"Cough, cough!"
The Zhu family patriarch deliberately coughed twice to get Zhu Ling'er's attention.
"Dad, what's wrong? Are you sick?" Zhu Ling'er asked, confused. "Doctor Zhou is here, he can take your pulse!"
The Zhu family patriarch's beard bristled with anger.
Who was calling him sick?
Who was cursing him!
"Now that Doctor Zhou is here, do you have no regard for your old dad anymore!" the Zhu family patriarch questioned.
Zhu Ling'er averted her eyes unnaturally. "Not at all, Dad will always be the man I admire most!"
"Then why are you only serving soup to Doctor Zhou and not mine?" the Zhu family patriarch pouted like a child.
Zhu Ling'er was instantly speechless.
So the Zhu family patriarch was being sarcastic and difficult all for a bowl of chicken soup!
After a moment's thought, Zhu Ling'er picked up the Zhu family patriarch's bowl and served him a bowl.
She said with a smile, "Is this okay now?"
The Zhu family patriarch mumbled, "Only remembering me now."
Zhu Ling'er didn't know whether to laugh or cry!
This wasn't right, and that wasn't right either!
He was like a childish old man!
Zhou Yu's expression turned dark.
Watching Zhu Ling'er's behavior, Zhou Yu felt it was too dangerous!
Zhu Ling'er didn't know about the engagement yet.
If she found out, would she tie him down and force him to marry her?
The thought sent a shiver down Zhou Yu's spine!
Just as Zhou Yu was pondering how to escape,
Suddenly,
A steward-like figure rushed into the dining room.
Upon entering, he leaned over to the Zhu family patriarch and whispered a few words.
"What?"
The Zhu family patriarch stood up abruptly.
Zhu Ling'er jumped in fright and quickly asked, "Dad, what happened?"
The Zhu family patriarch's gaze swept over Zhu Ling'er, finally landing on Zhou Yu. "Doctor Zhou, the Xie family is in trouble!"
"The elder asked for you, but your phone was turned off, so they could only reach me."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yu quickly took out his phone.
It turned out that he had spent too much time on the street earlier.
He had forgotten to charge his phone, and it had automatically shut down!
Seeing this, Zhu Ling'er quickly handed him her phone to make the call.
Ring, ring, ring—
The moment the call connected, they heard the Xie family elder's violent coughing!
"Doctor Zhou... cough, cough, it's bad, the Xie family's new project..."
As Elder Xie coughed, there was a loud crash.
It sounded like something had fallen.
Faintly, they could also hear Xie Shishi and Xie Yu's anxious cries.
"Grandfather!"
"Quick, help Grandfather to bed first!"
Zhou Yu held his phone, completely bewildered!
After a period of commotion on the other end of the line,
Xie Shishi finally picked up Elder Xie's phone and said to Zhou Yu, "Doctor Zhou, our new project has been ruined by the Shi family!"
"If you have time, please come back quickly."
Zhou Yu quickly pressed, "How is the elder?"
"He's fine for now, just fainted from anger. Doctor Zhou, if it's convenient, you can ask the Zhu family patriarch to come over as well."
Xie Shishi hastily uttered this and hung up.
Zhou Yu had been using the speakerphone.
So the commotion at the Xie family's end had been clearly heard by the Zhu family patriarch and Zhu Ling'er!
When they heard that Elder Xie had even fainted from anger,
The faces of the Zhu family patriarch and Zhu Ling'er became grave.
"We heard everything. Let's not delay, let's all go to the Xie family."
The Zhu family patriarch immediately said, instructing someone to prepare a car.
Zhu Ling'er followed behind Zhou Yu, comforting him, "It's okay. The Shi family is just a small fry. What if they ruined the new project?"
Zhou Yu heard her comfort but merely shook his head.
Although the Xie and Zhu families were partners, their roles were clearly defined.
One was in business, the other in martial arts.
Therefore, Zhu Ling'er had no idea that
the Xie family's new project had consumed all of the Xie family's liquid capital and energy.
It was a matter of succeed or fail!
Therefore, Zhou Yu could understand how furious Elder Xie must have been upon learning that the new project had been destroyed by the Shi family.
Soon, the car was ready.
The three of them got into the car and headed straight for the Xie family's residence.
Along the way, the Zhu family patriarch frowned and said to Zhou Yu, "How could such a big thing happen without a single whisper of news? It's too strange!"
The Xie family was the leading group in the medical industry in Jiangnan City.
Countless eyes were watching the Xie family.
There should have been news about the new project's problems.
Yet, they only received the news from the Xie family!
Zhou Yu shook his head. "Perhaps the Xie family suppressed it."
It was a time of turmoil.
The Xie family and the Shi family had officially declared war in the business world.
If it were known that the Xie family's new project, which consumed all their capital, had problems,
it would only cause a domino effect.
More people who hadn't planned to get involved would rush in to get a piece of the pie!
Therefore, the news must have been suppressed by Elder Xie.
Of course, they would only know the specifics after arriving at the Xie family.
The car sped along.
In a short while, it stopped at the entrance of the Xie family.
Zhou Yu alighted first.
Before he had even steadied himself, Xie Yu and Xie Shishi rushed towards him.
"Doctor Zhou, you're finally back!"
"Quick, please take a look, Grandpa has fainted!"
Saying that, they pulled Zhou Yu towards Elder Xie's room.
With the three juniors gone,
only the Xie family patriarch apologized to the Zhu family patriarch and Zhu Ling'er. "I'm sorry, the Xie family has too many things going on, and we haven't been able to be hospitable."
The Zhu family patriarch waved his hand.
He was not a person who cared about such formalities.
Moreover, the Xie and Zhu families' partnership meant they were already considered one entity.
If the Zhu family patriarch were to emphasize trivial etiquette now, when the Xie family had suffered such a heavy blow,
it would be utterly foolish!
"Let's go inside first, we can talk as we walk," the Xie family patriarch said, leading the way.
Meanwhile, Zhou Yu arrived at Elder Xie's room as quickly as possible.
After taking his pulse,
Zhou Yu's brows gradually relaxed!
"How is it? Is Grandpa..." Xie Yu asked anxiously.
Elder Xie had only recently recovered from a serious illness and his body couldn't withstand such a shock.
His sudden faint had the Xie family members almost worried to death!
Zhou Yu waved his hand and said calmly, "There's no major issue, just anger overwhelming him."
"When the elder wakes up later, give him some calming soup. Don't let him worry about the new project anymore."
Xie Yu looked troubled.
He didn't want Elder Xie to worry either.
In fact, upon learning that the Xie family's new project had been tampered with by the Shi family, Xie Yu's first action was to discuss it with the Xie family patriarch,
not to tell Elder Xie.
Who knew that Elder Xie happened to be looking for someone at that very moment,
and overheard everything!
The moment he heard the news, Elder Xie's face turned ashen with anger.
But he still forced himself to arrange for the news to be sealed.
Then he called Zhou Yu, asking him to return as soon as possible to discuss matters.
Who knew that before he could finish speaking, while on the phone, he fell into a coma...