Rong Yi stayed at his grandmother’s house for the night.

Before going to sleep, he felt a bit anxious and restless. He noticed a new contact in his contact list with a business avatar.

The avatars of people in his circle were usually unique, with gamers having a lot of anime-style avatars, and even the professionals didn’t have such serious business avatars.

Rong Yi clicked on the “add contact” button and saw that the person’s note was: [Sister-in-law, I am Lei Ya, Xiao Yin’s sister].

Rong Yi quickly clicked on the accept button.

Immediately after accepting, a long message came from the other side.

[Hello, sister-in-law. Here’s the situation: my brother’s phone got broken, and he encountered a very important meeting that will last for several days. He couldn’t change his phone and contact you in time. He’s worried that you’ll be concerned, so he asked me to come here and inform you not to worry if you can’t reach him.]

Rong Yi looked at the message, feeling a mix of emotions, and a heavy burden in his heart finally lifted. He replied, “Okay. It’s fine, thank you.”

Lei Ya continued to reply, “My brother asked me to pick you up when the time comes. It so happens that my work group is in City A these days. Sister-in-law, give me your phone number.”

Rong Yi hesitated for a moment and said, “It’s alright, if he can’t come, I can go back by myself. No need to trouble you.”

Lei Ya sent a laughing emoji.

“Mainly, I want to see sister-in-law in person and have you treat me to some stir-fried dishes.”

At this point, Rong Yi no longer refused. He was straightforward, and Lei Ya seemed easy to get along with and kind to him.

In fact, when Xiao Yin took the initiative to video call him, his lingering doubts gradually dissipated.

It wasn’t because his family accepted him, but because Xiao Yin sincerely introduced him to his family. Xiao Yin’s attitude was his attitude.

Even if Xiao Yin’s other family members still couldn’t accept it in the end, Rong Yi wouldn’t have any regrets.

After reading Lei Ya’s message, Rong Yi finally felt relieved.

The two exchanged phone numbers and addresses.

Finally, Rong Yi casually asked, “How many days will the meeting last?”

Lei Ya sat in the sunny conservatory of her home and glanced at the bustling scene upstairs.

A family meeting.

She didn’t know how many days it would last, but she felt it was almost over.

In the past two days, their father had been exploding and going mad at a rate of once every five minutes, but he was frequently interrupted by official matters, so he had to handle those first before venting his anger.

Today was unusually calm.

The reason for the calmness was that Xiao Yin had been hit by a flower vase thrown by his father in anger, and his nose was cut open. He was currently in the hospital.

With the main conflicting party absent and injured, the entire family ceased fighting.

When Xiao Yin was hit, his face was covered in blood, which was particularly frightening.

However, he remained calm and said, “It can’t be changed. I will always be like this.”

“I believe you won’t lay a hand on him. You really like him. He’s a good kid. Which of those people you introduced to me can compare to him?”

He was still talking when Xiao Fu was shocked by his bloodied face and immediately called an ambulance, almost dialing the emergency helicopter number.

Later, they found out it was just a superficial injury, and his nose was stitched with four stitches. He was still lying in the hospital.

Xiao Mu tearfully lectured Xiao Fu.

“Why do you speak so harshly?”

“Are you satisfied if you push the child to his death? You’ve known Xiao Yin’s temper since he was little! You were fine with his temper when he was building his career. Why can’t you accept it when it comes to his love life?”

“I’m not accepting it? I’m afraid he’ll go astray! What’s the matter with liking men—”

“You’re not the one marrying him!”

Xiao Mu fiercely defended her son. “In this day and age, why do you have to meddle in your son’s love life? Aren’t you interested in someone from that family? Are you thinking of a political alliance? Let me tell you, our family doesn’t need any alliances!”

Xiao Mu cried even louder. “He’s the only obedient one in the whole family, the one we can control. He’s not a murderer or an arsonist. Why are you pushing him toward a dead end?”

“You should watch fewer TV dramas!” Xiao Fu’s head ached from the argument. “Go and talk to him one more time. If he insists on liking men, he can forget about the family inheritance!”

“Fine.”

Lei Ya interjected from the side, “That’s great.”

Lei Ya enjoyed the drama without worrying about the consequences. “After hearing that, my brother happily bought a plane ticket to fly back and find his sister-in-law—Don’t you know my brother? He has never been interested in the physical business or funds! QILIN has become so big, Dad, do you go online? Check it out?”

