Chapter 146: The Toyed-With Goddaughter (21)
Summer.
A ski resort in Northern Europe.
It was 8 PM, but the sky was still bright. Yu Nian skied down the black diamond slope, checking her goggles. Suddenly, she heard the sound of a snowboard approaching from behind. Her friend slowed down as she passed, but the spray of snow still covered Yu Nian.
She brushed off the snow and heard her friend whistle. Her friend pulled down her goggles and nudged Yu Nian with her shoulder. “One more run?”
“No, let’s go back, I have a flight tomorrow.” Yu Nian had come here with Yu Wanru, who was negotiating a business deal.
According to Yu Wanru’s plan, if Yu Nian followed her path, she would eventually inherit Wanda Group.
After all, she was Yu Wanru’s only child.
But Yu Nian wasn’t willing. She wanted to pursue her own interests: art and design.
But in Yu Wanru’s eyes, these were frivolous hobbies, not a proper career.
“You were born with a head start, if you end up in the same place as everyone else, it only proves you’re useless,” Yu Wanru’s words echoed in her mind.
Yu Nian felt suffocated, knowing that Yu Wanru was monitoring her, making sure she followed her plans, even scheduling every minute of her vacation, forcing her onto the path of a corporate heir.
And it seemed… the more Yu Wanru invested in her, the more controlling she became. Yu Nian’s usual silence and compliance were now met with lectures about how she would be “led astray” without Yu Wanru’s guidance.
So Yu Nian now resisted passively, or even argued back.
Since Su Mingxiu’s departure, their mother-daughter relationship had become strained, making Yu Nian reluctant to see Yu Wanru, avoiding her whenever possible.
“Okay, I have a nice home theater, want to watch a movie? The latest domestic films haven’t been released here yet, I heard there’s a popular sci-fi movie this summer, but I haven’t heard of the production company, Tianyan Pictures, I think?”
“Tianyan? Aren’t they a real estate developer?”
Being in the same industry, Yu Nian had some vague recollection.
But their projects weren’t in the same region as Wanda’s. Tianyan focused on the north, while Wanda operated mainly in their home city.
Even when expanding to other provinces, Wanda only developed high-end villas in less developed areas, not competing with local developers in prime locations.
They chatted as they walked towards the exit, their ski equipment in tow. Their instructor caught up with them, checking if they were injured, then bid them farewell.
Half an hour later…
In the wooden chalet, Yu Nian opened a can of soda. Her friend had chosen an animated movie, and she didn’t mind. But before the movie started, a commercial played—
Golden stars shimmered, then the ink-colored Tianyan logo appeared. A goldfish jumped out of a fishbowl onto an embroidery cloth, transforming into vibrant, embroidered threads, a lifelike, colorful fish.
The fish’s eye was dotted, and it flew up, scattering golden dust, a line of text appearing on the screen:
XU Studio
“Huh, that studio again,” her friend muttered. “Tianyan’s investments are all over the place, but I’ve seen this studio’s name in the credits of several recent films. Is it owned by one of Tianyan’s shareholders?”
Her friend was a film student, their meeting a coincidence. Yu Nian, not understanding the industry, simply chuckled and agreed.
Back in China…
6 AM. Su Mingxiu, yawning, sat in the tea room of a waterfront villa, her hand supporting her head, her gaze unfocused.
Across from her sat a young man, a Buddhist scripture in one hand, a prayer beads bracelet in the other.
A woman in a plain cotton dress brought in a tea cake and started brewing tea, the fragrance filling the air.
“Try it,” the man said, finally looking up. “I had someone specially purchase this, Pu’er from a 300-year-old tea tree.”
Su Mingxiu glanced at the extravagant tea set, made of red ore and decorated with dragon patterns, then looked at the man. “Even the finest tea doesn’t warrant waking up at 6 AM for a tasting.”
“Is this a bad time?” he frowned, looking at the lush greenery outside the window. “The air is fresh, perfect for cultivation.”
Su Mingxiu: “…”
Seeing her barely contained annoyance, Sheng Tianheng quickly changed the subject: “That land, we can’t get it.”
Su Mingxiu didn’t understand at first, then remembered the recent expansion of domestic real estate companies, their ambitions extending even to overseas mines.
There were valuable resources near the Arctic Circle, especially in countries with private land ownership.
Unfortunately…
Tianyan had invested heavily in that land, rumors of a rich gold mine circulating in the industry. Few companies could compete with their financial resources.
Su Mingxiu said calmly: “Didn’t I say that location was too prime, it would be difficult to acquire?”
Sheng Tianheng clicked his tongue. “It’s not just the location—”
He paused, his fingers tracing an invisible character on the wooden table: rare.
Su Mingxiu understood. She took a sip of the slightly cooled tea. “Aren’t you interested in that land in G City’s commercial district? Save your money for that.”
Sheng Tianheng looked at her, a strange glint in his narrow eyes. “Wanda is likely to win that bid, don’t you know? Yu Wanru, she either doesn’t compete, focusing on her high-end villas, or she crushes the competition.”
If it weren’t for the current market conditions, making it difficult for Wanda’s high-quality projects to recoup their investment, Yu Wanru would be even more aggressive.
Su Mingxiu took another sip of tea. “She’s overextended, taken on too many risky projects, the outcome in G City is still uncertain.”
She glanced at the Buddhist scripture in Sheng Tianheng’s hand. “With your piety, perhaps the heavens will intervene, causing some mishap for Wanda, allowing you to snatch that prime location and build your shopping mall.”
