Supreme Heir Son-in-law
Chapter 178: The Rift

Chapter 178: Chapter 178: The Rift

"I won’t. No matter how many or how good the men are in Shangjing, none of them are Lian Xuan. I won’t give up on him. I refuse to believe I’m inferior to some bitch. I’m going to win Lian Xuan back." Chu Lian roughly wiped away her tears and said fiercely.

"Why do you still want a man who treats you like this? Before marriage, he’s like this to you; after marriage, who knows how he’ll torment you. Such a man isn’t worth your affection. Listen to your father and give up on him. What kind of person isn’t suitable for the daughter of the Chu Family? Why do you need to be with a man like that?" Mrs. Chu said with an icy voice, the chill in her eyes continuously emanating, clearly infuriated by the other side.

"Xiao Lian, I think Uncle and Aunt are right. Although Lian Xuan does look handsome, before this happened, I might have thought you two were a match made in heaven. But after this incident, he’s blacklisted in my book. For the sake of some woman who appeared out of nowhere, he disregards the friendship between the two families. If this were ancient times, he would definitely be someone who favors the concubine and abandons the wife. You’d be better off with Mr. Xu than with him. The moment you ran out, Mr. Xu chased after you and even saved you; Mr. Xu treats you better than Lian Xuan does." Yang Rongrong chattered non-stop, clearly very upset, speaking without much thought.

As soon as Yang Rongrong finished speaking, Xu Ke received a room full of scrutinizing gazes. Mrs. and Mr. Chu were evaluating Xu Ke with critical eyes, and even Chu Lian stopped crying, her tear-filled eyes focusing on Xu Ke.

Xu Ke’s smile remained unchanged, "Why are you all looking at me? Miss Chu likes Young Master Lian, and feelings are a matter for the two involved. How can one just say they no longer like someone?" Xu Ke gave Chu Lian a questioning look, making her blush deeply and suppressing the inexplicable disturbance that had just arisen in her heart.

"Xu Ke is right. It’s not possible to just say you no longer like someone. Besides, I’m not convinced. Even if we break up, it would be me, Chu Lian, rejecting him, not him rejecting me. How could I lose to a mere actress?" Chu Lian’s face showed an expression of resentment.

"Xiao Lian, haven’t you realized from this matter? In Lian Xuan’s heart, there’s no place for you. Don’t waste your time on him. As for the Lian Family, your father and I will make sure to give you justice. As long as we’re here, that actress can forget about formally standing by Lian Xuan’s side. Even if she becomes Lian Xuan’s mistress, I’ll make sure her child will always be looked down upon as an illegitimate one for life." Mrs. Chu said with a dignified and elegant smile but a chilling tone.

"Mom, let me handle this myself. This anger is stifling me so much I can’t eat. He embarrassed me today; I won’t let him get away with it. Dad, doesn’t our company have a collaboration with the Lian Family? Stop the cooperation. I want him to know that without me, he is nothing," Chu Lian exclaimed, slapping the sofa hard.

"Ahem, it’s getting late now. Traveling at night can lead to traffic accidents. Why don’t you all head home and discuss things?" Xu Ke, seeing Chu Tianyang’s increasingly serious expression, spoke up first with a fitting and polite smile.

Hearing Xu Ke’s suggestion to leave, some of the serious expression on Chu Tianyang’s face faded, even subtly relaxed. "Yes, it is getting late. We’ll stop disturbing you. Xiao Lian, we will talk when we get home. They need to rest. Let’s go." Chu Tianyang gathered his daughter and wife, speaking in a steady tone.

"I’ll remember what happened today. I’ll come find you to play someday," Chu Lian said in a crisp voice, looking at Xu Ke with a prideful lift of her chin.

"Alright, I’ll make sure to warmly welcome you," Xu Ke nodded and saw the Chu family and Yang Rongrong off from the estate.

Watching the departing car, Xu Ke let his raised smile fall, his whole demeanor becoming cold and sharp.

"Didn’t I tell you to rest? Why are you out again? It’s windy at night; you’ll catch a cold." Xu Ke walked over to Grandpa Zhao, slowly strolling with him.

"I’m fine, I’m still healthy. Family Head, did you achieve what you wished for this time?" Housekeeper Zhao asked with a beaming smile.

"Pretty much." Xu Ke’s lips curled up in a slight smile.

"I just can’t understand why the Family Head suddenly targets both the Lian and Chu Families. These are both prominent families in the Capital City. While our Xu Family is top-tier now, there’s instability within. If a conflict arises with these two families, the Xu Family could suffer greatly." Housekeeper Zhao’s somewhat aged voice sounded from behind Xu Ke.

"I have my reasons. Grandpa Zhao, there’s no need for you to worry about me. At your age, it’s better not to know certain things. Rest early; it’s getting late, and there’s a lot to do tomorrow." Xu Ke climbed the stairs, gave a gentle smile, and wished, "Good night," before heading upstairs.

In the empty living room, Housekeeper Zhao looked up towards the stairs, lost in thought, before eventually turning to return to his room.

Xu Ke had many tasks to handle in Shangjing this time. Having promised Lin Mengyao to return in a week, he was pressed for time. Xu Ke left early the day after the banquet.

As a businessman, one should never put all of one’s eggs in one basket. Xu Ke knew many in the Xu organization were dissatisfied with him. The current Xu organization was like an ancient tree with entangled roots. He believed he had the capacity to tame it, but the time it would consume was too great. He’d rather build a new kingdom for himself.

Though it would require some effort, it would at least be his own team, where he had the final say. Furthermore, working on the shoulders of a giant is much preferable to starting from scratch. Xu Ke was confident he could establish a business kingdom identical to the Xu organization within two years.

Thinking of this, Xu Ke’s smile widened just a bit.

"Mr. Xu, this is the location selected per your requirements. How do you like it? If it suits you, we can sign the contract today. The other party is quite anxious," the agent accompanying Xu Ke to look at the office space glanced at him and cautiously asked, "What do you think?"

Standing by the window, Xu Ke looked out at the ant-sized cars on the street through the large floor-to-ceiling windows and curled his lips in satisfaction. "This place is nice. How many floors does the owner have, and what’s the price range?" Xu Ke asked lightly.

Upon hearing Xu Ke’s inquiry, the agent’s face showed a hint of joy and relief, "Oh, you’re in luck. The floors above and below are owned by the same person. The other side is open to separating them or keeping them together. If you’re genuinely interested in both floors, I can take you to see the other; its layout is slightly different from this one." The agent approached Xu Ke with a cheekily ingratiating smile.

"Then let’s take a look downstairs. If it meets my needs, I’ll rent both floors," Xu Ke glanced again out the window, speaking in a consistently cold tone.