The Serpent Woman (Part 2)

If we were to judge solely by ability, Mo Qingqing might not match Luo Shiya, a naturally gifted individual, but she would undoubtedly hold a prominent position among female entrepreneurs in the Capital. However, the Mo Family’s platform had always been limited in the past, and Mo Changshan had never fully relinquished control to her.

Now, even while managing the company she had founded herself, Mo Qingqing still found time to handle some of the Ye Family’s affairs, something that Ye Grandmother greatly appreciated. She was well aware of how dangerous Mo Qingqing, this "beautiful snake," could be, but the greater the danger, the more it proved her capability.

“I’ve never understood why you’re so fixated on Mo Qingqing,” the female assistant assigned to Mo Qingqing couldn’t help but ask curiously while reporting her work. Ye Grandmother took a sip of tea and smiled indifferently. “She’s a lot like me. She even has that same drive I had when I was young.”

“Everyone knows that if pufferfish isn’t prepared properly, it can be poisonous. But does that stop people from eating it? The key lies in whether the chef knows how to handle it.”

“You’re right, but don’t forget, she climbed to where she is now by stepping over her own family.”

Hearing the assistant’s words, Ye Grandmother remained unfazed. In their circles, it wasn’t uncommon for family members to scheme against each other for the sake of profit.

At the end of the day, when personal interests are at stake, what do family bonds or love even matter? Sons plotting against fathers, husbands and wives scheming against each other—what’s it all for, if not money?

“Let’s not even talk about that. She’s been quite diligent recently. If Ye Ning could even remotely compare to Cheng Wenxin, let alone Luo Tian, I wouldn’t have had to resort to Mo Qingqing!”

The mere thought of her grandson made Ye Grandmother feel a throbbing pain in her temples.

Luo Tian was in a league of his own. With the Luo Corporation, the largest financial conglomerate in the Capital, firmly under his control, he had stabilized the family’s business. In the past, he had the help of Luo Shiya and Luo Muqi, but even without them, he continued to manage the Luo Corporation meticulously, expanding its operations without hesitation.

Even Cheng Wenxin, with his eccentric ways, had managed his family’s business quite well.

But then there was Ye Ning… Ye Grandmother felt her blood pressure rising just thinking about him.

“Back then, my husband and I were well-matched. He was capable, but his personality was a bit too soft. My son didn’t inherit any of his strengths—just his mediocrity.”

“I helped my husband manage the family business, and later I helped my son. But who would’ve thought that Ye Ning would turn out like this under their parenting?”

“I told them back then to let me raise the child. I would’ve taught him properly. But Ye Ning’s mother was too soft-hearted and couldn’t bear to part with him. By the time I recovered from my illness, it was too late to guide him.”

At this point, Ye Grandmother’s eyes reddened. At her age, when she should be enjoying her retirement, she still had to worry and scheme for her grandson.

She was perhaps the most concerned about Ye Ning’s marriage, even going so far as to swallow her pride and approach the Luo Family’s matriarch to propose a match.

Being as shrewd as she was, how could she not know that such an endeavor was doomed from the start?

The Ye Family was well-known and wealthy in the Capital, but no respectable family was willing to marry their daughter into their household. Even for a business alliance, they were only offered illegitimate daughters. It spoke volumes about how unreliable Ye Ning was.

Since his university days, he had been involved in numerous scandals. After taking over the company, most of the time, his father—or even Ye Grandmother herself—had to clean up his messes.

Among the Capital’s elite families, Ye Ning’s level of incompetence was second only to Mo Jinpeng.

The heirs of proper wealthy families either started their own businesses, proving themselves before inheriting their family’s legacy, or they diligently learned from their parents and managed their family’s affairs responsibly.

Everyone plays around, and everyone has their wild moments. But being wild isn’t the issue—being incompetent is. The Ye Family might still look prosperous now, but without her or Ye Ning’s father, who knows if this spoiled heir would run the family into the ground?

Without a future, no matter how much wealth they had now, who could guarantee that Ye Ning wouldn’t pull some outrageous stunt later? As businesspeople, risk assessment was fundamental.

