Ch. 1331..1340

apter 1331: The reasons for cooperation at 1330

A few minutes later, everyone took their seats, and the waiter brought a menu with pictures for Laka to choose from. Hang Wei and Xiao Mo were responsible for accompanying Laka, while Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu focused their attention on Lin Yu.

“Third Young Master Zhuang is the dream lover of all girls in the Capital and also the model child of many parents,” Lin Yu recalled, “Even when I was in elementary school, I heard my family talking about a prodigy from the Zhuang family. He could recite multiplication tables at the age of three, write essays at five, and understood simple financial statements at seven. He was a genius without equal in the world.”

Zhuang Liu’s ears turned red as he was praised, and he coughed lightly, saying, “That’s an exaggeration. I wasn’t looking at financial statements, but business distribution charts that my grandfather gave me.”

“It doesn’t make much difference. In my parents’ eyes, you were a very impressive person,” Lin Yu said, “I was young and arrogant at the time, thinking I was the smartest, so I always wanted to meet you and compete with you to see who was really the most impressive. But members of the Zhuang family aren’t so accessible, so it wasn’t until you were in junior high that I got to meet you.”

“I remember you were quite short at the time because you skipped grades to attend junior high, so you were very young and quite small,” Lin Yu laughed a bit and continued, “I thought, how capable can such a little radish head be? But before I had the chance to compete with you, you skipped another grade and left. I was really…”

Lin Yu couldn’t finish his sentence, so Tan Rou helped him with the latter half, “You mean to say you were really about to explode with frustration?”

“No!” Lin Yu slapped his chest and said, “I was really in admiration. There really are such brilliant people in this world!”

Tan Rou’s lips curved slightly, “Mmm, Zhuang Liu is indeed smart.”

Lin Yu said, “Afterward, I always paid attention to Zhuang Liu’s movements, to see if he had skipped another grade. However, he then went abroad, and so did I, followed by being caught and brought to work as a translator for Laka.”

Lin Yu summed up the subsequent events in a few sentences without going into details.

“Actually, I had a purpose for bringing Laka back to the country this time.” Lin Yu finally addressed the part Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu wanted to hear, “I guess you’re also wondering about my purpose. It’s not that I can’t tell you, but I just feel there’s no need to because the reason is quite boring.”

“You may as well say it.” Tan Rou said, “I want to hear it no matter how boring it is, or else I won’t be at peace.”

Zhuang Liu chimed in, “If you think the reason is really boring, just give us a brief explanation, or we might start suspecting you’re a corporate spy.”

Lin Yu chuckled, “A corporate spy? How could I possibly be a corporate spy? My dad said that although I’m working abroad now, I shouldn’t forget my motherland. No matter when, I should always put my motherland first.”

Tan Rou said, “You can express your heartfelt feelings for the motherland later. For now, tell us your purpose.”

Lin Yu replied, “The reason is very simple. The King of J country wants to collaborate with countries that have developed well in technology, but he’s wary of being swindled by them, so he asked me to return home to find a partner for him. He said our country’s people are generous and trustworthy, and would never swindle him.”

Graciously accepting the King of J country’s praises, Tan Rou said, “Oh, so you approached our company?”

“Not exactly,” Lin Yu scratched his head, embarrassedly saying, “The main reason is that the King offered so much money I didn’t want others to take it, so I wanted to find a friend to take on the job. Initially, I wanted to find Zhuang Liu, but the tech companies he owns are quite impressive, yet not the most impressive, and I was afraid the King might not be satisfied.”

“Later I found out about the Zhuang family’s union through marriage with the Tao family, and then I knew TR company belonged to Miss Rou. I thought, since you and Zhuang Liu are going to get married, what’s yours is his, and what’s his is yours. So, it made the most sense to give this business to you, making it the best choice.” Lin Yu finally explained the reason for seeking cooperation with TR.

After listening to Lin Yu, Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu fell silent for a long while. Indeed, the reason for cooperation was very simple: Lin Yu didn’t want outsiders to make money, so he let the wife of an old classmate make the money instead.

 

 

Chapter 1332: 1331 translation fee

After Lin Yu finished speaking, Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu didn’t know what to say. He said the reason was very simple, indeed very simple, nothing like the conspiracy Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu had imagined, it was just Lin Yu wanting to help his friend make some more money.

“What’s the matter with you?” Lin Yu asked, “Is it because my reason is too simple that you don’t believe it? If you don’t believe it, you can verify it, I can help you contact the King of J country…”

“No need!” Tan Rou immediately stopped him, “I believe what you say, it’s just that the reason you gave is really too simple, and indeed hard to convince people, especially since you and Zhuang Liu haven’t known each other for long, and you don’t have a deep relationship, so I still can’t understand why you chose us.”

Lin Yu explained, “Actually at the beginning, I wanted to make this money myself, because nobody would turn away from money. But as you know, my dad’s company is too small, it has nothing to do with the field of technology, even if I wanted to make money, my family’s company doesn’t have the capability.”

