Chapter Fifteen: The Steward of the Xiao Family (3)

Even today, when you visit a distinguished household in England, you will still be greeted at the door by a butler in formal attire, his expression solemn, opening the door and taking your coat with dignified composure. Yet the composition of today’s English butlers has changed greatly. In the past, boys from poor families were often sent to wealthy households as errand boys, and after a few years, they might rise to the position of butler. Nowadays, butlers come from all walks of life, and quite a few are even university graduates. Most of them possess diplomas awarded by professional butler training academies. In our own country, most families of a certain standing also have their own household butlers, some hired directly at great expense, while others send their family butlers to England for specialized training.

All this applies to families of modest wealth or minor nobility. For royalty or great clans such as the Xiao family, matters are entirely different. From the information Xiao Tianchi received from Xu Guowei, he learned that the Xiao family’s butler is a hereditary position.

The current butler, Lin Jian, has served as the chief steward of the Xiao family since his grandfather’s time. The chief steward oversees all internal affairs, wielding far greater authority than an ordinary household butler. Yet, for families like these, authority is secondary; first and foremost, a chief steward must be unfailingly loyal.

It must be understood that not all so-called butlers are absolutely loyal to their masters. It is said that a certain British tabloid once published a photograph of Prince Charles and his mistress Camilla meeting in secret, a photo stolen and sold to the press by the prince’s own valet. Of course, among the Xiao family’s chief stewards over the generations, such scandals have never occurred.

Although Xiao Tianchi had encountered modern butlers—university graduates holding certificates from prestigious butler academies—in his mind, the chief steward of a great clan like the Xiao family ought to be an older gentleman. Yet what stood before him now…

The person entering was none other than the chief steward of the Xiao family—Lin Jian. Xiao Tianchi was no lovesick fool; even if Lin Jian had been a beauty, he would not have been swayed. Still, Lin Jian was nothing like the image Xiao Tianchi had pictured in his mind. Most striking of all was his “beautiful” appearance.

At first glance, Xiao Tianchi was slightly taken aback, but as he looked more closely at Lin Jian, he found himself feeling inexplicably at ease. It wasn’t merely Lin Jian’s looks; it was a sense of comfort, as if they were already familiar, as if everything about Lin Jian—his hairstyle, his clothing—felt perfectly suited to Xiao Tianchi’s taste. Unbeknownst to him, the chief steward of the Xiao family always remained by the master’s side, and though his appearance was always impeccable, his style would subtly shift to best complement each new master. Thus, to Xiao Tianchi, it was only natural that he found Lin Jian pleasing to the eye.

Before Xiao Tianchi could speak, Lin Jian inclined his head slightly and said, “Master, I am Lin Jian, chief steward of the Xiao family. I await your commands at any time.”

The words nearly made Xiao Tianchi faint. He had intended to greet Lin Jian warmly, but now he stood there dumbstruck, thinking, “Master? Is there some mistake? What kind of world is this? I may not be as handsome as you, but I’m at least presentable—no need to make me sound like an old man!” Though he realized “Master” was only a respectful title, it still made him uncomfortable, as if he were suddenly decades older.

“Ahem…” With Xu Guowei present, and this being their first meeting, Xiao Tianchi could hardly point out the awkwardness. He could only clear his throat softly.

“Chief Steward, I’m very glad…” Xiao Tianchi began, intending to exchange a few polite courtesies. Before he could finish, however, Lin Jian spoke with grave emphasis: “Master, please call me ‘Chief Steward.’ It is my honor.”

Xu Guowei had long been well acquainted with Lin Jian, and at this moment, a warning bell sounded in his mind. Though the Lin family had served the Xiao house for generations, these were extraordinary times. He wondered, “Could it be that, with the Xiao family gone, Lin Jian intends to seize the opportunity to control the new head of the family…?” The thought made him scrutinize Lin Jian carefully, for he knew the rules of the Xiao family: a chief steward would never interrupt the master before he had finished speaking.

This suspicion did not show on Xu Guowei’s face, but inside, he grew vigilant. Xiao Tianchi, on the other hand, thought nothing of it. He glanced up and down at Lin Jian, who looked like a pop idol, and admired his bearing. “I wonder where he trained—does he have any of those butler qualifications?” he mused with amusement.

“Oh… Chief Steward, is it? Very well, Chief Steward, nice to meet you. Come, have a seat—you must be tired from the flight. I have a great many things I’d like to discuss with you.” Xiao Tianchi gestured for Lin Jian to sit beside him, intending to have a proper conversation about family affairs.

Lin Jian merely bowed and replied calmly, “By the master’s side, I will always stand, ready to serve.”

A cold sweat broke out on Xiao Tianchi’s brow. “So this must be one of those rules,” he thought. “I wonder if I’ll have to follow all these regulations myself in the future.”

Although Lin Jian looked even younger and more striking than Xiao Tianchi himself, his manner was utterly poised, exuding an unshakable calm. Thus, Xiao Tianchi dropped the matter. Odd things happened every year, but today seemed particularly strange. Since Lin Jian would not sit, Xiao Tianchi sat down himself and looked up, preparing to ask his questions.

Xu Guowei had mentioned that the chief steward had always been the closest confidant of every family head; no one would know more about the Xiao family’s affairs than Lin Jian.

But before Xiao Tianchi could speak, Xu Guowei stepped forward with a smile. “Mr. Xiao, the legal team has arrived. Since this concerns all of the Xiao family’s assets, there is a great deal to be settled. It would be best to complete everything within the next two days, so you may relax and focus on your upcoming wedding.”

“Very well,” Xiao Tianchi nodded, signaling his agreement.

Seeing this, Xu Guowei continued, “In that case, I’ll have them prepare and come in, one after another.”

With that, he warmly took Lin Jian by the hand. “Chief Steward, it’s been such a long time since we met. By the way, there are some names on this guest list I’m not familiar with, and I’m not sure whether to invite them or if anyone else should be added. Perhaps you could advise me?”

He gave Lin Jian’s hand a meaningful squeeze and led him out. Lin Jian, understanding, did not resist, but bowed to Xiao Tianchi and followed Xu Guowei out.

Xiao Tianchi realized that Xu Guowei had deliberately drawn Lin Jian away, but before he could think further, a group of lawyers entered in an orderly, courteous manner—though there were quite a few of them—each presenting a stack of inheritance documents before Xiao Tianchi.