The Byoukidere Is Her Sweetie

Chapter 106: 106: Infighting at Jiang Family, Exclusive Favoritism Towards Jiang Zhi
 

Tang Xiang yelled at him, “Get out!”

Jiang Xiaolin wasn’t annoyed, he got out of the car and stood idly, looking at the person inside.

She furrowed her brows, her hand resting on the steering wheel. The car didn’t move for a long while, her gaze occasionally swept over the rearview mirror.

“Aren’t you leaving? Can’t bear to part with me?” He leaned over, coming close to the car window, casually watching her.

“Huang Peidong,” Tang Xiang turned her head to ask, “is he the murderer?”

Like Jiang Xiaolin, Huang Peidong had scratch marks on his hand and was also a suspect; furthermore, Huang Peidong was under Jiang Fuli’s command and had sufficient motive to commit the crime.

Jiang Xiaolin folded his arms and stood up straight, “That, you’ll have to ask the police.”

Fine.

Tang Xiang immediately closed the car window, but before it was fully shut, a hand stopped it, “He isn’t.”

In other words, Jiang Zhi being pushed into the sea had nothing to do with Jiang Fuli.

Tang Xiang pondered for a moment, then understood and looked at the person outside the window, “Then the scratches on his hand, you did that, right?”

Jiang Xiaolin neither confirmed nor denied, released his hand, and smiled meaningfully, “You believe what a sex maniac says?”

“…”

She rolled up the car window abruptly and stepped on the accelerator, driving away.

She has no patience, after all these years, still the same bad temper! Jiang Xiaolin watched the departing car tail lights and smiled.

Moments later.

A Bentley parked by the roadside. A middle-aged man got out of the car and walked around to the back seat to open the door.

Jiang Xiaolin got into the car, saying, “Back to the old mansion.”

About an hour later, Jiang Xiaolin arrived at the Jiang family home. The whole family was there, except for Jiang Wei’er who was still in the hospital. Even a few rarely seen in-laws had come, and he was the last to arrive.

A servant went ahead to announce, “Old Madam, Lin has arrived.”

The room fell silent.

Jiang Xiaolin entered the room, strolling leisurely, “Sorry, I’m a bit late.”

Old Madam Jiang sat directly ahead and set down her cup to ask him, “Have you had lunch?”

Jiang Xiaolin shook his head, “It’s okay.”

“How can you not eat?” the Old Lady instructed, “Ah Gui, ask the kitchen to warm some soup for Lin.”

Ah Gui agreed and went to the kitchen.

At that moment, Jiang Zhi coughed twice. He was at the place closest to the charcoal fire, on Old Madam Jiang’s left hand side. In the Jiang Family, with its many rules, everyone was either sitting or standing, each with heads held high, except for him, half-sitting, half-lying in a rocking chair padded with a thick layer of quilts. His occasional coughs caused the chair to rock as well.

Truly pampered.

Old Madam Jiang doted on him, fearful that he might catch cold, and called a servant over, “Add some more charcoal.” She then hurried the butler, “Why hasn’t the hand warmer been sent over yet?”

“It’s here, it’s here.” Outside the door, Ah Gui carried in some soup and also brought a delicate little hand warmer.

That hand warmer was an antique.

Old Madam Jiang didn’t hesitate to use it; she covered it with a layer of velvet fabric to warm Jiang Zhi’s hands.

With the Winter Solstice approaching, the weather was getting colder. Jiang Zhi held the hand warmer, avoiding people, his continuous coughs making his voice sound somewhat raspy, “Go to my room and fetch me a blanket.”

Ah Wan was just about to go.

Fuxi came over to refill Jiang Zhi’s tea, “I’ll go.”

In the entire Jiang Family, Miss Fuxi was the best-natured, unpretentious, always gentle and soft-spoken to everyone. Ah Wan thought she was a good person, but for some reason, the master always treated her coldly.

“No need.” Jiang Zhi glanced back, “Lin Wanwan, you go.”

Ah Wan: “Oh.”

After a few exchanges of pleasantries among the people in the room, Old Madam Jiang got to the point.

“I called you all here today because there are two matters.” The old lady was spirited as she spoke forcefully, “A few days ago, Brother Zhi was pushed into the sea and injured. He’s still in the hospital.”

The old lady had always kept this in mind and was now ready to settle the account.

“I am an old woman and cannot manage business affairs anymore. I can turn a blind eye to the usual squabbles,” she continued at a measured pace, “but using such filthy tactics against Brother Zhi’s life, we must get to the bottom of this.”

The five branches of the Jiang Family were traditionally discordant, competing against each other in business.

Old Madam Jiang usually let them fend for themselves, each holding shares and beyond her control, but they couldn’t cross the line—and Jiang Zhi was that line.

