Chapter 104: Speaking Up

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The Profligate Son, No Ads
Chapter 104: Speaking Up

Seeing her finally come up now, Xiao Tianci chuckled inwardly, thinking she must have just finished a match. Then he reconsidered—several hours had passed; could little Meige really endure that? Though she probably enjoyed it herself, after all, she was just a child. Sigh, this Fire Phoenix, why is she still acting like a child, sulking and gambling with kids?

In the blink of an eye, Fire Phoenix had already climbed up. This stretch of path was nothing to her, but because she arrived so late, she was anxious and her face showed a hint of awkwardness.

Seeing Fire Phoenix standing there without saying a word, Xiao Tianci thought to himself, "After making me wait so long, she still won’t take the initiative to speak." Watching her remain silent, he deliberately glanced at his watch and said, “I wonder if my watch’s broken. It’s brand new, you know.”

Then he turned to the chief steward and said, “I recall you told me this was some kind of earl’s watch and that it cost millions, yet the time’s not accurate?”

The chief steward smiled inwardly—if the boss wanted to play around, he had to play along—and nervously replied, “That’s impossible, boss. This watch can’t be faulty.”

Xiao Tianci pointed at the watch and said, “Look, I clearly arranged to meet Miss Fire Phoenix this afternoon, and what time is it now? Whatever we do, how can we be unreliable? How can we stand in the business world if we break our word? Tell me.”

Chief Steward Lin Jian slowly lowered his head, looking guilty and ready to admit fault.

Fire Phoenix’s face flushed slightly. Finally, she spoke, “Xiao Tianci, have you had enough fun? I’m late, so it’s my fault, alright?”

“Oh, so Miss Fire Phoenix, you’re late,” Xiao Tianci clicked his tongue. “I don’t quite understand this ‘it’s my fault’ thing. If it’s wrong, it’s wrong; if not, it’s not. We must get this clear. Our policy is to never let a bad person off the hook nor to wrong an innocent one.”

“You…” Fire Phoenix, fuming, said, “I shouldn’t have come at all,” and turned to leave.

Xiao Tianci thought it was about time to get serious. “Alright, let’s put this aside for now. Let’s talk about Meige.”

Fire Phoenix stopped in her tracks. Xiao Tianci continued, “We’ll talk about us another time. I’m leaving soon, and Meige’s situation must be decided quickly. She sees you as her big sister, and you’ve said you treat her like a little sister. Shouldn’t we sit down and discuss this properly?”

Night had fallen; the lights both up and down the mountain came on, including those in the pavilion, all controlled by computer systems that turned on at dusk automatically.

The wind picked up, rustling the trees with varying intensity, as if the mountain itself were alive, moving like marching armies.

Fire Phoenix had indeed lost to Meige in the afternoon, and she was quite displeased about it. Meige had only just started learning, after all. No matter what, Fire Phoenix had trained with guns for some time, though she hardly used them now.

In her heart, she kept pushing herself, repeatedly competing with Meige. After all, Meige was a child—resilient but uncalculating. Her body and arm strength, even using a smaller ladies’ gun, couldn’t withstand long shooting sessions. Eventually, her trembling arms and weary body caused her to lose to Fire Phoenix. Fire Phoenix knew how she had won and felt a bit embarrassed. After the match, she remembered she had promised Xiao Tianci something.

Though Xiao Tianci’s words hadn’t pleased her, this was a matter involving Meige, so she slowly turned around, walked over, and sat down. “Say what you want.”

Xiao Tianci found it strange himself; he used to be quite playful, especially during university. But since starting work and becoming an executive, and being relatively young, he needed to appear steady and mature. A leader who was already older but still clowning around with subordinates couldn’t get anything done, let alone command respect.

After encountering Fire Phoenix and a few incidents, they had become rivals. Especially after what happened on the submarine, Xiao Tianci always felt like teasing her a bit when they met. Sometimes, even if he didn’t say anything, she wouldn’t let him off.