“You seem very certain that something will happen to Wanda…” Sheng Tianheng, remembering the rumors about Su Mingxiu’s feud with the Yu family, asked tentatively: “That rumor about the gold mine… did you spread it?”
“Of course not,” Su Mingxiu looked at him in surprise. “Would I betray a partner?”
Initially, Sheng Tianheng had only been interested in developing tourism projects in that location.
But during the geological survey, they had discovered something valuable. Just as they were trying to identify it, several other exploration teams had arrived.
He had hoped it wasn’t anything significant, so his plans could still proceed, but the mineral deposits were substantial.
Just as he was trying to secure the land—
The rumor about the gold mine had spread, attracting more competitors.
Wanda was among them, Yu Wanru reportedly conducting on-site inspections.
If it weren’t for his connections, these competitors would have realized their mistake and left. He looked at Su Mingxiu, guessing what had happened.
“I’ll have someone book tickets for next month, send the details to my assistant.”
He was certain that Su Mingxiu was planning to watch the drama unfold, even if he didn’t know her exact role in this.
Normally, partners avoided investigating each other, it could damage their relationship.
Su Mingxiu agreed. Seeing that he had nothing else to say, she stood up, wanting to go back to sleep.
But before leaving, remembering how Sheng Tianheng had woken her up so early with information she already knew, she added:
“Your tea—”
“Isn’t from a 300-year-old tree, you’ve been scammed.” It was closer to 120 years old, but she wouldn’t tell him that.
Sheng Tianheng: “??”
His anticipation turned into confusion.
The villa complex was vast. Su Mingxiu hadn’t driven herself and was about to call for a ride when Sheng Qian called.
“Are you two brothers cultivating immortality or something?” she asked, still drowsy.
Sheng Qian: “He contacted you too? Never mind, I found a promising new talent, I’m going to check them out today, interested?”
“No,” Su Mingxiu refused flatly.
Ever since she had allowed Sheng Qian to join her studio, he had been constantly searching for new talent, his choices always questionable.
Su Mingxiu had already had to deal with two of his disastrous recruits.
“Has anyone ever told you that your judgment… if you need money for an eye exam, I can help you out.”
Sheng Qian: “?”
Sheng Qian: “I won’t allow you to insult yourself like that.”
Su Mingxiu: “?”
She wanted to strangle this smooth-talking agent.
Sheng Qian, reminiscing about his past glory, said: “If it weren’t for me convincing you that you had potential in the entertainment industry, even though you left, you’re still a success, a winner in life, doesn’t that prove my good judgment?”
Su Mingxiu, thinking about the original owner’s uselessness, her drowsiness completely gone, could only say: “Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome,” Sheng Qian replied cheerfully.
Thinking about the “talent” he was about to unleash upon the entertainment industry, Su Mingxiu advised: “If all else fails, just go home, your family isn’t exactly poor.”
Sheng Qian, who had initially vowed to be self-reliant, had used his family connections to help her after she left Heartthrob with a hefty penalty, leading to Tianyan’s entry into the film industry and the creation of XU Studio.
“Look who’s talking—”
“I’d rather starve to death, freeze to death, fade into obscurity, than ask my family for money.”
“Besides, I have your success story as inspiration, as long as I work hard, I can also succeed.”
Su Mingxiu: “…” The Sheng family seems to have a shared delusion.
But since he was an old acquaintance, she corrected him patiently: “If you work hard for five or six lifetimes, you might be as successful as me.”
Sheng Qian, not understanding: “Huh?”
August, the weather in the US was pleasant, the coastal scenery picturesque.
Inside the conference hall of a six-star hotel, a bidding war was underway.
Yu Nian followed Yu Wanru, watching as her secretary received the bidding documents, then she put on her AirPods, tuning out the proceedings.
After they sat down, Yu Wanru glanced at her, frowning slightly at her casual attire, and had her secretary remind her to be mindful of her appearance.
The secretary looked at Yu Nian hesitantly.
Yu Nian, not wanting to make things difficult for her, took off her AirPods, one of them falling to the floor.
More people entered the conference hall, representatives from other companies.
As Yu Nian bent down to pick up her AirPod, she saw a deep green silk dress, a faint floral fragrance reaching her.
A man’s voice from beside her: “The AC(air conditioner) is a bit strong, need a jacket?”
“No.”
The melodious voice stopped Yu Nian in her tracks.
Yu Wanru, seeing the person sitting in the front row, narrowed her eyes—
She had heard that Tianyan was interested in this land, but they hadn’t been able to reach an agreement.
But…
When did this woman get involved with the Sheng family?
Yu Nian’s secretary, seeing her still bent down, leaned closer to help: “Ms. Yu—”
Yu Nian quickly covered her mouth, her gaze fixed on the person in front of her, the expanse of fair skin revealed by the thin straps of her dress, the delicate lines of her collarbone and spine captivating.
A necklace adorned her slender neck, but from behind, it was impossible to tell what kind of jewelry it was.
Yu Nian, as if mesmerized, her gaze tracing the person’s figure, from her hair to the thin straps of her dress, the deep V-neck partially hidden by the chair’s back, making one wonder how far it plunged.
She measured with her eyes, with her memories, as if trying to determine if Su Mingxiu had gained or lost weight.
But the person in front seemed oblivious to her gaze, chatting with the man beside her, her long, wavy hair falling to the side, then casually tucked behind her ear…
Revealing a deep green watch.
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