This remark was not just a polite platitude. It also meant that he had taken a fancy to Xu Tingyu and intended to form an alliance with the Xu family through marriage.
Everyone present knew exactly what it implied. Xu Jianmin and Zhang Qiu were overjoyed.
At that time, Xu Tingyu didn't understand. She didn't understand the complexity behind this remark, let alone the second half of it.
"Child, you're so beautiful. It's destined that you'll lead a peaceful, serene, and carefree life. It's destined that you'll enjoy a life of luxury and be superior to ordinary people."
"It's also destined that, lacking hardships, you'll never be as outstanding, as excellent, as brave, firm, and fearless as a man."
This wasn't a compliment but a sign of contempt.
One could even say it was an insult to beautiful girls.
He thought Xu Tingyu was just a vase propped up by a life of luxury, and her dancing was just a gimmick to add a bit of charm.
He looked down on women, believing they were all weak, brainless, and only knew how to act coquettishly and jealous.
So from the moment he first saw Xu Tingyu, he showed extreme malice.
At that time, no one knew. Instead, they all came to congratulate the Xu family on climbing up the big tree of the Qi family.
So after the downfall of the Xu family, Old Master Qi never offered a helping hand.
He was only interested in seizing and taking a share of the spoils. Without greater incentives, how could he ever come to the rescue in a time of need?
He abandoned the Xu family and Xu Tingyu without a shred of guilt, doing it effortlessly.
However, he underestimated Xu Tingyu.
This little girl he thought was just a beautiful vase managed to bite her lip and bloom a path of flowers with her blood on the thorny road he had laid out.
She wasn't a dodder flower that could only live a life of luxury. She was a rose that could bloom in the wilderness.
Dazzling and unyielding.
Later, when Xu Tingyu returned to the country, she never saw Old Master Qi again.
Of course, Qi Shifeng had something to do with this, but the deepest reason was that the old man didn't want to see her either.
This delicate flower he had hand - picked had caused such a huge upheaval in his Qi family.
If time could turn back four years, he would surely kill her without hesitation.
Of course, even now, he could send someone to kill her.
But that would cost too much.
Out of consideration for the fact that she was Youyou's biological mother, he was willing to let her off.
He heard that the child looked a lot like her, was beautiful, and very smart, often charming those around her.
He had also thought about taking Youyou in and raising her himself.
But Qi Shifeng regarded the child very highly and refused to let go no matter what.
He was old and couldn't compete anymore, so in the end, the matter was dropped.
Actually, Xu Tingyu wanted to meet the old man, but in the end, she didn't get the chance.
So at this moment, she stood in the corner, lost in thought as she stared in the direction of the hospital bed.
Before the makeup artist arrived, the lawyer came first.
Normally, the lawyer should have appeared after the funeral, but Liu Ning had been causing a ruckus and had called the lawyer in advance.
Everyone gathered in the lounge next to the ward.
Xu Tingyu originally wanted to avoid this, as she felt this wasn't the right occasion for her.
But Qi Shifeng grabbed her.
"We're husband and wife. Of course, you should be here."
He sat her down on the sofa and then sat on the armrest of the sofa, holding her hand, not really caring about the will.
Qi Ruixi and Zou Yu were sitting together, also holding hands.
Only Qi Ye was sitting alone on the sofa closest to the door. He looked at Xu Tingyu several times, as if he wanted to say something but held back.
His complexion was a bit better than a few days ago, but he still looked listless.
The most excited person in the whole room was undoubtedly Liu Ning.
She had already planned that as soon as she got the inheritance, she would immediately redecorate the Qi family's old mansion.
The current decoration style was all according to the old man's taste.
She had long been sick of it.
She would throw away all the koi in the pond in the backyard and then fill in the pond and plant her favorite camellias.
She had to get up at five or six every morning to take a walk with the old man and feed the fish. She was really fed up.
Moreover, she wanted to invest.
Previously, the old man always said that she had no talent for investment and that buying some jewelry and bags was enough.
Investment wasn't something someone like her could do.
Of course, she wasn't convinced.
Xu Tingyu could even establish her own company and run her business successfully. Why couldn't she?
She had been the mistress of the Qi family for so many years, and her vision and insight were excellent.
So after getting the inheritance, she was going to invest big and show those who looked down on her.
And...
She had already planned how to use the inheritance, which was why she was so looking forward to the reading of the will.
But when the lawyer actually announced the inheritance, she was completely stunned.
Because in the inheritance, apart from the old mansion being left to her, she got nothing else.
The remaining 5% of the shares in the old man's hands were divided equally between Qi Ye and Qi Shifeng. The cash and jewelry were all left to Qi Ruixi.
There were also about a dozen properties and more than a dozen funds and stocks, all of which were left to Youyou.
Liu Ning never expected this.
She suddenly stood up from the sofa and said viciously to the lawyer, "It's fake. It must be fake, right?"
She had spent the most time with the old man. How could she only get so little?
Even Youyou got so much, but she only got an old mansion?
The lawyer adjusted his glasses calmly. "This is indeed the last version of the will. It's been notarized and can be verified."
The old man had changed his will three times.
But the specific content was more or less the same as this, except that Youyou was added in the last version.
All along, Liu Ning had never been his heir.
The old mansion was only given to her because she had been living there.
Liu Ning shouted loudly, completely losing her poise as a dignified mistress.
Falling from the clouds to hell was even more unacceptable.
As for the others, they were much calmer.
Qi Shifeng was the first to speak. "I don't want these shares. I'd like to voluntarily give them to Qi Ruixi."
He was already the largest shareholder of the Qi Corporation. These 2.5% of the shares wouldn't make much difference to him.
But Qi Ruixi was already married, and Zou Yu's income was limited. These shares would be her greatest guarantee for life.
Qi Ye also quickly spoke up. "I'll handle mine the same way."
He already had some shares.
Qi Ruixi also had some shares, but very few.
Ultimately, it was because Old Master Qi looked down on women from the bottom of his heart.
Leaving the cash and jewelry to Qi Ruixi was already out of consideration for the fact that she was his granddaughter.
In terms of value, what she got was even less than what Youyou got.
Originally, Qi Ruixi was already satisfied. After all, she had chosen Zou Yu after careful consideration.
If she really cared so much about material things, she wouldn't have chosen such a life.
Now that her two elder brothers had unhesitatingly given their shares to her, she just felt warm in her heart.
Grandpa looked down on women, but her two elder brothers were willing to give her security.
5% of the shares in the Qi Group were truly worth hundreds of millions.
But Liu Ning let out another scream. "I don't agree. Why should it all go to her? You should give it to me. I gave birth to you with so much hardship!"
"If you give the shares to her, you're just giving them to that poor bodyguard. You're giving the family's property to an outsider. Are you all crazy?"