Chapter 34: Standoff

Before long, a middle-aged man with slightly narrowed eyes, high cheekbones, and a long beard strolled in, carrying a birdcage.

His expression carried a hint of smugness, looking completely at ease. The moment he stepped through the door, he spoke with a cheeky grin.

“Hey! Isn’t this my niece? What are you doing here? Where’s your dad?”

Faced with this somewhat rude remark, Wang Huaiyu’s expression twitched, but she tried her best to maintain a normal complexion and said softly:

“So it’s Uncle. It really has been a long time. What brings you here to walk your bird today?”

“Shouldn’t you still be fast asleep in the Dawn Spring Courtyard at this hour?”

Discovering it was actually an old acquaintance, and a relative at that, Wang Huaiyu forcibly swallowed the harsh words she hadn’t yet spoken, though she didn’t show much mercy in her tone either.

“Bah! What does a little girl like you understand?”

Wang Chengle waved his hand dismissively, pulled over a chair and sat down with an imposing posture, casually placing the birdcage he was carrying right on top of the documents on the desk.

The not-so-small movement startled the bird inside the cage, causing it to jump up and down, chirping incessantly.

Looking at this rude fellow before her, Wang Huaiyu felt the bird’s chirping in her ears grow increasingly grating.

Wang Chengle didn’t pay attention to these trivial details. He dug at his ear with a finger, his tone full of impatience.

“Never mind all that. Where’s my brother?”

“Father is still resting.” Wang Huaiyu reached out and moved the birdcage aside, taking a deep breath. “All household affairs are currently being handled by me, Uncle. You needn’t concern yourself overly.”

Although Wang Huaiyu was very displeased with this idle uncle who sucked the Wang Family’s blood, after so many years, she was used to it. Right now, she just wanted to get rid of this guy as quickly as possible.

“As for you, Uncle, if you’re short on funds, I can arrange for a servant to fetch some from the storage room for you right now. I only hope you’ll behave yourself a bit more in the near future.”

Wang Huaiyu said with her eyes closed, her tone flat.

“Behave myself?”

Upon hearing this, Wang Chengle suddenly laughed. He leaned forward, looking at his niece with a mocking expression.

“Little Yu, your uncle has been behaving himself quite well, you know. Every day, I’m either drinking and holding women in the Dawn Spring Courtyard, or out carousing with friends. I dare not cause any trouble at all.”

“I, for one, have been very considerate of your father, my elder brother. Unlike some people who appear prim and proper on the surface but play all sorts of wild games behind the scenes!”

“Right, my dear niece?”

“You!”

Wang Huaiyu glared at him angrily, her face flushed with rage. She took a deep breath, suppressing the turbulent emotions in her heart, and didn’t speak further.

Huff, huff—

When others are angry, I won’t be. If I get sick from anger, no one will take care of me.

If I were to die from anger, who would be pleased? Besides, it’s taxing on the mind and draining on the energy.

Wang Huaiyu was so infuriated by her uncle’s words that she silently recited this nursery rhyme in her heart.

Just then, a maid’s voice came from outside the door: “Miss, the tea is ready.”

“Hehehe! Coming back after so long and being welcomed with good tea. Little Yu, you’re getting better and better at handling things!”

Seeing the tea being brought, before the maid could even set it down, Wang Chengle snatched a cup and gulped it down in one go.

“Pah! What is this stuff!?” Wang Chengle spat out the tea dregs from his mouth, his tone furious. “Are you serving guests tea brewed from moldy tea cakes!?”

“Hehe, you jest, Uncle. How could that be?” Wang Huaiyu said with a stiff smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “We are family, after all.”

Actually, the tea brewed from moldy tea cakes was indeed arranged by Wang Huaiyu, intended to disgust those other freeloaders who came to her.

But she hadn’t expected it to be Wang Chengle, her father’s younger brother. She had forgotten to say anything after giving the order, but looking at it now, the result was quite satisfying.

“Hmph!”

