Chapter 60: Father and Son

In the unlit living room, the midsummer sunlight forced its way through the windows but still failed to reach the seating area in the center.

The scattered light only added an oppressive filter to this "father and son" meeting.

Yan Jing finished asking.

No one in the living room spoke.

Only Yan Mu's heavy breathing could be heard, carrying a barely suppressed fury.

"Is this question so hard to answer, Father?"

Yan Jing smiled.

He lowered his head, his bangs swaying gently in the breeze drifting through the hall, his gaze shifting unpredictably.

"Perhaps I should ask it another way. Did you call me back this time because you want me to come home, or because you want to make a deal to never let me come home again?"

When Yan Jing finished speaking, Yan Mu looked up from across the room.

Yan Jing caught a trace of shock in his "father's" previously furious eyes.

After all, anyone would assume that the Yan Family sending someone to bring Yan Jing back meant they wanted him to return to the family.

Even Yan Yang had thought so when he first tracked Yan Jing down.

Because this was an order from the Master Household.

As the Master Household, their natural inclination was to gather as much talent as possible.

But the Master Household's intentions did not represent the intentions of this branch family.

Yan Jing had analyzed the original owner's memories and reached a rather different conclusion.

"Here comes the good part."

Behind the Video Camera, Lin Xiaoran looked thrilled.

Twists, surprises, the unexpected—these were the essential ingredients for a headline.

"..."

After a few seconds of silence, Yan Mu's expression turned grave as he slowly spoke.

"Of course I hope you'll come home. No matter what, you are still Yan Mu's son."

As his voice fell, the thirty-something woman sitting to the side, who hadn't said a word until now, turned to look at him.

Her phoenix eyes shifted wildly, her reluctance all but written on her face.

Clearly, this was not what they had agreed upon.

And the reason Yan Mu had suddenly changed his tune was naturally because of Lin Xiaoran holding the Video Camera nearby.

Some things had to be discussed within the branch family first precisely because they couldn't be allowed to reach the Master Household's ears.

But the woman's chest heaved unceasingly; she found this outcome hard to accept.

"Excuse me for a moment, I need to use the restroom."

She spoke in a low voice, a noticeable tremor already creeping into her tone.

After the woman left, Yan Mu quickly found an excuse to step away as well.

Both of them went upstairs.

The house's soundproofing was excellent, leaving the hall in complete silence.

Yan Jing paced around for a moment before casually finding a seat.

In his ear, Shen Youran's voice came through:

"Alright, right there. That's where we can hear the clearest."

On the other end of the connection, Shen Youran wore a pair of over-ear headphones. Watching the audio waveforms on her screen stabilize, she had the popcorn-eating girl beside her amplify the sound picked up from Yan Jing's earpiece and transmit it back to him.

The processed audio was slightly distorted, but the contents were still perfectly clear:

["Why did you agree to let that brat come back?! Didn't we clearly agree to never bother with that little bastard's affairs again?!"]

The woman's voice was highly agitated from the start.

["What else could I do? Didn't you see that reporter filming over there?!"]

Yan Mu forcibly suppressed his anger.

["She's just some lowly reporter, would she dare—"]

["You don't know shit! I just had someone look into her. She really is a reporter from the Rainbow Newspaper! The Rainbow Newspaper from the Central Municipality! Do you dare touch her?! Who in all of Ling'an would dare provoke those lunatics at the Rainbow Newspaper?!"]

Yan Mu's fury finally exploded.

["Even the Master Household isn't enough to stand up to the Rainbow Newspaper. Besides, do you think this is the Inner World? The Public Security Association is watching. Causing a death in the Surface World right now is a massive deal! It would be incredibly troublesome to handle! She even uploaded the video! You don't even understand this much, you stupid pig!"]

["You... you... you're cursing at me? When I gave birth to Xiao En and you brought him back from his evaluation, what did you say to me then?! And now you're cursing at me over that brat?!"]

The woman's voice trembled, tinged with a sob.

["...It's not what you think."]

Yan Mu sighed. ["I promised you I wouldn't let Xiao Jing come home, but you know full well what the Master Household wants. With that reporter filming right now, how could I just tell him to leave like we planned? If word reaches the Master Household, what do you expect me to do?"]

