Read Novel Full Chapter 49.3 – Birthday Banquet: First Part (III)
Chapter 49.3 – Birthday Banquet: First Part (III)
Fan Xiuzhi narrowed her eyes slightly before stepping forward with a welcoming smile. “Oh, Xiao Bai and Xiao Yun are here.”
She glanced over Ning Shaobai’s attire and chuckled. “All dressed up so smartly, Xiao Bai. At a glance, you don’t look like a doctor at all—more like some big corporate CEO.”
Then, as if in jest, she added, “Or perhaps you’re planning to ditch medicine and switch careers after your grandfather distributes the inheritance today?”
Someone in the crowd caught on. “Wait, these two are…?”
“Oh, silly me,” Fan Xiuzhi quickly said, feigning forgetfulness. “These are also my children—Xiao Yun and Xiao Bai.”
“It’s no surprise you don’t know them. Unlike Xiao Yang, who loves staying close to home, these two rarely visit. Xiao Yang was always by my side or clinging to his grandfather, but these two? They’re very independent.”
“Xiao Yun got married into the Huo family years ago—she’s a gentle and reserved type, not one for socializing, so it’s no wonder you haven’t met her.”
“And Xiao Bai—he left for abroad at eighteen and only just returned this year. He’s a doctor at Yan University Hospital now! Doctors are busy, you know—barely any time to come home.”
“But no matter how busy, surely they have time to visit home sometimes? It’s strange, isn’t it, for the old master’s own grandchildren to show up so late, like outsiders? President Fan, wasn’t this banquet organized solely by your Xiao Yang?” Someone remarked, clearly meant to flatter Fan Xiuzhi.
Ning Shaobai, having patiently listened to her monologue, was too lazy to exchange nonsense. Instead, he calmly pulled an invitation from his pocket and placed it in her hand, then addressed the onlookers. “But we are outsiders.”
“Aunt Fan personally sent us these invitations—with the time and location clearly marked. How could we possibly be rude enough to arrive at the wrong time?” His lips curled into a faint smirk. “Relax. We know the Ning family’s success is all thanks to you, Aunt Fan. We won’t be competing with you or Xiao Yang.”
“Like the rest of the guests here, we’re simply attending as per your invitation to wish Grandfather a happy birthday. After that, we’ll be on our way, so please rest assured.” He smiled at Fan Xiuzhi. “Although I am the eldest son born to my father’s first wife, I chose medicine and won’t steal your Xiao Yang’s thunder.”
Ning Shaoyun followed suit, placing her invitation in Fan Xiuzhi’s hand as well. “President Fan, you’re a busy woman, so we wouldn’t dare disturb you. We’re honored enough to be included in Grandfather’s birthday celebration.”
Rong Xin and Xia Mian, catching on, also presented their invitations with exaggerated politeness. “Thank you for the invitation.”
The surroundings instantly fell silent, and many people exchanged awkward glances. Ning Shaobai’s words, combined with Fan Xiuzhi’s earlier remarks, made it abundantly clear to everyone that they were not some unfilial children suddenly showing up to fight for their inheritance. On the contrary, as the children left behind by the deceased first wife, they had been suppressed by their stepmother, eventually left with no choice but to make a living independently.
This explanation made perfect sense—after all, it was a well-known fact that Fan Xiuzhi was the one managing the Ning family’s business.
Fan Xiuzhi hadn’t expected Ning Shaobai to outright tear off the façade with her so publicly. She had been observing his lack of action in recent days and had confidently assumed that any revenge he had planned would have to go through his grandfather.
Given the Old Master Ning’s nature of always prioritizing harmony, she believed Ning Shaobai would have no choice but to maintain superficial politeness with her in public. That was precisely why she had gone out of her way to send them invitations, to taunt them.
But she hadn’t expected…
Fan Xiuzhi secretly rejoiced: ‘Still too young, too impulsive.’
Unlike his mother, Ning Shaoyang’s face turned red with embarrassment. He quickly grabbed the invitation from Fan Xiuzhi’s hand, glancing at it before attempting to smooth things over. “Big Brother, Big Sister, what are you talking about? This will always be your home.”
