95: Chapter 95 Chen Ze: Gratitude and Vigilance

In the end, Chen Ze still didn't plan to call Su Ye, but his heart was filled with gratitude. Over the past few months, it wasn't as if no one had offered Chen Ze all sorts of terrible ideas, but they only ever stayed on the surface and in words; as for actually doing something for him, that was impossible.

Even if they did some trivial thing, they were terrified that you wouldn't know about it, and would constantly try to claim credit in front of you.

Yet, how long had he and Su Ye even known each other? Su Ye had silently helped him resolve such an important matter, leaving Chen Ze truly at a loss for words.

The key was that, up until now, Su Ye hadn't mentioned what he wanted. So, besides gratitude, Chen Ze also felt a tinge of vigilance. After all, Su Ye had solved such a huge problem for him, and if he really did ask for something, Chen Ze would find it hard to refuse.

Harboring these feelings of both gratitude and vigilance, Chen Ze returned home. Both his villa and Chen Qingwen's were not far from Chen Chaoyang's residence, so he arrived in just a few minutes.

By this time, it was already past eight o'clock. Upon entering the living room, Chen Ze saw his wife, Wang Shanshan, sitting on the sofa with their daughter, Chen Anle, watching television.

Hearing the sound of the front door opening, the two—one large and one small—turned their heads to look.

"You're back, A-Ze."

"Daddy!"

Wang Shanshan asked softly, "Have you eaten? The kitchen saved some food for you."

Chen Ze shook his head. He had just eaten a bowl of egg noodles at his parents' place, so he wasn't hungry at all.

He then crouched down and lifted his daughter, who had come running toward him with her bare feet pattering on the floor, into his arms.

Chen Anle blinked her large, dark eyes and asked, "Daddy, are you tired? Shall Anle give you a massage?"

Casting all his complicated emotions to the back of his mind, Chen Ze smiled, pinched his daughter's chubby cheek, and said, "Alright, then I'll trouble Anle to help Daddy massage his shoulders."

Chen Ze sat on the sofa, and Chen Anle ran behind him to diligently pound and massage his shoulders.

Being a child, she got tired before long and eventually fell asleep right there on the sofa.

Wang Shanshan picked up Chen Anle and walked toward the bedroom, saying with a smile, "This child spent the whole day playing wildly with that girl, Yu Xiaoxiao, outside. If she hadn't been waiting for you to come back so she could give you a massage, she would have fallen asleep long ago."

Chen Ze smiled and looked dotingly at the little person in Wang Shanshan's arms.

"Shanshan, come over after you put Anle down. I want to discuss something with you."

Wang Shanshan paused for a moment before continuing toward the bedroom. "Okay."

Chen Ze usually didn't discuss matters with her, but if he did, it certainly wasn't a trivial affair; it would involve major decisions for the family.

Wang Shanshan was not unaware of the recent turmoil in the Chen family; she just chose not to speak of it. She also felt that since Chen Ze was looking to talk to her today, the matter must have been settled.

A few minutes later, Wang Shanshan walked out of the room. She first went to the bar to pour Chen Ze a glass of warm milk before sitting down beside him. She let Chen Ze rest his head on her lap and used her hands to massage his head, helping to soothe his nerves.

"Our father will be stepping down in a few days and handing the group over to me."

Wang Shanshan's movements didn't stop; she continued to massage him and gave a soft "Mm." Under normal circumstances, unless Chen Ze sought her opinion, she wouldn't say anything.

Although Wang Shanshan wasn't beautiful, she was very virtuous and kept the house in perfect order. Chen Ze never had to worry about whether there would be food to eat when he returned home. When he felt troubled, Wang Shanshan would quietly accompany him, and when he needed emotional support, she was never stingy with it. This was the reason why Chen Ze married Wang Shanshan not long after he returned, and their relationship had remained very good to this day.

Chen Ze recounted everything that happened today from beginning to end. Wang Shanshan's hands paused for a moment before continuing as she said, "It's a good thing you didn't lose your temper the moment you walked in today, but instead both you and Father calmed down. Otherwise, you definitely would have ended up arguing. After all, Section Chief Wan rejected Father's good intentions. Even if Father didn't say anything, he must have been unhappy inside."

Wang Shanshan knew her father-in-law quite well; he was a bit chauvinistic and very overbearing.

Hearing his wife say this, Chen Ze recalled the look Chen Chaoyang had given him when he first walked in—it was like the gaze of an aging lion preparing to face a challenge to its position from a younger lion.

He felt a wave of relief. His father, having just been rejected, must have felt that he had lost face. If he had walked right into the line of fire, a scolding would have been inevitable. And how would he have reacted emotionally if he had faced his father's reprimand at that moment?

Chen Ze could be certain that tonight would have been a sleepless night, and Chen Chaoyang never would have handed the company over to him. It was precisely because they had calmed down for a while that Chen Chaoyang's temper had dissipated over time, which was why his attitude was so good afterward.

The gratitude he felt toward Su Ye deepened by another three points. As for Section Chief Wan? What kind of character was he? He wouldn't release the hawk until he saw the rabbit; would he have given up without sufficient benefits?

"Tomorrow, I'll let Anle go keep her grandfather company. After all, Father must be feeling upset right now. He likes Anle the most, and it might let him experience the joy of having his grandchild by his side."

Chen Ze gave a soft "Mm." It would be good to let his old man spend more time with Anle; it would save him from causing trouble for himself.

Afterward, they chatted a bit more about Su Ye. After thinking for a moment, Wang Shanshan said, "Don't make any moves for the next few days. After all, nothing is set in stone yet. Wait until the group is officially handed over to you, and then invite him over to the house for a meal. I'll cook personally. By then, even if this Su Ye makes any requests, the power in your hands will be much greater. No matter what, our family must acknowledge this favor."

Chen Ze thought that made sense. If he were to rush to contact Su Ye now, he probably wouldn't have the time to treat him to a meal in the next few days. He couldn't just make a dry phone call, and besides, if Su Ye asked for something, his current power really wasn't great enough. But after the group was handed over, it would be different.

He reached out and stroked Wang Shanshan's smooth cheek. "Thank you, Shanshan. Every time, you're able to help me fill in the gaps. Being with you is my greatest luck."

Wang Shanshan smiled gently, her face blushing slightly. Even though they were an old married couple, she still couldn't quite handle Chen Ze's sweet talk.

"By the way, a couple of days ago, Anle said she really wanted to go play at the Theme Park. She was so diligent today, she probably wanted to tell you about that."

She then covered her mouth and laughed, saying, "But before she had the chance to say it, the child fell asleep herself."

Recalling his mischievous daughter, a smile tugged at the corners of Chen Ze's mouth. He then rose from the sofa and swept Wang Shanshan up into his arms. "I think our daughter is missing a little brother."

Wang Shanshan was too shy to look at Chen Ze and pointed at the milk glass on the table. "Drink the milk first."

Chen Ze walked toward the bedroom. "I'll drink it after we're done."