Chapter 299 – The Chen Family’s Visit
Wei Hua thought earnestly and concluded that Grandfather Wei’s sudden decision to attend his wedding boiled down to these two reasons.
Grandfather Wei wasn’t a good parent but undoubtedly a complete businessman—always awake to the prospects of profit. Whatever the situation, he would meticulously weigh the benefits. Only after calculating the optimal gain would he decide whether to proceed or not.
In Wei Hua’s view, such a life was exhausting, filled with constant calculations. However, this had become Grandfather Wei’s norm, leading him to become more aloof as he elevated himself higher, gradually drifting away from familial bonds.
Both Wei Hua and Wei Chen, due to recent events, had entirely erased their reverence and admiration for Grandfather Wei. Even the affection for him as their elder had slowly faded away.
So, for this wedding, Wei Hua simply made a phone call to inform Grandfather Wei. Whether Grandfather Wei attended or not was of no concern to Wei Hua.
Of course, now that Grandfather Wei intended to attend his and Cookie’s wedding, Wei Hua held the same attitude—indifference. It was like adding an extra pair of chopsticks at the banquet table.
However, what troubled Wei Hua wasn’t Grandfather Wei’s attendance at the wedding but the potential motives behind his visit, which could align with either of the two possibilities Wei Chen had mentioned. For both Wei Hua and Wei Chen, either scenario spelled trouble.
Grandfather Wei wasn’t someone you could dismiss with a few casual words. Once he realized there was more significant gain to be had from Cookie or Chen Li, shaking him off would be difficult.
He was like a leech; once attached, getting rid of him was near impossible.
Such an assessment might sound disrespectful toward an elder, but respect had always been relative. In the past, Grandfather Wei was indeed the person Wei Hua respected the most, yet recent experiences had wiped away that sentiment entirely.
Seeing Wei Hua’s concern, Wei Chen reached out, patting his shoulder. “Enemies will come and obstacles will rise, don’t fret too much.” At this moment, Wei Chen’s expression remained as emotionless as ever, his gaze cold.
If Wei Hua had lost respect for Grandfather Wei, wasn’t it the same for Wei Chen?
“Yeah,” Wei Hua nodded. Indeed, they’d respond accordingly now; if Grandfather Wei wished to do something, let him. Ultimately, the success of his intentions depended on them.
Moreover, the current Wei Hua and Wei Chen were not the same as before. They no longer bowed to the Wei family’s whims. They had their own capabilities and influence now. If it came to a confrontation with the Wei family, the Wei family would be at a disadvantage.
Just then, Cookie emerged in his wedding clothes. Wei Hua spotted him and didn’t say anything to Wei Chen. He swiftly walked over, his gaze glued to Cookie.
Men’s wedding attire didn’t differ much from their usual formal wear. Perhaps due to the wedding suit factor, wearing it made one look much more handsome than usual.
Of course, some people saw through a filter, even multiple layers, like Wei Hua. He was completely captivated by Cookie’s appearance, unable to shift his gaze, a silly grin plastered on his face.
Catching Wei Hua’s intense gaze, Cookie felt happy but teased, “Stop drooling, it’s not a good look.”
Ignoring his comment, Wei Hua pulled Cookie into an embrace and planted a kiss on his lips, chuckling, “My dear, you look stunning!”
Cookie nudged Wei Hua with his elbow but didn’t say anything, though a smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
Both Wei Hua and Cookie disliked trouble. Their wedding attire was a simple set they’d arranged in advance. Tailored to fit perfectly, after trying it on, the group of four left.
…
As it was mealtime, they found a nearby restaurant to dine. However, as soon as they stepped in, they encountered someone familiar—Chen Yunqi from the Chen family.
Beside Chen Yunqi stood a tall, robust man with a straight back and a calm demeanor, clearly someone trained in martial arts. Being part of the elite circle in Sijiu City, Cookie naturally knew who he was—Chen Yuntang, Chen Yunqi’s cousin and the second young master of the Chen family. There wasn’t much interaction between the two groups; Chen Yunqi merely cast a meaningful glance at Wei Chen and Cookie before heading into a pre-booked private room with Chen Yuntang.
“Big brother, do you know them?” Chen Yuntang obviously recognized Cookie, considering their social circles weren’t that vast. What surprised him was the meaningful look Chen Yunqi had just directed at Wei Chen, piquing his curiosity.
“The person Chen Yunzeng once mentioned, who gave up their executive position at Changfeng Group and went to the Transportion Department to accept punishment,” Chen Yunqi said.
