The Zhao Household

Jiang Wenyin was finally persuaded to leave.

The door at the end of the hall was tightly closed, and Zhao Tingyuan walked out with Zhao Rulan, his brow furrowed.

The Zhao household was in turmoil.

As they walked, hardly anyone spoke, creating a tense atmosphere.

The reason for this unrest was none other than the most favored young master of the Zhao family, Zhao Yuyuan.

Zhao Quan lived a very disciplined life.

Every morning, he would go to the garden to practice Tai Chi for an hour, then come back to drink a pot of tea and listen to music.

He had maintained this routine for thirty years.

After his Tai Chi session, Zhao Quan returned to his room where Zhao Rulan stood respectfully in front of him.

“Dad,” Zhao Rulan greeted.

Zhao Quan glanced at him. “Still not willing to eat?”

“Hmm,” Zhao Rulan nodded, hesitating before speaking, “Dad, if Yayuan really likes that girl from the Lu family, maybe we should just let it go.”

Zhao Quan huffed, “Let it go? This is a lifelong matter. He’s immature now and doesn’t understand, but when he realizes it later, he’ll blame us. What’s wrong with the Xu family’s daughter? Meeting her isn’t like asking him to risk his life.”

Zhao Rulan remained silent.

Zhao Quan had been stubborn all his life, and Zhao Rulan was used to it.

However, he still felt sorry for his equally stubborn younger son.

Zhao Tingyuan chimed in, “Grandpa is right. Yayuan is too young and has been spoiled by Mom. He’ll mature eventually. Grandpa is doing this for his own good.”

Zhao Quan sighed, “You’re only two years older than Yayuan. Why is he still so clueless?”

He then addressed Zhao Tingyuan, “You’ll handle the deal with Mingheng next week.”

Zhao Tingyuan’s eyes lit up with joy.

“And about your wedding,” Zhao Quan asked, “How is Qingyou doing?”

“I just accompanied her to the hospital yesterday,” Zhao Tingyuan replied. “Everything is normal.”

“Good. The sooner you get married and have children, the less you’ll have to worry about these things later,” Zhao Quan said.

Before they left, Zhao Quan stopped Zhao Tingyuan. “Go talk to your brother.”

The old man had been stubborn all his life, but he couldn’t handle his youngest grandson. “If he doesn’t want the Xu family girl, fine. Let him see whoever he wants. Just tell him to stop causing such a fuss.”

Zhao Rulan showed a hint of joy. Zhao Tingyuan said, “Okay, I’ll go tell him right away.”

Zhao Quan cursed under his breath, “That brat.”

At the end of the east wing, there was a small room with a tightly closed door.

The room had only one window, a bed, and a chair, starkly different from the rest of the Zhao household’s grandeur.

Zhao Tingyuan asked the maid at the door, “Is Yayuan still refusing to eat?”

The maid nodded, “He won’t talk or do anything.”

Zhao Yayuan had been frail since childhood, unable to handle such stress.

Jiang Wenyin had cried several times in the past few days, causing chaos in the Zhao household.

That day, Zhao Quan had personally brought Zhao Yayuan back from the Lu family, insisting he meet the Xu family’s daughter.

The grandfather and grandson had their most intense argument ever.

Zhao Quan nearly had a heart attack and ended up locking Zhao Yayuan in this small room, forbidding him from going to school until he reflected on his actions.

Zhao Tingyuan opened the door.

The room was dimly lit, and Zhao Yayuan was indeed asleep.

His beautiful face had become much thinner and paler.

He squinted at the light and coldly looked at Zhao Tingyuan.

Zhao Tingyuan pulled up a chair and sat opposite him. “Yayuan, I just saw Grandpa. He’s really upset because of you.”

Zhao Yajuan responded coldly, “I’m also upset because of you all. Why don’t you mention that?”

“Do you really need everyone to interfere in your business?” Zhao Yayuan continued, “Is this the Qing Dynasty or the 21st century?”

