Chapter 103: Like a Rose Bathed in Sunlight

Xie Yunfan isn't that foolish.

She knew that the old lady was using Rong Zaiyi as a yardstick to measure Shen Jingni's abilities.

And Xie Yunfan was the one who held the ruler.

The old lady always prioritized the overall situation of the Zhao family, and she was still angry about what happened last time.

I can barely understand it.

But Xie Yunfan couldn't possibly lose her mind like her.

A woman from a distinguished family, she is mindful of etiquette, does not covet wealth, does not seek the limelight, and prioritizes moral character.

Putting aside Shen Jingni's importance in Zhao Zonglan's heart, even if they were complete strangers, she would never make things difficult for a young girl.

Xie Yunfan didn't want to offend either side, so she could only go through the motions.

As for Rong Zaiyi, she had already given her some pointers beforehand.

Rong Zaiyi was even less likely to be so foolish.

She found it amusing; what era are we living in that the old lady was still thinking of this trick?

He was probably blinded by anger.

Despite her nervousness, Shen Jingni changed her clothes and went to the reception room to meet the person.

She greeted Xie Yunfan and Rong Zaiyi with a smile, her voice sweet and soft, "Auntie, Miss Rong."

"I'm sorry I'm late."

Xie Yunfan had seen countless daughters of wealthy families.

She had seen photos of Shen Jingni before, and in her memory, she was a very pretty young girl, but that was all.

But when she saw the real person, she was stunned.

It doesn't feel the same as the photo.

Lively and vibrant, it is not superficial, but rather a bright and lively spirit that comes from within.

If I had to describe her, this Miss Shen would be like a rose bathed in sunlight, bright and unrestrained, with a rare touch of innocence and purity.

This carefree and innocent spirit is nowhere to be seen in either Xie Yunfan in her youth or Rong Zaiyi now.

Seeing that Shen Jingni's complexion was not good, Xie Yunfan quickly stood up and asked nervously, "Did we disturb your rest by coming here so abruptly?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Jingni felt reassured.

The aristocratic family had too many rules and requirements, and she thought Xie Yunfan was a "vicious mother-in-law" who came to give her a hard time.

It turns out that's not the case.

It's almost noon; the wicked old woman wouldn't ask such a question.

"Auntie, you flatter me. It is my honor to have you come to see me. I am not disturbing you at all."

Shen Jingni would still say the polite words, after all, the other party was Zhao Zonglan's mother, an elder, and she had to restrain her temper.

Compared to Shen Jingni's composure, Xie Yunfan was indeed a little nervous.

After organizing his thoughts, he said gently, "I didn't come here for anything else, I just wanted to see you. I happened to run into Zaiyi on the way, so I had her come with me."

Rong Zaiyi, sitting next to him, sipped her tea, smiled, and felt a little awkward.

She originally didn't want to come, but since Old Mrs. Zhao had spoken up, she couldn't refuse the old lady.

Let's just consider this a tea visit.

Xie Yunfan then had several jewelry boxes brought out and placed on the table.

"Since this is our first meeting, I don't know what you like, so I picked out a few pieces of jade. You can keep them and play with them, or find a craftsman to make them into objects later, it's all up to you."

The jewelry box was opened, revealing Xinjiang Hetian jade, imperial green jadeite rough, and rare yellow-green jadeite...

These are all extremely precious and rare types of jade.

Once Xie Yunfan started giving gifts to her future daughter-in-law, she couldn't stop herself and took out a document from her bag and handed it to Shen Jingni.

“Those jade pieces are all trinkets. After thinking about it, I think this is the most practical.”

"I heard you're starting a business. This fund is a small support for your business. Of course, how you use it is entirely up to you."

Xie Yunfan had considered sending a check, but that was too direct and would make people feel that she didn't value him enough.

As for the foundation, many people know of its existence. It is managed by a family member and is a long-term investment, reflecting the Zhao family's high regard and recognition of her.

Those jade pieces were already precious enough; adding this fund on top of that, Shen Jingni was truly embarrassed to accept it.

"Auntie, this is too precious..."

"Not valuable at all, this is nothing."

Xie Yunfan didn't even give her a chance to refuse, and directly told the servant to put it away, "If you don't know how to use it, just ask Zong Lan. He is a very authoritative figure in the financial field."

