The dating reality show host just wanted to give up, but the rich girl fell for him.

Jiang Jianguo hunched his shoulders, his hands nervously twisting together. Looking at his wife's nonchalant expression, he felt a burning anxiety within him.

But he didn't dare utter a single heavy word.

Song Wan ignored his alarmed expression.

She lowered her eyes and gently stirred the tender green tea leaves floating on the water with the cup lid.

The movements were elegant, exuding a natural sense of relaxation.

The teacup was placed back on the rosewood tabletop; the sound was soft, yet remarkably clear in the spacious study.

"Block it back?" Song Wan finally raised her eyelids.

Her gaze pierced through the rising steam of the tea and landed calmly on her husband's face.

"You, the richest man in Beijing, mobilized twenty professional bodyguards to ambush an unarmed young man at the airport."

Song Wan's voice wasn't loud, but every word struck Jiang Jianguo's spine.

"Jiang Jianguo, are you not going to keep your old face?"

Jiang Jianguo was so taken aback by this casual question that his old face turned red.

He opened his mouth, but the well-prepared speech he had made was instantly shattered by this invisible pressure.

"Wife, you can't say that."

Jiang Jianguo muttered under his breath, his tone full of grievance. He rubbed his hands on the legs of his expensive suit trousers, trying to salvage some of his dignity as the head of the family.

"How can this be called bullying him? This is called strategic defense! Nipping a potential threat in the bud!"

The more he talked, the more convinced he became of his logic, and he straightened his back slightly.

Jiang Jianguo slapped his thigh in anguish, his brows furrowed in deep worry.

"I just feel sorry for that house! That two-courtyard house in Nanluoguxiang cost a lot of money to get back then. It's in a good location and has good feng shui."

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and his voice unconsciously rose another eight octaves.

"Now look what's happened! They only charged half the rent and let that poor kid from out of town move in!"

"Isn't this tantamount to us paying to be the sheep and willingly walking into the wolf's mouth?"

Song Wan listened quietly to his complaints without even frowning.

Her slender fingertips tapped rhythmically on the table.

"That courtyard house, did you have several ancient building restoration teams look at it last year?" she suddenly asked, throwing out a seemingly unrelated question.

Jiang Jianguo was stunned; his previously high spirits seemed to have been dashed.

He subconsciously recalled the events, and his tone became somewhat dejected.

"We found three of the top domestic teams and also spent a lot of money to hire a group of Japanese experts in ancient architecture, who were said to specialize in the study of Tang and Song dynasty wooden structures."

Song Wan stopped tapping on the table and looked at him: "And the result?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Jianguo's arrogance instantly deflated completely. He waved his hand irritably, as if trying to drive away some bad luck.

"Don't even mention it. Those bespectacled experts wandered around the courtyard for half a month, all they did was shake their heads and sigh."

"They said it was a traditional Ming Dynasty timber frame structure with raised beams, and the interior decoration was also very rare; it was all the culmination of our ancestors' skills."

Jiang Jianguo sighed, looking pained.

"The wood was badly rotten, and we couldn't use modern chemical glue to glue it. We had to use some long-lost mortise and tenon technique to reinforce it bit by bit."

He walked to the desk and braced his hands on the edge.

"Their final solution was to demolish the entire house and rebuild it in its original style."

"But if you demolish it, all the historical charm left by our ancestors will disappear! What's the difference between that and building a new fake set in a film studio?"

Jiang Jianguo shook his head with a worried look: "That's why I've always kept the door locked, leaving it empty. I've even turned several hairs white because of this dilapidated house."

A faint smile appeared on Song Wan's lips.

That smile carried an air of absolute intellectual superiority.

"So, that yard you own now is a hot potato that could collapse at any moment. Just a pile of useless rotten wood."

She looked directly into her husband's eyes, her tone exuding an air of calculated composure.

"There was a special additional clause in the contract I signed with Lin Mo. The agent read it to him."

Song Wan paused for a moment, but her voice remained steady.

"He lived there, and not only did he have to pay rent on time, but he also had to be responsible for the daily maintenance and comprehensive repair of all the Ming Dynasty wooden buildings in the courtyard."

Jiang Jianguo's eyes widened suddenly, as if he had heard something unbelievable.

He looked at Song Wan in disbelief and stammered.

"Honey, you're not kidding me, are you?"

"That kid can cook a couple of dishes, and he does have some wood carving skills on the island. But that's for repairing ancient buildings!"

"Those are load-bearing beams from the Ming Dynasty! Something that even the top teams in the country couldn't handle! How could this young man in his early twenties possibly manage it?"

