A blessing in disguise

Both Xie brothers were at the hospital that day.

The Xie Family's lawyer had already explained the full circumstances of Xie Zhiyan's assault to the family.

"The case against Cui Zhao is moving very quickly. Someone must be pulling strings behind the scenes."

The lawyer glanced at Xie Zhiwei and asked, "Mr. Xie, I saw someone from the Bo Group's legal department there. What do you think?"

"Bo Lin?"

"Yes."

Xie Zhitan's eyes flickered. "I have heard that Bo Lin is the owner behind Fragrant Flavor House."

But the scene he had witnessed at the birthday banquet resurfaced in his mind.

What exactly was the relationship between Bo Lin and Hua Jian?

"If that's the case, we'll have to thank Bo Lin properly sometime."

Xie Zhiwei rubbed between his brows. "Lawyer Tang, go ahead and get back to work. Tell the Police Station that the Xie Family will cooperate fully with everything."

"Yes, Mr. Xie. I'll head over now."

After the lawyer left, Xie Zhitan turned to him. "Big Brother, Hua Jian doesn't know about Cui Zhao's background. Why don't we assign him a driver starting today, to pick him up after school and bring him home to stay? That would be safer."

Xie Zhiwei's hand paused. "You were at the hospital yesterday, so you might not know. Who knows what got into her this time, but she called Hua Jian and told him not to come back to the Xie Family home anymore."

He had named no names, but Xie Zhitan understood at once.

He shot to his feet, his face livid. "That woman is getting more unreasonable by the day!"

Xie Zhiwei said slowly, "Zhitan, she's our elder!"

"Look what she's done to a perfectly good kid! He's six foot three, yet he spends all day hunched over, shrinking into himself. He finally starts coming out of his shell, and what does she do? Either hits him or throws him out!"

Xie Zhitan had watched Hua Jian and Xie Zhiyan grow up.

With Xie Zhiyan constantly bouncing off the walls, Hua Jian had seemed all the more obedient and timid.

That had gradually stirred his sympathy for this younger brother who shared no blood with him.

Otherwise, Xie Zhitan would never have softened enough to tutor that extra mouth to feed who timidly called him Second Brother, even while he was overseas.

Xie Zhitan sneered. "She might not acknowledge her son, but Hua Jian is still my little brother!"

Xie Zhiwei had not expected his younger brother to get so angry. He lifted his eyes and asked, "Since when have you cared so much about him?"

Xie Zhitan countered, "Don't you care, Big Brother?"

If he didn't, would he have gone out of his way to bring this up?

Xie Zhitan soon settled the matter. "All the shares the Xie Family has given Hua Jian over the years are in that woman's hands, and none of the dividends have gone to him either. Big Brother, tell the lawyer to revoke all those ridiculous Shareholding Nominee Agreements!"

Xie Zhiwei chuckled. "All right. Our second brother is better suited to being an older brother than I am."

The Xie Corporation's lawyers acted quickly.

The Shareholding Nominee Agreement Madam Hua and Hua Jian had signed back then had been little more than a formality.

Even the agreement bearing both parties' signatures had been left with the Xie Corporation's legal department, so revoking it was simply a matter of destroying the document.

Madam Hua learned the news from Xie Father that evening.

Her face drained of color. "No! What is Zhiwei thinking? How can Hua Jian have shares in the Xie Family's company? No, I'm going to see him!"

Xie Father was baffled. "Ying Rou, what's gotten into you? Xiao Jian is such a well-behaved, sensible boy. Those shares were my gift to him in the first place, and there aren't even that many. Why won't you let him keep them?"

Seeing how pale Madam Hua looked, he sighed. "You're too harsh on Xiao Jian. The Xie Family isn't an ordinary family. Although he never changed his surname, I've treated him as my own child all these years."

"Besides, none of the three brothers cares about that small stake. You have even less reason to worry about it."

He was calling her petty!

