Chapter 45 I thought you weren't planning to take off your mask

Shi Nian smiled at the old man in front of her and said, "Good evening, Grandpa Fu. I'm Shi Nian."

When Old Master Fu, Fu Boxiao, saw Shi Nian remove her mask, his expression showed only slight surprise, but not great shock.

Shi Nian understood after seeing it.

Carrying the bag of premium tea that Fu Jinyan had prepared for her, she walked to Old Master Fu's tea table and slowly unwrapped the tea leaves.

"Brother Jinyan said this is your favorite Wuyishan Da Hong Pao tea, shall I brew it for you?" Shi Nian said.

"Mm," Fu Boxiao responded.

Then, there was no sound of anyone speaking in the entire room except for the sound of Shi Nian pouring water and brewing tea.

Her movements were fluid and graceful.

The aroma of tea fills the air.

Finally, Shi Nian handed the tea to Fu Boxiao.

Fu Boxiao reached out and took it, examining it carefully.

He said, "Over the years, very few people have been able to brew such good tea. He has passed on all his skills to you."

Shi Nian lowered her eyes slightly and fiddled with the tea set.

She said, "Yes, if he doesn't pass it on to me, who else would he pass it on to? After all, I am his biological daughter."

They all knew that the "he" they were referring to was Shi's deceased father.

That once confident and promising young man is now forever left behind on that rainy day.

“I thought you weren’t planning to take off your mask yet,” Fu Boxiao continued.

Shi Nian smiled and looked at Fu Boxiao, saying, "How could my little tricks possibly fool Grandpa Fu? Didn't you already know all along?"

Shi Nian looked calmly at the old man in front of her.

From the moment she received the invitation, she knew there was no escaping it.

Although she and Fu Jinyan signed a confidentiality agreement, they were usually very careful.

However, many things cannot withstand close scrutiny, let alone what Old Master Fu wanted to investigate.

Regarding the origin of this Tanzanite, other families may find it difficult to ascertain, but Fu Boxiao can find out immediately if he so desires.

After all, it's their own business.

Therefore, once she came in, she had no intention of pretending anymore.

"What's going on between you and that kid Fu San?" Fu Boxiao asked directly.

Shi Nian said, "I don't know which aspect Grandpa Fu is referring to."

“All.” Fu Boxiao’s aura was extremely imposing.

Shi Nian wasn't angry; she just smiled and said:

"First of all, Jin Yan and I are not lovers. We are currently in a cooperative relationship, which is mutually beneficial."

"Then, I didn't let Jin Yan and Lu Yanzhi fight, but I still dragged him into it."

"Hmph!" As soon as Shi Nian finished speaking, Fu Boxiao slammed his hand on the armrest, looking extremely angry.

But Shi Nian just looked at him calmly and said, "Grandpa Fu, be careful with your hands."

But Fu Boxiao still roared angrily, "You know the Lu family's status in City A. You're dragging Fu San into this. Are you trying to drag our Fu family down with you?!"

“Grandpa Fu, you’re overthinking it. I didn’t have that idea.” Shi Nian replied calmly without panicking.

Seeing that his trick wouldn't fool Shi Nian, Fu Boxiao stopped pretending: "Our Fu family has no need to get involved in your affairs with Lu Yanzhi. I don't want to offend Lu Yanzhi."

Shi Nian finally smiled again.

"Grandpa Fu, are you kidding me?" Shi Nian stopped there and didn't continue.

Fu Boxiao was also watching her, his eagle-like eyes fixed on Shi Nian, giving her immense pressure.

The Fu family empire that Fu Boxiao built was not so clean; in his early years, he had a strong bandit-like nature.

It was only after his eldest son, whom he was so proud of, died at sea that he began to restrain himself somewhat.

Even so, the bandit spirit in his bones still remained.

Just from the fact that he now lets his three grandsons fight in tournaments and raise poisonous insects, you can see that he is still the ruthless type.

How could someone like that possibly run away just because he heard Lu Yanzhi's name?

"How exactly do you tease me?" Fu Boxiao finally asked.

Shi Nian said softly, "It's precisely because someone dares to challenge the Lu family that you're happy, sir."

After she finished speaking, she gave another beautiful smile.

"Grandpa, you let your three grandsons raise Gu poison for the sake of the family's growth. If they back down at the mere mention of Lu Yanzhi's name, the family's gradual decline is inevitable."

