend to and wouldn't be following him for the time being.

The Doctor's unique facial features were so easily recognizable that even from a distance, Yu Xing seemed to receive a smile from the Doctor's face, which was completely obscured.

Yu Xing's attitude towards Fang Xiao was lukewarm, which Fang Xiao seemed to have anticipated. His dark eyes scrutinized his long-unseen younger brother, and he spoke again, "In any case, talking in the courtyard isn't very convenient. There's not even tea. How about—"

Before he could finish speaking, the elegantly dressed young woman couldn't contain herself any longer. She abandoned her wheelchair, rushed over, hugged Yu Xing's waist, and rested her head on Yu Xing's shoulder.

Her slender figure clung to Yu Xing's trench coat through her elegant dress. The woman's voice trembled with emotion, almost breaking into tears. "Little Xing, Mommy misses you so much! I've regretted leaving home ever since. I thought you were just angry with the family. How could you be so heartless, leaving for so many years without ever coming back to see me!"

"Waaah, Mommy misses you so much..."

I regretted leaving home?

Yu Xing had some doubts before, but now, hearing the woman's undisguised words, she was even more certain that this young "stepmother" in her twenties was the same person as Fang Deming's first wife, Xu Wan.

There was never a stepmother, never a second wife. Xu Wan, who was supposed to die from a back injury and other factors, somehow not only came back to life, but also returned to her early twenties from her forties.

Moreover, judging from the townspeople's reactions, Xu Wan's current appearance is completely different from that of the movie star who was quite famous throughout the country back then.

Otherwise, it's impossible that no one would recognize her.

Regarding Xu Wan's situation, the Fang family seems to tacitly agree that their youngest son, Fang Xing fled home in fear, he already knew his mother would return in this manner?

Yu Xing had made up his mind, but after he finished thinking, he vaguely realized that Xu Wan, who was crying and hugging him, kept rubbing against him, and her face kept rubbing against his neck. Her warm, human breath hit his neck, bringing a ridiculous goosebumps to his skin.

What is this woman trying to rub against?

Hey, if this is Xu Wan, and Fang Xing is her own son, what does she want to do?

Seemingly noticing Yu Xing's change in expression, Fang Xiao, who had been observing from the sidelines after being interrupted, smiled slightly and said, "Mom, you're going to scare your little brother."

He also squatted down, took Xu Wan's arm, and seemingly gently but actually forcefully pulled Xu Wan away. He then smiled at Yu Xing and said, "Mom is just too excited. After all these years, I haven't seen you. You've grown into such an outstanding person. Even I, as your older brother, didn't expect it."

Yu Xing could almost sense the amused gazes of Medusa and Yan Li not far away. To them—especially to Medusa —the more chaotic the Fang Mansion was, the more fun it would be.

It's true what they say, fortunes change.

However, he was fairly certain of the Fang family's attitude towards him. First of all, they definitely didn't want a dead Fang Xing, so they had no intention of killing him.

Secondly, and rather strangely, the Fang family don't seem to be entirely united. While they all share the same goal of keeping Fang Xing in the Fang Mansion, there's also some competition among them.

At least the only two people present who had the right to speak and were able to say something were already vying for his attention.

Therefore, "a living Fang Xing, and preferably someone closer to them" is what the Fang family wants now.

Yu Xing was about to speak, she noticed that the wheelchair left behind was trembling slightly.

He looked over in surprise and saw Fang Deming in the wheelchair staring wide-eyed, his eyes seemingly blazing with fire, his mouth uttering various incoherent sounds as he tried his best to move, barely managing to make a faint sound from the wheelchair.

He thoughtfully followed Fang Deming's gaze and discovered that Fang Deming's impotent rage was not directed at him, but at Xu Wan, who was standing there wiping away her remaining tears.

Xu Wan truly lived up to her reputation as a movie star; even her tears flowed in strings, and she presented him with the most flattering angle that accentuated her figure, occasionally casting a misty, teary-eyed glance that conveyed "emotion," "joy," and "pity."

Yu Xing finally laughed. He hadn't said a word until now, yet these people had managed to put on such a show.

Having confirmed their stance, Yu Xing had a plan. He gave Xu Wan a sarcastic smile and said sarcastically, "Mom has really gotten younger and younger over the years. With such good maintenance, why don't you give it to this old guy in the wheelchair? Look how pitiful he is, watching you flirt with your own son, but he can't even move."

His tone, a mix of detachment, sarcasm, and nonchalance, perfectly captured the essence of the pie chart, and he was criticizing two people at once; anyone could hear the resentment he harbored towards the Fang family.

