Bai Youlan had been closely watching Xie Lianqing’s every move. Seeing him bite his lip, she felt deeply embarrassed. Silently, she pulled her startled and helpless mother aside, signaling her to keep quiet.
Hearing Xu Qingqing’s light mockery, Xu Changshan’s face darkened. He abruptly stood up, shouting, “Shut up! How dare you speak disrespectfully to your elders? Xu Qingqing, you’ve gone completely out of control!”
“Grandma, is Xu Changshan really going to hit me?” Xu Qingqing immediately ducked behind Grandma Xu. At this moment, she regretted not bringing a bodyguard along.
Grandma Xu shot Xu Changshan a sharp look and said loudly, “He wouldn’t dare.”
Then she gently tapped Xu Qingqing’s hand, scolding her with a smile, “Who’s Xu Changshan? That’s your father.”
Xu Qingqing’s family had made her so furious she felt dizzy, and she’d completely forgotten that her boyfriend, Xie Lianqing, was still there.
Xu Qingqing stuck out her tongue and said nothing.
Old Master Xu spoke in a stern voice, “Xu Changshan, we know exactly how many shares are under our name. You don’t need to covet them.”
Those words left no room for negotiation. Xu Changshan, ignoring his own secret calculations, immediately grew anxious. “Dad, what do you mean by that? If you hand the company over to my little sister, I won’t say anything, but you can’t leave me with nothing! Are you really going to leave the entire family business to Xu Qingqing, that little girl?”
He pleaded desperately, “Qingqing will definitely get married someday. Do you want to see the Xu family name die out and become a dowry for someone else?” At this, he couldn’t help but glare meaningfully at Xie Lianqing, who stood not far away.
Old Master Xu looked at him in disbelief. “Qingqing isn’t your daughter?”
Xu Changshan felt a moment of guilt under his father’s gaze but didn’t seem too bothered. “Qingqing is my child, but so are Youlan and Tianbao. Of course, I have to consider them too.”
Old Master Xu kept gasping, clearly furious. Xu Qingqing noticed and darted upstairs like a cat to fetch some medicine for him.
Only after she returned with the medicine and he took it did Old Master Xu feel somewhat better.
He looked at Xu Changshan, shaking his head in silence. He had once held hope for this son, felt pride, and even sorrow. Yet he never imagined that after all these years, his son would remain so foolish that even those closest to him, including his own children, couldn’t see through him.
Xu Changshan thought that the reason he and his wife wanted to leave their inheritance to Xu Qingqing was because they were biased, disliking Bai Yaxiu and, by extension, Xu Tianbao.
Indeed, they were biased.
But how could they not be?
Because of this son’s misdeeds, Xu Qingqing grew up motherless. This was their debt to Xu Qingqing’s mother.
Moreover, Xu Changshan was blind, but their eyes were not.
Bai Yaxiu’s daughter, at such a young age, already knew how to cover for her mother as the other woman. The mother and daughter shamelessly pursued wealth and status. Xu Tianbao, it seemed, was also spoiled rotten, ruling the household with an iron fist. Recently, he even got into trouble for hitting the nanny. Now, he openly showed contempt even toward Grandma Xu.
If the vast Xu family fell into their hands, losing the family fortune would be one thing. What Old Master Xu feared most was that once these people gained power, they would cause trouble for society. Xu Tianbao already knew how to hit people at such a young age—what would happen when he grew up?
If a person like that were to rise to power, it would be a danger to society and the country as a whole. If such a thing really happened, he and his wife would be too ashamed to face their ancestors even after death.
Xu Qingqing was raised by him and his wife—they knew her well. Although Qingqing had a delicate personality, she was pure-hearted and kind. She would never engage in anything illegal or morally corrupt.
Compared to others, she was truly a rare gem.
Xu Changshan had no idea about Old Master Xu’s hidden calculations; he was simply furious. His father had clearly gone senile over the years.
He was the eldest son of the Xu family, the only son in the household. Yet Old Master Xu had chosen his younger sister to be the heir, completely disregarding Xu Changshan’s own son, Xu Tianbao.
Their Xu family was a legacy passed down through three generations, all without a daughter.
