Chapter 29
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Volume 1 + Chapter 29: The Disciplinary Outcome
“I propose expelling Bai Yuxuan from the Bai family.” At that moment, during the Bai family clan meeting, one of Bai Yuxuan’s uncles was the first to speak.
“He caused such a huge loss for us—if we don’t punish him severely as a warning, it won’t do!”
“So? Don’t you all agree with me?” Several of Bai Yuxuan’s father’s brothers immediately nodded in agreement. Each had their own selfish motives in mind—after all, Bai Yuxuan was their eldest brother’s only son. If he could be cast out of the Bai family, then their own sons might have a chance to become the next heir.
“Let’s vote now. All in favor of expelling Bai Yuxuan from the Bai family, raise your hands.”
However, the outcome left them sorely disappointed—less than half of those present raised their hands.
“Why?! Why aren’t you raising your hands? Because of Bai Yuxuan’s mistake, the Bai family’s reputation suffered, and you all suffered losses too! So why aren’t you raising your hands?” Bai Yuxuan’s uncle shouted angrily at those who didn’t vote.
At this moment, Bai Yuxuan’s father stood to the side, a sinister smile creeping across his face.
Because those who didn’t raise their hands were all from the branch families. Even if Bai Yuxuan were driven out, their sons still wouldn’t have a chance to rise to heir. Most of them also had complicated financial dealings with Bai Yuxuan’s father, so they had to follow his lead.
“Ah, I see now! It must be that Bai Jianfeng bought you all off, right?!” The uncle pointed at the branch family members and Bai Yuxuan’s father.
“What are you saying? Don’t speak recklessly without evidence. They simply believe my son’s mistake this time is forgivable.” Bai Jianfeng replied calmly to his brother.
“You…!”
“You’re so biased toward your son! You actually bribed the branch families to protect him!” The other brothers of Bai Jianfeng also slammed the table and joined in the accusations.
“If you’re going to accuse me of bribing the branch families to protect my son, then you’d better bring proof. If you have none, not only will Bai Yuxuan not be expelled, but I’ll also demand an explanation from all of you. Slandering the family head for bribing the branch families isn’t something that can be brushed off.”
“You shameless bastard, and now you’re playing the victim!” The brothers lashed out furiously—when suddenly, an aged yet powerful voice rang from the doorway:
“How disgraceful!” A bespectacled elderly man in his seventies entered the hall. The moment both sides saw him, they immediately calmed down and stood respectfully. This man was none other than the former head of the Bai family—Bai Yuxuan’s grandfather.
“As a family, instead of supporting each other in times of trouble, you’re pointing fingers and looking for ways to exploit the chaos for your own benefit. You’ve truly disappointed me.”
“But Dad, Bai Yuxuan caused such a huge mess this time…” one of the uncles immediately began complaining in front of the old patriarch.
“Silence!” The old man shut him down before he could finish.
“As an adult, you have not a shred of compassion. Bai Yuxuan is just a child. Who hasn’t made mistakes in their youth?”
“But we can’t just let him off the hook. Otherwise, other family members will think we’re being unfair.” The other uncles chimed in.
“Of course he must take responsibility. But expelling him is far too harsh. Here’s what we’ll do—temporarily remove Bai Yuxuan’s status as the heir, and list him as an alternate candidate alongside your sons. How about that?”
“What? Isn’t that too lenient? He shouldn’t be allowed to compete for heirship at all!”
“What? Are you really that afraid your sons can’t beat someone who made such a serious mistake? If that’s the case, then your sons aren’t qualified to be heirs either.” The old patriarch’s words left the rest of the brothers speechless.
“So that’s how it’ll be. If Bai Yuxuan makes another mistake like this, I won’t oppose permanently stripping him of heirship—or expelling him entirely from the Bai family.”
With the patriarch’s intervention, the rest of the brothers had no choice but to give up.
Once the meeting ended, only Bai Yuxuan’s father, Bai Jianfeng, and the old man remained in the hall.
“Father, thank you for speaking up for Bai Yuxuan,” Bai Jianfeng said respectfully, bowing deeply.
But the old man stood with his back to him, not turning around.
“You’ve got some nerve. Don’t think I don’t know who’s really behind all this. I’ve already looked into it—Bai Yuxuan only took over that boiler factory four or five days ago. And I also know that you’ve been short on funds lately while trying to expand overseas, so you cut corners on the pollution control budget, didn’t you?”
“Well, you’ve already figured it out. I was backed into a corner. If Bai Yuxuan got into trouble, I could shield him. But if I went down, everything would collapse.”
“Hmph. Honestly, you falling might not be such a bad thing. Do you remember what I taught you? The most important thing in business is reputation. But you… for your own gain… sigh. I don’t even know what to say to you anymore. I regret handing over the family head position to a man with no integrity.”
“Regret? Back when we brothers were managing the business, wasn’t I the best of us? Integrity? Can integrity feed you? If not for me, the Bai family’s business wouldn’t have grown several times over in such a short span!”
“Fool! A man as greedy and shortsighted as you is bound to face retribution!” With that, the old patriarch stormed angrily out of the hall.
“Retribution? I, Bai Jianfeng, am the overlord of Xijiang City! The rightful head of the Bai family! Even if retribution comes, I’ll use my power to crush it!” Watching the old man leave, Bai Jianfeng’s face twisted into a sneer.
—
The next morning, Bai Yuxuan slowly opened her eyes. Even though she had just experienced a major blow, she had never slept as peacefully as she had the night before.
“This must be the power of kindness…” she murmured, placing a hand on her chest.
Even now, thinking back to last night’s events, Bai Yuxuan still felt a gentle warmth in her heart.
Ding-dong! The doorbell rang.
“Young master, are you in? It’s Xiao Liu.”
“Coming.” Bai Yuxuan shook off her thoughts, got dressed, and opened the door for Xiao Liu.
“Young master… the clan… the clan’s decision regarding your punishment has been issued,” Xiao Liu panted as he rushed up to Bai Yuxuan.
“Well, the result’s out anyway. No rush—tell me slowly.”
“Huh?” Only then did Xiao Liu realize that the lost, broken Bai Yuxuan from yesterday now had the sharp gaze of old.
“Here, have some water. Look at you, all flustered.” Bai Yuxuan poured a glass of water for both of them.
“Huh?” Xiao Liu was surprised to find that Bai Yuxuan’s mood seemed even better than before the incident. There was even a faint, gentle smile on her face. What shocked him even more was that Bai Yuxuan had swapped out her usual deep-blue cup for a gold one. And everyone knew—Bai Yuxuan used to hate such tacky colors.
