Chapter 373: Owe Jiang Lai a Massive Favor

After the Shen Family's downfall, the whole family lived at Nan Shan Shiyi Hao; thankfully Shen Xun had paid the full year's rent in advance, otherwise they couldn't have afforded a villa, but the expenses of living in a villa were still substantial—property management, utilities, plus a hired auntie who specifically cleaned and cooked.

On top of all that, the entire family's living expenses and Mother Shen's medical bills all fell on Shen Xun's shoulders; he had to look after his parents and younger sister, manage his own career, and take care of his own health, with almost no time to rest.

Going from luxury to frugality is hard; his parents and sister would incur a large expense from time to time, and whenever the bills came in, they always left him gasping for air.

So managing the household was this exhausting—how had Jiang Lai managed to keep everything in such perfect order back then?

Back then he naively assumed Jiang Lai was just an ordinary junior employee, that no matter how tired she got it couldn't be that bad, so naturally she'd devote more energy to the household and of course do a better job.

The truth was, Jiang Lai's research work was even more demanding, yet she still balanced both.

How could one word "strong" even begin to cover it.

Shen Xun was exhausted, but what drained him most was still his younger sister Shen Xi.

He arranged a job for her; management trainees had to work at the grassroots level for training early on, but Shen Xi repeatedly made mistakes in her duties, and her interpersonal relationships were an utter tangle—she'd come home crying that customers made things difficult for her, colleagues made things difficult for her, saying she couldn't go on with this job.

No matter how she pleaded, Shen Xun never relented on the matter of her quitting.

Now that the Shen Family was supported by Shen Xun, they all had to listen to him.

Shen Xi couldn't endure the slightest hardship at all; her dream was to be a wealthy wife. The old Shen Family still had some access to upper-class circles, but now she couldn't reach them even standing on tiptoe.

Shen Xi had absolutely no one she could scout, so she could only set her sights on her own brother's best friend Xie Yongsi.

Although Xie Yongsi had no real power in the Xie Family, he was still a second-generation rich kid, with no worries about food, drink, or entertainment, and a relatively comfortable life.

Because of Shen Xun, Xie Yongsi didn't guard himself much around Shen Xi, never expecting to fall into her trap—holding a woman in his arms half-asleep, he was suddenly woken up.

The one who woke him was Shen Xun.

The woman held in his arms was Shen Xi.

Fuck!

By the time he realized he'd been set up, it was already too late; Brother Xun looked at him coldly and took Shen Xi away. Though they didn't blow up right then and there, he knew it was over.

How could he possibly be so desperate as to sleep with Shen Xi, of all people—a walking disaster?

If he were going to sleep with her, he'd have done it ages ago; would he really wait until now?

Xie Yongsi took video evidence to explain: Shen Xi had paid someone off to sneak into his room, and it happened in a daze.

Shen Xun: "I already slapped her, but Yongsi..."

He didn't need to finish the sentence for Xie Yongsi to understand; Xie Yongsi cut straight to the point: "Brother Xun, you're not seriously going to make me marry Shen Xi, are you?"

"There are some things I'm afraid would be disrespectful to say too bluntly, but the fact is—if I had to marry every woman I've slept with, I'd have lost count of how many concubines I'd have by now."

"I don't like Shen Xi, and my family would never agree. If you insist on making me do this, you saved my life once, so I could push back against my family's pressure and marry her—it's not impossible. But you should know what kind of person I am: if I marry Shen Xi, I'll still play around however I want after the wedding. Forget Shen Xi not being able to stand it—even you, as her older brother, would have to condemn me. You want me to be wholeheartedly devoted to Shen Xi? That's impossible. I'm a bastard, but nothing about Shen Xi could ever catch my eye."

"With Shen Xi's personality, marrying into the Xie Family wouldn't just make her an unqualified young lady of a wealthy household—there's no telling how much trouble she'd stir up. Once she causes trouble, the family elders will definitely step in, and Shen Xi's days won't be easy, Brother Xun."

"Brother Xun, I don't want the two of us to reach this point. You're the only true friend I have."

Xie Yongsi poured his heart out, but it ultimately ended with Shen Xun's one line: "Shen Xi is my sister, after all." The two parted on bad terms, with zero contact for half a month, neither side budging on the matter of Shen Xi.

Then today Shen Xun suddenly called to say the matter was dropped—meaning he wouldn't force Xie Yongsi to marry Shen Xi. After the initial surprise and delight came confusion: how had Brother Xun suddenly come around?

Shen Xun briefly recounted his meeting with Jiang Lai today; Jiang Lai's remark that Xie Yongsi was beyond reproach as a friend reminded Shen Xun of how well Xie Yongsi had treated him over the years—especially how, after his downfall, Xie Yongsi hadn't piled on like everyone else but instead reached out to help, let him drive his car, lent him money without hesitation, and even kept a fallback path open for him at the Xie company. Including that earlier speech—everything was said from a place of loyalty and brotherhood.

Xie Yongsi never in a million years imagined he'd dodge this bullet because of a single sentence from Jiang Lai.

This was a massive favor!

Xie Yongsi mulled it over: this favor had to be repaid, and it had to be repaid in a big way!

Otherwise the rest of his life would be ruined.

How was this any different from saving half his life?

Xie Yongsi asked around about Jiang Lai's recent situation; though he didn't know what he could possibly help with, he was the type who, whenever someone helped him, absolutely had to return the favor.

It would've been better not to ask—once he did, he found out something huge had happened.

Though his relationship with Li Dan was only so-so, both of them were powerless second-generation rich kids who just wanted to have fun, so their circles overlapped enormously. And because Lin Shutong had led each of their best friends in circles, they'd developed a mutual sympathy. From Li Dan, he learned that Jiang Lai might have some connection to the Gu family.

