She stared at Ning Bingyu in shock: "Cough cough cough... You're trying to match me with Ning Bing'an? Why? And I'm married! Doesn't he know?"
God above... She had considered all sorts of possibilities, but she never expected this answer.
Ning Bingyu did not answer Ning Yuan's question directly, but instead poured himself a cup of tea.
The steam from the tea spread, casting a thin mist over his deep eyes, making them difficult to see clearly.
"Seventh Sister, you've been back in the Ning family for a while now. What do you think the Ning family's current situation is?"
Ning Yuan frowned and slowly said, "Your uncle only has two daughters, Man'an and Manfei, while your father... well, our father has five sons, including you."
She looked at Ning Bingyu and said, "It seems that apart from the third brother, the second branch of the family is doing well. The eldest brother is outstanding and will be the CEO of Ning's Group in the future. The second and fourth brothers are also doing well in their respective fields. The fifth brother is academically excellent. Seeing that the second branch of the family is thriving and full of talents, it seems that the eldest branch of the family is much weaker."
"In addition, the Ning family is managed by Madam Ning the Second. If there are no major changes, the future of the Ning family belongs to the second branch."
"That's all?" Ning Bingyu raised an eyebrow, looking at her with a half-smile.
She paused for a moment, then continued, "But my uncle is the head of the family after all, and I've heard that my eldest sister, Ning Man'an, is very capable, even comparable to you, the CEO. It's just that she's a woman, which is why she didn't become the heir to the Ning family business."
She hasn't seen her eldest sister, Ning Man'an, yet; she heard she went to the United States on a business trip.
However, the traditional concept of an old and prestigious family like the Ning family would certainly assume that male heirs are the only ones who can inherit the family business.
In most places, daughters are not entitled to a share of the family property. The old idea is that no matter how outstanding a daughter is, she will ultimately only be a stepping stone for someone else.
Even forty years later, in many places, daughters are not entitled to a share of the inheritance.
Thinking of this, Ning Yuan suddenly felt a surge of inexplicable irritation. She sneered, "Just because of the difference in gender, I have to be treated differently... I'm the eldest sister, and I'm definitely not going to accept this."
"Looks like you're not too stupid after all." Ning Bingyu's lips curled into a faint smile.
He paused, looked at Ning Yuan, and suddenly sneered: "Did the third brother tell you the secret that the eldest uncle can't have children?"
Ning Yuan's heart skipped a beat, but she remained outwardly calm: "Brother Chao just mentioned it casually, saying that Auntie drugged Uncle back then..."
"Ha," Ning Bingyu sneered: "He just can't keep his mouth shut."
Ning Yuan didn't respond, but simply waited quietly for Ning Bingyu to continue.
“You’re right,” Ning Bingyu said with a hint of sarcasm. “Uncle is indeed unable to have children, but that doesn’t mean he’s willing to watch the eldest branch of the family become weak.”
"So, he mentored my older sister to compete with you?" Ning Yuan's big eyes crinkled.
She knew about this when she was in mainland China.
“That’s right, my uncle cultivated Ning Man’an to compete with me,” Ning Bingyu stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the scenery outside.
He said indifferently, "But the old master has always believed that I am the future head of the Ning family."
Ning Bingyu took a sip of tea, his tone cold: "Over the years, I have contributed no less to the family than my eldest sister, Ning Man'an; in terms of ability, I am no less than her!"
"In terms of vision, I even consider myself slightly better than her. She is a conservative when it comes to returning to the mainland and cooperating with mainland clients, and she doesn't quite agree with it."
At this point, Ning Bingyu's tone took on a distinct chill—
"If it weren't for the Cha family incident, my eldest sister wouldn't have had the chance to grow to her current position, and those old guys on the board of directors would have been completely subdued by me long ago."
Ning Yuan listened quietly without saying a word, and she realized that he was confiding in her.
Ning Bingyu's statement is true.
If it weren't for the Cha family's affair, he would have remained firmly in his position as the Ning family's heir, unshakeable.
This is also why he refuses to forgive Cha Meiling—once betrayed, never to be trusted again.
Ning Bingyu smiled coolly: "He was grooming me while supporting Ning Man'an, just so that we could check and balance each other, and he could stay firmly in the position of chairman."
