Chu Yu sat down on the chair next to the bed and handed him a glass of water.
His black hair had become a little grey under the erosion of the years. His slender figure was not out of shape due to self-discipline and exercise. The gilt cufflinks on the dark blue shirt were fastened meticulously. The previous leader of the Chu family was over half a century old, but he still had a strong aura. His black eyes seemed to be able to penetrate everything. Even if he glanced calmly, it would make people feel inexplicably oppressive.
In the room, Hei Yu, Bai Xiao, and Du Chuan stood at attention, hands respectfully folded, not daring to make a sound. Bai Xiao, usually lighthearted and quick to laugh, wore a stern expression as if he was about to deliver a presidential speech. Hei Yu, typically stoic, now seemed as rigid as a steel plank. Du Chuan, standing quietly beside the kettle, looked guilt-ridden and uneasy, blaming himself for failing to look after the young master adequately; he had practically faded into the background, blending in with his surroundings.
Chu Yichen raised his neck and drank the water inside, then lowered his head guiltily, “I didn’t expect to alarm you…it was my fault.”
“The fault you are referring to is that you made yourself pass out and needed me to take over the work or to make Yunhan jump from the third floor to death?” The man in a dark blue shirt looked at him and asked.
Chu Yichen’s gaze trembled, “…you know about him.” After saying that, he held the cup and wanted to ask something, but he didn’t ask.
“You want to ask, when did I know.”
He nodded.
“It started when you were captured by the Grey Wolf.” Chu Yu looked at his expression and smiled slightly, “You don’t seem very surprised.”
“When I was rescued, Hei Yu mentioned that one team deviated from the plan to head north of the warehouse and instead lay in ambush near the flatlands, where they later eliminated Gray Wolf’s main force. The squad leader of that team was one of Uncle Can’s men. I suspect… it might have been under your orders.”
“Gray Wolf was the final test I set for you, but it’s disappointing that both you and your subordinates fell so short. As the head of the Chu family, you recklessly exposed yourself to danger, fully aware it might be a trap. Utterly foolish,” the man remarked, his gaze sweeping over the bowed head of Chu Yichen before casting a cold glance at Hei Yu and Bai Xiao standing nearby. “And as his subordinates, failing to curb his impulsive decisions, allowing strategic oversights, and even letting him push himself to the point of collapse—it’s sheer incompetence.”
This sentence was extremely heavy that Hei Yu and Bai Xiao turned pale and knelt down simultaneously, lowering their heads. They had been trained since childhood, much like loyal retainers, bound to the rules of the Chu family: kneeling to the heavens, the earth, and their master. Normally, Chu Yichen would not let them kneel down, but Chu Yu’s words left them so ashamed and speechless that they could only sink silently to their knees. Nearby, Du Chuan stood in a state of uncertainty, but his attention sharpened when he suddenly heard his own name mentioned.
“Du Chuan.” Chu Yu said slowly, “You have always been prudent in doing things, so I gave Yichen to your care. Now it seems that this job seems a bit difficult for you.”
“Master!” Du Chuan was so frightened that he almost burst into tears, “I failed to take good care of Young Master. I dare not ask for your forgiveness. I only ask that you give me another chance…”
“Father…” Seeing them like this, Chu Yichen couldn’t bear it and said bravely, “Everything is my fault. I insisted on…”
“Of course it’s your fault,” Chu Yu interrupted him. “I originally had no intention of stepping in to help you. Since you’re willing to sacrifice your life for someone else, why should I stop you? Letting you fulfill your heroic death wish would grant your desire. But if you died, your father would be heartbroken.” Then, he looked toward the door and said, “Alright, come on out. You’ve been hiding long enough.”
Xu Ye, who was wearing the same white shirt as him, walked in from the door. With a bit of embarrassment on his face that he had been exposed for eavesdropping, he said, “You make it sound like you won’t be sad.”
“Dad.” Chu Yichen didn’t expect him to be here and was a little surprised.
“Alright, let the children get up; the ground is cold.” Xu Ye’s voice was soft and gentle, like a breeze blowing on the face, making people feel at ease. “You can’t blame them entirely either. Who told you to raise a good son who is just as stubborn as you? They wanted to stop him, but they couldn’t; they tried to persuade him, but he wouldn’t listen.”
“So it’s my fault, huh.” Chu Yu looked at him and said.
Xu Ye smiled, “It’s my fault, okay?”
When he smiled like this, Chu Yu’s expression softened a bit. He knew that Xu Ye followed him because he was afraid that he would blame them. He shook his head helplessly and said, “It’s because you’ve spoiled him.”
Xu Ye sat down by the bed and said, “Alright, take this opportunity to let Yichen rest well. You can help him manage things. And isn’t there a bored Uncle Tang? Let him teach these two kids; it’s a way for him to still be useful.”
“You have arranged so well for us. What about yourself?” Chu Yu raised an eyebrow. After being together for many years, this person already fully understands his thoughts.
“I’ll just take care of you two.” Xu Ye curved his eyes into a smile.
There was a slight smile on Chu Yu’s lips, and his expression became slightly better when he turned to the two people kneeling on the ground. He said in a deep voice, “Hei Yu, Bai Xiao, for this month, Tang Can will assist you in handling internal gang affairs in the capacity of a consultant. You will follow his lead. If by the end of the month you do not earn his approval, you won’t need to stay by Yichen’s side any longer.”
“Understood.” The two of them raised their heads and looked at Xu Ye gratefully before leaving.
“Du Chuan, you are responsible for taking good care of this kid, arranging his schedule, ensuring rest and nutrition. You don’t have to do it if he keeps passing out again.”
“Understood.” Du Chuan agreed hastily.
“Go down first. You didn’t get to rest during the time he was unconscious.” Xu Ye said.