Seeing Wang Huaiyu’s stiff, insincere smile, Wang Chengle knew saying more was pointless. So, he simply changed the subject.

He leaned back in his chair, lounging at an angle, absentmindedly twisting his small beard, looking utterly improper.

“Dear niece, you said yourself we’re family, right?”

“What if I did?”

Hearing her uncle suddenly change the topic and stop mocking her, Wang Huaiyu’s guard shot up instantly.

After all, a relative who never came home even during holidays, whose mouth was usually full of sarcasm, suddenly asking if they were family… it likely meant nothing good was about to happen.

“Your uncle, well, recently met a few more friends. They told me they discovered a great business opportunity, but alas, they lack both people and capital.”

“So, they hope your uncle here can help invest a bit of seed money. When they turn a profit, they definitely won’t forget our kindness!”

“Only thing is… hehe! We need to show a bit of sincerity.”

“Sincerity?” Wang Huaiyu let out a cold laugh. “Uncle, do you think I have any spare silver to throw into this ‘great business’ of yours right now?”

“Moreover, whether this ‘business’ that only comes from your mouth is real or not is uncertain, but it certainly would be true that any money that goes into your pocket would be swallowed up by you.”

“Furthermore, our family doesn’t have that much money for you to go out and casually do ‘business’ with.”

Seeing that Wang Chengle was finally no longer hiding his intentions, Wang Huaiyu decided to drop the act as well, immediately putting on an unyielding, cold face.

Seeing this, Wang Chengle wasn’t angered. He chuckled cheerfully.

“Hehe, isn’t that simple? If your uncle took over the Wang Family, wouldn’t there be money then?”

“You! You’re not even pretending now! I see, you want to take advantage of Father’s illness to seize power, don’t you!?”

“Hehe, look at what you’re saying. You, a young lady, managing such a large family business must be so tiring. Why not let your uncle help share the burden?”

“Niece, think carefully. Given the Wang Family’s current situation, if your uncle were to go out and say something careless… it wouldn’t be good for you, would it?”

Hearing this, Wang Huaiyu froze completely, her face beginning to pale.

Damn it…

Using that to threaten me…

Seeing Wang Huaiyu fall silent, the smile on Wang Chengle’s face faded slightly.

He leaned forward, lowering his voice: “You don’t think the trouble you caused that night was forgotten by everyone the next day, do you? Right now, you could say your reputation is in tatters. Do you really think the people below would want you to take over the Wang Family?”

After saying this, Wang Chengle leaned back in his chair again, resuming his previous frivolous demeanor.

“Those business friends your uncle knows could help you stabilize this situation. So, what do you say? Want to reconsider?”

Wang Huaiyu took a deep breath, steadying her somewhat out of control thoughts. Her tone returned to its previous calmness.

“Share the burden? There’s no need for you to trouble yourself, Uncle. I will manage the Wang Family well myself.”

“If you have nothing else, Uncle, please leave. Wang Family matters are none of your concern.”

“As for your talk of taking over the Wang Family, without Father’s word, you should save your breath.”

“After all, you are just a—”

“Second Son, aren’t you?”

“You!”

Wang Chengle’s eyes widened, his face flushed bright red, clearly angered by Wang Huaiyu’s words.

He closed his eyes, desperately suppressing the urge to lay hands on her to avoid an ugly scene.

“Huff…”

“Fine! Would your uncle fight with a child like you? But you should still give your uncle this ‘seed money,’ shouldn’t you?”

Wang Huaiyu didn’t respond. She just took out a piece of paper, wrote something on it, and then tossed it in Wang Chengle’s direction.

“Go get it from the storage room yourself. I won’t see you out!”

Seeing his niece’s manner that completely disregarded him as an elder, Wang Chengle was furious, but seeing that the money was almost in hand, he decided not to make a scene.

He picked up his birdcage and stormed out the door, leaving only a cold snort behind.

The door swayed. Wang Huaiyu propped her head up, feeling nothing but exhaustion filling her entire body.

“I hope everything will be better tomorrow…”