Deliberately Approaching
Chapter 240: Is Madam Lai a Vixen?

Chapter 240: Chapter 240: Is Madam Lai a Vixen?

In the Nanjiang Villa, as Madam Lai was looking at the news reports about Jinyuan Hotel on her phone, she picked up her rosewood chopsticks only to set them down again, having no appetite whatsoever.

"Ah, not even a call."

"This child truly takes after his father, always liking to tough it out."

Facing Madam Lai’s soliloquy, Nanny Wu didn’t interject. She didn’t understand business matters, and even if she did speak, she wouldn’t hit the nail on the head and could cause more trouble instead.

Shortly after, Madam Lai left the dining room.

She didn’t ask Nanny Wu to follow but went alone to the master bedroom on the third floor, gently closing the door behind her.

This poisoning incident was undoubtedly a huge crisis for Yishen Group, and Madam Lai couldn’t help but worry about her son, fearing that he wouldn’t be able to come out unscathed amidst the turmoil.

So she quickly dialed her brother-in-law’s number, Lai Jingshan.

"Jingshan, have you seen the news about Jinyuan Hotel? Could it affect the other industries of the Leng Family? How is Zishen faring now?"

Lai Jingshan comforted her, "Sister-in-law, don’t worry. I’ve known about this since last night. The incident has indeed had a considerable impact on the Group, but I believe Zishen can handle it. He will take care of it properly, so you needn’t worry too much."

"Did Zishen contact you last night?"

"Yes, there’s not much trouble with the guests; they’ve all been properly taken care of."

Madam Lai still felt extremely anxious after hearing this.

She knew that even with Lai Jingshan’s help, her son Li Zishen still had to face numerous difficulties. After all, food safety was no trifling matter, and one misstep could lead to a massive impact.

Therefore, no matter what, Madam Lai would do her best to pave the way for Li Zishen and help her son through this difficult time.

"But Jingshan, look at the public opinion right now; it seems quite unfavorable towards Zishen. I’m genuinely afraid he will get hurt. After all, he’s only been in charge of the Group for a few years, and some people... always look to bully a widow and her orphan. It’s just too hard."

Lai Jingshan comforted her again, "Sister-in-law, Zishen has grown up now, he’ll be fine. If there really is any issue, I won’t just stand by and watch."

"Jingshan, then I’ll have to depend on you. Honestly, I just feel uneasy. Look at how the second brother has always been; I’m really afraid that when the time comes, he will..."

Madam Lai stopped midsentence as Lai Jingshan heard a very faint crying on the other end.

His brow furrowed, he raised his voice, "Sister-in-law, don’t be scared. The Group is the blood and sweat of our entire family. The second brother isn’t a fool; how could he not understand the principle of ’one’s glory is everyone’s glory; one’s loss is everyone’s loss’? Besides, I’ve been keeping an eye on things. Rest assured, he won’t be able to stir up much trouble. Stay calm at home, and in three days, this will be resolved."

These words served as a reassurance to Madam Lai, who wiped the corners of her eyes and slightly curved her thin lips.

"That’s good; then I can rest easy."

Lai Jingshan hung up the phone, pondered for a moment, and decided to visit Li Wanshan, to ensure all bases were covered.

This was about the entire family, and the more difficulties they faced, the more united the Leng Family had to be.

...

In the West Suburb, Wuyou Pavilion.

Lai Jingshan walked straight into the living room and casually placed the tea leaves in the display cabinet, which greatly surprised Li Wanshan, who was intently pruning his potted plants.

After all, the brotherly affection had long since grown cold.

Over the years, they had fought over share issues both openly and covertly because Lai Jingshan had always sided with Madam Lai and Li Zishen.

"Jingshan, why have you come? Come, come, take a seat, please."

Lai Jingshan made himself comfortable on the sofa without ceremony and got straight to the point, "Second brother, you’ve heard about the incident at Jinyuan Hotel, haven’t you?"

"Mmm, I know," the internet is abuzz, and it’s not a small impact on our Leng family. I’ve already received several calls from shareholders."

