Chapter 85.2

Though she was somewhat speechless, she dutifully translated Lin Xiao’s words.

Finny: “…”

Holding the pen, she stared at the paper as if willing it to disappear.

Could she say she had been impulsive after seeing Ruan Mingfu’s miserable state?

Wahhh, her pocket money, her beautiful little dresses… wahhh, for at least the next six months, she wouldn’t be able to buy all the pretty jewelry she wanted.

But… Finny glanced at Ruan Mingfu’s delicate and beautiful face.

Damn it!

I can’t lose face in front of my rival!

Finny grabbed a pen and quickly signed her name on the contract, as if she were determined to eliminate her enemy. She was afraid that if she hesitated even for a second, she would regret it.

After signing, Finny looked as if she had been completely drained. She sat there with a blank stare, fixated on the ceiling of the private room.

In contrast, Lin Xiao was grinning like a cat that had stolen cream. After signing the contract, he lifted it up with a look of cherishment, as if he were holding a family heirloom.

Lin Xiao smiled brightly at Finny, “Your Highness, I heard that Baron Andre is also going to invest?”

Ruan Mingfu: “…”

It was a shame that this uncle of a dog man didn’t hang out with her brother.

But she still conveyed Lin Xiao’s meaning.

Expecting Finny to refuse, she was surprised when Finny suddenly perked up, her eyes shining with excitement as she looked at Lin Xiao.

“Ah… yes, my brother is indeed going to invest. He even told me last time that fifty million was too little,” Finny’s eyes flashed with guilt, “He wants seventy… no, a billion!”

A billion?!

Goodness!

Even with Qi Yangyan’s wealth in mind, Lin Xiao felt like he might faint from happiness.

If the other party were truly willing to invest that much money, he wouldn’t just be serving them like a grandson. He would even be willing to call them “dad.”

At this moment, he didn’t care how difficult Andre and his people might be to handle. The enthusiastic and fiery gaze he gave off was like that of a fervent religious follower meeting their deity.

Ruan Mingfu: “…”

She didn’t know if Andre would really invest that much.

But Finny… was truly dragging her brother into a pit.

However, the astonishing thing was that the contract was signed without a hitch. Lin Xiao and Xie Yanzhao stood before Andre and soon emerged with a one billion contract in hand.

Ruan Mingfu: “…”

Wait, did Andre really have such a conscience?

She couldn’t make sense of it.

…

In the capital, at an impressive little western-style building.

Xie Donglou sat at the dining table, reading a newspaper in his hand. The noble lady beside him drank milk with a look of disdain on her face.

“This is not fresh at all. I won’t buy from that store again.”

She had her hair styled and was dressed very appropriately.

“Donglou, your nephew is coming back. What are your thoughts?”

“What do you want me to think?” Xie Donglou put down the newspaper, “Alright, let’s just eat.”

Although Xie Donglou was Xie Yanzhao’s uncle, he bore a grudge against Commander Xie and had been staying with the Bai family for years, rarely contacting the Xie family or getting close to them.

He glanced at his watch, “Time is tight, prepare everything. They’ll arrive tomorrow.”

An Yuzhu didn’t look happy.

“Stop pretending to be so generous. If you bring him back, you and I will have unfinished business.”

Xie Donglou frowned at her, “Do you hear yourself? Yanzhao is my nephew. He doesn’t have a place to stay in the capital, can’t I take him home to stay for a few days?”

“No way!” An Yuzhu was very assertive, “I said no, and that’s final.”

Xie Donglou sighed.

He understood the conflict between Xie Yanzhao and Commander Xie. He knew that he wouldn’t stay in the courtyard with that temper. But… Xie Donglou looked at An Yuzhu.

“Yanzhao is still my nephew.”

An Yuzhu sneered, “You think he considers you his uncle?”

When she married into the family, Bai Qianzhu was already gone, and Xie Yanzhao had been brought back to the Bai family. During their wedding, she thought he would at least come to pay his respects. To her surprise… he didn’t show up at all.

That time, she almost lost face.

An Yuzhu cared a lot about her pride and had been holding onto that grudge for over ten years.

“… You know the situation back then, right?”

