The Emperors Pampered Wife - Chapter 113

A soft woman’s laughter, the uncontrollable giggle of a child, the unstoppable chatter of a loving couple…all of its sounds were drowning him back to the time where everything was peaceful. Back to the time when he had everything important in his life within his grasp.

“We have arrived, Sire” Will suddenly said bringing Hou Tian Lang back to his senses.

A sighed immediately escaped from his tightly sealed lips before he closed the newspaper he was staring at since earlier. The long-travel must be getting into him because he was remembering moments he could no longer have. “Make sure that son of mine knows of my return and will greet me properly in the company or I will seriously disown him”

“He’s already waiting outside, Sire” his trustworthy assistant answered after receiving news from the headquarters that Hou Guanyu accompanied them to the airport.

“Good” Hou Tian Lang muttered with a satisfied look on his face. After a few minutes, he finally decided to stand up and fix his suit.

What awaits him outside is the long array of employees and a red carpet leading him towards the black Bugatti La Voiture Noire he owns. As soon as his feet touched the red carpet, everyone took a polite bow to their ruler. “Welcome back, Grand Elder Hou”

He nodded his head with a smile on his face before he turned towards his son who was timidly waiting for him on the side. As soon as his eyes landed on him, Hou Guanyu immediately approached him and gave him a polite bow. “Welcome back, Father”

“So, you still consider me your father” he muttered before walking away and signaling him to follow behind him. Guanyu obeyed without haste and threw his sarcastic remark at the back of his mind. He was used to this and wasn’t surprised anymore. “How’re my grandchildren? I hope you didn’t cause them any harm or agony”

“How could I” he replied without haste which made Tian Lang nod his head. “My wife—”

At the mention of his wife, he immediately knew where the topic would lead. Like a natural reflex, he instantly glared at his son and showed him how repulsed he was at the thought of him bringing up Fe Rou Chao. “I’ve warned you countless times…don’t talk about that bitch in front of me”

“I could care less what happens to her so don’t bring her up. You’re still my son but that woman will never be considered my daughter” he added with disgust. His words were poisonous and it instinctively made Guanyu furrow his brows.

He does love his father but he hates it when he badmouths his wife. “Father”

A hard glare immediately made its way to Hou Guanyu when he used the warning tone on him. “Don’t ruin my day, Guanyu”

Hou Guanyu fell into silence when he heard his father’s angry voice. He wanted to retort back but if does, Hou Tian Lang would surely detest him and Fe Rou Chao again. His father is the kind of man who doesn’t want his authority to be challenged. Although he’s already grown up, he still cannot openly challenge his father who already showed him how frightening he is when provoked.

“How’s the preparation for the grand opening of Blue Moon Hotel?” Hou Tian Lang suddenly asked when they neared the car that was prepared for them.

Although still bothered by their earlier conversation, he composed himself and placed his businessman mask on. “Everything is prepared as you requested. The invitations are already sent out”

“Hand me some invitations. I want to give it personally to some important guests” he said with a smile on his face. He was already planning who to visit once the meeting with the executives is done.

Hou Guanyu tilted his head in confusion. He already sent out invitations to those on the list that Will sent. “And who might these guests be?”

“Who else but my grandson-in-law?” he answered as soon as they got in the enclosure of their car. He was already grinning widely at the thought of Ji Li Zhao as his grandson-in-law. “I will also be giving out invitations for Xiao Wei’s teammates. I heard she created quite a magnificent team and wish to meet them”

He simply nodded his head to satisfy his father who was obviously set on inviting Ji Li Zhao and Hou Wei Yan. “I’ll send it to your office later”

“Good” Hou Tian Lang replied before the car began to move towards Hansang Conglomerate. Once the meeting was over, he reminded his son once more to double-check everything so there is no sabotage in their most awaited opening. “Check the everything one last time. I want this event to be flawless”

“I understand, Father” Hou Guanyu obediently replied before disappearing towards his office. He parted ways with Hou Tian Lang who has some free time to visit the youngsters, mainly Ji Li Zhao and Hou Wei Yan.

There was a halo behind Hou Tian Lang as he walked in the hallway towards the front exit of the company. He was beaming with happiness and everyone who passed by him felt refreshed. While he was walking, he suddenly looked back at his assistant. “Will, can you contact Xiao Wei? I want to pay her a visit”

“Sire, the Young Miss is hiding her real identity as the Hou Heiress. I don’t think it’s wise to visit her in Yi Lan” Will bravely reminded which sent Hou Tian Lang on edge. He knows that his identity is big and his face is well known to many but Ji Li Zhao is the same as him…and yet he managed to bypass the protocols and hide his identity well.

“Can’t I just pose as a patient? Even my grandson-in-law could do it. Why can’t I?”

