The Wealthy and Influential Fiancé Has the Ability to Read Minds
Chapter 59
Tang Nuan was unaware that Ye Shuyan had already managed to put pressure on the Jiang family. At this moment, she was being excitedly surrounded by the Tang family, marveling at her achievements.
Indeed, they were aware that Tang Nuan had made over a billion, but it wasn’t Tang Nuan who told them.
Although Tang Nuan had been extremely high-profile in the “Father’s Worries Alliance” group and with the Jiang family, she had a habit of hiding things from her own family. This habit started as a way to avoid raising expectations when she was young and later became a form of self-protection, a behavior ingrained from her more than twenty years in the elite Tang family.
It was actually Ji Yun who reported the news. Nowadays, Ji Yun and Li Qiuqiu seem to favor the Tang family even more than Tang Nuan herself, always seizing any opportunity to drag Tang Nuan back for a meal.
Tang Nuan suspected that they were more interested in Tang Jinxin’s cooking skills because Tang Jinxin would always cook personally whenever Tang Nuan visited.
Today was no exception. After Ji Yun reported the news to Shen Jinhua, Shen Jinhua was immediately thrilled and insisted on celebrating with a feast, which had become a traditional ritual in the Tang family.
Ji Yun took the opportunity to order a large number of dishes, claiming it was because Tang Nuan loved them, but it was clear that she was just craving them herself.
By noon, Tang Jinxin personally went to the market to buy a lot of ingredients.
So, by the time Tang Nuan arrived in the evening, she was first greeted with a shower of fireworks, and a banner was hung in the yard that read: “Celebrating Tang Nuan earning one billion in a month!”
Tang Nuan awkwardly covered her face. What was this all about?
Ji Yun and Li Qiuqiu, however, were smiling brightly. Ji Yun said, “Uncle and Auntie, with all this celebration, we suddenly have a real feeling of it. Otherwise, that money just felt like a number.”
Tang Nuan shot her a look. “That number is my number.”
Tang Jinxin, looking at Tang Nuan with pride, said, “When we return to our hometown for the Spring Festival this year, make sure to offer some incense at the ancestral grave.”
Tang Nuan didn’t know how to respond to that.
Shen Jinhua laughed, “Everyone must be hungry. Let’s talk while eating.”
So, the family gathered under the old locust tree in the yard and started preparing the meal. Although it was already a bit chilly in late autumn, the lively atmosphere made it feel quite warm.
Tang Jinxin and Tang Fei were the main chefs at the barbecue grill, while the others were at the big round table, skewering various items. Tang Ben, while skewering, excitedly explained to Tang Jinxin and Shen Jinhua how Tang Nuan made her money.
They were older and didn’t fully grasp the internet world. Shen Jinhua listened like a student in a classroom as Tang Ben broke down and explained everything, muttering calculations to herself.
After calculating the amount, Shen Jinhua suddenly slapped the table with a “thud,” startling Tang Nuan. She then took Tang Nuan’s face in her hands and said excitedly and proudly, “Oh my, how could we have such a smart daughter? She must have taken after me. You know, your grandmother is smart, too.”
Tang Jinxin, while brushing sauce on the meat skewers, didn’t want to be outdone and began recounting stories to Tang Nuan, “I actually think she takes after your grandfather. Your grandfather was incredibly sharp. When we were young, he would carry a basket and sell fruit from street to street, always managing to sell better than others. Everyone in the village said he had a brain like someone who invented the atomic bomb.”
Shen Jinhua rolled her eyes and snorted, “Oh, come on. They also said you had a brain like someone who invented the atomic bomb. So why didn’t you even get into college?”
Tang Jinxin, indignantly flipping the skewers, retorted, “A brain like someone who invented the atomic bomb couldn’t withstand being charmed by you, Shen Jinhua!”
Shen Jinhua burst into laughter, and everyone else joined in. Ji Yun couldn’t help but give Tang Jinxin a thumbs up, “Uncle, you’re impressive.”
Tang Jinxin puffed up with pride, “It takes a brain like someone who invented the atomic bomb to handle your aunt.”