This was well known among the Jiang Family.

“Mother, you are right.”

The speaker was Jiang Xiaolin’s father, the eldest son of the Jiang Family, Jiang Weikai, who was in politics and rarely involved in family affairs, “Such lowly acts cannot be condoned.”

Jiang Wei Li hurriedly agreed as well.

The two brothers—one never frivolous, the other always smiling—their temperaments were nothing alike, representing two extremes.

Old Madam Jiang cast a glance at the two brothers, “Among the four suspects, one is from the first house, one from the second house,” she paused, “do you have anything to say?”

Jiang Weikai looked at Jiang Xiaolin, who was sipping his soup silently.

The second house spoke first; it was Luo Changfang, Jiang Weili’s wife, who started, smiling without agitation, “Mother, I don’t quite agree with what you said. First of all, whether Huang Peidong is the murderer of Brother Zhi or not, even if he is, what does that have to do with our second house?”

Luo Changfang from the second house was the third daughter of the Luo Family, as shrewd as her father.

Old Madam Jiang was not in a hurry, she spread her hands and argued, “Huang Peidong was promoted to his current position by Fuli, and it was Fuli who provided his alibi. Being a simple-minded old woman, I can only guess this, his close aides, after all, are your second house’s hands.”

Luo Changfang’s smile faded; just as she was about to defend herself, she was stopped by her daughter, Jiang Fuli.

Luo Changfang then withheld her words, allowing Jiang Fuli to speak.

“Grandma,” she poured a cup of tea, moistening her throat, “then do you think I am foolish?”

“You,” Old Madam Jiang laughed, “are smart.”

Her mother’s shrewdness and her father’s adaptability, she had learned them all thoroughly.

Jiang Fuli spoke calmly and composedly, “That’s it, if I really wanted to harm our Jiang Family people, I wouldn’t be foolish enough to use my own close aides.” She set down the cup, her eyes shifting slightly, a touch of sorrow appearing, “Brother Zhi is my direct cousin, his health isn’t good, thinking about how he might…”

Perhaps not live past twenty-five.

Where would she need to dirty her hands?

She calmed her emotions before continuing, “Thinking like this, the heart of one who is a sister aches as if cut by knives. How could I be so cruel, and besides, such fratricidal behavior would simply disgust you, wouldn’t it, Grandma? Even if I’m muddled, I wouldn’t be foolish to that extent.”

With just a few words, she absolved herself cleanly.

Truly, she had a clever mouth, very articulate.

Old Madam Jiang turned her head and asked the eldest grandchild of the main house, “Lin, do you have anything to say?”

Scratches were also on the back of his hand; he couldn’t shake off the suspicion.

Yet, he replied, “No.” Setting down his spoon, his expression was calm, showing no signs of panic, “I just came back from the police station, Grandma, you can just inquire with the Criminal Investigation Team. I won’t repeat it, to avoid delaying your rest.”

One was eloquent, and the other was reticent, each had their own way.

Old Madam Jiang picked up her teacup, flicked some tea leaves off her face, and took a sip, “You each stick to your own story, both making sense. I’m old, and my mind is slow, I can’t distinguish the truth from the lies in your words. In that case, let’s wait for the police investigation. Before the murderer is caught, apart from Brother Zhi, you all will stay at the old mansion. If you need to go out for anything, you also have to report it to me. Any objections?”

Jiang Weikai said, “Mother, your decision stands.”

Old Madam Jiang set down her cup, “Well, I’ve said my piece, it’s best if the investigation shows it has nothing to do with you, otherwise,” she paused briefly, her voice deepening, “I’ll personally clean house.”

Everyone fell silent.

Only Jiang Zhi was coughing, as if uninvolved, not saying a word, just languishing sickly.

“I have one more thing.” Old Madam Jiang called the butler forward, “Jiang Chuan, play the recording for everyone.”

The recording wasn’t the original file; it was played on a mobile phone, which included some background noise, but it was still clear.

It was Jin Song’s voice.

“I abducted the young master of the Jiang Family.”

His voice sounded trembling, as if he had been frightened.

Aside from Jin Song, there was also a girl’s voice, deliberately disguised, sounding very low.

“Why did you abduct him?”

Jin Song did not immediately answer; the girl asked again, “Why did you abduct him?”

“He changed the female lead of the movie, causing me a huge loss,” Jin Song faltered, “Also, I wanted to play with him, and moreover, the Jiang family wanted me to test him to see if he was feigning illness.”

“Which member of the Jiang family?”

“Jiang Fuli.”

“Anything else?”

“Last month, I had someone ram into him,” he explained shakingly, “but it wasn’t successful.”

“Who drove the car to hit him?”

