Chapter 282: The Chess Player (Tian Family Side Story)

Tian Yuqing stood in the courtyard, watching the small waterfall cascading down from the top of the rockery. An auntie of the household was scattering feed into the fishpond. The fat, oversized koi were round and plump, sluggishly swaying their tails back and forth as they opened their mouths to eat.

After two rounds of feeding, the auntie collected her basin and returned inside. As she passed Tian Yuqing, she gave him a slight nod. Tian Yuqing pushed up his glasses and returned the gesture. The vast courtyard fell silent and empty once more—this quiet, cold atmosphere was precisely what he liked.

Tian Yuqing often sat alone in the courtyard to think. Outsiders often said that everyone in the Tian Family had something wrong with their head, and he frequently felt the same way about himself. Whether going abroad as a child or returning as an adult, he had always preferred solitude. Yet he was not antisocial; on the contrary, he had a wide social circle and could get along with anyone.

It was simply that, for him, certain things could only be pondered when he was alone.

The sky began to darken, looking as though rain was imminent. Tian Yuqing moved his small table and freshly brewed tea under the eaves, sitting down to drink his tea while reviewing the account books of the Tian Family’s pankou.

The Tian Family did things strictly by the book, and the pankou accounts generally balanced out. However, with so many mundane family affairs lately, audits had become less frequent. Furthermore, Tian Yuqing had only recently taken charge. The subordinates had never witnessed his methods, and the Tian Family, which had been peaceful for years, was suddenly thrown into turmoil.

In an instant, those intending to rebel, those actively rebelling, the insubordinate, and that pack of sly old fogies all crowded around the table. Clattering their bowls and chopsticks while touting their seniority, they clamored for a piece of the pie from these pankou.

These people even took advantage of a day when Tian Yuqing was out auditing to lead a group of aggressive thugs to the gates of the Tian Family courtyard. Tian Yuqing’s younger half-brother, Tian Tinghan, was still young and couldn’t handle the situation, which terrified the youngest sister of the family. When Tian Yuqing returned, his sister was clutching her older brother, hiding behind him and staring at that crowd of scoundrels, not even daring to breathe.

It was not until Tian Yuqing pinned down the head of the most senior man right there in the courtyard and chopped off one of his fingers that the old fogies finally quieted down for a while. Blood had splattered all over the courtyard, trickling along the grooves of the bluestone slabs into the drainage system.

A clap of thunder crashed down. Tian Yuqing stood before the door, soaked to the skin by the rain, but his gaze remained chillingly intense. The blood on his hand had not yet been washed away by the rainwater. He fixed a deadly glare on the fleeing old men, as though if even one of them dared to return with another threat, he would send him straight to the grave with a single stroke of his blade.

Tian Tinghan stood under the veranda. The youngest sister of the family was still wearing her schoolbag, clutching the corner of his shirt and gripping his hand as she peeked outside in fear and shock.

The next day, Tian Xiaoqi was told that she didn’t need to go to school for the time being. Tian Yuqing had arranged a long sick leave for her and hired a live-in tutor to give her one-on-one instruction.

At the same time, Tian Xiaoqi noticed that Tian Yuqing, who rarely stayed home, began to spend much of his time in the house, entertaining unfamiliar elders in the main hall. Meanwhile, her great-grandfather, who doted on her the most and never traveled, had vanished. The backyard was desolate, and the lights and stoves in the pharmacy, which usually never went out, were now dark and cold.

The spring rain poured down from the eaves. Accompanied by the loud slam of a door, Tian Yuqing set down the ledger after finishing the last account book. He took off his glasses, rubbed his tired eyes, and ignored his sister, who had rushed back inside in a whirlwind, calmly continuing to sip his tea.

Tian Xiaoqi didn’t give Tian Yuqing any face^[1] at all. She plopped down opposite him, completely unfazed by the fact that she was facing the first of the grandchildren’s generation among the Five Masters capable of heading a family on his own. She demanded, “When exactly is Great-Grandfather coming back?”

