Second Master Bo

"Husband!"

Zhou Ru cried out.

When Ji Chuxing noticed the commotion behind her, she sidestepped and had already dodged it. The steel pellet from the toy gun naturally missed her and struck Wen Huaming instead.

And the young man who happened to be coming in from outside.

The sound of shattering glass had come from the teacup in his hand.

When the cup broke, tea leaves and tea splashed all over the floor.

The pellet struck Wen Huaming's arm, and his face turned as black as iron.

Ji Chuxing paid no attention to his expression. Her gaze rested on the man.

Mm, he's so handsome.

The man sat in a wheelchair, dressed in a gentle, scholarly Tang suit, with a string of Buddhist beads around his left wrist. He looked graceful and refined, with upturned phoenix eyes and rosy red lips.

But Ji Chuxing knew there was an icy chill in the depths of his eyes.

Even seated in a wheelchair, he had a bearing no one could look down upon.

One glance was enough for her to see that he was in poor health. Extremely poor health.

But he was too handsome to resist, and Ji Chuxing couldn't help taking a few more looks.

Wen Huaming gnashed his teeth. "Wen Liyang!"

Ignoring the pain in his arm, he turned to the man beside him with a respectful expression. "Second Master, are you all right? The child was being naughty. He didn't frighten you, did he?"

He had gone to great lengths to invite Bo Yanchen to his home today. This visit was sure to secure cooperation between the Wen Family and the North City Bo Family. If anything went wrong, the loss would be more than the Wen Family could make up for even with another ten years of hard work in South City!

"Wen Liyang, get down here and apologize!"

As far as Wen Liyang could remember, this was the first time Wen Huaming had spoken to him so harshly. He was startled, and he hadn't expected to miss Ji Chuxing and hit his own father and a guest instead, either.

But the Wen Family could walk sideways through South City, and it was only a guest's teacup. The Wen Family had so much money-surely they could afford to pay for it?

Besides, Wen Huaming could never bear to hit him.

At once, he felt confident again. "It was her!"

He pointed at Ji Chuxing. "It's all her fault! If she hadn't dodged, I wouldn't have hit Dad and someone else!"

"Besides, it's just a cup. It's not like our family can't afford to pay for it!"

He raised his chin arrogantly. "Hey, how much was your cup? I'll pay you twice what it cost!"

Ji Chuxing stopped trying to leave. Standing leisurely on the stairs, she watched to see how the Wen Family would clean up this mess.

Judging by Wen Huaming's attitude toward the man, it was clear he was someone the Wen Family couldn't afford to offend.

But...

Who was Second Master?

Truthfully, everything she knew about the people around her came from the original owner, who hadn't known much herself.

Wen Huaming was so angry that his face looked as though it had been dyed with ink. "Get down here!"

Zhou Ru also came to her senses. Seeing Wen Huaming's attitude, she frowned and said politely, "Husband, Xiaoyang didn't mean to do it. And really, Xiaoxing, your brother was only playing with you. What were you thinking? Now you've offended our guest. Hurry and apologize to him."

As soon as she finished speaking, the man in the wheelchair gave a soft chuckle.

His smile lent his face a dazzling splendor that made it even harder to look away.

Ji Chuxing, a veteran sucker for good looks, couldn't help stealing another glance. Wow, he's even more handsome!

Bo Yanchen naturally noticed the young girl's gaze.

He glanced over. The girl was looking at him openly, without the slightest embarrassment.

Ji Chuxing: As long as I'm not embarrassed, someone else will be!

Bo Yanchen raised his eyebrows in surprise. The girl was quite bold.

Bo Yanchen said nothing, but the man standing behind him and pushing his wheelchair gave a contemptuous laugh and shot Zhou Ru a cold look.

"A child? Playing around?"

"Do you know this teacup? Our Second Master bought it at an auction a while ago. It was from the first batch of high-end wares made for the royal family of Country Y four hundred years ago, and it's the only one left in the world. It only cost two hundred million. Of course the Wen Family can afford to pay for it."

Zhou Ru's expression changed drastically. What kind of teacup cost two hundred million?! How had she never heard of it?!

Wen Liyang also realized he had gotten into trouble and was so frightened he didn't dare move.

Wen Huaming had even less expected a little glass teacup to have such a history.

But on second thought, it wasn't impossible. The Bo Family was one of North City's most prestigious families, so naturally everything this master used was of the finest quality.

The Wen Family might be wealthy, but they couldn't afford to squander money like that.

Only Ji Chuxing was utterly speechless for a moment.

Two hundred million...

Isn't that a glass teacup that costs twenty yuan at the supermarket?

Two yuan apiece at a country wholesale market, thank you.

"Second Master..." Wen Huaming could barely find his voice.

Bo Yanchen's gaze lingered on the girl for a moment, seemingly by chance, before he gave a laugh.

"Wen... young master, what fine manners you have."

His voice was low and mellow, with a trace of careless indifference.

Wen Huaming's expression changed.

Then Fang He, standing behind Bo Yanchen, said coldly, "Your young master was clearly the one who hit my master's cup. What does it have to do with this girl? You Wen Family people are certainly strange."

Wen Huaming's face changed drastically, and he barked at Wen Liyang, "Get down here and apologize!"

Wen Liyang didn't dare disobey. He came downstairs trembling. "S-sorry..."

The farce was over, and Ji Chuxing had no interest in staying. With her schoolbag on her back, she walked out without looking back.

Mm, that beautiful man helped me out.

Zhou Ru realized their visitor was no ordinary person and immediately fell silent.

Bo Yanchen's thin lips curved slightly as he gave Wen Liyang an indifferent glance.

Although he was smiling, Wen Liyang was still afraid. His two chubby legs trembled nonstop.

