Return to 88: Starting from Marrying My Sister-in-law

In Singapore, afternoon sunlight filters through the palm leaves into an elegant garden villa.

Xu Siqi sat on the white rattan swing, gently swaying, her face filled with melancholy.

She wore a simple cotton dress, her long hair casually tied up, her eyes gazing blankly into the distance. The creaking of the swing was particularly clear in the quiet garden, but it couldn't break the heaviness in her heart.

Beside them, middle-aged nanny Wang carefully held a baby girl who was a few months old.

The baby slept soundly, his little face rosy, completely unaware of his mother's worries.

Lu Feifei is the daughter of Xu Siqi and Lu Yang. Her existence is both a source of sweetness and an invisible shackle.

Xu Siqi's thoughts drifted back to the phone call she had made a few hours earlier.

The questioning voice of Yin Mingzhu, who was both an old classmate and a close friend, still echoed in her ears: "Siqi, we are best friends. Can you tell me the truth? Are you on a business trip over there, managing the company for that man, or are you having a baby with him?"

Her best friend's question left her speechless.

Now, the fragments of friendship and the pain of betrayal are tearing Xu Siqi's heart apart.

"Sister Mingzhu, I'm sorry..." she murmured softly, tears silently streaming down her face.

Mingzhu, you must be very sad right now, right?

As an old classmate, best friend, and confidante, she knew all too well the other's stubborn yet soft-hearted nature. She might say no, but she could never forget the past. Otherwise, she wouldn't have needed to escape to Singapore. All this was to prevent her best friend from discovering that she had accidentally fallen in love with the man her friend had "rejected" back then.

But can we blame her?
She had advised her best friend more than once that if she really still liked that jerk, she should lower her pride and sincerely apologize to him; perhaps there would still be a chance to win him back. But her best friend clearly hadn't listened. All these years, she was still the same as before, while she...

forget it. I'm done here.

No matter what I say, it doesn't change the fact that I did deceive this good friend.

Just then, Du Yuanyuan stepped into the garden with a triumphant look on her face, her high heels making a crisp sound on the cobblestone path.

She was dressed in a smart suit, waving a document in her hand, her eyes gleaming with success.

"Sisi, Mom has some amazing news to tell you!" Her loud voice broke the tranquility of the courtyard. "I've reached a cooperation agreement with the leaders of Hunan TV! Our program 'Day Day Up' will be broadcast on Hunan TV soon, on Sunday's prime time channel! This is a great start for 'Sifei Media'!"

Du Yuanyuan's excitement stemmed from months of travel.

As Xu Siqi's mother and the actual operator of Sifei Media, she spared no effort in using her decades-long connections in the media industry to personally return to China and persuade her former boss.

The "Everyday Upward" program proposed by Lu Yang was originally his idea to support Sifei Media, focusing on the theme of youth and inspiration.

Securing prime time on Fruit TV means huge advertising revenue and industry influence.

Du Yuanyuan sees this as a bargaining chip to solidify her daughter's position.

However, Xu Siqi's reaction was surprisingly cold.

She forced a smile: "Oh, that's great, Mom."

His tone was dry, devoid of his usual cheerfulness.

Du Yuanyuan immediately sensed something was wrong. She sat down on the stone bench next to the swing and took her daughter's hand: "Sisi, what's wrong? What happened? Tell Mom, and Mom will give you some advice."

Du Yuanyuan is now pinning all her hopes on her daughter, so naturally she's worried that her daughter might throw a tantrum and ruin her relationship with the guy who finally became her son-in-law.
Xu Siqi turned her face away and said softly, "It's nothing, I'm just a little tired."

Du Yuanyuan didn't believe it and turned her sharp gaze to Wang Ma.

After a moment's hesitation, Wang Ma whispered, "Madam, Miss received a call from Miss Mingzhu today, and she's been so distracted ever since... it seems like they've broken up."

Upon hearing this, Du Yuanyuan couldn't help but laugh out loud, clapping her hands and exclaiming, "Great! This is a godsend!"

Seeing Xu Siqi frown, she lowered her voice and explained, "Sisi, are you confused? Who is Yin Mingzhu? She is Lu Yang's first love and his wife's older sister. All these years she has been putting on airs and refusing to bow her head. Now she has taken the initiative to break off her friendship with you, which is equivalent to cutting off her own escape route. Those shrewd people in the Li family must have used this incident to sow discord between her and them."

