"What more does she want to stir up? She wants power, influence, the man, the title, and even affection. That’s too much. She’s trying to have it all, playing one side against the other. Our Zhou Family won’t tolerate any sordid scandals, certainly no drama about brothers fighting over a woman. I have my dignity to consider."
Zhou Luchen remained silent, clearly unwilling to marry Shen Jing or to listen to the Old Matriarch discuss it further.
Zhou Xiangqun attempted to pacify the Old Matriarch. "Alright, now. You’ve been through a lot with Achen. Calm down. Later, I’ll arrange for a troupe to perform ’The Three Beats of the Bone Demon’ for you."
The Old Matriarch chuckled. "I can’t be bothered to watch. Second Madam is practically knocking on death’s door. Whether you boys want to start families or not doesn’t matter to anymore. I’ve seen through it all. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been so strict in raising you, always preoccupied with what you’d inherit. Business success is fine, but it leads to emotional chaos."
The only comfort was that, regardless of what transpired between them, the two brothers never turned on each other or sched to monopolize the Zhou Family’s power and influence. They understood too well that only by supporting each other could the Zhou Family reach new heights under their leadership.
Zhou Luchen felt weary. He slipped the Buddha Beads back onto the Old Matriarch’s wrist. "I’m going out to et friends. Don’t wait up for for dinner."
The Old Matriarch contentedly stroked the Buddha Beads on her wrist, then looked up. "The lights at your villa are off. Are you planning to move back in?"
"We’ll see," Zhou Luchen replied.
Zhou Xiangqun watched Zhou Luchen’s retreating figure until it vanished. Then, he shook his head with a sigh and a laugh. "How did Second Brother even manage that? He used his controlling shares to acquire the Wei Family’s holdings, ousting Wenxin from her chairman position. Then he dumped the late Mr. Wei’s scandal case onto the leaders of the seventy-two international branches, practically daring them to let him marry her. He knew he could expose all the Wei Family’s scandals. Even though the Eldest Madam did her best to suppress them, she was no match for him. The Eldest Madam is truly muddled, thinking she can play gas with him. He’s a venomous creature; he saw right through her sches with a single move."
Ultimately, due to Mr. Wei’s nurous scandals and with the man already dead, the seventy-two international branches were deeply reluctant to approve the marriage. Marrying a Wei was out of the question unless Wenxin voluntarily renounced her family.
Wenxin, fiercely proud, coveted the title of Mrs. Zhou and was willing to gamble for it. However, if she were to leave the Wei Family to marry him, she would face ridicule and Zhou Luchen’s disdain.
How deaning would it be to abandon the Wei Family just to marry Zhou Luchen?
That single thought was enough to crush Wenxin, prompting her to proactively withdraw and annul the engagent.
No matter her choice, Zhou Luchen held the advantage, while she was cornered. She could not leave the Wei Family.
Zhou Luchen always preferred to be in control, to dominate everything. He could bestow imnse success upon you, but if you beca unreasonable or pushed too hard, he could retract it all just as easily.
Zhou Luchen also maneuvered to remove the Old Matriarch’s confidants from United Bank’s key etings, ensuring all decisions were his alone. He made sudden changes to high-level positions, consolidating power without prior notice. It was as if he fired anyone he disliked on a whim, abusing his authority to install his own protégés.
Even though everything at United Bank was technically his, such blatant disregard for propriety infuriated the elderly Matriarch of the Zhou Family.
Force him into one marriage, and he’d probably seize all the decision-making power within United Bank, silencing even the Zhou ancestors’ voices.
「Midnight.」
「Anmian Club.」
「The Card Room.」
Second Young Master Zhou, renowned for his abstinence, had just left the temple. Xie Qinyang had already opened the wine cellar and arranged an early gathering. It was a collection of influential n.
Despite past feuds between the Cheng and Zhou families, Cheng Siheng, as always, enjoyed mingling with everyone. He sat directly opposite Zhou Luchen, joining their poker ga.
"Did you light the incense I sent you? How was it?" Cheng Siheng inquired.
Zhou Luchen glanced at the gold-plated luxury poker cards in his hand, a playful smile in his deep, expressive eyes. "It gave erotic dreams."
Cheng Siheng was stunned. His authentic, spirit-calming incense had actually led this man to have erotic dreams.
"Do you want more?"
"No," Zhou Luchen declined.
Cheng Siheng sidled closer to Zhou Luchen, whispering conspiratorially, "I have sothing even stronger, specially enhanced."
