SAG -Chapter 148 New Year’s Eve

After taking the money and leaving, all the nervousness, hesitation, and inner conflict on Su Yu’s face disappeared.

What remained were happiness, satisfaction, and a faint sense of revenge.

As soon as she stepped outside, Hao Yuan emerged from the shadows.

“How did it go?”

“Boss, don’t worry. Everything went perfectly. Huo Li now knows about Huo Zhiyuan’s will,” Su Yu replied.

“By the way… what about the payment you promised?”

Hao Yuan looked at her and said, “Relax. I won’t shortchange you. Here’s three million.”

He handed her a bank card.

“Thank you, boss!”

Su Yu accepted it joyfully.

In the past, she might not have cared much about such an amount.

After all, being Huo Zhiyuan’s secretary had given her tremendous opportunities. With a little effort, she might one day have been assigned to manage a branch office, earning at least a million yuan annually.

There was even a chance of receiving stock options.

But now, four million yuan was an enormous sum to her.

Ever since she had carelessly revealed that secret to her boyfriend as a form of bragging, Huo Zhiyuan had immediately fired her.

Moreover, she had quietly informed several major corporations, effectively preventing Su Yu from finding work in any large company.

Though Su Yu possessed some ability, it wasn’t enough for those companies to risk offending Huo Zhiyuan by hiring her.

At the same time, she was unwilling to lower herself to work seriously in small firms.

For years, she had remained stuck between lofty ambitions and harsh reality.

Combined with her long-standing habit of extravagant spending, her finances had become increasingly strained.

Then, a few days ago, Hao Yuan had approached her.

First, he paid her one million yuan simply to reveal that old secret.

Then he offered another three million for tonight’s task.

Deep down, Su Yu still harbored resentment toward Huo Zhiyuan.

Otherwise, she would never have agreed so readily.

Back then, the incident hadn’t caused much of a stir.

Very few people knew about it.

The rumors only circulated within certain social circles, largely because her ex-boyfriend had bragged about it to people he considered part of the upper class.

That was how Huo Zhiyuan found out.

She acted swiftly, sealing off the information before it could spread further.

Watching Su Yu leave, Hao Yuan sighed inwardly.

He wasn’t sure whether what he was doing was right.

But he felt he had no other choice.

…

Time flew by, and soon it was New Year’s Eve.

At Zhang Ran’s house, his family and Prince Haiman’s family happily pasted Spring Festival couplets together.

The four children laughed and played in the garden, making the house livelier than ever.

Zhang Sicheng, Zhang Siyan, and Liu Lu stood nearby, staring at the scene as though entranced.

Since marrying Zhang Sicheng, Liu Lu had never experienced such a lively New Year celebration.

Before Tao Tao was born, it had always been just the two of them.

As for Zhang Siyan and Zhang Sicheng, they had never known such warmth growing up.

In the past, it had only been the three of them and their mother.

Even after starting families of their own, they had never experienced such bustling happiness.

“Get down from there. I’ll do it. If those old bones of yours fall and break, I’ll become a criminal,” Zhang Ran mocked from below.

Prince Haiman stretched upward to hang the horizontal banner and immediately fired back.

“Hah! My body’s as strong as ever. You may have lost twenty-eight years, but who knows which one of us will die first?”

Lin Mei finally couldn’t take it anymore.

“You two, enough already! It’s New Year’s Eve. Can you stop talking about such unlucky things?”

At home, only Lin Mei could still scold the pair.

Lately, she felt like a completely different person.

She had always thought of herself as a refined, gentle, and quiet lady.

But after staying with Zhang Ran’s family, the two men had driven her to the point where she simply couldn’t hold back anymore.

And yet, strangely enough, she found it liberating.

Gone were the endless formalities, the rigid etiquette, and the constant need for caution.

She could say whatever she wanted.

She could do whatever she pleased.

It felt wonderful.

After being scolded, both men fell silent, merely glaring at each other.

Prince Haiman didn’t want to upset his wife.

Zhang Ran, meanwhile, found it inappropriate to argue with his younger brother’s wife.

“Tao Tao, Susu, go hang the red lanterns at the courtyard gate!” Zhang Ran called to the children.

The moment they heard him, the four little ones dashed into the house like a whirlwind.

A few moments later, each emerged carrying a red lantern.

They looked like four tiny tornadoes.

Influenced by her three older brothers, Susu had become much more lively lately, happily running around with them.

And whether it was Tao Tao or the two brothers, Austin and Arthur, all of them took their responsibility toward their little sister very seriously.

Perhaps because they were working together on their Calabash Brothers creation, the three boys had developed an intense protective instinct toward Susu.

“Oh, right. How’s the New Year’s Eve dinner coming along? Do Haiman and I need to lend a hand?” Zhang Ran asked Liu Lu and Lin Mei.

The moment those words left his mouth, everyone’s expressions changed.

Even Zhang Siyan, who had been quietly standing nearby, looked horrified.

Liu Lu quickly coughed.

“Dad, that’s not necessary. You and Uncle Haiman have already worked hard enough. Leave these things to us women. If you two are free, why not play some games, chat, or get some rest?”

Lin Mei hurried toward the kitchen while calling out, “Xiao Lu, Siyan, come help me! I think I forgot where I put something!”

“Coming!”

The three women practically rushed into the kitchen.

Under no circumstances could they allow Zhang Ran and Prince Haiman anywhere near it again.

The painful memories from last time were still fresh.

Although both men found this somewhat disappointing, they still had other tasks to handle.

They needed to decorate the courtyard with lights they had bought earlier, wrapping them around trees, flowers, and bushes.

“Zhang Ran, when I leave, I’m taking some of these flowers with me,” Prince Haiman said.

“The fragrance is wonderful. I swear I sleep better after smelling them.”

“Fine. Dig up whatever you want,” Zhang Ran replied casually.

However, when Prince Haiman eventually departed, Zhang Ran would discover what it truly meant to bring trouble upon oneself.

Only then would he realize just how shamelessly thick-skinned the prince really was.

…

The family remained busy until evening.

At seven-thirty, Zhang Ran’s living room now featured a brand-new, oversized dining table.

They had purchased it specifically for today because the old one simply wasn’t large enough anymore.

The table was filled with food.

Chinese dishes.

Western dishes.

Chopsticks.

Knives and forks.

Baijiu.

Red wine.

It was, in every sense, a fusion of East and West.

Once all the dishes had been served, both families sat together neatly around the table.

Then Prince Haiman raised his phone and took a grand family photograph of everyone together.