It was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head; Yan Su was dumbfounded.

He rubbed his ears, almost thinking he had misheard.

“Boss Lu, you must be joking.”

But Lu Weiqun, harboring an initial dislike for him, assumed that Yan Su had beguiled his daughter with his appearance and sweet talk, and continued pressing aggressively.

“I had people investigate at Sen University. Song Rong and Liao Jian’an were in a relationship for four years in college and had a great relationship. You, to avenge Liao Jian’an for stealing your fiancée, pretended to open a shop in Sen City, but in fact, you wanted to ruin his career and future so he would regret it forever. Isn’t that right?”

Lu Weiqun’s piercing gaze, as sharp as ice daggers, seemed to shoot straight at Yan Su, revealing his malicious suspicion without restraint.

Yan Su analyzed the situation from the entirety of his words, and in a flash of insight, he understood Lu Weiqun’s intent.

It seemed he suspected an ambiguous relationship between Yan Su and Lu Miaoliu. Dissatisfied with Yan Su’s lowly background, he was attempting to pressure him into backing off and leaving his daughter.

“Boss Lu, you’ve misunderstood. Comrade Lu Miaoliu and I are not in the kind of relationship you’re imagining. She’s just a customer at my store,” Yan Su said with a slight smile, clearly establishing a boundary between himself and Lu Miaoliu.

Lu Weiqun’s righteous expression immediately twisted with doubt as he scrutinized Yan Su, seemingly trying to peer into his soul through his simple appearance.

He hesitated momentarily but then recalled how Lu Miaoliu had resolutely declared last night that she would no longer go on blind dates and that her heart belonged solely to Wei Baohua. This reignited his suspicions, and his softened demeanor hardened again.

“Silver-tongued!” he remarked coldly.

Seeing that Lu Weiqun only wanted to believe what he had presumed, Yan Su shook his head helplessly and stopped defending himself. “Since Boss Lu is unwilling to believe me, then my store will terminate its cooperation with your company. I will compensate for any resulting losses. I hope Boss Lu does not mention this matter again, lest it damages Comrade Lu’s reputation.”

He stood up and extended his hand toward Lu Weiqun, exuding a calm and straightforward demeanor. It was a bearing that did not match his age, resembling someone much older and more experienced, willing to tolerate others’ mistakes.

Lu Weiqun was stunned. He hadn’t expected this kind of resolution and stood frozen, struggling to process it.

“Your… small grain and oil shop, isn’t my company’s purchasing department likely your biggest customer since you opened?”

From the perspective of an ordinary man and a businessman, Lu Weiqun admired Yan Su’s self-made success.

But as a potential son-in-law, Yan Su fell far short of his standards.

Boss Lu had high expectations for his daughter’s husband. The man had to be talented, handsome, and a graduate of a prestigious university. He had to have a gentle and accommodating personality, willing to love and cherish Lu Miaoliu.

Of course, business acumen was non-negotiable; the man had to be capable of managing the family business after some cultivation but without harboring overly ambitious goals.

Naturally, all of this was his wishful thinking. Lu Miaoliu had complained that he wasn’t looking for a son-in-law but a saint.

According to his investigation, Yan Su’s greatest flaw was his low education level and his deep affection for Song Rong.

If Yan Su could abandon his former fiancée and devote himself wholly to Lu Miaoliu, and perhaps attend night school to improve his education, then he would be perfect.

Lu Weiqun’s initial intent was to suppress Yan Su’s arrogance and give him a sense of his place. He didn’t expect Yan Su to simply refuse to play along and pull out altogether.

The thought of his beloved daughter weeping her heart out at him later left Lu Weiqun with a headache. Hastily, he softened his stance to keep Yan Su from leaving. “Xiao Wei, I was just joking earlier. Don’t take it to heart. Miao Miao has already said that you’re the only one she’ll ever love. You can’t let her down…”

Yan Su twitched the corner of his mouth, surprised that his unintentional kindness could somehow invite such a romantic entanglement.

He harbored no romantic feelings for Lu Miaoliu, only sympathy brought about by the plot. Nevertheless, her frail health prompted him to have a serious conversation with her.

At Lu’s estate, Miao Hua Manor—

Upon hearing that Yan Su was coming over as a guest, Lu Miaoliu had instructed the housekeeper early in the morning to thoroughly clean the first floor. Overflowing with joy, she personally prepared a fruit platter, arranging it beautifully as shown in magazines.

“Dad, how neat are my watermelon slices?”

