Tong Youyou’s serious expression amused her father, making him chuckle as he drove. “If your big brother still doesn’t understand, keep teaching him. If you explain it enough times, he’ll eventually get it.”
Tong Youyou sighed, “That sounds like a lot of work. Second Brother never needs anyone to teach him.”
Hearing this, Tong Bingran couldn’t help but frown. He said earnestly, “Youyou, remember that your brother is the one who shares the same parents as you. Your Second Brother…”
“Second Brother and I don’t have the same parents—I know that, Dad. You’ve told me many times,” Tong Youyou replied, pouting and looking a bit displeased.
As she grew older and her parents repeatedly reminded her, she understood her brother was closer to her than her Second Brother. However, Youyou still liked Second Brother more. Even though he didn’t always say the nicest things, he was a good person, and she had long realized he was just a bit tsundere.
Tong Xu, who didn’t like being compared to Tong Yi, quickly changed the subject. “Dad, Jiang Li mentioned today that the Feng family is also going to throw her a graduation banquet.”
Tong Youyou immediately raised her hand. “Sister told me that! She said she would send me an invitation, and I’m definitely going.”
Tong Bingran couldn’t resist teasing her. “And if we don’t attend, will you go by yourself?”
Without hesitation, Tong Youyou nodded. “Second Brother will definitely go, so I’ll go with him.”
Tong Bingran: “…”
His daughter was indeed smarter than most kids, but she was also quite strong-willed. No matter how many times he had told her to keep her distance from Tong Yi, she still did as she pleased.
Tong Bingran decided to hold off on giving her more advice for now. Otherwise, it might trigger a rebellious response, which would be counterproductive.
Fortunately, despite Tong Yi’s erratic behavior, the boy was still good to Youyou. The family’s servant had mentioned that whenever Youyou struggled with her homework, she would bring her workbook to Tong Yi, who, though often appearing impatient, always took the time to help her. That was the stark contrast with his attitude toward Tong Bingran and Tong Xu. Perhaps due to his delinquent reputation, he didn’t care about what others thought of him and treated his uncle with the same disregard as he did everyone else.
Recently, Tong Bingran had begun to regret some of the things he had done to Tong Yi. After his younger brother and sister-in-law were killed by kidnappers, his nephew became an orphan overnight. His mother couldn’t bear the pain of losing her son and passed away within a month, and his father also fell gravely ill soon after.
When the late patriarch of the Tong family was on his deathbed, he requested Tong Bingran’s presence along with the family lawyer to discuss his will. At that time, the Tong family’s assets were all under his control and his original plan was to divide them among his three children. But with the second son gone, the plan was disrupted.
Tong Yi was still too young at that time, and the late patriarch didn’t feel comfortable leaving the family assets in the hands of a child. So he entrusted Tong Bingran to manage the assets on Tong Yi’s behalf until he turned twenty-five, at which point they would be returned to him.
Initially, Tong Bingran didn’t think much of it, but soon people began congratulating him, saying he had turned misfortune into a blessing by gaining control of the Tong family’s assets. Tong Bingran quickly refuted, “My father wasn’t someone who favored sons over daughters. My sister has obtained her share, and as for Tong Yi’s portion, I’m just managing it—I can’t consider it my own.”
But those around him just gave him knowing looks, saying, “Your sister is backed by the Feng family, so her share is indeed untouchable. But Tong Yi is just a child—whatever you want to do with him is entirely up to you.”
Tong Bingran laughed it off, “Nonsense! That’s my nephew—how could I treat him like that? You should stop making such jokes.”
The man immediately responded, “I’m saying this for your own good. The Tong family has always been a giant in the industry, but when Tong Yi comes of age and demands his share, the family could be torn apart. Aren’t you worried about that?”
At first, Tong Bingran didn’t take these words seriously, but as more people repeated them, it became increasingly hard to ignore. His nephew had always been an obedient and sensible child, and having watched him grow up, Tong Bingran couldn’t bring himself to do anything truly harmful to him.
However, Tong Yi was young and his character was still prone to change, so Tong Bingran thought he could guide him into becoming a typical second-generation dandy who only knew how to squander money and enjoy life. That way, by the time Tong Yi turned twenty-five, the boy might have no interest in business, and the Tong family assets could remain firmly under his control. Of course, that meant he would have to take care of Tong Yi for life, but as long as they were within limits, there would be no harm in indulging him.
But while this plan sounded perfect in theory, the reality was much harsher. Tong Yi seemed to have figured out his intentions early on, so while the boy acted the part of a spoiled rich brat on the surface, he had been working hard in secret.
