Seeing Through Without Saying

A moment later, in the living room on the first floor of the villa.

On the table were Thai ruby pomelos, 5J golden cherries, various seasonal fruits, and imported snacks.

After brewing tea, Zhang Zhaohai warmly pulled Zhang Junwei aside and chatted about everyday matters.

"We won't go far, just to the restaurant outside our neighborhood. We'll get a table and drink to our hearts' content," Zhang Zhaohai said enthusiastically.

After all, he and Zhang Junwei are cousins and grew up together, so they have a strong bond when they reconnect.

"Okay, let's have a few drinks together." Zhang Junwei nodded quickly.

He recalled everything he had seen and heard along the way, and felt the opulent atmosphere emanating from the house. For a moment, he felt dazed, as if he were in a dream.

This cousin, who grew up with me and started from the same point, has now crossed class boundaries?

Zhang Zhaohai and his cousins were chatting, so Zhang Yang took Zhang Yuying on a tour of the house.

It wasn't him who brought it up; it was Zhang Yuying who couldn't sit still and was very curious.

"There are rooms here too! Your house is really big!"

"A walk-in closet this big? That's incredibly luxurious!"

"What's this display? A jewelry cabinet? My goodness..."

When Zhang Yang told her that the jewelry cabinet alone cost several hundred thousand yuan, Zhang Yuying was utterly shocked.

Without a doubt, the current situation of this once naive younger brother's family has far exceeded her imagination.

Zhang Yang's bedroom was bright and clean, and very spacious, resembling a private suite.

Zhang Yuying walked around inside for a while, then sat down on the edge of the bed and pressed her hand against the incredibly soft surface. "I've heard that some very expensive bedding is called... Oh right, Hästens, and it costs over a million."

"Isn't this what you're sitting on?" Zhang Yang said with amusement.

Zhang Yuying still didn't believe it, so she lifted the blanket and looked. Sure enough, under the blanket and sheets, the Hstens horse logo was very conspicuous.

Oh my god!

Zhang Yuying was stunned for a moment, then collapsed to the ground, completely exhausted.

Later, Zhang Yuying persisted in asking what Zhang Yang's girlfriend looked like.

"Ah, this..." Zhang Yang held his phone, wanting to pull up a picture to satisfy his sister's curiosity.

However, with Zhang Yuying constantly crowding around him, how was he supposed to open the photo album? He knew there were many things in that album that he couldn't show her.

After all, it has sexy photos, elegant photos, selfies, group photos, and all sorts of private photos of girls.

The most important one is...

While she was still hesitating, Zhang Yuying had already clicked on it quickly.

Smack

A picture of someone emerging from a bath appeared before me.

Zhang Yuying blinked, Zhang Yang blinked too.

The phone was snatched away with a whoosh, and Zhang Yang's expression returned to normal in the blink of an eye.

"Hey!!" Zhang Yuying's eyes widened, her gaze following Zhang Yang's phone. "Wait, why does this look so familiar?"

Zhang Yang, don't reply to her.

Of course it looked familiar; it was the bath photo Ouyang Feifei sent him last time, so innocent and sensual. He never expected Zhang Yuying to point it out by accident.

If you saw it, just stop there and don't admit it.

So, no matter how much Zhang Yuying pressed him for answers, Zhang Yang simply remained silent, letting her guess.

In the evening, they were called downstairs to go eat.

"You, Zhang Yang, are you trying to keep me in suspense?" Zhang Yuying's eyes were full of resentment. "Back in Harbor City, I took you out to eat delicious food and even introduced you to a girlfriend, and now you're keeping your sister in suspense."

"Don't be curious, can you just say whatever you want about privacy?" Zhang Yang shook his head and laughed.

He didn't care about his own privacy, but other people's privacy... Zhang Yang wasn't so heartless as to use these things as bragging rights. Fortunately, the photo flashed by so quickly that Zhang Yuying didn't get a good look at it.

"You stingy bastard, I've figured it out now, you're a scumbag too," Zhang Yuying muttered.

In the evening, the two families walked to a restaurant outside the villa area for dinner.

Although we own a restaurant, there's really no need to go to such lengths to eat. Fortunately, the restaurants outside the villa area are all quite high-end, given the surrounding environment and clientele.

Therefore, there is absolutely no problem in hosting Zhang Junwei and his daughter here.

Inside the quiet and stylish restaurant, Zhang Zhaohai ordered a classically elegant private room and a table full of dishes.

I also brought a bottle of Moutai with a metal cap from home.

When the wine was brought out, Zhang Junwei's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

This wine would cost at least tens of thousands of yuan a bottle on the collector's market. Are you just going to take it out and drink it like that? That's too extravagant!