Lu Miaoliu assumed she was still in the early stages of a crush on Yan Su. After all, apart from blurting it out when rejecting a blind date arranged by Lu Weiqun, she had never shared her feelings with anyone.

She had no idea that her father had already spilled her secret to Yan Su, testing him thoroughly and humiliating him in the process.

Watching his daughter bustle about like a busy bee, Lu Weiqun felt an increasing sense of unease as Yan Su mentioned wanting to speak with her privately.

His daughter’s love would likely end up misplaced.

Initially, he genuinely believed Yan Su had ulterior motives, secretly involving himself with Lu Miaoliu while working to expose Liao Jian’an.

If he hadn’t attempted to intimidate Yan Su out of his own cleverness, things might have turned out differently.

Yan Su might have been moved by his daughter’s sincerity.

However, Yan Su clearly wasn’t interested in Lu Miaoliu. Whether out of pride or to avoid any misunderstandings, he was determined to draw a clear line.

“Miao Miao, there are plenty of good men in this world. As for that kid Wei Baohua, even if you like him, that doesn’t mean he likes you. Why don’t you consider…” Lu Weiqun hesitated, his fatherly heart feeling like it was being repeatedly fried in oil.

Lu Miaoliu looked at him, puzzled, and paused her actions. “Dad, I told you, no more blind dates.”

“My life is simple. Before Brother Wei, I’ve never had feelings for any other man. But I happen to like him, and this love is precious. It belongs to me alone. Whether Brother Wei likes me or not, I cherish these feelings. They are rare warmth and light in my life.”

After making such an emotional declaration, she laughed shyly and scratched her head. “If he likes me, that’s wonderful. If he doesn’t, that’s okay too. I won’t force it.”

Lu Weiqun, nervous as he listened to his daughter’s declaration of love, finally breathed a sigh of relief when she said she wouldn’t force it.

At least she still valued herself.

As someone specializing in helping supporting characters rise, Yan Su lacked experience in matters of love.

He couldn’t break down and lay bare his feelings like a love guru, nor was he skilled at comforting a girl who liked him. When he arrived at the Lu estate, he only mentioned one thing to Lu Miaoliu:

“Miaoliu, I think you might consider changing your lifestyle. Step out of the golden cage your father has crafted for you. Doesn’t the Lu Group need an heir? Instead of seeking a son-in-law to manage the business, why not take it on yourself? The doctor said your body can handle a certain workload. Moderate activity is good for you; there’s no need to be confined to the house.”

Lu Miaoliu didn’t expect him to say this.

From childhood, her father had always emphasized her frailty, telling her to focus on recuperating and that he would take care of everything else.

Growing up, Lu Weiqun indeed decided everything about her academics and marriage.

Had Yan Su not appeared unexpectedly, she might have started meeting the blind dates arranged by her father.

She was acutely aware of the hidden intentions of the men she met, seeing through their motives with crystal clarity.

But she didn’t want to upset her father.

It was the first time someone told her: You can defy the life your father has arranged for you. You don’t have to wait for the fleeting love of an uncertain husband. You can be the one in control.

“Wei Dage, you make a good point. I’ll think about it.”

Lu Miaoliu requested her father to allow her to work at the company, but Lu Weiqun initially opposed the idea strongly.

The official reason was her poor health, and he feared she couldn’t handle the workload. In reality, although he had pampered her since she was young, he never thought the pure-hearted Lu Miaoliu was suited for the ruthless world of business.

It was too grueling. He only wanted to care for her like a doll, keeping her safely at home.

In the end, he couldn’t resist her determination. A few days later, he agreed and arranged a relatively idle position for her in the company.

Upon learning that Lu Miaoliu had started working in the company’s finance department, Yan Su finally felt reassured.

Even if Lu Weiqun arranged a live-in son-in-law for her in the future, as long as she held control over the company’s financial lifeline, she wouldn’t be at anyone’s mercy.

Yan Su’s informants, who were monitoring Liao Jian’an, reported that he had received news from his hometown about his mother’s critical illness and had returned to Maple Village.

Since the branch store in Sen City was running smoothly without requiring his direct involvement, Yan Su also returned to Maple Village.

Maple Village had been lively lately. First, Geng Xiuying and Wei De returned from Sen City and announced that Wei Baohua and Song Rong’s marriage was annulled.

A few days later, members of the Song and Pan families also returned. The two families, once in-laws, had fallen out completely. Pan’s mother and her sons spread rumors that Song Rong had been indecent, carrying another man’s illegitimate child before marriage, and was abandoned by Wei Baohua.