Will Dasovich simply sighed before he took out his phone, ready to call whoever needs to be called in order to satisfy Hou Tian Lang’s wishes. “I shall ask if the Young Miss is available for a check-up”

“Yes, do that” he replied with a huge smile adorning his face. He was already thinking of Hou Wei Yan’s surprised face and her priceless reaction. He was happily thinking of recording her reaction and sending it to Ji Li Zhao when his senses suddenly spiked up forcing him to halt alongside Will who was following behind him.

Will looked at him strangely before he surveyed the surroundings. When he saw no abnormality or whatsoever, he decided to ask Hou Tian Lang directly. “Is something wrong, Sir?”

“I sense an evil presence nearby. Did that bitch visit?” he suddenly muttered as he continued to look around, trying to search for the anomaly of the Hou Family.

“Are you referring to Hou—”

He immediately turned towards Will with a frown on his face. The mere mention of her name ruins his day so Will forgetting that makes him somehow mad. “She’s not a Hou and don’t even mention her name…it makes me want to fire you”

“How did you even feel her, sire?” Will asked curiously, swiftly brushing aside the threat Hou Tian Lang gave. He was quite perceptive as well but he really cannot feel Fe Rou Chao around.

“She’s a nasty creature. My want to stay away from her made me instinctively sniff her out” he simply answered which only worsened Will’s confusion. He can’t seem to put his head on his logic.

“That…doesn’t really make sense, Sire”

“I know right” Hou Tian Lang said while laughing. He can’t understand as well, he just knows that Fe Rou Chao is around. His hatred for her made him this way. “Let’s get going. As long as I don’t see her then it’s fine…By the way, get me a good disguise. My suit will easily give me away”

Will nodded his head before texting someone he knows who may have the disguise suited for his boss. As soon as he received a yes from his underling, he immediately alerted Hou Tian Lang of this. “It’s already prepared, Sire. Would you like to change in your office?”

“Let’s go” he said with a smile on his face. Will followed behind as they entered the elevator and pressed the topmost floor where Hou Tian Lang’s office sits. “Should I bring food for Xiao Wei? Where should we buy?”

Even without direct orders, Will knew it was a sign for him to start searching for a good restaurant that would please both his Boss and Hou Wei Yan’s palate. “I’ll look into it, Sire”

“You’re really the best, Will” Hou Tian Lang chuckled in praise before the elevator doors closed.

As soon as their figures disappeared, a woman breathed a sigh of relief before her legs gave out. She was forced to sit on the floor, her breathing was quite heavy causing some concerns especially to those new in Hansang Conglomerate. “Uhm, Madame, what are you doing there? Is everything okay?”

“Mind your own business and get out of my sight!” Fe Rou Chao immediately roared before she hurriedly stood up and exited the company. Her panting face and disheveled hair caused some employees to whisper amongst one another.

A long-time employee of Hansang who saw what happened earlier approached the new employee, concern etched in her face. “Hey, why did you approach her? Madame Fe seems infuriated”

“Madame Fe?” the intern asked in confusion.

The other employee raised her brows when she heard her question. A few seconds later, she nodded her head in understanding. “Right, this is your first day here. That’s President Hou’s Wife, Fe Rou Chao. We call her Madame Fe because the Grand Elder gets infuriated when she’s referred to as Madame Hou”

“I just asked her if she’s okay because she was crouching down and hiding. Who is she even hiding from?” the intern asked in concern.

“The Grand Elder, obviously. He hates Madame Fe to the bones and often humiliates her in public. So, she always tries her best to avoid meeting him” the employee answered as she began walking away and asking the intern to follow behind her. “Their family is complicated. If the Grand Elder is here, you must never blurt out her name or even approach her or you will get fired without question. Do you understand me?”

The intern simply nodded her head which made the employee smile. But her smile also disappeared in an instant when she remembered that today was one of the days where Chungsa pays them a visit to wreak havoc and show them how spoiled she is by Hou Guanyu. “Now let’s go before we meet the other witch that came from her w.o.m.b. That one is as malicious as her so we better avoid her as well”

…..

It’s already been a day since she talked with her husband and she was more than glad that Han Yu Shou isn’t causing that much mess anymore. He wasn’t always on Zhou Jinhai’s throat all day long…but of course, there are times where he lashes out without reason.

“Wei Wei! Can I eat with you?” Zhou Jinhai asked during their lunch break. She was forced by Han Yu Shou to eat with him in the canteen using his usual begging face.

As soon as he saw Zhou Jinhai and heard his question, Han Yu Shou immediately hissed like a threatened snake. “Get away from us you—”

Knowing just how dirty his words can get when provoked, Hou Wei Yan covered his mouth before smiling widely at Zhou Jinhai to cover Han Yu Shou’s muffled voice. “Why not?”