“Yayuan, think about it. Growing up in the Zhao family, haven’t you benefited from it? The family provided for you, gave you whatever you wanted, and supported everything you did. Why are you making such a fuss over a girl?” Zhao Tingyuan said.

He doubted Zhao Yayuan loved Lu Nian that much.

“We’re all doing this for your own good,” Zhao Tingyuan said. “Stop being so rebellious. Go out and meet Xu Cuo. She’s not any worse than Lu Nian.”

Zhao Yayuan’s expression had matured a lot.

He smiled faintly, one corner of his mouth lifting, “Brother, are you really doing this for my own good?”

Under the dim light, his smile carried a strange meaning.

Zhao Tingyuan suddenly felt uneasy.

He had no choice but to say, “Grandpa said you can go out now. Yayuan, don’t make any more trouble.”

Zhao Yajuan got up from the bed, smiling mockingly, “Oh, trouble? You think I’m making trouble?”

“You can’t tie me down,” he said.

…

Back in his own room, Zhao Tingyuan felt only frustration.

Soon, a servant came to the door. “Miss Su is here.”

“Still worried about Yayuan?” Su Qingyou, now about two months pregnant, sat down beside Zhao Tingyuan.

She had gained a little weight but still looked gentle and graceful.

“Yeah,” Zhao Tingyuan said. “The whole family has spoiled him rotten.”

“Does Yayuan really like Lu Nian that much?” Su Qingyou asked, surprised.

Zhao Tingyuan said, “I understand Yayuan. He’s just throwing a tantrum at the family, using Lu Nian as an excuse because of his spoiled temper.”

“There’s nothing more to say,” he clearly did not want to discuss it further.

Su Qingyou linked her arm through his, “Lu Yang plans to visit the hospital tomorrow to see Lu Zhihong and Lu Nian. Xiao Ran will go with him.”

Feng Xiaoran was Lu Yang’s fiancée.

“Okay.”

Once Lu Zhihong was completely ruined, Lu Yang would take control of the Lu Corporation.

This would allow them to continue their cooperation and benefit Zhao Tingyuan’s future plans.

Su Qingyou’s family wasn’t of much use.

In fact, if Lu Nian had agreed to marry her, choosing the Lu family would have been better than the Su family.

Lu Zhihong wouldn’t have ended up in such a state.

“Did Lu Yang mention anything about the new shareholder, Qiu Fan? What exactly does he want?” Zhao Tingyuan asked. “Isn’t he connected to Ning Sheng? Why is he so interested in Lu Zhihong?”

Ning Sheng’s boss, Ming Hong, had no ties or grievances with them, and no personal connection with Lu Zhihong.

Zhao Tingyuan couldn’t fathom why Qiu Fan was opposing them at this time.

Su Qingyou said, “Let’s leave it to Lu Yang for now. We’ll meet again next week.”

She kissed him, and Zhao Tingyuan held her close.

Their plans had been progressing smoothly, but the sudden interference from Ning Sheng was causing him a lot of frustration.

Seeing his unusual reaction, Su Qingyou frowned slightly but said nothing more, her right hand gently touching her belly.

This brief moment of intimacy didn’t last long.

….

Qin Si’s hand was cold, with distinct joints and a thin callus on his fingertip, covering her hand completely and making her feel unusually secure.

Lu Nian found it amusing.

How could a naturally aloof man, who could disappear for years at a time, make her feel secure? Was it irony or her own sadness?

Qin Si felt uncomfortable thinking about the broken engagement between Zhao Yayuan and Lu Nian.

He wanted to propose directly, but seeing Lu Nian’s current attitude, he didn’t know how to bring it up.

“You should pursue her like you’re proposing to Lu Nian,” Huang Mao said. “You’re not dealing with her father; you need to start with courtship.”

Huang Mao added, “You’re already living together, so you have plenty of opportunities. Lanlan and I met through shared housing, and now she’s my girlfriend.”

“How did you pursue her?” Qin Si finally asked.

