Originally, Luo Yi had assumed that no matter how flighty Luo Ningxi might be, she would at least choose a promising young man.
If by some stroke of luck the other party turned out to have a decent enough background — perhaps not quite on par with Yu Chengnan, but at least comparable to Sheng Kai — then she wouldn't have to sell off her own daughter, and could still earn herself a reputation for generosity……
But of all things, nobody could have ever imagined that Luo Ningxi would actually go and find herself a pretty-faced country boy!
If Sheng Kai ever found out that Luo Ningxi would rather settle for some broke nobody than have him, there was no telling what kind of storm that would set off.
"Dad——"
"Don't call me Dad!" Luo Yi's blood roiled with fury, yet his tone turned grave and earnest as he continued, "Xixi, even if our family isn't particularly wealthy or prestigious, you are still Luo Yi's daughter—pampered your whole life, never having suffered a single hardship. That man is clearly good-for-nothing at a glance. Who knows, he might just be latching onto you to spare himself twenty years of hard work. Don't let his sweet words cloud your judgment."
Luo Ningxi pressed her lips together. Had she not known in advance that he wanted to marry her off to that wretched old man Sheng Kai, she might truly have believed his show of concern was for her own good.
Taking a deep breath, Luo Ningxi firmly took Li Bochen's arm. "Dad, I'll admit it was wrong of us not to tell you before Bochen and I got married — but matters of the heart can't be measured by reason."
"Yes, he has no money — he's just a poor young man. But I believe money isn't everything. As long as he's willing to strive and work hard, we can carve out a life of our own with these two hands."
"Besides, when you married Mom back then, didn't you have practically nothing either?"
As she spoke the last words, Luo Ningxi's tone unconsciously grew heavier, and the arm linked through Li Bochen's tightened along with it.
Li Bochen sensed the shift in her emotions. When he idly turned his head to glance at her, he caught in the depths of her eyes a fierce tenacity, an unyielding persistence, and a silent defiance.
Marrying her had been nothing more than taking responsibility — and, in passing, a way to repay the kindness she had once shown him…
But in that moment, a fierce, overwhelming urge to protect her suddenly welled up within him.
"How dare you! I raised you all these years, and this is what I get—accusations from my own flesh and blood? Besides, what your mother and I have is true love. How could that boy possibly compare to me?" Luo Yi's voice instantly shot up, his anger a thin veil over his guilty conscience.
Luo Ningxi looked at him with a sardonic smile. Why he had married her mother was self-evident — and now he wanted to sacrifice her in exchange for investment?
Just as she was trembling all over, about to retort, a cool, indifferent voice suddenly sounded in her ear: "I may not be able to compare with my father-in-law, but the tide turns in thirty years — best not to look down on anyone."
The voice was soft and unhurried, yet somehow carried a formidable, commanding authority.
Luo Ningxi gazed at the man's stern, chiseled features, and felt a warmth rise in her heart.
"Dad, life is long — don't sell people short."
"You——"
Luo Yi's face flushed crimson with rage.
Passersby kept coming and going at the entrance of Changlong Restaurant, each one casting curious glances their way.
Jiang Jingya was more than happy to watch the father and daughter at each other's throats—ideally, the quarrel would burn away whatever faint shred of paternal feeling still lingered between them. But knowing all too well that Luo Yi was a man who lived for face, she put on an air of gracious composure and stepped in to soothe him. "Darling, calm down first. Whatever needs to be said, let's take it inside. We're people of standing—there's no reason to make a scene out here and give strangers something to laugh about."
A vein throbbed at Luo Yi's temple as he shifted his gaze back to the hotel manager.
"Manager, as you can see, I still have great need of this private room today — I must insist that you clear it out."
He would make Li Bochen understand what a gap truly looked like—and the Luo family was never something the likes of him could hope to reach.
The manager was mildly displeased. "Director Luo, I've already made it perfectly clear just now—the VIP private room has been reassigned to someone else..."
Luo Zhiqin suggested, "Dad, the manager has limited authority — there's no point going to him. Why don't we just have Deputy General Manager Wang at the hotel make the arrangements for us directly?"
Jiang Jingya chimed in, "That's right, honey. Don't you know Deputy GM Wang personally? Why waste your breath on a little manager like him?"
Luo Yi cast a cold glance at Li Bochen, then took out his phone and called Deputy Director Wang.
Truth be told, he and Deputy GM Wang weren't really acquainted to begin with. It was just that some time ago, a business associate had hosted a banquet, and Deputy GM Wang happened to be among the guests — so he'd shamelessly angled his way into getting the man's contact. After all, Changrong had the Shengshi Group behind it; there was no shortage of people begging to get a room there. The last thing they needed was him hustling for their business…
The busy signal beeped.
While waiting for the call to connect, Jiang Jingya and her mother turned to look at Luo Ningxi and her husband, smirks of provocation playing at the corners of their mouths — yet their tone was one of exaggerated magnanimity. "The Changlong Hotel is a six-star property under the Shengshi Group, and ranks among the finest in the capital. I imagine your son-in-law has never had the chance to set foot inside — well, perfect timing. Your uncle will take you both in and let you see how the other half lives."
Li Bochen's narrow, cold eyes lidded slightly, his expression hovering in a smile that was not quite a smile.
The Shengshi Group's holdings spanned countless industries. A low-profile establishment like the Changrong Hotel was the sort of place he had never once deigned to inspect—and yet these people actually took *pride* in dining here?
Just then, the call Luo Yi had placed went through.
He said politely, "Vice President Wang? Hello, I'm Luo Yi from the Luo Group…"