“Little Sister!” he yelled out in anger. He suddenly felt betrayed and it was showing in his face.

A sigh escaped from her lips when she heard his little outburst. She slowly approached him and whispered to his ears the words she always wanted to tell him. “You can drop the act now. My husband promised not to kill you”

“I don’t care anymore. Why would you allow your ex to eat with us?” he said which caused plenty of people to look their way.

Hou Wei Yan facepalmed when she heard this. How many times does she need to tell him that Zhou Jinhai was merely a friend and nothing more? “He’s not my ex”

“I wish I was though” Zhou Jinhai said which irked Hou Wei Yan even more.

“Shut up, Jinjin” she snapped before she heaved a heavy sigh and turned towards Han Yu Shou seriously. “Look, he’s just a friend like you so behave and get along well. We’re just eating anyway, what’s wrong with sharing a table with your co-worker?”

Han Yu Shou immediately glared at Zhou Jinhai when he heard this. He accusingly pointed at him which made things worse. “But he’s not just a co-worker!”

“He’s just a co-worker” Hou Wei Yan clarified. She then looked around and made sure that everyone heard it. Zhou Jinhai is nothing but a friend and she was already set on keeping it that way. No matter how close he tries to approach her, her heart already belongs to her husband and she will keep it that way.

“Hey, that hurts” Jinhai grumbled which made Han Yu Shou stand up in annoyance once more.

“See?”

She could only sigh in reply to his repetitive questions. If he can’t accept it then she can nothing about it anymore. She already told him her side, now it’s up to him to believe her or not.

A few minutes of their intense bickering, Qiu Meixiu suddenly approached them and whispered in Wei Yan’s ears one important news she received. “There’s a VIP patient waiting in your office and needs an immediate check-up”

Without hesitation, she placed down her tray of food and waved her hands at the two who are still glaring at one another. “I have to leave. There’s a patient waiting for me”

“Huh, but you haven’t eaten yet?” Zhou Jinhai asked in concern as he took a glance at her untouched food. She was like this in America as well which only made him worry about her even more. If she continues to prioritize her work over her health, she will surely collapse.

“I’ll eat later. Enjoy your lunch you two” she immediately muttered before leaving. She honestly, didn’t want to be sandwiched in between their fights. As much as possible, she wants to avoid trouble and would rather much not eat lunch than meet the two of them who always bicker at the slightest touch.

As soon as Hou Wei Yan left their sight, Han Yu Shou glared hard at Zhou Jinhai who was already eating in a relaxed manner. “Leave my little sister alone”

“So Young Master Han is playing house with the Princess Xing’s Heiress now” he suddenly remarked which made Han Yu Shou frown. He was already informed that Zhou Jinhai knows Wei Yan’s real identity but for him to openly talk about it makes him dangerous. “When did the Han sided with them? You’re betraying the Ji Family, huh?”

The moment he said this, Han Yu Shou can’t help but laugh. He thought he was someone smart, but in the end, he only knows the basics of the Regal Families. It is true that the Han Family supports the Ji Family, but it’s only because of Ji Li Zhao who grew up with him. He was treated as their son so they would support all his endeavors, but that doesn’t mean they forgo their connections to the Xing.

The public only knows minimal things about the Regal Families. The Han Family also has a tight connection to the Xing, mainly through Xing Mei Yi and her father, Xing Mingli who assigned Han Tengfei as his personal doctor. The public, of course, doesn’t know this detail because they never leaked it out.

“Look little kid…don’t believe the newspapers and the gossips. The Regal Families is a complicated matter and our relationship cannot be easily portrayed by ‘whose side we are on’ so don’t even try to question me with such shallow understanding of the Regal Family Tree” he mumbled with a smirk on his face before he stood up, ready to leave once he said his final greeting.

“You better leave her alone or a ferocious beast will come and gobble you down. Head my warning before it’s too late” he added before he waved his hands and disappearing towards the elevator. Zhou Jinhai was left there, decoding the warning that Han Yu Shou left.

Who could be the ferocious beast he was referring to?

Meanwhile, Hou Wei Yan who was told that a VIP was waiting for her stood petrified when she saw the man relaxing on her couch. He was wearing a plain white shirt paired with ripped jeans. He was wearing something that would go well with teenagers which baffled her even more. “Grandfather?”

As soon as he heard her voice, Hou Tian Lang immediately stood up and hugged her. “Xiao Wei!”

“So, you’re the VIP patient?” she asked in confusion before she looked behind her grandfather and saw Fang Tao, Will, and Qiu Meixiu all huddled up like they were under Hou Tian Lang’s payroll.

“The one and only” he haughtily answered which made Hou Wei Yan sigh. Why does she often get visitations like this?

