Chapter 12 Heart-to-Heart Talk

"Mm," seeing the somewhat trembling Su Qingyu, Su Pengzhan didn't pay her any attention, his face filled with indifference. This father and daughter duo truly seemed to have been carved from the same mold, even their indifferent expressions were exactly alike. No wonder Su Qingyu was so cold to herself, it was clearly learned from Su Pengzhan.

Su Pengzhan walked past Su Qingyu, leaving her awkwardly aside. Ye Shikai, upon seeing his father-in-law arrive, also hurriedly stood up to greet him. If this were overseas, there wouldn't be many who could make the lofty Netherworld King personally receive them, but the man in front of him was his father-in-law.

"Ye, no need to stand up. Have a seat quickly," said Su Pengzhan, his face immediately showing delight as he walked forward and shook Ye Shikai's hands tightly.

Su Qingyu was stunned on the side. When had her father ever shown such a smile? And recalling how Su Pengzhan had just ignored her, Su Qingyu felt some emotional imbalance, slightly pouting her lips. Was she even his biological daughter?

"Dad, let's sit down and have dinner first," said Ye Shikai, himself feeling a little overwhelmed. His father-in-law was being too enthusiastic. Looking again at Su Qingyu, who was glaring at him from the side, he felt a chill run down his spine.

"Sure, let's have dinner first. Do we have any wine at home? Bring it out."

"We do, I'll go get it," said Ye Shikai as he stood up, but Su Pengzhan stopped him and glanced at Su Qingyu before turning to say, "Yu, why are you being so clueless? Go help Ye fetch the wine. Do I really need to tell you to do such a trivial thing?"

This father-in-law was playing his part too brilliantly. The "goddess" who was always out of reach had today become his own "maid." A flicker of delight crossed Ye Shikai's face, and it was this fleeting expression that Su Qingyu caught. She glared fiercely at Ye Shikai, the bastard, resolute to teach him a lesson.

"Ye, my daughter has been spoiled by me since she was a child. She's not great at taking care of others. Don't mind her."

"Dad, how could that be? Qingyu is usually very gentle," Ye Shikai wanted to tell the truth—she hadn't even properly looked at me before—but seeing Su Qingyu's clenched little fists and the murderous gaze fixated on him, it was as if she was saying, if you dare to speak, you're done for.

"Hmph, do you think I don't know my own daughter? So many heirs from influential families have pursued her and been rejected. How could she possibly be gentle? Ye, there's no need for you to stick up for her."

Su Qingyu also looked aggrieved from the side, her lips tightly bitten and her eyes slightly red, as if she was about to cry. Was she even his real daughter?

"Dad, actually, Qingyu is really nice. Last time, she even accompanied me to the cemetery to pay respects to my mother."

When Ye Shikai spoke of his mother, Su Pengzhan's expression grew somber, thinking of the scene when Ye Shikai's father, his brother, took a bullet for him.

"Ye, you two will have to spend the rest of your lives together. I believe you will treat Yu well. She's been competitive since she was young and may seem cold and proud. Please be patient with her in the future."

Throughout the meal, Su Pengzhan chatted with Ye Shikai, completely ignoring Su Qingyu who was right beside them. After dinner, Su Pengzhan called Su Qingyu to the study and pointed to a chair near the coffee table, saying, "Sit down, your dad wants to have a chat with you."

"Mm," Su Qingyu slowly sat down. Even though she was dissatisfied with her father's comments just now, she didn't show any indignation.

"Yu, what do you think of Ye?"

"Shikai, he... he's just an ordinary person." To be honest, during these past few days, Su Qingyu hadn't seriously tried to understand Ye Shikai, and in her father's presence, she couldn't degrade him too much. She suddenly didn't know how to describe him.

"Ordinary people, haha, Yu, you definitely haven't been paying attention to him these past few days."

Su Qingyu lowered her head in shame and did not deny it, "Yu, do you know about Ye's past?"

Su Qingyu raised her head. She certainly had never heard Ye Shikai talk about his past, but to be more precise, she'd never really been interested in finding out.

"Yu, you know about Ye's mother's incident, but do you know what he did after his mother died?"

"I know, he joined the military."

"Right, he joined the military, but not just any regular troops."

"Dad, what do you mean by that?"

Su Pengzhan lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and said, "That's a unit that directly reports to the highest-ranking officials, an invisible shadow unit, one with the highest level of authority."

Su Qingyu was stunned; Ye Shikai actually had such a mysterious past, and yet she naively thought he was just an ordinary person.

"Furthermore, at the age of twenty-one, Ye Shikai became the commander of this unit, with the rank of Major."

Su Pengzhan talked with Su Qingyu for a long time, telling her about Ye Shikai's retirement and departure overseas. Su Qingyu stood still, her face filled with astonishment.

Su Pengzhan extinguished his cigarette, "Yu, I'm telling you this not just because you're my daughter but to make you understand that if you think Ye Shikai is someone who just lives off women, then you're gravely mistaken."

"Yu, you've been in the business world for so many years, how could you not understand—if Ye was just an ordinary person, why would I marry you off to him?" Su Pengzhan stared at Su Qingyu, his face showing some disappointment, "His father's background is certainly a factor, but what I value is him, himself."

"I'll tell you more. I have a comrade who now works at the National Security Bureau. I once asked him to investigate Ye Shikai's overseas history, but he found nothing."

Su Qingyu had heard about the National Security Bureau, which is a top-tier organization in Huaxia responsible for national security. Investigating someone's background should be a piece of cake for them, but Ye Shikai's records from his years abroad were blank.

Su Qingyu's mind was also blank; she really wanted to rush to Ye Shikai and demand to know what had happened.

"Ye didn't tell you because he must have his reasons, and you shouldn't press him about it. I trust him; he's definitely considering your best interest. Maybe one day, he will tell you himself," Su Pengzhan said, seeing Su Qingyu's anxious expression and knowing she must be full of curiosity about Ye Shikai.

"I ran into him at a charity gala in Bonarson when I was overseas last time."

If before Su Qingyu felt mystified by Ye Shikai, now she was shocked. Bonarson is the wealthiest man in France, and the charity gala he hosted was attended by the rich and powerful from all over the world. Everyone there, compared to the Tianya Group, either matched or surpassed it in wealth and resources. The VIP area itself symbolized wealth, and how Ye Shikai got in there, what identity he used to get in—questions after questions surfaced in Su Qingyu's mind.

"Yu, I'll head back first. Come visit my house with Ye this weekend. Your mom and sister want to see you and Ye too," said Su Pengzhan before leaving. Su Qingyu thought for a long time, struggling to accept the truth, her eyes confused as she muttered to herself, "Ye Shikai, who exactly are you?"