Leaving the bedroom where she had rested, Zhong Ruanxing stepped out—only to realize she had severely underestimated the scale of this house.
Damn, this place is huge!
This hallway goes on forever!
And—wait a second, are those shrimp paintings on the wall… actual Qi Baishi originals?!
Zhong Ruanxing was officially lost in the hallway of the ultra-rich.
Just then, a butler appeared carrying a tray. Spotting the young man standing in the corridor, seemingly admiring the artwork, he hesitated for a moment before politely reminding,
"Third Young Master, the Old Master and Madam have already taken their seats."
Drawing on every ounce of acting skill she possessed, Zhong Ruanxing responded with a perfectly cold, expressionless tone, "Take me there."
The butler blinked, slightly stunned, then quickly nodded. "Yes, sir."
With the butler leading the way, Zhong Ruanxing finally made it out of the luxurious maze-like hallway.
They took an elevator down to the first floor and passed through a traditional-style courtyard before arriving at the family banquet hall.
Through the intricately carved lattice windows, Zhong Ruanxing could see a lively crowd inside—elders and juniors gathered together, chatting and laughing. It looked like the picture-perfect version of a warm, harmonious family.
But the moment she stepped into the room, the atmosphere noticeably shifted—whether real or imagined, the temperature seemed to drop.
The room grew quieter.
A young girl who had been lounging on a sofa near the door playing on her phone straightened up nervously and greeted her,
"Third Brother."
Zhong Ruanxing remembered Song Jinxing's aloof, silent persona and gave a cool, wordless nod in response.
That bastard Song Lecheng was here too. When he looked up, Zhong Ruanxing could immediately sense the unfriendly glint in his eyes. With a fake smile stretched over his face, he drawled,
"Old Three, why are you so late? You kept all the elders waiting just for you."
Enemies truly are extra annoying when seen up close.
Just one look at him reminded Zhong Ruanxing of the years of suppression she had suffered at the hands of Huaguang Media—how the company had repeatedly sabotaged her already struggling career.
She shot him a frosty glare so sharp that if looks could kill, Song Lecheng would've had a fresh bloody hole in his chest.
Song Jinxing was usually reserved and taciturn, known for his ruthless decisiveness—a rare quality for someone so young. To be honest, Song Lecheng actually felt somewhat intimidated by him deep down.
But in the past, no matter what he said, Song Jinxing never responded, which led Song Lecheng to gradually become more brazen in his presence.
Now, having been pierced by that sharp glare, a chill ran down Song Lecheng's spine. Realizing that he'd actually been cowed, a flicker of anger rose in his eyes. But it was the kind of fury he didn't dare act on—so all he could do was lower his head in frustrated silence.
There were over a dozen people in the room. Zhong Ruanxing quickly scanned their faces, matching names to profiles based on the info she had just crammed earlier. Then she walked over to the head of the table where the Song family elders sat.
"Grandfather, Grandmother. Sorry I'm late," she said respectfully.
Song Deming had held power for decades, and his face had long since been trained to reveal no emotions. He cast a faint glance her way and said calmly,
"Now that everyone's here, let's sit."
With that, the entire room stirred as everyone took their seats.
Madam Song, on the other hand, looked far more amiable. She asked with genuine concern,
"Did you rest well?"
Zhong Ruanxing replied, "Pretty well, thank you."
Madam Song gently chided,
"You really shouldn't push yourself like this—staying up all night and flying back from overseas without a break. That's too much strain on the body."
Zhong Ruanxing's own grandmother had passed away many years ago. Though Madam Song carried herself with an aura of nobility that her grandmother could never match, there was something about the elderly woman's kind, maternal air that felt familiar.
Zhong Ruanxing replied sweetly,
"Understood, Grandma."
At that moment, Old Master Song turned his sharp gaze toward her again—eyes like a hawk. Zhong Ruanxing's heart skipped a beat, worrying that she might've said something wrong.
But then, the old man said with cutting sarcasm,
"So, you can speak after all."
Zhong Ruanxing: "…"
Madam Song frowned and scolded her husband, "The child's been so busy and still flew back overnight just to have dinner with you—can't you say something decent for once?"
Old Master Song let out a cold snort, sipped his tea, and said no more.
Zhong Ruanxing found the old man rather… interesting. A personality, that one.
While keeping the elders company and exchanging a few pleasantries, the rest of the family had already taken their seats. The only remaining spot at the table was naturally hers.
With a composed expression, Zhong Ruanxing walked over and sat down.
Second Uncle Song Jingwu was the first to speak, grinning cheerfully.
"Ah Xing, how did that project in Berlin go?"
Zhong Ruanxing replied coolly, "It was alright."
Song Jingwu sighed,
"Those Germans really are something else. A perfectly good project, and they dragged it out for six whole months. Honestly, we never should've wasted our time on it. If we had invested in that chip project I mentioned back then, we'd be reaping profits by now."
Zhong Ruanxing: Silence is golden. Stay quiet, eat rice.
