On the other side.
The two sitting in the luxury car were somewhat stunned by the scene before them.
"Who the hell is that bitch? She’s got no business meddling in our affairs! And who are those people behind her?"
"Let’s go check it out." The young man recognized the identities of those people but didn’t bother explaining to his sister.
They stepped out of the car and walked toward Yu Xin and the others.
As they approached, Yu Fei instantly put on a facade of fake concern.
"Oh my, Yu Mo, what happened to you? How did you end up beaten up like this? Are you hurt? Do you need to go to the hospital?"
"And who is this lovely lady?"
Yu Xin sized up the two and introduced herself, "I’m Yu Xin. Are you his family?"
"Yu Xin?" Both of them froze for a moment upon hearing the name.
"What a coincidence! I’m also surnamed Yu. I’m Yu Fei, and this is my sister, Yu Meng." After introducing himself and his sister, he joked, "Maybe we’re even family."
"Oh, and this is my elder brother, Yu Mo." He pointed at the young man who had just been bullied by the three thugs.
Then, with feigned concern, he said to Yu Mo, "Yu Mo, are you alright? Did you get roughed up by those hooligans again? I’ve told you before—the domestic environment isn’t safe these days. Weren’t you studying international economics and trade? You should really travel abroad more. I think Southeast Asia would be perfect—places like Myanmar, for instance."
"I heard the jade business is booming there. Since our family’s looking to expand into jewelry, you should seriously consider it." His tone was practically a veiled threat.
Yu Meng chimed in, "Exactly, Yu Mo. What kind of future do you expect, holed up at home or school all day? Who would trust you with the company later?"
She couldn’t even be bothered to call him "brother."
Yu Xin had already figured out the dynamics between these three—the eldest son of a wealthy family being bullied by his younger siblings. What a rare sight.
Logically, in this day and age, family businesses usually prioritize the eldest son for inheritance. But judging by this situation, Yu Mo’s status at home was probably worse than a dog’s.
Yu Fei then stepped closer to Yu Mo and whispered in his ear, "Don’t think just because someone’s backing you now, you’re safe. Let me make this clear—if you know what’s good for you, you’ll tell Dad you want to go abroad for experience. Otherwise..."
Yu Mo clenched his fists. He knew exactly what his brother was threatening, but he also knew he couldn’t leave.
If he did, everything at home would slip through his fingers.
His father’s health was deteriorating, and he couldn’t bear the thought of what might happen to the company if something occurred while he was away.
Right now, the family business was practically controlled by his stepmother, while his father had stepped back due to his declining health.
Most crucially, his father still hadn’t drafted a will to name the successor of the conglomerate.
Yu Mo might be timid, but that didn’t mean he was willing to give up his inheritance.
Just then—
Yu Xin abruptly pulled Yu Mo toward her. "Let’s go."
"Hey, what’s your problem? Why are you dragging my brother?" Yu Meng scowled as Yu Xin led Yu Mo away.
Yu Xin didn’t even acknowledge her and simply prepared to leave with Yu Mo.
But Yu Meng refused to let it go and reached out to grab Yu Xin.
"What, just because we share the same surname, you think you can interfere in our family matters?"
"Let go!"
"You’re the one who should let go!"
Slap!
A sharp, resounding slap echoed.
Yu Meng clutched her cheek, completely stunned.
"You—you hit me! How dare you hit me!" No one had ever laid a finger on her, let alone slapped her, in her entire privileged life.
"I’d advise you not to lay hands on me," Yu Xin said coldly, shaking her wrist. "Your family affairs are none of my business, but the way you two behave is downright disgusting! Your own brother was getting beaten up, and you just stood there. Or were those thugs hired by you?"
Yu Meng retorted furiously, "That’s nonsense! How could we—"
"Spare me." Yu Xin cut her off, uninterested in excuses. "You rich kids—all glamour on the surface, but scheming against your own flesh and blood behind the scenes. Truly eye-opening."
"Let me make this clear—today, I’m standing up for him. If you’ve got a problem with that, feel free to test me."
Yu Mo stared blankly at Yu Xin, who shielded him without hesitation. A warmth he’d never known before spread through his chest, making his nose sting slightly.
Yu Xin glanced at him sideways. "What are you standing around for? Let’s go."
Yu Fei’s face darkened, but he didn’t dare stop them.
Yu Meng stomped her foot in frustration but could only watch helplessly as they walked away.
"Brother, why didn’t you help me? She hit your sister!"
Yu Fei didn’t dare intervene—he’d been on the receiving end of Liu Yutong’s fists before. "I’ll get back at her for you later..."
Truthfully, it wasn’t that he didn’t care—he just didn’t have the guts to act.
After being beaten up by that woman Liu Yutong before, he wasn’t about to provoke the Wanlong Association unless Young Master Lin dealt with her first.
However, if the Wanlong Association dared interfere in their family affairs, he wouldn’t hold back either.
The only reason he’d stepped forward earlier was because he recognized the people helping Yu Mo as Wanlong Association members—he wanted to confirm whether that useless Yu Mo had actually formed ties with them.
...............
Yu Mo followed behind Yu Xin, his gaze unconsciously lingering on her slender figure.
He’d never imagined being rescued by a girl—one two years younger than him, no less.
She looked delicate, even fragile, yet the way she’d shielded him moments ago inexplicably made him feel… safe.
He glanced down at his hands, the scrapes on his knuckles still stinging. Strangely, though, the pain barely registered—his mind was too preoccupied with one question: Why did she help me?
They were strangers, yet she’d stepped in without hesitation.
A peculiar emotion stirred in Yu Mo’s heart, like a ray of sunlight piercing through a perpetually overcast sky.
He didn’t realize it, but this feeling was similar to what Yu Xin had experienced when Liu Yutong once pulled her back from the edge of a cliff.
An absurd thought even crossed his mind—one so ridiculous it nearly made him laugh. If only Yu Xin were really my sister, since we share the same surname.
Honestly, though he had a younger brother and sister now, the two had always treated him with hostility—all because they didn’t share the same mother.
With his stepmother monopolizing power in the family, he, as the eldest son, should’ve been interning at the company during his third year of college to gain experience. Yet he’d been blocked at every turn, all thanks to her behind-the-scenes scheming.
Lost in these chaotic thoughts, Yu Mo barely noticed—
Yu Xin suddenly stopped in her tracks and turned to him, saying, "Alright, this is far enough. You should head back to school now."
Yu Mo was taken aback and instinctively asked, "Then... what about you?"
Yu Xin replied, "Me? I’m going to the supermarket to buy a few things."
Yu Mo opened his mouth, stammering, "I... I..."
Seeing his flustered expression, Yu Xin couldn’t help but chuckle. "Are you really the young master of a wealthy family? Why are you so timid? If I were you, I’d probably be acting all high and mighty. Though, now that I think about it, you remind me a bit of how I used to be..."
She trailed off abruptly, changing the subject. "Fine, if you want to tag along, you can. It’ll be nice to have some company. Let’s go."
The members of the Wanlong Association had already left—after all, they had work to attend to. Earlier, when Yu Xin noticed some trouble brewing, she had casually called them out from the shop.
Yu Mo nodded silently and followed her steps as they headed toward the supermarket.