It was the height of flattery, and Shen Jinhua didn’t know whether to be annoyed or amused.
Ji Yun laughed, “It seems that the gene attribution wars are everywhere, no matter which family.”
Tang Jinxin discussed with Tang Nuan, “Since you’ve achieved such an impressive feat this time, we should throw a banquet and invite all our relatives and friends to celebrate.”
“Ah?” Tang Nuan was stunned, “Isn’t that a bit too much?” Celebrating the fact that the Tang family’s daughter earned a billion in a month? Isn’t that asking for trouble?
Tang Jinxin replied, “How can it be too much? Who else can make over a billion in a month without investing a single cent? I’ve never seen it before.”
Tang Nuan still felt it was excessive and tried to reason with him, “Isn’t our family motto about being low-key? ‘Don’t flaunt your wealth, if you have one hundred, say one.’”
Tang Fei suddenly laughed, “Oh, Nuan Nuan, you’re great, you remember our family motto! Here,” he said, handing Tang Nuan a skewer of chicken wings, “This is a reward for you.”
Tang Ben immediately started clapping, and Ji Yun and Li Qiuqiu also joined in, making the scene look like a group of kindergarten kids reciting their lines in a play.
Tang Nuan couldn’t help but laugh, but Tang Jinxin said with a smile, “We should keep a low profile about our family’s wealth, but we need to be truthful about our children’s achievements. If it’s one hundred, then we say one hundred.”
Tang Ben added with a smirk, “Isn’t it supposed to be one hundred plus twenty? I remember when I got into the third middle school two years ago, they were bragging everywhere that I was bound for Yan University or Hua University… hmm, with a brain like someone who invented the atomic bomb.”
Tang Nuan couldn’t help but laugh at this.
Shen Jinhua also said, “We didn’t have a chance to celebrate when you got into such a good university, so this is a perfect opportunity to make it up.”
She said it so naturally that Tang Nuan was momentarily stunned. She suddenly remembered they had once mentioned making up for everything she lacked growing up. Looking at the chicken wings in front of her and the banner fluttering in the yard, she realized they had been doing exactly that.
Ji Yun looked at her and said with a smile, “Oh, it’s settled then. I think it’s great. You ate my thank-you dinner back then, but I haven’t had the chance to eat yours. Let’s make up for it.”
Hearing this, Shen Jinhua immediately made it final, “Alright, it’s settled then.” She placed a skewer of beef in front of Tang Nuan and, as if coaxing a child, said, “After eating your parents’ meal, you have to listen to your parents.”
Tang Nuan couldn’t help but laugh and didn’t argue further.
Ji Yun raised her glass, “Here’s to celebrating my best friend’s newfound wealth!”
Li Qiuqiu followed suit, “Take us flying with you!”
Everyone laughed and clinked glasses.
Just as they were celebrating, Tang Nuan’s phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, she frowned.
Ji Yun leaned over and asked, “Who’s calling?”
Tang Nuan put her phone aside and let it ring. “Sun Wanqiu.”
Ji Yun was momentarily puzzled. “Who?”
Li Qiuqiu said, “Ye Shuyan’s mother.”
Shen Jinhua reacted quickly. “Oh, you mean Ye Shuyan’s stepmother? What does she want from you?”
Tang Nuan replied, “She wants me to go back to the Ye family’s old house.”
Shen Jinhua frowned. “Ye Shuyan isn’t even there. What could she possibly want?”
Tang Nuan explained, “It’s probably related to the conflict with the Jiang family.”
Ji Yun asked, “So, does this mean they want you to return the money to keep the peace?”
Li Qiuqiu spoke slowly, “I guess they probably don’t even know you made such a large sum from the Jiang family yet.”
Ji Yun said, “That’s unlikely. With Jin Wenxia making such a fuss, the Ye family must be aware of everything. I heard from my dad that Director Ye was so angry during a golf game that he complained to everyone about young people being reckless and extravagant, almost naming Tang Nuan directly.”
Tang Nuan frowned and quickly gave Ji Yun a warning glance. These details should remain private among them and not be discussed openly.