Getting down to business, Xiao Tianci put away his joking demeanor and became serious. “I’ve been thinking these past two days. This can’t go on. We’re leaving soon, and there’s much to do. We can’t bring Meige along. I called you here to discuss whether you support Meige staying behind to study.”

Though he knew Fire Phoenix’s stance, he still wanted to hear her say it herself. Seeing Xiao Tianci’s serious face, Fire Phoenix was somewhat unaccustomed, feeling a little surprised that this lecher could be so serious. Well, he wasn’t a total fool; he had some ability after all… a lecher nonetheless.

Xiao Tianci didn’t know what she was thinking. Seeing her hesitate, he said, “Don’t you understand by now?”

“Yeah,” Fire Phoenix quickly nodded. “I agree, but like I said, what good is it if you and I agree? Meige absolutely refuses.”

Xiao Tianci lightly tapped the stone table. “That’s exactly why I called you here to discuss. If it were easy, I wouldn’t have needed to consult you.”

He then shared his ideas: Fire Phoenix should stay with Meige for a while. After thinking it over, she said, “Will that work?”

Xiao Tianci replied, “You won’t know until you try. Thinking about it won’t reveal the outcome.”

Fire Phoenix had thought about it too these days. With things laid out like this, what else could she say? Reluctantly, she nodded, “Alright, I’ll try to help. No guarantee it’ll succeed.”

Xiao Tianci confidently responded, “It’s not just helping me; it’s us working together for Meige. We can’t just give up. We’ll find other ways if needed.”

Now, Xiao Tianci showed none of his earlier frivolity. He was steady, composed, exuding safety and confidence. His dedication, ambition, and confidence influenced those around him.

They began discussing how to persuade little Meige, how to push her to stay. Chief Steward Lin Jian stood nearby, recalling the island’s dragon vein he had pointed out to Xiao Tianci. If feng shui was real, why had the Xiao family risen to such heights only to suddenly suffer such catastrophe?

“Meige, do you like your sister?” Fire Phoenix asked, having taught Meige a few basic leg techniques, now holding her on a chair.

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Meige nodded vigorously. Fire Phoenix smiled, “Then you’ll listen to your sister, right?”

Meige nodded again, eyes puzzled, not understanding why Fire Phoenix wouldn’t just say everything at once. Her sister used to speak rapidly.

Fire Phoenix felt she really wasn’t persuasive. Usually, she was quite talkative, and Xiao Tianci had already told her what to say, yet she still felt awkward.

“Meige, would you be happy to stay with your sister?” Meige nodded again, tilting her head, wondering why Fire Phoenix was so hesitant.

Fire Phoenix carefully explained, “Meige, the thing is, your brother Xiao has many matters—he’s a very busy man and can’t always be with you. You’re a good child and you understand, right? Look at other kids; when their parents go to work, they stay home or go to school and don’t make trouble…”

Smart little Meige shook her head slowly. Fire Phoenix realized she got it. “Alright, then listen. Sister will stay here with you. Your brother will come back in three months. That’s not long. You can learn martial arts from me and practice shooting. When your master returns, he’ll test you!”

Meige shook her head faster and faster, making Fire Phoenix’s head spin. Finally, Meige jumped down and ran outside to find Xiao Tianci.

“Stop!” Fire Phoenix grabbed her. Now she was angry and unlike Xiao Tianci, who never lost patience with Meige, Fire Phoenix forgot their plan in her fury.

“Stop, you naughty child! Listen to me.” Meige struggled hard, but Fire Phoenix easily restrained her, fuming, “Stop messing around! If you don’t behave, I’ll hit you. When I’m your sister, I have to discipline you. I’m not like your lecherous brother.”

Outside the door… one person… sweating…

No matter what Fire Phoenix said, Meige tried to run off. Fire Phoenix, now furious, put Meige back on her lap. “Smack… if you keep being naughty… smack… I’m telling you, I’m hitting you for your own good… smack… I said I’d stay with you, so I’m better than that big lecher…”

Outside, Xiao Tianci pressed his palm against his face. How on earth had he let her try to persuade Meige?

