On the third floor, Tian Jing's eyes snapped open, her sharp gaze almost piercing the wall in front of her.
Li Zhengguo blinked, "What is it?"
Tian Jing said nothing, took out her phone, and dialed her daughter's number.
Li Weili was surprised by her mother's sudden call and quickly ran to the bathroom to answer.
Tian Jing got straight to the point, revealing Gao Mingxiu's true identity to her daughter:
"...Stop dawdling. Take over the company directly and announce your identity to the public."
"Let's see who dares to touch you?"
Li Weili hadn't expected that she would soon have a sister-in-law, nor that the methods wealthy families used to deal with poor daughters-in-law were about to befall her:
"Mom, don't worry. In a month, I'll definitely take over the company."
Tian Jing's concern was not about the company: "Remember, wealth is external. Life is the most important thing."
"Have Ouyang Lei send some people to be your bodyguards."
"If anything happens, remember to call me. Your mother is not just for show."
After hanging up, Tian Jing asked her husband beside her, "Did you understand?"
Li Zhengguo nodded, "Old Master Gao and the old director are of the same rank."
Tian Jing waved her hand, "No matter what kind of backing they have, if they dare to touch my child, I'll make her understand what true martial force is."
Li Zhengguo took his wife's hand, "That's right. If they dare to touch our child, my dear, just kill her!"
"Go, go!" Tian Jing flicked his hand away impatiently, "What do you think Old Master Shen wants to see me about?"
"Ginseng," Li Zhengguo stated with certainty, "because he mentioned ginseng slices."
Ginseng?
Tian Jing squinted her eyes. It made sense. It was a peaceful era now. The older generation appreciated the good life and wanted to continue living, to live healthily.
Who fears death?
In the past, it was out of desperation; if they didn't fight, there was no way to survive.
Now, a beautiful, harmonious, and happy life was right before them. Who wouldn't want to live?
"The Gao family is to be excluded. This is the primary condition agreed upon with Old Master Shen."
Li Zhengguo nodded, "Bullying with power, we can learn that too."
...
Downstairs, Yu Ziyu sent a text message to Gao Mingxiu.
She informed him that his mother might make a move against Li Weili and warned him not to treat her sister-in-law as a plaything.
Gao Mingxiu's reply came quickly, with only two sentences: "Rest assured, I will protect my woman. Congratulations on us becoming brothers-in-law."
Brothers-in-law? How could a man and a woman be called brothers-in-law?
She gritted her teeth and replied, "You're mistaken. It should be sisters-in-law."
Gao Mingxiu immediately replied, "It doesn't matter. In any case, we both have good taste."
Yu Ziyu showed the text message to her grandfather, "Look, with this attitude, he still wants to pursue someone from the Li family? It would be good if he doesn't cause me trouble."
Old Master Shen shook his head, "Forget it. You've already warned him. Whatever the outcome, it'll be his own fault."
"I only hope your third aunt Gao can be more rational."
Yu Ziyu stared intently at Old Master Shen, "Grandpa, doesn't Grandpa Gao know Li Weili's identity?"
Old Master Shen's face didn't flush as he said, "I blocked it and switched it."
"Grandpa~" Yu Ziyu stomped her foot in annoyance, "What are you doing?"
"Every time we play chess, that old Gao cheats and takes back his moves," Old Master Shen said with a mischievous grin.
"This time, I'll make him regret it for a lifetime."
Yu Ziyu found her grandfather's reason both frustrating and amusing, "What if Gao Mingxiu succeeds in the end?"
Old Master Shen was indifferent, "Then your Grandpa Gao's sons will have offended their future in-laws. It'll be impossible for them to have a harmonious relationship like your family, hehe."
"I'll show him for daring to laugh at my daughter for having many granddaughters and great-granddaughters?"
"He has three sons and five grandsons, so what? Didn't they almost make him angry enough to be hospitalized?"
"Grandpa~" Yu Ziyu leaned on Old Master Shen's shoulder, "You're so wicked. You're ruining half of the potential that Grandpa Gao found in Gao Mingxiu."
"Of course!" Old Master Shen chuckled, "If I don't interfere early, your Grandpa Gao will brag to me again."
...
On the third floor, Tian Jing was also finding the situation both frustrating and amusing.
Li Zhengguo asked her what she had heard now.
Tian Jing told him about Old Master Shen's actions.
Li Zhengguo scratched his head, "It's tricky. Excluding the Gao family plays right into the old director's hands. If we don't exclude them, I feel stifled."