Zhou Luchen straightened the cards in his hand with a flick, scoffing, "Do I need enhancents?"
Cheng Siheng eyed the dashing Young Master Zhou. It wasn’t a question of need. "You’re so consud by desire you’re having *those* kinds of dreams. I’m just trying to help you out, make a good thing even better."
True to form, Zhou Luchen never minced words. "You certainly have a lot of unorthodox thods; no wonder you’re still single."
The Second Young Master chuckled, his charming deanor laced with sharp sarcasm.
Cheng Siheng rely curled his lips into a faint smile.
What kind of talk is that? It’s just that I haven’t been fortunate enough to et a girl I like yet.
"It’s all from those people in Hong Kong," Cheng Siheng said. "Forty thousand a gram. Works wonders for insomnia."
It was originally intended to calm the mind and soothe the spirit.
With Second Young Master Zhou, however, even the purest and most refined things seed to acquire an alluring, sensual quality.
"I’ll give you another half a pound," Cheng Siheng gestured for an attendant to bring a wooden box, which he personally placed into Zhou Luchen’s hand. "Just transfer the paynt whenever you feel like it."
Zhou Luchen tossed it to Zhuang Ming with a smooth, effortless motion. That was his way of accepting.
Zhuang Ming transferred the paynt to Cheng Siheng. The deal was done.
Cheng Siheng squared up the cards in his hand, then fanned them out again, asking Xie Qinyang, "What about his girlfriends?"
Xie Qinyang twisted the cap off a bottle of mineral water, glancing at the Second Young Master. "Don’t say ’girlfriends,’ plural. He doesn’t even have *a* girlfriend. You see, the Zhou family picked out a formidable heiress for him, hoping she could sever his ties with all his female confidantes. But he rejected the marriage, infuriating the family. That’s why he’s off ’playing’ at the temple now."
"I don’t believe he doesn’t have one," Cheng Siheng chuckled. "Handso and dashing as he is."
If not, then who was he dreaming about so vividly?
"Don’t be so quick to disbelieve. You know his older brother; go ask Zhou Xiangqun if it’s true," Xie Qinyang said.
Cheng Siheng smacked his lips. "That workaholic? I can’t be bothered to ask him for tea."
Zhou Luchen was focused on the good hand he held, yet he played with a distinct lack of seriousness, discarding whichever card caught his fancy, with no discernible strategy. He didn’t win either.
Late into the night, a courier arrived outside the club, delivering a package containing a black card.
Zhuang Ming had no choice but to bring it to Zhou Luchen, placing it on the luxurious stone tabletop. He glanced at the strong hand the Second Young Master was holding.
Xie Qinyang threw down a pair of Kings, his cards arranged. "What did you run off to get in the middle of the night?"
"Miss Shen returned the card."
"She said she couldn’t possibly use a United Bank black card."
Zhou Luchen paid no heed to Zhuang Ming’s words. He stared at the powerful cards in his hand but didn’t play them. He gestured for Xie Qinyang to pass, his gaze distant and unfocused.
His detached deanor was such that no one dared to interrupt.
"Always wearing those tattered clothes," Zhou Luchen suddenly muttered. "All dirty from falling into a river."
"She’s just going to work, commuting. It’s not like she’s walking a runway," Xie Qinyang quietly reached out and pinched the black bank card. "If you don’t want it, give it to . I’d be set for life. I’d gladly be your kept man."
Zhou Luchen scattered his remaining cards on the table, picked up the mineral water, took a drink, and rose to leave.
Xie Qinyang offered a piece of friendly advice to Zhuang Ming, "Tell your Second Young Master to ease up on that incense; it’s bad for the kidneys."
Zhuang Ming, not understanding the implication, remained expressionless and didn’t respond.
Once Zhou Luchen had departed, Xie Qinyang lost interest in the ga. Toying with the black card, he remarked, "What’s with all the incense? So young woman is head over heels for him, but he couldn’t win her back. He doesn’t seem to care, always trying to solve things with money. But she’s not impressed by material wealth, and it’s driving him nuts."
Cheng Siheng, already aware of the backstory, didn’t pry further, rely offering a knowing smile.
"Co on, let’s pack it in and go ho to bed. I won a good sum off Second Young Master tonight," Xie Qinyang boasted, eyeing the chips in the drawer.
A few days later, the card found its way back to Shen Jing, given to her by Xie Qinyang.
"If he gives it to you, just take it."
Reviews
All reviews (0)