Madam Hua clenched her teeth in anger. Hua Jian already dared to defy her without any shares!

If he got his hands on the Xie Family's shares as well and swayed Xie Zhiwei...

Would she have to spend the rest of her life bowing to Hua Jian's whims?

Xie Father patted Madam Hua's shoulder, his tone turning slightly stern. "And about Zhi Yan-if Xiao Jian hadn't been there, who knows how badly Cui Zhao would have beaten him? It's one thing not to praise the boy, but you even hit him in front of all of us. Honestly!"

Madam Hua had always been gentle and considerate in the Xie household. Apart from her extreme approach to Hua Jian's upbringing, she never lost her temper.

So after a few words, Xie Father let the subject drop.

He liked to play the cultured gentleman. Having handed the company over to his son early on, he was accustomed to a carefree life. After saying so much to Madam Hua today, he immediately felt burdened by worldly, petty concerns.

Soon, Madam Hua was alone in the bedroom. Her expression darkened as she took out her phone to call Hua Jian.

Yet that son of hers, who had always answered as soon as his phone rang...

Left every one of her repeated calls unanswered.

Hua Jian was painting at Bo Lin's Exhibition Hall that evening.

He was putting on the finishing touches when Xie Zhitan arrived.

Xie Zhitan stood behind him, gazing at the artwork on the wall in amazement.

What he heard most often from Madam Hua was that Hua Jian had little talent for painting and relied entirely on hard work.

But from what he saw today, Hua Jian had a real instinct for it.

Hua Jian spotted Xie Zhitan as soon as he climbed down from the ladder.

He was smiling, with no trace of yesterday's gloom on his face.

"Second Brother! Why didn't you call out when you got here? Go wait outside. It's just been renovated, so there's still a smell."

Seeing him like this made Xie Zhitan's heart ache a little. "It's fine. Pack up your things. There's no rush."

"Okay!"

Why does Second Brother sound like he's talking to some fragile little baby? So sappy!

Hearing his thoughts, Xie Zhitan froze for a moment, then laughed despite himself.

"This is for you."

"What is it?"

A bright floodlight had been set up specifically in front of the Exhibition Hall. Hua Jian looked at the brown paper envelope in his hand but did not take it.

"Take it. Your shares."

"Shares?"

Xie Zhitan pushed the envelope into his hands and said casually, "Didn't your Uncle Xie give you shares when you came of age? The Shareholding Nominee Agreement you signed back then was invalid because it didn't comply with the regulations. So now you own the shares."

That twenty-percent stake? Big Brother and Second Brother must have found out Madam Hua kicked me out, and now they're taking pity on me.

Xie Zhitan's heart tightened at those thoughts.

Young people these days had strong pride and cared about saving face. Would Hua Jian feel humiliated and refuse?

Soon, an exaggerated, delighted shriek rang out in the boy's mind: Boo-hoo, absolute saints coming to my rescue in my hour of need! I hereby declare that I love my two big brothers even more than Zhang Fei loved his!

"You..."

"Second Brother! Thank you! You and Big Brother are so good to me!"

Hua Jian's eyes shone with admiration and gratitude behind his glasses, and Xie Zhitan suddenly felt embarrassed.

The old man had stingily handed over this tiny stake, while he, the man's son, had come empty-handed and made such a ceremony of delivering it. How embarrassing.

The refined Imperial University professor flushed red.

He was still considering what he could give Hua Jian to make up for it when he was pulled into an embrace that smelled of paint.

Neither of them noticed a Koenigsegg screeching to a halt by the roadside.

A furious figure suddenly charged toward them.

"Hua Jian, you pretty boy, don't push your luck!"

Before Hua Jian had finished buttering up Xie Zhitan, a powerful tug yanked him away.

"Qin Ci, don't hit him!"

Hua Jian's heart jolted. Before he could think, his body instinctively dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding a punch.

He cursed inwardly: Fuck, how did that rabid dog Qin Ci sniff me out again?