“Later, I thought of Zhuang Liu, when I attended the Advanced Scientist certification that year, didn’t I see you at the venue?” Lin Yu continued, “When the King of J country asked me to find someone, I thought of letting Zhuang Liu handle this business deal. Once this cooperation is successful, Zhuang Liu would have made money, and naturally, he wouldn’t forget my help. Afterwards, I could use his connections with the Zhuang family to make it easier for my dad and brother to do business in the Capital.”

“But when I asked you what you wanted, you said you wanted nothing, why was that?” Tan Rou asked, puzzled.

Lin Yu replied, “My dad’s business field and TR company’s business field are completely different, even if I wanted your help, I don’t know how you could assist our family, so I simply didn’t mention it. Moreover, I had already planned that if Zhuang Liu didn’t find out my identity, then I would take the initiative to find him and still try to use his power to help my family’s development.”

“Okay,” Zhuang Liu agreed without hesitation, “Whenever your family needs my help in the future, just let me know. But I have one condition, you must not engage in illegal activities.”

Lin Yu assured, “You can rest assured on that point, my dad is the most law-abiding person, otherwise he wouldn’t have clearly split from Xue Lin’s father.”

“I can also help if your family wants to venture into the field of science and technology in the future,” since Lin Yu had handed such a big business deal to Tan Rou, she couldn’t just show no gesture.

“Okay,” Lin Yu brought up another matter, “Miss Rou, do you remember what I told you last night about the translation fee?”

Tan Rou of course remembered, resolving the issue of the translation fee Lin Yu mentioned was one of the tasks for today.

“Hmm,” Tan Rou asked, “At the time, you said this translation fee wasn’t from you, but is it from Prince Laka or his father?”

Lin Yu smiled slightly, “Naturally, it’s from his father.” He glanced at Laka who was still ordering, and said, “As you can see, Prince Laka isn’t a very smart person, but as the only son of the King of J country, he could likely be the future heir. The heir is always causing headaches for the King, who want to create a prosperous kingdom for his child to ensure he lives well after his passing.”

Tan Rou could tell what Lin Yu implied, essentially that the King thought his son was too foolish and wanted to leave more good things for his son so that he could survive well after the old man’s death.

“How do you plan to pay me that translation fee?” Tan Rou asked directly.

“After hearing Laka’s narrative, the King felt it was necessary to have you design a locator system for them, which wouldn’t only ensure Laka’s safety but also benefit others,” Lin Yu said, “Members of the royal family are often exposed to danger, especially in their own country, so when they are kidnapped, they need a locator to determine their location and help rescue personnel find them.”

Tan Rou understood, so this translation fee was also part of a collaboration.

 

Chapter 1333: 1332 is getting ready to go to Country J

Tan Rou chuckled, “In the end, is it you who are paying me a translation fee, or am I paying you? Why do I still have to work?”

Lin Yu replied, “Miss Rou, I know you are not satisfied with the translation fee, but rest assured, as long as the system development required by the King is completed, there definitely won’t be a shortage of money. The Royal House of J is the wealthiest royal family and they are very generous with their spending. If you can establish a good relationship with them, will you still worry about not having money in the future?”

Tan Rou raised an eyebrow. She indeed loved making money, but given her limited energy, she was not currently able to do business with so many people. “Alright, I’ll take your suggestion into consideration for now, but I need to think more about cooperating with others. Let’s talk about this issue later.”

“Fine.” Lin Yu had completed his task and said, “We’ll talk about the locator project tomorrow. Let’s eat now; I’m already hungry.”

Then he asked Laka in the J language, “Laka, have you chosen your dishes?”

Laka replied, “The dishes here look good, but I don’t know what to choose that will taste good.”

Lin Yu said, “Trust me, whatever you choose, it will be the same because none of them taste good. If you want something delicious, I can take you somewhere else tomorrow.”

With that, Laka stopped fussing. After all, there would be good food tomorrow, so he just picked a few dishes that looked appealing.

After dinner, Lin Yu and Laka left, but Tan Rou and the others had not yet departed as they still had some things to discuss.

“Boss, do you really want to take on the locator project?” Hang Wei was reluctant to take on the project because it seemed very troublesome, “Currently, the locators and systems we produce are only adapted to our country’s environment. If this locator is to be used in J, you’ll need to switch to a new system and have corresponding satellite equipment.”

Tan Rou was well aware of Hang Wei’s concerns. She had thought of the same thing when she tactfully declined Laka the day before. However, Lin Yu brought up the locator project again today, suggesting that a new breakthrough might have occurred.

“I had already thought about the issue you’re considering. I discussed the locator with Laka yesterday and I subtly refused him then,” said Tan Rou. “Yet, Laka still showed a very eager expression. He said that if I planned to sell locators abroad, his country should be the first one I consider.”

Hang Wei said bluntly, “If I may speak frankly, J is really not a good country for selling locators. Although their royal family is very rich, the living conditions of the common people are very poor. Relying solely on the royal family’s support won’t bring in much money, and the operation would be too troublesome. The money earned wouldn’t compensate for our losses.”

