Chapter 58: Tender and Juicy Herb-Grilled Lamb Chop…

Ming Jiayao stood on the balcony of his room, lost in thought.

He didn’t like the old mansion.

The feeling it gave him was… oppressive.

Everywhere was filled with despairing memories.

Although the old mansion was aged, it was meticulously maintained by the servants, with lush and verdant greenery.

However,

looking at this sprawling estate-style villa,

Ming Jiayao instinctively felt that Bai Yuanzhi would love it.

Thinking this, a faint smile escaped the corners of his tightly pursed lips.

A Filipina domestic helper tiptoed over to find him, “Young Master, the Master and Madam have returned. Dinner is ready. Please join them in the dining hall.”

In the Ming Family,

“Master” referred to his grandfather, Ming Jingxing,

“Sir” referred to Ming Zhixuan,

and “Madam” was Xu Wenrui.

Ming Jiayao was somewhat surprised.

—Today was neither a holiday nor a festival; Xu Wenrui shouldn’t have been at the old mansion.

Since she was here, it meant…

she needed money.

Ming Jiayao smiled and turned to go downstairs.

Ming Jingxing and Xu Wenrui were already seated at the dining table.

Xu Wenrui was uncharacteristically reserved, listening to Ming Jingxing with her head bowed, occasionally nodding in agreement or saying “yes”…

When they saw Ming Jiayao, both were taken aback.

Ming Jiayao had been studying abroad for half a year, and this was the first time Ming Jingxing and Xu Wenrui had seen him since his return.

How to put it,

Ming Jiayao had always felt that Hong Kong City, this tiny place, was jinxed for him.

Otherwise, how could he have secured a bid for the construction of a port in Southeast Asia as soon as he went abroad?

How could he have smoothly applied for a double degree in his studies?

And how could he have suddenly shot up in height and even grown much stronger in physique?!

Yet, this place, Hong Kong City, compelled him to return.

He was like a kite soaring high in the sky, with its string tightly held in someone’s grasp.

No matter how far he flew, he would always be firmly held in that person’s hand.

That person was Bai Yuanzhi.

Now, seeing the astonished looks from his grandfather and mother, Ming Jiayao couldn’t help but smile.

What he thought was,

when Bai Yuanzhi suddenly saw him after such a long time, she was also surprised—was it because his height and appearance had changed so much?

As Ming Jiayao smiled,

Ming Jingxing’s expression immediately became somewhat dazed.

Xu Wenrui, on the other hand, looked uncertain and called out to him, “Jiayao?”

Ming Jiayao nodded to her first, then greeted them in order of seniority,

“Good evening, Grandpa!”

“Good evening, Mom!”

Then, with the assistance of the Filipina domestic helper, he calmly took his seat and laid out his napkin.

Ming Jingxing studied Ming Jiayao, “How long have you been back?”

Ming Jiayao replied, “A week.”

“And you’re only coming back now?” Ming Jingxing frowned.

Ming Jiayao answered, “There were other matters to attend to.”

Ming Jingxing sneered, “Busy, busy, busy. What could a wet-behind-the-ears brat possibly be busy with?”

Ming Jiayao said, “Busy acquiring Rong Fu Ji.”

Ming Jingxing was stunned and asked suspiciously, “The company acquiring Rong Fu Ji… is yours?”

Ming Jiayao smiled slightly, “Sorry, Grandpa, I snatched away the business you had your eye on.”

Ming Jingxing frowned, “Where did you get the money?”

Ming Jiayao said nonchalantly, “I borrowed it!”

Ming Jingxing pressed further, “You have the ability to borrow that much?”

Ming Jiayao laughed, “Grandpa, leverage!”

Ming Jingxing asked, “Borrowed in the United States?”

Ming Jiayao said, “Exactly, the advantage of proximity makes it easier to succeed!”

Ming Jingxing took a deep breath—

Then asked, “Borrowing so much, can you even repay it?”

Ming Jiayao smiled. “Once the money makes money, of course I can repay it.”

Ming Jingxing stared at Ming Jiayao expressionlessly and said calmly, “Even if you acquire Rong Fu Ji, do you know how to manage it? Do you know how to make Rong Fu Ji profitable? If it doesn’t make money, how will you repay the debt?”

Ming Jiayao smiled. “Why would I need to manage Rong Fu Ji?”

Ming Jingxing was stunned.

