"Chengcheng! Why are you only answering my call now! I'm so angry! Your brother is having dinner with my dad tonight!" Yao Xingwei's voice was filled with despair.
Wen Cheng was taken aback. "Oh, what's wrong?"
Isn't it normal for Brother Qi to have dinner with his business partners?
"What?! What did your brother say to my dad?! My dad is now determined to send me abroad to study. I'm already twenty-four! What's the point of studying now?! The worst part is that he also said that if I don't go to school, he'll hand over the company to me, and every month the company loses money while I'm in charge, he'll deduct double from my savings. How can I afford that?! You, you need to tell your brother to tell my dad it's all a misunderstanding, otherwise you won't see your brother like me again!"
Studying abroad?
Wen Cheng turned around in surprise to look at Brother Qi. Wen Qi seemed to have known all along that this matter would be brought up, and remained extremely calm.
"How can you be so sure it was my brother who suggested it? My brother doesn't seem like the type to meddle in other people's business," Wen Cheng said instinctively, still trying to help Wen Qi.
"I thought so too before I came back, but my dad just named him by name! Waaah, please help me, I don't want to leave Yan Luan!"
That's the key point.
"So, you've already said it all. Do you think my brother can just change it with a few words?" Wen Cheng was hesitant, after all, once such a major decision was made, it was already out in the open.
There was a moment of silence on the other end. "Brother, if you still consider us friends, please say a few words for me."
Even trying anything is better than giving up!
Wen Cheng hung up the phone and looked at Brother Qi.
Wen Qi calmly closed the book, reached out, and used the gesture he usually used to summon Wen Cheng. Wen Cheng obediently walked over.
Then she lay down next to Wen Qi.
"Didn't you say he liked Yan Luan?" Wen Qi made up a whole story.
Speaking of which, Wen Cheng successfully fell for the trap.
"Do you think Uncle Yao, with his personality, would easily agree to let the two of them be together?"
Wen Cheng hesitated. The book had mentioned that Yao Xingwei's father wasn't a bad person, but he harbored some prejudice against homosexuality. He wouldn't interfere in other people's affairs, and he would genuinely bless his good friends' children, but he would absolutely not approve of Yao Xingwei's situation. If Yao Xingwei were even slightly more reliable, it would be fine, but the key issue was that Yao Xingwei was too idle and carefree, so he became increasingly uneasy about Yao Xingwei dating boys.
There's another well-known example in the industry that's right in front of Uncle Yao: the Su family's son fell in love with a girl from an ordinary family. He was an only child, and the two got married. After her so-called husband gained a foothold in the company, he directly stripped him of his power. In the end, when they divorced, the Su family had to pay back half of their fortune.
The key point is that the young master of the Su family has been smart since he was a child and has never caused his family any trouble. He even went on to complete his bachelor's and master's degrees in the obscure and difficult field of biology. With such a smart child being placed in the care of an ambitious husband, Uncle Yao has even less faith in his youngest son's intelligence and emotional intelligence.
Family wealth isn't that important. The most crucial thing is that if something like this happened to Yao Xingwei, he would find it very difficult to return to his carefree and happy self.
This last sentence was buried by Uncle Yao in the book and was never told to Yao Xingwei until his death, because in the book, Yao Xingwei eventually found a very lovely girl, instead of the cold, reserved, and not very expressive Yan Luan.
"Uncle Yao's thoughts,"
"Too one-sided?" Wen Qi responded precisely. Seeing Wen Cheng nod, he continued, "Parents' love can sometimes be too one-sided, deliberate, and possessive. But that's part of their love. When flowers and gifts come to you along with their possessiveness, you can't selfishly choose only happiness and ignore their worries. If Yao Xingwei and Yan Luan are to be together, or even have that condition, he can't let Uncle Yao have these worries. He has to support himself to convince his parents."
"Brother Qi, are you saying that if we want our parents to believe that they can live well, we must first give them enough of this sense of security?"
"Yes, this is just a prerequisite, not the most crucial condition. But if the prerequisite isn't met, then there's no point in discussing the rest. Of course, Yan Luan's situation is still completely unknown, but I can only say that this matter isn't a bad thing for Yao Xingwei. In the Wen family, no matter how lazy you are, you still have me and Xiao Yi supporting you. He Haobo in the He family also has brothers and sisters. Not to mention the Gu family, even if you never get married, with Yu Ning's abilities, supporting them wouldn't be a problem. But the Yao family only has him. The Yao family's achievements so far weren't some windfall; they were built brick by brick by Uncle Yao. To put it bluntly, Yao Xingwei can't give him any promises right now."
