Xi Yu did not leave. He shook off Luo Cheng’an’s hand and sneered.
“Good manners? Jiang Zhongguo personally sent me an invitation. He isn’t here now, and you’re only his grandson. Do you really think you’re qualified to speak to me? Let me ask you about your manners! What kind of hospitality is this?”
“You actually dare to address my grandfather by his name, and claim he personally invited you? A beggar from beneath a flyover dares to make such a connection! Security, throw him out!”
Lu Zhixing stood slightly behind Xi Yu, coldly staring at the security guards.
The security guards naturally recognized that face. For a moment, they did not know what to do and hesitated to move forward.
Luo Shujing sneered.
“Not knowing the height of heaven or the depth of earth.”
He could actually make up such ridiculous nonsense.
The people at the banquet laughed as well.
“I thought he was smart when he helped Luo Cheng’an clear his name just now.”
“A poor man suddenly becoming rich. He’s unbelievably arrogant.”
“Someone raised at the bottom wouldn’t understand Old Master Jiang’s status. And he says the old master personally invited him? Even people at the top have been turned away by Old Master Jiang. Invite him? What a huge joke.”
Upon hearing this, Luo Cheng’an was about to step forward to protect Xi Yu, but Luo Yuan grabbed him.
“Don’t be impulsive.”
Luo Yuan exchanged a glance with Shen Qing.
Their son was not the kind of person who would casually make things up.
Could it be…
Both of them were inwardly shocked.
Suddenly, someone called out, “Old Master Jiang is coming down.”
Jiang Zhongguo came downstairs leaning on his cane. He had been resting earlier when the commotion woke him. After calling someone over to ask what had happened, he learned that someone was causing trouble, claiming that someone from the Luo family wanted to see him and had even said that he had personally sent an invitation.
There was only one person whom he had personally invited…
When he saw Xi Yu, his eyes lit up.
He’s here!
“Xi—” Jiang Zhongguo happily moved as though he were about to rush toward Xi Yu.
Jiang Lin hurried over.
“Grandpa, why did you come down? Someone from the Luo family destroyed your calligraphy and then insulted our Jiang family. They have absolutely no manners or upbringing. I’ve already ordered people to drive them out. You shouldn’t have come down and gotten involved with such bad luck. I—”
Smack!
Jiang Zhongguo slapped Jiang Lin across the face.
“You insolent brat! Shut up!”
………………………
“Grandpa…” Jiang Lin’s head was knocked to the side by the slap. He covered his face in confusion.
But Jiang Zhongguo had no time to bother with him. He hurried to Xi Yu and repeatedly apologized.
“Young Friend Xi, the younger generation doesn’t know any better. Please, don’t be angry.”
Then he turned to Jiang Lin.
“Why are you still standing there? Come over and apologize to Young Friend Xi!”
Seeing the almost ingratiating manner in which Jiang Zhongguo treated Xi Yu, Jiang Lin finally began to feel alarmed.
Grandpa’s invitation had been for Xi Yu!?
Jiang Lin’s face burned with humiliation after being slapped in front of so many people. But he knew how highly his grandfather valued that unlikely friendship.
He did not dare disobey or hesitate. He walked over to Xi Yu and took a deep breath.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were the person my grandfather personally went to invite. I hope, Mr. Xi, that you can forgive me for speaking so disrespectfully.”
As soon as those words were spoken, everyone’s expressions changed.
Luo Shujing’s lips turned purple, and his eyes exploded with immense hatred.
How could this happen!?
Xi Yu actually knew Old Master Jiang!
Wasn’t Xi Yu a beggar from beneath a flyover!?
Xi Yu toyed with the thumb ring and answered Jiang Lin leisurely.
“Old Master Jiang calls me Young Friend, so I suppose that makes me your elder. Naturally, I won’t hold it against a grandson of your generation. It’s just that my family was made to suffer for no reason, and I’m rather unhappy about that…”
Jiang Lin clenched his fists. After several seconds, he apologized to the three members of the Luo family.
