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ribly cold."Dreamy..."She was astonished, yet she saw transparent water droplets falling from Lin Meng's drooping head and splattering on the ground. But they were—tears!"It seems that even reading qu...He thought it was kind of interesting!

“Just put her matter aside for now. You just need to keep an eye on the He family! I'll send someone else to watch her abroad. Once her destination is confirmed, I'll have that person contact you. Then, you can hand over the information you've gathered to them!”

He's not just limited to domestic affairs!

Even if she ran to the ends of the earth, she couldn't escape his sight!

The subordinate respectfully rushed to Rong Ling and replied, "Yes," before taking his leave!

Rong Ling narrowed his eyes, pushing away the leather chair with a touch of annoyance as he stood up. Behind him was a large floor-to-ceiling window through which he looked down at the throngs of people below, like ants.

This high position represents nobility, but this place is destined to be a constant struggle. He thought of his father, his brother, the old-fashioned people in the family who were troublesome, and others who were restless, and couldn't help but frown. A trace of arrogant sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth.

He stood there, gradually growing colder and colder, as if encased in ice. If it weren't for a faint sun struggling to pierce through the dense clouds and cast its rays upon his face, he would have seemed to melt into the darkness along with his black attire.

Just then, the phone rang!

He was still gazing out the window, and casually took his phone from his pocket. Then, he glanced down at it with a flick of his eyes. At that glance, his furrowed brows immediately relaxed, and the coldness at the corners of his mouth melted away like the first snow, replaced by a faint and gentle smile.

He answered the phone.

"Rónglíng—" It was Lín Mèng's soft call, like a warm little hand gently enveloping his icy heart.

"Hmm" He was still as taciturn as ever, only letting out a snort. He still seemed aloof.

But the little woman on the phone didn't take it to heart at all. She spoke to him with a hint of joy, sweet and lovely. His brow softened even more, and he no longer stood aloof by the window. Instead, he returned to his seat, like a lazy leopard, sinking into the leather armchair from time to time, responding to that woman in a low voice!

When Li Yiping and He Ya left, she could no longer hold back. She understood very well that the day when Old Madam He scolded He Ya and drove them all out of the house was just a performance. She had lived in this family for so many years and knew her grandmother and her younger sister-in-law's true nature! Furthermore, even if it was to make way for the child He Ya was about to have, Old Madam He would definitely not let go of Lin Meng and her son!

Now that He Ya is finally out of the country, Li Yi Ping thinks her chances of convincing Madam He to give up her plan are much higher. After all, with He Ya not around, Madam He might be able to make decisions more clearly. However, this kind of thankless task isn't suitable for her, a granddaughter-in-law, to handle!

So, when He Zhanxu got home that night, she pulled him into their bedroom and started whispering.

When He Zhan's mother heard this, she was suddenly startled. Her grandmother actually had this idea! He was so shocked that he didn't know what to do. He jumped up abruptly.

"This can't be right! Grandma is such a fool! And this girl, she's out of control, completely crazy! No, I have to go talk to grandma right now!"

"Hey, wait a minute!" Li Yiping immediately pulled him back, frowning and persuading. "You're just going to go find grandma so recklessly What if grandma firmly disagrees How will you explain it to grandma then Sit down first and think carefully about how to persuade grandma. Also, think about what to do if grandma is adamant in her refusal."

When He Zhanshu heard the reasonable explanation, he calmed down and sat still. Li Yiping immediately analyzed her worries to He Zhanshu. He Zhanshu listened attentively and nodded along. Finally, he sighed with deep emotion. “Yiping, it’s good that we still have you in this family!”

Otherwise, he is not only hiding it deep within himself and refusing to speak. Their family will also face great misfortune.

Li Yiping shook her head, but only gently hugged He Zhanshu, leaning her face softly against his chest.

Everything she did was for her children, for her husband, for their little family. So these things were what she should pay attention to and do!

He Zhanxu instinctively pulled his wife into his embrace, lowered his head and gently kissed her temple. He then furrowed his brow, deep in thought.

Later, he got up and went to find Old Mrs. He. Li Yiping followed behind him, but he stopped her.

"Yi Ping, I'll go find Grandma by myself!"

Li Yiping raised her face, looked at him silently, but without any doubt. Because, in her heart, there was also anticipation.

