“To me, money’s just a number.”
Everyone froze at Ye Qiu’s words, unsure how to respond, too brazen, too bold.
Cao Chunmei and her daughter, meanwhile, harbored doubts. Was Ye Qiu stepping up to sabotage them? If Elder Qian handed this off to him and he couldn’t pay, the loan sharks would surely kill them.
Elder Qian eyed Ye Qiu, then asked Qian Jinglan, “Does Ye Qiu have money?”
Qian Jinglan nodded.
Elder Qian still couldn’t believe it. “They owe thirty million. Can he really cover that?”
“Yes,” Qian Jinglan said, “Even three billion, he could manage.”
Elder Qian’s eyes widened, incredulous.
Qian Duoduo piped up, “Grandpa, you don’t know, cousin’s loaded. At the Baoli Auction in the capital, he dropped a billion on an antique and gave it away.”
What? A billion on an antique?
And gifted it?
Prodigal!
Cao Chunmei and her daughter’s eyes burned with envy.
In truth, Qian Duoduo didn’t know Ye Qiu had only bid a billion, he never paid. Though, if he had to, he could’ve.
Elder Qian frowned. After Qian Jinglan and Ye Qiu went to Jiangzhou, he’d had Qian Bowen investigate. Bowen reported they lived modestly there.
How’d Ye Qiu get so rich so fast?
Had his grandson taken a crooked path?
Face stern, Elder Qian asked, “Ye Qiu, where’d your money come from? Is it clean?”
Qian Jinglan explained, “Dad, Qiu’er owns a big mall in Jiangzhou. Monthly profits hit hundreds of millions.”
Elder Qian blinked.
Ye Qiu added, “My girlfriend runs a listed company, annual profits over ten billion.”
Elder Qian’s eyes bulged. “You’ve got a girlfriend?”
“Yeah,” Ye Qiu nodded.
Elder Qian’s mood soured.
He’d planned to set Ye Qiu up with someone. Many of his former students now held high posts, a match with a prominent family’s daughter could boost Ye Qiu’s future.
“Whose daughter is she?” Elder Qian asked.
Ye Qiu countered, “Which one, Grandpa?”
“What do you mean, which one?”
Realization hit, and Elder Qian’s face darkened. “You’ve got more than one?”
Ye Qiu nodded with a smile.
“You rascal! Love’s no game!” Elder Qian barked. “Juggling women, if they found out, wouldn’t they hate you forever?”
Ye Qiu grinned, “They all know each other. They’re friends.”
That works?
Everyone gaped.
Qian Duoduo’s gaze on Ye Qiu brimmed with awe and envy.
His cousin wasn’t just a medical genius, a martial arts prodigy, and filthy rich, he had multiple women. Truly a role model!
Elder Qian snorted, “You’re juggling them, and even if they’re fine with it, what about their families?”
“If they knew my grandson, Qian Siyuan’s kin, toyed with feelings, they’d curse me to death!”
“I’m warning you, love isn’t—”
“Grandpa!” Ye Qiu cut in. “I’ve met their families. They don’t mind.”
What?
Elder Qian thought he’d misheard.
Even Qian Weidong stared, dumbstruck.
Realizing his grandson was extraordinary, Elder Qian reined in his anger. “Tell me, who are they? What’s their background?”
Ye Qiu replied, “One’s from Jiangzhou, runs a beauty salon.”
“Another’s from the Lin family, one of Jiangzhe’s four great clans, Lin老爷子’s granddaughter.”
Elder Qian’s expression shifted.
He knew the Lin family, big in business, especially in Jiangzhe, where their word was law.
“Another’s a colleague, dean at our Jiangzhou hospital, General Bai’s granddaughter from the capital’s Bai family.”
Shock flashed in Elder Qian’s eyes.
He hadn’t expected Ye Qiu’s girlfriends to have such heavyweight roots!
What baffled him was how clans like Lin and Bai, titans, tolerated Ye Qiu’s multi-dating.
Ye Qiu scratched his nose. “There’s one more, maybe?”
Another?
Qian Jinglan shot him an annoyed glance. New girlfriend, and he’d hidden it from his own mom? Hmph!
Ye Qiu nearly named Qianshan Xue, then paused. She was from Dadong, a sore spot for Elder Qian’s generation, scarred by past woes, who loathed “little devils.”
Ye Qiu hated them too, but Qianshan Xue was an exception.
Would naming her spark Elder Qian’s fury?
“Who’s the other?” Elder Qian pressed.
Ye Qiu, cornered, said, “It’s…”
“I know!” Qian Duoduo jumped in. “Grandpa, his other girlfriend’s the granddaughter of today’s top leader, Elder Tang.”
What!
Elder Qian jolted.
Qian Jinglan’s eyes widened.
The rest stood like they’d been struck by lightning, stiff, throats dry.
If true, Ye Qiu was the top leader’s grandson-in-law?
In ancient times, he’d be a prince consort!
“Ye Qiu, is Duoduo right?” Elder Qian asked.
“Duoduo’s teasing. Don’t believe him,” Ye Qiu said with a laugh.
Qian Duoduo rushed, “Grandpa, I’m not lying! I heard it from Elder Zhang. Call him if you don’t believe me.”
Elder Qian’s heart rocked. If Elder Zhang said it, it was true.
His grandson was far more formidable than he’d imagined!
Elder Qian fixed Ye Qiu with a grave look. “They say a hero’s tomb is a woman’s embrace. You’re young, don’t drown in indulgence.”
“A man’s life has two quests: one for the people, one for love.”
“You’ve got love. Now do something for the world.”
“Got it?”
Ye Qiu bowed respectfully, “Yes, Grandpa.”
“Teachable lad!”
Just as Elder Qian finished, a harsh shout boomed from outside: “Get out here, you bastards!”