“Bang…” Xiao Tianci had to push open the door and walk in silently. Fire Phoenix looked up, saw him, and stopped. Seeing his fierce gaze, she lowered her head.

“Meige…” Xiao Tianci paused, reaching to lift Meige off Fire Phoenix’s lap.

Fire Phoenix loosened her grip, and Meige slipped down like an eel. Meige looked at Xiao Tianci, then Fire Phoenix, shaking her head as she backed away.

Fire Phoenix stood and said to Meige, “Sister will stay and keep you company. I only hit you because you wouldn’t listen.”

Meige retreated to the corner. Xiao Tianci softly said, “Is that how you persuade someone? I think someone told me something about this before.”

“Hmph, sometimes kids can’t be spoiled too much. Besides, I didn’t really hit her.”

If she really had, would Meige still be alive? Xiao Tianci had no time to argue. Seeing Meige’s horrified expression and her shaking head, he quickly said, “Meige, come here to brother, okay? Brother…”

Unexpectedly, Meige suddenly pulled out a gun and aimed it at her own head.

“Me…ige…” Xiao Tianci shouted urgently, “Don’t do anything rash! Listen to your brother; we can talk about anything.”

Fire Phoenix was also alarmed. Had it been her hitting that caused this? Though unafraid of death on the battlefield, her heart trembled with guilt now.

“It’s all sister’s fault. Please listen, sister won’t hit you again. Put the gun down, okay?”

God, don’t let a child play with a gun! How did she let Meige get hold of one? What if something happened… Xiao Tianci’s heart dared not imagine; he would be haunted by guilt forever. But how could Meige do this?

What to do? Could it really be because Fire Phoenix hit her? Xiao Tianci knew it wasn’t that; Meige was otherwise good and sensible. She listened to everything except when it came to staying.

Thinking this, Xiao Tianci smiled, raising both hands. “Heh… heh… Meige, see? Brother surrenders. Brother agrees not to keep you here, okay?”

Meige blinked in disbelief, staring at Xiao Tianci. Last time he proposed she stay, Fire Phoenix was there to lean on. Now, when Fire Phoenix said she should stay, Meige felt as if abandoned by the world. She didn’t want to leave brother, didn’t want to leave.

Seeing her expression, Xiao Tianci knew he was right. He nudged Fire Phoenix with his elbow. Fire Phoenix hadn’t yet realized but, seeing Xiao Tianci’s look, she immediately understood.

Hastily, she raised her hands and smiled, “Right, right, Sister Fire Phoenix surrenders too.”

The idea was not wrong; the mistake was treating Meige like an ordinary child. She was no longer an ordinary child. Xiao Tianci couldn’t guess what was going on in her mind.

But her determined gaze made him believe she could accomplish anything if she wished.

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Seeing her expression soften, Xiao Tianci breathed a slight sigh of relief, but the danger remained as long as the gun was in her hands. Her marksmanship was already formidable, and at such close range, unless Jin Gang stopped her before she reacted, no one here could. Jin Gang was currently away, negotiating with Qinglong to enhance his own abilities.

Seeing Meige still unsettled, Xiao Tianci said, “Meige, when brother says you can’t stay, that’s final. Give the gun to brother, or brother will be very angry!”

Fire Phoenix quickly added, “Yeah, or sister will be angry too!”

Chief Steward Lin Jian also spoke up, “Meige, guns are for defending against others, not yourself.”

Fire Phoenix finally saw that three voices together were more persuasive than one. No wonder Xiao Tianci asked for her help, though she hadn’t done well.

Meige, after hearing Xiao Tianci, Fire Phoenix, and the steward, clearly wavered. Her small hands trembled as she slowly lowered the gun from her head.