Thinking of this, Xu Changshan couldn’t help but glare at Xie Lianqing. Both were only children, yet how come Xie Lianqing was so lucky—no daughters or sisters competing for the family fortune.
Xie Lianqing.
He glanced behind him, thought for a moment, and decided to move to another spot. Otherwise, Xu Changshan, acting like he’d taken some strange medicine, kept staring at him with eyes full of either anger or grievance. It was honestly quite annoying.
Xu Changshan didn’t notice Xie Lianqing’s movements. He was too frustrated. Other wealthy families favored sons over daughters, so why did his parents do the exact opposite?
He couldn’t help but plead with his parents, “Dad, Tianbao is your grandson, and Youlan is so pure-hearted. If you like Qingqing, why don’t you like her?”
Grandma Xu snorted coldly from the side, looking at her bewildered son, too tired to waste words on him.
Bai Youlan was a seemingly innocent girl with a complicated mind.
When the mother and daughter first came to their home, Grandma Xu sensed that the little girl was not as simple as she appeared. Unfortunately, her daughter-in-law didn’t listen, and her granddaughter treated the other girl as a friend. By the time they realized the danger they had invited in, it was already too late.
Recalling the past, Grandma Xu suddenly looked much older.
She was exhausted.
Seeing her husband’s weary expression—perhaps haunted by some thought—Old Master Xu felt a sharp pain in his heart.
After a long silence, he finally made up his mind.
In a deep voice, he said, “We once forced you to transfer five percent of the shares to Qingqing. From now on, that five percent under your name is no longer our concern. You can give it to whoever you want.”
Hearing this, the expressions of those in the room varied.
Xie Lianqing’s eyes held a hint of meaning. Grandma Xu looked at Old Master Xu but said nothing. Bai Yaxiu’s face showed surprise, Xu Tianbao looked confused, and Bai Youlan was visibly thrilled.
Once she had the shares, she would officially become the rightful Miss Xu. The online rumors mocking her as a mere hanger-on pretending to be a phoenix would be completely disproven.
Xu Qingqing didn’t mind either. She had never planned to take anything from Xu Changshan, and he certainly wouldn’t give her anything. With the assets in someone else’s hands, her grandparents couldn’t force them at knife-point.
But in the next moment, she saw the words above Bai Youlan’s head change:
“Beautiful Life System Activated
Luck Points Gained: 30,100
Task Progress: 40,100
Task Reward: Inherit a billion-dollar fortune and achieve a beautiful life”
In just a split second, Bai Youlan’s luck points above her head dropped by five, and even her task progress fell from 50 back down to 40.
Since Xu Qingqing first noticed the system aura hovering over Bai Youlan’s head, she had never once seen the task progress change like this.
So what on earth just happened?
At this moment, Bai Youlan, who was still excited, clearly received a system notification. The expression of eager anticipation on her face instantly shifted to one of disbelief.
If there weren’t so many people around right now, she probably would have screamed out loud, demanding to know what was going on with the system.
Xu Changshan, however, remained indifferent. After all, he had always planned to leave his shares to Tianbao and Youlan, never considering Xu Qingqing. They had come here today to discuss the distribution of the wealth held by their grandfather and grandmother.
Xu Changshan hesitated, then asked, “Mom, Dad, what about the property under your names?”
Grandpa Xu looked at him sharply, his gaze piercing like an eagle’s as he asked, “You won’t regret this?” Usually kind and gentle, the old man’s demeanor was fierce and commanding at this moment.
Xu Changshan paid no attention to the deeper meaning behind his father’s words. Hearing his parents agree, he immediately replied cheerfully, “Alright.”
Meanwhile, Xie Lianqing, who was just watching as a bystander, roughly guessed what was going on and raised an eyebrow.
Bai Youlan’s face went pale. Although she didn’t know exactly what was about to happen, she could sense from the change in her luck points that it wouldn’t be what she had hoped for.
Suddenly, she stood up. Under the watchful eyes of everyone in the room, she mustered her courage and hesitantly said to Xu Changshan, “Dad, Grandpa and Grandma look very tired. Maybe we should just go home for today.”
Xu Changshan frowned, confused as to why his usually considerate stepdaughter was suddenly backing out. Hadn’t they already agreed on everything beforehand?
