Ch 28: How To Be A Good Lackey

Faced with his father’s sarcasm, Shao Ye straightened his chest and argued firmly, “I’m not that stupid.”

Pei Tiancheng let out a cold laugh, gritting his teeth. “Not that stupid, and you still gave your Seventh Uncle soccer tickets?!”

“I invited him to watch soccer, not play it…” Shao Ye trailed off, growing less and less confident, his voice dropping.

That immediately reminded Pei Tiancheng of how, at the old residence, Pei Fangyan had pointed out that even if he could stand again, he still wouldn’t be able to play sports. The thought made his chest tighten with frustration.

God knew how much he had once wanted to inherit the Pei family business. He was Old Master Pei’s eldest son, and a legitimate one at that. Back then, he had always thought that even if he couldn’t take the entire estate, he should at least get the largest share. In the end, he got nothing at all. To this day, he still couldn’t understand what the old man had been thinking, handing the entire Pei family over to an outsider.

Unfortunately, he only had one son, Shao Ye. At his age, it was far too late to start over and raise another.

Ever since Pei Tiancheng found out that Shao Ye had given Pei Fangyan two soccer tickets, he had spent an entire week listening to the Buddhist scriptures just to calm himself down. He had only just managed to steady his mindset, and now Pei Fangyan was planning to choose an heir from among the younger generation. Looking at his own son, there was clearly no hope. Pei Tiancheng felt he would need to listen to that scripture for at least another three to five years.

Competing through their children was clearly a lost cause. This was simply his fate. Pei Tiancheng consoled himself over and over again. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. He no longer asked for wealth or glory, only that he could live peacefully. With Shao Ye’s brain, if he went to the old residence, he wouldn’t be able to compete with those people. He might even end up being used as a pawn. It would be better to stay far away from this place of trouble.

But Shao Ye had no intention of staying away. He was determined to push his way in. Walking over, he pleaded with Pei Tiancheng, “Dad, I really want to go to the old residence.”

“No.” Pei Tiancheng refused immediately. He truly wanted to live a few more years.

“Dad…” Shao Ye plopped down beside him, draping an arm over his shoulder as he promised, “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely take great care of Seventh Uncle.”

How could he possibly not worry? Based on those two soccer tickets?

Was his heart really that big?

Seeing that Pei Tiancheng remained unmoved, Shao Ye pressed on, trying both emotion and reason. “Dad, if I don’t go, Seventh Uncle will hand the Pei family to someone else. What if it goes to that surname He from Second Aunt’s side? Can you stand that? Just imagine—during New Year gatherings, everyone will be talking about how well their kids are doing under Seventh Uncle, and only me with nothing. Would you be able to hold your head up?”

Who made it so he couldn’t hold his head up? Even if he went, Pei Fangyan would still give the family to someone else.

But Pei Tiancheng was indeed somewhat persuaded. He said, “Let me think about it.”

“Dad, what’s there to think about? This opportunity is right in front of us. Can you really just let it go?” Shao Ye said, patting his father’s thigh.

An opportunity? To him, this was clearly a trap!

Pei Tiancheng felt his thigh go numb from that slap and quickly pushed Shao Ye away, scooting to the side. Translated on Hololo novels. This son of his was truly confident. If he himself had even a fraction of that confidence back when he fought for the inheritance, he wouldn’t have spent sleepless nights losing clumps of hair.

Looking at Shao Ye, he said seriously, “I need to think about whether your Seventh Uncle might take it out on me too. If he gets angry and throws you out of the Pei family, will he cut off my share as well? At my age, I can’t handle that kind of trouble.”

Shao Ye: “…”

He tried to defend Pei Fangyan. “My Seventh Uncle is actually a very good person. Dad, you’re just being—” Under Pei Tiancheng’s murderous glare, he swallowed the rest of the sentence.

“Heh… heh heh…” Pei Tiancheng laughed without warmth. This was the funniest joke he had heard all year—and coming from his own son made it even funnier.

He took a deep breath, recited a few lines of scripture in his mind, and finally softened his stance a little. “Even if you want to go, what does that matter? This isn’t something I can decide. It depends on your Seventh Uncle.”

