The Heiress's Game

The autumn nights in Yunjing cool down faster than in Dahaicheng.

The Bai family's old house is located halfway up a low hill in the east of the city. It has gray walls and black tiles. Two ginkgo trees at the entrance have turned yellow, and when the night wind blows, the golden leaves fall to the ground.

This house is the residence of the old man, Bai Lingfeng. Among the three generations of the Bai family, only during festivals or when the old man specifically summons them will anyone dare to come to the house.

Bai Tianyi wasn't afraid, after all, he had been coming here often since he was a child.

Six dishes and a soup were laid out on the mahogany round table in the restaurant, all of them home-style.

Grandpa Bai sat in the main seat, his hair completely white, but his eyes were still clear and sharp.

He was wearing a drab gray jacket, and looked no different from an ordinary old man playing chess at the entrance of the alley.

But Bai Tianyi knew how ruthless this "ordinary old man" was when he built the Bai family business from scratch.

Everyone in the Yunjing business district gives it a thumbs up and shakes their head when they mention it.

"Tianyi, eat more," the old man said, pointing to the braised pork on the table with his chopsticks.

"I've been out and about for three months and I've lost weight."

Bai Tianyi picked up a piece of braised pork and stuffed it into his mouth, saying indistinctly, "Grandpa, I didn't run away on purpose."

"No need to explain," the old man said with a tone of doting affection.

"Grandpa understands that you ran away after having a fight with your parents."

Your dad wants to arrange everything for you. You've hardly ever made your own decisions growing up, so it's normal to feel resentful.

But after three months of this, it's time to settle down. You don't like having everything arranged by your parents, right?

"Yes! This is it!" Bai Tianyi put down his chopsticks.

"From childhood to adulthood, they decided which school I attended and what major I studied."

"Now even finding a girlfriend requires them to arrange it—the blind date list is almost stacked like a deck of cards, with Miss Wang, Miss Zou, Miss Sun, all lining up to let me meet them."

This isn't an emperor choosing a concubine! I don't even know if she's pretty or not, I just meet her once, and then the two families sit down to negotiate—Grandpa, this isn't dating, this is due diligence before a corporate acquisition.

The old man was amused, picked up the rice wine and took a sip. After laughing, he looked at Bai Tianyi with a more loving gaze.

"So who do you envy? Your older brother?"

"Of course I envy you!" Bai Tianyi shrugged.

"Look at my older brother, he's thirty-three and still not married. Who dares to pressure him?"

He could do whatever he wanted, and go home whenever he wanted; no one dared to say a word against him.

"Want to know why?" Bai Junze asked.

He put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"It's easy. As long as you have the ability and can make money, you'll have a say in the family. If you can do it, so can you."

Bai Tianyi paused, slowly turning his head to look at his brother.

Then he let out a groan, picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork rib with his fork, and shoved it into his mouth, mumbling incoherently as he chewed:

"I knew you were going to say this... You can't even let people eat in peace."

Bai Tianyi sighed deeply.

"You make it sound so easy. With your brain and your energy..."

If I had your abilities, would I still be running away?

I ran away because I was incompetent.

What you're saying is like telling someone who's 1.7 meters tall, "Growing taller is easy, just drink more milk."

Grandpa Bai quickly interrupted, "Tianyi, your parents are doing this for your own good. For the children of the Bai family, marriage is never a one-person affair."

"What about the eldest brother?" Bai Tianyi immediately shifted his focus, pointing with his chopsticks at Bai Junze, who was sitting opposite him.

"My eldest brother is thirty-three and still single, so why are you urging me to get married while I'm not? Grandpa, you should arrange things for my eldest brother first."

I'm fine with being at the back of the line, I'm not in a hurry, really, I'm not in a hurry at all.

Upon hearing this, Bai Junze didn't even raise his eyelids, and said in a calm tone, "I don't need blind dates."

Bai Tianyi rolled his eyes at those five words, turned to look at the old man, and spread his hands in a "look at him" gesture.

The old man turned to look at Bai Junze, "Let's leave Tianyi's matter aside for now. Junze, don't just focus on lecturing your younger brother."

You're thirty-three now. When I was your age, your second uncle was already running around everywhere.

Grandpa isn't pressuring you, but you need to give Grandpa a straight answer—when exactly do you plan to resolve your personal issues?

Bai Junze's tone remained calm and unhurried: "Let nature take its course."

"You've been trying to get things done for so many years, but I haven't seen you achieve anything."

"If you keep going like this, Grandpa will have to make arrangements for you."

Bai Tianyi immediately sat up straight, his eyes shining as if he had discovered a new continent.

He moved his chair forward half a meter, placed his hands on his knees, and struck a pose that said, "I'm ready, please begin your performance," even softening his breathing.

"My request isn't high, just one thing."

The old man raised a finger and said, "Your future wife must come from a prominent family and be exceptionally capable."

When the Bai family chooses a daughter-in-law, beauty is a bonus, not a necessity.

But family background and ability are both indispensable.

Her family background means she has enough perspective and confidence to not fuss over trivial matters;

Capability means she can hold her own when you're not around.

To put it bluntly, she has to be able to keep your uncles and aunts in check.

Your eldest uncle may not say it, but he's scheming in his heart. Your third uncle is shrewd and calculating. Your aunt is no pushover either. Only your fourth uncle, Tianyi's father, is easy to get along with.

If your future wife can't even handle them, she'll suffer after marrying into the family.

And your parents' side is even more complicated, with one father-in-law and two mothers-in-law.

By a twist of fate, they were all legal, compliant, and licensed.

Let's talk about your mom first. You know her personality; most people can't handle her. You'll need to find someone she can respect.

Bai Tianyi immediately started clapping, his hands moving loudly and crisply, his smile so bright it was as if he wanted to set off firecrackers right there.

He turned to look at Bai Junze and said in a gloating tone, "Brother, congratulations! Our grandfather's requirements are much higher than my mother's 'emperor's selection of concubines'!"

My mom only cares about family background, and my grandpa also requires outstanding abilities—they have to be able to keep your uncles and aunts in check, and also keep your mom, your second aunt and second uncle in check.

I'm so excited to meet my future sister-in-law! What kind of person will she be? – She'll probably be an angel descended from heaven, and she'll also have to know some martial arts, preferably some Sanda (Chinese kickboxing).

Bai Junze put down his teacup, glanced at him, and said only two words: "Are you bored? Have you eaten?"

Bai Tianyi's smile froze on his face.

"After you've eaten, go revise your proposal. We'll need it for tomorrow's morning meeting."

Bai Tianyi opened his mouth, then lowered his head and hummed in a voice barely audible, "I was just making a suggestion... you can ignore it if you don't want to hear it."

The old man stood beside him, holding a teacup, a smile playing on his lips.

Bai Junze withdrew his gaze. From beginning to end, he neither said it was good nor bad.