Chapter 25: Uncle Jingxi

"Uncle... please don’t make fun of me." Ruan Xingwen was somewhat helpless. This uncle of his seemed very proper on the outside, but in reality, he was an avid follower of gossip in private, sometimes acting as a keen member of the public, sharing rumors or even calling the police. After all, he did have some minor power. The voice on the other end of the phone continued its accusation, "Still arguing! Tell me, since you entered the entertainment industry, how long has it been since you returned to the old house? How long since you called me? You’ve completely forgotten about me, your uncle! They say the entertainment industry is a world of temptations; I bet you’re blinded!" "Uncle, I went to Jingxi for work last month and visited the old house. Did you forget? I even brought you a decent vase, remember? Maybe we should have you checked at the hospital? Already getting forgetful at thirty-something?" The person on the other end paused noticeably, then a voice came through, annoyed and flustered, "Alright, you rascal! Don’t think I can’t tell! You’re calling me senile! You, you, you... wait until you come back, I’ll deal with you then!" He was indeed a bit forgetful, but that’s because he had too much to deal with! That’s why he needed his assistant to remind him of his schedule, and every time Xingxing couldn’t win an argument with him, he’d use this to mock him! "Alright, Uncle, I was wrong. I actually need your help with something." Hearing his uncle clearly a bit embarrassed, Ruan Xingwen seized the chance to admit his mistake and bring the conversation back to the main issue. "What, having a hard time now? Or running out of money? Just say how much you need, your uncle is wealthy!" Though bragging, he knew that Xingxing wouldn’t come to him for money just because he needed it. Ever since his sister and brother-in-law had their incident, Xingxing had never asked the family for money, nor sought help. And the family never restricted his choices either, just like when he entered the entertainment industry before graduating, the family supported him as long as Xingxing was happy. But this time, he had misjudged. "Uncle... could you lend me some money?" After hesitating for a while, Ruan Xingwen finally spoke up. His uncle, who had just been certain Xingxing wasn’t short of money, was caught off guard and didn’t know how to respond. "Well, Uncle, if it’s inconvenient, never mind, I’ll ask someone else." Ruan Xingwen’s tone noticeably lowered. "What nonsense! How could it be inconvenient! How much do you need? Is a hundred thousand enough? I’ll transfer it right away, still the same account, right?" he said, calling an assistant over to transfer the money to Ruan Xingwen. "Wait, Uncle, I need a bit more than that." His uncle didn’t mind, thinking how much more could it be? He wasn’t short of cash. Ruan Xingwen continued and stated an amount, "Five million, is that okay?" His uncle was stunned again. What trouble had this kid gotten into? Why ask for five million all of a sudden when he never asked for money before? Although five million wasn’t much, he was worried Ruan Xingwen might have picked up a bad habit like gambling or drugs. Sternly, his uncle questioned, "Xingxing, be honest with your uncle, have you picked up any bad habits?" Ruan Xingwen couldn’t help but laugh and cry, amazed by his uncle’s erratic thinking. Are all artists like this? "Uncle, what are you thinking? I terminated my contract with the company and need to pay a penalty." The voice on the other end sighed in relief, "Phew... that’s a relief. You scared me. As long as it’s not a bad habit. Do you need it urgently? Should I transfer it now?" "No need to give it to me, just transfer it directly to the company’s account. Make sure to keep the transaction record. If you give it to me and I transfer it to the company, the bank will charge a fee!" He sent his uncle the account number via WeChat while speaking. The other party received the message and instructed the assistant to transfer the money. "It’s been transferred. Look at you, been in the entertainment industry for years but haven’t even made a profit, now you’re even calculating transaction fees? How about coming back to Jingxi to help me run the company?" The uncle’s voice was full of tempting persuasion. "Stop, stop, I’m not going back. That business is Grandpa’s legacy to you. I don’t want to take over that and have people gossiping behind my back..." Ruan Xingwen shuddered at the thought and decided he’d rather stay and be a minor celebrity here. "Oh, my dad too, why give it to me and not to our elder brothers? Insisting on me the incapable one. I have to keep a stern face every day, it’s exhausting." Despite complaining over the years, Uncle had always remained at the cultural center Grandpa left behind, like an eagle destined to roam freely, willingly confined now within the humble abode on land. "Uncle, if Grandpa were still here, he’d certainly be very happy." The other end of the call fell silent. After a few seconds, it resumed, "Alright, the money has been transferred. I have things to attend to here, you go do your thing. If you have time, come back to the old house and stay with me for a while." Ruan Xingwen nodded in agreement, and the other party hung up. Ruan Xingwen leaned back on a street bench, stretched his limbs with a long yawn. He looked up at the bright blue sky, feeling as free as a bird breaking its shackles, finally able to fly freely. After savoring the sight for a while, Ruan Xingwen stood up and walked towards home. It was a bit far, but he felt good today and wanted to breathe in some fresh air. Halfway there, Ruan Xingwen had to give in and stop at a bus stop, intending to take the bus for the rest of the way home. His body now felt too easily fatigued, and who knows how long it’ll take to recover. He had an endorsement to handle in a few days too, hoping it wouldn’t cause any delay. As he pondered, the bus arrived. He boarded, found a vacant seat, and watched the scenery whisk by. Ruan Xingwen’s contract termination was processed swiftly. Since it was an amicable separation, no legal proceedings were needed, and the process was complete once the penalty was paid. Thus, from the moment his uncle sent the money, Ruan Xingwen was free. All within a little over an hour, which included the time it took for Ruan Xingwen to travel from home to the company. Meanwhile, on the third floor of a building in Times Garden, "That rascal Yu Xiaozhe, he came to see me and couldn’t even wait until I woke up to leave! Just because he can see me, I can’t see him, huh?!" Yu Yue looked at the old man’s angry demeanor, feeling a bit resentful toward his brother, "Exactly! Why not wait for Grandpa to wake up before leaving? And why not take me too to endure Grandpa’s wrath all by myself? This is utterly insane!" Resentful though he was, he had to comfort the old man, since he was getting on in years and couldn’t afford anger. "Grandpa, my brother was rushing to join the crew, wasn’t he? You’re quite far from the airport, if he waited for you to wake up, he’d definitely miss his flight, and that’d be bad." "Besides, I’m still here to accompany you, right? Are you saying you only like my brother and not me?" Saying this, he put on a pitiful expression. The old man was just missing his grandson whom he hadn’t seen in a long time. Now that his other grandson was there, he was naturally happy. "Then you must come with me to the park, just so I can show off to Old Zhang, humph, even if his granddaughter is great, she doesn’t have time for him; my grandson is better!" Yu Yue dared not refuse, "Alright, alright, Grandpa’s word is law. Shall we head out now? And maybe have breakfast on the way!" Before the old man could respond, another person, hardly noticed before, spoke up to stop them, "Grandpa Yu, Mr. Yu, I’ve already made breakfast, it’s keeping warm in the kitchen, better not eat out, it’s unhealthy." Only now did Yu Yue remember there was such a person, recalling last night’s conversation with his brother, he turned his gaze towards the person and spoke, "I’ll give you three months’ extra salary, but please ensure to leave before we return." Seeing the person turn pale and about to rebut, Yu Yue’s face darkened, his voice carrying a warning, "You’ve crossed the line." With that, he turned to support the old man out the door. The old man said nothing to this. When it came to outsiders, he trusted his family more.