Chapter 3
Lin Mengyao knew that this time she had truly been abandoned by the Lin Family, but strangely enough, her heart wasn’t too saddened. Instead, there was more of a sense of relief as if this was how it was meant to be.
After Lin’s father finished speaking, he left without looking back, pulling Li Lihua along. Lin Mengchen fell behind a few steps, looking at Lin Mengyao with sympathy, “Is it worth it for a man?” After saying this, Lin Mengchen also walked away disdainfully.
This left only Xu Ke and Lin Mengyao in the venue.
“Mengyao.” Xu Ke took a step forward and called out Lin Mengyao’s name. He had so much he wanted to say to her, but upon opening his mouth, he could only manage to thinly whisper her name.
At this moment, Xu Ke looked at Lin Mengyao with a complex expression, containing guilt, surprise, and a profound affection.
But Lin Mengyao remained indifferent. Her gaze was as indifferent as ever, as if she were looking at a stranger she barely knew, instantly plunging Xu Ke into the depths of winter.
“Don’t misunderstand, my refusal to divorce you isn’t because I have feelings for you, I just don’t want to disappoint Grandpa. Unless it’s absolutely necessary, I will not divorce you, so rest assured.” Lin Mengyao’s demeanor was cold, her tone flat.
“Mengyao, I know I haven’t behaved well before, and your attitude towards me is my own fault. But please believe me, from now on I will work hard to give you a better life,” Xu Ke paused and added, “A life better than the one you would have had with Lu Chi.”
“It’s unnecessary. You don’t need to say that to me, and whatever you want to do is none of my concern. I can give myself the kind of life I want without needing you. Just take care of yourself and don’t trouble me.” Lin Mengyao was not moved at all by Xu Ke’s words.
Men are all good at saying nice things, but very few can truly follow through. It’s easy to alter the surface but hard to change one’s nature. Deep down, Lin Mengyao didn’t believe Xu Ke would rise, but she didn’t plan to reveal her true thoughts to strike him.
For Lin Mengyao, she and Xu Ke were just strangers with a marriage certificate. As long as he didn’t involve her, whatever he did had nothing to do with her.
Not giving Xu Ke a chance to speak again, Lin Mengyao turned and left. She was already too tired today and didn’t want to spend any more time and energy dealing with him.
The next day, after Xu Ke finished making breakfast and sending the family off, he received a call from Lawyer Zhang, who had arrived in Luo City.
The two met at a milk tea shop not far from the Lin Family. Initially, Xu Ke wanted to meet Lawyer Zhang at a nicer café to discuss matters, but due to lack of funds, he had to settle for the milk tea shop. Luckily, the shop’s décor was quite good, and it was a working day with few people inside, making the environment surprisingly better than a café.
“Hello, I am Lawyer Zhang Zhicheng. We spoke on the phone before.” With a warm smile on his face, Lawyer Zhang proactively extended his hand for a handshake with Xu Ke.
“I came here with the relevant documents of the Xu Group and the assets that are about to be transferred to your name. If there’s no issue, you can sign them, and if convenient, we can proceed with the related formalities.” After saying this, Zhang Zhicheng took out the prepared documents from his bag and placed them in front of Xu Ke.
Holding the documents, Xu Ke couldn’t help but feel complicated emotions, but he quickly suppressed them and began to seriously review the property list and some details of the Xu Group brought by Zhang Zhicheng.
Zhang Zhicheng quietly watched Xu Ke, also feeling complex emotions. He knew about Xu Ke’s current dire situation. Could this young man really manage the extensive assets of the Xu Family?
After more than an hour, Xu Ke put down the documents.
He could hardly believe that in just three short years, the Xu Family had developed to this level.
Before he left the Xu Family, they were already a prominent family in Shangjing. But in just three years, the Xu Family had advanced another step, with assets nearly doubling since he left. Even in far-off Luo City, they owned substantial properties, with the most notable being Jiahe Group, now the largest real estate company in Luo City!
Zhang Zhiquan looked at Xu Ke with a complicated expression and could roughly guess his thoughts. He said, “In the past three years, the Xu Group has developed rapidly under Mr. Xu’s leadership and is now stepping into the ranks of the top families in Shangjing. However, the sudden incident in the Xu Family left the Xu Group unprepared, and they are currently leaderless, urgently needing you to step up and continue leading the Xu Group.”
“No rush, it’s not the right time yet,” Xu Ke calmly replied. Zhang Zhicheng’s words were flattering, but as someone cast out by the Xu Family, without convincing power, how could he secure that position? Moreover, having been away from the Xu Group for so long, he knew nothing about its internal workings nor whether the people there were friend or foe. Now wasn’t the right time for him to reappear in the Xu Group.
While thinking, Xu Ke took the pen from Zhang Zhicheng’s hand and elegantly signed his name at the bottom of the document, officially taking the Xu Group into his possession.
Was this still the same desolate live-in son-in-law? Zhang Zhicheng was inwardly shocked.
Before coming, Zhang Zhicheng had carefully investigated Xu Ke’s life in Luo City over the past three years. When he saw the results, he hesitated, unsure if such a person could manage the Xu Group, and whether he should risk following him.
To survive in such a humiliating environment, apart from genuine deterioration, there’s another possibility—endurance, waiting for an opportunity, like a legendary sword hidden in its sheath, ready to shine once unsheathed.
Everyone underestimated Xu Ke, but Zhang Zhicheng had a feeling—a sense that the Xu Group would reach new heights under his leadership!
His intuition had never been wrong.
“You are now the largest shareholder of the Xu Group, so please take care of things from now on.” Zhang Zhicheng put away the signed documents and said with a beaming smile.
“I will.” Xu Ke took a sip of the milk tea in front of him and responded calmly, his eyes gazing into an unknown distance, his pupils shrouded as if thinking about something.
Noticing this, Zhang Zhicheng quietly sipped his milk tea, not interrupting.
The slowly rising steam from the hot milk tea inadvertently made him lost in his emotions. Before, without hope or a goal, he remained numbly stuck in the mire, too lazy to struggle. But now he had motivation; he wanted to climb out of the mire and rise above, to protect everything he desired.
At this moment, it was as if a fire was fiercely burning within Xu Ke’s heart.