Rong Zaiyi chimed in, “Mr. Zhao is indeed farsighted. I heard from Rong Heng that once when a few of them got together, they played a game of choosing stocks. The stock that Mr. Zhao chose hit the daily limit up the next day.”

When she talks about Zhao Zonglan, her eyes involuntarily fill with a smile.

It's normal; everyone feels this way when talking about someone they like.

Shen Jingni got angry as soon as she heard Zhao Zonglan's name.

The reason is simple: Zhao Zonglan made her face this situation alone, and she was unhappy.

She glanced at Rong Zaiyi and casually asked, "Does Miss Rong also play the stock market?"

"Occasionally."

The Rong Zaiyi at this moment seems to be a completely different person from the one I saw at the food street last time.

She is dignified, elegant, and has a gentle temperament.

Shen Jingni's amber eyes darted around, and she suddenly suggested, "Why don't we play a game? We each pick a stock and see which one goes up the most."

Xie Yunfan: "That's interesting. Zaiyi, shall we give it a try?"

Rong Zaiyi had no way to refuse.

After a quick look at the stock market, she chose a well-established liquor company with a solid business foundation and a household name brand, whose stock price was unlikely to fluctuate too much.

Rong Zaiyi was born to follow the rules and regulations, and always dared to choose the safe and secure option, never daring to act recklessly.

This applies both within families and in the business world.

Shen Jingni randomly chose a newly listed semiconductor company called "Xinghai Technology". Its stock price has been fluctuating a lot recently, and it has been trending downwards.

Xie Yunfan gently reminded her, "Jing Ni, do you want to choose another one? I think this stock is unlikely to rise in the near future."

She smiled brightly, her voice sweet, "No need, this is fine, I think it's good."

Shen Jingni did it on purpose.

She was determined to give Zhao Zonglan a difficult problem.

Rong Zaiyi had no idea what she was planning, and only asked, "What's the stake?"

Shen Jingni, unrestrained, looked at Xie Yunfan and said, "Could you help us think of one?"

Xie Yunfan pondered for a moment, "Then let the loser grant the winner one request."

She was biased towards Shen Jingni and thought she might lose, so she added, "Do what you can, it can't be too difficult."

...

A black Maybach was parked quietly outside the gate of Zijing Tanyuan.

Zhao Zonglan sat in the car, a cigarette between his fingers, leaning back in his seat, his eyes slightly lowered, lazily looking at the computer in front of him.

The screen was displaying surveillance footage from the reception room.

Before long, Xie Yunfan and Rong Zaiyi's cars drove out one after the other.

They were forced to stop again.

The moment Xie Yunfan saw the Maybach, her heart leaped into her throat.

Sure enough, he came back.

She rolled down the car window, trying to remain calm, and explained, "Zong Lan, I've come to see Miss Chen."

The Maybach's window was half-rolled down, and Zhao Zonglan glanced at her with his deep eyes, his voice low and cold: "Grandmother sent you."

It's an affirmative tone, not a question.

Xie Yunfan spoke up for the old lady, saying, "Your grandmother was only thinking of the Zhao family and didn't mean to make things difficult for Miss Chen."

Zhao Zonglan took a drag of his cigarette, not even lifting his eyelids, his expression indifferent. "Mother, you should be glad that you didn't make things difficult for her today."

Upon hearing this, Xie Yunfan suddenly felt a wave of fear.

She knew Zhao Zonglan well; in his eyes, family ties were the least valuable thing.

"She's the one you've chosen, I won't make things difficult for her."

Zhao Zonglan stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, lowered his eyes, and said slowly, "Please pass on a message to my grandmother for me."

“I find her Buddhist shrine an eyesore. I’ll send someone to dismantle it tonight. Let her keep the gods and Buddhas to herself.”

Xie Yunfan was stunned for several seconds before she managed to squeeze out a "good" from her throat.

The old lady's most treasured possession was her Buddhist shrine, where she offered incense and prayed to Buddha every day for decades.

Xie Yunfan knew very well that this was just a warning from Zhao Zonglan to the old lady.

If you really anger him, it will be far more than just demolishing the Buddhist temple.