What’s there to discuss, reconciliation?
Wen Dongrong looked at Lawyer Du as if he were an idiot.
The newspapers all said that the author of Youth Idol was certain to win the reputation rights lawsuit. At this moment, Lawyer Du came to talk about reconciliation, asking Wen Ying to drop the case. If Wen Dongrong agreed, wouldn’t that make him an idiot?
Heh, Lawyer Du was so confident, surely he was about to offer some enticing conditions.
But no matter how Wen Dongrong thought about it, he didn’t believe Lawyer Du’s reconciliation terms could sway him.
For instance, making him the head of the department or something, ahem, he was just fantasising.
In short, he absolutely wouldn’t agree to reconcile!
He was a great father, a responsible husband. His refusal to discuss dropping the lawsuit with Lawyer Du had nothing to do with not being able to call the shots for Wen Ying, and certainly wasn’t because he was afraid of his wife!
Lawyer Du, if you want to talk about reconciliation, I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to hold your tongue. I’m busy with work, so please leave!
Lawyer Du was somewhat stunned.
Wen Dongrong didn’t seem to be joking, but how could that be? Was Wen Dongrong really not angry at all?
Mr. Wen, perhaps you should hear my terms. I’ve come with utmost sincerity, I
Wen Dongrong walked around the desk, past Lawyer Du, and opened the office door.
A figure flashed by in the corridor, sneaking around, looking a bit like Old Li.
Are you leaving on your own, or should I call security to escort you out?
…!
Lawyer Du finally couldn’t hold it together.
How could a public servant act so rashly? Wen Dongrong was too crude, no wonder he was still just a minor leader at his age!
Following his instincts, Lawyer Du would have stormed off, but this lawsuit had to be settled. He struggled to maintain his last shred of dignity: Mr. Wen, I understand your feelings right now. We’re all adults, don’t let anger override reason. I’ll come back when you’ve calmed down.
Oh, this guy reminded him, he needed to tell the gatekeeper not to let this person into the workplace again!
Wen Dongrong had perfectly plugged the loophole, and his mood improved slightly.
Lawyer Du left, and the sneaky Old Li came up with a grin: Dongrong, what did Lawyer Du say to you? Need any help?
Wen Dongrong really wanted to spit in Old Li’s face.
If he weren’t more worried about his own safety, he’d have pinned Old Li to the ground and given him a good thrashing.
Hmph!
Wen Dongrong, with a sour face: I know the boss hasn’t been giving you much work lately, but you’re still on the government’s payroll. If you’re really that idle, water the office plants. Do something useful.
With that, Wen Dongrong slammed the office door shut.
The noise not only startled Old Li but also caught the attention of others in the workplace. Everyone knew Wen Dongrong had snapped at Old Li.
Old Li wasn’t angry at all, as if Wen Dongrong hadn’t just poked at his sore spot.
Don’t stare, everyone, stop staring. It’s just some family trouble!
Old Li explained to his colleagues.
Wen Dongrong actually said he was too idle lately, heh, if his family issues weren’t resolved, Wen Dongrong’s situation could soon swap with his!
Old Li headed toward the big boss’s office.
Years of camaraderie made him unable to abandon Wen Dongrong. Even if Wen Dongrong pointed at his nose and scolded him, he still cared about him.
In the office, Wen Dongrong took a few deep breaths to calm himself.
His emotions were too complex right now!
Wen Ying was actually The Fish Against the Current.
How could Wen Ying hide such a big deal from the family?
Wen Dongrong could answer his own question: last time Wen Ying secretly went to Hunan Province, Chen Ru was furious. To avoid another clash with her mum, Wen Ying chose to hide it.
The answer was obvious, no need for Wen Dongrong to rack his brains.
But Chen Ru definitely wouldn’t accept this answer!
Publishing a novel in secret was one thing.
Fighting a lawsuit over it and still keeping it hidden? Wen Ying’s courage was truly bold.
At best, Wen Ying was too independent; at worst, she didn’t treat her parents as close family.
Wen Dongrong had two choices:
One, betray his daughter, confess to his wife, align with her, and sincerely claim he knew nothing beforehand.
Two, contact his daughter first, align their stories, come up with an excuse his wife might accept, and confess together.
Option one: he might get dragged down by that sneaky Wen Ying. After all, on the day Youth Idol was published, Wen Ying gave him a thousand yuan. It’d be hard to prove he was clueless, and Chen Ru would likely label him an accomplice.
Option two: confessing together sounds nice, but since he’s the adult and Wen Ying’s a minor, what if Chen Ru directs all her firepower at him?
Kids might pick between two options, but a rational adult like Wen Dongrong chose, a third way.
He didn’t call Wen Ying or contact Chen Ru immediately.
Flipping through his phone contacts, Wen Dongrong zeroed in on Deng Shangwei.
Normally, Wen Dongrong would never call Deng Shangwei. Deng thought it was about house renovations, but Wen Dongrong said gravely:
Shangwei, you’ve kept me in the dark! If that lawyer hadn’t shown up today, I wouldn’t have known Wen Ying is The Fish Against the Current. You’re the only one in the family who knew about her publishing a novel, right? Does her aunt know?
Deng Shangwei instinctively defended his wife: Of course my wife doesn’t know!
Oh no!
It’s out!
Oh~
Wen Dongrong dragged out the sound. So Wen Ying’s aunt doesn’t know, but you definitely did.
No, I didn’t!
Deng Shangwei realised what he’d said and wanted to slap himself.
Brother-in-law…
I’m not your brother-in-law, I’m your enemy! You hid something like this from me. Just wait in Chengdu, I’ll take leave soon and come find you. We’ll go to Wen Ying’s mum and explain everything!
Wen Dongrong was pretending at first, but by the end, he was genuinely a bit angry.
Wen Ying told Deng Shangwei but not him!
Though, from another angle, this was a way to protect her dad, but still, a thousand yuan was too little.
With Deng Shangwei as the one who knew and didn’t tell, Wen Dongrong’s psychological burden lightened significantly.
There was a knock at the office door.
Wen Dongrong heard the big boss’s voice.
Opening the door, the boss stood there with Old Li behind him.
Is something up with your family? I heard from Old Li that a lawyer came to see you about your daughter. Is the kid okay?
Wen Dongrong’s face was sweaty. He wiped it and forced a bitter smile: Just a small matter. I didn’t expect it to bother you. I can handle it myself.
Dongrong, don’t act tough.
Old Li’s words were sincere, his face full of concern.
Wen Dongrong was deeply moved, unsure how to repay Old Li’s care, so he resorted to a humblebrag: My daughter, she’s such a handful. She secretly published a novel without me or her mum knowing. And she’s fighting a lawsuit with someone! The lawyer came to me, and I’m just so worried. Boss, Old Li, tell me, how do you discipline a kid like that?
The humblebrag might arrive late, but it never fails to show up.
