Addiction sets in at night; even the abstinent older man has fallen for it.

He Qihan's hands clenched tightly.

He had met a girl he liked, but her parents disliked him because he came from a single-parent family and had no money, and they forcibly broke them up.

It was because of this setback that he later worked incredibly hard in his career.

When he made a name for himself, the girl he liked came back to him wanting to get back together, but he refused.

He will never love a woman who doesn't firmly choose him again.

From then on, I had no more expectations for love.

He lives in a world of hatred, and all he feels is hatred.

He doesn't need love.

He no longer cares about either love or family.

"I will never get married in this lifetime!"

His words were spoken in a calm tone, yet they were filled with despair.

Having been hurt by love once, I've seen through it all.

His cold and aloof personality makes him unsuitable for having children and being a father.

Fu Zhenlong was startled upon hearing this.

A person who has no love does not yearn to start a family.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say many comforting and encouraging words, but he felt utterly powerless.

The atmosphere subtly shifted.

He joked, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "If you say that now, I'm afraid you'll slap yourself in the face when fate comes."

"Having already capsized in the gutter, you don't want to get back on board." He Qihan smirked, his eyes filled with utter mockery.

To him, all women are the same.

So why make yourself unhappy?

Anyway, he had long been used to being alone.

Looking at He Qihan's smile, Fu Zhenlong guessed that he had been hurt in a relationship, which led him to no longer believe in love.

He suddenly felt a pang of heartache.

Not only are things not going well in my family relationships, but they're also not going well in my love life.

At least Ah Shen met the woman he truly loved.

He stood up, walked to the end of the sofa, and sat down next to He Qihan.

He Qihan frowned and glanced sideways at Fu Zhenlong. He was not used to Fu Zhenlong sitting so close to him. His expression was awkward and he felt uncomfortable all over.

Curious, He Meijuan came out to see what was happening. When she saw her son's awkward reaction, she couldn't help but laugh.

If the son can understand, then this family of three can actually live a wonderful life.

He Qihan said to Fu Zhenlong with displeasure, "Why are you sitting so close?"

Fu Zhenlong sat sideways, his back to He Qihan, and casually made up an excuse, "My back is a little itchy, can you scratch it for me?"

He Qihan really didn't want to scratch it; he felt so disgusted that he wanted to sneer.

But he held back.

In order to dispel Fu Zhenlong's suspicions, he had to bite the bullet and play the part well.

"How can I scratch him if he doesn't even take off his coat?"

Fu Zhenlong quickly took off his suit jacket.

He was wearing a shirt underneath, without a tie; the top two buttons were undone so that you could reach inside from his neck.

He Qihan reached out and scratched it for him, asking as he did so, "Which spot itches?"

Fu Zhenlong was somewhat flattered.

He felt that he was, after all, the child's father, and there was a natural closeness based on blood ties. He believed that with a little more patience and a thicker skin, he could definitely win over his son.

"A little to the left, oh no, too far to the left, a little to the right..."

He Qihan scratched reluctantly.

He Meijuan watched the interaction between the father and son, and the smile in her eyes deepened.

If only the scene could freeze at this moment.

Fu Zhenlong sniffed and smelled a burning odor. He turned to look towards the kitchen and saw He Meijuan watching him. He smiled and asked, "Meijuan, what are you cooking in the kitchen? Is it burnt?"

"Oh dear, I almost forgot..." He Meijuan was reminded and quickly turned around and ran into the kitchen.

As He Qihan watched his mother's hurried figure, his memories drifted back to his childhood.

This was his first time learning to cook.

Back then, to save money, my mother rented a tile-roofed house and cooked with firewood.

To help his mother with housework, he taught himself to cook.

As a result, the vegetables that his mother had bought were burned, and the kitchen almost caught fire.

Those memories constantly remind him of the kind of hardship he had endured in the past.

How could he forgive Fu Zhenlong, the culprit?

Even if Fu Zhenlong is now genuinely apologizing and wants to make amends, he still cannot forgive him.

Fu Zhenlong looked away from He Qihan and caught a fleeting look of pain in his eyes.

He was very curious about what his son was thinking.

It must be because she was thinking about unhappy things from the past.

Asking again will only make his son more unhappy.

He started asking about expanding into overseas markets, wanting to hear He Qihan's thoughts.

He Qihan didn't want to dwell on the humiliating memories of the past. He truthfully expressed his thoughts: "I had previously learned that there is a lot of potential in the overseas market for food culture. There are many overseas Chinese, and many of them want to eat the taste of their hometown abroad, but for them, it's a luxury. I've talked to many food bloggers who have explored restaurants abroad, and the Chinese restaurants overseas are far inferior to those in China..."

