Chapter 29: The Price of Power and Love

It was strange to think that such a vast Xie family was now headed by an outsider.

Wang Yun, an Alpha in her early forties, was impeccably preserved, embodying the perfect image of a prestigious socialite and matriarch, from her appearance to her refined demeanor.

She had a brief, two-year marriage of convenience with Xie Qing, bearing him a child before their swift divorce.

Through sheer cunning and leveraging her family’s connections, she had carved out her current formidable position, even managing to exile her ex-husband abroad.

“Xie Xu is back.”

Wang Yun calmly took a sip from her teacup, her expression unreadable.

Yet, even as she sat and Xie Xu stood, she maintained a haughty tilt to her chin, observing him from the corner of her eye as if nothing truly concerned her. She waved a hand, instructing a servant to bring out the dishes.

“…Mom.” Xie Xu’s face was anything but pleasant. “I didn’t come back to eat. I’ll leave as soon as I’ve said what I need to say.”

Wang Yun’s brow twitched, but she didn’t furrow it. She rarely showed such strong emotions as frowning or laughing anymore; for a woman, her face was paramount, and someone of her status couldn’t afford to be wrinkled and lose face. “Leave? This is your home. Where would you go?”

“I’m going to find Guan Qing,” he stated earnestly. “I don’t know why you wanted me to come back, but I’ll take this opportunity to tell you: I’m going to propose to him this year. By then—”

Wang Yun placed her teacup down with a sharp *clink*.

“Who? I didn’t mishear, did I?” Wang Yun toyed with the teacup. “You’re still involved with… *him*. Don’t get me wrong, but after all these years of playing around, it’s time you grew up.”

She wouldn’t even utter Guan Qing’s name, as if it would soil her tongue.

“His name is Guan Qing,” Xie Xu’s expression turned grim. “He is my beloved. Who I choose to be with is none of your concern.”

But her expression remained devoid of anger. “I know. You think you’re powerful enough now, that I have nothing to threaten you with, don’t you?”

She even chuckled, like any doting mother indulging a mischievous child.

“Do you think you’re very clever?” She reached out to caress her son’s hair, but Xie Xu sharply swatted her hand away.

She remained unperturbed, pressing on Xie Xu’s shoulder to make him sit. “I discovered someone today. They looked a little familiar to me. Take a look, do you recognize them?”

Xie Xu took the photograph, his face instantly turning ashen.

The woman in the picture was smiling brightly. She was no longer young, with many wrinkles, yet she possessed a striking beauty. Her features were incredibly delicate, and she wore a simple silk dress, walking alongside an elegant middle-aged man on an exotic beach.

“Xie Xu, that child Guan Qing has a bit of a stubborn temper. You should be more tolerant with him.”

“You’re going to propose? That’s wonderful news! Then I’ll rush back next week… What? No need? Well, your Uncle Xu is on a long holiday anyway, so I’ll just play around a bit longer. What are you talking about, money? How could we elders take money from you?”

“Qingqing’s personality is partly my fault; our family was so poor when he was little. Xie Xu, Auntie Ye is shamelessly begging you, don’t give up on him when he acts foolishly. This child… if you have the chance, take him back to town to see his Auntie Zhang.”

“…”

Xie Xu froze completely.

That was Ye Anxian, Guan Qing’s mother, and almost his own mother too. She had been on her honeymoon abroad for six months, now residing in a small town in the Czech Republic.

“Do you think,” Wang Yun gestured for a servant to refill her tea, “that by sending her abroad and having someone guard her, I wouldn’t be able to reach her? You truly underestimate your mother.”

“…What exactly do you want?” Xie Xu stared at her with a cold, almost detached gaze, his voice low and hoarse.

His eyes held no resemblance to how a son would look at his mother. Of course, Wang Yun had never truly treated him as her son. He was born via surrogacy, and she didn’t even remember his birthday. Two months after his nineteenth birthday, Wang Yun sent him a Maybach, claiming it was to celebrate his eighteenth coming-of-age. Every year, she would fly to Country M, but upon meeting, she wouldn’t even embrace him, only glancing at him, smiling, and saying, ‘You’ve grown so tall,’ before diving into business discussions with Xie Qing.

She was more like a distant relative than a mother.

At this moment, Wang Yun shook her head, a loving yet helpless smile gracing her lips. “I just want you to be sensible—”

“Stop pretending,” Xie Xu interrupted.

Wang Yun showed no annoyance, only smiling as she asked, “What good would it do you to anger me, you silly child?”

The dishes arrived.

Wang Yun picked up a piece of food for Xie Xu with her chopsticks. “Eat more. Look how thin you’ve become.”

Xie Xu felt a wave of nausea. He pushed the bowl and chopsticks away. “Can you please just speak plainly, Ms. Wang?”

“Oh, you’re just too impatient.” Wang Yun lowered her head to sip her soup, her patience far exceeding Xie Xu’s. She spoke slowly, “I want the Jiang family.”

