Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Lu Ding Tian merely responded with a faint "hm" to Ye Tong, his demeanor much colder compared to Xiang Nanyuan. Ye Tong seemed unfazed, chuckling as he sat down beside him. I had initially thought that the two successors of the Southern and Northern Hongmen would create quite a stir, but in reality, both groups were quiet, simply sitting in silence as they awaited Lu Fei's funeral.
After Lu Fei was laid to rest, I noticed Xiang Nanyuan and Lu Ding Tian whispering to each other. Ye Tong occasionally glanced at them, his expression unreadable. At that moment, I pondered how the situation had not unfolded as I had anticipated. The pain of losing a son had not driven Lu Ding Tian to irrationality; he neither confronted Lu Xian nor openly clashed with the North Hongmen, who were under suspicion.
Once the burial ceremony concluded, it became apparent that things would soon disperse. Only the two young heirs from the Southern and Northern Hongmen remained, along with members of the Lu Family.
"Brother Ye, why are you still here? Are you planning to stay for dinner?" Xiang Nanyuan asked with a smile directed at Ye Tong. This was the first thing I heard him say to Ye Tong, implying that while Lu Ding Tian might invite him for dinner, he wouldn't extend the same courtesy to Ye Tong. The tone was clearly provocative.
Ye Tong maintained his nonchalant demeanor and replied with a smile, "Ah, little Yuan, you're still the same as when you were younger—always keen to point out others' shortcomings. I know your relationship with Uncle Lu; surely he wouldn't neglect to invite me for dinner?"
Although Ye Tong appeared to be of similar age to Xiang Nanyuan, the way they addressed Lu Ding Tian revealed that Ye Tong was actually older. He had certainly gained an advantage in their verbal exchange.
"Heh, do you really think Uncle Lu would invite you? Forget it; I won’t delve too deeply into this matter. The death of Brother Fei is likely connected to your North Hongmen, isn’t it? You’re being rather ruthless here. Knowing that Brother Fei and Uncle Lu had ties with our Nan Hongmen, how could you act this way? Uncle Bai used to be considered one of us."
Xiang Nanyuan spoke sarcastically, attempting to cast blame on Ye Tong. Anyone familiar with their relationships would likely suspect that North Hongmen was involved in this incident. Even North Hongmen themselves seemed anxious enough to ask me for help in clearing Lu Xian's name.
"Well now, that's not quite right," Ye Tong retorted coldly. "True, we from North Hongmen are under the greatest suspicion on the surface. But do you really think we would be foolish enough to provoke Uncle Lu into strong resistance? To be frank, we’re not at a point where we would take such reckless risks."
Ye Tong sneered twice; he seemed unsurprised by Xiang Nanyuan's attempts to tarnish his reputation. What he said made sense—if North Hongmen were truly behind such actions, it would indeed be a desperate gamble that could push Lu Ding Tian into the arms of Nan Hongmen.
"That may be true; North Hongmen might not make such a decision. However, it’s possible that some individuals related to you couldn’t hold back any longer," Xiang Nanyuan suggested meaningfully as he glanced at Lu Xian. Their cryptic conversation was clearly meant for Lu Ding Tian’s ears. At this moment, Lu Ding Tian finally spoke up.
"Young masters, I’m quite tired today and won’t be able to entertain you further. I’ll take my leave now; please feel free to do as you wish," he said as he stood up and left without any intention of inviting them for dinner. It seemed he hadn’t taken their words to heart at all. As his third son, I felt my complaints had gone unheard; what could these two say that would change anything?
The two young masters did not stop him; instead, they politely saw him off as he departed. Originally, Lu Xian and I intended to leave as well, but Lu Ding Tian instructed us to stay behind.
"You two don’t need to follow me anymore. Since you’ve come to Shanghai, we from Qing Gang must uphold our hospitality; you two will be responsible for entertaining these young masters," he said before getting into his car.
Hearing this made me elated—what did this mean? Was he suggesting that I take over Lu Fei’s position and engage with Nan Hongmen? Would we continue maintaining this relationship with Qing Gang?
It is very likely. In an instant, my identity as an illegitimate child became much more noble, and I suddenly felt important.
Now, Lu Ding Tian has two sons. If Nan Hongmen's Xiang Nanyuan were to claim me, the situation would remain the same as before. But if North Hongmen's Ye Tong were to claim me, then Nan Hongmen would lose its footing, and Qing Gang would undoubtedly become a subordinate force of North Hongmen!
"Third Brother, it's not easy for Brother Ye to come all the way to Shanghai. Since you know so many places here, how about you show us around?"
After Lu Ding Tian spoke, Lu Xian chimed in. Lu Xian was from North Hongmen and clearly hoped that I would align with them. Ye Tong also looked at me with interest, waiting for my answer.
I glanced at Ye Tong and then at Xiang Nanyuan, who stood by like a lost child. My intuition told me that neither of these two was simple; despite it being the perfect time for them to fight for my allegiance, neither of them had uttered a word.