She leaned closer to her daughter, her eyes shrewd. "This way, we'll have one less major threat. Lu Yang will only have Mingyue and you by his side. Mingyue is gentle, and you have Feifei as your trump card. Since you don't want to compete with her for anything in the future, let her continue to be the mistress of the Lu family. But at least it will help Feifei secure more inheritance rights, right?"

Xu Siqi's heart was pierced with pain.

Her mother's reality suffocated her: "Mom, Mingzhu is my best friend. We've been inseparable since college and talk about everything... How can I be happy now because I betrayed her?"

She recalled her time at Beijing University: the two of them prepared for exams together and shared secrets, and Yin Mingzhu always protected her like an older sister.

But now, everything is ruined.

Du Yuanyuan scoffed: "Friends? The business world is like a battlefield. Acting on emotions will only hurt you! Lu Yang is at the height of his power right now. Century Group is about to go to war with the Li family. You should be thinking about how to help him and how to gain a foothold."

She pointed at the sleeping Lu Feifei and said, "Look at Feifei, can you bear to let her be looked down upon in the future? Sifei Media is your stage. You have to cheer up and manage it well with your mother. If you do well, that boy will definitely value you more. Men, besides liking pretty women, will definitely like women who are both pretty and talented."

Xu Siqi silently picked up her daughter.

The baby's warmth offered her some comfort, but a wave of guilt washed over her.

She loved Lu Yang and was grateful for everything he had given her, but that love was now tainted with the dust of betrayal.

With a soft sigh, Xu Siqi lowered her head and said, "Mom, I will fully cooperate with the program."

Du Yuanyuan was overjoyed: "That's right! I'll go arrange a team meeting right away. We have to make the premiere a sensation!" She left the garden in a hurry.

Xu Siqi gently stroked her daughter's cheek and murmured, "Feifei, Mommy can't run away anymore."

She decided to turn her guilt into strength: she devoted herself to the production of the program, using her career to numb herself and stop thinking about other things.

. . . . .

Shenzhen, top floor of Century Tower.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city lights are just coming on, outlining a dazzling skyline for this young and vibrant metropolis.

The office was dimly lit, but it failed to dispel the lingering worry between Yin Mingyue's brows. She sat on the large sofa, unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes with her hands, her gaze somewhat unfocused on the intricate pattern of the carpet.

Lu Yang had just finished a conference call with Wang Yuguang of Northern Guomei, confirming the existence of the alliance and the intention of Century Group, as the parent company of Century Electrical Plaza, to participate in Guomei's new round of financing and act as the lead investor.

He put down the receiver, turned around, and saw his wife's unusually worried expression. His heart tightened slightly, and he walked over, sat down beside her, and naturally put his arm around her shoulder.

"What's wrong? Why are you here to pick me up from get off work today? Is something on your mind? Are you still thinking about your sister?" Lu Yang's voice was deep and gentle, with a comforting quality.

Yin Mingyue raised her head, her usually clear and bright eyes now misty with tears. "Husband."

Her voice trembled with a barely perceptible sob, "Why does my sister... why does she insist on going against us? Joining the Li family's alliance, and even going to compete with President Wang's Guomei... Wouldn't it have been better for her to join us? But by doing this, won't she be drifting further and further away from us in the future?"

She could never understand why her sister, who was clearly related by blood, would choose to stand on the opposite side, and even possibly fight each other.

Lu Yang sighed softly and hugged her even tighter.

"Mingyue, this is none of your business."

His tone was resolute, attempting to absolve his wife of responsibility: "Choices in the business world are very complicated. There are interests, ambitions, and feelings of being taken advantage of. But there is no fault on your part. Mingzhu made this decision based on her own judgment and stance, and perhaps... even some personal emotions that the Li family deliberately amplified."

When the topic of "personal emotions" came up, a barely perceptible shadow crossed Lu Yang's eyes. He thought of the "unexpected news" that the Li family had handed to Yin Mingzhu, concerning Xu Siqi and Lu Feifei in Singapore.

The Li family's methods were truly precise and ruthless.

“But…” Yin Mingyue’s inner conflict was clearly not just about this.

She leaned on Lu Yang's shoulder, her voice as soft as a feather, "Back then, if my sister hadn't been so determined to go to university in the capital and hadn't made the difficult decision to break off the engagement and give up marrying you, Brother Lu Yang... how could I, a little stutterer, have ended up marrying you and having everything I have now?" This deep-seated realization, tinged with guilt and a sense of destiny, seemed even heavier and more perplexing now, given her sister's resolute choice.

