“Ye Lan, you’re back?” Huo Shan greeted politely, though his tone wasn’t very warm.
Back when the Ye family hadn’t gone bankrupt yet, Huo Shan already disapproved of how the Ye family would stop at nothing to gain profits. Later, the Ye family paid the price for their actions.
“Mm, Uncle.” Ye Lan’s eyes welled with tears, as if she had been wronged.
[Oh my god! This is too cringey! I can’t even watch.]
[Is she trying to seduce my dad with that pitiful little look?]
【Master, she’s trying to seduce every single man in the Huo family.】said Xiao Liu.
Wei Jinning could see all of Ye Lan’s thoughts within her mind.
[Absolutely disgusting. Disgusting, mom open the door—it’s disgust all the way.]
[Ye Lan treats every man in the Huo family as a backup option. Of course, Big Brother is the top pick.]
[If she can’t bag Big Brother, then Second Brother, Third Brother, even Dad—and even Grandpa, whom I’ve never met—are all part of her plan.]
[Gross. Gross. Just plain gross.]
“Ye Lan, you see, our family’s about to have dinner. You just got back, I’m sure you have lots to do, so Uncle won’t keep you.” Huo Shan never liked Ye Lan to begin with. After hearing Wei Jinning’s inner voice, his dislike turned into disgust, and he directly asked her to leave.
“Uncle, you…” This time, Ye Lan was genuinely upset and ran off crying.
[Finally, she’s gone. The air feels fresher already.]
[Dad is awesome—he’s immune to green tea girls.]
[How someone like her ended up causing my Big Brother’s death—I really don’t get it.]
[Was it just to make my tragic older sister the main female lead?]
[Speechless. This author is seriously something else.]
【Xiao Liu, don’t you agree?】
Xiao Liu: 【……】
“Ye Lan really just keeps getting more petty as she grows up. Crying at the drop of a hat like someone bullied her—just annoying,” Zhao Qiuying said with visible disgust.
“Yeah! I remember she wasn’t like this before?” said Huo Jinxin
[She’s always been like this. She just acted well enough to fool all of you.]
[To win your affection, her family probably researched everything each of you liked. Otherwise, how did you all end up liking her?]
[Even knowing Big Brother and his social circle was part of a planned move.]
[She’s been scheming since she was little.]
[Using her delicate appearance to get what she wants.]
“I always thought that girl was sly, but you two insisted on liking her. Now you see it for yourselves. That girl’s not worth mentoring—good thing you realized it now,” said Huo Shan, looking like he’d seen through her from the start.
“Mm, Dad, you’ve got good judgment.” Wei Jinning agreed.
“I don’t like her either.”
“Then I’ll tell the butler: if she comes again, just say no one’s home—don’t let her in.” Zhao Qiuying was already planning to keep her far away from the eldest son. Otherwise, he’d end up being the one to take the fall.
“Alright, dear. We’ll go with your plan.”
[Didn’t expect it to be this easy to keep Ye Lan out of the Huo household.]
[Still, I should give Big Brother a heads-up.]
[Feels like something’s about to happen.]
“Ningning, you must be hungry, right? Let’s eat!” said Zhao Qiuying.
“Yes, Mom, I’m starving.” As far as Wei Jinning was concerned, nothing else mattered if there was food.
[Not being enthusiastic about eating is a sign of problematic thinking.]
[My food, here I come.]
[Delicious, delicious, yet another wonderful dinner.]
…
Before heading to the Huo residence, Ye Lan had tried calling Huo Nanchu, but all she got was a message saying his phone was turned off.
As it turned out, Huo Nanchu was on a plane at the time and unable to receive any signal.
Not only that, but even Huo Zimo and Huo Chengyu had also been out of contact.
Because of this, Ye Lan decided to go to the Huo residence first, hoping to please Zhao Qiuying.
After all, Zhao Qiuying had been very fond of her in the past, and Ye Lan assumed this time would be no different.
However, things didn’t go as she had hoped, and in the end, she left disappointed.
“These people really have no idea who they’re dealing with. Now that the Ye family has fallen and has no hope of rising again, they dare to humiliate me like this. Just wait! One day, I’ll make you two old fools regret this!”
Full of resentment, Ye Lan cursed under her breath as she walked toward the bus stop.
Since most of her money had been used to cover accommodation expenses, she didn’t dare splurge on a taxi at this point.
Just then, a red Ferrari pulled up beside her. The window rolled down, and a man hesitantly spoke:
“Ye Lan, is that you?”
“Oh! It’s Brother Chengfeng! It’s been so long!”
In an instant, Ye Lan’s entire demeanor changed—her face that had been full of anger moments ago was now gentle and charming, with a sweet, glowing smile.
Qian Chengfeng, the eldest young master of the Qian family and now the head of the household, had grown up with Huo Nanchu and shared many happy memories with him.
This encounter with Ye Lan was no coincidence—Qian Chengfeng had planned it.
When he saw her enter the Huo residence, an idea struck him, and he deliberately waited outside.
He originally thought he might have to wait a while, but unexpectedly, Ye Lan showed up just moments later.
Had it taken any longer, he might have decided to postpone his plan.
“Ye Lan, where are you heading? Why don’t I give you a ride?” Qian Chengfeng asked gently.