He Zhanxu smiled faintly and gently touched her face. "I know Grandma's temper very well. If you went, she would probably give you a hard time, so I'll go by myself!"

He is after all his grandmother's own grandson. His grandmother dotes on him, so no matter how angry she gets, she wouldn't do anything to him! But his wife is a different story. Besides, if possible, he could try to persuade his grandmother not to take her anger out on his wife.

Li Yiping, hearing this, her anticipation became reality. Her heart warmed with a sweet feeling. Her husband still protected her.

"Then go on your own. Remember, when you talk to Grandma, don't rush things, take it slow, and tell her all the things that worry us. I think Grandma should be persuaded!"

If she, an outsider, were to say that, the old woman certainly wouldn't take it to heart. Instead, she would probably become angry. But if her grandson were to say it, the old woman would surely take it to heart!

He Zhan nodded and left!

As expected, He Zhan's words reached the old lady's ears. Immediately, she flew into a rage and, taking the initiative, roared, "Who told you this!"

"Grandma, don't mind who said what to me! I'm saying this isn't right, we absolutely can't do this!"

The old woman wouldn't listen, though. She just stared sullenly at He Zhanshu, angrily muttering, "It was Li Yiping, wasn't it That woman is simply too bold, to eavesdrop on the elders' conversation! Hmph, she's utterly uncultured, a true product of a humble background. Everything she does is beneath contempt!"

"Grandma, don't say that. Yiping is a good person." Hesusheng didn't like his grandmother looking down on his wife like that. After all, she was the one he chose, the mother of his children.

“Grandma, we need to talk about something very important now. Don't worry about how I know it! All I want to say is that you must not harm Lin Meng and her son. Our family might be rich and powerful, but we cannot do such reckless things. Besides, Lin Meng and her son are not ordinary people with no support. She is the chairman's wife now, and although Guangda has fallen, it is currently on an upswing and its future prospects are good. Moreover, Ruan Cangsheng abroad has a certain network of contacts over the years! If the Ruan family were to retaliate, it wouldn't be something our family could handle easily! And in this world, there are no walls that don't leak. If you do that, you will inevitably leave traces.”

“Hmph! Nonsense!” the old woman retorted angrily. “You don’t need to worry about this matter. Just focus on your work, and mind your wife well. This is something your whole family should stay out of. I know what I'm doing!”

“Grandma, why didn’t you listen to our advice!” He Zhanxu was so anxious he could barely speak. “Our family has already fallen victim to Rong Ling once! How can you still not know that Rong Ling is someone we shouldn’t provoke I’ve been his comrade-in-arms for years, and that kid is ruthless! Before all this happened, he hadn't actually taken any real action! He is also a man of loyalty, this clearly shows face to our He family, you should just stop making trouble. Just keep things as they are, peacefully coexisting with Rong Ling, wouldn’t that be better!”

"Coexistence! Bah, what a joke! Your sister is now in this state because of him and his woman. How can we coexist! Our family's reputation has been tarnished by him. Is there any reason not to retaliate! And besides, why didn't that Rong kid make a real move You don't understand business, so you don't know the kind of damage he inflicted on our family those days. Just because the company had a full-scale strike, we lost several large orders, not to mention having to compensate and apologize to customers, then reorganize the database... All these things add up, conservatively estimated, our family has lost at least tens of millions! Are you just going to accept this No way!"

He Zhanxu was taken aback by the data. After a moment of silence, he still held his ground. "Forget it, Grandma, let's just donate this money. Don't think about it anymore. That Rong Ling is really hard to deal with!"

"Donating it away, you say so lightly!" The old lady was furious. Just mentioning Rong Ling made her anger surge like a burning flame. "Even if we donated all these tens of millions, we could at least gain a reputation for charity. But this money, once gone, is lost forever, not even a trace left. It's worse, it has offended many people. Now let's talk about your father. His situation is still hanging in the balance, who knows what the future holds! You are in the army yourself. What if your father gets dragged down Without anyone looking out for you on top, how will you climb up You can't possibly stay in this position forever!"

He Zhanxu was speechless when questioned. It's true, there are some things he can take a detached and rational view of if they don't directly concern his interests; but when his own interests are at stake, it's hard for him to remain calm and objective!

Seeing him grow up, Old Mrs. He understood everything. Li Yiping, that woman, wanted to persuade her grandson to become her godson That was simply wishful thinking! She didn't even know her place, who owned this land! This He family, who was in charge!