“Xiao Linsu.”

The recording stopped there.

The few sentences were very clear in meaning.

Old Madam Jiang’s gaze sharpened, “Fuli, do you have any explanation?” Without waiting for her to speak, she continued, “I had someone check your interactions with Jin Song, and it indeed happened.”

It was clear; no need for her to make excuses.

Old Madam’s voice deepened, her expression cooling, “Our Jiang Family and the Jin Family have always been on bad terms; I never knew you had contact with Jin Song behind the scenes.”

Jiang Fuli remained unruffled, not a hint of guilt visible, calmly explaining, “Yes, there were some dealings in the past, business matters, nothing personal.”

Old Madam snorted, “No personal relations, and yet you asked him to test Brother Zhi?”

She didn’t even pause to think, quickly responding, logically and coherently, “I was worried about Brother Zhi’s illness, so I asked him to pay more attention, not expecting him to have ill intentions. If I knew he would use such methods, how could I agree?” She lifted her head, her eyes meeting the old madam’s without wavering, open and honest, “Moreover, I was afraid it might hurt Brother Zhi, so I specifically sent an additional group of people to watch over him.”

She spoke succinctly, everything making sense, every statement in its place, without a single flaw.

She always remained calm, “Grandma, if you don’t believe me, you can send someone to check. The errand company I hired operates legitimately.”

Old Lady Jiang was momentarily at a loss for words.

She had made secondary preparations, guessing that she couldn’t trust Jin Song and had thus hired someone else.

Now, it had become her excuse for exoneration; she had seemingly managed everything perfectly, seamlessly.

“I don’t care whether the people you hired are legitimate or not, just give me a reason—why on earth are you testing Brother Zhi? He has been sick for over a decade; how could you think he’s faking it?” Old Lady Jiang was annoyed, somewhat aggressive, “Besides, even if he were faking it, what are you scheming?”

Jiang Fuli looked aggrieved, “Grandma, why would you think that?” She glanced at Jiang Zhi and said, “Brother Zhi is well, of course I want him to take over my responsibilities. In the fifth branch of the Jiang Family, uncle owns the most shares, and naturally, Brother Zhi should take over that part. My abilities are limited; I genuinely hope Brother Zhi gets well soon to help me share the burden at the company.”

Silver-tongued indeed, silver-tongued.

Old Lady Jiang sighed, “You could even talk a dead person back to life; what more could I say.” She probably wouldn’t find anything; her granddaughter was always meticulous in her actions.

She smiled, jokingly, “Grandma, your insight is clear.”

The Jiang Family, oh, just too many clever people.

A mess.

Old Lady Jiang pinched the bridge of her nose, had a servant add a cup of tea, took a break, and cornered her with her own words, “Since you’ve said your abilities are limited, let Lin take care of the hotel module. When Brother Zhi is a bit better, let him take over.”

Jiang Fuli agreed quickly, “Okay, Grandma, as you decide.”

This time, she had to comply.

The hotel sector wasn’t small; it was enough to peel off a layer of her skin.

But it wasn’t over, Old Lady Jiang continued, “This matter can’t just be left as is. Family siblings should speak openly if they have concerns, not resort to underhanded tactics. Go kneel in my study; you can come out when you have reflected.”

Standing up for Jiang Zhi.

Among all the legitimate and illegitimate descendants of the Jiang Family, Jiang Zhi was Old Lady Jiang’s most treasured.

Jiang Fuli’s hand, hanging by her side, clenched a little tighter, her face still smiling, “Hmm, granddaughter knows her mistake.” Her gaze casually swept over to the direction of the rocking chair.

Everyone in the room was holding their breath, only Jiang Zhi nonchalantly playing with his hand warmer.

He was born lucky, his father, Jiang Weixuan, being the Old Madam’s most beloved son, just unlucky to die young.

His face resembled his mother’s, similarly a beauty that courted calamity.

“Today, since you all are here, I’ll just lay it out—on the business field, it’s every man for himself; I won’t intervene,” Old Lady Jiang spoke sharply, “But if anyone dares harbor any inappropriate thoughts privately, I will not be lenient.”

Several sons and grandsons quickly agreed.

Only then did Old Madam rise with her walking stick, “Brother Zhi, come with me.”

“Cough, cough, cough, cough…”

Jiang Zhi stretched lazily in a dragging manner, taking slow, coughing steps, weak and wobbly, supported by someone.

This drama, he just watched, minor squabbles that can’t hurt the muscles or move the bones, utterly uninteresting.

Once they reached the bedroom, Old Lady Jiang dismissed the servants and asked Jiang Zhi, “What’s going on?”

He walked a few steps and ran out of energy, found a spot to lie down, somewhat weary, “What do you mean ‘what’s going on’?”

