Chapter 102: Is the Wei Family Cannon Fodder?

Chapter 102: Chapter 102: Is the Wei Family Cannon Fodder?

Meanwhile, Mr. Wei had been keeping a close eye on his older son’s mood. He kept up a steady stream of conversation with Wei Qi, trying to draw his attention away from Wei Shu. Wei Qi’s reaction was quite intriguing.

The grandparents were directing the nanny to serve the food, glancing toward the door every so often. Deng Yuyuan narrowed her eyes slightly. She remembered now—the Wei Family also had a younger daughter. It seemed it was a common occurrence for her not to come home without informing her family. Given this complicated family dynamic, she didn’t believe for a second that the Wei Family had no role in the original novel.

"Hmm... they must be minor cannon fodder characters. Which supporting character has the surname Wei?" she wondered.

Deng Yuyuan racked her brain, searching for clues. Beijing. Cannon fodder. Wei Yin! It was another agonizing-regret storyline: a hopelessly love-struck girl, a husband who desperately groveled only after it was too late, and her grief-stricken family. Even though her philandering scumbag of a husband was ultimately driven to ruin by the Wei Family’s retaliation, the dead couldn’t be brought back to life. She had died at the age of thirty-five.

In the few Chapters featuring Wei Yin, the story had mentioned her reliable older brother and sister-in-law, along with their two sons who had both fallen ill. The older son suffered from severe depression, while the younger son needed to be tied to his bed with restraints. The chanting of Buddhist scriptures echoed through the Wei Family home almost every day, as the two elderly grandparents prayed for blessings and accumulated good karma. Right now, however, none of these tragedies had begun.

While Deng Yuyuan was lost in thought, a pair of chopsticks was slipped into her hand. Tuantuan had picked them out for her mother.

Dinner was finally served. The meal consisted of mushroom and lean pork congee, paired with stir-fried sliced meat and green vegetables. Among the three children, Tuantuan and Wei Qi devoured their food with great appetite, while Wei Shu would take a bite only after glancing at Tuantuan, treating her completely as if she were an appetizing side dish. Deng Yuyuan’s mouth twitched involuntarily. She admitted that she had indeed raised Tuantuan to be lively, well-behaved, polite, and adorably endearing, but this was a bit much.

Grandmother asked Deng Yuyuan how long she planned to stay in Beijing, suggesting she might as well stay with the Wei Family to keep the two elders company.

Deng Yuyuan offered a joyful smile. "About the time it takes to finish a university degree."

Under everyone’s surprised yet delighted gazes, Deng Yuyuan recounted what had happened that afternoon.

Hearing this, Grandmother felt a wave of lingering fear. "Thank goodness you insisted on coming to Beijing, otherwise your whole life would have been ruined. This is far too arrogant and wicked. Who knows how many other people have been secretly harmed by those beasts!"

Wei’s mother chimed in, "Mom, don’t be angry. The situation is good now. Xiao Yuan has a chance to study, and the school will probably also arrange accommodation based on her special circumstances. Xiao Yuan, just calm your mind and focus on studying. The hardest times are already behind you."

[Player, your shared karma with the Wei Family is increasing. Mr. Wei plans to consult his colleagues to investigate such matters thoroughly and intensify crackdowns. The expected number of beneficiaries will increase from hundreds to thousands.]

"Jinghua University is quite close to your house anyway. When the time comes, I’ll bring Tuantuan over to visit often. Just don’t find me annoying," Deng Yuyuan said with a laugh.

"You silly girl, my old man and I couldn’t possibly be fonder of you two," Grandmother chided her with a smile.

Over dinner, they urged Deng Yuyuan and Tuantuan to stay, mentioning that the guest room had already been prepared. If Deng Yuyuan and Tuantuan absolutely insisted on going back, they wanted Mr. Wei to drive them, as traveling in a four-wheeled car would be safer.

