I'm too fat, so it's hard to get up. My arms are short, so I can't reach!
Hearing Chongxuan Sheng's reply, Su She's smile didn't change at all. "Cheng Association Master, why don't you bring it to Young Master Sheng?"
Cheng Shiyi had cultivated a good composure; there was no trace of embarrassment on her face now.
Taking the jade scroll from Su She, she walked gracefully over to Chongxuan Sheng, but ultimately couldn't bring herself to call herself "elder sister" again.
She held out the jade scroll with both hands: "Young Master Sheng, please take a look."
Qing Xi watched all this with a kindly expression, saying nothing, though what he was thinking, no one could know.
Li Zhengshu was turning his wine cup, seemingly savoring the taste.
Chongxuan Mingguang, having suffered repeated embarrassments, had a very ugly expression on his meticulously maintained face, clenching his fists in silence.
"Your association is too kind," Chongxuan Sheng said with a beaming smile.
He finally reached out to take the jade scroll.
Just as Cheng Shiyi's expression relaxed slightly, she saw Chongxuan Sheng casually place the jade scroll on the wine table, as carelessly as setting down a chopstick. "No business talk today. Let's look at it another day!"
"What day is 'another day'?" Su She seemed a bit embarrassed. "Time is tight."
Given his status, he wouldn't normally be so persistent.
But for him, everything in the world had a price, including his "status" and "face"—of course, these were very valuable, but compared to the entire Treasure Gathering Society, they were nothing.
Chongxuan Sheng's chubby face was radiant: "Today we only drink. Another day, I'll tell the Director what day that is."
This sounded like a tongue twister, rather flippant and teasing. Thus, the perfunctory attitude was no longer concealed.
Su She then smiled: "It seems Young Master Sheng still doesn't intend to forgive our Treasure Gathering Society."
"Has the Treasure Gathering Society ever done anything that needs my forgiveness?" Chongxuan Sheng asked in surprise. "I truly don't know!"
"Since that's the case..." Su She smiled freely. "Then I'll be going."
He rose from the seat, and Cheng Shiyi naturally followed behind.
"Let Director Su know," Chongxuan Sheng extended his right hand, gesturing toward Jiang Wang sitting at the next table, "this brother of mine always keeps his word."
His voice was flat, lacking much lethality: "The other day, he made an appointment with Association Master Cheng. After breaking through to the Inner Palace realm, he would go to the Treasure Gathering Basin to continue their relationship. You'd better manage things well, so my brother doesn't find the door missing."
Su She turned his head and looked deeply at Jiang Wang, then turned back to Chongxuan Sheng: "We will definitely work hard so he can find it."
"You're not seeing me out!" Chongxuan Sheng said finally.
From start to finish, Jiang Wang said nothing. What Chongxuan Sheng said was his attitude.
Actually, conversely, Chongxuan Sheng was also using his name to express his own attitude.
...
Su She's visit to the Xiashan Villa this time was no different from Chongxuan Sheng's previous trip to the Treasure Gathering Basin.
To extend one's face to be slapped wasn't a pleasant thing.
But for all matters, if there's even a sliver of opportunity, you give your all—this principle is easy to understand but hard to practice. Only by enduring what others cannot, can you enjoy what others cannot.
However, the subtle difference between the two was that when Chongxuan Sheng went to the Treasure Gathering Basin, besides trying to salvage the loss, his other purpose was to show weakness, to numb Chongxuan Zun, which made that unexpected kick all the more effective.
And when Su She came to the Xiashan Villa, besides trying to cut losses...
On the large sedan returning to the mansion, Li Longchuan and Xu Xiangqian sat together, while Li Zhengshu sat opposite them.
Su She's sudden visit had robbed these young nobles of their evening entertainment, and they knew Chongxuan Sheng must be busy with matters, so they each went home.
Li Zhengshu said thoughtfully: "Su She's hasty visit to the Xiashan Villa, setting aside his dignity to apologize, was just to drag Chongxuan Sheng into the mess. So that some people might realize that the Xu Fang incident could be Chongxuan Sheng's retaliation, making it hard for him to wash his hands clean."