After years away, the young man who returned is no longer the child they could bully. As a child, he couldn't beat them, and if he resisted, he would go hungry. Forced into silence, introversion, and weakness, he is now an excellent painter who can decide his own life.

Seeing these people who had treated him badly in the past, the young man didn't even bother to show them any respect, directly responding to their hypocritical kinship with the coldest and most barbed words.

--That's normal.

Since the Fang family wasn't planning to kill him or use his life or flesh to do anything, he had to stay at the Fang Mansion for a while longer to figure out exactly which part of the Fang Mansion plan he was in.

It's a little past 10 a. m. It took Yu Xing Yan Li, Medusa, and the other two people two hours to get from the hotel to the Fang Mansion.

So, conservatively speaking, they have another eight hours to explore.

Therefore, he had to react in a way that best suited Fang Xing, making the Fang Mansion family believe that everything was under control, so that they could do what they originally wanted to do to him without any scruples.

After Yu Xing cursed, Xu Wan, who was accused of flirting with her son, did not get angry. Only Fang Deming in the wheelchair immediately transferred his anger to him, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets. It was quite remarkable that he could make such a difficult move with a stiff face.

"My brother's temper has gotten much worse." Fang Xiao not only didn't speak up for Fang Deming, but seemed amused. He went to Yu Xing's side and put his arm around Yu Xing's shoulder like a brother. "These past years, whenever I think of you, I feel so guilty. Sigh... Your childhood was so unhappy, it's all my fault for being young and immature."

"I was worried you were too soft-hearted and would get bullied outside. I never imagined you'd become so capable."

"... Hey." Yu Xing's expression was one of utter horror, as if she'd seen a ghost. She quickly stood up and disgustedly moved away. "What are you pretending for? Do you think I don't know your background? I won't believe a single word of the nonsense you utter, all because of you—"

He became angry as he spoke of it, his chest heaving violently: "It's all because of you—"

"It's all because of me that I always steal your things, tattle on you, make up stories about you, and even get you beaten up." Fang Xiao sighed and finished his sentence for him when she saw that he was so angry that he couldn't even speak properly.

But clearly, the culprit's words only infuriate the victim.

"Brother now truly knows he was wrong. Back then, he was young and always treated trivial things as treasures, neglecting the bond between him and his younger brother." Fang Xiao apologized to Yu Xing with a slight smile, using a tone that left no room for doubt about how much sincerity was genuine.

Seeing that Yu Xing wasn't even looking at her, the young and beautiful Xu Wan had already stopped crying. Her bright eyes darted around, and she immediately put on a smiling face, "Oh dear, Mom was wrong too. You have to give Mom a chance to make it up to you. I promise I won't be as unpredictable with you as I was when you were little."

She sighed, seemingly quite pitiful. "Mom was sick at the time and couldn't control her emotions. Not only was she tormented by her back injury every day, but she also had to appease a violent man like your father. She was exhausted and desperate, so she could only take it out on you. I don't expect you to understand my pain, it's just..."

"Mom is better now and can control herself properly. She'll definitely treat you well from now on, okay?"

He was strict with others, but doted on his wife, going to great lengths to find doctors for her. Fang Deming, who had never let anyone do any work, bulged his veins on his forehead. "Ugh! Ugh!"

Unable to speak or move, he was furious to the extreme, and also somewhat desperate.

"Forget about being nice to me in the future." Yu Xing's expression was distant. "I don't care. As for the past... since I chose to come back and take a look, let bygones be bygones. But that doesn't mean I'll accept your apologies now."

He looked at Fang Xiao.

Fang Xiao was smiling at him, and even after hearing his cold words, his expression didn't change at all, as if he had expected Yu Xing to say those things.

Yu Xing kept a straight face, but her tone couldn't help but reveal a hint of sarcasm. "Now that the old man is in this state, the power of the Fang family should all be in your hands, right?"

"Yes, after all, Dad's not doing well anymore, and I have to take over all sorts of things." Fang Xiao blinked, filled with emotion. "When we were little, he always beat you, but he wasn't good to me either. He made me go to the docks to watch people chop off hands, to see the corpses of traitors who had been killed. The terrified faces of the dead were less than a meter away from me. At that time, I was only up to Dad's thigh."

With a face somewhat resembling Yu Xing's, Fang Xiao's expression was sinister and manic. His tone was icy. "He wanted me to take over his business, but he never asked for my opinion. He groomed me into a cold-blooded and ruthless successor, but forgot that such a successor would not be given a peaceful end."

