Chapter 65: Once Again, No Dishes

“This…” Wu Ya was stunned.

He knew that in twenty days, collective bonds would soar. But as for bond trading, he hadn’t planned to make it his main business! The securities market at this time was far from mature. His primary goal now was to build a foundation for himself through tangible, real enterprise. The next twenty years would be the golden age of the national economy’s rise. Purchasing a production line was an urgent priority, further limiting his time—he couldn’t afford to wait twenty days.

Given all that, it seemed better to let Liu Mingli have this opportunity to profit, to curry favor and make himself look more agreeable in Liu Mingli’s eyes. Wouldn’t that be perfect? Yet he hadn’t expected that his explanation would arouse suspicion and misunderstanding!

“Yes, Wu Ya, if you truly have a way to get information in advance, don’t forget us! After all, we’re not outsiders, are we?” Just then, Lin Yongfen, who had been listening in the kitchen, walked out.

Not outsiders—what do you say? Wu Ya understood the meaning behind the words. If you treat us as your own, we’ll treat you the same. You can continue to see Liu Qian in the future. Otherwise… Well, who knows what might happen.

“Uncle, Aunt, you’re mistaken!” Wu Ya grew anxious. He had no official relatives. He was only cheating with memories from his previous life! But such a secret was earth-shattering and utterly unspeakable. Even if he told them, Liu Qian’s parents wouldn’t believe it, and might even think it was just an excuse. That would be a disaster.

Yet to make up a story, to lie by convenience, was not Wu Ya’s way. Such a lie, once exposed, would see Liu Qian’s parents shut the door on him forever—his character would be condemned. Helpless, Wu Ya looked to Liu Qian, who had just come out, his eyes pleading.

“Mom, Dad, Wu Ya has already told you the rise and fall points of the bonds—do you really need to press him about his family? What’s the point?” Liu Qian stepped forward immediately. She didn’t know how Wu Ya could be so precise about the bond market, but she was certain his family had no official connections—not even a distant one.

“Qian Qian, what are you saying? Wu Ya is your good friend, and his family is in business. What’s wrong with us deepening our understanding?” Lin Yongfen said with displeasure. This girl hadn’t even married yet, and was already siding with outsiders. Unbelievable.

“Yes, Qian Qian, as the saying goes, many hands make light work. In business, one person’s strength is limited. Only by helping each other and joining forces can we truly succeed! Don’t you care for your family at all?” Liu Mingli added, speaking with heavy earnestness.

Liu Qian was dissatisfied, but didn’t know how to respond. Wu Ya, meanwhile, was feeling utterly stifled. To lie? He didn’t want to. To tell the truth? Liu Qian’s parents, with the air of seasoned traders, were clearly opportunists. If they learned he had no family backing, he’d be cast out again—history repeating itself.

But he had no choice. Liu Qian’s parents sat firmly, awaiting his answer—clearly determined not to let him go without a confession.

At last, Wu Ya gritted his teeth. “My family is poor—how could we have official relatives?”

The atmosphere instantly grew heavy. After a long silence, Lin Yongfen spoke. “Your family is poor? Didn’t Liu Qian say you have a tailor shop, and you’re that mysterious figure on the bond trading rankings? How are you suddenly poor?”

A barrage of questions crashed down. So it was their daughter who had lied for him! Luckily, the couple had persisted until they got the truth. Otherwise, being cheated was a minor issue; losing their daughter would be the greatest sorrow.

“Hmph! Poor? If I’m not mistaken, even if his family has a tailor shop, it’s surely a shell—a borrowed name to impress. And the so-called mysterious figure? Just a joke! I was too serious, believing my daughter. How could an eighteen-year-old kid become the richest man in Suiyan?” Liu Mingli, recovering from shock, saw through it at last. As a veteran trader, he knew all about shell companies. If Liu Qian said there was a shop, maybe it existed. But Wu Ya claimed his family was poor—so the only explanation was that he couldn’t lie in front of real experts and was forced to tell the truth. Their tailor shop must be nothing but a hollow shell.

“Uncle, you’re right. Our tailor shop didn’t cost much, and it is indeed all we own,” Wu Ya admitted. His shop operated very much like a shell company—the raw materials were almost free, supplied directly from factories. And the factory? The rent was paid monthly. So apart from working capital, the tailor shop was truly his family’s entire fortune. No concealment, no falsehood.

But Liu Mingli heard only what he wanted to hear—it confirmed his suspicions. Wu Ya’s family was indeed a shell.

“So it is! Wu Ya, there’s nothing more—please leave.” Liu Mingli stood up. The warmth shown when Wu Ya first arrived vanished without a trace.

“Wu Ya, you and our Liu Qian are simply not people of the same world. From now on, don’t come here again! Also, I just noticed—we really don’t have any more food!”

No food again! Lin Yongfen directly tore off her polite mask. Stay for dinner? A pauper had no right to be entertained by the two of them. Absurd!

“Mom, Dad, it was you who invited him, and now you’re the ones driving him out! How can you do this?” Seeing the sudden turn of events, Liu Qian was so angry that tears streamed down her face. These were her parents—capricious and self-serving. They thought Wu Ya’s family had connections, so they fawned shamelessly; but on learning he was just a commoner, they turned hostile without hesitation, not even allowing him a chance to explain.

How could people live with such lack of principle? Her heartbreak was tinged with fury—seeing her parents from another angle, she realized how base they could be.

“Qian Qian, how can you speak to us like that?” Liu Mingli jumped up, enraged. His own daughter, siding with an outsider—couldn’t she see this was all for her sake?

“Qian Qian, pity the hearts of parents! Whatever we do, it’s for your own good!” Lin Yongfen’s words struck directly at Liu Qian. At this, Wu Ya’s anger finally rose. Even a clay figure has some fire—how could he not? His intent had been to build a good relationship, to change Liu Qian’s fate, to erase the regrets of his youthful infatuation from his previous life. But his sincerity was met only with cold rejection. Twice in a single day, he was driven out of their home. This was an insult to his dignity.