Even as a "normie," I'm completely oblivious to it.

That's true in theory, but Qi Yi hesitated: "But... Uncle, Su Yuzhe is, after all, the eldest son of the Qi family. If we just make up an excuse and imprison him in the Qi family mansion, won't the Su family have objections?"

Even if they use the excuse of an emergency in the city, it will only work temporarily. What if Su Yuzhe goes out and finds that the city is peaceful at all, and then comes back to demand an explanation?

The Su family is actually much stronger than the Qi family.

Just as he was thinking this, Qi Jiang slammed his hand on the table: "You good-for-nothing! Why did my second brother choose you as the successor to the family head? You have no guts at all! What time is it, and you're still being so hesitant and fearful? Let me tell you! If you really release him this afternoon, that will be real trouble!"

Qi Yi didn't understand why his uncle was so wary when Su Yuzhe hadn't done anything.

Seeing Qi Yi still standing there in a daze, Qi Jiang glared at him and said angrily, "Still standing there! What did I say! Go now and tell them to close all the gates properly!"

"Okay...okay! I'll go right away."

Although Qi Yi is currently confused about the situation, it is still necessary to carry out the tasks assigned by Qi Jiang.

As the "head" of the Qi family, Qi Yi only realized at times like this that he was just a puppet.

After Qi Yi quickly walked out of the room, only Qi Jiang, who was sitting in a chair, remained.

He didn't rush out, but sat down, looked at the water heater on the coffee table, and reached out to press the boil water button.

Watching the water in the kettle gradually begin to boil, Qi Jiang, an elderly man nearing eighty, couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

His decision was based solely on intuition. His decades of experience in the cutthroat world of business told him that Su Yuzhe would be taking action soon.

When Qi Jiang heard that he had appeared, he knew that his actions had begun.

Since the other party has made a move, I should accept it.

Hehehe, but a few years ago he certainly couldn't have imagined that he would one day have to play against such a young opponent.

After the water boiled, the water heater went quiet, and the room fell silent.

At this moment, Qi Jiang's thoughts drifted back to his father, Qi Yi's grandfather.

Before his death, he left the position of head of the Qi family to Qi Jiang's second younger brother, Qi Yi's father.

This matter has always been a thorn in his side, something he finds hard to let go of.

It's important to understand that at that time, the Qi family's business empire almost entirely relied on him, the eldest son, to expand its territory and achieve remarkable feats.

Our

Lai Du thought that the position of family head was rightfully his, and that he would naturally take over the responsibility from his father.

But to everyone's surprise, before his death, his father said that he was talented but lacked virtue. Although he contributed to the prosperity of the Qi family, the money he earned was not money earned with a clear conscience.

On the contrary, his second younger brother was honest and hardworking, and quick-witted. Some people in the family did say that he was smarter than Qi Jiang.

But my second brother doesn't know how to make money! He simply can't support the Qi family!

Qi Jiang was unwilling, but there was nothing he could do. After his father's death, almost all of his father's power was under his father's control, and he assisted his second brother. Overnight, Qi Jiang went from being a member of the main family to a member of a collateral branch of the Qi family.

How could he accept this? But what could he do if he didn't accept it? He had no say in the Qi family and was useless there.

I lived like that, feeling stifled, for many, many years.

Suddenly, something strange happened. My second brother died of illness when he was in his fifties.

He left suddenly, without having the chance to pass on the resources he possessed to his next generation like a father would.

However, the second brother still handed over the position of family head to his own son, Qi Yi.

If the second brother is considered clever enough to be the head of the family, then what about Qi Yi? Qi Jiang knew him; he was mediocre, with almost no talent and lacking in decisiveness.

After much deliberation, Qi Jiang, with the support of the older generation, gradually seized most of the power in the Qi family, and Qi Yi became the "puppet patriarch" he is today.

Moreover, Qi Jiang's current method of making money for the Qi family is the same as his original method. Although it may be against his conscience, just like his father said, so what? The Qi family is even bigger and more prosperous now.

Qi Jiang still firmly believes that he deserves this power, it's just that it's been decades late.

"drop…"

The beeping sound of the water heater entering standby mode pulled him back to reality.

Back then, my second brother took away the position of head of the family that rightfully belonged to him, simply because of the ridiculous reasons of being "clever" and "upright".

That's why Qi Jiang hates these so-called "smart people" the most.

Su family boy, aren't you quick-witted? Aren't you the "peerless genius" praised by everyone in Fenghai City?

That's perfect. The old man just wanted to see what kind of expression a so-called genius has when they fail.

What means could you possibly have to bring down this old man like me?

Thinking of this, Qi Jiang's face held a half-smile, a completely sinister expression.

54. Sea of ​​Flowers

Qi Jiang felt that Su Yuzhe's risky trip to the Qi family mansion was probably to find some evidence that could prove the Qi family's business practices were irregular.

They then use this evidence to their advantage, aiming to bring him down.

Qi Jiang let out a cold laugh.

