SBHA Chapter 17

Chapter 17. What Have You Done?

“They have begun.” Just as Yu Ze’s words fell, Song Yan immediately guessed what was up.

“Is it my parents? What happened to them?” Song Yan hurriedly asked.

“Tonight, the family of four together for dinner, everyone must attend, cannot be late. The matters at hand must be set aside. What do you think, ” Yu Ze said, “I think they want to lay out their cards*.”

* 攤牌 phrase; to lay out the cards; to openly explain to the other party the circumstances regarding some matter

Song Yan sighed, he really hated that he couldn’t enter the battle himself, but this was a private gathering of the Song Family; there was no way he’d be able to go with his current identity.

“It’d be best if they don’t mention any important problems tonight.”

Yu Ze expressed his doubts.

They discussed it a bit more, Song Yan wanted Yu Ze to immediately contact him if anything important happened.

“If they have a dispute, and need you to express your stand, who will you stand by?” Yu Ze asked.

“Who do you think I should stand by?” Song Yan asked him.

Yu Ze laughed. Song Yan consulting his opinion like this, was just as if he’d really considered him a completely trustworthy friend. But all in all, this was Song Yan’s family matter.

“Song Yan,” he replied, “regardless of who you support, I completely support you.”

Song Yan finally made up his mind, he said, “Don’t rashly declare a position, if they force you to decide which side to support, tell them, I support them divorcing.”

That evening, the chauffeur took Yu Ze to the “Garden”. Yu Ze finally saw the “Garden” for the first time.

The high-rise was close to a hundred stories, the lights began to flicker on as twilight set in, and seemed just like the two arms of Atlas*. The entire building along with the surrounding stretch of small green isles, as well as the incidentally developed areas, were collectively called the “Garden Plaza”.

* Atlas; from Greek mythology; a Titan condemned to hold up the celestial heavens or sky for eternity (like the hands of Atlas, supporting the sky)

As of today, only the green islands and the periphery of the Garden Plaza were currently opened to the public. The skyscraper hadn’t officially opened for business yet, only the staff were there, anxiously preparing for the opening.

When Song Yan heard Song Ruo Zuo previously mention the “the Garden, the Garden”, he had thought it was the garden of some residence under the Song Family’s name, he’d only realized afterwards that it meant the Garden Plaza. Now that he saw it with his own eyes, he was even more stunned – it was a more direct experience of the Song Family’s financial power.

The location of the meal was at the topmost floor, so accompanied by the staff, Yu Ze took the direct elevator to the top floor. Although it was just a family gathering, Yu Ze had still dressed rather formally.

As soon as the doors of the elevator opened, Yu Ze couldn’t help but take a deep breath. The waiter respectfully said, “Mr. Song, this way please.”

The most luxurious restaurant on the top floor was richly decorated, mainly in tones of platinum. If one wasn’t careful, this color was easy to give off the impression of a nouveau riche or a spendthrift, but the decorations here were delicate, and the space was also large enough. The immense, wide space, the extremely beautiful view, the vast horizon just beyond the wall of glass; when added to this sort of luxurious interior, it was just like being at a palace in heaven.

Yu Ze sincerely wanted to introduce several film crews to this place to capture the scenery here, it was just too beautiful.

Song Qi had arrived before his younger brother, he lifted a hand in greeting.

Yu Ze walked over, sat down to first chat with Song Qi. Song Qi closed the cover of the tablet in front of him. Not even a bit uneasy, he began to speak with Yu Ze about some of the plans regarding their grandfather’s birthday next month, as if he’d long expected things to come to this day.

Song Qi even inquired about the matter with Qiao Ruo Ming, “You and Xiao Qiao breaking up, was that because of Yu Ze?”

“No,” Yu Ze immediately responded, “why do you say that?”

He felt indescribably guilty. Although Song Yan and Qiao Ruo Ming breaking up had been somewhat related to him, he didn’t think the reason behind it was the same as what Song Qi thought it to be.

Song Qi looked at him with eyes that asked “What do you think?”, before he said, “If you say it’s not, then it’s not. There’s nothing to it.”

“What about you?” Yu Ze asked, “Progressing a bit too fast with Lu Qiu Yi?”

