Chapter 82: Counterattack

Fu Nan snatched the phone and asked Rong Xiu on the other end: “Rong Xiu, what do you mean by that? It’s one thing for an outsider like her to try to scheme for money here, but you’re actually helping her conspire against me?”

As soon as Fu Nan finished speaking, the tightly closed door behind him was suddenly pushed open. Zhuang Nian stood respectfully to the side as Rong Xiu’s gaze turned cold as a knife: “Weren’t you the one who schemed against Fan Xia first?”

He was merely returning the favor, an eye for an eye. Did Fu Nan think that by getting some words out of Fan Xia’s mouth, he could make Rong Xiu divorce her? Dream on! Never mind a mere 500 million, Fan Xia’s earnings now far exceeded that amount.

So when he heard Fan Xia say that 500 million was a bit low, he didn’t feel hurt at all, because he could hear the teasing in her words.

His only worry was that Fan Xia might be upset by his father’s constant references to her as a “phoenix lady” and accusations of being a freeloader.

No woman could endure such humiliation. It was only because Fu Nan was his biological father that Fan Xia had been tolerating it so far.

Although he didn’t often watch melodramatic TV dramas, he understood how strong a woman’s self-esteem could be.

If a wife-master couldn’t gain respect in front of her husband and his family for a long time, she might very well go outside and find another man. She would seek that feeling from another gentle and submissive man. Over time, she would become tired of coming home, tired of seeing her husband, and might even stop loving her children.

Wen Lan Sheng was a cautionary tale for him.

Although Wen Lan Sheng wasn’t exactly the aggressive party, Rong Xiu had persistently chipped away at the wall, bit by bit, making Fan Xia’s aversion to Wen Lan Sheng grow stronger and stronger, until Wen Lan Sheng was completely out of the picture.

He absolutely wouldn’t let himself end up like Wen Lan Sheng, so from the moment he received Fu Nan’s video call, he rushed over.

Fu Nan sat on the sofa, angry and anxious: “Well, well, you two are ganging up to trick me.”

Rong Xiu strode over, standing in front of Fan Xia. Backlit, the beam of light from above cast onto his face with its deep features, throwing a patch of pitch-black shadow beneath his eyes. His expression was unclear, but this only made him appear terrifyingly cold at the moment.

“Rong Yan’s current situation is of her own making. If she had been honest and proper from the beginning, how would Fan Xia have retaliated? Besides, not only do I know about what she did, but the shareholders all know too. They’ve all tacitly approved. What right do you have to come here and yell at Fan Xia? Or is it that Rong Yan has been stirring things up in front of you again?” Rong Xiu’s voice was very low. Even though Rong Xiu was his own son, Fu Nan felt a bit scared.

But the instinct to protect his daughter still made him say, “These things have nothing to do with Yan’er. Don’t talk nonsense.”

“Heh,” Rong Xiu sneered, his long, narrow eyes as cold and wet as a snake’s. “It’d better be that way.”

“You—” Fu Nan started to speak but stopped.

Rong Xiu cast a cold glance at Fu Nan. He was extremely disappointed in this father.

When he was young, there was only strictness and no affection. After he became an adult, Fu Nan disregarded his wishes and forced him to go on blind dates with daughters from other wealthy families. Even when Rong Yan was imprisoned for taking bribes, Fu Nan wanted to send him away in exchange for Rong Yan’s safety.

All along, Fu Nan had never treated him as a child. All his love was given to Rong Yan, while he was just a disposable pawn.

If he hadn’t saved himself back then, who in the entire Rong family would have truly cared about his life or death?

Now that he had finally married the person of his dreams and had a happy, complete family, Fu Nan was causing all sorts of difficulties and obstacles for Fan Xia because of Rong Yan.

Rong Xiu clenched his fists. He wouldn’t allow it. He absolutely wouldn’t allow anyone to ruin his family, even if that person was his biological father.

“I’ve already found out who entered and left your residence today. If next time, you come to cause trouble for Fan Xia again, I won’t show any mercy to Rong Yan. I’ll make sure she can’t stay in the country. I mean what I say.” Rong Xiu said these words without a trace of emotion, without a hint of human warmth. His cold voice was like a river frozen into icicles in the bitter winter, each tone grating against the bones, so cold it made people shiver.

Fu Nan was ultimately scared. All along, he had been suppressing Rong Xiu using the blood ties of a father, but he didn’t know much about this son.

He had been a noble husband all his life, unlike Rong Xiu who was seasoned in the business world. Seeing Rong Xiu’s unfamiliar expression, he finally backed down and prepared to leave.

“Mr. Rong, your check.” Fan Xia waved the light piece of paper in her hand, with a faint smile on her lips.

Fu Nan was both angry and annoyed. He had already walked halfway out but turned back with his head lowered and took the check.

Zhuang Nian lowered his head, struggling to hold back his laughter.

“Close the door.” Rong Xiu’s eyes glanced at Zhuang Nian.

Although Rong Xiu rarely came to the company now as he was focusing on his pregnancy, the chairman’s authority was still there. Zhuang Nian immediately closed the door tightly.

The next second, Rong Xiu sat on Fan Xia’s lap.