“I remember when TR’s locator was created, it was to make finding people more convenient,” Zhuang Liu commented. “J’s biggest challenge at the moment is that their satellite equipment is lagging. However, J does have satellites, and this cooperation was proposed by the King of J. Perhaps he may have a way to solve the satellite equipment issue.”

“Hmm,” Tan Rou nodded. “I founded TR Company to create more products that would benefit mankind, like the locator, and like the fully automatic wheelchair we’re currently developing. If the products our company creates can make people’s lives a little easier, then I’ve achieved my goal.”

“Are you really going to take on this project?” Hang Wei asked again to confirm Tan Rou’s attitude.

Tan Rou’s tone was very firm, “Yes! I hope the locators produced by our company can be distributed worldwide and that everyone can afford to use them, so no more cases of women and children going missing will occur.”

Although realizing this ideal was difficult, Tan Rou still wanted to persist. If one more person used it, it could prevent one more incident from happening.

“We don’t know much about the current situation in J. If you want to take on the locator project, we’ll need to send someone over for field research before planning the next steps,” Hang Wei considered. “Who do you plan to send?”

Tan Rou replied, “I plan to go there myself, consider it a summer trip abroad.”

Zhuang Liu immediately said, “I’ll go with you.” To stop Tan Rou from refusing, he added, “I also have business in J, and this trip is for business discussions.”

 

Chapter 1334: The contradiction arose in 1333

“Do you think I would believe that?” Tan Rou said with great helplessness, “I’m already an adult, and I’m the boss of TR company, can’t I have my own career? You can go see your business partners, and I can go find mine. Have I ever said I wanted to follow you every time you go on a business trip?”

Zhuang Liu had his own reasons, as he said, “People in Country J don’t have a strong sense of law, and their thinking is more aligned with feudal society. I’m very worried about your safety when you go there alone.”

Tan Rou really disliked this kind of reasoning, as she said, “When did I ever say I was going alone? And doesn’t my company have people? I’ll arrange for my R&D team to go with me, and as for safety, you don’t have to worry about it, I’m capable of protecting myself.”

Zhuang Liu still couldn’t rest easy about Tan Rou, “Tan Rou, I should still go with you. Once we arrive in Country J, I won’t disturb your work, you don’t have to mind me.”

The first time she went abroad, Tan Rou had just come of age, and she thought it was normal for Zhuang Liu to come along. Adults always worry about their children’s safety and follow them, so Tan Rou didn’t stop Zhuang Liu then.

But now it’s different, Tan Rou is already in her twenties, and she definitely doesn’t want to be treated as a child. Besides, Tan Rou has lived two lifetimes, and the age of both lives combined is over forty; she’s long stopped being a child and doesn’t need someone to follow her anymore.

“Suit yourself,” Tan Rou said with an unpleasant tone, “If you want to follow me, then follow.”

Zhuang Liu was taken aback. He quickly explained, “Tan Rou, it’s not about following you, but concern for your safety…”

“Mhm.” Tan Rou still had that indifferent expression, “You have your reasons, I know.” After saying so, Tan Rou just sat quietly at the table, sipping tea, and didn’t utter another word.

Xiao Mo witnessed Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu quarrel for the first time. He had thought that with a relationship like theirs, they would never argue. To his surprise, they could fight just like any ordinary couple.

“President Zhuang, this is where you’re wrong,” Hang Wei boldly criticized Zhuang Liu, “Our boss is also an adult, and she’s the boss of a company, too. You can’t always treat her as a little girl, there comes a time when you must let go.”

Zhuang Liu said, “You don’t understand how I feel…”

“It’s as if none of us have a wife,” Hang Wei didn’t like Zhuang Liu’s words, “Everyone here has a wife, I know exactly what you’re feeling. Every time my wife wants to go out and have fun with her good friends, I want to go along, but they’re all women, what would it mean for a big man like me to join?”

“This is different from going on a trip, Tan Rou is going abroad, and besides, the public security is not good, I’m worried about her safety,” Zhuang Liu argued.

Hang Wei smiled, “President Zhuang, not to knock you down, but I don’t think you could even win against our boss. Our boss knows how to use both firearms and melee weapons, do you know how?”

If it were any normal day, Hang Wei wouldn’t dare to mock Zhuang Liu with these words, but today Zhuang Liu’s attitude had displeased him greatly. Hang Wei had always had immense respect for Tan Rou; he wouldn’t say those protective phrases just because she was a woman, because Tan Rou didn’t need excessive protection. What she needed was a stage to showcase her abilities.

Tan Rou could face dangers on her own and conquer them; she didn’t need someone else to put her under a protective shield. What she needed were teammates who could stand with her.

“I…” Zhuang Liu had never sparred with Tan Rou, and he didn’t know who would win between them, “I couldn’t possibly compete with her…”

“Our boss is not a flower in a greenhouse, she has her own business to run, and she doesn’t need someone to constantly follow her,” Hang Wei picked up his coat and said, “Discuss this at home if there’s anything, don’t affect others from getting off work here.”

