Chapter 31

Damn it.

Xiao Ming rose to his feet in anger, a cold aura emanating from his whole body, his eyes filled with killing intent.

It's been years since he's been this angry.

After what felt like an eternity, his anger finally began to subside.

"I never expected that Yunzhe's investment would be scammed; it turns out that bastard is scheming against him, trying to force Yunzhe to compromise because he can't repay over a million in debt, making him willingly become a puppet for the Wen family."

In Xiao Ming's eyes, a deep, unfathomable chill lingered.

The Wen family of the imperial city is a prominent noble household.

According to the investigation, the Wen family is the wealthiest clan in the imperial city, with business interests in several fields, most notably cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and tourism.

The current head of the family is Wen Zhihan's mother, Wen Feng Shu, a formidable woman who holds a certain position on the global wealth list, with the family's assets estimated at around four to five hundred billion.

Wen Feng Shu's husband, who married into the Wen family years ago, never amounted to anything despite having the Wen family as his backing.

Wen Feng Shu has always been a very dominant woman; she gave birth to two children, both bearing her maiden name.

Wen Feng Shu's daughter is Wen Zhihan, who once loved Xiao Ming; because of him, she was forced to leave home, and the mother‑daughter relationship has been strained ever since.

According to the children, Wen Feng Shu once disregarded her daughter's objections, wanting to marry her off to advance her pursuit of wealth, but Wen Zhihan refused to comply and left home while pregnant.

Wen Feng Shu, already a woman with a strong desire for control, found her authority challenged by Wen Zhihan's rebellion, causing her plan to use the daughter for a political marriage to fail.

At that time in Meng Cheng, Xiao Ming happened to meet and fall in love with the runaway Wen Zhihan, never expecting that Wen Feng Shu would discover their relationship.

Wen Zhihan was threatened by her mother; fearing that Xiao Ming would be harmed, she said nothing and coldly broke up with him, keeping all her anguish to herself.

She silently endured everything.

"Zhi Han, Zhi Han, why are you so foolish? If you had told me everything back then, I would have spared no effort to protect you. How could you bear all this alone, raise several children, and end up like this?" The more Xiao Ming thought about it, the more his heart ached.

He instinctively clutched his chest.

Back then, he truly had nothing; facing the Wen family, he was like a grasshopper unable to withstand their blows.

But he never stopped trying.

After Wen Zhihan left, he spent just over a year founding his first company and earning over a hundred million.

The money back then was worth far more than today's; a hundred million then equals several hundred billion now.

At that time, his company's building was the tallest in Quan'an Jin City.

"He saw in the investigation results that, in recent years, the Wen Group's situation is not optimistic, but as the saying goes, a skinny camel is still bigger than a horse; the Wen family still possesses hundreds of billions in assets and is not easily shaken."

"Wen Feng Shu's only son was injured in an accident and can no longer have children; he has a son named Wen Dongyu, unfortunately a good‑for‑nothing who only knows how to eat, drink, and play. If the family business were handed to him, it would likely be ruined within three to five years."

"What's more fatal is that Wen Dongyu, young and reckless, indulges in decadence, ruining both his reputation and his health, making it impossible for him to ever have his own children. Left with no choice, Wen Feng Shu, that old hag, thought of her daughter Wen Zhihan."

"Wen Yunzhe is a top student at Zhehai University; his abilities far surpass Wen Dongyu's. This old hag wants Yunzhe to join the Wen family to safeguard the business, but she's too selfish—she only acknowledges Yunzhe and refuses to accept Wen Jingrou and Wen Yuchun."

"She considers those two girls a disgrace to the Wen family, unworthy of enjoying its wealth and glory."

"I thought that, with the condition of being the Wen family heir, Yunzhe would surely be tempted and gladly return, but he simply wasn't interested."

"Left with no choice, Wen Feng Shu, that old hag, devised a scheme to frame Yunzhe, making him owe a huge sum, hoping that when he was crushed by reality and desperate, she could rescue him and use that as leverage to improve relations and persuade him to return to the Wen family."

Soon, Xiao Ming figured out Wen Feng Shu's intentions.

Damn it.

Xiao Ming cursed coldly in his heart.

"That shameless old hag is cruel to her own daughter, making Wen Zhihan's life so hard, ruthlessly scheming against her own grandchildren; a person with such warped morals doesn't deserve to live in this world."

"Before, Jingrou, Yuchun, and Yunzhe were helpless and alone, which is why she treated them so horribly. Hehe, that old hag never imagined he would reunite with the children first, thwarting her plans."

"Hmph, whoever dares to scheme against Xiao Ming's son will have to pay double."

His children are his bottom line; anyone who harms them will not be easily forgiven by him.

He snorted coldly, picked up his phone, and dialed a number: "Investigate the Wen family in the imperial city; I want the most detailed information. Also, transfer fifteen billion from my account—I need it."

"Understood, CEO, I'll take care of it right away," the person on the other end replied immediately.

After the call ended, a WeChat message from Wen Yuchun popped up urging him to come home early; thinking of his children at home, his icy expression softened a little.

……

At night, the outside sky had turned completely dark.

Only then did Xiao Ming finally return, walking into the villa.

Wen Yuchun heard the sound, rushed out to greet him, and upon seeing him, happily flung herself into his arms: "Dad, why did you take so long to come back? I've missed you."

"You little sweet‑talker, Dad misses you too." All of Xiao Ming's irritation vanished the moment he saw his daughter.

"Did anything happy happen today when you went out?" Seeing his daughter in a good mood, Xiao Ming asked casually.

"It was quite interesting." Wen Yuchun said, instantly energized as she recounted today's events: "You didn't see it, but when my friends saw me driving, their eyes went wide."

"Really?" Xiao Ming replied with interest.

His daughter's happiness is his happiness.

"Dad, I and Yuchun made dinner; let's eat." With that, Wen Jingrou brought two dishes to the table.

"Jingrou..."

Jingrou was full of joy.

But Wen Yunzhe, who had just come out of the bedroom, when he saw the dish she was holding in her hand, the smile on his face vanished instantly, leaving no trace.