Chapter 114 - A True Golden Opportunity Descends Amidst The Chaos
A chill ran up Li Yuan's spine, all the way along his back, up his neck making him subconsciously utter in a stupor. "B-Big Brother?"
When the doors opened and the person emerged, Li Yuan had expected to find the same mild-tempered, weirdly smiling Big Brother he had conveniently gotten accustomed since the advent of sister in law.
But the person who appeared, unfortunately, was nothing of the above.
Instead, it was that previous version of his Brother... that incarnation of Devil.
Between the previous and newer version, there was a distinctive contrast.
For example, this version in front of him had dark, melancholic clouds retrieved straight from the lowest level of Hell descended upon his shoulders; his eyes were dark, shadowed with grim eye bags, eternally cold hellfire blazing in them.
In fact, it was even worse than the previous version!
Li Yuan was utterly shocked and terrified.
"Speak." The tyrannically cold Big Brother said in an equally tyrannically cold voice that fitted his character well.
Li Yuan's heart shuddered.
Why though?
Hasn't big brother been all smiles ever since getting married to sister-in-law?
"Still not speaking?" An eerie expression settled over Li Luxian's face.
Li Yuan felt as if hot, molten iron has been poured into his bones.
That sharp light in his eyes! Brother, don't sneer with that scary expression!
He stuttered at once. "M-Mother wanted to discuss something with you. She said, bring the s-sister-in-law to dinner tonight." Li Yuan tried to contain his breath and hung his head low, unable to maintain eye contact with that devil.
A moment of silence passed; Li Yuan prayed in his heart for his brother to let him off for the sin of being careless.
If not for knowing that if he did this an even worse Hell would be forced on him, Li Yuan would have certainly attempted to sprint out of this Hell as if his tail was on fire.
"Am I being too lenient on you? Now you don't regard our business with any importance and interrupt me amidst such an important meeting?"
'I only interrupted you because I was under the assumption that you are the same happy, easy-going, smiling Big Brother, alright! If I knew that somehow you have gone back to old ways overnight; and on top of that, you are in such a bad mood, heavens, I would never have been so careless!'
Though he thought that in his heart, not a word escaped his lips.
An hour later...
Finally being let off, once stepping outside, Li Yuan almost went limp. He had to support himself with the help of a wall. His heart was trembling. "What the fuck has happened?"
"Second Young Master, did you need someth–eh, are you alright?" While walking down the hall, with shaky legs and a pale face, Li Yuan stumbled into Zhang Xin who enquired good-naturedly.
"Ah, nothing, nothing. Just wanted to deliver my mother's words. And I am mostly alright ignoring the heart attack big brother just gave me." Li Yuan waved his hands in dismissal after heaving our a breath in fear.
He paused after observing Zhang Xin also wearing a rather weary expression and asked hesitantly. "Brother Zhang, what's wrong with Big Brother?"
"That..." Zhang Xin coughed. "I guess something between Mr. Li and his wife. I won't be rude by commenting further."
Li Yuan fell into contemplation. Gradually, Li Yuan's listless, frightened eyes regained color. A spark of mischief invigorated them.
'He admitted big brother was scary now but... how much he could profit by bringing this information to his Mother?'
His mother put huge importance on this sister-in-law.
If his brother and sister-in-law fought, she would be the first one to jump into them and resolve their misunderstandings!
On one hand, big brother would revert back to the same less scary and on the other, Li Yuan could fish out some benefits from his mother for being a spy.
As the saying goes; A true golden opportunity descends amidst the chaos!
In a matter of seconds, the evil grin on Li Yuan's face was replaced with an amiable look. "Brother Zhang!" Li Yuan affectionately threw his arm around Zhang Xin's shoulder. "Big Brother treats you so unfairly. Just because he had some fight with his wife, he shouldn't be strict with the subordinates that have served him for such a long time. Speaking of which, why don't you hang around with me sometimes? Big Brother is a bully. He doesn't know how to appreciate loyal and hard-working people. But I, Li Yuan, know to cherish precious people." He thumped his chest to demonstrate his sincerity.
Li Yuan's words hit Zhang Xin precisely. In particular, the part where his Boss had been strict with him because of his bad mood.
Zhang Xin would not have fallen for it but...
Boss had indeed been very bad-tempered in the past few days.
A man has his limit.
So he could not help but let out a suppressed sigh.
"Second Young Master, your brother treats me fairly. I can't ask for more."
"Ah, brother, there is no need to hide things. Your Boss is after all my blood-related big brother. I know you have it hard." In a tone that emphasized that he 'understands', Li Yuan pouted with sentimental eyes.
Zhang Xin opened his mouth to object but no words came out. In the end, Zhang Xin sighed in silent admission.
Seeing the fish had taken the bait, Li Yuan grinned inwardly, threw a few more lamenting words, and once Zhang Xin had finally shed his guard, Li Yuan acutely probed. "Right, right! Since Brother is a private person, he must have asked you not to tell anyone anything. Such a pity! If Brother Zhang could tell me, I have helped certainly!" Li Yuan's acting was meticulous.
He did not ask directly. Instead, shook his head endlessly while sighing.
Zhang Xin hesitated, before joining him in sighing. "Second Young Master, you are the family of Boss. What is there to hide from you?"
"True! But you know how Big Brother is, utterly unreasonable!" Li Yuan felt no shame in cursing his brother just to gain some intel.
Second Young Master's lack of curiosity towards the matter between Boss and his wife and restrain towards questioning made Zhang Xin ease his shoulder.
Since Second Young Master was not actively asking, he was not planning something wicked. In that case...
"The matter is not really that serious. It's just... Alright, I will tell you everything." Since Li Yuan had shown him sincere 'care', Zhang Xin was moved.
Secretly, Li Yuan's eyes twinkled.
"If Brother Zhang Xin finds it suitable...."