“…”

“The leadership hasn’t changed yet, but judging by the wind, it will be soon,” Wang Yun stirred her soup with a spoon, causing the tremella and goji berries to swirl, clouding the clear liquid. “When that happens, many people will want a piece of the pie. I want to be the first.”

Xie Xu looked at her with incredulity. “You’re insane.”

“I am not.” Wang Yun’s expression also turned cold.

“The Jiang family is still an impenetrable fortress, but their youngest son, my adorable little nephew, is brain…,” she scoffed, then continued, “I am a businesswoman, and you are my son.

“If you want to put on an act, that’s fine. For people of our status, keeping a few little pets is perfectly normal. Marry Jiang Lu first, and then,

“You’ll have fame, profit, and your so-called ridiculous love. What else do you need?” she advised, as if having considered and planned everything for him, like any mother would.

She looked at Xie Xu, her expression sincere.

“…”

Xie Xu, upon hearing this, suddenly smiled.

It wasn’t a sneer, but a genuine, heartfelt smile. His brow relaxed, and he looked at his mother, the contempt in his eyes mirroring her own.

Wang Yun’s gaze turned cold. “What do you mean?”

“No one loves you, Ms. Wang,” Xie Xu looked at her as if she were a pitiable creature. “Your son, your husband, your subordinates… You’re surrounded by so many people, yet no one loves you.”

Wang Yun’s lips tightened, her face somewhat grim. “Ridiculous.”

“Money, power, fame, and fortune are indeed important, but not as important as you imagine. Do you know? You haven’t received anyone’s love, which is why you need so much material wealth to fill your empty heart,” Xie Xu said from the bottom of his heart:

“I truly pity you.”

*Crash!*

Wang Yun swept an entire set of tableware off the table, sending sauce splattering everywhere.

Xie Xu, however, showed no fear, continuing, “Are you very afraid of getting old? Because when you’re old, and even after you die…

“No one will remember you—”

“Shut up!” Wang Yun stood up, pointing at him, gasping violently. She was like a wild beast whose paw had been trodden on, abandoning all pretense of a socialite’s grace or a CEO’s composure.

But she quickly calmed down.

She smoothed her long, wavy hair with her hand, then smiled, clapping. “Xie Xu, you may not have improved much over the years, but you’ve certainly gotten good at provoking people.”

“Overrated,” Xie Xu replied coldly, unsure of her true intentions.

“You dare to tear off all pretenses with me like this. Is it because you think your father, far away in another country, will protect you, and by extension, your little lover’s mother?”

Xie Xu remained silent.

“He’s probably too busy with his own problems,” Wang Yun blew on her fresh tea and took a sip. “Don’t you look down on money, power, and fame? Then open your eyes and see just how useful the things you disdain truly are.”

“You…” Xie Xu’s brow furrowed.

“Didn’t you say your love was incredibly noble?” Wang Yun smiled as she asked, “Does your lover think so too?”

She picked up Ye Anxian’s photo from the table and slowly tore it in half.

“Tell me, does he love you more, or his mother?”

Xie Xu’s face turned deathly pale.

****

Unable to get through to Xie Xu, Guan Qing closed his phone and looked at Ye Zi.

He said earnestly, “Ye Zi, thank you, but I don’t need it.”

Ye Zi’s smile remained unchanged, still gentle. “Don’t be so quick to refuse.”

“I’m not a stranger; I don’t mind giving you this article. Besides…” He looked at Guan Qing, speaking seriously, “You’re not young anymore. If you lose this path, your future will be extremely difficult. We all know you write very well, well enough to win awards. This is just a different approach.”

Guan Qing shook his head without even a moment’s hesitation. “Thank you, but I’m sorry.”

“Alright,” Ye Zi sighed. “I knew you would refuse; that’s just how you are. Then we’ll have to approach this from another direction: how do we prove you didn’t plagiarize?”

Guan Qing had only discussed this matter with Ye Zi and Professor Wang, and even then, it had been vague. Now, the original research materials were lost, and his earliest conversations with Ye Zi about the thesis were only a few days ago, which couldn’t serve as evidence.

“Think again, was that USB drive truly never taken by anyone?”

Guan Qing always kept his USB drive in a small, close-fitting pouch containing his ID and some loose change. He had left it on the sofa once, and later…

The next day, the USB drive was found in front of the bedroom computer.

Guan Qing’s expression froze.

“What’s wrong?” Ye Zi sensed something, noting his expression, and asked in a low voice, “Did anyone ever show… an intention to stop you?”

Guan Qing knew he shouldn’t think that way, but he could no longer control himself.

At that moment, Xie Xu’s collar was meticulously buttoned. One second they were kissing, the next he looked ready to leave.

Light streamed through the window, dust motes danced, and Xie Xu’s face was half-lit, half-shadowed. In the tiny sliver of his eyes, cooled by the light, his expression was incredibly complex.

He had asked—

“Can you… not apply for Professor Wang’s graduate program?”

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