Wen Qi rarely discusses such serious issues with Wen Cheng. If he doesn't bring it up, Wen Cheng will always think that she is surrounded by a group of happy rich second-generation friends. They are just a little richer than ordinary people, but she never thinks about the pressure they bear.
"Should I say this to Yao Xingwei?" Wen Cheng vaguely felt that this might put too much pressure on Yao Xingwei.
"Just tell the truth. If he really likes Yan Luan, even if he doesn't, he can at least consider the family's situation. Don't worry about it, just say it was me who said it. If he doesn't want to or finds it too much trouble, he can talk to Uncle Yao. Uncle Yao is all bark and no bite, he can't stand Yao Xingwei asking for favors like this."
Wen Cheng was persuaded by Wen Qi, organized her thoughts, and sent the message. There was no reply for a long time, but Wen Cheng understood and, not wanting to wait any longer, put down her phone and prepared to go to sleep with her boyfriend.
But as soon as the lights were turned off,
"Chengcheng, Auntie may have discovered something."
In the darkness, Wen Cheng's senses were sharper than ever.
It felt colder than ever before.
"They've found us?" Wen Cheng panicked instantly. Wen Qi immediately pulled her into his arms and gently stroked her hair.
He sighed, "Isn't this something we had to face sooner or later?"
Wen Cheng remained silent, but he hadn't expected it to happen so quickly. "How did Mom find out?"
"Will you treat me like your normal older brother now?" Wen Qi asked.
The answer is of course no. Although she was told to restrain herself when she came back, Wen Cheng recalled that she would unconsciously look at him while eating, and would subconsciously put food on his plate. Sometimes they would even make eye contact while watching TV. These were not things that a normal brother would do.
"Won't."
“Yes, we’ve all noticed something’s wrong. It’s impossible that Auntie wouldn’t have noticed anything.” Wen Yin is a woman, but more importantly, she is their shared mother.
"Brother, what should we do? Should we tell them the truth?" Wen Cheng was completely panicked.
Wen Qi held Wen Cheng's somewhat bewildered hand tightly and coaxed her in a low voice, "Don't be afraid, I'm here for you. Think about the premise I just mentioned. That's the power of premises. Don't worry, they won't make any rash conclusions without evidence."
Wen Cheng relaxed, but then became nervous again. "Brother Qi, there's something I need to tell you. Please don't be angry. Just think of it as my laziness."
"Um,"
"Actually, I've always been afraid to imagine what my parents would think if they knew the truth,"
"It's not exactly a pleasant thing, so it's understandable that you don't want to think about it." Since being with Wen Cheng, Wen Qi has completely abandoned any moral boundaries. "However, we'll have to face this sooner or later. What you need to do is stay calm and handle the rest."
Hearing Wen Qi's words at any time is incredibly reassuring.
But this time, Wen Cheng nuzzled against Wen Qi's chest and said, "Don't talk nonsense. How can you take responsibility for something that involves two people?"
"Really? Then promise me that you'll behave the same as usual when you see Auntie tomorrow."
"Hmph, don't underestimate me!"
A few days later, on the day Wen Yunyi's new product was officially launched...
Wen Cheng ate the rice noodles she had cooked, which tasted quite good, but Wen Yin found it hard to swallow. She couldn't help but ask, "Chengcheng, did you have a fight with your older brother?"
"Cough cough cough! Mom, what are you saying?" Wen Cheng coughed several times before she could catch her breath.
However, Wen Yin looked at the recent changes with suspicion. Usually, Wen Cheng would sit next to Wen Qi, but these past few days, although she was still on the same side, the distance between them was twice as large as usual. Luckily, the table at home was big enough, otherwise, there really wouldn't be enough room for Wen Cheng to sit comfortably.
Previously, Wen Cheng and Wen Qi would bicker at the dinner table, but lately she's been completely silent. She even refuses to ride in Wen Qi's car, insisting on walking to the company instead, saying she finds taking the bus more comfortable.
What is this if not an argument?
