The Way of Restraint

Chapter 86: The Southern Aristocrat – Fulfilling One’s Duty

“This is something your mom will talk to you about. Your sister and I are staying home for the New Year. I’m not worried about you now—just be careful. And don’t worry about money—if you need to let go, then let go.” Su Shilin said this out of the blue.

“Got it,” Su Jie nodded. He could roughly guess that his mom probably came from a well-off family, but had fallen in love with his dad, whom her family disapproved of, and so she cut ties with them.

After all, his dad had worked as a security guard, while his mom’s education, knowledge, and demeanor were clearly not something an average household could produce. Their pairing had always seemed strange to the neighbors.

But such stories weren’t uncommon, so Su Jie didn’t care much. As long as the family lived peacefully and he could create his own wealth and live comfortably, that was good enough.

After Su Shilin finished talking, he went straight back to his room to sleep.

Su Jie opened the window and saw that the heavy snow had stopped. Everything was blanketed in white. He went downstairs and took a walk around the residential complex.

His boots crunched in the snow, making crisp sounds. There was no one around, and the world felt especially still. He suddenly had a strange sensation, as if he alone existed between heaven and earth.

Feeling inspired, he took out the crystal sphere.

The crystal sphere, about the size of an apple, spun nimbly between his fingers, dancing like flames—more lively than ever before.

It was as if the snow injected new life into the sphere.

Su Jie’s physical condition had now reached a level where neither cold nor heat could touch him.

He wore very little but wasn’t cold at all.

As he kept playing with it, he felt as though his soul had entered the crystal sphere.

His entire perspective on the world shifted.

Everything looked sharper, clearer.

The crystal sphere had become his body.

As it spun, he familiarized himself with this new “crystal” body—smooth, flawless, ancient, free of impurities.

Then, his soul returned to his physical body.

He suddenly realized just how filthy, fragile, and impermanent the human body was compared to the sphere.

At last, he understood the Buddhist scripture that said: “The body is like crystal—pure and free from defilement.”

The snow-covered world was pure. The crystal sphere was pure. Only his body was impure.

Is this what they mean by “a sack of stinking flesh”? The thought flickered through Su Jie’s mind.

With that, his practice with the crystal sphere entered a new level.

Dawn broke.

It was already around five or six in the morning.

Without realizing it, he had played with the crystal sphere for two to three hours in the snowy courtyard. He quickly returned home to find that his mother, Xu Ying, was already up.

“Su Jie, come with me to your grandfather’s today. Your dad must’ve already told you. Go pack your things,” Xu Ying said, her suitcase already prepared.

“Mom, I’ve already packed. Just this one backpack—nothing else,” Su Jie said, lifting the large backpack from the sofa.

It was huge and packed with all his essentials—training oils, supplements, boxing wraps, and spare clothes.

“Where are we going?” Su Jie asked.

“To G City,” Xu Ying replied. “I’ve already bought the tickets. We’re leaving now.”

Soon, the two of them were in a taxi heading to the airport.

While waiting for the flight, Xu Ying looked at Su Jie’s calm demeanor and couldn’t help asking, “Aren’t you curious what your grandfather does?”

“Probably some big tycoon,” Su Jie guessed casually, not really taking it to heart.

“Something happened when you were at Minglun Martial Arts Academy, didn’t it? You came back a changed person.” Xu Ying had long noticed her son’s transformation. But since his grades remained top of the class, and he had also started working out, plus she’d been busy, she hadn’t given it much attention.

Now that she finally had a moment, she decided to talk heart-to-heart.

“What’s changed about me? I’m just working harder and exercising. Isn’t that a good thing?” Su Jie laughed.

“That’s not what I meant. You’re more mature now—but also more withdrawn,” Xu Ying said, worried.

“Being quiet is a bad thing?” Su Jie grinned. “The Analects say: ‘Resolute, simple, slow to speak, close to virtue.’ Or in modern terms: Your boy Su’s got street cred—strong, silent, and serious!”

Smack!

As soon as he said that, Xu Ying gave him a light slap on the head.

“What nonsense? You think I raised you to run the streets?” she snapped.

“Come on, I was just kidding.” Su Jie chuckled mischievously.