“Dad, don’t worry. Seventh Uncle definitely won’t reject me.” Shao Ye thumped his chest confidently.

Where did that confidence even come from? Pei Tiancheng sighed again. He really couldn’t raise another son at this point. Maybe he should just steal one. His younger sister’s son seemed pretty well raised.

After seriously considering the feasibility of “stealing an account,” Pei Tiancheng let out a long sigh and said, “Fine. I’ll take you to the old residence tomorrow. We’ll see what your Seventh Uncle thinks first. If he doesn’t want to keep you, you’ll come back with me obediently. No arguing. Got it?”

The reason he was willing to swallow his pride and take Shao Ye there wasn’t because he believed his son could win Pei Fangyan’s favor. It was mainly because Shao Ye had been studying abroad for years and had no contact with the rest of the Pei family. If he could use this opportunity to build good relationships with his cousins, then after Pei Tiancheng was gone, they might at least be willing to throw him a scrap or two, rather than letting him be completely cast aside.

Even if he couldn’t win over Pei Fangyan, getting along well with peers should be doable, right? Whenever Pei Tiancheng visited the gym to find Shao Ye, he always saw people eager to befriend his son.

He repeatedly instructed him, “If your Seventh Uncle agrees to keep you, then at the old residence you must get along well with your cousins. Don’t treat them as competitors. Treat them as family—as your future bosses. Understand?”

Shao Ye nodded obediently, though inwardly he thought, as if they were worthy.

The next morning, just before setting out, Pei Tiancheng suddenly remembered something and asked, “By the way, you know about your Seventh Uncle’s ‘white moonlight,’ right?”

Shao Ye gave a quiet “mm,” his expression not looking very good.

“Her name is Su Yuexiang. You must never mention her in front of your Seventh Uncle, and don’t get involved in anything related to her.”

“Isn’t she dead?” Shao Ye asked.

Pei Tiancheng said, “Not necessarily. Recently, I heard someone saw a person who looks exactly like her appear in the Pei family’s old residence.”

“Oh,” Shao Ye responded without much emotion, then asked, “Was it because of her that my Seventh Uncle got into that car accident?”

Pei Tiancheng replied, “Mm, probably. That’s what people outside are saying, anyway.”

Shao Ye nodded, then said, “I don’t like her.”

Pei Tiancheng glanced at him and sighed in relief. “Thank goodness. If you did like her, that would be a real problem.”

At least that was one less thing for him to worry about.

Pei Fangyan now lived in the innermost part of the old residence. From the main gate, it was quite a long walk before reaching him. Pei Tiancheng brought Shao Ye to the side of an ornamental pond and said, “Wait here. I’ll go in first and talk to your Seventh Uncle, sound him out a bit, then come back to get you.”

Shao Ye felt he could just go in together with him, but after being glared at fiercely by his father, he could only behave himself.

The morning sunlight filtered through layers of leaves, scattering in dappled patterns at Shao Ye’s feet. After Pei Tiancheng had been gone for quite a while without returning, Shao Ye, who could never sit still, wandered along the pebble path toward the eastern garden. Translated on Hololo novels. The moment he looked up, he saw his second aunt’s son, He Jiahui, tugging at a girl dressed in a servant’s uniform.

Shao Ye immediately took out his phone and aimed the camera at them. He Jiahui dared to do something like this in broad daylight at the old residence, so he had to secure some evidence. Unfortunately, he was too far away to hear what they were saying. He wanted to move closer, but there was no good cover ahead. After hesitating for a moment, seeing that He Jiahui seemed completely absorbed in pulling at the girl, Shao Ye lightened his steps and crept forward like a cat stalking its prey.

“How could you forget me! Do you know how I’ve lived these past years?!” He Jiahui roared, then suddenly stepped forward and grabbed the girl into an embrace. The girl struggled continuously, insisting that he had mistaken her for someone else.

Just as Shao Ye was about to lower his phone and step in to help, He Jiahui noticed him first and shouted, “What are you filming?!”

