Chapter 691: Chapter 692 Completely Frank
Song Xiaodong spoke earnestly, "To be honest, Shui Qingyue is indeed a nice girl, but my feelings for her are more of guilt and responsibility. After all, it was my fault that she ended up like this. If I didnât take care of her, Iâd feel uneasy, but when it comes to affection, Iâll be upfront with you all, I truly donât have any."
Miao Qingqingâs expression immediately softened as she said, "Yeah, if she hadnât met you, if you hadnât taken her hostage, she might have had an okay life with that Liu Minghui. But now sheâs out of options. It would be unreasonable for you not to take her in."
Miao Xuanxuan pouted and said, "Now thereâs another sister, does that mean we have to take turns in the future? I want to be with Xiaodong every day."
With a "pfft," Song Xiaodong felt that Miao Xuanxuan really dared to dream big.
After a moment of thought, Miao Qingqing said, "Letâs do this: let her stay here for now. I canât say I agree, nor can I oppose it. Letâs just leave it to fate. With a family like ours, most people would probably stay away."
Song Xiaodongâs heart relaxed, and he didnât expect Miao Qingqing to be so easy-going. He said, "Alright, now I know what to do."
Miao Qingqing looked at Song Xiaodong and said, "Xiaodong, do you think Iâm easy to talk to now?"
"I do feel that way." Song Xiaodong didnât deny it.
"This incident really made me realize that some things shouldnât be overthought. As long as we can be together, nothing else matters. But... our household is getting quite full now. Sister Xiaoru and Yingying, plus the two of us, that makes four people. Do you think thatâs still not enough for one man?"
Song Xiaodong nodded and said, "I truly am content; this is a blessing from above." Suddenly, Lin Suâer flashed across his mind, and his face turned awkward once again.
"Just say what you need to say..." Both Miao Qingqing and Miao Xuanxuan had grim looks on their faces.
Song Xiaodong, extremely embarrassed, still forced himself to say, "Thereâs also Suâer..."
Miao Qingqing gave Song Xiaodong a white look and said, "I knew a long time ago that Suâer wasnât looking at you in an ordinary way."
Song Xiaodong felt even guiltier and said, "You noticed that? I thought I had been discreet."
Miao Qingqing gave him another look and said, "Humph, as if I couldnât tell when a man is sneaking around outside? Forget it, bring her back then. One more is one more, and two more is still just one more."
Miao Xuanxuan immediately started counting on her fingers and said, "Two more makes six. Goodness, seven people sleeping in one bed means weâll need to rush home and make an extra-large bed thatâs especially sturdy, or itâll fall apart within days."
Miao Qingqing snorted with laughter and said, "You really think big, Xuanxuan, is that all thatâs on your mind?"
Miao Xuanxuan grinned and said, "Hehe, yes, Iâve just tasted it, of course thatâs on my mind."
Miao Qingqing gave her a stern look and said, "That wonât do, itâd be too... chaotic. And itâs not good for Xiaodongâs health either. Why donât we... take turns instead?"
Miao Xuanxuan immediately leaned on Song Xiaodongâs chest and asked, "How do we take turns?"
"Weâll discuss it with everyone when we get back home. Since weâll all live together from now on, we canât just do whatever I say; otherwise, things at home will become chaotic. Iâm sure Xiaodong doesnât want non-stop scheming at home either."
Song Xiaodong hastily said, "Of course not, and I feel that these people are not the contentious type. You all know Suâer, and thereâs no need to talk about Yingying. My sister has a gentle personality, and Qingyue is very innocent."
Miao Qingqing gave Song Xiaodong a white look and said, "And Xuanxuan is the big-hearted kind who doesnât care about anything. It seems that Iâm the only bad person here, huh?"
In a soft voice, Song Xiaodong said, "Thatâs not it. Itâs just that a family needs someone who has the final say, someone who can take charge. My sister might have been suitable, given her status, but she is too gentle and might not be able to handle some issues. Only you, Qingqing, can take this family forward, only you can shoulder this responsibility.
Miao Xuanxuan nodded vigorously and said, "Exactly, my sister is like the Empress of the Eastern Palace."
"Cut it out, stop flattering me." Miao Qingqing spat, "Weâll need to have a proper discussion when we get back home. Sigh, how things have changed after a month apart."
Then Miao Xuanxuan, bubbly as ever, said, "Who cares about that? Weâve finally regained our freedom today. Whatâs more important than freedom now? Whatâs happier than being with Xiaodong? Whatâs more exciting than doing it one more time? Xiaodong, are you up for it?"
"How could a man ever say no to this?" Song Xiaodong puffed out his chest.
"Hehe, then what are we waiting for, come on." As Miao Xuanxuan spoke, she had already flipped herself on top of Song Xiaodong.
Miao Qingqing initially felt some discomfort at heart, after all, there were other women around Song Xiaodong, and not just one but two.
But Miao Xuanxuanâs comments, coupled with that eye-catching scene, quickly made her let go of any grudges and join the fray.
However, the Su Family was enveloped in gloom and despair that night.
The Old Master of the Su Family suddenly died of a heart attack, leaving the family without its main pillar. The Su Familyâs position owed much to the Old Masterâs connections. With his death, these would inevitably be diminished.
This is a common predicament among many prominent families: an exceptionally gifted individual can bring tremendous prosperity to the family, but upon their death, if no capable successors follow, the family can quickly disintegrate.
Many large families have recognized this issue and have put considerable effort into nurturing talents.
However, the Su Family had no extraordinary talent to fill the void left by the Old Master. It could have continued as a smaller family, but for a large one like the Su Family now, control was bound to slip away, and it wouldnât be long before others began to carve it up.
Although preparations for the Old Masterâs funeral were underway, each member of the Su Family was scheming, considering their next steps, and how to claim a larger share of the inheritance.
Once the unity provided by the Old Masterâs leadership was gone, the once-cohesive Su Family suddenly became flimsy and fragmented.
Song Xiaodong had not really thought about these issues, but Miao Qingyuan had. However, when he actually saw such a scenario about to unfold, his excitement had faded. Perhaps if the Old Master of the Su Family had still been alive, he might have enjoyed watching these events unfold.