He paused, his gaze turning slightly cold: "But if she thinks she can easily suppress me again this time, she is underestimating me."
Ning Yuan raised an eyebrow: "Tsk, don't speak too soon. You know, my eldest sister is a master of deception, and she also has a trump card called 'fatherly love'."
Ning Bingyu's cold and stern face instantly turned mocking: "Fatherly love? My eldest sister lost a lot for this 'fatherly love' back then too."
Ning Yuan was taken aback, recalling the "rumors" she had heard about Ning Man'an—
Ning Man'an spent two years in the entertainment industry when she was young, and had a deeply unforgettable lover, who was a top singer in the entertainment circle.
The year after Ning Man'an broke up with him and married into another wealthy family, her ex-boyfriend committed suicide out of love.
Before his death, he released a song called "Why I Like You," which became a classic that has been sung for decades.
Despite objections from her father, husband, and in-laws, Ning Man'an escorted the coffin at the funeral as the "widow" of a singer.
Ning Yuan was silent for a while, then suddenly asked, "Big brother, in order to inherit the family business, you broke up with your first love and gave up your academic dreams. Big sister lost the person she loved most. Was it worth it?"
Ning Bingyu was taken aback, a dark and ambiguous emotion flashing in his peach blossom eyes, and he took out a cigar.
But remembering that this was Ning Yuan's room, he then gave a light chuckle—
"What do you want to hear? Do you want me to tell you how much pain I'm in, having given up on pursuing my childhood dreams and my lover? Or do you want to ask my older sister if she regrets not eloping with her lover to the ends of the earth and having a romantic lifelong marriage?"
Ning Yuan remained silent.
Ning Bingyu leaned back on the sofa and said calmly, "The moment I made the choice, I already had to make a trade-off: family honor, billions of assets, my parents' expectations. The value on this side of the scale is priceless... If it wasn't me, it would have been Bingchao, Binglun, or someone else. It just so happens that besides being the eldest grandson, I also have the most talent in business."
He chuckled softly: "Heh, I've known since I started studying that academic dreams and so-called lovers can only be a kind of 'hobby.' Besides, as a good successor, I can fund as many laboratories as I want."
Ning Yuan listened and sighed inwardly. This was indeed the logic of a very wealthy person!
Youth has no price, love brings no fortune, let alone becoming a family heir!
Ning Bingyu paused for a moment: "As for my eldest sister... she was chosen by my uncle a long time ago as a pawn to keep our second branch of the family in check. She received the same education as me from a young age. Her entry into the entertainment industry was for relaxation and hobby. No matter what happened, she is now very successful as a 'Sword of Damocles' to keep me in check."
Ning Yuan stared at him for a while, then suddenly reached out and poured him a cup of tea: "Then I wish you a speedy succession, that you become the true heir, and that you'll give me a larger share of the money. I'll often offer incense and make wishes for you, Ning the God of Wealth!"
Ning Bingyu: "...Once I really get all the power, the first thing I'll do is kick you out of the house!"
Does this salted fish think he's dead? Let's offer him incense!
Ning Yuan pointed disdainfully at the canary clock on the wall: "Tch, we'll talk about that once you get it. We've finished complaining and exchanging information. I'll keep an eye on things on the mainland; it won't let us down. Now you'd better get out of here; I need my beauty sleep!"
Ning Bingyu snorted lightly: "Hmph! Coming to this wretched place is beneath my dignity!"
As he spoke, he stood up and looked down at her, saying, "Be careful, and don't take Jiajia out to run around carelessly, lest my niece be snatched away by stray dogs and end up like you, wandering the streets and being raised poorly!"
Ning Yuan paused, then said, "Hmm, Brother Pink Sausage also knows that Zhou Yan has met Xiao Jiajia."
That's true, half of her bodyguards were arranged by Tony.
She stood up and casually placed the teacup on the counter: "You don't need to worry about that. I'm planning to go back to the mainland to invest in building a factory, so I probably won't have time to take Jiajia out for a stroll anymore. This way, I can avoid, well, running into people I don't want to see."
Looking back now, it probably wasn't a chance encounter; maybe that guy was up to something.
Ning Bingyu paused visibly upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "Investing in and building a factory back in the mainland?"
He raised an eyebrow and looked Ning Yuan up and down, asking, "Where are you planning to go, Shanghai?"
Ning Yuan leaned back on the sofa, speaking casually: "If I don't go back to Shanghai, its development won't be faster than Shenzhen's for the next twenty years. I happen to know a leader from Shanghai who has been transferred to Shenzhen to 'work,' and he's busy attracting investment. I'm planning to go and take a look."
Upon hearing the words "Shenzhen," Ning Bingyu narrowed his almond-shaped eyes: "Yes, making money is always the top priority."
How does this guy know that Shenzhen will outperform Shanghai in the next twenty years? Does he have some inside information that makes it a worthwhile investment?
She stood up and saw him to the door: "Don't bully Sister Hongyu while I'm not here."
Ning Bingyu turned his head and glanced at her expressionlessly, his tone as cold as ice: "Ning Yuan, mind your own business first, huh? She's not your daughter, why are you acting like a mother hen?"
Ning Yuan retorted without hesitation, "Isn't that because some jerk actually stole my college dorm's sweetheart, Bai Cai? I had to teach him a lesson! I'm not a mother hen, but this jerk has a mother hen. Be careful, or I'll tell my mom and send you to a marriage alliance!"
"Heh~" Ning Bingyu ignored her, scoffed, and turned to leave.
Back in her room, she quickly washed up and changed into her pajamas.
Little Jiajia's face was rosy, and she was sleeping soundly.
Ning Yuan walked over gently, changed her daughter's diaper, tucked in the blanket, and touched her little feet.
The little guy seems to have a magical healing power; just looking at him warms and softens one's heart, instantly healing the wind, rain, and coldness of the outside world.
She sat quietly by the crib for a while before the nanny came to take over caring for the child, and then Ning Yuan returned to her own room.
Lying in bed, she couldn't fall asleep no matter what she did.
Turn the night light to its dimmest setting, leaving only a dim, yellowish glow in the room.
The cement texture on the ceiling was blurry, and she stared at it for a long time.
The image of Cha Meiling holding Zhou Yan's arm replayed in her mind like a scene from a movie.
Zhou Yan's face was both wicked and cold, completely different from the upright and handsome man in my memory.
He can't even speak Mandarin...
She recalled the moment Rong Zhaonan fell into the sea: the raging waves, the icy water, and his figure disappearing into the boundless darkness…
Ning Yuan closed her eyes, forcing herself not to think about anything.
Even Rong Zhaonan shouldn't even think about it...
The sea breeze at night blew into the room through the cracks in the window, stirring the curtains and reflecting ripples of moonlight.
After tossing and turning, she finally fell asleep from exhaustion.
The cool sea breeze seemed to carry a faint scent of mint, like a delicate feather brushing past Ning Yuan's nose.
In her dream, Ning Yuan seemed to have returned to the countryside of Ningnan.
Inside that simple house built from an old cowshed.
The rice paddies outside stretched as far as the eye could see, and the wild wind carried the fresh scent of rice mixed with mint.
Wildflowers swayed gently in the breeze in the rough ceramic jar, emitting a faint fragrance.
A warm, large hand gently stroked her hair, cheeks, and lips, finally resting on her slender neck, caressing it lightly.
The touch was so real that she couldn't help but tremble slightly.
"When did you get back?" she asked groggily, her voice heavy with sleep.
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