"Aiya! What sister-in-law! I... I... I'll go serve it!"
Xu Yiru's face turned red with embarrassment, while behind her, Xu Yaowei, Xu Daqiang, and Xu Yaoyang were all on the verge of exploding with frustration. Their daughter was clearly making trouble by mingling with Shang Yunyan and entering Ai Hongcheng's social circle! If the Xu family couldn't rise, they might as well die!
"Dad! Look, sister's amazing. Don't you think she looks like one of those rich young ladies, just like Yunyan and Ai Hongcheng, always acting like she's hiding something when facing others?"
"Hehe, don't talk nonsense, little one!"
"Just now, sister was mocked by the young ladies from the other three major families. I noticed that Yunyan seemed to have placed his Jaeger-LeCoultre watch on sister's chest. She didn't even know what it was! Silly sister, she was completely clueless as Shang Yunyan led her away!"
"Do you think Shang Yunyan might be interested in your sister?" Xu Daqiang finally asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"You only just realized, Dad?! And it's not just Yunyan who's interested in sister; she likes him too! Didn't you see how she smiled when she was with him? Dad, let me tell you, there are at least 1,000 women in this house who are interested in Shang Yunyan! A man who can stand shoulder to shoulder with Ai Hongcheng and maintain such a close relationship is no simple person! And we can't find anything on him through investigation, that's something we better not talk about!"
Xu Daqiang had always been strict in monitoring Xu Yiru's life, from where she went to what university she attended. He and Xiao Wei would always analyze and give opinions, but in the end, they allowed Xu Yiru to make her own decisions. Xu Yiru was smart, balancing her parents' wishes with her own preferences. But now that she had encountered someone she liked, she couldn't control the overwhelming feelings. She constantly found herself wondering what Shang Yunyan was doing.
"Yaoyang, where's the third brother?"
"The third? He disappeared the moment Yunyan and Ai Hongcheng showed up!"
"Sister's about to come out! Let's go see what's going on!" Xu Yaowei said.
The three of them quickly crowded around the dining table, patting Xu Yiru on the back.
"Good job, daughter!"
Seeing the look in Xu Daqiang's eyes, Xu Yiru immediately understood her father's thoughts. She quickly explained, "Dad, what are you thinking? Aiya, I don't want to talk about it!"
"Little sister, what were you talking about with Yunyan and Ai Hongcheng?"
"Nothing much! Just complaining about you guys trying to corner Ai Hongcheng. They both said they didn't like this occasion, and Ai Hongcheng even said that when Yunyan wasn't around, Ai Hongcheng had always handled everything alone. It felt like they've known each other for decades!"
"... " The three men exchanged glances. Xu Yiru, already holding some food, turned around and prepared to leave.
"Daughter! Wait! Xu family, you should find a chance to speak highly of Ai Hongcheng! That way, we might have a chance to turn things around!"
"Dad, if I find the chance, I'll definitely speak up. But suddenly, I think it would be a better choice for you to cooperate with Yunyan. I secretly overheard Ai Hongcheng telling Yunyan how amazing his patents were, how he admired him, and how Yunyan's patents would dominate the market once they're released!" Xu Yiru whispered in her father's ear.
"Really?" Xu Daqiang was moved upon hearing his daughter's words. Shang Yunyan had suggested to him in the past to invest in his company. It seemed that at that time, he had been giving him an opportunity, but Xu Daqiang had missed it!
"Really! I'm going over now! Ai Hongcheng is hungry!"
Xu Yiru picked up her things and walked back to where Shang Yunyan and Ai Hongcheng were.
"Ai Hongcheng, here's your beef, and Yunyan, I brought you a portion too!"
"Thank you!"
As they took the food, Ai Hongcheng joked, "With a daughter like you, the Xu family has a bright future ahead!" He also cast a glance at Shang Yunyan.
"Ai Hongcheng, you're flattering me! I was raised by my father. He taught me from a young age that the most important thing in life is to keep your word."
Ai Hongcheng nodded in agreement. He had heard about Xu Daqiang's tax issues a few days ago. He had been surprised because he knew the Xu family's situation well. His original plan had been to ruin the Jiang family, break up the Xu family, and drag the other three major families down with him. But after seeing Xu Daqiang's actions, Ai Hongcheng was impressed. There weren't many businessmen left who had integrity like him!
"Miss Xu, I have a great project that I think is perfect for your family. Would you be available to discuss it with me?"
"Me?" Xu Yiru was a bit awkward. She hadn't made any major decisions for her family company, but this one was related to their future, and she felt nervous.
"Of course! Yiru is part of the Xu family, and she can represent us to discuss with you. I'm also curious to know what the project is. If it's profitable, I'll invest too!" Shang Yunyan spoke up.