Tang Zhou didn’t feel alone, actually, he couldn’t wait for no one to bother him tonight.
But in other people’s eyes, after this banquet, the competition for the Tang family’s heir was starting to heat up.
The illegitimate son came out of nowhere, Master Tang’s attitude was ambiguous, and everyone was privately discussing into whose hands the future of the Tang family would fall.
Tang Zhihua was personally entertaining a few old friends, and Elder Du was also there.
Although he wasn’t sure what Tang Zhihua was thinking, it didn’t stop him from being willing to support Tang Tianyang to get to the top. Who let Tang Zhou hurt his precious granddaughter, and who made his precious granddaughter like Tang Tianyang?
Moreover, compared to Tang Zhou, Tang Tianyang is obviously easier to control. If the two families are connected in marriage, and Tang Tianyang becomes the heir to the Tang family in the future, their Du family might…
“Old Tang, what medicine are you selling in this gourd?” someone asked in confusion. “We haven’t seen you so concerned about Tianyang in the past twenty years. Why the sudden change of heart?”
Tang Zhihua grunted discontentedly, “Giving the kids a chance is not a bad thing.”
Others: “…” Who believes that!
Seeing that Tang Zhihua was unwilling to reveal more, they didn’t press further.
In the corner of the banquet hall, Tang Zhou planned to ask Lu Ye about the situation on his side.
It was Elder Tang’s birthday, and Lu Ye was supposed to come. However, there was still no sign of him in the banquet hall.
It took a long time for someone to finally answer the phone.
“Lu Ye, is there something last minute?”
Lu Ye’s mood was obviously a bit low, his voice hoarse. “Sorry, Tang Zhou, Auntie Sheng is sick, and Xiao Yuan and I are keeping her company.”
Upon hearing this, Tang Zhou paused slightly and asked with concern, “Is she okay?”
“Yeah,” Lu Ye’s tone was vague, “Don’t worry. I’m sorry for tonight. Help me make amends with the old man.”
“It’s fine.”
Hanging up the phone, Tang Zhou looked out the floor-to-ceiling window and sighed slightly.
In the end, he was her husband who had been living with her for nearly twenty years, so even if she didn’t have a complete breakdown, she’d undoubtedly feel sad. In such matters, outsiders couldn’t be of much help; Auntie Sheng could only shoulder it on her own.
“Sir, would you like a drink?”
Suddenly, a voice reached his ear, and an arm extended in front of him, presenting cups on a tray.
Tang Zhou looked back and said, “I don’t drink—” then widened his eyes slightly, “What are you doing here!”
A handsome young man, dressed in a straight uniform with a black and white shirt and vest, showcasing a perfect body proportion.
Fu Shen showed a standard smile, “Bringing you a drink.”
Tang Zhou: “……”
It seems that he didn’t lose his job last time.
He didn’t bother to ask Fu Shen about his way in and only said, “Qiao Cheng’an didn’t come today.”
“Hmm.” Fu Shen handed the tray forward, “How about a drink?”
In the transparent wine glass, a liquid that’s close to orange has a beautiful luster.
Tang Zhou raised his eyebrows and said, “You know I have a poor tolerance for alcohol.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Kjraf la,” Me Vtfc’r fsfr kfgf oliifv klat j rwlif.
Kjcu Itbe rfcrfv rbwfatlcu kjr kgbcu jcv tfrlajafv, qlmxlcu eq atf uijrr jcv rcloolcu la. Lf fzmijlwfv lc regqglrf, “Ktfgf’r cb jimbtbi rwfii.”
Rba xcbklcu ktja Me Vtfc kjr tjcvlcu tlw, tf iloafv la ab tlr ilqr jcv abbx j rwjii rlq.
“……”
It was actually iced tea!
“Where did you get this from?” The banquet’s drinks all come through special channels; it’s impossible for someone to bring in unknown liquids.
Fu Shen smiled silently.
He looked at the magnificent and lively hall, where Tang Tianyang was wandering among celebrities and businessmen, with a well-mannered smile on his face, but satisfaction and ambition hidden in his eyes.
Fu Shen was disgusted and looked back to ask Tang Zhou, “Are you really willing?”
