Chapter 79: The Liang Family’s Plans

As soon as Liang Huiyi spoke, the rest of the Liang family fell silent.

"Si Yuan, there have been some matters at home recently, so we haven’t had time to arrange your wedding. But there’s still a week left, which should be enough. If you have any plans or requests, just let the family know and we’ll handle it," he said.

Liang Siyuan leaned back in his chair, appearing at ease.

"No need. I already have someone taking care of everything for me."

"Who? Did you ask your aunt to come back and help?" Xi Ruofen’s expression darkened.

Liang Siyuan, her second son, had been closer to her side of the family as a child, but after studying abroad, he had grown closer to his aunt. Yet he never seemed to be close to her or Huiyi. How could she possibly dote on a child like that?

Liang Siyuan was oblivious to his mother’s thoughts, merely denying her guess.

"Aunt’s very busy. She won’t be back until a few days before the wedding."

"Then who is helping you?"

"Miaoyu. She’s been working with the wedding planning team these days, running around and making arrangements. Everything is in order."

Xi Ruofen’s face hardened. "Nonsense. How could she possibly know anything about these things? Give me the wedding planner’s contact details. I’ll take over."

Liang Siyuan clicked his tongue. "Miaoyu’s done an excellent job. The real problem is at home—Qibin is in the hospital, and the house is practically empty. If you start handling my wedding, and then have to run off to check on Qibin, what happens if the wedding plans get dropped halfway?"

For once, Xi Ruofen found herself at a loss. If Qibin’s condition hadn’t stabilized and someone hadn’t suddenly brought up Siyuan’s wedding, none of them would have remembered it at all.

"Siyuan, it’s customary for elders to be involved in such matters. Your mother’s only thinking of you. Let’s eat first, and afterwards, come with me to the study; I have something to discuss with you."

After dinner, Liang Siyuan followed Liang Huiyi upstairs to the study, while Qin Miaoyu and Zheng Suning waited for him in the living room.

Xi Ruofen gave Liang Sixuan a look, prompting her to move to the other side of Zheng Suning.

"Suning, if you need any help with the wedding, just let me know. I have plenty of free time," she offered.

Zheng Suning replied, "No need. Miaoyu has taken care of everything beautifully. I haven’t had to worry about a thing."

Zheng Suning’s praise for Qin Miaoyu made Sixuan’s smile falter slightly.

"Really? Well, if you need anything in the future, feel free to ask." Zheng Suning only nodded, making it clear she had nothing further to say. The atmosphere grew awkward.

Liang Sixuan found herself uncomfortable. Her relationship with Zheng Suning had always been strained—childhood arguments had turned them into near strangers. But recalling her mother’s instructions, she forced herself to sit beside them, listening as Zheng Suning and Qin Miaoyu discussed wedding decorations, inwardly criticizing their taste.

Liang Siyuan returned downstairs with a trace of anger still on his face. He called Zheng Suning and Qin Miaoyu over, then turned to his mother, who sat stiffly at the end of the sofa.

"Mother, if you don’t sincerely want us to come home for dinner, then we won’t bother in the future."

Xi Ruofen sprang to her feet, losing her composure for the first time. "Liang Siyuan, what are you saying? You don’t want to come back to the Liang family?"

Liang Siyuan answered solemnly, "It’s not that I don’t want to come back. But if you don’t truly want me here, then I won’t come again. Suning, Miaoyu, let’s go."

He led the two women out of the old Liang family residence, ignoring Xi Ruofen’s calls after him. When she realized they were truly gone, she slumped onto the sofa. "What did I do in my past life to deserve a son like this?"

Liang Sixuan went to support her, unfazed by her mother’s words—she had long since grown used to such complaints.

Once in the car, Zheng Suning asked, "What did Uncle Liang say to you just now?"

Gazing out the window, Liang Siyuan replied, "He wanted me to discuss a business collaboration."

"A business collaboration with you? Didn’t the Liang family’s company already cooperate with your Yuanchuang Technologies once? Why are you so angry about it this time?"

"This time they’re overreaching. They used the wedding as an excuse to call us back, but I don’t want any part of it."

Zheng Suning sat up straighter. "Is it really just that? I heard the Liang family is expanding into the daily goods industry. Your company has nothing to do with that field. Shouldn’t they be working with my family instead?"

Catching her gaze in the rearview mirror, Liang Siyuan realized Zheng Suning had guessed the truth. If it had only been about lending a hand himself, he wouldn’t have minded—after all, the Liang family had raised him, never letting him want for anything.

But this time, his father was brazenly demanding that he arrange for a partnership between the Liang group and Zheng Suning’s Zheng Group, as though Zheng Group were already under the Liang family’s control.

He had actually thought his father wanted to discuss wedding arrangements. Who would have expected this?

"If a partnership is needed, I—"

Liang Siyuan cut her off. "No, I’ve already refused. Now is not the right time for Liang Group to venture into daily goods. If this were a mutually beneficial opportunity, I might have agreed on your behalf. But in the current situation, it would be a loss for both sides. There’s no point in getting involved."

This was what Liang Siyuan had considered most carefully. Business is about making money, not losing it. He didn’t believe his father couldn’t see that. But since Liang Siquan had made a poor decision, his father was now trying to pull in investors and partners to rescue the situation.

But the die was cast; any cooperation would only mean loss.

Since Liang Siyuan had said as much, Zheng Suning was happy to stay out of it. The only reason she offered to help was out of consideration for how well Liang Siyuan had always treated her—she hadn’t wanted him to feel put in a difficult position.

As they drove into the complex, Qin Miaoyu spotted Lu Qi’an waiting at the entrance.

Liang Siyuan noticed too and asked her, "Do you want to go talk to him?"

She shook her head. "No, let’s just go in. I’m tired and want to get some sleep."

Liang Siyuan didn’t press her. He glanced at Lu Qi’an, then drove into the complex.

The next day, Qin Miaoyu had to go to the Dongshan Villa.

Dongshan Villa was in the opposite direction from their complex, with Liang Siyuan’s company roughly in between. The villa was intended as their wedding home, and Qin Miaoyu was going to arrange the decorations according to Suning’s preferences, which she’d already asked about.

But as soon as she left the complex, she saw Lu Qi’an waiting at the entrance again.

Qin Miaoyu found this behavior odd. When he was president at Anhe, he’d been incredibly busy, but now that he was at the Lu Group headquarters, he somehow had time to loiter around waiting for her...

She simply had the driver pull up in front of Lu Qi’an.