The innocent and kind-hearted Yin Mingyue stubbornly interprets her sister's "hostile" behavior today as a lingering resentment and a continuation of some kind of unwillingness to accept the past broken engagement.

She couldn't imagine the deeper layers of business maneuvering and the Li family's calculations.

Lu Yang felt a mix of emotions as he listened to his wife's innocent yet self-reproachful words.

He kissed the top of her head and said gently, "Silly girl, don't overthink it. When it comes to matters of the heart, once it's missed, it's missed. No one owes anyone anything. Your sister's choice was more of a business consideration. She's a proud and ambitious person, and the Li family gave her a stage to prove herself, even if that stage... might not be so stable."

He paused, then decided to give his wife some more practical information, to make her understand that things weren't as simple as she imagined: "Besides, Mingyue, you don't need to worry too much that your sister will 'fail' to the point where we need to 'ruthlessly eliminate' her. This time, she has the powerful 'Li Ka-shing' from Hong Kong standing behind her. The influence of Cheung Kong Holdings is extraordinary."

"Huh?" Upon hearing the name "Li Ka-shing," Yin Mingyue was slightly startled at first, then quickly realized what was happening and her concern shifted instantly. "Then...then honey, wouldn't our company's Century Home Appliance Plaza, and the Northern Market you just integrated, be in great danger? The Li family, plus my sister's Mingzhu Appliances, and that Su neighbor in Jinling..."

Seeing his wife immediately worry about him, Lu Yang felt a warmth in his heart, but he still maintained a calm and analytical expression on his face.

"You can't say that." He gently patted his wife's hand. "Business battles aren't simple addition and subtraction. Your sister's situation this time... isn't actually that great."

"Hmm?" Yin Mingyue looked at him in confusion.

“Mingzhu Electric Appliances has only been established for a little over a year,” Lu Yang explained, his tone as calm as if he were analyzing a financial report. “Although its expansion speed is considered fast in the regional market, its foundation is still shallow. Its previous rapid expansion mainly relied on the payment terms of suppliers and short-term credit support from banks. Its debt ratio is already alarmingly high, reaching over 85%. This is like walking on a tightrope; one slip and it’s over…”

He paused, his gaze deepening: "Now, she's responding to the Li family's call to cooperate with Su Lin Electric's pace and continue expanding southwestward, directly competing with our ally in the west, Guomei Electric. This kind of cross-regional, aggressive expansion model requires massive amounts of capital, and the management difficulty increases exponentially. Although the Li family has invested money..."

Lu Yang's lips curled into a knowing, slightly sarcastic smile: "Cheung Kong Holdings invested HK$500 million in Su Lin Electric Appliances because Su Lin was worth that price; Zhang Jinxi had his core business and team. But what about the investment in your sister's Pearl Electric Appliances? As far as I know, the Li family's Asia Audio-Visual Fund only provided HK$50 million. That amount is insufficient for your sister's current plans to match Su Lin's expansion speed and challenge Guomei..."

He shook his head, the conclusion self-evident: "It's a drop in the ocean. I estimate that her cash flow will soon be stretched to its limit."

“Then…” Yin Mingyue’s heart jumped. Although her sister was on the opposite side, the bond of blood made her worry. “What if the money really runs out? What will my sister do?”

Looking at his wife's worried face, Lu Yang remained silent for a few seconds before slowly uttering two words, carrying an almost cold-blooded foresight:
"Cold salad."

"Either she can continue to seek financing, but given Mingzhu Electric's current valuation and debt, and the fact that the Li family has already gained an advantage, introducing new capital would come with very harsh conditions. She might have to give up far more shares than expected, ultimately losing control of Mingzhu Electric and becoming a senior manager in the Li family."

"Either..."

Lu Yang's eyes sharpened. "Take the money and leave. While the company still has some value, sell the shares to the Li family or other buyers, cash out and leave, preserving some of the profits, but completely bidding farewell to the business you built with your own hands."

A moment of silence fell over the office.

The neon lights of Shenzhen outside the window still flickered, reflecting on Yin Mingyue's pale and worried face.

Lu Yang's analysis was cold and realistic, like a scalpel dissecting the seemingly glamorous facade of Mingzhu Electric Appliances, revealing its fragile foundation and the abyss it was about to face. (End of Chapter)