Su Muxian found Ye Tiancheng's cautious approach to life peculiar. She glanced at him strangely and said, "Ye Tiancheng, I never expected you to be so careful in how you conduct yourself. It's truly fortunate, and yet I hope you understand the hardship and consequences that will arise from such behavior."
"Why do you say that? Is it not good to be cautious in life?" Ye Tiancheng, surprised by Su Muxian's words, looked at her with curiosity.
"How would I know what peculiar thoughts are going on in your mind? But I regret to tell you, don't be so cautious. Be as you are. That's how you achieve what you truly desire. Because when it's time to explode, you must reveal your sharpness. The more cautiously you tread, the more it shows your inner emptiness." Su Muxian's words caused her to suddenly turn pale with shock.
"Are you saying I should be sharp and aggressive?"
"Yes, because no matter how you hide your strength, you will eventually be seen as a thorn in people's side, something they want to remove quickly. Su Muxian's words held some truth. Having navigated the business world for so long, she had seen it all. She didn't want to be perfunctory; she spoke with genuine seriousness.
Seeing Su Muxian's conviction, Yan Zhi didn't want to argue. He smiled wryly and said to her, "I understand. Thank you for your golden advice. I will always take it as a life principle and study it diligently." Yan Zhi didn't dismiss her words as mere chatter but listened attentively. Yet, he was still somewhat perplexed. Being too sharp would undoubtedly make him a target, drawing public anger and making him a prime candidate for elimination in the near future.
Such a situation would only make him deceive himself further, distancing him from his goals. It was only natural for him to worry, as it would likely lead to immense difficulties and obstacles in his path.
"Next, you will surely face questions from the entire family, and they will treat you as an enemy. They will undoubtedly attack you by any means necessary. Be fully prepared. If you need my help, just say the word. I think highly of you." Su Muxian reconsidered, realizing her words might have been too harsh. They were merely her own experiences, perhaps not practical for him.
After all, her experiences were not necessarily imitable. Everyone had their own path to success. Following others' experiences blindly would be like playing the zither with the bridge glued in place – it wouldn't work. After a moment of thought, Su Muxian quickly changed her tune.
Ye Tiancheng understood her meaning but did not object. He naturally accepted her advice and suggestions, then said honestly, "Then, about the next steps, I'd like to discuss with you how to manage the Boya Horticulture Center."
This name was something he had pondered for an entire day and night, and now he wanted to hear the advice of this successful woman.
Su Muxian found the name acceptable. She felt it merely represented the owner's mood and hobbies, much like parents naming their child, symbolizing their hopes for the future. Hearing the name, she thought it was quite good and nodded, saying, "Boya Horticulture Center. Broad and elegant. Very good."
"This is a name I thought of all night. My skills are limited, so I hope you can offer some suggestions, not just flattery."
Ye Tiancheng felt Su Muxian was flattering him, but in reality, she was speaking sincerely. It was Ye Tiancheng's own overthinking, always expecting the worst. This was not a good trait. If a person's heart harbored too much darkness, it would cast a negative shadow on their future. Ye Tiancheng knew this, but he had grown accustomed to it, and changing it would not be easy. As the saying goes, mountains and rivers are easy to change, but one's nature is hard to alter. He was precisely like that.
"When one is exposed to too much darkness, they become dark themselves. There's a saying, 'He who stays long in a perfumery will eventually not smell the scent.' I think you are that kind of person. I didn't mean anything bad, nor was I flattering you. You think too much and too complexly, just like you yourself – too dark, too complex, and too unreasonable. It always leads people to disappointment."
This line of thinking was truly tragic. For her, it was difficult to comprehend his thoughts. However, for Ye Tiancheng, he had made long-term plans, preparing to gradually reveal his formidable presence and grow stronger step by step, showcasing his abilities.
"Forget it. If you can truly become a strong person, I plan to invest a lot."
Finally understanding his intentions, Su Muxian could only nod and acknowledge his plans at this moment.
"What do you mean 'plan to become strong'? I will absolutely become strong. Only then will I feel at ease and be able to relax for a while." After all, only when one has money in their pocket can they avoid panic. If they are without money, what kind of predicament will they face? That didn't need to be said.
Ye Tiancheng did not elaborate too clearly. He wanted Su Muxian to trust him and fully embrace his plan, naturally to see this matter through to the end.
His plan would be unbearable for Su Muxian, but he did not voice it. The plans hidden in his heart were always like the deepest secrets concealed within him.
"Yes, I also hide such secrets. You are truly not being open enough. If you told me all these things, I would definitely trust you more."
