Ning Zhengkun's expression instantly twisted, his eyes widened, and the veins on his forehead bulged.
Before Ning Man'an could react, he had already strode forward and delivered a resounding slap to her face.
"Smack!"
Ning Man'an was knocked back, and a clear five-finger red mark quickly appeared on her fair and elegant cheek, with a trace of blood even seeping from the corner of her mouth.
The air seemed to freeze instantly, and even time seemed to stand still.
Ning Bing'an, who had been silently organizing the documents, paused almost imperceptibly for a moment, then resumed his work as if he hadn't seen anything.
Ning Man'an slowly turned her head, her gaze icy as she looked at her enraged father.
Her voice was surprisingly calm, yet it carried a chilling undertone: "Ha... This is the second time you've hit me, Daddy. The first time was when you forced me to marry that good-for-nothing Xu family member in a political marriage. I could understand that you did it for the family then, but why are you hitting me now?"
Her cold eyes held a hint of mockery and an almost numb sorrow, which made Ning Zhengkun tremble: "That's your disobedience!"
Ning Man'an laughed self-deprecatingly again: "Ha, I'm disobedient? Has Daddy forgotten that he used to beat Mommy like this for a woman? And now, you're beating your own daughter for her son with another man."
"Now that Daddy is satisfied, just sit back and watch. I'll handle this project, so don't worry about it."
"You!" Ning Zhengkun clutched his chest, his anger still burning, his chest heaving violently, but he couldn't utter a word.
Ning Man'an turned to look at Ning Bing'an, who stood silently to the side, seemingly uninvolved, her eyes filled with venom: "As for you..."
She scoffed, her voice filled with undisguised contempt, "What do you think you are? You're nothing but a pawn, a tool, used by Daddy to control the second wife and balance the Ning family's power."
"You think marrying a daughter of the Ning family will make you a true member of the Ning family? Don't be foolish, Ning Bing'an. You don't have a single drop of Ning family blood in you. You will always be an outsider."
After saying that, Ning Man'an didn't look at the two people in the room again. She turned around, strode towards the door, and slammed the door shut without looking back!
"Bang!"
Her secretary, Ah Xiang, who had been following her, glanced helplessly at her master, who was staring coldly at her, and could only hurriedly follow him out.
He had never seen his boss lose his temper like this, so irrationally contradict the chairman, and even... get hit by the chairman!
The clear handprint on the young lady's face stung his eyes.
Ah Xiang quickly caught up with Ning Man'an, looking at the shocking redness and swelling on her face.
He was worried and uneasy, and asked cautiously, "Miss, wasn't it... wasn't it too impulsive of you to talk to the chairman like that? Especially at this critical moment..."
With a cold expression, Ning Man'an walked steadily toward the elevator, taking out an exquisite silk handkerchief from her handbag and gently pressing it against her burning cheeks.
Her voice had regained its usual calmness, but it had gained a sharp edge:
"Ha, impulsive? There's nothing wrong with being impulsive. If I don't say these things today, it won't be long before this Ning family's main branch, which belongs to Manfei and me, is handed over to that outsider!"
Because of his younger sister's marriage to Ning Bing'an, he, as her father, has started supporting A-Yu again.
She shouldn't have had any expectations of her cold-hearted father.
She must protect what her mother left her!
She tidied her slightly messy hair and entered the elevator: "Tell Mr. Wang from the legal department that I need to see him in half an hour."
Ah Xiang nodded hurriedly, but couldn't help glancing back at the closed office door, his heart filled with unease.
The atmosphere in the study remained oppressive.
Ning Zhengkun's chest heaved violently with anger, his face turning ashen; he was clearly furious at Ning Man'an's words.
Seeing this, Ning Bing'an put down the documents in his hand and walked to Ning Zhengkun's side.
He naturally took out his blood pressure medication from the medicine box next to him and poured himself a glass of warm water.
Ning Bing'an handed the medicine and water to Ning Zhengkun: "Daddy, calm down. Don't get sick over something like this. My eldest sister was just anxious and said things without thinking."
His tone was calm, as if the heated argument and the resounding slap had not been caused by him.
He remains the same gentle, considerate, and filial adopted son.
