Chapter 33

"How can you joke like that!" Rong Yu gritted her teeth.

Yu Xing could only glare at Yu Ci angrily, "Xiao Ci, restrain yourself."

His tone carried no blame at all.

Yu Ci raised his eyebrows, "Understood."

Rong Yu: "......"

Rong Yu: "Look at Yu Ci!"

Yu Xing: "I saw it."

Rong Yu: "You just know how to play favorites!"

"What more do you want from me?"

Yu Xing had long been weary, "Yu Ci was having fun outside, and you demand he be called back! Now that he's back, he hasn't rested, the matter isn't cleared up, and you're blaming Yu Ci here!"

Rong Yu still wanted to say something, but Yu Xing looked at Yu Ci and Gu Xingnan, "Yu Ci, Xingnan, it's getting late, go upstairs to rest."

He continued, "Xingnan, it's so late, stay tonight."

Gu Xingnan hadn't planned to return to the Gu family tonight either; hearing Yu Xing's words, he wasn't surprised, "Okay, Uncle Yu."

"Then we'll go up first." Yu Ci said.

"Good night, Uncle."

"Okay."

Yu Ci walked to the stairway, lazily turned back, raised an eyebrow at Rong Yu, "You'd better watch your precious son, or he'll get run over someday."

Yu Ci's words faltered, then he feigned regret: "If I, the young master, sent someone to hit him, I'd guarantee not even a corpse would stay intact... sigh, the one who hit him just went soft."

At the end, his voice still carried a hint of disdain.

"Yu Ci, get down here!"

"Go grab him down for me!" Rong Yu angrily stared at a nearby servant and ordered.

The summoned servant showed no change in expression, then said bluntly, "Madam, the eldest young master is already preparing to go upstairs to rest; having me pull him down would be improper."

In the Yu family's hierarchy, Yu Ci equals Yu Xing, and Yu Ci's retinue exceeds that of Yu Cheng and Rong Yu.

When Yu Xing is away, Yu Ci is effectively the head of the household, with the greatest authority to speak.

So basically no one pays attention to Rong Yu's face; the Yu family would never offend Yu Ci for her sake.

Rong Yu glared hatefully at the servant.

You're still standing on the stairs watching the fun?

"Ah, I already said Xiao Ci was just joking." Yu Xing said helplessly.

Xiao Ci was just talking, he never really intended to find someone to hit Yu Cheng.

I don't understand why the reaction is so big.

And you had people seize Xiao Ci; if he gets frightened, what then?

Xiao Ci was the most timid as a child!

"How can you joke like that? You're just favoring him!" Rong Yu still refused to let up.

"What's wrong with you today? I remember you're usually the kindest, and when you first joined the family you said you'd treat Xiao Ci as your own son!" Yu Xing looked disappointed.

"You haven't figured things out today, yet you blame Xiao Ci, insisting it's his fault! And you accuse me of favoritism? How have I wronged you and Yu Cheng?"

He flew into a rage.

Xiao Ci was having a good time outside, yet when called back he didn't say a word, while Rong Yu kept blaming him.

Rong Yu's face stiffened, "Well... husband, I'm just too worried about Yu Cheng."

"Worried about Yu Cheng? He's fine right now; a few days of rest will do! He's always out fooling around, maybe he's offended someone out there."

Unlike his family's Xiao Ci, who balances play and study just fine outside!

Yu Ci, standing on the stairs, looked at Rong Yu and deliberately raised his eyebrows.

Rong Yu's words faltered, she thought of something, raised her voice: "Then Xiao Ci shouldn't have spoken like that earlier—he cursed Yu Cheng to die! If Yu Cheng were really killed by him, wouldn't you also be reluctant to say a few words? If Yu Cheng spoke like that about Xiao Ci, you'd surely educate him—you're just playing favorites!"

Yu Xing's expression turned cold, "What are you saying, Rong Yu? If I don't side with Xiao Ci, then no one will side with him!"

"But Yu Cheng is also your biological son!"

"Do I need you to say that? I didn't bring him back to the Yu family and give him the title of Young Master of the Yu Family?" Yu Xing wearily stared at Rong Yu.

Although Yu Cheng is his biological son, he simply isn't as excellent as Xiao Ci, and moreover, the Yu family's future belongs to Xiao Ci.

Is it wrong for him to lavish all his affection on Xiao Ci?

"Go sleep in the guest room these days; don't come near my room for a while." Yu Xing said, then went upstairs.

"Xingnan, look, she's going to sleep in the guest room again."

Yu Ci snorted, hooked an arm around Gu Xingnan, eyes flashing with provocation, "Yo yo yo, some people, sleeping in the guest room themselves~ and still have the nerve to say my family's Xingnan is an outsider~"

His family's Xingnan is certainly not an outsider.

Gu Xingnan tilted his head, gazed warmly at the nearby childhood friend, curled his lips, and echoed, "Exactly."

Yu Xing heard it but didn't care.

The servants tried not to laugh as they watched the scene.

Rong Yu could only glare resentfully at the two standing on the stairs laughing, angry but unable to speak.

"All right, all right, off to sleep." Yu Ci waved his hand boredly, pulling Gu Xingnan upstairs.

Yu Ci's and Gu Xingnan's rooms have been adjacent since childhood.

After they entered their respective rooms, Yu Ci finished tidying up, flopped heavily onto the bed, and fell into thought.

He knew Rong Yu had always disliked him.

Naturally, he felt the same way.

However, Rong Yu had always acted like a kind mother in front of his father; he didn't expect her to blame him so unreasonably this time.

Yu Ci sat up somewhat irritably, no matter how many times…

He still truly disliked the feeling of being slandered.

Not long after, a knocking sounded at the door.

"Come in."

The door opened, and Gu Xingnan walked in, having changed into a set of dark sleepwear, his hair still wet from a recent wash and not yet blown dry.

Yu Ci wasn't surprised it was him, his voice muffled: "A Nan."

Gu Xingnan walked to his bedside, sat down, and explained gently: "I came because I knew you weren't asleep yet."

"Hey, A Nan, do you think I shouldn't have spoken to her like that?" Yu Ci turned to him, blinked his eyes, and deliberately said those words.

Gu Xingnan also went along with him, smiling and comforting: "You merely stated the facts; if he refuses to accept the truth, it's not anyone else's fault."

"Yu Cheng doesn't even know who he offended this time."

"Maybe it's karma for the wicked!" Yu Ci let out a soft hum.

Yu Cheng wanted to compete with Yu Ci for the Yu Family's assets, and Gu Xingnan knew that.

Yu Ci has disliked Yu Cheng since childhood, and also dislikes Rong Yu.

He feels the same way.

Seeing Gu Xingnan silent, Yu Ci hummed again: "I don't care what she thinks; if I didn't do it, I didn't do it."

Let her make a fuss however she wants.

Gu Xingnan patted his shoulder: "All right, A Ci, don't overthink it; I'll help you. Hurry up and sleep—we have class tomorrow."

"What class is this? I'm exhausted." Yu Ci pursed his lips.

Gu Xingnan smiled and reassured: "Yu Cheng is still in the hospital these days; stay at school for now, and once things are settled in a few days, I'll take you out to play."

Yu Ci finally felt motivated: "All right, A Nan, good night."

"Good night."

After closing the door, the softness in Gu Xingnan's eyes faded, replaced by a hint of gloom.

Rong Yu insisted that Yu Cheng had been hit by A Ci; then, once Yu Cheng's injuries healed, he wouldn't mind actually hiring someone to hit Yu Cheng.

He has never been a good person.

He only helps A Ci indiscriminately.

He will always stand on the side of his childhood sweetheart.