Upon hearing these words, Fang Deming stopped glaring at people, sat in his wheelchair in terror, and suddenly became as quiet as a corpse.

Fang Xiao paused, all the terrifying expression on his face vanishing instantly, replaced by a bright and friendly smile, "Oh right, now that you're back, little brother, if you also want to be in charge, I can give you half of my power. If you don't want to, I'll still support you. After all, you gave me all the good things when we were little."

Yu Xing: "..."

He seemed startled by Fang Xiao's sudden change of expression. He glanced at his two friends beside him before regaining his composure and saying in a strained voice, "It's fine as long as you can make the decision, because I don't want to bother talking to an old man who's about to die."

"First of all, I want you to know that I won't be staying long this time."

"The tour only lasts three days, and tomorrow will be very busy, so I took time out of my busy schedule to come back today. This was only at your request."

He looked at Fang Xiao's unchanging smile, then frowned. "I won't be staying here tonight either. My friends aren't just reluctant to part with me; they came with me and will leave with me."

"I don't want to dwell on things from my childhood anymore. Just consider it as me forgiving you. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other. I don't need any compensation from you; I just want to cut all ties with you."

"You're already back, can't you stay a couple more days?" Fang Xiao seemed to have anticipated his response, and stepped forward to take Yu Xing's wrist, speaking softly, "How long has it been since we brothers last spoke? We used to share a room when we were kids, but since you left, I haven't been used to sleeping alone."

"I haven't introduced your sister-in-law to you yet. Mingzhu is wonderful; I'm sure you'll like her."

Yu Xing expressed his resistance through his actions, trying to break free from Fang Xiao's grasp, but how could a painter's strength compare to that of a gangster from the port?

Fang Xiao still held his hand, smiling broadly, "Brother is sorry, and Mom knows she was wrong. Dad was the worst to you back then, but look at him now, he can't even say a word. Aren't you satisfied? If not, I'll give you a knife. You can stab this old guy a few times to vent your anger."

"Why don't you stay a few more days and spend some time with us before you think it over?"

Fang Deming had already started to cry, "Ugh! Ugh! Ah--"

Xu Wan, listening nearby, clasped her hands together and rested them against her face, her expression one of doting affection for the old man. But what she said was quite different, "Oh dear, look at him, he's really ruining the atmosphere. Nanny Li, quickly take the old man back to his room!"

The nanny nodded silently, temporarily withdrawing her gaze from Yu Xing, and without regard for Fang Deming's resistance, pushed the wheelchair away.

Xu Wan watched the old man disappear from sight with satisfaction, then turned to see the old gardener and the man in the white coat standing to the side, and immediately said, "Oh, right, Little Xing, you loved Grandpa Gardener the most when you were little. Are you going to abandon him too? Grandpa Gardener is old and won't live much longer. Perhaps... I want to see him off on his final journey?"

The old gardener lowered his eyes and didn't say a word.

Yu Xing's eyes flickered, as if she was somewhat moved.

Fang Xiao noticed his expression and coaxed him, "Grandpa Gardener misses you a lot."

"I..." Yu Xing closed her eyes, clearly trying to change the subject, "Who is this?"

Fang Xiao turned her head and realized that her younger brother was referring to the Doctor had stood by and watched the entire play.

"I forgot to introduce you, this is Doctor from the town hospital, he came specifically to treat the old man's illness."

He spoke the word "treat" in a meaningful way, making it unclear whether he meant treatment or torture.

Yu Xing and the Doctor made eye contact.

The Doctor said politely, "Hello, nice to meet you."

[I told you I would follow you, isn't this kind of meeting even more of a surprise?]

The second sentence didn't come from the Doctor's mouth, but rang directly in Yu Xing's mind. Yu Xing subtly glanced at the expressions of the others out of the corner of her eye, but the people in the Fang Mansion didn't hear it at all.

Don't worry, since I'm going to follow you, I certainly won't cause you any trouble. I might even lend you a hand when you need it, just tell me where my child is...

[Of course, there's no rush.]

After finishing his sentence, the Doctor said to Fang Xiao in a cheerful tone, "Now that Master Fang has returned to his room, and I have met with Young Master Fang Xing, I will continue to treat Master Fang."

I hope your family can have a happy reunion.

This remark clearly pleased Fang Xiao.

After the Doctor left, Yu Xing said coldly, "So how much longer do you plan to keep me here?"

Fang Xiao appeared outwardly amiable, but refused to let go. "I've missed you so much, little brother. I don't want to be separated from you for even a second longer. How about we go to the room and chat?"