Chapter 21: A Father's Suspicion
Song Guangyuan had only one precious daughter in his life. His career, the business empire he had worked so hard to build, would all be given to his beloved daughter in the future.
Ever since she was a child, Song Guangyuan had not been demanding about Song Jia's academics, but he had carefully cultivated her in other aspects. In her thinking, vision, intellect, and all-around abilities, Song Jia was far superior to other girls her age.
This, at the very least, ensured that when Song Guangyuan retired, Song Jia could easily take over the family business.
In Song Guangyuan's heart, the only thing he worried about was Song Jia's choice of a boyfriend.
Since ancient times, boys from poor backgrounds have always been inexplicably attracted to rich girls.
For rich girls, marrying a boy from a poor background rarely ended well.
So in Song Guangyuan's mind, even if his daughter found a well-matched boy from another wealthy family, it would be far better than finding a poor one.
After all, the character of a boy from a poor background, forged over a lifetime of hardship, was like a ticking time bomb.
Once such a boy had won over Song Jia, or even gained control of the family business, there was no telling what he would do once he was no longer constrained!
Song Guangyuan would never allow his daughter to risk her life's happiness like that.
"Jiajia, what do you think of Ma Yuan from the company?"
Hearing her father's question, Song Jia immediately recalled Ma Yuan's pretentious behavior and his hypocritical expression in the conference room.
So she snorted in annoyance. "He's a hypocrite. An incredibly annoying person."
Song Guangyuan smiled and nodded. "Then, Jiajia, if I wanted you to date Ma Yuan, or a boy like him, what would you think?"
Hearing this, Song Jia reacted like a startled cat. "Dad! What are you even joking about?!"
"Someone with his character? I'd rather die!"
Faced with his daughter's reaction, Song Guangyuan nodded in satisfaction.
If even Song Jia had seen through Ma Yuan's blatant ambitions, there was no way he could have hidden them from Song Guangyuan.
"Jiajia, if my guess is correct, you and Liu Shang must have known of each other at school, right?"
"But you weren't close, and maybe you never even spoke to him?"
"Also, Liu Shang started working part-time to earn money right after starting his freshman year. Presumably, his family background is quite ordinary?"
Faced with Song Guangyuan's guess, although it wasn't entirely accurate, it wasn't far from the truth, either. She did know of Liu Shang, and he was indeed from an ordinary family.
So Song Jia frowned and remained silent, a tacit admission.
At this, Song Guangyuan nodded as if everything had suddenly clicked into place, and he took a deep breath.
"If that's the case, then perhaps I understand."
"I have to say, Liu Shang is far superior to other students his age."
"He has been working hard to learn petroleum technology. In just his freshman year, he has already mastered the theoretical foundations that most students only grasp after four years of university."
"And he is more mature and calm than boys his age. Even in the meeting room, facing so many people's doubts and accusations, he handled it with ease, his expression never changing."
"However, the young man is too scheming, and his mind runs too deep."
"If I'm not mistaken, the real reason he came to our company wasn't for the 4,000-yuan salary."
"His real purpose must be you, Jiajia!"
"On campus, it would have been easy for him to learn about you, then intentionally come to our company to get close to you and win your affection."
"As long as he can win you over, he can become my son-in-law—Song Guangyuan's son-in-law—and the successor of the Huahai Company."
"For a boy from an ordinary family, this is undoubtedly the easiest, most effortless shortcut to success."
Before Song Guangyuan had finished speaking, Song Jia couldn't take it anymore.
"Dad!"
"I'm begging you, please stop with your ridiculous Sherlock Holmes deductions."
"What are you even talking about?!"
"I knew *of* Liu Shang at school, but he didn't know me at all."
"And it's even more impossible that he, as you claim, deliberately applied to our company just to get close to me and pursue me."
"Impossible!"
Having been trained by her father for years, the now-adult Song Jia had her own sound judgment and understanding of the world.
From their brief interaction, Song Jia could tell that Liu Shang genuinely didn't know who she was.
Moreover, Liu Shang was already with Jiang Ruolin, who was at the apex of the Fengcheng social circle and whose family background was far superior to her own, so there was no reason for him to go out of his way for her.
Besides, she would never fall for a boy like that.
And now that Liu Shang was with Jiang Ruolin, in his eyes, he likely wouldn't give her or her family's fortune a second thought, would he?
So Song Jia didn't know whether to laugh or cry at her father's self-satisfied conjecture and analysis.
Seeing his daughter's strong reaction, Song Guangyuan felt it only further confirmed his suspicions.
It seemed that back on campus, this Liu Shang knew his daughter far better than he had imagined.
Therefore, Song Guangyuan sighed lightly and said in a gentle tone, "Jiajia, you must know that in this world, the only people who will never harm you are your father and mother."
"You may not like hearing what I'm saying right now, but good medicine is bitter, and good advice is hard to swallow. You must be cautious when choosing a boyfriend."
"And don't let a scheming boy like Liu Shang fool you..."
Before Song Guangyuan could finish, Song Jia shot to her feet and waved her hands irritably. "Dad!!!!"
"What are you even talking about!!!!!!"
"Oh my God, I'm seriously going to lose my mind!"
"Fine, fine, I can't talk to you anymore. I'm going out with my friends..."
With that, Song Jia grabbed her bag and hurried out, leaving Song Guangyuan sighing alone.
His daughter had successfully developed an immunity to a mid-level schemer like Ma Yuan, but now it seemed she was about to lose ground against a more advanced one.
This was a serious matter! He had to get home and warn his wife immediately!
---
$5 Tier – Early Access!
Read 30 chapters ahead of public platforms like RoyalRoad and Scribble Hub — with plans to increase to 40 chapters ahead once I reach 10 members!
Chapters are posted as soon as they're completed, so you'll always stay ahead of the curve.
Support the story and unlock early access:
Patreon is linked in My Profile or About.
Please select your membership carefully, as I have multiple novels ongoing. If you're on Apple, consider subscribing through your browser instead — it will be cheaper for you, and I won't have to wait 2 months for payments. Thank you!