“Alright.” Du Chuan took the tea tray and walked out.
Only father and son were left in the room.
Xu Ye touched Chu Yichen’s head, “The doctor said there is no big problem; it’s just due to fatigue. You should rest well for the next few days and leave the matter to your father for the time being.”
Chu Yu said solemnly, ‘I will only give you a month’s time to adjust, and after a month, everything will be returned to you. You must remember that as a member of the Chu Family, I can accept your adjustment at any time. Still, I won’t do anything like this time of overstepping my bounds in fulfilling the family head’s authority a second time.’
“Understood, Father.” Chu Yichen sat up straight and replied seriously.
“Now that the official business is over, next is private business.”
Chu Yichen knew what he was referring to, lowered his gaze and said, “I will take care of it.”
Chu Yu slowly said, “I know very well why you took over as the head of the family, and I also know your obsession with Yunhan very well. I once told you that there are always some things in this world that you cannot control and some people you cannot have. If you force it, you will only hurt others and yourself. You replied to me that since you cannot have him, as long as you can see him safe and happy, that would be enough. But you later changed your original intention.” He paused, “Whether out of revenge or jealousy, you got him in your own way and then forced him to become a sub. Chu Yunhan has an outgoing personality, is kind yet weak, and is proud and impulsive—like a tree that grows wildly. Yet you cut off its branches and forced it to grow in the way you need. Yichen, what you really want is a tree or just a bare piece of wood?”
Chu Yichen’s eyelashes trembled, and he spoke with some difficulty, “I underestimated him and overestimated myself. But aside from this, I don’t know what else to do to keep him. The Gray Wolves, Sheng the Fifth, the repeated betrayals and escapes—I’m afraid that one day he might really do something that forces me to kill him. Or perhaps it’s just my selfishness at play; I want to have him… that’s all.” At this moment, he resembled a lost child, wandering, at a loss, and filled with so much sorrow.
Xu Ye held him gently, patting his back with a sense of compassion. Time had passed too quickly; the child of years gone by had grown into a young man taller than him. As a father, he watched his son tread a difficult path, saw his smile grow rarer, and noticed the maturity and aloofness that didn’t suit his age as he took on the responsibilities of the entire family. At this moment, his natural vulnerability served as a reminder that he was still a child capable of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness.
“I just went to see Yunhan. He only had a few fractures and slight damage to his internal organs. He had surgery and has woken up.” Xu Ye knew that he was worried and that it was hard to ask, so he told him about the situation, “He didn’t say anything to me, just kept silent. I contacted the Zhou family and told them that something had happened to him. I asked them to send Sister-in-law and Jiahui over to see him.”
Chu Yichen nodded. This was the safest thing to do. Chu Yunhan already wanted to die, and only the presence of someone he cared about could comfort him.
“Yichen, now that the matter is over, what are you going to do?” Xu Ye asked.
“…I haven’t thought about it yet.”
Chu Yu said, “You are the head of the Chu family, and Chu Yunhan is a family member who has participated in the rebellion. It is up to you to decide how to deal with him. We will not interfere, but I hope your decision will not make you regret it.”
After that, Chu Yu began to assist his son in managing matters related to the Golden Eagle, helping to streamline the somewhat chaotic decision-making system. He delegated responsibilities to Hei Yu, Bai Xiao, and other officials, bringing in a group of newcomers trained by Tang Can to minimise the pressure on Chu Yichen as much as possible.
Chu Yunhan stayed at the old residence to recover from his injuries. His mother, Zhou Yuran, often came to see him, bringing along Zhou Jiahui. Under the careful care of doctors and nutritionists, his health improved day by day, and his spirits lifted significantly. He claimed that he had accidentally fallen from the windowsill, and Zhou Yuran believed him. However, Jiahui was sceptical and, feeling indignant, went to confront Chu Yichen, questioning whether he had bullied her brother.
Chu Yichen never visited Chu Yunhan but kept asking about his situation from Du Chuan. In his free time outside of official duties, he played chess and chatted with his two fathers, worked out every day, went to bed early and got up early.
Time flew by. A month later, Chu Yu took the veterans and retreated to the second line, and Chu Yichen returned to take charge of the overall situation. In the evening, he came to Chu Yunhan’s room. Chu Yunhan’s broken hand bones had not yet fully healed, so he hung his arm with a bandage. Seeing his appearance, her whole body stiffened, and she instinctively shrank back.
The man sat down in the farthest chair from him and said, “I heard from Du Chuan that you can get out of bed now.”
Chu Yunhan remained silent, his eyes filled with wariness.
“The relationship between us should also come to an end.” Chu Yichen looked at him and said calmly, “I will give you a chance. Two years ago, the company acquired a department store in the north of the city, but its performance has been poor. I’m assigning you to take over as the general manager. After the three-month store anniversary, if the sales exceed last year’s figures by more than eight percent, I’ll set you free. Conversely, if you fail to meet this target, you’ll obediently come back to be my sub.”
Chu Yunhan was a little surprised when he heard these words. He was stunned for a while and said, “What you said…is true?”
“I never lied to you.”
He pursed his lips uncomfortably, “So these three months…”
“I won’t touch you, nor will I restrict any of your actions. However, this opportunity will become void if you try to outsmart me with tricks like a ‘golden cicada shedding its shell’ or secretly escaping. You know what will happen if you attempt to cheat or run away and I catch you.”
Chu Yunhan trembled.
“You can take office tomorrow, and Bai Yang will accompany you.” After the man said that, he stood up and left without staying for a moment longer. The young bodyguard named Bai Yang saluted him and said, “Young Master Yun, from today on, I am responsible for your safety. You can ask me to do anything you want.”
He nodded, thought for a while, and said, “Do you have any information about that company? I want to see it.”
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