“No need to trouble yourself, Brother Chengfeng. There’s a bus stop just ahead—I can take the bus from there.”
Ye Lan pretended to be strong and independent, trying to project an image of self-reliance.
“Come on, get in! Or are you going to make me get out of the car and invite you in personally?”
Qian Chengfeng’s voice was so gentle it was hard to refuse.
“Well… alright then. Thank you for your kindness, Brother Chengfeng.”
Ye Lan knew full well that one mustn’t push things too far—being overly stubborn could backfire.
“Xiao Lan, when did you return? Why didn’t you let me know beforehand? It’s been so long—we should’ve met up.”
“I just got back yesterday, Brother Chengfeng. I thought I’d come see Auntie Huo,” Ye Lan replied softly, her eyes tinged with sadness.
“You know… now I…”
She paused, clearly trying to hold herself together—but the tears still welled up and spilled over, her choked voice tugging at the heart.
Qian Chengfeng quickly pulled out a tissue and handed it to her.
“Here, wipe your tears. Why cry? Whatever it is, it’ll pass.”
His voice was full of concern and warmth.
Ye Lan took the tissue and gently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. Choking back sobs, she said, “I… I’m not… worthy anymore… to hang out… with you all.”
Every word seemed so hard to say, as if it took all her strength to get it out.
“Ye Lan, now you’re just being distant. We grew up together—why wouldn’t we still hang out?” Qian Chengfeng frowned and looked at her seriously, trying to talk her out of such thoughts.
“Alright now, stop crying. If you keep crying, you won’t look pretty anymore.” He reached out and gently wiped the tear marks from Ye Lan’s cheeks, coaxing her gently.
Hearing that, Ye Lan couldn’t help but smile through her tears, her smile blooming like spring flowers—radiant and beautiful.
The two continued chatting about childhood memories, laughing and reminiscing about the good old days.
Before they knew it, they had arrived at their destination.
“Brother Chengfeng, this is…?” Ye Lan asked knowingly as Qian Chengfeng pulled up in front of a high-end Western restaurant.
“Of course it’s for dinner. What, did you think we were here for a movie?” Qian Chengfeng replied with a grin.
“Beautiful Miss Ye Lan, please step out of the car!” he said as he elegantly got out, walked around to her side, and opened the car door like a gentleman. He bowed slightly, extended his hand with a “please” gesture, his eyes filled with doting affection.
“Thank you, Brother Chengfeng,” Ye Lan said, blushing shyly.
The two enjoyed a candlelit dinner together and even drank a bit of red wine.
“Brother Chengfeng, I feel dizzy,” Ye Lan said softly, feigning unsteadiness as she staggered slightly.
“Ye Lan, don’t worry. Here, I’ll help you.” Qian Chengfeng quickly reached out, gently placing one hand on her shoulder and supporting her with the other to keep her from falling.
Qian Chengfeng was no stranger to romance. How could he not see through Ye Lan’s little act?
But since she was throwing herself into his arms, he had no reason to refuse—who would turn down such a delectable offering?
“Xiao Lan, where do you live? I should take you home,” Qian Chengfeng asked, though he already knew the answer, his voice still full of concern.
Ye Lan didn’t respond. Instead, she slowly closed her eyes and pretended to fall asleep.
Seeing this, a sly and wicked smile crept across Qian Chengfeng’s lips.
Without hesitation, he brought Ye Lan to one of his secret apartments.
Once inside, they naturally fell into each other’s arms and spent the night together…
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the curtains, lighting up the messy bed.
Ye Lan slowly woke up. Seeing Qian Chengfeng sleeping beside her, her cheeks flushed red.
She gently bit her lip, her gaze filled with complicated emotions—shyness mixed with a hint of regret.
“Brother Chengfeng, you… I…” Ye Lan’s voice trembled slightly, her eyes reddening as tears welled up, ready to fall at any moment.
“It’s alright, Ye Lan. It’s all my fault—I lost control. But who told you to be so irresistible? I just couldn’t help myself. From now on, you’ll be my girlfriend, okay?” Qian Chengfeng opened his eyes and looked deeply into hers, speaking with such tenderness and affection.
Anyone unaware of the truth would’ve been moved by the deep emotion he displayed, thinking he was truly in love with Ye Lan.
But Qian Chengfeng had already come up with a clever plan the night before—he would use Ye Lan’s greed to gain control over Huo Nanchu and take over the Huo Corporation.
“But, in my condition…”
“You’re perfect. In my eyes, you’re the best. Even back when you were with Nan, I liked you—but you only had eyes for him,” Qian Chengfeng said, a trace of sorrow in his expression.
“Later, after you two broke up, I thought I finally had a chance. But then you vanished, and no matter how hard I looked, I couldn’t find you.”
“Now that you’re finally back, of course I won’t miss this opportunity.”
“Will you be my girlfriend?” Qian Chengfeng asked as he knelt on one knee on the bed, gazing at her passionately.
“Mm, okay,” Ye Lan nodded.
Inside, she was thrilled. In the capital, the Qian and Huo families were on equal footing.
She was already imagining that she could marry into the Qian family by using the child as leverage.
But what she didn’t know… was that Qian Chengfeng was only using her.
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