After everyone was reborn, I was strictly disciplined.

The moment Xie Yanfeng pressed the hang-up button, a teasing laugh came from the sofa.

"This older brother is really dedicated; he even has to find out how many candies Xingran ate today."

Xie Yanfeng's friend leaned back. "I've never seen you treat Wei Yao like this before!"

Xie Yanfeng didn't look up, but just stared at the documents on the table. His eyes were sharp as he said indifferently, "I would like to, but Wei Yao is stubborn and doesn't want to be managed by me."

"Wei Yao's personality is just like the old man in the family, stubborn and obstinate. If we had kept him in check, he would have cut ties with us long ago."

The speaker was Xie Yanfeng's wife, Ji Wangshu. Unlike other pampered socialites, Ji Wangshu was the sole heir of the Ji family.

Today she wore a smoky gray custom-made suit with perfectly tailored shoulder pads, and her wavy hair was loosely held back with a gemstone hair clip, revealing her slender yet strong neck.

As the sole heir of the Ji family, she managed the family business for decades, turning it from near bankruptcy into a force to be reckoned with, rivaling the Xie family.

Ji Wangshu tidied her hair, and her exquisite makeup made her skin look as white as snow. The way her eyebrows were slightly raised was surprisingly similar to Xie Yanfeng.

The friend continued, "Of all the members of the Xie family, Xingran is the only one who's completely soft and easily manipulated."

"We don't care what time he goes to bed, what breakfast he eats, or even what color clothes he wears. He doesn't get angry and just listens obediently. No wonder you kept him by your side in the first place."

These words directly hit the Xie family's little-known quirks.

From Grandpa Xie's generation onwards, he had to be involved in everything, from major company decisions to minor matters like the scheduling of the family's nannies.

Madam Xie was once a lady from a prominent family, but she was so controlled that she had to report even when buying a cheongsam. Later, she simply gave up and ignored Mr. Xie, which made her feel more at ease.

By the time it came to Xie Yanfeng's generation, all three children had inherited their father's controlling nature.

It's even more serious than what happened to Grandpa Xie.

We used to argue because you tried to control me, but I didn't want you to control me. Instead, it was me who wanted to control you that caused the arguments.

At its worst, the old man even considered kicking these unfilial sons out of the house and severing all ties!

Later, with the marriage of his eldest son Xie Yanfeng, Ji Wangshu married into the family. The old man thought he finally had someone to keep in check, but Ji Wangshu immediately overturned the table.

In a fit of anger, Old Master Xie simply took a well-behaved and obedient female college student as a mistress, only then was his desire for control satisfied.

This person is Xie Xingran's mother.

The girl's family favored boys over girls. She grew up in the countryside with her grandmother and was loved and cared for by no one. During her university years, she met an old man named Xie who controlled everything. As long as she was obedient, he would give her money, a car, and a house.

The little girl was instantly captivated.

At Xie Weiyao's third birthday party, a little girl came to the door with her newborn son, Xie Xingran, wanting to be recognized as a member of the family.

At that time, the entire Xie family, including three-year-old Xie Weiyao, was arguing about how best to cut the cake. Everyone wanted to cut the cake according to their own ideas to decide which dish to eat first, which led to a heated argument.

A perfectly good birthday turned into a source of pain for the family of origin!

The young girl carrying the child arrived at the door, instantly calming the tense atmosphere in the room.

No one expected that Grandpa Xie would be so vigorous at such an advanced age, able to father a child even though he was almost seventy.

After a paternity test, the child was indeed Mr. Xie's.

This is a bit awkward, since the grandson Xie Weiyao is already three years old, and now there's a newborn uncle.

Everyone looked at Madam Xie. Old Master Xie knew he was in the wrong, and his usual arrogant demeanor vanished. He looked as if he was completely at Madam Xie's mercy.

Surprisingly, Madam Xie was not angry. Instead, she asked the little girl a few questions. In the end, for reasons unknown, she kept the child and gave the little girl some compensation before sending her abroad to study.

Just as everyone was puzzled by Madam Xie's actions, she handed the newborn baby to Xie Yanfeng.

He said helplessly, "The child's mother is obedient, and the child should be obedient too. You two can take care of him from now on, instead of torturing each other."

Mrs. Xie was truly fed up with this family where arguments constantly arose because of her controlling nature!

Upon hearing this, everyone instantly understood what Madam Xie meant, and their gazes towards the child lit up instantly!

