Wang Jiefang didn't believe that Wei Duan Gong, who could engage in witty conversations with him about Buddhism and Taoism, would actually die. Wang Hu Sheng and Chen Er Gou also didn't believe it. For someone like Wei Duan Gong, who was a master of eloquence and had connections with high-society individuals, and especially for someone who had risen from poverty to the top of the social ladder through his own efforts, it was unlikely that he would die so suddenly. Chen Er Gou firmly believed that Wei Duan Gong was still alive, hiding in seclusion, and that only a small part of him might have actually died. He had left behind three wives, four concubines, countless mistresses, and the empire he had built over thirty years.

  Chen Ergou continued to raise his three dogs in a down-to-earth manner, unaffected by the turbulent waves of the upper class. For him, doing his job well was the most important thing. However, when Wei Dongchong came to Shanshui Huamen again, Chen Ergou noticed something subtle - the usually loud and boisterous girl had become unusually quiet. This time, she drove herself to the villa in a small district without calling her family's driver. She stared blankly at the ancient books in the study for almost an hour before lying down on the railing of the second-floor balcony, gazing at a small fish pond in the corner of the yard. Chen Ergou didn't disturb her and had a bad feeling in his heart. In his impression, Wei Dongchong was always a spoiled rich girl who never worried about food, clothes, or being pampered by others. Chen Ergou, who had experienced the coldness and warmth of human relationships at the bottom of society, often envied her carefree life as a wealthy person. But today, he realized that every family has its own unsolvable problems, not just in Zhangjiacun, but also in big cities like the Wei family's wealthy household.

  "You scoundrel, I'm telling you something, I'm going to run away from home." Wei Dongchu's first words were shocking.

  He almost didn't let Chen Ergou, who was training the dog on a hot day and was more tired than the dog, scold him loudly. He was really an ignorant child who didn't know his blessings. Chen Ergou suppressed the urge to roll his eyes and looked up at the little ancestor who was lying on the railing with a sad and determined face. After adjusting his hair slightly, he said in a bad tone: "Where are you going? You don't have an ID card, where will you sleep and live? What can you do with a credit card on your body? When you're out alone, if you're lucky, you can eat, drink, and play for a month or two. Can you really not miss home? If you're unlucky, no one will care about your minor injuries and pains. What if you get robbed or cheated and have no money? Who will you cry to? Even if you can sneak back home, will your parents give you a good face? You're not like me, I can get by with just a bun and some salted vegetables for one meal. My life is cheap and easy to maintain, I'm not afraid of the cold or heat, and I can sleep soundly under the bridge with just a few clothes. But you, going out alone isn't as easy as you think. Believe it or not."

  "You're not supposed to fan the flames on purpose, trick me into leaving home, and then create a few accidents to torment me. Finally, pretend to be heroic at critical moments, put on a show of saving the beauty, win my favor, and best of all, marry me and set foot in the Wei family. At worst, you can also gain my gratitude and that of Duke Wei of Nanjing, isn't this what you should do?"

  Wei Dongchong said in a low voice, staring at Chen Ergou in the courtyard, "Why do you want to say these things? I know you must be resentful of me, resentful that I called you a dog slave, splashed fruit juice on your face and damaged your reputation. Resentful of my arrogant attitude as if I'm some kind of noble lady who doesn't know the height of the sky or the thickness of the earth. Last time you took me to catch snakes in the forest, didn't you have ill intentions? You were hoping I'd suffer a bit. So why are you acting like a benevolent person with a compassionate heart this time?"

  Chen Ergou sighed, really didn't know if this 14-year-old kid had watched too many palace dramas or had been influenced by his father Wei Duangong's business dealings since he was young, how could his thinking be so strong. It seemed that the saying "a tiger father has no dog daughter" was true, and Wei Xiacao, who was known for her elegance and intelligence, was not stupid either. This Wei Dongchong, who wore a proud mask, was also not a simpleton. Chen Ergou became more and more afraid to underestimate the brains of rich family children.

  Wei Dongchong propped up her cheek with her hand, continuing to observe Chen Ergou. This was the first time she had ever scrutinized him so carefully. He was about 175 cm tall, with a mediocre build and appearance, but his attire was somewhat better than average - always wearing a security guard uniform that lacked any aesthetic appeal or sense of fashion. His taste in clothing was completely incompatible with hers. Wei Dongchong made an effort to examine him closely, trying to find something distinctive about him, but ultimately failed. She felt that she indeed had a shallow perspective, just as her parents had said - no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't see anything special about Chen Ergou. Her family members, from her father to her maternal grandmother and aunt whom she had only met once, all had some degree of affection for him, which was why they were all taken in by Wei Xiacao's hypocritical and deceitful nature. Wei Dongchong saw that Chen Ergou wasn't speaking, so she let out a sigh and looked down at him with her head tilted to one side, wondering if his neck didn't get tired from always keeping his head raised. She wanted to sigh again but restrained herself, remembering what her mother, the former number one beauty of Nanjing, had told her - that frowning, pouting, and sighing would all lead to wrinkles. So Wei Dongchong tilted her head to one side, expressionless, and said: "I want to go to Beijing and find Li Kuafu."

