End All of This
I’ll protect you!
Downstairs, the company’s security guards blocked the Luo family. Luo Ke didn’t go out, instead sitting in the lobby. One side of the lobby was a one-way mirror, and from her seat on the sofa, she had a perfect view of their performance.
Lin Sifei saw that the people were getting more and more aggressive. Invoking Luo Ke’s name, they started hitting the guards who were trying to stop them.
She bit her lip and started typing on her small keyboard. Luo Ke picked up the tablet, a smile touching her lips. “That’s a good idea.”
She raised her hand and beckoned to Special Assistant Lin, who was standing by the door. “Go tell the guards that Luo Shengping is no longer a director of the Luo Group, and I won’t be managing the Luo family’s affairs from now on.”
Understanding her meaning in an instant, Special Assistant Lin turned and jogged outside, shouting Luo Ke’s words.
The entire Luo family was stunned, and the security guards on duty breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Special Assistant Lin glanced at them and, seeing that no one had really processed it, clapped his hands. “Hey, what President Luo means is that you don’t have to take a beating without fighting back or endure insults without retorting. When someone comes to the company to cause trouble, it’s perfectly normal for a little physical conflict to occur in the process.”
As soon as he said that, the expressions of a few of the quicker-witted guards changed.
“What are you standing around for? Hurry up and send them away,” the security captain ordered. The guards immediately swarmed forward, pushing and shoving them. All the frustration from being hit while standing there was now being unleashed.
“Wait!” Old Madam Luo stepped in front of Special Assistant Lin. “Young man, I recognize you. I want to see Xiao Ke. Make all these people stop!”
Special Assistant Lin glanced at her, a troubled expression on his face. “Please wait a moment.”
He ran back inside quickly. “President Luo, this…”
Luo Ke had already seen her through the glass and waved her hand. “I’ll see her. Bring her to my office.”
With that, she stood up first and walked into the elevator.
Special Assistant Lin didn’t know why she insisted on going to the office. Watching the elevator doors close, he hurried outside to call Old Madam Luo in.
Lin Sifei, perched on her shoulder, noticed her foul expression and typed on the keyboard, “Why do you have to see her? She’s not good to you.”
A corner of Luo Ke’s mouth lifted. “I lived with her after my parents passed away. She wasn’t exactly good to me; most of the time she’d say she wasn’t feeling well and wouldn’t see me, only occasionally showing a grandmother’s affection.”
“No matter what, I have to thank her one last time for raising me. Also…” Luo Ke smiled and took a photo out of her drawer. “I want to know what she really thinks of my father.”
Old Madam Luo came up quickly. She walked into the office wearing a dark blue suit and a formal hat. She looked at Luo Ke and revealed a loving smile. “Xiao Ke.”
Luo Ke didn’t get up, merely gesturing with her hand for her to sit nearby.
The old woman’s expression wasn’t great, but she still smiled and sat down.
“You’ve come to see me because you already know I’m going to sue Luo Shengping and send him to prison.”
Old Madam Luo’s smile didn’t falter. “It’s rare for us to meet. Let’s not talk about such unhappy things. I brought you some pastries.”
She took out a piece of pink strawberry cake, placed it on the coffee table in front of them, and beckoned. “Xiao Ke, come and eat.”
It was like calling a dog. Lin Sifei’s brow furrowed, and she couldn’t help but bare her teeth.
Luo Ke reached out and stroked her head. “Grandmother, I don’t like sweets.”
Old Madam Luo’s expression stiffened slightly, and she gave an awkward laugh. “Is that so? You always ate dessert whenever you visited. I thought you’d like it.”
“Because Second Aunt likes them, there were always a lot of desserts at home. I never had any proper dishes, so I’d reluctantly eat some later when I got hungry.”
“Really, you child, you never said anything.” Old Madam Luo looked at her with a chiding expression. “Then what do you like? I’ll make it for you.”
Luo Ke let out a small laugh. She suddenly understood her own tragedy. For so many years, no one in the Luo family had ever cared what she liked to eat. Only today, at the moment of their final break, did they finally see her for who she was.
She lowered her head with a self-deprecating smile, meeting Lin Sifei’s worried cat eyes.
Luo Ke’s lips pressed together as she raised a hand to cover Lin Sifei’s eyes. Don’t look. Don’t look at me in such a pathetic state.
“Grandmother, you don’t need to do these things,” Luo Ke said, her face turning cold again. “I already know Father wasn’t your biological son, and I understand the true nature of your relationship. Now, are you going to continue wasting time displaying affection, or are we going to talk about what you came here to talk about?”
