The Only Daughter of the Wen Family
Edited by Elv
Tianyin Corporation, the Wen family. A mysterious family known in the circles of old prominent families but unheard of in the new noble clans.
The Wen family, an old and deeply-rooted lineage, gained prominence during the feudal era. Their ancestors were once renowned officials of that time. Later, they sent their descendants abroad as the first batch of students to study abroad. Even during that era, the Wen family had accumulated considerable wealth.
It was said that the Wen family’s genealogy and lineage had been passed down intact for hundreds of years. Flipping through the family tree, one could find many famous names from history.
Such a family produced numerous talented offspring. It was said that the Wen family split into two branches several decades ago. One branch immigrated overseas, while the other, the legitimate branch of the Wen family, also moved away from the capital city ten years ago. They were said to be active in cities such as S City, Hong Kong, and even abroad.
Li Hua had been married into the Zhou family for over twenty years. Her family, the Li family, had also been in business for three generations. While not on the level of an old prominent family like the Zhou family, they were still an incomparable new noble family.
However, even so, in Li Hua’s eyes, the Wen family remained an enigmatic and unpredictable entity.
Recent news mentioned that Wen Tianqi, the current head of the Wen family, had been frequently visiting the capital city. It seemed that he was planning to move back there.
Just as this news broke, Li Hua unexpectedly saw the bracelet in question linked to the Tianyin Group’s account.
But…
Li Hua furrowed her brows. It was widely known that Wen Tianqi had remained single for decades and had no children. It seemed that the Wen family’s direct line ended with him.
There had always been speculation about the fate of the vast assets of the Wen family. Some even guessed that Wen Tianqi might adopt an heir from a collateral branch.
Could it be a girl from the collateral branch of the Wen family?
But could a girl from the collateral branch of the Wen family afford a bangle worth five million under the Tianyin Group?
Could it be that Wen Tianqi had already selected an heir from the collateral branch?
Li Hua couldn’t understand. Even after arriving home, she was still pondering over this matter. Zhou Kao’s father, Zhou Chengyun, was in the living room holding a tablet and reading the news. When he heard the sound coming from the hallway, he looked up, “Back? How’s our son?”
Li Hua changed her shoes and handed her coat and bag to the housekeeper. She walked into the room and sat down beside Zhou Chengyun. She took the water he offered and took a sip, thinking about Zhou Kao’s expression, which almost made her burst out laughing.
Setting down the glass, she used a tissue to wipe the water droplets from her lips, smiling as she said, “That mischievous boy…”
With that, Li Hua’s eyes twinkled as she leaned toward Zhou Chengyun and whispered something in his ear.
Zhou Chengyun’s eyes widened in disbelief. Suspicion still lingered in his gaze. He couldn’t fathom what his wife was suggesting their reserved and proud son had done. He exchanged a glance with his wife, confirming that she wasn’t lying. He furrowed his brows and said, “This… is beyond acceptable!”
Looking at Li Hua with a disapproving expression, Zhou Chengyun continued, “You’re actually still letting him get away with it!”
Li Hua lightly tapped him, reproaching, “Don’t overreact. What era are we in now?”
Zhou Chengyun’s face turned serious. “What era! Regardless of the era, our family rules must be upheld.”
Li Hua said, “Come on, you still don’t know your son. He knows his limits.”
Li Hua’s eyes took on a playful glint as she continued, “I reckon he was touched.”
“She’s a thoughtful girl. Zhou Kao likes cold water, and when I went there, the kitchen had hot water ready. The thermometer, ice packs, fever and cold medicine, everything was prepared. There was even a straw placed on the glass on Zhou Kao’s bedside table. Tsk tsk, even as his birth mother, I might not have been as meticulous.”
Upon hearing this, Zhou Chengyun’s expression also softened, and a hint of a smile appeared in his eyes. “Our son has good taste.”
Li Hua joined in the laughter. “Other people’s kids become more mature when they’re teenagers, but it took him until his twenties. He’s quite late.”
Zhou Chengyun responded, “Wasn’t it during our son’s first year of high school when you told me you suspected he was in a romantic relationship?”
Li Hua gave him a sidelong glance. “That doesn’t count.”
With a chuckle, Li Hua continued, “Actually, back then, it seemed like there might have been something to that suspicion. I suspected he had a failed crush.”
“Remember when you were transferred to that small county town during his first year of high school? It’s still a mystery to me. He had so many beautiful, well-mannered, well-bred, and intelligent girls around him, but he wasn’t interested in any of them. Instead, he fell for a girl there. It’s not that I’m biased, you know, kids raised in different family environments are different. Not that I’m saying the kids there are bad, but I thought with his pride, he might not be interested in his classmates there. And yet, he ended up having a crush on a girl there, and he even had a one-sided love that failed. During that time, he was moping around all day. I was constantly worried that his early romantic relationship would affect his studies.”
Li Hua burst into laughter while speaking. Zhou Chengyun added, “At this age, if he wants to date, he can, but you should talk to him and make sure he’s being responsible.”
