Chapter 219: Family War

As he was reviewing himself one by one, Father Xiao quietly entered the room and went to the balcony. Seeing Xiao Ran lost in thought, he gently coughed to wake him up before sitting down and saying, “Aran, I want to talk to you about something!”
Xiao Ran looked at his father in confusion. Could it be that his dad wanted to enter the business world again? That was a place that could shorten one’s life! His dad had always been so cool, and today he was just as cool, staring at the greenery outside the balcony. “Do you know? The media is speculating about when you and Qingxia will have a child!”
What did that have to do with them? Xiao Ran felt frustrated. What did it have to do with the media? But then, thinking of his wife’s reputation, he became depressed. Because of “Unfinished Love,” everyone had given up on the Xiao-Lin relationship, and Lin Qingxia’s reputation had only improved since marriage. Now, the newspapers were even more gossip-oriented—everyone cared about the size of Zhang Guorong’s pants during his concerts, so it made sense for them to wonder when Xiao Lin would have a child.
With a bitter smile, Xiao Ran immediately realized what his dad wanted to talk about. He really didn’t like children. When he was eighteen or nineteen, he had helped a relative take care of a child for a week for some reason. The result was predictable—Xiao Ran almost wished he could throw that child into a sewer.
Whether it was due to psychological trauma or something else, Xiao Ran preferred freedom. Having a child wasn’t just annoying; it would also be a burden. If he had to have a child, he thought he would rather adopt one over eight years old. He believed that children under eight were the most troublesome, while those over eight understood more and were easier to teach.
His dad continued to stare at Xiao Ran seriously and said in a deep voice, “Your mom and I stay at home all day. Although the house is big, it’s very dull. And don’t forget, at Qingxia’s age, if she doesn’t have a child now, it might cause problems in the future!”
“I’ve already suggested that you go on a trip, but you refuse.” Thinking of his wife’s age, Xiao Ran’s heart trembled slightly. He really hated talking about this topic and immediately waved his hand, saying, “We can just adopt one in the future! Why have a child of our own?”
These words suddenly changed his dad’s usually calm expression. He pointed at Xiao Ran and gasped, “You… what are you talking about? Adopting…?”
Xiao Ran was shocked and immediately jumped up to support his dad, helping him catch his breath. Only then did he realize that his dad had really gotten old. At that moment, his mom suddenly appeared behind Xiao Ran, her face full of anger. “Aran, what’s this talk about adoption? A child must be biological. You absolutely can’t think like that!”
Xiao Ran was extremely frustrated. He really had nothing to say. But if it were someone else, even if they didn’t have 21st-century ideas, they certainly wouldn’t have such open-minded thoughts, even though he really hated children.
After Lin Qingxia returned and said a few words, Xiao Ran casually asked, “Do you really want a child?”
“I do, but you…” Lin Qingxia suddenly stopped speaking, looking at Xiao Ran with slight anger. “If you want to know, just ask me directly. Why try to trick me into saying it?”

