This weekend, Lin Xi and Duan Yiheng holed up at Tiandu Yuxi for two full days, not getting ready to head to the villa for dinner until four o'clock on Sunday afternoon.
The Old Master had emphasized beforehand that no one was permitted to be absent. Consequently, when the couple arrived, Duan Zheng and his family of three were already seated, waiting in perfect order. It had been a long time since Lin Xi had seen Duan Mingxuan; seeing him suddenly dressed in a suit and tie, she felt a momentary sense of unfamiliarity.
Duan Mingxuan had spotted Lin Xi earlier as well; acting on instinct, he walked over to greet her: "Xiao Xi." Lin Xi gave a slight nod, then stepped past him to offer her greetings to the Old Master. Duan Yiheng took his seat to the Old Master's left and spoke up:
"Chen Liangyi made a mistake and has been fired. Since you were the one who recommended her for the Sales Department, I thought I should let you know." The Old Master showed no surprise; after all, no one would dare employ a woman who so casually betrayed her superiors and would stop at nothing to secure her own interests.
The condition she had negotiated with him back then was precisely to be placed in the Sales Department—whether that demonstrated stupidity or sheer overconfidence, he couldn't say. The housekeeper approached to ask the Old Master when dinner should be served; he replied, "Let's make it six o'clock. I'd like to chat with them for a bit first." Seeing this, Duan Zheng asked the Old Master:
"Dad, what makes today such a special occasion? You issued strict orders—repeatedly, no less—forbidding anyone from being late or absent." The Old Master feared that if he revealed the reason now, no one would be able to enjoy their meal later. Instead, he simply retorted, "What? You have a problem with keeping me company for a single meal?" Duan Zheng choked on his words: "...I wouldn't dare."
The Old Master gave a sarcastic chuckle—*what wouldn't he dare do?* He had dared to hide his affair with Ke Yu from him; he had dared to conceal the fact that he'd fathered a child out of wedlock; and he had even dared to provoke him into being hospitalized. All of this—every last bit of it—had left his heart utterly dead toward Duan Zheng.
That woman, Ke Yu, truly possessed a certain cunning; she had actually managed to pull the wool over his eyes. Just how many of the company's senior executives were secretly her people? Did her father-in-law—that old Zheng fellow—know about her affair with Duan Zheng? Duan Zheng was such a fool; he was being sold out, yet he was still helping to count the money.
Ke Yu had needed nothing more than a little girl to bind him firmly to her side. He had placed his trust in Ke Yu, never realizing the depth of her foresight—what truly immense ambition she harbored. The old patriarch withdrew his gaze and turned to address Duan Mingxuan:
"Mingxuan, that girl from the Xia family your mother mentioned—I think she's quite a catch. You should get to know her. I hear you've been performing well at the company lately; you need to step up and shoulder your responsibilities regarding marriage and starting a family." "Grandpa." Duan Mingxuan frowned. "I'm not ready to get married yet."
Lin Xi kept her eyes fixed downward, feigning total absorption in her own thoughts and ignoring the glances Duan Mingxuan cast her way. Duan Yiheng unhurriedly peeled an orange, then handed it over to Lin Xi. Everyone was taken aback by his gesture—Lin Xi included. "What are you staring at?" Duan Yiheng raised a hand. "Take it."
Lin Xi didn't dare let her gaze waver even in her peripheral vision as she accepted the orange Duan Yiheng had peeled for her. Unsure of what to say, she simply lowered her head and ate it one segment at a time. It was very sweet. The old patriarch took it all in. That business trip to City S had changed everything.
Duan Mingxuan, in fact, deserved some credit for bringing the two of them together. Had he not mishandled the situation with his ex-girlfriend, Lin Xi would never have ended up being drugged. The living room suddenly fell silent; the family sitting together felt both awkward and bizarre. The old patriarch sighed and announced, "Let's eat."
Each family member harbored their own distinct thoughts; in less than an hour, they began laying down their chopsticks one by one. After the meal, they remained seated in the living room, and the old patriarch ceased his suspense-building: "I asked you all to come here today because there is something I need to discuss." With the exception of Duan Yiheng and Lin Xi, everyone else turned their attention toward the patriarch.
"Two things," the patriarch stated. "First, my will; second, the matter of succession. The formal announcement won't take place today, but I wanted to give you all some advance warning so you can prepare yourselves mentally." Lin Xi noticed Duan Zheng's lips move slightly, though he uttered not a word.
