"Alright?" Qin Ningyi asked them coldly.
The middle-aged man maintained a perfectly polite smile. "You've caused Mr. Qin some trouble. Please, get in the car."
As Qin Ningyi stepped out of the car, a traditional Chinese courtyard gate came into view. The gate was open, allowing a glimpse into the main hall.
An elderly man with white hair sat in the center, exuding an imposing aura. Beside him were two pots of rare orchids.
Qin Ningyi's gaze fell upon the orchids, and he suddenly recalled Huo Rou's earlier mention of "an old man who bought her flowers." At the time, he hadn't paid it much mind. Now, it turned out that casual remark referred to the dreaded Old Jiang.
"Please, Mr. Qin," the middle-aged man said, standing outside the courtyard gate and gesturing for Qin Ningyi to enter.
These people left after bringing Qin Ningyi here. Qin Ningyi was then escorted by someone from inside the courtyard towards the main hall.
As he observed his surroundings, Qin Ningyi noticed a strict division of responsibilities and clear boundaries among the people here.
If this weren't the Jiang family's residence, he would have genuinely praised their discipline.
Upon reaching the main hall, Qin Ningyi saw that besides Old Jiang, who occupied the main seat, others were also seated on both sides of the lower table.
He wasn't surprised by this. His grandfather and Old Jiang had been rivals, both openly and covertly, for years. Old Jiang would surely not meet with Qin Han's grandson alone.
Despite their formidable numbers, Qin Ningyi remained calm and composed. He entered the hall, ignoring everyone's scrutinizing gazes, and simply nodded to the man at the head of the table. "Old Jiang."
Old Jiang nodded and studied him from head to toe.
After a long moment, Old Jiang finally spoke. His voice was deep and authoritative. Although his tone was calm, it carried a heavy sense of pressure. "To have Xiao Zhu relay a message for you… Young man, you are no ordinary person."
Old Jiang made no attempt to hide his curiosity.
The people seated on either side of the hall, however, were filled with caution, as if worried that if Qin Han found fault with them, they would send his grandson to their doom.
"Xiao Zhu mentioned you are here for Xiao…" Old Jiang suddenly paused, then continued as if nothing had happened, "For Huo Rou?"
"Yes." Qin Ningyi had been very clear with Wang Haozhuo, and he had no intention of concealing anything from Old Jiang.
Old Jiang wore a peculiar smile. "What makes her worth the risk for you, Mr. Qin, to venture into our wolf's den?"
The people seated on the sides couldn't help but twitch their lips at Old Jiang's description of his own territory.
Old Jiang shot them a glance, and they immediately resumed their stern expressions, continuing to stare at Qin Ningyi with menacing gazes.
A thought echoed in their minds: they shouldn't have come to watch the excitement involving the young master of the Qin family. Being ordered by Old Jiang to maintain "menacing gazes" the entire time had made their eyes sore.
What were they doing this for at their age? It would be much better to leave it to the younger generation.
Neither Qin Ningyi nor Old Jiang noticed their regret. The two men were locked in a silent contest.
"I wish to erase all traces of Ah Rou's presence in your Jiang family. You can name your price, as long as it is within my control," Qin Ningyi said, looking directly at Old Jiang. The thought of being able to marry Huo Rou with his family's consent made it all worthwhile.
But why discuss this with Old Jiang?
In business, one had to offer sufficient benefits to entice Old Jiang. He wouldn't be so foolish as to believe Old Jiang genuinely cared about his relationship with Huo Rou.
"Heh, such a bold statement, 'name your price'?" Old Jiang's smile faded, and his eyes pierced Qin Ningyi. "You probably don't even know what kind of existence Huo Rou is within our Jiang family, yet you want to erase her presence here. What are you trying to achieve?"
"That is my business. Do you accept this deal?" Qin Ningyi was accustomed to concealing his intentions and rarely stated everything explicitly.
Hearing Qin Ningyi's request, the people around them wore strange expressions. Had Qin Ningyi spared them a glance, he would have noticed something was amiss.
However, he was solely focused on resolving this troublesome matter and introducing Huo Rou to his family. Then, as long as they weren't adversaries, his grandfather would have no reason to reject the woman he chose as his wife.
This would also resolve the estrangement with An An.
When one is too focused on a goal, they tend to overlook surrounding details. Qin Ningyi was no exception.
Old Jiang suddenly burst into laughter.
"So you think Huo Rou is my subordinate?" he retorted.
Qin Ningyi simply stared into his eyes, offering no comment.
Seeing his silence, Old Jiang continued along the same line of thought. "So, you know she is one of our Jiang family members, and yet you still want to like her? Heh, if Qin Han were to find out, would he be so enraged that he'd spit blood? Hahahaha…"
As Old Jiang spoke, his logic flowed smoothly, and he couldn't help but laugh.
"They say the eldest young master of the Qin family has a placid temperament and few obsessions. It seems the rumors are inaccurate?"
The thought of Qin Ningyi personally coming to their door for Huo Rou made Old Jiang want to laugh. His words became more effusive.
Having stated his terms, Qin Ningyi was at a disadvantage. He wouldn't be foolish enough to answer Old Jiang's questions.
Seeing that he couldn't extract any more information, Old Jiang's eyes twinkled. He smiled and gave Qin Ningyi a definite answer. "Keeping the fact that Huo Rou is a member of our Jiang family a secret, that can be done."
Finally, they got to the point. "What are the conditions?"
Qin Ningyi asked earnestly, in a business-like manner.
The people seated on the sides had been secretly exchanging meaningful glances with Old Jiang since he made that statement.
What was he doing? Huo Rou was a member of the Jiang family? And he wanted to erase her traces within the Jiang family?
Good heavens, they couldn't believe their normally wise and powerful Old Jiang would say such a thing. This task was no less difficult than expelling Old Jiang's son from the Jiang family immediately, possibly even harder.
Furthermore, could Old Jiang bear to do it himself?
Old Jiang acknowledged their gazes but chose to ignore them to avoid alerting Qin Ningyi. Internally, he grumbled: I was just saying it. Why are these fellows so clueless? I need to train them better. Next time, I'll have Xiao Rou come over!
After a brief moment of distraction, Old Jiang refocused his thoughts. He pondered for a moment, recalling the matter of his disobedient daughter that he had heard about a few days ago. He cleared his throat. "I heard that Qin Corporation is currently bidding for a piece of land…"
Firstly, his disobedient daughter could be taught a lesson. Secondly…
Xiao Rou was currently living in Yu Chang City. The land Qin Corporation was bidding for was in a good location and quite large. He planned to build a courtyard for Xiao Rou there. She could then set aside a piece of land to grow flowers and vegetables. He would also move her equipment back, so Xiao Rou could live as comfortably as before.
"The company hasn't acquired it yet, and I cannot give you a definite answer. Sir…" Qin Ningyi frowned, hesitant to agree to something uncertain.