Chapter 480 — The Cousin Comes Calling Again

Yet the more Wang Xinyan behaved this way, the more she stirred Kang Zhaolong's heart. Had he brought home a woman who coveted wealth, he might have said nothing, but he would surely not have been happy in his heart.

And Wang Xinyan's conduct suited his taste exactly. The gleam in Kang Zhaolong's eyes flashed and was gone, and his former clarity returned. He was deep in cunning; that he could persevere in hard study for so many years was proof enough of how formidable his willpower was.

"Hello, Wang Xinyan. My name is Kang Zhaolong. I hope we can get along happily with one another!" Kang Zhaolong said warmly, extending his hand with an easy grace.

Had Kang Zhaolong begun this way from the start, Wang Xinyan would not have loathed him as she did now. He was, after all, a sacrifice to the family's interests; even if she did not like him, she would not have despised him.

But the gleam of desire in Kang Zhaolong's eyes had already betrayed the impurity of his heart, and it filled Wang Xinyan with revulsion. She glanced at the hand he held out and said coolly, "Sorry. I was locked up by my family earlier, and I haven't washed my hands in days."

"Ah?" Kang Zhaolong was taken aback, and his face darkened — but only for an instant, before he recovered himself. Inwardly he was furious at Wang Xinyan for not sparing his face, for announcing before everyone that she had been forced into this, which left him utterly humiliated. Yet at this moment he absolutely could not fall out with her. For one thing, she was a woman who stirred his heart, and such a woman was worth pursuing. For another, for the sake of the family's interests, a junior like him could not afford to break with the Xiao family.

"It seems Xinyan is not quite willing to marry into our Kang family?" Divine Doctor Kang, hearing her words, was somewhat angered. Kang Zhaolong could not speak up, but he could.

Though the Kang family was not yet a great clan, this marriage alliance was mutually beneficial, and the Xiao family understood that perfectly well. Besides, the old master of the Xiao family had already passed away, leaving only two juniors; Divine Doctor Kang was still entitled to play the elder and throw his weight about.

"This..." Xiao Ji was annoyed too. He had not expected Wang Xinyan to be so utterly graceless on such an occasion. He was about to scold her when he caught Xiao Ben signaling with his eyes, and he hastily swallowed his words.

In the Xiao family, though Xiao Ji was the head, Xiao Ben was the strategist. Xiao Ji had come to understand by now that only with the brothers joining hands could they preserve the family estate, so he had set aside the pride of being the head and deferred to Xiao Ben in everything.

"Elder Kang, she is a girl, and girls are thin-skinned. How could she agree all at once?" Xiao Ben said with a smile. "Young people's affairs should of course be decided by the young people themselves. We are only the matchmakers threading the needle; in the end it depends on them. Let them get acquainted first — only with acquaintance can there be a next step!"

Xiao Ben's words were smooth and tactful. Though they differed from the original intent, Divine Doctor Kang could still accept them. It was plain that Wang Xinyan felt a strong resistance; the Xiao family must have done a great deal of work beforehand. If Divine Doctor Kang insisted on anything now, it would only make matters worse, and that was not what he wished to see. So the only thing to do was as Xiao Ben said: let the two young people get to know each other first.

"Since the two young people have met, it would be good for them to see more of each other in the future. I hear Xinyan studies in Songshan City? Let Zhaolong go and visit her on weekends when he has nothing to do." Divine Doctor Kang nodded as he spoke.

"Xinyan, when I come to see you, don't turn me away!" Kang Zhaolong said to Wang Xinyan with a smile.

"I'm in my senior year of high school. I'm very busy, and I may not have time..." Wang Xinyan said flatly.

Though Wang Xinyan meant to refuse, her reason was one that no one could find fault with. Kang Zhaolong, displeased as he was, could only say, "You can always find time for a meal, surely? Just let me treat you to a meal, so we can get better acquainted!"

"That... depends on the time." Wang Xinyan frowned. But since Kang Zhaolong had put it that way, there was nothing she could do. Seeing the eager look in her father's eyes, she felt deeply depressed.

In any case, she would put him off for now. She was still young; if she stalled, perhaps something would change. At that thought, Wang Xinyan felt a little more at ease.

Seeing that Wang Xinyan no longer opposed so fiercely, Divine Doctor Kang's expression eased somewhat. "Guifeng has booked a table at the hotel. Let us all go over together!"

Tang Yun did not know how her day had passed. That evening she stumbled home, and found her mother, all smiles, studying the matter of buying a shopfront with her father.

"Yun'er, you're back?" Mother Tang looked at Tang Yun delightedly, not noticing that her daughter's mood was off. "Your father and I are just discussing it — we want a bigger shopfront, best if it has an upstairs and a downstairs. Our house is large enough in area, so the payment won't be much; five hundred thousand will surely do it!"

"Oh..." Tang Yun answered faintly. The words that had reached her lips would not come out. She had meant to ask her mother for the five hundred thousand back, but in these circumstances, how could she? Depressed, Tang Yun went back to her room, shut the door behind her, and lay face down on the bed, weeping in grievance.

Crying and crying, she fell asleep...

Tang Yun went back to her room to study every day after school, so Mother Tang found nothing strange in it at all.

She did not know how long it had been when Tang Yun was woken by a clamor. Dazed, she climbed out of bed, meaning to wash her face and come back to her books. She pushed open the door, and saw her younger brother Wang Luwei and his girlfriend Xiaodan sitting on the sofa in the living room, their faces full of hesitation.

"Yun'er, you're awake? I saw you were asleep just now and didn't dare call you!" Mother Tang brightened at once when she saw Tang Yun up. "You're tired from school every day, so I didn't disturb you. Good thing you're awake — we still need your help with Xiaowei's business!"

Tang Yun was slightly startled. "What's happened to Xiaowei now?"

"Sis... you have to help me!" Xiaowei looked at Tang Yun dejectedly and pleaded, "You have to save Xiaodan!"

"What is it now? What trouble have you gotten into this time?" Tang Yun was already in low spirits, and hearing that Xiaowei had caused trouble again naturally displeased her all the more.

Xiaowei saw Tang Yun's displeasure too, and grew even more afraid to speak.

If Xiaowei could see it, so could Mother Tang. She glared at Tang Yun. "What, now that you've made something of yourself, you won't bother with your brother?"

"Made something of myself? What are you talking about!" Tang Yun frowned. "I never said I wouldn't help him!"