Before the villagers could recover from their shock, Qiao Cui, who had been quiet at home for days, went to the Liao household with her father, Qiao Zhiwen, to confront Liao’s mother. They accused Liao Jian’an of betraying Qiao Cui in Sen City, abandoning her in pursuit of a wealthy boss’s daughter. Qiao Cui had been crying her heart out at her parents’ home ever since.

Drama after drama unfolded, leaving the villagers overwhelmed.

Qiao Zhiwen declared that the Liao family had gone too far, demanding a divorce for his daughter and making it clear that their grandson, Mao Mao, would either stay with the Qiao family or be taken by Liao’s mother. However, they must also compensate for three years of child-rearing expenses.

Liao’s mother, who had no money, wailed incessantly and accused the village chief of bullying a widow.

At this moment, Liao Jian’an returned home.

Seeing her son, Liao’s mother clung to him as if he were her last hope. She hurriedly complained to him, detailing how Qiao Cui and her father had bullied her.

“Jian’an, aren’t you a cadre in the city now? You must teach Qiao Cui and Qiao Zhiwen a lesson. That unruly wife dares to ask for a divorce—how dare she!”

Feeling that she now had support, Liao’s mother, who had previously been pitiful and submissive, became arrogant. It was as if her years of suffering had finally come to an end, and she clamored to settle scores with the Qiao family.

But Liao Jian’an couldn’t afford to let her continue making enemies. Life in Sen City was already tough for him. He was dealing with Lu Weiqun’s suppression and being forced by Song Rong to pay monthly support fees, leaving him penniless.

In the past, when Song Rong fawned over him and stood up for him everywhere, he thought she was a fool, ridiculing her behind her back.

Now that all of Song Rong’s hatred was directed at him, the immense pressure left him breathless. Only then did he realize how terrifying it was.

Not to mention, Qiao Zhiwen was not someone to be trifled with.

“Mom, stop making trouble. Listen to the Qiao family—I’ll divorce Qiao Cui.”

Without further explanation, Liao Jian’an approached Qiao Cui, and the two quickly finalized their divorce.

With the divorce certificate in hand, the pressure that had weighed on him while living under the shadow of the Qiao family finally vanished.

He felt an unprecedented sense of relief.

But for Liao’s mother, who witnessed her son and daughter-in-law parting ways, the panic in her heart grew.

A terrible premonition made her desperately want to hold onto something.

She looked at Mao Mao, who was held in Qiao Cui’s arms, and suddenly became agitated. “Qiao Cui, now that you’re divorced from Jian’an, hand Mao Mao over to me! Mao Mao is a Liao family child—you can’t take him away.”

Qiao Cui held her son tightly, glaring at Liao’s mother with hatred before seeking protection behind her father, Qiao Zhiwen.

However, she couldn’t shake the strangeness of it all.

In Mao Mao’s three years of life, Liao’s mother had never paid much attention to him. Now that she and Liao Jian’an were divorced, suddenly, Liao’s mother wanted her grandson.

Qiao Zhiwen saw through Liao’s mother’s motives—she was acting out of possessiveness, deliberately making things difficult for Qiao Cui.

He looked at Liao’s mother with disdain, and instead of addressing her, he directed his words to Liao Jian’an: “Before the divorce, we agreed that Mao Mao would stay with the Qiao family. What’s the meaning of this now?”

Liao Jian’an, accustomed to being cold and heartless, had never cared for Qiao Cui or Mao Mao and couldn’t wait to be rid of the son he deemed to have inherited “lowly genes.”

Patting his mother on the back, he signaled her to stop. He then turned to Qiao Zhiwen and said, “My mother is just confused. Rest assured, I won’t fight for custody of Mao Mao.”

After all, Song Rong was still carrying his child. If he were to fight for custody, it would be for Song Rong’s child.

Qiao Zhiwen let out a cold snort, neither happy nor sad, and left with Qiao Cui.

Liao’s mother was unwilling to give up, her previously kind and benevolent expression turning feral. “Wait.”

Qiao Zhiwen protected his daughter and turned back with a cold glare.

“Get lost! Mao Mao was born to my daughter and raised by my Qiao family. He’s three years old, and your Liao family hasn’t spent a single penny on him. What right do you have to fight for him?”

“If you keep pushing, I’ll expose what your son did in Sen City!”

These words were both a warning to Liao’s mother and Liao Jian’an.

Liao Jian’an froze, feeling utterly humiliated and disgraced.