Although Luo Yuan looked down on Jiang Lin’s conduct, arguing with a junior would make him lose his own dignity. He shook his head and said it was fine.
Luo Cheng’an watched Jiang Lin’s complete change in attitude, then looked at Xi Yu in confusion.
“I… I think I’m hallucinating. Someone hit me.”
Lu Zhixing kicked him.
Cleanly and decisively.
Luo Cheng’an let out a howl, clutched his butt, and glared furiously at Lu Zhixing.
Lu Zhixing smiled gently.
“You’re welcome.”
With that, Lu Zhixing stepped beside Xi Yu, replacing the position Luo Cheng’an had occupied moments earlier.
Jiang Zhongguo had no time to concern himself with anyone else. He looked at Xi Yu with an ingratiating smile.
“So you’re the child the Luo family just brought back. No wonder I went looking for you several times and kept missing you. If I’d known, I should have prepared a generous gift and gone to the Luo family myself.”
Luo Yuan asked, “Old Master, you actually know Xiaoyu?”
“More than know him. Young Friend Xi is my lifesaver. That day, when I happened to pass by the fly—”
“That’s enough.”
Xi Yu hurriedly interrupted Old Master Jiang and pushed Luo Cheng’an forward.
“It wasn’t me who wanted to see you. It was him.”
Xi Yu pushed Luo Cheng’an forward again.
“Didn’t you have something to say?”
He needed to hurry home. If he got caught, he would have to draw talismans. He was already exhausted.
Luo Cheng’an was pushed forward and froze for a moment, stumbling over his words as he tried to apologize.
Seeing his condition, Luo Yuan took over and explained the entire matter. Then he said solemnly,
“Although your work was not directly damaged by Cheng’an, it was destroyed because of a private dispute within the Luo family. To express our apology, the Luo Corporation will dismiss Luo Shan. Tomorrow, a lawyer will come to negotiate compensation, and I absolutely will not interfere.”
“Big Brother!”
Luo Shan rushed out anxiously.
“This is just a conflict between the younger generation, and it really was a misunderstanding. How can you fire me?”
Luo Shan had never expected things to turn out this way.
All his current money came from the Luo Corporation.
How could he possibly be fired!?
Seeing this, Jiang Zhongguo casually waved his hand.
“Hey, this is all just—”
Xi Yu slowly lifted his eyelids and looked at Jiang Zhongguo.
Jiang Zhongguo shuddered.
He immediately changed his words, uncertainly saying,
“Just… just a mistake by the younger generation. Naturally, it means the adults failed to teach them properly?”
Xi Yu smiled when he heard that.
“Old Master is right.”
Jiang Zhongguo understood.
Xi Yu did not intend to let this matter go.
Jiang Zhongguo wore an expression that said I understand, I understand, then raised his voice and solemnly announced,
“Luo Shujing used my work to frame his own family member. His heart is malicious, and my Jiang family absolutely has no desire to associate with such a person. If a son is not taught properly, it is the father’s fault. Dismissing Luo Shan is also an explanation to us. I will not pursue this matter further. However, the Jiang family has its rules. Security, escort Luo Shujing’s family out.”
Luo Shan was dragged away by the security guards, with Luo Shujing being shoved along with him.
After the Luo Shujing family left, Jiang Zhongguo happily made an inviting gesture.
“Young Friend Xi, could I have a word with you privately?”
Xi Yu said coldly, “No.”
“Don’t be like that. Just come upstairs for a bit. We have such a good relationship.”
“We have no relationship. Don’t make things up about me.”
Although Xi Yu said this, he knew he could not escape today. After all, he had made use of the old man, so he had no choice but to reluctantly follow Jiang Zhongguo upstairs.
“Brother…” Luo Cheng’an called.
Xi Yu was already irritated.
“Scram. Say one more word and I’ll slap you.”
