“Are you sure I didn’t prepare a gift?” Mu Qiqi asked Sheng Xiao in return.

  Sheng Xiao was not concerned with her smell, and instead brought her to a hotel where he had reserved a lunch table. Still, as they came across many acquaintances, all of them had rather interesting reactions toward him now.

  “There’s a different Crown Prince at Huang Yao now… you really feel like weeping looking at Sheng Xiao now.”


  “No money, no power… he would rather marry into the Shen family for that woman and ruin himself, what a waste of my years of admiration toward him…”


  “We don’t have to be afraid of him now, right?”


  Mu Qiqi and Sheng Xiao could hear those discussions as they walked past them, with the former sneering. Even if Xiao Xiao had really left the Sheng family, this bunch would never have the right to point and laugh at them.

  Beside her, Sheng Xiao appeared quite nonchalant.

  After all, he really liked watching how these people react…


  “They really like to kick others when they are down…” Mu Qiqi was fuming for her man when she took her seat.

  “Why bother?” Sheng Xiao said meaningfully. “Why waste your strength on trivial people and trivial matters?”


  At those words, Mu Qiqi realized that she was seated in the middle of rose bushes, and therefore couldn’t help taking out the necktie he bought for Sheng Xiao from her back.

  It had a blue-stripe pattern, a color that Sheng Xiao would never spare a look before.

  Still, he was now keeping a low-profile.

  “I wanted to give it to you last night, but you were at the time…”


  Sheng Xiao lifted his chin. “Help me put it on.”


  Mu Qiqi hence rose from her seat and went too him, but her movements were clumsy as she tried amateurishly to help him knot the tie.

  In return, Sheng Xiao held her waist and watched in amusement how serious she looked, even as she tried to remember the steps to knot a tie.

  “Did you just learn it?” He then asked.

  “Yeah. I saw it from a video online, but failed a few times.” Mu Qiqi answered quietly. “You’ve always looked so impeccable back when you were with the Sheng family, so I rarely have the chance to do something like this for you.”


  “Looks like my little is learning how to be a good wife now.”


  “Well, I finally have the chance to fiddle with you now that you’re with the Shen family, or I would have blasted you away.”


  “That mouth!” Sheng Xiao grinned, suddenly holding Mu Qiqi by the neck and kissed her balmy lips. “So, am I easy to bully when I’m outside my element?”


  “You’re the bully!” Mu Qiqi was certainly unhappy with his description, before smoothly riding him on his thighs. “And I know what you really want to do here. You’re not celebrating—you are trying to sweet-talk me this way, so that I won’t be concerned about Miss Gu.”


  “You think too much.”


  The pair only started having their lunch after enough affection.

  In fact, Sheng Xiao had another purpose in mind—since Old Sheng had put up such a great show to caution Sheng Xiao, he naturally had to return the favor.

  Having a public display of affection with his little one at lunch and showing no bumps in their relationship… Old Sheng would definitely be furious if he knew, wouldn’t he?

  As expected, once Old Sheng heard about the news, he slammed his hand on the table as he rose up in rage. “Useless thing! Does owning a woman put food on the table? A high and might young master of the Sheng family, snuggling up to a woman. What an embarrassment!”


  If it wasn’t for his competence, the Sheng family would have done away with that insolent grandson!

  ***

  Meanwhile, at the Xu family.

  Xu Yihong and Papa Xu went to the hospital for their paternity test, with the former staying cool as a cucumber and seemingly not worried what the result would be.

  With that calmness of his… was he really framed by Jing Yun, or is that a deliberate act for Papa Xu’s benefit?

  “Father, I trust the results would prove me innocent. When that happens, you would know who between me and Yifeng had been lying.”


  “I don’t wish you brothers to be enemies either.” Papa Xu sighed emotionally.

  Meanwhile, Xu Yihong behaved naturally around his father, warning himself not to reveal himself the more nervous he was. That was how he and the eldest Xu uncle could buy more time to empty the Xu family’s pockets.

  And with Xu Holdings’ key project fully in his pocket, he and Eldest Uncle had even thought of how to claim full management rights over the company.

  Their plans would stay unaffected at all even if he were suspended from duties. On the other hand, what could Jing Yun do as the third young master of the Xu family? Is he not helpless against Xu Yihong?

  Of course, once news of Xu Yihong being suspended was spread, the employees of Xu Holdings would naturally start choosing their sides—making the present moment the best opportunity for a reshuffling.

  And Jing Yun has no leverage at all in this war.

  After learning that Papa Xu had done the DNA test, Mama Xu gave him a call. “I really didn’t think that Yihong could stay so restrained. Even so, old timer, I have seen the test Yifeng did with Yihong. I am convinced everything Yifeng has claimed was real, so you have to be careful whatever you do.

  “Even if we know that, we can’t do anything as long as we do not have the DNA test results. Moreover, after lurking around the Xu Holdings for so long, he definitely would have put in various setups. It is too late even if we act carefully now.”


  “Do you want to talk to Feng’er?” Mama Xu asked Papa Xu then. “He has years of experience in such matters…”


  “Pass him the phone!” Papa Xu said.

  “Dad” Jing Yun calmly greeted after taking the phone.

  “Tell me what you think!”


  Jing Yun said nothing, and Papa Xu sighed in response. “Just speak freely. I don’t know why myself, but my heart rather trusts you too.”


  “You can’t stop at suspending Brother’s duties. Eldest Uncle’s duties have to be suspended too, and as the person in charge of Xu Holdings, you don’t need any reasonable excuse at such a time, or suspending Brother’s duties would be meaningless.”


  “Secondly, clear away every connection Brother has kept buried, and try to find out who is on his side. Try to switch away those who are usually close to Brother.”


  “Thirdly, halt the key project that Brother has in his pocket. You have to work with the concerned departments beforehand, and prevent it from going completely to him even if we have to put it on ice. Otherwise, the losses that Xu Holdings would have to suffer would be greater if he takes it away.”


  “Before I was found, that father-and-son pair only wanted to claim power discreetly. Now that I’ve returned, they are forced to take more actions.”


  Papa Xu couldn’t help laughing after hearing him out. “You really have worked with Sheng Xiao. Feng’er, I have suspended your eldest uncle’s duties and screened our workers. However, the hidden ones can’t be found… and as for the project, I really haven’t thought of it. Still, I really wouldn’t go that far unless we have to.”