Before he could say more, Bai Yaxiu suddenly stood up and grabbed Bai Youlan’s arm. “Youlan, what nonsense are you talking about? Don’t you see your dad and Grandpa and Grandma are discussing something important? Sit down.”
This mother was thinking only of her daughter’s future. If they managed to get hold of Grandpa and Grandma’s assets, then mother and daughter wouldn’t have to care about Xu Qingqing’s attitude anymore. Youlan wouldn’t need to struggle in the entertainment industry; she could just wait to marry into a good family and live comfortably as a young madam.
Bai Yaxiu’s heart was full of motherly love and concern for her daughter, but Bai Youlan had no words to express her pain. “Mom, I really think this isn’t right.”
She had just lost five luck points—five points!
Even when the last time her background was exposed on a hot search and she was mocked by the entire internet, her luck points only dropped by four.
And not only did her luck points drop, but her task progress also regressed by ten points. Having been in this story for over ten years, this was the first time Bai Youlan had encountered such a situation. Before now, she didn’t even know task progress could go backward.
No matter how desperately she called out to the system in her mind, it was as if it had disappeared—completely silent, refusing to respond.
So she had no way of knowing what was about to happen next. Without a reasonable explanation, there was no way Bai Yaxiu and Xu Changshan would listen to her.
Old Master Xu watched the farce with cold eyes, silently scoffing to himself. It seemed Bai Yaxiu’s daughter was indeed a bit sharper than she was.
But it was a pity her cleverness wasn’t put to proper use—no matter how many schemes she cooked up, they were ultimately useless.
Old Master Xu’s heart sank as he spoke sternly, “Enough of this nonsense. If you want to cause a scene, take it outside. Xu Changshan, I’ll ask you one more time—are you still firm in your decision?”
Under his father’s piercing gaze and tone, Xu Changshan felt a rare flicker of unease. But when he caught his wife’s encouraging look, he quickly replied, “That’s right. Dad, I’m not asking for all the family assets. I just want to secure a share for Youlan and Tianbao.”
“Hmph.” Old Master Xu snorted coldly and said slowly, “The subsidiaries under the company you manage now are yours, and there’s another one reserved for Tianbao. As for Bai Youlan, she’s not part of the Xu family. We won’t give her a single thing. If you want to give her anything, that’s your own business.”
Bai Youlan no longer cared about her dwindling luck points. Hearing Old Master Xu’s blunt words, which bordered on insult, she clenched her fists, her face pale.
What did these people understand? Once Xu Qingqing was gone and she claimed all the luck points, wouldn’t the Xu family belong to her?
“These things were originally meant to be left to you in the future. Now, you can take them early.” Old Master Xu muttered a few scattered words before leaning back wearily on the sofa to rest.
Xu Qingqing immediately ran over to hand her grandparents a cup of water. “Grandpa, have some water.”
Old Master Xu’s expression softened noticeably as he saw his considerate granddaughter. He gave a tired smile and kindly said, “Alright, Grandpa will drink.”
Unfortunately, Xu Changshan and his family had no time to pay attention to the scene here. Having finally gotten what they wanted, they were eager to meet with the Xu Group’s secretary to transfer the assets and claim their shares ahead of time.
Xu Changshan and Bai Yaxiu left excitedly. Before leaving, Bai Yaxiu bit her lip and stomped her foot, casting a jealous and hateful glance toward Xu Qingqing and the others inside.
Too bad luck points were so hard to come by. Over the years, she had only managed to accumulate a little. Otherwise, she truly wanted to wipe out the entire Xu family. Then, she wondered, would Xu Qingqing still have such a good life without family protection?
Thinking this, Bai Youlan took a deep breath and pulled Xu Tianbao along as they headed out.
She needed to hurry back and check with the system about what had happened today, and discuss her public appearances and PR with Lin Donghan. She had to work hard to regain fans’ favor and quickly restore the five points of luck that had dropped.
After Xu Changshan and his family left, Old Master Xu turned to Xu Qingqing and said, “Qingqing, you don’t blame me, do you?”
Xu Qingqing looked confused. “Blame you for what?”
Then she quickly recalled what had just happened and waved her hand. “It’s nothing. These things belong to you and Grandma. You can give them to whoever you want.”
