Elder Li had specially prepared a welcome dinner for Chen Dong.
The dining table was laden with a dazzling array of dishes. Chinese, Western, French—they had it all.
Elder Li enthusiastically pulled Chen Dong to a seat, and the two of them sat together. Li Huiran was on Chen Dong's other side, while Li Jianwen sat on the Elder's other side.
Elder Li said with a smile, "Xiaodong! I wasn't sure what you liked to eat, so this old man had them prepare a little bit of everything."
Chen Dong chuckled. "As long as it's good, I'll like it."
Elder Li's smile widened. "Good, good! As long as you like it! Now that you and Huiran have your marriage certificate, we're all family. This old man is getting on in years and can be a bit long-winded, so please don't mind me."
"Grandpa! Please, say whatever is on your mind. I don't mind at all!" 'This old man is actually pretty good to me,' Chen Dong thought. 'I'll just let him say whatever he wants.'
"This old man just recovered, so I won't be drinking with you." He then turned to Li Jianwen and said, "Jianwen, have a few drinks with Xiaodong!"
Li Jianwen stated expressionlessly, "Dad! I've been working too much overtime recently. I'm too tired. I won't be drinking!"
Old Li's voice instantly turned cold as he snapped at Li Jianwen, "You unfilial son! I can't even get you to have a drink anymore?"
Li Huiran quickly tried to mediate. "Grandpa, Dad has been pulling all-nighters for the Qingtian International project proposal. Please don't be so hard on him."
Elder Li sighed softly. "Sigh! Ever since I fell ill, the Li Family has been declining day by day. I don't understand why you would bet everything on this Qingtian International project. But the die is cast, and there's no turning back now. If we fail this bid, I'm afraid the Li Family will be pushed out of Jiangzhou's Four Great Families!"
Li Jianwen said with some agitation, "Dad, I had no choice. People outside don't even recognize the Li Family as one of the Four Great Families anymore; they say Jiangzhou only has three. Given the state of our family, if we don't seize this opportunity, things will only get harder day by day. As long as we win this bid, the Li Family will once again be the leader of Jiangzhou's Four Great Families."
Looking like a hero in his twilight years, Elder Li said, "So be it! The younger generation will make their own way. All this old man can do is pave the road for you. Now that I've recovered, I'll arrange a meeting with Secretary Zhuang and ask him to lend us a hand."
Li Jianwen was stunned. "Secretary Zhuang will help us?"
He had tried to find Secretary Zhuang before but hadn't even been able to get a meeting.
Elder Li said lightly, "Secretary Zhuang is from Jiangzhou. I saved his life when we were young. Though he went into politics and I went into business, and we haven't had much contact for decades, he will still give me this much face."
Hearing this news, both Li Jianwen and Li Huiran's faces lit up with excitement.
"With Secretary Zhuang's help, our chances are much better!"
"Jianwen will come with me later. But Xiaodong is here today, so let's not talk about this for now."
Elder Li turned to Chen Dong again. "Right, Xiaodong! Since you two have the certificate, we should pick an auspicious date for the wedding banquet! I think three days from now would be perfect!"
Chen Dong, who was busy stuffing his face, nearly choked on his food.
Li Huiran, who had just been looking pleased, was also startled.
Chen Dong quickly swallowed his food and said, "Grandpa, there's no need to rush. Huiran and I have only just met. We should get to know each other first. Besides, I don't want the banquet to be so rushed. It should be a grand affair."
Elder Li laughed heartily. "Yes! Yes! This old man was too impatient. Xiaodong's wedding must be a grand one!"
He then stroked his beard and declared, "Since you're husband and wife now, Xiaodong will sleep in the same room as Huiran tonight. No need to arrange a guest room. There's no faster way to get to know each other than in bed!"
This arrangement left Chen Dong dumbfounded!
Li Huiran, blushing beet-red, cried, "Grandpa..."
Elder Li shot her a cold glance and cut her off. "Be quiet! Are you trying to anger your grandpa to death? It's only natural for a legally married couple to share a bed! This old man wants to be holding a great-grandchild by next year!"
Tears instantly welled up in Li Huiran's eyes. 'Is this still the grandpa who doted on me the most?'
She stopped eating on the spot, threw down her utensils, and rushed upstairs.
Elder Li tried to smooth things over with an awkward laugh. "Xiaodong, don't mind her. Girls are thin-skinned. Just go up and coax her a little later, and she'll be fine!"
