GLIHBN Chapter 98

Chapter 98: A Farce

Each time Su Shi stepped into this house, his feelings were different. He originally planned to spend the New Year alone this year, but unexpectedly received a call last night.

The call was from Su Shi’s grandmother, asking why Su Shi hadn’t come home for the New Year, and saying how much she missed Su Shi, that the New Year should be a family reunion, and urged him to come back quickly.

Even though he wasn’t close to his grandmother, as a junior, he couldn’t refuse an elder’s request, so Su Shi agreed to go back in the afternoon.

Clearly, this was the house he had lived in since he was a child, but Su Shi felt like a stranger.

It turned out that the premise of a home was the people within it.

Things change, and people move on.

The house was bustling with activity, and it seemed that many relatives had already arrived.

Su Shi didn’t have a good impression of the Chen family’s relatives; they acted too much like they belonged there.

Although he didn’t remember much from his childhood, he vaguely remembered that one year during the New Year, a certain relative had made Su Zhi cry.

Su Shi wasn’t familiar with these people; at most, they would greet each other when they met.

As soon as he entered, the people who were gathered around the table playing cards looked at him at the same time.

Su Shi really disliked seeing gambling in the house, but Chen Jingtian indulged these people, saying that it was a harmless way to relax during the New Year.

At this moment, an old lady with gray hair and a spirited appearance walked out from inside the house. This was Su Shi’s grandmother.

“Shi, you’re back.”

“Yes.”

Old Mrs. Chen busied herself, “Quick, greet everyone. This is your aunt, your uncle, your cousin, and that’s your cousin’s son.”

Su Shi stiffly greeted each of the relatives in turn.

Chen Jinyao was Chen Jingtian’s younger sister, which meant she was Su Shi’s aunt. She always liked to act important in this house. While munching on melon seeds, she said, “Shi should learn from Xiao Cheng; that’s what you call having a sweet tongue.”

It’s good enough that I greet you, Su Shi thought to himself.

This aunt must have too much free time; she really liked to find a sense of presence in this house. Su Shi had never liked her.

His uncle asked Su Shi to play cards together, but Su Shi decisively refused, saying he was going back to his room.

As he went upstairs, he heard Chen Jinyao say, “Don’t bother asking him, he’s too high and mighty. He never plays with us.”

Hearing these words, Su Shi felt disgusted.

Chen Jingtian came from a poor family. He met Su Zhi while attending university in West Hangzhou, and the two quickly fell in love.

Chen Jingtian instantly became the live-in son-in-law of a wealthy family in West Hangzhou, saving himself more than a decade of struggle.

Later, he even brought all of Chen’s relatives to West Hangzhou and arranged jobs for them.

Those relatives were extremely ridiculous; they didn’t think Chen Jingtian was marrying above himself, but rather that Su Zhi was lucky to marry Chen Jingtian.

Su Zhi was a typical example of a failed marriage to a “phoenix man.”

The people downstairs were too noisy, and Su Shi could hear them clearly even upstairs. He couldn’t focus on anything else, so he sent two messages to Chi Ye.

He thought he could hide in his room, but unexpectedly Chen Jingtian came to knock on the door.

Su Shi opened the door, and Chen Jingtian looked displeased, “You come back and hide upstairs; no wonder the elders say you have no manners.”

Give a dog a bad name and hang him. Chen Jingtian was deliberately picking a fight, and Su Shi didn’t care anymore, “If you don’t want to see me back, I can leave now.”

“Su Shi, are you deliberately trying to make me unhappy during the New Year?”

“Who is really trying to make whom unhappy, you know very well.”

Chen Jingtian’s eyes flickered, “Come downstairs quickly; the elders say they haven’t seen you in a long time and want to chat with you.”

Su Shi was sure that nothing good would come of it; those people would never have anything good to say to him.

Su Shi followed Chen Jingtian downstairs. The card game had been paused, and everyone was sitting on the sofa waiting for Su Shi.

This didn’t seem like a chat; it was more like interrogating a criminal.

Su Shi sneered in his heart, vaguely guessing what was going on.

Chen Jingtian said he had something to do and needed to deal with it in the study, telling them to chat first.

Old Mrs. Chen pulled Su Shi to sit beside her, looking at Su Shi with a kind expression, “I heard that Shi’s studio made a lot of money this year? My grandson is so capable.”

This sudden surge of affection almost gave Su Shi goosebumps. He said modestly, “No, my studio is just something I do for fun.”

The others followed suit, praising Su Shi. Even his aunt Chen Jinyao, who had never given him a kind look, said, “You should love whatever you do. Shi is talented in design.”

Su Shi didn’t have the patience to listen to such nonsense, “What do you want to say to me? Just say it; I’m listening.”

Chen Jinyao was about to speak when she was pulled back by Old Mrs. Chen, “It’s like this, your father has been working hard to support the entire company for so many years, and now he has high blood pressure. It’s only right that someone shares the burden for him.”

So they were Chen Jingtian’s lobbyists, Su Shi realized.

Chen Jinyao said, “Look, the family business has to be taken over by someone, right?”

