Chapter 276: Chapter 274: Mom is Up to No Good
"Mom!" Jian Xi frowned, pulling her mother’s hand down. "I’m not sick; I’m perfectly healthy. Si Yuhuan claimed I had depressive delusional disorder before, and I only went along with it because I desperately wanted to divorce him. I figured if I was ’ill,’ his cold-hearted nature would surely make him let me go."
"So, you’re not sick?" Jian’s Mother asked, bewildered, looking her up and down.
"Guaranteed healthy!"
"BOO HOO HOO! My foolish girl, my precious child! I almost believed you were sick... you terrified me...."
"EH? Wait a minute, I...."
To prevent his mother’s thoughts from spiraling, Jian Chuxin quickly interjected, "Mom, don’t you want to hear what Xixi has to say?"
"You’re right! I’ll deal with you later. Go ahead, Xixi, speak!"
Just as Jian Xi was about to speak, Father Jian declared, "Impossible! The Jian Group has only recently completed its transformation, and many underlying issues still exist. We don’t have the resources to hire a top-tier chief R&D engineer." He sighed. "Besides, in the entire country, let alone the world, there’s no chip developer more skilled than Luo You!"
"The one I intend to poach is Luo You," Jian Xi stated.
Her words landed like a bombshell, turning the Jian Family upside down.
Even Jian Chuxin, typically unfazed by anything, had a sharp glint in his handsome eyes. "You’re saying Luo You could become an asset to the Jian Family?"
"Yes!" Jian Xi affirmed confidently. "He’s willing to switch employers. I’ve already instructed the legal department to draft the contract discreetly and quickly."
"Then the Jian Group will soon become the number one conglomerate in China!" Jian Chuxin exclaimed, beaming.
A chief technical engineer of Luo You’s caliber wasn’t merely selling his services; his value was far more profound. His research projects were his personal intellectual property. Whichever faction managed to recruit him would gain an invaluable asset—a veritable money tree bringing in endless profits.
Without Luo You, the Tianqi Group would be like a tiger without its fangs; its bite wouldn’t inflict much pain. Conversely, armed with these sharp "teeth," the Jian Group could experience rapid growth in a short time. They could dominate fields like technology and AI, wielding absolute authority.
These were prospects the Jian Family had never dared to imagine.
Jian’s Mother looked at Jian Xi as if she didn’t recognize her own daughter.
"Out of the question!" The sole voice of dissent came from Father Jian.
Pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back, Father Jian elaborated, "Setting aside the Tianqi Group’s aggressive tactics for a moment, Fu Shengyuan himself is not an easy man to deal with. Even though I’m no longer active in the business world, I still hear things. Back then, the Fu Family was in turmoil, riddled with internal conflict and dissent. No one deferred to anyone else. Fu Qixiang, in particular, was exceptionally capable and influential. Yet, in the end, didn’t Fu Shengyuan still become the head of Tianyao Group?"
It was acknowledged, "Yes, Father is right. Fu Shengyuan is formidable. Trying to poach someone from him without a foolproof plan means we might not emerge unscathed."
Jian Chuxin disagreed. "Who cares! Let’s get him first. Worst-case scenario, we’ll see if he’s a mule or a horse by taking him out for a stroll. No matter how powerful Fu Shengyuan is, it’s unlikely he could destroy the Jian Family now that we have Luo You."
Jian’s Mother, uncharacteristically quiet, listened from the sidelines, her eyes darting about thoughtfully.
Jian Xi nodded. "I agree with Second Brother. With Luo You on our side, we hold the negotiating power. Fu Shengyuan will find it difficult to easily take down our Jian Family. It’s about time the title of ’wealthiest in China’ came to our family."
Her ambition and vision filled Father Jian and Jian’s Mother with pride. Their daughter was becoming increasingly accomplished.
「That night.」
Lying in bed, Father Jian tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Jian’s Mother was in the middle of her skincare routine. Glancing at her husband, she quickly set down her products and scooted closer to him.
Father Jian coughed. "Ah, I’m a bit tired tonight."