“Why did you come so suddenly?” Fan Xia asked, protecting his lower back. Rong Xiu’s waist was narrow and thin, as if it would break with a pinch. Her tiger’s mouth gripped his waist, and warm body heat seeped through his clothes. His skin was firm and delicate. It was hard to imagine that such a slender waist would nurture a little life in the future.

Rong Xiu sat face to face on her lap, his thin back leaning against the cool obsidian desk edge. The cool temperature stimulated his sensitive skin.

He couldn’t help but lean closer into Fan Xia’s embrace: “Not suddenly, I rushed over as soon as I received my father’s call… I’m sorry, I didn’t expect him to talk to you like that. He said those things just to drive you away, then drive me away too, and finally let Rong Yan take over. Don’t take it to heart… He’s brainless.”

Fan Xia chuckled, her palm caressing his lower back, and said with a smile, “How can a son talk about his father like that?”

“I know what kind of person he is,” Rong Xiu rested his chin in the crook of Fan Xia’s neck. The hot breath exhaled during his breathing continuously sprinkled on Fan Xia’s neck, making her both ticklish and wanting to laugh.

However, it must be said that Rong Xiu’s summary was quite accurate. She could see through the petty schemes of a wealthy husband who had enjoyed decades of comfortable life at a glance.

It seemed like he was insulting her, but in reality, everything he did was paving the way for Rong Yan.

But Fu Nan didn’t think that with what Rong Yan had done before, nearly burying the entire Shanhai Group, not just Rong Xiu as the chairman, but other shareholders might not agree either.

“Fan Xia… don’t be angry.” Rong Xiu curled up in her arms, his slender fingers nervously tugging at her collar. Then, afraid of wrinkling her clothes and ruining her image for the upcoming meeting, his fingertips trembled and withdrew, his tone even more cautious.

Fan Xia was slightly startled: “I’m not angry.”

Although being pointed at and called a “phoenix lady” and a freeloader was indeed unpleasant, to some extent, what Fu Nan said was true.

Shanhai Group originally belonged to Rong Xiu, but because he was pregnant and working was too tiring, she took over. In the eyes of outsiders, she indeed looked like a “phoenix lady” who seized the opportunity. But she didn’t care, let others say what they want, she just needed to live her own life well.

Moreover, Fu Nan was obviously saying those things on purpose, just to provoke her and damage their marital relationship. If she really got angry, wouldn’t that be exactly what Fu Nan wanted?

She gently stroked Rong Xiu’s thin back, which was trembling slightly due to nervousness. Although his trembling was very slight, she still noticed it.

She repeated softly: “I’m not angry, really.”

Rong Xiu’s heart trembled violently, and he buried his face even deeper, almost unable to lift it: “Fan Xia, I’m sorry, it’s my fault for not controlling my father.”

The more Fan Xia spoke to him in such a kind and gentle manner, the more guilty he felt.

People say that his marriage to Fan Xia was marrying down, but those who say such things, like Fu Nan, have never truly cared about him. Perhaps they have a huge economic disparity, but his spirit was as barren as a desert. It was Fan Xia’s appearance that made his life happy, it was she who saved him, yet she had to endure so much unfamiliar malice.

Rong Xiu’s eyes were moist, his lips trembling, his shaking voice repeatedly saying sorry.

Fan Xia gently comforted him, wiping away his tears: “Don’t cry anymore. They say if you cry a lot during pregnancy, the child will become a crybaby in the future. Do you want our future child to become a crybaby too?”

Rong Xiu didn’t know whether to cry or laugh, his expression extremely interesting.

Fan Xia burst into laughter.

Outside, Zhuang Nian heard Fan Xia’s laughter coming from the office and also laughed. It seemed that the young couple’s relationship was still so good, not at all affected by Mr. Rong’s disturbance.

But Mr. Rong really was something, what good could come from causing such a scene? Rong Xiu was already married to Fan Xia, he was Fan Xia’s person now. If Fan Xia became unhappy because of his big fuss, wouldn’t it be Rong Xiu who would suffer the consequences in the future?

For a married man, his joys and sorrows largely depend on his wife-master. If the wife-master is happy, the husband’s life is good. If the wife-master is unhappy and suffers grievances outside, the husband’s life becomes difficult. Doesn’t Fu Nan understand even this basic principle? Or does he become happy seeing his own son living miserably after marriage? Zhuang Nian couldn’t understand.

But after a while, Rong Xiu walked out of the office. When several senior executives came to report to Fan Xia, they were all stunned to see that Rong Xiu had also come to the group.

They looked at Rong Xiu and then at Fan Xia, not knowing whether to report to the current leader or to the former leader who held absolute shares but had long been a hands-off boss.

In the end, it was Rong Xiu who spoke first: “Now all company matters are fully handled by Fan Xia. If you have anything to report, just report to her. I don’t manage anything.”

The three words “I don’t manage” were said with resounding firmness.

The senior executives were all shrewd people. They instantly turned their admiring gazes towards Fan Xia. To be able to tame the cold and aloof CEO like this was truly remarkable.

Despite saying this, although these senior executives admired Fan Xia’s skill in handling people, if Fan Xia only knew how to handle men but lacked the ability to manage such a large group well, they wouldn’t truly obey. However, in the days since Fan Xia took over Shanhai Group, the group had been running smoothly while also opening up new markets, greatly increasing the group’s profits. This was the reason why these senior executives were willing to follow Fan Xia. Following Fan Xia meant making money, and who would go against money?