The handsome guy next door loves to flirt.

Xu Yang's eyes met Mingyuan's, and he looked away, not daring to look him in the eye. After all, Mingyuan was right. He was afraid that Mingyuan was only getting close to Aruo because of revenge, which was why he had told Xu Ruo to go with Mingyuan.

"Back then... there was a reason I didn't buy that piece of land. Many people were vying for it, and the other party was determined to get it. They even threatened that anyone who dared to take it would face dire consequences... Back then, my business wasn't as big as it is now. I started from scratch and didn't have such strong connections and influence behind me. If it came down to a real fight, I wouldn't have been able to beat them. Businessmen are always looking to protect themselves when they're in danger, so when your father came to me to buy it, I didn't agree. Later, I heard that your father had an accident, and I felt very guilty and wanted to visit you to make amends. But when I got there, no one was there. I heard that your mother had even sold the house. I don't know where you went." Xu Yang sighed after finishing his sentence. He couldn't be entirely blamed for what happened back then, but he felt very guilty afterward, as he had indirectly harmed his family. Now he could only sympathize with Mingyuan's father.

After Xu Yang finished speaking, Mingyuan remained silent for a long time before finally asking, unwilling to give up, "Uncle... if you encountered something like that again, would you still buy that land?"

"Yes! I didn't know that because I didn't buy it, your dad... If I could do it all over again, I would definitely help him at any cost." Xu Yang has regretted this matter for years. He and Mingyuan's father were business partners. Back then, many people were vying for that piece of land, but Xu Yang backed down to avoid offending anyone. As a result, Mingyuan's father eventually had no choice but to commit suicide by jumping off a building.

“Uncle, don’t feel guilty. I’ve already investigated what happened back then. What truly drove my dad to despair wasn’t his business. He hadn’t reached his lowest point yet. It was because of my mom… my mom cheated on him with someone… and that man was his business rival. When my dad found out, he felt that his business had failed and his wife had cheated on him with someone else. He had no will to live, so he… left!” Mingyuan’s voice choked up at the end. His father, who had been so good to him, was gone just like that. Fortunately, he had someone investigate what happened back then, even though it was a bit of a hassle.

Xu Yang found it unbelievable. No wonder Mingyuan didn't want to acknowledge his mother; it was outrageous! "Your mother did such a disgraceful thing! Mingyuan, what about your mother now...?"

“I don’t acknowledge her, I’ll never acknowledge her in this lifetime. If she hadn’t cheated on me back then, maybe my dad wouldn’t have died. What’s worse, after my dad died, she sold the house, took all the money in the house, and abandoned me, who was six years old, in an orphanage. She didn’t even care for me, she just ran away and never visited me in the orphanage…” Mingyuan’s eyes reddened, his face filled with boundless anger. He continued, “At that time, I already knew what had happened, and I was filled with hatred. Fortunately, I only stayed in the orphanage for half a year before I was adopted. The adopter was a Chinese man not much older than me. His family was well-off, but he had just lost a younger brother. He happened to think I looked a lot like his brother, so he wanted to adopt me. My uncle is a very good person and raised me with care, so I stopped hating anyone after that, except for my mother, that unforgivable person. I think I’m still lucky. God destroyed my original life, but gave me another one!” Mingyuan said earnestly, the hatred in his eyes gone, and he relaxed. He remembered how good the man had been to him, providing him with a comfortable life and the best education, even better than he had lived at home before.

"Then what about Aruo..."

"Aruo... Hehe, at first I thought Aruo was ugly, so it would be safe to have her as a wife, unlike my mother, who has been with countless men in her life! But later I just couldn't stand Aruo's appearance, so I took her to get a haircut and changed her into normal clothes, and I found that she was actually not bad-looking."

Xu Yang's eyes twitched when he heard these words. If his Aruo heard that Mingyuan wanted her because she was ugly but safe, he would be devastated.

Seeing Xu Yang's unpleasant expression, Mingyuan knew what he was thinking, so he said again, "Of course I can't tell Aruo what I just said, but that was just what I thought at first. After Aruo cuts her hair and changes her clothes back to normal... she is very beautiful, and the closer you get to her, the more you discover that she has many advantages. She is kind and straightforward, and she is also righteous. More importantly, she would never treat my dad like my mother did."

Hearing this, Xu Yang finally felt relieved. "Sigh! At least my daughter has some good points. But she hates those shady women the most. She drove away many women around me, so... hehe, she's really not the same kind of person as your mother. I just want to know if you ever loved her?"

“I’ve always loved her and will continue to treat her well. She’s kind and innocent, so I don’t want to tell her about my family’s past, nor do I want her to have any contact with my mother. That woman is wicked, and I’m afraid Aruo will be taken advantage of…”

Xu Yang nodded in agreement with Mingyuan's approach. "Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease. Don't let Aruo's carefree attitude fool you; she's not in good health. She was born prematurely, and her mother passed away when she was five. It wasn't easy for me to raise her, and I don't want her to suffer any harm. I called you here today to say that if you don't want to marry her, you should break up as soon as possible; it'll be better for both of you. If you really want to be with her, you need to treat her well. Don't be fooled by her seemingly indifferent demeanor; she's actually quite fragile inside. If you really hurt her, she'll be devastated..." As he spoke, this wealthy man, like any ordinary father, was solely focused on his daughter's well-being.

"Uncle, don't worry, I will always treat Aruo well." He doesn't know what the future holds, but he can still afford to give Aruo what he has now. Besides, he was reckless in the past, and now that he's older, he really wants a woman who can be with him for the rest of his life. They can start a family and have a daughter together, which would be perfect.

Hearing his promise, Xu Yang was overjoyed and said, "Okay, Uncle believes you! Let's go out for dinner!" Having gotten the result he wanted, Xu Yang didn't need to ask any more questions.

It was just after get off work, and it would be better for the two of them to go out for dinner and drinks, so Mingyuan went out with Xu Yang to a high-end restaurant.