translator: Eve

“Hello, Mrs. Xiao.”

“Hello.”

The elegantly-dressed, poised madam on the other side of the door nodded slightly. Although she was already middle-aged, her skin was fair and well-maintained. There was a friendly smile on her face as she swept her eyes over Song Xuanhe. Her tone was gentle: “May I come in?”

“Of course.” Song Xuanhe looked at the car that had already driven quite some distance away and then shifted his eyes back on the woman in front of him. “Please, come in.”

“This doesn’t seem like the Yuanmu and your apartment.” Mrs. Xiao sat down and sized up the surroundings. With a smile, she said, “I visited his apartment once. Although the conditions weren’t too good, and it was a little cramped, he was still unwilling to move home. Now that I think about it, it was probably because he was waiting for you to move in with him.”

Song Xuanhe gave her a small smile back but didn’t comment. He leaned down slightly and picked up the teacup Xiao Baicong had taken a sip from. After putting it away, he said, “I didn’t have time to tidy up after the last guest. I hope you’ll excuse me.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Mrs. Xiao shook her head softly. “Sit down. There’s no need to be so polite.”

Song Xuanhe sat down.

“You are quite different from what I’ve heard.” Mrs. Xiao said with a smile, “I thought that we would meet at the welcome banquet we held for Yuanmu. I didn’t expect that you would be unable to come. In the end, we couldn’t meet until now.”

Song Xuanhe also kept up his smile. “What did you expect me to be like?”

“Younger, more impulsive.” Mrs. Xiao replied, “I had been worried about whether it was appropriate for Yuanmu and you to be together when I had heard those rumours. Seeing you now, I realized that I was worried for nothing.”

Song Xuanhe smiled wordlessly.

“It’s just that, I don’t know if Xiao Song has heard about the matter regarding our family.” Mrs. Xiao asked.

“Xiao Yuanmu doesn’t really talk to me about Xiao Family matters,” Song Xuanhe said, “We’re just dating. We aren’t at the stage where we feel comfortable talking to each other about our families.”

Mrs. Xiao’s smile grew slightly rigid. There was a probing gaze underneath her smile. “You don’t plan on getting married?”

“Well, I don’t have such plans at the moment,” Song Xuanhe said, “I think Xiao Yuanmu feels the same. He wants to focus on his career right now. You know, although RE’s developed very quickly, it’s still a young company. It needs its owner to devote more energy into it to grow. Otherwise, it might topple over at any moment. Furthermore, I have my own career that I feel like I should focus on right now. Xiao Yuanmu and I have reached a consensus on this.”

After giving his explanation, Song Xuanhe acted like he had just recalled what Mrs. Xiao had said earlier. He apologized. “You asked me if I heard of the matter regarding your family. What in particular were you asking about?”

Mrs. Xiao shook her head. “It’s nothing important.”

“Is that so.” Song Xuanhe smiled, “I heard that Mrs. Xiao likes jasmine tea. Unfortunately, I only have Iron Goddess tea prepared. If you don’t mind, I’d love to prepare you a cup of tea.”

Mrs. Xiao was taken aback, though she didn’t show it. She remarked in a surprised tone, “How did you know that I like to drink jasmine tea?”

It was rare for members of the Xiao Family, who were very strict and saw themselves as an illustrious family in olden times, to reveal their real preferences to outsiders. That was why Mrs. Xiao was so shocked.

“Xiao Yuanmu told me.” Song Xuanhe’s eyes widened, befuddlement in his guileless, limpid eyes. “Did I remember wrongly?”

“No….” Mrs. Xiao’s gaze lowered, a smile in her eyes. Her voice wasn’t as soft as it was earlier, but her smile seemed more genuine than before. “I didn’t know that he knew that I liked jasmine tea.”

