Reborn and fleeing for his life, he unexpectedly knocks on the door of the prince of Beijing's

Huo Ling felt a sharp pain in his wrist, his dark eyes narrowed, and he was just about to retaliate when he saw a man dressed in black holding Wen Shengsheng and looking at him with considerable hostility.

"Gong Xiaochen?"

Wen Shengsheng was slightly taken aback. "Why did you come to pick me up?"

"I came to find you after I finished my work." Gong Xiaochen looked down at her. "Have you been drinking?"

"Yes, I had a little." Wen Shengsheng broke free from his embrace, excitedly grabbed Song Jing and Huo Ling, and introduced them to him, "This is my cousin and brother-in-law. The three of us will have dinner together tonight."

Before Gong Xiaochen could even greet her, Song Jing stared at him with her mouth agape.

"Sheng Sheng, you really found a man? Xi Yu dumped you, didn't he!"

"..."

Wen Shengsheng was so angry her nose almost crooked. "Cousin, what nonsense are you talking about? This is my boyfriend, and he's my only boyfriend!"

Huo Ling reacted much faster, offering Gong Xiaochen a cigarette first.

"Young Master Gong, I've long admired your name."

"Do we know each other?" Gong Xiaochen looked him up and down, but didn't take the cigarette.

“I’m just a nobody, so Young Master Gong wouldn’t notice me, but that doesn’t stop me from knowing Young Master Gong’s name.” Huo Ling glanced at Wen Shengsheng. “Or if we’re really talking about our relationship, I can call you brother-in-law.”

Gong Xiaochen raised an eyebrow and took the cigarette.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. May I ask your name?"

Huo Ling personally lit a cigarette for Gong Xiaochen. "My name is Huo Ling. I'm in the trade business, doing some small business in the martial arts world. If Young Master Gong doesn't know how to address me, just call me brother-in-law like Sheng Sheng does."

Through the smoke, Gong Xiaochen sized up Huo Ling and smiled.

Huo Ling returned the smile.

The contest between the men unfolded silently.

"Oh dear, stop calling me brother-in-law and sister-in-law, I'm getting all confused." Song Jing pointed at Gong Xiaochen and asked Wen Shengsheng with a serious expression, "You're just playing around, right?"

Wen Shengsheng was truly impressed by Song Jing's sharp tongue.

"What do you mean 'just playing around'? Cousin, can't you speak like your brother-in-law? If you really can't say it, then don't say it at all."

Seeing Wen Shengsheng's nervous expression, Song Jing's expression immediately became inscrutable.

"It's too late, let's go back and get together another day." Gong Xiaochen was still quite polite and ignored Song Jing's rude remarks.

"Okay." Wen Shengsheng waved to Song Jing and Huo Ling. "Then I'll go first. You two should go back soon too."

Song Jing waved stiffly, her gaze lingering on Wen Shengsheng even after she got into Gong Xiaochen's car.

Huo Ling was quite displeased. "What's wrong? You can't even walk past a handsome man?"

"Ugh, what nonsense are you spouting? My sister has liked Xi Yu since she was little, how could she suddenly fall for someone else! Something must have happened." Song Jing was extremely annoyed.

Mentioning Xi Yu, Huo Ling couldn't help but sigh, "I know you think Xi Yu is a good match for your brother-in-law, but I told you before that he's already engaged to another woman and is getting married next year, so please don't try to set him up."

"You don't know anything. Don't call that Young Master Gong your brother-in-law. He's not."

Huo Ling glanced at her and said, "Do you know that you unintentionally said something right tonight?"

"what?"

"Your sister really hooked up with a rich guy."

Song Jing's eyes darted around, "That Gong Xiaochen?"

"A princeling of Beijing's elite circles, even more powerful than that Xi Yu." Huo Ling's eyes gleamed. "Did you notice the safety amulet your sister was wearing around her neck during dinner?"

"That piece of jade? What's wrong with it?" Song Jing asked, puzzled.

"That was an ancient jade piece that was auctioned off by a mysterious wealthy businessman at the auction in Haicheng a couple of days ago. I initially thought it was just something my sister liked, something that looked similar and was just something she bought to wear for fun. But when I saw Gong Xiaochen, I knew it was real."

"Is it expensive?"

Huo Ling held up two fingers.

"Twenty million?" Song Jing was startled.

Huo Lingbai glared at her. "It's two hundred million, big sister!"

After a long silence, Song Jing muttered, "That's it, Xi Yu really has no chance."

"No, why do you think so highly of Xi Yu? As long as he's good to your sister, it doesn't matter who your brother-in-law is. Gong Xiaochen seems quite protective of his sister." Huo Ling asked, puzzled.

“It’s different. Sheng Sheng is too beautiful and too naive. She’s easily deceived by these rich young men, but Xi Yu is different!”

Huo Ling raised an eyebrow. "How is he different?"

Song Jing hesitated for a moment, then said, "What's the point of talking to you? You don't know anything."

She turned and left in a huff.

*

Xi's residence.

study.

Xi Maokun and Xi Jianguo were drinking tea when the butler led Xi Yu in.

"Oh, what brings you, busy man, to have tea with us two old folks today?" Xi Jianguo teased with a smile, his eyes filled with affection as he looked at Xi Yu.

Xi Maokun didn't say anything, but lowered his eyes and took a sip of tea.

"I've been busy with company matters every day lately and haven't had a chance to go home. I finally had some time today, so I came back to sit with you all." Xi Yu's tone was neither cold nor warm, carrying a hint of aloofness.

“You young people are in the prime of your lives now, don’t worry about us old folks.”

As Xi Jianguo spoke, he poured Xi Yu a cup of tea and handed it to her.

Looking at the steaming cup of tea, Xi Yu didn't take it. Instead, he turned around, took out a cigarette, lit it, and started smoking.

He sat with his legs crossed on a large mahogany chair, his aloof and otherworldly face shrouded in smoke, making it impossible to discern his emotions for a moment.

Only a sense of authority and power, belonging to someone in a superior position, slowly seeped out.

Xi Jianguo's hand, which was raised in mid-air, stiffened slightly.

However, there was no displeasure on his face; instead, he smiled and put down the cup.

“During the years I’ve been abroad, I often think back to the days when you were little and I would hold you and play with Ruifeng. Your brother was mischievous, and his emotions were always written on his face, but you were much more well-behaved, quiet, and had a good temper.”

As he spoke, he looked at Xi Yu and said, "I wonder if his temper has changed after all these years."

Xi Yu, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, said, "People change, especially since someone has already slapped me in the face."

"Oh? Who's so bold as to dare upset my little nephew?"

"Wujiang".

Xi Yu exhaled a puff of smoke, took out the file folder he had been clutching, and placed it in front of the two of them.

Upon hearing this name, Xi Jianguo and Xi Maokun both paused and looked at Xi Yu.

"I only discovered this Wu Jiang these past two days while checking the company's accounts. Although he has remained unknown and focused on his work for so many years, he is anything but clean in private... Many of the transfers were actually sent to his private accounts overseas."

Xi Yu glanced at Xi Jianguo casually, "Second Uncle, Wu Jiang is someone you recruited into the Xi family more than ten years ago, right? Did you know about this?"

Xi Jianguo quietly looked at the file folder on the table, which should contain all the transfer records of Wujiang over the years.

"Who remembers things from so many years ago?" He calmly took a sip of tea. "People are really like that; you can know their faces but not their hearts. They can be one way on the surface and another way behind your back."

“Indeed.” Xi Yu nodded seriously. “People like this should be dealt with as soon as possible. After all, a nail should be pulled out to avoid getting in the way!”