Shao Ye froze. It was his first time playing paparazzi, and being caught made him instinctively guilty.

He Jiahui strode over quickly, shouting harshly, “What did you record? Delete it!”

Reacting so strongly, he must have captured something important. Fighting here in front of Seventh Uncle wouldn’t be good. After a brief thought, Shao Ye pocketed his phone, turned, and ran.

Seeing him run, He Jiahui became certain he had filmed something critical and immediately gave chase. The two ran from the small garden to the ornamental pond, then from the pond to the large lawn behind.

The Pei family’s old residence had been rebuilt a few years before the old master passed away. Back then, he had envisioned four generations living together under one roof, so there would surely be many children. He had deliberately left a large lawn for them to play on. Sadly, only a few years later, he passed away, never seeing the happy scene he had imagined.

The floor-to-ceiling windows of the ground floor where Pei Fangyan now lived faced directly onto that lawn. Sitting in his wheelchair, he listened absentmindedly as Pei Tiancheng recounted stories from their childhood. Sunlight streamed through the wide windows, falling warmly over him.

Pei Fangyan glanced down at his watch, thinking it was about time to send his guest off. As he lifted his head, he happened to catch sight of a young man sprinting across the lawn outside the window. His legs were strong, his posture agile. Under the sunlight, his honey-toned skin seemed to glow as if liquid gold were flowing over it. He ran swiftly, like a gust of wind, like a cheetah racing across the grasslands.

Pei Fangyan’s gaze paused slightly. Turning his head, he asked the steward, “Who is that?”

The old steward followed his line of sight, then cast a sympathetic glance at the still-unaware Pei Tiancheng before replying, “Sir, that is your elder brother’s son.”

Pei Tiancheng: “?”

His eyesight wasn’t great with age, and his position was slightly off, so he couldn’t see what was happening outside. But hadn’t he told Shao Ye to wait obediently outside?

Pei Fangyan asked, “The one who gave me the soccer tickets?”

“Yes,” the steward replied.

Pei Fangyan seemed to smile faintly. Turning back to Pei Tiancheng, he said, “Elder Brother, your nephew must be quite good at soccer.”

Pei Tiancheng: “……”

Was this never going to be let go?

He forced an awkward smile and cautiously asked, “What is Xiao Ye doing out there? I told him to wait outside. Maybe he has something he wants to ask me.”

The steward said, “It looks like he’s competing with someone to see who can run faster.”

Pei Tiancheng: “……”

Leave. Right now.

But Pei Fangyan didn’t give him the chance. He instructed the steward, “Go see what they’re doing.”

Soon, both Shao Ye and He Jiahui were brought into the reception hall on the ground floor. For a moment, Pei Tiancheng even had the urge to strangle Shao Ye on the spot. Translated on Hololo novels. But when he saw that the fool racing against his son was He Jiahui, the “model child” often held up as an example, his mood shifted in an instant. He even felt a strange sense of satisfaction.

So one day, even He Jiahui could be dragged down to the same level as his son—and still lose.

Pei Fangyan said calmly, “Explain yourselves. What were you two doing outside just now?”

Afraid Shao Ye might say something unfavorable, He Jiahui spoke first, “Nothing, Seventh Uncle. I was just playing with Shao Ye, right, Shao Ye?”

He figured Shao Ye wouldn’t publicly expose the fact that he had secretly filmed him—but he had clearly underestimated this cousin of his.

“Who’s playing with you?” Shao Ye rolled his eyes at He Jiahuai, then stepped forward and said to Pei Fangyan, “Seventh Uncle, I want to report He Jiahuai for using force and bullying others in the old residence!”

He Jiahuai froze for a moment, then quickly snapped back, “That’s nonsense.”

Shao Ye raised his phone and said, “I recorded everything. There’s video on my phone.”

“That was—” He Jiahuai started to explain, but he didn’t want Pei Fangyan to learn the girl’s identity. Ever since he discovered she had returned, he had wanted to take her away from the Pei family’s old residence.

“Let me see it,” Pei Fangyan said.

