Winston Fan was a very pragmatic man.
As the eldest son of the Fan Family, Winston had known his responsibilities since childhood.
For him, love was nothing more than a luxury.
It was nice to have, but not essential.
Because of his status, countless women tried to win his favor, but Winston Fan never accepted any of them.
In the past, Winston wasn’t focused on Yina Yin; at that time, Miles Gu’s presence kept him from having such thoughts.
He simply grew up with strict family discipline and high standards, keeping himself clean and free from messy relationships.
His reputation for integrity added to his appeal; after all, Charles Yin chose to meet him first, not others, precisely because Winston Fan had a spotless record and no scandals.
That was an unexpected bonus.
Ever since Miles Gu proposed breaking off the engagement with Yina Yin, Winston Fan started considering her.
Winston Fan was interested not only in Yina Yin herself, but also in the powerful Yin Family and Cherry Miller, the province’s renowned chief assistant.
Especially in the past two years, Cherry Miller single-handedly managed Yina Yin’s assets and doubled her wealth.
That kind of ability was enough to make every heir envious.
Marrying Yina Yin meant gaining Cherry Miller’s support.
Who wouldn’t want such a buy-one-get-one deal?
So when Winston Fan heard the Yin Family planned to pick a son-in-law at the breakup banquet, he urged his mother, Linda Fang, to bring him early to get acquainted.
If he could develop feelings for Yina Yin, that would be ideal. If not, becoming friends would still be good.
Who knows, maybe they could cooperate in the future—and Winston Fan could borrow Cherry Miller’s help.
All of these were possible.
Charles Yin could actually see through Winston Fan’s intentions.
But Charles Yin didn’t see this as a problem.
Back when he first met Cecilia Gu, he also considered many factors and weighed the outcomes before proposing marriage.
But man proposes, God disposes—he ended up falling for Cecilia Gu, and that was another story.
As the head of a family, one cannot be ruled by emotions; those who are can't go far.
Someone as calm and thoughtful as Winston Fan is exactly the kind of person who can lead a family to greater heights.
That’s why Charles Yin didn’t dislike Winston Fan.
Many things, when laid out openly, aren’t offensive.
It’s the underhanded scheming that people hate.
Winston Fan never claimed to love Yina Yin, nor did he say he had a secret crush on her; he simply laid out his qualifications.
For people in their position, talking about love is just a fairy tale.
He hadn’t gone to school with Yina Yin, nor had any private contact with her; their interactions were limited to business occasions.
Besides, Yina Yin used to be Miles Gu’s fiancée; it would be strange if there were feelings beforehand.
Such openness actually put Charles Yin at ease.
Winston Fan also understood that lying would be courting disaster.
With someone of Charles Yin’s caliber, the more straightforward you are, the better. Playing games in front of him will only get you eliminated faster.
Sure enough, Charles Yin gave him a ticket to meet Yina Yin and the others.
That was a great start.
After leaving the Yin Family home, Linda Fang nervously asked him, "Son, how was it? Charles Yin likes you, right?"
“Mom, it’s too early to say he likes me, but he definitely doesn’t dislike me,” Winston Fan said with a smile. “Uncle Yin wants me to get to know them better, and that’s a great start.”
Linda Fang was overjoyed. She said, “Son, if you can marry into the Yin Family, our Fan Family will be truly secure. If Yina becomes my daughter-in-law, my life will be complete! The Yun Family is so prestigious; in the past, our Fan Family couldn’t even dream of associating with them. A hundred years ago, we were just rough men, not even worthy to shine their shoes! Even now we’re still not on their level, but marrying Yina means we’ll be connected to the Yun Family. Son, are you listening to me?”
"I know, Mom," Winston Fan said, glancing at his watch. "I have a meeting at the company, so I’ll head out now."
"Hey, hey…" Linda Fang watched her son leave without hesitation and felt a bit frustrated.
How could someone so clueless about romance win Yina’s heart?
Linda Fang stamped her foot and complained, "When will this child learn to be sweet? He’s not young anymore, yet he’s still so blunt! No wonder he’s single!"
Her assistant smiled and said, "Madam, don’t worry—there are plenty of women who want to be your daughter-in-law! It’s just that the young master isn’t interested in any of them."
"What’s the use of having so many? None of them are Yina Yin!" Linda Fang grumbled. "I just like Yina; I don’t care how good the others are!"
Linda Fang said fiercely, "If he can’t marry Yina, he’d better not bring any woman home for the rest of his life! Hmph!"
Early in the morning, Ethan Yin was already waiting at the entrance of Luoxia Villa, dressed in a light blue Tang suit.
