Farce

Bai Yunsheng did not concern himself with what happened behind him. His soaking wet clothes made him uncomfortable, and the dripping water followed his steps into the room. Bai Yunsheng took a comfortable shower, changed into clean clothes, then sat on the bed and waited quietly—for the banquet to end, and for Feng Yanshan to come and demand an explanation.

A few hours later, the grand birthday party ended. Bai Yunsheng lifted his chin as footsteps approached from afar. The door was roughly thrown open, and Feng Yanshan's tall figure blocked the light, casting a dark outline around himself.

"Look at the mess you've made!"

"You've made me lose all face!"

Bai Yunsheng was no stranger to these lines. They had been said over and over again, both before and after his death.

Facing Feng Yanshan's disgusted tone, Bai Yunsheng stood up. "I nearly died, Father."

The words Feng Yanshan had been about to say were cut off by that "Father." Bai Yunsheng had never called him that before. This was the first time he had addressed him so formally, but Feng Yanshan's surprise lasted only a second. "What did you say?"

Bai Yunsheng said, "They're the ones who should be ashamed."

"Father, what did they tell you? What did Second Brother tell you?"

"How can this be blamed on the Feng Household? He was the one who held me underwater and wouldn't let me come up. If I hadn't had a knife on me, I might have drowned. He did something like that in someone else's home, and he still had the nerve to complain? Don't tell me he put all the blame on the Feng Household." After speaking, Bai Yunsheng deliberately brought up Feng Tingfan. "Second Brother knows. He was there the entire time."

With just a few words, he greatly softened what had originally been the Feng Household's fault.

Bai Yunsheng's stream of words put a brief look of confusion on Feng Yanshan's face, and Feng Tingfan's words flashed through his mind.

"Dad! How could Bai Yunsheng do something like that at the birthday banquet? He's completely disgracing the Feng Household."

"If word gets out, people will definitely think the Feng Household has poor discipline."

Feng Yanshan stopped reminiscing. He frowned and said to Bai Yunsheng, "Tell me exactly what happened."

Bai Yunsheng downplayed what Feng Tingfan had done and focused on how he had nearly drowned. "Father, there are cameras by the swimming pool. We'll know once we check them."

Feng Yanshan tipped his chin toward the person beside him, and that person immediately left.

Feng Yanshan said, "Come with me to the hall." His tone had improved considerably, though it still carried dissatisfaction.

Bai Yunsheng gave a quiet acknowledgment and followed respectfully behind Feng Yanshan.

There were quite a few people in the hall.

The injured person was not there, likely having been taken to the hospital. Besides the Feng family, there were two adults in the living room. If Bai Yunsheng had guessed correctly, they were that person's parents. When they saw Feng Yanshan, their expressions shifted slightly, but they were wary of the Feng Household and did not show any displeasure.

"Chairman Feng," the man said.

Feng Yanshan nodded in acknowledgment.

The woman's eyes brimmed with tears. "It's normal for children to roughhouse, but..." She did not finish, leaving the meaning clear.

Feng Yanshan turned and sat on the sofa. He picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip. "Yunsheng has always been timid. There must be a reason he suddenly did something like this. I've already sent someone to retrieve the surveillance footage by the swimming pool. We'll discuss this once we see the recording."

The woman froze, instinctively glancing toward her husband. He gently shook his head at her before speaking. "Chairman Feng is right. Let's look at the footage first."

Feng Tingfan, seated to the side, glanced at Feng Yanshan, his eyes full of confusion.

What was going on? He had been furious when he went to find Bai Yunsheng. Why had he changed after coming back?

Feng Tingfan said, "Dad! Why do we need to check any footage? Bai Yunsheng—"

Before he could finish, Feng Yanshan cut him off with a rebuke. "Shut up! Instead of staying in the front hall during your birthday party, why did you take a group of friends to the backyard?"

Feng Tingfan's expression changed. He wanted to say more, but Jiang Li tugged at him from beside him.

A few minutes later, the person sent to retrieve the footage returned. Since the video was too long, only one segment had been selected. As expected of Feng Yanshan's man, he was clever. The recording did not show Feng Tingfan throwing away the necklace, nor did it show Bai Yunsheng jumping into the water. It only showed the other person pressing Bai Yunsheng's head underwater, followed by everything that happened afterward.

The footage was clear, and so was the cause of it all.

Bai Yunsheng had acted only in self-defense.

The man and woman's faces went pale. They feared the Feng Household, but they were people of standing themselves. They could not simply ignore what had happened to their child. Yet after watching the footage, neither of them had anything to say.

Feng Yanshan curled his lips in satisfaction. As long as the Feng Household had not started it, everything was negotiable. "You should pay closer attention to your child's upbringing. If Yunsheng hadn't reacted quickly..." Feng Yanshan mimicked the way the woman had spoken earlier and left the sentence unfinished, stopping at a point that invited imagination.

The woman said, "Then... then why was Young Master Bai in the swimming pool in the first place?"

Bai Yunsheng said, "The ground was too slippery. I accidentally fell in."

The woman said, "B-but, no matter what... he still shouldn't have..."

Bai Yunsheng smiled politely. "Ma'am, if I hadn't done that, I might not have been able to get back up. Your son is very strong."

Bai Yunsheng's words left the woman speechless.

A farce had been neatly brought to an end, and the Feng Household had washed its hands of the matter entirely.

Even though there were many holes in the story—such as why Second Young Master Feng Tingfan had not spoken up, or why Bai Yunsheng had carried a knife—who cared? Since it was not entirely the Feng Household's fault, that person's parents did not have the courage to pursue the matter further.

After seeing the couple off, Feng Yanshan's previously calm face once again took on an unchallengeable authority.

"Yunsheng, come here."

Bai Yunsheng understood and walked over.

Feng Yanshan said, "You handled things well today. But no matter what, you should not have caused such trouble on your brother's birthday, much less clashed with your second brother. You could have resolved it in a gentler way instead of making it bloody."

"There must be an explanation." After saying that, he waved his hand. "Take the young master to the basement."

As Bai Yunsheng was taken downstairs, he passed Feng Zhiyou. As he had countless times before, Feng Zhiyou remained expressionless and indifferent, as though it had nothing to do with him. Feng Tingfan, seated nearby, wore a smug expression. His lips moved with a smile as he silently said goodbye to Bai Yunsheng.

Bai Yunsheng had long expected this outcome.

For one thing, Bai Yunsheng had indeed gone a little too far. For another, Feng Yanshan needed to placate Feng Tingfan.

Compared with Bai Yunsheng, who had always been lifeless and useless, Feng Tingfan, the capable second son with good grades, was much more to Feng Yanshan's liking.

So no matter what, after scolding his second son, he could not let Bai Yunsheng leave without consequence.

Feng Yanshan had always known.

Feng Tingfan hated Bai Yunsheng.