“Grandpa, don’t say that. Uncle is kind enough if he agrees to take only forty per cent of the profits,” Nan Chen scoffed.
“No, I don’t agree to have only forty per cent of the profits. It is already hard enough to persuade the board of directors to take fifty per cent,” Ouyang Duo insisted, confident that the Nan family had no other way out.
They were in a deadlock again.
“Sure, why don’t we sleep on it then? Whatever it is, it was a good evening. Everyone, let’s have a final toast. After this glass, I have to rest. I am old and can’t stay up late,” Nan Zhengde suggested while raising his wine glass.
Then, he downed it happily.
This was his way of sending the guest off by telling the latter that he was drunk and sleepy.
“Uncle, I’ll see you out,” Nan Chen offered politely.
“Alright. Thank you for the hospitality, I’d better make a move now. We shall meet some other time,” Ouyang stood up.
“Okay, take care,” Nan Zhengde replied.
When Nan Chen followed Ouyang Duo out, Bai Hua was chatting with Feng Jialing in the living room.
“Let’s go. I’ll call the driver over.” Anyone could tell that Ouyang Duo was not in a good mood.
He had an opportunity to push the Nan family into a corner today. However, it did not end up in his favor.
At first, I came over intending to talk about the Vietnam project. Instead, I was humiliated by those two children.
When we finally got to it, I did not expect Nan Chen to be so stubborn, much less Nan Zhengde.
He did not even try to persuade me but insisted on wanting seventy percent of the profits. He is certainly crazy!
Looking at the unpleasant expression on her husband’s face, Feng Jialing kept quiet.
Despite so, Bai Hua asked, “My dear in-laws, you are leaving already? Why don’t you stay a little longer?”
Unhappy, Ouyang Duo retorted, “Who are your in-laws?”
Bai Hua was shocked. Did someone make him angry?
When she called them ‘in-laws’, Nan Chen felt a wave of anger sweep over him too, and he glared at her.
After all, she was his mother, so out of respect, he kept quiet and only expressed his dismay with his glare.
Bai Hua, Nan Zhiyuan and Nan Chen walked back to the house only after sending Ouyang Duo and his wife to the exit.
“Chen, why were you glaring at me earlier? Ouyang Qing is your future wife, so what is wrong with me calling Ouyang Duo, my in-law?” Bai Hua questioned.
“Do I have a fiancée? Why am I not aware of it?” Nan Chen expressed coldly.
“What are you saying? Both families had agreed to it, and even your grandpa has given his consent. What is the problem then?” Bai Chen was confused.
“Who is the one getting married?” Nan Chen stopped in his tracks.
“Of course it is you! Did I even have to say it out loud?” Bai Hua scolded.
“Since it is my marriage, why am I not aware of it? You went ahead to make this deal without my consent, and did you think that I will agree to it? Are we still sticking to such traditional rules in this day and age? Are you crazy?” Nan Chen finished and left.
Bai Hua and Nan Zhiyuan exchanged looks, not knowing what to say.
Although their son typically had a cold demeanor, he was usually respectful to his elders.
However, he scolded them and even asked if they were crazy.
If such tone and words came from him, it meant that he was very serious about it.
“What on earth happened in the room? Why does Ouyang Duo look so upset?” Nan Zhiyuan looked at Bai Hua quizzically.
“How would I know? I don’t have a clue either! The men in the family had a meeting, yet, they excluded you. How embarrassing is that!” Bai Hua vented her anger, triggered by Nan Zhiyuan’s words.
“Who are you to speak to me like that? We committed such a big mistake in the past, so aren’t you aware of the consequences? Others may not know why I was excluded from the meeting between the men, but you do. Of all people, why do you have to provoke me?” Nan Zhiyuan yelled. As a man, his ego was bruised.
Bai Hua rebutted, “That incident was not entirely my fault, so why are you blaming me? Is that even fair?”
“You are not making any sense. If it weren’t for me, you would still be overseas. Who knows, you may have to be stuck there till you die,” Nan Zhiyuan fumed and continued, “How dare you take credit for it? You were able to return only because you were sick. Otherwise, you would have died abroad. You faked your illness, and it was my idea to bring you back. If you did not say that you were terminally ill, how will you be allowed to come back?”
“Shut up! Don’t say that here! Aren’t you scared that the walls have ears?” Bai Hua shushed.
Nan Zhiyuan remembered that they were now in the Commoner Residence. Therefore, they had to watch what they said.
If Nan Zhengde knew that Bai Hua was not terminally ill, he would chase her out, and she would never be able to return.
“Alright, we should stop this now. Let’s go,” Nan Zhiyuan said.
“Wait, I don’t think Nan Chen is back in his room. He looked like he was heading for Old Master’s study room. Do they still have things to discuss with each other?” Bai Hua asked.
Nan Zhiyuan scoffed, “Even if they do, how does that concern me?”
That made Bai Hua livid.
She insisted, “Listen to yourself. You are part of the Nan family, so how can you not have any interest in your family’s affairs? Since they don’t allow you to participate in the meeting, why can’t you take the initiative to show that you care about it. That way, you will slowly integrate into the family?”
“If they don’t allow me to be part of it, what gives me the rights to even take part in it? I don’t even have a chance to do that, okay?” Nan Zhiyuan was losing his patience.
“Whatever! You are simply a coward!” Bai Hua roared then turned to leave.
Nan Zhiyuan quickly chased after her.
In the meantime, Nan Zhengde was still in his study room writing calligraphy.
Usually, he would be asleep at this time.
However, he could not sleep as he was too worried about Nan Chen.
Therefore, he waited in the study room for Nan Chen, fully aware that the latter would come.
As predicted, Nan Chen came before he could even finish writing two words.
“Grandpa, your alcohol tolerance is impressive. You drank quite a bit tonight, but you can still practice calligraphy,” Nan Chen commented as he stood by the table, watching his grandpa.
“How does my writing look?” Nan Zhengde asked.
“It’s alright,” Nan Chen answered honestly.
“Only alright?” Nan Zhengde was not satisfied with his response.
Nan Chen was surprised and he sniggered, “Oh, it’s good. Grandpa, do you like being sucked up to?”
“Are you telling me that you are trying to get into my good books by praising my writing?” Nan Zhengde asked.
“Well, not really. It looks pretty good, though it probably isn’t as amazing as I made it sound,” Nan Chen responded truthfully.
“Okay, let’s not talk about this. Where have you been over the last two days? Why were you uncontactable? As the CEO of a large corporation, do you know how big impact you can cause by disappearing?” Nan Zhengde reprimanded while he placed his brush down.
“I know that. However, I had to go to Vietnam this time,” Nan Chen explained.
Taken aback, Nan Zhengde squeaked, “You went to Vietnam alone?”
Nan Chen replied, “I was not alone, and I went there with Qiao Zhan and Jiang Zhe.”
“Why did you go there?”