Ji Yun, as if not noticing Tang Nuan’s warning glance, continued, “Otherwise, how would those people in the group know that Director Ye and Old Madam Ye are unhappy with Tang Nuan?”
Shen Jinhua frowned but didn’t speak immediately. Instead, she looked at Li Qiuqiu, waiting for her analysis.
Li Qiuqiu said, “Ye Zhenghong probably isn’t following the gossip group, so what he knows must have come from the Jiang family. I suspect that Jin Wenxia is the one who complained.”
“But now that the Jiang family is in such a difficult situation, they wouldn’t want everyone to know about it. It’s unlikely they’d tell Ye Zhenghong that Tang Nuan made a billion from them. They might even downplay it when asked.”
“So, they probably still believe you really lost two billion as the group claims…”
Shen Jinhua seemed to understand and looked at the now-silent phone on the table with a cold expression. “So, they’re here to make trouble for you?”
She turned to Tang Nuan and fired off a series of questions, “When did she call you? What did she say? Did she scold you over the phone?”
Clearly, she was very upset, and her tone was very harsh. Tang Nuan couldn’t help but comply and explained, “I only received one call.”
“She didn’t say anything unpleasant, just asked me to go to the old house. I just brushed it off,” she added. “I’m not stupid. Since Ye Shuyan isn’t there, going back alone would be like delivering myself to the lion’s den. There’s no way I’d agree.”
Fortunately, they wouldn’t lower themselves to come and find her, so even if Tang Nuan dragged her feet, they couldn’t do anything about it. “Anyway, it’s a matter for the Ye family. We’ll handle it when Ye Shuyan gets back.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the phone on the table rang again—it was still Sun Wanqiu. Tang Nuan intended to ignore it, but Shen Jinhua reached out for the phone. “Give it to me.”
Tang Nuan hesitated, “Mom, it’s fine. They want face and won’t come after me. There’s no need to make a fuss…”
Shen Jinhua insisted, “Why not? If it were anyone else, it might be different. But since you might end up marrying into their family, it’s important to stand your ground. Ignoring them when they’re not in front of you is fine, but if they come knocking, you need to deal with them properly. It’s annoying otherwise.”
Seeing Tang Nuan hesitate, she added, “Are you worried that our family can’t handle the Ye family?”
Tang Nuan was silent. She did have such concerns—not that they couldn’t handle it, but the Ye family was different from the Tang Sheng’an family. They were powerful, and even if they wouldn’t stoop to targeting the Tang family specifically, the condescension and exclusion in their interactions could be very uncomfortable.
The Tang family wasn’t like the Tang Sheng’an family. She didn’t want them to be subjected to the Ye family’s arrogance.
Shen Jinhua sighed and said, “Child, this is a society of equals. You need to understand one thing: as long as you don’t bow down, no one can trample over you.”
“Just tell Mom—do you want to marry Ye Shuyan?”
Tang Nuan was caught off guard by the question, and she froze.
Shen Jinhua nodded and said, “Alright, I understand.” She reached out for Tang Nuan’s phone. “Let me show you how it’s done.”
Tang Nuan grew more worried. What exactly did Shen Jinhua understand? She herself wasn’t entirely sure.
Ji Yun simply took the phone from Tang Nuan’s hand and handed it to Shen Jinhua.
Tang Nuan glared at her, realizing that this was clearly intentional.
Ji Yun whispered, “Tang Nuan, you should trust your dad and mom.”
Tang Nuan sighed in resignation. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust them; she just didn’t think it was necessary. But now that Shen Jinhua had answered the call, necessity was irrelevant.
She expected Shen Jinhua to argue, but instead, she instantly switched to a very warm and friendly tone as she answered, “Hello, is this the mother-in-law? Tang Nuan is out, and her phone was left at home. What can I do for you?”
Everyone couldn’t help but listen intently. Tang Ben even leaned in close to Shen Jinhua’s ear.
Shen Jinhua promptly switched the call to speaker mode. On the other end, Sun Wanqiu seemed stunned by the term “mother-in-law.” When Tang Nuan was just Tang Sheng’an’s daughter, Lin Yue’e didn’t dare call her “mother-in-law.” Even though Lin Yue’e had a less-than-stellar reputation, they always addressed her as Madam Ye politely.