Of course, the Wei Family had their own motives. Grandfather and Grandmother liked Deng Yuyuan, feeling a sense of destiny with her and treating her like a half-daughter. Meanwhile, Wei Shu practically treated Tuantuan like the apple of his eye. If Deng Yuyuan and her daughter’s current living conditions were too poor, Mr. Wei had already decided he wouldn’t even let them get out of the car; he would bring them straight back to the Wei Family home to rest. Living in a sketchy neighborhood made it too easy for trouble to find them. If an accident were to occur, how could the elderly and the children handle such a blow?

Deng Yuyuan didn’t insist any further. The Wei Family had been so thoughtful, and she wasn’t someone who enjoyed enduring unnecessary hardships, so she simply decided to stay at the Wei Family home.

Wei’s mother beamed with joy. She had already asked the nanny to buy a change of clothes for the mother and daughter that afternoon, just in case they were needed. She only revealed this fact after Deng Yuyuan agreed to stay.

After dinner, the three children gathered together to play. Wei Shu was highly resistant to the idea of Wei Qi joining him to play with Tuantuan, but he couldn’t do anything about the fact that Deng Yuyuan had specified the game’s rules, which made it a multiplayer game. If he didn’t listen to Deng Yuyuan, Tuantuan definitely wouldn’t play with him anymore.

"Ugh, I’m still so angry!" he thought.

At an age where the entire Wei Family revolved around him, Wei Shu made the devastating discovery of a harsh truth: Tuantuan only revolved around her mother. He had already listed Deng Yuyuan’s ten deadly sins in his heart, but unfortunately, there was no one to sentence her.

Wei Qi had a carefree and easygoing personality. When it came to Wei Shu, he had absolutely no temper. Even when Wei Shu treated him with a terrible attitude, he would just laugh it off and let it go. Tuantuan wanted to tell Wei Shu that he shouldn’t speak to his older brother like that, but Wei Qi instead urged Tuantuan not to take it to heart, knowing that Wei Shu meant no harm.

Wei’s mother slowly approached Deng Yuyuan, who was sitting in a chair watching the children play. Lowering her voice, she said, "Xiao Yuan, I’d like to discuss something with you."

"Hmm?" Deng Yuyuan tilted her head. The trailing tone of her voice rose slightly—lazy yet full of allure. Under the lighting, her beauty took on an extra layer of hazy charm.

Wei’s mother’s tone could be described as humble. "As you’ve probably noticed, Little Shu has some issues... But when it comes to Tuantuan, he is absolutely protective and caring. We’ve been seeking medical help and trying every possible method for his illness, but we never expected to see a turning point in you and Tuantuan.

"Perhaps, just as Mom and Dad said, our family is naturally fated with you. So I’d like to beg you—could you let Tuantuan spend more time with Little Shu? She wouldn’t need to take care of him; just playing games normally like kids do is perfectly fine. We will absolutely never let Tuantuan suffer any grievances."

Deng Yuyuan let out a sigh and replied, "The Wei Family saved me back then, and I naturally hold this gratitude close to my heart. To repay this life-saving debt, I would gladly go through fire and water. But Tuantuan is my precious baby, too.

"I imagine that here in the Wei Family, Wei Qi’s problems are also quite severe, aren’t they? I will bring Tuantuan over to play more often, but if she is exposed to this twisted dynamic between Wei Qi and Wei Shu long-term, it will be very detrimental to the development of her worldview, outlook on life, and values. It will negatively influence her, causing her to form a flawed judgment of how siblings should interact.

"Moreover, back in the countryside, Tuantuan has a god-sister and playmates her own age. When it comes to things she hasn’t experienced, she might seem clumsy and clueless; but sibling dynamics are a type of relationship she has personally experienced, so she will form her own judgments. In her eyes, the way the Wei brothers interact is just plain wrong, and she will speak up to stop it.

"Therefore, if the Wei brothers cannot change the way they treat each other, I’m afraid I can only promise to bring Tuantuan over to play occasionally. I cannot allow the two children to build too deep of an emotional bond."

Wei’s mother wiped her face, her expression clouded with exhaustion and bewilderment. "Xiao Yuan, I understand your concerns. I completely understand, and it’s okay... You’re absolutely right. We can’t allow another child to be negatively affected."