Chen Dong broke into a cold sweat. 'It's not her fault for being thin-skinned; anyone in her shoes would have run. Even if I'm as dashing as a Jade Tree, more handsome than a movie star, and the most attractive man in the world, it's not like a girl would willingly throw herself at me after just one meeting.'
「As evening fell.」
Since it was his master's arrangement and Elder Li's intention, Chen Dong reluctantly knocked on Li Huiran's door.
At the same time, he could hear Li Huiran on the phone.
"Tomorrow, you have to teach that bastard a lesson. Preferably the kind that leaves him paralyzed and bedridden... Yeah, that's all. I'm hanging up."
Chen Dong rubbed his nose, wondering, 'Who could have provoked this young miss to such a degree that she wants them paralyzed?'
Just then, the door opened. When Li Huiran saw Chen Dong standing there, her almond-shaped eyes widened, and her cheeks puffed out. She looked furious but unable to lash out, a sight that was actually quite cute.
Li Huiran hadn't expected him to actually show up! She was wearing a thin nightgown, leaving her gorgeous figure on full display. Under the room's lighting, it was almost more revealing than wearing nothing at all.
Chen Dong hadn't expected her to be dressed like this either. A thrill shot through him, and his eyes greedily roamed over her.
'Could tonight be the night?'
Li Huiran noticed Chen Dong's strange gaze and finally realized her attire was a huge problem.
She yelled, "Get out!" and slammed the door shut with a loud SLAM.
Li Huiran's face was completely flushed.
'When they got the certificate, Chen Dong had seemed so passive, so she never thought he'd have the guts to actually come to her room. She hadn't paid any mind to her clothes, just wearing whatever was comfortable like she always did at home. What a huge mistake. That detestable guy had seen everything.'
She hurriedly changed into a normal set of pajamas, but still felt it wasn't enough. She even put on her uncomfortable lingerie, which she never slept in, before finally opening the door again.
Chen Dong entered the room and was met with a light, clean fragrance. The room was neat and tidy.
Li Huiran pulled a spare set of bedding from the closet and threw it on the floor. She said angrily, "You're sleeping on the floor tonight. If you get any other ideas, I'll make sure you can never have children!"
Seeing her trying to act tough, Chen Dong couldn't help but chuckle.
'Alright then, the floor it is!' he thought. 'So much for a night of passion!'
The next day, the two of them emerged from the room under Elder Li's gratified gaze.
After breakfast, Li Huiran grudgingly drove to work with Chen Dong.
Li Huiran was driving. With her long hair draped over her shoulders, her professional attire, and her cold expression, Chen Dong found her to have a unique kind of allure.
As they neared the company building, Li Huiran said coldly, "The office is just ahead. You can walk from here. Your position has been arranged; just go straight there to check in."
She clearly didn't want anyone to know about her relationship with Chen Dong.
Chen Dong didn't mind. He opened the car door and got out.
But Li Huiran rolled down the window and warned him again, "You'd better watch your mouth at the company! If you run your mouth and start any rumors, I'll make you pay, even if Grandpa protects you!"
Chen Dong paused, then shook his head. "I can't do that. It'll cost you extra."
Li Huiran was getting angry. "I already paid you."
"That was for the marriage certificate. This new request is about the company. One thing at a time."
Li Huiran had already given all her cash to Chen Dong. She said through gritted teeth, "You scoundrel. Sooner or later, I'll make sure Grandpa sees you for who you really are. I'll owe you for this one. I'll pay you back later."
"And another thing, our company doesn't support freeloaders. If you don't have the ability and can't handle the work, you'd better get lost sooner rather than later!"
Chen Dong smiled. "For two hundred thousand a month, I'll absolutely be worth the price!"
Li Huiran snorted coldly, stomped on the accelerator, and sped off.
After Chen Dong arrived at the company and checked in, a young secretary led him away.
Following the secretary, who swayed her hips as she walked, he arrived at the General Affairs Department.
Six fashionably dressed colleagues with arrogant expressions greeted him.
Their leader was a man in his twenties with short, dyed-blond hair, a silver earring, and a baseball bat in his hand. He was chewing bubble gum.
The young secretary said, "This is your manager, Wang Hao. If you need anything, just ask Manager Wang. I'll be leaving now."
After the young secretary had swayed her way out of the room, Manager Wang spoke. "So you're the motherfucker named Chen Dong, huh?"