Ning Zhengkun scrutinized the young man before him, his gaze somewhat complicated.
A subtle, indescribable emotion flickered in his eyes.
Ning Zhengkun's voice was a little hoarse: "Bing'an, you really look like your mother. If your mother and my child hadn't miscarried back then, I wouldn't have gone to such lengths to maintain harmony between the first and second wives."
This child's face always easily evokes memories buried deep in his heart.
Ning Bing'an lowered his head and remained silent. A hint of sadness and complex coldness flashed across his brows, but he quickly regained his composure.
He was like a light touch of ink, silently diluting the heavy gunpowder smell in the air:
"My elder sister values the Ning family too much. She said those things in a moment of panic. She didn't mean to offend you. I'm just an outsider. She's your biological daughter. Blood is thicker than water."
Ning Zhengkun sighed heavily: "Don't take these words to heart. Now that you've married Ning Yuan, you're a formal member of the Ning family. Don't think of yourself as an outsider anymore. If you hadn't married my younger sister, I really wouldn't have been able to elevate you to this position by my side. The old man wouldn't have agreed."
He stood up, and with Ning Bing'an's help, walked somewhat heavily to the wall on one side of the study.
Ning Zhengkun reached out and felt around on the smooth wall for a moment before pressing a hidden switch.
The wall slid open silently, revealing a heavy combination lock safe door.
Ning Bing'an obediently lowered his head, took several steps back, and turned his back.
Ning Zhengkun was pleased with his son's thoughtfulness. He reached out and skillfully entered the password, turned the handle, and with a soft "click," the locker door opened.
Ning Zhengkun took out an ebony carved box from inside and placed it on the mahogany desk.
Under the soft light, three emerald chili peppers lay quietly on a dark red velvet cushion.
The color of the jade is a rich, deep emerald green, with excellent translucency and a translucent appearance, as if you could squeeze water out of it with a gentle touch.
Ning Bing'an's gaze fell upon the three jade chili peppers, his pupils contracted almost imperceptibly, and his breath seemed to pause for a moment.
That's a jade chili pepper—made by the old man from the broken token of their love that his first wife had smashed.
It was transformed into a family heirloom belonging to the Ning family, representing the family's bloodline and the inheritance of power.
Ning Zhengkun took out a yellowed black-and-white photograph from his pocket and stroked it.
The woman in the photo has beautiful features and a gentle, quiet temperament, yet she also possesses a stubborn and charming beauty.
Her smile was so radiant, it seemed to illuminate the entirety of time.
Ning Bing'an knew that it was his mother.
Ning Zhengkun's fingertips gently caressed the woman's face in the photograph with boundless affection.
“You’re a good boy. If… if I had married your mother instead, her first child would have been your brother… and you… would all be my children…”
“If you were my biological son, according to the Ning family’s rules, why would the old master choose an heir from the second son’s side? These three jade chili peppers… will only be given to you or your brother.”
His voice was low, carrying a sense of desolation and regret after the assumption had failed.
A silence fell over the room, broken only by the ticking of the clock.
Ning Bing'an's eyes were filled with complex emotions. When he raised his head again, his face regained its perfectly gentle expression.
“Daddy, I know very well that I am not your biological son. I am already very grateful to have been protected by you until now. Today I have no worries about food and clothing, and people outside still call me Young Master An. All of this is because of you, Daddy.”
He paused, seemingly hesitant—
“My eldest sister has always been outstanding. I can understand her hatred for me and my mother. Dad, those shares... actually, I can give them up too. I don’t want to cause you and my eldest sister to drift apart because of me, or to hurt your feelings.”
Ning Zhengkun frowned and interrupted Ning Bing'an:
"What nonsense are you talking about! What I'm going to give, no one can stop me! Besides, since you've married Ning Yuan, I'll naturally give you the dowry I promised for the second wife, not a penny less. Otherwise, what kind of person would I be!"
He walked back to his seat, and after sitting down, his tone softened slightly: "In the future, the Ning family will eventually be inherited by A-Yu. What I hope to see most is that our two branches can live in harmony and move forward together, with neither side suppressing the other, so that the Ning family can prosper for a long time."
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