Besides the Xiao family’s main line and members of longstanding family friends such as Chu Xiyuan and Xu Bowen, quite a few people from the Xiao family’s collateral branches were present.
Although they shared the surname, they were generally only admitted to the house during holidays and special occasions.
The young man who had just mocked Song Liang belonged to one of those branches. In his early twenties and recently graduated, he hoped to use this opportunity to make himself familiar to the patriarch and perhaps secure an undemanding position in one of the Xiao Group’s subsidiaries.
He had also heard that Xiao Ji, the main line’s outstanding son since childhood, had somehow started following his unconventional uncle’s example.
He had abandoned the Qiao marriage alliance and chosen an illegitimate son from a nouveau riche family in Linhai—a man, at that.
They were curious and delighted by his misfortune.
Curious about what kind of person could make Xiao Ji lose his judgment: what looks, tricks, or abilities he possessed.
Delighted that the “perfect child” they had always been compared to was apparently bringing about his own downfall.
So the collateral relatives had tried to anticipate the patriarch’s wishes and put this nouveau riche family’s illegitimate son in his place, hoping to win favor.
Nobody expected him to be bold enough to talk back.
The young man flushed bright red at the retort.
“Well, my surname is Xiao. That still makes me better than you.”
Song Liang didn’t see why.
“Does your family only marry relatives with the same surname?”
“…”
The young man stared in disbelief.
“Are you calling me an idiot?”
Song Liang replied, “I didn’t say that.”
“You—”
“Enough!”
Another impatient voice rang out.
A middle-aged man with a cane emerged from behind the crowd. Deep creases marked the space between his brows, and his expression was stern and cold.
He approached, looked Song Liang up and down, and said, “Is this how the Song family raises its children? No manners whatsoever!”
Song Liang glanced at the suit and cane, both matching the old patriarch’s almost exactly. He raised an eyebrow.
“Where did this cosplayer come from, sticking his nose into everything?”
“…”
This time, Chu Xiyuan genuinely couldn’t hold back a laugh. Some of the younger people who understood the remark also pressed their lips together, smiling.
Laughter rippled through the group, impossible to suppress.
Xiao Guangjin’s face darkened. He turned to Xiao Ji.
“Xiao Ji, this is your new partner? He certainly looks nothing like the Qiao family’s daughter!”
Xiao Ji couldn’t quite control the corners of his mouth either. His tone was light.
“Good joke, Third Uncle. Men and women are naturally different.”
Xiao Guangjin choked with anger and slammed his cane against the ground.
“What kind of attitude is that!”
Xiao Ji didn’t care. He knew perfectly well that this uncle was merely borrowing someone else’s authority to act important.
Everyone in the Xiao family knew he loved flattering Grandfather. He even deliberately dressed like him, as though terrified anyone might forget he was the family’s eldest surviving son.
After losing the use of one leg, he had started using the same style of cane too.
The younger relatives never dared mention it, and Xiao Yi couldn’t be bothered. Yet today, an uninformed outsider had casually exposed it and left him unable to maintain his composure.
Usually, Xiao Ji was the one on the receiving end of Song Liang’s sharp tongue. With someone else taking his place today, he suddenly discovered its appeal.
Xiao Guangjin wanted to curse, but with so many younger people present, he didn’t want to look as though he had lost control. Instead, he turned to the patriarch.
“Father, look at the person your precious grandson has chosen! What has he become?”
Tap.
The patriarch’s cane touched the ground.
“You’ve followed your uncle since childhood. He indulges you, and there’s nothing I can do. I don’t care how you amuse yourself outside, but as a member of the Xiao family, your marriage is no game. You can’t just choose some disreputable person and regret it later.”
“…”
Song Liang: 【System, is this old man insulting people?】
3085 thought he wasn’t merely insulting someone. He had insulted three people in one go—the main villain, the main top, and its host.
Experience really did count for something.