Just then, Fourth Aunt Song Rusi chimed in,
"Oh please, Second Brother. That chip project of yours just got exposed for a faulty production line. The batch that hit the market is already being recalled. Wasn't it Chen Cong's family who invested in it? I had dinner with him yesterday—he's so stressed new wrinkles have popped up on his forehead."
"I think the project Ah Xing handled is actually quite good. It may have taken longer, but at least it's solid."
Shot down in public, Song Jingwu's face darkened. He opened his mouth, ready to argue—
But the eldest uncle, Song Xinwen, cut in with a low, authoritative voice,
"That's enough. Let's eat."
Zhong Ruanxing: Silence is the Cambridge River tonight. (*)
Apparently, the Song family was used to Song Jinxing's cold and distant demeanor. No one found her silence unusual, and the topic of conversation quickly shifted.
Zhong Ruanxing let out a discreet sigh of relief and focused on eating.
The food was amazing. The dishes were plentiful and lavish—pure indulgence.
Not even my body—no need to watch my figure. Screw it, dig in!
The Song family clearly didn't follow the "no talking during meals" rule. Their monthly banquets were meant to be lively, and the dining room buzzed with chatter and laughter. Several younger family members were making Old Master Song laugh heartily.
Aside from that one question from Song Jingwu at the beginning, no one else at the table spoke to Zhong Ruanxing.
She was perfectly content to eat in silence, but somewhere in the back of her mind, she couldn't help but feel… out of place. Like she didn't quite belong.
If even a stranger's soul like hers could feel this way—
Then what about the real Song Jinxing?
Her phone buzzed. Zhong Ruanxing glanced down—it was a message from her own number:
"I've arrived at the Binhai Villa."
She wiped her mouth, then stood up and excused herself.
"Grandpa, Grandma, there's an urgent matter at the company. I need to leave right away—sorry."
Old Master Song waved her off with indifference.
Madam Song frowned. "What's so urgent? Can't you at least finish your meal?"
Zhong Ruanxing smiled.
"They're really pushing me. Grandma, I'll come back and have a proper meal with you after I take care of this."
Second Uncle Song Jingwu, who was seated beside Old Master Song, poured him a cup of tea and sighed,
"Ah Xing's gotten even thinner since I last saw him. The company's got so much going on—he's got to worry about everything, can't even sit down for a proper meal. Honestly, Dad, I think you've given him too much responsibility. He's still young. How could he possibly handle so much? If this keeps up, he'll burn himself out."
It sounded like concern, but the tone felt… off.
Zhong Ruanxing couldn't quite put her finger on it, but it made her wary.
Looks like this Second Uncle isn't any better than his son. The whole bloodline might just be rotten.
Old Master Song sipped his tea and shot her a side glance.
"Your second uncle says you're not up to the task. What do you think?"
Zhong Ruanxing realized she couldn't stay silent any longer—if she did, Song Jinxing's CEO persona might crumble completely.
"I can handle it. But thank you, Second Uncle, for your concern."
Song Jingwu gave her an awkward little smile.
Zhong Ruanxing added, "Then I'll be heading off now."
She turned to leave—but Old Master Song suddenly called out again.
"And what about the matchmaking with the Bai family's daughter? Have you given it any thought?"
What? There's a matchmaking plotline now? That wasn't in the script!
Zhong Ruanxing steeled herself and replied,
"…I'll think about it a little more."
Old Master Song suddenly exploded.
"Think about it! Think about it! Keep 'thinking' and you'll die single, I swear!"
After the outburst, he collapsed back into his chair with a wheeze, clutching his chest and panting heavily.
"Dad, calm down, calm down. Ah Xing is still young—there's no rush."
"Here, Dad, have some tea. When your temper flares, your blood pressure follows. Don't joke around with your health."
"Third Brother, look what you did—made Grandpa angry again!"
Everyone quickly gathered around to soothe Old Master Song.
Zhong Ruanxing stood frozen in place, unsure of what to do.
Madam Song shot her a look, signaling her to hurry up and leave.
Standing behind the crowd, Zhong Ruanxing still quietly said,
"Grandpa, please don't be angry. I'll be leaving now."
Old Master Song snapped,
"Then get lost!"
Zhong Ruanxing turned and left, just in time to hear Song Lecheng sucking up behind her:
"Grandpa, if Third Brother really doesn't want to go, I can take his place! I'd be honored to share your burdens as your grandson!"
Old Master Song roared,
"Get the hell outta here! Like the Bai family would ever go for a useless brat like you!"
Zhong Ruanxing: Now that… was satisfying.
(*) playful twist on a famous poetic line from Xu Zhimo's "By the River Cam,". Xu Zhimo's poetry often paints the River Cam (Cambridge River) as a symbol of peace, quiet, and poetic departure. It's a tongue-in-cheek, elegant way of saying "I'm staying silent." It combines mock seriousness with poetic flair, often used in modern internet or novel dialogue to dramatically highlight a character's intentional silence, especially when they're trying to avoid trouble or are just enduring an awkward situation.