Punish those who make mistakes
He walked straight to Lin Tingyue's side, naturally put his arm around her shoulder, and pulled her closer to him.
Sensing the stiffness in her body, he applied slight pressure with his hand, conveying silent support.
“Grandpa,” Chi Zhuo looked at Chi Heng, his tone respectful but his eyes unyielding, “You don’t need to bother with my private matters. You should take better care of your health.”
Chi Heng frowned deeply: "Xiao Zhuo! I'm teaching your wife to be sensible and not cause you any trouble!"
“She’s fine, she doesn’t need anyone to teach her.” Chi Zhuo’s tone was calm, but it carried an undeniable firmness. “Besides, she has never caused me any trouble.”
Lin Tingyue looked up at Chi Zhuo with a surprised expression.
Chi Zhuo paused for a moment, then continued, "The Lin family's affairs are handled by their own people, and you don't need to worry about them, Grandpa. Listen, they're already married to me, so they're part of the Chi family. The Lin family is also our in-laws. You'd better watch your words, lest people say that our Chi family is abusing its power."
Upon hearing this, Chi Heng's expression darkened completely.
Chi Zhuo is not only protecting Lin Tingyue, but also openly challenging his authority.
"Chi Zhuo, you're getting bolder and bolder these days."
The air in the entire living room seemed to freeze.
Chi Zhuo maintained his respectful posture, but did not loosen his grip on Lin Tingyue's shoulder even slightly.
“Grandpa, I’m not being reckless, I’m just being reasonable.” Chi Zhuo’s voice was steady. “Listen to her, she’s my wife, protecting her is my duty.”
"Your duty?" Chi Heng sneered. "Your duty is to manage the company well, not to argue with your elders over a woman!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Tingyue trembled slightly, but this time not out of fear, but out of anger.
Just as she was about to speak, Chi Zhuo gently patted her shoulder, speaking first.
"Grandpa is right, managing the group is my duty."
Chi Zhuo continued, but then changed the subject, "That's precisely why I can't let outsiders laugh at me. If word gets out that I've been wronged in the Chi family, what will people think of the Chi family?"
Chi Heng narrowed his eyes slightly, noticing that Chi Zhuo remained calm and composed.
"The Lin family is facing difficulties now, but ups and downs in the business world are normal."
Chi Zhuo continued calmly, "At this time, if the Chi family stands idly by, outsiders will say we are cold-blooded and heartless. If we interfere too much, they will say we are taking advantage of the situation. The best course of action is to maintain an appropriate distance and offer assistance when necessary to preserve the reputation of both families."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over his grandfather's somber face, and added, "Grandpa should have understood these principles better than I did when he taught me them."
Chi Heng was speechless for a moment, feeling ashamed that his grandson had used his own words to lecture him.
“You…” Chi Heng pointed at Chi Zhuo, his finger trembling slightly, “You’ve grown wings now, you’ve even learned to talk back.”
"I wouldn't dare," Chi Zhuo bowed slightly. "I'm just keeping Grandpa's teachings in mind."
A brief silence fell over the living room. Chi Heng stared intently at Chi Zhuo, who met his gaze calmly without flinching.
After a long while, Chi Heng suddenly laughed, a dry and cold laugh.
"Good, very good." He picked up the teapot again and slowly poured a cup of tea. "It seems you're determined to protect her."
Chi Zhuo did not answer, but his firm gaze said it all.
"Since you put it that way, then this old man will not meddle in other people's business."
Chi Heng took a sip of tea, his tone suddenly becoming calm, "But you must remember, the Chi family has come this far not because of romantic love."
Chi Zhuo nodded slightly. "I understand."
"Good that you understand." Chi Heng put down his teacup and finally turned his gaze to Lin Tingyue. "Tingyue, Grandpa was a bit harsh just now, don't take it to heart."
The sudden apology startled Lin Tingyue, but she quickly realized it was just a polite gesture.
She forced a smile: "Grandpa, you flatter me."
"Alright, you two chat, I'm going back." Chi Heng waved his hand, looking very tired. "I'm a little tired."
