Chapter 51: Why Invite Them?  

Zhao Jiaying clapped her hands and waved excitedly, answering in a crisp, clear voice: “Yes, yes, yes! Yingbao can wear a princess dress that day. Daddy bought so many princess dresses for Yingbao today, and they’re all so pretty!”  

“Good, as long as Yingbao is happy!”  

Just then, Ou Zilong returned, hiding something behind his back.  

“Yingbao, guess what Second Uncle brought back for you?”  

Ou Zilong had a mysterious look on his face, but Zhao Jiaying wasn’t at all intrigued. She had already guessed that he had brought her a cake because her Second Uncle always brought her cake. There was no surprise in it.  

“Second Uncle, I don’t even have to guess. It must be cake!”  

Ou Zilong felt a little disappointed. He hadn’t expected Zhao Jiaying to guess it right away. Helplessly, he took out the cake from behind him.  

“Yingbao is so smart! You guessed it right in one try. Second Uncle brought you a cake. Are you happy?”  

Was she happy? Normally, she would have been thrilled because she loved eating cake. But today, Daddy Ou Zichen had already taken her out for cake, and she hadn’t even fully digested it yet. On top of that, she had just woken up from a nap, so she wasn’t particularly in the mood to eat more.  

However, if she said she wasn’t happy, would Second Uncle Ou Zilong feel sad? Would he still buy her cake next time?  

Just as Zhao Jiaying was struggling with how to respond, Ou Zichen walked over, took the cake from Ou Zilong’s hands, and placed it on the coffee table.  

“Yingbao already had cake today. Let’s leave it for later. Come with me to the study—I have something to discuss with you.”  

With that, he pulled Ou Zilong along and headed toward the study.  

Zhao Jiaying let out a huge sigh of relief. This was too difficult for her!  

Upstairs, in the study…

“Next week is Yingbao’s birthday. Grandmother and I have decided to hold a birthday banquet at home. First, to celebrate Yingbao’s birthday, and second, to officially announce her identity. Over the next couple of days, you’ll be responsible for delivering the invitations to the guests.” Ou Zichen said.  

As the president of the corporation, Ou Zichen was always busy with an overwhelming workload, leaving him little time to rest. Naturally, delivering invitations was not something he would personally handle.  

Ou Zilong, on the other hand, had a more relaxed schedule and was also a member of the Ou family. Assigning him this task was the most suitable choice.  

“Alright, Brother. Should we invite all the prestigious families of Bincheng?”  

“Yes, and also extend an invitation to the Yang family.”  

The Yang family was Yang Xiaoyun’s family. Their status was still far from that of the city’s elite families. At best, they were considered a second-tier family, not truly part of the upper class. Under normal circumstances, they would not have been qualified to attend such an event.  

However, because of Yang Xiaoyun, Ou Zichen specifically named them on the guest list.  

Puzzled, Ou Zilong asked: “Brother, why are you inviting them? You know very well that Yingbao doesn’t like Yang Xiaoyun. It’s her birthday—aren’t you worried she’ll be unhappy if they come?”  

“It’s precisely for Yingbao’s sake that I’m inviting them.” Ou Zichen responded.  

“Why?”  

Ou Zilong was even more confused.  

Ou Zichen patiently explained: “Think about it. There have been too many rumors about me and Yang Xiaoyun. I want to use Yingbao’s birthday to clear up those misunderstandings once and for all. It’s also a way to make my stance clear to the Yang family and to Yang Xiaoyun.”  

So that was the reason. Ou Zilong finally understood. This was a good way to make Yang Xiaoyun back off and stop clinging to his older brother.  

He had never liked Yang Xiaoyun and certainly didn’t want his brother to be involved with her. He had a strong feeling that Yang Xiaoyun was not as innocent as she appeared.  

“Brother, I understand now. I’ll personally deliver the invitations.”  

“Good. Also, about security—on the day of the banquet, we must ensure the safety of the guests and, most importantly, Yingbao. We absolutely cannot allow anyone with bad intentions to take advantage of this event to cause trouble.”  

His greatest concern was still Zhao Jiaying’s safety. The mastermind behind the previous incident had yet to be identified, and he feared that someone might seize this opportunity to infiltrate the event and harm her.  

“Brother, don’t worry. I’ll personally select trusted individuals to handle security. I’ll make sure nothing goes wrong at the banquet.”  

Speaking of security, another thought crossed Ou Zichen’s mind.  

“Oh, Zilong, there’s one more thing. Get two female bodyguards for Yingbao.”  

Ou Zilong was momentarily stunned. Female bodyguards?  

The Ou family had always employed only male bodyguards. They had never considered hiring female ones because, generally speaking, women’s combat abilities were not as strong as men’s.  

Moreover, female bodyguards had an additional inconvenience—their monthly physiological cycle. If an urgent mission came up at the wrong time, it could be a problem. This was why the family had never entertained the idea of hiring female bodyguards before.  

For Ou Zichen to suddenly request female bodyguards today, there had to be a specific reason behind it.

　

“Brother, why did you suddenly decide to hire female bodyguards? Didn’t you say that female bodyguards were no good?”  

Ou Zichen had no choice but to recount the awkward incident of taking Zhao Jiaying to the restroom earlier that day.  

After hearing the story, Ou Zilong burst into laughter, letting out a loud “Pfft!” before exclaiming: “Hahaha… Brother, this is just too funny! I’m dying of laughter!”  

Hearing Ou Zilong making fun of him, Ou Zichen’s face darkened instantly. His brows furrowed, and with a serious expression, he said: “Is it really that funny? It seems you don’t want your bonus this month.”  

Ou Zilong immediately surrendered. “Brother, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have laughed at you. This is indeed a very serious problem. I’ll start recruiting tomorrow and make sure to hire two female bodyguards who will meet your satisfaction and keep Yingbao safe.”  

Although Ou Zilong was the second young master of the Ou family, Ou Zichen only gave him a fixed sum of money each month. Once he spent it, there would be no more.  

Even though he held shares in the family corporation and received a considerable amount in annual dividends, Ou Zichen never allowed him to touch that money. He had been safeguarding it for him, stating that he would only return control over it once he got married.  

Ou Zichen’s purpose in doing so was not because the Ou family was unwilling to let Ou Zilong spend money, but because he did not want his younger brother to become a hedonistic second-generation heir.  

As a result, the money Ou Zilong received each month was essentially the wages he earned from working. It wasn’t an extravagant amount, but it was more than sufficient for his expenses.  

“Remember one thing—character and combat skills are crucial for female bodyguards. A higher price is acceptable.”  

“Brother, I understand. I will definitely find candidates that satisfy you.”  

Although female physical strength and combat ability were generally inferior to those of men, Ou Zichen believed that there were outstanding women in the field. As long as they were willing to pay, they would surely find suitable candidates.  

Furthermore, character was just as important. If they hired someone with poor morals, Zhao Jiaying would be placed in danger. If someone offered the bodyguard a high price to betray them and carry out harm against Zhao Jiaying, it would be impossible to guard against.  

To ensure Zhao Jiaying’s safety in the future, the selection process had to be meticulous. They could not just hire anyone at random.