Xu Ying realized he was joking to cheer her up.

But something serious crossed her mind, and her face darkened. “Your grandfather’s family is indeed wealthy. This stock… and this one… and this one too. All belong to your grandfather.”

She tapped her phone and pulled up more than a dozen stocks.

“Huh? So it’s that Xu family?” Su Jie was shocked. He had thought her side of the family was just comfortably rich, not obscenely wealthy—on par with the Haoyu Group.

He’d been following financial news closely—both to prepare for a potential confrontation with Haoyu Group, and to protect his sister.

To beat an opponent, you need to understand them.

He’d been keeping up with entrepreneurship, companies, and the national economy.

Because he knew no individual could take on a giant like Haoyu Group alone.

That’s why he and Hua Xing had started a club—to build a network, a reliable team, and some real influence.

Zhang Manman was also starting a business and wanted him to join. He hadn’t said no.

Xu Ying saw Su Jie deep in thought and figured he might not understand, so she explained, “You don’t need to understand the business stuff. Just remember—your grandfather’s family is very wealthy. I’m not attached to the fortune, but your grandfather is seriously ill, and this visit may be our last chance to see him. After that, I’ll cut all ties with the family.”

She seemed lost in memory.

“Dad said not to get attached to things. Is it because Grandpa left you an inheritance, and your siblings don’t like that?” Su Jie asked, nailing it almost exactly.

“You’re pretty sharp, son,” Xu Ying stared at him, as if he had flowers growing out of his face.

“There’s nothing new under the sun. This is standard soap opera stuff,” Su Jie shrugged. He felt no emotional waves over it—it was a familiar trope.

“Do you want to know how much your mom’s going to inherit?” Xu Ying asked.

“How much?” Su Jie humored her.

“About a billion in stocks and cash. Multiple properties around the world. Shares in four or five subsidiaries. Altogether, maybe two billion,” she said seriously. “I’m not lying. Your uncles and aunts all worked in the company, but they were constantly scheming and embezzling. Your grandfather couldn’t keep them in check. Only I turned things around and helped the family business grow. You can guess what happened next.”

“Mom left the family, married Dad, and chose a regular life?” Su Jie asked.

“Aren’t you even tempted by that kind of money?” Xu Ying was surprised by her son’s calmness.

“It’s precisely because there’s so much that it feels unreal,” Su Jie smiled. “Besides, holding onto it probably wouldn’t bring peace of mind. We’re better off making our own money and living life honestly. Soon you’ll retire and enjoy life. I’m already making money—tens of thousands a month.”

“That won’t last,” Xu Ying replied. She had a general idea of what he was doing. “You beat a pro fighter, got a bit of fame in niche circles, started hosting training matches and attracting enthusiasts—but the novelty will wear off. You’re basically an internet celeb. That kind of thing has a short shelf life. If I’m right, next year your income will drop. A few million max. Sure, it’s a fortune to most, but it’s windfall—not stable, scalable business. A good company doesn’t rely on any one person. Your little club falls apart without you. What, you don’t believe me?”

She noticed Su Jie was lost in thought.

“I know the drawbacks. But I’m still in school. Once I finish college, we’ll see. For now, I’ll earn if I can, and if not, so be it,” Su Jie said. From just a few lines, he could tell his mom had serious business chops. “Besides, I’m still young—a high schooler. Even if I did start a business now, people would look down on me. No facial hair, no credibility.”

“That’s true,” Xu Ying nodded. “Not just others—I don’t find you reliable either. You’re too young. Who’d trust you in business?”

“That’s all secondary. I’m more worried about my sister,” Su Jie said, shifting to a more serious topic. “She works for Haoyu. I’ve met Feng Yuxuan and his brother Feng Hengyi—they’re lawless. I told her to quit, but she refuses. I suspect her old company’s sudden bankruptcy and debt mess had Feng Yuxuan behind it.”

He then told his mom about being threatened by Feng Hengyi’s thug Grey Wolf, and also by Feng Yuxuan himself.

He had kept this from his parents to avoid worrying them.

But now he felt it was better to lay everything out and figure things out together.

His mom didn’t seem like the impulsive type. She had more social experience than him—maybe she’d have some ideas.