177: Chapter 177: I Don’t Have an Ex-Husband 177: Chapter 177: I Don’t Have an Ex-Husband Wednesday noon.
A little past twelve, Su He had just returned to her office from the operating room when her phone started ringing.
Picking up her cell phone, she saw the incoming call was from Jiang Yan.
She answered: “Hello, what’s up?”
Actually, Jiang Yan had already sent her a WeChat message before calling, she just hadn’t had the time to look at it.
Seeing that she hadn’t responded for a while, he called her.
The man’s deep magnetic voice came through the phone: “Finished with work?”
“Hmm,” Su He said, “Just finished a surgery, was about to go have lunch.”
“Then come down to the parking lot, I’ll take you to lunch.”
Su He was slightly startled; he hadn’t mentioned coming over for lunch before.
But she didn’t ask further, just responded with an “Oh.”
Then she said, “You’ll have to wait a few minutes for me, I need to change.”
She was still in her surgical scrubs.
“Sure, no rush, take your time.”
The man didn’t hurry her.
…
Parking lot.
Once Su He came down, she immediately saw the familiar car parked not far from the elevator exit.
She had only walked a few steps when Jiang Feng got out of the car and opened the rear door for her in advance.
He smiled at Su He and called out, “Young Madam.”
Su He nodded in acknowledgement, “Thanks.”
After speaking, she bent down and got into the car.
“Why did you suddenly decide to come and have lunch with me?”
As soon as she got in the car, she turned to the man sitting beside and asked.
Jiang Yan turned his head to look at her, “I sent you a WeChat message.”
By her question, it was obvious she hadn’t seen his message.
Su He was taken aback.
Did he send her a message?
She really hadn’t had time to look at her phone, having come down right after changing clothes following his call.
With a somewhat embarrassed smile, she pursed her red lips: “Sorry, it was a busy morning.
I didn’t get a chance to check my messages.”
Following that, the man leaned in, his long, handsome fingers lifting her chin.
In that instant, his crisp scent enveloped the tip of her nose.
His deep voice rose again: “Shouldn’t Mrs.
Jiang compensate me a little for that?
Hmm?”
What?
What was she supposed to compensate him for?
Su He was bewildered.
Her sparkling peach blossom eyes blinked in confusion, the tear mole at the corner making her look especially captivating.
Her long eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings, casting shadows on her fair skin.
“Can you say…”
Clearly—
Before she could finish speaking, he kissed her, blocking the rest of her words in her throat.
Jiang Qi, in the driver’s seat, chose to ignore the situation in the rear, looking intently at the steering wheel with his head slightly bowed.
As for Jiang Feng, who had yet not got into the car, he very conscientiously turned away upon witnessing the scene.
The man didn’t take advantage or linger, just tasted briefly.
After the kiss, he still hooked his thin lips and said, “I quite like this compensation.”
Su He: “…”
With all said and done by himself, what more could she say?
…
Half an hour later, Taoyao Inn.
Just like before, their dishes arrived shortly after they sat down.
Truth be told, she quite enjoyed having meals with this man.
After all, there was no need to think about what to eat; he would take care of everything, which saved a lot of trouble.
Midway through the meal, Su He remembered something and decided to tell him so she wouldn’t forget later.
“Grandpa’s birthday is next Tuesday, do you have time to come back with me?” she asked, tilting her head to look at the man peeling shrimp beside her.
She knew he was busy, managing two big companies after all.
“If you’re busy, I can just go back with the kid, and I’ll explain it to Grandpa.
He won’t mind.”
Even peeling shrimp, the man exuded an air of noble elegance.
He calmly placed the peeled shrimp meat onto the plate in front of her and said, “Don’t worry, I have the time.
Besides, the company won’t go under just because I’m away for a few days.
Relax, your gold vault won’t collapse.”
Su He knew his last comment was teasing her, and she let it pass without a word, “Okay then.”
Then, she went back to devouring her meal.
After all, she was really hungry, having used up half her energy in the morning.
“Eat slowly, no one is racing you, and there’s plenty of time.”
Seeing her speed up again, he gently reminded her.
Su He had a bad habit of eating too quickly sometimes, and with the amount she ate, it could lead to indigestion.
While eating, Jiang Yan’s phone rang.
He was wearing gloves to peel shrimp and was too busy to answer the call.
Su He looked at him and said, “You take the call; it’s fine, I’ve had enough shrimp.”
However, the man said unhurriedly, “You answer it for me, it should be Jiang Feng calling.”
Su He reached out to pick up his phone.
Indeed, it was Jiang Feng.
She answered and then put it on speaker, holding the phone out in front of him while her other hand continued to grab food to eat.
Then, Jiang Feng’s voice came through: “Master, they’ve arrived, and the cameras have been installed ahead of time.”
The man replied with an affirmation, “Okay, got it.”
Su He didn’t quite understand what they were talking about, but it didn’t interfere with her meal.
