Chapter 304: Reality

In the He family's living room, a servant walked in and reported to He Hongshen, "Sir, a person claiming to be Xia Yu's subordinate has delivered an invitation, saying that he wants to discuss something with the young master."

"An invitation for me?"

He Youguang was immediately stunned, then looked at his father, He Hongshen, before taking the invitation and sending the servant away.

"What does it say?"

He Hongshen, who was reading the newspaper, put it down and asked in a deep voice.

"It doesn't say much, just that he is waiting for me at a teahouse and invites me to go there."

He Youguang replied truthfully, handing the invitation to He Hongshen.

He Hongshen did not take it; he glanced at it briefly before returning to his newspaper.

After a few seconds, He Hongshen said without raising his head, "If he's inviting you, then you should go."

"If he wants to find your sister, you should tell him this…"

"Father, I understand! I'll go right away!"

"Mm!"

With that, He Youguang left for the teahouse where Xia Yu was, a place he was quite familiar with.

"Youguang, you're here! Please, have a seat!"

Upon seeing He Youguang's figure appear at the door, Xia Yu stood up with a smile and gestured for him to sit.

He Youguang, expressionless, nodded slightly with a very cold demeanor, and sat down directly opposite Xia Yu, staring at him intently. He asked with a deliberately indifferent tone, "Xia Sheng, what is it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

He Youguang did not use Xia Yu's full name but addressed him formally as Xia Sheng. This attitude momentarily surprised Xia Yu, who then smiled and took his seat.

Despite He Youguang's poor attitude, Xia Yu didn't mind. If a man treated his sister this way, he would guarantee that his own attitude would be even worse. 

The fact that He Youguang came to meet him and maintained a relatively calm demeanor reflected well on his manners and tolerance!

"Youguang, you can probably guess why I invited you. I'll be straightforward: could you let Zhao Qiong come out?"

Xia Yu went straight to the point, his eyes fixed on He Youguang.

He Youguang shook his head and smiled faintly, saying, "I can't make that decision. My father won't let my sister come out, so talking to me is useless! I don't want to do it, nor do I dare to!"

Upon hearing this reason, Xia Yu fell silent. He knew very well that this was He Hongshen's intention. In fact, he had already prepared himself for the possibility of not seeing He Zhao Qiong this time.

His main purpose for coming was to make a statement, to prove that he cared about He Zhao Qiong, and to understand the He family's attitude.

Was it a complete rejection? Or was it just a show? Or was there still room for negotiation?

All of this had to be personally observed to make a judgment.

"Alright, since that's the case, I won't force it. Just pass a message to Zhao Qiong for me, saying…"

Xia Yu paused for a moment, then continued with unwavering resolve, "I like her, and I will always wait for her!"

He Youguang examined Xia Yu expressionlessly for a few seconds, then smiled and shook his head, "Haha!"

"Xia Sheng, don't you feel embarrassed saying that? My sister is young and naive and might believe your words, but I don't!"

"Xia Sheng, to be honest, I genuinely admire your abilities."

"I understand the mindset of a wealthy man wanting multiple wives and concubines. I don't care about others and can't control them, but I won't let my sister suffer!"

"I don't want my sister to be unhappy, but I don't want to see her hurt in the future, so if you want to be with her, you need to give up that other woman!"

He Youguang's tone started with sarcasm, then grew more emotional as he spoke, and finally became resolute.

"Can you do that?"

"If you can do that, even if my father opposes it, I will support my sister!"

"But the question is, can you do it?"

He Youguang asked, leaning back and locking eyes with Xia Yu, as if trying to see through his true intentions.

"Youguang, I can't give up someone who loves me. If I easily agree to your request, you wouldn't be at ease. If I promise to give up Li Qian, you'd worry that I might easily give up Zhao Qiong in the future. Is that what you want?"

Xia Yu remained calm, speaking in a soothing tone after He Youguang finished. Although his tone was gentle, it left He Youguang speechless and unsure how to rebut.

Indeed, as Xia Yu said, if he easily gave up Li Qian at He Youguang's request, it would make Xia Yu appear heartless and unfeeling. 

Even if Xia Yu ended up with He Zhao Qiong, He Youguang would worry that Xia Yu might one day easily abandon her as well. Thus, his demand was inherently unreasonable, and no matter what Xia Yu did, it would never satisfy him.

He Youguang remained silent for a long time, reflecting on his sister's daily behavior. He knew that his sister was truly in love with Xia Yu.

Though the number of times his sister and Xia Yu had been together wasn't many—just over ten times—when adding the phone calls, there were more. Recently, He Zhao Qiong had been on the phone with Xia Yu or his sister almost every night, which He Youguang was aware of.

