As soon as Zhang Yaochen came back, he went to see Zhang Yinxi, who had just woken up.
Zhang Yinxi had received an injection and taken some medicine and recovered a little bit of energy. She tried hard to stand up: “Dad…”
“I told you not to go to Hezhou a long time ago. You must be tired, right?” Zhang Yaochen picked up the cup of water beside the bed, scooped it up with a spoon, and fed it to her in small sips.
Every daughter becomes obedient and pitiful when she sees her father. Zhang Yinxi pulled Zhang Yaochen’s sleeve and pleaded in a low voice, “Am I dying soon?”
“Nonsense! Dad will never let anything happen to you. Look, you were so seriously ill before, but you still got cured. Now I think you even look much better. Don’t worry too much.”
But Zhang Yinxi shook her head: “I’m afraid this disease can’t be cured, and we already lost Shen Jingmo… I know.” She turned her head back, looked at the ceiling, and said, “If possible… I want to be Brother Yan’s wife and wear a wedding dress once before I die. I want to be his wife for once.”
“Xiao Xi.” Zhang Yaochen felt sorry for his youngest daughter, but he didn’t know how to comfort her.
Zhang Yaochen covered her with a blanket, walked out of the living room, and asked Zhang Xiuming, “Has Jingmo not been found yet?”
“We did found him… but he’s with Ghost Master.” Zhang Xiuming started investigating the matter as soon as he came back. “Shen Jingmo used to be Ghost Master’s teacher. Ghost Master won’t hand him over given his personality.”
The father and son were thinking about how to get Xiao Yan to send the person back, but who knew that the housekeeper came running in from outside?
It’s quite lively today, one after another without any peace.
“Master, Young Master… Ghost, Ghost Master is here!”
Speak of the devil, and he will appear. Zhang Xiuming did not expect Xiao Yan to return from Hezhou so soon. He must have sailed at full speed to catch up with him and reach Shanghai.
“Then why don’t you hurry up and take him in!”
Zhang Yaochen was just about to go out to greet him when he heard a deep voice laughing twice. He could hear the voice before he even saw the person: “No need to trouble the Chief of Staff. We are all familiar with each other. Why be so polite?”
Xiao Yan entered with a group of people. They claimed to be here for a visit, but they carried themselves with the force of bandits. Zhang Xiuming subconsciously glanced at the second floor, where Xu Hang was imprisoned. He was a little nervous, and this sudden change in expression did not escape Xiao Yan’s eyes.
He took off his coat, threw it on the sofa in the Zhang family’s living room, sat down, and crossed his legs. Liao Qin lit a cigarette for him, acting like the host.
He even blew out a smoke ring and said, “Chief of Staff and Young Master Zhang, please sit down. It’s tiring to stand.”
He was so arrogant that he couldn’t be more arrogant.
Zhang Yaochen ordered someone to pour some wine because Xiao Yan didn’t like tea. “Why did Ghost Master suddenly have time to come here?”
“I heard that you two have been thinking about me recently and wanted to know if I was doing well. You sent several groups of people to keep an eye on me, so I decided to come over to let you take a look.”
The Zhang family’s father and son looked at each other, then smiled hypocritically: “It’s all misunderstandings, misunderstandings. Something happened at home recently, so I sent some people to investigate. I may have disturbed Ghost Master.”
“Really?” Xiao Yan shrugged his brows and snapped his fingers. Liao Qin immediately had someone drag in a few guys with missing limbs from outside and threw them on the ground. Those people were still howling and shouting for help from Zhang Yaochen or Zhang Xiuming.
Xiao Yan twisted out his cigarette butt and said, “I hate people staring at me from behind, so I just said a few words to them, and then they just became like this.”
Zhang Xiuming looked unhappy because these people were the ones he sent to investigate the past relationship between Shen Jingmo and Xiao Yan. Not one was missing, and all of them suffered.
Revenge is a must, no leaks, and rooting out the grievances is really Xiao Yan’s style.
At this point, all he can say is, “Of course, it’s our fault. They’re just a few servants; as long as Ghost Master can vent his anger, that’s all that matters. I’ll prepare a gift later, Ghost Master must accept it.”
“Forget about the gift, I already have one.” Xiao Yan smiled meaningfully.
Zhang Yaochen picked up the wine glass and clinked it with Xiao Yan’s: “Hey, of course, Ghost Master will not appreciate ordinary gifts. I have another gift here, which is absolutely precious and extraordinary.”
