Chapter 140 Extra Chapter: Autumn Rain at the South Tower (Part 1)

In the blink of an eye, autumn has quietly arrived.

Every tree is tinged with autumn colors, every mountain bathed in the glow of the setting sun.

The leaves of the sycamore trees along the roadside are gradually turning yellow, with caramel-colored edges and winding veins that gradually reveal their color.

A couple of days ago, when a few people were having a gathering, Zhao Zonglan heard about Qin Muhuan bringing Song Qiyu back to the Qin family.

He wasn't feeling quite right.

Unlike Song Yanting, Song Qiyu was decisive and quick in his actions.

But Zhao Zonglan couldn't understand why Song Qiyu was moving so fast, already having formally met the other party's parents.

The two Song brothers are indeed very skilled at deceiving women.

Zhao Zonglan sat in his office chair, the cigarette in his hand already half-burned, but he felt increasingly agitated.

At that moment, Rong Heng knocked on the door and came in.

"Fifth Brother, the finishing touches on the new energy project are complete, and I'm basically done with everything. The summary meeting is scheduled for 2 PM tomorrow, and several major shareholders will be there. After the meeting, they'd like to invite you to dinner at Wangjinglou."

"I'll bring a few bottles of good wine then, and we'll drink to our hearts' content."

Zhao Zonglan kept his eyes down and remained silent.

The meeting will definitely be held, but he doesn't really want to go to the dinner party.

Although Rong Heng was a bit lacking in emotional intelligence, he understood Zhao Zonglan's personality to some extent and could tell that Fifth Brother was not very interested.

"Um, Fifth Brother, if you don't want to go, I'll turn them down later."

As he grew older, Prince Rong did learn some lessons.

He learned to read Zhao Zonglan's expression.

Zhao Zonglan simply replied, "We'll talk about it tomorrow."

If there are no other plans, it's fine to just go through the motions.

Rong Heng: "Okay."

Shen Jingni did not work overtime today.

The wedding dress brand project in collaboration with Moer has been basically finalized; now it's up to the designers.

After she got off work, she went and bought two new toy balls for Gun Gun.

Back at the Zijing Tanyuan Garden, while playing with Gun Gun, Zhao Zonglan returned.

Zhao Zonglan took off his suit jacket, rolled up his shirt sleeves to his forearms, walked to Shen Jingni's side, and squatted down.

The two of them squatted in a row, watching Gun Gun play with the little ball.

"Honey, I need to talk to you about something."

Shen Jingni felt that he was acting a little strange today, and blinked. "Go on."

“I think I should formally pay a visit to your parents.”

Although Zhao Zonglan is strong-willed and has a strong desire for control, this is something that can only be discussed with her.

Shen Jingni asked, puzzled, "Didn't you go there before?"

Zhao Zonglan met Lao Shen and Ms. Xu when they went public with their relationship.

That time doesn't count.

Zhao Zonglan stared at her intently, "My dear, it's proper for both sets of elders to have a formal meeting."

Shen Jingni understood.

But she doesn't want to get married yet.

Although she had already decided that Zhao Zonglan was the one, she was only twenty-three years old and her career was on the rise. She was so busy every day that she simply didn't have time to think about marriage.

Meeting up wasn't a problem, it's just...

"I need to discuss this with Lao Shen and the others first."

Old Shen and Shen Qingyan are difficult to deal with; it's uncertain whether they'll even let Zhao Zonglan into the family.

But her answer only made Zhao Zonglan more annoyed.

She refused.

She was still hesitating.

She still had concerns.

This left Mr. Zhao feeling very frustrated.

A great sense of powerlessness welled up inside me.

But Zhao Zonglan wouldn't show these emotions. He understood; after all, she was still young, while he...

This was the first time in his life that he felt a strange sense of inferiority regarding his age.

I started to feel anxious and uncertain.

If he were ten years younger, no, even just five, they would be a better match, and her father wouldn't object or put her in a difficult position.

Zhao Zonglan didn't say anything more, got up and went to his study.

He didn't return to his bedroom until Shen Jingni was asleep that night.

Shen Jingni noticed his low spirits, but she needed to discuss it with her family first; there was no other way.

However, she could try to appease him.

The next morning, Shen Jingni didn't sleep in. She got up when Zhao Zonglan got up.

Moreover, they were exceptionally attentive.

"Brother, let me squeeze the toothpaste for you."

"Brother, you look so handsome today, I want a kiss."

...

For example, this kind of flattery.

She's very well-behaved and sweet.

If it were the Zhao Zonglan of the past, she probably would have calmed down after just one shout from her.

But Zhao Zonglan was not angry.

Or rather, he was angry with himself.

Therefore, he remained calm and indifferent in the face of her series of attempts to please him, only kissing her forehead before leaving.

Shen Jingni was unhappy.

No, what is this?

Should we give her the silent treatment?

angry.

Zhao Zonglan quickly realized this problem.

He messaged her in the morning, but after waiting for a long time, the little one didn't reply.

Wangjing Tower.

The gathering organized by Rong Heng was attended by several major shareholders who were cooperating with the company.

Zhao Zonglan arrived late as usual.

Mingzhao was waiting at the main gate.

Upon seeing the Maybach, he went up to it, bowed, and opened the car door. "Mr. Zhao, all the CEOs have arrived, and Young Master Song is here too."

Upon hearing that Song Qiyu was present, Zhao Zonglan frowned and asked in a low, cold voice, "What's he doing here?"

Mingzhao respectfully led the way, answering cautiously, "It was... our young master who invited us."

Normally, it's quite common for a few young men to come and have some fun at these kinds of gatherings, and Mr. Zhao never interferes.

But why today?

Mingzhao suddenly felt that something was wrong.

He secretly glanced at Chang An behind Zhao Zonglan, trying to get some hints from Chang An.

But all we saw was Chang An shaking his head helplessly.

Mingzhao silently worried for his young master and the second young master of the Song family.

When Zhao Zonglan came in, Song Qiyu was chatting with a CEO. Tonghe Group planned to develop an entertainment sector next year.

"Currently, short video and live streaming platforms are experiencing a surge in traffic, and games are also generating substantial revenue."

"Tonghe wants to give it a try."

Hearing Song Qiyu's words, Zhao Zonglan gave him a cold look and said, "Childish. The cake is almost all eaten. Are you going to go and pick up the scraps?"

Song Qiyu: "..."

Why is Fifth Brother so venomous today?

Who has upset him again?