Tang Wan, knowing the two children were not Nan Xiao's, did not dwell on the matter. Instead, she gently began to broach the main topic.
"We only learned about Xi'er and your situation yesterday. Her allowing the children to call you 'Dad'—does that mean she's agreed to be with you?"
If her daughter had agreed to be with Nan Xiao, Tang Wan would have to rephrase her words. But if her daughter hadn't...
Tang Wan glanced at her husband, who had been suppressing his emotions, and then at her sons, who were looking at Nan Xiao with cold eyes. If their daughter hadn't agreed to be with this young man, she'd hand him over to her husband and sons for "discipline."
Although their daughter had received considerable care from the Nan family over the years, and the incident between them had been a result of being manipulated, Nan Xiao was still a Nan. Their family held no good impressions of anyone surnamed Nan.
Nan Xiao, being astute, saw through Tang Wan's thoughts immediately.
Before hearing Xi Bao call Lan Hao Lin "Dad," Nan Xiao harbored animosity towards this group. They were the family of a certain Mr. Shang, who was his most formidable "love rival."
However, after hearing Xi Bao call him "Dad," and then learning from Mu Mu that Lan Hao Lin was Xi Bao's biological father, his hostility towards their family vanished. Now, he was solely focused on appeasing them.
He hoped they would join forces with him, which would make pursuing Xi Bao easier.
"Xi Bao hasn't agreed to me yet, but I'm confident. After all, our feelings are strong. If it weren't for that misunderstanding back then, Xi Bao and I would have confirmed our relationship when she turned eighteen."
Tang Wan subtly glanced at her husband.
Lan Hao Lin's demeanor instantly shifted as if a switch had been flipped.
The terrifying ferocity in his eyes would have made an ordinary person wet themselves, but the person sitting opposite him was Nan Xiao.
Nan Xiao waited with a calm expression. Today, no matter what they did to him, he would accept it willingly, for it was what he deserved.
Seeing that he hadn't intimidated Nan Xiao, Lan Hao Lin's thoughts began to stir. Though this fellow had been through some misfortunes recently, he always managed to overcome them. Had he not possessed some capability, he would have been defeated long ago.
Lan Hao Lin leaned back against the sofa, his hands resting casually on his legs. His posture, though ordinary, exuded the air of a king surveying his dominion.
"Firstly, we thank your Nan family for taking Xi'er in when Jing Song and Xiao Yun sacrificed themselves. However, to my knowledge, my daughter suffered quite a bit in your home. But Xi'er takes after her mother; no matter how difficult things were, she wouldn't complain to others. Therefore, it was only yesterday that I learned the person who hurt her the most wasn't anyone else, but you!"
"I haven't come here to make you take responsibility for my daughter, because you are not worthy of her, nor can you bear that responsibility. But I must speak up for my daughter."
"I am officially informing you now that my return to China this time is solely to acquire the Nan Corporation!"
In the study, the mother and her two sons looked at the computer screen, their faces etched with varying degrees of solemnity.
Mu Mu stared intently at her maternal grandfather's somber face on the screen, her small hands clenched tightly. "I don't like Grandpa. He bullies Daddy!"
Lan Yu Xi's lips twitched. She reached out and stroked her daughter's head. "All parents are like this. If you are ever bullied one day, Mommy will be even more ruthless than your grandfather."
"But Daddy is so pitiful. So many people are bullying him alone."
Zhao Zhao said with a stern face, "He's not that weak."
Mu Mu pouted and buried her little head in her mother's embrace, sulking.
Lan Yu Xi looked at Nan Xiao's impassive face, her gaze flickering. She was waiting for his response. If that didn't work, she would have to step in herself.
He had shed his beloved military uniform for her sake. She couldn't let him lose the Nan Corporation, which was his livelihood, because of her.
But in the next moment, Nan Xiao's words shocked everyone.
"There's no need for such trouble. All my assets and shares were transferred to Xi Bao in October 2019. I'm essentially working for her now. If you want the Nan Corporation, discuss it with Xi Bao. Between her shares and mine, we are the largest shareholders of the Nan Corporation."
The living room fell into a silence so profound that the drop of a needle could be heard.
In the study, Zhao Zhao visibly exhaled.
Mu Mu also emerged from her mother's embrace, tilting her cute little face up to look at her.
To her surprise, as she looked, she saw a crystal tear roll down her mother's cheek.
"Mommy, why are you crying?" Mu Mu raised her chubby little hand, wanting to wipe away her mother's tears.
Lan Yu Xi hugged her tightly, burying her face deeply in her small shoulder.
His suicide was not a spur-of-the-moment act, but a premeditated one.
Before taking his own life, he had already arranged everything for her.
Zhao Zhao reached out and gently stroked his mother's back. "Mommy, don't cry."
Lan Yu Xi pulled the little one into her embrace as well. "Okay, Mommy won't cry."
In the living room, Tang Wan asked incredulously, "Why did you do this?"
"After Xi Bao left, I was consumed by self-reproach. I fell into depression for a time, feeling that no matter what I did, I couldn't atone for my mistakes. So, before I decided to end my life, I gifted everything I owned to Xi Bao."
Nan Xiao's eyes were slightly red. After composing himself for a while, he continued, "I just wanted her to live the rest of her life without any financial worries. Who knew I would be rescued when I attempted suicide, and Xi Bao never returned. Until now, Xi Bao still doesn't know that I've given her more than half of the Nan Corporation."
"Actually, not only does she not know, but besides my lawyer and Nan Xiang Dong, no one is aware of this. My mother is a very overbearing woman, and because of my father, she harbors immense hatred for Xi Bao. If she knew I had transferred my shares and assets to Xi Bao, she would definitely cause trouble for Xi Bao."
Lan Hao Lin raised an eyebrow slightly. "The An family has produced two presidents. She certainly has the right to be arrogant, but that's before she met me. Once she meets me, her good days should be over!"
Nan Xiao's tightly clenched fist tightened slightly.
Despite his mother's myriad faults, he still found it difficult to accept when an outsider spoke of her in front of him.
Everyone else failed to notice this subtle change, but it did not escape Lan Yu Xi's eyes. She glanced impassively at his clenched fist on the screen. Releasing the two children, she walked with a detached expression to the large desk and began to sort through a drawer.
Zhao Zhao looked at his mother suspiciously. The little boy was a bit confused. His mother had been so moved just moments ago; how could she be angry again so soon?