Chapter 156: A father-in-law looking at his son-in-law finds him more pleasing to the eye the more he looks

"Let me see what kind of man is capable of commanding such high regard from the head of the Wen family and the eldest young master."

Sitting at her table, Bai Shiya kept her eyes fixed intently on the entrance.

Today, she wore a pure white dress, a light touch of makeup, and tied her long hair into a ponytail, deliberately trying to make herself look younger, much like a university student.

She picked up her phone, opened WeChat, and tapped on Wen Shao’s chat window.

[Eldest Young Master, I have arrived at the designated location. The target has not yet arrived.]

[Keep watching. Make sure to get close to the target and gather accurate intelligence.]

...

In the capital, the Wen family’s ancestral residence.

Wen Shao sat in his room, put down his phone, and looked out the window, a flash of doubt crossing his eyes.

"This Chen Luo, why does my father hold him in such high regard? Even Wen Wan never received such treatment."

Scenes from a recent morning when he was drinking tea and conversing with his father involuntarily surfaced in Wen Shao's mind, still lingering in his thoughts.

It had been early in the morning when Wen Shao followed family rules and came to Wen Tao's courtyard to pay his respects.

This was a mandatory daily routine that every direct descendant of the Wen family had to uphold while at home, including Wen Wan.

The consequences for defying family rules were severe, a testament to Wen Tao's ironclad governance.

In the morning courtyard, Wen Tao was watering his orchids. Wen Shao approached him and, following Confucian etiquette, bowed deeply to the ground.

This was the tradition of the Wen family; they did not practice kneeling kowtows, adhering strictly to Confucian rituals instead.

"Shaor'er is here. Come, sit."

Wen Tao put down his watering can, walked over to the stone table, and sat down. Wen Shao picked up the teapot on the table and poured a cup for his father.

"Father, you seem to be in high spirits today, waking up so early just to tend to these orchids."

"Haha, indeed, I am in a good mood. Would you care to guess why I am feeling so cheerful?"

Wen Shao pondered for a moment. The only recent events of note were the struggles between Wen Wan and Wen Xi.

"Is it because of my sixth sister, Wen Wan?"

"Mhm, very close. It's because of the boyfriend she found out there—seems to be Chen, Chen, oh right, Chen Luo."

Upon hearing the name Chen Luo, coupled with the smile on his father's face, Wen Shao's heart sank, though he maintained a pleasant expression on his face.

"Oh? Sixth sister has found a boyfriend? That certainly is novel. I wonder what is so special about this prospective brother-in-law?"

Wen Tao picked up his teacup and took a gentle sip.

"This prospective son-in-law of mine actually dared to make me lose face in front of so many people."

"And when I told him to come visit the family during the Spring Festival, he actually had the nerve to agree. Don't you think he is awfully bold?"

Hearing this, Wen Shao's expression shifted slightly.

This prospective brother-in-law was even bolder than Wen Wan; he actually dared to make his father lose face!

One had to remember that even the heads of the Ten Great Families dared not provoke Wen Tao, let alone juniors like themselves.

Even though both Wen Shao and Wen Wan possessed extraordinary talents, they remained as docile as kittens in front of Wen Tao, lacking even a shred of rebellious intent.

Noticing the peculiar look in Wen Shao's eyes, Wen Tao smiled and spoke with thoughtful deliberation.

"Shaor'er, let me speak frankly with you. I have a clear idea of what you and Wan'er can achieve in the future, but as for this prospective son-in-law's future achievements, I simply cannot see through them."

"Wan'er has found a good husband; in the future, he should be able to help her manage her enterprises."

With that, Wen Tao stood up, humming a light tune as he walked back into his room.

Wen Shao kept his head lowered, his expression exceptionally grim.

His father never uttered empty words; every single sentence carried profound meaning.

Being unable to see through Chen Luo's future was, in itself, an exceptionally high evaluation.

It forced him to overthink.

They say mothers-in-law grow fonder of sons-in-law the more they look at them, but why was a father-in-law looking at a son-in-law with such approval as well? If he truly came to favor him, the entire dynamic would change.

A son-in-law was half a son, and coupled with Wen Wan's current momentum, what would happen if the old master ended up supporting their faction in the future?

This Chen Luo might become a crucial factor affecting the battle for the succession, leaving Wen Shao with no choice but to be on guard.

This was precisely why he had dispatched Bai Shiya to Hangcheng to support Tang Xiwei.

*Buzz! Buzz!*

The notification chime of his phone rang, snapping Wen Shao out of his deep contemplation. He came to his senses and checked his phone.

[The target has appeared.]

[Good. Make sure to get close, gather more intelligence, and report back to me the moment you do!]

[Understood!]

After replying, Bai Shiya put her phone down and cast her gaze toward the entrance.

She saw Chen Luo walking into the restaurant all by himself, his eyes glued to his phone as he walked, seemingly deep in thought.

"He really is young, and that face is genuinely not bad. It could even rival the eldest young master."

Indeed, from Bai Shiya's perspective, today's Chen Luo was dressed in a sleek, tailored black suit that accentuated his tall, athletic frame to the absolute limit. The trousers outlined the contours of his long legs.

Combined with the hairstyle and light makeup Wen Wan had meticulously crafted for him that day, Chen Luo's entire aura had undergone a refreshing transformation.

Chen Luo arrived at a window seat and sat down. After ordering, he continued staring at his phone.

He continuously replied to messages and handled various affairs; his comprehensive offensive plan was set to launch that afternoon, and there were still countless arrangements for him to make.

He picked up the glass of water beside him, took a sip, and placed it back on the table. Because his eyes remained fixed on his phone, the cup landed a fraction too close to the edge of the table.

Seeing Chen Luo so utterly absorbed in his phone, Bai Shiya knew her opportunity had arrived.

She slowly stood up and walked leisurely toward Chen Luo's table, carrying her handbag in her left hand and deliberately keeping the bag close to the edge of the table.

*Tap, tap, tap!*

Bai Shiya suddenly quickened her pace. As she drew level with Chen Luo's table, she exerted a sudden force with her hand, swinging her handbag outward in an instant.

*Bang!* The handbag struck the glass on the table, and the plain water inside splashed directly onto Chen Luo.

Caught completely off guard, Chen Luo was soaked by the water and had to stand up, shaking the droplets off his clothes.

"Ah! I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry! I was just in too much of a rush, I am truly sorry."

Seeing that the first step of her plan had succeeded, Bai Shiya stopped, immediately launched into apologies, and pulled out a handkerchief, offering to wipe the moisture off Chen Luo.

What Bai Shiya failed to notice, however, was that outside the restaurant's glass windows, two pairs of eyes were fixed entirely on her.

"Sixth sister, that is clearly a green tea bitch, and her tier looks pretty high. Aren't you worried Chen Luo is going to get seduced?"

"Shut your mouth. We aren't going in yet!"

Wen Wan's gaze locked onto Bai Shiya, a startling, murderous intent erupting within her eyes.

She picked up her phone, dialed a number, and spoke in a voice chillingly cold.

"Number Three, immediately patch the audio signal from the bug on Chen Luo's person to my phone. Turn the volume to maximum."