Chapter 5 – The Arrival of the Family Patriarch
The dinner ended on a sour note, and the Yang couple left for the company, leaving Chen Mo and Yang Shule alone at home. After her outburst in the morning, Yang Shule stayed in her room, refusing to show her face even for lunch, which the servants delivered to her door.
By noon, the sun was high in the sky. Chen Mo was napping in the open-air leisure area downstairs.
In the distance, a group of servants was watering the flower beds during their lunch break, chatting casually. Their voices carried over to where Chen Mo was lying with a random book covering his face.
“Did you see how the young master looked today?”
“Which young master?”
“Please, of course I mean Master Shule. He’s lost so much weight from being sick, and he hasn’t even been to school lately. Tomorrow’s class reunion was actually suggested by Mr. and Mrs. Yang—they just want him to have a change of mood.”
“If it were me, I wouldn’t be happy either. Besides being sick, how could I face my former classmates? He used to be so popular, but now he has to deal with all these rumors.”
“As long as that person doesn’t cause trouble, I think everything will be fine.”
At that point, the conversation abruptly stopped, as if they’d touched on a taboo subject.
“It’s strange. I used to think he was just being dramatic when he caused a scene with the Yang family, but after this morning… he’s stopped acting out. It’s actually a little creepy.”
“I’m really worried he’ll stir up trouble tomorrow.”
Tomorrow?
Chen Mo, still lying on the recliner, thought about it carefully.
It seemed like this had happened in his previous life.
At the time, Chen Mo hadn’t known that the Yang family had just withdrawn the lawsuit against Li Yunru, expecting him to “be the bigger person.” And then, to add insult to injury, they had happily organized a class reunion for Yang Shule.
What was the difference between this and slapping him in the face?
To make matters worse, several of the attendees that day had been close friends of Yang Shule, and their words had been particularly cutting.
The day had ended in chaos.
Chen Mo had thrown every single one of them into the villa’s swimming pool, including Yang Shule.
It had been a hot September afternoon, but when Yang Shule climbed out of the water, shivering as though he’d been dunked into ice water, he’d looked utterly pathetic.
The condemning stares of the guests.
The furious questioning from his parents and Yang Zhi.
The worsening rumors and isolation he’d faced at school afterward.
Now, looking back, it all seemed so distant and insignificant.
Was it worth it?
The Chen Mo of today, shaped by years of corporate battles and the bitter experience of dying once, knew better.
The servants’ conversation shifted again, this time to the incident at the lunch table where Yang Zhi had stood up in anger.
Their chatter was interrupted by the sound of an old man coughing. Butler Xu’s scolding voice followed: “What are you doing?!”
Chen Mo put the book down and looked up.
An elderly man in a thin white shirt with a flat collar, leaning on a cane, was walking toward him with Butler Xu’s support.
For a moment, Chen Mo was stunned.
Yang Congxian.
The head of the previous generation of the Yang family.
The servants, who had been gossiping just moments ago, were now visibly terrified. It wasn’t just because they’d been caught discussing the family’s private affairs in front of Chen Mo. It was because the man who had appeared was none other than Yang Congxian, the legendary patriarch of the Yang family.
Yang Congxian’s story of building the Yang family fortune was almost mythical. Despite being nearly eighty years old, he remained sharp and commanding. He was, without a doubt, the backbone of the entire Yang family.
In his previous life, Chen Mo had always felt distant from the old man. Yang Congxian’s imposing presence had made him reluctant to approach.
It wasn’t until three years later, when the old man’s health deteriorated and he passed away, that Chen Mo realized Yang Congxian had been the only one in the Yang family who truly supported him.
The old man had understood his need for revenge.
He had tolerated Chen Mo’s ruthless attacks on the family.
And he had been the first to tell him, “You did nothing wrong.”
Chen Mo stood up from the recliner.
The parasol above cast a shadow on the stone slabs at his feet. He met the old man’s cataract-clouded but still sharp eyes. After a few seconds, he spoke.
“Grandpa.”
“Mm.” Yang Congxian nodded and slowly moved to sit down on the rattan chair next to the small round table.
The old man’s gaze swept over the servants, who were now standing stiffly in a row.
“What do you think?” he asked, his voice calm but commanding.
