Tricks

It seemed that being sincere was still the way to go. If she had been a bit more honest just now, perhaps she could have avoided this gathering. But now that the opportunity was missed, she could only take it step by step and see how things unfolded.

“Do your parents have any special preferences? Like calligraphy and painting, antiques, jewelry, or something like that?” 

Both Uncle Zhou and Aunt Zhou came from upper-class society and were well-versed in various things. Jiang Xiao couldn’t think of anything particularly impressive to bring, so she could only pin her hopes on Zhou Qishen, hoping he could give some advice.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Qishen didn’t take it seriously at all. Instead, he raised an eyebrow teasingly, “Are you eager to spend money on my parents?”

Jiang Xiao’s good intentions were misunderstood, and she couldn’t help but purse her lips, “Then I might really not prepare anything at all. Just going by myself?”

Zhou Qishen didn’t confirm or deny it, simply saying, “Hmm.”

Jiang Xiao felt a hint of defeat and hmphed, “You said it.”

“Yes, yes, I said it,” the person beside her just smiled, his voice lazy and seemingly filled with indulgent helplessness.

*

Zhou Qishen had just returned to the old mansion. As soon as he stepped through the door, he was summoned to the study by Father Zhou’s assistant.

Taking the elevator straight to the sixth-floor study, standing at the door, Zhou Qishen frowned and hesitated for two seconds before finally raising his hand to knock on the door.

Not long after, a deep voice came from inside, “Come in.”

The study was decorated in a slightly Chinese style, spacious with a meticulous layout. The entire wall was lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and an extra-long executive desk, all crafted from rosewood, giving the room a dignified and stable atmosphere.

Behind the executive desk, Zhou Zhengkang sat in a leather chair, concentrating on a stack of documents.

Despite being over seventy years old and his face was covered with deep wrinkles, his rich experience and outstanding demeanor made him appear vigorous and charismatic, not losing any of his former glory.

Upon hearing movement, Zhou Zhengkang looked up at his youngest son in front of him. “I had to resort to some measures for you to finally come back.”

As he spoke, his sharp eyes narrowed slightly, intimidating without anger, clearly displeased with his son’s actions.

Zhou Qishen stood with his hands in his pockets, his expression cold and emotionless. It seemed he had long anticipated that his father would lure him back under the guise of health. “Since you’re fine, I’ll take my leave.”

Zhou Zhengkang paused with his pen, unfazed by his indifferent attitude, and snorted with a half-smile. His deep voice resonated, “Leave? I haven’t finished speaking.”

The father and son faced each other silently for a moment. Zhou Zhengkang first inquired about company matters, then naturally moved on to inquire about Zhou Qishen’s personal life from a parental perspective.

“Your mother and I aren’t old-fashioned people. We don’t insist on matching backgrounds, nor did we force you into marriage. But look at you, over thirty years old, and not a woman by your side. How can we not be worried?”

“You are my most outstanding son. Building a career as a man is all well and good, but marriage and children are major life events. You should at least plan for them, right? Otherwise, your mother nags at me every day, wearing out my ears.”

This last remark hit the nail on the head. Zhou Zhengkang had been married four times, fathering five children in total—three sons and two daughters—excluding Zhou Qishen, all of whom were married and had children. Thus, he never insisted that his younger generation must carry on the family line.

However, Zhou Qishen was Su Miwan’s only son. Naturally, she hoped he would marry and have children soon.

But Zhou Qishen was indifferent to family matters. Since returning home after graduation, he moved out of the old mansion. Unable to find him, Su Miwan could only grumble to Zhou Zhengkang every day. Over time, he naturally became unhappy.

“Speaking of which, that brat Zhou Qi is better than you. Although he’s a bit of a mess, at least we don’t have to worry about finding him a partner like we do with you…”

As soon as this was said, Su Miwan, who was eavesdropping outside the door, immediately became unhappy.

Zhou Qi was Zhou Zhengkang’s second son, younger and just starting his junior year in college. Despite his messy personal life, earlier in the year, he got a fellow student pregnant and had to negotiate to leave school and return home.

But even back in China, under his parents’ watchful eyes, he was still not honest. He frequented various nightlife spots with his friends. Two days ago, he hosted a party with a bunch of friends in his apartment, causing a commotion and chaos, which led to a police report from the neighbors.

In his mind, apart from spending money, all Zhou Qi thought about was women. He was a complete scoundrel.

How could Zhou Zhengkang compare her innocent son with Zhou Qi, a notorious scoundrel?

