"Mom, that's enough. Stop asking." He Yining said wearily, "Back then, Father chose to defy Grandfather and Grandmother to be with you. The men of the He family are all cut from the same cloth—devoted and infatuated. Mom, since you understand how much Father cares for you and how much courage it took for him to be with you, then you should also understand how serious I am about Shen Qi. Mom, I'm not threatening you. If you really keep meddling like this, I won't hesitate to follow in my father's footsteps and take Xiao Qi far away!" He Yining was truly exhausted tonight, fed up with being the sandwich filling.
On one side was his grandmother, on the other his mother, and in the middle, Shen Qi.
He had already been holding back for days.
"Are you threatening me?" Madam He, accustomed to a life on the edge, had a fiery temper.
"Mom, aren't you threatening me too?" He Yining replied calmly. "Mom, I'm twenty-six years old now, not six. How is your control over my life any different from how Grandfather and Grandmother controlled Father back then?"
Madam He was momentarily speechless.
"Cui Yuelan and I are impossible. You and Father should give up on that idea." After saying this, He Yining continued, "If you persist in your delusions, don't blame me for sending Cui Yuelan away. Unless you use the He family's power and intelligence network, you won't find her!"
Madam He's voice turned icy. "My good son has indeed grown up, starting to threaten me."
"Mom, I'm tired." He Yining's voice carried a hint of exhaustion. "Let's leave it at that."
The call ended with a click.
He Yining no longer wanted to explain anything.
Meanwhile, on the other end in the United States, Feng Kexin was anxiously waiting for news.
When she learned that Cui Yuelan hadn't defeated Shen Qi, her face fell.
"That idiot Cui Yuelan." Feng Kexin's expression twisted slightly as she hurled her phone away. "Shen Qi is getting harder to deal with. No, I can't just sit and wait. I have to think of something."
The person standing beside Feng Kexin said, "Miss, for now, you should listen to the young master and stay put. Let them fight it out first."
Feng Kexin gritted her teeth. "How can I just stand by? I get it now—Cui Yuelan is nothing to fear; Shen Qi is the real problem! Cui Yuelan is like me, a spoiled young lady from a good family. Her erratic nature gives her weaknesses. But that Shen Qi is different—she's impervious to both sweet talk and threats. I don't know what my brother is thinking! Leaving a woman like that by He Yining's side will only bring them closer!"
"Precisely because Cui Yuelan's personality is so similar to yours, you need to stay patient," the person continued. "Watch how Shen Qi handles Cui Yuelan. When you return home, you'll know how to avoid those pitfalls."
Feng Kexin's explosive anger suddenly subsided, and she gave the person a special look. "Well said! As long as I don't make Cui Yuelan's mistakes, I'll be fine!"
Cui Yuelan was nothing!
Just a little stray adopted by the He family.
A little bitch who couldn't even inherit the family name.
She, Feng Kexin, was the legitimate eldest daughter of the Feng family, a socialite with inheritance rights.
Let Cui Yuelan be the scout.
If she could make Cui Yuelan and Shen Qi destroy each other, even better!
"He Yining is mine! Neither of you will take him from me!" Feng Kexin spat out bitterly, a wild gleam in her eyes.
Just then, a maid hurried in from outside. "Miss, the young master's on the phone."
Feng Kexin didn't dare ignore Feng Manlun's call and immediately picked up. "Brother?"
"Threw the phone again?" Feng Manlun asked casually.
Feng Kexin stayed silent.
"Alright, drop this matter." Feng Manlun said lightly. "Didn't I tell you to sit back and watch the tigers fight?"
"Brother..." Feng Kexin protested reluctantly. "But how long do I have to wait?"
"I'll tell you when it's time for you to come back." Feng Manlun said nonchalantly. "That's enough. Don't interfere with this competition anymore. If I catch you making any more moves, you'll stay in America forever!"
That threat was more effective than anything.
The Feng family would eventually be handed over to Feng Manlun.
Even with inheritance rights, Feng Kexin still had to defer to him.
After hanging up, Feng Kexin nearly lost her temper again.
Feng Manlun, after finishing his call with Feng Kexin, immediately dialed He Yining. "You win."
He Yining's lips curled slightly. "So, Brother Manlun, what's your choice?"
"Fine, I agree. The shares you want, I'll raise it to three percent." Feng Manlun's voice betrayed no emotion. "Thank you for going easy on Kexin."
"Pleasure doing business." He Yining chuckled. "My case is ready. Which line does Brother Manlun want? They're all lucrative—pick any one, and the Feng family will have a solid foothold in the Ministry of Commerce."