Not long after hanging up, Jiang Qi came in with a tablet.
“Master, it’s all connected.”
Jiang Qi placed the tablet in the middle of the table and then stepped aside.
Su He looked puzzled at the man next to her, asking, “What’s this for?
Watching a movie?”
The man chuckled softly, “I’m taking you to watch a play.
After it’s over, I’ll take you back to work.”
“Another play?” she asked curiously with a blink: “What kind of play this time?
It’s not eye-searing, is it?”
Last time he took her to a charitable gala hosted by Lou Ruozhi to watch a play, which was rather eye-searing, and she still had vivid memories of it.
The man lifted his head and rubbed the back of her head, his voice warm and soothing, “What are you thinking about?
Not every play is eye-searing.”
Relieved to hear it wasn’t eye-searing, Su He was still munching away.
“Alright.”
As soon as she spoke, a voice that didn’t belong there came from the tablet in front of her.
She looked towards the sound and saw a familiar and a strange figure appearing on the screen.
The familiar figure was none other than Lou Ruozhi.
Uh…
Having previously had an experience to draw from, her mind jumped to conclusions, “Isn’t she here to meet a lover?
To retaliate for Lou Guohui’s affair?”
Jiang Qi silently commented in his mind: Young Madam has quite the imagination.
Jiang Yan looked at her, “No, this is my dad’s attorney before he passed away.”
She didn’t know that Lou Ruozhi was after the will, but her intuition told her that these two people were definitely up to something.
“Why is she looking for Dad’s lawyer?”
Even though she had never seen Mr.
Jiang, it rolled off the tongue quite naturally.
“You’ll know once you’ve seen it.”
“Oh, okay.”
Then, she started enjoying the delicious cuisine while watching the play.
On the screen, two people were sitting face to face at a round table, and judging by the background setting, Su He guessed it must be a private room in Taoyao Inn.
Then, Lou Ruozhi’s voice was heard saying, “Mr.
Luo, why haven’t you been reachable these past few days?”
Just this morning, Luo Hong, who had been missing for several days, suddenly contacted her, wanting to meet.
Her anxious mood over those days found some relief, but she still harbored doubts.
Without revealing too much, Luo Hong replied: “I apologize, Mrs.
Lou.
I was involved in a case that required me to travel these past few days.
Due to the special nature of the case, I had my phone with my assistant, so I didn’t receive your calls.
It was only last night that I saw you had called me several times, so I thought to contact you this morning.”
“You also know that the cases I handle are major ones with strict confidentiality.
Typically, I am not allowed to carry any electronic devices with me.”
Lou Ruozhi could understand his explanation, after all, Luo Hong was a famous lawyer.
Seeing that she did not inquire further, Luo Hong took the initiative to bring up the will.
“Mrs.
Lou, I know you have been eager to obtain Old Chairman Jiang’s will.
Before, I could barely agree to help you because Younger Director Jiang was seriously ill, but now it’s probably no longer possible.
You know, Younger Director Jiang is fine now.
If I help you and he starts asking questions, my decades of practicing law would be for naught, and Younger Director Jiang would not spare me.
After all, unlike you and your protection from the Lou Family, and you being Younger Director Jiang’s birth mother, even if he were very angry, he wouldn’t lash out at you.
As for me, I’m just a commoner, and I have a family to support.”
While Su He was eating and listening, she suddenly heard something about a will and glanced at the screen on the tablet.
A will?
She didn’t ask Jiang Yan; instead, she continued to listen.
At this moment, Lou Ruozhi spoke, “Mr.
Luo, I understand your concerns, but rest assured, if I get the money from the will, the Lou Family will certainly ensure your safety.”
Mr.
Luo replied with a wry smile, “Mrs.
Lou, you might convince some younger lawyers with these words.
While I have never lived within a wealthy household, I have dealt with many cases involving them and am quite familiar with their overt and covert dealings.
Protecting one’s own interests is a common strategy among the wealthy, and should Younger Director Jiang assign blame one day, it would still be my misfortune, and it could even implicate my entire Luo Family.”
Lou Ruozhi frowned upon hearing his words.
She hadn’t expected Luo Hong to become so cautious after a few days’ absence.
“So what do you want?” she asked.
“Mrs.
Lou, I don’t want anything.
In fact, as long as you fulfill the conditions left by Old Chairman Jiang, you will naturally inherit the estate.”
“Conditions?” Lou Ruozhi asked in confusion: “What conditions?”
Then, Luo Hong took a document from his briefcase.
Naturally, Jiang Yan also noticed that she had stopped her movements.
He asked her, “Have you had enough?”
Su He answered casually, “No, I’ll eat later, just taking a break.”
The man smiled and said nothing more.
Indeed, she had eaten a bit much; resting for a bit was good.
Hearing his laughter, Su He turned back to look at him, “You’re still in the mood to laugh?”
“Why can’t I laugh?
Hmm?”