She definitely wasn’t that shortsighted. The Xu Group was huge, and what Old Master Xu just gave to Xu Changshan was really nothing—no shares, just a drop in the bucket. Old Master Xu and the others had already said that the entire group would be left to her in the future; those few subsidiaries given to Xu Changshan didn’t amount to much.
His granddaughter’s generosity brought a slight smile to Old Master Xu’s face. Xu Qingqing hadn’t grown up to be petty or stingy with money—he felt his education had paid off.
In a good mood, Old Master Xu teased with a chuckle, “You’re not upset, are you?”
Xu Qingqing thought for a moment, and the indifferent expression on her face immediately faded. Pouting, she said, “A little bit. They were so happy to get the money, and I hate them for it.”
Old Master Xu’s smile slowly faded. He patted her hand and promised, “Don’t worry, I won’t let you suffer any injustice.”
Xu Qingqing didn’t take the promise too seriously but nodded earnestly. “Of course. I believe you, Grandpa. I know you and Grandma only want what’s best for me.”
Although she didn’t fully understand why Old Master Xu had given those things to Xu Changshan, she could see the change in Bai Youlan’s aura above her head.
Just moments ago, Bai Youlan’s aura had dropped significantly, which meant Old Master Xu had definitely done something.
Having grown up under the protection of Old Master Xu and Grandma Xu, Xu Qingqing knew that they were the people who loved her the most in the world.
Sometimes, when she saw Xu Changshan favor Bai Youlan and Xu Tianbao, she would feel jealousy and anger—after all, he was her father. But then she reminded herself that compared to Bai Youlan and Xu Tianbao, her grandparents and her aunt and mother favored her even more.
She had lost a little, but had gained so much more.
So even when she saw Xu Changshan receiving things, she didn’t feel particularly angry or resentful. Because she understood the importance of contentment. It wasn’t easy for her grandparents to choose between her and Xu Changshan—after all, she was their granddaughter, and Xu Changshan was their son.
Xie Lianqing had come over just now, worried that Xu Qingqing might feel unfairly treated because of what had happened. She had intended to comfort her, but seeing Xu Qingqing’s cheerful expression, she lowered her gaze and smiled faintly to herself, thinking she still didn’t know her as well as she thought.
Among everyone present, only Grandma Xu and Xie Lianqing, the two sharp-minded people, understood what Old Master Xu had just done.
He was dividing up his inheritance.
Old Master Xu’s move today was essentially to cut Xu Changshan and his family out of the Xu family. From now on, he probably wouldn’t give that son anything else.
After today, Old Master Xu’s will would likely be rewritten.
Xie Lianqing’s brows furrowed deeply. Old Master Xu’s decisiveness today—she wondered if it was a sudden decision or something he had planned long ago.
Grandma Xu watched her son being driven out with joyous celebration, yet she never uttered a word. Her expression remained calm. After glancing at Xie Lianqing, she smiled and said, “Since you’re here, Lianqing, stay and have a meal with us.”
Xie Lianqing’s purpose today was just that, so of course he wouldn’t refuse. Although he was reluctantly dragged into dealing with the Xu family’s affairs halfway through, his girlfriend didn’t suffer any loss, and in the end, the outcome was good.
During the meal, Xie Lianqing went to the study with Old Master Xu to talk for a while. Nobody knew what they discussed, but when they came downstairs to eat, Old Master Xu’s face was rosy, his expression cheerful, and his smile wiped away the fatigue he had just shown.
Xu Qingqing quietly tugged at Xie Lianqing’s sleeve and whispered, “What did you say to Grandpa? He looks so happy.”
Although her son was useless and good-for-nothing, he was still their own flesh and blood. So when Xu Changshan caused such a scene today, though Grandpa and Grandma Xu didn’t say a word, Xu Qingqing guessed they would probably feel upset for many days.
Unexpectedly, Xie Lianqing only went to the study to have a brief talk with Old Master Xu, and Grandpa completely forgot about Xu Changshan’s matter. Even Grandma Xu seemed much happier.
Xie Lianqing smiled without saying a word.
He had simply promised Old Master Xu that their first child would carry the Xu family name.