At this time, guests started to arrive one after another.
"Uncle Yan, it’s been a long time! You’re looking more handsome than ever—even Yan is outshined by you," Ethan Yin called out to an elderly man with graying hair.
Mr. Yan laughed heartily, "You’ve got a sweet tongue! Come, let me introduce you—this is my youngest son, Yan Shilang, twenty-four years old. He’s my late child, about your age. Teach him well."
Yan Shilang was tall and handsome, with delicate features—if you didn’t look closely, he could pass for a beautiful girl. He had a feminine charm that was easy on the eyes.
Yan Shilang greeted Ethan Yin, "Young Master Yin, I’ve heard of your reputation for a long time but never had the chance to meet you. It’s truly my honor to get to know you today."
This chapter isn’t finished yet~.~ Click next page to continue reading!
"No need for formalities—we’re all the same age, so there’s no need for big titles. You’re a year younger than me, so I’ll just call you Shilang. Don’t call me Young Master Yin; we’re all family here. Just call me Yuhan," Ethan Yin said warmly.
Today may have been Miles Gu and Yina Yin’s breakup banquet, but it was also Charles Yin’s son-in-law selection banquet.
So everyone kept their expressions relaxed—or at least pretended to.
Probably the only one feeling miserable today was Miles Gu.
Everyone else looked cheerful and carefree.
Yan Shilang nodded and followed Ethan Yin.
After Ethan Yin welcomed the guests inside, he handed them over to Cherry Miller, then went to greet the other guests.
Although Cherry Miller was just the housekeeper, everyone recognized her as the future daughter-in-law of the Yin Family, so it made sense for her to greet the distinguished guests as the hostess.
Mo Yu leaned against the railing, cracking sunflower seeds, and nudged Mo Shuo with her elbow, whispering, "Look, there are so many handsome boys here. Who’s that one who looks like a pretty girl? He looks familiar. He’s the opposite of our Nuo. Interesting."
"That’s the youngest son of the Yan Family. I never thought they’d bring their precious little one here. Shows how much Nuo attracts people," Mo Shuo said, studying him seriously.
"It’s him? I thought so." Mo Yu grinned. "The Yan Family has always kept this young master well hidden."
"Of course," Mo Shuo replied. "He’s their late child. His father was already fifty when he was born."
As they chatted, Jing Shaohuai and Ethan Yin’s younger brother Yuzhen walked over.
"You two hiding here for the show?" Jing Shaohuai snatched some sunflower seeds from Mo Yu and joined the gossip. "What’s there to see? Oh, isn’t that Yan Shilang? The little princess himself! Nuo’s popularity is something else!"
"Little princess?" Yuzhen asked curiously. "Why do you call him that?"
Jing Shaohuai gestured to Yuzhen, "Don’t you think he looks like a girl? Fair skin, delicate, frail, and he speaks so softly. Our Nuo is the exact opposite—he’s handsome as hell."
"You’re right! He’s like a little princess, and my sister’s like a little prince—they’d make a perfect match," Yuzhen laughed.
"Here comes an even better match—look who’s arrived! The eldest son of the Fan Family! Wow! I heard Winston Fan even visited the Yin Family mansion just two days ago!" Jing Shaohuai exclaimed.
"Winston Fan is already the CEO of Fan Corporation, and he’s joining this competition?" Mo Yu asked in surprise.
"Who’d have thought? He’s got the best qualifications here. The rest are still pampered kids, but Winston Fan has been running things on his own for ages. That’s probably why they let him join—he’s mature enough," Jing Shaohuai replied.
"This is going to be a real spectacle," Mo Shuo chimed in. "Look, even Senior Gao Tian’s parents are here. His father is quite the character."
From a distance, Gao Tian’s parents approached cheerfully. Ethan Yin hurried to greet them: "Uncle Gao, long time no see! Auntie, you’re as beautiful and elegant as ever!"
Gao Tian’s father, belly round and laughing like the Buddha, said, "It’s been ages. Has Xiao Tian caused any trouble while staying with you? He’s liked Yina for years, and now he finally has a chance to say it. Yuhan, you’re classmates with him—help him out, will you?"
Ethan Yin replied smoothly, "Don’t worry, Uncle Gao. As long as Yina likes him, no one’s opinion matters. Senior Gao is so popular—everyone likes him! My brothers and I all enjoy spending time with him."
Gao Tian’s mother smiled, "That’s wonderful. Where are your parents? We’d like to say hello."
"Great, I’ll take you over right now," Ethan Yin said, quickly leading them away.
Every guest today had a distinguished background—and each one was a handful.
Let’s hope nothing goes wrong at tonight’s banquet.