An Yuzhu shot him a glare, “Anyway, don’t think about bringing him home. Besides, why not marry a nice lady instead of choosing some village girl? You have no idea how much they laugh at me for this.”

“What does it matter to you as an aunt if your nephew marries someone?”

Xie Donglou was genuinely speechless.

These old women had nothing better to do at home than to gossip about other people’s affairs.

“About that nephew of yours,” An Yuzhu pointed to her head, “I suspect something’s wrong with him. If you really care, take him to the hospital early.”

Xie Donglou: “…”

“You’re talking nonsense. If Yanzhao had a problem, he wouldn’t be able to sit in the position of a regiment leader,” he looked at An Yuzhu, “You need to think clearly, this is the best opportunity to get closer to my nephew. Your son plans to join the army in a few years, too.”

An Yuzhu: “…”

She reluctantly agreed.

“Fine, I’ll prepare a room.”

After all, Xie Yanzhao wouldn’t stay here long; she could endure it for a while.

“How’s the situation with the third brother? Have you notified him?”

“I tell you,” An Yuzhu said with impatience, “Your elder brother died at an unfortunate time…”

“Shut up!”

Xie Donglou was agitated and shouted loudly.

He had no feelings for Xie Yanzhao, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t close to Commander Xie, his older brother. In fact, Commander Xie treated his two younger brothers much better than his own son. He provided money and arranged jobs.

Xie Donglou shouldn’t call Commander Xie “older brother”; he should call him “father.”

He was closest to the generous Commander Xie and secretly cried under the covers when he received the news.

Hearing An Yuzhu say this now, it was like stabbing him in the lungs.

But An Yuzhu wasn’t afraid at all.

Xie Donglou’s voice was loud, but she was even louder.

“Xie Donglou! Have you gained some courage? My dad isn’t dead yet, so you dare to shout at me!”

Xie Donglou felt a sense of humiliation but had no choice but to soften his tone.

“Yuzhu, I was just a bit anxious,” he said gently to appease her. “After all, that’s my older brother…”

An Yuzhu’s biological father was Xie Donglou’s direct superior.

Over the years, he had been under pressure from her. If it weren’t for the connections that Commander Xie had in the military, Xie Donglou would have long lost his patience with An Yuzhu’s fiery temper and would have flipped the table by now.

“I knew Bai Qianzhu wasn’t any good from the start,” An Yuzhu scoffed. “Your brother insisted on treating that shameless woman like a treasure.”

Xie Donglou nodded.

“My brother really doesn’t know how to pick people.”

“And what about Xie Yin?”

An Yuzhu was not polite to her own nephew Xie Yanzhao, let alone care about the life or death of a burden.

“Let her go back to where she came from.”

Bai Qianzhu had caused Commander Xie’s demise, and Xie Donglou was furious about it. Besides, if it weren’t for Commander Xie’s death, An Yuzhu wouldn’t dare to act so recklessly and shout at him whenever she felt like it.

The past few days had been… longer than the last ten years combined.

“Good! I don’t want to see such a lowly person in my house.”

An Yuzhu lifted her chin, exuding arrogance.

“By the way, I’ve agreed with the third brother to pick up Yanzhao at the station early tomorrow.”

“I’m not going!”

An Yuzhu pouted.

What kind of person was Xie Yanzhao that she, as a relative, should go to pick him up?

As if!

Xie Donglou felt a lump in his throat. “Then remember to clear out a room for him tomorrow.”

“Fine, fine,” An Yuzhu waved her hand impatiently.

If Xie Donglou wanted to let a country bumpkin stay, she wasn’t worried about them messing up her house. The attic on the third floor was just right, though a bit small. But for a country person, having a place to stay was already good enough. There was no need for so many demands.

An Yuzhu made up her mind and sighed in relief.

Time passed slowly, and early the next morning, the train arrived at the station.

Little Princess Finny looked at her reluctantly. “Ruan, I’m going to miss you.”

Ruan Mingfu: “…”

She wondered what kind of medication this little princess had taken. Ever since helping her deal with Andre, Finny had been sticking to her like glue, completely ignoring Xie Yanzhao, the man she had her eye on.