“Xiao Yang, enough,” Fan Xiuzhi interrupted with a bitter smile. “Let’s take things slowly. You know how stubborn your brother and sister are, aren’t you?”
She then made a point to sigh and shake her head helplessly, “One of them studied abroad for six or seven years and has been back for nearly a year without visiting home even once. The other ran off to Ming City after a falling-out with the Huo family and has never stepped foot in this house again since returning.”
Putting on a look of deep concern, she continued, “Now, one is wholly devoted to medicine, the other obsessed with becoming an artist. Even when their grandfather mentioned distributing the inheritance, they both firmly refused.”
“I was worried that if I didn’t send invitations to provoke them a little, they wouldn’t even show up for their own grandfather’s birthday.”
Xia Mian was genuinely impressed—Fan Xiuzhi’s skill at confusing right from wrong was indeed top-tier. Not only had she absolved herself, but she had also firmly cemented the claim that Ning Shaobai and Ning Shaoyun wanted nothing to do with the family property.
If Ning Shaobai or Ning Shaoyun later accepted anything from their grandfather, they would be contradicting themselves.
And more than that, Fan Xiuzhi seemed to have realized that Ning Shaobai’s impulsiveness played in her favor—so she began poking where it hurts the most.
“Speaking of which, where’s Chenchen?” Fan Xiuzhi glanced around before addressing the crowd, “You wouldn’t believe it—Xiao Yun ran away from home after a dispute with the Huo family, nearly putting the child in danger. He’s only six! It was terrifying.”
“My father-in-law was so worried he lost sleep for days. He was looking forward to seeing the child today.”
A mother’s greatest weakness is her child. Ning Shaoyun’s expression immediately turned icy.
Ning Shaobai patted her shoulder before calmly addressing Fan Xiuzhi, “Aunt, have you been taking proper care of Grandpa?”
Fan Xiuzhi’s brows furrowed slightly, but before she could speak, Ning Shaobai continued, “Otherwise, why would you be spouting nonsense? Grandpa specifically told us not to bring Chenchen today.”
“After all, the scum who colluded with human traffickers within this family has yet to be exposed. And people like that have no bottom line—if one plan fails, they’ll try another. It would be far too dangerous.”
The moment he finished speaking, the crowd erupted.
“What? Someone in the Ning family was involved in child trafficking?”
“So, this was a kidnapping scheme?”
“That’s serious! It’s no wonder they want to be careful—keeping the child away was the right move.”
“President Fan, you need to investigate this properly. If someone like that gets away with it once, they’ll only get bolder.”
“People like that should just be executed on the spot.”
Fan Xiuzhi maintained a polite smile. “There’s nothing of the sort—this is just their paranoia after what happened…”
“Better to be paranoid than careless!” someone immediately countered. Many of those present were wealthy individuals, and kidnappings were among their greatest fears. “It’s when you let down your guard that tragedy happens.”
Ning Shaobai added, “Grandpa personally warned me not to bring my nephew today.”
He then turned to Fan Xiaowan, his casual tone betrayed his sharp gaze. “Even Xiaowan here knows how strict Grandpa is about family matters, aren’t you? Tell them—if this weren’t true, do you think he would have given such an order?”
Fan Xiaowan was caught off guard. If she said no, she would be contradicting the old master himself. But if she said yes…
She glanced at her aunt, Fan Xiuzhi, whose expression was unreadable, and dared not speak.
Ning Shaobai smirked. As if joking, he remarked, “Aunt, you’re quite amusing. You say Grandpa misses us terribly, yet you’re standing here blocking our way inside. What, afraid we’ll ask him for our inheritance early?”
“Relax. We said we didn’t want it, and we meant it.” With that, he led Ning Shaoyun and the others straight toward the main hall.
The situation had flipped entirely—now, the people who had been following Fan Xiuzhi suddenly found themselves feeling secondhand embarrassment on her behalf.
“President Fan, your stepson is quite something!”
Fan Xiuzhi narrowed her eyes before sighing helplessly. “Alas, they’re just young and impulsive. As their stepmother, what else can I do but tolerate them?”
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