When they went downstairs again, the little girl’s lips were noticeably redder.
Her dark, almond-shaped eyes were now tinged with a bit more allure.
Warm Zhong’en gritted his teeth and rolled his eyes. Yu Xiuxiu playfully slapped his thigh.
“What’s with that expression? Your daughter is going to get married sooner or later, and you have such a small stomach?”
“My daughter, whom I raised, has been taken by a pig, and I’m not allowed to be unhappy?” Warm Zhong’en thought she was being completely unreasonable.
Yu Xiuxiu: “…”
Although their voices were not loud, Yu Wen and Warm Jin Yan didn’t hear them, but they felt their son had gone too far. Their parents were right there; a kiss was one thing, but bullying her so fiercely!
Her lips were swollen.
“Cough,” Warm Jin Yan awkwardly rubbed his nose and said, “It’s getting late, A Li. Why don’t you escort Yi Yi home?”
“No need.”
Warm Zhong’en refused with a dark face and pulled his daughter to his side.
Yu Wen: “…”
Warm Jin Yan: “…”
Yu Wenli: “Then I won’t escort her. Be careful on the way.”
Yu Wen & Warm Jin Yan: “?”
Is this how you act as a future son-in-law??
Warm Zhong’en: Heh.
After the Warm family left, Warm Jin Yan couldn’t wait and said, “Can you hold back a bit in the future? Look how much you’ve upset the poor girl!”
Yu Wenli replied without a second thought: “I can’t.”
Especially in that situation, if he could hold back, he wouldn’t be a man.
“Then at least consider her parents, seeing them like that must have been uncomfortable,” Warm Jin Yan reminded him.
Yu Wenli pondered for a second and said, “I think Uncle Warm should get used to it sooner, after all, Yi Yi and I will get married sooner or later.”
He said it with an air of doing him a favor.
“…” Warm Jin Yan was completely defeated. “Aren’t you afraid he won’t marry his daughter to you?”
“No, Yi Yi likes me, and only me.”
Warm Jin Yan: “…?”
Had her son been poisoned?
How had he become so… conceited?
“Cough,” Yu Wen, who had been listening for a while, couldn’t help but ask, “What did the little girl say to you upstairs?”
“Nothing much,” Yu Wenli replied calmly, “She just said she’s willing to support me, for a lifetime.”
Although he didn’t quite agree with the word ‘support’ used between lovers,
He really liked the underlying sentiment.
Warm Jin Yan & Yu Wen: No wonder!
The phrase ‘I’ll support you’ works for both men and women.
-
The next morning, Yu Wenli was woken by the auntie, who said that Mu Chen’s father was waiting for him downstairs.
Mu father had approached him more than once about the Mu family’s affairs, and he wasn’t very keen on helping.
But he had had a pleasant dream last night and was in a good mood.
Yu Wenli decided to help him out; Mu Chen was also in Jiang City recently.
After washing up and going downstairs, Mu father greeted him obsequiously, “You haven’t eaten yet, have you? Why don’t you eat first, I’m not in a hurry.”
He stood by the sofa, wringing his hands, looking timid and awkward.
There was no sign of the arrogance he once had.
Yu Wenli noticed the white hairs mixed in his black hair and softened a little. “It’s fine, I’m not that hungry.”
“Sit down,” he gestured for Mu father to sit.
Mu father, seeking a favor, was extremely humble. He only sat down opposite Yu Wenli after Yu Wenli sat.
He looked as if he had something to say but hesitated.
Yu Wenli didn’t like to keep people in suspense and said directly, “I’ve already messaged Mu Chen. He should be here in about ten minutes.”
Since Qiao Xixi became a small internet celebrity, Mu Chen had been accompanying her to take photos and find locations whenever he had free time.
The two of them happened to be nearby.
“Oh, oh.” Mu father nodded repeatedly, unable to hide his smile.
Strictly speaking, he hadn’t seen his son in three years.
Ever since that unpleasant parting the summer after he graduated from high school, Mu Chen had been avoiding him.
Let alone talking face-to-face, he wouldn’t even answer his calls.
