Chapter 66: Confrontation (Part 1)

Bai Yuanzhi still couldn’t win against Chen Shuojie’s stubbornness and reluctantly got into his car, heading toward Qingshan Cemetery.

However, she came along out of curiosity.

—Under Chen Shen’s arrangements, Chen Shuojie’s mother had “died due to difficult childbirth.” So, what would Chen Shuojie’s attitude toward his mother be like?

Moreover, did Chen Shuojie even know that the serialized story published in the entertainment section of Qingping Daily was someone targeting the Chen Family, Xu Family, and Ming Family?

Driven by such curiosity, Bai Yuanzhi followed Chen Shuojie.

But along the way, Chen Shuojie remained silent.

For Bai Yuanzhi, it was better if Chen Shuojie didn’t speak.

And so, Chen Shuojie focused on driving, while Bai Yuanzhi turned her head to look at the streets after the heavy rain.

When they arrived at Xu Wenli’s gravesite,

Chen Shuojie instructed Bai Yuanzhi, “Ah Zhi, place the flowers in front of Mom.”

Bai Yuanzhi complied, placing the white chrysanthemums she held in her hands before the tombstone.

The tombstone was embedded with a small photo of Xu Wenli.

She was a gentle and serene young woman, even without makeup.

Her gaze was tender, her lips slightly curved in a smile, with a faint dimple at the corner of her mouth.

Chen Shuojie stared at the photo of Xu Wenli for a long time before whispering softly, “Mommy, I’ve come to visit you again.”

“Things haven’t been too good or too bad lately, maybe a bit more unhappy than happy… but happy times might come later.”

“Mommy, I’ve finally met… the first girl I really like.”

Hearing this, Bai Yuanzhi, standing nearby, was startled!

But Chen Shuojie continued speaking to the photo without glancing aside, “But she doesn’t like me.”

Bai Yuanzhi: …

Chen Shuojie, “Not only does she not like me, she’s even harsh to me. When she needs my help, she calls me ‘Mr. Chen’ so gently and politely. When she doesn’t need me, she calls me by my full name, Chen Shuojie…”

“I went to great lengths to treat her to the finest delicacies, but she still complained. Instead, she insisted on eating junk food like hamburgers.”

“I drive her around every day, but she still ran off… She’d rather ride on a motorcycle with some blond guy than sit comfortably in a luxury car! And that blond guy even lives in a subdivided flat!”

Bai Yuanzhi’s face flushed bright red, and she glared fiercely at Chen Shuojie.

As he spoke, Chen Shuojie suddenly looked at Bai Yuanzhi.

Perhaps finding her flustered and angry expression utterly adorable, Chen Shuojie let out a laugh.

After staring at Bai Yuanzhi for a moment,

Chen Shuojie shifted his gaze back to his mother’s photo on the tombstone and continued:

“Mommy, Bai Yuanzhi is an ungrateful wretch. She completely ignores everything I’ve done for her and all the kindness I’ve shown her… Not only is she unkind to me, but even my dad is no good!”

Hearing this, Bai Yuanzhi widened her eyes.

Chen Shuojie spoke slowly, “Dad won’t let me propose to that ungrateful wretch…”

Bai Yuanzhi: !!!

Chen Shuojie sighed, “Sometimes I feel like I’m the most pitiful person in the world, losing my mom at such a young age. Even though my aunts and uncles treat me well… they’re still not you.”

“Other times, I think I might be the happiest person in the world because everyone pities me for not having a mother’s love, so they’re all extra kind to me, trying to make up for the maternal love I’ve lost.”

“But Mom, at this point, I truly… would rather give up everything I have, just to receive your blessing.”

As he spoke, Chen Shuojie slowly turned his head and looked at Bai Yuanzhi.

Bai Yuanzhi felt that something was terribly wrong!

Chen Shuojie said word by word, “Mom, if your spirit in heaven…”

“Chen Shuojie!” Bai Yuanzhi stopped him. “Don’t be so willful in front of your mother!”

“No mother would want to hear what you’re about to say.”

“She’s already passed away, don’t make her worry anymore.” Bai Yuanzhi spoke each word clearly.

Chen Shuojie’s eyes turned slightly red.

Bai Yuanzhi said softly, “I thought I made myself clear enough last time, but I didn’t expect…”

“Because you don’t like me, you think you can just brush off our relationship with a few casual words,” Chen Shuojie said with a trembling voice. “But I can’t get over it! I can’t…”

Chen Shuojie took a deep breath and asked, “Ah Zhi, did my father threaten you? For example, did he warn you that you must cooperate properly, or tell you not to bother me, which is why you’re treating me this way?”

