Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Chen Feifeiâs face was pale, and sweat was dripping from her forehead. She had never been in good health. At this moment, one of her hands was supporting the door wall, and the other was covering the position of her heart.
She panted as she looked at the two people in front of her. For a moment, she wished that she could faint. However, her body, which had always been weak, showed no signs of fainting at this moment.
She looked at Chen Yongchang and then at Zhan Haoze. There was accusation and blame in her eyes.
âYou, you ââ
âFeifei?â Chen Yongchangâs expression changed. But only for a moment. Some things, his daughter would know sooner or later.
âDad.â She panted. She walked step by step to the two people sitting. âIs what brother Hao said true?â
Even though Chen Yongchang was used to seeing big waves, he still felt a little guilty when he met his daughterâs eyes.
He didnât say anything. Chen Feifei turned around to ask Zhan Haoze for an answer. âBrother Hao, you wonât lie to me, right? Tell me, is what you said true?â
Her face was full of disbelief, but Zhan Haoze still had the photo on his desk.
Chen Feifei snatched it over and looked at the person in the photo. Needless to say, there was no need to ask any more questions.
It was a very young man who looked like he was still in college. He looked fifty percent similar to Chen Yongchang, but younger and more flamboyant.
Chen Feifei felt her heart hurt so much that she couldnât bear it. Once again, she thought that she would faint, but she didnât.
She placed her hands on the desk and stood firm. She stared at Zhan Haozeâs face and stubbornly asked for an answer.
Zhan Haozeâs gaze fell on the photo in her hand. He raised his head to look at Chen Feifei. This person wasnât Shi Mengwan. She was weak and sensitive. She simply couldnât bear the truth that was about to be revealed.
âDidnât you already see the photo?â
Without saying more, Chen Feifei stumbled and almost fell.
She looked at Chen Yongchang again and suddenly threw the photo away, then grabed Chen Yongchangâs shoulder with force.
âDad, why did you do this? Didnât you say it? You said that I was your little princess. You said that I was your only daughter. Didnât you say it? You said that everything in the Chen family from now on is mine. Why? Why?â
She asked for answers in succession.
Chen Yongchang was shaken by her, but he didnât look at her. Chen Feifei finished shaking him and started to hit Chen Yongchang.
âHow can you do this? How can you do this? Didnât you say that you loved my mother the most? Didnât you say that you would never marry again after she left? Then who was he? Why would there still be him? Dad, how can you let my mother down like this? How can you let me down? Dad, how can you do this?â
Chen Feifeiâs health wasnât very good. She didnât have much strength at all. As she hit and cried, she went limp.
This time, she really fainted.
Chen Yongchangâs face finally had some fluctuations. He quickly picked up Chen Feifei, but perhaps it was because he was anxious or something, when he got up, his hand loosened, and he almost dropped Chen Feifei.
Zhan Haoze had been watching coldly from the side, and now, he finally made his move.
He went forward, picked up Chen Feifei, and walked outside.
Chen Yongchang followed behind him, and his voice was sharp and cold. âZhan Haoze, youâre too ruthless. You called Feifei here, right? You did it on purpose, right?â
Zhan Haoze didnât answer him, but he didnât deny it either. Chen Yongchang was very angry. âOkay, okay, okay. Youâre ruthless. You played this beautifully.â
âUncle, donât be angry.â Zhan Haoze carried Chen Feifei into the elevator and looked at the exasperated Chen Yongchang, who had followed him in. The corners of his lips were slightly cold. âAccording to your plan, itâs only a matter of time. You had this plan long ago. I was just helping you advance it.â
âYou ââ
Chen Yongchang was at a loss for words. Of course, he wasnât thinking of revealing it now.
At the very least, he would have to wait until they got married. At that time, Zhan Haoze wouldnât ignore Chen Feifei.
âDonât think that you can get away with it. Let me tell you, Feifei is your responsibility.â
Zhan Haoze didnât say anything. He carried Chen Feifei down the stairs. The car had already been waiting downstairs, just like before.
Chen Yongchang looked at the group of people and wanted to swallow his words. In the end, he got into the car with a toothache.
... ..
Chen Feifei finally woke up after the resuscitation.
