Jiang Hongyi looked at the calm and collected Li Zhonglou and fell silent for a long time.
Finally, he nodded with gratitude and said, "We'll do as you say."
Li Zhonglou had been exceptionally magnanimous. After all, at the elder's birthday banquet, he had publicly pointed out Jiang Tao's switch of real for fake and his framing of him.
The elder had clearly recognized the truth and falsehood but still shielded his grandson, which was enough reason for Li Zhonglou to watch the Jiang family fall or ignore him.
But he did not.
Instead, he suggested that he should bring the elder over to take care of him.
Such filial piety was beyond reproach.
As for the other relatives of the Jiang family, although he couldn't bear to see them live in misery, what Li Zhonglou said was not untrue.
Those who lack virtue but possess talent will inevitably bring disaster upon themselves.
When he was banished to another province, these people had done their best to cause trouble. Even if he wasn't in Qin Province often, he could still hear about Li Zhonglou's treatment at home.
They all wished they could drink his blood and eat his flesh.
That he would agree to lend them money for small businesses was the greatest favor.
His broad-mindedness was enough to make Jiang Hongyi admire him.
With his daughter finding such a man as a husband, what else could she possibly worry about in life?
Seeing his father-in-law's reaction, Li Zhonglou also breathed a sigh of relief. "Dad, lend it under Yuxin's name. I'll transfer the money to Yuxin later, and don't mention me."
Although he knew his father-in-law's character and his kind heart, if he truly disregarded everything for the Jiang family, he would be helpless.
The elder would never abandon him. Filial piety comes first among all virtues.
He himself would spare no effort for his mother, so how could he let Jiang Hongyi stand by and do nothing?
If he were to obstruct them, it would only make him appear to be the bad guy with no other benefit.
As for the rabble of the Jiang family, they resented the rich and laughed at the poor.
They couldn't stir up much trouble. It was just a matter of borrowing some money. If he was displeased with them, he had IOUs in hand.
As he walked out of the study, Jiang Yuxin had already changed into a fluffy rabbit pajama and was waiting at the top of the stairs.
This outfit instantly transformed her from a cold goddess into a cute sprite.
Upon seeing Li Zhonglou, she immediately stepped forward and asked cautiously, "What did Dad want to see you about?"
"It's about the Jiang family," Li Zhonglou said without any concealment.
"What trouble are those scumbags causing again?" Jiang Yuxin's pretty face immediately showed disgust.
Before the Jiang family went bankrupt, her family had to endure those disgusting relatives every day just to rely on them.
They would either make sarcastic remarks or plot behind her back.
Now that they were bankrupt, it was even more peaceful. They hadn't even told anyone the address of this new house.
If they wanted to find her now, they couldn't.
They must have been using her father's kindness and crying to him.
"They can't cause much trouble. It's just borrowing a little money to start a business. You can control it later. The loan limit for each family should not exceed two hundred thousand," Li Zhonglou said, putting his arm around Jiang Yuxin's shoulder and walking towards their master bedroom.
"These people are truly shameless!" Jiang Yuxin snorted coldly.
She was not like Li Zhonglou. Thinking of the past made her angry, especially when she remembered how these people used to bully her husband.
It made her clench her teeth even more.
And yet, Li Zhonglou was still willing to lend them money.
"Getting angry with those people is foolish. The reason I agreed to lend them money is to gain control," Li Zhonglou said, naturally sensing his wife's indignation on his behalf. He closed the door and comforted her, "Think about it. With the IOUs in hand, if they try anything tricky in the future, we can directly sue them in court with no negotiation."
"And the eternal truth of this world is that the weak look up to the strong."
"They can resent the rich, but as soon as those rich people extend an olive branch to them, they will immediately fight tooth and nail, even to the point of fighting each other."
"According to your Jiang family's rules, you must gather during the New Year, and wherever the old man is, they must go."
"This year, it will definitely be at our house."
"Then let these people see what it means to be different now!"
Li Zhonglou's few words dispelled Jiang Yuxin's frustration. The coldness on her pretty face gradually faded, replaced by admiration.
Looking up at Li Zhonglou's slightly ordinary face, her beautiful eyes rippled with emotion.
Her voice, soft as water, said, "Thank you for everything you've done..."
"Do couples need to be so polite? Shall we go to bed?" Li Zhonglou picked up his wife and gently placed her on the bed amid Jiang Yuxin's blushing surprise.
What followed was an unrestrained release.
Li Zhonglou was a man, a normal man, although he didn't need women to fill his spiritual void.
But he still had the most basic physical needs, and after so long, he had to release them.
In an instant, the entire room, no, the entire building, was filled with soul-stirring breaths.
The three parents downstairs exchanged glances, smiled broadly, and quietly returned to their rooms, locking the doors.
The night passed, and Jiang Yuxin slept until ten o'clock before getting up, feeling as if her whole body had fallen apart.
As she ate the breakfast Li Zhonglou brought, she blushed and said in a muffled voice, "You were like a beast, tossing and turning all night..."
"This is the passion of youth," Li Zhonglou said shamelessly.
When one is full and warm, desire arises; this is indeed the truth.
Coupled with the wasted trip and not finding his father, there was some accumulated displeasure in his heart.
The activities of the night had dissipated much of it.
While Jiang Yuxin was still in bed, he sat beside her and said softly, "In a while, I'll have to go on a business trip again."
"I'll entrust everything at home to you. When I get back, we'll go to Yong'an to live."
"Leaving Qin Province will also reduce some troubles."