Additionally, an important factor that led his sister to fall for Xia Yu was the pendant Xia Yu had given her. Seeing an object associated with a person could make someone unknowingly develop feelings for them, and since He Zhao Qiong already had a good impression and curiosity about Xia Yu, it made sense.

"Youguang, I really regret bringing my sister to that auction!"

After a long silence, He Youguang couldn't help but sigh, his attitude softening, and he returned to addressing Xia Yu more formally.

Xia Yu, upon hearing this, fell silent again, unsure of what to say.

"Youguang, not to boast, but you should be aware that in Xiangjiang and Aomen, no one is more suitable for Zhao Qiong than me. Besides, we both have feelings for each other."

Xia Yu began to persuade He Youguang, hoping to make him more amenable.

He Youguang was quiet; he knew this well, and so did his father. Otherwise, they wouldn't have supported his sister's relationship with Xia Yu.

However, what caught He Youguang and the He family off guard was that Xia Yu had gone abroad and ended up with another woman. His sister was a step behind!

This made things complicated!

His family was not a small or insignificant one. The first Chinese knight in Xiangjiang was He Dong, the head of the He family's main branch, and they were a branch of that family.

Even so, the He family was a powerful presence in Aomen. The idea of having their precious daughter share a man with another woman was unacceptable; it was a matter of pride for them.

Or rather, Xia Yu's status wasn't high enough to make the He family feel humiliated!

At this point, everything had to be made clear. He Youguang felt weary and didn't want to engage in pointless arguments. He conveyed his father's stance.

"Xia Yu, there is nothing impossible in this world. If you want my sister to live well, you must either give up that woman or silence others. In any case, our He family will not be humiliated!"

"This is not just my opinion, but also my father's."

"That's all I have to say. You can decide what to do."

With that, He Youguang stood up and walked toward the door. When he reached it, he paused and looked back at Xia Yu, saying, "I will convey your words! Farewell!"

"Safe travels!"

Xia Yu watched He Youguang leave, then sat down again, looking at the clear tea in his cup with a smile.

"It seems my guess was right. He Hongshen is indeed all about利益至上 (利益至上, meaning '利益至上' which indicates a focus on self-interest). Haha!"

How could Xia Yu not understand He Youguang's final words?

When He Youguang said it was not his opinion, it could only mean it was He Hongshen's intention. The ambiguous part about it being his opinion could be understood as what he would think in the future if he became the head of the He family. So, if Xia Yu wanted both, he had to handle the situation himself. The He family wouldn't do it for him.

Although harsh, it was the reality.

If Xia Yu's power were so overwhelming that no one dared to criticize him, surpassing all forces in Xiangjiang and Aomen by a large margin, then even if the He family's daughter became his minor wife, others would only envy the He family for aligning with him, not ridicule them for losing face.

At that point, if the He family and Xia Yu became in-laws, it would benefit the He family greatly, and He Hongshen would certainly not oppose it.

Marriage among wealthy families often involves alliances, and it was destined that the daughters of such families would face difficulties in finding suitable partners. They could become victims of such alliances.

Since He Zhao Qiong liked Xia Yu

, if Xia Yu's strength was sufficient, marrying him would benefit the He family, making it the best choice!

"It seems He Youguang truly cares for Zhao Qiong. I didn't realize before that he was all sharp on the outside but soft on the inside. Haha!"

Xia Yu took a sip of tea, playing with the cup, and murmured with a faint smile.

"Old fox, you think my strength is insufficient? I believe you'll be astonished soon…"

...

After He Youguang left the teahouse, he returned home with a complex mood.

As a person from a wealthy family, how could he not know the extent of autonomy wealthy offspring have in marriage? With his father's nature, if his sister He Zhao Qiong were to marry, it would have to be someone from a matching background.

He also knew the unsavory aspects of wealthy families. Rarely does a wealthy family's heir behave properly, so even if his sister He Zhao Qiong married someone else, she would still face issues with her husband having other women.

So, wealthy offspring are no better than Xia Yu. In fact, they might be worse, as at least Xia Yu's situation was open and his sister had already accepted it.

If it were anyone else, such a situation would be impossible.

Thus, no matter how he thought about it, Xia Yu seemed the most suitable for his sister He Zhao Qiong.

For his sister's benefit, he was reluctant to stop it and truly hoped she could be happier.

His previous cold attitude towards Xia Yu was partly genuine and partly pretense, meant to avoid Xia Yu looking down on his family or his sister.

Lost in thought, He Youguang arrived home. After reporting to his father, He Hongshen only nodded and didn't say anything more.

Then, He Youguang went to He Zhao Qiong's room. After knocking and entering, he came out not long after.

The difference from before was that He Zhao Qiong had returned to her usual lively self.