Wen Ziqing had lived in the Zhao family for so many years, and Zhao Yunxiang had always treated him as her own son-in-law. Although Zhao Qingshan had said he wanted to cancel the engagement in anger, provoked by Feng Xueying and her mother-in-law, it was only a verbal statement after all. At Wen Yiran's insistence, the gifts exchanged between the Wen and Zhao families during the engagement were not returned. In Zhao Yunxiang's heart, she still treated Wen Ziqing as her own son-in-law until yesterday.
But Cao kept saying that Wen Ziqing and He Jingjing were together? Zhao Yunxiang had never liked He Jingjing. Zhao Yunxiang still remembered that three years ago, Zhou Yuanyuan's homeroom teacher, in order to please He Jingjing, had wrongly accused her of having a premature relationship at school.
Zhao Yunxiang and Zhao Qingshan came forward to clarify the facts for Zhou Yuanyuan. Later, Zhao Yunxiang asked someone and found out that He Jingjing often bullied their daughter Yuanyuan when their parents were not around.
From that moment on, Zhao Yunxiang hated He Jingjing. When He Shumin was still alive, the Zhou family had proposed a marriage between He Jingjing and Zhou Jiasheng. Fortunately, General Zhou had refused, otherwise, Zhao Yunxiang would definitely not have agreed. In Zhao Yunxiang's mind, anyone who bullied her daughter was not a good person.
When Cao Zhizhi arrived at the Zhou family's house, Zhou Zhixin and Zhao Yunxiang had finished washing up and were getting ready for bed. As Cao Zhizhi was visiting, Zhou Zhixin and his wife had to come out to receive him out of courtesy.
After hearing Cao's story about Zhou Yuanyuan running out of the bar after being angered by Wen Ziqing and He Jingjing, Zhou Zhixin and his wife were practically beside themselves. Zhou Yuanyuan had never given them any worries since she was little. She had always acted like a little adult, meticulously managing not only her own affairs but also those of the adults. In the Zhou family, General Zhou would consult with Zhou Yuanyuan whenever he encountered any major issues, leaving Zhao Yunxiang and her husband feeling like they were the ones being "taken care of" by General Zhou and Zhou Yuanyuan.
Zhou Zhixin and Zhao Yunxiang were surprised to hear that Zhou Yuanyuan, who Cao had always said was calm in her family, had been driven out of the bar by someone else. Their initial reaction was implausible. But when Cao mentioned that Wen Ziqing was among those responsible for Zhou Yuanyuan's anger, they finally realized, "That's what happened." Zhao Yunxiang, who had watched Wen Ziqing and Zhou Yuanyuan grow up together, naturally understood the conflict between the two children.
Cao had come with good intentions to report the news, and Zhou Zhixin couldn't just turn him away. So, while Zhou Zhixin made a few phone calls and sent someone to look for Zhou Yuanyuan, he sat with Cao in the living room and chatted for a while.
Cao had been meticulously nurtured by the Cao family, possessing not only a solid understanding of military affairs but also a deep understanding of both international and domestic affairs. Zhou Zhixin had also made significant progress in the years since returning to General Zhou's care, and the two had grown increasingly compatible, almost like they'd met too late.
Zhao Yunxiang sat beside them, but she was extremely anxious. If she hadn't known that it would be useless for her to run out to find Zhou Yuanyuan, Zhao Yunxiang would have wanted to abandon the two men who were talking so much and walk away.
Zhao Yunxiang forced herself to control her temper and add tea to Zhou Zhixin and the others, but her eyes kept glancing towards the door, hoping to see Zhou Yuanyuan soon.
In Zhao Yunxiang's impression, their daughter Yuanyuan has always been well-behaved. Unless she is extremely angry, she would never rush out of the bar in public. No, why did Yuanyuan go to the bar today? Isn't the bar a place that only adult men and women like to go? When Yuanyuan comes back, I have to have a good talk with this child, and tell her not to go anywhere just because she has some force. What should a girl do if someone takes advantage of her after drinking? ······
The more Zhao Yunxiang thought about it, the more worried she became.
Cao had been sitting in the Zhou family's living room, chatting with Zhou Zhixin, but he noticed the anxiety of Zhou Zhixin and his wife. It seemed that just as Grandpa had predicted, the Zhou family truly valued Zhou Yuanyuan. Zhou Zhixin, like an ordinary father, kept chatting with Cao about the international situation, but after a few words, he would turn the topic back to Zhou Yuanyuan. Zhao Yunxiang, not to mention Zhao Yunxiang, was completely restless.
If he could marry Zhou Yuanyuan, the Zhou family's influence would surely be of use to him. No wonder his grandfather kept telling them, the younger generation, to be more careful and try their best to win Zhou Yuanyuan's heart. Cao kept thinking about this, and his attitude towards Zhou Zhixin became more and more enthusiastic.
"Yizhi, our Yuanyuan is still young. When you young people get together to play, you have to take good care of her!" Zhou Zhixin didn't know that in this short period of time, Cao Yizhi had already made a judgment on Zhou Yuanyuan's "usefulness". He still thought that Zhou Yuanyuan and Cao Yizhi went to the "Qingxin" bar together.
Over the years, the Zhou family had developed close ties with several other prominent families in Kyoto City. Zhou Yuanyuan and Cao had known each other for a long time. Zhou Zhixin and Zhao Yunxiang had never objected to their children making friends, and Zhou Zhixin and his family never interfered with who Zhou Yuanyuan and Zhou Jiasheng hung out with.
Although he was somewhat dissatisfied with his daughter's behavior of drinking in a bar at such a young age, Zhou Zhixin did not dare to criticize Zhou Yuanyuan. In the Zhou family, the most prestigious person was General Zhou, followed by Zhou Yuanyuan and Zhou Jiasheng, with Zhou Zhixin and his wife relegated to the back.
Zhou Zhixin, who was secretly worried but did not dare to object, could only ask Cao to keep a close eye on Zhou Yuanyuan and not let her play too wildly.
"Uncle Zhou, of course. Actually, this is the first time Yuanyuan and I have been to a bar." Cao Zhizhi listened to Zhou Zhixin's words, how could he not understand that Zhou Zhixin had misunderstood the relationship between him and Zhou Yuanyuan? However, Cao Zhizhi was not stupid. There was such a misunderstanding that would get closer to Zhou Yuanyuan, so Cao Zhizhi immediately admitted it vaguely. In the bar, Cao Zhizhi chatted with Zhou Yuanyuan for a few words and knew that this was the first time Zhou Yuanyuan went to "Qingxin". In front of Zhou Zhixin, Cao Zhizhi also wanted to improve his favorability, so he had to take this opportunity to express that he was not a playful person, and that he went to the bar because of Zhou Yuanyuan.
Although this was a half-truth, Cao hadn't worried Zhou Yuanyuan would expose him. After all, Zhou Zhixin and his wife wouldn't ask Zhou Yuanyuan about her relationship with her "boyfriend." Cao knew that as long as Zhou Zhixin and his wife had the impression that he and Zhou Yuanyuan were "dating," Cao would have a head start on the younger generations of other families in Kyoto.
"Well, young people, you should focus on work and studies." Zhou Zhixin couldn't help but be impressed by Cao Zhizhi's words. Zhou Zhixin himself came from a poor family, and after joining the army, he spent all his time training and studying. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been promoted so quickly without any background.
Over the years, with China's reform and opening up, the country has prospered greatly, and a large number of entertainment venues have sprung up like mushrooms after rain. Zhou Zhixin, a high-ranking official, was invited to visit those venues.
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