She had stood by his grandson's side for nine years now and the decade anniversary was just a few months away, but she was easily discarded like trash.

It was heartless for Yang Mujian to think this, but he was impressed by Yang Feng's behavior. One would find it hard to abandon something they've grown accustomed to, but his grandson did it within the blink of an eye. It showed Yang Feng was not one to become easily attached to something and that was a good sign for Elder Yang who prioritized having a heart of stone. The less Yang Feng felt anything, the better.

Yang Mujian believed Yang Feng did not need to rule the Underworld with a heart, for emotions like pity led to cowardly antics. He'd prefer his grandson to not even have a soul or good moral compass. All Yang Feng needed was an iron fist to clamp down on the people.

Su Meixiu was giddy at being called over, for she saw it as a sign that she was not truly tossed away. She inwardly smiled to herself. She knew she would never be abandoned by the Yangs. Her connection ran deep. Even as she approached Elder Yang, the head of the Su clan was watching from afar, his eyes centered on her.

"Yes, Master Yang?" Her usual airy and sweet as honey voice was curbed into a firmer tone, filled with deceitful nonchalance. She knew it was foolish to show weakness in front of him.

"What do you think of that woman's relationship with my grandson?"

Su Meixiu easily replied, "The Young Master is heavily invested in her. I dare say…" She paused for a dramatic effect, "He's in love with her."

The sinful word, love, triggered him, his face becoming stormy. His fingers tightly clenched the teacup, cracking it from his pressure.

Su Meixiu hid the smirk on her face when she saw his reaction. It was exactly what she wanted to see. Go on, Master Yang, destroy that woman, and ship her far away from your grandson!

She might've hidden the small curve on her lips, but Elder Yang still saw it perfectly. She's deliberately pressing the right buttons. He was entertained by this. He already knew she was quite a conniving woman, something he did not care for as long as she did not bite the hand of the one that fed her.

Yang Mujian trusted his grandson. Yang Feng was the only kin Yang Mujian took under his wing and personally raised by him. He taught Yang Feng everything he knew: how to kill without flinching, how to mercilessly torture and torment a person, how to sit still in front of a massacre, and how to intimidate one's enemies.

"Is that so…" Yang Mujian mused, taking a calming sip of the Da Hong Pao tea. He was not stupid enough to easily believe her words without proper investigation and confirmation. For his grandson, he was willing to give him a second chance to explain himself.

Yang Mujian continued to watch the exchange of his grandchildren. The more he watched, the more he was impressed by her. She knew how to keep all three unruly children in check. From catering to Yang Feng's possessiveness to doting on Yang Ruqin and matching the teasing of Yang Yulong— everything she did was a remarkable feat.

He could see why Zhao Moyao treasured her out of the tens of grandchildren he had. This one was quite special.

Yang Mujian had dug deeper into Zhao Lifei's current lifestyle, more than his grandson. It was enough for him to know she was her grandfather's consultant, which was not an easy accomplishment, and as a matter of fact, it placed her on an extremely high pedestal without her knowledge.

Yang Mujian realized the ancient fool was considering the idea of making her the next CEO of Zhao Corporation, something that would shake the business world. Learning of this, he knew he would have to tread carefully around her should he ever remove her position from his grandson's side in the future.

He thought back to her short past in the military. The compliments and formal commendations about her skills were enough to pile up into a mountain, all of them praising her diligence and ability to handle a gun better than a veteran who had decades of experience. He also heard of the massacre that happened in the warehouse — she single-handedly took down twenty-nine men.

The more he learned about her, the more he began to like her. He did not care about her tarnished reputation, he cared more about the usefulness of a person.

- - - - -

Zhao Lifei caught the eye of her grandfather a few meters away. He was surrounded by people. She wanted to approach him, but remembered the incident with Liang Yunxi and figured it was best to not do so with Yang Feng hovering over her.

Yang Yulong looked around and when he spotted a beautiful group of ladies with bodies rivaling supermodels, his eyes lit up. When he was sure that no one was watching, he slipped away.

Yang Feng bent his head to seductively whisper into her ear, "Let's go somewhere private."

Zhao Lifei chuckled and gave his chest a firm pat. "I don't think so."

She turned to Yang Ruqin and saw she was heavily invested in her phone, her fingers flying with incredible speed over the flat surface. Who was she texting?

But, before Zhao Lifei could speak up, Yang Mujian stood up to make a speech.

"Good evening, welcome to my banquet. I hope everyone is enjoying themselves tonight. I would like to thank you for attending." He nodded his head and walked off.

His speech was short, but it was enough for the people who were happy by simply hearing one word from him. Many people respected him, but more feared him, for the things that he could do were simply too inhumane even for such an old man like himself.

The dinner was going to start soon. Zhao Lifei nudged Yang Ruqin who nodded, her head still buried in the phone as she began to walk back to her table. Zhao Lifei worriedly watched her retreating back, so small and brittle.

Zhao Lifei began to worry about what problem her dear friend had gotten herself into now.

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