Chapter 151: The Ugly Face of Wang Qiyi

Tomson Golf, Shanghai...

Today is the weekend, and Fang Yujia did not go to the company; instead, she stayed home to learn culinary arts from Zhuo Qinglian.

Originally, her impression of Zhuo Qinglian was not favorable, because almost everyone in the Xiao family blamed Zhuo Qinglian as the root cause of her brother-in-law's depravity.

She had been influenced by this sentiment as well, but now her situation was different. Having transformed from the eldest daughter of the Fang family into an orphan, and with the Xiao family already tacitly accepting her remarriage, she no longer felt any sense of belonging to the Xiao family. Standing from a different perspective, her attitude toward Zhuo Qinglian had also shifted.

Through yesterday's interaction, she discovered that Zhuo Qinglian was not only breathtakingly beautiful, but also a remarkably capable woman. If eldest sister-in-law Ning Jingzhe possessed the awe-inspiring aura of a heroine matching men in might, then Zhuo Qinglian's formidable presence was restrained rather than sharp, paired with a remarkably forthright disposition devoid of any petty feminine affectations.

This inspired a sense of admiration in Fang Yujia, whose nature was normally exceptionally aloof, along with a touch of competitive spirit. While she might fall short of Zhuo Qinglian in certain aspects, she had her own areas of excellence.

Yesterday's meal cooked by Zhuo Qinglian had instantly broadened her horizons. To think an ordinary dish could be elevated to such a sublime level of deliciousness—she had never tasted anything like it, even back at the Tianfu Food City renowned for its gastronomy.

Compared to Zhuo Qinglian's culinary mastery, the food she used to cook was fit only for pigs.

Reflecting on how her brother-in-law used to relish her cooking with apparent delight, he had probably just been putting on a brave face to comfort her. Having tasted Zhuo Qinglian's cooking, how could she ever swallow her own creations again?

"Sister Qinglian, the fish has been simmering for fifteen minutes. What seasonings should I add now?" Fang Yujia asked eagerly.

Today, Fang Yujia was wearing a pink ONLY dress. Though it was a standard design without any particularly striking features, when worn by her, it exuded a unique air of noble elegance. She was simply that kind of person—even if she casually carried a tattered woven bag, people would assume it ought to have the LV logo stamped upon it.

Zhuo Qinglian rinsed a white radish and placed it on the cutting board. Hearing the question, she smiled faintly: "Add a pinch of sugar now, and some ginger in another five minutes."

With that, Zhuo Qinglian picked up a kitchen knife. A continuous flurry of sharp, whistling sounds erupted as the knife transformed into a blur in her hands. It stopped abruptly, and a pile of crystal-clear shredded radishes appeared on the cutting board. Upon closer inspection, every single strand was uniformly thick.

Fang Yujia stared in astonishment. To transform a radish into shreds in practically an instant was impressive enough, but the entire cutting process hadn't even touched the cutting board—it was nothing short of miraculous.

"Sister Qinglian, is this kung fu?" Fang Yujia asked.

Zhuo Qinglian smiled and nodded. In truth, this knife skill for shredding radishes was nothing special; it was merely a matter of practiced proficiency. Having loved cooking since childhood and honed her craft for twenty years, she naturally possessed a deep mastery.

"Can you teach me kung fu?" After her interactions with Zhuo Qinglian, Fang Yujia had been moved to consider this. Now left with nothing, she desperately wished to grow strong—at the very least, to be able to protect herself.

Before Xiao Cheng left, he had specially arranged for Zhuo Qinglian to move in precisely to protect her, hadn't he? While feeling grateful for Xiao Cheng's arrangement, it also made her lament her own uselessness. Aside from running a company, she couldn't even protect herself.

Zhuo Qinglian was momentarily taken aback. Internal martial arts were hardly so easy to learn. She had practiced diligently since childhood, twenty years without a single day of slack, which was how she had attained her current Grandmaster realm. Fang Yujia had already passed her prime years; taking up internal martial arts now would yield half the results with double the effort, amounting to very little effect.

Furthermore, she could not impart the mental cultivation technique of True Immortality that Xiao Cheng had taught her to Fang Yujia. Although Fang Yujia was Xiao Cheng's sister-in-law, Xiao Cheng had explicitly instructed her not to pass it on to anyone when he transmitted it to her.

"Sister Yujia, it's not that your sister is unwilling to teach you. It's just that the internal martial arts I practice require starting from childhood. You've already passed your golden window, and even if you learned them, it wouldn't make much difference. You might as well wait for that scoundrel to come back and have him impart his true cultivation methods to you."

Mentioning Xiao Cheng, Zhuo Qinglian burst into a hearty laugh.