It had worn down all of Mu father’s pride.
Initially, he thought Mu Chen would be the first to back down.
Unexpectedly, his son was tougher and more resolute than he had imagined.
“Have you talked to him about inheriting the company? What did he say?”
Mu Chen’s resolute attitude made Mu father start to worry about every word he had ever said.
Seeing Mu father’s slightly anxious eyes, Yu Wenli said frankly, “He will not inherit the Mu Corporation. Uncle Mu, forgive my bluntness, but Mu Chen’s heart is not in the company. What he truly wants to do is be a dentist, or a ceramic artist.”
“How can that be!” Mu father exclaimed anxiously. “I have such a large fortune, who else will I pass it to if not him?!”
“Give it to whoever you want,” Mu Chen said indifferently as he entered with Qiao Xixi. “I’m not going to inherit it anyway.”
He had hated business from the beginning, hated the hypocrisy of putting on a front.
Especially his father’s money-grubbing demeanor, which he detested from the bottom of his heart.
But he also knew that every penny he had spent during his upbringing was earned by him.
Therefore, he had no standing to criticize.
The only thing he could do was not to become the person he detested.
Mu father was stunned when he heard his son’s voice, then slowly turned his head, looking at him with an expression of anger and deep weariness.
It was a state difficult to describe.
The moment their eyes met, Mu Chen felt an unbearable pain.
But it was only for a moment.
He had no expectations or feelings for his family or parents.
The only blood tie that connected them felt somewhat weak.
Yet it strangely tugged at his heart.
“You went to such lengths to find me just so you could have an heir, didn’t you? Unfortunately, I’ve disappointed you,” Mu Chen said intentionally to hurt him.
Mu father let out a bitter smile. “Do you hate me and your mother that much? Three years without a single text message or phone call, even when we went to find you at school, you managed to avoid us.”
“I don’t hate you,” Mu Chen said calmly, holding Qiao Xixi’s hand and sitting to the right of Yu Wenli. “But I don’t love you either. To me, you are just slightly familiar strangers.”
Mu father’s expression froze.
Mu Chen continued, “Actually, I’ve always wanted to ask you: if you didn’t love me, why did you give birth to me? And if you gave birth to me, why didn’t you want me?”
“I…” Mu father began, his eyes moist.
But Mu Chen didn’t want to give him a chance. “I don’t want to know anymore. Since everyone has their own choices, they should be responsible for them. My choice not to inherit the company, just like your choice not to want me, are decisions made after careful consideration.”
He paused and looked at him. “We should… respect each other.”
Mu father suddenly felt a great regret, regretting not spending time with his child during his growth, regretting not being a good role model.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t have ended up in this situation.
He could see that his son was determined to break away from the Mu family, with no room for reconciliation.
Yu Wenli stared at Mu father, who seemed to have aged considerably, for a few seconds, then said, “Actually, there’s a better way that can satisfy both your requirements.”
Mu father looked up sharply. “Really?!”
Mu Chen: “…?” Whose side are you on?
Yu Wenli ignored his brother’s disgruntled expression and asked, “Uncle Mu, have you heard of Xu Ke Xin?”
Mu father was slightly taken aback, not understanding why the topic had shifted to someone else, but he nodded. “Yes, I have.”
“Many large companies in the capital have a high opinion of her because she is very capable,” Yu Wenli said. “If she were to manage the Mu Corporation, when Mu Chen has children, you could then pass the company to your grandson or granddaughter.”
This method would indeed satisfy both parties’ requirements.
But—
“Can she be trusted?” Mu father asked, concerned.
The Mu Corporation was his life’s work, the empire he had painstakingly built after abandoning his wife and son.
If it were stolen, he would rather see it destroyed in his hands now!
Yu Wenli said calmly, “If she can’t be trusted, then no one in the world can be trusted.”
He was rarely wrong about people, and Xu Ke Xin was definitely a trustworthy individual.
Mu father said cautiously, “I’ll go back and investigate first.”
“Alright.” Yu Wenli wasn’t in a hurry anyway.