After she woke up, she didnât want to see Chen Yongchang. She chased Chen Yongchang out, but she let Zhan Haoze stay alone.
The ward was very quiet. Chen Feifei had smelled enough of the disinfectant since she was young. She was also tired of it. However, it was because her body wasnât healthy enough that she had to come here from time to time.
She had been staring out of the window in a daze for a full ten minutes. She didnât speak, and Zhan Haoze didnât speak either.
The plot had already started. The engagement had to be annulled. In fact, this engagement wasnât approved by him. Since it was a mistake, then of course he had to correct it. He had patience now. Chen Feifei watched the setting sun outside. She finally retracted her gaze and faced Zhan Haoze.
âWhen did you know?â
Zhan Haoze didnât expect her to ask this, but he didnât intend to lie to her. âA long time ago.â
âHow long ago was it?â
âWhen you were eighteen.â
At that time, Chen Yongchang had already begun to let him enter the company and take over some matters. He knew that Chen Yongchang wanted to raise him as a son-in-law, but later, he subtly discovered some differences.
Especially after the Chen Corporation went through that dangerous incident, it was obvious that Chen Yongchang didnât trust him and that was the cause. Although later on, he turned the tide and reduced the losses, he also successfully let the Chen Corporation make a beautiful comeback.
But the seed of doubt was planted in his heart. If Chen Yongchang really wanted him to treat Chen Feifei well, or to marry Chen Feifei in the future and take care of the Chen family, he shouldnât have such an attitude.
Although he wanted to settle the Zhan familyâs matter, he wasnât completely unprepared.
After a thorough investigation, he found out the reason from many clues. After finding out, it was much simpler.
Chen Yongchang was indeed a good father and husband on the surface, but deep down, he had some traditional views. He wanted his son to inherit the family business.
His kindness to Chen Feifei was real, but his kindness had conditions. And all of this was seen through by Zhan Haoze.
So early? Chen Feifeiâs eyes widened. After understanding the key point, she didnât care how Zhan Haoze found out. There was only one thought in her mind.
âBrother Hao. You really donât like me, do you?â If he liked her a little, he wouldnât treat her like this.
Zhan Haoze was silent. He thought about it and said honestly, âIn my heart, you are my sister.â
âSister? Ha.â Chen Feifei smiled bitterly. Her eyes were full of ridicule. âYes, I am your sister, so you donât have to feel sorry for me. You invited me to your company and let me hear such cruel words. Brother Hao, you are really cruel.â
Zhan Haoze didnât deny it. Chen Feifei took a deep breath and calmed herself down. âWhy did you do this? Just to break off the engagement with me?â
âYes.â
He knew what was bothering Shi Mengwanâs heart. If he wanted Chen Feifei to publicly break off the engagement in front of everyone in Lin City, he had to make Chen Feifei stand up. The situation before him was that Shi Mengwan didnât believe his words.
But if Chen Feifei stepped forward, Shi Mengwan would believe her.
Chen Feifeiâs lips were pursed into a straight line. Her pale face and reddened eyes. Any man would feel pity for her.
âBrother Hao, do you have a woman you like?â
Zhan Haoze pursed his lips slightly and didnât deny it.
Chen Feifei smiled. She seemed to have grown up in an instant. She suddenly understood many things. âYou have someone you like, so you donât like me. The person you like might have misunderstood our relationship, so you want me to step forward and explain, right?â
She looked at Zhan Haozeâs appearance and knew that her guess was true. Her expression bitter, she smiled bitterly. âTo be able to make you care so much, she must be very beautiful, right?â
âYes.â Zhan Haoze nodded. âIn my heart, she is the most beautiful.â
His generous praise made Chen Feifeiâs face turn even paler. Her fingertips trembling, she bit her lip.
âWhat do you want me to do?â
âYouâll announce the news of our annulment. You can make up the reason as you wish. I donât mind.â
This meant that Chen Feifei could be on the right side. She could make up any reason she wanted â
She looked up at Zhan Haoze. âArenât you afraid that Iâll say bad things about you so that the girl you like wonât like you?â
âNo.â Zhan Haozeâs voice was very soft. He thought of Shi Mengwan. âNo matter what kind of person I am, she will like me.â
Chen Feifei clenched her fists so hard that she could control herself not to cry. The gentle tone that Zhan Haoze used when talking about that woman was something she had never heard before.