Unfortunately, in all his years of business experience, what he valued most was "leaving no trace." In other words, while the Qi family's business certainly had problems, there was no direct evidence to prove it.

Therefore, Su Yuzhe's efforts were in vain.

However, it's hard to say whether Qi Jiang's intentions are actually like that, so we still need to be cautious.

Moreover, Xiao Ye should be with him now. Keeping them both inside the Qi family mansion is like having another card to play.

The Qi family mansion was also within Qijiang's sphere of influence.

As long as Xiaoye stays at the mansion, it means she is not safe.

I heard these two have been childhood sweethearts? Even if Su Yuzhe goes out, he won't dare to make any rash moves.

In short, as long as at least one of the two men is still at the mansion, the situation is completely under control.

Although it sounds strange to use one's own people as bargaining chips to control Su Yuzhe, that's just how Qi Jiang thinks: anything that can be used should be used.

Thinking about this made him feel much more relaxed.

At least this way, there will be time to investigate what Su Yuzhe is trying to do.

Little did he know that Yu Zhe's only purpose in going to the Qi family mansion was to pick up Qi Xinye.

..............................

The Qi family residence.

After finishing his call, Yu Zhe put his phone back in his pocket.

Just because he's not in a hurry doesn't mean Qi Xinye isn't.

She wasn't worried about anything else, but rather about Yu Zhe.

"Xiao Zhe, stop making the call! Hurry...hurry up and leave! If you stay here, Grandpa will definitely find out soon. You have to leave as quickly as possible!"

Ke Yuzhe simply waved his hand dismissively: "Don't rush, don't rush, it's no use rushing. From the moment Lu Ling and I entered, all the exits of the mansion should have been sealed off."

Although Qi Xinye was a little flustered, she still thought calmly: "We can't just sit here and wait to die. Here's what we'll do: I'll go and distract the guards at the main gate. Xiao Zhe, you... you have this maid take you out."

She knew that the Su family's maids were all combat maids, the kind who could take on several bodyguards.

Yu Zhe reached out and gently patted her head: "I came here to take you out. If you just leave like this, wouldn't it be a waste of my time? It's okay, I know how to get out. Oh, of course I mean taking you with me, Sister Ye, just like back then."

"How could that be! Together... wait? Just like back then... could it be, Zhe, that you mean...?"

"That's right! Let's go. I'll take you out the same way I did five years ago, but that's how I'll take you today. Although that's what I mean... that wall, Sister Ye, your family hasn't repaired it since, has they...?"

"No." Qi Xinye relaxed completely as she recalled her childhood memories. "After all, those are my and Xiao Zhe's memories. They hold so many beautiful memories of me and Xiao Zhe... How could I possibly touch them?"

"Hehe, that's good, let's go!"

Take Qi Xinye's hand

Yu Zhe then led her towards the place she remembered, and they started running.

Lu Ling certainly didn't know what they were talking about, but she just needed to follow along and protect the young master.

Yu Zhe knew that place.

That sea of ​​flowers.

When she was a child, the Qi family was extremely strict with Qi Xinye. As a true sheltered young lady, she had hardly ever seen the outside world.

Even going out to see the world is a luxury.

It was around that time that Xiao Zhe said, "I can take you out to play without you even knowing."

She didn't know what was going on at first, but then Xiao Zhe led her to a garden in the Qi family's backyard, which they called "the sea of ​​flowers."

The garden was surrounded by a wall, and behind the wall lay the Qi family mansion.

At the time, Qi Xinye, under Yu Zhe's "encouragement," worked together to smash a big hole in the wall, thus creating a passage for them to go out and play together.

When not in use, the passageway is blocked off with a pile of grass and trees, making it quite hidden.

Even today, many years later, that void probably still looks the same as it did back then.

Things change, people change, but some objective realities may not change.

Lu Ling followed behind, looking at the two people in front of her, and felt that they were not carrying out any mission, but simply playing around.

Yu Zhe and Qi Xinye smiled and, just like back then, ran along that familiar road and stopped in front of the "sea of ​​flowers for two".

At this point, Yu Zhe's eyes lit up.

The sea of ​​flowers in winter is not the same as the scene of hundreds of flowers blooming in summer.

But to his surprise, the place had really changed.

Previously, this place was filled with all sorts of flowers, but now, the nearly 1,000-square-meter garden is entirely covered with sunflowers.

"Sister Ye, nothing has changed."

“Hmm.” Qi Xinye said nostalgically, “Back then, Xiao Zhe said that you liked sunflowers the most, and I remembered that. After those things happened, I couldn’t contact you… So, every time I went home for vacation or had time, I replaced all the flowers here with sunflowers. That way, it’s like I saw you again, standing in this flower field.”

Then she revealed a smile even gentler than a sunflower.

"Sister Ye...you've really worked hard."

Yu Zhe seemed to have seen it all too. For the past five years, a girl filled with self-blame and pitifulness had been all alone in the sweltering summer, holding a watering can, planting sunflower after sunflower, hoping for the return of the person in her heart, and wishing that her beloved was safe and sound.

Qi Xinye was indeed like that.