Eventually, Tong Yi went abroad and only returned after a few years. Although he was still carrying his previous uninhibited and carefree attitude, but the projects he had recently invested in were all highly profitable. The only one that wasn’t profitable was the investment in a certain research institute.
But could that even be considered a loss? After all, you have to spend money to make more money. If Tong Yi could win over Jiang Li, the entire Feng family would become his support.
When Jiang Li was still a minor, Tong Bingran had considered trying to stir things up with the Feng family to make them angry—that would surely have caused real trouble for Tong Yi. However, the Feng family members were not easily swayed, and they always steered the conversation absurdly whenever he tried to bring up the subject.
Now that Jiang Li was an adult, it was even less effective to try that method, especially since his own blockheaded son had also developed feelings for her.
The more Tong Bingran thought about it, the more frustrated he became. At the red light, he looked back at his son and said in an irritated tone, “Perhaps you should consider going overseas for some time.”
Tong Xu was stunned. “Why should I go abroad?”
Tong Bingran let out a sarcastic laugh, “I think you forgot to bring your brain back with you when you returned to China. You should go back and look for it.”
“…” Tong Xu had a strong feeling that his father had become particularly irritable towards him lately, always resorting to sarcasm in his speech. But what could he do? It was best not to argue—he wouldn’t win anyway.
Seeing Tong Xu’s silence, Tong Bingran grew even more annoyed. “What, did you lose your voice too?” Tong Yi might be irritating, but at least he always had something to say. Unlike his blockheaded son—on the surface, this brat might seem mature and composed, but in reality, is just like a silent gourd.
“What do you want me to say?” Tong Xu sighed with helplessness.
Tong Youyou quietly chimed in, “No matter what you say, Dad will keep scolding you, so you might as well just admit you’re mute.”
Tong Xu glanced expressionlessly at his little sister, who was taking pleasure in his misfortune, and replied in a monotone, “Thanks.”
Tong Bingran was shocked. “Youyou was clearly mocking you, and you can’t even tell? And you’re thanking her?”
Tong Xu: “…” No, it’s you, Dad, who can’t tell that ‘thank you’ can sometimes be sarcastic.
But he didn’t dare say that aloud; otherwise, his father would go on lecturing him.
Tong Youyou, seeing her brother getting verbally beaten, kept making funny faces at him, which only made Tong Xu feel even more miserable.
Tong Youyou’s serious expression amused her father, making him chuckle as he drove. “If your big brother still doesn’t understand, keep teaching him. If you explain it enough times, he’ll eventually get it.”
Tong Youyou sighed, “That sounds like a lot of work. Second Brother never needs anyone to teach him.”
Hearing this, Tong Bingran couldn’t help but frown. He said earnestly, “Youyou, remember that your brother is the one who shares the same parents as you. Your Second Brother…”
“Second Brother and I don’t have the same parents—I know that, Dad. You’ve told me many times,” Tong Youyou replied, pouting and looking a bit displeased.
As she grew older and her parents repeatedly reminded her, she understood her brother was closer to her than her Second Brother. However, Youyou still liked Second Brother more. Even though he didn’t always say the nicest things, he was a good person, and she had long realized he was just a bit tsundere.
Tong Xu, who didn’t like being compared to Tong Yi, quickly changed the subject. “Dad, Jiang Li mentioned today that the Feng family is also going to throw her a graduation banquet.”
Tong Youyou immediately raised her hand. “Sister told me that! She said she would send me an invitation, and I’m definitely going.”
Tong Bingran couldn’t resist teasing her. “And if we don’t attend, will you go by yourself?”
Without hesitation, Tong Youyou nodded. “Second Brother will definitely go, so I’ll go with him.”
Tong Bingran: “…”
His daughter was indeed smarter than most kids, but she was also quite strong-willed. No matter how many times he had told her to keep her distance from Tong Yi, she still did as she pleased.
Tong Bingran decided to hold off on giving her more advice for now. Otherwise, it might trigger a rebellious response, which would be counterproductive.
Fortunately, despite Tong Yi’s erratic behavior, the boy was still good to Youyou. The family’s servant had mentioned that whenever Youyou struggled with her homework, she would bring her workbook to Tong Yi, who, though often appearing impatient, always took the time to help her. That was the stark contrast with his attitude toward Tong Bingran and Tong Xu. Perhaps due to his delinquent reputation, he didn’t care about what others thought of him and treated his uncle with the same disregard as he did everyone else.
Recently, Tong Bingran had begun to regret some of the things he had done to Tong Yi. After his younger brother and sister-in-law were killed by kidnappers, his nephew became an orphan overnight. His mother couldn’t bear the pain of losing her son and passed away within a month, and his father also fell gravely ill soon after.