Zhou Qishen remained silent, suddenly thinking of something. His eyes curved slightly, as if smiling, but there was no smile in his eyes. “How about saying that Zhou Qi has some of your charm, doesn’t he? Heh, a playboy.”

Upon hearing such a blatant sarcasm, Zhou Zhengkang’s face immediately darkened.

Thinking back to that year, he couldn’t help but think of the times he had been foolish, unable to resist temptation, and had several one-night stands with women outside.

Exposed, he knew he was guilty and had been trying his best to make amends to Su Miwan and Zhou Qishen mother and son. But no matter how hard he tried to pretend nothing had happened, he couldn’t avoid arguments, and for nearly half a year, he had almost no peace of mind.

To avoid affecting his children, he sent Zhou Qishen, who was only seven years old at the time, to study traditional Chinese painting.

But clever as Zhou Qishen was, how could he hide such a thing? Since then, knowing the truth, Zhou Qishen has gradually become distant from him, thus creating an unbreakable bond between father and son.

After so many years, even his wife had forgiven him. But for some reason, Zhou Qishen couldn’t let go.

“When you were young, I could understand if you didn’t understand me,” Zhou Zhengkang lamented, sighing and almost muttering to himself.

Hearing his shameless words, Zhou Qishen’s face became increasingly ugly. Unable to tolerate it any longer, he interrupted, “I’m leaving.”

With that, without waiting for Zhou Zhengkang to speak, he left the study without looking back.

Zhou Zhengkang watched his retreating figure, squinted his eyes, as the powerful head of the Zhou family, stood on the high ground of power from birth, and everyone listened to his words, not daring to violate, except for his younger son.

With a stubborn and rebellious temperament, deep as the city, the older he got, the harder it was to control. From professional choices to company decisions, every step of the way deviated from the life plan set for him.

Zhou Zhengkang was a dictator for the rest of his life, how could he tolerate anyone challenging his authority?

Even if the person was his biological son, it was not good.

But the Zhou family’s younger generation who were of suitable age all trusted Zhou Qishen, an elder who was like a brother to them. None of them could be used to check and balance him.. After circling around and considering various options, Zhou Zhengkang could only focus his attention on his eldest son’s illegitimate child.

He could only hope that the other wouldn’t disappoint his expectations.

*

As soon as Zhou Qishen came out, Su Miwan, who was outside the room, noticed the unhappiness and indignation on his face. Her heart ached instantly, her eyes reddened, and with a choked voice, she couldn’t help but call out, “Xiaoshen.”

Zhou Qishen slowed his pace, turned his head to look at his mother, and saw the signs of tears again. The veins on his forehead twitched slightly, and he managed a forced smile. “I have something to attend to, so I won’t stay.”

His tone softened somewhat, but it still carried tension.

Su Miwan did not force him to stay overnight as usual, but just followed him silently along the corridor, wanting to see him out personally.

Once they were in the elevator and alone, Su Miwan pursed her lips and spoke in a softer tone, “That matter should have been put behind us long ago. Your father is getting older and can’t handle this kind of turmoil. There’s no need for you to keep quarreling with him.”

Zhou Qishen stared at the elevator doors ahead, his eyelashes drooping slightly. Yes, it should have been put behind them long ago. Even his mother had moved on, so why was he still clinging to it?

Clearly, he wasn’t the main victim—his mother was.

As his father had said, he was at the age of maturity now. What was there to hold onto so tightly? It was just an affair, not a serious crime like murder or arson. A few moral condemnations were enough. What more could be done?

But the scar burnt into his heart couldn’t heal easily. He still remembered vividly the ferocious expressions on his parents’ faces during their fights, and the lamp that shattered at his feet—the shattered pieces cutting through his skin and his once happy family.

So no matter how hard they tried to maintain peace in this household, all he could think of was hypocrisy and disgust.

Thinking of the past, Zhou Qishen rubbed his sore forehead, not wanting to involve his mother in the middle or be forced to compromise insincerely. He remained silent, waiting for Su Miwan to tire herself out and naturally drop the subject.

As he expected, Su Miwan stopped talking after a while, perhaps realizing that further discussion wouldn’t change anything. Instead, she brought up something else that worried her more, “Well, forget about that. What I care most about now is your marriage…”

The elevator doors opened on the ground floor, and Zhou Qishen took the opportunity to interrupt her, “Mother, I have made arrangements regarding that.”

