Chapter One Hundred and One: Yang Tianchen’s Troubles

Yang Tianchen was instantly dumbfounded. What kind of absurd situation was this? He was the old man’s real grandson, for heaven’s sake.

Yet the old patriarch paid no heed to Yang Tianchen’s protest. He rose to his feet, patted Qin Feng on the shoulder, and said with a smile, “Young man, I have matters to attend to, so I’ll be going now. Have a good talk with Tianchen.”

With that, the old man left the shop with his bodyguards.

The moment he was gone, the atmosphere inside turned delicate and uneasy.

The man in the suit and the bodyguards tactfully stepped aside, leaving space for Qin Feng and Yang Tianchen.

“Qin Feng, you little punk, you actually dared to pull something like this on me!”

Yang Tianchen ground out the words through clenched teeth, his voice full of anger.

Qin Feng shrugged, looking entirely innocent. “First, let me make one thing clear: I really had no idea that this old gentleman was your grandfather. Besides, I only met him at that appraisal event.”

After hearing the explanation, Yang Tianchen rolled his eyes and sat down heavily in a chair, looking like a deflated balloon.

He knew very well that Qin Feng had no reason to lie about something like this.

Seeing his reaction, Qin Feng dropped the teasing and poured him a cup of tea. “You really never told your grandfather you opened a shop outside?”

“I’ll tell you this: the old man is absolutely obsessed with the idea of carrying on the family line. Ever since I was little, he’s forced me to learn this and that, finance, management, all of it. He practically wanted to stuff me back into my mother’s womb and rebuild me from scratch!”

The more Yang Tianchen spoke, the more agitated he became, his tone filled with helpless frustration.

“But I have no interest in any of that. I just want to do something I like. Is that so wrong?”

Looking at this wealthy second-generation heir, bristling like an angry rooster, Qin Feng suddenly felt a little more sympathetic toward him.

“So you secretly opened this shop with me and didn’t dare let your family know?” Qin Feng said leisurely, pouring himself a cup of tea.

Yang Tianchen snatched the cup from him and gulped down a large mouthful, as if trying to wash away all his complaints.

“Of course. If I let the old man find out, he’d tie me up and drag me back home!”

As he spoke, Yang Tianchen slammed the table hard, producing a loud bang that startled Zhang Hu, who had been eavesdropping nearby.

Seeing Yang Tianchen in this state, full of resentment and frustration, Qin Feng could not help but laugh. “Are you complaining to me, or are you angry with yourself?”

Yang Tianchen froze, then laughed as well. “Both, I guess. You have no idea—I can only sneak out now.”

“All right, stop worrying. Didn’t your grandfather say it himself? He wants you to learn from me properly. Maybe in the future you’ll become a big shot in the antiques world.”

Qin Feng said half-jokingly.

Yang Tianchen rolled his eyes. “Spare me. You? A big shot in the antiques world? If you’re a big shot, then I’m the Jade Emperor.”

Qin Feng was not offended at all. He only smiled and said nothing.

“Still, your grandfather actually thinks that highly of you?” Yang Tianchen suddenly remembered something and asked with curiosity.

Qin Feng smiled in a deliberately mysterious way. “Want to know?”

Yang Tianchen nodded furiously.

“I’m not telling you.” Qin Feng’s smile was that of a cunning fox.

“Damn it! You’re messing with me, aren’t you?!” Yang Tianchen shouted in exasperation.

Qin Feng only smiled without speaking, slowly sipping his tea.

The two of them bantered for a while, and gradually Yang Tianchen’s emotions settled down.

“Hey,” he said at last, “what am I supposed to do now? I definitely don’t want to go back to my grandfather, but this shop...”

He looked at Qin Feng with a troubled expression, as though asking for help.

Qin Feng set down his teacup and looked at him seriously. “Do you really want to make this shop a success?”

“Obviously! If I didn’t want to do it properly, why would I have opened it? Wouldn’t it be easier to just go home and inherit the family fortune?”

Yang Tianchen snapped back irritably.

“Since you want to do it well, then put your heart into it. As for your grandfather, I’ll help you explain.”

Qin Feng’s tone was calm, yet it carried a reassuring strength.

Yang Tianchen stared blankly at him, as if he could hardly believe his ears. “You... you’re really willing to help me?”

Qin Feng smiled. “After all, we’re going to make a fortune together in the future.”

Yang Tianchen’s eyes suddenly lit up. He sprang to his feet, seized Qin Feng’s hand, and said excitedly, “All right! From now on, the two of us brothers will build something great together!”

Qin Feng nodded with a smile, but in his heart he was already calculating something else.

This Yang Tianchen, though he looked carefree and frivolous, had a stubborn, unyielding spirit beneath the surface.

Add to that the power of the Yang family behind him, and perhaps this was an opportunity...

Just then, the shop door was shoved open with force, and a pure-looking young woman rushed inside.

The smile on Yang Tianchen’s face froze instantly. He stared at the woman before him in disbelief.

Qin Feng, on the other hand, lifted a brow with interest. It seemed there would be a good show to watch.

“Yang Tianchen, you bastard, I finally caught you!”

Zhao Ling roared, her sharp voice seeming ready to pierce the roof.

The carefree smile that had been on Yang Tianchen’s face vanished in an instant, replaced by panic.

He hurriedly stood up and stammered, “Lingling, why are you here?”

Zhao Ling gave a cold laugh and pointed at his nose. “Why am I here? If I didn’t come, how would I know you were fooling around behind my back? Speak—what is this shop, and who are these two men?”

“Lingling, you’ve misunderstood! I just opened this shop. I wanted to give you a surprise!”

Yang Tianchen rushed to explain, but his gaze kept darting around, too guilty to look Zhao Ling in the eye.

“A surprise? I think it’s more like a shock! You’re not properly preparing for the wedding at home, and instead you run here to open a shop? Do you take me for an idiot?”

Zhao Ling clearly did not believe a word of his nonsense. She looked around, then her eyes landed on Qin Feng. She sized him up from head to toe, and a trace of contempt flickered in her gaze.

“And who is this?” Zhao Ling asked in a hostile tone.

“Oh, this is Qin Feng, my partner. This shop was opened by the two of us.”

Yang Tianchen hurried to introduce him, trying to shift Zhao Ling’s attention.

“Partner?” Zhao Ling sneered. “I think he’s just one of your disreputable buddies, the sort who drags you out to play all day!”

Qin Feng stood off to the side, watching the entire farce with an amused smile.

He lifted his teacup and took a slow sip, as if all of this had nothing to do with him.

Yang Tianchen was being scolded to the point of misery, yet he did not dare talk back. He could only keep smiling apologetically and explaining over and over.

Inside, he was groaning in despair. If he had known this would happen, he never would have come today. Not only had the old man found him, but even his fiancée had caught him in the act.

“Lingling, don’t be angry. I swear, I absolutely did nothing to betray you!”

Yang Tianchen raised his right hand and declared solemnly.