ALCSRB Chapter 97

After the morning uproar, the family finally sat down together.

Maybe it was just that the air-conditioning was turned up extra high today, but as Shen Jili sat on the sofa, he felt a chill running down his back.

On closer inspection, though, the cold wasn’t coming from above his head—it was radiating from right beside him.

After a minute of enduring his wife’s icy glare, Shen Jili finally caved, begging for mercy:
“Wife, can’t you aim those eyes at the two sons across from us instead?”

Su Wanxin didn’t budge. In fact, her look grew even more disdainful.
“No. I want to see exactly how that block of wood you call a brain finally figures things out today.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Shen Jili quickly stole another glance at the brothers’ still-interlocked hands, the shock in his eyes yet to fade.

“It’s not my fault—your son suddenly comes out of the closet, and his poor old father’s fragile heart has taken a serious blow. This enlightenment was forced on me!”

He patted his chest. Really now, whose son chooses to come out first thing in the morning? He hadn’t even eaten breakfast yet.

With an empty stomach he’d had to swallow a huge shock—and that does nothing to fill you up!

And besides, weren’t the kids the ones who were supposed to be interrogated right now? Why was he the one sitting here all stiff and upright instead?

How was that reasonable?

It wasn’t reasonable at all!

After sharing a bed with him for thirty years, Su Wanxin could see through his petty little thoughts at a glance. She knew his mind had already wandered down several winding detours, so only then did she finally withdraw her gaze.

“Serves you right for being so dense all this time,” Su Wanxin said. “No wonder the boys had to sneak around in secret every day just to show affection—just so you wouldn’t be shocked. They’re the pitiful ones here.”

Jiang Mingyi: “…”

Mom, your ability to twist things around is truly next-level.

Seizing the moment, Shen Xingyan piled on another straw:
“Dad, it’s because of you that we haven’t dared be too affectionate. That’s extremely unfair to a couple in love.”

“You always taught me that you shouldn’t suffer losses. If someone makes you suffer, you have to make sure they pay it back.”

Jiang Mingyi mulled this over. So all this time, he’d been resentful that Shen Jili hadn’t noticed their relationship?

Sensing his thoughts, Shen Xingyan lowered his gaze slightly, giving him a reassuring look.

Su Wanxin spoke again:
“It hasn’t been easy for the kids. As their father, you naturally need to make some sacrifices. So you got startled—big deal. It’s nothing worth making a fuss about.”

Shen Jili: “Well… when you put it like that, I suppose you’re right. But next time, can you at least give me a little mental preparation? This time was way too sudden—I just couldn’t process it all at once.”

“But why am I the last one to know?”

“…”

Jiang Mingyi was too drained to even complain anymore. Wasn’t that focus a little too far off?

Seeing his wife and sons suddenly go silent, Shen Jili frowned.
“So once again, you’ve left me out! Whatever happened to ‘a loving, united family’?”

He looked very hurt.

Su Wanxin and Shen Xingyan exchanged a glance and sighed.
“You’re too slow. We can’t carry you.”

Jiang Mingyi couldn’t bear to watch his father sulk and tried to comfort him.
“Dad, honestly, you should’ve figured it out several times already. But your brain kept wandering off in other directions, so in the end I never knew how to tell you.”

“Really? I missed it?” Shen Jili looked confusedly at his younger son.
“Don’t tell me that time I found you in your brother’s room, you two were already… sneaking around—Ow! Wife, why’d you pinch me?”

Su Wanxin shot him an exasperated glare.
“Can you hear yourself? The kids are in a relationship of their own free will. What’s this about ‘sneaking around’? If you can’t speak properly, then don’t speak at all.”

“My bad, wife.” Shen Jili surrendered instantly, scooting close with a pitiful look.
“I was just humbly asking for guidance.”

Jiang Mingyi had worried that Shen Jili might not take the news well, but now it was obvious—the man’s focus was completely off track.

Suddenly, his palm was brushed ever so lightly. Jiang Mingyi glanced to the side.