In his opinion, Tang Zhou was the heir apparent, and there was no need to create the “liking men” incident.
Even if he truly didn’t want to get married, once he had full control over the Tang family, who would dare to utter half a word of dissent?
Tang Zhou finished his iced tea and placed the empty glass back. “A bit too sweet.”
Fu Shen: “Sorry, I’ll get green tea next time.”
Tang Zhou: “…”
That color would be just too obvious.
He clearly did not want to answer the previous question, but Fu Shen, as if he had no tact, asked again, “Are you willing?”
Tang Zhou turned towards the floor-to-ceiling window, his expression hidden in the shadows, not very clear.
After a while, he sighed low, “It’s suffocating me.”
If the duty of the heir of the Tang family is to be abandoned, then what’s the point of having it?
Fu Shen, however, disagreed.
“You’re suffocating because you’re bound by rules set by others.”
He had always felt that Tang Zhou had entered a dead end. If he couldn’t overcome this dead end, he’d remain trapped forever.
Although he seemed indifferent, deep down, he was still struggling. Otherwise, what was the point of using the so-called “liking the same sex” to test the waters?
“Can’t you control the Tang family without getting married?”
Fu Shen leaned in close to his ear, his voice extremely soft but piercing, “Tang Zhen is Tang Zhen, and you are you.”
The reason Tang Zhen married a woman he didn’t like was because he was incompetent man, unable to resist fate.
Tang Zhou’s eyes trembled slightly.
It was as if a startling thunderclap had struck him on the head, rendering him almost speechless.
He looked at Fu Shen, and after a long time, he said, “But once I take over, I must take the responsibility…”
“What responsibility?” Fu Shen’s eyes flickered with a hint of sarcasm. “The responsibility of passing on a dynasty?”
“A dynasty lasts a few hundred years at most. Do the Tang family aspire to endure for a thousand years?” Fu Shen continued.
Tang Zhou stared blankly at him.
It turns out that he hadn’t really crossed that hurdle in his heart until now.
What was the intention behind using “not getting married” to test his grandfather? It was just because he couldn’t let go.
Over two decades of “heir education” had penetrated deep into his bones, and even though he had already experienced it in his dreams, he hadn’t been able to completely get rid off it.
Yes, why does he have to obsess over the matter of getting married or not? Tang Zhen had no choice but to tie the knot because he was not cut out to take over the family business.
He was Tang Zhou, not Tang Zhen.
With this realization, a sudden clarity washed over his heart, and he felt refreshed and invigorated.
In his dream, his Grandfather abandoned him not fundamentally because he was with a man, but because his value could no longer compare to Tang Tianyang’s.
Tang Tianyang was not foolish; under the grandfather’s guidance, taking over the company wasn’t a problem. Moreover, he had a significant advantage in the form of Du Ruoyu.
Du Ruoyu was the only child of the Du family in this generation. Once she married Tang Tianyang and gives birth to the next generation of the Tang family, then the Du family may gradually become known as the Tang family.
Compared to Tang Zhou, who had nothing and “liked men,” his grandfather naturally favors more Tang Tianyang.
In his dream, he spent countless efforts in rebuilding the Tang family, only to fall into the hands of Tang Tianyang in the end. Tang Zhou was full of anger and regret.
Everything he had done since waking up from the dream until now was essentially venting his anger.
In the end, he still couldn’t truly let go.
Fu Shen’s words were an eye-opener for him.
The quietness in the corner sharply contrasted with the hustle and bustle not far away. Tang Zhou stared earnestly at Fu Shen and couldn’t help but ask, “Why are you suddenly telling me all this?”
Fu Shen lowered his head to look at him, his eyes calm.
“Because I understand now the purpose behind you using me as a shield.”
“What purpose?”
“You were just venting your grievances.”
Tang Zhou: “…” He didn’t like this statement, but he had no way to refute it.
Indeed, everything he had done since waking up from the dream seemed like the actions of an aggrieved child, proving to the people he cared about, “I am not in the wrong; you are the ones who are wrong.”
If he were ruthless enough, he would choose to quietly take control of the Tang family, making it his own. At that time, why would he care about others’ opinions?
