Chapter Thirteen: The Outbreak!

As soon as Xiao Chen returned home, he saw Xu Qingran with her brows tightly knit, her face clouded with worry.

“Qingran, have you run into some trouble? Tell me about it—maybe I can help,” Xiao Chen said gently.

Xu Qingran glanced at him, but before she could speak, Sun Ling—standing nearby—immediately cut in. “Company matters? What use is telling you, you worthless fool? All you do is wander around aimlessly all day. Go wash the dishes!”

Clearly, she was in a foul mood, venting all her frustration on Xiao Chen.

He simply shrugged and, without a word, made his way to the kitchen.

...

Two days passed in the blink of an eye. Today was the day of the Xu family’s gathering, held at the Pengcheng Grand Hotel, one of Linzhou’s five-star establishments.

As Xiao Chen arrived at the hotel entrance with Xu Qingran and the others, they ran into Uncle Xu Zhongshan and his son, Xu Chengyang.

Seeing Xu Qingran, Xu Zhongshan’s face lit up with a hint of mockery. “Qingran, I’ve heard the company’s been facing some issues lately. There’s a big order you just can’t seem to close, is that right?”

He smirked, his tone full of schadenfreude. “That’s not good at all. The order itself isn’t the main thing, but Hongyu Entertainment is under the Zhou family’s umbrella. You know what it would mean for us if we could get in their good graces, don’t you?”

“But you’ve botched it—do you realize the losses?”

He continued with a meaningful glance, “If you bite off more than you can chew, it’s no good for anyone. Sitting on a position you can’t fill only causes trouble, doesn’t it?”

“Grandmother won’t just stand by and watch this happen.”

“You!” Sun Ling’s heart flared with fury at his words.

Xu Qingran bit her lip, remaining silent.

Xiao Chen’s eyes flickered—The Zhou family? Hongyu Entertainment? How coincidental.

But he kept his thoughts to himself.

At that moment, more people arrived—it was Fourth Aunt Xu Qian and her family.

“Exactly,” Xu Qian remarked coldly, casting a disdainful glance at Xu Qingran. “Some people have no ability but love to keep their positions, accomplishing nothing. It’s revolting.”

Then she turned to Xu Zhongshan and Xu Chengyang with an ingratiating smile. “Big brother, I hear Chengyang has made another great achievement recently—he’s actually connected with the Fang family?”

The Fang family was a first-tier clan in Linzhou.

Aside from the four great houses, the Fang family and the like boasted the deepest pockets, holding assets worth billions—far beyond what the Xu family could compare.

Building a good relationship with the Fang family was a major accomplishment, one that would greatly benefit the Xu family’s future.

Their grandmother already favored Xu Chengyang. After this, she would be all the more inclined to groom him as her successor.

Even Xu Qian looked at Xiao Chen with envy, her expression tinged with a hint of flattery.

Xu Zhongshan’s face brimmed with pride. “Of course. You know all about Chengyang’s medical skills.”

“As it happened, the Fang family’s old master fell seriously ill. Chengyang’s miraculous skills restored him, and the old master was instantly full of vitality. The Fang family owes him a debt of life. They’re so grateful they’re sending someone to our family gathering today.”

Now even Xu Qian was surprised.

The Xu family was just a small clan, their assets amounting to three or five hundred million at most—nothing compared to the Fang family.

If the Fangs truly sent someone to attend their gathering, it would be a great honor.

Even Sun Ling’s expression shifted, her face growing darker with each passing moment.

“Not at all—I was just lucky,” Xu Chengyang replied modestly, but the pride on his face was unmistakable. When he looked at Xiao Chen, his lips curled with scorn and derision.

After all, it was Xiao Chen’s mysterious elixir he’d used to treat the illness. With just one pill, the old master of the Fang family had been cured.

But such a great merit would never be attributed to Xiao Chen—it could only benefit Xu Chengyang.

“All right, the banquet is about to begin. Let’s head inside,” Xu Zhongshan said, leading Xu Qian and the others into the hotel.

“What are you standing around for? Hurry up and get inside!” Sun Ling snapped at Xiao Chen, her anger seeking an outlet.

She stormed into the hotel.

Xiao Chen glanced at Xu Qingran, who stood there with her lips pressed tightly together, eyes full of unwillingness. Her slender figure bore the weight of the entire family.

On top of that, Grandmother kept pressing her, while Xu Zhongshan and the others jeered and set her up at every turn.

She was exhausted.

Xiao Chen moved closer to Xu Qingran and spoke in a low voice, “Qingran, leave everything to me later.”

She started, looking at him in surprise, only to see his not-so-tall figure already striding ahead.

The banquet began soon after.

According to custom, each branch of the family sent a male representative to report on their achievements over the past year.

Naturally, Xu Chengyang spoke for Xu Zhongshan’s branch.

He managed to claim credit for nearly every success the Xu family had achieved that year, weaving his name into every accomplishment. Especially when he mentioned the new connection with the Fang family, the entire Xu clan was startled into exclamations of admiration.

“Madam Xu, the second young master of the Fang family has arrived,” someone suddenly announced.

A young man entered—it was Fang Zhipeng, the second son of the Fang family.

“Madam Xu, I hope I’m not intruding by coming unannounced,” Fang Zhipeng greeted the old matriarch with a courteous bow.

She hurried to assure him, “Not at all. May I ask what brings you here today, Mr. Fang?”

Fang Zhipeng didn’t beat around the bush. “It’s like this—Physician Xu cured my grandfather’s long-standing illness. My grandfather sent me to express his thanks to Physician Xu in person.”

With that, he cupped his hands to Xu Chengyang.

At once, all eyes fell on Xu Chengyang.

He was brimming with pride, though he said modestly, “You’re too kind, Mr. Fang. Healing the sick is a doctor’s duty—it was nothing.”

Fang Zhipeng shook his head solemnly. “It may be a small thing to you, Physician Xu, but to my grandfather, it was a matter of life and death. My grandfather said that from now on, you are a friend of the Fang family.”

These words sent a jolt through everyone present. Coming from the old master of the Fang family, such a statement carried tremendous weight.

Xu Zhongshan and Xu Chengyang were overjoyed, and even the matriarch nodded repeatedly, her eyes shining with undisguised approval and affection for Xu Chengyang.

Compared with his shining achievements, the contributions of the others were insignificant by contrast—mere supporting roles.

Soon, it was time for Xu Qingran’s branch.

Xiao Chen took the draft Xu Qingran had written and was just about to rise and speak when the old matriarch suddenly raised her hand to stop him. She looked directly at Xu Qingran and said, “Qingran, I hear the company’s been having problems lately?”

Clearly, she intended to confront her head-on.