MCFEM C47

Chapter 47 – Everyone Fell into Silence

The woman looked at the child before her, her lips trembling, but in the end she could not speak.

Because Nie Ying’s expression was simply too terrifying.

He clenched his teeth tightly, standing rigid and silent.

“Meeting your mother for the first time and being so happy you can’t speak—that’s normal.”

In such a suffocating atmosphere, Madam Nie even smiled faintly. It had been so long since she had shown Nie Ying such a pleasant face. “But it doesn’t matter. Everything has already been explained clearly. From now on, you’ll have plenty of time to spend together.”

At those words, Nie Ying finally snapped.

He swept everything off the table onto the floor. With a sharp crack, a vase shattered to pieces. Then he seized a chair and hurled it, smashing the painting on the wall that had only recently been brought back from auction.

The violent force split the wall into a web of cracks, a chair leg broke off, and a piece of flying wood landed near Madam Nie and the woman.

Madam Nie gazed at him, her smile unchanged.

But the woman had never witnessed such a scene before. She turned deathly pale, stumbling back a step in fright.

Nie Ying’s eyes were bloodshot. He dropped the chair from his hand.

He had done this before. This was his way of expressing resistance and emotion.

The more expensive the object he destroyed, the more terrified the servants looked. That fear would ripple through the whole house. Before long, Madam Nie would send the servants to calm him and agree to his demands.

It was a silent compromise.

Nie Ying really did think it was rather meaningless.

He knew he was nothing more than a childish boy desperate for his mother’s attention.

But Madam Nie never gave him even a single extra word.

What he couldn’t bear now was not only her clownish gaze, but also why that woman—who called herself his birth mother—should look at him with such fear.

The woman’s eyes shook violently.

The figure before her, manic and violent, overlapped with the nightmare in her memory.

That day she had only been tending flowers in the garden, as usual.

The butler had told her to take a fresh bouquet upstairs to the lady’s vase. Madam was not there, only the master of the house…

The woman clutched her mouth. She felt nauseous, revolted, struggling to suppress those unbearable memories.

So many years had passed. She had thought she was healed.

After seeing news in an old work group chat about the Nie family’s recent troubles, maternal instinct had driven her to overcome her fear, to see the child.

But now she was dazed.

Was the man before her truly the child she had borne?

Her gaze pierced Nie Ying like knives. For the first time, he felt truly humiliated. Almost fleeing, he bolted from the room.

After Nie Ying left, the woman finally drew a deep breath. Madam Nie glanced regretfully at the ruined painting. Her eyes then drifted to the outsider, Gu Qingxu, and she smiled faintly.

Gu Qingxu’s expression was helpless.

To be fair, he hadn’t come deliberately to watch Nie Ying make a fool of himself.

But he had ended up witnessing quite the drama.

Unfortunately, with Nie Ying’s petty nature, there was no doubt he would hold a grudge against him as well.

Gu Qingxu was already calculating whether there was any need to maintain this flimsy friendship.

Nie Ying, meanwhile, ran wildly down the street.

He had no idea how far he went. Only when he was completely exhausted, his surging emotions somewhat spent, did he finally stop.

Panting, he leaned against a wall, steadying his breath until he looked less disheveled.

It was still early. He had no desire to loiter alone on the street. Conveniently, there was a billiard hall nearby he often visited.

He went to the counter to collect his own cue stick, but unexpectedly spotted an acquaintance.

Lu Ran was there too.

The two had never been close; their personalities clashed. Seeing him here made Nie Ying’s expression strange.

Lu Ran, stewing in anger by himself, hadn’t expected such an unwelcome visitor.

When Nie Ying sat down behind him without asking, Lu Ran snapped, “What do you want?”

“And you? What fun is it playing here alone?” Nie Ying curled his lips.

He shouldn’t have asked. At the mention, Lu Ran’s anger only worsened.

He had overheard Lu Zheng and his parents discussing bringing Lu Ji back. Enraged, he had stormed out after a huge quarrel.

Of course, he wouldn’t tell Nie Ying that. He only sneered, “What, you here to laugh at me too?”

Lately, one after another, people with whom he had no real friendship had come by. A few words of chatter, and then always—always—to watch his misfortune. Naturally, he assumed Nie Ying was the same.