What he feared was never the public opinion of a father and son falling out, but the Master Household finding out he had disobeyed their instructions.

But the woman wasn't buying it. She laughed coldly.

["You're even calling him 'Xiao Jing' now. I've never heard you call him that before. You just saw your precious son get a Yellow Date-Selection Gift and wanted him back, didn't you? Yan Mu, we both know exactly who we are."]

["...I don't want to fight with you, but this is the only way to handle it. Besides, no matter how disobedient Xiao Jing is, he's still my son..."]

["When he entered the Novice Dungeon, why didn't you think of him as your son then?! Why didn't you go find him and help him?! You just wanted him dead! You couldn't kill him yourself, so you wanted that stain on your reputation to die in the dungeon!"]

The woman's words reignited the dying flames of their argument.

The two immediately began quarreling fiercely.

Yan Jing sat up straight, listening with keen interest.

Eventually, the woman spoke up to put an end to the dispute.

["No matter what, Yan Mu, I absolutely will not allow that boy back into our house! It's not just me who disagrees; it's Xiao En's wish as well. Having one older brother and one older sister is enough for him. He doesn't need a disobedient brother."]

["You should know exactly why our family is able to hold such a high position within the Master Household."]

["Before Xiao En came along, do you remember what kind of trash your daughter, your son, and even you were?"]

["If that brat still had two Yellow Date-Selection Gifts in his hands, the Master Household might have valued him a bit more. But now he has nothing. It's not as if the Master Household doesn't have others with a Yellow Date-Selection Gift like him."]

["But there is only one Xiao En."]

["If you let the Master Household choose, they would absolutely make the same choice. After all, all the hopes of your Yan Family now rest entirely on Xiao En."]

A long silence followed.

Yan Mu spoke again, his tone noticeably more exhausted.

["I'll go negotiate with that reporter and see what terms she wants to end this recording."]

["Once the recording is over, we can discuss the rest."]

Hearing the conversation upstairs come to an end, Yan Jing leaned back by the wooden table. He looked at Yan Yang, who stood there not daring to move an inch, and smiled.

"Second Brother, could you get me a pen and some paper?"

"Ah? Oh, sure. Just wait a sec, Jingzi."

With Yan Jing still holding blackmail material over him, Yan Yang hurriedly ran off to find a pen and paper.

It was then that Yan Jing noticed his older sister, who had been playing on her phone the whole time, raise her eyes and glance at him.

The pen and paper quickly arrived.

With his back to the Video Camera, Yan Jing quickly scribbled down a line of text. He folded the paper and waited for Yan Mu's arrival.

A short while later, Yan Mu and the woman returned from upstairs.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

Looking noticeably calmer now, Yan Mu turned to Lin Xiaoran.

"Miss Lin, I wonder if we could have a private chat. To discuss matters off-camera."

"If you're talking about a topic that could get me transferred back to the Central Municipality, I think I might be interested. But if it's about anything else... it'll cost 6 million Inner World currency."

Lin Xiaoran quoted a price.

"..."

Yan Mu's face darkened.

How could he possibly have the power to get Lin Xiaoran transferred back to the Central Municipality? Never mind him—the entire Yan Family branch in Ling'an City dreamed of going to the Central Municipality.

Not to mention, he was only a sub-branch of that Yan Family line.

And 6 million Inner Coins was simply too high... It far exceeded his original budget.

But just as his mood hit rock bottom, a slip of paper was tossed in front of him from a tricky angle that avoided the Video Camera.

He looked up, casting a glance at Yan Jing sitting opposite him. With a grim expression, he opened the note.

Just one look, and he nearly lost control of his fury.

[Give me a sum of money, and I will voluntarily refuse to come home on camera.]

He looked at the smiling Yan Jing across from him, never expecting that this formerly cowardly and rebellious son would actually dare to threaten him.

What he expected even less was that Yan Jing had actually seen right through his current predicament.

This piece of paper was undeniably a challenge to his authority.

But looking at the words on the paper and thinking about his current situation...

