Chapter 422: 272 Brothers fighting each other? Selling the sister-in-law? (2 more updates)
Originally, they were supposed to take the two kids to the Racing Car, but an unexpected incident delayed them. After having dinner with them and promising to take them out again next time, they sent Taotao home first.
"Fourth Master, thank you for your trouble today," Shen Zhixian expressed his gratitude.
"Itâs nothing."
"Would you like to come in for a glass of water before you leave?"
"Sure."
Jiang Chengsi was readily agreeable, which somewhat surprised Shen Zhixian. Although nothing inappropriate would ever happen between them, Jiang always maintained proper boundaries, deliberately avoiding any suspicion, unless Jiang Yanting was present. Otherwise, he rarely entered the door.
His behavior was often too conspicuous. The incident of taking the kids and blasting through the streets on a motorcycle still gave Shen Zhixian palpitations. He wouldnât have allowed Jiang to take the kids out if he wasnât usually so careful.
After entering the house, the two children cuddled up together and played. Taking advantage of the moment when Shen Zhixian was pouring water, Jiang Chengsi approached:
"Have you noticed anyone following you and Taotao lately?"
"What?" Shen Zhixianâs hand shook, almost spilling the water.
Jiang Chengsi raised his hand to support the bottom of the cup, caught it, and poured the water himself. "Donât worry, the kids donât know anything. The person has been dealt with and is currently at the police station, but... they wonât be detained for more than a couple of days."
"Being followed?"
"With the Xie Familyâs annual meeting being so high-profile, even though you havenât joined the company and are usually low-key, there are still quite a few in Beijing who are keeping an eye on you. You need to be careful."
Shen Zhixian is not a celebrity, and doesnât have that kind of vigilance. The thought of being followed left him uneasy and grateful at the same time, "Thank you..."
"You should find a new place to live. Staying here isnât safe. It would be best if... that family doesnât know about it either. Youâre a smart person; you should understand what I mean."
Shen Zhixian nodded in agreement.
The ghost from the Xie Family had not been caught yet; the enemy was hidden while they were exposed, so they indeed needed to be cautious.
...
After Jiang Chengsi and Jiangjiang had left, Shen Zhixian still felt uneasy. After coaxing Taotao to sleep, he opened the computer and began looking for a new place to live, but finding a suitable apartment was not easy at the moment.
**
Jiang Family
The Jiang Family didnât approve of Jiang Chengsi taking the kids out for car rides, so regarding anything that happened today, Jiangjiang kept his mouth shut, not saying a word, as usual.
But as soon as Jiang Chengsi had finished his bath, he saw a text message on his phone from just a few minutes before.
Second Brother: [Second floor study, Iâm waiting for you.]
The inevitable canât always be avoided.
The matter had alarmed the police; Jiang Yanting couldnât possibly remain unaware of any sign.
When brothers meet, theyâre not so formal. He was wearing a bathrobe, his hair still dripping with water, shuffling in slippers, holding a towel as he wiped his hair. That was how he unceremoniously pushed open the door to the study,
"Xiaowu is here too."
Jiang Jinsang was sitting and drinking tea, newly brewed with broken silver, the room filled with a sweet scent of sticky rice, "Fourth Brother, come have some tea."
"At this hour, why arenât you in your own room? What are you doing here?" Jiang Chengsi raised an eyebrow, picked up a cup, and was about to take a sip when he heard Jiang Yantingâs deep voice.
"Chengsi, you took the two kids racing?"
"Hissâ" Caught off guard, he scalded his tongue with the hot water.
Jiang Jinsang couldnât help but laugh, "Fourth Brother, whatâs got you so flustered?"
He came just to watch the drama unfold.
"The waterâs too hot. You could have warned me!"
"I donât think itâs hot at all."
Jiang Chengsi disliked consuming anything too hot and didnât enjoy drinking hot water. But Jiang Jinsang was different; due to his constitution, he wasnât bothered by the heat. What felt hot to Jiang Chengsi didnât bother Jiang Jinsang at all.
"Jiang Xiaowu, did you do this on purpose..."
"Jiang Chengsi, I am talking to you!" Jiang Yanting frowned, seeing his attempt to change the subject, "I know all about what happened today, what were you doing taking two kids to the racing track?"
"Just out for a spin."
"..."
Beijing, toward the north, it snowed a few days ago, and you take a child to the suburbs of Beijing, wild and desolate... to get some air?
You trying to play me for a fool!
"Jiang Chengsi," Jiang Yanting lowered his voice, telling him to be honest and speak the truth.