His hatred for Yan Su deepened. Who else but Yan Su could have known about his deeds in Sen City?

Liao’s mother, clueless as ever, still believed her son was working as a cadre in the city. Moreover, Qiao Zhiwen’s rumors, meant to facilitate the divorce, included claims that Liao Jian’an was pursuing the daughter of a wealthy boss and that good news was on the horizon.

Thinking about Liao Jian’an soon marrying a rich wife and inheriting her father’s fortune, Liao’s mother felt a sense of satisfaction.

She spat disdainfully in Qiao Zhiwen’s direction and glanced at Mao Mao’s face with scorn. “My son will marry a rich woman in the city. Why would he lack grandchildren? As for Mao Mao, he’s already three years old and can’t even speak—he’s probably a fool!”

Her words infuriated Qiao Cui, whose eyes blazed with anger. She hugged Mao Mao even tighter.

“Dad, let’s go. Ignore her!”

Qiao Zhiwen suppressed his rage and led her away, heading to the Wei family. “I heard Baohua is back. We must thank him properly. Without his support in Sen City, you would’ve been left with nothing but bones by Liao Jian’an.”

---

The Wei family.

Geng Xiuying and Wei De had heard some of the rumors about Liao Jian’an. Upon learning that Qiao Cui had divorced him, Geng Xiuying was initially surprised but ultimately felt relieved for her. “Your mother-in-law was neglectful, and Jian’an was always away. You suffered for years in that family. Finally, you’re free from that fire pit—it’s a good thing.”

Qiao Zhiwen shared the sentiment of a narrow escape, tenderly holding his grandson Mao Mao and touching his soft little face.

“It’s my fault for indulging Cui Cui’s stubbornness back then, letting her marry Liao Jian’an. Otherwise, things wouldn’t have ended so terribly.”

Qiao Cui hung her head, remaining silent as she fidgeted with her hands.

Then, as if something occurred to her, she looked up at Yan Su. “Baohua, can I follow you to Sen City again? Aside from Comrade Lu, no one there knows I’m divorced.”

Yan Su readily agreed.

Geng Xiuying, recalling the village rumors about Liao Jian’an pursuing a wealthy boss’s daughter, asked her son, “Baohua, is it true that Liao Jian’an is becoming a live-in son-in-law for some rich family?”

Yan Su glanced at the crowd, his lips curling into a cold smile. “If you think they’ll accept someone like him, you’re overestimating his worth.”

The room fell silent, and Liao Jian’an’s fall from grace became evident to all.

Suddenly, the voice continued, “The big boss was furious at Liao Jian’an for deceiving him and investigated Liao Jian’an’s past, discovering that during Liao Jian’an’s four years in college, he and Song Rong were always in a romantic relationship. The child in Song Rong’s belly is Liao Jian’an’s.”

Everyone abruptly looked at him as if they had been doused with a large basin of dog blood.

The matter of Qiao Cui’s divorce caused a huge sensation in Maple Tree Village.

Although the villagers knew that she had suffered countless grievances in the Liao family over the years and that divorce was a form of relief, they still criticized her morally behind her back.

Gossip and rumors filled the air, and they were unbearable to hear.

Even Mao Mao was discriminated against by others while playing with his little companions.

“Your dad doesn’t want you anymore!”

“You’re a wild child!”

The Qiao family was infuriated upon hearing these remarks, their anger reaching the boiling point.

However, Liao’s mother was quite happy about it. She personally witnessed children throwing stones at Mao Mao and spitting on him. Not only did she not get angry, but she even praised them, saying, “Good throw!”

The villagers thought she had gone senile with rage, but after some analysis, they came to a conclusion.

She wasn’t stupid.

It was said that Liao Jian’an was about to marry the daughter of a big boss, with limitless prospects. With a city wife in the future, Liao’s mother wouldn’t lack grandchildren.

Liao’s mother clearly thought the same. She carried the soy sauce she had just bought and deliberately took a detour through most of the village on her way home just to show off.

She wanted the whole village to know that after the divorce, it was Qiao Cui who had lost out, not Liao Jian’an.

“Jian’an, after your divorce, the rumors outside are really unpleasant to hear. When are you going to bring your wife back for everyone to see, so those gossipy women can shut their mouths?”

Liao’s mother patted the dazed Liao Jian’an, urging him impatiently.

Liao Jian’an snapped out of it, looking at her with a dazed expression, “What did you say?”

He had thought he would feel happy and relieved after the divorce. However, reality was entirely the opposite.

