Zhao Yunzhou didn't want to see them talking on the phone.
He was burning with jealousy.
He said sourly, "Sister, we have important matters to attend to. Don't waste time with irrelevant people."
He deliberately emphasized the word 'important'.
Du Jiashu on the other end of the line was confused.
What important matters?
What else could it be?
He started letting his imagination run wild and quickly said, "Xia Liuyue, if you come home now, we can still reconcile."
"Sister, why is there a mosquito buzzing? So annoying. Should I swat it for you?" Zhao Yunzhou said with a mix of obedience and malice, snatching the phone and pressing the end call button.
He was so fast it was startling.
After doing this, he even tilted his head slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips.
It seemed like he was asking, 'Did I do that right?' like a little fox waiting for praise.
On the other end, Du Jiashu was so angry he started cursing loudly.
He finally couldn't hold back his vulgar language.
But he soon couldn't afford to dwell on his arranged marriage wife, because Tang Yinyao's call for help came through.
"Jiashu-ge..."
Hearing the tearful voice on the line, Du Jiashu hurriedly comforted her, "Yaoyao, what's wrong? Don't cry, explain it to me clearly first."
Tang Yinyao sounded flustered and helpless:
"My dad just called me, saying someone is deliberately targeting our family business."
"He also said I offended someone I shouldn't have outside."
The Tang family had actually been in decline for years; their so-called company was just an empty shell.
They barely had some scattered assets left, enough to get by.
Along with some debts to creditors.
That's why she was so eager to cling to Yan Hechuan, yet couldn't bear to let go of Du Jiashu, this big tree, since their family's industry was downstream of the Du family's.
With the Du family's prestigious name, they could manage much better.
The reason Tang Yinyao made this call was that after carefully thinking it over,
she felt she had never, from start to finish, offended anyone powerful. The only person who held a grudge against her was Du Jiashu's arranged marriage wife, Xia Liuyue.
So she stated with great certainty:
"I never thought sister-in-law would hate me so much. Hating me is one thing, but how could she target my father's company?"
Du Jiashu felt his head spinning listening to her.
But he still maintained a shred of rationality and couldn't help saying:
"The Xia family's businesses are all in Jiang City. Their reach isn't that long; they can't extend to Hai City."
"And your two families have no overlap in the business chain. Even if she wanted to do something, she wouldn't have the means."
"Yaoyao, did you ask Uncle Tang clearly who exactly the offended party is?"
Tang Yinyao's face paled.
What was going on?
Shouldn't Du Jiashu's first reaction be to comfort her, then share her indignation and plan revenge together?
Why was he starting to speak up for Xia Liuyue?
What on earth had happened during this week back in the country?
Tang Yinyao kept up the tearful tone and whispered:
"Jiashu-ge, you can't underestimate a woman's desire for revenge."
"Besides, even though I know it was unintentional on my part, sister-in-law must blame me for the child's misfortune."
"Targeting our Tang family is bad enough, but what I'm most worried about is that she might target you next..."
Du Jiashu instinctively wanted to say, 'How could that be?'
No matter what, I am still her husband.
But the words stuck in his throat because he remembered her icy attitude on the phone just now.
Could it really be Xia Liuyue's doing?!
"Yaoyao, don't panic just yet. I'll call Uncle Tang later to get the details."
"There's no use you worrying alone abroad, and you're coming back next week anyway. You'll be able to help then."
"Leave it to me for now."
Only then did Tang Yinyao say in a grateful tone, "Thank you, Jiashu-ge. It's good to have you by my side, otherwise I wouldn't know what to do."
Du Jiashu replied automatically, "It's only right. We're good buddies, after all."
After saying it, for the first time, he felt a pang of guilt in his heart.
Were they really just good buddies?
Helping to this extent?
Just as Xia Liuyue had scolded, he was already acting like a lapdog.
But this was a habit built over more than a decade; he couldn't change his mindset in an instant.
After hanging up, Du Jiashu called Mr. Tang.
The other man was a slick middle-aged fellow. He first offered profuse thanks before presenting the real problem.
It turned out that two clients who had been taking orders from the Tang family would rather breach their contracts than continue cooperating. When questioned, they simply said Tang Yinyao had offended someone she shouldn't have.
Du Jiashu asked the key question:
"Uncle Tang, have you investigated? Who is the other party?"
"If it's just normal business competition, or if reconciliation is possible through a mediator, there's no need to let things get this tense."
Mr. Tang had, of course, looked into it beforehand and replied:
"It seems to be an overseas Chinese tycoon who returned from Maple Leaf Country to invest. But our daily lives would never intersect with someone like him."
"You know our Yinyao is a good girl; she wouldn't offend anyone."
"I suspect maybe this tycoon heard some gossip from someone, so..."
Mr. Tang deliberately paused, pointing the finger directly at Xia Liuyue.
The implication was that Xia Liuyue had somehow gotten to know this overseas Chinese tycoon from Maple Leaf Country and was using him to target the Tang family.
Du Jiashu fell silent after hearing this.
Mr. Tang continued:
"Jiashu, you're Yinyao's best friend and have helped the Tang family so much over the years."
"We really shouldn't trouble you again, but if we don't turn to you, we don't know who else to ask."
Du Jiashu, who would usually quietly accept the task, remained silent this time.
Because he remembered the man he had just seen at the evening banquet, Yan Hechuan, who had warned him not to get too close to Yaoyao.
As her fiancé, why wasn't he helping with this matter?!
Where was his responsibility?!
Du Jiashu felt both annoyed and like his efforts were utterly worthless.
Was he only called upon to handle the bad stuff, while Yan Hechuan got all the good things?
Why?
"Uncle Tang, this matter... I'll try to help, but it's best to tell Yan Hechuan as well."
"The business circles in Hai City would give Yan Hechuan face. He is Yaoyao's rightful fiancé; it would be better for him to step in."
Mr. Tang had his own ulterior motives.
When this happened, Tang Yinyao's first instinct was to ask Yan Hechuan for help, but Mr. Tang stopped her.
His reasoning was: you're not married into the family yet. If you ask your future son-in-law for help, might he think you're only with him for the Yan family's influence? That would put you in a weaker position even after marriage.
It's better to go to Du Jiashu. That kid is foolishly sincere and treats you well. He'll definitely help our family once he knows.
In short, a sucker!
Hearing her father's reasoning, Tang Yinyao thought it made sense! So she made the call.
But she never expected.
Now, even this sucker seemed unwilling to keep playing the fool...!
