So, the words were about to be spoken, but they stopped abruptly, and the look in his eyes as he stared at Lao Tian was somewhat strange.
"Hehe, let's keep the same way we always have." Old Tian chuckled and winked at Xiao Qing. "You know, Chen Xiao calls me Uncle Tian. If you call me Grandpa Tian, then the seniority between you and Chen Xiao will be a bit complicated."
Xiao Qing blushed, her secret exposed, and whispered, "Then... the Xiao family now..."
Old Tian snorted: "Thanks to someone, that person showed off his power yesterday and beat down almost all the men in the Xiao family. Now, the Xiao family probably doesn't have the energy to cause trouble for Chen Xiao."
Prince immediately objected, angrily saying, "Hey! You, surnamed Tian, you're the one who told me to babysit some kids! I've already shown restraint by not killing anyone, remembering your words!"
Everyone knew that Prince, that madman, could argue for three days straight without stopping once he started, so Old Tian was too lazy to argue with him. He glared at him and then simply turned away, ignoring him. Instead, he asked Chen Xiao, "Now... what do you plan to do? Go back to the Xiao family? Or..."
Chen Xiao shook his head: "The main reason I returned to the Xiao family this time was to find out about my origins. I participated in the clan meeting yesterday to acknowledge my ancestors, and that was because I learned that my mother is a member of the Xiao family. As for staying in the Xiao family, that's unnecessary. Besides..." He smiled. Although he had lost his memory of what happened at the Xiao family a few days ago, he wasn't stupid and had figured out some things: "Besides, if I stay in the Xiao family, I'm afraid many people in this family will be uneasy. I have no ambition for this family's business, and I don't want to cause trouble, so I'd better leave."
No one was surprised by Chen Xiao's decision. To those present, no matter how wealthy the Xiao family was, they wouldn't even give them a second thought.
“Back then, my mother left the family not necessarily willingly, but she was forced by circumstances to do so for the sake of freedom. My return to the family is simply to fulfill a wish. There’s nothing else.” Chen Xiao looked at Old Tian and frowned, “It’s just… after causing such a big mess the other day, now…”
"Let's go back and talk about it first." Old Tian was also feeling a bit uneasy.
After this group of people left Xiao Family Town, those who remained at the inn had already reported back to the Xiao family.
When Old Master Xiao learned that "Mr. Tian" had left with his companion, he felt a mix of emotions.
In particular, someone saw Chen Xiao and Xiao Qing, as well as the girl who caused a scene at the ancestral hall that day, among the group. After receiving the news, the old man seemed somewhat downcast.
There were naturally some fools in the Xiao family who clamored to send someone to bring back Chen Xiao, that "family traitor," but before they could even finish their sentence, the old master ordered his legs to be broken with family discipline.
As a result, the matter of dealing with Chen Xiao was left unresolved and temporarily shelved. Since the old man hadn't made a decision, no one dared to bring it up again.
However, Chen Xiao left, and even that girl Xiao Qing left without a word, which fulfilled the wishes of many. But no one knew what the old master was thinking.
...
...
Southeast of Pudong District, Shanghai.
This is the most remote area in Pudong District. When Lao Tian and his group were in Shanghai, they had already temporarily bought a house here as a base of operations.
After returning from Lingnan, the group did not go back to the unfinished street in K City, but went directly to Shanghai.
After all, Lin San and the others were still stationed at their stronghold in Shanghai, along with Peacock, who had been "purified" by Chen Xiao during the last great battle and had become an ordinary person.
Those who remained at the base in Shanghai included Mr. Lin San, Champagne, Peacock, and Suo Suo.
It's said that Peacock's mood has improved slightly these past few days, at least she no longer has suicidal tendencies. However, she remains very aloof, and neither Lin San nor Champagne can communicate with her.
However, Peacock actually spoke to Suo Suo, formerly known as Hei Qi! This was probably because Hei Qi had also been infected by the "purification" process, losing all her superpowers and becoming an ordinary person. In this respect, she seemed to share a similar fate with Peacock.
Chen Xiao and a group of about ten people returned to Shanghai from Lingnan and arrived at this remote settlement by car.
This is a three-story building. When Chen Xiao returned, he stood outside the door, still feeling quite apprehensive.
He seemed somewhat nervous about facing Peacock. After all, after regaining his memories, he clearly understood that Peacock, a legendary S-rank figure, had had all his skills crippled by him. Moreover, he was also deeply involved in the death of Fireworks. This matter was a thorn in Chen Xiao's side.
He was somewhat unsure how to face the peacock.
He had already explained the details of Fireworks' death to Lao Tian and the others when he returned. It seemed that Fireworks had tried to kill him, but the reason for Fireworks' death was not because he had done it, but because an outsider intervened when Fireworks attacked him with his mental power... He had explained the whole story very clearly.
However, others could understand, even Phoenix expressed understanding, believing that the responsibility for this matter did not lie with Chen Xiao. But whether Peacock would think so was hard to say. Everyone knew that Peacock had an extreme personality and was exceptionally loyal to Fireworks.
I was struggling to figure out how to solve this problem, but as soon as I stepped into the house, the problem immediately disappeared!
Upon entering the first-floor apartment, the house was a complete mess!
Lin San, Champagne, Peacock, and Suo Suo are all nowhere to be found!
But there was someone who shouldn't be here, yet they stayed here waiting for them to come back!
In the lobby on the first floor, the furniture that was originally there had been completely dismantled, as if a fierce battle had taken place. Even the walls were covered with cracks, and there were burn marks on the floor.
In the middle of the hall, on the only intact chair, sat a person, quietly waiting for everyone to return!
As soon as everyone entered, they were face to face with the person sitting in the chair.
In the chair, an old man with a wrinkled face leaned back deeply, crossed his legs, and held a thread-bound edition of "Jin Ping Mei" in his hands. He was wearing reading glasses and was reading the book with great interest. Even when Chen Xiao and his group entered the room, his eyes did not leave the book.
Instead, Chen Xiao and the others were stunned by the scene inside the house! Behind them, Lao Tian and the others stared in astonishment at the old man sitting in the chair!
Finally, as if he had finished reading a page, the old man calmly raised his head, took off his glasses, and smiled: "You're finally back. I've been waiting here for two whole days."
He stood up, winked at Lao Tian and the others, then smiled at Chen Xiao: "Long time no see, kid. How's your coffee shop doing?"
"Boss Ai?"
Chen Xiao was very surprised!
This old man was none other than Edward, the former owner of the DayBucks coffee shop, the same old fellow who left the shop to him and then vanished without a trace!
Edward nodded: "Hmm, you seem to be in good spirits. However, the coffee shop seems to have lost a lot of business."
Lao Tian, Zhu Rong, and Gong Gong were all surprised. Lao Tian walked over first, exchanged a glance with Edward, and frowned, saying, "What are you doing here? What happened here?!"
"Old Ai! Where have you been all this time?!" Zhu Rong glared at her. "You still haven't paid me back the money you lost playing mahjong before you left!"
Edward smiled, a very calm smile: "First of all, I don't know where the people who lived here went. When I came here, this is how it was, there was no one here."
Then he sighed: "Old friends, it's been a long time. As for my current situation... I hope you won't be too surprised when I tell you."