VBNWDW - Chapter 36
Chapter 36
Outside the glass window, the rain drizzled on. The wheels of cars crushed through puddles, not only making a racket but also splashing up mud and water, creating a sense of extreme frustration.
In the lavishly decorated living room, Xi Zhoukang sat on the central sofa, while Xi Yunting and his wife sat on a smaller sofa to the side, their expressions equally anxious and irritable.
A phone lying on the table chimed. The three of them shot to their feet in unison, staring at the device. When they saw it was just a spam message, they slumped back onto the sofa, a mixture of anger and annoyance on their faces.
"Fuck," Xi Zhoukang swore, yanking at his tie and messing up his usually meticulous hairstyle.
His mother was in an even worse mood and couldn't help but scold, "What kind of phone is this! It never rings when it's supposed to, but it's full of spam. What's the use!"
Xi Zhoukang, equally volatile, shot back, "If it really rang, do you think you'd still be sitting here so calmly?!"
She immediately took the moral high ground, retorting, "Is that any way to talk to your mother!"
"I…"
Before Xi Zhoukang could finish his rebuttal, Xi Yunting slammed his hand on the sofa and barked, "What are you arguing about? Isn't it chaotic enough already?!"
At his words, both of them turned away. The argument ceased for the moment, and the sound of the rain outside grew louder.
Xi Yunting couldn't help but stand up. He clasped his hands behind his back and stared out the window, but he was unable to calm his thoughts and could only pace back and forth.
Watching him made Xi Zhoukang even more agitated. He pressed a hand to his forehead and muttered, "A whole day has passed. How is there still no news?"
A thought seemed to strike him, and his tone suddenly filled with terror. "Is there something wrong with him? What if he made a deal with Xi Zhoulu from the start, setting a trap for us? Is that why they can't find Xi Zhoulu now?!"
Xi Yunting's pacing stopped. His expression shifted several times before he forced himself to suppress his anxiety, saying loudly, "Stop being so paranoid all the time."
"I went to the scene. One car was crushed flat by a large truck. The others were either torn in half or knocked seven or eight meters away. He's a madman who will stop at nothing! He never intended for anyone to survive."
Recalling the horrific scene, his face turned pale, and he couldn't help but gag. "A madman," he repeated. "A true madman."
In all his years, he had never seen such a ruthless lunatic, someone who seemed intent on dragging everyone down with him.
Xi Zhoukang thought of the people in the hospital—the bodyguards and driver who had been with Xi Zhoulu. They were either killed on the spot or severely injured. The ones with the lightest injuries were those who had jumped from the car beforehand, and even they hadn't escaped concussions and broken bones.
He couldn't help but shiver, his fear of this person growing. "We can't just keep waiting here," he said. "What if they never find Xi Zhoulu?"
For some reason, despite the utter devastation at the scene, the most important target was still missing. From last night until now, their people, the other party's people, and the countless men sent by the Old Master had conducted a grid search of the nearby forest, yet they still couldn't find Xi Zhoulu, who was perennially confined to a wheelchair.
Hearing this, Xi Yunting stopped pacing. He stroked his chin, pondering for a long time before finally stamping his foot. "Let's go. We're going to see the Old Master."
Crack!
A teacup that had fetched a six-figure sum at auction was violently smashed to the floor. Tea spilled out, its surface reflecting the somber, traditional Chinese study.
Xi Yunting, who had rushed over, stood before the heavy redwood desk, facing a furious Old Master Xi.
Hearing the shattering sound, Xi Zhoukang and his mother, who were standing outside the door, flinched, a trace of fear showing on their faces.
A female Beta, also waiting by the door, lowered her gaze, concealing the disdain in her eyes.
She was Old Master Xi's butler, having served him for over forty years. As his most trusted confidante, she was always by his side and certainly wouldn't leave at a moment like this.
"Xi Yunting, say that again!"
Since retiring, Old Master Xi had never been this angry. His large, veiny hand slammed down on the desk, making the wood thunder.
"She is your daughter!"
Xi Yunting trembled, a flicker of conflict in his eyes, but he gritted his teeth and said, "Dad, we have to consider the bigger picture! We haven't heard a single thing about Zhoulu. Who knows…"
He continued, "Who knows what might have happened. You can't have forgotten what happened back then."
Xi Yunting clenched his jaw, finally daring to look his father in the eye.
At these words, Old Master Xi's expression clearly changed. As if telling Xi Yunting, or perhaps comforting himself, he said, "I called to check. Second Brother is still inside, under constant watch. He'll never get out in this lifetime, let alone find a way to harm Zhoulu."