Old Madam Luo’s expression was ugly. In fact, she knew very well that the moment she took out that cake, she could no longer count on Luo Ke’s familial affection.
She sighed. “Then let’s be direct. What exactly do you plan to do?”
“What I plan to do is what I’m doing right now,” Luo Ke said, looking at her. “Luo Shengping embezzled public funds, so he must be prosecuted. As for First Aunt and Second Aunt, I have no obligation to support them. As long as they don’t appear in front of me, I can treat them as smoke and clouds passing before my eyes1, gone with a wave of my hand.”
Old Madam Luo took a deep breath. “Although your father was adopted, I treated him as my own son.”
“I already said, I understand the nature of your relationship.” Luo Ke tilted her head. “Grandmother, you must still be holding on to a sliver of hope, since I at least agreed to see you.”
She pulled open a drawer, took out the check inside, and pushed it across the desk. “This is five million. It’s a support payment for you. Consider it my repayment for the grace of being raised, for both my father and myself. From now on, it’s bridge to bridge, road to road2.”
Old Madam Luo’s face turned green with anger. “Five million?! Are you trying to get rid of a beggar?!”
Luo Ke sat up straight. “You think it’s too little? I won’t take back the house you’re living in now; Father gave that to you. I won’t touch any of your assets either. An extra five million on top of that is a lot.”
“I’m an old woman! What assets could I possibly have!”
“Your jewelry,” Luo Ke said with a smile. “Aren’t those things very valuable?”
“And would it make you look good if I had to sell my jewelry?!”
“After all the things you’ve done over the years, I’m afraid every single one of your deeds has been seen by others. To bring up face3 now… isn’t that a bit ridiculous?”
Old Madam Luo stood up in a rage, grabbing her bag and glaring at her.
“Five million. If you don’t want it, I’ll take it back.” Luo Ke’s hand rested on the check.
“Give it to me.” Old Madam Luo closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Luo Ke removed her hand. She waited until Old Madam Luo walked up to her and picked up the check.
“There’s one more thing. What did you really think of my father?”
Hearing this, Old Madam Luo’s face instantly lit up.
Luo Ke lifted her teacup. “Don’t misunderstand. The answer won’t change my current decision. I’m just asking.”
Old Madam Luo snatched the check and turned to leave in a huff. At the doorway, she finally couldn’t stop herself from turning back. “My thoughts? It’s that you and your dad are the same—a pair of white-eyed wolves4.”
Luo Ke’s hand clenched violently. “Is that so?” She started to laugh. “Then we’ll just have to see who the real white-eyed wolf is.”
Old Madam Luo slammed the door on her way out. Luo Ke leaned back in her chair, completely drained of energy.
Lin Sifei looked at her pale face, her heart aching. She carefully padded up her stomach to climb onto her lap and kiss her cheek.
The tickling made Luo Ke laugh. She reached out and held her still. “You, where do you think you’re standing right now? You want to take advantage of me even as a cat?”
Lin Sifei froze, looking down at the soft place her paws were stepping on. Her face flushed red in an instant, and she huffily jumped back onto the desk.
Luo Ke had covered her eyes earlier. Although she could hear their voices, she couldn’t see their expressions at all.
She swatted her twitching tail angrily. Why did Luo Ke cover her eyes? What was there that she couldn’t see? She was furious with her cat form; she wanted to demand an explanation but lacked the presence to do so.
She pulled the small keyboard over, but before she could type, Luo Ke pushed it away again.
Luo Ke picked her up with a grin. “Alright, the problem’s solved. Let’s go get you some sashimi.”
Lin Sifei meowed angrily. Who wants to eat sashimi! Explain things clearly first!
Fifteen minutes later, sitting in the restaurant, Lin Sifei stared at the sashimi before her and buried her head in it, eating with particular delight.
Oh well, she thought. Since Luo Ke didn’t want me to see, she must have had her reasons. I believe that one day, she’ll show her complete self to me.
As she was thinking, she caught sight of a couple walking by with a pair of twins. The children were restlessly pestering them for ice cream.
“Be careful, don’t scratch your mom’s ring,” the dad said, holding one child’s hand while scolding the one on his wife’s side.
The mom looked down and nodded. “Stop fooling around. What if the ring scratches your hand?”
As she spoke, she raised her hand to take the ring off, but the dad grabbed it. “Why would you take off your wedding ring? A scratch will heal in a couple of days. It’ll teach them a lesson, too.”
The mom frowned. “How can you say that?”