If even Song Liang had picked up on it, everyone else naturally had too. An extraordinary silence fell.
Xiao Ji tightened his fists and protested, “This was my choice. It has nothing to do with Uncle.”
Then he stood there, waiting for his grandfather’s judgment.
Song Liang turned to him.
“That’s it? You’re only defending your uncle?”
Xiao Ji: “…”
Chu Xiyuan nearly suffocated trying not to laugh. How had he never noticed how funny this Song fellow was?!
The patriarch disregarded Xiao Ji’s protest.
“I invited Chairman Qiao and his daughter. Come with me to see them and clear up the misunderstanding.”
Xiao Ji frowned.
“Grandfather—”
Thump!
The cane struck the ground hard.
With slightly lowered eyelids, the patriarch looked at Xiao Ji, his imposing presence making the younger man stiffen.
“Don’t keep them waiting.”
Leaving him with those words, he walked away with his cane.
Xiao Ji remained still for a long moment before attempting to follow. But before he could take even one step, someone caught his arm.
A familiar voice sounded beside him.
“If they’re tired of waiting, they can stop.”
“…”
The garden fell silent.
Xiao Musheng slowly turned back. His gaze settled on Song Liang with an almost physical weight.
For the first time, he addressed him directly.
“What did you say?”
“I said if they’re tired of waiting, they might as well stop. There was never an engagement anyway. They’re both free to marry someone else.”
Song Liang released Xiao Ji’s arm and casually draped his own around his shoulders, wearing a faint, ambiguous smile.
“Besides, I don’t like my fiancé going to meet other women.”
Xiao Ji stared at him incredulously, his expression plainly asking, Have you gone mad?
Song Liang ignored it. He met the patriarch’s gaze directly, without yielding an inch.
Xiao Musheng watched him for a long time. His elderly voice carried a drawn-out note of authority.
“This is the Xiao family home. Do you know whom you’re speaking to?”
“Of course. The Xiao family patriarch.”
Song Liang smiled.
“But unfortunately, my surname isn’t Xiao.”
Sharp breaths sounded around them. The younger Xiao relatives stared at the man beside Xiao Ji, wondering whether they had misheard.
Cold sweat had broken out on Xiao Ji’s forehead.
“Grandfather, that’s not what he meant. He doesn’t know how to express himself. Please don’t be angry!”
“I think he expresses himself very well.”
Without expression, Xiao Musheng looked at the bodyguards beside him.
They nodded and moved toward Song Liang together.
Xiao Ji’s face changed.
“Grandfather—”
“Stand aside. You might get hurt.”
Chu Xiyuan, who had been enjoying the spectacle, never expected things to turn out like this. He inwardly swore and had no idea what to do.
Looking at Song Liang, he found him apparently oblivious to what was about to happen. He was even stretching theatrically.
No, not stretching.
Showing off the custom luxury watch on his wrist.
Everyone’s eyes instinctively moved to it. When they recognized the custom piece worth more than a dozen Land Rovers, astonishment appeared on their faces.
That watch!
“It’s still early. The banquet hasn’t started yet, has it? Or…”
Song Liang raised his wrist and turned it twice, displaying the watch to everyone.
“Is the watch Uncle gave me keeping the wrong time?”
The bodyguards froze.
After years working for the Xiao family, they naturally recognized Xiao Yi’s watch. Since it was a one-of-a-kind private commission, it could, in a sense, be regarded as a symbol of his identity.
And now it was on this unfamiliar young man’s wrist.
All of Linhai knew that nobody could defy the Xiao family patriarch.
Except Xiao Yi.
The bodyguards suddenly had no idea how to proceed. They could only look to the old man.
Xiao Musheng stared at the watch. Behind his clouded eyes, something seemed to churn like enormous waves.
At last, he said coldly, “You’re using Xiao Yi against me?”
Song Liang raised an eyebrow.
“That’s right.”
Everyone: “!!!”
He actually admitted it.
Incredible!
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