Chapter 94
She had crafted an image for herself as a powerful, skilled individual, a lone wolf who refused to align with any faction and was willing to prioritize collaboration with the Special Affairs Bureau.
At the very least, whenever the Bureau encountered a formidable boss they couldn't defeat, they would think of her first.
...
While Yu Xunge was busy training, Yu Xunhuan and Su Yitong were scouring the world for connections to buy skill crystals that could steal attribute points.
The sensation of effortlessly boosting attribute points was simply delightful. For the two lucky ones, Su Yitong's Hope Anthem could trigger the effect to increase attribute points after listening to it just two or three times. However, the cooldown for the Hope Anthem was too long, making it less efficient than stealing attribute points.
But they didn't want word of this skill crystal to get out. After all, they were both targeting the Su family, and if they were discovered, it would be quite embarrassing.
During this time, the Su family and the Liang family had several clashes, usually instigated by the Su family to vent their frustrations on behalf of Su Yitong. They had to do something; Su Yitong's divine talent was too crucial, capable of enhancing the overall strength of the Su family. They needed to keep her happy.
The two major factions exchanged blows, with wins and losses on both sides, consuming a significant amount of resources and inadvertently slowing down the development of both families.
When the Liang family lost, Yu Xunge won.
When the Su family lost, it could also be considered a win for Yu Xunge.
How could it not be seen as a double victory for her?
Yu Xunhuan was busy grinding dungeons and chasing after the top ranks on the level leaderboard. It wasn't until mid-July, when he reached level 5 and entered the top 80, that he realized that for nearly a month since mid-May, Yu Qingshan and Yi Qiuguo hadn't really sought him out.
Strictly speaking, they had reached out, but only to ask him for money or equipment through private messages in the game. Yu Xunhuan had given them something each time, but Yu Qingshan and Yi Qiuguo hadn't invited him home for dinner like they used to.
This was clearly abnormal. Previously, Yu Qingshan and Yi Qiuguo would almost always invite him home for a meal, simply because they wanted to see their son.
But in the past month, there had been no such desire to see him...
This realization stirred a mix of anger and anxiety within Yu Xunhuan, even a hint of fear and unease.
After all, even Yu Xunge had occasionally come to find him this month—though it was mostly to sell him her alchemical potions and engineering creations, asking if he wanted to buy them at a 9.8% discount.
But Yu Qingshan and Yi Qiuguo hadn’t...
Under what circumstances would close family members suddenly seem to avoid you?
Yu Xunhuan glanced at Lan Cheng and Lin Chengze.
The answer was clear.
Ever since these two had been exposed, they had been in a state of near-homelessness.
It wasn't that they were completely ostracized; not everyone would choose to distance themselves from someone with an S-level talent. However, once Lan Cheng and Lin Chengze invited others to join them in dungeons, all sorts of excuses for not participating would suddenly emerge...
Though S-level talents were rare and precious, everyone only had one life. The forums were already filled with evidence showing that this kind of illness, even with data-augmented bodies, was incurable and would directly turn into an "Unknown Curse."
That day, Yu Xunhuan and Su Yitong took a leave of absence, saying he needed to return home. Su Yitong approved; she also needed to return to the Su family to urge that group of people, asking why they hadn’t yet brought her Liang Yuchuan's ears.
**Chapter 121: If You Hate Your Parents, You Can't Hate Me**
Yu Xunhuan first called Yu Xunge.
It was noon, and Yu Xunge happened to be in Blue Star. When she saw Yu Xunhuan's call, she picked up immediately. "Hey, what's up?"
Yu Xunhuan focused on the steering wheel, trying to make his voice sound casual. "Not running dungeons today. Do you have time? Want to grab a bite together?"
Though he didn’t know what had gotten into Yu Xunhuan, Yu Xunge wouldn’t refuse such a small request, especially since she had just managed to snag some of his hair. "Sure! Where are we eating? Do we have a reservation? Are you picking up Mom and Dad, or should I?"
Yu Xunhuan felt a bit more relaxed. "I'll pick them up. I'll make the reservation at the Su family restaurant. You know you love their Sichuan cuisine, right?"
"Sounds good."
After hanging up, Yu Xunhuan let out a long breath. He had always known he was a heartless person, but no matter how heartless he was, he didn’t want his family to know about this. He didn’t want to end up like Lan Cheng and Lin Chengze, betrayed and abandoned by his loved ones.
After drifting apart from Su Yitong, he realized that the only people he could trust were Yu Xunge, Yu Qingshan, and Yi Qiuguo. He didn’t want to lose even those few family members...
Yu Xunhuan drove to the place where Yu Qingshan and Yi Qiuguo were grinding dungeons. The dungeon's light screen was set up in a private room of a restaurant, and the area outside was filled with luxury cars. After parking in the Su family's designated area, he waited outside the private room, which was open, standing at a diagonal in front of the dungeon's light screen.