Shao Ye immediately handed over his phone. On the screen, the clip he had just recorded in the small garden was looping. After watching it, Pei Fangyan asked He Jiahuai, “Is the person in this video Yuexiang?”

Yuexiang? The name sounded familiar.

He Jiahuai wanted to deny it, but since Pei Fangyan already knew about her, he would find out sooner or later. With difficulty, he admitted, “Yes.”

“She’s back… she’s still alive? And I didn’t even know.” Pei Fangyan’s voice was filled with deep guilt and sorrow.

Oh, so it was Su Yuexiang. That girl was actually Su Yuexiang. Shao Ye immediately started cursing to himself.

Pei Fangyan let out a soft sigh, his tone both joyful and wistful. “I always thought she was gone. I didn’t expect her to be right by my side all along. Jiahuai, where is she now? I want to see her.”

He Jiahuai really didn’t want Pei Fangyan to meet Su Yuexiang. He knew how Pei Fangyan felt about her. If Su Yuexiang also learned that Pei Fangyan’s leg had been crippled years ago while protecting her, his own path to love would only become even more difficult. But in this old residence, he couldn’t go against Pei Fangyan.

After weighing the pros and cons, He Jiahuai said, “Seventh Uncle, come with me.”

Shao Ye wanted to follow and take a look, but the old steward stopped him. He clenched his teeth, making a grinding sound, unsure whether it was because of Su Yuexiang’s return from the dead, or because Pei Fangyan had chosen He Jiahuai to lead the way instead of him.

Hearing the commotion, Pei Tiancheng turned to look at him. Seeing his lips pressed tightly together, his face showing a mix of grievance and jealousy, he asked with a hint of schadenfreude, “What’s wrong with you? Why the long face? Now you realize you made a big mistake? I told you to behave, but you wouldn’t listen.”

Shao Ye said indignantly, “Dad, is there any way to withdraw the accusation I just made?”

Pei Tiancheng almost laughed out of anger. He snorted, “I wish I could withdraw you.”

Pei Fangyan, who had already gone some distance outside, suddenly turned his wheelchair around for some reason, returned to the doorway, and said to Pei Tiancheng, “Brother, your son is quite impressive. From now on, let him stay by my side.”

The grievance on Shao Ye’s face instantly turned into a blooming smile.

But when Pei Tiancheng looked at Pei Fangyan’s smiling face at the doorway, he felt chills running down his back. He had a strong premonition that if he really left Shao Ye here, his foolish son would probably be toyed to death in this old residence.

⸻

Author’s Note:

[The accusation format is wrong. Go back and redo it.]

“Your humble servant wishes to accuse Consort He of illicit relations and corrupting the harem—his crimes are unforgivable!”

: Damn, hahaha.

: Pei Tiancheng: Everything your dad told you, you didn’t listen to a single word.

: How did he not listen? Didn’t he immediately have a “friendly match” with He Jiahuai?

: Friendly? That was life-threatening.

: This plot feels oddly familiar.

: No. 6 was at least the only one to clear the last world, so why are so few people betting on him? No respect at all.

: Did you bet on him?

: Nope.

: I’m dying, Seventh Uncle watching them through the floor-to-ceiling window looked like he was watching two idiots.

: He Jiahuai, what’s going on with you? You’re not like this in other streams.

: I told you, stupidity is contagious.

: “I remember running in the sunset that day, that was my lost youth.”

: Seventh Uncle: My youth was not like that, don’t drag me into this.

: I saw some expert theories outside saying the female lead has two more secret admirers coming to the old residence. No. 6 can keep reporting them then.

: Hope he follows the proper format next time, thanks.

: Seventh Uncle likes the female lead too, would he really hand the Pei family over to a romantic rival?

: He’s pretty rational. I think he’ll make the best decision.

: I want to make a meme video of No. 6’s accusation with chaotic CP pairings. Where should I post it?

: You might get flamed.

: It’s fine, I’m not afraid. I just want traffic. Whether it’s hate or love, it’s still attention.

: Then go post it in those three big groups.

: I checked over there, not many people.

: Try those Xi Wang Tian Ye forums, there are lots of people there.

: …

: …

: But there might be too many people there.

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