Ch. 197 - The Most Affectionate in the Wei Family
"Shut up!"
"I told you to shut up!"
Wei Wei's eyes widened with rage, a flicker of hesitation mixing with his panic.
Just as he was about to make a move...
Wei Qingyu, remembering how Lu Xing had anticipated this exact scene, spoke in a perfectly flat tone.
"Brother, you have something on your teeth."
Huh?
Wei Wei instantly pulled back his hand, covering his mouth as he began to frantically check his teeth.
The corners of Wei Qingyu's mouth curved up uncontrollably.
This Lu Xing person was truly something else.
There were definitely advantages to the way he never played by the rules. Aside from being slightly out of character for her, his unpredictable tactics were flawless.
From the moment she had the idea to talk to Wei Wei, Lu Xing had started asking her questions to dissect her brother’s usual personality.
The very next day, Lu Xing had sent her two detailed strategies.
The document had only one central theme, emphasized over and over again:
'Attack the heart first!'
He had provided her with the exact lines she should say and even included countermeasures for when Wei Wei eventually lost his temper.
Wei Qingyu found herself thinking it was a genuine shame Lu Xing had not pursued a career as a professional consultant.
When she asked him how he managed to put everything together so quickly, he gave her a simple answer.
Lu Xing had said that there is nothing truly new under the sun because, at the end of the day, all stories are about people.
Every emotion is driven by an unmet need.
When people cannot express those needs directly for fear of appearing petty, they find other ways to act out.
They complain, they rage, or they become passive-aggressive.
Wei Wei was a perfect example of this.
Compared to his peers, his abilities were actually quite impressive. In any other family, he would have been given his independence by now.
But standing over him was Wei Wenhai.
Wei Wenhai never missed a chance to remind Wei Wei that he was nothing more than a dog, and he insisted on keeping him on a very short leash.
For someone without talent, such proximity might be a gift.
But for a man with Wei Wei's strength and intellect, it was nothing but suffocating suppression.
Wei Wei did not feel gratitude toward Wei Wenhai; instead, he harbored a resentment so deep it had practically hardened into something tangible.
And that resentment was a weapon that could be used.
Had Wei Wei truly given up on his ambitions?
No.
His decision to flee the country was born of pure desperation and the total lack of a visible future.
If he had any hope of controlling the Wei family, he would never have chosen to run away.
Wei Qingyu watched as Wei Wei finished checking his teeth and even adjusted himself in the mirror.
She spoke again, her voice still devoid of any emotional fluctuation.
"Brother, every word I have said today is sincere. This is my most serious proposal."
Hiss.
Seriously.
Wei Wei glanced at Wei Qingyu several times.
With the word "brother" being used so many times, he was really starting to get a little used to it.
Wei Wei remained silent for a long moment before suddenly asking a question.
"Are you in a relationship?"
In an instant, he saw his "robot" sister's face turn a bright, whistling red.
Huh?
"Why are you blushing like a teapot about to boil!"
"You really are in a relationship!"
Wei Wei was floored. He had only asked it in passing and never expected to actually hit the mark.
Wei Qingyu refused to admit it and shook her head.
"We are not together."
Oh?
"So, you will be soon?" Wei Wei immediately caught the implication.
Wei Qingyu was flustered for only a few seconds before she regained her composure.
"I am not in a relationship, but you are married."
Wei Wenhai had refused to let Wei Wei's wife move into the family home, claiming that having too many people around was too noisy.
As a result, the only children permitted to live in the Wei residence were Wei Wei and Wei Qingyu.
This statement struck Wei Wei's most sensitive nerve.
"What does my marriage have to do with anything? Are you just jealous that I have a wife!"
Wei Qingyu shook her head.
"No. Sister-in-law is a very good person."
"But on your wedding day, when you brought her home to meet Dad, he said..."
She trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished.
This was another tactic Lu Xing had taught her.
No matter how powerful a person seems, they always have a soft spot.
Even the high and mighty Secretary Gao would want to discuss Ming history with people from time to time, let alone Wei Wei.
A person without a soft spot is a true desperado with no ties, and such people are best left alone.
But Lu Xing had seen clearly that Wei Wei’s soft spot was his wife.
"What did he say about her?"
As expected, Wei Wei immediately became anxious.
He could handle people talking about him, but he would not tolerate anyone disparaging his wife.
"He said that sister-in-law used to be a hostess at those drinking clubs. He said she wasn't 'clean' and that having her live in the house would ruin the family’s luck."
Thump!
Wei Wei slammed his fist against the car window and froze.
Hearing the sharp crack of the impact, Wei Qingyu waited a beat before asking a question.
"Does your hand hurt?"
"...I already regret doing that."
Ow, ow, ow!
Wei Wei had been trying to look tough, but the pain was so intense that he completely lost control of his facial expressions.
Looking at his reaction, Wei Qingyu knew she had struck the right chord.
She had been standing right there when Wei Wenhai made those comments.
Wei Wenhai knew she rarely spoke, so he had simply acted as if she were part of the furniture.
He never expected her to remember.
Wei Qingyu thought back to what Lu Xing had said to her on WeChat.
He had called her an "evolved AI."
It was strange. She did not feel insulted at all when he compared her to a robot.
While Wei Qingyu was lost in thought, Wei Wei was simmering with fury.
Years ago, Wei Wei's mother had spent a single night with Wei Wenhai, and the result was an unplanned pregnancy.
Upon discovering he had yet another illegitimate son, Wei Wenhai had coldly handed the woman a sum of money and told her to disappear.
Wei Wei’s mother chose to keep the child.
However, a woman with a large sum of money and no common sense is an easy target.
By the time Wei Wei was sixteen, his mother had lost all their money in the stock market.
Having lost everything due to her lack of financial foresight, they were left with nothing.
Wei Wei nearly had to drop out of school, but that was when he met his current wife.
Even though she was working as a bar hostess at the time, she had paid for his tuition for over a year.
Eventually, when his mother could no longer survive on her own, she returned to Wei Wenhai, sold her son back to the family for a final payout, and left for good.
That was how Wei Wei was finally acknowledged by the Wei family.
There is a saying that the first thing a blind man does after regaining his sight is throw away his cane.
But Wei Wei refused to be that man.
He did not discard the "cane" that had supported him, nor did he abandon the woman who had helped him reach the shore of success.
He had sworn to give his wife the best life possible.
"Brother, I am not lying. I remember his exact words and his exact tone," Wei Qingyu guaranteed.
Wei Wei scratched his head in frustration.
"I didn't say I didn't believe you."
Wei Qingyu's credibility in his eyes was a solid ninety percent.
Wei Wenhai’s credibility was in the negatives.
So, even though he had never heard his father evaluate his wife like that before...
He knew his sister was telling the truth.
That dead old man!
Creak.
The car came to a stop at the banquet venue.
Wei Wei was silent for a moment before speaking solemnly.
"I will think about it."
"Okay."
Wei Qingyu had not expected to fully sway him with a single conversation.
Wei Wei glanced at her and suddenly offered a small smile.
"Who on earth changed you this much?"
Wei Qingyu played deaf.
This was also a move she had learned from Lu Xing.
"Fine. If you don't want to say, then forget it."
Wei Wei lightly tapped his leg, adding with a joking tone:
"CEO Wen is also here today. It would be wiser for you to seek her out than to rely on me."
...
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