No Compromise

Cen Muxiao had not slept well all night. He had finally sent Guo Lantai away and dozed briefly in bed, only to be awakened by a call from Hua Caifeng, the third wife of the Cen family who lived at the Cen Family Estate.

"Mom? Why are you calling so early?"

Cen Muxiao's voice was slightly hoarse from sleep. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, clarity had returned to his gaze.

"Son, look at the time. It's almost eight. Why are you still sleeping?"

Hua Caifeng could tell from his voice that her son had not gotten out of bed.

In the past, she might not have called to disturb him at this hour. But in recent years, her son had been overwhelmingly busy with Cen Group matters. How could he have the time or inclination to sleep in? Usually, he would already be holding down the fort at the office by now.

"Mm, I went to bed a little late. I'm not going to the company today, so..."

Cen Muxiao answered quietly, but his words gave his mother quite a shock.

"Went to bed late? Don't tell me you and that boy..."

Hua Caifeng spoke vaguely, but Cen Muxiao understood at once. Before she could say anything further, he hurriedly replied,

"No, Mom. Don't overthink it. That's impossible."

Hearing that, Hua Caifeng suddenly let out a breath of relief. She could not quite describe how she felt. Her perfectly fine son had actually married another man for the sake of his career!

Though everyone knew it was merely for show, it still bothered her. She only had this one son, and she still wanted to hold a grandchild and become a grandmother.

But when she thought of her son, that dream seemed even farther away. Even if he had not married that Guo family boy, his heart was still set on another man!

That Song Anning who had appeared at the wedding banquet the day before—they all knew that years ago, he had bewitched her son so thoroughly that he had lost his mind over him. Fortunately, he had gone abroad afterward, allowing her son to return somewhat to normal.

But why had he come back at such a critical moment?

Before they had even gotten rid of Guo Lantai, Song Anning had shown up too. Hua Caifeng felt utterly stifled. What kind of mess was this?

Her thoughts were in turmoil, but she still had to support her son on the surface. Thinking of the matter at hand, she hurriedly asked, "When are you two coming back to the estate?"

"Back to the estate?"

"What are you thinking? Shouldn't newlyweds visit the husband's family on the first day after the wedding?"

"Grandpa's idea?"

"Uh, he didn't say so outright. He only mentioned it in passing. I'm not criticizing you, but whether you and that boy are putting on an act or not, you should at least come back and see the family!"

Hua Caifeng valued formalities most. For half her life, whether it was marriage, childbirth, birthday gatherings, or anything else, she had always cared deeply about ceremony.

She believed that since a new spouse had entered the family, all the proper procedures should be followed.

Unexpectedly, Cen Muxiao quickly rejected the suggestion. "There's no need. Holding the wedding was already my greatest concession. Don't interfere with the rest."

"But your grandfather..."

"Mom, I believe Grandpa will understand me."

Cen Muxiao's reason for refusing was simple. He and Guo Lantai would part ways sooner or later. It was fine to maintain appearances for outsiders, but when it came to family matters, he believed it was better to keep Guo Lantai at a distance.

The less they became entangled at the beginning, the less trouble there would be when they separated!

There was no need to explain further. His grandfather would certainly support him.

"Ah! I really don't know what the point of all this is. Fine, do as you please!"

Hua Caifeng let out a deep sigh, filled with helplessness.

"I'll go back by myself later."

Cen Muxiao suddenly said this as she sighed.

"Huh? Son, what did you say?"

Hua Caifeng could hardly believe her ears. Apart from seeing him at the wedding yesterday, she had not properly sat down and talked with her son in many days. He was simply too busy.

"I said I'll go back by myself in a while and have lunch with you and Grandpa."

Cen Muxiao patiently repeated himself. What his mother had said just now was right—he should go back and see the family, but he alone would be enough.

In fact, by agreeing to the marriage alliance and insisting on marrying a man, he was also making his position clear. Even if there were no marriage alliance in the future and no other interests involved, the person he married could still be a man.

Now that Song Anning had returned, his feelings had stirred once more.

When Guo Lantai came downstairs after sleeping his fill, he happened to see Uncle Meng, the housekeeper, directing people to bring dishes to the dining table.

Song Anning was already seated and eating. He looked calm and relaxed as he enjoyed the service of the Cen family servants, carrying himself entirely like the master of the house.

At the sight of him coming down the stairs, Song Anning's expression stiffened for a moment. The instant their eyes met, a flash of disgust swept across his gaze.

"Good morning, Mr. Guo."

He forced the greeting through clenched lips, clearly unwilling. If the housekeeper had not been present and Guo Lantai had not been the nominal Mrs. Cen, he would never have taken the initiative to greet him.

Guo Lantai sneered inwardly. Even if he was unwelcome, he was still Mrs. Cen. How could it be this man's turn to act like the host in someone else's home?

He had not even complained about Song Anning's inability to understand his place, yet Song Anning was already glaring at him with contempt. He truly had no intention of giving an inch.

He could not even hide it now. There would only be fewer occasions in the future when he looked at him kindly!

"Morning, Mr. Song. You look great. Seems you slept well last night!"

"Not bad."

Song Anning, who had nearly scrubbed his skin raw, answered with lowered eyelids. If it were not for this Guo bastard, he could have gotten up early enough to have breakfast with Cen Muxiao!

By the time he opened his eyes, it was already past ten. There was no sign of Cen Muxiao anywhere.

"That's good."

Guo Lantai stretched lazily as he walked over. If they were going to trade blows, it was better to do it face-to-face. His spit was a pretty good weapon too.

"Madam, you're awake. Lunch has just been prepared. I was about to go upstairs and invite you down."

When Uncle Meng saw Guo Lantai, he respectfully pulled out a chair for him and waited for him to sit.

"Thank you."

When reading the original novel, Guo Lantai had paid special attention to Uncle Meng. Ever since Cen Muxiao had moved out to live on his own, Uncle Meng had worked as the butler of this villa. He had been diligent and conscientious, taking meticulous care of Cen Muxiao. Over the past decade or so, he had earned the Cen family's deep trust.

Perhaps because of this, he regarded Cen Muxiao as one of his own juniors. Regarding Cen Muxiao marrying a man, he held the same view as the third Mrs. Cen: such a fine young man ought to properly marry a beautiful woman. His career was already successful; all that remained was to carry on the family line and bring honor to the household.

Therefore, Guo Lantai knew that Uncle Meng disliked him from the bottom of his heart. Yet the man possessed excellent professional ethics. On the surface, he remained respectful, and there was not the slightest hint of contempt in his behavior.

Guo Lantai merely glanced at the dishes on the table and smiled with pursed lips. They were all rather light dishes, clearly prepared specifically for Song Anning sitting opposite him.

Seeing his gaze sweep over the dishes, Uncle Meng hurriedly explained, "Young Master instructed us that Mr. Song has a weak stomach, and you had greasy food last night. Today's meals were arranged to be as light as possible. If you're not satisfied and want something else, I'll arrange it right away!"

Guo Lantai considered this inwardly. He could not yield on this matter. Once he gave way, would everything in the future not have to cater to Song Anning's preferences first?

"Don't make too much trouble. Just reheat those skewers I brought back last night. They may be leftovers, but they tasted great!"

Uncle Meng's heart gave a thump when he heard that, but he nodded in agreement. "All right. Please wait a little longer, and I'll arrange it immediately!"

Since he had said he could arrange it, he had to arrange it. And naturally, he could not actually serve him leftovers!

Thus, the kitchen soon became busy again—preparing ingredients, threading skewers, grilling them. Before long, the fragrant scent of barbecue filled the entire villa courtyard...