Saying that the Tang family’s corrupt is just his excuse.
He was able to turn the tide when the Tang family was on the verge of collapse. Now, the Tang family is nothing but a piece of cake to him.
Tang Zhou took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly, murmuring, “What should I do?”
The young man’s eyes were full of confusion and bewilderment, like a lost little beast, waiting for someone to show him the way.
Fu Shen finally couldn’t help himself. He reached out and gently stroked Tang Zhou’s hair. It was very soft, like his heart, making people involuntarily fall.
“Just let yourself be happy.”
He feared that Tang Zhou would continue to be immersed in a dead end, not hurting others but hurting himself.
The palm on his head was very broad and warm, and Tang Zhou didn’t want to dodge. “What are you doing here tonight?”
Fu Shen smiled, “Earning pocket money.”
It had been a long time since he last saw Tang Zhou.
Upon hearing that Elder Tang intended to support Tang Tianyang, Fu Shen, though aware that Tang Zhou expected this, still worried about his feelings.
After blending into the waitstaff, he spotted the loner figure of Tang Zhou. Contrasted with the spirited Tang Tianyang, his heart burned with anger.
There’s a kind of feeling where you want to protect someone, and you get annoyed when others bully them.
Tang Zhou, of course, knew he wasn’t telling the truth, so he glared at him for a moment and moved his head away from his palm.
“I don’t have any tips for you.”
Fu Shen withdrew his hand, lips curved in a smile.
“You’ve already given it.”
His tall figure loomed over Tang Zhou, almost blocking the entire light in the banquet hall, adding a touch of constriction and oppression to this quiet corner.
Tang Zhou involuntarily took a step back, pressing against the wall, feeling inexplicably uncomfortable.
Seeing that Fu Shen was about to speak again, he quickly interrupted, “If you’re not going focusing on your project, why are you here trying to make money?”
Feeling justified in his statement, he continued, “If you need money—”
Fu Shen moved closer, backlit by the light, a faint smile playing on his face. His voice, which came from his chest, was particularly deep and magnetic in the narrow corner. “What if I need money?”
Tang Zhou’s cheeks flushed, and his breathing stopped for a moment. Just as he was about to push Fu Shen away, he heard a voice, “Big brother, are you here… meeting your lover?”
Tang Tianyang, holding a wine glass, pretending to be curious.
He had been watching them for a long time. He originally thought it was just a waiter giving Tang Zhou a drink, taking the opportunity to chat with Tang Zhou and try to get close to him, but he didn’t expect the two of them to get closer and closer.
Thinking about the rumors from the previous Du family’s banquet, Tang Tianyang was instantly excited.
He led a few people over, deliberately saying those ambiguous words.
The surrounding gazes were shameless in their scrutiny, but Tang Zhou remained unfazed. Calmly, he walked up to Fu Shen, shielding him from prying eyes, and said, “You’re disturbing me.”
This was the first time in his life that Tang Zhou had spoken to Tang Tianyang. Although the face of this newly-adult young man still looked tender, his eyes concealed a burning ambition.
It was also the first time Tang Tianyang had spoken to his arrogant brother, fingers tightening around the wine glass. He pretended to speak with righteous indignation, “This is Grandfather’s banquet, you—”
“Mr. Tang.”
Fu Shen suddenly interrupted him, his handsome face presenting itself to the onlookers.
“Interrupting someone else’s conversation without invitation is impolite. Interpreting a business talk as a meeting of lovers is either the experience of a seasoned person or a malicious defamation. Which do you think it is?”
Tang Tianyang: “…” Was too angry to speak.
Onlookers: “……” Still maintaining their composure.
Fu Shen turned to look at Tang Zhou, a serious expression on his face. What does Tang Shen think of the project we just discussed?”
Tang Zhou: “……”
Assistant Fu, the drama is getting a bit too much, huh?
Fu Shen, MVP!!! 💪
OMGGG SO MUCH UPDATE ⁉️⁉️ THANK U SO MUCH LIRUUU😭💗
Run away and be free, my bubu! Good job, FS!
Thank You for the new chapter (⋈◍＞◡＜◍)。✧♡
yesss fu shen roast that mf