Su Shi very much agreed and nodded, “Yes, Aunt is right.”

Chen Jinyao was overjoyed and continued to strike while the iron was hot, “You can continue to do well with your studio, but let Xiao Cheng join the company to help your father. Everyone in the family knows your father is lucky to have two such good sons.”

Old Mrs. Chen seemed to be hearing this for the first time, “That’s a good idea. Xiao Cheng is a smart and clever child; he learns things quickly.”

Su Shi wanted to burst out laughing when he heard this. Everyone knew that Chen Cheng was a good-for-nothing who only knew how to cry and make a fuss.

Chen Jinyao was a little displeased, “What are you laughing at?”

Su Shi couldn’t hold back this time and laughed out loud, “Don’t you think it’s funny yourselves when you say these things?”

Chen Jinyao’s face immediately changed, “You, what do you mean?”

Old Mrs. Chen played the peacemaker, patting Su Shi, “Shi, quick, apologize to your aunt.”

Su Shi brushed off the old lady’s hand, “I’m not wrong, why should I apologize!”

The reason why Su Shi’s consent was needed for Chen Cheng to join the company was because Chen Jingtian had signed a guarantee in front of Su’s other relatives before bringing Chen Cheng into the family.

The guarantee stated that the family business would be left to Su Shi and Su Qing in the future, and that the second son would not join the company.

This was like a handle grasped in Su Shi’s hand, and Chen Jingtian wanted to take back this guarantee.

Chen Jinyao had already boasted to the relatives that as long as she intervened, Su Shi wouldn’t dare to disagree and not let Chen Cheng join the company.

But now, Su Shi was slapping her in the face in front of everyone.

Chen Jinyao pointed at Su Shi and scolded, “When your mother was still alive, she wouldn’t dare to talk to me like this. How dare you talk to me like this!”

Su Shi grabbed the finger pointing at him and said in a cold voice, “So you’re admitting that you bullied my mother behind my back.”

Chen Jinyao cried out in pain, her eyes darting around, “No, who would dare to bully her, Miss Su?”

Old Mrs. Chen came to mediate, “Shi, she’s your aunt; you can’t hit your aunt.”

Su Shi put his hand in his pocket, “Grandma, didn’t you teach Aunt not to point at people casually? It’s very impolite.”

Chen Jinyao, used to having her own way, was about to rush up and argue with Su Shi again, but was stopped by a look from Old Mrs. Chen.

The other relatives remained silent, and Chen Jingtian in the study on the same floor didn’t make a sound either.

“Shi is right, it’s Grandma who didn’t educate her well,” Old Mrs. Chen said gently.

Then she played the emotional card, “Your father has only the two of you sons in total. Since you have your own career to busy yourself with, then let Chen Cheng join the company to share the burden for him. Grandma is old and likes to see her children and grandchildren around her, gathered together in joy.”

“And Su Qing.”

Old Mrs. Chen was taken aback, “What?”

Su Shi said expressionlessly, “Su Qing can join the company to help Dad. She can come back next year.”

Old Mrs. Chen immediately retorted, “There’s no reason for girls to take over the family business.”

“If I say there is, then there is.”

Chen Jinyao absolutely didn’t want Su Qing to join the company. You should know that Su Qing hated her, this aunt, the most. If that little brat took over the family business, then she wouldn’t get any benefits in the future.

Su Shi pulled his coat zipper up a bit and said to Old Mrs. Chen, “I’ll go back first. Happy New Year, everyone.”

Saying that, Su Shi walked outside.

Chen Jinyao chased after him, wanting to grab Su Shi.

“Su Shi, you’re actually letting Su Qing, a little brat, join the company. Do you want to hand over our Chen family’s business to someone with a different surname?”

Just as Chen Jinyao’s hand touched Su Shi’s arm, Su Shi violently shook it off, “Get this straight, the company has always been named Su, not Chen.”

These words undoubtedly trampled on the faces of Chen Jingtian’s siblings and Old Mrs. Chen. The usually calm Old Mrs. Chen didn’t even try to stop Chen Jinyao.

Chen Jinyao was somewhat exasperated, chasing after Su Shi relentlessly, “You little bastard, the company changed its name long ago. Your short-lived mother and grandparents died long ago.”

There are limits to what one can endure. Su Shi didn’t hit women, but Chen Jinyao was too cheap, always bringing up Su Zhi.

There was a baseball bat standing by the wall. Su Shi quickly thought in his mind about which part of the other person’s body he should swing at.

Just as his hand was about to touch the baseball bat, someone was faster than him, grabbing the baseball bat and waving it to block in front of him.

“Don’t touch my brother.”

It was Chen Cheng.

Su Shi didn’t expect that Chen Cheng would still stand firmly on his side after learning that he was all acting.

“Brother, you go first.”

Su Shi didn’t bother to care about what would happen to the people in this house and quickly left this place of contention.

Walking out of the gate, Su Shi looked up at the sky and sighed deeply.

Why didn’t he feel the joy of the New Year?

He really missed Chi Ye. What should he do?