Chapter 4: Ambitious Grandmother
1009 Words
Seeing Lisa leading her precious children toward him, Fang Tianyun smiled on the surface but cursed his luck internally.
What rotten luck...
The trio, who had been chatting and laughing, instantly put on stern faces upon seeing Fang Tianyun approaching. The atmosphere cooled immediately.
“Greetings, young master, young miss, madam,” Fang Tianyun greeted with a smile. When it came to outward appearances, he never gave anyone a chance to find fault.
Technically, he should address them as mother and siblings, but Lisa and her children refused to allow Fang Tianyun to call them that. They believed this illegitimate child was unworthy and felt it was shameful. Little did they know, Fang Tianyun felt the same way. He had no desire to be associated with this family.
In this regard, both sides mutually disliked each other, each harboring disdain. Fang Tianyun kept it hidden, while Lisa and her children displayed it openly.
“What are you doing here?” Lisa asked, hands on her hips, her tone accusatory. She had no fondness for this illegitimate child, seeing him as a thorn in her side.
“Madam, I came to bid farewell to Lord Amos,” Fang Tianyun replied.
“Farewell?” Lisa’s expression turned curious.
“I plan to study in another city,” Fang Tianyun explained.
Upon hearing this, Lisa’s stern face melted into a beaming smile. This boy was finally leaving!
Given her status and temperament, the sight of this illegitimate child always irked her. His departure was a welcome relief.
In the order of relationships, she was the newcomer, but this spoiled young lady never acknowledged that. Her open joy made Fang Tianyun inwardly sneer. His so-called mother was spoiled, temperamental, and lacked real abilities but had plenty of petty tricks. She was well-matched with his father.
“Going to another city? Well, at least you know your place. With your level of incompetence, there's no reason to stay in the family,” scoffed Arthur, the silver-haired boy, with undisguised mockery.
“Indeed, I can't compare to you, young master. You passed the martial artist test at such a young age, truly a role model for the family,” Fang Tianyun replied with feigned admiration.
Arthur, unable to detect the sarcasm, found this flattery quite pleasing. Influenced by his mother, he despised his half-brother. Yet every time he sought to pick a fight, the older boy’s compliments defused his anger.
“Hey! Watch where you’re going! You stepped on my skirt!” Eva’s annoyed voice suddenly interrupted as they were about to pass each other. Fang Tianyun saw the blonde girl’s disdainful smirk. He felt a chill but maintained an apologetic smile.
“Sorry, young miss. Let me clean it for you,” he offered, bending down.
“Don't touch me with your filthy hands! Just get lost!” Eva snapped, lifting her skirt to avoid him.
Fang Tianyun showed no displeasure and quickly left with a show of fear.
“Alright, kids, let’s go. We have an important luncheon to attend,” Lisa said, humming happily as she led the way.
Arthur felt indifferent. He barely saw his half-brother, who lived in the same castle, once a year. Their upbringing was worlds apart, with no common ground.
Eva, however, seemed pensive, as if deep in thought. Arthur noticed his sister’s unusual demeanor and spoke up:
“It’s just a skirt. I didn’t even see any dirt. If you want, have a servant clean it. No need to sulk over that guy. Besides, he’s leaving soon.”
“i***t,” Eva retorted, glaring at him before entering her room and slamming the door.
Arthur’s face turned red. His sister was not only spoiled but had a sharp tongue. She only behaved in front of their grandmother.
Inside, Eva’s expression remained uncertain. The black-haired boy hadn’t stepped on her skirt. She had fabricated the incident to provoke him. If he had argued, she had many ways to embarrass him. But he had quickly accepted blame for something he didn’t do.
“Does Fang Tianyun really have no temper?” she wondered.
Reflecting on his usual submissive demeanor, Eva pondered whether it was genuine cowardice or something else...
“Ha! What am I thinking?” she laughed, shaking off the odd thoughts. Fang Tianyun was a powerless illegitimate child with no resources or influence. Why waste time pondering his behavior?
Eva dismissed her earlier thoughts with a scoff.
She must have been crazy.
...
“Quite young, but already so devious,” Fang Tianyun mused with a disdainful smile as he recalled the recent interaction.
Suddenly, he sensed someone approaching. A tall, armored female warrior with a sword was walking toward him.
Marcia, forty-six years old, a five-star martial artist, and the loyal chief bodyguard to Laura. She was also one of the Wilson family's private guard instructors.
The ranks of mages and martial artists ranged from one to seven stars. As a five-star martial artist, Marcia was formidable. She personally trained Arthur in martial arts.
“Come with me. The head of the house wants to see you,” Marcia stated briefly before leading the way. Fang Tianyun silently followed.
He wasn’t surprised by Marcia’s arrival. His grandfather had mentioned informing Laura about his departure, and Fang Tianyun had agreed. However, he didn’t expect his grandmother to send a trusted aide to summon him.
Laura Wilson was the one family member Fang Tianyun was somewhat wary of. She was capable, cunning, and ruthless. Her marriage to his grandfather, Fang Yingjie, wasn’t for love but strategic—splitting from her family and merging assets.
Laura had two brothers. After her marriage, she took some assets as her dowry, using them to revive and gradually take over the declining Fang family. Meanwhile, her brothers fought bitterly for the Wilson family inheritance for nearly a decade, weakening each other.
No one anticipated Laura’s move. When both sides were exhausted, she struck swiftly and decisively, consolidating everything under her control.
She had remained silent until the perfect moment to act.
- Writer
