C12 This Was Impossible!

After he finished speaking, he leaned in close to Old Madam Meng. "I truly believe Meng Shuran is the right choice. What do you think, Grandma?"

Old Madam Meng held a special fondness for Meng Junjie, so naturally, his suggestions carried the most weight with her. After a brief moment of consideration, she nodded in agreement, turning to Meng Shuran with a smile. "Shuran, since that's the case, you'll visit Tianyue Media tomorrow. Put your heart into it and don't disappoint me."

"Grandmother, I..." Meng Shuran began, attempting to make one last plea on her behalf, but Old Madam Meng dismissed her with a wave of her hand.

"That's enough. The meeting is adjourned. Go on with your tasks."

Meng Shuran's feelings were disregarded, as were her unspoken words. As soon as the meeting was declared over, everyone dispersed.

Biting her lip, Meng Shuran watched Meng Junjie leave with a triumphant smile. Frustrated, she stamped her foot before also departing from the Meng family estate.

Back at home, Meng Shuran's emotions were in turmoil. The more she dwelled on the situation, the more distressed she became. To everyone in the Meng family, negotiating a deal with Tianyue Media seemed like an insurmountable task.

Now, this seemingly impossible task was hers to tackle, and she was at a loss about how to approach the discussion with Tianyue's new CEO the following day.

As her frustration mounted, Meng Shuran finally reached out to Zhao Xiaoke for some company and, hopefully, some advice.

Once Zhao Xiaoke arrived and they spent some time talking, Meng Shuran felt a weight lift from her chest.

"Shuran, why isn't Lin Hao home today?" Zhao Xiaoke inquired, fetching a drink from the fridge and sipping it casually.

Meng Shuran offered a wry smile in response.

"He left the house early this morning, right when I did. I have no idea where he went, and he hasn't returned yet."

Zhao Xiaoke pursed her lips, settled onto the sofa, and leaned in toward Meng Shuran. "You know, I'm amazed at you. Haven't you considered divorce at all these past two years?"

Meng Shuran merely sighed, remaining silent. Zhao Xiaoke, unable to hold back, pressed on, "You really need to think about yourself. Lin Hao isn't doing you any favors. Your parents are eager for you to have a child that carries your surname, but you've been unsuccessful in conceiving for two years, and you're unwilling to be intimate with him. Plus, your company is drowning in debt. If you married someone wealthy and influential, your life wouldn't be this tough!"

"What's the point of bringing this up now? We're already married. Why dwell on it?" Meng Shuran replied.

"People who are married can also get divorced," Zhao Xiaoke retorted with a nonchalant expression.

Meng Shuran simply shook her head with a wry smile, choosing not to respond. Suddenly, the sound of the door opening interrupted them.

Both women instinctively looked up to see Lin Hao stroll in, whistling cheerfully.

Zhao Xiaoke's smile twisted into a sneer as Lin Hao approached. Dressed in his usual T-shirt and shorts, he cut the figure of a man who had given up.

Lin Hao was well aware of Zhao Xiaoke's scorn but remained unfazed. He sat down on the sofa across from Meng Shuran, still smiling. "Shuran, your company needs four million, doesn't it?"

Without even glancing up, Meng Shuran reached for her nail file and began to work on her nails. "And why do you want to know?"

Zhao Xiaoke couldn't resist commenting, "You're quite the character. A man of no use, always saying things that upset Shuran. Are you scared she might actually enjoy her life?"

Meng Shuran let out a weary sigh and shot Zhao Xiaoke a look that pleaded for her to ease up on the criticism.

After all, Lin Hao had been her only ally during the Meng family's quarterly meeting when Meng Junjie had humiliated her in front of everyone. She didn't want Zhao Xiaoke to continue berating him.

Lin Hao turned to Zhao Xiaoke with a grin that held a hint of mystery. "I'm sure you haven't forgotten what I said a couple of days ago. If I can come up with four million to help Shuran out of this bind, you'll have to start calling me 'Dad'."

Upon hearing him bring up the matter, Zhao Xiaoke burst into laughter.

"I did say that! If you can't cough up four million, why don't you call me Mom? I've never seen anyone as inept yet so fond of putting on a show as you!"

Lin Hao let out a derisive chuckle, pulled a bank card from his pocket, and extended it toward Meng Shuran.

"Shuran, I meant to bring you cash, but it was a bit much to carry. The four million is all on this card. Go ahead and use it."

Meng Shuran accepted the card, looking bewildered and unsure of how to respond.

Zhao Xiaoke couldn't help but laugh again. She thought Lin Hao was acting like a complete fool. "You're still trying to pull a fast one? This is just too funny!"

"Who's the grandson here?" Lin Hao asked pointedly.

"It's you, of course!" Zhao Xiaoke blurted out, only to realize she'd been played. Her face flushed with anger, and she shot Lin Hao a furious glare.

Lin Hao grinned and turned to Meng Shuran, who clearly didn't believe him and seemed ready to toss the card aside.

"Shuran, didn't you keep a POS machine at home? Why don't you check it? I'm not lying to you."

Meng Shuran, card in hand, gave Lin Hao a skeptical look. She wanted to trust him, but considering he was jobless and dependent on her, the claim of suddenly having four million in a card was hard to swallow.

"Shuran, since he's asking you to check, just do it! Indulge him. I'm eager to hear him call me Mom!" Zhao Xiaoke said with a smirk, arms folded across her chest.

Meng Shuran's grip on the bank card tightened as she faced the hopeful Lin Hao. "Lin Hao, do you really want me to check?"

"Trust me, I wouldn't deceive you," Lin Hao assured her with a steady gaze.

Meng Shuran nodded, murmured an "Okay," and rose to fetch the POS machine from the study.

"The PIN is your birthday," Lin Hao said softly, watching Meng Shuran's actions closely.

Meng Shuran glanced at him briefly before bowing her head to enter the PIN. Once she had input the password, she proceeded to check the card's balance.

Four million in total!

Meng Shuran was completely taken aback. As Zhao Xiaoke leaned in to glimpse the digits, her jaw dropped in disbelief.

"How can this be?"