novel(What Are You Trying to Pull?) A Debate at the Family Gathering
| ← Ch.188 | Ch.190 → |
Zhao Yuan and Chen Wanxin walked over to the friends and family seats and toasted to their parents and the Chen elders.
Chen Wanxin's parents managed a smile and took the wine from the new couple, who had not gotten marriage certificates yet. Only very few Chen family members knew Zhao Yuan's background. Hearing Chen Wanxin's introduction and seeing Zhao Yuan's handsome face, they were very satisfied with him. Besides, Zhao Yuan was decent when he spoke. Therefore, most of the Chens spoke highly of him. It made Chen Wanxin extremely happy. Zhao Yuan's face glowed all over with pleasure. Chen Wanxin looked at him and smiled shyly, lowering her head.
After a while, they began to toast to their peers. Several beautiful bridesmaids accompanied Chen Wanxin and her female classmates from university and high school. On the other hand, although Zhao Yuan had invited many guests here, he had not arranged for anyone to be his groomsmen. When the guests were trying to keep Zhao Yuan drinking, Zheng Kai and Chen Yuanxi came by in silence.
Shu Xiaoman stared at Chen Yuanxi quietly, raising her glass in the air. She was so surprised that she could not speak. Zhang An'an pinched her wrist hard and then put the glass close to her lips."You have tried your best, " she said.
Shu Xiaoman, Zhang An'an, Zhou Nannan, Wang Zhengjuan, and Chen Yuanxi, who had left for six years, raised their glasses heavy-heartedly. At the moment, Wang Xiang suddenly said, "What's wrong with our society? Men often marry women they don't love, and women marry men who don't really love them. What's more, they all know it. What's the point of doing that? Don't they think it's boring?"
Chen Yuanxi sneered. He looked Wang Xiang up and down and then at Zhang An'an. Then he clinked glasses with them separately.
"Wenxi, I just want to know if you're okay these years, " Zhang An'an said.
Chen Yuanxi nodded, then walked to the guests at the next table with Zhao Yuan.
Chen Wanxin suddenly walked back and poured the wine in her glass onto Wang Xiang's head."I didn't want to invite you here, but Brother Yuan said you were his roommate for four years at university, so you had to attend our wedding. You haven't changed a bit since we graduated. What about you? Have you figured out who you really like? You're sitting on the fence. You don't know which way the fence will fall until it falls. I hope you won't regret it!" With that, she grabbed Zhang An'an by the hand and shook her head."An'an, he doesn't deserve you!" she whispered in Zhang An'an's ear.
"I know many things about Wang Xiang. I'm glad that you have never humiliated Wang Xiang and me with these things. But you did this neither for me nor for Wang Xiang, " Zhang An'an said with a smile.
"What?" Chen Wanxin was a little confused.
"Wanxin, Zheng Kai has already had a place in your heart." Zhang An'an passed another glass of wine to her and continued, "Sometimes, you should stop what you're doing and talk to yourself. Then you will be clearer about what exactly it is that you want."
Chen Wanxin looked at Zhang An'an with doubt, but she still emptied the glass.
"Why are you telling her this?" Shu Xiaoman could not help asking.
"I planted a seed in Wanxin's heart. I believe it will blossom and yield fruit someday. Perhaps only at that time can people who are destined to be together stay with each other." Zhang An'an looked at Wang Xiang quietly and continued, "It's a pity that I can't find the answer for my own business. Maybe Wanxin is right—You don't know which way the fence will fall until it falls."
Shu Xiaoman felt it hard to understand what Zhang An'an said. She was cautious and did not dare to say much. When Chen Wanxin had toasted to her just now, her eyes gleamed with coldness. Shu Xiaoman knew that Chen Wanxin must have figured out that she had informed Lin Wenxi about her wedding, because except for Shu Xiaoman, nobody else present knew Lin Wenxi's phone number. Shu Xiaoman herself could not tell why she had done this. When she had seen Lin Wenxi, she felt he was strange and distant to her. She thought Lin Wenxi would never be as intimate with her as he used to be, and in his mind, she might even be inferior to An'an.
Everyone had changed after so many years. Lin Wenxi was no longer the young man who had been as pure as a brook when he laughed. He had become elusive, like a deep pool. Shu Xiaoman had worked with Zhao Yuan every day for so many years, so when she had seen his depressed look, she could not help telling Lin Wenxi the news. Maybe she had done this just to make him happy, but she could not tell who the person was—Zhao Yuan or Lin Wenxi?
After the wedding, Zhao Yuan and Chen Wanxin went back to their apartment. The bedroom was very cold and cheerless. Although Chen Wanxin had been prepared mentally, she was still worried. The next day, Chen Wanxin asked Zhao Yuan to go to the civil affairs bureau with her to get the marriage certificate. However, Zhao Yuan's registered permanent residence was in G City, and Chen Wanxin's was in the small city, so they could not decide where to register their marriage for the moment. It led to the reunion of the "whole family" after a few busy days.
Zhao Yuan wanted to register their marriage in this small city, and he could set up a branch here. Besides, Wanxin's company had gone public. As the main leader of the company, Wanxin should not leave now.
Chen Tianjiao and his wife were still hesitating. They wanted Zhao Yuan to stay in G City, thus, their family business would not fall into Zhao Yuan's hands along with their daughter so soon, but they did not feel assured to have their daughter go to G City. They wouldn't mind if Zhao Yuan stayed in the small city with them. They believed that after a long time's observation, they would know whether Zhao Yuan could be trusted. If Zhao Yuan did not know who had killed his father or he was not capable enough or unwillingly to investigate his father's death, they could hand over their daughter's business to Zhao Yuan, their son-in-law. After all, Zhao Yuan had a unique insight into the market, and he was good at both company management and business development. If he could make the Chens clean business more successful, Chen Tianjiao would enjoy his old age with his wife abroad.
But when Zhao Yuan offered to stay in the small city, they began to be suspicious and became even more indecisive.
They wanted to know their daughter's opinion.
"I... I will follow Brother Yuan's decision." Chen Wanxin did not care about anything else now. For her, the most important thing was to hold on to Zhao Yuan.
"Dad, you'd better let my sister go to G City so that she can stay with my brother-in-law. How can a new couple live in different cities? If my brother-in-law stays here, it will be difficult for him to find someone to take care of his business in G City. If my sister goes to G City with him, I can help her to manage BC company." Chen Yuanxi spoke with fervor and assurance. He glanced at Chen Wanxin, but immediately turned his eyes.
Chen Wanxin was shocked. She wondered what Chen Yuanxi was thinking. She thought for a short moment and asked, "My brother, do you know our company's next move?"
Chen Yuanxi smiled slightly and answered, "A commercial pedestrian street is needed in the southeast to facilitate nearby residents. It will attract more people to buy apartments there. We can invite investment for the shops on the pedestrian street, thus, we don't have to pay for the pedestrian street. It will be the best of both worlds."
Chen Wanxin asked with a smile, "Do you know what we need to do to build the pedestrian street?"
"Demolish... Jifu University." Chen Yuanxi paused before he said any word. However, he did not want to be involved in this matter.
"Well, I will leave it to you. By the way, Jifu University does not have to be torn down. If the local government arranges an official to appoint the president and a management team for the university, it can recruit students as usual. The president of the university was disheartened and didn't want to run the university anymore after Secretary Lin's death, so he has assigned all the students to other colleges." Chen Wanxin chuckled.
Like facing an abyss, Chen Yuanxi felt a chill coming toward him.
| ← Ch. 188 | Ch. 190 → |