Flash Marriage: The Billionaire Addicted to Her-Chapter 703

Unless Old Mr. Xiao was willing to completely disregard the family’s reputation, he might have actually been able to forcefully get Xiao Shuo out. But even then, it seems it wouldn’t have been worth it.

"Old Mr. Xiao is a businessman," Gui Xingli said. "Even if it involves his own descendants, his calculations are crystal clear."

She paused for a moment before continuing, "In his heart, Xiao Shuo, this unmotivated grandson, clearly isn’t worth him gambling the Xiao Family’s reputation."

Ye Yuning said nothing, her expression darkening.

Although she had never truly experienced familial warmth in this life and didn’t know what a real family should be like, hearing Gui Xingli speak of Old Mr. Xiao in such a way, even just listening, made her feel that the Xiao Family was truly heartless.

Such kinship... whether it existed or not, what difference did it make?

"Can you tell me about my brother?" She really didn’t want to hear any more about the Xiao Family.

Although many of the issues she would soon face were related to them, the mere mention of the Xiao Family was suffocating.

Gui Xingli nodded. "Alright."

As she spoke, she took out her phone, opened the photo album, and handed it to Ye Yuning.

Ye Yuning took it.

Gui Xingli tapped open one of the photos. "This is your brother~!"

Ye Yuning looked down and saw a man in a sleek black outfit on the phone screen.

Dark skin!

Even though it was just a photo, Ye Yuning was instantly captivated by the man’s eyes. His eyes possessed a depth that seemed to see through everything and held an undeniable hint of danger.

Gui Xingli said, "Swipe to see more. This whole album is of him."

"I see."

Ye Yuning nodded, swiping to the next photo.

This photo was different from the last. It showed the man in a suit and leather shoes, sitting on a wicker sofa. He held a cigarette, and though it was just a profile shot, he looked incredibly handsome.

This one was clearly a candid shot by Gui Xingli.

There were many photos. Some were solo shots, others were of him with Gui Xingli. Towards the end, Ye Yuning even saw one of him with Xiao Linye.

And Qin Jinchuan too...!

It was clear that their relationships were very good. Even from just the photos, Ye Yuning could guess they had a deep history together.

Gui Xingli suddenly said, "He and Qin Jinchuan weren’t actually that close."

"Really?" Ye Yuning asked, her voice tinged with bitterness.

Looking at photo after photo, a bitter feeling welled up in her heart.

How could someone so handsome and exceptional be gone?

When she’d first heard he was gone, it had felt like just words. But now, looking at these photos and truly grasping his absence, an uncomfortable sorrow settled in Ye Yuning’s heart.

She took a deep breath. "How... did he die?"

Xiao Linye had previously said it was because of a picture, she recalled.

What kind of picture could possibly have led to his death?

At this question, Gui Xingli fell silent.

Ye Yuning looked at her and saw deep pain flickering in Gui Xingli’s eyes.

Clearly, this was a raw wound in Gui Xingli’s heart; even a gentle mention made it hard for her to breathe through the pain.

Gui Xingli took several deep breaths before looking at Ye Yuning. "Can we... please not ask about this?"

Ye Yuning said nothing.

It seemed this was truly a difficult subject for her to face.

"It’s been many years," Gui Xingli said, her voice gentle. "He wanted me to find you. So, from now on, just live your life well, okay? The departed have been gone a long time. But those of us still living must carry on and live well."

Ye Yuning nodded. "Okay."

Seeing Gui Xingli’s reluctance to speak about it, Ye Yuning didn’t press further.

Not everyone has the courage to face their own inner pain.

Gui Xingli had loved Sheng Hanyi to death; that was why she couldn’t bear to recall the scene of that accident.

Ye Yuning had a very late breakfast. As a result, the kitchen staff pushed lunch back a bit, and Gui Xingli ate with her.

Now that everything was out in the open, Gui Xingli’s kindness towards her was no longer so cautious. She didn’t have to hide it, constantly worried that Ye Yuning might sense something amiss.

At the dining table, Gui Xingli meticulously deboned a piece of fish for Ye Yuning.

"I can manage, really," Ye Yuning said.

"This fish has many small bones; it’s better to be careful," Gui Xingli said, placing the carefully checked piece of fish into Ye Yuning’s small bowl.

Watching Gui Xingli’s careful attention, Ye Yuning felt a sense of being cherished.

And yet, this kind of affection also brought a pang of heartache.

Gui Xingli had mentioned that she, Ye Yuning, looked a lot like Sheng Hanyi.

From the photos, it was clear that Sheng Hanyi was rather dark-skinned, likely from spending extended periods in Dongzhou. But their facial features—hers and Sheng Hanyi’s—were indeed somewhat similar.

"Ningning, you don’t remember your brother at all?" Gui Xingli asked gently.

"Could I even have any memories of him?" Ye Yuning murmured.

"You were already five when you and your brother were separated," Gui Xingli reminded her. "A five-year-old child... If someone truly important left their life at that age, they should have vivid memories."

But Ye Yuning shook her head. "I have almost no memories of my childhood."

"How could that be?" Gui Xingli said, surprised. "I can vaguely recall some things even from when I was three."

"You remember that far back?" Ye Yuning asked, a little surprised.

Gui Xingli nodded. "It must be that your brother was very good to you when he was around. People’s deepest memories are usually the traumatic ones." She added, "The overwhelmingly good memories, ironically, are often harder to recall clearly."