If he had not occupied this body, and out of basic humanity felt obligated to protect the Luo family, he would not have needed to get involved in this sort of thing at all.
A tiny cat holding a knife.jpg
After Xi Yu followed Old Master Jiang upstairs, gasps rose one after another throughout the enormous banquet hall.
“Did I just see things wrong? That… that was Old Master Jiang?”
“Just what kind of background does this Xi Yu have? Wasn’t he supposed to be begging under a fly—”
The speaker was tugged by someone nearby and immediately stopped, cautiously glancing toward Luo Yuan.
Those who had been waiting to watch the spectacle could no longer laugh.
Luo Yuan and Shen Qing exchanged a glance, both seeing the astonishment in the other’s eyes.
Luo Cheng’an stared blankly in the direction Xi Yu had disappeared.
“Mom, Dad, my brother is amazing…”
Wasn’t he?
Luo Yuan finally understood.
If not for their blood relationship, his son probably would not have looked twice at the Luo family.
They had originally thought the Luo family was Xi Yu’s protective umbrella.
Unexpectedly, today, their son had carried them upward instead.
With Jiang Zhongguo’s attitude right there for everyone to see, the Luo family would probably become honored guests of the Jiang family from now on.
If the Luo family’s financial power could establish a connection with the Jiang family, then in A City, they might practically be able to cover the sky with one hand.
Jiang Lin’s face was pale and green with humiliation, yet he still had to entertain the guests, especially Luo Yuan’s family.
“Uncle and Auntie, what happened just now was all this junior’s fault. Please don’t take it personally.”
Luo Cheng’an curled his lips. He was just about to retort when Shen Qing stopped him.
Shen Qing spoke calmly.
“It’s fine. We elders won’t hold the younger generation’s ignorance against them.”
Jiang Lin had never suffered such humiliation in A City while relying on Jiang Zhongguo’s influence. But thinking of his grandfather’s attitude toward Xi Yu, he forcibly swallowed his anger.
He truly could not understand.
How had a fortune-teller who set up a street stall won his grandfather’s favor to such an extent that the old man had even publicly slapped him in the face!?
Lu Zhixing sat in a corner, half his body concealed in shadow. His lashes trembled like crow feathers, while the dark blue veins on his arm pulsed, as though something was waiting to burst through the skin.
Xi Yu went upstairs looking thoroughly annoyed.
Half an hour later, he came back down looking completely drained.
By contrast, Old Master Jiang, who accompanied him downstairs, was glowing with health.
“Brother, why do you look so terrible?”
Luo Cheng’an hurried over to support Xi Yu.
Xi Yu’s fingertips trembled slightly. He glared resentfully at Luo Cheng’an.
“Ask again and I’ll slap you.”
At his current level of cultivation, merely drawing a Longevity-Extension Talisman left him exhausted, so he had been too lazy to draw one.
If not for what had happened today, he would never have needed to draw one at all!
Shen Qing’s heart jolted.
“What… what happened?”
Xi Yu replied, “Nothing. Low blood sugar.”
“Then eat some sugar quickly.”
As Shen Qing spoke, she immediately began looking for some candy.
Xi Yu had just wanted to say there was no need when cold fingertips pried his lips open, and sweetness spread across the tip of his tongue.
………………………
Xi Yu looked up.
Lu Zhixing stood with his hands behind his back, his expression indifferent, as though he were not the one who had just stuffed candy into Xi Yu’s mouth.
Xi Yu held the candy against his tongue and stared at Lu Zhixing for two seconds. Then he turned his head toward Luo Cheng’an.
“Let’s go home.”
Jiang Zhongguo cheerfully said, “Young Friend Xi, I’ll have some nourishing supplements delivered to the Luo family. If you ever need anything from me in the future, just ask.”
Xi Yu gave him a cold look.
Damn old man! I’m raising your price next time!
Xi Yu released Luo Cheng’an and listlessly began walking outside.