Father Song grabbed Song Shi'an, who was trying to climb back into the car, saying, "What nonsense are you talking about, child? Hurry up and go, it won't be good if we're late when the banquet starts."
Song Shi'an was dragged forward, his whole being exuding a faint sense of death.
He followed behind Father Song. and Mother Song for a long time before reaching the backyard. Looking at the yard full of unfamiliar people, he could only keep smiling and remain silent.
Fu Shiya was so excited that she almost stood up, but her mother glared at her, and Fu Shiya plopped back down, obediently keeping her head down.
Wearing a cheongsam Mother Song walked up to the old lady sitting in the center, bent down, and handed her the gift. "Mom, happy birthday, this is a gift for you."
Old Madam Fu didn't even lift her eyelids, slowly taking a sip of tea. "After all these years, it's not easy for you to still remember that you have a mother like me."
The smile on Mother Song's face faded slightly, "I'm back to wish you a happy birthday. If you're not pleased with me, just leave after you've given me your gift. I won't stay any longer."
Old Madam Fu slammed her teacup down on the table, making a crisp sound, "You think we, the Fu family, can't afford to entertain you? Please, make yourself at home."
Song Shi'an watched this scene from the side. This Old Madam Fu looked like she was not to be trifled with at all. She had the air of a matriarch in a period drama. The air pressure within three meters of her seemed to drop two degrees just by her sitting there.
He was about to sit down next to Mother Song when Old Madam Fu's voice rang out again. "Since you're here, aren't you going to give me the gift?"
Song Shi'an then realized that this was a ploy to get to him.
She quickly went over and handed over the box, carefully considering her words before saying, "Grandmother, happy birthday."
Everyone held their breath, expecting a cold reception, but to their surprise, Old Madam Fu reached out and took the box, her expression softening slightly. "Thank you for Shi'an thoughtfulness. Shi'an, right? It's your first time here, and your grandmother doesn't have much to give you. Take a look over there and see what you like, just pick one as a gift."
Song Shi'an turned his head and saw that the table next to him was full of jade and porcelain. Although he couldn't understand them, anyone with eyes could tell that these things must be very valuable.
He quickly calculated in his mind: why not take it? It would be disrespectful to refuse, so he might as well accept it all. He could even buy Mother Song a new set of jewelry later.
"Thank you, Grandmother." He accepted the gift readily.
Old Madam Fu nodded slightly. "Go ahead, sit at the same table with the younger generation. Young people have more in common to talk about."
Fu Shiya quickly waved and called out in a low voice, "Over here, over here!"
Song Shi'an then sat down next to her.
Fu Shiya used serving chopsticks to pick up a piece of food and put it in his bowl. "Cousin, this is delicious! You should try it, it's a local specialty!"
Song Shi'an smiled and said, "Thank you."
Fu Shiya's eyes crinkled into crescents with delight. "No need to thank me, no need to thank me, we've met before!"
Song Shi'an looked puzzled. Could it be from his childhood? But he didn't seem to remember this person.
Fu Shiya quickly pulled out her phone and opened her photo album. "Hey! When you were filming your movie, I was an extra on stage!"
Song Shi'an leaned over to take a look, and the screen showed a screenshot of the audience from the scene where he was filming figure skating at the ice rink.
A group of people were screaming in the stands, and Fu Shiya was among them. Next to her sat a girl covering her face. What a small world! How could I run into someone like this!
The meal was incredibly oppressive. Song Shi'an felt that the atmosphere in the house was strange; everyone spoke with veiled meaning, and even the way they picked up food was meticulous.
He was full of questions but didn't want to ask them on the spot, so he could only silently bury his head in his food.
Only after the banquet ended and they were out of the adults' sight did the group of younger relatives, who had been holding back their emotions the entire time at the dinner table, swarm around them. " Shi'an! I can't believe it really was you! I was so nervous holding back at the dinner table!"
Song Shi'an couldn't tell who was who, so he could only nod with a smile and say, "Hello."
"It's normal that we haven't met; we're distant relatives," the man patted him on the shoulder. "If it weren't for this birthday party, we wouldn't even have met."
Fu Shiya squeezed in and said, "Cousin, don't mind it. Our family has a lot of rules, and we don't allow younger generations to enter the entertainment industry. You're the first one, so it's normal for everyone to be excited."
After a short while of chatter, a middle-aged woman in a cheongsam approached and said, "Young Master Song, Old Madam Fu requests your presence."
The way she addressed him made Song Shi'an's scalp tingle. He followed the woman in the cheongsam through several corridors to the front hall, where he saw Mother Song already sitting. He quickly went over and stood beside her.
Seeing that everyone was present, Old Madam Fu picked up her teacup and took a leisurely sip. "Now that everyone's here, let's resolve this matter."
Fu Yunxian leaned back in his chair, his tone filled with undisguised disdain. "You've been away for so many years, and you're only coming back for that little bit of money."
Old Madam Fu slammed her hand on the table. "You good-for-nothing! If you yell again, get out!"
Fu Yunxian immediately shut up, but his expression clearly showed his dissatisfaction.
Old Madam Fu gave a wink to the side, and a middle-aged man in a dark suit stepped forward and opened his briefcase. "Hello, I am the executor of Old Mr. Fu's will, and these two are witnesses."
Over the next five hours, Song Shi'an witnessed firsthand what a wealthy and powerful family truly meant.
The will took nearly an hour to read, involving twenty-seven people, with a complex web of clauses covering trust funds, equity distribution, and real estate inheritance, leaving his head buzzing.
In the will, Fu Yunxian received 20% of the estate, Mother Song Fu Jinghui also received 20% of the estate, while he, Song Shi'an, was surprisingly given 20 billion.
No wonder the system said the rewards would be distributed in a fair manner; this was what was waiting for him all along.
The moment I signed my name, a familiar notification sound suddenly echoed in my mind.
[Congratulations, host, you have received a reward! Mission complete!]
Song Shi'an walked out of the mansion gate, glanced back at the endless garden behind him, and remained silent for a long time before finally managing to utter a sentence: "This world is truly fucking amazing..."
[System unbinding in progress, host, goodbye.]
Standing in the night breeze, Song Shi'an suddenly chuckled, "Thank you for your company this past year, Brother System. Goodbye."
He stood there for a while, enjoying the breeze, then suddenly slapped his thigh. "Damn it! I didn't use up Affection Points! What a waste!! Brother System! Come back here again!!"
The mountains and forests were deserted, with only the sound of the wind answering him.
Sitting in the car, Mother Song watched him break down, clutching his hair. Thinking he was overreacting, she patted his back and said, "Don't get too worked up, son. I didn't expect you to suddenly act like this after just one visit."
Song Shi'an rested his head against the car window, his forehead pressed against the cool glass. "It's okay, Mom, I'm fine."