It wasn’t long before Yu Qingshan and Yi Qiuguo emerged, accompanied by an elderly man with graying hair. The three were chatting and laughing as they stood in the hallway, waiting for everyone to exit before the dungeon refreshed.
Yu Xunhuan took a small detour, approaching Yu Qingshan and Yi Qiuguo from the side. Then, he suddenly stepped forward, smiling as he stood in front of them.
At that moment, he was only half a step away from Yu Qingshan and Yi Qiuguo, and he clearly saw their reactions: the fear in their eyes, the sudden retreat, and the sharp intake of breath.
It was as if a pit of filth had exploded in front of them.
Yu Xunhuan maintained his smile, but his heart sank.
Perhaps realizing their reactions were too obvious, Yu Qingshan and Yi Qiuguo quickly masked their expressions, but it was too late. What Yu Xunhuan wanted to see was that fleeting moment of reaction...
More importantly, the elderly man beside them was from the Liang family. Yu Xunhuan cast a deep glance at him, and the old man was looking back at him with a knowing expression.
Yu Xunhuan smiled and nodded at him, but in his heart, he already knew that this person couldn’t be left alive. The reactions of Yu Qingshan and Yi Qiuguo were too telling.
The rumors that the Liang family had spread about Yu Xunhuan obtaining an A-level talent had been brushed aside by Su Yitong, even causing the informant to turn against them. But for the Liang family, doubts still lingered...
Now, the reactions of Yu Qingshan and Yi Qiuguo confirmed those suspicions.
After noticing Yu Xunhuan's gaze, the old man smiled and then, right in front of Yu Xunhuan, took a step back to embrace his bodyguard's arm. He opened the game’s private chat channel and began typing out a message one letter at a time on the light screen.
Yu Xunhuan: Damn.
At this point, killing him would be useless...
Yu Xunhuan withdrew his gaze, sniffed his clothes, and smiled at Yu Qingshan and Yi Qiuguo. "Did I come out of the dungeon with too much blood on me?"
Yu Qingshan immediately laughed. "Yeah, you startled me! Let’s go eat. Old Liang, we’re heading out now. Eating with my son is more important than dungeons." He then took the initiative to put his arm around Yu Xunhuan's shoulders.
Yi Qiuguo did the same. Though she often seemed a bit slow, she was sharp when it mattered. She affectionately linked her arm with Yu Xunhuan's and said goodbye to Old Liang.
Old Liang watched them leave with a smile.
At that moment, his message had also been sent... Well, his life was saved.
This son-in-law of the Su family was indeed not simple; he looked like someone with a lot of cunning, ruthless and decisive.
And with Su Yitong's abilities, it was hard to say who would hold power in the Su family in the future.
But if Su Yitong also fell ill, the Su family might face a change in leadership...
Soon, Liang Jing's reply came.
[Got it. I’ll find a way to get the evidence.]
[Even if it’s fake, I’ll make this news real.]
Until the group exited the hotel, Yu Qingshan and Yi Qiuguo were busy fussing over Yu Xunhuan.
Yu Xunhuan played along, acting the part of a dutiful son, but deep down, he knew things were different now. Everything had changed, and he felt a rising tide of resentment within him...
Thanks to Su Yitong, Yu Xunhuan's acting skills had improved dramatically. Not to say he was on par with Yu Xunge, but he was certainly better than the average person. By the time they arrived at the Su family restaurant, Yi Qiuguo was completely at ease—Yu Xunhuan hadn’t noticed anything unusual about them.
However, Yu Qingshan felt a chill in his heart. Did he not know his own son? The more flawless Yu Xunhuan appeared, the more he feared it. Inevitably, he became increasingly wary of his son.
As they entered the reserved private room, Yu Xunge was already inside. The moment they walked in, she sensed something was off. After all, she had been acting for so many years and had seen all kinds of performances; her specialty was analyzing a person's eyes and expressions.
The three of them looked cheerful, but Yu Xunhuan's smile didn’t reach his eyes, Yi Qiuguo's smile held a hint of relief, and Yu Qingshan's gaze was heavy with concern.
Oh, this was getting interesting.
Yu Xunge's first reaction was—did Yu Xunhuan find out that his parents knew about his illness?
Uncertain, she decided to observe further.
Halfway through the meal, she confirmed it; it seemed he really did know, and it looked like Yu Xunhuan was even holding a grudge against Yu Qingshan and Yi Qiuguo.
She noticed Yu Xunhuan continuously serving food to Yu Qingshan and Yi Qiuguo. He didn’t even use serving chopsticks but rather his own. Although Yi Qiuguo and Yu Qingshan ate the dishes he served, their expressions while eating betrayed them. The Su family restaurant was famous for its delicious food, yet these two looked as if they were eating black garlic.
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