  "Really not marrying anyone else?" Chen Ergou said with a bit of sourness, after all, Wei Dongchong was still a very attractive young woman, otherwise Chen Ergou wouldn't have been staring at her with his neck stretched out for so long, even though it's said that good things don't go to outsiders' fields, and yet this fine Nanjing cabbage was about to be taken by a Beijing beast. Chen Ergou felt somewhat unwilling, admiring the scenery of Wei Dongchong's chest, thinking that at 14 years old she already had such a figure, and by the time she was 24, wouldn't it be something that one hand couldn't even grasp?

  Wei Dongchong nodded, unaware of Chen Ergou's ulterior motives, and said: "My man must be more domineering than my dad."

  Chen Ergou finally retracted his neck, rubbed it a bit, and muttered in a low voice: "Aura of dominance? What's that supposed to be? I think a 450-kilogram wild boar charging forward is pretty dominant too. You're just showing off."

  "Are you talking about me behind my back?" Wei Dongchong blazed, this little girl's mind was as nimble as a seven-holed pearl, and with one glance at Chen Ergou's eyes, she immediately forgot her unhappiness and restored her spoiled rich girl nature.

  "No!" Chen Ergou said solemnly.

  "Believe you're just a 2B." Wei Dongchong, who had always been outspoken in front of Chen Ergou, didn't say another word and smashed the iPhone he had just brought back from Hong Kong, wishing he could smash to death that dog slave who was neither good nor completely evil.

  Chen Ergou didn't dodge, and caught the phone. Wei Dongchong stretched his waist and turned around, saying: "I've rewarded you, consider it payment for that little snake, we're even now."

  She's really a stubborn little girl who doesn't like to owe anyone favors. Chen Erdog smiled and didn't refuse, this kind of thing shouldn't be about saving face, if there's a benefit to be had, not taking it would be a sin against heaven and earth.

  Wei Dongchong never showed up at the Shan Shui Hua Men again, just like his father Wei Duan Gong. Chen Er Gou gradually learned about the storm through Wang Jiefang from the noblewoman circle. In Wang Hu's words, it was a big ship that sank, and in the process of slowly sinking, someone had to be held accountable, which was the punishment for the helmsman. The ship sank, and a whirlpool would inevitably form, people without capital or strength could only jump into the sea to save themselves, but not many people could escape the whirlpool's involvement. Perhaps Wei Duan Gong belonged to that big fish, being pulled into the black hole, ending up with a miserable fate of no return.

  The truth is, the inside story, Chen Erdog doesn't know, no channel, no connection, at this moment, thinking of Wei Duan Gong's last meeting, only then truly felt a bit of kindness from that prominent man, maybe got on his boat, this time again will be hurt and flee across provinces.

  Another month passed, and Chen Ergou had been in Nanjing for almost half a year. Chen Yuanshu finally came to Shanshui Huamen for the second time. Her arrival, of course, didn't just mean letting Chen Ergou have a good meal. Rumors from hearsay couldn't make Chen Ergou feel reliable. Chen Yuanshu was someone from that circle, and only the information revealed by her words was accurate. Seeing this lady from the Chen family, who had changed into a new outfit but still looked stunning, Chen Ergou's eyes lit up with excitement, and his gaze became even more eager. The three dogs also cooperated today, wagging their tails when they saw Chen Yuanshu, which made her laugh heartily for once. Her already gentle eyes and eyebrows softened even further. Sitting in the chair in the courtyard, she kept a moderate distance from Chen Ergou. Although she had a charming face that could make men weak in the knees, her every move was elegant and refined, worthy of being a well-educated lady from a prestigious family. There was no flaw to pick on. She said, "Master Wei, something has happened."

  Few words, but almost scared Chen Ergou out of a cold sweat.

  She seemed to be satisfied with Chen Ergou's reaction, which was a kind of original sin among the upper class, accustomed to an attitude that everything is under control, only some people showed it openly, while others were introverted. The former was like Zhao Kunpeng, and the latter was like Chen Yuanshu and Wei Dangong. Chen Yuanshu paused for a moment, intentionally giving Chen Ergou time to calm down and compose his emotions. When Chen Ergou came back to himself, she smiled and said: "Don't be afraid, nowadays we don't practice the old ways of implicating nine clans, besides, Master Wei has a special regard for you, so rest assured, this storm won't drown you."

  "What brings Sister Chen here this time?" Chen Ergou asked in a low voice, with some trepidation and anticipation.

  Chen Yuanshu smiled and gazed at Chen Ergou, staring him into a daze, then making him feel uneasy all over, and finally giving him the chills. She blinked her eyes and said in a soothing Suzhou accent, "I came this time to deliver a message for someone. An old man has arrived in Nanjing and wants to see you three days later. Get ready. Since you call me Sister Chen, I'll give you some extra advice: when the time comes, say everything that needs to be said, not one word less; and don't say anything that shouldn't be said, not one word more."

  Chen Ergou's face was filled with a pious smile, but his heart was churning with anxiety. He was already nervous, and Chen Yuanshu's two words "one word" made him even more jittery, thinking it was a summons from the national leader. Chen Ergou cursed in his heart, "Damn you, you said nothing, just wait till I'm in power, I'll strip you naked and see how you pretend to be noble."

  (In the last two and a half episodes, those with monthly passes can smash them ~) (If you want to know what happens next, please log in, more chapters, support the author, support the genuine version!)