As they were talking, the Su family patriarch, Su Mozhe, walked over. The elder saw his granddaughter chatting animatedly with Ye Tiancheng and immediately laughed, looking favorably upon Ye Tiancheng because of the unique aura he sensed within him.
Seeing the unusual aura emanating from Ye Tiancheng, he looked at him trustingly and said, "Young man, the aura you possess is unlike any other. In the future, you will surely be either a dragon or a phoenix."
"Elder, you flatter me. What's so special about someone like me? Some people treat me like garbage, yet you think so highly of me. It truly overwhelms me." Ye Tiancheng did not hide his thoughts and spoke directly to the elder.
"Anyone who thinks that way must be a great fool." Su Mozhe smiled faintly, his expression exceptionally kind. He looked at Ye Tiancheng with the gaze of a prospective grandson-in-law.
"Elder, you praise me so much, I feel like I could fly. This is truly unexpected."
"I'm talking about you, my granddaughter. You're not young anymore. You should find a partner and put the family's minds at ease. How can we possibly look at you running around like this every day?" Su Mozhe stared at his granddaughter, his face full of concern. "Grandpa, what do you mean by that? Are you suggesting I'm a freeloader at home? Are you planning to kick me out? I'll leave sooner or later, and then you'll surely miss me."
"To eat for a lifetime, and to eat for a meal... you being idle like this is truly unexpected and terrifying. If you continue like this, I will truly consider you irredeemable." Su Mozhe's words made Su Muxian feel utterly embarrassed. How could a woman like her not find a man?
This old man spoke without regard for the occasion, as if he were drunk. Ye Tiancheng felt he was about to explode. Because of what happened with Hou Mingzhu, Ye Tiancheng had no desire for anything related to dating. When such topics arose, it was as if he had touched a taboo.
"What does that woman matter? You will have plenty of women to follow you in the future. So, you don't need to worry about so many things now. You will have countless women by your side." The Divine Stone had seen countless celestial beings, so it could only try to persuade Ye Tiancheng like this.
Ye Tiancheng was now trapped in an inescapable cycle. He had experienced too much in his life. In this lifetime, he might overcome his phobia of women.
That is to say, he no longer wanted to get married. One Hou Mingzhu had already made him suffer the hardships of being a son-in-law. But now he was overthinking things. Not all women were like Hou Mingzhu.
"Therefore, he should pull himself together and bravely move forward." Su Mozhe whispered carefully into his granddaughter's ear. Hearing this, his granddaughter immediately understood her grandfather's intentions; he completely wanted to hand her over to Ye Tiancheng.
"I hear you. You completely want to hand me over to Ye Tiancheng! Grandpa, I'm telling you now, I don't want to get married at all, because marriage offers no freedom. It's much more comfortable to be a single dog."
They began to discuss this issue, completely disregarding Ye Tiancheng's feelings. They were easily deceived and easily swayed. When they discussed these matters, they did not consider others' perspectives, so they did not consider how Ye Tiancheng felt about Su Muxian. They were solely standing from their own standpoint, as their family was perfectly suited for Ye Tiancheng's status. Moreover, the entire Su family believed they could completely control Ye Tiancheng.
After all, Ye Tiancheng owed them far too much.
If they thought this way, they were gravely mistaken.
Because Ye Tiancheng had no intention of getting married too early. Getting married early would delay many, many things. Furthermore, Ye Tiancheng had no feelings for Su Muxian.
Ye Tiancheng had heard their entire conversation but acted as if he were oblivious, standing aside and remaining silent.
Ye Tiancheng's state made Su Muxian very curious. She saw something in his eyes and looked at him strangely, saying, "I think you've understood everything and secretly overheard our conversation, haven't you? Why are you so silent?"
"Being silent is saying everything. I think you should understand my heart."
Hearing Ye Tiancheng speak like this, Su Mozhe couldn't help but dislike him. In his world, others should obey him; there was no room for them to refute him. This old man, Hou Mingzhu, was even more detestable.
"Alright, Grandpa. Since he is so promising, why should we force him? Business people should go with the flow; it's twice as effective. Why go against the current?" She believed young people should resolve their own problems, not have elders interfere. Their experiences belonged to their own era, not this one. In this era, everyone was equal; there was no room for imposing one's will on others.
"You are still too young and have experienced too little. If you lived to my age, you would naturally understand my thoughts." Su Mozhe was, of course, looking out for his granddaughter. If she couldn't secure this man now, it would be even harder to control him as he developed.