Song Qi replied, “He’s rather good.”

Yu Ze thought he’d say that Lu Qiu Yi was pretty, or something along those lines. But Song Qi instead said, “He knows the rules, is quite obedient.”

Yu Ze couldn’t help but think, so this was how one kept someone, listen to those words he was saying!

However, they didn’t talk further about the details, as Song Qi and Song Yan’s parents had arrived. Song Ruo Zuo and Shen Xi Jia both came in, however their expressions weren’t that good; they didn’t even glance at one another, as if both were already tired of seeing the other.

By the time all four of them were seated, their expressions had turned worse.

Shen Xi Jia asked for champagne as soon as she sat down. Song Ruo Zuo immediately spoke, “We haven’t even begun talking about business, you think this is appropriate?”

Song Qi remained silent.

Song Yan helped to smooth things over: “Let’s first eat something, shall we?”

The empty, spacious restaurant only served the four of them; the head waiter, the servers, the music, everything was for them. There were also the several people who’d been placed in the staff kitchen. They were the four people’s secretaries and attendants, and included Fang Yuan.

At this time, those in the staff kitchen were already eating, drinking, exchanging gossip. Song Qi’s assistant, Susan, was telling Fang Yuan some gossip, she brought up the matter of Lu Qiu Yi arguing with the stylist.

“You think about it, Eldest Young Master is bringing him to the Old Master’s birthday banquet with the identity of a ‘companion’, how could he let him go along with his own style of taste? That ‘sense’ of his, oh……” As she talked, she waved her hand back and forth under her nose.

Fang Yuan instead began to feel some sympathy for Lu Qiu Yi, she didn’t think it was very funny, and said, “I think the Eldest Young Master treats him rather well.”

“The Eldest Young Master, you know him,” Susan said, “always so frigidly cold, it’s only natural the money spent should be generous.”

She then asked Fang Yuan, had Second Young Master really broken up with Qiao Ruo Ming?

“Broke up already,” Fang Yan said, “Second Young Master personally announced it himself, what’s not to believe?”

Susan thought it a pity, “I rather liked Qiao Ruo Ming.”

Fang Yuan continued, “Second Young Master’s temper has been really good lately, I recently felt that it’s really not the same, even his manner of speaking has became gentle.”

Susan sighed, “The thoughts of the rich and powerful cannot be accurately guessed. Maybe he’s burying a landmine*, you better be more careful.”

* landmine; used to mean something terrible/disastrous, is an internet slang (basically like the game: minesweeper)

As Song Ruo Zuo ate at the fish, he gave a point by point commentary on several recent matters regarding the company, but a lot of it was his complaints, he also reproached Song Qi for not reaching his standards.

Shen Xi Jia set down her fork and knife, “Is it impossible for you to not talk about this stuff?”

Song Ruo Zuo looked at her, “Then what should I talk about?” He suddenly looked at Yu Ze, “I heard you’ve brought a theater? What are you planning?”

Yu Ze was no longer nervous by now, he imitated Song Yan’s manner of speaking, and said, “A theater, is of course a place to put on performances.”

Song Ruo Zuo snorted, but didn’t get angry. This pair of husband and wife really doted on Song Yan, this youngest son of theirs.

Yu Ze hurried to add, “I want to name the theater after grandfather’s name, then put on some new shows, and also invite some famous domestic or international artists to perform. This is also a very great form of publicity for the Song Family.”

Song Ruo Zuo finally nodded his agreement, “If you really want to do it, then do it properly.”

They again talked for some time about other matters, before the meal was also finished. The after-dinner dessert and fruits were then served.

The mention of that most important topic, could no longer be further deliberately avoided. Shen Xi Jia directly spoke to her two sons, “You both should already know, I want a divorce.”

Song Ruo Zuo abruptly smashed a fist onto the table, the cups and saucers jumped into the air. Although he was already sixty, this smash of his was still very oppressive.

Yu Ze’s back quickly became taunt. If he could, he really wanted to immediately tell Song Yan everything that happened – and what he’d suffered here!

“Dad, ” Song Qi whispered.

Shen Xi Jia’s expression was calm, as if nothing had happened, “I already….”