“Of course he does.” Song Xuanhe said, “Not only that, he also knows that although Mr. Xiao Lin likes to drink black tea with milk, he can only do it behind your back because you don’t like it. He also knows that Xiao Baicong likes to drink Iron Goddess tea. That’s why there’s always some at home. I brought this box of tea from our apartment.”

Mrs. Xiao’s gaze followed Song Xuanhe’s and landed on the Iron Goddess tea on the table. Her eyes got a little wet as she quietly said, “I didn’t know Yuanmu was so…attentive.”

“He’s always like this,” Song Xuanhe said, “he quietly notes down the preferences of the people around him and silently gives and gives. But he never says anything about it. I used to fight with him often because of this. I thought that he didn’t love me, that he didn’t care about me. It wasn’t until later that I found out how much he had done for my sake.”

Mrs. Xiao said, “He’s actually such a kindhearted and attentive child.”

“The reason why he shows the world a hard exterior is because of the environment he grew up in.” Song Xuanhe sighed softly, “Actually, he’s been really worried about you and Mr. Xiao. He just never voices his concerns out loud. But when he’ll occasionally talk about your preferences. That’s how I know how much he treasures you.”

“I…didn’t know that.” Mrs. Xiao tightened her hold over her purse and said, “I always thought…I’ve always thought that….”

“Thought what?”

Mrs. Xiao forced a smile and shook her head. “Nothing. I just thought that he didn’t care about us. I didn’t expect him to be so attentive.”

Song Xuanhe grinned and then changed the topic. “Mrs. Xiao, I forgot to ask but, why did you come today?”

“I just wanted to see you.” Mrs. Xiao pulled herself together quickly and resumed her gentle, elegant appearance. “I thought I’d take the chance to ask you about something as well.”

“Regarding Xiao Yuanmu’s whereabouts?”

“Yes.” Mrs. Xiao’s brows furrowed slightly, a layer of concern filling her face. “Yuanmu suddenly left the house three days ago. He didn’t tell his father or me about it. Now, we can’t get in touch with him. We’re really worried.”

“”It seems like he’s in China right now.” Song Xuanhe gazed at Mrs. Xiao, “Mr. Xiao Baicong came for a visit earlier and asked me where Xiao Yuanmu was. Unfortunately, I don’t have a clue. I only found out that Xiao Yuanmu was in China after Xiao Baicong told me.”

“Congcong came over?” Mrs. Xiao was shocked. “What did you two talk about?”

“Xiao Yuanmu. He spoke about his concern over Xiao Yuanmu’s disappearance most of the conversation.”

“He’s always been like this.” Mrs. Xiao’s lips were curled into a smile. “This child, he’s always been kind, considerate and concerned for the people around him. You wouldn’t believe how excited he was when he found out he had a big brother. Even if Yuanmu’s return wasn’t bene….”

“Anyway, he’s always been like that. He’s always been optimistic and gentle.” When Mrs. Xiao spoke, Song Xuanhe could see the deep, motherly love and pride she had for Xiao Baicong. Her lips subconsciously curved into a soft, loving smile. “It’s because of this that his father and I were worried about how he would fare against reality or anything unfriendly. Although he’s already proven that he is intelligent and capable of dealing with anything….”

Song Xuanhe raised a brow. The System said in his head: 【Do you think Xiao Yuanmu’s mother knew that Xiao Baicong was here earlier or that she really only heard about this now?】

【Analyze the data and figure it out yourself.】Song Xuanhe said：【Doesn’t your data tell you everything?】

【I didn’t collect any data on her. But even without any data, I believe that she must have known that Xiao Baicong was the previous guest. This is because I have data on Xiao Baicong’s fleet, the speed of his fleet, and the speed limit of the streets. There is no way his fleet could have completely disappeared out of sight prior to her arrival. His cars all belong to the Xiao Family. There’s no way Xiao Yuanmu’s mother wouldn’t recognize them.】

【You’re so smart.】Song Xuanhe praised the system in a flat voice. He then said：【What’s even more likely is that she probably waited until Xiao Baicong’s fleet of cars disappeared before pressing the down on the doorbell.】

The System pondered this possibility：【That’s very likely.】

“…Congcong is always worried about the people around him. Sometimes, he even forgets to think about himself or even care for himself. I remember when he was five years old, his companion, Angus, told him that the servants would wake up early in the morning to make him breakfast. So he….” Mothers were usually able to go on and on about their children. Mrs. Xiao was no exception. She told Song Xuanhe a lot of stories of when Xiao Baicong was a child. She then smiled. “He’s an angel sent to his father and I from Heaven.”