“Fuli, why would she think you are feigning illness?”

“That’s a question for her.” Jiang Zhi had a slight fever, his cheeks flushed, weakly keeping his eyelids open, “You know I’m ill, she’s ill too.”

“What illness?”

He hummed, “Paranoia.”

Old Lady Jiang scolded him for not being serious but refrained from asking further.

Ah Wan, standing by the doorway, felt a bit dizzy, such a contradiction—how come the Old Madam treats her employer like the apple of her eye, yet this apple doesn’t seem to want to stay in its socket?

Just an inexplicable feeling.

In the outside hall, people had mostly dispersed; Jiang Fuli stopped Jiang Xiaolin.

“Cousin, wait.”

Jiang Xiaolin’s attitude was neither cold nor warm, “What is it?”

She approached with a smile, “Nothing much, just curious about how you arranged things; you’re so well-informed. The police had just learned about the scratch marks on the killer’s hand, and you had already added one under my people.”

This whole basin of dirty water was cast together.

He was in trouble, turned around and got her in trouble too; now the Old Madam wouldn’t just focus on his branch of the family, truly shared hardship.

Jiang Xiaolin, wearing glasses, his demeanor calm and scholarly, “Trouble comes from the mouth.” In an elder’s tone, he almost admonished, “Fuli, be careful what you say without evidence.”

Old fox!

Jiang Fuli smirked, “Thank you for the reminder, big cousin.”

Jiang Xiaolin said ‘you’re welcome’, waved his hand, “Go kneel, once you’ve reflected, come and learn from me.”

“…”

She clenched her teeth in silence.

When Jiang Xiaolin left, Luo Changfang muttered, “Doesn’t he hate Brother Zhi? What is this about then? How come he’s matching up with you?”

This Lin from the Jiang family is both righteous and wicked.

His allegiance seems to change all the time.

Jiang Weili stood up from his seat and cautioned, “Fuli, don’t be too impatient.” Seeing that no one else was around, he said, “Keep an eye on Jin Song. If he dares to speak out of line…”

He left the sentence hanging.

Jiang Fuli nodded, understanding.

Today, Jiang Zhi was staying overnight at the old house. He looked at his script for a while but couldn’t focus at all. He was completely unable to get into it, his thoughts wandering off to Zhou Xufang.

He realized something; ever since this girl started running wild in his heart, he had lost interest in almost everything else.

He reached for his phone to send her a voice message.

“Zhou Xufang.”

Zhou Xufang replied with a period.

She didn’t even type a word, just answered him with punctuation. Jiang Zhi was slightly annoyed: “What are you doing?”

Zhou Xufang then replied with two words.

“Selling stall.”

Since Jiang Zhi was staying at the Jiang family house today and didn’t need her to ‘follow’ him, she had the time to ride her electric trike to work.

She really couldn’t sit still for a moment.

“Putting on screen protectors again?”

“Mm.”

Jiang Zhi couldn’t help but nag her: “Can’t you take a break?”

Zhou Xufang replied: “.”

Another period!

He had so much he wanted to tell her, yet she had nothing to say back to him?!

Jiang Zhi was very displeased inside, crumpling the script into a ball. He held back his anger and asked, “Is it cold outside?”

“Not cold.”

“Waiting under the bridge.”

Zhou Xufang replied with a voice message this time: “Don’t come.” She wasn’t afraid of the cold, but Jiang Zhi was quite delicate.

Jiang Zhi responded in a rather unreasonable tone: “I’m coming anyway.”

Zhou Xufang: “.”

Another period.

Jiang Zhi was increasingly unable to tolerate these periods. They made him feel neglected, brushed off, unloved, and undervalued: “Stop with the periods. If you have nothing to say, just send me a kissy face emoji.”

Zhou Xufang typed back: “I don’t have any emoji.”

“Go online and find one.”

“.”

Alright.

Jiang Zhi found one himself and sent it to her.

“Send me this.”

She probably struggled for a bit, and a few minutes later, she replied, “I don’t know how.”

Zhou Xufang never used emoji and barely socialized. She knew nothing about social media apps, only capable of basic typing and voice messages.

She was a high-IQ life idiot, best at using food delivery apps.

“Click this emoji, then add it,” Jiang Zhi was stubborn about this kissy face emoji, “and then forward it to me.”

Zhou Xufang was still figuring it out.

“Zhou Xufang.”

“Mm.”

“Got it yet?”

“Yes.”

“Send it to me.”

“Okay.”

Zhou Xufang then sent that kissy face emoji over.

Jiang Zhi took a screenshot. The irritation in his heart was placated by her actions: “Wait there, I’m coming over now to give you a kiss.”