A few seconds later, the anger in his eyes finally began to fade.

Scratch, scratch—

The note was passed back to Yan Jing.

[200,000 Inner Coins]

Reading the contents of the note, Yan Jing smiled.

Quickly, the note returned to Yan Mu's hands.

[1 million Inner Coins]

Seeing the number on the paper, Yan Mu almost leapt up and flipped the table. In the end, the camera forced him to remain calm.

[500,000 Inner Coins. This is my limit.]

Looking at the note in his hand, the corners of Yan Jing's lips curled up.

He jotted down a few more lines before passing it back again.

[1.2 million. Transfer 600,000 to this account first: 337347. Then I'll speak.]

[This 1.2 million Inner World currency isn't for me. It's the price for that little brother of mine.]

[After this, I will no longer be an eyesore to my dear brother and stepmother.]

[Otherwise, the news of my desire to return to the Yan Family will immediately reach the Master Household.]

[This is my limit as well.]

Huff... huff... huff...

In the eyes of the others present, the father and son pair of Yan Jing and Yan Mu had merely passed a piece of paper back and forth a few times, yet Yan Mu's breathing grew heavier and heavier.

Two sons. He could only choose one now.

If he chose the better one, he would have to pay a sum of money—a sum he originally didn't need to pay at all.

And if he chose the worse one...

It was impossible for him to choose the worse one.

Eventually, this silent contest came to an end.

Yan Mu picked up his phone.

Soon after, Shen Youran's voice rang in Yan Jing's ear.

["It arrived."]

Yan Jing immediately spoke in a soft voice.

"Actually, Father, I know you came to ask me to come home this time, but I don't want to return to the Yan Family. I've been out here for far too long."

"Xiao Jing, some things are not for you to fool around with."

Yan Mu's acting skills flared to life as he replied in a deep tone.

"The Master Household has already given the order. You must come back."

Yan Jing felt that if he seized the opportunity to agree to go back right now, Yan Mu would absolutely explode.

But he truly didn't want any more entanglements with this family, so he remained silent, just quietly watching Yan Mu.

The underlying meaning required no words:

Pay the balance.

"..."

Yan Mu stayed silent for several seconds before speaking again.

"However, I also know you've been outside for too long and can't adapt all at once. If you really don't want to come back for the time being, I won't force you. There's a sum of money on this card. Take it and use it for now."

Saying this, Yan Mu tapped on his phone a few times before passing a card over, perfectly angled for the Video Camera.

"There is no password."

Yan Mu added, "I spent so long trying to persuade you just now, and you still refuse to come back. This shows that I've been somewhat of a failure as a father. I'll properly reflect on myself."

Yan Jing didn't listen to the load of drivel Yan Mu spouted afterward; his attention was entirely focused on Shen Youran's voice in his ear.

["The video came through. Give me a second... I've checked it. No problems, it's 600,000 Inner World currency."]

Yan Jing nodded and was just about to continue his act.

Suddenly, a freezing voice rang out.

"Has Father given you too much face?"

"Is there a problem, Eldest Sister?"

Yan Jing smiled at the short-haired woman across from him, who had just set down her phone.

His eldest sister, Yan Lei.

"I said, has Father given you too much face?"

The short-haired woman tossed her phone aside, her expression frigid.

"It's been a long time since you were taught a lesson, hasn't it?"

"Does Eldest Sister want to spar with me?"

"I am educating you on Father's behalf."

Yan Lei pointed at the Video Camera.

"And while I'm at it, I'll show the elders in the family that a Day Selection Ritual means nothing. Trash will always be trash."

"The Yan Family isn't desperate for you to return."

As her words settled, the thoughts of everyone in the living room shifted violently.

Yan Mu felt anxious. Yan Lei's actions had been instigated by her mother, and he was worried Yan Jing wouldn't accept.

Yan Yang was filled with anticipation, eager for his eldest sister to teach Yan Jing a lesson on his behalf.

Lin Xiaoran was thrilled, feeling she had just taken another step closer to returning to the Central Municipality.

And Yan Jing's lips curved upward.

When it came to sparring with relatives, he had plenty of experience.