An argument

The air-conditioning in the café was wonderfully cool. Shi Yuan swiped through the balance displayed on his phone a couple of times, but still couldn't resist buying a dessert and an iced coffee with milk and sugar. He happily found a seat to enjoy them at his leisure.

A simple slice of Basque cheesecake garnished with two lemon leaves had cost him as much as a pair of shorts.

He couldn't help it. He had a sweet tooth.

Before picking up his fork, Shi Yuan picked up his phone and sent You Gui a photo of the dessert, then eagerly prepared to dig in.

But as he watched the screen about to go dark, some impulse made him scroll down, find his chat with Wei Zelin, and send him the picture too.

You Gui didn't reply. She was probably busy.

"Ding."

"Their coffee's good, but the desserts are average. The bubble tea shop one street over has good desserts, and they're cheap."

Not only had Wei Zelin replied instantly, he had even recommended a shop! Unbelievable.

Shi Yuan was stunned.

Maybe he wasn't busy? Shi Yuan had just seen him returning from outside.

Or was Wei Zexuan deliberately keeping him from working, afraid he would develop his skills and steal the spotlight?

Shi Yuan's thoughts wandered further and further...

He almost forgot to reply to the big shot!

"Brother Lin, once I pass my interview, I'll treat you. You can take me there."

"Sure. I get off work in fifty minutes. I'll come find you then."

"Okay, okay." good-boy.jpg

With only ten minutes left, Shi Yuan left the cool café.

He and Wei Zelin weren't particularly close, after all, and he felt bad taking up any more of his time.

It was the hottest stretch of the year, and even at five in the afternoon, the heat hadn't let up.

Shi Yuan sheltered in the shadow of a roadside billboard. The handsome male celebrity on it held the Wei Corporation's flagship summer drink in one hand, while the other lifted his shirt partway, offering a tantalizing glimpse of his abs.

Shi Yuan couldn't take his eyes off him.

"Get in."

Wei Zelin didn't honk. He pulled up beside him and called out softly.

Shi Yuan tore his eyes away from the celebrity's abs, jogged over, and hesitated for less than three seconds before opening the passenger door.

They weren't quite strangers, but they weren't exactly close either. Sitting in the back seemed a little rude.

Wei Zelin shifted into gear and pulled away, his gaze flicking briefly toward the billboard behind them.

The Shi Family lived in a villa district in the western part of the city. The original owner had lived there for so long that his memories were deeply ingrained, giving Shi Yuan a subtle sense of both familiarity and strangeness.

This was another wealthy neighborhood, inhabited by prominent figures in Capital City. While it couldn't compare to the Wei Family's deep roots and estate occupying half a mountain, it was still far beyond what ordinary people could afford.

The gate guard recognized Shi Yuan, but his demeanor had changed so much that the man took several extra looks, unsure of himself.

Shi Yuan rolled up the window without looking aside, unwilling to give anything else away.

Their return was met with a grand welcome from the entire Shi household.

From Shi's Father and his stepmother to the butler, cleaners, and gardener, everyone was waiting at the entrance.

Shi Yuan could only feel troubled. It seemed there really was more to this invitation home.

"You must be exhausted after working all day, Zelin. Go wash your hands. Dinner will be ready soon."

The minor actress assumed the air of the lady of the house. She had taken good care of herself, and with her entertainment-industry background, her looks were naturally beyond reproach. Though she was in her forties, she looked barely over thirty.

She lowered her eyes and smiled as she spoke, her voice soft and gentle. No wonder she had Shi's Father wrapped around her finger.

Shi Yuan had now seen it for himself.

The minor actress had enjoyed a brief spell of fame in her earlier years, but with so many stars competing in those days, she had never managed to secure any decent opportunities. Later, she had attached herself to Shi's Father over drinks, determined to become a wealthy man's wife. Protecting that title left her even less energy to pursue a career in the industry.

Her health had been poor when she was younger, and it had taken several years of treatment before she and Shi's Father had a daughter.

"Shi Yuan" had always been a disappointment, and his relationship with his father was terrible. Shi's Father was healthy, had little interest in chasing women, and kept no messy assortment of mistresses. Apart from the company's recent crisis, her life over the years had been very comfortable.

But those days of wealth and luxury were visibly drawing to an end...