Duan Mingxuan curled his lip, appearing as though he had long foreseen this outcome. Only Chen Baiwei showed faint glimmers of anticipation. The patriarch gave a low hum. "Duan Zheng, I haven't much longer to live. As a father, you ought to recognize that the arrangements I have made are ultimately in the best interests of both Yin Fan and the Duan family."
Duan Zheng's lips quivered; finally, he lowered his head, concealing the sharp glint in his eyes as he replied, "I understand." Chen Baiwei, seemingly aware that Duan Yiheng's ascension to power was already a foregone conclusion, offered no objections. What she cared about was the old man's inheritance—she didn't even care how much she herself would receive; her sole concern was how much *Duan Mingxuan* would get. "Mingxuan." The old man turned his gaze toward Duan Mingxuan. Duan Mingxuan sat up straight, assuming a formal posture. "Grandpa."
"Grandpa doesn't have high demands of you; the share that is rightfully yours will not be withheld. However, you are young and impetuous—your falling victim to a setup in City S last time serves as a prime example. I intend to establish a family trust to safeguard your future livelihood. Do you have any objections?" Duan Mingxuan shook his head. "None."
"As for Xiao Xi, she, too, shall receive a share—" "But she doesn't even bear the Duan surname!" Chen Baiwei blurted out hastily. The old man's gaze turned sharp and piercing; Chen Baiwei immediately clamped her mouth shut. "Yinfan, you already hold equity shares; the only assets Grandpa has left to bestow upon you are real estate properties and a selection of jewelry," the old man stated. "After all, you were raised within this household; though you do not bear the Duan surname, you are nonetheless a member of the Duan family." Lin Xi felt a sudden warmth welling up in her eyes; she pursed her lips and nodded. "Thank you, Grandpa." Chen Baiwei clenched her fingers tightly. Real estate? Jewelry? By what right?
The Old Madam had left behind such a vast collection of jewelry; half of it had already gone to Duan Yiheng's mother. Was the remaining half now to be handed over to Lin Xi? If so, where did that leave *her*—Chen Baiwei? Was she merely expected to scrape by on a paltry two or three million a month drawn from the family trust—a humiliating prospect? The old man was being far too partial.
"One week from now—right here in this very spot—I have decided to publicly announce the contents of my will ahead of schedule," the old man declared. Duan Zheng inquired, "In that case, will the matter of the equity transfer be conducted concurrently?" The old man shook his head.
"The two matters shall be handled separately. I will notify the members of the Board of Directors to convene a meeting in two weeks' time to formalize the transfer of equity." Duan Zheng nodded. "I understand."
No one raised any objections to this arrangement. Lin Xi and Duan Yiheng exited the villa, completely oblivious to the fact that Duan Mingxuan had remained behind, silently watching them depart. As she sat in the car, Lin Xi was deep in thought. Duan Yiheng, who seemed to possess an uncanny ability to effortlessly sense her moods, asked her while he drove:
"Something on your mind?" Lin Xi replied, "I understand why Grandpa decided to announce the contents of his will early—it helps preempt potential controversies and disputes. But regarding the equity transfer—couldn't that simply be announced directly at the Board meeting?"
He clearly knew about the dealings between Duan Zheng and Ke Yu; wasn't this essentially handing Ke Yu a blatant opportunity to prepare himself? Duan Yiheng smiled and said, "You have to trust the Old Man's arrangements; he has his own reasons."
Lin Xi was completely bewildered by this, but since Duan Yiheng was still driving, she didn't press him for an explanation. Once they had pulled into the garage at Tiandu Yuxi and stepped out of the car, however, she could no longer contain her curiosity and pressed him further:
"What will you do if Uncle Duan and Ke Yu have made ample preparations for the board meeting taking place in two weeks?" Duan Yiheng smiled again. "Surely not everyone will side with Ke Yu."
The Old Man's procedure was sound: convene a board meeting within one to two weeks of the will's public announcement, and then proceed with the transfer of share ownership. Duan Yiheng wrapped his arm around Lin Xi as they stepped into the elevator. After a moment of deep contemplation, he mused inwardly: *Ke Yu—she must be the very fish the Old Man was angling for.*
*Unless you let her thrash around a bit, you'll never know just how murky the waters run beneath the surface.*