“Come on, let’s go have breakfast,” Shen Xingyan whispered.

As they headed toward the dining room hand-in-hand, Jiang Mingyi looked back at his parents still talking on the sofa.
“What about Dad…?”

“Leave Dad to Mom.”

Shen Xingyan’s other hand landed on his head, warm fingers combing through his black hair. His expression was relaxed.
“I’ve wanted to tell Dad directly for a while now, but you always looked so worried he wouldn’t take it well, so I held back.”

“Actually, Dad’s pretty accepting.”

Jiang Mingyi was quiet for a moment.
“I don’t think it’s about acceptance… it’s more like Dad’s reaction time is a little delayed.”

Shen Xingyan thought about it.
“Maybe so. At least now he knows, and it won’t affect us anymore.”

By the time they finished breakfast, the couple on the sofa had also wrapped up their discussion.

Striding toward them, Shen Jili’s face looked rather solemn, making Jiang Mingyi’s heart skip a beat.

“Dad…”

“I’ll speak first.” Shen Jili cut him off.
“Since you two are together, Ah-Yan, you need to think about Xiao Yi too. What about the Jiang family…”

Jiang Mingyi hadn’t expected him to bring up the Jiang family and was immediately shocked.

Shen Xingyan’s eyes flickered, his voice dropping low.
“I know. I’ve already made plans for the Jiang family.”

Hearing this, Shen Jili finally relaxed. He patted Jiang Mingyi on the shoulder.
“Xiao Yi, I know this came as a surprise, but Dad understands. Since you’re together, we’ll still be the same loving family as always.”

He didn’t bother with Jiang Mingyi’s stunned expression.
“Wife, I’m hungry. Can we eat now?”

“Go have breakfast.” Su Wanxin walked toward the dining room. Shen Jili hurried to catch up and reached out to hold her hand.
“Wife, I want to hold hands too. I can’t let our sons outdo us.”

Jiang Mingyi: “…” What kind of strange competitive streak was that?!

Shen Xingyan led him to sit in a side hall.
“Is there something you want to ask me?”

Jiang Mingyi lifted his gaze. After a moment of hesitation, he finally voiced the doubt in his heart.
“Just now, Dad mentioned the Jiang family?”

Ever since his parents passed away and he was taken in by the Shen family, Jiang Mingyi had almost no contact with his relatives from the Jiang side. Not because he didn’t want to, but because those relatives only ever cared about the inheritance his parents left behind.

They would have been glad if he never returned to the Jiang household at all.

So, when he heard the word “Jiang family” from Shen Jili’s mouth, Jiang Mingyi instinctively felt resistant.

He had never liked the Jiang clan—not since he was a child.

When his parents were still alive, those people often showed up, pestering his father to arrange positions for them in Jiang Corporation.

After his parents’ sudden deaths, those relatives scrambled to get their hands on the company. If not for the will his parents had left behind—stating clearly that Jiang Corporation was his to inherit—the company would have long since changed names.

But back then he was too young to manage it, so Jiang Corporation ended up in his uncle’s hands.

“Your uncle is greedy and incompetent. Under him, Jiang Corporation hasn’t just stagnated—it’s actually regressed,” Shen Xingyan said flatly.

“If it weren’t for outsiders knowing that the Shen family stands behind Jiang Corporation, it would’ve already been swallowed whole.”

“Back then, Uncle Jiang and Aunt Jiang once made a request of Dad. If Jiang Corporation ever faced trouble, they hoped he would step in and help.”

“Now, Jiang Corporation isn’t what it used to be, but that request still stands.”

Jiang Mingyi looked up in shock.
“So what you mean is…?”

Shen Xingyan paused, lowering his gaze to meet his eyes, his expression brimming with tenderness.
“Jiang group belongs to you, Xiao Yi.”

“Your uncle has held on to it all these years not because we were too kind to object, but because we were waiting for you to grow up.”