After Chi Heng left, Su Jinghe led Lin Tingyue and the others to the floor above their room. The restaurant there was small and cozy, with a much less serious atmosphere.
In the kitchen, Lin Tingyue absentmindedly helped Su Jinghe taste the soup.
Su Jinghe comforted him softly, "Listen, don't be afraid. That's just your grandpa's temper; he can be harsh. As long as Xiao Zhuo cares about you, that's all that matters!"
"Thank you, Mom."
"We're family, no need for thanks. I've always been told that, I'm used to it."
Lin Tingyue felt sorry for Su Jinghe, "Was it something like what you just said?"
Su Jinghe smiled slightly, "It's not that simple, that's simply unbearable to hear."
Lin Tingyue's face turned even uglier.
"How could this be..."
Seeing that Chi Zhuo was not there, Su Jinghe confessed, "Hey, it's not a big deal to tell you. Back then, I wasn't the person Xiao Zhuo's father chose. And because of my past experiences, I was married off because my family was powerful and his father was very handsome and had good conditions. As you can imagine, I heard those kinds of things every now and then. I even thought about dying."
Lin Tingyue couldn't help but grasp Su Jinghe's wrist, "Mom..."
Su Jinghe forced a smile. "Then Xiao Zhuo came into the picture. But after Xiao Zhuo was born, I felt even worse. They stopped talking about me, but no one paid any attention to me. I remember one time, I don't know what happened, when Xiao Zhuo was just over a year old, I almost strangled him to death..."
"how so……"
Su Jinghe shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe it's because the old man and his father didn't like the child very much, so... I thought that it would be better to die together than to live like this."
Lin Tingyue sighed, "And then what happened?"
Su Jinghe lowered her eyes and said softly, "Later, when Xiao Zhuo was three years old, his father passed away unexpectedly. I couldn't bear the blow and locked myself in my room all day. I didn't pay any attention to Xiao Zhuo. Later, the old man probably saw that the other children weren't doing well, so he brought Xiao Zhuo back to me from other places. I've been taking medicine slowly over the years to get better."
Lin Tingyue's heart clenched as she listened.
"Mom..." she called softly, but couldn't say anything more to comfort her.
Su Jinghe patted the back of her hand and smiled, "It's all in the past. Now I have Xiao Zhuo and you, and I'm very happy." She ladled out the soup she had prepared, "Take it out, Xiao Zhuo must be getting impatient."
Lin Tingyue carried the soup bowl out of the kitchen and saw Chi Zhuo standing by the window making a phone call.
He quickly ended the call and turned around, his gaze softening slightly when it fell on Lin Tingyue's face. "Finished talking?"
Lin Tingyue nodded and placed the soup bowl on the table. "Yes, Mom has had a tough time all these years."
Chi Zhuo was silent for a moment, then walked to her side. "She rarely talks about those things with anyone."
He looked at Lin Tingyue with fervent eyes, "You don't need to take what the old man said today to heart."
Lin Tingyue remained silent with her head down. In fact, what Chi Heng said was true.
"Listen to this..."
Chi Zhuo gently lifted her chin. "The reason for our marriage is not important. What's important is how we manage this family well. Didn't you once say that we should treat everything in this family well?"
Seeing Chi Zhuo's serious gaze, Lin Tingyue's heart started racing.
She opened her mouth, wanting to express her thoughts, but didn't know how to put it appropriately.
"Listen to it?"
Lin Tingyue then responded to him, "Okay, I'll try my best."
After Su Jinghe had prepared everything, she came out of the kitchen.
"Alright, alright, let's eat!"
"Okay!" Lin Tingyue smiled and took a picture of the dishes on the table with her phone.
Not long after, Chi Zhuo opened his phone, his eyes suddenly lighting up.
Chi Zhuo posted on WeChat Moments for the first time ever.
With you, everything is lucky. [Images]
Cheng Ji was the first to come and ask a question.
"Dude? Your account got hacked?"
Chi Zhuo chuckled lightly: "Nonsense."
"Wow, this is amazing! Someone who's never used WeChat Moments in ages has actually started posting! Congratulations!"
"It doesn't sound like a good word."
"I'm praising you, don't worry!"
"Have you made up with the fairy?"