"Let's not drink this wine anymore. We can drink something else, it'll be just as good," he suggested tactfully. "It's better to keep this wine as a collectible."

"Liquor is for drinking. I don't care about collecting it," Zhang Zhaohai said, waving his hand dismissively. "Come on, just enjoy your drink."

As soon as he finished speaking, he opened the bottle and filled Zhang Junwei's glass.

The two families ate, drank, and chatted.

Amidst the clinking of glasses, the atmosphere gradually became more relaxed and harmonious.

Zhang Junwei, who had been holding back a lot of questions, finally couldn't help but ask, "Brother, what did our family do to make it successful?"

"Oh, it's nothing." Zhang Zhaohai didn't say much, only mentioning that his family mainly runs a catering business now.

As for more, he didn't hold back his pride in his son, Zhang Yang.

"My son is the one who has truly built a great business."

In his memory, his son Zhang Yang was incredibly unfathomable; even he, as the father, couldn't figure him out.

The family restaurant is just a small business; the real big business is the one run by our son.

"Zhang Yang, come, let your uncle toast you." Zhang Junwei looked at Zhang Yang and hurriedly and solemnly raised his glass.

He believes what Zhang Zhaohai said.

Clearly, the current changes in the Zhang family are all due to Zhang Yang. In that sense, he is truly a dragon among men who has risen from the Zhang family! Speaking of which, they are all of the same clan and ancestry, and even though he, as his cousin, cannot directly benefit from this, he still feels a surge of pride at this moment.

"Uncle, it's my turn to toast you." Zhang Yang raised his glass and clinked glasses with Zhang Junwei.

After a few rounds of drinks, Zhang Junwei took the initiative to talk about his trip to Yinghai.

"I'm here on official business, but mainly it's for Yu Ying's sake." He put down his wine glass and looked at Zhang Yuying with a smile.

Zhang Yuying tried to remain calm, but she looked somewhat embarrassed.

Zhang Yang glanced at it and suddenly realized.

"Sister, is your trip to Yinghai a private matter?" he asked tentatively.

"Oh, there's nothing to hide." Zhang Yuying blinked. "My boyfriend's grandfather came to Yinghai to visit his comrades-in-arms, accidentally fell, had surgery here, and is recuperating now, so..."

"That's quite important." Zhang Yang nodded. "Where is it?"

"It's at Yinghai First People's Hospital." Zhang Yuying suddenly thought of something. "Zhang Yang, are you busy? Why don't you take your sister there?"

"Sure," Zhang Yang readily agreed, but he was also well aware of Zhang Yuying's intentions.

Zhang Yuying hoped her younger brother could come along and help out. Her boyfriend's grandfather was hospitalized in another city, and Zhang Yuying had come all this way to visit him in person to show her sincerity. Presumably, the man's family is a respectable family.

"That's great!" Zhang Yuying smiled immediately, raised her glass and clinked it with Zhang Yang's. "I was a little nervous at first, but with my brother coming with me, I didn't feel nervous at all."

"Sis, is this your boyfriend's place?" Zhang Yang asked casually.

Before Zhang Yuying could speak, her uncle Zhang Junwei, somewhat embarrassed, spoke up, "It's not because of their family's financial situation, we just wanted to visit. I happened to be on a business trip, so here we are."

Zhang Yang nodded without pressing further; some things are better left unsaid once you've seen them.

Based on his understanding of his uncle, he knew that a family he could approve of must be quite good. However, his uncle was a proud man and refused to admit that he had come all this way specifically because of the man's family.

We all understand, no need to say it aloud.

Around 8 PM, we ate and chatted over dinner, and in the end, everyone enjoyed themselves.

Zhang Zhaohai and Zhang Junwei, brothers, stood arm in arm, as if they had returned to their carefree days, and both of them spoke with a slight lisp.

"Where are you staying tonight? Have you booked a hotel?"

"We'll find a place to stay later. Thanks for the hospitality, brother," Zhang Junwei said, slurring his words.

"What are you thanking me for?" Zhang Zhaohai waved his hand. "I'll arrange the hotel tonight. It's a rare opportunity for you to come all this way, so don't worry about anything else."

The two pushed and shoved each other as they walked out of the private room.

After leaving the house, Zhang Zhaohai was about to go and book a hotel for them.

The restaurant is surrounded by a very upscale environment, after all, it is close to Yinghai Financial CBD, and the Hilton Hotel is not far away.

Without saying a word, Zhang Zhaohai was about to go to the Hilton to make arrangements for them.

Their enthusiasm was truly boundless.

