Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
As Zhou Yang listened to Su Lengxian’s angry words, his lips curled up into a smile. Turning to her, he said, “Even if you despise her, don’t forget that your elder brother likes her. Even if the Meng family is in the wrong, your brother deserted the Yun family in the first place and chose the Meng family.”
Su Lengxian’s face grew increasingly contorted and she spat out, “Who said my elder brother doesn’t listen to me? If it wasn’t for me, my elder brother wouldn’t have treated Yun Bixue with such aloofness in the first place! Hmph, whoever I approve of, my elder brother naturally will too. My elder brother still listens to me!” By the end of her speech, Su Lengxian’s voice had risen in volume.
The good-natured Zhou Yang went forward and hugged Su Lengxian and spoke in a gentle tone, “Yes, my lady. Your elder brother listens to you very well. If you think highly of the Meng family, your brother will marry the daughter of the Meng family. If you disapprove of the Meng family, your brother will not marry her. Is that fine?”
Su Lengxian sniffed, “That’s more like it.”
“The Su family has been the center of social attention recently. I heard that your elder brother has lost weight because of you. Are you really not going back to take a look?”
Su Lengxian felt worried and glanced towards Zhou Yang. Squinting her eyes, she said, “Has my elder brother really lost weight?”
Zhou Yang nodded sincerely. “That’s right. Your parents threatened to sever ties with you, and your brother has been balancing the Su Family Organization’s matters on one end and searching for you on the other end. The Meng family has turned a blind eye and put in no effort to help. I thought that Miss Meng was rather fond of your brother, but after so long, there hasn’t been any news of her visiting your brother or helping out the Su family. Sigh, the true worth of an individual is indeed known in the face of adversity!”
Zhou Yang seemingly casual comments carried a deeper meaning, and Su Lengxian took them to heart as she listened. This time, she finally had another reason to vent her anger to the media.
She channeled all the anger welling up within her onto the Meng family.
Suddenly, her head shot up sinisterly. “Zhou Yang, this is all because of you. If it weren’t for you, none of this would have happened in the first place.” As she spoke, she shoved the person in front of her.
Zhou Yang shrugged his shoulders innocently. “My lady, your words are unfair. You were the one who got blackout drunk, pulled me and then did that to me… That…”
Seeing how Zhou Yang looked all wronged, Su Lengxian yelled, “Stop talking, I don’t want to hear it!”
The Meng Family Home
As the night wore on, Chen Pei watched her daughter sitting quietly and walked over to her. “Xinyan, your father is trying to do what’s right for our Meng family. You have to understand him.”
Meng Xinyan clutched the phone in her hands and was rather distracted. “Mom, I know about Father’s concerns, but this is just about Miss Su and isn’t related to Lenghan at all. I heard that he’s exhausted and suffering. He’s single-handedly supporting the Su family—that’s not an easy feat!”
Chen Pei’s eyes lit up, and she sat by her daughter to persuade her. “Xinyan, you’re too kind-hearted. The Su family wanted to be associated with our Meng family through marriage, and that was always a questionable decision. The Su family is at best an affluent family, but our Meng family is an aristocratic household. You may find Young Master Su decent, but if he hadn’t pulled any tricks, could he have securely taken his position as the organization’s chairman?”
“But Mom, I truly think that he’s wonderful. He’s been trying to call me these past few days, but I didn’t answer. My heart…” She felt uneasy deep in her heart.
“Xinyan, when it comes to men, you cannot afford to spoil them. You must stay like this and play hard to get. If he knows that you’re easily attainable, he will only cherish you less. Has he become less thoughtful and kind?” Chen Pei stared into her daughter’s eyes, attempting to convince her.
Meng Xinyan thought about it. It was indeed true; when he first courted her, he had been especially attentive. However, she was the one who always visited him in the end.
“Mom, I get what you mean.”
“Yes, my daughter is smart. You have to let Su Lenghan know where you stand. If he truly wishes to join the Meng family through this marriage, he needs to demonstrate his sincerity. He shouldn’t assume that my daughter is so readily available and that he’ll gain some standing after the marriage.” In reality, after Chen Pei had a discussion with Meng Xinyan’s father, they were already not feeling favorable towards the Su family. Since they had already established connections with Tian Jing City, they naturally wanted their daughter to be supported by a family from that city.
Noticing how her daughter seemed to have let down her guard, Chen Pei continued to fire away. “Xinyan, think about it. Initially, Miss Yun was also nice to Su Lenghan and was exceptionally devoted. However, he still chose you in the end. Men, they’re all the same deep down inside. The more challenging it is to conquer, the more they want to have it. Don’t forget, when the Yun family was ruined, he abandoned them and came to our family instead. You should know that he approached you because of our family. After what happened with the Su family, he’s more likely to try currying favor with our family…”
Chen Pei spoke ‘earnestly’ and felt satisfied with her daughter’s responses. In recent times, the Meng family had neither made an appearance nor offered a statement, and the media had failed to single out any of the Meng family’s weaknesses. The stocks of those businesses under the Meng family remained stable and unaffected.
For the Su family to have raised such an ignorant daughter, how simple could they be? From the bottom of her heart, Chen Pei looked down on the Su family and was interested solely in Tian Jing City. It was, however, too late for her to regret her actions.
Finally, after her mother’s persuasion, Meng Xinyan nodded. “Mom, I will listen to you and watch Lenghan’s actions.” Some time before this, he had been treating her rather coldly and was seemingly still attentive towards Yun Bixue. She felt especially anxious about that.
Just as she made her way to the bathroom, Meng Xintong walked past the second floor and heard their conversation. The corner of her lips arched up mockingly. Chen Pei was indeed a snob; it was so obvious that she despised the Su family. Back then, Chen Pei desired the Meng family’s riches and thus seduced Meng Xintong’s father intentionally, hurting her mother as a result.
She had always buried her hatred towards Chen Pei deep in her heart—she definitely wouldn’t let her off so easily.
A glint of coldness flashed across Meng Xintong’s eyes, and she left without a sound. No one knew that she had overheard their conversation that day.
On the same day, Su Lenghan was in his office as usual when his phone suddenly rang. “Hello?”
“Is this Young Master Su?”
It was an unfamiliar voice, and he couldn’t identify the caller’s gender. It sounded as though the voice had been altered. Su Lenghan frowned and asked, “Who are you?”
“You do not need to care about who I am. I’m here to inform you of a certain piece of news. The Meng family intends to desert the Su family and start anew by connecting with Tian Jing City. Young Master Su must grab tightly to this family of high standing and be well prepared!”
Su Lenghan was taken aback. “Who are you? Why are you telling me this?”
“You do not need to care about who I am. I am helping you by informing you.”
Su Lenghan couldn’t calm down his racing heart for a long time. He felt extremely drained, yet couldn’t fall asleep. After lighting up the cigarette in his hand, the smoke lingered around in his office, seemingly clearing up his mind.
In the past, he never touched alcohol and cigarettes. However, in this trying period, he had been using them to bolster his spirits.
The Meng family! Su Lenghan suddenly thought of Yun Bixue. Back then, he had dumped her and gone for the Meng family, deserting the Yun family in the process. Had she also experienced the same feelings that he felt now?
It was only then Su Lenghan realized that he hadn’t seen her in a long time. His heart began to feel increasingly lonely and empty. He looked at his spacious office but only felt even more hollow.