At those words, Nie Ying’s gaze darkened instantly.

He had already heard whispers about the Lu family. Suddenly he realized—he and Lu Ran’s situations had a kind of resemblance.

Both had their lives overturned, losing everything they once had, forced to endure scorn and ridicule.

Perhaps because of what he had just experienced, a sense of fellow suffering welled up inside him.

And considering how Lu Ji had ruined his scheme before, the thought settled. He said slowly,

“Instead of sulking here, you’d better think about how to deal with that one in your family. I could even help you.”

Lu Ran froze. He hadn’t expected Nie Ying to say such a thing. Then realization dawned, and he laughed.

“Perfect. You still owe me a favor. This time, I won’t be polite.”

—

“What’s wrong?” He Ming’an closed the menu in his hands, looking across at Gu Yang. “You’ve seemed distracted all day. Didn’t sleep well last night?”

Gu Yang propped his chin on his hand, sipping his drink, then shook his head slowly.

He Ming’an handed the menu to the waiting server. Since Gu Yang rarely cared what to eat, he took the liberty of ordering for them both.

“So, how have things been between you and little Song lately?” he teased. “He’s been your tutor for a while now, hasn’t he?”

At this, Gu Yang’s expression shifted slightly, though he gave no answer.

He Ming’an watched his face, about to speak further, when his eyes suddenly caught on something.

They were dining in a semi-enclosed booth, separated by a carved elmwood screen instead of a door. Through the hollow lattice, one could just glimpse a tall, long-haired figure outside.

But the view was fleeting. In a moment, it was gone.

Sensing his pause, Gu Yang looked over. “What is it?”

He Ming’an blinked back to himself, seeming confused at what Gu Yang meant.

“Nothing? Must have been my mistake,” Gu Yang said casually, stirring the ice in his glass with a straw.

But unseen by him, He Ming’an’s eyes held a glimmer of surprise.

He never paid attention before. Oblivious, as though blindfolded and deafened.

After the meal, the servers quietly removed the screen. As He Ming’an walked out, his gaze flickered sideways, almost imperceptible.

The dining hall was nearly empty at this hour.

“Shouldn’t you be heading to the company? It’s about time,” He Ming’an asked with a smiling squint.

At first, Gu Yang looked blank. After a few seconds’ thought, he dimly recalled.

Assistant Gu Yuhui had called earlier, asking him to attend the presentation for the proposal he had submitted.

“I don’t want to.” He was blunt. “Too troublesome.”

He truly didn’t. He hadn’t even wanted to draft the proposal, but since he owed Yu Bai a favor, he had tossed one in to shut Gu Yuhui up.

Why did he have to show up in person?

Seeing Gu Yang listless, He Ming’an didn’t press. He only smiled and pointed behind him. “Maybe take a look where you are now?”

Following the direction, Gu Yang turned.

The surrounding area was a business park. And right behind him loomed the Gu Group headquarters building.

Gu Yang: “…”

Turning back, incredulous, he asked, “Why didn’t you just take me to their employee cafeteria?”

He Ming’an spread his hands innocently. “Couldn’t help it. The assistant begged me to.”

With a gentle smile, he touched his chest. “And I’ve always been eager to help.”

As he spoke, the young assistant who had been waiting downstairs spotted them, rushing up as though seeing salvation. He seized Gu Yang’s arm. “Young master, I’ve finally got you!”

He shot He Ming’an a grateful look.

He knew well: this young master was impossible. Even President Gu might not be able to summon him.

But he had no choice. Saddled with reviewing Gu Yang’s proposal, he had pored over the work and then checked it against the original positioning plan.

He remembered it clearly: it had been 11 p.m., alone at his desk after overtime, when he opened the file.

The instant coffee he had brewed at 5 p.m. had finally kicked in. And then—he couldn’t sleep all night.

Tossing in bed, he had realized: when presentation day came, he would drag the young master there if he had to.

Otherwise, he himself would be the scapegoat in the storm.

Before Gu Yang could protest further, the assistant half-pushed, half-pulled him upstairs.

He Ming’an stayed behind, watching leisurely. The resentful glances Gu Yang kept throwing at him were no more threatening than a kitten’s feeble cries.