Before she could answer her own quandaries, Grandfather Hou already pulled her to sit down and showed her the marvelous feast he prepared. “Come sit down and join me for lunch”

She eyed everything that was on the table before she slowly turned towards Will. All of it ae her favorites and was bought at the places known for it. She couldn’t help but chuckle at the effort he made alongside Hou Tian Lang just to please her.

In the middle of their lunch, she can’t help but wonder why her grandfather suddenly visited her. “When did you return, Grandfather?”

“Just this morning. I came to attend the grand opening of our new hotel” he muttered as he placed the black beans on Hou Wei Yan’s plate. The latter immediately frowned and returned it to him before glaring at him as a warning that he shouldn’t be picky.

Like a child that just got scolded, Hou Tian Lang pouted before he slowly ate the black beans he detested. Satisfied, Hou Wei Yan smiled widely at him. “Have you met father? What about the children?”

“I’m planning on inviting them to sleepover my residence so we can attend tomorrow together. Your father can’t stop me from doing that” he remarked before he signaled Will to take out the invitations and place it on Wei Yan’s table. His secretary immediately obeyed without question. “And I’m hoping that you come with us”

Her line of sight followed Will before she shook her head at her grandfather as a sign of rejection. “Grandfather, I can’t enter the venue with you. But I’ll be there”

“That’s too bad” he grumbled in understanding. He was already expecting this but he still tried nonetheless because he wants his granddaughter to stop hiding. She deserves the spotlight and he was willing to give it to her as long as she wishes for it.

“By the way, why are there so many invitations?” she suddenly asked when she saw the amount that Will placed doesn’t match the number of her attendants. It’s way too much.

Hou Tian Lang looked at her table as well before placing an expectant smile on his face. “I want you to bring your team. I wish to meet them there”

“But Grandfather—”

“They’re your family in this hospital from now on, aren’t they?” he asked to stop her from declining his offer once more. When he learned that Wei Yan decided to build a team, he was ecstatic because she was finally trusting others once more and will finally have someone who will shoulder the burden with her.

Aside from that, he wants to evaluate them and the only way to do that is by introducing who she really is. Their reaction will determine whether they deserve Wei Yan’s trust.

“Yes”

He nodded his head at her honest answer. “Then I wish to meet them. Don’t even think of hiding them from me”

“But they don’t know my real identity yet” Hou Wei Yan anxiously said which made him sigh. He saw her struggle after the betrayals she had during her teen years so he understood that she somehow has trauma over revealing her family background…but he can’t allow her to get stuck in the past.

“Then this is a good opportunity to tell them” he muttered before he looked at her seriously and even patting her small hands. “Xiao Wei, you shouldn’t be shy about your background. You’re humble because you don’t flaunt it but hiding the truth of who you really are isn’t good for the people who placed their trust in you”

“By telling them who you really are, you’re placing your trust in them as well. It’s called equality, do you understand?” he added when he saw a smile slowly blossoming in her face. She was a smart girl so he was sure that she understood why it’s best for her to trust than to never trust at all. He doesn’t want her to live a life of regret by missing out opportunities on having genuine comrades.

“I do” she answered before smiling at him. “Thank you for inviting them as well, Grandfather”

“Then I suppose I will see you tomorrow” he remarked as he stood up. Before fully leaving the room, he looked back at her curiously. “By the way, who will escort you?”

She tilted her head in confusion. He never questioned her about this matter before because she often goes with her family or enters alone. “Can’t I go alone?”

“No” he sternly answered which made her even more confused. Now that she’s married, wouldn’t it be better to enter alone to avoid gossips?

“Then I’ll go with Fang” she answered because she knew from his voice that he won’t take no for an answer.

Fang Tao who was silently listening since earlier immediately shook his head. He wasn’t allowed to be her escort in parties like this because Ji Boqin might take notice of it and target Wei Yan. “I’m sorry but I can’t accompany you for such parties, Madame”

“Maybe I should assign someone to escort you” Hou Tian Lang remarked with a smile. He was already brewing a plan on his head and his target was Ji Li Zhao.

“I’ll just enter alone, Grandfather. Don’t worry about me” Wei Yan answered immediately when she saw the smirk donning on his face. He was up to no good and she doesn’t want to be part of it. “Besides, it would be inappropriate if I get escorted by another man now that I’m married”

“Suit yourself” he answered in a low voice before smiling widely at her. Well, Ji Li Zhao escorting her will cause a commotion, but dancing with her won’t hurt that much, would it? “But you need to at least dance to one song, okay?”

“Fine” she replied before giving him a peck on the cheeks. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Grandfather”

Hou Guanyu nodded his head before wearing his fedora hat and walking away. Will followed behind him and showed him Gu Man’s reply regarding his request to talk with Ji Li Zhao in Li Wei Mansion. An amused and excited smile was already donned in his face and it looks like it won’t be going away soon.