Jian’s Mother glared at him. "Which night are you *not* tired?"
Father Jian looked awkward. "I..."
"Relax, I won’t give you a hard time tonight. I just want to talk about Fu Shengyuan." Jian’s Mother smiled slyly. "You’re all racking your brains about how to deal with Fu Shengyuan, but has anyone considered how to bring him into the Jian Family’s camp?"
Father Jian quickly pushed her away. "What are you thinking? Do you take business wars for child’s play? I’m warning you, discard that idea immediately. It’s absolutely out of the question! Be careful you don’t end up playing with fire; the Jian Family could be doomed beyond redemption."
"Hey! Do you take me for a fool? Back when you were making waves in the company, wasn’t it *I* who helped you build our success? Now you dismiss my thoughts as mere ’womanly notions’! Why not just say you men are overthinking things? If Xixi misses out on a good marriage because of this, I’ll hold it against you forever!"
Father Jian remained steadfastly opposed.
Jian’s Mother gritted her teeth in frustration, turned over, and lay with her back to him. HMPH! Just you wait and see, she fumed silently.
Fu Shengyuan is quite impressive, Jian’s Mother mused. He’s sincere, capable, and especially respectful to elders. A truly good match! So much better than that cold-faced King of Hell, Si Yuhuan! Just watch me work my magic. Good things are coming, everything will fall into place. Then my children will see just how capable I am!
「The next morning.」
Jian Xi stretched lazily as she came downstairs. Not seeing her mother, she asked a servant, "Where’s Mom?"
"The Madam left early, miss," the servant replied. "She said she was meeting friends to play cards and wouldn’t be home for breakfast. Shall we serve your meal now?"
Jian Xi frowned, a flicker of confusion in her eyes. "Alright, go ahead."
She went to call her father, eldest brother, and second brother.
The family gathered around the dining table, a rare occasion for them to eat together.
Jian Chuxin glanced around. "Where’s Mom?"
Jian Mingcheng looked up at Father Jian.
A fleeting expression of worry crossed Father Jian’s face, quickly masked by a smile. "Playing cards. Don’t worry about her."
There’s a problem! Jian Xi noted inwardly, seeing through his facade.
After breakfast, Jian Mingcheng, ever dedicated to his work, left first. Jian Chuxin, enjoying a rare day off, returned to his room to catch up on sleep. This left only Jian Xi and Father Jian.
"Spit it out," Jian Xi said directly. "Where did Mom really go?"
Her father’s devotion to her mother was legendary; he’d pluck stars from the sky and dredge the moon from the sea for her if he could. Something major must have happened to make him this worried!
Father Jian hesitated, then, as if steeling himself, said, "Your mother... she might have gone to see Fu Shengyuan."
He lowered his head after speaking.
"What?"
Jian Xi immediately turned and hurried out the door.
「At the café.」
Jian’s Mother observed Fu Shengyuan, who sat opposite her, sizing him up. "Handsome, truly handsome. With a fine man like you pursuing our Xixi, I can rest easy."
Fu Shengyuan sipped his coffee with gentlemanly grace. An air of unreachable nobility emanated from him. His face wore a subtle, constant smile—not haughty, but humble and polite. "Xixi is wonderful. My affection for her is genuine, without any ulterior motives. I certainly don’t care whether she’s been married before, or to whom."
"Excellent! Hearing you say that, Auntie feels much relieved," Jian’s Mother said, beaming. She regarded Fu Shengyuan as a prospective mother-in-law appraises a son-in-law; the more she looked, the more pleased she became.
"Auntie, you invited me here today. Is there something specific you wished to discuss?" Fu Shengyuan inquired. He understood. Almost from the moment Jian’s Mother had sat down, he had deduced her purpose for seeking him out.
"Oh, it’s nothing too serious. It’s just that Xixi’s father’s birthday is approaching, and we’re planning a rather large celebration. We were wondering if you’d grace us as a guest of honor?"
HUH? Fu Shengyuan thought. That’s it?
A corner of Fu Shengyuan’s lips twitched.