"Grandmother, I disagree!"
"Didn't Ms. Yao sign the divorce agreement with Mr. Su in front of everyone? She explicitly stated that Mr. Su’s affairs have nothing to do with you anymore. Are you planning to go back on your word?"
Shen Jianian frowned, looking at Yao Lingxuan with clear dissatisfaction. He had been present for the entire event that evening and had seen exactly how much Yao Lingxuan loathed Su Yan. The Shen family owed Su Yan a debt of gratitude, and there would be plenty of opportunities to repay it later. He absolutely refused to let that favor be handed over to Yao Lingxuan.
Liu Congrong’s cloudy eyes remained sharp; illness seemed not to have dulled her mind. "So that’s the nature of the relationship between Ms. Yao and Mr. Su."
Yao Lingxuan had not expected Shen Jianian to speak up for Su Yan. She explained earnestly, "Su Yan and I only signed the divorce agreement. We haven't processed the divorce certificate yet; legally, we are still husband and wife."
"You are quite right!" Liu Congrong chimed in with a nod.
"Grandmother..." Shen Jianian was stunned. Given what he knew of his grandmother, he could likely guess what she intended to do.
Liu Congrong raised a hand to cut him off and smiled. "Since you are still husband and wife, a couple shares one heart. Therefore, you shall accept this favor from Mr. Su on his behalf."
Yao Lingxuan replied excitedly, "Thank you for your approval, Old Madam Shen."
"Since we’ve reached this point, shouldn't you change how you address me?" Liu Congrong said with a smile.
Yao Lingxuan said with agitation, "...Grandmother."
"That’s more like it." Liu Congrong let out a long breath, as if drained of all strength, and her spirit began to flag.
"Grandmother!" Shen Jianian strongly disapproved of his grandmother's actions. What he loathed most was this woman, Yao Lingxuan—someone who cared only for profit, lacked any sense of sentiment, and was calculating to the extreme.
"I’m tired," Liu Congrong signaled.
"I will arrange for someone to take you back to rest immediately." Shen Jianian ignored Yao Lingxuan and called for someone to take Liu Congrong to her bedroom.
Lying in bed, Liu Congrong looked at Shen Jianian and said weakly, "I know you are dissatisfied with my decision, but I had my reasons."
"I know," Shen Jianian replied respectfully. "Grandmother doesn't want to owe a favor to someone whose background is uncertain, as it could affect the Shen family’s future decisions."
As one of the Four Great Families of Yunhai, the Shen family played a pivotal role in the city. For others, having the Shen family owe them a favor would be a massive stroke of luck. A normal person would have accepted their offer long ago, but Su Yan was the only one who hadn't taken their benefits to heart. Either he didn't care for the Shen family, or he was holding back, waiting to demand something much larger later.
For the Shen family, the initiative had always been in their own hands; there was no reason to let it slip into someone else's. Having Yao Lingxuan claim the favor was a good thing for them.
Hearing his response, Liu Congrong nodded with satisfaction. "I have always known you were clever. It’s good that you understand."
"But I feel that Su Yan is not simple. Old Madam Jiang was so polite to him and treated him with such deference. Now that he has divorced Ms. Yao and they are on such bad terms, won't we offend him by courting her? Isn't that a bad move for the Shen family?"
Shen Jianian’s concerns were realistic; he had never seen Jiang Yunhe show such respect to anyone.
Liu Congrong waved her hand, unfazed. "I know every capable young person in Yunhai, and there has never been anyone named Su Yan. There is no need to worry about it."
Seeing his grandmother insist on her view, and not wanting to trouble her further with family matters, Shen Jianian nodded gently. "Rest now, Grandmother. Your health is what matters most."
Liu Congrong closed her eyes in exhaustion and drifted off into a deep sleep.
Shen Jianian walked out of the room, his expression grave. He beckoned to his assistant and said, "Go investigate that Su Yan. Find out everything there is to know about him."
"Yes, sir!" the assistant replied.
Shen Jianian thought of Su Yan’s temperament and poise; he couldn't shake the feeling that the man was not simple. The Jiang family would never do anything without a benefit. He had to uncover Su Yan’s true identity to put his mind at ease.
The happiest person that night was undoubtedly Yao Lingxuan. When she first saw Su Yan arrive, she assumed he was there to shamelessly pester her. Instead, the outcome had exceeded her expectations—he was actually a guest of the Jiang family and had even cured Old Madam Jiang. Although she didn't know where he had learned his medical skills, at least she had benefited. She had become the granddaughter of Old Madam Shen. Once this news spread, no one in Yunhai would ever dare provoke her again!
Wu Li sat in the passenger seat, beaming. "Ms. Yao, congratulations on getting exactly what you wanted!"
"I didn't think things would go so smoothly either," Yao Lingxuan said with a smirk.
Wu Li asked in surprise, "Who would have thought Su Yan actually knew medicine? Didn't he know nothing before?"
Yao Lingxuan curled her lip. "Longteng Prison is full of all sorts of people. He must have just gotten lucky and learned a bit of medicine from someone there."
"That makes sense," Wu Li agreed. "I thought he would be a total waste for the rest of his life, but with this skill, he should be able to carve out a place for himself in Yunhai."
"A place?" Yao Lingxuan dismissed the idea. "Based on this alone, that's all he'll ever have—just a small place."
Wu Li nodded in agreement, not optimistic about Su Yan's future. Yunhai was one of the top cities in the country, teeming with talent. He might be able to make some money with his medical skills, but getting a seat at the table? That was absolutely impossible.
Just as they were talking, Yao Lingxuan’s phone rang. She was driving, so she gestured to Wu Li. "You answer it for me."
Wu Li picked up the phone and answered. A familiar baritone voice came from the other end.
"Ms. Yao, I am withdrawing from the land development project in the south of the city that we were working on."
Yao Lingxuan frowned, asking with marked dissatisfaction, "What does President Yang mean by this? I’ve already invested the money! You’re planning to pull out?"
The person on the other end didn't offer a shred of explanation and hung up directly.
Yao Lingxuan was furious. She had invested fully five hundred million; were they expecting her to just watch her money vanish? And he didn't even have the decency to explain!
Then, the phone rang again.
President Huang’s voice came through. "I’m sorry, Ms. Yao, our partnership is terminated as of now. Goodbye."
After saying this, he also hung up without offering any explanation.
Yao Lingxuan angrily pulled the car to the side of the road and picked up her phone, her face dark. The phone rang again—another call to terminate a contract.
"Who on earth put you up to this? Why are you doing this?" Yao Lingxuan demanded in a rage.
Ms. Lin, a fellow businesswoman, sighed. "Ms. Yao, you’ve likely offended someone you shouldn't have. I suggest you offer them a sincere apology. Otherwise, no one can protect you!"