"It really is my dad. I don't know why he'd come here," Tang Xinyu said anxiously.
Li Yang asked, puzzled, "It seems your dad isn't in a good mood. Did someone offend him?"
"Don't you know?" Tang Xinyu looked at him.
Li Yang shook his head with a confused expression. "Should I know?"
"You..." Tang Xinyu opened her mouth.
Just as she was about to speak, Chairman Tang strode over, his face a mask of anger. He glared at Tang Xinyu and said, "Xinyu, you will go back with me immediately! You are not allowed to go anywhere without my permission!"
"Dad,"
"Old Cheng, take her away!" Chairman Tang said, his face cold.
"Yes."
Old Cheng walked over with a wry smile and said to Tang Xinyu, "Miss, the Chairman is in a very bad mood. Why don't you cooperate with me and go back now?"
"Do you need to speak to her so politely? Hurry up and take her back!" Chairman Tang snapped furiously.
Tang Xinyu's eyes welled up with tears. "Dad, I just..."
"Just what? No 'just,' no 'buts'! Go back!" Chairman Tang roared.
Seeing his woman about to cry, Li Yang, even considering him his future father-in-law, was displeased. He immediately said, "Hey, what are you talking about, old man? This is your daughter, and she's my woman. She's not your servant. Speak to her more gently."
"Your woman?" Chairman Tang's entire face flushed red. He glared at Li Yang through gritted teeth and said, "You have the nerve to say that again?"
"She's my woman, and she'll be my woman no matter how many times I say it!" Li Yang not only spoke but also put his arm around Tang Xinyu's slender waist, unyieldingly stating, "Old man, if you continue to be rude to my woman, even if you are her father, I will not be polite to you."
"You, you!" Chairman Tang's chest heaved violently with anger, but deep down, he felt a bit of admiration for this young man who was defending his daughter.
However, outwardly, he became even more furious. "On what basis do you claim my daughter is your woman? What right do you have to aspire to a woman of the Tang family!"
"The basis is that Li Yang and Tang Xinyu are genuinely together. This is not aspiring; it is a perfect match," Li Yang said, looking at him. "Furthermore, I can help your Tang family overcome this immense crisis."
"Hmm!" Chairman Tang was stunned for a moment and suddenly looked at Tang Xinyu. "Did you tell this kid about the family's affairs?"
"No, no, it was Second Uncle who told him," Tang Xinyu quickly explained.
Chairman Tang said in surprise, "Your Second Uncle knows about you and this kid? Since when?"
"Yes, he knew from the beginning," Tang Xinyu nodded.
Chairman Tang was so angry he almost jumped. You old second, knowing this all along why didn't you tell me! This is infuriating! "I'll settle accounts with your Second Uncle later!"
"As for this kid saying he'll help us through the difficulties, I don't think it's necessary anymore because someone is already helping us."
"Who is it, and are they reliable?" Li Yang asked curiously.
He hoped it wasn't a figurehead pushed forward by the mastermind behind the scenes, someone who was actually there to cause trouble.
Chairman Tang said coldly, "Of course, they are reliable. They invested several hundred million in our Tang Group last time and are now a major shareholder with one percent of our group's shares."
"What you're saying sounds like you're talking about me," Li Yang said, somewhat suspiciously.
Chairman Tang chuckled. "Can you come up with several hundred million to invest? Young man, you have the courage to protect the woman you like, and I appreciate that, but the most basic quality a person should have is humility!"
"If the hat doesn't fit, don't wear it."
"Dad, it's true that Li Yang invested several hundred million in our company. He originally wanted to give it for free, but Second Uncle came up with this compromise, turning it into an investment." Unexpectedly, his own daughter, Tang Xinyu, stepped forward to explain.
Chairman Tang's face immediately turned red. He exclaimed, "The money was from him?"
"Yes, Dad," Tang Xinyu said with a sheepish smile.
Chairman Tang's face turned even redder, so embarrassed that he wished he could crawl into a table and hide. His old face was completely lost.
Old Cheng, standing nearby, almost burst out laughing. The Chairman was too impulsive; he rushed in without properly understanding the situation with his future son-in-law.
Now look at this, what an embarrassment.
Li Yang almost laughed too. This future father-in-law was quite interesting.
However, he knew that if he didn't say something soon, the old man would become angry out of shame. He quickly said, "Uncle, this is my fault. I didn't explain things clearly to you from the start."
"You're usually so busy, I shouldn't have waited for you to discover our relationship before explaining. I should have visited you early on and explained this matter clearly."
"Yes, Dad, I know I was wrong too. Please forgive your daughter for being willful and not telling you before getting a boyfriend," Tang Xinyu said softly, holding her father's arm.
Knowing that they were giving him a way out, Chairman Tang was not unappreciative. He cleared his throat, and his attitude improved considerably. "It's good that you know you were wrong. Marriage is a major event; how can you not tell your parents?"
"This kind of thing must not happen again, understand?"
"Understood." Tang Xinyu quickly pulled his arm and sat down. "Dad, you haven't eaten yet, have you? Waiter, please come here. We need to order some food."
"No need. Dad has clients to meet urgently. Next time, you let, cough, you let your boyfriend come home for a meal. Eating outside is not clean or hygienic," Chairman Tang said, still feeling a bit embarrassed. After showing some goodwill, he turned to leave. "Old Cheng, why are you holding back your laughter? If you want to laugh, just laugh."
"No, I wouldn't dare," Old Cheng said, quickly composing himself.
But as he turned away, he couldn't help but burst into silent laughter, giving Tang Xinyu and Li Yang a thumbs-up before following Chairman Tang.
"Goodbye, Miss. Goodbye, Mr. Li."
"Take care." As the younger generation, Li Yang and Tang Xinyu naturally saw him off.
As the car drove away, Chairman Tang didn't turn his head, but his eyes watched them through the rearview mirror. Seeing them standing there for a long time, watching him leave, his expression softened considerably. He muttered, "This kid has some decent qualities to be with my daughter."
"Chairman, I actually think Mr. Li is quite good. He seems to be a good match for Miss," Old Cheng said with a smile.
Chairman Tang glared at him. "You old fellow, you're over fifty. Why are you meddling in this? Just drive the car properly."
"Yes, Chairman."
Despite his words, Chairman Tang also felt that the two of them were quite suitable. Especially the scene of Li Yang defending his daughter earlier, which kept replaying in his mind, making him admire him more and more.
However, thinking of his wife, a trace of sadness flashed across Chairman Tang's eyes. If I had been as brave back then, perhaps I wouldn't have had to deceive Xinyu with the lie that her mother had died.