"Sorry for the trouble, Auntie."

Wei Zelin bowed slightly to her, then exchanged pleasantries with Shi's Father. "Uncle Hua, this visit was rather rushed, so I didn't have time to bring you anything. I hope you won't mind."

Shi Guohua looked down on him, but he was a seasoned businessman and wouldn't let his displeasure show.

He replied with a genial smile, "Oh, we're all family. There's no need for those formalities."

Shi Yuan pulled Wei Zelin down onto the sofa and said bluntly, "Even if we'd bought you a gift, you probably wouldn't have liked it, so we didn't bother. Wei Zelin makes five thousand a month. He can't even afford the slippers in your house."

Wei Zelin sat beside him, quietly listening. He showed no surprise at the young man's unfamiliar way of speaking, as though Shi Yuan had always been like this.

Shi Yuan, who had been nervously watching his reaction, quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Shi's Father was so irritated by those blunt words that the corner of his mouth twitched. He frowned as he examined Shi Yuan's clothes.

"What on earth are you wearing?"

Shi Yuan tugged at his fraying shorts, and a couple of loose threads fell from each leg.

"Shorts? I bought them at the night market. Eighty for two pairs."

He said it casually, but the minor actress stared at the shorts in shock.

Could something that cost a few dozen yuan even be worn?

Shi's Father assumed he was deliberately trying to anger him. Just as he was about to explode, Shi Yuan shoved his WeChat balance in front of his face.

"You sold my apartment and my car a while ago. Don't tell me you've lost your memory."

Shi's Father frowned. "Didn't I transfer you money afterward?"

"There wasn't a cent left in my bank accounts, so I'd already closed them all. Where exactly did you send it?" Shi Yuan rolled his eyes, then did it again right in his father's face in case he had missed it.

Shi's Father gave the minor actress a displeased look.

She wouldn't stoop to withholding Shi Yuan's paltry allowance, but he wasn't her child, after all. Her thoughts were occupied with her daughter studying abroad, and miscellaneous chores like sending Shi Yuan money were left to an assistant.

The couple's dismissive attitude naturally rubbed off on their employees. The first time the assistant tried the transfer and found that the account no longer existed, they mentioned it. After receiving no instructions, they simply stopped bringing it up.

"Why didn't you tell Dad you had no money? You can take my card later."

He was still on her side in the end. Seeing her anxious expression, Shi Guohua refrained from embarrassing her in front of the younger generation, despite his displeasure.

The minor actress hurriedly changed the subject. "Dinner's all laid out. Let's sit down."

For the first time since arriving in this world, Shi Yuan had a proper dinner in a wealthy household. Naturally, everything tasted good.

His table manners were merely average, nothing like those of people accustomed to high society.

Unlike the affected minor actress, he was simply there to eat, and he didn't stand on ceremony.

"This beef is really good. You should try some too."

As he ate, he even recommended dishes to Wei Zelin.

Wei Zelin said nothing and obediently picked up a piece of beef.

In Shi's Father's eyes, he was nothing but a spineless coward who couldn't think for himself.

After dinner, everyone moved to the living room. One housekeeper remained to clear the dishes, while the other servants had tactfully withdrawn.

Shi Yuan's heart tightened. Here it comes.

He was young and lacked experience, and his nervousness unwittingly showed on his face.

Shi's Father felt somewhat unsettled. His son had been a little bastard before, but he had still shown some affection for his father. Now, after only a few months of marriage, he seemed distant.

People were complicated like that. Shi's Father could neglect his son for months without contacting him, but if Shi Yuan truly ignored him, he would blame him for not caring about his parents.

"Xiao Kui, go upstairs and bring down the safe."

The safe was heavy, so the minor actress sent two servants upstairs to carry it.

Their faces reddened with exertion as they set the safe on the rosewood coffee table as gently as possible.

Shi Guohua opened it, took out its contents one by one, and placed them before Shi Yuan.

"Your mother left all of these to you." His expression was melancholy.

"Some aren't worth much, but they were all her favorites." Nostalgia colored Shi Guohua's words. Their families had been of similar standing, and they had practically grown up together. Perhaps he still held some genuine affection for his first wife.

