BF Chapter 50

The next day was a Saturday. After leaving their little love nest, the two of them went to the hospital together.

 

Xu Shiji was still recuperating. Xu Shen briefly reported the recent events at the company to him, and as expected, Xu Shiji was very displeased after hearing everything.

 

Xu Ziren had allowed Cai Lihao, who had a triad background, onto the board, and now there was also the Silicon issue. The one billion euros in bonds were difficult to redeem, which was nothing short of adding insult to injury for Zhaoqi’s financial difficulties.

 

Xu Shen comforted Xu Shiji: “There’s no need to worry too much. The first batch of European projects has already been consolidated, and we’ve also signed agreements with the buyers. Once the money comes in, we’ll be able to catch our breath. I’ve also had people negotiating with Silicon, and we’ll move into legal proceedings as soon as possible afterward.”

 

Xu Shiji looked at him and asked, “Can you handle it?”

 

Xu Shen nodded: “With Nic helping me, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

 

As for all the things Xu Ziren had interrogated Zhan Shili about, Xu Shen didn’t mention a single word of it in front of Xu Shiji.

 

Xu Shiji could only choose to trust Xu Shen. His physical condition didn’t allow him to spend too much energy worrying about these things either.

 

After finishing with business, Xu Shen told Xu Shiji to rest well and instructed the caregiver to take good care of him, then left on the pretext that he still had something to do.

 

They went downstairs and ran into that aunt-in-law, Chen Ping, again.

 

These days, Chen Ping came to the hospital every few days, taking great pleasure in watching Xu Shiji’s misfortune and provoking him deliberately.

 

Xu Shen took the initiative to greet her and got straight to the point: “Aunt, do you know whether my Second Brother and Eldest Sister-in-law have some kind of special relationship?”

 

A sneer appeared at the corner of Chen Ping’s lips: “Who in the Xu Family doesn’t know they dated back then? Later, your Eldest Brother stepped in and took her from him. It wouldn’t be surprising if they still had something going on after marriage.”

 

Xu Shen found it rather interesting: “Really?”

 

Chen Ping said coldly, “I already told you, there are plenty of filthy things going on in the Xu Family. Fourth Young Master Xu, you came back from outside, so it’s normal that you wouldn’t know.”

 

Xu Shen smiled: “Thanks for the reminder, Aunt.”

 

Chen Ping replied, “No need.”

 

After they got into the car, Zhan Shili asked, “Going back?”

 

Xu Shen glanced at his watch: “At this time of day, my eldest sister-in-law should definitely be home. I’ll go have a talk with her.”

 

Zhan Shili started the car: “How do you plan on talking to her?”

 

“If bribery doesn’t work, then I can only resort to coercion,” Xu Shen sighed. “I really don’t want to be the bad guy.”

 

Zhan Shili exposed him without hesitation: “It’s not like this is your first time. You’ve always been like this.”

 

Xu Shen laughed: “Can’t you at least save me some face?”

 

Zhan Shili nodded: “Mn. I’ll correct myself next time.”

 

The car returned to the Xu Family estate. Just as Zhan Shili parked, Xu Zikang happened to send him a message asking where he was and whether they could meet.

 

Zhan Shili replied half-heartedly.

 

“All right, go coax him,” Xu Shen said as he pushed open the car door.

 

He had only just started to get up when Zhan Shili grabbed him and pulled him back: “It’s only Saturday. Come with me once you finish talking.”

 

Xu Shen said haughtily, “That’ll depend on my mood.”

 

He got out of the car and went inside first.

 

As expected, Huang Minli was at home, sitting alone beneath the veranda arranging flowers.

 

Xu Shen walked over and sat down without waiting to be invited. He casually picked up a pink rose from the table, broke off the excess stem, and handed it to her: “Eldest Sister-in-law, what put you in the mood to arrange flowers today?”

 

Huang Minli took the flower and thanked him before replying indifferently, “I don’t have much to do all day, and I don’t like going out, so I do such things to pass the time.”