âWhat if I donât agree?â
âYou will agree.â Zhan Haoze looked at her. âBecause you are a smart girl.â
Chen Feifei smiled. âBrother Hao, you know what? This is the first time you have praised me, but Iâm not happy at all.â
Zhan Haoze remained silent. Towards Chen Feifei, he indeed had the affection of a brother and sister. He was also grateful, but that was all.
âBrother Hao, I will agree to you. But, I also hope that you can agree to two conditions.â Chen Feifeiâs expression had changed. She was much calmer than before. âDonât worry, there are only two, and I wonât make things difficult for you.â
âGo ahead.â
Chen Feifei stared at her nails. In the shortest amount of time, many thoughts had already crossed her mind.
Everything that had happened today was a huge shock and blow to her. If she could, she really hoped that she would still be the happy little princess of the Chen family from before.
But now she knew that she could no longer be that carefree little princess.
âFirst of all, I canât promise you to break off the engagement right away. Give me some time.â
Zhan Haozee frowned. Chen Feifei looked at him. âBrother Hao. If I stand up right now and say that Iâm breaking off the engagement with you, itâll be very disadvantageous to the company. I need to use your name.â
âThree months.â Three months was the limit of his tolerance.
â...â Chen Feifei looked at him deeply and finally nodded. âOkay, three months.â
âThe second thing is that I havenât completely mastered the company yet. I also know that I wonât be able to master it in a short period of time. I hope that brother Hao can help me, whether itâs you or you looking for someone. I donât want the company to fall into the hands of irrelevant people.â
When Chen Feifei said that she didnât want to do it, a flash of gloominess flashed across her face.
It was true that the Chen Corporation belonged to Chen Yongchang, but if it wasnât for her motherâs influence and help, Chen Yongchang wouldnât have been able to do it to this extent.
The company belonged to Chen Yongchang, and it also belonged to her mother. She didnât want any outsiders to get involved.
But she couldnât do it on her own. She needed help.
âBrother Hao, I know you can do it, right?â
Zhan Haoze looked at Chen Feifei. No matter what, they had grown up together. The change in Chen Feifei before his eyes was beyond his expectations, but it seemed to be within reason.
After all, after such a major change, if the person in front of him was still the same as before, it was really abnormal.
âI can.â
âThank you, brother Hao.â Chen Feifei smiled gratefully at him. âThereâs one more thing ââ
As if realizing that she had mentioned more than three conditions, Chen Feifeiâs expression became a little awkward, but Zhan Haoze didnât mind. âGo ahead.â
Chen Feifei bit her lip. Her expression was conflicted, painful, and hesitant, but in the end, it became firm.
âMy father, heâs old. I think he needs good rest. As his daughter, if I send him to a place with a good environment to retire, others shouldnât accuse me of being unfilial, right?â
When Zhan Haoze heard this, the corners of his lips curled up slightly.
This was like Chen Feifei. No matter how weak she looked on the outside, she was actually a person with a clear purpose and a clear goal. He wasnât surprised that she had such thoughts, nor was he surprised.
âOf course.â Zhan Haoze nodded. âFeifei, youâre so attentive. Others will only say that youâre a good daughter, a very filial daughter.â
Chen Feifei seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. âThatâs right. Iâm a good daughter.â
There was some bitterness in her words, as well as some other things. Zhan Haoze was no longer concerned.
He stood up. It was getting late, and he still wanted to go back and have dinner with Shi Mengwan. âYou decide on the location. Once itâs decided, Iâll be responsible for sending uncle to rest.â
Chen Feifei nodded. The moment Zhan Haoze turned around, she called out to him once again.
âBrother Hao?â
Zhan Haoze turned around. Chen Feifei gritted her teeth, as if she was going all out. âSince my dad is going to retire, someone has to take care of him. My bastard little brother should be the most suitable candidate, right?â
She blinked her big eyes as she looked at Zhan Haoze. At this moment, she wasnât pretending at all.