Chen Yuntang didn’t inquire further and, as he reached the corner, he glanced in the direction of Wei Chen and the others. He caught the cold gaze of Wei Chen. Chen Yuntang furrowed his brow slightly, he didn’t have a very good impression of Wei Chen.
Soon after, the two entered the reserved private room. Someone was already waiting inside. This person seemed frail but exuded a sinister air between the eyebrows, akin to a cobra ready to strike at any moment.
Once Chen Yunqi and Chen Yuntang entered, the door to the private room closed immediately, isolating everything from the outside world.
…
In the restaurant’s public dining area, Wei Chen withdrew his gaze, suppressing all emotions, took his seat at the designated place, received the menu from the waiter, and began ordering. His eyes couldn’t help but linger on the dishes Chen Li loved to eat. By the time the order was placed, all of them were Chen Li’s favorites.
By the time Wei Chen and Chen Li returned home, it was already evening. Qiuqiu was being looked after by Chen Yunlan and had just woken up, probably feeling hungry and crying loudly.
Chen Yunlan held Qiuqiu and upon seeing the two return, immediately said, “You came back at the right time. Qiuqiu is hungry, go make him some milk formula.”
Chen Li walked over, took Qiuqiu from Chen Yunlan’s arms, and Wei Chen stepped into the kitchen to prepare the milk formula for Qiuqiu.
Initially crying loudly, once Qiuqiu was held by Chen Li and sensed the familiar scent, the sobs stopped, replaced by teary eyes, looking extremely pitiful.
Chen Li lowered his head and planted a kiss on Qiuqiu’s chubby cheeks. Taking advantage of the moment, Qiuqiu grabbed onto Chen Li’s lips, finally revealing a smile.
At this moment, Wei Chen came out with the prepared milk formula. As soon as the bottle’s teat touched Qiuqiu’s lips, Qiuqiu widened his mouth and eagerly took in the teat, as if someone was competing with him for the feed.
Chen Li held Qiuqiu with one hand and fed him with the bottle with the other, looking poised and every bit like a dedicated father.
Wei Chen’s gaze tenderly watched this father-son duo, feeling a wave of tenderness that he couldn’t resist. He reached out and pulled Chen Li into his embrace, both of them lowering their heads to watch Qiuqiu greedily gulp down the milk.
Chen Yunlan looked at this family of three and felt an overwhelming surge of emotions. A sense of happiness radiated from this family, infecting him, making his heart involuntarily feel happiness too.
Near the door hung a phone that rang a few steps away. Chen Yunlan walked over to answer it, and it was the security booth calling, saying that there was a father and son at the community gate carrying gifts and wanting to visit Wei Chen. The security asked if they could be allowed entry.
“What are the names of this father and son?” Chen Yunlan asked upon hearing about the visitors. With the news of Chen Li’s art exhibition just aired on yesterday’s news, there were speculations in his mind. The prominent figures at the exhibition might attract certain individuals, and now, a father and son arrived. Chen Yunlan couldn’t help but think that these two were Chen’s family members—his father, Chen Shihuai, and his elder brother, Chen Yunsheng.
Realizing they could be Chen Shihuai and Chen Yunsheng, Chen Yunlan naturally couldn’t let them in.
The security guard in the booth, catching the resistance in Chen Yunlan’s tone, already had an idea, “They won’t say it, they said Mr. Wei will know who they are when he sees them.” It was all too secretive. If they hadn’t been lingering here, the security wouldn’t have made the call.
“Since they won’t disclose their identity, let them go,” Chen Yunlan now was more convinced of his initial guess. He issued the order to chase them away, knowing that once these two attached themselves, it would be hard to shake them off.
Chen Yunlan knew some details about the current situation of the Chen family. Refusing them was already the maximum kindness he could muster, considering he couldn’t strike them further, let alone offer help to rescue the Chen family from their current state, despite once being a part of it.
Having received Chen Yunlan’s response, the security guard hung up the phone and didn’t allow the father and son in, just coldly telling them, “Please leave.”
Indeed, the people who sought Wei Chen were the ones Chen Yunlan had guessed—Chen Shihuai and Chen Yunsheng. They had finally managed to get Wei Chen’s address and rushed over. Yet, the security in this community was too strict. They were stopped at the gate, no matter how much they pleaded or even tried bribing the guards quietly.
Now, the expressions on Chen Shihuai and Chen Yunsheng’s faces were somewhat unpleasant. Who were they before? When had they ever begged so humbly? And to plead with a community’s security?
Yet, at this moment, they had to set aside their pride, shatter their dignity, and bow their heads.