Ming Jiayao said, “After acquiring Rong Fu Ji, I’ll first conduct a round of financing, bringing in Liu’s Company and Tian Ji as partners to dilute my equity. That way, Rong Fu Ji’s value will inflate at least threefold. Then I’ll proceed with a second round of financing, inviting you, Grandpa, along with the Chen Family and the Xu Family to join… Rong Fu Ji’s worth could skyrocket at least ten times!”

As he spoke, he smiled faintly. “Once you’re in, Grandpa, whether I know how to manage it or not doesn’t matter. With you here, I’ll just sit back and count the money.”

Xu Wenrui angrily said, “Jiayao, how could you scheme against your own grandfather? Apologize to him immediately! Then hand over all your equity in Rong Fu Ji to your grandfather!”

Ming Jiayao smiled but said nothing.

Ming Jingxing impatiently waved at Xu Wenrui, signaling her not to interrupt, then turned back to Ming Jiayao. “Have you been planning this for a long time?”

“Not too long, about half a year!” Ming Jiayao replied.

Hearing this, Ming Jingxing narrowed his hawk-like eyes. “You only started half a year ago?”

Ming Jiayao chuckled. “Grandpa, you don’t need to doubt my capabilities. I don’t need to know everything—I just need to know the person who does.”

Ming Jingxing was taken aback again.

Xu Wenrui asked in confusion, “What do you mean by ‘knowing the person who knows’… Knows what?”

Ming Jiayao ignored Xu Wenrui and instead stared at Ming Jingxing, saying, “A marshal doesn’t necessarily have to be great at fighting battles, but he must know how to use people, right, Grandpa?”

Ming Jingxing finally smiled.

However, it seemed he hadn’t smiled in a long time.

So much so that his smile appeared somewhat twisted and fierce.

Xu Wenrui couldn’t stand not being the center of attention.

So she said to Ming Jingxing, “Daddy, shall we have dinner?”

Ming Jingxing laughed. “Yes, yes, yes!”

Then he instructed the Filipina domestic helper, “Mary, pour two glasses of my treasured Leroy Musigny red wine. Jiayao and I—”

Ming Jiayao stopped Ming Jingxing. “Grandpa, I’m not of legal drinking age, so I can’t drink. You and Mom can have it. Mary, pour me a glass of Coke mixed with Fanta later.”

Ming Jingxing: …

“Listen to the young master,” Ming Jingxing dismissed the maid.

Ming Jingxing then said to Ming Jiayao, “At home, there’s no need to be so pretentious.”

Ming Jiayao sneered inwardly, thinking he dared not consider this place home.

But he still had to maintain appearances,

So he earnestly corrected, “It’s not pretentiousness—it’s about testing my self-control.”

Ming Jingxing looked at Ming Jiayao, finally showing a hint of appreciation in his eyes. “It seems going away was the right choice. You’ve become much more sensible.”

Xu Wenrui, unwilling to let her spotlight be stolen, sneered sarcastically, “Acting all high and mighty even when there’s food to enjoy… Hmph!”

Ming Jingxing raised an eyebrow and glanced at Ming Jiayao.

He wanted to see how Ming Jiayao would handle the situation.

Ming Jiayao then spoke very gently to Xu Wenrui, “Mom, I’m just different from you.”

“Because I’m the one who earns money, and you’re the one who spends it.”

“You’d better hope I turn out promising.”

“Mommy, don’t you think… that’s right?” Ming Jiayao asked with a smile.

Xu Wenrui’s face instantly turned very unpleasant.

Meanwhile, Ming Jingxing burst into hearty laughter. “It seems Jiayao has truly grown up!”

Next came mealtime.

It must be said, Ming Jingxing certainly knew how to enjoy life.

The villa’s chefs were all Michelin-starred masters, and the ingredients at home were all flown in fresh from around the world that very day.

Tonight’s dinner featured tender and juicy herb-crusted lamb chops, an incredibly flavorful mushroom soup with matsutake, and a dish that, while not expensive in ingredients, tested the chef’s skill—silky scrambled eggs with tofu…

As Ming Jiayao ate, he kept thinking how wonderful it would be if Ah Zhi could taste this too.

She would definitely love it!

After the meal, Xu Wenrui began indignantly trying to regain her footing.

“Jiayao, you mustn’t spend all day neglecting proper work! Look at Shuojie—he’s so capable, recently handling that major joint project between Chen Group and Zhou Group… You should learn more from your cousin!”

Hearing this, even Ming Jingxing revealed an enigmatic smile.

After all—

In wealthy families, which one doesn’t have a few good-for-nothings or scoundrels?

