Meng Boqun's words calmed the two who were initially excited. Meng Wan knew what Meng Boqun meant; he was asking if she had used the Tang family's money to buy the shop.
She curled her lips into a smile. Just as she always surprised the Meng family, the Meng family's behavior and actions were also beyond her expectations.
"Don't worry, this is money I earned through my own investments. Not a single penny was used from the Tang family." If any money was used, it was from Yan Nian.
Despite Meng Wan's words, Meng Boqun did not appear particularly pleased.
"Let's keep things separate, Wanwan. We still need to settle the rent. Let's draft a contract, consider it a lease between us, and pay the market rent, how about that?"
“Instead of paying rent, I have a better idea,” Meng Wan blinked.
Three pairs of eyes were fixed on her, silently waiting for her to continue.
"The shops can be rented to you for free..."
“That won’t do,” Qin Yi immediately retorted. Meng Wan’s expression didn’t change; instead, she patted Qin Yi’s hand, signaling her to calm down.
"Not only is there no rent, but I will also cover all the renovation costs. Of course, the water and electricity bills will be calculated separately."
"So what are your conditions?" The two seemed to be parties A and B at a negotiating table.
"I invest, and the returns are split 40/60, I get 40% and you get 60%."
Aren't you afraid of losing out?
"The location is good, the food is good, there's no reason for us to lose money." Meng Wan said this with a confident air about her.
“Let’s discuss the specific details further. I’ll have your older brother draft a contract later, or you can see if you know any lawyers so both parties can confirm it. Although it’s true that family members don’t speak like outsiders, even close brothers need to keep clear accounts. We can’t be careless with every single item.”
Meng Wan nodded, "Then let my older brother do it."
The group discussed some more details until Meng Wan yawned, and then everyone realized it was almost midnight.
"Go to sleep quickly, you two have school tomorrow." Qin Yi saw the time, picked up the scattered papers on the table, and patted Meng Zhili to tell them to wash up and go to bed.
The two complied and got up to go back to their room.
"Wanwan," Meng Boqun called out to her.
"Hmm?" Meng Wan stopped walking, and Qin Yi and Meng Zhili also stopped what they were doing.
"Don't flaunt your wealth, and be wary of others. Don't be too honest. Even with family members, you should keep some of your cards close to your chest, understand?"
Unexpectedly, Meng Boqun suddenly said this, and Meng Wan was stunned for a moment, then the corners of her mouth unconsciously curled up.
"I understand." Meng Wan nodded, a smile on her face.
"Alright, go to sleep." Looking at Meng Wan's smile, Meng Boqun wasn't sure if Meng Wan had actually listened, but fearing that things might backfire, he simply didn't say anything more.
He knew Meng Wan was a capable young woman, but he was also afraid that she was still too young to discern people's true nature. Rather than letting her learn to see through people, he thought it better to keep a trump card for himself. After all, you can't judge a book by its cover, and no one knows if yesterday's friend will become tomorrow's enemy.
At the very least, he didn't want Meng Wan to follow in his footsteps.
On the other hand, Tang Zhiyi became a different person after returning home. As soon as she entered the house, she threw her expensive schoolbag on the ground.
"Where are they? Where have they all gone?"
Aunt Liu was startled, and with Tang Sheng's permission, she hurriedly went to the entrance to greet him.
"Young Miss." She bowed, looking somewhat timid.
"What are you doing? Where are my shoes? And my backpack? Can't you see them on the ground? What, are you still thinking about that rich girl Meng Wan? She's surnamed Meng now, and I'm surnamed Tang!"
Tang Zhiyi was no longer the well-behaved and adorable girl she was at school; she was like a vengeful ghost, her voice shrill and her eyes filled with malice. She casually ran her fingers through her hair and kicked Aunt Liu in a fit of rage.
Aunt Liu almost knelt down, but managed to steady herself. She didn't dare say anything, hurriedly picked up her schoolbag, took out the slippers she had prepared, and knelt down to place them in front of her.
"You have no sense at all." Tang Zhiyi glared at Aunt Liu, growing increasingly irritated. She raised her hand to shove Aunt Liu, but then heard footsteps.
Her face paled, her pupils contracted sharply, and she immediately put her hands behind her back, trembling slightly. She looked extremely uneasy.
"Dad." Tang Zhiyi swallowed hard, not daring to look at Tang Sheng.
"Aunt Liu, please make a cup of tea and bring it to the study."
"Yes, sir." Aunt Liu hung the schoolbag on the rack next to her and immediately walked towards the kitchen.
"Come here." Tang Sheng didn't say who it was, but just glanced at Tang Zhiyi indifferently.
After he turned around, Tang Zhiyi clenched her fists to hide the hatred in her eyes and cautiously followed him.
After closing the door, Tang Zhiyi stood in front of the desk, head down, not daring to look at Tang Sheng, who was sitting in the main seat. An eerie silence filled the air, and neither of them spoke.
"Dad, when did you...when did you get back?" Tang Zhiyi, being young, couldn't stand the oppressive atmosphere and spoke first to break the silence.
Tang Sheng tapped the table without saying a word. The tapping sound seemed to strike Tang Zhiyi's heart. Her hands trembled slightly, her eyes darted around, and the next second, tears fell drop by drop onto the handmade carpet.
"Dad... I was wrong. I was just really upset and angry today."
Tang Sheng remained unmoved, so Tang Zhiyi had no choice but to grit her teeth and continue speaking.
"I don't know why my sister has been targeting me, and she even got the other classmates to ostracize me. I... I don't know why she treats me like this. If it's because of my adoptive parents' family, Dad, let's bring my sister back. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have come back. But... but all I want is to find my biological parents."
Tears rolled down Tang Zhiyi's face as she wiped them away. Her frail little body trembled, making her look extremely pitiful.
"You said Tang Wan led a group to ostracize you?" Tang Sheng finally reacted.
Tang Zhiyi was secretly delighted, thinking that Tang Sheng was going to stand up for her. However, she was also somewhat dissatisfied, as she, Tang Wan, was now Meng Wan, and only then did she bear the surname Tang. But she couldn't care less about that right now. She nodded repeatedly and sniffed.
"Hmm... They even mocked me for not knowing manners and etiquette. I just wanted to invite my friends and sister to the family reunion banquet to tell them that I had found my biological parents and wanted to share this joy with them. I didn't expect that my sister would lead the way in mocking me for not having manners."
She was pampered growing up in the Meng family and was the envy of everyone at No. 1 Middle School. How could she have ever suffered such cold treatment? Thinking about it this way, her tears were tinged with genuine emotion.
“It’s all my fault. I didn’t receive this kind of education before, and I’m not as proper and sensible as my sister. When she travels abroad, she even remembers to bring back gifts for each of her classmates. It’s all my fault… Given the current situation of my adoptive father’s family, it’s normal for my sister to feel resentful.”
"Even without the Tang family's support, Meng Wan still has the students at the academy protecting her. But you, bearing the Tang family's name, are ostracized. Shouldn't you reflect on why you lost to Meng Wan?"
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