“You can’t accept me, but you can’t reject me either.”

“Ah Zhi, did my father…”

“No!” Bai Yuanzhi interrupted Chen Shuojie. “…Chen Shuojie, as of now, your father hasn’t forced me to do anything I didn’t want to do.”

He just offered a price I couldn’t refuse.

“Be rational and think about your father. If you don’t accept the arranged marriage, how can you help your father stabilize Wanmei Film Industry? By being idle or by being a playboy?” Bai Yuanzhi continued.

Chen Shuojie looked at her in shock.

Bai Yuanzhi added, “Even your basic needs like food, clothing, and shelter depend on your father’s support. Besides love and filial piety, you can’t offer anything in return. Can you really refuse your father’s request?”

“Besides, your father’s only demand of you is this arranged marriage—ultimately, it’s just to secure the business empire he built. And to ensure you have a better life.”

“Chen Shuojie, can’t you even do this much?”

Chen Shuojie was left speechless.

Bai Yuanzhi went on, “Or you can openly refuse your father. Just say you don’t want to marry into a wealthy family… But I hope you’re not using ‘true love’ as an excuse to reject him while shamelessly asking him to continue supporting you and your ‘true’ love.”

“Chen Shuojie, if you really have the guts, then use your own abilities to refuse your father! Tell him you don’t need his support, that you and your true love can live well on your own! You can even take over his business empire with your own skills and do better than him…”

“Chen Shuojie, can you do it? Do you have what it takes?”

“If you can and you do it, I’ll think you’re incredibly impressive.” Bai Yuanzhi said earnestly.

Chen Shuojie remained silent for a long time.

“You’ve… never said these things to me before,” he whispered. “Ah Zhi, I didn’t know you felt this way.”

He looked somewhat sad.

“But Ah Zhi, I think… you might be right.”

“Even if I am the only son of the Chen Family, I shouldn’t just idle away my life like this, right?”

Chen Shuojie smiled bitterly, “Ah Zhi, why didn’t you tell me these things earlier?”

This time, it was Bai Yuanzhi’s turn to fall silent.

—It was indeed because her first impression of him wasn’t good, and coupled with Chen Shen and Mrs. Xu’s “well-intentioned efforts,” it was hard for her to see him as a friend.

Since they weren’t even friends,

why should she intervene in his fate and circumstances?

So Bai Yuanzhi could only remain silent.

Chen Shuojie murmured again, “Ah Zhi, right now… my heart is in chaos.”

“After hearing you say this, I suddenly feel a sense of urgency.”

He let out a long sigh, “I feel so anxious, but I don’t know what to do…”

“Ah Zhi,” Chen Shuojie looked deeply at Bai Yuanzhi, his gaze soft and lingering, “Thank you. Could you… from now on… always speak to me with the attitude you have now? I like it this way… let’s not argue so easily anymore, okay?”

“No,” Bai Yuanzhi firmly refused.

“I am who I am! Just as your aunt said, I am indeed a gold digger. When I need you, I’ll play tricks and use tactics on you. When I don’t need you, I’ll keep my distance.”

“Chen Shuojie, please listen clearly… I will never fall in love with you,” Bai Yuanzhi said seriously.

Chen Shuojie’s pupils trembled violently, “You… what are you saying?”

He couldn’t believe it,

that she would reject him so bluntly…

Bai Yuanzhi simply looked quietly at Chen Shuojie.

Chen Shuojie, both embarrassed and angry, said, “You… how can you say that? Then who do you like?”

Bai Yuanzhi lifted her chin and declared, “The person I love most is myself!”

“Chen Shuojie, in this world, there are many people who have it worse than you.”

“For example, take me—I’m poor, lonely, everyone looks down on me, no one cares about me… Fortunately, my sister came back to life, otherwise, I would be all alone in this world. So I want a lot of money, I want to get a lot of attention.”

“I don’t need any man’s love! Because, for me right now, any man’s affection is just an obstacle! What I need now is to rise!”

“So, don’t waste your time on me,” Bai Yuanzhi said word by word.

Actually, she knew that rejecting him so bluntly and hurting him in front of his mother’s tombstone…

wasn’t really appropriate.

But she had never been one to beat around the bush.

Since she didn’t love him,

she would reject him directly.

