MTLNOVEL Chapter 319: Xu Haoran's Disdain
Ye Fan truly never expected that Xu Ruoxuan would ask such a bold and provocative question.
The most fatal part was that his brother-in-law, Su Zhanyun, was right beside him, Xu Ruoxuan was blatantly treating Su Zhanyun as if he were thin air!
If he misspoke, without a doubt, even if Su Ruoxue might forgive him, the Su family would skin him alive.
After all, Su Ruoxue was their real family member, while he was merely her brother-in-law.
If he wronged Su Ruoxue, the terrible consequences were easy to imagine.
"Mr. Ye, is it so difficult to answer this question? Just now, I sincerely answered Mr. Ye's question!" Xu Ruoxuan's complexion remained flushed.
"Cough cough!"
Ye Fan hurriedly coughed and blinked his eyes, saying, "I have to admit, Miss Xu's beauty and intelligence make it difficult for one not to be moved. If I were not already established in my family and career, I would most likely be smitten with Miss Xu, but now I already have my own family, and my heart belongs entirely to it!"
"Coincidentally, my brother-in-law Su Zhanyun is still unmarried, without even a girlfriend. If Miss Xu doesn't mind, I could play matchmaker for you two!"
"Brother-in-law, what nonsense are you talking about? How could Miss Xu possibly take a fancy to me?" Su Zhanyun became completely unsettled.
Xu Ruoxuan had already anticipated that Ye Fan would give an evasive answer, and she chuckled lightly, "I understand Mr. Ye's sentiment! Including this time, Mr. Ye owes me three favors now!"
"Are you serious? Wasn't it two favors before? How did it become three?" Ye Fan said very speechlessly.
Xu Ruoxuan laughed, "Just now, I offended Zheng Shuheng for Mr. Ye's sake, and in a fit of anger, he cancelled all cooperation between the Zheng family of Jinling and the Xu family. Doesn't that count as a favor?"
"Miss Xu really knows how to do business! Didn't Miss Xu just say that it was about adhering to the spirit of the contract?" Ye Fan retorted.
Xu Ruoxuan shook her head with a smile, "The spirit of the contract is one thing, and favors are another. If my family doesn't suffer any loss in helping Mr. Ye, then naturally it wouldn't count as a favor!"
Experience tales at empire
"Alright then!" Ye Fan touched his nose in resignation.
After a pause, Xu Ruoxuan asked, "Mr. Ye, do you know about Zheng Shuheng's decision to cancel the cooperation with my Xu family?"
"He is simply trying to pressure you. Miss Xu is a woman, and I presume that within the Xu family, there are quite a few old reactionaries who have strong objections to a woman holding power. At a time like this when Zheng Shuheng completely withdraws cooperation with the Xu family, once those old reactionaries learn of it, they will certainly be furious and will hold you accountable!"
"The Zheng family of Jinling is a top-ten powerhouse in the country. Those old reactionaries in the Xu family might want to stabilize the relationship between the two families and will force you to marry Zheng Shuheng!" Ye Fan analyzed layer by layer.
Originally, Ye Fan thought that Xu Ruoxuan's position within the Xu family was secure, but when he learned that Xu Ruoxuan had a younger brother named Xu Haoran, he understood that things were not as easy for her as they seemed.
It was just like Su Ruoxue, who, despite being more talented than Su Tianhao, had never been favored by Old Lady Su because Su Ruoxue was a woman.
Xu Ruoxuan was taken aback, "I didn't expect Mr. Ye to see things so clearly! Indeed, Zheng Shuheng is simply pressuring me! Before, our Xu family was prestigious, and under my leadership, we thrived, with few dissenting against me at that time!"
"Now that the Xu family has become a world-class lineage, there's not much room for us to rise within Central Plains, so some of the Xu family elders want to maximize interests, like marrying me into the Zheng family of Jinling! Plus, as the Xu family's status has risen, many elders have changed their minds, and they want to seize power!"
