Read Novel Full Chapter 122 Part 1 – Imitating Jiang Li (I)
Chapter 122 Part 1 – Imitating Jiang Li (I)
Tong Bingran had already prepared himself for a cold reception when he brought his son to apologize. He knew the Feng family didn’t have the best tempers—especially now, with the matter involving their beloved little princess. He never expected them to let it go easily.
To his surprise, the moment they arrived at the Feng residence, Old Master Feng had them brought inside immediately, even greeting them with a warm smile, showing no trace of anger at all.
But the friendly reception actually made Tong Bingran feel even more uneasy. He had hoped the temperamental Old Master Feng would at least lash out a bit, or scold his own disappointing son. After letting off some steam, things might be easier to resolve.
Tong Bingran gave his son a stern look, who quickly got the signal. “Grandpa Feng, I came here today to apologize.” Tong Xu said, very politely. “I spread some inaccurate rumors before, which caused trouble for your family. I realize I was wrong, and I hope you can forgive me.”
His father had already warned him not to mention Jiang Li by name, so he only dared to vaguely say he’d caused trouble for the Feng family.
Old Master Feng showed a puzzled look. “Trouble? I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
Tong Bingran could immediately tell the old man was playing dumb, but he couldn’t call him out. He could only force a stiff smile and gave his son a slap on the back, forcing the young man to lower his head, “This useless brat of mine got into some conflict with his cousin earlier, and then happened to find out that Xiao Yi was quite close to that student who almost had his kidney stolen. He jumped to the conclusion that Xiao Yi was involved and started spreading rumors without verifying anything. I’ve already dealt with him, and today I brought him here to apologize. Whatever punishment you think he deserves, I won’t say a word against it.”
He made a big show of sacrificing his own son for the sake of righteousness, as if he didn’t care about Tong Xu’s fate at all.
In response, Old Master Feng kept smiling kindly. “It was just a young man’s foolishness, nothing serious. Besides, I didn’t believe those rumors anyway. You don’t need to worry about it.”
“…” Tong Bingran was speechless. You say you’re not holding a grudge, but your actions have been ruthless!
If he hadn’t confirmed in advance that Feng Qi was behind Tong Xu’s recent business failures, he might have believed this old man was truly magnanimous!
Still, Tong Bingran knew he must not further ire the Feng family, so he deliberately let out a sigh and said helplessly, “My stupid son doesn’t know any better. Old Master, you can discipline him however you like—I won’t object. And if that’s still not enough, I’ll just send him abroad so that he doesn’t offend you again.”
Old Master Feng frowned. “What are you saying? When did I ever discipline him? Are you coming here today just to falsely accuse me?”
Tong Bingran froze for a moment before responding, “Those few projects he was handling all ran into problems at the same time. Wasn’t that your doing?”
The old master shook his head. “I’m already retired and living an old man’s life now—fishing and playing chess and the like. Where would I find the time to meddle in your projects? What you’re saying makes no sense.”
Tong Bingran: “…”
Fine, maybe it really wasn’t you. But the one who took action was your son—that’s practically the same thing!
Seeing the awkward expression on his guests’ faces, Old Master Feng stopped putting on the charade. He smiled and said, “I really didn’t target your boy. As for whether A’Qi did, well, I’m not so sure myself. That kid’s never home and very headstrong. If he decided to go after your son, there’s nothing I could do to stop him.”
Tong Bingran could sense that the old master was still bottling up his anger. Unless something changed, the Feng family would keep going after his foolish son.
One thing was certain now: Old Master Feng had no intention of stepping in. If the Tong family wanted to make amends, they’d have to negotiate with Feng Qi directly.
But was Feng Qi someone they could approach so easily?
And even if he agreed to a meeting, with a temper like his, there was no way he’d be forgiving!
But this time, Tong Xu was really at fault. The Fengs clearly weren’t ready to accept an apology, showing they were still holding a grudge. If the Tong family didn’t want a direct confrontation, the only way was to temporarily pull Tong Xu out of the company. That way, the Fengs would at least have no reason to go after the entire family.
With that realization, Tong Bingran decided not to press the issue with Old Master Feng. After offering another apology, he took his son and left.
Old Master Feng continued playing the role of a gracious host, even going so far as to invite them to stay for dinner. But Tong Bingran had no appetite for pleasantries. The moment they exited the residence, his restraint snapped, and he turned and kicked Tong Xu. “Look at the mess you’ve made!”
Tong Xu kept silent, letting his father vent. Even when Tong Bingran ordered him to stay out of the company and not leave home for a while, he didn’t dare object.
On the drive home, Tong Bingran cursed almost nonstop. Only when they got home and he saw his lively, adorable daughter did his mood lighten a bit.
He was quite self-aware. He knew that since the Tong family business had passed into his hands, its growth hadn’t matched what it had been under his father or younger brother. Still, he had managed stable progress over the years. If things continued like this, the future wouldn’t be too bleak.
Unfortunately, maintaining the status quo was easier said than done. Tong Yi had a share in the family business, and once he turned twenty-five, would return to claim his stake. Tong Bingran would have no choice but to follow his father’s will and return what was rightfully his nephew’s. With the separation, even if the company remained in his hands, its resources would take a major hit.
If his son had been more competent, maybe the two of them could have stood against Tong Yi together. But his son was a hopeless idiot—completely unreliable.
In contrast, Yoyo was clever and quick-witted, but she was too young. It would take years to train her.
Was the Tong family really destined to decline?
Tong Bingran let out a weary sigh, no longer in the mood to scold his useless son. He walked over and took his daughter’s hand. “Why aren’t you at your extracurricular class today?”
Tong Yoyo answered truthfully, “The teacher took the day off.”
Tong Bingran nodded and said no more, just walking forward hand-in-hand with her.
After being yelled at the whole way home, Tong Xu finally breathed a sigh of relief when his father stopped scolding him.
The reason he had spread those rumors was entirely because of that disgusting woman, Jiang Ruo. He’d already suspected she was up to no good, but he hadn’t expected her target to be Jiang Li.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. If it hadn’t been for that damned woman, none of this would have happened!
Returning to his room, Tong Xu immediately contacted his assistant and ordered him to find a way to teach Jiang Ruo a lesson.
Now that he had lost his position in the company, he was basically an idler. He might not be able to do much else, but dealing with one Jiang Ruo? That was still well within his abilities!
The assistant, already nervous after giving Tong Xu the bad advice, quickly promised over the phone that he’d make sure Jiang Ruo paid the price.