Jiang Yuxin nodded, "I'll listen to you."
Qin Province was, after all, a small place. The company's products had already been launched, and staying in the neighboring villa was not ideal.
They needed to establish a base in Yong'an, a provincial capital.
At least in terms of talent, Yong'an far surpassed Qin Province. As various departments needed to expand and strengthen, Qin Province had become a bottleneck.
Li Zhonglou had indeed considered this point when he spoke to Jiang Yuxin.
Unexpectedly, their hearts were in sync, and she agreed immediately.
After kissing Jiang Yuxin on the forehead, Li Zhonglou left home and went to the company not far away.
"Louzi, you're becoming more and more elusive. You didn't even inform me when you returned!" Wu Hao's serious face immediately broke into a smile when he saw Li Zhonglou arrive.
He lightly punched Li Zhonglou in the chest, then gave him a bear hug like they were back in school.
Li Zhonglou had announced his withdrawal from the live streaming platform project, and Jiang Yuxin took over the finance department, but this did not affect their relationship.
On the contrary, as time went by, Wu Hao missed Li Zhonglou more and more.
He invited him into his office, poured him some tea, and then complained, "You haven't been here for a while. Since the project launched, there have been countless problems, and my head is about to explode."
"I can see that," Li Zhonglou said, patting his shoulder in comfort. "Starting a business is very tough, so I'm staying out of it. Besides you, there are two other women in the company. If you're not working hard, who is?"
He could see that Wu Hao's demeanor was completely different from before.
He had become much more serious and mature, as well as more low-key and reserved. From a vibrant young technician, he had become a company leader. The problems and pressure he had faced were probably unimaginable to anyone else.
And he had to bear it all alone.
"Don't underestimate Lü Yunxu. Miss Lü's abilities are absolutely top-notch. If it weren't for her, market financing and technology would probably be much worse," Wu Hao said, full of recognition when speaking of Lü Yunxu.
Li Zhonglou saw some clues with just one glance.
It was a typical case of developing feelings over time.
Wu Hao and Lü Yunxu wouldn't be a bad match. If they could become a couple, it would be a beautiful thing.
However, Lü Yunxu was proud and came from a noble background, with very high standards.
Wu Hao's path to love was likely filled with hardships and twists and turns. If he didn't have extraordinary qualities, he might end up with unrequited love.
Of course, this was not something he needed to worry about.
Thinking this, Li Zhonglou asked curiously, "Why don't I see Yunxu?"
"Doesn't she come to the company often?"
"You're late. She usually comes in the morning to report and then goes out to handle business and entertain clients. After all, she's responsible for the company's finances," Wu Hao replied. "She was mentioning you a few days ago."
"It's a pity that you're like a dragon that appears and disappears without a trace. Are you leaving again this time after returning?"
"I am, but not for a few more days. I can finally rest peacefully at home for a few days," Li Zhonglou said with a chuckle.
Jingle bell...
As soon as he finished speaking, Wu Hao's phone rang.
After answering and listening for a few sentences, his expression changed drastically. He hung up the phone and said, "Lü Yunxu has had an accident and has been sent to the hospital."
"Let's go!" Li Zhonglou's pupils constricted, and he immediately got up.
The two of them rushed out of the villa and happened to see Jiang Yuxin arriving.
"Yuxin, Wu Hao and I have something urgent to attend to regarding Yunxu," Li Zhonglou called out, not telling Jiang Yuxin the details.
Firstly, she had financial matters to attend to at the company. Secondly, the situation was still unclear.
He only heard Wu Hao say that she was intercepted and robbed while driving, but fortunately, a police car passed by and saved her life.
However, she had suffered a severe blow to the head and was unconscious.
When the two of them drove to the hospital, Lü Chenggong was already standing outside the ICU with bodyguards.
His expression was full of anger.
Seeing Li Zhonglou and Wu Hao arrive, he immediately stepped forward. "Zhonglou, it's good that you're back. The girl she..."
"What exactly happened?" Li Zhonglou asked, seeing Lü Yunxu lying unconscious in the bed through the glass of the door, wearing a respirator, his eyelids twitching wildly.
"I've already had people investigate. It's likely that my business has offended someone, and they didn't dare to retaliate against me, so they went after Yunxu!" Lü Chenggong's veins were bulging on his face as he spoke, his eyes spitting fire, showing that he was forcefully suppressing his rage.
He added, "If I find out who did this, I'll make them wish they were dead!"
In Qin Province, the Lü family certainly had the power to do so.
"Uncle Lü, don't worry. With so many surveillance cameras now, I'll definitely catch the culprit within two days!" Wu Hao said through gritted teeth.
Li Zhonglou nodded slightly.
He did not offer any opinions. The Lü family's influence in Qin Province was immense. Who would dare to court death by openly opposing the Lü family?
If it were a businessman, the gain would not be worth the loss.
Moreover, they had not made a move for such a long time. Why was Lü Yunxu attacked immediately after he returned to Qin Province?
He vaguely felt that this matter might not be as simple as it seemed.
However, these were all speculations. The most important thing now was to catch the person and then interrogate them properly.
Lü Chenggong and Wu Hao would handle such matters; there was no need for him to worry.
He then asked, "What did the doctor say?"
"Severe concussion, intracranial effusion. She's not out of danger yet, and we don't know when she'll wake up," Lü Chenggong said, taking a deep breath, his voice trembling.
His only daughter, his treasure, was now in a life-or-death situation, and his feelings were imaginable.