Zhan Haoze smiled. This was a rare smile that he showed in front of Chen Feifei. âOf course, no one is more suitable than him.â
Chen Feifei seemed to be relieved. She looked up at Zhan Haoze and reached out her hand to him.
âBrother Hao, can you hug me? Take it as a final farewell.â
Zhan Haoze looked at her and stepped forward to gently put his arm around her shoulder. Just as he was about to step back, Chen Feifei suddenly tightened her arms.
He could feel her trembling. She buried her face into his chest. âBrother Hao, Iâm really jealous of her.â
After saying that, she let go and turned her face away. âBrother Hao, you should leave quickly. Otherwise, Iâll regret it.â
Zhan Haoze looked at Chen Feifei. He had watched her grow up.
âFeifei, take care of yourself in the future. I believe that the Chen family will definitely flourish in your hands.â
âOf course.â
Chen Feifei didnât turn her head, but her eyes appeared much more determined than when she first woke up. In the past, she had always wanted to have romantic relationships, but now she knew. What romantic relationships? All of them were fake.
Even the people closest to you could betray you. What else was real? The benefits that were in your hands were real.
Zhan Haoze left the ward. As soon as he left, Chen Yongchang came over.
âWhat did Feifei say to you? How Is she?â
Chen Yongchang looked in the direction of the ward. He wanted to get closer, but he was stopped by Zhan Haozeâs bodyguards.
Zhan Haoze glanced at Chen Yongchang. Thinking of Chen Feifeiâs request just now, he had a little sympathy for Chen Yongchang.
In some ways, Chen Feifei was the same kind of person as him. This was also the reason he could never fall in love with Chen Feifei, even though he had been together with Chen Feifei for more than ten years.
âUncle Chen, go and see Feifei. As for what I told her, let her tell you herself.â
Zhan Haoze wasnât in the mood to stay. This time, when he returned to Lin City, the matter in front of him was his first priority.
Now that it was settled, his footsteps became lighter.
After he got into the car, the driver didnât even need to ask his destination. He drove straight to Shi Mengwanâs apartment.
When he entered, he smelled the aroma of the food in the room. That familiar smell and familiar environment made Zhan Haozeâs expression instantly relax.
He changed his shoes and went straight into the kitchen.
Shi Mengwan had already prepared a dish. When she scooped it out and placed it on the counter, she felt her waist being hugged by someone.
She was shocked and the pot in her hand almost fell to the ground. Zhan Haoze reached out to help her hold it steady and then put it back on the stove.
She turned around and glared at him. âDonât you know how to make a sound when you walk? You scared me to death, donât you know that?â
âIâm sorry.â Zhan Haoze pecked her lips. âI scared you.â
Shi Mengwan looked at him and felt that he seemed exceptionally happy today. âAre you happy that you scared me?â
âNo.â Zhan Haoze couldnât help but peck her on the lips again. Shi Mengwan reached out and pressed against his chest when he wanted to deepen his kiss.
âThatâs enough. I still have to cook. Get out of my way. Donât bother me.â
Zhan Haoze didnât let go. Instead, he glanced at the counter. âWhat else do you want to cook?â
âStir-fry beef and this, sour and spicy potato strips.â
Shi Mengwan glanced at him as she spoke and said softly, âI only know how to cook some home-cooked dishes. If you donât like it, you can eat outside.â
Zhan Haoze glanced at her. It was rare for him to see her so cute. He reached out and rubbed her hair.
âGo and rest. Iâll do it.ân/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Shi Mengwan was stunned for a moment. She watched Zhan Haoze take off his suit jacket, unbutton his shirt sleeve, and then rolled it up twice.
âYou...you know how to Cook?â
Shi Mengwanâs voice was trembling. This wasnât possible, right?
She had never seen him cook before, so she thought that he didnât know how to cook.
Now that she saw that he was about to make a move, she stood there nervously and was obviously worried.
âYou donât believe me?â
Zhan Haozeâs hand, which was about to grab the spatula, stopped for a moment. He turned around and looked at Shi Mengwan. âAre you afraid that the dishes I cook will cause you to go to the hospital, or are you afraid that Iâll burn your kitchen down?â