Tan Rou also got her clothes and bag ready, “Mhm, let’s not discuss this anymore. We haven’t even set a departure time yet, we’ll talk about it once it’s decided.”

Zhuang Liu weakly asked, “Where will you sleep tonight?”

Tan Rou paused in her steps, replying, “My mom asked me to come home.”

 

Chapter 1335: 1334 times back to the old house

Zhuang Liu’s heart sank when he heard Tan Rou’s response, and he immediately pressed, “Where are you going tomorrow night?”

Tan Rou owned many properties, but ever since she and Zhuang Liu registered their marriage, they had spent more time living together. Tan Rou stayed in the house in the university town while she was studying, and Zhuang Liu also had a house there, where they often lived together.

Until last night, they had been sleeping in the same bed, but that might not be the case tonight. If Tan Rou went home now, she would definitely stay the night at the old house.

Tan Rou replied, “Let’s discuss tomorrow night’s plans tomorrow. There might be other work I need to do, and I’ll rest wherever is closer when it’s time.”

“Alright,” Zhuang Liu said, “then drive safely, it gets busy at night…”

“Mm, you too,” Tan Rou didn’t even listen to Zhuang Liu finish his sentence before grabbing her bag and leaving.

After Tan Rou had left, Hang Wei also found it inappropriate to stay, and as he was leaving, he said to Zhuang Liu, “She is your wife, not a canary you keep in a cage. Please trust her more when she wants to do her own thing instead of always acting so protective.”

Zhuang Liu said nothing. He stood there woodenly, incapable of stopping Tan Rou from leaving.

In the large private room, only Xiao Mo and Zhuang Liu remained. Xiao Mo stood by Zhuang Liu’s side for as long as Zhuang Liu stood.

After a long while, Xiao Mo finally approached Zhuang Liu and said softly, “Head of the Zhuang family, it’s time for us to go back.”

Zhuang Liu dejectedly took a seat and asked, “Xiao Mo, did I do something wrong?”

To anyone else, Xiao Mo would have said that Zhuang Liu didn’t make a mistake, but knowing Zhuang Liu for many years and being almost like family, he would speak his mind even if it angered Zhuang Liu.

“You did,” Xiao Mo said seriously, “just as Hang Wei had just mentioned, Miss Rou is not a flower kept in a greenhouse; she has her own career, and you can’t always be with her. You say you want to protect her, but doesn’t she have the ability to protect herself? Besides, if you both face danger at the same time, it’s not certain who would protect whom.”

In Xiao Mo’s observation, Tan Rou was more capable than Zhuang Liu. Although Zhuang Liu had learned self-defense techniques when he was younger, he had been in a wheelchair for so many years, so his agility would have regressed. After regaining the use of his legs, Zhuang Liu had been working out, but Tan Rou hadn’t stopped either; her dedication was something everyone admired.

“You don’t understand how I feel. I’m really scared of losing her. She suffered so much when she was little, and all I want is for her to live happily…” Zhuang Liu’s words were cut off by Xiao Mo.

“Head of the family!” Xiao Mo raised his voice a few notches, “How can you get more childish as you get older? Miss Rou has grown up; she’s not a little girl anymore. Please come to your senses!”

Xiao Mo had always felt that Zhuang Liu’s desire for control was a bit strong. Wherever Tan Rou planned to go, Zhuang Liu would try his best to go with her. She went somewhere, and he would be there. Fortunately, Tan Rou liked Zhuang Liu, or else Zhuang Liu would come off as a stalker preying on a young girl.

“Don’t shout at me,” Zhuang Liu’s gaze turned cold, “I need to sort out my thoughts first.”

Xiao Mo fell silent. Upon calming down, he realized the gravity of what he had just done; he had actually yelled at his boss, which was quite shocking.

Elsewhere, Tan Rou drove alone back to the old house. She didn’t notify anyone at home and returned quietly on her own.

When the gatekeeper of the old house saw her, he was surprised, “Miss Rou, how come you’re back now?”

Tan Rou answered coldly, “I was passing by and decided to check on Mom and Dad. Don’t notify the family. They should be sleeping now. Open the garage door; I will rest here tonight.”

Though she said not to notify the family, her parents hadn’t gone to bed yet. The sound of the car entering alerted them immediately.

“Who’s come back?” Mother Tao looked through the window at the gate, “It’s too far for me to see who’s in the car. Take a look for me.”

Father Tao walked over and said with great surprise, “It’s our daughter who has come back.”

 

Chapter 1336: 1335 Did they have a fight?

Mother Tao quickly put down her facial mask and said happily, “Tan Rou is back! Wasn’t she going out for dinner with Xiao Zhuang tonight? How come she’s here? Did Xiao Zhuang come with her?”

Father Tao didn’t see anyone in the passenger seat, so he guessed, “I think the place where they went for dinner tonight is near here, and since Xiao Zhuang got drunk, they came here to rest.” He thought Zhuang Liu had fallen asleep in the back seat.

“Getting drunk is really tough,” Mother Tao said worriedly. “Let’s hurry and go check on them, then have someone make some Hangover Soup to bring over, so they can drink some before going to sleep.”