Fu Zhenlong was surprised that He Qihan had thought of everything so thoroughly, having already done the investigation beforehand.

It's clear that He Qihan is truly dedicated to his work.

If Ahan hadn't intended to kill Ashen, how perfect it would have been to let him take charge of the Fu family.

He gestured for He Qihan to continue.

"In fact, many foreigners who have settled in China really love our country's food. They genuinely enjoy it and recommend it to everyone they meet, which is enough to show that the market is huge. Take a certain affordable milk tea brand, for example; it's the most successful example, and it's still expanding its overseas market..."

When these things were mentioned, He Qihan became very serious.

He has his own ideas and plans.

Putting aside his resentment towards Fu Zhenlong, he and Fu Zhenlong shared many similar views on work.

"The biggest problem with food these days is that it's unhealthy. Even well-known and profitable big-name restaurants are offering pre-made meals..."

In the end, He Qihan gave a disdainful smile.

If a reputable brand can win the hearts of the people, it will definitely be at the forefront and stand firm.

Fu Zhenlong strongly agreed with He Qihan's point of view.

A-Kan's ability to see through these phenomena so clearly demonstrates that he has his own ideas.

The Fu family excelled in culinary arts because their food was exceptionally clean, which won them the support of the people.

Qin Dongyang taught him this.

Qin Dongyang had given him special instructions when he first brought him into the industry.

Food is the most important thing for people. What we eat must be clean and healthy. We should not do unethical things for money.

Unfortunately, he seized upon this point to report Qin Dongyang.

If he were Qin Dongyang, he would also find it disgusting.

"Ahan, please continue..."

He Qihan had a lot of ideas and talked non-stop until He Meijuan finished cooking and came out, and they still hadn't finished talking.

He Meijuan was very pleased to see the father and son chatting so happily.

"Let's talk after we finish eating."

He Qihan then realized that he had been talking with Fu Zhenlong for so long.

Because I love my work, I neglect other things.

Fu Zhenlong also realized that if He Qihan were dismissed from his post, it would be a waste of a talented person.

He decided to proceed as planned and entrust the task of developing overseas markets entirely to He Qihan.

2

During the meal, to avoid an awkward atmosphere, Fu Zhenlong continued to talk to He Qihan about expanding into overseas markets.

He Meijuan readily agreed, offering her own opinions and thoughts.

He Qihan also wanted to seize this opportunity to gain Fu Zhenlong's trust, so he talked about it in a very natural and enthusiastic way.

Overall, the atmosphere during the meal was quite good.

Fu Zhenlong suggested taking a walk in the city to familiarize themselves with the geography and environment of the country, and to check out some restaurants and other places to understand the situation abroad so that they could choose a location to open a shop.

He Meijuan agreed with the suggestion and immediately started to wash the dishes.

Fu Zhenlong took the bowl and chopsticks from her and washed them, leaving her and He Qihan to prepare.

Looking at Fu Zhenlong, such a good family man, He Meijuan felt somewhat dazed, as if it were not real.

When a person changes, they become much more pleasing to the eye.

But when she thought about how she and Fu Zhenlong were not actually married, and that their son was always an illegitimate child, she realized that she was still married to someone else.

Unless Fu Zhenlong is willing to register their marriage and become husband and wife, then their son will not be considered an illegitimate child.

But she didn't insist.

She was already satisfied that Fu Zhenlong could make amends to her and her son in this way.

She pushed her son out.

Fu Zhenlong turned his head to look at the mother and son, and a slight smile appeared on his face.

Xiao Hailan has no hope of remarrying him.

There is still a sliver of hope that he can marry He Meijuan.

But he didn't want to speak so soon.

Once he opens his mouth, if any uncontrollable factors prevent him from getting the marriage certificate, then he has broken his promise.

Therefore, one must be very cautious and wait for a suitable opportunity to speak.

Whether he and He Meijuan can reconcile depends on Ahan's final choice.

The phone rang.

It was a call from Fu Ziliu.

"Dad, have you arrived yet? How are things abroad?"

After finishing her work and returning home, Fu Ziliu immediately called Fu Zhenlong.

She was a little worried.

They were afraid that He Qihan might become ruthless and even kill his own father.

"Xiao Liu, don't worry, I've arrived. I'm having a great time with them." Fu Zhenlong didn't want his daughter to worry.

Fu Ziliu didn't know if it was true or not, but it sounded so nice, and she always felt that her father was only reporting good news and not bad.

There was a vague sense of unease in her heart.

She wanted to persuade her father to come back, but if he did, the crisis would be harder to resolve.

My father was willing to do anything for my brother's happiness.

She wanted her father to just send He Qihan to prison.