“Hm?” Chen Mo was puzzled. “What do I think about what?”
Yang Congxian raised his eyes. “How about firing them?”
The servants froze. One young maid’s eyes immediately reddened, and she looked as though she was about to cry.
Chen Mo quickly understood the old man’s meaning and smiled. “Why make such a fuss, Grandpa? It’s just a few idle words. Gossiping is human nature.”
Yang Congxian snorted. “Your father is a proud man. He likes to put on airs and hires people who are incompetent. Gossiping about their employers—if this were the main house, they’d have been dismissed long ago.”
Unfortunately, this isn’t the main house, Chen Mo thought.
The two servants who had been the most rude were the ones who took care of Yang Shule daily. They coaxed and pampered him, and he called them “sister” sweetly. There was no way they’d be dismissed so easily.
Seeing Chen Mo lost in thought, Yang Congxian tapped his cane against the ground.
“You’re part of this family too,” he said. “You have every right to decide whether these people stay or go.”
To encourage him further, he added, “I’ll make the decision for you today. Your parents won’t dare to object.”
Chen Mo looked at the old man and smiled.
“Thank you,” he said. “But it’s not necessary.”
Yang Congxian frowned. “Aren’t you angry?”
Chen Mo’s smile deepened. “Anger hurts the liver.”
That afternoon, Chen Mo accompanied the old man on a walk around the villa grounds.
Yang Congxian, who had died of a heart attack in his previous life, needed to avoid emotional fluctuations. To keep him in good spirits, Chen Mo brought up lighthearted topics to chat about.
For the first time in years, the servants could hear the old man’s laughter ringing through the villa.
It caused quite a stir.
Many of them were surprised—this young master, who had always been so sharp-edged, seemed to have truly changed.
Although Yang Congxian had four children and many grandchildren, the old man was notoriously strict and hard to please. Even though he had handed over the family company to Yang Qi’an, every interaction with his son seemed to be filled with criticism. His cold demeanor extended to his grandchildren as well. Before Chen Mo was found, even Yang Shule, who was adored by most of the family, had failed to earn his approval.
Upstairs, Yang Shule learned from the servants that the old man had arrived. Reluctantly, she came out of her room to greet him.
At that moment, Chen Mo was sitting with Yang Congxian, talking about life in the countryside.
Chen Mo casually described the experience of planting rice barefoot, where leeches would inevitably crawl up your legs within half an hour. The old man responded with interest, recounting how he had seen leeches as thick as his little finger during his youth in the countryside.
Yang Shule approached and greeted her grandfather.
The old man responded indifferently, barely sparing her a glance.
Yang Shule lowered her head and stood to the side, silently enduring the awkwardness. She had long known that her grandfather didn’t like her. In the past, she had followed her parents’ advice and tried to win his favor, but she had since given up.
Her gaze shifted to Chen Mo, who hadn’t looked at her even once since she arrived.
Seeing him so at ease, chatting casually with the old man, she couldn’t help but feel disdainful.
So what if you can please the old man? she thought bitterly. He’s old—how many more years can he stay in charge?
That evening, the rest of the family returned home.
Yang Qi’an followed the old man to the study to discuss business, with Yang Zhi accompanying them. Zhou Yaoqing busied herself in the kitchen, preparing food.
Chen Mo could feel the tension in the air.
Yang Congxian was like a pillar holding up the entire Yang family. As long as he was present, everyone walked on eggshells around him.
Yang Qi’an, in particular, was especially deferential. Having concealed the truth about swapping his sons to protect the company from scandal, he couldn’t afford to let anything slip now. The internal power struggles within the Yang Group were fierce, and Yang Qi’an relied on his father’s influence to mediate disputes and keep the family united.
Unexpectedly, the old man’s patience ran out that night.
The sound of his cane striking the floor echoed loudly from the study, accompanied by his angry voice.
“What have you done?!” Yang Congxian roared. “You took the wrong child home? That woman stole your son! He’s your own son! All you care about is money and benefits! Your wife is confused, and you’re just as bad for going along with her! I told you before—she spoils the children too much. Of course, she wouldn’t want to let go of the one she raised. But what about Chen Mo? What have you and your wife done for him?”