Father Tao put on his robe, “Okay, let’s go and see.”

When Tan Rou came out of the underground garage, she found her parents waiting at the garage door.

“Mom, Dad, why are you up?” Tan Rou said. “Please go back to rest.”

Mother Tao and Father Tao looked behind them, but the bright garage showed no sign of anyone.

“Didn’t Xiao Zhuang come back with you?” Mother Tao asked.

Tan Rou’s expression turned unnatural for a moment, but she quickly adjusted herself and said with a smile, “He has work to do tomorrow, so he didn’t come over. You guys should go back to rest early, I’m going to rest as well.”

Being shrewd, the Tao parents quickly noticed the anomaly with Tan Rou. Normally when their daughter saw them, she was always smiling warmly. Although she was smiling today, her eyes always carried a trace of sadness.

“Tan Rou, did you and Xiao Zhuang have a fight?” Mother Tao suddenly made an unpleasant guess.

She often heard wealthy ladies in the Capital complain about their family issues, mostly complaints about husbands and children: claims of husbands having affairs, sons and daughters-in-law fighting, daughters and sons-in-law sleeping in separate beds. She always listened to these as jokes, because as far as she was concerned, such things would never happen in her family.

Yet, the first thing that caused her worry turned out to be her daughter and son-in-law. Her daughter returning home alone late at night and avoiding talking about her son-in-law, it was clear that there were issues between them.

“We didn’t fight,” Tan Rou said. “There was just a bit of a disagreement between us.”

Mother Tao felt dizzy; she considered herself fortunate with a harmonious family and respectful children, never imagining her family facing a crisis, especially her beloved daughter’s marriage.

“Tan Rou, don’t put yourself through hardship!” Mother Tao immediately made a judgement, “If that boy Zhuang Liu betrayed you, just tell your parents, and we will pull him out and give him a beating right now!”

Father Tao also said, “Daughter, don’t worry, although I am not at the company anymore, I still have my influence. If that boy Zhuang Liu hurts you, the Zhuang family will not have it easy.”

Tan Rou was amused by her parents’ words, and the slight gloom in her heart dissipated as she said with a laugh, “It’s not because Zhuang Liu betrayed me, but because he’s just too clingy.”

This left the Tao parents perplexed, “Xiao Zhuang is too clingy?”

“Let’s talk while we walk,” said Tan Rou. “There are quite a few bugs outside, let’s not let them bite you.”

Mother Tao grasped her daughter’s arm, “I’m not afraid of bugs biting, I’m just afraid of you getting hurt. What’s going on with you and Xiao Zhuang? Tell Mom, I’m really worried.”

Tan Rou said, “I’m planning to lead a team on an overseas project, though the schedule isn’t set yet, but Zhuang Liu said he wants to come with me. He mentioned he needs to take care of some business matters abroad, but his business in that country isn’t important at all, he really doesn’t need to go there himself.”

Mother Tao understood what Tan Rou meant, “He wants to accompany you? Isn’t that a good thing?”

But Father Tao said, “It’s not a good thing. He’s an adult, and our Tan Rou is also an adult, everyone has their own business to attend to. If he follows Tan Rou like this, when will she ever grow up?”

Mother Tao clutched Tan Rou tighter, “I just want Tan Rou to stay by my side forever.”

Father Tao said, “Yet you still agreed to her marriage with Zhuang Liu. Overprotection is not love; it’s a cage. My daughter needs a vast sky, not a cage.”

Tan Rou felt warmed inside, her parents truly understood, “Yes, Dad, you’re absolutely right.”

 

Chapter 1337: 1336 I will handle it

Family conflicts often stem from misunderstandings among family members. Parents believe that harmony should prevail in the household and that minor issues could be endured, solving the problems eventually.

However, the Tao family’s parents didn’t think this way. If there were issues between the young couple, they believed in addressing them. They wouldn’t blindly urge the couple to make up, as that could deepen the resentment between them.

“Mom just misspoke. Our precious daughter has grown up and has her own career now. I should be supporting her,” after listening to what Father Tao said, Mother Tao also felt her initial thoughts were inappropriate. “As long as our precious daughter doesn’t forget about her mom and comes to visit often.”

Tan Rou leaned her head against Mother Tao’s head and said affectionately, “Mom, I will come back every week to play mahjong with you.”

Mother Tao laughed heartily, “Are you trying to win your mom’s money?”

Tan Rou whispered, “It’ll just be the two of us in a team. We’ll only win money from Second Aunt, Third Aunt, and my little aunt.”

Mother Tao gently patted her daughter’s hand and said, “You truly are a good daughter to Mom.”

After chatting idly for a few moments, the atmosphere became lively. Mother Tao said, “Tan Rou, although you are married now, you are still the daughter I cherish the most. If anyone ever mistreats you outside, just tell me, and I will surely seek revenge for you.”

Father Tao added, “Have Xiao Zhuang come over tomorrow. I want to have a serious talk with him about not always following you around.”