This was the truth; indeed, people were feeling unsettled.

However, in Li Jingshan’s view, the so-called "several shareholders" were undoubtedly rallied by Li Wanshan behind the scenes, with the intention of sowing discord.

"Second brother, father always praised you as the smartest among the three of us when he was alive. Now that our elder brother is no longer with us, it’s not easy for our sister-in-law alone. We must not neglect our duty or give others cause for ridicule or take advantage of us."

Li Wanshan frowned and said, "Jingshan, what do you mean by that? Do you think I would take this chance to kick a man when he’s down, to drag Zishen under?"

"I just wanted to remind second brother that there’s definitely someone behind this, and it’s not that simple."

Li Wanshan looked at Li Jingshan and raised an eyebrow, "Jingshan, although there’s a bit, a little bit of discord between Zishen and myself, it’s not to the extent that others can use me, saying I bully a widow and orphan. What should be managed, I’ll naturally manage."

With those words, Li Jingshan nodded and said, "That’s good, second brother, thank you for the hard work."

Not long after Li Jingshan left, Second Aunt Lai angrily threw her phone onto the couch, hands on hips as if she was looking for someone to have it out with.

Since learning about the Jinyuan Hotel incident, she’d been scheming, believing it to be a good opportunity. She might use the online public opinion to stir up conflicts, to have Zishen lose the support of shareholders within the group, into a tough spot, and even use the turmoil to vie for more shares for her son.

To her dismay, her plan turned out to be a joyless prospect, as her husband was not only unhelpful but even preparing to assist the other side.

"Li Wanshan, are you still infatuated with that vixen, no, Bai Lianhua, who does nothing but cry all day, playing the victim? Whether she’s trying to lure this one or that one in, if you don’t think of me, you should at least think of our son, shouldn’t you?"

Li Wanshan, trying to keep his temper in check, slowly lifted his head, "Are you having one of your episodes again?"

His words set off a storm!

Second Aunt Lai sneered, "You think I don’t know? Ever since the elder brother passed away, you’ve had ideas about that vixen, going back and forth to Bie Yuan. This incident... just proves you’re still thinking about that widow and orphan."

Her words were thick with jealousy.

Li Wanshan shook his head helplessly.

In his eyes, even if Yuan Min were 20 years younger, he’d have no interest at all, not to mention his own wife was far more beautiful than her by a hundredfold.

Not only was her face attractive, but key to his heart—her legs were long!

"Wife, you misunderstand. The reason I didn’t take this chance to move against Zishen is that I know this is about the entire family’s interests. We have to keep a firm grip; we can’t let others exploit loopholes."

Second Aunt Lai raised an eyebrow and asked, "Controlling the company’s power has always been your ambition, hasn’t it?"

Li Wanshan sighed and shook his head, "Have you ever thought that someone might be causing trouble behind the scenes in this affair? If we infight at this time, we’ll only allow those people to succeed, and if that happens, the Leng family will truly be finished, and it won’t be of any benefit to us."

After hearing Li Wanshan’s analysis, Second Aunt Lai’s face softened slightly.

"Alright, I misunderstood you."

Seeing her mood improve, Li Wanshan quickly got up and gently wrapped his arms around Second Aunt Lai’s shoulders.

"Wife, I know, over the years, you’ve put in a lot for both me and our son, including your mahjong games, which are actually about networking for me, paving the way for our son. I’m not a fool; I’m well aware of what you do. Let’s do this. After this busy period is over, I’ll take you out for a good stroll."

"No need, it’s enough that you are considerate. I can’t be bothered to run around. It’s pointless. In the future, just keep that vixen at a distance."

Li Wanshan really didn’t know whether to laugh or cry upon hearing this.

"Vixen? Oh, she’s not even as beautiful as you, and she’s so short. How could she compare?"

These words were very much to Second Aunt Lai’s liking. She turned and wrapped her arms around Li Wanshan’s neck, her irritability instantly vanishing.

"Wanshan, do you really think that? Do you truly believe Yuan Min isn’t as beautiful as me?"