Brother Ming, busy mixing drinks, turned and sarcastically remarked, “I can’t believe I lived to see the day you figured this out.”

Huang Mao, excited at the rare opportunity to advise Qin Si, sat up straight and cleared his throat. “First and foremost, be good to her. That’s the most important thing…..”

“And then, say sweet things,” Huang Mao continued. “Let her know you love her. You need to express it, not keep it to yourself.”

Huang Mao showed his chat history to everyone:

“Sweetie, are you awake?”

“Baby, are you asleep now?”

“An hour without you feels like forever. How will I survive without you?”

…

Qin Si’s handsome brows twitched slightly as he threw the phone back to Huang Mao.

Xiao Qu interpreted, “Brother Qin thinks it’s disgusting.”

“Disgusting?!” Huang Mao said. “Brother, you clearly haven’t been in love. Romance is all about being clingy. You just want to be together all the time, saying all kinds of sweet nothings.”

“And you have to be proactive when pursuing a girl,” Huang Mao said. “Say nice things frequently.”

“When I pursued my girlfriend, I bought her breakfast for a whole month, waiting downstairs at her company, picking her up morning and evening.” Huang Mao boasted, “On Valentine’s Day, I bought 99 roses and wrote her a letter…”

Xiao Qu interrupted, “Please don’t teach him your cheesy lines.”

“But, Brother Qin, I think you need to show some initiative,” Xiao Qu said. “Make Lu Nian feel secure and understand your intentions.”

Brother Ming added sarcastically, “With his mouth, it’s better to say less. Don’t make Lu Nian angry.”

He thought it might be more successful if Qin Si were mute.

Qin Si remained silent.

After the gathering, he returned home to a dark and quiet house.

Lu Nian was sound asleep.

He stood at her bedroom door for a long time, remembering the foolish things he had done in his youth, then couldn’t stand there any longer.

Back in his room, he stayed awake for a long time that night.

Lu Nian woke up early the next morning.

Qin Si was still asleep, surprisingly.

She didn’t want to bother him and left on her own.

She planned to visit the hospital to see Lu Zhihong and then go to school in the afternoon.

Unexpectedly, outside the hospital room, she encountered a familiar face.

It was Lu Yang, accompanied by a tall, well-endowed woman with pale skin, delicate brows, and perfect makeup.

Since Lu Zhihong’s incident, Lu Yang had been absent, and Lu Nian had never reached out to him.

She didn’t know why he was here today.

“Nian Nian,” Lu Yang called out upon seeing her.

So, this was Lu Nian?

Feng Xiaoran glanced at her.

She had heard about Lu Nian.

Now seeing her, she admitted Lu Nian was indeed beautiful, the kind that could captivate men.

But a fallen phoenix is worse than a chicken.

She maliciously thought that if Lu Nian wanted to maintain her previous privileged lifestyle, she would probably end up being used by men.

Lu Nian didn’t want to talk much with them.

She nodded and intended to enter the room.

“Nian Nian, I’m very sorry about Uncle’s situation,” Lu Yang said. “I’ve been extremely busy with company matters, which have piled up. I haven’t had time to visit. I’m trying my best to find a way to help Uncle.”

Lu Yang had been having a hard time lately.

The Lu Corporation was spiraling out of control, with Qiu Fan clearly siding with Lu Zhihong and opposing him.

Qiu Fan was backed by Ning Sheng, and Lu Yang was completely constrained, facing setbacks everywhere.

However, Lu Yang had no grievances with Qiu Fan. He had subtly hinted at the possibility of cooperation with Qiu Fan.

Qiu Fan merely shrugged with a slight smile, “The boss ordered it personally, Mr. Lu. Regrettably, I can’t help you.”

Lu Yang figured the “boss” referred to someone other than Ming Hong, likely the mysterious figure behind Ning Sheng.

But who exactly that person was, Lu Yang had no clue.

He had never appeared publicly, and there was no information on him—age, background, everything was a mystery.

Out of options, Lu Yang finally thought of reaching out to Lu Nian.