Ye Grandmother knew full well that the Luo Family would never marry their two princesses to her grandson, who had even managed to embarrass himself at the Luo Family’s estate.

But she was out of options. She was growing older by the day, and if Ye Ning caused trouble in the future, there were only two solutions: either form a marriage alliance with a powerful family like the Luo Family, or find a capable woman who could control him and continue to support the Ye Family, just as she had done.

She had some history with the Luo Family’s matriarch, and when she had approached them, she had practically offered half of the Ye Family as a dowry. But Luo Shiya and Luo Muqi didn’t care in the slightest.

The Luo Family’s matriarch had politely said, “The children are grown now. These matters are up to them, and I can’t make decisions for them anymore.”

Of course, Ye Grandmother had taken it as mere politeness, but in reality, the Luo Family truly couldn’t make that decision.

In the end, she had chosen Mo Qingqing. She knew exactly how ambitious this “beautiful snake” was, which was why she had taken drastic measures to corner her, leaving her with no way out.

“She’s a smart one. It’s easy for the Ye Family to keep her in check,” Ye Grandmother said, taking another sip of tea. “I’m not worried about her turning to her brother—what’s his name, Mo Xuan, right?”

The assistant nodded. “With the Luo Family’s recent announcement that Luo Shiya and Luo Muqi are leaving the country to expand overseas, it seems Mo Xuan has gone with them.”

“I’ve looked into that boy. He’s a top student at Capital University, and at such a young age, he’s already part of a research team, highly regarded by his mentor.” Ye Grandmother’s face showed a hint of disdain. “Mo Qingqing went too far back then, scheming against her parents and Mo Jinpeng. In the process, she also screwed over Mo Xuan.”

“That boy isn’t one to take things lying down. Before cutting ties with the Mo Family, he had the audacity to hit Mo Jinpung in front of his grandfather and parents. After his grandmother passed away, he immediately started retaliating against the Mo Family. He didn’t even flinch when his parents faced serious troubles.”

“Someone like that would never help Mo Qingqing. And someone as smart as her knows better than to rely on her brother.”

“Even if the Mo Family doesn’t collapse, I’m not worried. Besides, the Mo Corporation has already been acquired by the Ye Family. She knows that if she plays her cards right, once she has a child and the child grows up, the Ye Family will be hers to control.”

The assistant roughly understood that Ye Grandmother intended for Mo Qingqing to follow in her footsteps.

She acknowledged that her employer was exceptionally capable and cunning, but Mo Qingqing’s behavior was too unusual. She hadn’t put up any resistance and had agreed to all of the Ye Family’s almost tyrannical demands.

“Are you worried she might resort to desperate measures?” Ye Grandmother seemed to read her thoughts. “Don’t worry. She won’t dare. She’s ruthless, but there are lines she won’t cross. After all, she still has opportunities now. If she pushes things to the point of mutual destruction, she’ll lose everything.”

With that, Ye Grandmother couldn’t help but yawn and rubbed her eyes. “Enough talking. Help me up so I can rest. I’ve been feeling unusually tired lately.”

The assistant quickly went over to support her and glanced at the teacup. “This doesn’t seem like the tea you usually drink, does it?”

“Ye Ning gave it to me. He went on a trip recently, remember?” Ye Grandmother smiled. “Mo Qingqing is quite resourceful. Even though Ye Ning still isn’t taking his company seriously, he’s at least shown some improvement.”

Meanwhile, Mo Qingqing sat in her office, a medical report in front of her.

Seeing Ye Grandmother’s name on it, she couldn’t help but smile. She picked up her phone and sent a message to Ye Ning: «Did your grandmother like the tea?»

Ye Ning replied almost immediately: «She loved it! You’re so thoughtful.»

«It’s your filial piety that matters. I just gave some suggestions.»

Mo Qingqing set her phone aside, picked up the report, lit it with a lighter, and tossed it into the trash bin.

"This is your grandson's act of filial piety, and it has nothing to do with me," Mo Qingqing said with a smile. "As for the rest, that was also done by your grandson. If you become a ghost, make sure to go find him..."