"But Xiao Cheng's mental technique is only suitable for men," Fang Yujia said with a trace of disappointment, assuming this was merely Zhuo Qinglian's excuse to decline.

"Heh, not at all. He has other mental techniques as well, and even taught some to me. However, your sister can't teach this one to you. After all, I've just started out and don't yet understand all the nuances to watch out for. If something went wrong with you, that scoundrel would come back and fight me to the death."

Fang Yujia's expression stiffened slightly. To think her brother-in-law had taught Zhuo Qinglian a mental technique while leaving her out entirely, without even mentioning it—a wave of desolation washed over her.

Yet, upon reflection, she had only recently changed her attitude toward Xiao Cheng. In the past, she had steadfastly refused to trust him. Xiao Cheng had already done more than enough for her; what grounds did she have to harbor any resentment?

If anyone was to blame, it could only be herself for never taking the time to truly understand her brother-in-law.

"Actually, Sister Yujia, you don't need to dwell on these things. You have your own strengths; you don't need to obsess over becoming strong.

You're different from me. After my parents passed away, I was left entirely on my own, forced to struggle at the bottom of society and rely solely on myself.

You, however, are different. You are currently the president of Shanghai Xiao Pharmaceuticals, and your only focus should be managing the company well. When it comes to financial acumen and management skills, your sister falls far short of you. I should be the one envying you, so you ought to be content!"

Zhuo Qinglian smiled, feeling that Fang Yujia's worries were quite unnecessary.

Fang Yujia offered a forced smile. Hadn't she thought the same way in the past? She possessed complete confidence in her financial and managerial abilities; given two years, she could transform Shanghai Xiao Pharmaceuticals into a top-tier national pharmaceutical group.

Yet the situation was different now. She was no longer the eldest daughter of the Fang family, but merely a bargaining chip for the Fang family to trade for benefits. Moreover, the Xiao family had tacitly permitted her remarriage. What use was it even if she managed Shanghai Xiao Pharmaceuticals to perfection?

Now, her only hope was to successfully carry out the tasks her brother-in-law had arranged and see them yield results as quickly as possible.

As for Xiao Cheng's overbearing declaration that he would not permit her remarriage, hearing it at the time had indeed moved her deeply.

Upon later reflection, however, her brother-in-law was only eighteen years old with no foundation whatsoever. How could he possibly shoulder the three towering mountains of the Xiao, Fang, and Chu families by his own strength? It was an absolute impossibility.

Besides, she couldn't bear to let Xiao Cheng shoulder everything for her; that would be far too selfish. Perhaps once the Spring Festival had passed, she ought to simply leave Shanghai.

Should she slip away without a word, or should she explain the situation to her brother-in-law?

"What kind of person is Xiao Cheng, really?" It seemed laughable; Fang Yujia, his sister-in-law, still had no clear idea what kind of person her brother-in-law was to this day.

In the past, she had always believed Xiao Cheng was intensely lustful and capable of any evil. Yet recent events had altered her perception of him, leaving her trapped between two utterly contradictory impressions and utterly bewildered.

Zhuo Qinglian was similarly taken aback by the question. To be honest, she now felt that Xiao Cheng had changed drastically, yet she still lacked a definitive conclusion.

"Well... to tell the truth, your sister isn't quite sure either. I suppose he is whatever kind of person you feel him to be in your heart."

Just as the two were speaking, the sound of the door opening echoed from outside.

Neither of them had gone to unlock it—how had the door opened by itself? Could Xiao Cheng have returned?

Stepping out into the living room, they saw Wang Yi with his arms crossed, walking in from the doorway with a beaming smile, flanked by two fully armed mercenaries.

"Wang Yi, who gave you permission to enter?"

Fang Yujia's face froze like frost. In the past, she had always considered Wang Yi an elder deserving of respect, addressing him as Uncle Wang whenever they met. But ever since he used her prospective remarriage to coerce her into revealing Xiao Cheng's whereabouts, that impression had been utterly shattered.

Seeing Wang Yi breaking in by picking the lock, she naturally didn't offer him a pleasant look, dropping all honorifics.

Wang Yi let out a cold snort, smiled triumphantly with an arrogant expression, and then stepped aside from the doorway.

"Please enter, Family Head!"

Wang Yi said, bowing as he stood to one side with a sinister, chilling arc at the corner of his mouth.

Following that, Xiao Fusheng walked through the door with a cold expression, his hands clasped behind his back. The knuckles of his hands were stark white from the sheer force of his grip.

"The two of you will accompany the old man on a trip. According to the investigation team's findings, both of you are implicated in Guowei's death." (To be continued.)