Bai Yuanzhi didn’t want Chen Shuojie to hold onto any false hopes.

Chen Shuojie averted his gaze, turning his head to the side.

He closed his eyes, trying to hold back the tears that surged uncontrollably.

But the tears flowed from the corners of his eyes anyway, wetting his cheeks.

After a long while, he finally managed to control the sorrow in his heart and said bitterly, “You won’t even lie to me?”

Bai Yuanzhi replied seriously, “I was willing to lie before, but not anymore.”

“Why?”

Chen Shuojie really wanted to say, just lie to me, please…

Bai Yuanzhi said, “Because you just treated me as a friend.”

“Chen Shuojie, now that you’re my friend, of course I can’t treat you the way I did before.”

Chen Shuojie’s face was deathly pale.

He didn’t know what to say now.

Should he be grateful that she considered him a friend, which was why she said those words that struck him like a sudden revelation,

or should he be grateful for her honesty?

A choked sob, almost like a cry of pain, escaped his throat,

but he quickly suppressed it.

After a long while, Chen Shuojie finally said in a low voice, “Bai Yuanzhi, you’re just… painfully honest.”

Bai Yuanzhi comforted him, “I have very few friends, so I treat my friends very well.”

Chen Shuojie chuckled again.

After much thought, Chen Shuojie said to Bai Yuanzhi, “Since we’re already friends, I want to know… Ah Zhi, in the future… is there any possibility of us going beyond friendship?”

“Don’t rush to draw a line between us.”

“I understand now—you don’t want to date, you just want to focus on studying and get into Hong Kong University next year!”

“What I mean is, if one day you do want to date, would you consider me?” Chen Shuojie asked humbly.

Bai Yuanzhi replied, “We’ll talk about the future when it comes. After all, right now, we both have urgent things we want to do.”

Chen Shuojie smiled, “What do I have to do? Maybe I’ll be a playboy for the rest of my life.”

Hearing this, Bai Yuanzhi was certain he hadn’t seen that small article in Qingping Daily yet.

Originally, she could have waited to see Chen Shuojie make a fool of himself,

but aside from being a bit too paternalistic, he wasn’t a bad person at heart.

Besides, she had just successfully turned their improper relationship into pure friendship.

So—

“Chen Shuojie, you can’t be like this,” Bai Yuanzhi said. “I just told you, I have very few friends… The reason I have so few friends is because I’m very picky about people. Those with poor character aren’t worthy of being my friends, and I can’t be bothered with those who lack ambition…”

“Chen Shuojie, I don’t want to become friends with you one second and break off the friendship the next because you’re not ambitious enough!”

“If you’re really that idle, go find a job!” Bai Yuanzhi said. “You might think what I’m saying is sudden and strange, but once you’ve worked, you’ll understand… no matter what job you do, it’s essentially meaningless.”

“The only meaning might be that it helps you figure out what you truly want to do in the process!”

“Chen Shuojie, you’re already at a finish line others can’t reach even after a lifetime of struggle. You don’t need to be as ignorant and clueless as I was, bumping your head until it bleeds, just to figure out what you want to do,” Bai Yuanzhi said earnestly.

This was actually Bai Yuanzhi trying to enlighten him.

She knew perfectly well in her heart

that Chen Shuojie was already very sensitive due to his physical condition;

coupled with that small article in Qingping Daily…

once it came to light,

Chen Shuojie’s situation wouldn’t be good in the days to come.

If he could find something proper to do and immerse himself in it, he might be able to avoid this wave of harm by shutting out the outside world.

This was the only thing she could do for this friend.

However, Chen Shuojie still found it somewhat amusing. “Bai Yuanzhi, I never thought you’d be so ruthless even to your friends?”

Bai Yuanzhi shot him a glare. “Yes! Alright, I want to go back now. It’s so cold here.”

After the typhoon, Hong Kong City was hit by heavy rain, and the temperature suddenly dropped by seven or eight degrees.

Qingshan Cemetery, nestled against the mountains and beside the water, felt even colder.

Bai Yuanzhi tightened her thin trench coat, shivering uncontrollably.

Chen Shuojie nodded and led Bai Yuanzhi away.

Two hours later,

Ming Jiayao learned everything he wanted to know from Ah Bin,

and for a moment, he felt both joy and bitterness.

He was happy that Bai Yuanzhi had so directly rejected Chen Shuojie;

but his heart also ached with jealousy—why had Bai Yuanzhi been so kind to Chen Shuojie? She even suggested he find something to do! Could she actually have developed feelings for him?

