“He has his own responsibilities now, and he is no longer my assistant…” Sheng Xiao answered Mu Qiqi thoughtfully.

  ***

  Meanwhile, Old Sheng was in a good mood after hearing that Sheng Xiao was bullied.

  That fully made evident ‘Who do you think you are after leaving the Sheng family? You are nothing’.

  Who could you complain to when you would give up on the grand title of Crown Prince and rather be humiliated?

  And then there was that son who has no future who left the Sheng family as well, and was staying at Jing Ting with Fang Qing.

  Old Sheng was furious whenever he thought of Jing Ting. It was obvious that bitch used the Sheng family’s money to buy that house when she was still with them, but she would not admit it even now!

  Fine…


  If he couldn’t take back Jing Ting… no one would be allowed to keep it.

  The old man seemed unable to notice that his mental state was slowly becoming warped. He single-mindedly believed that he had spoiled Sheng Xiao too much and had never made him obedient, and this was a betrayal he eventually would have to face afterwards.

  He would not lose any more family.

  Whoever wants to leave the Sheng family now would have to do it over his dead body!

  Of course, those who had already left must pay the price for it.

  ***

  It was in the evening when the fire started at Jing Ting.

  Papa Sheng had been drawing blueprints in his workspace, while Mama Sheng was buying some tools her husband needed.

  The entire mansion was devoured by the flames when the firefighters finally arrived.

  Papa Sheng couldn’t save anything aside from his blueprints and a few important items—he did not even have the time to wear his shoes.

  Mama Sheng looked for her husband everywhere when she returned to find Jing Ting debris in the sea of flames.

  When Sheng Xiao received news, he rushed there with Mu Qiqi, who quickly checked Papa Sheng for injuries. “Are you alright, Dad?”


  There was a blank look on Papa Sheng’s face, but he shook his head and handed the blueprints he was still holding to Sheng Xiao.

  “Take a break on the car. We’ll take over from here.”


  “Why would a fire start for no reason?” Mama Sheng felt heartache as she watched her husband’s bare feet.

  “The fire spread very quickly. There was no stopping it when I smelled it at my workspace and came out. That was why I immediately ran out… we’ll have to wait for the police to investigate the specific reason for the fire.” Papa Sheng eventually recovered from the fire, but with much difficulty.

  Sheng Xiao looked out from the car window.

  Jing Ting was reduced to a pile of ashes like that.

  The buildings were no more when the fire was finally extinguished, with one of the police officers coming to tell them, “This fire was started deliberately. The firefighters could smell gasoline when they came to stop the fire, although a specific investigation is still needed.”


  “Thank you, officer.” Mama Sheng quickly conveyed her gratitude.

  “You are welcome. We’ve also tried to save some of your belongings, send someone to make a count if you could.”


  Nonetheless.

  If it was a deliberate fire, who could the culprit be?

  The family immediately thought of that one person in the Sheng family.

  “I just didn’t expect that he would want such a tragic end for us. I was still inside when the fire started.”


  “Say no more. Stay with us until Xu Che could arrange a safe place for you to live.” Sheng Xiao’s eyes were as dark as they were cold.

  Things would be very different if they found out that Old Sheng had really sent people to start the fire.

  With that, Sheng Xiao brought his parents who were scared witless to the house where he and Mu Qiqi was living for the time being.

  There were security guards there and it was close to the Shen’s residence, which makes it the best place to live for the moment.

  “I think Mom and Dad are really frightened. Since our place is quite huge, let’s have our parents stay here—we don’t have to look for another place.” Mu Qiqi told Sheng Xiao after settling in their parents.

  Sheng Xiao, meanwhile, was sitting wordlessly on the sofa with a gaze as sharp as an eagle’s.

  Mu Qiqi could feel his rage.

  Either way, Old Sheng had lost his mind if he really was the culprit!

  It was not as if he was allowed to set fires, but he should have at least ensured that no one was inside Jing Ting.

  And yet, he chose to do it in the evening and with someone inside. Was he so intent on killing his son and daughter-in-law?

  “What do you intend to do, Xiao Xiao?”


  “Investigate, and… an eye for an eye.”


  “Investigate, sure, but spare the eye thing. Let’s get back at them in another way.”


  Sheng Xiao regained his rationality thanks to Mu Qiqi’s words. In the past, he would have burnt all of Huang Yao’s warehouses, but it was as Mu Qiqi had put it—how would he be any different from the old man if he did that?”


  “So, you were saying… what other way?” Sheng Xiao asked the little clever devil that was Mu Qiqi, his own cells of cunning going to work right then.

  “What other way could be wilder than to let every person in the country know someone set a fire to kill his own son? We fear nothing now! So instead of burning his warehouses, let’s burn his heart!”


  “Wouldn’t Huang Yao stocks plummet if the scandal gets out?”


  “That is how he would pay for it!”


  Sheng Xiao couldn’t help smiling. “Are you saying you want your in-laws to do some acting?”


  “Can’t they complain? Their house was burnt down.”


  Sheng Xiao pinched Mu Qiqi’s nose at that. “You’re quite the sly one.”


  “I got that from you… your personal preaching as a strict teacher would naturally produce a great student.” With that, Mu Qiqi got to her feet to check if her in-laws needed anything else.

  Meanwhile, Sheng Xiao gave Xu Che a call.

  He would have the police uncover the truth, and make a huge fuss to spread the word.

  ***

  The Sheng family was about to sleep when they received word that Jing Ting was burned. It was certainly news, what with a building with such history being consumed by a great fire in several short hours.

  Moreover, all the people of Jianchuan knew who lived there.

  Third Brother immediately called Sheng Xiao after seeing the news. “Jing Ting was on fire? Is Eldest Aunt and Uncle alright?”


  “Scared to death, of course.” Sheng Xiao replied.

  “Do you suspect it’s Grandfather?”


  “Don’t you suspect it’s him even without coming?”


  Third Brother felt chills in his heart at the sight of the towering inferno shown in the news.

  “My father was also inside when Jing Ting started burning.”


  “Doesn’t that mean Grandfather is out to kill, and not just burning Jing Ting?”


  “Don’t get overloaded by your sense of justice, or you would be next!” Sheng Xiao warned.

  “What do I have to fear?” Third Brother scoffed, before hanging up and striding towards the old man’s study, where he was practicing his calligraphy.

  “Finding it hard to stay calm too, Grandfather?”


  “You won’t fall asleep easily when you’re old.”


  “Then you probably know about a fire starting in Jing Ting, don’t you?”


  “It’s just a fire. What does that have to do with us?” The old man was exceedingly calm, his mood unaffected at all.

  “Then did you know that Eldest Uncle was at his workspace and was almost killed by the fire, Grandfather?”