Chapter Forty-Nine

After Yi Xiaoyu left, Old Man You sat dazedly on the living room sofa, as if his soul had been drained from him. He stared blankly at the floor, not uttering a single word.

Once Yi Xiaoyu left the house, he headed straight for the company.

Most of the senior executives already knew the company was about to change hands. The former president, who had held the largest share, was now demoted to vice president, while the one who had taken over was his own younger brother.

When Yi Xiaoyu arrived at the office, he found Yi Yu sitting in his chair, using his computer.

Seeing Yi Yu again, Yi Xiaoyu could barely hold himself back from throwing a punch. He strode over, snapped his laptop shut, and said through clenched teeth, “Who gave you permission to touch my computer?”

Yi Yu looked up, feigning a startled grievance. “Brother, do you have to scare people like that?”

Hearing Yi Yu call him “brother” sent a chill down Yi Xiaoyu’s spine. He forced himself to swallow his anger. “Don’t worry, I won’t fight you for this seat. I’ll pack up my things and leave the company. You Yi’s already handed over control to you. Do as you please.”

“Leave... leave? Where will you go?” Yi Yu stood up, his previous smirk vanishing as he frowned. “You still have fifteen percent of the company’s shares, and I haven’t driven you out completely. I’ve left the vice president position for you. There’s no need for you to...”

“You want me to play second fiddle to you?” Yi Xiaoyu cut him off with a cold laugh. “Yi Yu, who do you think you are?”

Yi Yu’s face darkened to an extreme, and his fists clenched unconsciously at his sides. “I know you’ve always hated me. You’ve never once looked me in the eye, but now, big brother, I’ve beaten you. What right do you have to talk down to me now?”

Yi Xiaoyu suddenly grew calm. He walked to his desk and, unhurried, began gathering the things he needed to take with him. “Yi Yu, to be honest, aside from that fat fool, I’m not surprised by your behavior. Your mother was a mistress to begin with, she took my mother’s husband, and as the son of a mistress, you took what was mine...”

Yi Xiaoyu hadn’t finished when Yi Yu suddenly grabbed him by the collar, yanking his upper body forward.

Yi Xiaoyu’s first thought was: when did this brat get so strong?

Looking closer, he realized Yi Yu had grown taller than him.

He had always regarded Yi Yu as a slightly older child, someone he could easily handle without effort—a brat he could lift with one hand if he felt like it.

Now, he realized this brat’s height and build actually surpassed his own...

“Let go.”

Being manhandled by his own younger brother, Yi Xiaoyu felt a sudden wave of humiliation. His cheeks flushed with anger, but the more furious he became, the less he could break free from Yi Yu’s grip.

Yi Xiaoyu was utterly exasperated. It was one thing to be physically outmatched by that fat fool, but how could he also be so powerless before his fresh-faced little brother? Had he really neglected to exercise that much?

Yi Yu had been furious at Yi Xiaoyu’s insult to his mother, but seeing his older brother furiously trying and failing to break free, he couldn’t stay angry. He licked his lips, and suddenly wrapped an arm around Yi Xiaoyu’s waist, grinning mischievously. “Brother, your lips look so soft. I wonder how they’d feel in my mouth.”

Yi Yu had long been aware of the feeling. The perfect blend of scholarly restraint and prideful coldness in Yi Xiaoyu made him want to crush him, to press him close and—keep bullying him.

Yi Xiaoyu broke out in a cold sweat at Yi Yu’s words. “What nonsense are you spouting? Let me go, or I swear I’ll hit you!”

Yi Yu’s expression grew somber. “Don’t be so angry, big brother.”

“I said let go!”

Yi Yu begrudgingly released him.

Yi Xiaoyu shot him a glare, wanting to curse him out, but all that escaped was a cold snort. He quickly finished packing his things, said nothing more, and turned to leave the office. Just as he reached the door, Yi Yu called out, his tone much more serious than before.

“All these years, my mother and I have suffered more than enough scorn from you and the rest of the Yi family. My mother depended on my father for everything, and so she always endured in silence. What I’m doing now isn’t just for me, but so my mother never has to suffer such contempt again. Now that I’ve succeeded, no one will ever dare call my mother a mistress again.”

Yi Xiaoyu stopped in his tracks, but didn’t look back.

Yi Yu, face drawn and weary, sat down in a chair, head bowed. “A lot of the Yi family relatives have shares in this company, not many, but enough that with me in this position, at least when they see my mother or me, they’ll show some respect.” He looked up at Yi Xiaoyu’s back. “You’ll never understand, big brother. We’re both sons of the same father, but in everyone’s eyes, I was always the unnecessary one, while you—everyone praised you wherever you went, as if you were born with a halo. Do you have any idea how jealous I was of you? All these years you looked down on me—do you know how much I wished for your approval?”

Yi Yu didn’t know how to put his feelings into words. In truth, he had never truly hated Yi Xiaoyu. What he really wanted was recognition from his excellent older brother, to show him that the brother he had always dismissed could one day surpass him.

That satisfaction of finally defeating Yi Xiaoyu was something he had always longed for.

Yet now, Yi Yu couldn’t help but admit—he didn’t want their relationship to be completely severed.

Yi Xiaoyu turned, fixing Yi Yu with a cold stare. Yi Yu pursed his lips and called softly, “Big brother.”

“Have you changed anything?” Yi Xiaoyu’s expression was unchanged. “Your mother is still the mistress who pushed my mother to her death. Just for that, you and your mother will disgust me for the rest of my life.”

With those words, Yi Xiaoyu turned and left.

Yi Yu stared at the office door, left slightly ajar, and suddenly felt a sharp pain in his heart. He was about to collapse onto the desk when his phone rang.

As soon as he picked up, he couldn’t help but complain, “Uncle, I feel awful.”

“Where are you? I’ll take you to see a doctor.”

“Can’t you tell I’ve been crying?” Yi Yu’s voice was choked with sobs. “It’s not my body.”

There was silence on the other end for a few seconds.

“Then I’ll take you to see a psychologist.”

“.....”

(A note from the author: I tried to take a nap at four in the afternoon and ended up sleeping until after ten at night. Sigh~~)