However, Ming Jiayao couldn’t dwell on that for now.

He returned to the old mansion in Qingtang Bay.

Since the typhoon had passed, Ming Jingxing had gone to the company in the afternoon.

Xu Wenrui was hospitalized,

the middle-aged Ming Zhixuan had already fled to who knows where,

leaving Ming Jiayao as the only master in the villa.

Ming Jiayao summoned the butler. “Open the door to the East Wing on the second floor for me.”

The butler looked troubled. “Young Master, the master has ordered that the East Wing on the second floor be permanently sealed… I… I don’t have the key. Perhaps you could inform the master first?”

Ming Jiayao sneered and, without another word, got up and returned to his own room on the third floor.

The butler wiped the cold sweat from his brow and hurriedly called Ming Jingxing to report.

However, the butler soon heard noises coming from the East Wing on the second floor.

Startled, he rushed over and saw Ming Jiayao swinging an axe, banging it against the door. His expression changed instantly. “Young Master! Young Master, what are you doing? This won’t do! The master said…”

Ming Jiayao acted as if he hadn’t heard.

Bang, bang, bang—

After a few swings of the axe,

the exquisite, sturdy door began to wobble precariously.

Then—

With a loud crack,

the door to the East Wing was split open by the sharp axe.

The butler panicked, pacing in circles. “Oh, Young Master, Young Master, you can’t go in, you mustn’t go in!”

Ming Jiayao had already reached his hand through the hole in the door and unlocked it.

He turned back to ask the butler, “Aren’t you going to make that call?”

The butler was confused. “Huh?”

Then he realized the young master meant—he should hurry and call the master to report!

The butler slapped his thigh and ran off as fast as he could.

Thus, Ming Jiayao was left alone at the scene.

He turned on the lights in the East Wing and took in everything inside.

It was clear that the furniture and decorations in the East Wing on the second floor… though aged, were all of exceptional quality and value.

However, the room had been untouched for a long time, and the air was thick with the smell of dust.

Ming Jiayao stood still for three minutes before he dared to let his thoughts wander.

—This must have been where his real biological father, the young Ming Zhixuan, grew up.

Ming Jiayao saw an array of ship models displayed on a curio shelf, ranging from commercial vessels and warships to canoes and sailboats…

Combined with the fact that Ming Zhixuan had studied marine dynamics at MIT in the United States,

did Ming Zhixuan’s passion actually lie in shipbuilding?

Ming Jiayao also noticed numerous English books scattered around the room, such as A History of England, Oxford Politics and Law, The Bryan Code, and Cases and Materials on Tort Law, among others.

Ming Jiayao’s first thought was:

Who would have thought the young Ming Zhixuan was such a romantic fool!

—Xu Wenli studied law.

So did Ming Jiayao.

So Ming Jiayao understood all too well just how dry and boring European and American legal texts could be.

And the young Ming Zhixuan was a science and engineering type.

He must have been studying these books to please the one he had feelings for!

Next, Ming Jiayao discovered various photos of Xu Wenli scattered throughout the room.

These photos were all secretly taken during school spring and autumn outings, friend gatherings, or school-organized speeches and performances.

In the lens, Xu Wenli was not the silent and dull girl Ming Jiayao had imagined.

She was lively, spirited, smiling, and radiant.

These photos seemed carelessly placed here and there…

But Ming Jiayao knew full well,

This wasn’t the young Ming Zhixuan carelessly scattering them around; it was intentional, so he could see these photos everywhere.

However, all these photos focused on the young girl Xu Wenli among the crowds,

with no pictures of the young Ming Zhixuan together with her.

“Ming Jiayao—”

A hoarse and angry voice rang out.

Ming Jiayao turned around and finally saw his grandfather, whose face was ashen with rage.

“Grandpa, you’re off work so early today?” Ming Jiayao asked with a grin. “Wow, Grandpa, you really work hard!”

Then his tone shifted. “But Grandpa, with all this hard work and earning money… what is it all for, really?”

Ming Jingxing stared intently at Ming Jiayao, narrowing his eyes.

Author’s Note: Dear readers, the data for this novel isn’t great, so I won’t be expanding on the side characters’ scenes extensively from now on, but the story will still be told completely as planned.

This novel is expected to conclude next week. Please help by bookmarking the first upcoming work in my column, “The Beautiful Stepmother Who Died Early in the Era Novel.” Thank you all!