After a long pause, Sun Wanqiu finally spoke. Her tone was polite but carried a high-handed sense of detachment. “There’s nothing urgent, really. It’s just that she hasn’t been to the old house for a long time, and we’d like her to come back for a meal.”
“Oh, did you make something special, dear mother-in-law, and call her back for it?” Shen Jinhua replied with a smile. “Ye Shuyan is away on a business trip. There’s no need to trouble yourself just for her. You and dear father-in-law should enjoy a good meal.”
Sun Wanqiu, perhaps unfamiliar with such a direct approach, was momentarily at a loss for words.
Shen Jinhua, however, proceeded to raise a request.
“Since you’ve called, I actually have something I’d like to ask,” Shen Jinhua said. “If the marriage between the Ye family and Nuan Nuan is still on, shouldn’t we arrange a formal meeting?”
“We need to renegotiate the bride price and dowry. The previous terms were quite unfair to our Nuan Nuan. The in-laws haven’t mentioned this matter yet, so I’m wondering what’s going on. Surely, you don’t intend for our Nuan Nuan to be considered Ye Shuyan’s fiancée without proper recognition, do you? Isn’t there some basic courtesy expected in a wealthy family?”
Her tone was calm, but her words were sharp. Sun Wanqiu hadn’t heard anyone challenge the Ye family’s etiquette for a long time and couldn’t help but respond, “How could she not have proper recognition? Who in Yan City doesn’t know that Tang Nuan is Ye Shuyan’s fiancée?”
“Her properties and the jewelry Ye Shuyan gifted her…”
Shen Jinhua suddenly interjected, “The properties under her name and the jewelry are gifts from Ye Shuyan. I heard Ye Shuyan is the heir to the Ye family. Yet, you haven’t prepared anything for the engagement? If it’s a matter of financial strain, just let us know. We can understand, after all, it’s a big corporation, and funds might be tight.”
You say, financial strain! Your whole family must be facing financial strain!
Sun Wanqiu maintained a stern face, took a deep breath, and sighed, “Mrs. Tang…”
Shen Jinhua cut her off, “Just call me mother-in-law. No need to be so formal.”
Sun Wanqiu: …
She couldn’t bring herself to address her as such, so she skipped the formality but her speaking rhythm had already been disrupted. She went straight to the point, “Tang Nuan has indeed put considerable pressure on the Ye family recently. Are you aware of what she’s been up to?”
Shen Jinhua was surprised, “I’m telling you, mother-in-law, what can a young girl do to put pressure on your Ye family? Is she too remarkable, or is the Ye family not up to par? Are you wealthy families so fragile?”
Sun Wanqiu was momentarily at a loss for words, then replied calmly, “You might not understand, but for families like ours, a small action can have significant repercussions. Tang Nuan’s antics might seem like minor financial losses, but they tarnish the Ye family’s reputation. Moreover, our business dealings with the Jiang family involve hundreds of billions…”
Shen Jinhua didn’t let Sun Wanqiu finish and laughed, “Oh, I see now. For families like yours, with a throne to inherit, it’s just like the Tang Dynasty. A single Imperial Consort Yang could change the whole dynasty, right?”
“So, if Tang Nuan is the key to hundreds of billions in business, shouldn’t you be treating her with the utmost respect? Instead, you’re ordering her around.”
Ji Yun nearly burst out laughing and quickly covered her mouth, while Tang Nuan also struggled to suppress her laughter.
Sun Wanqiu was clearly at a loss for words, and Shen Jinhua continued to speak, “Not to be blunt, but is your dynasty nearing its end? Even us common folks have heard that your family’s elder is a gossipmonger, spreading bad words about his future daughter-in-law everywhere.”
“Is there a possibility that the pressure on the Ye family’s empire isn’t due to Tang Nuan, but because the men in your family aren’t up to par?”
Meanwhile, far away in City Hai, Ye Shuyan, who was selecting gifts for Tang Nuan, suddenly sneezed. His eyes softened as he thought to himself: It must be that Tang Nuan is thinking of him…