At midday, with the sun high in the sky, Chen Mo dozed off in the open-air recreation area downstairs. 　　On the lawn around the corner in the distance, several servants were watering the flower beds during their lunch break, and occasionally a few words of casual conversation could be heard. 　　"How does the young master look today?" 　　Which young master are you asking about? 　　"Please, of course it's Young Master Shule. He's been sick for so long and has lost a lot of weight, and he hasn't been to school. The class reunion tomorrow was actually suggested by my husband and wife earlier, just to help him change his mood." 　　"If it were me, I wouldn't be happy. Besides being sick, the reason I don't go to school is partly because I don't know how to face my former classmates. They used to be so popular and dazzling, but now they have to face so much gossip." 　　"As long as that person doesn't cause trouble, I think everything will be fine." 　　The conversation quieted down at this point, as if they were avoiding the topic. 　　"It's strange, I didn't think much of his previous outburst at the Yang family, but this morning when he stopped causing trouble, I actually found it a bit creepy." 　　"I'm really afraid he'll cause trouble tomorrow." 　　What happened tomorrow? 　　Chen Mo, with a random book covering his face, actually thought about it seriously. 　　It seems like there was such a thing in my past life. 　　At the time, Chen Mo had no idea that the Yang family, having just withdrawn their lawsuit and acknowledging his magnanimity, would then happily throw a class reunion for Yang Shule. That contrast was no different from a direct slap in the face. 　　Moreover, some of those who came that day were from Yang Shule's close inner circle, and they said rather unpleasant things. 　　The ending was quite ugly. 　　Because Chen Mo threw all those people into the swimming pool at home, even Yang Shule wasn't spared. 　　In the sweltering heat of September, Yang Shule shivered as if she had been thrown into ice water when she got up. 　　The condemning gazes around them. 　　The questioning from the parents and Yang Zhi. 　　The increasingly difficult situation I faced at school later seems too vague and distant now. 　　Putting aside the mental fortitude he developed in the workplace over the years, just based on his near-death experience, he would think that his initial thought that all of this was hurtful was truly unnecessary. 　　The conversation continued. 　　They've now gotten to the point where Yang Zhi stood up in anger at the lunch table. 　　Then an elderly person's cough rang out from behind, followed by Butler Xu's scolding: "Isn't anyone doing anything?!" 　　Chen Mo took down the book, looked up at the old man behind him who was wearing a white blouse with a thin blouse and leaning on a cane, and was stunned for a moment. 　　Yang Congxian was being supported by Steward Xu, his hands resting on his cane, his expression unreadable. 　　The servants were terrified. 　　Not only because they failed to notice that the person they had been discussing was sitting not far away. 　　Furthermore, the elderly man who appeared was the previous head of the Yang family. 　　Yang Congxian's rise to wealth is somewhat legendary; he is nearly eighty years old and still in good health. 　　He was undoubtedly the backbone of the entire Yang family. 　　In his previous life, Chen Mo felt that the old man was too stern and not close to him. It wasn't until three years later, when the old man's health deteriorated rapidly and he passed away, that Chen Mo realized that this old man was the only one in the Yang family who supported him. 　　Support behaviors that are seen as competitive by others. 　　Understand his desire for revenge and forgive his indiscriminate attacks on the Yang family. 　　He was the first person to tell Chen Mo, "You didn't do anything wrong." 　　Chen Mo got up from the recliner. 　　The parasol overhead cast dark lines on the stone slabs beneath his feet. Chen Mo met the old man's gaze directly, and after a couple of seconds, he spoke: "Grandpa." 　　"Hmm." Yang Congxian then moved. 　　He walked over to Chen Mo and sat down in the rattan chair that came with the small round table. 　　Her eyes, already clouded but not appearing muddled, glanced at the row of servants and asked, "What do you think?" 　　"Huh?" Chen Mo asked, puzzled. "What are you looking at?" 　　Yang Congxian raised his eyes: "How about firing me?" 　　Several servants tensed up immediately, and one of the younger ones had his eyes redden instantly, looking like he was about to cry. 　　Chen Mo then understood what the old man meant and smiled, "Why make such a fuss, Grandpa? It's just a few words of gossip. It's human nature to love gossip." 　　“Your father is a proud man.” Yang Congxian glanced around. “He always puts on airs. He has a perfectly good family, but he always hires lousy people. They gossip about their employers. If this kind of person were in the main house, they would have been fired long ago.” 　　It's a pity this isn't the main house, Chen Mo thought. 　　The two who were arguing the most enthusiastically and said the harshest things were the ones who usually took care of Yang Shule. They routinely coaxed and comforted the young master, and Yang Shule always called him "sister" sweetly, so naturally they wouldn't be easily dismissed. 　　Yang Congxian noticed that he was lost in thought and tapped his cane. 　　“You are also a member of this family, and you have the right to decide whether these people stay or leave.” As if afraid that he wouldn’t dare to speak, he continued, “I’ve made this decision for you today, and your parents won’t dare to say anything.” 　　Chen Mo stood in front of the old man. 　　"thank you." 　　"But there's no need." 　　The old man asked, puzzled, "Aren't you angry?" 　　Chen Mo laughed, "Getting angry is bad for your liver." 　　In the afternoon, Chen Mo accompanied the old man for a walk around the villa. The old man had passed away from a heart attack and was most susceptible to emotional fluctuations. Chen Mo wanted to comfort the old man, so he chatted about some trivial topics. 　　That day, all the servants in the villa could hear the old man's laughter coming from time to time. 　　This caused quite a stir. 　　Although Yang Congxian had four children, and many grandchildren, the old man was too stern. Even though he had handed the company over to Yang Qi'an, he always found fault with his son. He didn't particularly like any of his grandchildren; before Chen Mo was found, even Yang Shule, who was popular with many, couldn't win his favor. 　　Yang Shule, who was upstairs, probably learned from the servants that the old man had arrived, and finally came out of her room to greet him.

Chapter 11