Chapter 41: If She Becomes My Wife, I’ll Go On as Before

“Director Mo.” The moment Uncle Tie spotted his superior emerging, he immediately lowered his voice and greeted her respectfully.

“Uncle Tie, open the retractable gate and let the landlord in,” Director Mo’s wife nodded, her expression growing somewhat stern.

“Alright.” Uncle Tie glanced at the two of them, responded, and returned to the security room. He pressed the switch for the electric gate, which quickly opened wide enough for vehicles to pass through.

“Mr. Ke Sheng, if you have something to say, come discuss it in my office. Don’t cause a scene out here and frighten the children,” Director Mo’s wife shot a cold glance at their landlord, Ke Sheng, then turned and headed back into the orphanage.

“That old woman dares to put on airs with me.” Seeing her indifferent demeanor, Ke Sheng, who had just inherited the late Mr. Ke’s estate, immediately grew sullen. “Who’s begging whom here?”

Yet, despite his bluster, Ke Sheng was determined to do what he had to in order to secure a contract from the Su Corporation. Stirring up trouble for the orphanage was just the start; the rest was up to the Su Corporation.

He floored the accelerator, parked his car sideways in the orphanage’s small courtyard, and killed the engine—revving it a few more times for good measure so that the thunderous roar of his high-displacement engine echoed through the sky.

Following behind the waiting Director Mo, the two entered the director’s office one after another.

“Mr. Ke, our lease hasn’t expired yet, has it?” As soon as they sat down, Director Mo’s expression changed as she looked at Ke Sheng. Though her words sounded polite on the surface, beneath her courteous tone was a carefully suppressed displeasure.

“That’s right, it hasn’t expired,” Ke Sheng replied, slouching into the chair opposite Director Mo and crossing his legs with a half-smile.

“Then why are you here today? This is an orphanage; all the children here have no one else to rely on. This is not the place for you to throw your weight around. If I wanted to be difficult, I would have called the police just now.” Director Mo’s gaze sharpened, her tone growing heavier.

Her piercing stare made Ke Sheng feel a flicker of fear. If he’d been standing, he’d likely have taken a few steps back under her gaze.

“I wanted to discuss the rent with you.” Forcing himself to steady his nerves, Ke Sheng continued, annoyed at himself for his momentary fear. To be intimidated by a woman in her fifties—he was still too green.

“The rent?” Director Mo immediately grew wary. Wasn’t he already raising it by fifty percent? What else was there to discuss?

“Yes, the rent. All these years, my father hardly raised it at all. Now that he’s passed and I’ve inherited his property, I want to have a proper discussion with you,” Ke Sheng nodded.

—

“There’s nothing left to discuss about the rent. There’s about three months until the end of the year. I’ll do my best to find a solution,” Director Mo replied. She’d been agonizing over this issue for days, asking around but finding no one willing to help. She was being forced to prepare for two outcomes: either find another location or apply to the government. She’d even drafted the application.

“No, fifty percent was yesterday’s offer. Starting today, I’m raising it by sixty percent. I’ll give you one week to consider. If you haven’t made your position clear by then, I’ll assume you’re not renewing and bring in an agent,” Ke Sheng sneered, relishing the pleasure of having others firmly in his grasp.

“What? How can you do this? If your father knew, he’d never forgive you!” Director Mo, unable to contain her anger, shot to her feet.

“What am I doing? I haven’t broken the law. This property is mine. What, you think that renting long enough gives you squatter’s rights, like those tricks in Hong Kong?” Ke Sheng retorted arrogantly.

“You…” Director Mo was about to speak when the office door suddenly creaked open from the outside. Mo Ya entered, her face filled with worry.

“Mom Mo, Uncle Tie said the landlord is making trouble. Where is he?” Mo Ya ignored the unremarkable Ke Sheng and addressed Director Mo directly.

