Chapter 9: Kinship Cannot Exist Without Gold

Ling Xiao entered the room, and Ling Xue called out toward the interior.

“Dad, Mom! Ling Xiao from Second Uncle’s family is here.”

Soon, Third Aunt Ling emerged from the inner room, her face heavily made up, dressed from head to toe in luxurious designer brands.

Yet she showed Ling Xiao little warmth, only a hint of surprise.

“Ling Xiao, you’re actually not dead?”

Ling Xiao nodded.

“Just lucky, I suppose.”

“Well, that’s really quite fortunate for you.”

She glanced at the door, spotting the two boxes there, her eyes betraying a trace of disdain, though her words were more polite.

“You shouldn’t have brought anything. There’s no need to be so formal.”

“It’s just a little token of goodwill.”

Third Aunt Ling muttered under her breath, “It is just a little.”

Her voice was so low no one else heard it, but Ling Xiao’s sharp hearing caught every word clearly. This deepened his disappointment in this place.

He had once believed that as long as one was family, there would surely be affection. But in truth, even familial love is selective. With money, distant relatives become close; without money, even your own kin can be worse than strangers.

At that moment, Third Uncle Ling stepped out from the room, dressed in a crisp white shirt, gold-rimmed glasses, his brows exuding a certain authority.

“If you’re still alive, why haven’t you come back in three years?”

“There were things to do outside.”

Third Uncle Ling sat on the sofa, gestured to the one opposite.

“Sit.”

Ling Xiao sat down. Third Uncle Ling crossed his legs, leaned back on the sofa, lit a cigarette, and said,

“What happened back then is done, so I won’t say more. Now you’ve suddenly returned—what are your plans?”

“I haven’t decided yet. I just wanted to come back and take a look.”

Third Uncle Ling nodded.

“Good to come back and see. What are you doing for work now?”

“For the time being, nothing.”

He frowned slightly, adjusted his glasses, and spoke with a hint of reproach.

“How can you not have a job? The estate your father left has long since been spent. If you don’t work, how will you support yourself?”

“I’m managing for now, earning a little income in some ways.”

Third Uncle Ling tapped his cigarette ash, his tone calm.

“I need to remind you—though your parents are gone, you are still from a distinguished family. Don’t get involved in shady dealings. And avoid associating with unsavory characters.”

A sharp pain stabbed Ling Xiao’s chest. He had never imagined that his uncle would one day regard him as such a person.

He took a deep breath and countered,

“Though I’ve lost my parents, I have always remembered their teachings. But Uncle, do you truly see me as the kind of person who would stoop to petty theft?”

Third Uncle Ling frowned.

“What? As your elder, am I not allowed to give you a bit of advice?”

Ling Xiao said nothing. Third Uncle Ling snorted lightly and continued,

“I’ve made a little name for myself here in Jiangzhou. I work at a government office, as you know, and I’m known for being upright, so I can’t arrange a cushy job for you. But I have plenty of acquaintances—some run shops, some own factories. If you’re willing to serve tea, be a waiter, clean toilets, or work as a factory laborer, I can help you. After all, I am your uncle.”

Ling Xiao smiled bitterly inside. Human nature is cold; he should have guessed it long ago, yet he still held hope.

But paths diverge, and there’s no point in forcing it.

He stood up.

“Uncle, thank you for your kindness. But if I wanted a job serving tea and water, I wouldn’t need to trouble you. I came today at Grandpa’s request. I have other matters and must be going now. Goodbye.”

With those words, Ling Xiao turned and left.

Third Uncle Ling shook his head.

“That brat has the same temperament as his father. So self-important! If his father hadn’t insisted on marrying his mother, relying on his medical skills, they wouldn’t have offended the Hua family and ended up dying young, losing everything!”

Third Aunt Ling said coldly,

“Just look at him. Still thinks he’s some young master? After three years away, he comes back with two cases of supermarket drinks, looking like a pauper. What airs is he putting on? Listen, don’t get too close to someone like him. Once you’re entangled with such poor relatives, you’ll never shake them off.”

“I know. That’s why I blocked his path right away, so he wouldn’t ask me for help finding a good job. That would be a real headache for me.”

Third Aunt Ling giggled.

“Now that’s more like it. Xue, you should learn from your father. When dealing with this kind of pauper, you must cut him off immediately, give him no way forward. Otherwise, if he clings to you, you’ll suffer your whole life.”

Ling Xue nodded. Though she felt a little ashamed of her mother’s behavior, she couldn’t deny the truth in her words.

This world is realistic.

In the unseen workings of fate, some people’s paths are already set. Though Ling Xiao enjoyed wealth and privilege in his youth, now—and in the future—he is destined to be an ant struggling for daily bread.

She, on the other hand, would only get better from here on.

The gap between their perspectives and status would grow ever wider; there was no need to speak of family ties anymore.

She glanced out the window. Down below, not far from the building, a young man in black got into a Rolls-Royce.

Ling Xue’s delicate brows furrowed.

“Am I seeing things? That guy looks a bit like Ling Xiao. Looks like my nearsightedness has gotten worse. How could he possibly ride in a Rolls-Royce?”

Without his parents, Ling Xiao was nothing.

...

Inside the car, Ling Xiao had just settled in when Ming Cheng grinned.

“Master, looks like you ran into a closed door, huh?”

Ling Xiao glanced at him.

“If you keep quiet, no one will take you for a mute.”

Ming Cheng shrugged.

“I told you, if you don’t have money, don’t go looking for relatives. You should’ve brought a pile of gold bricks—guaranteed they’d hug your leg and call you daddy. But you refused, so how does it feel now? Was it worth it?”

“Is affection bought with money still affection?”

“There’s no perfect answer in this world. By the way, I have two things to report.”

“Speak.”

“First, several key figures in Jiangzhou have been called together. Tonight at the Jiangzhou Grand Hotel, in the Gathering Hall, they’re waiting for you. Among them is Li Xiangxian.”

“According to the Dark Cinema’s intelligence, Li Xiangxian seems to have ties with the Northwest Kongtong Mountain. Here’s some information for your review.”

Ling Xiao took the file and read it as he spoke,

“What’s the other matter?”

Ming Cheng snickered.

“That Miss Mu called, inviting you to dinner.”

Ling Xiao’s eyelids twitched, making Ming Cheng almost laugh out loud.

He had followed Ling Xiao for three years and had never seen him react like this. Only that woman, Mu Yiren, could so easily stir Ling Xiao’s emotions.