Song Wan lowered her eyes slightly, her long eyelashes obscuring the deep light in them.

"Whether it will work or not, we'll only know after we try."

She stood up and walked lightly to the floor-to-ceiling window.

In the courtyard outside the window, a wintersweet tree is quietly blooming against the cold wind, with a thin layer of white snow on its branches.

"In business, this is called an equivalent exchange. It's also a deal that's guaranteed to make a profit."

Song Wan turned around, standing with her back to the light, exuding an aura of authority.

"Think about it carefully. What if he can't fix it, or even collapses the house?"

"According to the exorbitant compensation stipulated in black and white in the contract, all the fame and appearance fees he earned in that lousy show will have to be paid out."

Her voice was lowered, but every word was like a knife.

"At that time, he will not only be disgraced, but also lose everything. Naturally, he will have no face to stay in the capital and will have no choice but to pack his bags and go back to his hometown in Jiangnan."

Song Wan looked at her husband, who was still in a daze, and dissected the logic word by word.

"When things came to that point, Ruoyun saw his incompetence and destitution firsthand. The little girl's unrealistic illusions shattered, and her feelings for him naturally ended."

"We don't even need to be the villain who breaks up the couple; the gap between reality and expectations will make him back off on his own."

Jiang Jianguo listened, completely stunned.

He felt his brain working at lightning speed, like an old machine suddenly being lubricated with top-quality lubricant.

He slapped his thigh suddenly, his eyes lighting up instantly, his face full of excitement.

"That's right! How come I didn't think of that!"

"Wife, that's a brilliant move! This is called using someone else to do the dirty work... no, it's called subduing the enemy without fighting!"

Jiang Jianguo excitedly spun around halfway, but soon stopped.

He frowned, his businessman's intuition telling him that he had grasped the other side of the story.

"But honey, what if?"

Jiang Jianguo looked at Song Wan with some hesitation.

"What if that kid really does have some kind of magical skill and manages to fix that yard exactly as it was?"

Song Wan smiled softly.

That was the smile of someone who truly understood the situation, carrying a kind of insightful perspective that looked down upon all living beings.

"If he could repair that Ming Dynasty building alone, without any modern machinery, which even top experts at home and abroad couldn't solve..."

Song Wan's eyes sharpened, and her tone became firm and resolute.

"Jiang Jianguo, put your hand on your heart and ask yourself a question."

"A young man with such extraordinary skills and such a calm demeanor. Do you think he's not good enough for your daughter, Jiang Jianguo?"

A deathly silence fell over the study.

Only the antique grandfather clock on the wall emitted a faint "tick-tock, tick-tock" sound.

Jiang Jianguo felt as if his understanding had been thoroughly rubbed into the ground.

He stood there blankly, repeatedly pondering Song Wan's words.

Yes.

If it can't be fixed, Lin Mo will be kicked out, his daughter will give up on her dreams, the Jiang family will save face, and they'll only lose a pile of rotten wood that was going to collapse anyway.

If it's fixed...

The Jiang family not only unexpectedly acquired a priceless, well-renovated private residence, but also gained a son-in-law with unparalleled skills in ancient building restoration.

He, as the richest man in Beijing, knows better than anyone the value of this craft in the city's social circles.

Which of those powerful elites hiding in their grand mansions doesn't have a few ancestral treasures they're reluctant to touch? Which of them doesn't dream of renovating one or two old houses with excellent feng shui?

People with this skill are always honored guests at the tables of big shots wherever they go.

This is hardly an example of inviting a wolf into the house.

This was clearly Song Wan paving a ladder for Lin Mo to ascend to heaven within the capital city, and also setting a touchstone for the Jiang family.

This series of logical steps is so seamless and flawless that it's practically watertight.

Jiang Jianguo was completely crushed.

He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word for a long time.

The pent-up frustration of wanting to fight someone was still churning inside him, but he couldn't find any way to refute it.

He was like a brute who had gathered all his strength to cause trouble, only to have it all neutralized by a simple set of Tai Chi push hands.

"Okay...okay."

Jiang Jianguo lowered his head dejectedly, his voice weak and listless, like a defeated rooster.

"Honey, you're so thoughtful. I was just being naive. My mind really doesn't work as fast as yours."

He rubbed his hands together, trying to find a way to save face.

"Then I won't go to the airport to ambush him tomorrow. I won't send a car to pick him up; he can take a taxi by himself! Is that alright?"

Song Wan withdrew her gaze from the winter plum blossoms.