“Finny, don’t scare Miss Ruan,” Andrei said from behind her, his gaze soft like water. “Miss Ruan will be staying in the capital for a few days, and you can go visit her then.”

Xie Yanzhao frowned. “Miss Ruan is someone you can just call?”

Throughout the journey, he had been utterly annoyed by this peacock.

Finny’s eyes lit up. “Ruan, is that true?”

Her big, round eyes looked at Ruan Mingfu with such anticipation, resembling a puppy. How could Ruan Mingfu refuse?

Ruan Mingfu thought for a moment, “You’re always welcome to visit.”

“That’s great!” Finny cheered as she threw herself into Ruan Mingfu’s arms. “You’re so nice.”

Xie Yanzhao: “…”

It seemed like he needed to be cautious of men, but women even more so.

After saying goodbye to the reluctant little princess, Lin Xiao finally spoke. “Once we arrive in the capital, you can stay at my place. I’ll inform your aunt to prepare a room for you.”

“Uncle, we have a place to stay.”

Lin Xiao looked at her suspiciously. “Where? It wouldn’t be a guesthouse, would it?”

He disapproved completely.

“If your aunt finds out that you’re staying at a guesthouse after coming to the capital, she’ll definitely scold me to death.”

“No, it’s not,” Ruan Mingfu replied as she took out a key she had been carrying. “This is from my brother.”

Lin Xiao: “…”

Remembering Qi Yangyan’s wealth, he felt a sudden pang.

Ruan Mingfu continued, “Uncle, once we settle in, we’ll definitely come visit. Just don’t mind us.”

“Alright, I won’t say more.”

Seeing the train come to a stop, Lin Xiao couldn’t linger any longer. He patted Xie Yanzhao on the shoulder and reminded him, “If you need anything, come find me.”

The two parties didn’t disembark together.

Xie Yanzhao carried the luggage while Ruan Mingfu walked beside him, her lively eyes darting around, full of curiosity.

This was her first time seeing the capital in this era.

The train station was bustling with people, much more lively than Wancheng. The crowd was dressed elegantly, and she even spotted several foreigners walking by. It was a sea of heads as far as the eye could see.

Xie Yanzhao pulled her gently. “Be careful.”

“Oh.”

Ruan Mingfu noticed someone almost bump into her, and the person offered an apologetic smile. However, with so many people around, they couldn’t even stop to exchange words.

“Hold on to me.”

Xie Yanzhao stood taller than everyone else, making Ruan Mingfu feel especially secure standing by his side in the crowded area.

Thus, with one hand carrying the luggage and the other protecting Ruan Mingfu, Xie Yanzhao smoothly exited the train station, where they met his uncles, Xie Xilou and Xie Donglou.

Xie Xilou’s eyes glistened with tears as he looked at Xie Yanzhao. “You’ve grown up, it’s so good to see…”

As he spoke, he turned away to wipe his tears.

“Second Uncle, Third Uncle.”

Xie Yanzhao’s voice remained calm and even.

“So this is your wife, huh?”

Xie Donglou squinted, sizing up Ruan Mingfu standing beside Xie Yanzhao.

A country bumpkin?

Damn, you call her a country bumpkin here?

Xie Donglou couldn’t believe his eyes as Ruan Mingfu quietly stood next to Xie Yanzhao. Their intimate demeanor looked more like that of a married couple than anything else.

“Second Uncle, Third Uncle.”

Xie Xilou wiped away his tears and repeated “good” three times.

He then pulled out a small box from his pocket and handed it over.

“This is just a small token of my appreciation,” Xie Xilou said, his eyes still red with emotion. “I don’t have anything valuable, so please don’t dislike it, niece-in-law.”

His hand that held the box was cracked and rough, and his half-new clothes suggested that life hadn’t been easy for him.

Ruan Mingfu wasn’t sure whether to accept it, so she looked up at Xie Yanzhao.

“Thank you, Third Uncle.”

“Thank you, Third Uncle.”

With that dog man expressing his approval, Ruan Mingfu decided to accept the gift.

“From now on, you and your wife should live well together,” Xie Xilou said happily, his eyes reddening again as he spoke. “Don’t be like your father. Otherwise, I’ll break your legs.”