Xiao Fu’s headache intensified. “Shut up! All you know is to provoke! Come back and study finance!”

Lei Ya calmly took out her plane ticket. “I’m going back to City A the day after tomorrow. There’s an interview in the studio, and I need to be there in person.”

“So, you’re rebelling too, huh—”

In this grand ‘family meeting,’ Rong Yi himself had no idea.

He had stayed at his grandmother’s house for two days, and on the last day, out of politeness, he attended the Li family’s Mid-Autumn Festival dinner.

The Li family has many relatives and friends, as Rong Yi’s mother said, “Your uncle in XX District has connections, and he’s quite influential.”

“XX cousin, he’s a Ph.D. who studied abroad! He majored in finance! He’s wealthy!”

“A whole family of doctors, quite prestigious. Remember to call them later.”

Rong Yi accompanied his mother, glancing at her sideways.

When Li Er was young, he was undeniably beautiful. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have such good looks.

However, despite his beauty, he had already been tainted by the world’s superficiality and mediocrity.

He couldn’t say anything because he felt like he was already living in a different world.

At the dining table, Rong Yi switched to social mode, greeting people and then quietly eating his food.

“Why didn’t Li Huan come today?” someone unfamiliar asked suddenly during the meal.

Rong Yi’s expression darkened.

Others began discussing.

“I don’t know. He used to come before. He lived alone, and it was pitiful that no one took care of him. But this time, for some reason, he didn’t even answer the phone. He just won’t come.”

“It’s because of… that matter. Today, his cousin came over. Look, he’s sitting over there.” Someone lowered their voice.

“We should still call him. It’s all in the past, and children shouldn’t hold grudges against adults. I’ll make the call.”

Then an unfamiliar elder murmured and reached for their phone.

“I’ll leave if he comes,” Rong Yi said politely.

The hall fell silent.

Li Er pulled him to the side.

Rong Yi remained unmoved. “Of course, whether I leave or not is not a big deal. But if he comes, I’ll leave, and I’ll also report to the police again and ask if they have made any follow-ups in the past few years, if he’s still secretly filming or molesting children.”

“Shut up! Don’t push your luck!” Li’s grandmother was the first to be hit where it hurt. She stood up and shouted, then glared at Li Er. “How did you raise your son? He looks down on everyone! We have a good temper and have tolerated him for a long time!”

“Even if you didn’t have any power or influence, we wouldn’t say anything if you married into the family, after all, my son likes you. Look at yourself, after so many years of marriage, nothing good has happened, only disasters!”

“I didn’t! I sent him away back then.”

Li Er was being accused and also became agitated. Her eyes reddened. She looked around and realized that no one seemed to be willing to speak up for her, so she turned and pointed at Rong Yi.

“It’s all because of you! Today so many people came, everyone originally wanted to help you find a job, but you don’t listen, you’re so disobedient and impolite! We all said the past is behind us, haven’t you had enough?!”

“Your father and you are just the same. I regret giving birth to you!”

Words can be as sharp as knives. Rong Yi stood up.

Li Er, in his excitement, knocked over the soup on the table, splashing some on Rong Yi. Rong Yi grabbed a handkerchief and calmly wiped his hands.

“First of all, I said I didn’t need it.”

“Secondly, I didn’t want to come back in the first place because I don’t know you, and I don’t care about you. I gave you face, but you started acting up.”

“If we’re going to break ties, then there’s nothing more to say. I’m 22 now, not the 15-year-old I was back then.”

“I’ve already obtained the documents for my grandmother’s transfer to another hospital and her household registration. I’ll take care of it this year.” Rong Yi looked up and said, “Do you want to sever the mother-son relationship? Of course, legally there’s no such thing, but verbally it’s possible.”

Li Er was still angry, and in front of everyone, she couldn’t lower her dignity. Her face turned bright red.

She didn’t realize that her child had already grown up.

No matter how she scolded and punished him back then, he couldn’t fight back. If she told him to leave, he could only go where she couldn’t see him.

Now before her stood a seven-foot-tall man.

She couldn’t adapt to this sudden change, and she shouted, “Get out! I’ll pretend I don’t have a son like you!”