For example,

The Ming Family’s scoundrel is Ming Zhixuan,

The Chen Family’s good-for-nothing is Chen Shuojie.

Lately, the work Chen Shuojie had been doing was essentially Chen Shen propping up his own son.

A transaction volume of less than a million wasn’t even on Ming Jingxing’s radar.

How could it compare to the recent acquisition case worth over a billion that had just been snatched away by his grandson!

However, perhaps out of consideration for his daughter-in-law’s dignity, Ming Jingxing instructed Ming Jiayao, “You should listen to what your mother says.”

Xu Wenrui immediately shot Ming Jiayao a look of triumph and pride.

In the past, Ming Jiayao would have given some face to his elders.

Outwardly complying would have been enough,

While doing whatever he pleased behind the scenes.

But the Ming Jiayao of today was already a far cry from the past.

“Alright,” Ming Jiayao said leisurely, taking the hot towel handed to him by the Filipina domestic helper to wipe his hands.

Then he asked Xu Wenrui, “But what exactly does Mommy hope I learn from Cousin?”

“Learn how Cousin, when he can’t win over a girl, resorts to pestering her relentlessly?”

“Or learn how Uncle, to help Cousin chase girls, specially arranged a Rolls-Royce to pick up and drop off the girl, and even arranged for paparazzi to take photos for the front page?”

Xu Wenrui was stunned.

All her life, she had been protected by her natal family and elevated by the status of her husband’s family, the wealthiest in the land—she had never endured such sarcasm!

Especially since she had never suffered a loss in front of the always gentle and melancholic Ming Jiayao!

Even when—

That time she personally pushed Ming Jiayao off a cliff into the sea,

Didn’t he later climb back up on his own and say nothing about it?

What was this today…

Xu Wenrui couldn’t bear this humiliation.

She sprang to her feet, glaring furiously at Ming Jiayao. “What do you mean by that?”

“Nothing much,” Ming Jiayao replied with a smile. “I just find it utterly boring… Not as interesting as yesterday’s news! Right, Mommy?”

Xu Wenrui was startled. “You… what are you talking about?”

Her expression changed drastically, her eyes began to dart around, and she stammered slightly. “What news from yesterday… I have no idea what you’re talking about!”

As she spoke, she glanced warily at Ming Jingxing, then glared fiercely at Ming Jiayao, her face clearly conveying, “Don’t undermine me in front of your grandfather, or you’ll regret it.”

Ming Jiayao chuckled, “Mom, have you forgotten? Weren’t you the one who got into a public fight for Cousin’s sake just yesterday?”

“Cousin chased after that girl but couldn’t win her over. You felt sorry for him, so you went and scolded her, accusing her of seducing him…”

“Oh, and I think someone even took photos!”

“Some people were even asking, ‘What’s Mrs. Ming’s relationship with that girl? Is it worth a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law showdown in public? But Mrs. Ming is just Chen Shuojie’s aunt, right? Are things already this tense between an aunt and her nephew’s girlfriend?’…”

As Ming Jiayao spoke,

Xu Wenrui’s face instantly turned pale!

She desperately signaled Ming Jiayao with her eyes, frantically urging him to stop talking…

But Ming Jiayao seemed completely oblivious.

He continued, “Mom, I also find it strange. What exactly is your relationship with Cousin?”

“Are you his biological mother? Why are you so anxious about him dating?”

“Mom, this puts me in a difficult position too… If I ever meet a girl I like in the future, you wouldn’t treat her the same way, would you?” Ming Jiayao asked with a straight face.

Xu Wenrui could no longer hold back. She shot to her feet, furious, “Ming Jiayao, are you trying to get yourself killed?!”

“Who cares about your nonsense! If you like someone… what does it have to do with me?!”

“And from now on, watch your mouth! Can’t you even tell what should and shouldn’t be said? No wonder you’re inferior to Shuojie in every way!” Xu Wenrui lashed out without thinking.

Ming Jingxing remained silent.

He glanced at Xu Wenrui, then at Ming Jiayao.

Ming Jiayao’s expression remained unchanged as he asked, word by word, “I’m your biological son, right, Mom? Why don’t you care about me at all, but care so much about Cousin? Could it be that you really are his biological mother?”

Xu Wenrui was stunned, her face deathly pale.

Just then, the phone in the old house rang.

The Filipina domestic helper answered it,

then hurried over to Ming Jiayao and said, “Young Master, there’s a call for you.”

“Excuse me.” Ming Jiayao nodded to Ming Jingxing and Xu Wenrui, stood up, and left.