“It was only because of me,” Song Ruo Zuo said, “that you became worth a billion, only because of me, were you able to have your own manufacturing line for your brand, only because of me, were you able to become a hospital’s honorary chairman, have an university’s honorary doctorate, be a charity organization’s director.”

“Are we really going to repeat another cycle of arguing these words?” Shen Xi Jia asked.

Song Ruo Zuo’s face contorted, his anger gradually became some other sort of icy elation. Yu Ze didn’t make a sound, he really wanted to force a way out and escape, but everyone was still in their own seats; he could only represent Song Yan and continue to sit here.

“Bring it up,” Song Ruo Zuo ordered the person next to him.

The bodyguard immediately turned and left. Not much longer, two large, sturdy bodyguards dragged a person over.

Yu Ze suddenly turned his head away, he didn’t dare look closely at that person. Because the person that laid there weak on the floor, was covered from head to toe in blood. Yu Ze more or less had already guessed who this person was.

Shen Xi Jia all at once became speechless, “Doctor Zhao!”

Her face was pale as she looked at Song Ruo Zuo, “What have you done!”

Song Ruo Zuo stood up, stretched out the tip of his foot, gave a kick at that weak person, “I haven’t done anything yet, but you can tell me, what can I do.”

He looked at Shen Xi Jia as he said, “I can throw him down from here.”

No one doubted the words he spoke, at least Yu Ze didn’t doubt.

For one moment, not even a crow or a peacock could be heard* in the entire restaurant. Yu Ze felt a burst of nausea from his stomach, definitely not due to anything wrong with the food from just before. He at last understood, Song Ruo Zuo hadn’t gathered the four of them here for the two sons to take a stand, but to let them watch an execution*.

* 鴉雀無聲 idiom; crow and peacock made no sound; not a single voice could be heard
* not the literal execution as in head says goodbye to body, but the execution of a procedure

Time changed in that every minute, every second became especially tortuous. “What do you want?” Shen Xi Jia finally forced out.

Song Ruo Zuo told her, “I give you two options. One, you smoothly, steadily continue as Mrs. Song, all will be the same as before. The other, divorce, but don’t you think of receiving anything, your factory, your assets, give everything to me. I’m able to generously, benevolently leave a villa for you in Thailand or Malaysia. You can live together, stay together with your Doctor Zhao there, see if he’ll still love you as he used to.”

Shen Xi Jia pursed her lips, she suddenly said, “Go ahead, throw if you want to throw.” As soon as she finished speaking, she got up and left.

The Doctor Zhao lying on the floor, let out a wail of anguish.

Song Qi also stood up, whispered some words next to Song Ruo Zuo’s ear. Yu Ze was no longer able to stand it anymore, this was more horrifying than the movies he’d filmed before. He stood up, brusquely said, “I’m also leaving.”

“Song Yan!” Song Qi called out.

Yu Ze left, his steps quick. When he got on the car, Fang Yuan followed in after him. She looked carefully at the expression of the Second Young Master Song sitting in the backseat, and asked, ” Just a moment ago, we heard something that seemed like a scream….”

Yu Ze was silent for some time, before he said, “Did you guys see anything?”

Fang Yuan shook her head.

Song Qi’s called at this moment. He said, “I only made this call to put your mind at ease. Dad hasn’t thrown anyone down. You don’t need to overthink things.”

“How do you know that I….” Song Yan asked.

“You should understand them,” Song Qi replied.

“I don’t understand,” Yu Ze said.

Yu Ze hung up the phone, and made the chauffeur drive over to Song Yan’s place. He had to meet Song Yan at once.

Author has something to say: Big sis Susan is that type of person that likes to mix Chinese with English. In addition, the Song Family’s play, even the Film Emperor could not stand it 233. And finally, wishing Teacher Yu an early Happy Father’s Day!

Translator has something to say: Sry for the wait, that promised update fell through, plz forgive me, I’ll do another mass update somewhen down the line (◕︿◕✿) but yes, the melodrama begins!

another chapter coming out soon (for those concerned, no LML this week either, but it’ll be finished before I pick up anything new)

Chapter 16

Chapter 18