“I never knew you were such a rule-breaker. Congratulations, Fu Mingxuan. You’ve once again lowered my expectations of you.”
Fu Yi finally raised her eyes, looking at him with a calm, unruffled gaze.
A faint trace of disdain appeared on her cold little face, with no intention of exchanging pleasantries.
“If you have something to say, say it. If not, get lost.”
Her directness made the smile on Fu Mingxuan’s face freeze for a moment, but he quickly recovered, a hint of helplessness in his smile, as if indulging a willful younger sister.
“How can you be so heartless? Even though Second Uncle let you stay in the Main Residence, this place is still somewhere I grew up. Even if I’ve moved out now, I’m at least half a host here. Besides…”
Fu Mingxuan paused slightly, the corners of his mouth rising.
He continued,
“Isn’t it natural for an older brother to enter his younger sister’s room? Or is it that your brother didn’t knock, making you feel embarrassed? I thought Housekeeper Zhou already told you.”
He glanced at Housekeeper Zhou, who was standing respectfully to the side, the amusement in his eyes deepening.
“Smooth talker.”
Fu Yi’s lips curved in a mocking arc.
She spoke coldly.
“Our family’s matters don’t need a cousin like you to worry about. Father arranged for me to stay in the Main Residence for his own reasons. In my view, this might even be a certain hint. After all, some Collateral Branches are kicked out as soon as they become adults.”
She emphasized the words ‘cousin’ and ‘Collateral Branch’ heavily, as if implying something.
In their family, whoever is the family head is the Direct Lineage; all others are Collateral Branches.
People from the Collateral Branches aren’t allowed to live in the Main Residence after coming of age, a strict hierarchy.
But even under such rules, members of the Collateral Branch still have the right to compete for inheritance and a chance to become the Direct Lineage.
That’s why the battle over the Inheritance has dragged on for so long, growing increasingly fierce.
“I see. Seems I, as the elder brother, was overthinking it.”
Fu Mingxuan acted as if he hadn’t caught the implied insult.
His smile remained unchanged as he took a small, exquisite USB Drive from his suit’s inner pocket and gently slid it toward Fu Yi.
He smiled.
“I heard you’ve recently been following up on the South American Mining Company’s Project? What a coincidence. I just received some internal assessment documents about their local environmental compliance… Hmm, not very optimistic.”
“I thought it might be useful to you, so I hurried to deliver it.”
He spoke with sincerity, as if he were really offering timely help in a snowstorm.
Fu Yi’s gaze fell on the USB Drive, but she didn’t touch it.
Her eyes grew colder.
The South American Mining Company Project was a major focus she was currently leading, with huge initial investments and now at a critical stage.
Of all times, Fu Mingxuan chose this exact moment to send over so-called ‘internal information’?
Whether it was true or not was another matter, but there was no doubt that if Fu Yi wasn’t careful, he could trip her up badly.
If the information was true, his move was like a weasel wishing a chicken a happy new year—watching to see how she’d handle a hot potato that could spark a chain reaction and bring all her plans crashing down.
Thinking deeper, the problem could have been orchestrated by Fu Mingxuan himself, purely to disgust her at this critical juncture.
And if it was fake, his intent was even more malicious, trying to disrupt her judgment with false information and slow the Project’s progress.
Perhaps he was secretly up to something, waiting for her side to falter so he could deliver a ruthless blow.
Fu Mingxuan never did anything without purpose.
But coincidentally, Fu Yi was also someone who could be utterly unyielding in certain situations.
She chose to ignore Fu Mingxuan’s sugar-coated bullets and kept to her own rhythm.
“Cousin, your sources are really impressive.”
Fu Yi’s tone betrayed no emotion, her fingertips tapping rhythmically on the desk as she spoke in a cold, sarcastic voice.
“However, the Compliance Department and Legal Team in my group aren’t just for show. They’re all top experts in this field. If they haven’t uncovered this so-called information, I don’t think I need to believe rumors and act recklessly, ending up in a worse position.”
She continued signing documents, undisturbed by Fu Mingxuan’s smokescreens.
“If you have concerns, cousin, you can submit them directly to the local Risk Control Committee as per procedure.”
After approving the final document, Fu Yi looked up at him, the sarcasm in her gaze nearly overflowing.
If the professionals and State Institutions found nothing, and only a minor member of a Collateral Branch did, who should I believe?
The smile on Fu Mingxuan’s face finally faltered, a shadow flickering in his eyes before he masked it with another smile.