"What do you mean 'might'? What do you mean 'connected to the Gu family'?" Xie Yongsi pressed relentlessly.

The two were sitting together drinking. Li Dan set down his wine glass, glanced around, leaned to Xie Yongsi's ear, and said: "Jiang Lai might be Gu Zhiyan's sister."

Xie Yongsi's pupils contracted sharply: "What the hell? How do you know that?"

Li Dan: "Didn't I go to B City to visit relatives for the New Year? I had a meal with Gu Zhiyan, and he suddenly asked me—if one day you discovered your sister wasn't your biological sister, and your real sister had been right beside you all along, and you'd even said to her face that she had no father or mother, what would you do? I'm not stupid—forget the 'what if'; he'd previously taken his anger out on Jiang Lai over the Lin Shutong matter and had hurled at Jiang Lai the words 'no father, no mother.'"

"Gu Yinxue is a fake..."

"Shh." Li Dan told him to shut up immediately. "Nothing's confirmed yet—it's hard to say, I don't dare say it, I can't say it. Commoners don't fight officials; the Gu family is not to be trifled with."

Xie Yongsi swore loudly, too shocked to speak, slammed a mouthful of liquor into himself, then spat it out the next second and switched to water.

The Shen Xi incident had given him a psychological shadow about drinking.

Xie Yongsi said to Li Dan: "If there's any movement from the Gu family's side, let me know. If Jiang Lai runs into any trouble, I'll see if I can help."

Li Dan nodded.

Neither dared discuss the matter further and changed the subject.

Xie Yongsi asked: "Is your buddy still hopelessly devoted to Lin Shutong?"

Li Dan's throat tightened: "Don't even bring it up. Gu Zhiyan's like he's been cursed—he's still trying to figure out how to get Jiang Lai to write a letter of forgiveness so Lin Shutong can get a suspended sentence."

Xie Yongsi: "Badass."

Referring to both Gu Zhiyan and Lin Shutong.

"You didn't dump all of Lin Shutong's dirty laundry in front of Gu Zhiyan?" Xie Yongsi asked again.

Li Dan immediately retorted: "How could I not have? The point is he won't listen! Though that time, with Gu Yinxue present, it wasn't appropriate to blurt things out in front of someone's little sister, so I held back. Shen Xun was screwed over by Lin Shutong that badly and he didn't retaliate?"

"He did retaliate—a whole pile of materials was sent to your buddy."

"That shouldn't be right." Li Dan couldn't quite figure it out. "Gu Zhiyan's self-delusion shouldn't go that far. Shen Xun really sent dirt on her?"

Xie Yongsi: "I swear."

Li Dan still shook his head.

Xie Yongsi simply made a phone call, quieting all the men and women dancing and singing in the private room.

"Yongsi." Shen Xun's voice came through the phone.

Li Dan leaned over to listen.

"Brother Shen Xun, I remember you back then compiled those things Lin Shutong did into a file and sent it to Gu Zhiyan, right?"

"Sent." Upon hearing Lin Shutong's name, Shen Xun's voice couldn't hide its disgust, so his tone wasn't great either: "Why bring her up suddenly?"

Xie Yongsi glanced at Li Dan, using his eyes to say, "You see, Brother Shen Xun sent it over."

Li Dan still didn't believe it; he didn't believe Gu Zhiyan could be that stupid, like a pig.

He typed a message for Xie Yongsi to see.

Xie Yongsi read aloud: "Was it personally delivered to Gu Zhiyan's hands? Did he see it?"

Shen Xun: "No, I gave it to his sister."

"Who?" Li Dan couldn't help blurting out, "Which sister?"

Xie Yongsi glared at him.

Shen Xun didn't mind that someone beside Xie Yongsi was listening to the call, and casually replied: "Gu Zhiyan only has one sister, Gu Yinxue."

Li Dan couldn't help sucking in a breath of cold air.

Xie Yongsi hung up the phone on his end, looking at Li Dan: "What's your expression?"

"I'm thinking things over." Li Dan frowned, "Don't disturb me first; I suspect my character's off, I've been thinking badly of people."

Xie Yongsi: "?"

Li Dan: "Wait a bit longer."

Xie Yongsi: "Speak quickly."

Li Dan stared at him seriously: "I really think that if Gu Zhiyan knew about Lin Shutong's dirty deeds, he couldn't possibly still like her this much, or help her this much."

Xie Yongsi: "So Gu Zhiyan doesn't know, my brother Shen Xun's materials never reached his hands, right? Let Gu Yinxue turn them in?"

The more Li Dan thought, the more alarmed he became: "Wait a bit longer."

Seeing his awkward expression, Xie Yongsi leaned back nonchalantly: "You couldn't be thinking that Gu Yinxue deliberately didn't give the stuff to Gu Zhiyan, could you? What's she after? Gu Zhiyan is her... brother..."

His voice stalled for a moment, then he suddenly came to and asked: "You just said Gu Yinxue isn't Gu Zhiyan's biological sister, right?"

Li Dan didn't dare to be certain, spreading his hands: "How would I know?"

Xie Yongsi also started pondering: "Do you have any solid info on whether Jiang Lai is a member of the Gu family?"

Li Dan: "I don't know, I'm just guessing based on what Gu Zhiyan said."

Xie Yongsi: "You should also call Gu Zhiyan and just ask whether he received the stuff brother Shen Xun gave him."

Li Dan reached for his phone, hesitated a moment, then still called, but no one answered.

He shrugged.

Xie Yongsi urged: "Don't forget this; if you get an answer, tell me. If this stuff really got intercepted, I'll personally deliver it to Gu Zhiyan, let him see it face to face, and see how he still makes things hard for Jiang Lai demanding some apology letter—where does he get the nerve?"