Mr. Liang, you mustn't covet other people's fiancées!

Gu Zhihuai leaned back on the sofa, tapping the leather armrest with his finger: "Change your approach. Stop acting, be real. You want to pursue her, right? Then pursue her seriously."

Liang Chaoxu said in a serious tone: "Ever since I came back from Changchun, I've been pursuing her."

Gu Zhihuai looked at him, his brows gradually furrowing, and he moved his lips, wanting to say something but stopping himself.

"What do you want?" Liang Chaoxu asked, puzzled by his appearance. "Just say what you want to say."

Gu Zhihuai sighed and sat up straight: "None of what you did before was about pursuing her."

"What were you doing? She wasn't at your company, yet you sent someone to arrange housing for her and helped her resolve her career difficulties. You also silently dealt with her treacherous biological father and stepmother, and her accomplice ex-fiancé."

"That's called solving a problem, not chasing someone. You've paved the way for her, but when she walks on it, she doesn't even leave a footprint. How is she supposed to remember who paved the way?"

Liang Chaoxu immediately spoke up: "She doesn't need to remember."

Gu Zhihuai choked for a moment, then nodded: "Fine, if you want to be a silent protector of the flower, I won't stop you."

"But you need to change your mindset. Don't always think about solving problems for her. Think about how to make her feel comfortable and happy when she's with you."

"Invite her to dinner if you need to, and give her gifts if you need to. Do everything according to her preferences so that she can feel your sincerity."

After listening, Liang Chaoxu did not reply immediately, but gently stroked the rim of the cup with his fingertips.

After a long while, he seemed to have figured something out. His lips twitched, he stood up, picked up his coat and draped it over his arm: "I'm leaving."

Gu Zhihuai called out from behind, "Hey, did you even hear me?"

Liang Chaoxu didn't turn his head, but pushed open the door and walked out.

The sound of the car engine starting was particularly clear on the quiet street as it drove into the bustling traffic with its taillights on.

Under the same night sky, the Jiang family's house was brightly lit.

In the living room, Mrs. Jiang leaned back on the sofa, slowly sipping her calming tea.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up at Jiang You, who was walking in from the entryway, and asked knowingly, "You left early this morning and are only just getting back. Where did you go?"

"The Temple Fair at Ditan Park." Jiang You bent down to change his shoes and simply admitted, "Mom, please stop making things difficult for Wen Li, and stop sending people to keep an eye on me. I'm going to the South City branch."

Madam Jiang ignored the second half of his sentence and smiled faintly, "Did you enjoy the temple fair?"

"I have something important to tell you." Jiang You looked at her. "I'm going to Nancheng. I'll leave after the New Year and I'll never see her again. Stop what you're doing."

Madam Jiang's smile gradually faded: "You just came back from Sydney, and now you're going to Nancheng again for Wen Li. Your grandfather is getting old; you should stay in Jingzhou and keep him company."

After changing his shoes, Jiang You took two steps straight toward the stairs, then stopped, turned his head to look at her, and said, "I will come back to see Grandpa regularly, and then leave."

"Are you threatening me?" Madam Jiang slammed her teacup down.

"It's not a threat." Jiang You looked at her. "I just don't want you to have another chance to hurt her. I'm far away, you can't see me, so you won't always be thinking about dealing with her."

"You think that just because you've gone far away, I can't do anything about her?" Madam Jiang's voice lowered, carrying a deep chill. "She's in Jingzhou, working in Jingzhou. I have a hundred ways to get her out of this place."

"I know you have it," Jiang You said. "So I'm making this clear to you beforehand: if you touch her once, I'll distance myself from you again. If you make it impossible for her to stay in Jingzhou, I will never return to this home in my life."

Madam Jiang tightened her grip, her gaze fixed on his face, as if to confirm whether he was just saying things in anger, or as if to look at her son again.

Jiang You met his mother's gaze without flinching or softening his tone. He stood at the top of the stairs, as if he had blocked all escape routes and left her with only the path he had drawn.

After a long while, Madam Jiang withdrew her gaze, her fingers slowly loosening, and her voice softened: "Your grandfather is old, how can you bear to do this?"

"I can also take him to stay in the south of the city for a while," Jiang You said. "You and Dad can come too if you'd like."

Madam Jiang did not speak, but turned her head to look out the window.

The branches in the yard swayed gently in the wind, and her profile was reflected in the dark glass, revealing no emotion.

After a long silence, she finally spoke: "You can stay for a maximum of two years. During those two years, you are not allowed to have any contact with her again."

"it is good."

Madam Jiang took a deep breath: "Two years from now, come back and marry the person I've chosen."

Jiang You clenched his fingers. Two years was enough. He gritted his teeth and forced out a "Okay."

Jiang You went upstairs, turned into the room at the end of the corridor, and closed the door behind him.

He didn't turn on the light, but walked to the sofa and sat down by the light of the streetlight outside the window. He then picked up his phone and called Jiang Gu.

The phone rang twice before the other end answered, "What's up so late?"

Jiang You slowly began, "I've come clean with Mom. I'm going to Nancheng after the New Year."

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone, then Jiang Gu's voice became much clearer: "She agreed?"

"Agreed. Don't contact Wen Li for two years, or she won't take any action." Jiang You put his phone on speakerphone and placed it on the table.

"But I'm not really going there to escape a life of leisure. The South City branch is under construction, and I can take full control of it once I get there. It's a new market, and without her people watching over it, it'll be much easier for me to do whatever I want."

There was a moment of silence on Jiang Gu's end, then his tone became serious: "Have you thought this through?"

"I've thought it through," Jiang You said. "I need my own team and my own resources."

"Over the years, my mother has paved the way for me in Jingzhou, and she has also blocked the way for me. If I follow the path she has laid out for me, I will never be able to break free from her."

"Nancheng is the only place where she hasn't fully intervened yet, and I want to take this opportunity to get things done."

"How much start-up capital do you need?" Jiang asked.

"I don't need your money," Jiang You said. "I've saved enough over the years. But there's one thing I need your help with. Do you have anyone trustworthy in Nancheng? I need their help."

Jiang thought for a moment: "There is one. He was transferred here a couple of years ago, he works in regional management, and we're fairly familiar with each other. I'll send you his contact information later."

Thanks.

"We're brothers, no need for thanks." Jiang Gu chuckled, then stopped. "But let me remind you, you can focus on building your own power, but don't put all your energy into fighting against Mom."

"Your mother isn't someone to be trifled with. If you make any big moves, she'll notice sooner or later. You can take your time with what you need to do; there's no rushing it."

"I know," Jiang You said. "That's why I chose Nancheng. It's far from her, she can't see it from under my nose. I'll wait until I achieve something before making any decisions."

"And what about you and Wen Li?" Jiang Gu asked. "Are you really planning to cut off contact for two years?"

Jiang You turned his head to look out the window, and after a long while, he replied, "Two years without contact doesn't mean two years without preparation. When I have enough ability, when I don't have to hide from her, and when I don't have to let Wen Li suffer because of me, I will go to her."

Jiang Gu didn't press further, only saying, "Think it through yourself. I'll keep an eye on things in Nancheng for a while. Call me once you've settled in."

"Um."

The phone hangs up.

Jiang You sat in the darkness, having made up his mind.