"Then I'll thank President He for his generosity." Feng Manlun said flatly. "Speaking of which, I have to admire you. Between the old chairman and your mother, you've put on a brilliant show. Not only have you taken the moral high ground, but you've also played both sides and reaped huge benefits. I'm truly impressed, impressed!"
"Oh, is that so?" He Yining laughed heartily. "Where's the moral high ground? I just thought Miss Feng was still quite concerned about domestic affairs, so I let her off easy. Besides, with our growing cooperation, I couldn't be too ruthless on account of our friendship!"
"Then thank you." Feng Manlun replied. "But aren't you going to explain things to Xiao Qi? She seems to have a deep misunderstanding of you."
"Thanks for the reminder, Brother Manlun. I know what I'm doing." He Yining answered lightly.
After hanging up on Feng Manlun, He Yining let out a deep breath.
When Cui Yuelan had blurted out those words that day, He Yining had already sensed something was off.
Indeed, his parents' attitude was too strange.
Looking back now, they had always been pushing him and Cui Yuelan together.
He just hadn't thought of it that way, always seeing Cui Yuelan as a sister.
No wonder Xiao Qi had reacted so strongly.
Women's intuition was spot-on.
Since his parents wanted to push Shen Qi out and put Cui Yuelan in her place, a conflict with them was inevitable sooner or later.
Choosing the right moment to ignite that conflict was crucial.
He couldn't fight alone; otherwise, he'd be no match for his parents.
The only one who could counter them now was his grandmother.
So, without hesitation, he dragged his grandmother into the fray.
To muddy the waters further, he pulled in Feng Manlun, and with him, Feng Kexin.
Now the pool was thoroughly stirred up.
The conflict had erupted exactly as he'd scripted.
He had finally laid his cards on the table for Madam He.
And he had successfully secured Grandmother He as a solid ally and support for Shen Qi.
But this move would inevitably strain the relationship between Madam He and Grandmother He.
Yet at this point, He Yining couldn't afford to care.
He couldn't let Shen Qi keep misunderstanding him!
He had to clear things up!
Shen Qi wasn't someone who trusted easily.
So he had to use extraordinary means to prove his resolve!
That extraordinary means was to fully provoke Cui Yuelan.
The more mistakes she made, the more reasons he had to send her away for good.
That way, no matter how much his parents wanted him to accept Cui Yuelan, it would be impossible!
Not only would he refuse, but Grandmother He would also fight it tooth and nail!
He Guoxiang might be a henpecked husband, but he was also a filial son.
If Grandmother He vehemently opposed Cui Yuelan, He Guoxiang wouldn't insist.
After all, Cui Yuelan was just an adopted daughter. Between an adopted daughter and his own mother, the choice was obvious.
He Yining was betting on Grandmother He's fondness and trust in Shen Qi.
And Shen Qi's performance tonight had left Grandmother He very satisfied.
The more Grandmother He liked Shen Qi, the more secure Shen Qi's position would be, and the more she would despise Cui Yuelan. Once that disgust reached a certain level, Cui Yuelan would have no room to maneuver.
This approach might be too roundabout, but it was the only effective one for now.
Because it was the least damaging to relationships.
He wanted to leave Madam He with no retort.
And this farce had an unexpected bonus: Feng Manlun.
Although He Yining had anticipated Feng Manlun getting involved, he hadn't expected it to happen so quickly.
The speed caught him a bit off guard.
But after thinking it over, He Yining couldn't find any downside to this development, so he decided to let it go for now.
Back in their room, Shen Qi and Liu Yi suddenly felt ravenous.
The argument at dinner had drained all their energy.
Now that they'd relaxed, hunger set in.
Shen Qi and Liu Yi decided to grab a late-night snack.
Fortunately, the hotel had a 24-hour restaurant.
As soon as they entered the restaurant, they heard a familiar conversation from the next room.
"Miss Cui, I did everything you told me. Are you really going to abandon me?" Jiang Xiaojiang's voice came through. "I'm banned for life, and you're only giving me a hundred thousand?"
Cui Yuelan replied dismissively, "If a hundred thousand isn't enough, then don't take it. You stole my limited-edition LV that I just got, and I didn't have you thrown in jail—that's already merciful."
"Miss Cui, have a conscience! That LV was a gift from you! When did I ever steal it?" Jiang Xiaojiang protested.
"A gift from me? Got proof? Anyone see it?" Cui Yuelan's tone turned harsh. "Just because I gave you a lipstick before doesn't mean I gave you the bag, does it? Jiang Xiaojiang, don't be too greedy!"
Jiang Xiaojiang was filled with despair.
In the next room, Shen Qi and Liu Yi heard everything clearly.
They seemed to understand something.