To avoid so much trouble.

The reason is attempted murder.

But from the father's perspective, it's understandable that he couldn't bear it.

She swallowed the words of persuasion she was about to say and reminded him, "Dad, you should see how things go. If you can't change He Qihan's mind, don't be soft-hearted. Sending him to prison decisively is the wisest thing to do."

Afraid that He Qihan would hear, Fu Zhenlong quickly turned down the volume and replied in a low voice, "I know, Xiao Liu."

"Xiaoliu, the company has been working hard for you. Remember to rest when you're tired, and don't overwork yourself."

He also did not forget to care about his daughter, Fu Ziliu.

"I understand. I will definitely not let myself get too tired in order to manage the company for my brother," Fu Ziliu joked.

Although she was smiling, she still felt a little worried when she thought of Fu Zhengting's cold eyes.

Her brother used to be so good to her.

Suddenly we've become so distant.

She really wasn't used to it.

When she came to her senses, she didn't even realize the call had been disconnected.

She walked to the window, looked at the moon hanging in the sky, and murmured, "Sister Kerou, you must protect my brother to the very end!"

in the hospital.

Fu Zhengting felt unwell after returning to the hospital because he was discharged from the hospital at the last minute to attend a funeral.

My skin wounds are itchy, I feel dizzy, and I've started having a fever again.

The attending physician examined him, reapplied medication to the wound, and changed the gauze.

Although it was a close call, the attending physician couldn't help but stand by the bedside and mutter after the examination, "I've told you so many times not to leave the hospital, but you wouldn't listen, and now look what's happened!"

If it weren't for Dean Qian, he really wouldn't have made an exception and agreed.

Although the patient had his reasons, as a doctor, he prioritized the patient's health above all else.

Fu Zhenlong was delirious with fever, and through his blurred vision, he could vaguely see a person standing by the hospital bed.

My memory drifted back to that terrifying moment when He Qihan covered my mouth.

A suffocating, chilling sensation washed over him, and he suddenly opened his eyes, which were about to close.

Only when I saw that it was a doctor standing by the hospital bed did my tense nerves relax.

Uncle Zhong, who was standing nearby, felt sorry for Fu Zhengting and spoke up for him, "Dr. Liang, I'm sorry to have worried you. I promise that after this, I will never take Ah Shen home from the hospital again. I will definitely cooperate actively with the follow-up treatment..."

The attending physician could see that Uncle Zhong was taking very good care of Fu Zhengting, so he replied with relief, "That's good."

He prescribed some fever reducer for Fu Zhengting, took Fu Zhengting's temperature, and left the ward only after confirming that he did not have a high fever.

Uncle Zhong wet a towel, wrung it out, and applied it to Fu Zhengting's forehead.

Fu Zhengting was very sensitive when his hand reached out.

Fu Zhengting's mind was in a daze. Whenever he closed his eyes, all he could see was the terrifying scene of his mouth being covered and him barely able to breathe.

I always felt that it was He Qihan standing by the hospital bed.

Uncle Zhong comforted him helplessly, "Shen, relax. He Qihan is abroad now, and Fu Zhenlong is keeping a close eye on him. He won't have a chance to come to the hospital again."

He grasped Fu Zhengting's hand and patted it gently. "Ah Shen, don't be afraid. Ah Nan and I will stay by your side every step of the way. No one can hurt you."

Unfortunately, he wasn't by Ah Shen's side that day, leaving Ah Shen with such a severe psychological trauma.

Fu Zhengting then gradually relaxed.

But seeing that Tian Tian wasn't by the hospital bedside, I felt a pang of disappointment.

Uncle Zhong said knowingly, "Shen, just hang in there a little longer. Time flies. The next time you and Tian Tian meet will be at the wedding."

Fu Zhengting instantly regained his composure and his spirits lifted.

However, after sniffing it, he frowned again.

"Uncle Zhong, I think I smell terrible!"

For someone as fastidious as him, going almost ten days without a shower is truly unbearable.

Especially in the first few days, I ate, drank, and relieved myself all in the hospital bed.

Even if Uncle Zhong and Anan are very familiar with him, he will still feel very awkward and uncomfortable.

Uncle Zhong chuckled and joked, "Ah Shen, you're a genuine stinky treasure now."

Anan chimed in, "It's Sweet Boss's stinky treasure."

Fu Zhengting, "..."

It's a genuine stinky treasure.

Whenever I'm sick or feeling unwell, I especially miss Tian Tian and wish she were by my side.

But now he has to suppress his longing.

He raised his face, no longer smelling the stench.

Suddenly I thought of Fu Zhenlong.

I wonder what my father's situation is like abroad now.