When the late patriarch of the Tong family was on his deathbed, he requested Tong Bingran’s presence along with the family lawyer to discuss his will. At that time, the Tong family’s assets were all under his control and his original plan was to divide them among his three children. But with the second son gone, the plan was disrupted.
Tong Yi was still too young at that time, and the late patriarch didn’t feel comfortable leaving the family assets in the hands of a child. So he entrusted Tong Bingran to manage the assets on Tong Yi’s behalf until he turned twenty-five, at which point they would be returned to him.
Initially, Tong Bingran didn’t think much of it, but soon people began congratulating him, saying he had turned misfortune into a blessing by gaining control of the Tong family’s assets. Tong Bingran quickly refuted, “My father wasn’t someone who favored sons over daughters. My sister has obtained her share, and as for Tong Yi’s portion, I’m just managing it—I can’t consider it my own.”
But those around him just gave him knowing looks, saying, “Your sister is backed by the Feng family, so her share is indeed untouchable. But Tong Yi is just a child—whatever you want to do with him is entirely up to you.”
Tong Bingran laughed it off, “Nonsense! That’s my nephew—how could I treat him like that? You should stop making such jokes.”
The man immediately responded, “I’m saying this for your own good. The Tong family has always been a giant in the industry, but when Tong Yi comes of age and demands his share, the family could be torn apart. Aren’t you worried about that?”
At first, Tong Bingran didn’t take these words seriously, but as more people repeated them, it became increasingly hard to ignore. His nephew had always been an obedient and sensible child, and having watched him grow up, Tong Bingran couldn’t bring himself to do anything truly harmful to him.
However, Tong Yi was young and his character was still prone to change, so Tong Bingran thought he could guide him into becoming a typical second-generation dandy who only knew how to squander money and enjoy life. That way, by the time Tong Yi turned twenty-five, the boy might have no interest in business, and the Tong family assets could remain firmly under his control. Of course, that meant he would have to take care of Tong Yi for life, but as long as they were within limits, there would be no harm in indulging him.
But while this plan sounded perfect in theory, the reality was much harsher. Tong Yi seemed to have figured out his intentions early on, so while the boy acted the part of a spoiled rich brat on the surface, he had been working hard in secret.
Eventually, Tong Yi went abroad and only returned after a few years. Although he was still carrying his previous uninhibited and carefree attitude, but the projects he had recently invested in were all highly profitable. The only one that wasn’t profitable was the investment in a certain research institute.
But could that even be considered a loss? After all, you have to spend money to make more money. If Tong Yi could win over Jiang Li, the entire Feng family would become his support.
When Jiang Li was still a minor, Tong Bingran had considered trying to stir things up with the Feng family to make them angry—that would surely have caused real trouble for Tong Yi. However, the Feng family members were not easily swayed, and they always steered the conversation absurdly whenever he tried to bring up the subject.
Now that Jiang Li was an adult, it was even less effective to try that method, especially since his own blockheaded son had also developed feelings for her.
The more Tong Bingran thought about it, the more frustrated he became. At the red light, he looked back at his son and said in an irritated tone, “Perhaps you should consider going overseas for some time.”
Tong Xu was stunned. “Why should I go abroad?”
Tong Bingran let out a sarcastic laugh, “I think you forgot to bring your brain back with you when you returned to China. You should go back and look for it.”
“…” Tong Xu had a strong feeling that his father had become particularly irritable towards him lately, always resorting to sarcasm in his speech. But what could he do? It was best not to argue—he wouldn’t win anyway.
Seeing Tong Xu’s silence, Tong Bingran grew even more annoyed. “What, did you lose your voice too?” Tong Yi might be irritating, but at least he always had something to say. Unlike his blockheaded son—on the surface, this brat might seem mature and composed, but in reality, is just like a silent gourd.
“What do you want me to say?” Tong Xu sighed with helplessness.
Tong Youyou quietly chimed in, “No matter what you say, Dad will keep scolding you, so you might as well just admit you’re mute.”
Tong Xu glanced expressionlessly at his little sister, who was taking pleasure in his misfortune, and replied in a monotone, “Thanks.”
Tong Bingran was shocked. “Youyou was clearly mocking you, and you can’t even tell? And you’re thanking her?”
Tong Xu: “…” No, it’s you, Dad, who can’t tell that ‘thank you’ can sometimes be sarcastic.
But he didn’t dare say that aloud; otherwise, his father would go on lecturing him.
Tong Youyou, seeing her brother getting verbally beaten, kept making funny faces at him, which only made Tong Xu feel even more miserable.
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