Chapter 181

Chapter 181

The farce at the Zhou Family had become public knowledge. By the time Xie Qiyan brought Yao Qin back to the Xie Family Old Mansion, the Zhou Family’s three members were still begging the Old Master to step in and help.

In front of the Old Master, Zhou Yu was busy painting Xie Qiyan as the villain. “You’re still here, so why does everything in the Xie Family answer to Xie Qiyan alone? Besides, Eldest Uncle has already been discharged from the hospital. This family can’t just listen to Xie Qiyan on everything! If something happened today to Second Uncle’s or Third Uncle’s family and Xie Qiyan ignored it all the same, should this family just change its name altogether?”

Xie Tianqi had never valued Xie Qiyan. He even rejected this son of his.

Precisely because Xie Tianqi was watching from the side, Zhou Yu’s words grew more and more unrestrained.

The people from the Second Branch and Third Branch were all watching the show. It had nothing to do with them, so they were content to stay out of it. But Zhou Yu had no way out now, and he was determined to drag everyone else in with him.

“Bah. What do you mean, if something happened to our family…” Xie Nan nearly failed to hold back from punching him twice. In his heart, he thought that no matter how wildly he and Xie Lin played around outside, they would never let a mistress climb all over them and blow things up this badly.

There were plenty of such affairs in their circle. Yet only Zhou Yu had failed to keep his people in line and turned it into social news.

Xie Lin tugged at Xie Nan twice in secret, signaling for him to control his temper.

Zhou Yu had no chance of making a comeback. There was no need for them to get involved.

If Zhou Yu had the ability, Xie Lin might have considered giving him a hand.

Even Xie Qiyan was watching coldly from the sidelines. They were not stupid either. If they could ignore this, they would.

Best not to be caught in the crossfire.

“Would he dare?” Xie Tianqi’s deep voice came with several coughs, as if Zhou Yu’s words had truly angered him. He turned to look at the Old Master. “Is it not enough that Xie Corporation is now under his sole control? Must he become the master of the Xie Family as well? We elders are still alive. If you let a junior monopolize all the power, where are the rest of us supposed to put our faces?”

Xie Tianqi’s tone was heavy. “He has never had the Xie Family in his eyes. In my opinion, he can’t wait to change his name as soon as possible!”

The Old Master let out a long sigh and was just about to explain when he saw a neat line of people standing at the entrance. Xie Qiyan stepped over the threshold first. His gaze swept the room, and his cool, even voice drifted over.

“Change my surname? I’ve wanted to for more than twenty years.” Xie Qiyan’s gaze settled on Xie Tianqi. Through his lenses, he saw the sudden contraction of the man’s pupils, as well as the surprise he failed to hide in time upon seeing Yao Qin.

Yao Qin’s arrival had caught everyone unprepared.

Everyone’s attention gathered on Yao Qin, to the point that they forgot what had just been said.

“Long time no see, Mr. Xie.” More than twenty years ago, when Yao Qin first met Old Master Xie, this was how she had addressed him.

Decades had passed, yet Yao Qin still called him Mr. Xie in that soft, gentle voice of hers.

“Yao…” The Old Master’s throat tightened slightly. In the end, he only managed to say, “Come in and sit.”

The problem had not been resolved, and Xie Qiyan had even overheard those words just now. Zhou Yu’s face shifted between green and white. He glanced at Xie Tianqi, who had already thrown the matter to the back of his mind and had all his attention on Yao Qin, then retreated to the side in anger.

But when he remembered Xia Wanzhi was there too, he could not help looking at her.

The girl standing across from him, the one who had once only stood by his side, was now holding someone else’s hand with their fingers intertwined. She had not even spared him a single glance.

The Xie Family might not have been very familiar with Yao Qin, but she was certainly no stranger to them.

Aside from Xie Tianqi, however, everyone else was curious about the man beside Yao Qin.

“Allow me to introduce myself. My surname is Liu. I am Ah Yao’s…” Liu Shubai’s gaze was directed at Xie Tianqi, as if he were deliberately challenging him. He intentionally trailed off, leaving behind a suggestive pause.

Those words made it hard for others not to suspect what kind of relationship he had with Yao Qin.

Unfortunately, Xie Tan, still an innocent child off to the side, blurted out the moment she heard it, “Then does Brother Ayan want to change his surname to Liu?”

Xia Wanzhi: “…”

Before she could signal Xie Tan to be quiet, the Third Aunt of the Xie Family grabbed Xie Tan’s arm first and shot her a look, warning her not to speak out of turn.

Xie Qiyan lowered his eyes and saw Xie Tianqi’s fist suddenly clench, his body going taut.

He was furious.

Since he disliked him so much and did not even want this son, why did he react so strongly when he heard Xie Qiyan might change his surname to Liu?

The Old Master seemed to have also realized that Liu Shubai and Yao Qin’s relationship was unusual. Though he was stunned for a moment, he sincerely felt happy for her.

It was not that Yao Qin was unworthy of his son.

It was his son who was unworthy of Yao Qin.

The Old Master gave Liu Shubai a slight nod, then turned to look at Xie Tianqi.

“All of you, leave.” These words were directed at the Xie Family’s Second Branch and Third Branch, as well as the Zhou Family.

Zhou Yu grew anxious. “Grandfather…”

“I’ve already had your Second Uncle suppress the trending searches. What more do you want the Xie Family to do? Send people to abort that unborn child of yours? Or do you want one corpse and two lives lost, so the matter can grow even bigger?” As he spoke, the Old Master looked coldly at Zhou’s Mother. “And you. All you know is to teach your son to beg others whenever something happens. One day, when things truly become irreversible, you’ll have plenty to regret.”

What should have been an ordinary little matter had turned into a citywide sensation in the Zhou Family’s hands. The Old Master was scolding Zhou’s Father and Zhou’s Mother for being useless, and he was also scolding Zhou Yu for not acting like a man.

Zhou Yu’s face instantly turned deathly pale. He could no longer say a word.

The words were too blunt. He could not even refute them.

The Zhou Family left in anger, and the Xie Family’s Second Branch and Third Branch followed closely behind.

Xie Tan was far too curious. She looked back every few steps and happened to meet Liu Shubai’s eyes.

Perhaps Xie Tan’s words just now had pleased Liu Shubai. Seeing the child’s eager curiosity and reluctance to leave, he beckoned and said, “Come over here to Uncle.”

Xie Tan’s eyes suddenly lit up. She happily trotted back and stood beside Xia Wanzhi, then secretly looked at Yao Qin and Liu Shubai.

Xia Wanzhi: “…”

The Old Master did not mind letting a child stay. He told Xie Tan to greet the guest. “Call her Eldest Aunt.”

Xie Tan stared straight at Yao Qin, then called softly, “Eldest Aunt.”

Yao Qin’s tone was warm and gentle. “Just call me Auntie.”

With no title and no formal relationship, it was inappropriate.

And she no longer hoped for one.