At that moment, Ke Sheng’s gaze became fixed on the stunning young woman who had just appeared. His eyes, with a hint of lechery, lingered on Mo Ya as if he could hardly contain himself.

Mo Ya’s long, jet-black hair cascaded over her shoulders, her features were delicate, and her eyes sparkled like stars. Yet her entire being radiated a cool aloofness that made people reluctant to approach.

“Xiao Ya, aren’t you supposed to be at work? What brings you here?” Director Mo glanced at the time, puzzled by Mo Ya’s sudden appearance.

“Is it him?” Mo Ya, regaining her composure, didn’t answer directly but fixed her gaze on Ke Sheng and pointed at him, her expression icy and full of hostility.

“Mo Ya, this is Mr. Ke, the landlord of our orphanage. Show some manners. Go check on the children,” Director Mo hastily scolded her, signaling for Mo Ya to leave and avoid unnecessary trouble.

“I won’t, Mom Mo. I’m staying with you. Let’s see who dares to bully you.” Driven by concern, Mo Ya failed to notice Director Mo’s intentions and replied forcefully.

“Miss Mo, nice to meet you. I’m the landlord of these buildings—Ke Sheng. You can just call me Brother Sheng.” Having recovered from his surprise, Ke Sheng stood up to introduce himself, extending his hand and putting on a show of courtesy.

“There’s no need. We’re not acquainted.” Mo Ya’s eyes flashed with disgust at his obvious lechery. She rejected him coldly, even taking a step back as he drew near.

The atmosphere immediately became awkward, especially for Ke Sheng, who felt utterly humiliated by her gesture—a slap to his pride. As a second-generation property owner in Shanghai, hadn’t he had his pick of women except for the most elite?

—

“Mo Ya, apologize to Mr. Ke. That was rude,” Director Mo, seasoned in handling storms, quickly spoke up, shooting Mo Ya a look in hopes she’d smooth things over.

She knew well that Ke Sheng would be offended. For ordinary people, it might pass, but for someone like him—newly in control, valuing face above all—he wouldn’t tolerate such disrespect. Anyone who slighted him would invite trouble.

As expected, in the next moment, Ke Sheng withdrew his outstretched hand and awkwardly pinched his chin, his face darkening.

“I’m raising the rent by sixty percent. You have one week to consider,” Ke Sheng said in a low, unhappy tone. He was exactly as Director Mo had described.

“Why don’t you just rob us?” Mo Ya, fully aware of the orphanage’s situation, blurted out, unable to restrain herself.

“Robbery is illegal—I’m not stupid. But raising the rent is entirely within my rights. My property, my rules.” Ke Sheng’s arrogance intensified as he watched the resistance on their faces. “Don’t like me? Go ahead and hit me. I enjoy it when people can’t stand me but can’t do a thing about it. It’s like you’ve eaten dirt.”

After being held down by his father all these years, Ke Sheng was finally free to show his true, overbearing colors. Mo Ya was so furious that her chest heaved, which only made Ke Sheng more eager to provoke her.

“But the rent isn’t entirely nonnegotiable. After all these years as my tenants, I wouldn’t want to seem heartless,” Ke Sheng suddenly changed tack, pointing at Mo Ya. “If she agrees to marry me, I’ll keep the rent as it is.”

“Ke Sheng, you’ve gone too far!” Even the usually patient Director Mo lost her temper, slamming the desk so hard it echoed through the room.

“Yes, I’ve gone too far. What are you going to do about it? Hit me? Even if you so much as scratch me, I’ll see you both behind bars,” Ke Sheng, though startled by the outburst, wasn’t intimidated. He snorted, turned on his heel, and strode out.

As he passed Mo Ya by the door, he paused, took a deep breath, and said, “Mmm, you smell wonderful. Think it over.” With that, he ignored the two women—especially Mo Ya, whose fists were clenched in rage—and left the office.

Back in his car, Ke Sheng immediately called Su Dashan to report, all the while scheming to get his hands on Mo Ya.