"Uncle, what are you talking about? What do you mean tell Gu Xingdong everything I've done? What have I done that you have to treat me like this?" As Zhang Wan'er spoke, a trace of guilt involuntarily crept into her tone.
Yang Zhiguo took in her expression, feeling an indescribable disappointment. Zhang Wan'er was the only child his brother had left behind, and she was destined to inherit all the enterprises of the Zhang and Yang families.
The Yang family was primarily involved in military commerce, where conscience was paramount. Zhang Wan'er's current state clearly made her unsuitable to inherit the Yang family fortune.
In fact, more than the inheritance itself, what disappointed Yang Zhiguo more was that his brother's only child had not been properly raised. How could he face his brother in the afterlife?
With this thought, Yang Zhiguo's gaze gradually became resolute. He slammed his palm onto the tabletop, then stood up and declared, "There is no room for negotiation on this matter. If you insist on leaving the capital with Gu Xingdong, I will not hesitate to use force to keep you here.
Until you turn twenty, all the assets and influence under your control will be managed by me and your mother. Your mother and I are united on this: neither of us wants you to have any connection with anyone surnamed Gu!"
"Uncle, must you make this so unpleasant?" Tears welled up in Wan'er's eyes. She roughly wiped them away with her hand. Before Yang Zhiguo could say anything, she dashed to the window and leaned half her body out.
Seeing her actions, Yang Zhiguo's eyelids twitched violently. In a fit of frustration, he patted his thigh and asked, "What are you doing? Can't we just talk things through? Must you resort to this kind of threat?!"
Zhang Wan'er wept profusely, her tears falling like pear blossoms. She began to lament, "I want to talk things through with you too, but you're determined to use force to keep me here, showing no intention of discussing it properly!
Gu Xingdong is the only man I've ever truly cared for. I want to be with him. I know he has a wife, but so what? I have a way to make Gu Xingdong fall in love with me. The one who isn't loved is the mistress!
Uncle, please help me. Let me be with Gu Xingdong. I promise you right here, if I'm with Gu Xingdong, I'll diligently learn the art of company management from you!"
Seeing Zhang Wan'er's stubbornness, Yang Zhiguo felt a headache coming on. He pursed his lips and was about to refuse when Zhang Wan'er directly extended one foot out of the window. "If I can't be with Gu Xingdong, I'd rather die. I've never even met my father; this is a good chance to see what he looks like!
If my father were still alive, I believe he would unconditionally support and agree to any request I had. Unfortunately, I am a child without a father, and even if I have something I want to pursue, I cannot gain support!"
With that, Zhang Wan'er's tears began to fall uncontrollably again. Yang Zhiguo stood by, feeling great distress. Seeing Zhang Wan'er swaying precariously, on the verge of falling, he took a deep breath and said, "Alright, I promise you. I'll help you pursue Gu Xingdong.
But you must also promise me that you'll do it through legitimate means, not like last time, by colluding with those murderers. Haven't you considered how much your reputation would be affected if this were discovered?"
Upon receiving Yang Zhiguo's assurance, Zhang Wan'er immediately stopped crying, her voice slightly choked. "Are what you're saying really true? You're not lying to me, are you? You're not just trying to trick me into coming down, and then you'll deal with the rest later?"
Yang Zhiguo raised his hand to his forehead with a sigh. "I always keep my word. There's no need for me to deceive you. Besides, if this little devil finds out I've lied to her, who knows what more irrational things she might do? It would be more loss than gain for me, wouldn't it?"
Seeing Yang Zhiguo's smooth talk, Zhang Wan'er still harbored some doubt. She tentatively asked, "Uncle, you said you'll help me be with Gu Xingdong, but what about Chen Lishu?"
Mentioning Chen Lishu, Yang Zhiguo fell silent. After a long while, he said with a hint of guilt, "Although that child is a burden, she hasn't done anything wrong. Since I've chosen to help you in this endeavor, I'm ultimately letting her down. Therefore, I plan to find a better man for her as compensation.
Perhaps it's because the two of them are fated to clash. I'll find someone whose birth date matches hers, so she won't be a burden to her husband. With her own capabilities, she might even develop her company further!"
Hearing Yang Zhiguo's plan, Zhang Wan'er finally felt certain that he genuinely intended to help her be with Gu Xingdong. Without another word, she jumped down from the window.
With excitement etched on her face, she hugged Yang Zhiguo's arm and said, "Thank you, Uncle! Gu Xingdong and I will be together. We'll serve by your side. Don't just stand there, hurry up and book my ticket!"
Yang Zhiguo playfully tapped Zhang Wan'er and chided, "Be together properly? What kind of girl are you, not knowing propriety or shame! It's not even a sure thing yet!"
Facing Yang Zhiguo's scolding, Zhang Wan'er paid no mind. Instead, she stuck out her tongue and said, "Got it, got it..."
----
Meanwhile, at the Siheyuan courtyard, Gu Xingdong had no idea what Zhang Wan'er was plotting. He opened the bedroom door to find Chen Lishu tossing and turning on the bed.
"What's wrong? Still worried about that matter?" Gu Xingdong approached Chen Lishu and asked softly.
Feeling the warmth of Gu Xingdong's embrace, Chen Lishu's furrowed brow slowly relaxed. She softly replied with an "Mm," then continued, "The employees are waiting to resume work, but I'm completely out of ideas. I'm not sure what to do right now."
Gu Xingdong held her tighter, comforting her. "Don't rush. If you can't think of anything, let's go out for a walk and clear your head. Perhaps we'll have an unexpected discovery?"
Chen Lishu propped herself up, asking curiously, "Go out? Where can we go at this hour of the night?"
"Not tonight. I've been assigned a mission to travel to Modu tomorrow. It'll likely take about a month. I was hoping you could accompany me."