Li Hua replied, “Why don’t you talk to him? Isn’t he your son?”
Zhou Chengyun stiffened his neck. “I won’t talk about this matter. You should talk to him.”
Li Hua knew that Zhou Chengyun was embarrassed to talk to his son about this kind of matter, so she laughed and didn’t refuse. However, she suddenly remembered something and turned to Zhou Chengyun. “Do you remember last month when I went to Hong Kong for an auction? I mentioned that I regretted not getting a bangle?”
Zhou Chengyun smiled. “Are you saying you found that bangle and want to buy it?”
Li Hua shook her head. “I did find it, but the situation is not what it seems.”
“I saw the bangle in Zhou Kao’s living room. It was just placed casually on the table.”
Zhou Chengyun asked, “What do you mean? Are you saying the girl had the bangle?”
Li Hua nodded. “It seems that the girl had it in her hand while she was using Zhou Kao’s computer to type. She put it on the table because it was in the way, and her laptop was still open.”
“I had Annie check the bangle. It was sold for 5 million and the transaction was made through the Tianyin Group.”
Zhou Chengyun, who was more involved in politics, was a bit unfamiliar with these corporate matters. “Tianyin Group?”
Li Hua explained, “Tianyin Group, the Wen family, Wen family!”
Zhou Chengyun suddenly realized. “Ah, the Wen family. Wen Tianqi.”
“A couple of days ago, it seems like Chi Jun mentioned to me that Wen Tianqi is planning to move back to the capital city.”
Seeing that Zhou Chengyun wasn’t getting to the point, Li Hua became a bit impatient. “Oh, you, what about that girl?”
Zhou Chengyun replied, “I’m getting to that, what’s wrong?”
Li Hua said, “Wen Tianqi doesn’t have any children, right? So what’s the identity of this girl? Is she from a branch of the Wen family, or has the Wen family already chosen an heir?”
Upon hearing this, Zhou Chengyun said, “What does it matter? Whether she’s from the main branch or a side branch?”
Li Hua responded, “The substantial family assets of the Wen family are held by the main branch. If she’s from a side branch, it’s inevitable that there will be disputes over the family assets. You know our son has to take over your position. Why should he get involved in these messy affairs? I’m just worried.”
Zhou Chengyun pulled Li Hua’s hand over and lightly patted it, smiling. “You’ve been protecting him too well. Boys need to face challenges while growing up; that’s the only way they can bear responsibilities.”
Li Hua was about to say something else, but Zhou Chengyun patted her and comforted her. “Alright, don’t worry about it.”
“Nobody knows this, but Wen Tianqi has a daughter. She was raised by their family’s patriarch from a young age, kept hidden from the outside world. I only found out about it by chance.”
Zhou Chengyun chuckled, “That rascal really has some skills. He managed to win over even Wen Tianqi’s deeply hidden daughter. Hahaha.”
Both of them grew up in families like this, so they had known each other since they were young. Although decades had passed, Zhou Chengyun still felt relieved when he thought about the sour expression on Wen Tianqi’s face upon learning about this matter.
Li Hua’s eyes widened a little in surprise. “Are you saying that Zhou Kao’s girlfriend might be Wen Tianqi’s daughter?”
Wen Tianqi’s only daughter would naturally be the sole heir of the entire Wen family.
Zhou Chengyun was in a good mood as he said, “I was wondering why Wen Tianqi wanted to return to the capital city. Considering the timing, his daughter must be going to university soon. Since you saw this girl at Zhou Kao’s place and she’s likely studying in the capital city, she might even be attending the same university as Zhou Kao. He’s probably moving the family business back to accompany his daughter. Hahaha.”
Li Hua didn’t seem overly pleased with this revelation. Instead, a layer of concern clouded her brow.
Wen Tianqi was puzzled. “What’s wrong again?”
Li Hua said, “This might not be easy. You know, Wen Tianqi has only one daughter, and she’s the sole heir of the Wen family. How could he easily let her go?”
“What if…”
Zhou Chengyun took a sip of tea and casually asked, “What if what?”
Worriedly, Li Hua continued, “What if Wen Tianqi insists on taking in a son-in-law? What if Zhou Kao gets taken away?”
“Pfft!”
Zhou Chengyun spewed out a mouthful of tea, choking and coughing a few times.
Li Hua hurriedly approached and wiped his mouth with a tissue, patting Zhou Chengyun’s back. “Look at you, a grown man, and you still manage to choke on a sip of water like a child.”
Zhou Chengyun didn’t respond to his wife’s nagging. Inside, he had a sudden realization that things had gone awry. He hadn’t thought of this aspect.
The Zhou family had many descendants. Zhou Chengyun alone had three brothers, and Zhou Kao’s cousins from both sides of the family added up to four. However, in the Wen family’s main branch, Wen Tianqi’s daughter was the only heir.
Zhou Chengyun was plunged into anxiety at the thought of losing his son.
No, he had to talk to his son and help him see things clearly.
TN: HAHAAH lol hope you guys loved seeing our male lead’s parents, even though we didn’t get to see the leads in this chapter!