He picked up the phone, said “Hello,” and his expression instantly turned grave.

“Really?” Ming Jiayao asked seriously.

Whatever the other person said,

Ming Jiayao suddenly turned and looked at Xu Wenrui.

After a pause, Ming Jiayao said, “Alright, I understand. I’ll head over right away.”

He gently set down the phone and was about to speak—

The phone rang again, ding ding ding.

Ming Jiayao, standing nearby, casually answered, “Hello, this is the Ming residence.”

“What?” Ming Jiayao’s voice suddenly rose an octave. “…You said my dad was in a car accident?”

As soon as these words were spoken—

Ming Jingxing and Xu Wenrui both jolted in shock and immediately stood up.

Ming Jiayao held the phone anxiously and asked, “How is he now? Ah… already taken to the hospital? Which one? St. Prince Wales Hospital? OK, I’ll head over right away!”

Ming Jiayao hung up the phone.

Ming Jingxing had already anxiously asked, “What happened? Zhixuan was in a car accident?”

Ming Jiayao nodded and continued, “The first call was from my man. He said that while visiting a patient at St. Maria Hospital, he spotted Uncle there and mentioned that Uncle was undergoing surgery…”

“What did you say?” Xu Wenrui shrieked anxiously. “What happened to Brother Shen?”

Ming Jiayao shook his head. “I’m not sure either…”

“You useless fool!” Xu Wenrui cursed angrily. “How can you fail at such a simple task! Utterly worthless!”

As she spoke, Xu Wenrui hurried toward the door, shouting, “Driver! Take me to St. Maria Hospital right now! Immediately! I want to be in the car within a minute and arrive at St. Maria Hospital in twenty minutes…”

Ming Jiayao stopped her. “Mom! My dad was in a car accident! He’s in critical condition at St. Prince of Wales Hospital!”

“Even if you’re concerned about Uncle… one is your husband, the other is your brother-in-law. You should know which is closer, right?”

“And Uncle’s situation definitely isn’t as critical as my dad’s!”

“Mom…”

Xu Wenrui pushed Ming Jiayao aside forcefully, only focused on yelling, “Driver! To St. Maria Hospital right away! Now!”

Then she left without hesitation.

Ming Jiayao didn’t chase after her, just quietly watched Xu Wenrui’s hurried figure recede into the distance.

And Ming Jingxing, who had been flustered earlier, surprisingly calmed down, silently observing Ming Jiayao.

Only after Xu Wenrui’s car had left the old mansion did Ming Jiayao turn back to look at Ming Jingxing.

Ming Jingxing’s expression was blank. “You’re lying.”

Ming Jiayao responded with a faint smile.

Yes,

Those two incoming calls earlier were both arranged by Ming Jiayao.

The purpose was to test Xu Wenrui… to see whether she cared more about her husband, Ming Zhixuan, or her brother-in-law, Chen Shen.

The result was clear.

Ming Jiayao said indifferently to Ming Jingxing, “The process isn’t important; what matters is the outcome.”

“Grandpa, your daughter-in-law might have been cheating on your son for ten… no, over twenty years.”

“But it seems Grandpa doesn’t really mind.”

“So, this is your silent approval.”

“Why would you do that?” Ming Jiayao asked.

Ming Jingxing wasn’t angry.

He stood up and scolded, “Nonsense!”

“My son and daughter-in-law’s relationship has no issues. People just express emotions differently. Some are more reserved, not good at showing it. Others place more emphasis on family bonds…”

Ming Jiayao still wore a smile. “Grandpa, you talk a lot.”

Ming Jingxing froze.

Ming Jiayao said leisurely, “Only those with a guilty conscience talk this much.”

“That means my test was useful—my mom really doesn’t care about my dad, and you, Grandpa, know about it and silently approve.”

With that, Ming Jiayao gave a slight nod to Ming Jingxing. “Thank you, Grandpa. I understand now. Goodbye.”

Ming Jiayao turned to leave.

From behind came Ming Jingxing’s low question, “Did you come back today just for this?”

Ming Jiayao acted as if he hadn’t heard.

Ming Jingxing issued a warning, “Jiayao, don’t act impulsively.”

Ming Jiayao stopped.

He turned back, looked at Ming Jingxing, and chuckled lightly. “Why does Grandpa think I’d act impulsively?”

“Grandpa, have you forgotten? Just now, you praised me for having grown up.”

“Even when I was younger, I knew early on that my parents didn’t care about me at all, so I don’t care about them either.”

After speaking, the young man quickly walked away.

