The Crazy Son-In-Law

“What do you want me to do?” asked Xiao Shun.

“Ever since Fang Jing left Stillwater, she went to the Capital. She was pregnant then. But for nearly twenty years, there has been no news from her, as if she vanished into thin air,” Yao Jianguo said, his expression gloomy.

“Only a few days ago, an old fellow who teaches in the Capital told me he thinks he saw Fang Jing. So, I want you to look for both mother and daughter when you go to the Capital this time, at least let me know how they’re doing.”

Yao Jianguo is now in his early fifties. Twenty years ago, he was just in his early thirties, in the prime of his youth. It wasn’t strange for a young man to have some amorous affairs, but he had a feisty wife at home and could only leave his regrets.

“If you find them, and I mean if, what do you plan to do?” Xiao Shun asked curiously.

Yao Jianguo hesitated for a moment, his brow furrowed, “If they need anything, I want to try to compensate them as much as I can. But this matter must be kept from your mother. I can’t trust anyone else with it, so I have to ask you.”

“Can Yao Cen also not know about this?” asked Xiao Shun.

“Let’s not tell her for the moment. I will tell her when the opportunity arises.”

“Alright, leave this to me. But I can’t guarantee that I will find them. Don’t you have a specific address?”

“No, I only know it’s somewhere in the city center. That’s where my classmate saw her,” Yao Jianguo said, shaking his head.

“You just try to find out as much as you can. Don’t force it. After all, we’ve lost contact for such a long time. There are many people who look alike. It’s possible that my classmate was mistaken.”

“Surely there must be a photo?”

Yao Jianguo fumbled in his pocket and handed him a photo, “From twenty years ago.”

Xiao Shun took it and looked at it. The woman in the photo was not tall but very delicate, her hair tied up in a ponytail. She was wearing a white blouse on top, a pleated skirt that reached past her knees, and held a thick book in her hands. The background seemed to be Hamana City University’s campus. Without any makeup, her natural beauty and purity were striking.

‘You beast, how could you handle such a pure girl?’ Xiao Shun thought, but then remembered that Yao Jianguo was quite a handsome young man in his day and understood.

“She’s pretty, right?” Yao Jianguo said, forcing a smile.

Xiao Shun nodded without saying a word, put the photo in his pocket, and stood up, “It seems I need to come up with a good excuse for your daughter to stay a few extra days in the Capital.”

“I’ve thought it through for you. You just tell Yao Cen that I asked you to find a few books for me, some that are hard to find. This way, you can stay a few more days legitimately. Yao Cen trusts me, after all,” Yao Jianguo said.

“You really have thought this through…”

Yao Jianguo was clearly prepared. He gave a shy smile and said, “Remember, your mother mustn’t find out.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep it a secret. We’re both in this together. If we get caught, I won’t be off the hook either,” Xiao Shun said with a smirk.

After Yao Jianguo gave him a few more instructions, they both returned. When Xiao Shun got back to his room, Yao Cen had already packed her suitcase, which now seemed necessary.

“What did dad want?” Yao Cen asked.

“Oh, he told me not to flirt with other girls while I’m away,” Xiao Shun said nonchalantly.

“Would you?” Yao Cen asked, looking at him amused.

“Of course not. But there’s another thing. He asked me to find a few books for him. He said they can’t be found in Stillwater and he didn’t want to bother anyone else. Since I’m going, he asked me to help him look for them. It might take a couple of days.”

He laid down on the bed, stretched his body, and let out a sigh.

“What book can only be bought in the Capital?” Yao Cen kicked him lightly on the leg, “You’re dirty, don’t lie on the bed.”

“Who knows? He said he’ll send me the details tomorrow.”

“Oh, what time is your flight tomorrow?”

“It’s at three in the afternoon. I have something to do in the morning. The gu poison incident last timeseems to have been a targeted attack on us, and I don’t think the perpetrator will just let it go. I left a prescription at the city hospital, in case anyone gets poisoned again, they can use it to save their life temporarily until I come back to deal with it. I need to remind Zhou Shuqing about it.”

The mastermind behind the incident has not yet revealed himself, and the police have not found any leads. Xiao Shun felt somewhat uneasy.

“In the days when I’m not at home, you should be extra careful and preferably keep Zhu Que close.”

“Alright, I understand,” Yao Cen said.

“You also need to be careful in the Capital. It’s not like Stillwater.”

“So, can you reward me tonight and let me sleep on the bed? I promise I won’t move, we’ll just lie there and talk, sleep a pure sleep, just chat about simple things,” Xiao Shun said with a playful smile.

“I don’t trust you!” Yao Cen retorted.

…

The next day, after a visit to the city hospital, Xiao Shun headed to Eighth Avenue.

“I’ll go with you. I haven’t seen Shishi in a few days,” Song Linger said enthusiastically upon hearing that he was going to the Capital.

“You could consider taking me along. I haven’t been to the Capital for a long time, and you can leave the hands-on work to me,” Duan Jia said with a hearty smile.

Xiao Shun waved his hand, “I’m going alone this time. You guys stay in Stillwater in case someone stirs up trouble while I’m gone.”

The base must be secure. Although Song Linger was reluctant, she nodded in agreement.

Then Xiao Shun made a trip to Roseweed Tower.

Ding Yue had already set up the basic framework of the investment company. She was the corporate legal person and the nominal boss, while the real sole shareholder was Xiao Shun.

The company was named Morgan Capital. Ding Yue said she hoped that one day Morgan Capital could become a globally renowned financial service giant like JP Morgan or Goldman Sachs, not just a simple investment company. Hence the name.

Xiao Shun didn’t understand all of that, but he assumed it must be something impressive.

Now, all the shares that Xiao Shun held had been transferred to Morgan Capital.Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

After not seeing each other for some time, Ding Yue was still as neat and confident as the last time he saw her. The confidence and positivity radiating from her seemed to have completely dispelled the gloominess from the previous incident.

“Mr. Xiao, it’s rare for you to visit your company,” Ding Yue joked in the CEO’s office. Having spent a few days with him in Harrow, she was familiar with his character and was not too formal in front of him.

“With you here, I have nothing to worry about,” Xiao Shun smiled.

“Would you like something to drink?”

“No need. I just have a bit of business to take care of. Then I’m leaving. I have a flight in the afternoon.”

Ding Yue shrugged, “Alright, no wonder you never have time to visit the company. You must be very busy.”

She sat across from Xiao Shun in the reception area. It seemed to be a work habit. Like before, she took out a notebook to make a record, her expression serious, “What can I do for you?”