He paused, then looked sharply at Ning Yuan: "Moreover, as a shrewd businessman, your uncle won't put all his eggs in one basket."
Ning Yuan tugged at the corner of her lips: "So, he thought of me."
“Yes, you.” Ning Bingyu adjusted his glasses lightly. “He needs you as a pawn in his game, a pawn to ensure that the eldest branch of the family won’t be weaker than the second branch after he relinquishes power!”
Ning Yuan tilted her head and thought for a moment: "The second wife's only biological daughter married the first wife's adopted son, which makes the first and second wives truly a family, so the rest of the family is happy to see it happen, right?"
"Even Mommy doesn't object. Ning Bing'an has always been very low-key. Mommy thinks that if you marry him, you'll be in her own family, and she can take care of you," Ning Bingyu said calmly.
Ning Yuan was silent for a while. Yes, that's what her mother would think.
She looked at Ning Bingyu and nodded self-deprecatingly, "Ah, yes, it's truly a perfect plan."
He slowly swirled the teacup in his hand: "Before I left the Hong Kong government to discuss cooperation with the mainland, my uncle talked to me about you."
"Oh? What did Uncle say?" Ning Yuan raised an eyebrow.
Ning Bingyu said calmly, "My uncle said that if I can find you, he will let you marry Ning Bing'an. After the marriage, he will give Ning Bing'an a portion of his shares as a wedding gift."
He paused, a hint of sarcasm in his voice: "In exchange, he will give me another portion of the shares to increase my leverage on the board of directors, fully support my succession, and abandon supporting our eldest sister, Ning Man'an."
Ning Yuan smiled, but the smile didn't reach her eyes; instead, it carried a chilling undertone.
"Ha, you guys are really good at playing the game. I haven't even been found yet, and you've already sold me off for a good price by weight?"
This is probably one of the reasons why, even though Ou Minglang had already found her in his previous life, the Ning family gave up on acknowledging her.
She was an uneducated and inexperienced young intellectual from the mainland, without any jade chili peppers in her possession, and she married Li Yan—an ordinary low-level cadre from the mainland.
She was essentially a "little northern girl" who was of no value to the Ning family and was dispensable.
Reclaiming her would not only be useless to the family, but would also bring shame to the family. Furthermore, due to Madam Ning's favoritism and desire to make amends, the family fortune might be diluted, potentially causing internal conflicts within the family.
It's better not to acknowledge her than to acknowledge her. Anyway, the Ning family doesn't lack children, and she's still a worthless girl.
Ning Yuan's smile faded slightly. She lowered her eyes, concealing the fleeting coldness and mockery in them—
"I never imagined that someone like me, a tool used to balance the power within the family, would be worth so much money!"
Ning Bingyu did not refute, but simply said in a cool and calm tone—
"This is our survival rule. The Ning family has been passed down for hundreds of years from the Ming Dynasty to the present day, and has become a wealthy and powerful family because everyone is a sailor on the family ship, each with their own duties. And—if you want to wear the crown, you must bear the weight. Your little matter is nothing."
Ning Yuan's silent gaze swept over the expensive paintings and luxurious decorations, and then she thought of those dresses that cost as much as an ordinary person's annual salary.
To enjoy these things, you naturally have to pay a "little" price.
Decades later, imagine you marry a man who doesn't love you, and you don't love him either. You stay home to have children while he has countless women outside.
Even if you live a life of luxury, drive expensive cars, buy high-end brands at will, and fly on private jets whenever you want, there will still be plenty of people scrambling to get you.
So, in the eyes of the family leader, wasn't her little matter just a "trivial matter" to consolidate the balance of power within the family through marriage?
...
Ning Yuan took a sip of tea, raised her head, looked directly into Ning Bingyu's eyes, and asked sarcastically—
"But I'm married now. And you know Zhao Nan's true identity. What do you two plan to do?"
This lifetime? Also?
Ning Bingyu's glasses reflected a dim light. He didn't quite understand why Ning Yuan spoke so strangely.
but……
He curved his deep, almond-shaped eyes and slightly curled the corners of his lips: "Ah, so now the elders of the family are divided on their opinions."
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