Tan Rou knew her dad wanted to stand up for her, but this was an issue between Zhuang Liu and herself, and shouldn’t be solved by her parents. So, she said, “Dad, Zhuang Liu and I will handle our issues ourselves. If you intervene now, what will we do next time? You can’t always step in to solve our problems.”

Father Tao considered this and replied, “Alright, you two handle your conflicts yourselves. If we intervened, it might even lead to bigger conflicts.”

Mother Tao nodded and said, “Yes, I have a card-playing friend who told me about her cousin’s daughter and son-in-law. They had a small disagreement over how to educate their child, originally a minor issue that could have been easily resolved through discussion. But her cousin insisted on scolding her son-in-law, resulting in the daughter and son-in-law fighting physically at home, smashing the decorations, and now they are even considering a divorce.”

Father Tao commented, “Is it that serious? Then we really shouldn’t meddle in Tan Rou and Xiao Zhuang’s affairs carelessly, lest others say we, as elders, are ruining a young couple’s marriage.”

Tan Rou laughed at their discussion, “It’s not that severe, is it? I won’t argue or fight with Zhuang Liu. When we have disagreements, we will each cool down for a while, and after calming down, we will look for a solution.”

Father Tao said, “Tan Rou, you and Xiao Zhuang need to resolve your conflicts yourselves, but if you encounter difficulties, you must tell us. No matter what, your mom and I will unconditionally support you.”

Tan Rou smiled and responded, “Thank you, Mom and Dad.”

“Why be so formal with your mom and dad?” Mother Tao asked. “Did you eat enough at dinner? I had the kitchen prepare some soup. Would you like some?”

Father Tao said, “Didn’t you have the kitchen make Hangover Soup? Tan Rou hasn’t been drinking; she doesn’t need Hangover Soup.”

Mother Tao glared at Father Tao and then said, “That’s where you are not meticulous enough. When I was talking to the chef earlier, I also asked him to prepare some extra food. You didn’t notice, did you?”

Father Tao chuckled, “That was careless of me.”

Tan Rou, observing her parents’ interaction, felt very moved. In her memory, her parents had never had conflicts, or perhaps they also had their disagreements but would resolve them quickly without letting others know.

She felt she was still too young, and her behavior of running to her parents over trivial matters was indeed childish. Today, she had even lied, saying that her mother had asked her to come home when, in fact, Mother Tao had not.

She needed to resolve her issues herself; differences with Zhuang Liu were bound to arise eventually. If they didn’t negotiate a solution now, bigger troubles would await her in the future.

As she was thinking, her phone vibrated in her pocket; even without looking, she knew who had sent the message.

 

Chapter 1338: 1337 Our Contradiction

Tan Rou didn’t immediately check her phone; it was only after finishing her soup and returning to her room that she took it out for a glance.

It wasn’t just Zhuang Liu who had sent her messages—there were others as well—but Tan Rou didn’t look at them, she only opened the message from Zhuang Liu.

Zhuang Liu had sent only one message, asking if Tan Rou had made it home yet.

Tan Rou, lying on her bed, replied to Zhuang Liu, “I’m already home. My mom made some soup, and I was just having some soup.” The reason she told Zhuang Liu was that Mother Tao had asked her to come over, and since she was just having the soup prepared by Mother Tao, she hadn’t replied to Zhuang Liu’s message, and it wasn’t intentional.

Yes, a perfectly reasonable explanation.

Zhuang Liu responded instantly, “Okay, then you have a good rest,” and even clumsily used a very cute bear emoji.

Tan Rou was certain that Zhuang Liu had never used such an adorable emoji before, guessing he must have just gotten it from someone.

“I’ll come to see you tomorrow, I have something to talk to you about,” Tan Rou texted Zhuang Liu.

She meant to discuss their conflicts and also to convince Zhuang Liu not to keep following her all the time.

But in Zhuang Liu’s eyes, this came out differently—probably too influenced by the last drama he watched—he subconsciously thought Tan Rou was bidding him goodbye.

“No, don’t divorce!” Zhuang Liu immediately typed to salvage his marriage.

He hadn’t even finished typing the subsequent message when Tan Rou’s reply came back.

Tan Rou replied, “What are you thinking? I just want to talk about work stuff, not about dividing property.”

Zhuang Liu was still not reassured, he said, “I won’t divide our property. If you want my property, I can give you everything that I own.”

Tan Rou was speechless, she emphasized over a voice note, “I don’t want your property, nor will I divorce you. I want to talk about our conflicts, okay? If we don’t resolve these conflicts, we can’t live together.”

Hearing that Tan Rou still wanted to live with him, the humble President Zhuang felt a bit better. He replied, “Okay, we’ll meet tomorrow.”

Tan Rou truly feared Zhuang Liu would say something like “I’ll come pick you up tomorrow morning,” but fortunately, Zhuang Liu didn’t send that, possibly realizing his mistake.

Zhuang Liu actually wanted to message Tan Rou as he used to, but he had just consulted his adviser, Bai Yin, asking if he should send her a message.