The Liao family courtyard was once again just the two of them, mother and son, as desolate as his heart. It was as if no one had ever lived there.

“I’m your mother; why would I keep anything from you?”

Liao’s mother took the village gossip as truth and described it in detail to Liao Jian’an, looking at him with anticipation.

“When you marry the big boss’s daughter, you can really hit the Qiao family’s faces hard, so Qiao Cui and her father won’t act so arrogantly.”

Liao Jian’an had been in a daze for days, never interacting with other villagers. Hearing this, he was greatly shocked.

He hadn’t expected Yan Su to be so malicious, broadcasting his misdeeds in the city to all the villagers, even exaggerating for fear of not ruining his reputation enough.

“Mom, don’t listen to others’ nonsense. All that is fake,” he said bitterly, immediately realizing that he couldn’t stay in Maple Tree Village any longer. He had to leave quickly.

Early in the morning, without alerting Liao’s mother, he packed his bags. Just as he stepped out of the door, he was blocked by Yu Qin and Song Wei.

“Liao Jian’an, you got my daughter Song Rong pregnant and still want to run away? No way!”

Yu Qin held a vegetable knife in her hand, her fierce gaze full of hatred.

A bad premonition rose in his heart. Behind Yu Qin, the Pan brothers approached with unfriendly expressions.

“Liao Jian’an, we heard you made it big in the city. You can’t bully little Rong for nothing. You’ve got to compensate us.”

“Song Rong was a pure and innocent girl, and you ruined her. You animal!”

Overnight, Liao Jian’an and Song Rong’s scandal spread throughout Maple Tree Village.

The already impoverished Liao family suffered another blow, and only then did the Song family and Pan family leave reluctantly.

After they left, Liao’s mother angrily cried and hit Liao Jian’an. “You went to college, so why did you have to get involved with Song Rong? How many times did I tell you to focus on your studies, but you just wouldn’t listen?”

Wiping the blood at the corner of his mouth caused by the Pan brothers, Liao Jian’an sneered, “Don’t put all the blame on me. Didn’t you also hold grudges against Song Rong and Wei Baohua?”

Liao’s mother froze.

From that day on, Liao Jian’an disappeared from Maple Tree Village. No one knew where he went, leaving only Liao’s mother crying day and night at home.

The rumors in the village became unbearable for Geng Xiuying and Wei De, prompting them to officially move to the town to run their shop.

Meanwhile, Yan Su took Qiao Cui back to Sen City.

His business empire continued to expand, and Qiao Cui officially settled in Sen City. Once she stabilized, she brought Mao Mao over to attend kindergarten.

Fifteen years passed in the blink of an eye.

Qiao Zhiwen came to visit her from their hometown, bringing news about Liao Jian’an.

“All these years, he went to work in another city. Unfortunately, he became too despondent, smoking and drinking heavily every day, ruining his health.”

“Song Rong, unable to bear the gossip about her out-of-wedlock child, resigned and moved to the city where Liao Jian’an was. The two didn’t marry or live together, but Song Rong often brought her son to ask him for money.”

“Her son, due to the poor family environment, dropped out of school before graduating junior high and became a delinquent, frequently getting into fights and causing trouble, worrying everyone around him.”

“Now, Song Rong is deranged, going around claiming to be the widow of Wei Baohua, the former president of Wei Grain and Oil Group, and saying she inherited his massive fortune with her son after causing Wei Baohua’s death.”

After saying this, Qiao Zhiwen looked disgusted.

Then, he glanced with relief at Mao Mao’s college acceptance letter.

Who would have thought that the child, who hadn’t spoken a word by the age of three, turned out to be exceptionally gifted at studying, surpassing his father, Liao Jian’an?

Qiao Cui, now a senior executive in a company, recalled the past and felt as if it were a lifetime ago.

“Dad, all that is in the past.”

At Lu Corporation, the employees all knew that the finance department supervisor, Lu Miaoliu, had created a miracle of life.

At the age of twenty, doctors had diagnosed her with poor health and said she likely wouldn’t live past thirty.

Yet, every time she fell ill, she pulled through with sheer willpower. Not only did she beat the illness, but she also taught herself financial knowledge and managed the company’s finances with ease.

It was said that she once had a crush on Wei Baohua, the president of Wei Grain and Oil Group, but she never married and lived freely and carefree.

In contrast, her father, Lu Weiqun, worried year after year. Later, even pleading with Wei Baohua for marriage didn’t work, so he could only let her be.

— Fifth Arc End —

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