Yang Qi’an wiped his face, frowning. “Did Chen Mo complain to you?”
“Complain? He doesn’t even bother to complain!”
Yang Zhi stepped forward and patted the old man’s back, trying to calm him down.
“Grandpa,” Yang Zhi said, “please don’t get so worked up. Dad isn’t just worried about the company. Shule has had a high fever for the past two weeks. Mom and Dad didn’t want to stress him out any further. The lawsuit is only postponed, not withdrawn.”
The old man snorted coldly. “So, in the end, it’s all for Yang Shule.”
“Dad,” Yang Qi’an said, “I’ve raised that child as my own for over ten years.”
“And what about Chen Mo?” the old man retorted, sitting heavily in his chair. His voice softened slightly, but his disappointment was palpable. “It’s been so long—have you even thought about changing his last name? One child falls ill, and all your attention goes to him, but did you even notice the other one is also sick?”
“Is he sick?” Yang Qi’an asked, startled. “He didn’t say anything.”
“Did he have to say it for you to notice?” Yang Congxian’s anger flared again. “Look at his face—pale as a sheet, no color in his lips! He’s probably taken medicine and forced himself to stay awake to accompany me all afternoon without a single complaint. You… you’re all blind fools!”
Yang Qi’an lowered his head, enduring the scolding like a child being reprimanded by a teacher.
Yang Zhi remained silent for a long time.
He thought back to the needle marks on Chen Mo’s hand and his indifferent attitude at the dining table.
When Chen Mo had first been found, he had been like an unyielding steel rod—prickly, wary of others, and unwilling to suffer even the smallest loss. His straight-backed confidence had kept everyone at arm’s length.
But now, something seemed to have been stripped away from him.
His actions, his words—there was a subtle change.
Was this Chen Mo’s new strategy?
The old man was certainly a good target.
Meanwhile, Chen Mo had no idea what was happening in the study.
He was sitting on the living room sofa, legs crossed, casually scrolling through his phone. The fruit platter on the table beside him had been neatly arranged into bite-sized pieces, perfect for someone too lazy to peel or cut their own fruit.
When he opened his phone, he saw a friend request from someone with a Husky avatar.
Without even thinking, Chen Mo knew it was Gou Yiyang.
After all, even ten years later, this guy was still using the same profile picture.
As soon as Chen Mo clicked “accept,” a message popped up.
Gou Yiyang: “What’s up, Mr. Mo?”
Chen Mo: “What are you doing? Call me Chen Mo.”
Gou Yiyang: “Come on, Brother Mo. If you call me ‘brother,’ I’ll make sure you don’t have to walk ten miles uphill ever again.”
Chen Mo shook his head, typing back: “You’ll regret it.”
He couldn’t help but recall how, years later, Gou would often complain that if he hadn’t been carrying the burden of taking care of Chen Mo all these years, Chen Mo would’ve died in some forgotten corner by now.
At that moment, the young and naive Gou replied: “Didn’t you say you have too much money to spend? People like you are perfect for me to befriend.”
Chen Mo: “Stop joking. What do you want?”
Gou Yiyang: “I just felt bad for leaving you alone last night, so I wanted to check in.”
Chen Mo: “I wasn’t alone.”
Gou Yiyang: “That’s exactly why I’m worried! You might not know this since you just transferred, but our class monitor, Xi Siyan, and Yang Shule are known as the ‘Twin Stars’ of No. 1 Middle School. There are even fans on campus forums who ship them as a couple. Just imagine the drama! I’m trembling at the thought of sending you into the tiger’s den last night.”
Chen Mo laughed. So Gou’s love for gossip started in high school.
Chen Mo: “Isn’t it a little late to warn me now?”
Gou Yiyang: “I really didn’t think about it. It’s just that when you see Xi Siyan, it’s hard to notice anyone else. He’s the dream guy for half the girls in our school—that’s not an exaggeration.”
Gou Yiyang: “By the way, you weren’t ‘assassinated’ last night, were you?”
Chen Mo: “He’s already dead. Burn some paper for him.”
Gou Yiyang: “In that case, I’ll make sure to attend your family’s class reunion tomorrow to mourn your remains.”
Chen Mo: “You’re coming too?”
Gou Yiyang: “I swear, I’m just a bystander.”