 

Xu Shen asked with a smile, “You didn’t make plans with any friends? I heard you’re Malaysian, Eldest Sister-in-law, do you not have many family or friends here?”

 

Huang Minli probably didn’t want to talk about this and gave a perfunctory “Mhm,” but Xu Shen seemed completely unable to read the room, continuing: “Though I heard you have a cousin who used to be here too, seems like he hasn’t shown his face for quite a while?”

 

Huang Minli’s expression changed slightly, pricking her finger on a thorn on the stem, blood seeping out instantly.

 

Xu Shen handed her a tissue and said gently, “Be careful.”

 

Huang Minli took the tissue and clenched it in her palm, her knuckles tightening as she quickly regained her composure: “Young Master Shen, what are you trying to say?”

 

Xu Shen stared at her for a few seconds, then leisurely unlocked his phone, pulled up a video, and handed it to her.

 

The video showed Huang Minli’s cousin, tied up and blindfolded, trembling as he begged for mercy and confessed: “That night, my cousin was the one who told me to switch the Eldest Young Master’s dessert. She was the one who wanted to kill the Eldest Young Master. I thought he was only allergic and that it wouldn’t be that serious. It had nothing to do with me, it really had nothing to do with me!”

 

Huang Minli stared coldly at the man on the screen, her expression gradually darkening. After a long while, she asked, “What do you want?”

 

Xu Shen smiled: “Eldest Sister-in-law, you know I haven’t been having an easy time as acting chairman. Second Brother is always making trouble for me, and it’s exhausting. You won’t help me, Third Brother won’t help me either. There’s no one in this family willing to help me.”

 

Huang Minli remained silent.

 

Xu Shen continued, “What I want is to make a deal with you, Eldest Sister-in-law. As long as you’re willing to stand by my side, I can also protect your position as a major shareholder. You hold the shares Eldest Brother left behind, and you and your daughter Joyce can live in wealth and peace for the rest of your lives. Wouldn’t that be great?”

 

Huang Minli lowered her eyes, the emotions in them difficult to discern: “And if I say no?”

 

Xu Shen was getting impatient: “Then think it through carefully. I can bring him back and hand him over to the police at any time, and as for this video, if I take it to the hospital and show my father right now, you’ll probably have to leave this family tonight. Even if you don’t consider yourself, you should at least consider my eldest niece, shouldn’t you?”

 

Huang Minli’s brows drew together as she looked at him with a complicated expression: “So this is the kind of person Young Master Shen really is?”

 

Xu Shen had no interest in explaining what kind of person he was: “You’re hesitating this much because you don’t want to offend my Second Brother? Why? Are you afraid of him, or is there some unspeakable secret between the two of you?”

 

The expression on Huang Minli’s face finally began to crack: “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

“I saw it,” Xu Shen said. “You provoked Second Sister-in-law and she slapped you. You and my Second Brother are having an affair, aren’t you?”

 

Huang Minli’s expression changed, and she subconsciously denied it: “No!”

 

“Is Joyce my Second Brother’s daughter?” Xu Shen suddenly asked.

 

A flicker of panic crossed Huang Minli’s eyes: “You’re talking nonsense!”

 

The more she reacted like this, the guiltier she looked. Xu Shen had only been guessing before. Since they had dated before marriage, it was difficult to say whose daughter Joyce really was, but he hadn’t expected himself to actually guess correctly.

 

“No wonder you wanted my Eldest Brother dead,” Xu Shen clicked his tongue in dismay. “My Eldest Brother might’ve been a little useless, but at least he helped you raise a daughter for more than twenty years, only for you to kill him in the end. He really died unjustly. Though Joyce was raised quite well. She’s much more promising than Second Sister-in-law’s two children. I heard she studies law in the UK? With that kind of ability, maybe when she comes back in the future, she could even become a top lawyer…”

 

“What exactly are you trying to say?” Huang Minli interrupted him, unable to bear it any longer.

 

Xu Shen smiled and unlocked his phone again. This time, what he showed her were several secretly taken photos of Joyce—at her home in the UK, on the road, at school, taken from various angles.