Xiao Tianci smiled and nodded, “Right, Meige, good girl. Now give it to brother…”

“Yeah, give the gun to him,” Fire Phoenix helped again.

But almost knocking them over, Meige looked at the gun, shook her head, and put it back in its holster. Then she pointed and nodded. The three of them were dumbfounded. Even the steward was sweating. She was clearly saying, “Don’t worry, I keep the gun here.”

However, looking at it positively, the steward felt pleased. As expected of his disciple, she hadn’t forgotten his teachings: never let your gun leave your side. He caught Xiao Tianci’s glance and thought, “Surely you taught her this.”

Xiao Tianci glanced at the steward, thinking it must be so. Now that the danger had passed, Xiao Tianci hurried forward, grabbed Meige, and looked over her thoroughly, finally exhaling deeply.

Fire Phoenix came over. “Well, little one, I only hit you twice and you’re already playing like this? Looks like I don’t hold much status in your heart.”

Little Meige grabbed Fire Phoenix’s hands, pulled them to her chest, and shook her head repeatedly. Fire Phoenix laughed softly. “Alright, you’re almost a little spinning top now. I’m just teasing. Sister knows you love her the most.”

Meige shook her head vigorously again, but before Fire Phoenix could laugh longer, Meige suddenly turned to look at Xiao Tianci, then back at Fire Phoenix, making Fire Phoenix… faint.

“Phew…” Xiao Tianci smiled and exhaled, relieved at the close call. But what to do next was even more troubling. If Meige could speak, it would be much better—at least there would be communication.

Xiao Tianci’s eyes brightened. Right, even if she won’t stay, maybe he could use this chance to get her to speak. The thought seemed promising.

“Meige, even though you won’t stay here, brother has a condition.” Seeing her worried expression, Xiao Tianci said, “Brother doesn’t want to see you silent forever. I know you can do it. If you speak now, brother will take you wherever he goes. Otherwise…”

He paused, then resolutely said, “Brother will leave you behind. If you want to go, you can.”

Meige suddenly grabbed Xiao Tianci, a heartbreaking sight. Fire Phoenix hadn’t expected him to say such things. She was about to speak, but Xiao Tianci gestured for her to stay silent, thinking, “Don’t ruin this for me.”

They couldn’t let her stay now; future matters were already complicated. If they didn’t seize this chance, it would be even harder later. A businessman must grasp at straws even when falling, knowing when a situation is irreversible. If not now, then when?

Fire Phoenix suddenly understood and quietly held her tongue, watching Xiao Tianci. If Meige could speak, that would be wonderful—such a lovely, good child who just wouldn’t talk. Physically, she was fine. The psychologist hadn’t dared to see her yet. She never left her gun side except around Xiao Tianci and his associates, where she was alert to others.

Xiao Tianci looked at Meige seriously. “Brother hopes you can overcome yourself. If you speak today, brother will take you wherever he goes.”

Meige looked painfully torn. When Fire Phoenix hit her, she seemed fierce, but the first to secretly wipe her eyes was him.

Xiao Tianci, however, was as cold as ice, expressionless as he stared at Meige. Sometimes, even when afraid and in pain, what must be done must be done. A man must have such resolve.

He forcefully pried open Meige’s hand. She tried to hold on but was stunned by his terrifying, ruthless gaze.

“Meige, my sister is never someone who can’t conquer herself. If you follow me, you must learn to face challenges. This is your first challenge in life. If you can’t pass it, you are not my sister.” His voice was cold, without pity or sympathy.

Xiao Tianci slowly stood. Only he understood his own pain. He didn’t know what he’d do if Meige never spoke—maybe disown her. He didn’t dare think further, but he forced himself to act cold and ruthless.

He stood and took slow steps toward the door, his heart screaming wildly inside.

Xiao Tianci had reached the door, his hand on the handle, feeling his head swell. He lifted his foot. He really didn’t know what would come after this step. If this failed, perhaps she would…

“Brother…”

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