Xiao Ran felt utterly bored and quickly tried to coax her, finally making Lin Qingxia forget about it for the time being. But the matter wasn’t over. That day, as soon as Xiao Ran got home, he saw his parents adopting a stern, interrogative stance. Realizing something was wrong, he tried to leave but was called back.
“Come back and sit down. We have questions for you!” Although his mother usually treated Xiao Ran like her treasure, when she got serious, he didn’t dare be reckless and quickly sat down on the sofa. His mother stared at him intently and asked, “I’m asking you—do you really not want children?”
“I…” Faced with those two stern pairs of eyes, Xiao Ran felt a bit panicked but was also surprised. He hadn’t done anything wrong—why should he panic? After calming down, he gritted his teeth and replied, “I really don’t want them!”
“Why not? Without children, this house isn’t a home at all—it’s just a bigger prison!” His father glared at Xiao Ran, still trying to reason with him.
Xiao Ran disagreed. What did it mean that a home without children wasn’t a home? A place with relatives was a home—this was what he had learned during his time wandering. “Mom and Dad, kids are annoying. They cry at night and keep you awake, and during the day they cling to you and prevent you from doing anything.”
“Oh, our Xiao Ran has really grown up…” His mother’s words were often sharp, though Xiao Ran hadn’t experienced that before. She glared at him angrily, “Kid, don’t forget how you grew up. When you were small, your dad and I were just as disturbed by your noise and couldn’t sleep, yet we still raised you to this age!”
Xiao Ran could only smile bitterly. How could they compare? Moreover, their ideas were completely different, making it hard to convince them. The elders always wanted grandchildren, which he understood—his own parents had also often pressured him to get married early.
Gesturing wildly, Xiao Ran tried to persuade his parents, “This is completely different. There’s no comparison!”
“Are you really planning to adopt a child?” His father pressed further, his expression grim, as if it mattered whether the Earth kept spinning or not. “Do you really want your family wealth to fall into the hands of outsiders?”
“Well…” Xiao Ran sighed. What was wrong with adopting a child? Family wealth was even less of an issue. Business was like war—no one knew if he would be the one left standing in the end. “If you really insist on having children, then I’ll have to adopt one!”
His parents were furious with Xiao Ran. They had hoped to have grandchildren—after all, they were elders. But Xiao Ran suddenly came up with such a statement. Family wealth was secondary, but the Chinese concept of continuing the family line couldn’t be dismissed so easily.
For a moment, his parents were so enraged they trembled. His mother, especially, pointed at him angrily and shouted, “Xiao Ran, great! Your dad and I will move back to the village right now. From now on, we’ll sever our mother-son relationship. Are you satisfied now?”
Xiao Ran was shocked. There was even a family breakdown? Was it really necessary? He quickly stepped forward to support them, trying to explain, “Actually, adopting…” He stopped speaking when he saw Lin Qingxia appear at the door, her expression filled with tension and sorrow.

Lin Qingxia rushed forward to support her mother, helping her catch her breath. Only then did she look at Xiao Ran with resentment and say, “Don’t make Mom and Dad angry. Do you really not want children?”
A myriad of thoughts flashed through Xiao Ran’s mind. But the thought of having children and being overwhelmed by them made him resolve firmly, “I really don’t want them!”
“Okay, okay!” His father glared fiercely at Xiao Ran and ordered Lin Qingxia to head for the door. “We can’t compete with you, a wealthy tycoon, but we can leave!”
In her panic, Lin Qingxia didn’t know what to say either and only tried to persuade her father not to go. The scene became utterly chaotic, with various voices reaching Xiao Ran’s ears, confusing his mind. Frustrated, he suddenly wondered if Lin Qingxia and his parents had conspired against him.
As soon as this thought crossed his mind, he couldn’t help but stare at Lin Qingxia. “So you colluded with Mom and Dad, huh? Great! You don’t need to leave. I’ll go!”
He shouted these last words, shocking all three of them. Silence fell over the place as Xiao Ran strode out the door. Moments later, the sound of a car starting up was heard.
Lin Qingxia stood frozen in place. She never expected Xiao Ran to think she had conspired with his parents to force him into having children. Feeling both hurt and wronged, tears welled up in her eyes. His parents exchanged glances, realizing things might have gone too far this time, and hurried after her to comfort her.
As soon as Xiao Ran drove away, he regretted it. He shouldn’t have suspected Lin Qingxia like that, nor should he have yelled at them. He smiled bitterly, realizing his temper was getting worse. Fortunately, he had realized it now and was slowly changing.
Actually, it couldn’t be entirely blamed on Xiao Ran. He had been dealing with some problems at the racetrack while preparing for a new movie, so he was already in a bad mood. Returning home, he faced something he had always avoided and was even forced to do it, which naturally angered him.
Still, it was good. It gave him some time to calm down and think about why he had become like this. He tried to comfort himself like that, though he knew well it was just a weak excuse. He simply couldn’t bear to go back right away.
Where to go? Xiao Ran decided to stay at a hotel. Yet, he felt extremely distressed. He had actually yelled at his parents and Lin Qingxia just now. A shiver ran down his spine as he reflected that the business world could truly change people—making them arrogant, conceited, and complacent.
Wei Dongling, Fa Ge, and Hong Gu were the first to learn about this. The next day, they found Xiao Ran by the hotel pool, resting with his eyes closed. It was noon, and Xiao Ran sensed someone approaching. Opening his eyes, he understood their purpose.
“Fa Ge, you really don’t need to try to persuade me!” Xiao Ran said with a bitter smile, shaking his head. “I know I did something wrong yesterday. I just need some time to calm down and think about my own matters.”