With a sneer, the old woman continued to persuade, “Lin Meng and his son are ultimately an obstacle that must be removed! Rest assured, I've lived for a hundred years, and I know every trick in the book. I won't leave any trace. Since you've spoken so highly of Rong Ling, why not let such a capable person become your brother-in-law There's nothing wrong with that. If we bring him into our He family, it would benefit all of us: you and your father going to war, your uncles entering politics, or even doing business—it would all be advantageous! Even without considering these benefits, you should think about your sister. You're already ruined and disgraced. Marrying Rong Ling is her only way out. You have only one sister, as a brother, can you bear to watch your sister's life be destroyed like this!”

"Grandma, I'm not――"

"Alright, alright, I understand. You've always been protective of your little sister, you can't bear to see her like that, right Don't worry, Grandma will handle this. Just leave it to me, okay It's getting late, go to sleep."

"But, Grandma—"

He Zhanxu struggled to say something more, but the old woman's words had stirred him deeply, making it impossible for him to remain composed. In the end, he was pushed out by his own grandmother.

As soon as the door closed, He Zhanxu looked at the door and let out a sigh. He returned to his room in a flustered state.

"How are things going!" Li Yiping eagerly greeted him, but her forced smile couldn't hide the turmoil within her. After a night together, her husband's current complexion was certainly not indicative of a triumphant success!

As expected, He Zhansuo shook his head.

Li Yiping's face changed.

"This matter, ah, it's too chaotic—" He sat down and nervously ran his hand through his hair. "Grandma's words aren't entirely without reason, if only… if I could truly bring Rong Ling over…"

"He Zhan Su!" Li Yi Ping shouted, her eyes wide with disbelief. She couldn't believe it. After putting so much effort into explaining all the potential dangers, he went to Grandma and came back not only unconvinced but also persuaded by Grandma herself!

He Zhanxu looked at his wife's face, his eyes dodging a little weakly.

Li Yiping was furious and sat down on the side. "What did Grandma say to you!"

He Zhan suo told everything frankly.

Li Yiping looked at him, feeling a little exasperated. "Grandma's words are just to amuse you! How could you be so easily persuaded by him!"

He Zhanxu remained silent, saying nothing.

Li Yiping was angry, she twisted her hips and stood up and walked away.

"Forget it, you're not thinking straight right now. I'll go get some ice water for you to drink, and you should just calm down!"

She slammed the door shut as she left, letting out a furious bang!

This family, everyone has been blinded by fame and fortune!

It really gets my goat!

She went into the kitchen, opened the fridge, and the sudden blast of cold air hit her body like a shock. She shivered from the cold, and her almost-exploding anger began to calm down. After thinking for a moment, she had a rough idea why her husband had so easily switched sides. Men, above all else, valued their own future!

Hmph!

After all, she's still a spry old woman! She's got some pep left in her step.

She pursed her lips and thought about it again. As she had said before, she really took a large glass of ice water and planned to go upstairs to persuade her husband again!

Just as she turned, she let out a shriek of “Ah――”, almost dropping the large glass of iced water she was holding! A withered face suddenly emerged from the shadows. Its skin, like aged tree bark, was deeply wrinkled and etched with lines, hidden in darkness, just like an ancient dark wizard that shouldn't be seen by mortals. Just one glance sent shivers down her spine!

“Grandma—Mommy…” she called out hoarsely, her heart still pounding. She had been genuinely frightened by the old woman. She couldn't remember when she had arrived, how she had gotten there without a sound, appearing so silently from behind and with such a sinister look.

The old woman's eyes, already cloudy and lacking much light, were now lurking in the darkness, resembling a stagnant pool of black, so eerie that it could frighten anyone.

"You little upstart, don't reach your hands so far! This house doesn't belong to you, and it's not your place to point fingers!"

The old woman's voice was eerie, with a deathly chill to it.

Li Yiping had never seen the old woman like this in such a strange situation. She was so frightened that her hands and feet were cold. Unconsciously, she nodded pale-faced.

The old man smiled slyly and then turned and walked away!

Her footsteps were light, very light, yet there wasn't a sound, like a ghost!

