194 — Tong Zhian Is Smug

Very quickly, they arrived at CM Luxuries. Speaking about the hotel, Tong Zhian wondered why his boss was staying there in the first place.

He couldn't understand why someone would leave his large house and numerous other properties aside, only to come and take refuge in a hotel. Or was he hiding a mistress there?

Gao Tinghua, who didn't know what his P.A was thinking about, was focused on his phone. He was still checking his messages even as he walked to his suite.

"Sir, should I get you anything?"

"No, I'll order when I'm ready." His phone rang before he finished speaking. It was his mother.

"Hello Mother."

"Tinghua, how are you?"

"I'm fine. I was planning to come home in a few days." He said in a neutral tone. He had decided he needed to tell his mother his findings in person.

"Can't you come today? Actually, Jingse and her family are here. They came to see you." Qiao Mingran said softly.

The annoyance he had tried so hard to suppress bubbled up instantly. Gao Tinghua was at the point of seeing red.

"I'm sorry I won't be able to come today Mother. I'm very busy."

"But—"

Knowing his mother was only going to persuade him to change his mind, he forestalled her with something he knew was important to her, "I got some leads about the case and I'm currently working on it. I'll see them later."

As expected, Qiao Mingran changed her tune and her voice went up a notch, "Really? What did you find?"

"I'll let you know when I come Mother. Explain to them for me." He was also going to announce the annulment of their engagement, but he didn't voice that out yet.

"Alright, I'll let them know. We'll return the visit when you arrive." Qiao Mingran acquiesced.

After ending the conversation with her son, Qiao Mingran spoke apologetically to her visitors, "Tinghua is very busy right now with an important assignment, that's why he hasn't been around for so long. Once he gets back, I will bring him personally to pay you a visit."

She could hardly maintain her politeness. Her mind was filled with his words about getting a lead. She almost wanted to fly to where he was and ask what he had found.

Across from her, the faces of the Han family members didn't look too good. Pan Yinli even said in dissatisfaction, "In-law, it's not that I'm doubting you, but your son really needs to be talked to. He has not come to visit us at all, not even once. And he doesn't pick our calls either. Is he protesting against this marriage?"

Qiao Mingran agreed that Gao Tinghua's behavior was not the best, but she still furrowed her brows at Pan Yinli's words. Was she complaining about her son?

Her smile lost a few degrees of brightness as she said, "It's only because he's busy. We will come and apologize to you properly another day."

Pan Yinli still didn't get the hint, "My son-in-law should just tell us directly if he's not satisfied with this marriage instead of—" She had to stop because her daughter pinched her forcefully.

Han Jingse wore a delicate, fragile smile as she spoke to Qiao Mingran, "I understand Auntie. It's just that it has been a long time since I spoke to Tinghua Ge, and I don't know if he's angry with me. Please don't mind my mother's words, it's only because she was too anxious just now."

Qiao Mingran smiled at her, "It's nothing. It's all my son's fault. Auntie will apologize to you first."

"No no, it's not a problem. We'll take our leave now." Han Jingse said as she stood up.

Pan Yinli's angry words did not get past her throat due to the look her daughter gave her. She got up unwillingly and said to Qiao Mingran, "In-law, we will be leaving now. Thank you for your hospitality. I hope to see my son-in-law soon."

Qiao Mingran nodded to her, "We will definitely come."

Then Pan Yinli looked at her husband, who was still sitting down, and spoke with annoyance "And you, what are you waiting for?"

Han Lixian hurriedly stood up even as he looked troubled. They had not even spoken about what they went there for. Was it really okay to just leave like that? What would happen to him?

His father and brother were just short of killing him, and his only hope was to get some help from the Gaoyi group.

But looking at his wife's scary face, and his daughter's scarier one, he shivered and couldn't say anything.

After some more words, they left.

In the car, Pan Yinli turned to her daughter worriedly, "Jingse, what do we do now? Your father is in deep trouble, and we need to solve it. Else, our plan to get the company would only become more difficult."

Han Jingse didn't talk for a moment, deep in thought. She eventually said, "Let's wait a bit more Mom. Since Auntie has promised to bring him over, they would definitely come. We just need to exercise a bit of patience."

Pan Yinli was not satisfied, but there was nothing else they could do. She murmured in irritation, "This is why I told you to make a move on him earlier. If you had done as I instructed, we would not be having this problem now."

Han Jingse did not reply, only rolling her eyes. If she had truly drugged him as her mother had suggested, won't her little life have been snuffed out by now?

Pan Yinli directed her anger at her husband next, "And you, just go and kneel on the washboard when we get home. You are already so useless yet I didn't despise you.

"But what did you do? You had to go into gambling, ruining my plans. Are you really my husband or a punishment for the sins I committed in my past life?" She was practically shouting at this point, making the driver wish he was deaf.

Han Lixian had nothing to say. He only shrank further into his seat, trying to reduce his presence. Han Jingse took one look at him and shook her head in veiled disgust.

*****

On his part, Gao Tinghua took a deep breath to calm down his irritation after ending the call.

It didn't work.

He was so angry that he didn't know when his hand made a flinging motion. When he came back to his senses, his phone was on the floor, shattered beyond repair.

Tong Zhian's smug look of "Never say never" was too pointed to ignore. If "I told you so" was a person, that would be Tong Zhian right then.

He opened his mouth to say smoothly, "Sir, about that phone brand I was introducing to you, —"

"Get out."