Only after they disappeared did he stroll toward the curb, intent on hailing a cab.

But there, he ran into another familiar face.

The world was small. With a sigh, he called out cheerfully, “Isn’t this Song? What a coincidence.”

Song Yinxing stopped, turning toward the voice.

He Ming’an.

Dressed in a black coat, he looked a little more mature than at school.

Song Yinxing had never disliked him.

Though not close, every time Gu Yang shielded him, He Ming’an would lend a hand as well.

Even in his previous life, without Gu Yang in his world, He Ming’an had stepped in several times to curb Nie Ying’s escalating bullying.

He truly was a good person.

Even if he hadn’t changed the course of Song Yinxing’s fate.

One must not mistake a drop of kindness for a debt of grievance.

This was something Song Yinxing had always understood.

All the more since, near the end of that high school life, He Ming’an himself had been overwhelmed.

Thinking of the incident that had shaken society at large, Song Yinxing’s heart sank.

“What brings you here, Song?”

“I… had some errands. I was just heading home.” That much was true. He had been about to take the bus.

“But isn’t your place quite far from here?” He Ming’an said with a smile. “I’m heading toward school anyway. My driver can drop you off first.”

Before Song Yinxing could process how he even knew his address, before he could refuse, the taxi He Ming’an had hailed pulled up.

With a cheerful smile, He Ming’an opened the door, gesturing for him to enter.

—

Inside the Gu Group headquarters meeting room.

The space was broad, lit evenly without shadows, the rosewood décor giving a heavy, restrained dignity.

Both sides of the table were filled with senior executives. Most were older; anyone in their thirties counted as young.

Today’s agenda centered on the launch of a new subsidiary.

The Gu Group, founded on jewelry, already had Feili Jewelry as its flagship brand, a leader in the field. With long heritage and preserved traditional craftsmanship, their advantage was unmatched by newer firms.

But this also meant their customer base skewed older.

Not necessarily a weakness—older clients had deeper pockets and matched the brand’s image.

Yet the current head of the group had set his sights on the younger market.

The new subsidiary, positioned as affordable luxury, was the concrete step toward that goal.

Domestically, there were already many such brands, but quality varied wildly. The news had even reported cases of customers spending thousands on necklaces that tarnished within months, pearls dropping off one by one.

By contrast, the Gu Group boasted seasoned craftsmanship and solid supply chains with major gem mines worldwide. Their advantage was obvious.

Still, the board had been split, more than half opposed.

Launching a new company meant years of investment before profit, money spent rather than pocketed. For some, this was intolerable.

Yet somehow, President Gu had persuaded three of the most senior directors—his own uncles, by generation.

Thus the plan had gone forward decisively.

Gu Yuhui sat at the head, watching the presentation. Gu Qingxu stood at the front, speaking with practiced polish.

When he finished, polite applause sounded.

To be fair, the proposal was sound, far beyond a typical high schooler’s capacity. Clearly, he had outside guidance.

But networking was a key to success. None thought much of it.

Gu Yuhui, impassive, sipped tea and signaled the assistant to proceed.

For fairness, he had reviewed neither beforehand.

Gu Yang, clearly uninterested in presenting, slouched at the back, even yawning.

A wave of scrutiny fell on him.

Gu Yang turned his head and stared back blankly.

Immediately, the great-uncles looked away, remembering all too well this youth’s menace.

The assistant mounted the stage, bracing himself under the elders’ gaze, and opened the file.

The slides burst with lively, unconventional colors. A few executives perked up. Gu Qingxu, seated nearby, grew guarded.

Skipping the preface, the assistant reached the core. Those intrigued faces gradually soured.

“Proposal: collaborate with internet influencers, enter high-traffic livestream rooms, generate synergy…”

Perhaps fearing some wouldn’t understand, the slide even included a video link.

Eyes shut, the assistant clicked play.

At once, raucous sales cries boomed through the solemn, dignified room.

“Only 998, family! Just 998, and you can all take these ten necklaces home today!”

“What? The brand rep refuses? Then let me say this here: even if I have to tear up our contract, I’ll get this deal for my family!”

The roomful of executives froze, utterly silent.