The color of the red wine was as bright as blood in one’s heart. Xiao Yan shook the glass and waited for Zhang Yaochen to continue.
“My little daughter has reached the marriageable age, and I have been worrying about her marriage. But although there are many rich young men in Shanghai, my daughter does not want to join those vulgar people, so it has been delayed until now. I have to say from the bottom of my heart that in terms of age, I can be your father, and your talents are obvious to all. Now Shanghai is divided between you and me. Although there were some conflicts of interest in the past, it did not hurt the harmony. If we become a family, wouldn’t it be like adding wings to a tiger?”
Zhang Yaochen appealed to both emotions and reason. As an official, he was diplomatic and eloquent, and his words had a way of making people feel that they were justified.
“Besides, although I dote on my daughter a little, but she is one of the most beautiful and kind-hearted. She and you can be called a perfect match. Are you willing to marry into the Zhang family?”
After saying that, he looked at Xiao Yan expectantly.
These words were not meant to deceive Xiao Yan. Even if Zhang Yinxi had not done so intentionally, he had long intended to take Xiao Yan as his son-in-law. It was just that Xiao Yan seemed a little rebellious, and he had never found an opportunity before. Now that Zhang Yinxi was ill, this matter was put on the agenda.
If Xiao Yan were a smart man, he would know that when the Zhang and Xiao joined forces, it would definitely be a trump card and an invincible shield.
At least, Zhang Yaochen couldn’t think of any reason that would make him refuse.
Unfortunately… Xiao Yan was not moved at all.
Xiao Yan put down the wine glass, leaned back on the sofa, and curled his lips: “The Chief of Staff’s gift is truly thoughtful, but as I mentioned, I already have a gift, and it was sent by the Chief of Staff himself as well.”
“Me?” Zhang Yaochen frowned.
“Yeah.” Xiao Yan licked the wine on his lips, then got up and walked to the car parked outside the door. He picked up a trembling person from the car, strode back to the living room, and sat back on the sofa with his arms around the person.
Zhang Yaochen and Zhang Xiuming were so shocked that they stood up immediately, their eyes slightly dilated, staring intently.
Xiao Yan held Shen Jingmo’s face with a satisfied look, as if he was fascinated by him. His other hand was stroking his waist. His voice became a little sexier: “Isn’t this the gift the Chief of Staff gave me before? I am a small-minded person and can’t fit two people in. This one is enough. I came here today to thank the Chief of Staff.”
As he was talking, he kissed Shen Jingmo on the face, not caring at all that everyone in the living room was stunned.
Of course, Shen Jingmo, who was in his arms, cared a lot.
When he realized Xiao Yan had brought him back to the Zhang Family Manor, he was so terrified he couldn’t speak. Especially in that moment, as Xiao Yan held him and deliberately displayed such an intimate scene in front of Zhang Yaochen and Zhang Xiuming, the shame and anger he felt far outweighed his fear.
He didn’t know what to say to relieve his embarrassment, so he simply kept silent, lowered his face, leaned against Xiao Yan, and held him tightly.
But in the eyes of the Zhang family, his behavior appeared as nothing more than a pathetic attempt to elicit sympathy by pretending to be pitiful.
Xiao Yan’s purpose today was to warn the Zhang family, not to show off. He also knew that staying here for too long would be bad for Shen Jingmo, so he spoke faster: “So, you should understand what I mean, Chief of Staff. No matter how beautiful Miss Zhang is, I, Xiao Yan, don’t know how to appreciate her. I can only let her down. Goodbye.”
Just like when they arrived, the group of people left once again.
All of a sudden, there were only the Zhang family father and son in the living room again, as if everything that had just happened was just a short-lived dream.
A strange feeling and a faint sense of humiliation lingered, as if an invisible slap had struck someone’s face, leaving everyone present with an inexplicable, burning sensation on their cheeks.
“He just doesn’t think highly of me…”
A faint, mournful mumbling sound came from the second floor. Zhang Yaochen and Zhang Xiuming looked up and saw Zhang Yinxi standing on the railing. She was wearing a white lace nightgown that dragged on the ground, and her face was as pale as a ghost.
She heard everything that happened just now.
The next moment, her head sank, she fell to the ground, coughed up blood, and fainted completely.
