Chapter 16 Willing to Give Up
The boy looked at the two dejected men and became defiant: "Don't look like you're hopeless. Let me tell you, I was prepared, okay? I just finished preparing a piano piece these past few days. Butler Cheng praised my playing, and I'll find an opportunity to play it for that lady today."
“Oh, right,” Zhao Huan replied somewhat absentmindedly, “Ranran has always played the piano quite well, and she has won awards before.”
President Mei remained silent. He thought to himself about all the beautiful and talented women in his Mei family; each possessed a remarkable skill. This Ranran, who had previously outshone a host of beauties from the Mei family to enter Cuiwei Manor, now actually had to rely on her talent to gain favor…
"Alright, Aunt Zhao, President Mei, I should go back now. Please send a car to take me home," the handsome young man ordered matter-of-factly.
President Mei stood up good-naturedly and responded, but his attitude was subtly colder than before.
...
Two flowers bloom, each representing a different branch.
Ever since Qin Rao and Zhao Shi learned about what the Mei and Zhao families were doing, they acted like sharks smelling blood, excited and quick.
Qin Rao knew that to make this happen, she needed a reliable middleman. So, she and Zhao Shi split up. She went to contact the relatives and friends of Butler Cheng who had revealed this information, while Zhao Shi did what he always did: look for people while continuing to monitor his cousin and the Mei family's activities.
Qin Rao's side is progressing very smoothly; winning people's hearts is something she's quite adept at.
She learned that although Butler Cheng was unmarried and childless, he had two nephews whom he valued highly. Through Qin Rao's manipulation of money and favors, Butler Cheng's two nephews became sworn brothers with her, and she easily contacted Butler Cheng through them.
On Qin Rao's side, relying on her silver tongue and strong financial resources, she dealt with the rather aloof butler Cheng quite smoothly.
However, Zhao Shi encountered a problem. He discovered that other members of the Mei and Zhao families had already introduced various outstanding beauties to Steward Cheng before him and Qin Rao, but all of them were ultimately rejected, failing to even meet the minimum requirements. Zhao Shi was now in a dilemma; the beauties he could find were not even worthy of being compared to those who had already been rejected.
Having no other choice, he dejectedly called Qin Rao over to discuss the matter: "Sister, I've dragged us down. In the current situation, nobody knows what kind of woman that lady likes. What I have here probably won't meet her standards!"
Qin Rao, holding the unlit cigar between her fingers, said firmly with a calm expression, "It has to be done, no matter what. I just made a promise to that Butler Cheng. We can't give him an empty promise in the end. Otherwise, we'll not only fail to make a deal but also offend him. Besides, nobody knows how long that lady will stay in Nanhang. Zhao Shi, time waits for no one. We absolutely cannot miss this opportunity!"
Zhao Shi was in despair. He said in distress, "What can we do? We can't just knowingly go and do it... wouldn't that be a waste of effort? But where can we find a top-notch beauty with both looks and talent in such a short time?"
At this moment, a captivating figure flashed through Qin Rao's mind. She remained silent for a moment, gritted her teeth, and said, "Zhao Shi, tell me everything you've found out about that lady's experiences and preferences."
Zhao Shi was puzzled. He had discussed this with Qin Rao many times before, but faced with Qin Rao's sudden request, he still explained in detail what he knew and guessed.
Zhao Shi spoke until his throat was dry, and finally finished, but Qin Rao remained silent the whole time.
At this moment, Qin Rao was torn between two conflicting emotions. But in the end, she looked at Zhao Shi with dark eyes and slowly said, "Zhao Shi, what do you think of Yun Yao?"
Zhao Shi immediately understood what Qin Rao meant, and he was completely dumbfounded: "Sister, you...you really are willing to do this?"
Qin Rao laughed self-deprecatingly and snorted coldly, "What does it matter if we're willing to give up or not? Zhao Shi, we have no way out."
Zhao Shi understood, and he admired his sister Qin even more. What courage! She had spoiled and loved her so much for two years, and then just gave her away like that.
He nodded, licked his chapped lips, and said, "Sister, you're right. Opportunity knocks but once. There's nothing we can do about it. A true man doesn't concern himself with trifles."
He secretly assessed the situation before saying to Qin Rao, "Yun Yao... Yun Yao is indeed capable. Anyone born with that appearance would be top-tier in our area. Not to mention, he's the top student at the dance academy, his talent is undeniable, and even his personality... tsk, sister, I think it's definitely worth a try."
“But…” Zhao Shi glanced at Qin Rao cautiously and said hesitantly, “I don’t think Yun Yao is someone who is easily manipulated… How can we get him to cooperate?” He had seen many scenes of that beauty named Yun Yao arguing with Qin Rao. The young man seemed to have his own will and was not one of those who would follow the crowd for money.
Qin Rao's eyes deepened. She lit a cigar, took a deep drag, and said with an enigmatic expression, "You don't need to worry about that. Yun Yao... I'll take care of him."