Brother Fa and Sister Hong were stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter. Sister Hong bent over with laughter: “You and Qingxia really understand each other well. We didn’t come here for this reason. Qingxia knows you’ll surely figure it out, and she doesn’t blame you at all.”

Xiao Ran was taken aback for a second, a warm feeling spreading through his heart. If love was a bridge, then he thought this bridge had helped establish trust and understanding between him and Lin Qingxia. Arguments between spouses were common; if there were no arguments at all, Xiao Ran even wondered how long their marriage could last.

Wei Dongling knew he might be the only person in the world who understood what Xiao Ran was thinking. He had previously advised Xiao Ran not to support Debao and Tianluo in that way, nor to force other companies to do anything. But after Xiao Ran achieved success, he changed—this change was only evident in his approach to handling things. So, it was right that Brother Fa and the others were unaware. Yet Wei Dongling knew he had also worried that such actions might easily push Shadow into a dead end.

Unexpectedly, while he was considering joining forces with Lin Qingxia to persuade Xiao Ran, Xiao Ran was already reflecting. Reflecting on oneself was actually a good thing; every company needed a fresh mindset to lead it once it reached a certain level. In Wei Dongling’s view, it was already remarkable that Xiao Ran had changed only after achieving such success.

Every successful wealthy person had adjusted and reflected on themselves after success, not only in terms of strategy but also in terms of mindset—though the public might not be aware of it. The only thing Wei Dongling didn’t quite understand was that, under normal circumstances, Shadow should have encountered problems by the time its assets reached billions. Under Wei Dongling’s guidance, Shadow quickly adapted to its new scale and wealth, as well as to new goals and challenges. But the fact that Xiao Ran hadn’t faced any problems puzzled him. From an outsider’s perspective, he could sometimes see things more clearly than Xiao Ran. Still, now that it had happened, he thought it was indeed a good thing.

Just because Xiao Ran’s mindset had changed didn’t mean Shadow would necessarily collapse. Now that Wei Dongling was the CEO, the company could be left in his hands. Since Xiao Ran usually didn’t interfere in company affairs, this had prevented problems. However, Wei Dongling clearly didn’t want to discuss this in front of Brother Fa and the others. His goal now was to persuade Xiao Ran to have children. They had all come for this purpose. After laughing and signing autographs for a few fans, Brother Fa grabbed three drinks and then asked Xiao Ran, “Aran, why don’t you want children?”

Xiao Ran suddenly understood again, realizing their true intention, but he was still confused. He knew Lin Qingxia wouldn’t persuade him to have children in that way. He was undoubtedly puzzled by their approach: “In one word—annoying. Kids are really annoying!”

“Annoying in what way?” Seeing Xiao Ran wasn’t clear, Brother Fa gestured and laughed, “I mean, what about kids makes you find them annoying?”

Xiao Ran was confused. If he had to answer this question carefully, he really couldn’t come up with an answer, so he could only shake his head helplessly. “I don’t know. In short, kids are really annoying. Brother Fa, please stop trying to persuade me on this matter. I think you know my personality well—I’m unlikely to change my mind.”
“Alright!” Hong Gu and Brother Fa both spread their hands in resignation. They both knew Xiao Ran was stubborn, and this was just a last-ditch attempt. Hong Gu even gave him a stern warning, “If you care about Qingxia, make up your mind soon. Otherwise, there will be no time to regret it later, and that would be very dangerous for both Qingxia and the child.”
Xiao Ran fell silent. Of course he knew that. But he really didn’t plan to have children. Yet just thinking of Lin Qingxia’s sorrowful expression yesterday made his heart ache. He also began to feel that maybe having a child wasn’t that terrible after all.
Everyone has their own bottom line on every matter. Xiao Ran told himself that his bottom line on this issue was not to have children. Seeing Xiao Ran nod in agreement, Hong Gu gave him a regretful glance, wondering what the child between Qingxia and Xiao Ran would be like. But she thought she would definitely never see it, and sighed, “Qingxia wants you to go back and pretend to agree with your uncles and aunts. She’s not insisting on having a child.”
That wasn’t a bad idea. As for his parents, Xiao Ran still felt a bit troubled, but he immediately cheered up, “That’s a great idea! As long as Qingxia is willing to cooperate!”
“You two have settled it. Now it’s my turn to talk!” Wei Dongling looked at Xiao Ran seriously, making him feel as though he had lost billions somewhere just now.