“Really, you used to be so cute as a child. Now you’re like a cold little hedgehog. As your brother, I just wanted to warm up my adorable sister, but instead, I got pricked all over.”
He awkwardly retrieved the USB Drive.
If he couldn’t gain any advantage, he might as well make Fu Yi feel uncomfortable with his words.
He paused, then acted as if he’d just remembered something, putting on a concerned expression as his gaze swept over Fu Yi’s slightly tired yet still icy face.
“But Yi Yi, no matter how busy you are with work, take care of your health. I heard you’ve been pretty active at School lately? Even joining some School Anniversary dance performance? Waltz? How rare, to still have such leisure.”
There was a trace of ridicule in his voice.
For people from families like theirs, things like School Anniversary were just child’s play, a waste of time.
It sounded like teasing, but the information contained was unmistakable.
The events of yesterday had only just occurred, and before her side could even find a teacher, this cousin already knew everything.
Fu Yi’s heart remained calm.
As expected, every move she made at School was ‘thoughtfully’ reported to this wonderful cousin.
Still, at that time, there had only been a handful of people in the Cafe. With a little checking, she could determine who was acting as a spy nearby.
Not that it mattered much.
If Fu Mingxuan chose to reveal his spy just for a trivial mockery, they probably weren’t an important person.
Keeping them close would prevent Fu Mingxuan from pulling any other tricks in secret.
Clearly, they hadn’t managed to extend their reach into the School itself, or they’d have known she never even registered.
“Heh, how kind of cousin to worry.”
Her tone was distant.
After finishing the last document, she pulled out her Notebook Computer and continued working, her fingers tapping on the keyboard, not sparing Fu Mingxuan another glance.
“Just a bit of personal interest. On the other hand, cousin, if you have so much free time lately, perhaps you should focus on the progress of that New Energy Battery Project under you? I heard you’ve been looking for suitable Material Suppliers?”
“How unfortunate. In the documents I just approved, several of the companies you were interested in were included.”
Fu Yi’s words struck precisely at Fu Mingxuan’s sore spot.
He was in charge of developing new energy, and now he was stuck at a critical technical bottleneck.
Even worse, the lack of progress meant their Material Suppliers were starting to pull out.
If he couldn’t secure new suppliers in time, all his past investments would go down the drain, and the company itself could run into trouble.
At that point, not only Fu Yi but even those cousins he’d always suppressed might rise up and tear a chunk from him.
This time, his visit was indeed, as Fu Yi suspected, an attempt to disrupt her Project.
Some of the materials used in the mines she partnered with were exactly the rare resources his own side desperately needed.
If he could secure them first, it would be a lifeline for the company.
Of course, he hadn’t expected to succeed with such half-hearted tactics.
Now that things had reached this point, Fu Mingxuan dropped the pretense entirely.
His face darkened, and his smile vanished.
He stared at Fu Yi, eyes sharp and cold as a snake.
The two locked gazes, silent sparks flying between them.
After a few seconds, Fu Mingxuan suddenly smiled again, but this time it was icy.
He rubbed the silver watch on his wrist, his voice chilling.
“Fine. Very good. Yi Yi, you’re more and more like a head of the family. In that case, I won’t bother you further.”
He stood, straightened his suit, and walked toward the door.
At the doorway, his steps paused.
Without turning back, his voice carried clearly.
“Oh, and I almost forgot. On the day of the School Anniversary, I’ll be attending as an Outstanding Alumnus, and as your elder brother, I’ll have a good chat with your little friends. I’m looking forward to your performance.”
The malice in his words was barely concealed.
With that, Fu Mingxuan opened the door and left.
The study door closed softly, shutting out the world.
Go watch a ghost, you idiot.
Fu Yi stared expressionlessly at the closed door, her gaze steady.
After a moment, she turned her attention back to her notebook, giving new instructions.
“Housekeeper Zhou, from now on, don’t let anyone into the Main Residence to disturb my work without my permission.”
“Yes, Miss.”
Housekeeper Zhou’s voice was as steady as ever.
After receiving permission, he bowed, stepped out of the room, and closed the door gently behind him.
Silence returned to the study.
Only the faint hum of the thin Server and Fu Yi’s own breathing remained.
She leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes, and massaged her temples.
Every confrontation with Fu Mingxuan was exhausting.
Not dangerous, but troublesome.
A centipede dies but never falls over; no matter how many times she knocked him from the sky, with her uncle’s help he’d always manage to crawl back before her.