Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Before my wife married me, she laid down three rules.

First, we were not allowed to announce our marriage to the public.

Second, she would never live in the Rong family ancestral residence.

Third… I won’t say what the third was.

Now that she’d moved out of the little villa we’d bought separately, the house was terribly quiet.

So I went back to the ancestral residence.

An ancestral residence, by definition, was a house handed down by one’s ancestors. A house where one’s forebears had lived.

I hadn’t been back in a long time. None of the elders or my peers showed their faces, but the gaggle of younger ones who did see me all looked terrified.

I smiled faintly.

The real ancestor had returned. They were right to be afraid.

But I had come back on serious business.

My wife’s new drama needed a large old estate as a filming location, and the Rong family ancestral residence was perfect. Better yet, she wouldn’t have to leave the capital.

I hated long-distance anything.

I had only just given a few instructions when a little boy burst into tears and ran outside. “Mom! Dad! Uncle is going to knock down my room and dig a pond there, waaaah…”

For a moment, I couldn’t remember which cousin’s child he was.

His mental fortitude was terrible.

The children beside him, who were even younger, hadn’t cried. I was very pleased. I pinched one little kid’s cheek and said, “So tender. You’d probably taste delicious stewed.”

…

All right. There went another one.

I hated children.

After watching them flee hand in hand in terror, I leaned back against the sofa, feeling deeply relieved.

A sudden noise came from behind me.

The moment I turned around, I met a pair of gloomy eyes.

My younger brother, Rong Zheng, was leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets, standing with the posture of a delinquent. Who knew how long he’d been watching me.

We were born of the same mother. Even though he had a bit of a temper, I had always been tolerant of him and had never laid a hand on him.

I beckoned him over. His expression froze, and then he reluctantly shuffled toward me in tiny steps.

He was clearly guilty, but he still tried to act tough, all bluster and no spine. “What are you doing back here? Got kicked out again?”

Heh.

I turned the ring on my finger and merely looked at him without speaking.

After giving him a while to calm down, I lifted my leg and kicked him.

He grunted and stumbled to the floor. Before he could get back up, I rose, pointed at him, and asked, “Did you provoke your sister-in-law?”

He froze, his eyes full of confusion. Then I knew it had nothing to do with him.

Still, I issued the usual warning. “I reminded you three years ago, and I’ll remind you again today. Do not mess with her.”

Otherwise, she wouldn’t let you off.

And neither would I.

Rong Zheng’s eyes reddened at once. “How did I mess with her? Am I not even allowed to audition for a drama she directs? Why?”

I sighed softly and pitied him. “Don’t waste your effort.”

He wiped away his tears and stood up, all puffed up with pride. “Who are you looking down on? I passed the audition. I’m the male lead.”

This time, I was the one who froze, utterly baffled. “You’re what?”

He snorted. “The male lead.”

…

I was astonished. “You?”

Oh. A sudden flash of inspiration struck me. “How many male leads are there in total?”

The room fell deathly silent.

A moment later, Rong Zheng screamed, “Rong Yun! I’ll kill you!”

I picked up my teacup and took a sip. The tea was warm, yet for some reason, a chill crept into my chest.

After scrolling through some entertainment news, I discovered that the female lead of this drama was the current wife of my wife’s ex-boyfriend.

Looking closer, sure enough, it was a Republican-era drama, and both the male and female leads died.

So why did I have a bad feeling that things outside the show wouldn’t turn out much better?

I cast a heavy glance at Rong Zheng, who was still flailing around, and reminded him, “Be careful lately.”

Then I walked away and called the deputy head of the group’s legal department. “Don’t rush through any non-urgent contracts for now. When you have time, study some criminal law.”

“…Don’t listen to their nonsense about the best ways to make money being found in the Criminal Law. The most profitable methods are still in civil and commercial law. Besides, we’re a legitimate company.”

I frowned. “What are you talking about? This is a family matter.”

Enlightenment dawned on the other end. “Oh. Your wife killed you again.”

After a long silence, he quietly said, “Sorry.”

For some reason, I laughed. “In this lifetime, deputy head is as high as you’re ever getting.”

“Hey, don’t-”

I hung up. When I turned back around, Rong Zheng was still standing in the corner, staring at me darkly.

My head ached a little. After a pause, I ordered, “Look into whether any of your sister-in-law’s friends from overseas have returned recently.”

His eyes lit up.

Idle people needed something to do.