"You say I took the child to race cars, but did my car enter the Racing Car track?" Jiang Chengsi raised an eyebrow, leaning on the couch with a bandit-like ease, quite the scoundrel, "You accuse me of playing with cars with the child, you need evidence."
"Today I drove past a lot of Bars with them, does that mean I intended to take two kids for a drink?"
Jiang Yanting knew him too well; he clenched his jaw, "Jiang Chengsi, donât play these games with me..."
"Right, big brother, speaking of todayâs events, even if you didnât come for me, I too wanted to have a serious talk with you."
Jiang Jinsang sat on the side, drinking tea and munching on melon seeds, quite at ease.
Caught off guard, Jiang Chengsi suddenly threw his cup onto the table, making a loud noise. Jiang Jinsang slightly raised his eyebrow, thinking the guilty party, and yet so brazen, must be him alone.
"How do you even act as a father, do you even want to win your sister-in-law back?"
"She and Taotao have been followed for some time now, and you havenât noticed at all. The person I caught today, luckily, was just a journalist. If it had been kidnappers or criminals with ill intentions, what would you have done if something had actually happened?"
"You need to seriously reflect on yourself."
...
Jiang Jinsang leisurely sipped his water, watching the arrogant Jiang Chengsi, then glanced at the gloomy-faced Jiang Yanting, almost laughing out loud.
This situation wasnât quite right; he was clearly the one being interrogated, yet somehow, he had turned it around and was grilling his own big brother.
"I knew about this before, but this person hasnât been following them recently. He reappeared after seven or eight days, and I already had someone tailing him, otherwise..." Jiang Yanting sneered, "do you think I would have received the news so quickly when the incident happened?"
"Then you need to take action even more. Iâve already talked to my sister-in-law about this."
"You talked to her?"
Jiang Yanting was worried about causing panic in Shen Zhixian. If he could handle the matter discreetly, he wouldnât want to disturb her, but Jiang Chengsi, blunt as ever, had blurted it out.
Othersâ wives donât matter to you because you donât feel the pain!
"Ever since the Xie Familyâs annual meeting, sheâs entered the vision of Beijing folks; aside from people in the circle, who knows how many others are eyeing her. Furthermore, there has been no movement from the Xie Family... It shows how patient that person is, might have been lurking in the dark, waiting for the right moment."
Jiang Jinsang nodded, "The Xie Family really has a knack for keeping a cool head. Itâs also possible that during the reunion at the annual meeting, Old Xie used Xie Jing as a stepping stone, allowing the sister-in-law to rise in status, serving as a deterrent, hence the silence."
"When I went to Pingjiang before, I accidentally discussed with Xie Duo that, after Chinese New Year, Old Xie had already started assessing the family property; the division of the household is likely to be scheduled soon."
"No matter how composed that person is, before the family division, there will be major moves."
When Shen Zhixian was giving birth, itâs likely someone had tried to take the opportunity to let her die in the delivery room, but she was fortunate, with a large fate, saving her own life. After so many years in the Xie Family, if that person can still treat her like kin without hinting at any fault, it shows deep cunning.
Unless itâs the last resort, that person probably wonât act rashly.
Once the family division process begins, how could that person sit still...
"Iâm aware of this." Jiang Yanting furrowed his brow; if they could think of it, he definitely understood it.
"So I told my sister-in-law to move to another house, preferably one the Xie Family doesnât know about." Jiang Chengsi flashed him a smile, "Big brother, if I recall correctly, donât you have a house in Hexi? That area is under the Huo Familyâs control, even journalists wouldnât dare to probe too deeply, and the Xie Family wouldnât dare inquire towards Hexi. The place is really suitable for you two to... cohabit."
"The opportunity is there, Iâve given it to you. Whether you can grasp it is up to you."
"As the younger brother, Iâve really done my utmost."
Jiang Chengsi had anticipated that Jiang Yanting would certainly come looking for trouble with him, so he had prepared his backup plan early on.
...
Meanwhile, Shen Zhixian was still online, looking for houses, genuinely grateful to Jiang Chengsi. Having previously seen him riding a motorcycle with the child, acting so domineering, she couldnât help but be somewhat biased. Yet, she hadnât expected him to be this considerate.
Indeed, one shouldnât judge someone by their first impression.
She had no idea that she had already been "sold" to Jiang Yanting by him.
And she still thought Jiang Chengsi was a good person.
Initially, Jiang Jinsang came to watch a "fratricidal" show; in the end, he heard Jiang Yanting say, "Thank you."
If the two had started tearing at each other, he was ready to fan the flames a bit, as he was incredibly bored during his physical recovery. But unexpectedly...
He hadnât even finished his cup of tea! And it was all over?