Bo Yanchen said, "He's only a child. Naturally, I won't hold it against him."

Wen Huaming breathed a sigh of relief and was about to invite Bo Yanchen to the study to talk when Bo Yanchen said lightly, "But judging by the young master's tone, the Wen Family must have considerable assets and look down on an invalid like me. There's no need to cooperate with the Bo Family. Fang He, let's go."

"Yes, Master."

Wen Huaming's expression changed drastically, and he hurried to stop Bo Yanchen from leaving.

But no one had ever been able to change Bo Yanchen's mind once he made a decision. Besides, Wen Huaming didn't dare offend the Bo Family, so he could only watch helplessly as Bo Yanchen left.

This went beyond merely refusing to cooperate with the Wen Family. He feared things would be made difficult for them in the future, too.

Back inside, he slapped Wen Liyang across the face.

A clear handprint immediately appeared on Wen Liyang's plump cheek.

He was stunned by the blow. It took him a while to come to his senses, and then he burst into tears.

"Dad, you hit me!"

"He's just a cripple, and there's that mute too! You actually hit me, boo-hoo-hoo..."

This was the first time Wen Huaming had ever hit Wen Liyang.

Hearing Wen Liyang call Bo Yanchen a cripple, Wen Huaming angrily raised his hand to slap him again!

Wen Xinyue had just returned from outside and happened to see the scene. She was stunned too, and hurried over to stop Wen Huaming. "Dad!"

Zhou Ru was also badly startled. She hurried over and gathered her son into her arms. "Husband, Xiaoyang is only a child!"

Wen Huaming's chest heaved with anger. "A child? Look what you've turned him into! Do you know who that man was? He's Second Master Bo of North City!"

"Isn't he just North City's Bo..."

Zhou Ru was about to argue, but then she realized.

The North City Bo Family was a top-tier wealthy family with over a century of history behind it. No one could compare.

Of the many wealthy families in North City, any one of them, taken on its own, was a force no one in Hua Country dared act rashly against.

The Bo Family even more so. They were people she could only look up to; she didn't even dare dream of meeting them.

And Bo Yanchen was the most special member of the Bo Family. It was said that because he had been frail from birth, afflicted with an illness he had brought from his mother's womb, Old Master Bo doted on him, even more than on his own son.

In all of North City and the Bo Family, he alone was worthy of being called "Master."

Unfortunately, his illness had grown severe last year, leaving him in a wheelchair. He was said to have come to South City to recuperate only a while ago.

Even ten thousand Wen Families couldn't compare. In all of Hua Country, if the Bo Family called itself second, no other wealthy family would dare call itself third and rank behind it.

Wen Huaming was beside himself with distress. "I went to such lengths to invite him here, and we were on the verge of a possible partnership, but look what you've done! Do you know that if we could cooperate with the Bo Family, the Wen Family's standing would rise with the tide? No one in South City could compare to us!"

Zhou Ru didn't dare say a word. "But... but Xiaoyang is still a child!"

"Besides... besides, isn't Second Master Bo said to be in poor health and unlikely to live past thirty? He... lost both parents when he was young, and Old Master Bo only dotes on him because he's in poor health. He doesn't get involved in the Bo Family's businesses at all and has no say."

It was common knowledge that Second Master Bo was deeply favored by Old Master Bo, the current head of the family. Though he was handsome, he had been in poor health since birth, and doctors said he wouldn't live past thirty.

Even Shangguan Xu, Hua Country's foremost miracle doctor, had treated him for more than twenty years without finding a solution.

Wen Huaming sneered. "He's still Old Master Bo's favorite grandson. With a single word from him, the Wen Family will never have another chance to cooperate with the Bo Family!"

Still unable to quell his anger, Wen Huaming gave his ill-behaved son a cold look. "Butler, lock the young master in the study and make him reflect on what he's done. No dinner for him tonight!"

"Dad!"

Wen Liyang shouted and screamed, but in the end, he was locked in the study.

Zhou Ru didn't dare defy Wen Huaming in the Wen household and couldn't help shedding tears.

Wen Xinyue had only just returned and still didn't understand what had happened. She hurried to comfort Zhou Ru. "Don't be upset, Mom. Dad's just angry right now. He'll calm down soon, and I'll talk to him. My brother is still a child. Dad won't really punish him; he's only trying to scare him."

Zhou Ru wiped her tears. "Good girl, you're the sensible one. You must talk your father around. He listens to you most of all."

Wen Xinyue obediently agreed. "Don't worry, Mom, I will. But how did my brother make Dad angry?"

Zhou Ru told Wen Xinyue what had happened, then said resentfully, "If it weren't for Xiaoxing, things wouldn't have come to this! Why is she so thoughtless? Ever since she came back, bad things have kept happening in this house. If she were half as kind and sensible as you, I wouldn't have so much to worry about."

Wen Xinyue comforted her. "My sister is just used to living in the countryside and can't change her ways all at once. She probably didn't do it on purpose."

"What do you mean, she didn't do it on purpose?" Remembering Ji Chuxing's strange behavior that day, Zhou Ru felt a fresh surge of anger. "I think she did it deliberately, just to make my life difficult. She doesn't respect me as her mother at all."

Wen Xinyue asked, "Where's my sister? Where did she go?"

"Hmph! She went out. Let's see where she can go. She has no ability, but quite a temper. Mrs. Wen, shut the front gate. If that girl won't properly reflect on her behavior, there's no need to let her back in. She might as well go on living in the countryside!"

Wen Xinyue started to speak but stopped. Seeing how angry Zhou Ru was, she said no more. After offering a few gentle words of comfort, she went upstairs to find Wen Huaming.