Ming Jingxing stood in place, staring blankly at his grandson’s retreating figure.

He frowned deeply, muttering to himself, “He… doesn’t care about his parents anymore? Then… does he not care about me either?”

Ming Jiayao went to the Chen Family.

Yes.

He was there to watch the drama unfold.

Because once Xu Wenrui arrived at St. Maria Hospital, she would realize she had been tricked.

She would rush to the Chen Family immediately to confirm Chen Shen’s safety.

However, by the time Ming Jiayao arrived at the Chen Family,

Xu Wenrui was likely still on her way from St. Maria Hospital.

So only Chen Shen and his son Chen Shuojie were home at the moment.

Ming Jiayao greeted them with a smile, “Good evening, Uncle!”

“Ah, cousin, you’re home too? I heard you went to the United States, how…”

It was clear that both father and son of the Chen Family looked rather displeased.

Who knows if they had just been arguing.

Chen Shen, after all, was an old fox with better composure. He smiled warmly and asked Ming Jiayao, “Jiayao, you’re here? Have you eaten?”

Chen Shuojie, on the other hand, looked grim but forced a fake smile, “Yes, Jiayao, I just returned from the United States…”

Indeed, the Chen father and son had just been arguing.

—Over Xu Wenrui going to the night school entrance yesterday to confront Bai Yuanzhi.

Chen Shuojie blamed his father for spoiling Xu Wenrui, “Years of indulgence have made her lawless! She’s not a naive thirteen or fourteen-year-old child anymore; she’s already fifty!”

“What exactly do you see her as? Your sister-in-law, your sister, or your mistress kept outside?”

“Do you know that by spoiling her like this, you’ve created… a relationship between you and her that’s neither like brother-in-law and sister-in-law nor like brother and sister… She sees you as her husband, do you know that?”

“Have you considered Uncle Ming Zhixuan’s feelings?”

“Have you ever thought about how others gossip about your relationship with her being inappropriate!” Chen Shuojie said angrily.

Chen Shen, however, felt his son didn’t understand him, “Son, how can you say that about her? She’s your aunt!”

“Besides, it’s not that I don’t want to avoid suspicion. When has her personality ever been willing to listen to others? If she wants to get close to me, should I just drive her away?”

“Son, first, there’s family affection, and second… if I grow old and die someday, at least there will still be a relative to help you!” Chen Shen said helplessly.

Chen Shuojie closed his eyes for a moment, then added, “So what? Should Ah Zhi forever suffer her bullying?”

Hearing this, Chen Shen’s expression turned strange.

He stared at his son for a long time, testing the waters, “You and Ah Zhi are still young… especially Ah Zhi, she’s only eighteen. We can talk about the future later!”

Chen Shuojie’s face changed dramatically.

He stared at his father in disbelief, “Dad, I don’t understand. What do you mean by ‘talk about it later’?”

Seeing his father’s evasive look,

Chen Shuojie’s heart sank, “So, your idea of matching me with Ah Zhi… was just a whim? You… you… I understand now.”

He took a deep breath,

Then said word by word, “You’re using her! To shield my health… as a cover?”

Chen Shen gently advised, “Ah Zhi is a smart person, much smarter than you.”

Chen Shuojie’s face turned deathly pale as he murmured, “No wonder she always… hated me so much.”

Chen Shen didn’t catch it clearly. “What did you say?”

Seeing his son remain silent for a long time, he advised again, “Don’t worry, Ah Zhi knows her limits. She won’t cling to you. As for you, it’s fine to have some fun with her, but don’t go too far, lest you upset your future in-laws.”

Just as the father and son were discussing this—

Ming Jiayao dropped by for a visit.

 

Thus, the father and son of the Chen Family had no choice but to stop their conversation and turn to chat with Ming Jiayao.

In truth, they both wished Ming Jiayao would leave as soon as possible.

But Ming Jiayao seemed completely oblivious to their hints, his rear firmly glued to the sofa, not moving an inch.

Just as Chen Shuojie was about to speak up and ask him to leave,

Xu Wenrui arrived in a flurry.

As soon as she entered, she saw Ming Jiayao sitting boldly on the Chen Family’s sofa?

Xu Wenrui was furious, raising her hand as she charged toward Chen Shuojie, angrily shouting, “You damn troublemaker, how dare you spread nonsense! I’ll beat you to death today…”

Chen Shuojie, completely baffled: ???

Chen Shen, equally confused: ???

Only Ming Jiayao smiled and stepped forward, “Mommy, you’re here!”