She walked back to the painting table, slowly picked up a clean, soft cloth, and wiped the precious Duan inkstone.

"what ever."

She didn't look at Jiang Jianguo again, as if the matter was already over.

Seeing that his wife was no longer paying attention to him, Jiang Jianguo realized he had made a fool of himself. He sighed, dragged his heavy steps, and dejectedly left the study.

The door was gently closed.

But just as his foot, clad in a fluffy slipper, stepped completely out of the study's threshold...

Jiang Jianguo's previously aggrieved and submissive demeanor vanished instantly.

He stood in the shadows at the corner of the corridor, gritted his teeth, and the muscles on his old face twitched slightly.

Although the idea of ​​repairing the house makes logical sense.

But as an elderly father, the deepest thorn in his heart has not yet been pulled out.

The thought of that lazy, slovenly boy moving into his own yard tomorrow, and possibly hanging around in front of his daughter every day, is unbearable.

Jiang Jianguo felt a tightness in his chest.

He looked around furtively, making sure his wife hadn't followed him out.

Then, he quickly pulled out his private cell phone, known only to a handful of people, from the inside pocket of his suit.

He hid behind a pillar at the corner of the stairs and skillfully dialed a number.

The call was answered quickly.

Jiang Jianguo deliberately kept his voice low, but his tone was vicious, revealing the ruthlessness and domineering nature unique to business tycoons.

"Old Li, it's me, Jiang Jianguo."

A respectful reply came immediately from the other end of the phone.

Jiang Jianguo snorted coldly, a cunning glint in his eyes.

"Listen up, I'm telling you. A young man from out of town might be moving into one of those old houses in Nanluoguxiang soon."

"I don't care if he wants to open a private restaurant there or set up a stall to sell fried rice."

Jiang Jianguo gritted his teeth and meticulously laid out his dark web, word by word.

"I won't stop you from building the house; that was approved by Madam. But who dares to do business and make money in the capital, right under my nose?"

"No way!"

He clenched his fist and waved it forcefully at the air.

"Spread the word right now! Notify all the suppliers, farmers' markets, and even grain and oil shops in that area."

"Anyone who dares to give that kid surnamed Lin even a piece of pork, a bunch of vegetables, or even a grain of rice!"

"That means they're going against me, Jiang Jianguo! They can forget about ever working in Beijing again!"

Jiang Jianguo felt increasingly relieved as he spoke, as if he could already see Lin Mo's discomfiture.

"I'd like to see if you, you brat, can still put on that indifferent-to-fame act in front of my daughter when you arrive in the capital, a place where you know no one and have no rice to cook!"

"I'll starve you to death, you little brat! I'll show you just how treacherous the waters of the capital really are!"

After making these bold statements, Jiang Jianguo decisively hung up the phone.

He stared at the blacked-out phone screen and tidied his hair, which had become a little messy from his excitement.

A "peripheral blockade plan" that was thought to be flawless was thus secretly laid out.

He could both comply with his wife's "no violence" order and teach that scoundrel who stole his daughter's heart a lesson.

perfect.

Jiang Jianguo let out a smug sneer, then put on his fluffy slippers, put his hands behind his back, and leisurely walked down the spiral staircase.

Meanwhile.

At the end of the corridor on the second floor of the Jiang family mansion, in that warm and luxuriously decorated boudoir.

The heating is on very high.

A petite figure was curled up on the French-style chaise lounge by the French windows.

Jiang Ruoyun was wearing a fluffy loungewear set, making her look like a lazy cat.

This cat has clearly lost weight recently. Its once round and plump face now has a pointed chin.

Those big eyes, which always exuded aloofness and pride, were now misty and seemed somewhat lifeless.

She was holding her phone, the screen showing a WeChat chat interface.

The pinned profile picture is a bowl of steaming hot noodles with lard.

The chat history was still from several days ago, when she sent the message, "Have you arrived home yet?"

There was no response from the other party.

Sunlight streamed through the glass onto Jiang Ruoyun, but it couldn't warm her heart.

"You heartless bastard..."

She gently bit her lower lip, her voice carrying an undisguised resentment and grievance.

"You've been gone for so long, and you haven't even sent a WeChat message. Do you really think I'm invisible...?"

She buried her head in the soft cushion, trying to ease the restlessness in her heart.

Suddenly, without warning.

Jiang Ruoyun felt an uncontrollable tingling and itching sensation on the tip of her nose.

"Achoo!"

A crisp sneeze suddenly rang out in the quiet boudoir.