 

He was reminding Huang Minli that as long as he wanted to, he could make Joyce “disappear” forever, just like her cousin.

 

Huang Minli balled her hands into fists and demanded emotionally, “Joyce has never offended you, and neither have I. Why are you doing this?”

 

“You already offended me when you voted against me at the shareholders’ meeting and sided with Second Brother.” Xu Shen completely dropped the act, took back his phone, and said coldly, “You can only blame your bad luck. Everything you’ve done just so happened to fall into my hands.

 

“I’m not negotiating terms with you now. I’m only giving you two choices. I can hand your cousin over to the police, take the video to Father, and make your daughter’s parentage public as well. Once word gets out that she’s the bastard child born from an affair between a sister-in-law and her husband’s younger brother, her reputation will be ruined unless she never comes back for the rest of her life. Or, you can cooperate with me, and I’ll make sure you and your daughter can continue living the lives of a wealthy madam and young miss, with everything you could want.

 

Think carefully. Xu Ziren is no good either. Why drag your daughter down for his sake? Do you really think he’s devoted to you? That bracelet on your wrist was a gift from him, wasn’t it? I’ve seen the exact same one on his female secretary’s wrist. You can go ask around at the company. Everyone knows what kind of relationship he has with his female secretary.”

 

After saying this, Xu Shen snapped off another flower and placed it into her vase. As he stood, he gave her one final reminder: “I don’t just want to drive Second Brother out of the board now. I want to make sure he can never make a comeback. You’d better think carefully and give me something genuinely valuable.

 

Keep arranging your flowers, Eldest Sister-in-law. I won’t disturb you anymore.”

 

After going inside, Xu Shen sent Zhan Shili a message asking whether he was done coaxing the Third Young Master.

 

Zhan Shili replied: [I’m in his room, come upstairs.]

 

Xu Shen went upstairs. Xu Zikang’s bedroom door was ajar, so he just opened it and went in.

 

He was a little taken aback by the scene before him: things had been littered all across the room while Xu Zikang’s eyes were red with tears, clutching a bottle of pills in his hand as he confronted Zhan Shili.

 

Zhan Shili stood to the side, his expression indifferent, completely unmoved by his tears.

 

Xu Shen raised an eyebrow slightly, closed the door behind him, and walked forward with his arms folded: “What’s going on here? What’s he holding?”

 

Zhan Shili said, “Sleeping pills.”

 

“Sleeping pills?” Xu Shen tilted his head and met the resentment and unwillingness in Xu Zikang’s eyes before asking him, “You’re going to take sleeping pills? The whole bottle? What’s this? Crying, making a scene, and threatening suicide?”

 

Xu Zikang gritted his trembling teeth: “Did you come here just to laugh at me?”

 

Xu Shen casually dragged over a chair, turned it around, and straddled it backward, leaning over the backrest as he studied him with great interest for a while.

 

Seeing Xu Zikang looking so furious and pitiful was truly delightful, but it wasn’t enough.

 

He said, “Yeah, I came specifically to laugh at you.”

 

Xu Zikang’s eyes grew even redder, genuine hatred finally rising in them: “You’re so smug. Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell Father about your relationship?”

 

“If you were going to tell him, you would’ve done it already.” Xu Shen gave a mocking laugh: “If you really tell him, you and Nic will be completely finished. You can’t bear to do that. Besides, don’t you find it ridiculous to threaten me by saying you’ll tell Father? Isn’t your own relationship with Nic just as ambiguous?”

 

“I can give you anything else.” Xu Zikang was deeply unwilling. “Why do you have to take Nic from me?!”

 

Xu Shen asked, “Can you really give me anything? Does that include the Zhaoqi shares in your hands?”

 

Xu Zikang froze: “…You want Zhaoqi shares?”

 

Xu Shen made no attempt to hide his ambition: “I’m acting chairman, but I don’t have anything in my hands. Is it that strange that I want them? If you’re really willing to transfer all your shares to me, then it’s not impossible for me to consider giving Nic back to you.”

 

Zhan Shili glanced at him and said in a lowered voice, “Enough.”