His warm palm brushed against Jiang Mingyi’s cheek.
“There’s a clause in the will. Simply put—once you come of age, if your uncle doesn’t willingly return Jiang group to you, then our Shen family has the right to take it back on your behalf.”

Jiang Mingyi was clearly hearing this for the first time. The revelation left him utterly stunned.

His lips trembled.
“I had no idea…”

Every year he had just taken his share of Jiang group’s dividends, never paying much attention to its development.

As a self-proclaimed slacker without ambition, he’d grown up almost entirely carefree.

But now, learning that his parents had made such far-sighted arrangements for him, Jiang Mingyi couldn’t help but be moved.

“I’ve never liked the Jiang family,” he admitted, not hiding his disgust. “Back then, they treated me without the slightest affection. I see no reason to care about such laughable kinship.”

Shen Xingyan lowered his eyes and smiled softly.
“You don’t need to like them. You only need to like me.”

After ten o’clock, Qin Hao arrived carrying several files.

“Boss, these are Jiang Group’s financial reports from the past few years, and here is evidence of Jiang Guocai embezzling public funds and taking bribes.”

When Qin Hao came in, Jiang Mingyi had been lying with his head on Shen Xingyan’s lap, playing with his phone. The moment he heard that, he instantly sat up.

“What? That old bastard actually dared to do this?”

Jiang Mingyi flipped through the documents one by one. He might not have much business skill, but black and white evidence was clear enough. His anger flared immediately.

The hand Shen Xingyan had been stroking his hair with paused midair. Seeing Mingyi’s righteous fury, he withdrew his hand and stood up.

“Of course he dared—how else could he squat on Jiang Group all these years?” Shen Xingyan’s voice was soft, soothing. “Don’t worry, this alone is enough to keep him behind bars for life.”

“Really?” Mingyi’s eyes lit up in delight. “So what you and Dad meant by having plans… was to send him to rot in prison?”

“At least there, he’ll still have food to eat,” Shen Xingyan replied, tone carrying a hint of dissatisfaction.

Standing aside, Qin Hao listened and then interjected, “The boss had people placed in Jiang Group the moment he returned to the country. These pieces of evidence weren’t hard to get, but since most of the upper management are Jiang family members, once the authorities get involved… well, pulling one thread will drag out the whole mess. By then—”

He didn’t finish, but it wasn’t hard to understand. If these materials went to the police, the whole Jiang Group might be in jeopardy.

Shen Xingyan shot him a warning glance. Qin Hao immediately shut his mouth and stood quietly to the side.

Shen Xingyan drew Jiang Mingyi against his shoulder, comforting him. “Parasites have to be removed. Or do you plan to keep suffering under them in the future?”

“I know,” Mingyi muttered, crestfallen for a few seconds—not because he pitied them.

Then he suddenly realized something. “Wait—what do you mean by that? Don’t tell me you expect me to take over Jiang Group myself?”

“Your parents left it for you. Naturally, it should be in your hands.” Shen Xingyan looked at him, eyes twinkling when Mingyi’s widened in horror, wearing a “I can’t, I’m hopeless!” expression. He suppressed his laughter.

Mingyi muttered under his breath, “You know I’m just a useless little good-for-nothing.”

Sure, he was happy those Jiang-family leeches would get their downfall, but wasn’t this just making life hard for him, the salted-fish heir?

“That’s why you have me.”

Shen Xingyan cupped his face, forcing him to meet his gaze. His expression was gentle, yet domineering. “It’s only Jiang Group. I could take control of it in minutes.”

“And besides, from now on people should call you ‘Young President Jiang.’ Doesn’t that sound much grander than just ‘Young Master Jiang’?”

Mingyi thought it over, and the gloom on his face vanished. He even looked a little excited. “You’re right! From now on, I’m Young President Jiang, and you’re President Shen. That makes us the perfect pair.”

“Young President Jiang!”

“President Shen!”

Qin Hao, standing off to the side as pure decoration: “…”

Heh. Lovers and their silly little games.