Perhaps they understood that my decision could not be swayed by just a few words from them.
"Young Master Xiang, what do you usually enjoy doing?" I asked with a smile directed at Xiang Nanyuan. As soon as I finished speaking, Lu Xian's expression darkened significantly, while Ye Tong and Xiang Nanyuan remained unfazed, as if they were not surprised at all.
In truth, this choice was not one I was qualified to make; it was still Lu Ding Tian who held the reins. If I chose North Hongmen, it would disrupt the balance—something Lu Ding Tian did not want. If I chose Nan Hongmen, Lu Ding Tian would not intervene. But if I chose North Hongmen, he would certainly find a way to restore equilibrium.
Moreover, I was originally supposed to compete for the leadership of Qing Gang!
"I just enjoy drinking tea; the most important thing is to have peace and quiet," Xiang Nanyuan said with a slight smile, his demeanor very gentlemanly. When he said this, he glanced at Lu Xian and Ye Tong, clearly indicating that he did not want to be associated with them.
"Haha! You little introvert! You enjoy drinking tea and prefer quiet? Sigh, I can't play with someone so hypocritical! Right, Lu Xian? Take me out to chase girls!" Ye Tong laughed heartily and turned to leave. Lu Xian shot me a glare before also leaving without saying goodbye to Xiang Nanyuan. Suddenly, only Xiang Nanyuan and I remained outside Lu Fei's grave.
"You’re quite something! Your father mentioned you had some ambitions; I didn't believe it until now—you're impressive," Xiang Nanyuan said with a grin as he patted my shoulder.
Hearing this made me realize that after Lu Fei's death, Nan Hongmen must have already contacted Lu Ding Tian. After all, Lu Ding Tian's heir was crucial for Nan Hongmen; they certainly wouldn’t want Lu Xian inheriting Qing Gang.
Lu Ding Tian understood this too; thus he must have introduced me as his third son to Nan Hongmen, allowing me to take Lu Fei's place in maintaining their support while continuing to uphold the balance.
I merely smiled at Xiang Nanyuan's praise before driving him away from the graveyard. On the surface, it seemed like I had gained favor because I replaced Lu Fei as a contender for the heir position against Lu Xian. However, I knew this was merely a tactic by Lu Ding Tian to maintain balance.
Lu Ding Tian still hoped that Lu Xian would inherit his position—provided that Lu Fei wasn't killed by him—which would be the crux of the issue.
At the teahouse, Xiang Nanyuan brought up this point with me. "I heard that you're now in charge of investigating Lu Fei's situation?"
Xiang Nanyuan held his teacup, his gaze fixed on the pale yellow liquid inside, not sparing me a glance as he spoke. Even though he was trying to win me over, he still maintained an air of superiority. In fact, as the others left and it was just the two of us, his arrogance seemed to intensify.
"Yes," I replied succinctly. There was no need for him to feign politeness to curry favor with me, just as I had no intention of flattering him or ingratiating myself. Our relationship was straightforward: he could provide what I wanted, and I could offer what he desired—nothing more.
"Do you know what you should do?" Xiang Nanyuan asked with a smile, looking at me expectantly. I knew exactly what he wanted me to do, but I simply shook my head with a smile. "That might not be feasible. I will still do my best to uncover the truth of the matter. And frankly, I hope that truth is something I am willing to accept."
I smiled as I spoke, aware that some things were understood between us but remained unspoken—taboo topics. People like Xiang Nanyuan, who had grown up in positions of power, loved to speak in vague terms while clearly implying what they wanted you to do. His implication was that this matter would be left for me to handle.
What I meant was that I would only investigate the truth of the situation; as for what that truth entailed and who might fabricate it, I had no intention of wading into those murky waters.
The situation was delicate. If I lacked solid evidence against Lu Xian or if I fabricated any proof, it could very well lead to my own downfall! To Xiang Nanyuan, I was merely a stranger; he couldn't afford to place all his bets on me. If I failed, he would certainly have other options. For him, there would always be another chance; for me, it was a matter of life and death. How could I gamble with my life?
After I finished speaking, Xiang Nanyuan chuckled and nodded. "You are quite an interesting person. It seems that in this matter, I won't be able to assist you. You know how sensitive the current situation is; if you want to rise in status, you'll have to rely on yourself."
Xiang Nanyuan said this with a smile; he was negotiating with me.
"I think you may have misjudged my intentions regarding this matter," I replied with a laugh and a shrug. "I’m not particularly eager to climb the ranks; it doesn’t concern me." Who didn’t know that Nan Hongmen had its sights set firmly on Qing Gang? Was this young man really trying to play games with me?
Upon hearing this, Xiang Nanyuan frowned and set his teacup down on the table, clearly displeased. A young master like him probably grew up accustomed to having things go his way; anyone who didn’t comply with his wishes would surely irritate him.
"You know," he said sharply, "I just praised you a moment ago. If Lu Xian becomes the head of Qing Gang, do you think you'll have an easy life? I'm here to help you, and this is your attitude?"
Comment 0 Comment Count