Old Master Xu’s main worry was that the Xu family might end without an heir. With this promise, of course, he was delighted.
Xu Qingqing had no idea that Grandpa and her boyfriend had already reached an agreement. She still occasionally dreamed about breaking up.
At the dining table, Old Master Xu was so happy that he asked the housekeeper to bring out the wine from his cabinet, wanting to have a couple of drinks to celebrate.
Then, Grandma Xu shot him a sharp look.
As a thoughtful granddaughter, Xu Qingqing immediately sweetly said, “Grandpa, you have to take care of your health.”
Old Master Xu was about to resist but gave up at once upon hearing her words and declared he wouldn’t drink.
He was in high spirits, chuckling, “Yes, I have to take good care of myself. In the future, I still have to help Qingqing teach the children. Don’t worry, I’ll teach them well. Xu Changshan is an exception; my daughter and Qingqing were both raised well by us.”
He was making a promise to Xie Lianqing. After all, Xu Changshan’s case was truly a headache. What if the Xie family, fearing a repeat of past mistakes, refused to let him help take care of the grandchildren?
Xie Lianqing found it both amusing and a little heartbreaking.
Old Master Xu and the others truly cherished Xu Qingqing like a precious gem, unwilling to let their beloved granddaughter suffer any grievance.
Xie Lianqing nodded immediately, saying, “I naturally trust Grandpa.” Grandma Xu watched them exchange glances like a couple in a silent battle. Her husband hadn’t yet told her the full story, but she had already guessed some of it.
She snorted coldly and said nothing, but she smiled later, and her attitude toward Xie Lianqing became much warmer.
Only Xu Qingqing, the silly girl, saw nothing at all and was still instructing Xie Lianqing to peel shrimp for her.
Grandma Xu picked up a piece of ribs and offered it to Xie Lianqing. Xu Qingqing immediately tensed up and said, “Grandma, why are you giving him ribs and not me? I want ribs too! Am I not the family treasure anymore?”
Grandma Xu wasn’t angry in the slightest. She promptly gave her a piece as well and coaxed her, “Alright, alright, eat quickly.”
Satisfied, Xu Qingqing buried her head in her ribs. Seizing the moment when Old Master Xu and Grandma Xu weren’t paying attention, she quickly snatched the untouched piece of ribs from Xie Lianqing’s bowl.
Hah, there's no way she can compete for his favor.
She propped one hand on the chair, her legs swinging happily under the table. Xie Lianqing saw this and couldn't help but smile.
During dinner, Xu Qingqing had originally thought she would be moving back to live here. After all, Grandpa and Grandma Xu had returned home.
But unexpectedly, at the dinner table, Xie Lianqing casually mentioned Xu Qingqing’s recent progress in her studies—how many practice tests she had done, how many vocabulary words she had memorized, and how much she had improved.
Xu Qingqing listened with a beaming smile, proud and confident, chest out and head held high as she accepted the praise. Although Xie Lianqing’s glowing description barely matched reality, she still felt so puffed up with pride that she was sure it was all about her.
Grandpa and Grandma Xu were also very pleased. Their greatest worry in life had always been Xu Qingqing, and hearing how she was improving made them naturally happy.
Grandma Xu excitedly served a piece of fish to her granddaughter and said cheerfully, “Qingqing, you’ve been working so hard lately. No wonder you’ve lost weight—you need to eat well and make up for it.”
Xu Qingqing nodded seriously, “It really has been tough.”
Xie Lianqing had just been blowing smoke; surely Xu Qingqing wouldn’t take it seriously, right?
Grandpa Xu was also delighted and mused, “Qingqing, you mustn’t slack off from now on. Under Lianqing’s supervision, you have to keep working hard. If you do well, Grandpa will reward you.”
Xu Qingqing was stunned. “Ah, but my exams are already over.” She had thought she only needed to study in Xie Lianqing’s office for a few days and then she could stop.
Grandpa Xu gave her a stern look and said, “Learning is a lifelong journey. You can’t just quit halfway.”
The old master was cunning and could clearly see Xie Lianqing’s little scheme. But he was old now, and Xu Qingqing would eventually get married. Given her personality, Xie Lianqing was the best choice. So, in the end, he decided to turn a blind eye.