Su He pointed at the tablet, saying, “She’s about to get dad’s inheritance, are you really going to just let her have it?”
Although Lou Ruozhi was his birth mother, since finding out about that incident, Su He didn’t think Jiang Yan would go easy on Lou Ruozhi.
As Jiang You had said, he did indeed value family, but when betrayed by family, he could also give them up without hesitation, even if it was the closest person to him.
Having spent time together lately, she had come to understand a bit of his character and temperament.
The man countered with a question, “Do you think that’s likely?”
Upon hearing this, she instinctively shook her head.
The man’s gaze softened, “There you have it.”
“…”
At this moment, Luo Hong’s voice also came from the tablet.
“Mrs.
Lou, the condition is quite simple: you just need to divorce your current husband and be single again.”
As Luo Hong’s words concluded, Lou Ruozhi was evidently taken aback.
Su He was also stunned; her father-in-law, whom she had never met, actually had such foresight to set such a condition.
But thinking about it, it made sense.
Before divorcing Mr.
Jiang, Lou Ruozhi had already got entangled with Lou Guohui.
It was normal for Mr.
Jiang to add such a clause in his will.
However, why was it a supplementary condition?
She always felt like Mr.
Luo hadn’t finished speaking.
But these were only her hunches.
Then, Lou Ruozhi’s voice also rose: “Are you sure this condition exists?”
Luo Hong didn’t waste words, directly showing her the document.
He spoke earnestly and with a hint of seriousness, “Mrs.
Lou, I have no need to deceive you.”
Although it was not Old Chairman Jiang who proposed this condition, Younger Director Jiang is Old Chairman Jiang’s son, and by rounding up, it could be considered as Old Chairman Jiang’s proposal.
Thus, he wasn’t really lying.
Of course, these thoughts were merely murmurs in the back of his own mind.
“As long as you get divorced, it counts as meeting the additional condition.”
Lou Ruozhi was so immersed in this condition that she didn’t specifically dwell on the “additional condition” Luo Hong mentioned.
…
After the two had talked it out, Su He started to understand.
She also realized why Lou Ruozhi had previously been so eager to meet the “gravely ill” Jiang Yan; it turned out it was all for the sake of inheriting the fortune.
Suddenly, she became curious…
She turned her head to look at Jiang Yan again, asking like a curious baby, “How much money is in the inheritance dad left behind?”
She always felt that this sum was substantial, otherwise, Lou Ruozhi wouldn’t be eyeing the inheritance.
Jiang Yan met her gaze and teased, “Take a guess.”
Su He raised an eyebrow, “One billion?”
Mr.
Jiang had quite a high net worth, so she guessed a higher figure.
The man didn’t speak, which meant she guessed wrong.
“Two billion?”
“…”
“Three billion?”
The man then asked, “Are you planning to keep adding one number at a time?”
Su He replied irritably, “Then just tell me directly, otherwise, I can only keep guessing like this.”
The man let out a chuckle and decided not to tease her any longer, “Fifty billion.”
“What?
How much did you say?”
Su He somewhat couldn’t believe the figure she heard.
Even though she had seen larger sums of money before, what surprised her was why Mr.
Jiang would leave such a large sum for Lou Ruozhi?
Being able to leave a substantial sum exclusively for Lou Ruozhi was enough to show that Mr.
Jiang truly loved her, right?
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have left a separate inheritance.
“You heard right, it’s fifty billion.”
“No wonder she’s after the inheritance money dad left; the amount is substantial indeed.”
That’s fifty billion we’re talking about, not fifty million, not even five billion…
In the scene, Su He saw Lou Ruozhi looking worried and distressed.
Looking at her like this, she doesn’t seem to want to divorce at all.
She muttered to herself, “Seems like true love is more important than money.”
Hearing this, Jiang Yan beside her suddenly asked her, “What if it were you?
Would you choose me or the money?”
Su He was momentarily stumped by his sudden question.
A second later, she said with a hint of distress, “The point is, I don’t have an ex-husband who left me an inheritance, so it’s hard to choose, and I don’t know what kind of person my second husband will be.
If he’s handsome and can earn money, I might reluctantly choose him, but if not, then I’d have to choose money.
After all, money can do a lot of things, but sometimes men aren’t as reliable as money.”
Jiang Yan: “…”
Jiang Qi beside her: Young Madam is really daring.
Then she changed the subject: “But if I had to choose between you and money, I simply wouldn’t choose.”
Jiang Yan raised his eyebrows, clearly asking, “What do you mean?”
She smiled and said, “Only children make choices, adults, of course, want it all.”
…
Lou Ruozhi’s voice also rang out: “Does it mean I can get it smoothly as long as I agree?”
Luo Hong answered tightly, “Mrs.
Lou, better get the divorce certificate first before anything else.
I have no choice, after all, I cannot afford to offend Younger Director Jiang.”
“Mr.
Lou loves you so much, I don’t think he would agree.”
Luo Hong casually dropped this comment.