“Fine,” Rong Yi nodded. He looked around at the others and nodded, “Sorry for making a scene. Please continue eating, I’ll leave first.”

Rong Yi tossed the handkerchief aside, just as he turned around, someone knocked on the door.

Outside, a standard broadcasting tone with a magnetic and charming female voice sounded.

“Hello, is Mr. Rong Yi there?”

RongYi was momentarily stunned, then the service staff outside opened the door for her.

Lei Ya appeared at the door, dressed in an expensive and professional suit.

She was extraordinary.

When a professional who needs to be on camera stands in a crowd, they are different. Elegant and noble in temperament, striking and fierce in appearance, when she stood there, she was like a ray of light.

She and Xiao Yin were siblings carved from the same mold.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t reach you on the phone, so I came to pick you up directly.”

Lei Ya glanced around at the shocked crowd and several tables, speaking calmly, “Brother, do you want to continue eating or leave now?”

“Let’s leave now,” Rong Yi nodded at her.

“Alright.”

Lei Ya casually remarked, “Are these your relatives? I’ll make a note of the expenses on my brother’s account.”

At this moment, there was some commotion in the center of the banquet.

“Isn’t this Lei Ya from XX TV?”

“Is she that female director… How does that kid know such a person…”

“It’s really her.”

A cousin who had returned from overseas in the finance industry whispered, “She’s a well-known junior sister in our circle… I won’t mistake her. She’s… she’s from the Xiao family.”

It seemed like they had overheard the conversation inside.

Lei Ya took out a business card from the folder handed to her by her assistant and placed it on the nearby table.

“I’ll take my leave with this person. Sorry for the interruption. If you want to contact Rong Yi in the future, contact our family first.”

“It seems like someone among you knows me. Or knows our family.”

Lei Ya nodded at the finance-returnee cousin, revealing a perfectly poised smile. “It looks like there’s no need for much introduction.”

She took back the business card, affectionately linked her arm with Rong Yi’s, and said, “Brother, let’s go.”

Rong Yi was still in a daze, but after Lei Ya pulled him outside, he remembered to ask, “You…”

Before he could finish, Rong Yi was blinded by the gem-blue Lamborghini parked at the hotel entrance.

“Is this your car?” Rong Yi asked with difficulty.

“It’s my brother’s.”

Lei Ya said, “My brother is intentionally ostentatious.”

“He originally planned to wear limited-edition clothes, carry a limited-edition gift box, and drive a Lamborghini with eighteen assistants to blind your family’s eyes.”

“But now he can’t come, so he entrusted me to be intentional instead.”

“Sorry for making you laugh.”

Rong Yi felt like laughing a little.

Indeed, it was Xiao Yin’s style.

He had already revealed all these matters to him a long time ago. Xiao Yin had this plan since early on.

Xiao Yin didn’t want to see him being bullied.

If Rong Yi was slapped, Xiao Yin would make the other person pay.

“I know those people; some of them work for local pharmaceutical companies, and there are quite a few doctors among them, right?”

Lei Ya said, “Funny enough, the focus of our program this time is to expose the interest chain of certain unscrupulous hospitals and pharmaceutical factories.”

“The younger man in the group, from the finance circle, wants to climb up.”

Lei Ya shrugged, “But his abilities are limited. If he’s smart, tonight he’ll bring his whole family and relatives to beg you for the sake of his future.”

“You…”

Rong Yi looked at Lei Ya.

Thinking of Xiao Yin, Rong Yi felt that their family background was truly mysterious.

He couldn’t help but ask, “What industry is your family in?”

Lei Ya quickly raised her hand.

“Pristine and upright!”

“Our family is in the investment business!”

“Oh,” Rongyi casually replied, “That’s impressive. Investing is profitable these days, right?”

“It’s still alright for now,” Lei Ya said, “We mainly rely on the family assets accumulated by our ancestors.”

Rong Yi: “?”

Lei Ya: “From the Republican era. Starting from my dad’s generation, it dwindled. Now we just have a little money.”

Rong Yi: “.”

The amount of information seemed significant, beyond the ordinary.

Lei Ya quickly added, “But my brother! He started from scratch! He single-handedly built up the entire QILIN! He didn’t ask our family for a penny! Please don’t look down on our family!”

Rong Yi: “……………………”

Rong Yi: “QILIN?”