"The simplest way is to render my authority nominal! You have seen my younger brother Xu Haoran as well; though he does not qualify as a prodigal, it's virtually impossible for Haoran to take control of the entire Xu Family. Therefore, those elders want him to take the helm so they can carve up the Xu family's rights. Do you understand, Mr. Ye?"
"I understand. What can I do for Miss Xu?" Ye Fan asked.
Xu Ruoxuan hesitated for a moment, then resolvedly said, "A woman's sixth sense tells me that every favor from Mr. Ye is worth its weight in gold, but to solidify my position, I have to call in a favor in advance. Tomorrow, representatives from the world-class tycoon, the Chris Family, will arrive in Central Plains. Right now, my top priority is to win over the Chris Family!"
"If the Xu Family can secure a deep cooperation with this world-class tycoon at this time, our status will surely rise even higher. It might not be long before the Xu Family becomes the foremost noble house in Central Plains! By then, my internal position within the Xu Family will be unshakable!"
"The Chris Family is a succulent piece of meat, and everyone wants a bite. Currently, there are too many competitors, and I do not have full confidence. To ensure nothing goes wrong, I hope Mr. Ye can help me!"
"The Chris Family?" Ye Fan was somewhat surprised.
Seeing the surprised look on Ye Fan's face, Xu Ruoxuan asked in astonishment, "Could it be that Mr. Ye has acquaintances in the Chris Family?"
"Acquaintances might not be the right word! If tomorrow Miss Xu cannot come to an agreement, you could take this out, maybe it will be of use!"
With a faint smile, under everyone's gaze, Ye Fan took off a dark ring he was wearing and handed it to Xu Ruoxuan.
"Oh? What's this?" Xu Ruoxuan took the dark ring and examined it closely.
The ring was small but surprisingly heavy. It was engraved with the pattern of a four-leaf clover, but there was nothing else remarkable about it.
Xu Ruoxuan furrowed her brows, pondering for a moment, yet she couldn't discern anything special about the dark ring.
However, Xu Ruoxuan knew that in the domestic context, four-leaf clovers often represented luck. Was Ye Fan giving her this dark ring, engraved with a four-leaf clover pattern, to wish her luck?
No! It definitely wasn't that simple!
Intuition told Xu Ruoxuan that there must be a significant history behind this dark ring.
Ye Fan said with a smile, "I can't reveal the specifics. It has to remain a mystery. However, if Miss Xu really can't reach an agreement, presenting this ring might bring about a pleasant surprise!"
"Then I must thank Mr. Ye in advance!" Xu Ruoxuan smiled tenderly.
Xu Haoran, however, was visibly displeased as he said, "Just a lousy ring, what's so great about that? Ye Fan, I think you're just making a fool of my sister!"
"Making a fool of your sister? You're overthinking it!" Ye Fan chuckled lightly.
Xu Haoran turned to Xu Ruoxuan and said, "Sister, why are you so favorable towards this Ye Fan? In my eyes, Ye Fan is quite ordinary, nothing compared to Zheng Shuheng; it's like comparing dogs to lions. Even if you like him, he already has a family. Sister, please don't debase yourself for him!"
"Moreover, I have no interest in inheriting the Xu Family leadership! When I go back, I'll tell those elders that I refuse to be the head of the Xu Family. If anyone tries to force me, I'll become their problem!"
"Haoran, you mustn't be disrespectful to Mr. Ye!" Xu Ruoxuan rebuked sternly.
Seeing Xu Ruoxuan again defending Ye Fan, Xu Haoran said indignantly, "Sister, has this guy fed you some sort of love potion? Why do you always speak up for him? What's so special about this damn ring that you think it could sway the Chris Family? Pah! Sister, he's just fooling you. You might as well throw this worthless ring away—I find it an eyesore!"
In Xu Haoran's view, Ye Fan was but a minor character incapable of stirring up any significant ripples or possessing remarkable abilities.
Especially since Ye Fan had brought out this dark ring, thinking it could impress the representative of the world-class Chris Family, Xu Haoran could already imagine their representative laughing his teeth out at the sight of such a worthless trinket.