The following day.

It was the weekend, so Chen Yang went to the market early in the morning to buy groceries. Taking advantage of Qin Qiu being home, he was ready to go all out and showcase his culinary skills.

Qin Qiu, who rarely slept in, came downstairs to see a full table of dishes in the dining room. Her appetite was instantly whetted, and a sparkle flashed in her beautiful eyes. Now that she had calmed down and thought about it, she realized she had indeed gone a bit too far. Because she had been holding a grudge, her aversion toward Chen Yang had become so extreme that she had never once sat down to have a proper meal with him.

Carrying a tureen of soup, Chen Yang greeted Qin Qiu with a wide smile the moment he saw her. "Honey, go wash up and get ready to eat!"

"Alright," Qin Qiu responded neutrally.

By the time Qin Qiu and Luo Sulan were seated, Chen Yang had served all the dishes, his face brimming with an affectionate smile.

Seeing Chen Yang gazing adoringly at Qin Qiu, Luo Sulan's temper flared. She shot him a sharp glare and scolded, "What are you still doing here? Get to the kitchen! The sight of you is irritating!"

"Mom! You're going too far!" Before Chen Yang could retort, Qin Qiu spoke up. "Chen Yang worked all morning to prepare this feast. He deserves to sit down and eat with us."

Ignoring Luo Sulan's furious expression, Qin Qiu pulled out a chair and said to Chen Yang, "Chen Yang, sit!"

"Thanks, honey!" Chen Yang scratched his head, his face breaking into a silly grin.

SLAM!

Luo Sulan violently smashed the bowl she had just picked up onto the table and crossed her arms. "I'm not eating!!"

"Mom..." Qin Qiu sighed helplessly. Was her mother always this willful?

"Xiaoqiu, given the company's current situation, things would be much easier for you if you had a capable right-hand man, wouldn't they?" Luo Sulan glanced at Chen Yang, a sly smile playing on her lips. "A distant relative from my side of the family just graduated from university with a Master's in Business Administration! I've already notified him, and he'll be here in a couple of days! I hope you two can get along well!"

"Mom, I don't need anyone!" Qin Qiu refused flatly. She knew exactly what game Luo Sulan was playing. Han Rui just died, and now she's bringing in some distant relative. Does she have no sense of decency at all?

Chen Yang just smiled, saying nothing. It didn't matter who came, as long as they behaved themselves. Otherwise, Han Rui would be a cautionary tale.

"Hmph!" Luo Sulan snorted emphatically. "Your father may have passed away early, but I can still make some decisions in this house!"

"Mom…"

"That's settled!"

Qin Qiu wanted to say more but was stopped by Chen Yang, who advised, "Let it be. We'll see what happens when he arrives."

Qin Qiu had no choice but to drop the subject, her decent mood now thoroughly ruined. After the meal, she made plans to go shopping with a few girlfriends. Chen Yang repeatedly offered to accompany her but was mercilessly rejected.

…

With nothing better to do, Chen Yang called Yang Hu, and they went to the Little Apple Welfare Institute.

The welfare institute, donated by the Zhennan Prince, was under direct municipal management. Its environment, equipment, and the skill and quality of its staff were all considered top-tier in Lingjin City.

After completing the formalities, the two walked inside, observing the lively children. Chen Yang couldn't help but feel sentimental. "I still remember how shabby and desolate the welfare institute I grew up in was. We couldn't even get enough to eat, let alone anything else."

"Boss, is that why you donate to welfare institutes all over the empire?" Yang Hu asked.

"That's one of the reasons," Chen Yang said softly, his hands clasped behind his back. "The Elders' Court gives me so much money each year. It's useless to just let it sit there. Wouldn't it be better to give it back to society?"

As he finished speaking, his attention was drawn to a small figure under a nearby tree.

She had pigtails, a floral dress, and little cloth shoes. She crouched under the tree, her small hands red from the cold, using a twig to poke at a line of ants that were moving house. She was a sharp contrast to the other children playing and frolicking a short distance away, making her seem all the more lonely.

Chen Yang walked straight over and sat down beside her, asking warmly, "My name is Chen Yang. What's your name?"

"Shanshan."

Her voice, innocent and pure, reached his ears. The little girl only glanced at him, her face expressionless, her emotions unreadable. Then she lowered her head and went back to playing with the ants.

"Why are you all by yourself?" Chen Yang pointed toward the group of children in the distance.

"They don't want to play with me." Shanshan didn't look up again, murmuring as if to herself, "But I don't want to play with them either! These little ants are much more interesting!"

"How about I play with you?" Chen Yang smiled.

"Really?" A flicker of light suddenly shone in Shanshan's eyes. She handed her twig to Chen Yang and went to find another one for herself.

"Of course!"

And so, the two figures, one large and one small, crouched under the great tree as leaves fluttered down, happily playing with a group of ants.

An unknown amount of time passed until the call for dinner suddenly rang out. It was a middle-aged woman in an apron. With her hands on her hips and eyes wide, she bellowed at the children. The kids who had been playing immediately scrambled over like the wind.

Chen Yang's eyebrows knitted together. He was quite dissatisfied with the woman's attitude.

Coincidentally, the woman looked over and saw Shanshan slowly getting up. Her chubby face instantly darkened as she roared, "You wretched child, what's taking you so long! Get over here now! Do you think you can get out of washing dishes and doing laundry by dawdling? Not a chance!"

Shanshan's face turned pale with fear. She was about to jog over but Chen Yang held her back. "Don't be afraid of her."

Beside them, Yang Hu was already fuming. He strode up to the middle-aged woman, his tone icy. "This welfare institute was donated by the Zhennan Prince and receives a substantial sum of money each year. So why are these young children forced to do the dishwashing and laundry?"

"None of your damn business!" The middle-aged woman was incredibly brash. She gave Yang Hu a dismissive glance and sneered, "Who are you to tell me how to run things? Get out of my sight!"

Chen Yang ignored her. Squatting down, he took Shanshan's small, swollen hands in his. "Are your hands like this from washing the dishes and doing laundry in the cold?"

Shanshan nodded. For the past month, she had been the one washing all the dishes and clothes. With someone suddenly taking her side, the grievances she had suppressed for so long burst forth, and her eyes filled with tears.

Chen Yang pulled her into a hug, a cold light flashing in his eyes. He spoke gently, "I'm sorry. It's all my fault."

All this time, he had only provided the money, never paying attention to the management. It was clear now that he needed to take a firm hand in that aspect as well.

"I need an explanation," Chen Yang said, picking Shanshan up and looking at the middle-aged woman with a stone-cold expression.

The woman planted her hands on her hips and glared at him. "Who do you think you are? Get out of my welfare institute!"

"Yours?" Yang Hu scoffed. He then stepped forward without another word and slapped the woman, Li Fen, hard across the face. The force of the blow, combined with the element of surprise, sent her sprawling to the ground.

"You… you've got some nerve! You dare to strike me on my own territory?" Li Fen scrambled to her feet, clutching her stinging cheek as her voice dripped with venom.

"Keep hitting her," Chen Yang ordered.

Li Fen was left speechless.

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