Xie Xingran indeed inherited her mother's obedient and docile nature, doing whatever she was told. Although the child was sometimes naughty, her compliant nature certainly satisfied the Xie family's wishes.

"Honestly, Xingran's soft nature isn't a good thing. Don't be too strict with her, or you'll make her stupid."

My friend, who had been leaning back on the sofa, sat up straight, his gaze sweeping over the two of them. His tone abruptly changed, his previous smile turning somber and serious:

"But seriously, aren't you guys being a bit too nice to him?"

He leaned forward and lowered his voice, "I heard from people in the industry at a dinner party the other day that Xingran started that new energy project last year, and lost 200 million yuan in just six months. In the end, you two covered it all up?!"

"It's not just about filling the gaps; I've also heard that you gave him shares in the Xie and Ji families?"

Ji Wangshu had just picked up the hot tea that had been brought in from the table; the celadon teacup felt warm against her palm. Upon hearing this, she simply gave a casual "hmm," took a small sip of tea, and the rising white steam softened the sharpness between her brows, adding a touch of gentleness.

"Yes, it's not a big deal. The two companies each gave five percent."

"Five percent?!"

My friend's voice was full of disbelief, "Xie Yanfeng, Ji Wangshu, you guys aren't kidding, are you? Isn't this enough?"

His voice trembled slightly: "The Xie family's net profit alone exceeded 100 billion last year, and a 5% dividend would amount to 5 billion! Not to mention the Ji family, whose emerging industries are thriving."

"Between these two companies, he can easily collect tens of billions in dividends every year without lifting a finger, earning more than some CEOs of listed companies!"

"Although you raised him, his situation is still awkward—"

My friend paused halfway through his sentence, and seeing that the two of them didn't change their expressions, he continued, "Aren't you afraid that if you give him so many shares, he'll become too powerful and try to take control of the company from Weiyao?"

These words struck a nerve with the most sensitive nerve of wealthy families.

All three present knew that in the battle for wealth among top-tier wealthy families, even 0.1% of the shares, let alone 5%, could be the key to victory or defeat.

In particular, Xie Xingran's status as an "illegitimate child" means he now legally has inheritance rights, which undoubtedly plants a time bomb for Xie Weiyao's inheritance rights.

Xie Yanfeng finally put down his pen. He looked up at his friend, his gaze behind his gold-rimmed glasses calm and unwavering: "You said it yourself, we raised him. We know better than anyone how capable he is."

He picked up a document from the table; it was Xie Xingran's business plan submitted a few months ago, covered with numerous flaws circled in red pen.

"He can't even write a decent business plan. How can someone who lost 200 million in just six months of entrepreneurship compete with Wei Yao, who has been immersed in the company since childhood and has been working with me on projects since he was fifteen?"

The friend stood there stunned, and after thinking about Xie Yanfeng's words, he suddenly realized what was going on.

It turns out that Xie Yanfeng and his wife weren't kind-hearted; rather, they had already spoiled Xie Xingran rotten.

Lacking business acumen and with a soft personality, holding a large number of shares is just an empty shell; he poses no threat to Xie Weiyao whatsoever.

He had previously wondered how the Xie family could tolerate an illegitimate younger brother, but now he understood. This wasn't tolerance; it was clearly a preemptive strike to end his hopes.

After all, illegitimate children now have inheritance rights. Rather than waiting for Xie Xingran to be used as a pawn by people with ulterior motives in the future, it's better to keep him in a greenhouse now and completely deprive him of the ability to compete.

Ji Wangshu clearly saw the changes in her friend's expression. She put down her teacup, her fingertips lightly tracing the rim, a helpless smile flashing in her eyes.

She knew her friend had misunderstood, but she didn't intend to explain.

Some things get more confusing the more you explain them, so it's better to let him think about it this way.

The silence didn't last long before the friend remembered another crucial question: "Even if he's not capable of fighting for it himself, aren't you worried that he's naive and might be tricked into transferring his shares by someone with ulterior motives? There are quite a few people eyeing the Xie and Ji families."

"No." Xie Yanfeng answered without the slightest hesitation. After signing the last document, he capped his pen, leaned back in his leather seat, and a warm feeling of reminiscence gradually appeared in his eyes as he looked at his friend.

"Xingran is a child that Wangshu and I raised from a young age, so I know his temperament best."

"He looks gentle, but he's very possessive of his food."

Xie Yanfeng's lips curved into a rare slight smile. "As long as it belongs to him, let alone shares, even a piece of candy, no one can take it away from him."