 

Xu Shen shrugged and said to Xu Zikang, “See? It’s not that I’m unwilling to give him up; Nic himself doesn’t want to, I’m in quite a difficult position too.”

 

Xu Zikang looked utterly humiliated, the hand gripping the pill bottle shaking violently, much like the prelude to a heart attack.

 

Xu Shen turned a blind eye and continued provoking him: “Actually, I’d love for you to swallow the whole bottle of sleeping pills. Once you’re gone, Nic will completely belong to me and me alone, and your shares would return to Father’s hands. It’s not impossible that he’d really give them to me. No matter how I look at it, it seems better if you just die.”

 

“Impossible!”

 

Xu Zikang became agitated: “Don’t even think about it! I won’t let you off so easily!”

 

Xu Shen asked disdainfully, “In your current state, how exactly are you supposed to not let me off?”

 

Xu Zikang was already babbling incoherently: “Impossible! Don’t even think about it! I won’t give Nic to you, Nic is mine! Mine!”

 

“Suit yourself,” Xu Shen stood up and glanced toward Zhan Shili, signalling for him to deal with the rest himself.

 

Zhan Shili’s eyes were filled with restlessness; his patience was about to run out.

 

Xu Shen ignored him and went back to his own room.

 

Twenty minutes later, when Zhan Shili came over, he found Xu Shen standing by the window, smoking.

 

Zhan Shili walked up, took the cigarette from his mouth, and stubbed it out in the ashtray beside him: “Didn’t you say that you were close to quitting?”

 

Xu Shen shot him a cold look: “You really do meddle in everything. Go worry about your Third Young Master. If he really swallows those pills and drops dead, that’ll be quite the joke.”

 

Zhan Shili looked at him: “Unhappy?”

 

Xu Shen stepped forward, grabbed Zhan Shili by the collar, and shoved him against the wall: “You coaxed him again?”

 

Zhan Shili said, “Either way, he’s not going to die.”

 

“He can’t bear to die in the first place. Dying like this would only let him off too easily,” Xu Shen said sarcastically. “It must be hard on you, having to deal with him.”

 

Zhan Shili was unconcerned: “I’m used to it.”

 

Xu Shen’s voice dropped a few degrees in temperature: “Why are you still stringing him along? Do you want the shares he holds too?”

 

Zhan Shili’s gaze swept over Xu Shen’s eyes, which suppressed a burning anger: “What if I said yes?”

 

“Can you afford it?” Xu Shen sneered, poking a finger into his chest. “Eleven percent, more than 30 billion yuan, how are you going to buy them? Or, are you counting on him giving them to you for free? Do you really think you’re that charming?”

 

Zhan Shili caught his hand and asked, “If he gives you the shares, would you really be willing to give me to him?”

 

“Nic,” Xu Shen emphasized, “I just said, more than 30 billion yuan. Are you worth that price?”

 

The tension in their eyes eventually dissipated. Zhan Shili raised a hand to stroke Xu Shen’s face, then tucked it behind his head and to drag his fingers through his hair: “Are you coming with me or not?”

 

Xu Shen didn’t agree immediately: “I’ll think about it.”

 

Zhan Shili tilted his head and moved closer: “Open your mouth.”

 

Xu Shen’s gaze paused as he looked into the eyes so close to his. A moment later, as if venting his frustration, he crashed his lips against Zhan Shili’s and bit down hard.

 

A lingering kiss ensued; Zhan Shili’s hand slid down to the back of Xu Shen’s neck, gently rubbing it to soothe him.

 

Xu Shen’s emotions gradually settled, and when they finally parted, Zhan Shili asked again: “Are you coming with me or not?”

 

Xu Shen swallowed slowly: “Mn.”

 

⋆⋆⋆⋆

t/n: Advance chapters up to ch 63 are up on kofi shop~ ^^ Again, I’ll work on tling some more since my stock is gonna be used up soon, may finish tling up to ch 88 within next week.

⋆⋆⋆⋆

♡♡♡ if you like my translations, please consider buying me a kofi~! ♡♡♡

Continue Reading Ch. 51-63: click me <3