"No, brother, that's too much money, it's unnecessary." Zhang Junwei had sobered up a bit and kept trying to stop him.

"Don't worry about it, you don't care. Your niece is staying in a hotel with you?" Zhang Zhaohai pulled his hand away, patting his chest repeatedly. "Come on, niece, I'll arrange it for you."

Zhang Yang was genuinely surprised; he hadn't expected his father to be so up-to-date. He had his own way of living when he was poor, and now that he's rich, his lifestyle is incredibly modern and exudes the affluence of a nouveau riche.

Sure, sure!

He had originally planned to take his uncle and the others directly to his Four Seasons Hotel, but this would save them the trouble of traveling back and forth.

A few moments later, the hotel arrangements were complete.

The two families waved goodbye in the hotel lobby.

"See you tomorrow morning." Before leaving, Zhang Yuying helped her father up, turned back and winked at Zhang Yang, "Don't rush to rest tonight, let's chat a bit more and catch up."

She was clearly still a little unsatisfied.

"Still want to chat?" Zhang Yang nodded, amused.

To be honest, Zhang Yang really didn't want to talk to this older sister anymore. She was nice in every way, except she was too curious and gossipy. Could he tell her what she was curious about? Could he tell her that the photo was of a popular young female singer emerging from a bath? Could he tell her how many girlfriends he had?

Don't even think about it.

Later that evening, Zhang Yang went directly back to the villa at Purple Garden No. 1 with his parents.

Zhang Zhaohai drank quite a bit, but given his physique, his alcohol tolerance was still quite good. He was just a little excited; when he got home, he poured himself a strong cup of tea and was still talking animatedly.

His mother, Song Wenqin, kept him company and chatted with him.

Zhang Yang ignored the couple, went upstairs to take a shower, and went back to his room to lie down early.

He hadn't been lying down for long when his phone started ringing.

Sure enough, it was a message from Zhang Yuying.

Are you asleep?

"Are you home yet?"

This classic, dead-end opening line would have been ignored by Zhang Yang by anyone else, but the one sending the message was his nominal cousin, who had been incredibly kind to him back in college.

So Zhang Yang could only chat with this woman in a half-hearted manner. When he couldn't keep up with the conversation any longer, he simply threw all his questions at her.

"Sis, tell me about your boyfriend?"

Do you have any photos? Let me see a few.

Zhang Yuying wanted to keep Zhang Yang in suspense and exchange photos, but Zhang Yang wasn't fooled at all.

Whether to share or not.

Don't even think about getting him to send the photos.

"Okay, okay, if you won't give it to me, then I won't. Here, let me show you my boyfriend." In the end, Zhang Yuying couldn't hold back any longer and sent over a photo of her boyfriend, as if showing off.

Zhang Yang glanced at it.

Yes, he's refined and has the look of someone who works in the system. He's definitely Zhang Yuying's type. No wonder she went to such lengths to come all this way to see the man's grandfather.

"How was it? How was it?" Zhang Yuying asked impatiently from across the table.

"Hmm, not bad," Zhang Yang politely commented.

If he were to shower him with compliments, it would seem somewhat insincere, since even if this guy is handsome, he can't compare to even a fraction of his good looks. This small compliment, on the other hand, seems more sincere.

"Not bad, yeah, although he's not as handsome as you, he's loyal." Zhang Yuying texted. "And he seems so reliable, I like that mature and steady type."

These days, if you look refined, wear glasses, and sport an executive jacket, don't you just look like a respectable and dignified person?

"Freedom of dress is good, but is it really okay for a newcomer to wear an executive jacket?" Zhang Yang looked at the young man in the photo wearing an executive jacket, muttered to himself, and fell into deep thought.

As the owner of the Four Seasons Hotel, he frequently hosted official public meetings and naturally had a lot of contact with local government officials in Yinghai. In his memory, leaders at the municipal bureau level and above, or even city leaders, mostly wore this outfit, but the young people accompanying the leaders... I don't think I've ever seen them dressed like this before.

I reckon this person only wore this outfit for a photo shoot; it's unlikely they would wear it as everyday clothing for work.

After thinking about it, Zhang Yang felt that it was a reasonable explanation.

"Hmm, quite steady. Congratulations to my sister on finding a good match," Zhang Yang said with his blessing.

"Yeah, thanks, bro. Seriously, if you have the chance, bring your girlfriend to meet your sister. I'll give her a little something as a gift, I'm not kidding," Zhang Yuying muttered from across the table.

They chatted until late into the night, and Zhang Yang finally managed to keep Zhang Yuying quiet on the other end of the line.

He then tossed his phone aside and fell into a deep sleep.