After Mu father left, Mu Chen unhappily asked, “Why are you helping him?”
Yu Wenli glanced at him. “I’m helping your child. You can’t take away your child’s right to choose just because you don’t like the wealthy elite. That’s unfair.”
Mu Chen: “…”
“Oh, right! Raising children is very expensive now. If we don’t earn much, won’t the child suffer terribly? Your brother is so smart!” Qiao Xixi thanked Yu Wenli profusely with a clasped fist.
Yu Wenli raised an eyebrow. “You’re welcome.”
Mu Chen gave her a meaningful look. “Oh, you won’t agree to be my girlfriend, but you’re thinking about being the mother of my child. Qiao Xixi, you’re something else.”
“I-I’m going to find Yi Yi!” Qiao Xixi quickly slipped away.
Mu Chen: “…”
Yu Wenli, who had been watching with amusement, suddenly felt something was wrong. If this little girl went, his girlfriend would be occupied for the entire day!
No, he had to go.
As he took a step, Mu Chen said, “I’ll take her away in a moment.”
As expected of brothers, they had telepathic understanding.
Yu Wenli immediately lost his urgency and turned to go to the kitchen to grind coffee.
Mu Chen followed him and asked, “Have Jiahe’s parents approached you?”
Similar to Mu father, Xing Jiahe’s parents also hadn’t seen Xing Jiahe in a long time.
“Mmm.”
“What did you tell them?”
“Respect, understanding, and blessings.”
“?” What nonsense is that?
“Let them learn to respect their own child first, understand his profession and choices, and bless his love and career.” Only then would there be a possibility of reconciliation.
Speaking of which, Xing Jiahe might seem resigned, but when it came to being ruthless, he was more so than anyone.
Mu Chen raised an eyebrow. “They called me a while ago, saying Xu Ke Xin has psychological problems and asked me to persuade them to break up.”
Yu Wenli was not surprised. “Normal. However, at this rate, it will be difficult to meet within three years.”
Xing Jiahe lived entirely for Xu Ke Xin now. Forcing them to break up would be like killing him.
Mu Chen raised an eyebrow noncommittally. “But speaking of which, why are you so sure Xu Ke Xin would agree to join the Mu Corporation? The companies in the capital are not worse than mine.”
“You said yourself, they are not worse than mine. So, wouldn’t it be better to be the head of the Mu Corporation?”
Mu Chen: “…”
“You’re quite calculating,” Mu Chen was utterly convinced.
He hadn’t mentioned this part at all when talking to his father.
Yu Wenli slowly ground the coffee, his tone indifferent. “I never calculate against my own people.”
As for others, it didn’t matter if he tricked them.
During the summer of their third year in college, Xu Ke Xin officially took over the Mu Corporation.
Mu father, in order to ensure his grandson or granddaughter would be the future heir, could only grit his teeth and grant Xu Ke Xin the greatest authority.
In other words, the nominal chairman of the corporation was Mu father, or Mu Chen, but the actual decision-maker was Xu Ke Xin.
However, as a precaution, Xu Ke Xin and Mu father also signed a guarantee contract to ensure that the Mu family would always be the controllers of the Mu Corporation.
On the day Xu Ke Xin took office, Xing Jiahe was competing in Country Y, in a highly anticipated international competition, and couldn’t return.
He could only entrust his two brothers to take care of her.
Therefore, Mu Chen and Yu Wenli personally came to provide support.
But it was clear that Xu Ke Xin didn’t need them at all.
After one meeting, many people dared not underestimate her.
Outside the conference room, Mu Chen drank coffee and asked, “How are your job applications going? There are quite a few talent shows this year. Just send them out, and you’re bound to get one.”
Yu Wenli let out a humorless chuckle. “You’re thinking too much. None were successful.”
“?” Mu Chen became serious. “No way, it’s been this long, and they’re still keeping you out?”
Yu Wenli said faintly, “The program team’s unified reply is that you are not eligible to apply.”
Mu Chen couldn’t help but curse. “They’re that determined? Then what are your plans?”