Song Xuanhe smiled and listened quietly. He didn’t say anything from beginning to end.

The smile gradually faded from her face. She sighed quietly. “It’s just a pity that it seems like Yuanmu doesn’t seem to like him very much.”

Song Xuanhe looked up. Mrs. Xiao sighed again when she noticed his gaze. “Yuanmu is more suited to succeed the family, regardless of whether it’s in terms of personality or whatever. It’s just that this must be difficult for Baicong to accept. It’s been drilled into his head since he was young that he would inherit the family, that he had to sacrifice everything for the sake of the family. He has considered that Xiao Family to be his responsibility since he was a child. But after Yuanmu came back, he was willing to give it all up. Even if it meant things would turn out differently than he had pictured over a decade ago, he was still willing to do this. He’s always been like this….”

Mrs. Xiao looked at Song Xuanhe. “But even so, Yuanmu isn’t willing to open up to him. I can see how concerned Baicong is of Yuanmu, and how much he wants to be closer to his older brother. Yuanmu, he…he grew up in that kind of environment. That is the fault of his father and I. We will do everything we can to make up for it. But Baicong shouldn’t have to take a share of the blame. He wasn’t born yet. He’s even willing to give the Xiao Family to Yuanmu as compensation…. Auntie knows how much Yuanmu likes you and how much he listens to you. Auntie hopes that you might try to convince him to try to get along with Congcong. Please?”

Song Xuanhe’s fist clenched tighter and tighter with every word Mrs. Xiao said. After Mrs. Xiao’s last sentence, he could no longer hold himself back.

Song Xuanhe stared right into Mrs. Xiao’s eyes. “I cannot comment as to what kind of person Xiao Baicong is. However—and I apologize in advance for my frankness—it is ridiculous of Xiao Baicong to say that he’s willing to ‘give’ the family to Xiao Yuanmu. Xiao Yuanmu is also your son. If he wasn’t lost in the beginning, he would be the sole, legitimate successor of the Xiao Family. He would be just like Xiao Baicong. He would be you and Mr. Xiao’s beloved eldest son. He might have ended up like Xiao Baicong—generous and willing to give everything to his friends. Because he wouldn’t lack anything.”

“Even though things haven’t turned out like that, even if he’s suffered countless trials and tribulations while growing up, he is still a warm, gentle person. In my eyes, being able to remain kind while growing up in a harsh environment is more commendable than a greenhouse flower’s naive warmth.”

“I’m really sorry.” Song Xuanhe got up, making it clear that he wanted to see her out, “But I’m afraid that I need some time alone.”

Mrs. Xiao’s expression changed slightly. She was about to speak but she noticed that there was someone behind Song Xuanhe. Her face paled and she took a step forward. “Yuanmu….”

Song Xuanhe whipped his head around, his eyes meeting with the tall man standing not far behind him.

Eve: Truth be told, it’s hard to blame Mr. and Mrs. Xiao’s blatant favouritism. Even if Yuanmu is their son, it’s only in name. He’s basically a stranger compared to Baicong who she poured her everything in for eighteen years. BUT. For the same reason, I don’t think it’s appropriate for her to be so pushy in trying to get Yuanmu to open up to her. Even if they are biologically related, he’s a grown man and his decisions/personal space should be respected. Anyway, Mumu has his reasons for keeping his distance.