Chapter 139 I'm at ease entrusting my daughter to you.

The study was filled with the smoke of burning sandalwood.

The three sat facing each other.

Neither of them seemed inclined to speak first; the rustling of leaves outside the window was the only sound.

Tan Zhaojing broke the silence, "Grandpa, if you want me to break up with him, then I advise you to go back and rest as soon as possible."

Grandpa Tan wasn't angry; instead, he remained calm. "Who said I was going to offer advice?"

Tan Zhaojing unconsciously developed a crease between his brows; he knew his grandfather had a problem waiting for him.

After a brief silence, a gruff voice rang in my ears, "Eldest daughter-in-law, if you want your daughter to marry into the Tan family, that's fine, but you must divorce your eldest son. Only one of you, mother and daughter, can enter the Tan family."

Mingxian looked up, her head throbbing for a moment, but the shock was quickly replaced by calm. That was the old man's style; she knew very well that he wouldn't compromise so easily.

But Tan Zhaojing hadn't expected that his grandfather would use the group to pressure him, or even abandon him and kick him out of the game.

He didn't care about any of these things.

He would never agree to this condition in exchange.

Losing his composure, he coldly questioned, "What good will doing this do you?"

"At least it's not bad!" The old man breathed a sigh of relief. He had been annoyed and challenged by his rebellious grandson for some time, and now it was his turn to win!

"Tan Zhaojing, I want to see if you can be with that girl with a clear conscience!"

He chuckled coldly a few times. "I know you're very capable. Don't even mention the group; the Tan family is dispensable to you. So, I'm betting on your father."

At this point, he slammed his cane down heavily, "I want to see if you'll abandon your father for your own little love affair!"

It could be said that Tan Zhaojing's expression at this moment was the worst he had ever looked in his 29 years of life.

The study was filled with a chilling atmosphere, and his expression turned icy cold. "Do you really have to be so ruthless?"

"You forced me to do this!" The old man glared at him angrily.

"Zhaojing." Mingxian stood up, pressed his shoulder and pushed him toward the study door. "I'm going to talk to the old man. You go out first."

He didn't forget to remind them, "Don't let them know."

Tan Zhaojing could vaguely guess what Aunt Ming would do next. "No, the fault lies with me."

Mingxian smiled, "There's no right or wrong, Zhaojing. I've seen everything you've done."

Without giving him a chance to speak, she quickly opened the door, pushed him out, and locked the door behind her.

The old man was incredibly astute; he instantly understood what the woman meant. This wasn't the outcome he wanted; he wanted Zhaojing to compromise.

That girl is fine for minor squabbles, but she's absolutely not suitable as a wife!

Before she could speak, he threatened, "Don't think that everything will be fine just because you divorced the eldest son. With me around, your daughter will never be able to marry into this family smoothly!"

Mingxian raised her lips, her smile slightly cold, "Do you think you can stop Zhaojing? Otherwise, you wouldn't threaten him in this way. There's something you probably didn't expect."

The old man stared at her without saying a word.

Mingxian continued, "Do you think I would abandon my daughter because I couldn't bear to part with the title of Mrs. Tan, or that I have no feelings for this daughter because Zaoyi didn't grow up by my side, or because of Zaoyi's father?"

There was a half-second pause at this point. "Zaoyi did not grow up by my side, so what? It does not stop me from loving her in the slightest. As for the title of Mrs. Tan, I am indeed reluctant to give it up, but it has nothing to do with your Tan family, it is only because of Tan Zhengjun."

Ignoring the old man's increasingly gloomy expression, he continued, "As for me, my financial resources are less than one ten-thousandth of your Tan family's, but I have a place in the news industry. If I find out that you are making things difficult for Zao Yi, then I'm sorry. The outcome may not change anything, but at least it will make your empire suffer for a long time."

Having said that, there was no need to continue. Mingxian nodded slightly, "Please sit for a while, I'll go out first."

Outside the door, Lin Zaoyi paced back and forth. Hearing the door open, she stopped abruptly, saw her mother, and rushed over, "Mom..."

Mom smiled gently, her lips curving upwards. "What's going on? Are you worried you'll talk about how Grandpa treated me?"

Lin Zaoyi nodded honestly. Judging from her mother's expression, she was indeed overthinking it, but she was still worried. Otherwise, why would she leave her mother alone in the study?

What did Grandpa Tan say to you?

As he asked the question, he glanced at Tan Zhaojing again. Tan Zhaojing stood by the window, his profile cold and indifferent, and it was impossible to tell what he was looking at or thinking. His emotions were hard to discern.

Turning her head back, she said, "Something's definitely up. Don't hide it from me."

"Need to ask?"

Her mother glared at her, "You're just questioning me about how I take care of the child, telling me to keep a closer eye on you."

He reached out and poked her forehead, saying, "You're always causing me trouble."

Despite her relaxed tone, Lin Zaoyi remained uneasy. She didn't know why, but she just felt uneasy, as if her mother had compromised on something.

He grabbed her hand and said, "Mom, please tell me."

"You silly girl, what am I supposed to say if you don't have anything to say?"

As she spoke, Mingxian patted her daughter's bottom, "Go on your date."

The little devil didn't move, staring at her stubbornly.

She concealed her true feelings perfectly, yet still managed a smile. "You can't expect me to make this up, can you? Have a seat, I need to talk to Zhaojing about something."

Lin Zaoyi was about to ask what was wrong when her mother spoke first, "Regarding your two living together ahead of time, as your mother, there are some things I must warn you about."

My initial unease was replaced by shyness. I wanted to say something back, but then I thought better of it.

No matter how much you say, it's all just sophistry.

Outside, the cold wind howled, and the evergreen pine trees, though battered by the winter rain, appeared somewhat desolate.

A gust of wind swept by, lifting the hem of her clothes. In the chilly air, Mingxian slowly spoke, "Zhaojing, promise me something."

Tan Zhaojing resolutely refused, "I can't agree, Aunt Ming, I—"

“It’s no use.” Mingxian interrupted gently. “Zhaojing, you should know that the old man is doing this simply to use me and your father to force you to leave Zaoyi. There’s one thing he probably didn’t expect: that I would be so decisive.”

After a half-second pause, he said, "Zhaojing, don't feel guilty. Your father and I were at least husband and wife once."

He chuckled again as he spoke, "It wasn't for you; you were just doing it incidentally. But I'm very satisfied with you as my son-in-law."

“Aunt Ming,” Tan Zhaojing said, her eyes filled with pain, “Zaoyi can’t possibly be at ease with me.”

“Then let’s go get the certificate first.” Mingxian said decisively, “Go and get the marriage certificate from Zaoyi.”

Her eyes welled up with tears, but she took a deep breath to suppress them. "I can't just let you all break up like this. Keep it from Zaoyi for now, and I'll talk to her later."

There was a moment of silence. When she spoke again, Tan Zhaojing's voice was deep and muffled. "Aunt Ming, I can't be that selfish."

"If I don't call you selfish, who will?" The elder in front of me smiled, but his eyes were wet. "I'm at ease entrusting my daughter to you."