Xi Yunting immediately shook his head. "No, what I mean is, ever since last time, Zhoulu's health has been extremely poor. The slightest cold can turn into a major illness. If she's still out there in the mountains right now…"
Xi Yunting felt his hint was obvious enough.
He knew that in the Old Master's heart, Xi Zhoulu was perfect in every way, except for the unfortunate fact that the incident back then had ruined her health. Although it didn't seem to affect her daily life, if Xi Zhoulu were to suddenly collapse one day, wouldn't the group he had worked so hard to build be left leaderless, descending into internal chaos?
It was a ticking time bomb!
Just its existence was enough to make Old Master Xi worry day and night, tossing and turning in his sleep.
That was why Old Master Xi had been so anxious to rush Xi Zhoulu into marriage. He needed to see a healthy, high-ranking heir born before he passed away, only then could he feel at ease letting Xi Zhoulu inherit the company.
Hearing this, Old Master Xi's expression grew heavier. He leaned back in his pearwood chair, his earlier resistance gone.
Xi Yunting pressed his advantage. "Xiao Kang might be a bit foolish, but his strength is that he's obedient and well-behaved. Dad, you still have the energy now. You can still teach him."
"Even if Xi Zhoulu comes back, we won't have to constantly worry about a third or fourth incident. There will always be someone who can step up. Don't you agree?"
Old Master Xi tapped his index finger on the armrest of the chair, silent for a moment.
It wasn't that he hadn't considered this, but he feared a repeat of the power struggle that had plagued the Xi family in the past. Coupled with the fact that Xi Zhoukang was unsatisfactory in every way, the matter had been shelved.
"Dad, think about the Group. This isn't just a company for our family. If something were to happen, how many people would lose their jobs and be displaced?"
Outside, hearing the voices soften, the tense expressions of the others relaxed. Xi Zhoukang and his mother exchanged an excited glance, straining their ears to hear more.
"I know you value Xi Zhoulu the most, but this can't be helped…"
"Dad, you have to put the bigger picture first!"
An antique Baroque-style grandfather clock stood to the side of the study. It was a full 1.2 meters tall, crafted from gilt bronze with a striking and noble mother-of-pearl dial. The sapphire-studded hands were the height of lavish and stately design.
It was one of Old Master Xi's favorite collectibles, a gift from Xi Zhoulu on his birthday last year, purchased at great expense. Though over a century old, it still kept perfect time, as if standing on the shore of the river of time, utterly unchanged.
Old Master Xi turned to stare at it, his cloudy eyes dark and heavy. His twig-like fingers gripped the armrests tightly as he lost himself in thought.
Xi Yunting was still talking, but he was no longer listening.
He had always been this way. Once he began to deliberate on a decision, he would no longer listen to anyone else's opinion.
Only after the second hand had completed a full circle did he wave his hand as if in defeat. In an old, deep voice, he said, "Have Xiao Kang get ready. He'll go to the company tomorrow and temporarily take over Zhoulu's position."
Xi Yunting was overjoyed. He rattled off a few more words before quickly striding out.
His wife and son outside were also ecstatic. Even Xi Zhoukang couldn't resist hugging his father.
As for the butler standing by the door, she offered no congratulations. She simply stood by the wall, out of the Old Master's line of sight, her hands clasped respectfully and her head bowed, a complex emotion in her downcast eyes.
Only when their voices grew too loud did she gently remind them, "The Old Master dislikes noise. Young Master, you should take your mother and the others home. Get settled and rest early so you'll be ready for the company tomorrow."
The three members of the Xi family, who had previously shown her great respect, now only slightly lowered their voices.
Xi Yunting gave a dismissive wave of his hand without a word, simply pulling his wife and son away. The others were even more indifferent.
The butler said nothing, her expression unchanging as she lowered her head slightly.
The sound of footsteps faded around the corner. The dark night tried to creep into the room but was driven back by the bright lights.
"Lin Rong."
After a long silence, Old Master Xi's aged voice finally broke the quiet.
The butler pushed the door open and entered, stopping three steps from the desk. "Old Master," she said with a deferential air.
Old Master Xi didn't speak right away. He leaned back in his chair, his spine curved, revealing the frailty appropriate for his age. The lines on his skin were starkly clear under the light.
The butler waited with her head bowed.
After a moment, Old Master Xi heaved a heavy sigh and asked, lost, "Did I do the wrong thing?"
The light overhead was glaring, making his eyes ache. He couldn't help but close them.
Then, without waiting for an answer, he looked up, waved his hand dismissively, and cast the question aside. "Has it been cleaned up?" he asked.
He was back to his old self, as if the moment of vulnerability had just been a trick of Lin Rong's mind.
