The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 162. Annual Meeting 1

Chapter 162: 162. Annual Meeting 1

Fang Tong, upon hearing this, looked somewhat distressed. "Daddy, the end of the year is almost here, and his company has been working overtime till late at night recently. I’m afraid..."

Fang Chengzhi understood and smiled, not minding at all, "Then let’s wait until after the New Year."

After pacifying his daughter, Fang Chengzhi went to comfort his wife, who was indeed sitting on the bed crying.

"People in their fifties, how can you still be crying up a storm like this? If your daughter saw you, she’d be laughing."

Fu Fanghua exploded upon hearing this, "It’s all because of your precious daughter. I really wasted my effort raising her all these years."

"Yes, yes, yes, it’s all my fault. I didn’t take good care of our daughter and made my wife suffer. I’ll go discipline her right now." Fang Chengzhi pretended he was about to go and settle accounts with Fang Tong.

"Hey, come back here." Fu Fanghua grabbed him, "She’s still a child. Why scold her? I just feel wronged right now, but I’ll be fine soon."

Fang Chengzhi went along with her mood, "Really? You’re fine now?"

Fu Fanghua gave him a look, "If it were something, do you really plan to hit her?"

Fang Chengzhi widened his eyes, "Of course not. You’re her mother, who’s raised her with great difficulty. She not only failed to be filial to you, but she even made you cry! My disciplining her would be mild."

"You dare! If you touch her, I won’t let you off." Though she knew Fang Chengzhi was just talking, Fu Fanghua was truly displeased.

Angrily as she might be, she’d never actually let him hit Fang Tong.

Fang Chengzhi put his arm around his wife’s shoulder, "Alright, don’t be angry. I’ve talked with Tongtong, and she knows she was wrong."

Fu Fanghua looked skeptical, "Really? She knows?"

"Of course. It’s just that your temper too needs some work; don’t be so hot-tempered. Talk to her nicely and she’ll understand. This incident is over now, let’s not bring it up again. But in the future, be careful about how you say things. She’s now all focused on that boy, and she definitely won’t listen to us. Why not meet him and see? Even if he isn’t right for her, we’ll then have enough reason to persuade Tongtong, right?"

Fang Chengzhi patiently pacified his wife, feeling quite miserable inside as he had to appease both his daughter and wife after their quarrel.

She tentatively agreed, "Alright, we can meet him, but let me make it clear from the start, if I am not satisfied, no matter what you say, I won’t agree."

"Sure. Not just you, I wouldn’t agree either," Fang Chengzhi quickly agreed.

"Then let’s do it soon, dragging it on is pointless."

"I’ve already spoken to Tongtong about it, but the boy’s company is busy before the New Year, and he has to work overtime, so after the New Year."

At this, Fu Fanghua snorted, somewhat annoyed, "What kind of person is this, expecting us to wait for him as if we’re indulging him."

"Alright, it’s getting late, let’s get some rest."

That night, Fang Tong did not sleep well. She hated arguing with her mother, especially since she had just heard from her father that last time she had even made her mom cry more.

Fang Tong checked the time, hesitated in front of her parents’ door for quite a while, but didn’t have the courage to knock. Seeing the light fade from under the door, she knew her parents were asleep and finally went back to her room.

Early the next morning, Fang Tong woke up really early to make breakfast for her parents. Seeing Fu Fanghua get up, she felt apprehensive, "Mom."

Fu Fanghua glanced at her daughter and sighed, "Alright, let’s eat."

Fang Tong’s face lit up with a smile as she exchanged a look with Fang Chengzhi and pulled Fu Fanghua to sit down at the dining table.

**

Fang Tong had initially thought Ding Minghui would call her to invite her to the company’s annual gala. She had even prepared her dress, but until the day before the gala, she still hadn’t received a call from Ding Minghui.

Unable to resist, Fang Tong called Ding Minghui, whose voice sounded hoarse, as if he had just woken up. Fang Tong checked the time; it was already noon.

"Minghui, did you just wake up?"

"Mm, I got home really late last night. Tongtong, is something up?" He had worked overtime until 4 a.m. last night, only getting to sleep at five.

Fang Tong hesitated, unsure how to start, then asked, "Minghui, does your company have an annual gala?"

Ding Minghui’s eyes cleared a bit, "Mhm, it’s tomorrow."

"Are you going to attend?"

Ding Minghui hesitated for a second before responding, "I’m not attending. I haven’t been regularized yet; I don’t have the qualification."

Fang Tong felt a twinge in her heart, "I heard that all the employees from your head office can attend."

Ding Minghui was startled and quipped reflexively, "Who told you that."

"I might have heard it from someone else, maybe I remembered wrongly," Fang Tong was vague.

Ding Minghui relaxed, "Then you must have remembered wrongly. Only the regular staff can attend. As for interns like me, we can’t. But next year I will be able, and the gala allows bringing family members. I’ll take you with me next year."

Fang Tong smiled, "Okay. I thought you could attend this year too. I heard this year’s gala is on a cruise ship; I wanted to experience that, but now I guess I won’t get the chance."

Ding Minghui, upon hearing this, consoled, "Don’t worry, if not this time, there will be a next. I’ll definitely bring you along next time."

"Mm, you slept late last night, get some good rest today."

"Alright, you take care of yourself too."

After hanging up, Shen Qinglan’s call came through, "Hello, Qinglan."

"It’s me. Have you got your outfit ready for tomorrow’s gala? Do you need me to come pick you up?" Shen Qinglan asked.

"Qinglan, I won’t be going to tomorrow’s gala. Minghui is an intern and can’t attend this time," Fang Tong explained.

Shen Qinglan paused, "Did Ding Minghui tell you that?"

"Yeah, I just got off the phone with him. Can you manage alone?" After asking, she felt like she had asked a silly question, as it was Shen Junyu’s company, and how could Shen Qinglan be going alone.

"Fang Tong," Shen Qinglan’s tone shifted, "Ding Minghui will be attending tomorrow’s gala."

Fang Tong thought Shen Qinglan was going to help Ding Minghui get an invitation, as she surely wouldn’t be refused by Shen Junyu, "Qinglan, it’s okay. Minghui is still an intern, and giving him special treatment would draw talk from the company. It’s just a gala; if he doesn’t attend this time, there’ll be a next."

"I checked the guest list for the gala with my brother and saw Ding Minghui’s name. He is attending this gala," Shen Qinglan stated, her cool voice carrying over the waves to Fang Tong’s ears.

Fang Tong’s face fell, speechless for a long time.

"Qinglan, are you telling the truth?" her voice was strained.

"Yes," Shen Qinglan replied, "I still have an invitation. If you want to go, I can bring you along."

Fang Tong was silent, then finally spoke, "Okay, Qinglan, please pick me up tomorrow."