Bai Yin knew there had been some conflicts between Zhuang Liu and Tan Rou, so she was glad to help Zhuang Liu.

Once she learned that Tan Rou had gone home, and it was quite far, Bai Yin advised Zhuang Liu not to send a message about picking Tan Rou up tomorrow, because Tan Rou didn’t want all her movements to be controlled. If Zhuang Liu went to pick her up, Tan Rou would definitely be angry.

Zhuang Liu didn’t have any sisters, nor many female friends, so he wasn’t very good at deciphering girls’ thoughts. Fortunately, he had a female assistant, so he asked her for advice.

Zhuang Liu transferred some money to Bai Yin, saying, “Thanks for your help. This is a token of my appreciation. Take it and take tomorrow off, go out and have fun with Xiao Mo.”

Bai Yin was thrilled, immediately thanking him: “Thank you, boss, I wish you and the madam to always be sweet together!”

Zhuang Liu wished for that too, but he was currently facing a huge family crisis.

After the chat ended, Bai Yin accepted the money Zhuang Liu had sent her, and her face was full of smiles as she looked at the extra money.

“The appreciation fee the boss transferred to me.” Bai Yin showed the transaction record to Xiao Mo.

Xiao Mo glanced at it and said, “In the past, when the boss wanted some alone time with Miss Rou, he would also transfer money to me, asking me to sit somewhere and not disturb them. He used to transfer tens of thousands of yuan at a time, much more than your amount.”

Bai Yin rolled her eyes at him, “Oh, aren’t you impressive.”

Xiao Mo smiled, “Don’t be upset, my money is your money.”

Bai Yin suddenly became sad, “I’d rather not earn this money.”

Xiao Mo asked, “Why?”

Bai Yin said, “I don’t want to see the boss and the madam fighting. The madam is really nice, she’s my idol, I don’t want to see her unhappy.”

Chapter 1339: Look at her more often.

“Who exactly is your boss?” Xiao Mo asked helplessly.

Bai Yin said loudly, “The boss is the boss, and the boss’s wife is the boss’s wife. Other people’s bosses are always better. Moreover, Miss Rou is really nice. Last time, my sister got a burn on her face, and then I heard that Miss Rou had an ointment that could treat burns, so I plucked up the courage to ask her about it. I didn’t expect her to deliver the ointment to me the very next day, and she even refused to take the money I offered.”

Xiao Mo knew that Tan Rou was a good person. She spent a lot of money on charity every year, not just for show, but truly putting her heart into helping those in need.

“Yes, both Miss Rou and the head of the Zhuang family are very nice,” Xiao Mo felt a bit sad too, “so I don’t want them to have any conflicts.”

“Then let’s help them more,” Bai Yin said.

Xiao Mo shook his head, “The conflicts between them must be resolved by themselves. We’ve done what we could, the rest is up to them to resolve.”

The next morning, Zhuang Liu sent Tan Rou a message. He didn’t send many words, just a “Good morning.”

Tan Rou had also woken up and responded with a “Good morning” when she saw Zhuang Liu’s message.

Then she saw on the top of the screen “The other party is typing,” but after waiting for a while, she received no reply from Zhuang Liu.

Tan Rou couldn’t help but smile, she put away her phone and went downstairs to the main house for breakfast.

After breakfast, Tan Rou drove to work. Just as she was starting the car, she suddenly noticed someone standing in front of the car. Upon closer inspection, it was Grandma Tao.

Tan Rou found Grandma Tao’s behavior a bit odd, so she asked, “Grandma, is there something you want to talk to me about?”

Grandma Tao said, “Tan Rou, driving is very dangerous. You’ve just had a car accident, people say those who’ve had accidents shouldn’t drive. Won’t you consider not driving anymore and stay and chat with grandma?”

“When did I have a car accident?” Tan Rou recalled what had happened previously, “Oh, are you referring to that incident last time? But I wasn’t the one driving, and it’s been several months since then, it’s all fine now.”

Grandma Tao then tried a different argument, “Tan Rou, it’s too dangerous out there. Tao Yue, that little girl, is trying to harm you. You must stay by grandma’s side. I’ll protect you.”

Now Tan Rou was certain that Grandma Tao wasn’t in her right state of mind. She got out of the car and said gently to Grandma Tao, “Grandma, we’ve long gotten rid of Tao Yue, and I haven’t had any car accident. You don’t have to worry about my safety.”

“Mom, why did you run over here?” Father Tao and Mother Tao rushed over and, seeing Grandma Tao with Tan Rou, they breathed a sigh of relief.

Upon seeing her son and daughter-in-law, Grandma Tao suddenly grew suspicious, “Who are you?”

Mother Tao came over to support Grandma Tao, then said very patiently: “Mom, I’m your daughter-in-law!”

It seemed as if Grandma Tao recalled something, “Right, right, you are my daughter-in-law. I remember now.”

Then Mother Tao helped Grandma Tao to leave, “Mom, let’s go back first.”

Tan Rou watched Grandma Tao’s retreating figure, understanding everything in her heart.