The minor actress felt a pang of bitterness as she listened, but she was accustomed to hiding her feelings before Shi Guohua. Only her eyes betrayed a little resentment.

No amount of pleasing this man would make a difference. They had both been Mrs. Shi, yet she could never compare to her predecessor. Did they think she couldn't see the contempt the old Shi Yuan and the household butler had shown her?

Only money would never let her down. Even if the Shi Family fell, as long as she had money, she and her daughter could live comfortably anywhere.

The tenderness on Shi Guohua's face didn't move Shi Yuan in the slightest. This old man was trying to soften him up right in front of his new wife. There was little sincerity in it; mostly, he wanted to use him.

He picked up a small, exquisite velvet box, slid open the clasp, and lifted the lid. Inside was a ring set with a pink diamond. The stone wasn't large, but pink diamonds were rare, and this one was naturally formed. It was worth at least seven figures.

"Then I'll take these." Shi Yuan closed the box.

Shi's Father pressed his hand firmly over it and said earnestly, "Yuan, I know you still blame me, but you don't know what's happening with our company..."

Shi Yuan could only follow his lead and ask, "What happened to the company? Didn't the Wei Corporation lend you some money to tide you over?"

Shi Guohua clenched his teeth. That money was precisely the problem.

"They called it a loan at the time, but it went through the Wei Corporation Group's legal affairs account. Now they insist it was a capital investment, and Wei Zexuan has also acquired quite a few minority holdings."

The Shi Family hadn't originally had many shares scattered outside; most were held by a few major shareholders. But after the crisis struck, Wei Zexuan had used threats and inducements to quietly break up their holdings. By the time Shi Guohua realized it, it was already too late.

The marriage alliance with the Wei Family had lulled him into complacency, causing him to make this irreversible mistake.

The Shi Family had begun accumulating wealth in his grandfather's generation. Unfortunately, Shi's Father was focused solely on preserving what he had and could no longer keep pace with the times.

Business was a battlefield. If you didn't attack others, someone would naturally come and attack you.

Plenty of people had their eyes on the juicy prize that was the Shi Family. Once the Wei Family made a move, other families with interests at stake would naturally rush in to tear off a few mouthfuls too.

Shi Guohua's eyes reddened with hatred. He was only fifty-one, younger even than Father Wei. The Shi Family couldn't be destroyed in his hands.

Wei Zexuan was coming at him relentlessly. Going to confront him would only invite humiliation.

Shi Guohua had stayed up thinking all night and could only pin his hopes on this couple, hoping one of them might have some influence in the Wei Family.

But that clearly wasn't a good idea.

Shi Yuan refused bluntly, without a moment's hesitation. "Last time, I only annoyed Wei Zexuan a little, and he sent people to beat me brutally. My injuries still haven't healed. Why would he let our family off for my sake?"

"How do you know it won't work if you don't try? If you won't do it, let Zelin go! He's a member of the Wei Family. Forget Wei Zexuan and go straight to Father Wei. Tell him to rein in that rabid dog of a son!"

Shi Guohua panted heavily, glaring at Shi Yuan as he threatened him.

"Shi Yuan, listen to me. The Shi Family isn't mine alone. If things truly become irreparable, I'll immediately move my assets overseas, and you won't get a single cent!"

Shi Yuan sighed and punctured his delusions. "You realize these are just your dying struggles, right? You know perfectly well what position Wei Zelin holds in the Wei Family. Given that I was married off to him, what do you think I amount to there?"

"Do you really think Father Wei knows nothing about such a major move by Wei Zexuan? Sending the two of us to mediate is pure fantasy."

Shi's Father was beside himself with fury. Rage burned endlessly inside him like a fire, desperate for an outlet. Unable to maintain his friendly facade any longer, he shoved the heavy safe onto the floor with a dull crash, dragging the expensive gemstone jewelry off the table with it.

The minor actress was so frightened that she sprang up from the sofa and stumbled back several steps.

The tenderness this man had shown when speaking of his late wife now seemed like a joke.

Shi Yuan's lips curled mockingly. Fortunately, he wasn't Shi Guohua's real son, so he felt no emotional burden.

He bent down and picked up the ring he had opened earlier.

He told his furious father, "I'm taking this. Look after yourself."

It was the first and last piece of advice he would give his father as a son.