"Um."
"I recounted all your glorious moments in detail, and she was deeply moved. How are you going to thank me?"
"You made her cry, and I haven't even settled the score with you yet."
Cheng Ji lay on the sofa, feeling a cold draft running down his back.
"...You're even bothered by this?"
"Otherwise, what do you think?"
Upon seeing Chi Zhuo's message, Cheng Ji felt like slapping himself for asking that extra question and making things worse.
"Okay, I wish you happiness, goodbye."
The phone screen went out, and Chi Zhuo glanced at Lin Tingyue, who was chatting with Su Jinghe, and smiled gently.
-
A few days later, Lin Yaozong called.
"Dad, what's wrong?"
After exchanging a few pleasantries on the other end of the phone, Lin Yaozong quickly got down to business.
"Your own brother is locked up. You can't just stand by and watch him stay here forever, can you?"
"Dad, you advised my brother back then, did he listen?"
Lin Yaozong was speechless for a moment and couldn't think of a rebuttal.
Lin Tingyue spoke again, "Dad, if you can't persuade him, how can I? Besides, I already made a choice for the sake of the family. Do you want me to make the choice again now?"
She had been with the Chi family for almost half a year, and apart from their shared interests, he seemed to have never cared about her joys and sorrows.
"Yueyue, Dad is begging you." Lin Yaozong pleaded on the other end of the phone. "You only have one older brother. You can't just abandon him. You don't know, do you? Your mother hasn't been able to sleep for days because of this."
Lin Tingyue felt both sad and helpless.
She took a deep breath, about to refuse, but was stopped by Chi Zhuo.
Chi Zhuo answered the phone, his voice steady and powerful.
"Dad, it's me, Chi Zhuo."
Lin Yaozong was clearly surprised to receive the call from him. After a moment of stunned silence, he awkwardly said, "Chi Zhuo... Perfect timing, it's about Yueyue's brother..."
“I already know.” Chi Zhuo interrupted him, his tone calm but unquestionable. “I can help you, but I have two conditions. If you agree, I can make the arrangements directly.”
He paused, then continued, "But you should also know that embezzling public funds is a crime. No matter what Lin Yujin's reasons are, our Chi family will not pay for someone who violates such principles. Do you understand?"
Lin Yaozong had a vague feeling that something was wrong; it seemed that Chi Zhuo wanted to distance himself from him.
"Then... what two conditions are needed?"
Chi Zhuo's tone was calm but unquestionable: "First, this is the last time. The Chi family can help Lin Yujin cover the deficit, but from now on, no one in the Lin family may ask Tingting for money or help for any reason."
“Second,” Chi Zhuo continued, “Lin Yujin must take responsibility for his actions. I will arrange for a lawyer to handle this. He needs to voluntarily surrender and truthfully confess to the embezzlement of public funds. I will ensure his safety inside and strive for leniency, but he must accept legal sanctions.”
There was a long silence on the other end of the phone. Lin Yaozong spoke with difficulty: "Then... won't you still go to jail?"
"If someone commits a crime, can they escape punishment?"
Lin Yaozong sighed heavily on the other end of the phone, "Then... how long will he be locked up?"
Chi Zhuo said, "If you agree to these two conditions, I will immediately arrange for a lawyer to handle it. If the public funds are returned, we should be able to negotiate leniency. Besides, he did not use the funds for illegal activities, so there is still room for negotiation. However, it is estimated that he will definitely go to jail."
Lin Yaozong remained silent for a long time before finally saying in a hoarse voice, "Okay, I promise you."
After hanging up the phone, Lin Tingyue looked at Chi Zhuo with worry: "Is my brother really going to jail?"
“Listen to this,” Chi Zhuo looked at her seriously, “Sometimes true help is not covering up mistakes, but helping the other person take responsibility and correct their mistakes. Your brother needs this lesson.”
Lin Tingyue lowered her head: "I know you're right, but Mom will definitely have a hard time accepting it."
“I will hire the best lawyers to try and get the lightest possible sentence,” Chi Zhuo comforted him. “Besides, your brother turned himself in and returned all the stolen goods, which will be beneficial to the sentencing.”
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