“If you’re tired at university, stay home and rest.” Tian Yuqing avoided the subject, giving her a gentle smile. He took boiling water from the heater to refill his tea, then turned over a clean teacup, filled it, and handed it to Tian Xiaoqi himself.

Tian Xiaoqi didn’t back down. With a slap, she knocked the scalding tea out of Tian Yuqing’s hand. The teacup overturned on the wooden floor, rolling twice before coming to a stop. The hot water splashed all over Tian Yuqing’s hand, but he didn’t dodge or get angry. He simply flicked his hand, shaking off the droplets.

“Little sister, apologize to Eldest Brother.” Tian Tinghan arrived at the sound of the commotion, frowning as he looked at Tian Xiaoqi.

Tian Xiaoqi was indignant. She glared at Tian Yuqing, then glanced at Tian Tinghan’s expression from time to time, unable to understand why her second brother was so trusting of the hypocrite before them. “Great-Grandfather has been gone for years! Back then, he had barely stepped out the door before you seized your chance to take power. Neither Second Brother nor I care for a single cent of the Tian Family’s assets, but how could you do something so unfilial!”

The habitually gentle Tian Yuqing suddenly showed a fierce glint in his eyes when she spoke that last sentence. He reached out with his scalded, reddened hand and grabbed Tian Xiaoqi’s arm. That sudden surge of pressure made Tian Xiaoqi feel paralyzed for the first time.

“Little sister, you can eat whatever you want, but you shouldn’t say whatever you want. Your Great-Grandfather, my Grandfather, has only gone out to travel and enjoy the scenery for a while. You don’t need to worry. He will be back soon. He’ll be back very soon,” Tian Yuqing said.

“Eldest Brother! Don’t scare her,” Tian Tinghan quickly reminded him.

Tian Yuqing’s expression faltered, and he released her. The panicked girl didn’t dare linger; she lowered her head, quickly bypassed Tian Tinghan, and ran through the house back to her own room.

Tian Yuqing watched the stumbling Tian Xiaoqi and sighed silently. He then crouched down to pick up the teacup from the floor. Tian Tinghan stepped forward to help organize the messy account books on the table to prevent them from getting wet.

He tried to cover for Tian Xiaoqi. “She’s still a child, after all, and she’s reckless in everything she does. I’ll go talk to her tonight. She mustn’t be allowed to say such things outside. Eldest Brother, don’t overthink it. We’re keeping her away from these things for her own sake. The Tian Family will eventually be handed over to her.”

Tian Yuqing gave a bitter smile. “To think the plan has only been underway for less than half a year. These days are so hard to endure; I’m already at my limit. Some of the things she said weren’t wrong. Xiaoqi is a very smart child. I’m afraid that even if we keep blocking her, in the near future, she will willingly step onto the chessboard herself.”

“Entering the game late is still better than entering early like we did,” Tian Tinghan said.

Tian Yuqing shook his head. “The ones left for the end are the ones who suffer most. Have you notified Chen Si on your end?”

Tian Tinghan nodded. “I’ve notified him, and they’ve already begun their preparations. However, judging by his attitude, he doesn’t seem to want the younger generation of the Gan Clan to get involved.”

Tian Yuqing looked down and chuckled. “Just because he doesn’t want it doesn’t mean things will go his way. The direct descendants of the Five Masters tied to this affair are destined never to know true peace in this lifetime. Our elders laid out this game for us long ago. Once on the board, every single person is a piece. This is fate.”

The rain continued to fall. Tian Tinghan remained silent for a long time before asking hesitantly:

“Brother, I don’t understand. What exactly do you plan to do next?”

Tian Yuqing rubbed the scalded, reddened back of his hand. “What I must do,” he said, “is play the first half of this game well. As for who will hold the pieces for the second half, that is beyond my control.”