But the dad wouldn’t let her take it off. “You two listen up. Besides being your mom, she’s also my wife. Don’t go too far, you understand? Especially if you damage the ring. You’ll be waiting for a spanking.”
He took out some cash. “Go buy your ice cream. Stop being so annoying.”
The kids happily took the money and ran off. “Dad and Mom are scattering dog food5 again, how annoying.”
Lin Sifei’s cat eyes were fixed on the ring on the woman’s hand, lost in thought.
A ring. She looked down at her own cat paws. They had talked about getting engaged before, but now there was no follow-up. So annoying.
“What are you spacing out for? Don’t you like it?”
Lin Sifei snapped back to reality, shook her head, and snuggled up beside Luo Ke’s hand, burying her head to eat more sashimi.
Luo Ke looked at her round bottom and couldn’t help but cover her mouth to stifle a laugh. What am I going to do? I’m really going to raise a fat cat.
When they were almost done eating, the phone on the table vibrated. Luo Ke picked it up and saw it was a message from Yuan Mo’s father, inviting her over for a visit that afternoon.
Luo Ke’s brow arched slightly. She replied with an “Okay” and put the phone down.
Yuan Mo’s father and Luo Ke’s father had originally been good business partners. After her father’s car accident, the two families lost contact. It wasn’t until Luo Ke took over that she and Yuan Mo had some business dealings.
Come to think of it, the last time she remembered visiting the Yuan Family was when she was a child. A sudden invitation now… it seemed the one who has come is not kind6.
She was lost in thought when Lin Sifei pawed at her a couple of times.
She looked down and saw that Lin Sifei’s plate was empty.
“I’m sorry, I was thinking about something and forgot to get you more.”
“Miao?” Lin Sifei tilted her head.
Even without words, Luo Ke could understand her meaning. “Yuan Mo’s father invited me for afternoon tea. I hear his wife has learned a new skill.”
When Lin Sifei heard this, the antennae on her head shot up. This Uncle Yuan had only appeared once in the book, when Yuan Mo brought Yan Yafei home. It was a spectacular scene; Uncle Yuan was a textbook example of someone with strange yin and yang energy7, verbally cornering Yan Yafei until she had nowhere to hide her face in shame8.
But even though it was only once, Yuan Mo’s evaluation of him in his dialogue was very high. Yuan Mo had even consulted his father on business matters many times.
“Don’t worry. It’s probably about me acquiring several of the Yuan Family’s subsidiary companies.”
Hearing that, the fur on Lin Sifei’s back stood up even more. No way. Cutting off someone’s wealth is like murdering their parents. Stealing business is even worse!
In that brief moment, Lin Sifei had already started to brain supplement9 a bunch of strange scenarios, including but not limited to Luo Ke being kidnapped, having a gun pointed at her head, being thrown into the sea to feed the fish…
Luo Ke watched the cat’s mouth hang slightly agape, a dazed look on her face, and knew she was thinking strange things again.
She reached out and poked the cat’s butt. “What are you thinking about?”
Lin Sifei was just imagining herself diving into the sea to save Luo Ke from a school of sharks. The poke startled her, and her eyes landed on the massive fish head on the table in front of her.
She let out a terrified shriek, her whole body arching as she hissed at the fish head.
Luo Ke couldn’t help but burst out laughing at her antics.
Lin Sifei realized what had happened, shot her a glare, and then angrily started biting into the fish meat, eating with loud aowu aowu sounds.
In the afternoon, Luo Ke drove to the Yuan Family’s main residence. As soon as they entered, Lin Sifei noticed that the architectural style was somewhat similar to the house where Old Madam Luo lived.
She looked up at Luo Ke and saw that she had noticed it too.
“Are you Luo Ke?”
Luo Ke turned to see a middle-aged man in a knit sweater. She nodded. “Yes, I am. Excuse me, are you Uncle Yuan?”
“Haha, that’s me.” Uncle Yuan smiled and nodded, then called out towards the garden, “Wife, hurry over! Luo Ke is here.”
“Coming, coming!” A very well-maintained woman ran out from the garden, still holding flowers.
“These are for you, you lovely child.”
Luo Ke accepted the flowers and nodded her thanks.
“Come, let’s sit in the garden and talk.”
Luo Ke followed behind Uncle Yuan and took a seat. She got straight to the point. “Did Uncle call me here because of the companies that were acquired?”
The gentle smiles on Uncle Yuan and his wife’s faces froze instantly. They both stared at Luo Ke.
Lin Sifei couldn’t help but bristle again. She leaped onto the table, using her tiny body to shield Luo Ke.
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