Following him out of the elevator, Su Miwan muttered in frustration, “Can you at least tell me what kind of arrangements? If you keep dragging this on, you’ll become an old bachelor, do you realize that? Women will start rejecting you because of your age… Wait, what do you mean by ‘I have made arrangements’?”

She paused as she suddenly realized something. Her usually gentle face tensed momentarily, and even her gentle voice carried a hint of excitement, “Which family’s daughter is it? Do I know her?”

Su Miwan quickly ran through several suitable candidates for Zhou Qishen in her mind, but came up with nothing. Then, a sudden thought struck her, “Could it be that girl who called you ‘husband’ on the phone that night?”

Zhou Qishen pursed his lips, silently confirming.

“I knew it!…” Su Miwan’s expression said ‘I knew it’ all over it. She was so pleased that she couldn’t help but pat her son’s shoulder without an ounce of sarcasm, “Then why did you tell me that I had misheard? You really didn’t want me, your mom, to know?”

“Yeah, I didn’t.” Zhou Qishen replied bluntly.

Now that her child was grown and his wings were hardened, Su Miwan rolled her eyes at herself for not understanding. What she was most curious about now was who this girl who captured her son’s heart was.

Unable to contain herself, she continued to inquire, “How old is this girl? What’s her family background like? Is she local?”

Zhou Qishen stopped in his tracks, turned around helplessly, and looked at Mrs. Su, who was excited and eager to know everything.

“Alright, alright, I won’t ask anymore.” Su Miwan quickly covered her mouth to indicate she wouldn’t ask further, but after a moment, she jokingly said, “Look at how protective you are. I just asked a few more questions.”

“No wonder you never wanted me to introduce any girls to you before. It turns out you’ve had your eye on someone for a while. You’ve kept her well hidden. Not a single hint leaked out,” Su Miwan said with a smile.

“I won’t interfere in your little romance, but if it gets to the point of marriage, you have to introduce her to me, as your mom, right?” Su Miwan smiled so broadly her eyes squinted shut. She didn’t have to insist that she had to meet the girl immediately.

Although Zhou Qishen had never explicitly said so, she understood her son better than anyone. Zhou Qishen’s resistance to love and marriage was largely due to their husband and wife. Now that he was finally showing signs of wanting to get married, she couldn’t let him change his mind.

Therefore, meeting the parents couldn’t be rushed. It had to be done slowly, especially since the girl was likely to have many concerns and worries. It didn’t matter whether they met early or late, as long as the two of them were better off than anything else.

After thinking for two seconds, Zhou Qishen didn’t immediately agree and gave an ambiguous answer, “How about tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow?” Su Miwan once thought she had heard it wrong. She didn’t expect her son to be so easygoing today.

Zhou Qishen frowned, “Can’t I?”

“Of course, of course, it’s okay, whenever you want to come.” Su Miwan immediately agreed, and as she spoke, she began planning for tomorrow. The first meeting with her son’s girlfriend meant she had to prepare some gifts for them.

Moreover, tomorrow was the birthday party of Zhou Zhengkang’s eldest son. She had to pay attention and not take his thunder. Most importantly, she had heard that he intended to bring the illegitimate son back tomorrow …

In any case, with Zhou Zhengkang in charge, she didn’t need to worry too much. What she needed to focus on now was the most important thing in Zhou Qishen’s mouth: his girlfriend.

“Where did I put my jade bracelet…” Su Miwan muttered to herself, suddenly thinking of something. Grabbing Zhou Qishen’s arm, she asked, “Does my daughter-in-law have any taboos? What kind of dishes does she like? I should instruct the kitchen to prepare them.”

“She doesn’t eat onions, garlic, or cilantro, and she doesn’t like greasy food. Make it light and low-fat,” Zhou Qishen said without hesitation.

Seeing him speak so decisively without any hesitation, Su Miwan couldn’t help but feel two more points of satisfaction towards the girl who had captured her son’s heart.

More important than anything else, since he could remember the girl’s preferences, it showed he was genuinely interested.

“It seems she’s a girl who loves beauty,” Su Miwan smiled warmly. Paying attention to diet and body management, this aspect seemed quite similar to her.

Unconsciously, they had arrived at the entrance gate. Su Miwan didn’t say more, affectionately patting his shoulder, she intended to let him go, “I won’t delay you returning home. I’ll message you if I think of anything, and you must remember to reply, so I don’t unintentionally neglect them.”

“I understand.” Zhou Qishen nodded, a faint smile appearing on his lips. He then took the car keys handed to him by the gatekeeper and drove away.