"Then let's pretend we don't know anything for now," Tian Jing changed her mind.
"If that Gao Mingxiu somehow manages to impress Lili and enters our family, it would be the biggest blow to the Gao family."
"Provided that Gao Mingxiu's mother doesn't make a move against Lili."
Li Zhengguo nodded, "Yes, I'll listen to my wife. What about Lili?"
Tian Jing passed the buck again, "You tell her. It was your old director who did this."
Li Weili received another call from her father. She stated that she was not in the mood for personal matters lately and that Gao Mingxiu's actions were irrelevant to her.
She would still take over the company in a month, and her graduation ceremony would be held at the welcome party for the new general manager of the company.
Finally, she said she missed her parents and, since they were so close, could they come to see her?
Li Zhengguo looked at his wife. Seeing her nod, he shared the good news with his daughter.
Li Weili jumped for joy, "I'll wait for you."
After hanging up, she happily walked out of the bathroom and, upon seeing the person approaching her, her smile vanished, "What are you doing here?"
Li Weili's smiling face turned furious, making Gao Mingxiu a little flustered. Had Yu Ziyu told her?
"Lili, I, my parents are not..."
"I don't want to know," Li Weili waved him away, "Gao Mingxiu, whatever your family is like has nothing to do with me."
"Why you hide your identity from the public also has nothing to do with me."
"Because everything about you has nothing to do with me. Do you understand?"
"Please stay away from me. I don't want anyone to wave a check in my face, telling me to stay away from her precious son."
Gao Mingxiu was shocked, "Did my mother come to find you?"
"What do you think?"
Li Weili raised an eyebrow and countered. It was a misunderstanding, which was perfect. Let him go home and make trouble.
Only a child who can't get candy will throw a tantrum with their parents.
Hmph! Second sister-in-law was right, pride that comes from being pursued by the opposite sex, when ignored, can make one disregard their life.
Second sister-in-law saying that proved she was rational and understood these proud young men.
Yes, she liked her second sister-in-law, whom she hadn't met.
Gao Mingxiu turned to leave, "I'll go back and explain it clearly to my mother."
Li Weili waved goodbye to him, "Good luck."
Explain? The more you try to explain for a girl your parents dislike, the more your parents will hate that girl.
Gao Mingxiu, emboldened, hurried home and confronted his mother,
"Mom, did you go to trouble Lili?"
Liu Ailing frowned, "Mingxiu, is that how you speak to me?"
"Mom!" Gao Mingxiu anxiously asked, "Did you go to see Lili? And did you throw a check at her, telling her to leave me?"
"How many times have I told you, Lili hasn't agreed to me yet. I want to change, to make her look at me differently."
Liu Ailing clutched her aching chest, "Mingxiu, you believe what that Lili says? You don't believe your mother would do such a humiliating thing?"
Gao Mingxiu was stunned, "Mom, Lili said..."
Liu Ailing waved her hand, "Don't tell me what Lili said, what Lili said."
"Mom just wants to ask you one thing: for you, is Lili more important, or are your father and I more important?"
"Mom!" Gao Mingxiu scratched his head, "Can't you stop pressuring me?"
Liu Ailing sat down, leaning on the sofa, "Fine, I won't pressure you."
"I want to ask, where has the calm and collected Gao Mingxiu from before gone?"
"Where has the Gao Mingxiu who was always indifferent to everything, burying himself in books, gone?"
"Where has the Gao Mingxiu who, even if a bit proud, never lost his manners, gone?"
"I'm just asking you, the excellent you from before couldn't get Lili's special attention."
"How can you win Lili's heart now, being like a headless fly?"
"Mom, I'm sorry," Gao Mingxiu was ashamed, "Recently, I've been a bit too hasty."
"I always feel like she's drifting further and further away from me."
Liu Ailing took a deep breath and softened her tone,
"Mingxiu, girls like men who are independent, confident, and self-reliant."
"First, you need to find yourself again, and then make changes based on that."
"If you're not yourself now, and you change into someone else's image, will Lili still like you? She's already fallen for someone else, hasn't she?"
"Yes!" Gao Mingxiu nodded, "Mom, you're right. In Lili's eyes, there's never been another man."
"Her eyes are only on her career, on getting promotions and raises."
"Mom, please help me."
"Okay!" Liu Ailing nodded, "Mom will help you. However, until you find yourself and change yourself, don't go looking for Lili for now."
Gao Mingxiu paused for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
Liu Ailing secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, she had listened to her second sister-in-law and adopted a gentle approach. Otherwise, she would have really pushed her son further and further away.