Looking at Sheng Minglan’s smile, Jing Yun knew that it was a poisonous but alluring candy.

  So, he said, “You gained your freedom after so much effort. It will be a shame if you lose it because of me.”


  “I am just getting my business started. I really need an assistant by my side.” Sheng Minglan knew Jing Yun was a very serious man. He would look stern every time he was teased. She felt so helpless. So, she changed her tone into a formal one.

  “There are so many talented people in this world. I am sure you will find a very capable candidate that will suit your needs.”


  “Should I get a male assistant and spend all my time with him?”


  Jing Yun was speechless.

  “It is not a problem if he is a good man.”


  “But… What if he is like Will? Or Leng Feng?”


  Sheng Minglan rebutted until Jing Yun could not say anything more. He admitted defeat. Now, Sheng Minglan was not in the Sheng family anymore, so she would not get protection from Huang Yao.

  “I will help you for two months. When you have mastered everything, I will leave.”


  “Good.” Sheng Minglan smiled brightly at her victory. Although she knew it was not very good for her to keep on testing his feelings toward her, she had no other choice already. Jing Yun was too stubborn and loyal that he had forced himself to hide his feelings.

  Then she thought about the money in the gold card and felt like crying. She was very touched. Because it must be his life savings.

  He was willing to give her his everything but still he did not want to get involved with her romantically. Perhaps he was the most idiotic person in the world.

  …


  On the other hand, Sheng Minghui’s grand engagement ceremony ended in a mess in the afternoon. Grandpa Sheng did not stay long in the hotel. He did not want to hear people criticizing him.

  Moreover, he had not gotten the chance to settle the score with Sheng Minghui yet. So, he was waiting until night. As soon as Sheng Minghui entered Sheng Mansion, he would welcome her with the cane.

  Sheng Minghui was shocked and looked at her fiancé. “Please block it for me.”


  “Oh, Grandpa, don’t be like that.” Will took a step forward and stood in front of Sheng Minghui.

  “Step aside,” Grandpa Sheng ordered. “This is a family matter. You are still not a full-fledged Sheng, just stand aside and watch.”


  Will felt helpless. He stood at the side. And Grandpa Sheng walked straight toward Sheng Minghui and started beating her. “You snatched away Fourth Sister’s fiancé. Then you slandered her and forced her to leave. You brought shame to the Sheng family. Do you think I will not do anything?”


  “Grandpa!” Sheng Minghui wanted to fight back. But she did not have the courage to do so.

  “Do you still want to retort?” Grandpa Sheng beat her once more.

  “Grandpa, what if I am pregnant? If you beat me like this, won’t you worry that my body cannot take it?”


  Grandpa Sheng beat her again. “I know where I’m caning, I won’t hurt your stomach.”


  Sheng Minghui knew that her move was useless, so she knelt on the floor. “Just beat me to death for someone who has left the family.”


  Grandpa Sheng got even angrier and caned her harder. “I really feel like killing now. Don’t think that I will not dare to touch you. I spoilt you too much until you’ve become so arrogant. How could you sacrifice your cousin? Go and kneel in the ancestral hall for three days. Otherwise, just get out of Sheng Mansion.”


  “Grandpa…”


  “No excuse. Kneel or get lost!”


  Sheng Minghui was resentful but she did not dare to disobey or go against him.

  Her back was wounded. However, Grandpa Sheng did not bother to get a doctor to treat her. He forbade anyone to go near her for these few days.

  As compared to Sheng Minglan’s sorrow, Sheng Minghui’s injury was nothing.

  It was a pity that Sheng Minglan might not want to come back to the Sheng family again in her life.

  Sheng Minghui was kneeling in the ancestral hall. And Will went to see her in secret. He brought her some food.

  “How could that old man do this to me? I am his granddaughter. It is so unfair. It doesn’t matter. I can still fight!”


  See, no matter how forgiving Grandpa Sheng was to her, when he sided with Sheng Minglan just once, Sheng Minghui had already lost her mind and become unreasonable.

  …


  The next day, Mama Sheng told Sheng Xiao about Sheng Minghui’s punishment. Sheng Xiao simply smirked when he heard the news. “Seventh Sister has Will now. She will only be becoming more and more evil. Grandpa only punished her to kneel in the ancestral hall for hurting Fourth Sister. If she has a child or two, I am afraid that nobody will have peace in the future.”


  “Indeed. Your grandfather may look like he likes you better. But that is because he wants to control you. He never cares about your feelings.”


  “You know it all along.” Sheng Xiao smiled.

  “Sheng Xiao, I have seen enough when your grandfather hurt Minglan to that extent. I am afraid that it will not be easy for you to marry Qiqi. But I will always give you my support. No matter what your grandfather wants to do, I will protect Qiqi.”


  “Remember what you promised, Mom. If anything happens to us, you should protect Qi’er first.”


  Mama Sheng nodded. She knew that Mu Qiqi meant everything to him.

  “How’s Xiao Qi doing in preparing for the banquet for the VVIPs?”


  “Just wait for a couple of days more. After Qi’er confirmed something, she would hold a meeting with the planning department. She will need some resources to make her plan works.”


  “Right, I will make arrangements.” Mama Sheng left her son’s office.

  Of course, she will wait outside during the meeting. Otherwise, those staff in the planning department might bully her young daughter-in-law because of her age.

  Since she had promised his son, she would do her best. Being a mother, at this point in her life, she only hoped that her son would find his happiness. The rest was not important.

  …


  Sheng Minghui knelt for three full days in the ancestral hall before coming out. Then, she heard that Mu Qiqi was going to hold a meeting with the planning department in Huang Yao.

  “I really cannot understand Grandpa. How could he let that girl handle such an important event? Won’t he worry that she might turn the banquet into a game for the children?”


  What’s even more ridiculous, she still had to snatch the credit from Mu Qiqi?

  If it wasn’t because of Sheng Xiao, Mu Qiqi was just a speck of dust. Huang Yao would only become her dream in her next lifetime.

  “Since you are out already, you must behave yourself,” warned Grandpa Sheng.

  “Grandpa, is Mu Qiqi going to Huang Yao for a meeting?”


  “She is the person-in-charge for this event. Of course, she must go. You just stay put as I told you. Don’t ask. Otherwise, you will get nothing!”