"Moreover, the Fu family is not easy to control; the risks are already within your grasp."

Fu Boxiao narrowed his eyes and re-examined the woman in front of him once again.

For some reason, he saw the shadow of his eldest son, whom he was so proud of, in the other person.

He did have ideas, but they were a bit more ruthless than she had imagined.

The Lu family is large and powerful, but the Fu family will not decline easily. If Lu Yanzhi wants to pursue the matter, Fu Jinyan will be kicked out to apologize to Lu Yanzhi. After all, Fu Boxiao does not know that Yining is Shi Nian.

If Fu Jinyan has established himself, then let him lead the Fu family to glory.

If they win the bet, the Fu family will rise to even greater heights.

If you lose the bet, bring Fu Jinyan to apologize and you can do whatever you want with him.

He was prepared to sacrifice one of his grandsons.

The room was brightly lit, and the rising aroma of tea made the tea room even more elegant.

Shi Nian waited for two seconds, then said, "So, Grandpa Fu, can I say I've passed this time?"

Fu Boxiao glanced at Shi Nian and chuckled softly.

"I really don't know why you stayed by Lu Yanzhi's side for so long before."

Shi Nian smiled: "Isn't it out now?"

Fu Boxiao, a seasoned veteran, already knew the relationship between Shi Nian and Lu Yanzhi.

Shi Nian was not dismissed lightly; she remained quietly looking at Fu Boxiao, waiting for his reply.

A silent psychological battle was taking place between the two.

Finally, Fu Boxiao said, "I can only guarantee that I will not interfere in the affairs between the three brothers. As for the rest, you said it yourself, I am raising Gu, and we'll see who wins in the end."

Shi Nian smiled.

The purpose of today's visit has been achieved.

Fu Jinyan once said that each of the three of them had their own businesses. The reason why Fu Er was able to extend his influence so far this time was mainly because he spoke ill of him in front of the old man, which led to the old man's misunderstanding of him.

The old man's attitude determines the attitude of his subordinates, and that's a fatal flaw.

With the old man no longer interfering, it will only take some time for Fu Jinyan to completely take control of the situation.

That's enough.

Shi Nian exchanged a few more pleasantries with the old man, then put her mask back on.

Just as she was about to step out of the door, she heard Fu Boxiao sigh softly behind her: "What a pity, he left us too soon."

Shi Nian gripped the door frame tightly. She wanted to rush back and ask Fu Boxiao what exactly happened back then!

In the end, it was her last shred of reason that brought her under control.

Today's bluff, feigned composure, and inscrutable demeanor have reached her current limit; the matter of her father needs to wait.

Thinking it over, Shi Nian let go of his hand, bowed to the old man again after leaving the house, and then closed the door.

"How is it? How is it?" Fu Jinyan, who was outside the door, was so nervous he was about to explode.

The room was very soundproof; he couldn't hear a single sound even when he pressed his face against the door.

The other two were still watching. Shi Nian remained expressionless and simply said, "Go back."

Then, she took the lead and went downstairs.

Fu Jinyan, however, couldn't stand it and started arguing with Fu Er, who had been making sarcastic remarks.

Shi Nian didn't want to hear those things, and simply went downstairs calmly.

However, she had only just turned a corner when someone blocked her way.

Shi Nian looked up.

They are from the Huo family.

The three major powers in City A are the Lu family, the Fu family, and the Huo family.

They each controlled different vital aspects of City A.

The Huo Group owns the largest gemstone and jewelry stores in City A.

She originally purchased her tanzanite from a gem shop owned by the Huo family.

"Yining?" The other person looked her up and down, his eyes filled with amusement.

"Young Master Huo," Shi Nian greeted calmly.

"You recognize me?" Huo Er asked in surprise.

Shi Nian raised her eyes: "Second Young Master is a very famous person, how could I not know him?"

Huo Er thought about it and agreed, but those things weren't important.

"Why are you and Han Wei fighting over that tanzanite?" Huo Er leaned closer. "Can you tell me?"

Shi Nian simply smiled without saying a word.

"I saw that tanzanite was so popular, so I immediately went to ask the store to check it out, and guess what I found out?"

Shi Nian remained silent, her eyes fixed straight ahead, devoid of any expression.

"Oh, if you're not curious, I'll tell you. The original buyer was Shi Nian, Lu Yanzhi's wife, Shi Nian."