Both were his juniors, and he had always treated Xu Xiangqian like a nephew, so he spoke directly.
Li Longchuan said: "But Chongxuan Sheng never took the bait."
"Not taking the bait is to show he has no involvement, that there's no retaliation against the Treasure Gathering Society, and naturally, it has nothing to do with Xu Fang."
Xu Xiangqian slapped his forehead, as if suddenly realizing: "No wonder Su kept apologizing, and Chongxuan Fatty kept saying there was nothing to apologize for!"
"Even though Chongxuan... uh, Sheng responded accurately," Li Longchuan forcibly corrected the nearly misused form of address, continuing, "Since Su She came to the door and set aside his dignity, he can never extricate himself from this vortex."
"So you think, with the Maple Sunset Gala, why did Chongxuan Sheng invite so many people?" Li Zhengshu asked.
"As long as the Treasure Gathering Society suffers, he'll always be under suspicion, even if it really has nothing to do with him. But as long as suspicion remains just suspicion, it won't affect him much. After all, the Chongxuan family is still the Chongxuan family, not some upstart without heritage."
In his words, there was no complaint about inadvertently supporting Chongxuan Sheng.
With just a light touch, Li Longchuan understood and smiled lightly: "Especially since Chongxuan Mingguang is among them!"
Just seeing someone like Su She unable to maintain a pleasant expression toward Chongxuan Mingguang was enough to show how foolish his performance today was.
As Chongxuan Zun's father, coming to host today's banquet for Chongxuan Sheng, he thought he was interfering with Chongxuan Sheng's socializing, but actually greatly diminished the effect of Su She's visit.
Because he was Chongxuan Zun's biological father, and Chongxuan Zun was the Treasure Gathering Society's partner. If it really was Chongxuan Sheng playing tricks and attacking the Treasure Gathering Society, how could Chongxuan Zun's father come to host the banquet for Chongxuan Sheng?
The Treasure Gathering Society's trip to apologize not only wasn't humble enough, but it actually gave people the impression of being muddled and aggressive.
Truly, they were good for nothing but ruining things.
"Good Chongxuan Fatty," Xu Xiangqian marveled. "I wonder how he grew all that fat. Can it coordinate with his brain for thinking?"
Li Zhengshu's eyelids twitched. Sometimes he really worried about this disciple of his friend, after all, his thinking was too eccentric.
He sighed and warned: "Since he's shown goodwill, you young people should get along. Try to maintain the friendship. This son is not to be made an enemy of easily!"
...
Chongxuan Mingguang left with a dark face, while Chongxuan Sheng still smilingly saw him to the door.
The guests had all dispersed, the cups and plates were in disarray.
Jiang Wang stood alone in the courtyard, looking at the silhouette of Xiashan under the night sky, lost in thought.
Chongxuan Sheng walked to his side, standing beside him: "It's going to be very busy from now on!"
Striking the Treasure Gathering Society was just the first step, and it had been done very successfully. Next was a comprehensive attack on Chongxuan Zun's forces.
The restaurants, inns, grain stores, and various businesses in hand all needed capital to maintain.
The retainers under him all needed support.
The connections cultivated all needed to be maintained.
All of these required resources—vast amounts of resources.
For a family of the Chongxuan family's level, when choosing an heir, they would never just look at personal cultivation, but more importantly whether they could lead the family to a better future.
After leaving Jixia Academy, no matter how strong Chongxuan Zun might be, if he was left all alone, he would absolutely not be able to compete with Chongxuan Sheng.
Destruction is easier than construction. Chongxuan Sheng had already shattered the hardest iron with one hammer. The next year should be enough to destroy about seventy to eighty percent of Chongxuan Zun's years of effort.
Presumably, after the Treasure Gathering Society suffered greatly and with Chongxuan Zun absent, none of his subordinates would have the confidence to withstand Chongxuan Sheng.
Chongxuan Zun could, of course, make a comeback.
But to use an unpleasant phrase... how many more years could Old Master Chongxuan hold on? How much time could he give him?
Jiang Wang didn't like the Maple Sunset Gala at all, and even lost interest in the remaining six sights of Linzi because of it.
"Being busy is good!" he only said.