Tan Linyuan paused slightly, his expression remaining calm. "You're joking, Uncle. Which junior in the family has been disobedient? I'll give them a talking-to on your behalf."
Tan Jinxian lifted his eyes to look at the young man sitting opposite him. He mused that the young man's wings had grown strong indeed.
Full of ambition and confidence, he was like a powerful eagle.
But so what?
Even a mighty eagle was still just a caged one.
There was no need to fear him.
"Haha, Linyuan is still as considerate as ever," Tan Jinxian said with a kind smile. "Over the years, you've shouldered all the responsibilities of the Tan family alone. You've worked so hard."
Tan Linyuan remained unfazed and tossed the topic back. "If Uncle is willing to take charge, you can resume your duties."
"I don't mean that," Tan Jinxian replied amiably. "I've been living a leisurely life for decades and I quite enjoy it."
"Then what do you mean?"
Tan Jinxian placed the teapot back on the table and continued, "Linyuan, your father's health is not good. Since you returned to the Tan family, I've watched you grow up. You're a kind and compassionate person, just like Master Wenjing. You've inherited his mantle, which is truly precious. Now, the entire Tan family and even the whole Jiangcheng rely on you. You're undoubtedly the pride of our family."
After praising Tan Linyuan, he suddenly changed the subject. "You've never done anything wrong in your life. You've always been a sensible and responsible person. You know what to do and what not to do better than I do."
Tan Linyuan was getting impatient. "Please get to the point, Uncle. I have other things to attend to."
"Is it about the women in the family?"
Tan Linyuan didn't deny it. "Yes."
Even if he didn't understand at first, after this round of conversation, he could probably guess Tan Jinxian's intention.
It seemed that he was planning to interfere in his marriage with Nan Yu.
"That girl is quite nice. I've looked into her background. She's the daughter of the Nan family. I heard she's pregnant?"
He had taken Nan Yu to the hospital for a pregnancy check-up. It wasn't easy to keep it a secret if someone really wanted to find out, especially for the people in the Tan family.
Tan Linyuan's expression gradually turned calm, with a hint of coldness in his eyes. "What do you want to say, Uncle?"
Tan Jinxian smiled. "No, no. How could I interfere in the love affairs of you young people? I'm just curious. Weren't you supposed to marry into the Qu family? Why did it change all of a sudden?"
"Qu Jiaran and I didn't get along well after marriage, so we divorced amicably. Moreover, you already knew about this."
It was a well-known fact, and it seemed too deliberate to bring it up at this moment.
It made people suspect that he had other motives.
Tan Jinxian still had a smile on his face, with the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes bunching up and his eyes narrowing into slits. "Yes, it's been so long that I forgot. I'm getting old and my memory is failing me."
Tan Linyuan felt annoyed.
He hadn't felt this annoyed in recent years.
The Tan family didn't hold much emotional significance for him. However, he had the Tan family's blood flowing in his veins and carried the Tan family's surname.
After all, he was a descendant of the Tan family.
Since he was a descendant of the Tan family, he naturally had a responsibility on his shoulders.
"How many months is she pregnant? When will you bring her back for us to meet?"
Tan Linyuan replied calmly, "I'll definitely bring her back for the family to meet in a while."
"Good. After all, she's the woman who will give birth to a descendant for our Tan family. She's a great contributor."
Tan Jinxian's tone was full of implications. "Remember to thank her properly after the baby is born."
The tea had gotten cold, so he asked the servant to refill it and continued slowly, "Find out whether she wants money or a house. Don't let things drag on and make both sides unhappy."
"I remember her parents passed away in an accident a few years ago. It shouldn't be too difficult to handle this matter. I'm sure you'll do a good job."
Tan Linyuan's eyes suddenly narrowed, and a hint of hostility flashed across his eyes.
He finally understood.
Tan Jinxian meant that he wanted Nan Yu to give birth to a descendant for the Tan family, but he didn't plan to let her into the family.
After the baby was born, they would give her money and a house, and then send her away.
Under no circumstances could she become Tan Linyuan's wife.
"Oh, right. She should find a quiet place to have a baby. I remember there's a small courtyard of the Tan family in the countryside of Jiangcheng. You can arrange for someone to send her there. It'll save us from attracting too much attention, which is not good for the reputation of the Tan family."
This was almost a direct statement to Tan Linyuan: The Tan family wanted the baby in her belly, not her.
Maybe it was just his imagination, but after Tan Jinxian finished speaking, he felt a hint of killing intent from the young man sitting opposite him.
However, Tan Linyuan's aura quickly returned to its usual calmness. He twitched the corner of his lips and said, "You're a bit late, Uncle. I've already married Nan Yu. We're lawfully married now."
"You can still get divorced even if you're married," Tan Jinxian said with a faint smile, not taking it seriously. "You and Qu Jiaran got divorced, didn't you?"
Tan Linyuan's gaze turned colder, but his tone remained calm. "Uncle, I have no intention of getting divorced. I've decided to marry Nan Yu, and no one can interfere in this matter."
"I didn't say I disagreed," Tan Jinxian said unhurriedly. "But this isn't just my opinion. It's the opinion of the entire Tan family."
"Then please inform all the relatives of the Tan family. I, Tan Linyuan, will decide who I want to marry. No one has the right to tell me what to do. If anyone has any objections, they can come and talk to me directly. I've already made myself clear to you."
He didn't want to waste any more time. He finished the last sip of tea in his cup and stood up to leave. "Take care of your health, Uncle. I'll take my leave."
Tan Linyuan left without hesitation.
Tan Jinxian wasn't surprised by this result, but he still sighed and murmured to himself, "Siqi, your son is really becoming more and more disobedient as he grows up."
"Since you can't control him, I, as his uncle, have to enforce the family rules."
...
When Tan Linyuan left the Tan family, his face was extremely pale with anger.
There was a coldness and killing intent in his eyes, as if he was on the verge of losing control at any moment.
He had to use all his self-control not to overturn the tea table.
Halfway through the conversation, he could probably guess Tan Jinxian's intention.
It was nothing more than thinking that Nan Yu's background wasn't worthy of the Tan family, and since she had no parents, it would be easier to manipulate her.
If it was any other matter, he might turn a blind eye and follow the Tan family's arrangements.
But this time, the person involved was Nan Yu.
After getting in the car, Tan Linyuan took out his phone. Just as he was about to make a call, he hesitated and changed his mind.
The Chamber of Commerce hadn't been completely cleared yet. Even though there were no more people from Shen Suhai, it was still hard to guarantee that there were no people from the Tan family.
He called Liang Yi directly and asked him to assign more people from the Liang family to protect Nan Yu.
Liang Yi was speechless. "Brother, is she your wife or mine?"
"Tan Jinxian intends to harm Nan Yu," he said in a deep voice. "We can't use the people from the Chamber of Commerce anymore."
"... That old bastard. Why does he even care about who you're dating?"
Liang Yi was speechless and blurted out, "Does he really think of you as a dog raised by the Tan family?"
Tan Linyuan didn't say anything.
Liang Yi immediately realized that he had said the wrong thing. "I'm sorry, bro. I didn't mean it..."
"It's okay. Bye."