Chapter 70: What Do You Have to Compete With?

After seeing Lu Qingqiang off, Xu Ming pulled Feng Xiao aside to thank him.

“Old Feng, thanks for earlier.”

“Come on, what are you being polite with me for?” Feng Xiao said, then balled up his fist and gave Xu Ming a punch on the shoulder.

Damn, that punch nearly knocked Xu Ming over. He staggered on the spot, and if not for his quick reflexes, he definitely would’ve hit the ground hard.

“Old Xu, what’s going on with you? Your body’s gotten this weak?”

“I told you, you need to work out, but you insisted you couldn’t get up early in the morning.”

“See what happened? Your body’s so frail now, you can’t even take a light punch from me.”

“If a level-ten gale ever hits Jiang City, you’ll be the one floating in the sky,” Feng Xiao jabbered on.

“…Have you considered the possibility that your punch was just too strong?” Xu Ming said, speechless.

“No way. I barely used any strength. Look, I’ll show you.”

With that, Feng Xiao punched himself in the arm.

“Ow, damn, that actually hurts a bit!”

“That’s weird. I swear I wasn’t this strong before.”

Feng Xiao grimaced and muttered to himself. Then he suddenly slapped his forehead.

“Oh! I get it now. It must be from planting trees with the director and the others every day. All that digging and planting must’ve built up my strength.”

“Old Xu, did you notice it too?”

“Back when we used to hit the clubs, we’d come back the next day with sore backs and aching legs, feeling like crap.”

“Even on our first day here, after digging those holes on the mountain, we were totally wiped out.”

“But now, I don’t even feel tired anymore.”

“That mountain back there? I can climb it in one go without even getting winded.”

“What about you, Old Xu?”

Meeting Feng Xiao’s eager gaze, Xu Ming thought back carefully.

And sure enough, it was just like Feng Xiao said.

That first day when Brother Shen tricked him into climbing the mountain, just getting up there nearly cost him his life.

Then came the digging and tree planting, which almost killed him on the spot.

He even got several blisters on his hands.

But after a few days of continuous labor, he seemed to have gotten used to the intensity.

Not only was he eating on time every day, but he was also sleeping better than ever.

Every night, he’d close his eyes and be asleep in under fifteen minutes.

Even now, climbing the mountain to dig and plant, he could go all the way up without stopping for breath.

Before, just digging one hole would exhaust him.

Now, he could dig three to five in a row without breaking a sweat.

And he was even faster than when he used to dig just one.

Could this be… progress?

Yes, it was progress!

With that thought, both of them felt that coming here to dig and plant trees had been totally worth it.

Guys like Da Cong and Old Mo, who tried to cut corners, were bound to fall behind when they got back.

And if it ever came to a group fight, those two would definitely get beaten to a pulp.

Just imagining it made both of them burst into laughter.

“By the way, Old Xu, there’s something I need to talk to you about.”

“Yeah? Go ahead.”

“About you running away from home—I don’t agree with it.”

“Think about it. You walked away like that, but did you get what you wanted?”

Xu Ming thought for a moment. Nope, he didn’t.

The reason he ran away wasn’t just because he couldn’t stand his stepmother and that illegitimate child. More than that, he wanted to test his dad’s attitude.

He wanted to feel valued, to feel cared for by his father.

But from the day he left until now, he hadn’t received a single call from home.

So every night, he’d spiral into emo mode.

He felt unloved, like a pitiful nobody no one cared about.

He hated his stepmother and the illegitimate son, and he hated his father too.

“You’re your father’s biological son. His wealth includes your mother’s share too.”

“But you just walked away and got nothing. Now you’re living like a dog.”

“Meanwhile, you’ve cleared the way for your stepmother.”

“She probably laughs herself awake at night, seeing you gone.”

“With you out of the picture, she can whisper a few bad words in your dad’s ear, and his impression of you will only get worse.”

“Who knows, one day you might end up like a stray dog, kicked out by that little family of three.”

“And when that happens, what will you do?”

“What do you have to compete with them?”

Hearing all this, Xu Ming frowned.

“Then what should I do?”

“Don’t chicken out. Fight! Go head-to-head with your stepmother!”

“Listen, based on my years of reading novels, your stepmother’s probably just after your dad’s money.”

“And that kid of hers? Might not even be your dad’s.”

“If you get the chance, when you go home, try to casually grab a few strands of their hair and run a paternity test in secret.”

“Of course, you’ve got to do it discreetly. Don’t tip them off.”

“Also, you need to show your face around your dad more. Make him remember you, see that you’re useful.”

“No matter what you feel inside, on the surface, you need to show concern for him. Got it?”

“Think about how your stepmother always puts on a show in front of him.”

“That’s all I’ll say. The rest is up to you.”

With that, Feng Xiao patted Xu Ming on the shoulder and turned to leave.

If Xu Ming weren’t his bro, he wouldn’t have bothered saying all this.

Old Xu was a good guy, but way too naive and straightforward.

“Wait, Old Feng,” Xu Ming suddenly called out.

“What? Gonna thank me for the advice? Ah, no need—”

“No, I just wanted to ask, what novels were you reading before? Can you recommend some? I want to learn.”

Xu Ming looked genuinely curious.

“…” Feng Xiao was speechless.

But soon, he pulled up his bookshelf.

“‘The CEO’s Secretly Married Sweetheart’? ‘Young Master Feng, Stop Acting Crazy, Your Wife Jumped into the River’? ‘One Pregnancy, Five Babies! CEO, Your Wife Ran Away Again’?”

“Old Feng, what… what is all this?” Xu Ming was dumbfounded.

“Heh, you just don’t get it.”

“Let me tell you, these over-the-top CEO romance novels might be dramatic, but they’re addictive and super satisfying.”

“The tricks they use to deal with evil stepmothers? You could totally learn a thing or two.”

“They work. Seriously, they work.”

“And once you’ve read enough of these, you’ll be able to instantly tell what kind of girl is trying to get close to you,” Feng Xiao said in a low voice.

“R-Really?” Xu Ming looked skeptical.

“Of course it’s true. Try it yourself. Start with this one. The face-slapping scenes are awesome, and the evil stepmother gets a brutal ending.”

“The male lead acts a bit over-the-top sometimes, but whatever, just ignore that part.”

“Alright, I’ll go study it by candlelight tonight,” Xu Ming nodded solemnly.

“Old Xu, there’s a house of gold in books, and beauties too. You’ve got this!”

“Got it. I’ll do my best,” Xu Ming replied.

“Alright then, you do your thing. I’m heading to the backyard to pick some vegetables before I go home.”

“The director said we don’t get paid, but we can take whatever we want from the garden. Employee benefits, you know?”

“Once you finish the book I recommended, try picking some veggies and bringing them to your dad. Make a move.”