Li Yiping remained stiff, watching the old woman disappear into the darkness. Finally, she could no longer see her figure. Her tense nerves loosened, her rigid legs trembled, and she lost her balance, collapsing onto the ground. The large glass of iced water in her hands swayed, splashing all over her. She shivered from the cold, her mouth open but strangely silent, without a scream!

She lowered her head, looking at her damp, translucent nightgown, and shivered again from the cold.

This pitch-black surroundings, made her feel a little scared!

She scrambled to her feet and ran back into the room!

When she returned to the room, He Zhanshu glanced over and saw her disheveled appearance. His brows furrowed. "What happened!"

"It's nothing!" she replied flatly, then went to find her clothes and slipped into the bathroom to change.

He Zhanxu watched, his brow furrowed the whole time. As soon as she came out, he questioned her again, and she coldly replied with a single word.

"It's okay, I accidentally spilled the water!"

"Such carelessness."

"Uh-huh," she mumbled, climbing into bed and pulling the covers over herself.

He saw her, and took off his clothes, then followed her up. He reached out to embrace her. She reacted fiercely, pushing him away abruptly, and flipped over, giving him a powerful slap on the back!

He frowned, displeasure evident in his features. "Yiping, please don't."

He forced her into his arms again!

Li Yiping kept thinking about the stern look in the old woman's eyes. It was so cold and sinister, like a poisonous snake. She remembered the rumor, that during the Republic of China era, the old man had a sweetheart whom he adored deeply. In the end, he brought the woman to live with his wife, but the woman later fell from a building, dropping from about 30 meters, resulting in two deaths. The child, rumored to be less than two months old, wasn't even aware of what happened before the incident. Two lives were lost like that, and the final investigation concluded it was an accident. Even though there were rumors that the woman's death was caused by the old woman, no one in the family believed it because the old woman and the woman had been very close!

This is a secret rumor, a little find she made before marrying into the He family. So, since marrying into this family, towards the old lady, she has always been respectful, never showing any resistance whatsoever. Because she sensed that the old lady was ruthless, and that kind of thing was very likely done by the old lady herself.

We get along very well!

This is enough to make one shiver after deep thought!

The most terrifying thing in the world is a smiling face hiding a dagger and honeyed words concealing a sharp sword!

The old woman's words tonight were a warning, weren't they

As she recalled the scene just now, a chill ran down her spine! Even though the man's body behind her was warm, it couldn't dispel the coldness in her heart.

Her eyes suddenly reddened, her heart aching with a bittersweet mix of emotions, feeling incredibly wronged!

He Zhanxu, people always say that I, Li Yiping, am obsessed with vanity, a sparrow turned into a phoenix, flying onto this big tree to cling to you. But the premise is, I love you!

If it weren't for love, how could I have endured so much pain for so many years If it weren't for love, why would I torment myself by constantly thinking about you and causing discomfort to my family, especially the old lady at home! It seems like she still holds a grudge against me now.

This is our own family member, not a woman. Where could he possibly have the delicate thoughts of a woman! Besides, he left home at a young age and has been in the military ever since. How could he truly understand this grandmother of his who always appears "kind and gentle" in front of him!

The old woman was able to say those things with such confidence that no one would doubt them. Naturally, she had her reasons. It was because her thoughts were unfathomable that she wasn't caught in the end! Now, who could have predicted when the old woman would make her move By the time this person in my family figured it out, it might be too late—the old woman may have already made her move!

Rong Ling had already made it clear that if something happened to Lin Meng, he would make the He family bury her. Yet, the old woman was still determined to do things her way, believing that everything would be fine in the end. In other words, she wasn't afraid of offending Rong Ling. Since no matter what, it would eventually lead to Rong Ling's suspicion, what difference did it make to strike early or late

Once Lin Meng had an accident, the family started to regret and blame themselves again. What good would that do!

She can't be waited for!

Because she came from a humble background, as the old woman put it, she wouldn't be overly confident or overestimate herself. She wouldn't think that simply because of her family's hundred-year legacy, she would be immune to outside forces!

Joke!

What year is this!

What kind of national situation is this again!

A family says it's ruined, but how can the market be so unpredictable! How can the officialdom be so treacherous!

She would rather sacrifice half of the He family's assets than see the He family left with nothing in the end!

She —- must find Rong Ling!her graceful neck and rounded shoulders, leaving behind patches of wetness tinged with water color, making her appear like a seductive water spirit.He reached out and with his palm, brushed the water...