Chapter 130

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The Pei family ancestral home.

By the time Pei Qiaonian arrived, almost everyone with any standing in the Pei family was already present. They were the elder generation, mostly his uncles, along with a few who held the nominal title of great-uncle. As for why they had all gathered in the capital, it was entirely due to the summons from the Old Master of the Pei family.

Because of this, Pei Qiaonian immediately noticed the elegant woman sitting to the right of the Old Master. Over the past decade, her poise and aura had only deepened; with every gesture, she carried herself as if she were the true mistress of the house. Sitting to the left was the Old Madam, whose expression remained faint and unreadable.

Pei Qiaonian’s gaze shifted further, finding his own mother at the very end of the row. She was huddled into herself, trying to minimize her presence, sitting in absolute, wordless silence.

He retracted his gaze, his expression growing colder and his brow sharper. His strides were long, cutting through the air as he walked, and his entrance drew the attention of everyone in the room, the atmosphere instantly turning solemn.

There was an empty seat at the front, reserved for him. But Pei Qiaonian’s eyes were fixed only on the Old Master’s position. With a faint, thin curl of his lips, he walked straight to the seat reserved for him.

When Pei’s mother saw her son, she felt a momentary surge of excitement, but seemingly remembering something, she lowered her head and remained in her seat, not daring to move again.

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Seeing that everyone had arrived, the Old Master swept his gaze across the room, his voice authoritative. "Since everyone is here, I will get straight to the point. I called you all back to host a welcome banquet for my eldest grandson who has returned from abroad. Because Qiaonian was away on business, we specifically waited for his return to hold this event..."

"Wait a moment," Pei Qiaonian interrupted.

Everyone, who had been listening intently to the Old Master, turned their gaze toward him in unison.

He curled his lips slightly, looking at the refined and handsome man sitting beside the elegant woman. This was the Old Master’s eldest grandson, Pei Linyuan. Abroad, he used the name Lin Yuan and held a certain status in the international entertainment industry.

"Is he someone so important that he must be introduced to me?" His tone was languid, laced with palpable mockery.

The Old Master’s face darkened instantly. "He is your elder brother! Is that reason enough?"

"Oh? Is that so? Back then, Pei Linyuan’s mother took his custody away. Even if he still has the Pei family blood in his veins, he has already changed his surname to Lin. And you—you let him become the Vice President of the company the moment he returned. Are you so desperate to hand over the Pei family’s legacy to an outsider?"

The Old Master erupted in rage: "What kind of nonsense are you spouting? A-Yuan has always been a member of the Pei family. Even if he was away for fifteen years, that cannot change the fact that he is of our bloodline!"

"Is that so? I was only away on business for a few days, and you’ve already shoved him into the company as Vice President. You are willing to entrust the management of the company to someone with absolutely no experience? Aren't you afraid he’ll sell the company until there’s nothing left but our underwear?"

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Everyone looked at Pei Qiaonian in disbelief. It was hard to imagine such words coming from him.

Coming from someone who usually played the role of a cold, domineering CEO, the sudden mention of "underwear" was jarring. Yet, his demeanor remained icy, especially as he locked horns with the Old Master, making everyone break into a cold sweat on his behalf.

Lin Yuan, who had been the center of the topic, finally spoke up: "Grandfather, I have only just returned from abroad. My brother is right; I am not yet qualified for the position of Vice President at Pei Corp. Please, do not let me be the cause of any discord between you and Qiaonian."

He sighed, his brow clouded with worry.

Pei Qiaonian cast a cold glance at him. As expected of an actor; this performance was truly impressive. At most, it could only deceive an muddle-headed old man like the Old Master.

Sure enough, upon hearing Lin Yuan’s words, the Old Master’s anger flared: "This is not your place to speak! Do you know why I let Lin Yuan into the company? Perhaps you should first ask what that Xu girl you married has actually done. She is a woman, after all, and out of respect for her dignity, I do not wish to speak too harshly. Qiaonian, if you separate from her, I can let bygones be bygones. Your position in the Pei family will remain unshaken."