Chapter 108: Ruthlessly Beating a Fallen Foe

“Are you out of your mind?”
“At a time like this, and you still have the mood to joke around!”
“Don’t you realize that if we fail the assessment, our whole family is doomed?”

Su Weimin’s mouth twitched as anger surged within him. Unable to hold back, he burst into a string of curses.

Su Rulan sat on the hospital bed, about to speak up and explain, but before she could utter a word, the hospital room door swung open again.

Old Master Su entered, carrying something, his face beaming with a gentle smile.

Seeing this, Su Weimin’s expression instantly stiffened. He dared not reveal the bad news and quickly gave a subtle signal, pretending nothing was wrong. With a strange expression, he asked, “Old Master, why have you come again?”

“Rulan is hospitalized, isn’t she? I specially brewed some chicken soup with plenty of medicinal herbs to help her recover.” Old Master Su smiled warmly like a blooming chrysanthemum. He carefully set the pot on the table and opened it, releasing an inviting aroma of chicken soup that filled the room.

“This is quite rare, Old Master!” Gao Yulan remarked.

Without hesitation, Old Master Su ladled a bowl and personally brought it to Su Rulan, smiling as he said, “I’ve made a lot of foolish mistakes before, and now I want to make amends properly. Rulan’s health is weak, so she must take good care of herself.”

Though Su Rulan had anticipated his gesture, she still felt somewhat uneasy. After all these years, when had Old Master Su ever done something like this?

What was even more surprising was that Old Master Su took a spoonful of soup and gently lifted it to Su Rulan’s lips, showing great concern as he said, “Come, drink this while it’s hot. Your grandfather was truly a worthless man before, causing my precious granddaughter so much suffering.”

Su Rulan blinked in surprise, sipping the soup. Its rich, sweet flavor seemed to warm her very soul, filling her with an unspoken sense of pride and relief.

“Old Master Su, your visit isn’t just about the chicken soup, is it?” Ye Tianlin, standing nearby, almost chuckled.

Old Master Su shifted his gaze, exchanging a few looks with Ye Tianlin before replying, “Tomorrow marks the start of next week, and it’s my eightieth birthday. I hope you’ll all attend.”

“So soon? I almost forgot about it,” Su Weimin grunted.

“Unfortunately, Rulan hasn’t been discharged yet. She probably won’t be able to attend the birthday celebration,” Gao Yulan said, folding her arms.

Old Master Su immediately grew anxious. “You must come. I’ve invited every relative, and if you’re not there, what meaning does this birthday have?”

Su Weimin and Gao Yulan exchanged glances. Though they claimed they might not go, both secretly considered the matter carefully. After all, attending in front of so many relatives would certainly bring them some prestige.

Ye Tianlin saw through their thoughts but, considering Su Rulan’s condition and the hastiness of the celebration, he suggested, “Why don’t Mom and Dad go tomorrow? I’ll stay at the hospital and take care of Rulan. Her health is the priority.”

Old Master Su hesitated briefly, then nodded firmly, thinking that as long as the couple attended, the effect would be the same. “Alright, it’s settled then. We expect you to arrive early, Weimin and Yulan—we’ll all be waiting!”

“I’ll think about it,” Su Weimin feigned reluctance.

“Yeah, we’re busy and need to plan our time. We’ll see if we’re free tomorrow,” Gao Yulan shrugged.

Soon after, Old Master Su left the hospital.

No sooner had he gone than Su Weimin began to gloat, reveling in the change of fortune. “Looks like the entire Su family has truly changed their tune. They’re even begging us to attend! This is too satisfying—I have to show off properly in front of the relatives!”

“Don’t get cocky too soon. Who knows if the Su family isn’t just putting on a show again, trying to trick us into attending the birthday only to embarrass us there?” Gao Yulan remained cautious.

Su Weimin dismissed her concerns confidently. “This time it’s for real. It’s not like before. Don’t forget, the entire Su family even knelt down and apologized. They wouldn’t go so far as to fake it, especially invoking the ancestors!”

Gao Yulan pondered. “That’s true. If Old Master Su could lie about something like this, that would be truly unfilial. I guess I’ll pick out some nice clothes and wear all my jewelry tonight.”

Su Rulan, exasperated, said, “Look at you two, so happy just now you were panicking over the assessment. Now that there’s some good news, you’re acting like you’ve lost your minds.”

“Yeah, I almost forgot. If we mess up this time, we could be fired at any moment. We can’t just shamelessly go back to work at the Su company, right?” Su Weimin slapped his thigh, suddenly realizing the gravity of the situation and looking flustered and comical.

Su Rulan raised her hand, calming them. “Don’t worry at all. With Tianlin around, you won’t be fired.”

“Nonsense! What good is that guy? I haven’t even settled the score with him over his bragging earlier!” Su Weimin rolled his eyes and stormed out of the room.

Gao Yulan paused briefly, then followed him out.

Su Rulan rubbed her temples with a helpless sigh. “Tianlin, my father really is something else...”

Ye Tianlin raised his hand to stop her and laughed, “Forget it. As long as they attend the birthday, they’ll understand everything eventually. There’s no rush. This is a good opportunity for them to save face.”

“Are you sure you won’t go? I remember you said you were curious about the birthday, and I’m almost fully recovered. You don’t have to stay with me.” Su Rulan asked.

Ye Tianlin sat down slowly, hesitating. “I’ll think about it.”

“You should go. Don’t worry about me. This is a great chance for Mom and Dad to learn the truth, including the secrets of the Beijing consortium. It’ll stop them from misunderstanding you all the time.” Su Rulan urged seriously.

Meanwhile, in the office of the Tian Du Chamber of Commerce,

Ye Tiancheng received news of the Su family’s eightieth birthday celebration and immediately brightened.

“What?”
“The Su family still has the nerve to throw an eightieth birthday party?”
“Prepare a birthday gift for me right away. I’ll crash the party tomorrow and take the opportunity to humiliate Ye Tianlin—a good thrashing for a down-and-out dog.”
“I want to see how this failure plans to recover from this.”