Chapter 144 I once said you would regret it

The following Wednesday, her flight was at 8 p.m. Lin Zaoyi didn't plan to let them see her off, including her mother; she really hated saying goodbye.

Downstairs in the living room, Tan Jiani was crying her eyes out, "Lin Zaoyi, you're so mean... so mean..."

Lin Zaoyi agreed with everything the young lady said. She smiled, her eyes glistening with tears, "You're so cute, Jia Ni, do you know how incredibly cute you are?"

Just as I was about to hug this adorable little devil, he hugged me first, saying, "I'm warning you, stay away from foreigners. Working is fine, but dating is absolutely out of the question! I'll..."

He hiccuped, "I'll call Sister Lan every now and then!"

Sister Lan was the bodyguard her mother arranged for her. She initially refused, but couldn't resist her mother's tearful plea.

It's funny to think about it now; she was probably the first foreign correspondent in history to have bodyguards.

"Zaoyi, this is for you." Tan You handed over a gold-embossed business card.

Her eyes fell, and the first thing she saw was Solo's name. Her breath hitched a few beats, and she silently accepted the gift, saying, "Thank you."

"Brother Zhaojing has already made arrangements. If you encounter any trouble over there, contact Suoluo."

After a half-second pause, Tan You said again, "Don't hold back, don't be stubborn."

Just those four words stirred a ripple of emotion in her eyes, just as the courtyard streetlights came on.

It's time to go.

The driver picked up the suitcase, and Lin Zaoyi turned her back to him, her tone relaxed, "Just be normal, I'm just working."

Mingxian's eyes reddened, but her lips curved into a smile. "Send a message at a set time every day."

"good."

"Eat on time and don't be picky about food."

"Okay."

"Clothes should be chosen according to the temperature."

"Mmm."

As her mother instructed her, Lin Zaoyi got into the car without rolling down the window, afraid of seeing her mother cry, and even more afraid that her mother would see her cry.

The car started, the figure receded, and gradually, only the hazy shimmering water filled the field of vision.

......

When Tan You arrived at the group, it was completely dark. Several secretaries in the president's office were still working overtime, including his cousin's assistant.

When Assistant Shao saw him, he sighed and pointed his thumb inward, "I'm not good with words, but you can help comfort President Tan."

Tan You thought to himself: I'm afraid Brother Zhaojing will feel even worse when he sees what he has in his hand.

The first thing you smell when you push the door open is smoke.

My eyelid twitched.

Everyone in the Tan family knows that Brother Zhaojing hates cigarettes the most.

Tan You shifted his gaze and found the figure in front of the French window. He had a cigarette between his fingers and his eyes were fixed on the outside of the window.

Outside the glass, the city is ablaze with lights.

Inside the glass, an oppressive and stifling atmosphere could not be contained.

"Brother." Tan You handed over the bag in his hand without saying what was inside. He believed that Brother Zhaojing would be able to guess.

Tan Zhaojing didn't move, staring blankly at the bag.

Tan You didn't urge him. After about ten seconds, Zhao Jing took the bag and whispered, "Zao Yi left you a note."

"Okay." As soon as he spoke, Tan Zhaojing noticed that his throat was hoarse, which must have been from smoking too much. He took out a folded piece of paper from his bag, unfolded it, and saw that the handwriting was delicate.

You can't say I'm stingy!

I'll take good care of myself, and you take good care of yourself too. By the way, I have a small request: please don't smoke, okay?

I know you don't smoke because you don't like the smell of smoke.

Tan Youzhen didn't want to peek, mainly because he was close by, and Zao Yi had only left a few words, which he could only glance at briefly.

But after just a few words, Zhaojing stood there, and then you could see his shoulders trembling slightly.

She cried?

The dazzling neon lights outside the window illuminated those eyes, reddened by despair.

A sharp pain shot through his chest, and Tan You's eyes welled up with tears. Damn it, he was a grown man who didn't care about crying.

It's all that old geezer's fault, he's so inhuman!

An airplane streaked across the sky, leaving a long afterimage. He murmured unconsciously, "I wonder if it's Zaoyi."

At that moment, he noticed his cousin stub out the remaining half of his cigarette.

It seems that Zao Yi's words had an effect.

At that time, Tan Zhengli appeared at the old house. He had come several times before, but to no avail. Today, he came here and said nothing else but, "You'll regret this."

The old man felt content; petty affections could never amount to anything. In a few years, when he matured, his children and grandchildren would thank him.

******

In March, Tan Zhaojing resigned from his position in the Tan family. This news not only shocked the entire Tan family, but also left the old man stunned for a long time. If it weren't for Butler Zhao supporting him, he probably would have fallen to the ground.

He was so excited he could barely speak, "Get...get him back!"

Butler Zhao did as instructed, but the phone was never answered.

The old man was furious and dialed his eldest son's number. The eldest son's tone was calm. "Dad, from the moment you forced the two children to separate, you should have thought that this would happen. I will not try to persuade you, and it is impossible for me to do so. Also, I want to tell you in advance that I will no longer hold any position in the group."

The phone was on speakerphone, and Butler Zhao could hear it clearly. He couldn't help but worry that without Zhao Jing, the group might never regain its current glory.

The old man's face turned ashen with anger. "Call the third son!"

Tan Zhengli accepted the message, and not only that, he also cut off what the old man wanted to say with one sentence: "I can't persuade you. Just like when I tried to persuade you, you wouldn't listen no matter what. Now, Zhaojing's attitude will only be more hardline."

The old man's hands, resting on the chair, trembled uncontrollably. "What did I do wrong? I was doing it for Zhaojing's own good! If they get together, what will people think of the Tan family???"

Tan Zhengli didn't understand why Tan said, "You don't care what others do. You live your own life, not for others to see."

"Stop giving me that nonsense!" the old man said irritably. "If you're my son, call Zhaojing back for me. I promise you, I won't rush you into marriage anymore."

Tan Zhengli couldn't actually do it, but he pointed out a way: "There is someone who can help you, it just depends on whether you are willing to swallow your pride."

Before the old man could speak, he continued, "You should be able to guess, right? Apart from Zaoyi, no one can persuade Zhaojing. If you don't want to hand over the group to a manager, then swallow your pride and apologize to that girl, invite her back from abroad, and have a grand wedding. I think Zhaojing will consider returning to the group."

"Don't even think about it!" The old man's breathing was rapid and labored. "Tan Zhengli, I think your mind is getting less and less sharp!"

Tan Zhengli said no more. "I once said that you would regret it. Don't be stubborn. Ask yourself if you regret it."

The phone fell from his hand, and the old man slumped uncontrollably against the back of his chair, his face deathly pale, gasping for breath.

The butler, Zhao, was shocked. He helped the old man up while calling out to the servants to call the doctor.

"unnecessary!"

The old man pressed his heaving chest and said, "I'm perfectly fine, I have no regrets!"

After a second, he said again, "I don't regret it!"

Butler Zhao sighed inwardly. It wasn't that he was being disrespectful, but the old man's mouth, like his age, was getting harder and harder.