142. The Script is Upside Down

After delivering her birthday gift, Bai Jinyan took Chen Ruowen back to Rainbow Village.

It wasn’t that they didn’t want to stay away longer, but it was Chen Ruowen’s birthday—a milestone coming-of-age celebration—and Chen Liwan was certain to show up.

Sure enough, as soon as they returned to the village, they saw Chen Liwan sitting in the living room of the new villa at the back of the village with a dark, stern expression. The atmosphere was stifling.

Ma Yunan and the others were making a flurry of chaotic gestures behind them, though it was impossible to tell what they meant.

Chen Liwan squinted as he scrutinized his daughter. Her gait and posture were normal; nothing major had happened. Her expression was bright—humph, he didn't need to guess to know she had been sweet-talked by that boy from the Bai family.

Chen Liwan snorted heavily, rose to his feet, and walked over to the two young people standing hand-in-hand. He stared directly at Bai Jinyan.

"Come with me."

"Dad..." Chen Ruowen grabbed Chen Liwan's arm.

Chen Liwan, who had always indulged his daughter’s wishes, did not yield an inch this time. He patted Chen Ruowen on the shoulder, cast a glance at Bai Jinyan, and walked straight toward Bai Jinyan’s room.

Bai Jinyan calmed Chen Ruowen down, followed him in, and closed the door.

Seeing this, Ma Yunan and the others immediately gathered around.

"Sister Wen, your dad is so much like you! His aura is so intense; just sitting there, he has the air of a big boss. None of us dared to speak to him," Ma Yunan said.

Chen Ruowen replied nonchalantly, "Duh. If my dad didn't look like me, would he look like you?"

The retort was... well, hard to argue with.

Mo Xiaoxin giggled, "Uncle is so handsome. He must have had many beauties chasing him when he was young."

Chen Ruowen didn't know about that, so she didn't answer. Ma Yunan added with a worried look, "With Brother Yan being called in by Uncle Chen like that, do you think he’ll get beaten up? Uncle Chen hasn't looked happy all afternoon."

He certainly wasn't happy. No one would be pleased to eagerly go to pick up their daughter for her birthday, only to find she had been "kidnapped" by someone else.

Inside the room, Chen Liwan stood with his hands behind his back. He looked Bai Jinyan up and down before snorting again.

"Did you have a good time these past two days?"

Bai Jinyan nodded with a smile. "We visited the ancient district in West City and went bungee jumping at Nameless Cliff. Wenwen enjoyed it."

"Bungee jumping?" Chen Liwan’s expression shifted. "Don't take her to do such dangerous things again."

Bai Jinyan didn't bother to argue that the idea had been entirely Chen Ruowen's; he just nodded and said, "Understood."

Chen Liwan’s expression softened slightly. This was one thing he found agreeable about Bai Jinyan: he didn't like to make excuses.

He pulled up a chair, sat down, and finally got to the point.

"I know that Wenwen has some special feelings for you and likes to be by your side. But you are both so young. What do you know about love at seventeen or eighteen? I was young once, too. I know young people have intense feelings, but that doesn't mean anything. Do you understand?"

This time, Bai Jinyan didn't say a word, though his muscles tensed. Chen Liwan noticed his reaction and continued.

"Don't be resentful. You young people always see things so simply. Jinyan, a person's life is very long. Your lives have only just begun. Even if you make grand vows now, can you guarantee that those promises will hold weight ten, twenty, or fifty years from now?"

Bai Jinyan spoke with some difficulty. "Uncle, if you have something to say, please be direct."

"Fine, I will be direct," Chen Liwan nodded. "After I retire, Wenwen will inherit Shuangxing. You should be aware of that."

Bai Jinyan nodded.

Chen Liwan continued, "I will not let my daughter marry a penniless boy. Her future husband must be worthy of her. To be honest, your Bai family barely meets my standards, and that is only because Wenwen likes you."

Chen Liwan was not a man who prioritized wealth above all else. Currently, Shuangxing occupied half of the domestic entertainment industry; the Chen family was not short on money.

However, there were many complex people and matters both inside and outside this circle, and the "cake" was not easy to swallow. If Shuangxing wanted to truly grow, it needed powerful external support. Even if they took a step back and didn't expand, just maintaining the status quo after Chen Ruowen took over required a strong marital alliance to protect the family's hard work from those with ill intentions.

Although the Bai family was not bad, Chen Liwan had never kept his sights on the business world. He had always wanted his daughter to marry into the political sphere.

In fact, many second and third-generation heirs had expressed interest in a marriage alliance over the years, even heirs from famous foreign enterprises. But Chen Liwan did not want his daughter to marry far away. At the top of his list were the Yu and Lu families in North City, which was why he insisted on bringing his daughter with him whenever he visited.

As for Bai Jinyan... he was only on Chen Liwan's list because both Chen Ruowen and her mother, Yang Anxin, liked him. The boy was indeed decent and treated his daughter well.

For the sake of his wife and daughter, Chen Liwan had begrudgingly accepted the prospect of this marriage, willing to give up on expanding Shuangxing. But a small incident in July had changed his mind.

Chen Ruowen’s university acceptance letter had arrived.

"Wenwen’s acceptance letter is for medical school," Chen Liwan asked point-blank. "Do you intend to study medicine?"

How could Chen Ruowen study medicine on her own? The only possibility was that Bai Jinyan had applied for it. But why would Bai Jinyan want to study medicine?

This question was worth deep consideration.

"Do you not want to inherit Zhongyu?" Chen Liwan asked.

"I..."

Chen Liwan cut him off, stating firmly, "As a doctor, even if you reached the level of Yu Liren, I would never allow Wenwen to be with you. Even if she likes you, it’s impossible."

A doctor could not protect the Chen family’s legacy, and an ordinary person certainly couldn't either. Only if Bai Jinyan inherited Zhongyu and maintained it at its current scale would this marriage not pose a crisis for Shuangxing.

Bai Jinyan didn't know the concerns weighing on Chen Liwan's mind and simply sighed.

"I know. I just... wanted to fulfill my own ideals. After I graduate, I will join Zhongyu."

Chen Liwan frowned. "You won't join until you graduate? You’ll be nearly thirty by the time you take control of the company. Can Wenwen afford to wait that long?"

Bai Jinyan said quickly, "It won't take that long. Within three years at most, I will definitely be in control of Zhongyu."

"Do you think managing a company is easy? Wenwen entered Shuangxing at thirteen. How many achievements did she have to make over the years to earn the recognition of the board and senior management? What can you do in three years?"

If the company's situation were simple, that might be fine, but given the current state of Zhongyu, what could be done in three years?

Did this boy named Bai really not understand, or did he think he was easy to fool?

"You think three years is enough? Fine. I don't care when you enter Zhongyu, but if you haven't cleaned up your family's mess before Wenwen turns twenty-five, I will marry her off to someone else. You choose how you want to proceed."

"Uncle!" Bai Jinyan exclaimed, his face turning pale.

"I’m not finished," Chen Liwan waved his hand. "I also won't let Wenwen wait foolishly for you until she’s twenty-five. I cannot let my daughter hang herself on a tree that hasn't grown. After her coming-of-age ceremony, I will start introducing her to people of equal standing."

"Either show me your sincerity, or leave my daughter."

"You do not have the right to say no."