She composed herself and answered in a low voice, "The Young Master did a flawless job this time. The truck driver and the van driver both died at the scene, and there were no overt financial transactions. We only sent people to clean up the site."
A sneer touched Old Master Xi's lips. "I doubt he was the one who did it," he said cryptically.
He changed the subject. "Investigate it more thoroughly. Don't let us be used by someone else."
"Yes," Lin Rong acknowledged.
With that, Old Master Xi felt a sense of weariness. The Xi family he had protected for most of his life felt like a magnificent mansion on the outside, but riddled with rat holes on the inside. He kept trying to cover them up, but for how long?
He thought again of his missing granddaughter, his murky eyes filled with a murky emotion.
She was good at everything, meeting his standards for an heir in every way, but she just had to be targeted by his second brother and that troublesome uncle of hers.
Second Brother could not let go of the past. He harbored resentment but couldn't act against the Old Master, so he collaborated with outsiders to kidnap Xi Zhoulu, destroying the heir he had personally groomed and making him taste the agony of endless regret.
Tan Xunwen resented the Xi family for his sister's death, but he was wary of their power and couldn't take revenge. He lurked outside the estate like a venomous snake, ready to lunge forward and tear off a piece of flesh at the slightest disturbance.
He'd had no choice back then. The matter had been too big. If it had been widely publicized, the image of family harmony he had worked so hard to maintain would have been shattered. If someone with ill intentions had dug up the Xi family's past power struggles, it could have led to similar turmoil.
The Xi family truly could not endure a second upheaval like that.
So he couldn't send people to investigate Tan Xunwen or pursue his wrongdoing. He simply played along with Second Brother's act of deliberate concealment, taking the blame himself. He downplayed the incident and suppressed the rumors. And so, the matter of Xi Zhoulu's disability faded away, known only to a few in the upper echelons.
As for Xi Zhoulu, he felt guilty and taught her with even greater diligence, even giving her half of the shares that Xi Yunting himself couldn't get.
Old Master Xi felt he had done all he could. He had never been so dedicated, not even to his own son.
But she was a disappointment. After so many years, she still didn't know how to handle Xi Yunting's family, ultimately pushing them to such desperate measures with Tan Xunwen.
She had only herself to blame. She had been through it once before but hadn't learned a thing. She thought she was perfectly safe just because she had a few bodyguards around her.
And now look. Vanished without a trace, dead or alive.
Old Master Xi had considered that Tan Xunwen might have kidnapped her again, but the men he sent out reported that the other party was also searching frantically.
A person who couldn't even stand up—where on earth could she have gone?
This was the question hanging over everyone's head.
Old Master Xi then recalled the sharp-tongued Alpha from the teahouse. He shook his head. She didn't seem like someone who could have escaped with Xi Zhoulu.
He sighed heavily.
The evening wind blew on, and the night grew darker. Miles away in a neighboring city, a private hospital suddenly stopped admitting patients. The massive building, nestled in a forested hillside, looked strangely eerie.
A nurse pushed a small cart, its wheels making a soft sound as they rolled across the tiled floor.
The person in the hospital room opened her eyes. She tried to lift her hand and immediately sucked in a sharp breath. By the dim yellow light, she could see that her body was covered in bandages. Her left arm was the worst, encased in a plaster cast, and the slightest movement sent a sharp pain through it.
The pain quickly brought Luo Yueqing to full awareness. She immediately turned her head to scan her surroundings, but could only gather the useless information that she was in a hospital.
Where was Xi Zhoulu?
Luo Yueqing clenched her jaw and tried to sit up, making a rustling noise in the process.
The person standing guard outside immediately opened the door and came in. "Miss Luo," she said.
She was about twenty years old, with resolute features and a slender but powerful frame. Even just standing there, she exuded a palpable aura of lethality.
It was the same person Luo Yueqing had seen just before she lost consciousness.
Seeing Luo Yueqing's wary expression and her refusal to speak, the woman quickly explained, "Don't be afraid. We're with President Xi."
"She's in the next room. Her condition is much more serious than yours, and she hasn't woken up yet."
Luo Yueqing's brow, which hadn't had a chance to relax, furrowed tightly once more. "What happened to her?" she asked immediately.
The woman answered matter-of-factly, "A concussion and cracked ribs, plus a high fever from an infected wound. We've already cleaned and bandaged it, and the fever has broken. She should wake up in a little while."
The more Luo Yueqing heard, the more panicked she became. "Take me to see her!" she demanded.
"Hey, hey, the doctor said you need to rest… wait, at least put on some shoes!"
The woman, who had been so calm and professional just a moment ago, was suddenly thrown into a fluster.
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