At this point, she suddenly revealed a smile that seemed to be both smug and nostalgic, and whispered, "He's actually very well-behaved..."
...
Qin Rao is a shrewd businesswoman who is extremely profit-driven, and she knows very well that she is inherently hard-hearted.
Now that the decision has been made, what difference does it make whether she's willing to give it up or not? The past two years of romantic entanglement can't compare to the grand ambitions of her business empire.
The next day, Qin Rao secretly visited Yun Yao's father and made all the necessary preparations before calling Yun Yao and asking him to come back from school.
"Honey, how's your graduation going?" Qin Rao asked Yun Yao affectionately, who had just returned from the dance academy.
They were in the study of the Qin residence, where all was quiet and the servants were nowhere to be seen.
Yun Yao sensed something was off. He wondered what Qin Rao was up to this time, so he sat on the sofa and cautiously replied, "It's alright, nothing special."
Qin Rao looked at the perceptive young man, but her smile became even gentler.
She stood up, walked behind the boy, placed her hand on his shoulder, and affectionately rubbed it.
She leaned down slowly and whispered in his ear, "Yun Yao, we've been together for two years now. You know how I've treated you these past two years, and everyone has seen it. I've given you everything you could want. You have to believe me, I would never do anything to hurt you."
Yun Yao tilted his head slightly, avoiding her breath. He turned back to look at Qin Rao with some curiosity and asked, puzzled, "What's wrong with you today? Why are you saying these things?"
Qin Rao smiled, stood up, and sat down opposite the boy. She first sighed and said, "I've been running around for your father's sake these past two days, and you still doubt me." Then, seeing Yun Yao's gaze immediately turn towards her, Qin Rao smiled calmly.
She continued, "You know, we can't get involved in your father's matter right now... so, Yunyao, think about it, what if we could give them a taste of their own medicine..."
She paused for a moment, seemingly trying to build suspense, but seeing the worry furrowed between the boy's brows, she changed the subject, "Well, how should I put it? That's just how the world is. Yun Yao, we were just trying to protect our own rights, and we did nothing wrong."
Looking at Qin Rao, who was speaking eloquently, Yun Yao felt a glimmer of hope. He had been suffering greatly lately because of the retrial of his father's case. He didn't want to exonerate his father; he just didn't want his father to become a victim.
He couldn't help but ask, "Qin Rao, have you found a solution?"
Qin Rao's red lips curved slightly as she spoke, "I asked Zhao Shi to inquire for a long time. You have no idea how much effort and money we spent these past few days to find out some shocking news—a very famous lady who retired early has recently come to Nanhang to recuperate and stay temporarily. One of her housekeepers is secretly looking for a suitable assistant... This lady is quite extraordinary. Yun Yao, can you guess who it is?"
Yun Yao thought to himself that he rarely paid attention to the situation outside, so how could he guess which important figure was in Nanhang? So he shook his head.
Unable to contain her excitement, Qin Rao revealed, "It's 'that lady'! Yun Yao, everyone in the world knows 'that lady,' do you understand? What an incredible opportunity this is!"
Yun Yao looked at Qin Rao in shock. Such a legendary figure, worthy of being written into history, had actually come to Nanhang? This feeling was truly peculiar.
After the initial excitement, Yun Yao was puzzled. He asked, "What does someone of this caliber have to do with what you're talking about, Qin Rao? How could 'that lady' possibly lack caregivers? That's impossible. Ordinary people like us probably don't even know which way the door to 'that lady's' lodgings opens."
Qin Rao had always admired Yun Yao's intelligence and quick wit. She nodded with admiration in her eyes, but said, "Others may not know, but I do. This is the method I'm going to tell you today..."
Yun Yao was somewhat helpless. He found Qin Rao's suggestion absurd and illogical, so he said, "Qin Rao, if this is the opportunity you're talking about, isn't it a bit too unrealistic? Even if there's a one in ten thousand chance, if they really need people, it won't be us. Besides, even if you have connections and can find the most professional assistant, beat all the competitors, and gain 'that lady's' approval, no one would go to such lengths to get involved in the Nanhang case just for an assistant."
As he spoke, Yun Yao's mood darkened again. He thought about how complicated the case was and felt a sense of despair. How could this be a simple matter to solve? Why would someone with the ability, even if they were a stranger, get involved in this mess and cause trouble for you? This was basically an unsolvable problem.
He was silent for a moment, then looked up at Qin Rao and said in a low voice, "I'm sorry for putting you in a difficult position lately. My father's matter is truly a matter of life and death, there's nothing I can do, I've done all I can... Now, there's no other way but to wait for the second trial. You and your friends don't need to worry about this anymore, let's leave it at that, I'm very grateful to you."
Yun Yao was saddened, but he didn't want to make things difficult for others, so he could only offer Qin Rao this kind of comfort.
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