Su Guoxiong noticed the peculiar expression on Sun Que's face and furrowed his brow even more deeply. "What exactly is going on? Speak up!"
Sun Que lowered his head and dared not respond.
How could he possibly say that the young mistress was acting this way because of a man?
That man named Lin Xuan was the young mistress's bottom line.
The young mistress had repeatedly fallen ill because of Lin Xuan, and he had originally intended to report this matter to the old master.
However, on his way, he was intercepted by the bodyguards the young mistress had sent and was forcibly brought back to the Night Garden.
At that time, the young mistress sat pale-faced on the sofa, her eyes icy cold.
She told him that he must not inform the old master about her health condition or the existence of Lin Xuan.
If he dared to reveal anything, then the safety of both him and his family could no longer be guaranteed.
Thus, he had no choice but to keep it a secret.
Later, the young mistress even forbade him from setting foot in the Night Garden.
Seeing that Sun Que remained silent for too long, Su Guoxiong's expression darkened. "Have you even become unmanageable by me?"
Sun Que kept his head down, still not speaking.
"Good, very good. It seems there's someone who has ordered you not to reveal anything," Su Guoxiong said, almost laughing from anger. He took a deep breath and turned to look at Su Hua, who was sitting on the sofa nearby.
Then he saw Su Hua's lips slightly curved, her brows slightly arched, a genuine smile on her face.
Su Guoxiong was stunned.
Was this his eldest granddaughter? The one who had always been cold and distant, living like a robot?
He had never seen her smile so genuinely before.
Su Guoxiong stroked his beard thoughtfully.
This was definitely unusual! There had to be something going on!
Su Guoxiong sat down beside Su Hua and immediately spotted a lengthy, mushy message on her phone.
Glancing at the contact name above.
Ah Xuan?
A male’s name? And a rather intimate nickname.
Was it possible…?
Su Guoxiong asked with a smile, "Hua'er, who are you chatting with?"
Su Hua smiled back. "My man, my boyfriend."
Sun Que perked up his ears.
Boyfriend?
Did Young Mistress mean Lin Xuan?
Su Guoxiong's eyes lit up.
His eldest granddaughter actually had a boyfriend? Previously, he had introduced her to all kinds of excellent men, no matter how handsome or talented, but she wouldn't even glance at them.
Her world seemed to revolve solely around work.
He had worried she might end up alone for life, but now, it seemed she already had a boyfriend, and by the looks of it, their relationship was quite good.
"Wonderful, wonderful. Having a boyfriend is great," Su Guoxiong said, his voice full of excitement.
With a boyfriend, this meant he might soon get to hold a great-grandchild or great-granddaughter.
"Hua'er, when will you bring him over to the old residence for a meal and a meeting?" Su Guoxiong asked.
Sun Que thought to himself.
Young Mistress would definitely not bring Lin Xuan over. If Lin Xuan showed up, he would surely infuriate the old master. Seeing that Lin Xuan didn't treasure Young Mistress, the old master would go to great lengths to stop them from being together.
If Young Mistress continued to be obsessed, the old master might even take action against Lin Xuan.
Over these two years, hadn’t Young Mistress been concealing Lin Xuan’s existence just to prevent him from getting hurt?
Su Hua looked momentarily distracted.
Bringing Ah Xuan here?
She thought of a certain dating guide she had read, which mentioned bringing one’s beloved to meet the family.
"Alright, I’ll bring him over when he has time," Su Hua said, her eyes softening.
This was completely different from what Sun Que had anticipated.
Sun Que was shocked.
Young Mistress was actually willing to introduce her boyfriend!
She had never dared to bring Lin Xuan to meet the old master. Hence, this man could not possibly be Lin Xuan!
It seemed the young mistress had developed feelings for another man.
That was good. Very good.
This way, Young Mistress's condition wouldn't worsen because of Lin Xuan.
Thinking of something, Su Guoxiong asked again, "Hua'er, how old is your boyfriend? What does he do? What's his name? From which family?"
"He's a student…"
Before Su Hua could finish, Su Guoxiong widened his eyes.
A student…?
"Hua'er, let me tell you, break up with him, or at least wait until he's of legal age to continue dating," Su Guoxiong said tensely.
If the other party was still a minor, it might become a big fuss.
At the very least, his granddaughter could not be tarnished publicly.
After a brief silence, Su Hua said, "He's an adult. He's a student at Qing University, and he's twenty-one this year."
"Oh, he's of legal age," Su Guoxiong relaxed.
Su Hua continued, "His name is Lin Xuan, and he has no relatives."
Su Guoxiong nodded.
With no relatives, he must be an orphan. His background likely isn’t noteworthy, but that’s not a problem. Given the wealth and power of the Su family, they don’t need to marry for connections.
As long as this man is someone Hua'er likes and can treat her well.
Sun Que, however, widened his eyes in surprise.
Lin… Lin Xuan?
Young Mistress had actually revealed the existence of Lin Xuan to the old master! Didn’t she fear that the old master would intervene and prevent them from being together?
Su Hua glanced at her watch and stood up.
"Hua'er, where are you off to? I just got back from overseas, and you’re not staying to have a meal with this old man?" Su Guoxiong asked with a frown.
Su Hua curled her lips. "My boyfriend is getting out of school. I’m going to pick him up."
"Then go ahead," the older man said with a chuckle.
Su Hua left the old residence.
Su Guoxiong stroked his beard, sounding a bit sour but with eyes full of laughter. "So, having a boyfriend means you throw this old man to the side.”
Sun Que breathed a sigh of relief.
It seemed the old master wasn’t pursuing the health matter he hadn’t addressed for the young mistress.
He should leave as soon as possible.
"If there’s nothing else, old master, I really need to go now. I have matters to attend to," Sun Que said as he took a few steps toward the exit.
"Wait," Sun Que had barely walked a few steps when the old master called him back.
Su Guoxiong asked sternly, "Is it because Hua'er forbade you from going to the Night Garden?"
"Yes," Sun Que wiped the sweat off his forehead.
"Why?" Su Guoxiong frowned.
After some deliberation, Sun Que replied, "Actually, Miss ordered me to keep something secret: the existence of Lin Xuan. She might be afraid you would try to separate them."
"Am I the unreasonable type?" Su Guoxiong said, almost blowing his beard from indignation.
Su Guoxiong was well aware that Sun Que was trying to divert the topic. Since Hua'er now had a boyfriend, which made Su Guoxiong’s mood much better, he decided not to press the matter further.
"In a few days, you’ll accompany me to the Night Garden," Su Guoxiong said. He had always been worried about Hua'er's health, and he wouldn’t feel at ease until he had a checkup.
Su Hua sat in the back seat of the car.
The driver drove into Qing University and parked by the teaching building.
The weather was pleasantly cool, and Su Hua left the car window open. She was looking down, focused on her laptop, her fingers occasionally tapping on the keyboard of her notebook computer.
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