“Chengcheng, if something happens, just talk it out. There’s no such thing as holding a grudge between brothers overnight. If your older brother bullies you, just tell me, and Mom will teach him a lesson for you.” Wen Yin pretended to roll up her sleeves.
Wen Yongwang quickly stepped in to stop Wen Yin, lest a meal turn into a family brawl.
Wen Cheng buried his head and slurped up a mouthful of rice noodles. He really had been bullied. Yesterday, he had said he didn't want it anymore, but Brother Qi still pressed him down and kissed him, leaving a light mark on his chest!
Wen Yunyi was the only one who seemed confused the whole time. Had they argued? He'd seen them holding hands and going to a restaurant yesterday, and the worst part was that they hadn't even taken him! He was furious!
"There was no argument. It was just that a business partner made a few jokes in the office the other day, saying that Chengcheng was clingy, and he threw a little tantrum."
Wen Cheng realized that Qi Ge's ability to lie through his teeth was truly exceptional! He even managed to pin the blame on himself! This time, he was really angry!
Chapter 103: Male Unmarried Male Unmarried
Wen Yin was relieved and affectionately ruffled her son's curly hair.
"Hey, Mom thought something serious had happened, Chengcheng. That's not right of you. How could you distance yourself from your brother just because of something someone else said?"
Despite saying that, Wen Yin's expression visibly relaxed.
"Mom will probably have a hard time accepting the fact that we're together," Wen Cheng, sitting in the passenger seat, once again curled up like a little pancake, constantly fiddling with Wen Qi's tens of thousands of yuan briefcase.
Wen Qi stopped at the red light, his fingers lightly tapping the steering wheel. "No normal parent would want this outcome."
"But we're not on the same household registration, and we've only just met. Neither of us is married," Wen Cheng muttered to himself. He knew he was being a little biased, but he just couldn't help thinking it.
Wen Qi laughed at the phrase "both are unmarried and unmarried." It seemed that his silly younger brother was still able to come up with so many ideas, and his mentality was not bad.
"Yes, both are unmarried." Wen Qi suppressed a smile.
“Exactly!” With Brother Qi chiming in, Curly Hair felt that this statement made even more sense.
Then,
"Why don't we just tell Auntie that today?" Wen Qi suggested.
Wen Cheng immediately turned his head to look out the window. He hadn't said anything!
Mom's anger is really scary! I wonder if Grandpa, who's so old, can handle it.
The little salted fish sighed heavily, feeling that the weight of his current life was beyond what a little salted fish like him could bear!
Today is YUN's first new product launch event. Originally, Wen Cheng and Yan Luan were supposed to attend together, but last night when Wen Yunyi came to find Wen Cheng…
"Chengcheng, tomorrow you'll need to have our personal stylist do your hair and makeup. Get up at 5:30, be ready by around 7:00, then go to the company to rest for half an hour before taking a car to the center of the venue. There are some lines to keep in mind, so you can't say anything carelessly."
After saying a lot, Wen Yunyi suddenly stopped. Although it was quite difficult for him to understand such a long speech, he had persevered! However,
"Forget it, you shouldn't go. I'll go ask Yan Luan."
!!
Wen Cheng still remembers the look in Wen Yunyi's eyes when he looked at a salted fish. He was really good at judging people!
Wen Cheng happily agreed, so today all Wen Cheng needed to do was take a break from slacking off and check out the finished product of the promotional video.
What he didn't expect was that an accident would happen before the promotional video was released.
"Damn it! What nonsense are they spouting online?!" Shen Feimo casually opened his phone and launched into a barrage of insults.
The office is so small, everyone went online to check the trending topics.
The top trending topic:
Cheng Ziyao regrettably missed the audition opportunity for YUN Company's promotional video; the new product models are actually two newcomers?!
The second trending topic:
[A newcomer is suspected to be the newly recognized heir of the Wen family!! So, does having money mean you can disregard the feelings of your audience?]
The third trending topic:
Cheng Ziyao refuted the rumors, stating that they are both hardworking newcomers, and she respects her friend's choice, and they will always be good friends.
Wen Cheng was munching on the konjac jerky the receptionist had given her when she was shocked by these three trending topics.
The aroma of Cheng Ziyao's tea almost overflows from the screen.
"Damn it! What kind of nonsense is going on online? Everyone was excitedly waiting for the promotional video to come out!" Shen Feimo slammed his fist on the table in displeasure.