Father Tao said, “In recent years, the old lady’s memory hasn’t been so good. After your grandfather fell ill, she was greatly distressed, which made her memory even worse. Last month we took her to the hospital for a check-up, and it was confirmed she had Alzheimer’s.”

Tan Rou felt very sad. Alzheimer’s is an incurable mental disease, only its symptoms can be alleviated.

“I’ll look through some medical books, there must be a way to treat it,” Tan Rou said.

“You should take care of your own matters first,” Father Tao put his hand on his daughter’s head, saying very lovingly, “We didn’t tell you because we didn’t want you to worry. Alzheimer’s can’t be cured, your grandmother can only take medication to control the condition.”

Tan Rou’s eyes were slightly moist, she nodded and said, “Okay, I’ll handle my own affairs and won’t make you worry.”

Father Tao said, “Tan Rou, remember, family isn’t your burden; your family is always your solid backup.”

Tan Rou suddenly felt like crying, “Yes, I understand.”

Father Tao smiled, “Go deal with your own matters. Come see grandma when you have time, she likes you the most.”

Tan Rou nodded firmly, “Okay, I’ll bring Zhuang Liu to see grandma tomorrow.”

 

 

Chapter 1340: 1339, sit down and talk.

Tan Rou drove to the company and found Hang Wei waiting for her at the office door; she thought Hang Wei was there to talk about the Locator.

“Let’s not talk about the Locator project for now; what we need to do now is get the product testing for J country’s voltage in order,” Tan Rou briefly mentioned, “You go and inform all departments to gather in the conference room at 2 PM today, I want to hold a meeting.”

“Oh, okay.” Hang Wei stared straight at Tan Rou, seemingly trying to read an unusual expression on her face, but unfortunately, there were no extra expressions on Tan Rou’s face.

Instead, it was Tan Rou who noticed something off about Hang Wei, she asked, “Why are you staring at me, do I have a sign on my face that says ‘notify’?”

“No,” Hang Wei shook his head subconsciously, he struggled for a long while before finally saying, “Did you really go back to the old house last night?”

Tan Rou made a strange expression, “Where do you think I should have gone at night? Should I have slept on the streets?”

“No, you misunderstood.” Hang Wei hurriedly asked, “I meant to ask if President Zhuang went to the old house?”

Tan Rou was even more surprised, “What would he do there?”

Hang Wei suddenly felt a great guilt, he sincerely apologized, “Boss, it was all my fault, I drank too much last night and talked nonsense, please don’t quarrel with President Zhuang over it; if you fight, it would mean the gallows for me.”

Tan Rou asked, “Why?”

Hang Wei covered his mouth and mumbled, “Because I talk too much.”

Tan Rou realized what Hang Wei meant, she waved her hand and said, “This isn’t your problem, it’s a conflict between Zhuang Liu and me, and without you speaking up, we might have started arguing.”

“Please don’t fight.” Hang Wei said, “After I sobered up, I thought carefully, and the conflict between you isn’t that serious, it’s just that Zhuang Liu likes to follow you, and you don’t want Zhuang Liu to follow, just make him stop following you.”

“That’s easier said than done,” Tan Rou said, “People’s views cannot be changed overnight; I can understand his feelings of wanting to protect me, but I’m past the age needing a guardian, so there are bound to be conflicts between us.”

“So when can you resolve this conflict?” Hang Wei asked bitterly. If only he hadn’t spoken so harshly last night. It was their couple’s issue, why should an outsider speak up?

“We’ll resolve it immediately.” Tan Rou pushed open the office door, “I need to step out soon, you handle the company’s affairs first, I will have a meeting at 2 PM to discuss the new project in detail.”

Hang Wei followed Tan Rou in, “Okay, anything else you want to say?”

Tan Rou said, “Also, don’t get distracted during work; I’ll handle the issues with Zhuang Liu myself. But if you make a mistake at work, I won’t let you off easily.”

Hang Wei nodded repeatedly, “Okay boss, I’m going to work now.”

After sending Hang Wei away, Tan Rou sat in the office for a while; when it was about time, she said to her assistant, “I’m stepping out for a bit, I’ll be back before 2 PM, have the documents needed for the meeting ready.”

The assistant replied, “Yes, boss.”

At 10:30 AM, Tan Rou arrived on time at the Center Park she had agreed to meet Zhuang Liu; it was a bit hot, but there were plenty of people at the park, mostly seniors and children.

“You’re quite early.” When Tan Rou arrived, Zhuang Liu was already there; she said, “So are you truly idle?”

Zhuang Liu wanted to claim he was idle, but Tan Rou knew him best; didn’t she know whether he was busy or not?

“I postponed two meetings,” Zhuang Liu admitted, “and a meeting with a partner.”

Tan Rou knew it would be so; every time they were about to meet, Zhuang Liu would either delay his work or rush to complete his tasks, then free up his schedule for her.

“Let’s sit down and talk.” Tan Rou said, “Do you know why I chose this place?”

Zhuang Liu could not figure it out; it was so hot in summer; why not choose a cooler place?