Chapter 328: Chapter 328: The Feuds of the Wealthy Families
(Chapter fourteen, today’s updates end here, and there will be additional chapters tomorrow. Please continue to support the book, and I hope more readers will subscribe to the official version.)

After a short nap, Luo Ziling was gently woken up by Ling Ruonan.

“Ling’er, does your wound still hurt?” Upon seeing Luo Ziling wake up with a look of confusion, Ling Ruonan couldn’t help but feel a surge of tenderness. She reached out her slender fingers and gently caressed Luo Ziling’s face, whispering, “Don’t hide it from Mom, I know your injury isn’t minor!”

Luo Ziling let Ling Ruonan stroke his cheeks while his heart was also filled with tender emotions, “Mom, the injury is indeed serious, but I’ve already treated it myself, it’s alright now.”

“Really, it’s okay?”

“Mom, don’t you trust my medical skills?” said Luo Ziling with a smile as he sat up and took hold of Ling Ruonan’s hand, “I’ve truly inherited Grandpa’s skills. If I couldn’t heal such a minor injury, that would be shameful. That female soldier last time, she was shot near the heart, and I saved her too. Don’t doubt my medical skills, okay!”

Seeing Luo Ziling’s mischievous look, the gloominess and hatred in Ling Ruonan’s heart vanished completely in an instant.

Nothing made her happier than her son’s smile.

“Alright, my little Divine Doctor, time to get up and eat,” said Ling Ruonan, pulling Luo Ziling by the hand downstairs.

When Luo Ziling saw the table, it was full of dishes he loved to eat.

Wuyue was there, dividing bowls and chopsticks.

“Sit down and eat,” said Ling Ruonan, pulling Luo Ziling down to the seat and then letting go of his hand.

During the meal, Ling Ruonan occasionally served food to Luo Ziling, and his bowl was never empty.

Ling Ruonan seldom ate herself, spending more time daydreaming and watching Luo Ziling with a face full of maternal love.

The way her son ate, she felt she could never watch enough. Seeing Luo Ziling enjoy the meal satisfied her.

Wuyue sat silently on the side, slowly eating her food as if she didn’t notice the warmth between the mother and son.

After finishing dinner, Ling Ruonan pulled Luo Ziling over to the couch to sit down, preparing to talk to him about some matters.

“Let’s start with Mom’s current work and the situation of the Ling Family,” said Ling Ruonan with a smile as she peeled an apple for Luo Ziling, “I’m now responsible for the affairs of Northern Group. I believe you’ve also learned a bit about Northern Group. When you get a chance, come to Mom’s office, and let everyone know you are the Crown Prince of Northern Group.”

Ling Ruonan’s words made Luo Ziling rather embarrassed. Was Ling Ruonan really acting as if she was the queen of Northern Group?

But he didn’t reject Ling Ruonan’s kindness.

Ling Ruonan also went into detail about the Ling Family, discussing old grudges that went back twenty years, and also the current situation.

She described the members of the Ling Family, the main and collateral branches, and even revealed who viewed her with hostility and who treated her well, all to Luo Ziling. She wanted Luo Ziling to know, for when he returned to the Ling Family, who he could be close to and who he should keep a distance from.

After talking about the Ling Family, she began discussing the Yang Family situation.

After listening to Ling Ruonan, Luo Ziling had a good idea of the Yang Family’s members.

Then, Ling Ruonan talked about the other two major families—the Fang Family and the Chen Family. As Ling Ruonan began discussing the Chen and Fang Families, Luo Ziling interjected, “Mom, I met that Chen Jiahai at Ouyang Feifei’s office.”

Luo Ziling had already encountered Chen Jiahai, who was pursuing Ouyang Feifei, which surprised Ling Ruonan quite a bit, and she immediately began to elaborate on the affairs of the Chen Family.

Chen Changxing, a contemporary of Ling Jinhua from the Chen Family, had passed away. Chen Changxing had two sons: Chen Rushan and Chen Ruchang.

Chen Rushan held a high position, also as one of the elders.

Chen Rushan’s two sons, Chen Yining and Chen Yijing, had also entered public service and were quite accomplished.

Chen Jiahai was Chen Yining’s son and his only heir.

“Chen Jiahai is the eldest grandson of the senior branch of the Chen Family, with the most revered status. This person looks good and is very smart in his dealings, with lots of schemes in mind. He appears amiable to everyone on the surface, but is quite sinister behind their backs, prompting many to give him a nickname: Smiling Tiger. He has been pursuing Ouyang Feifei for several years. You’ve met him in Ouyang Feifei’s office before, and he might misunderstand that you have some intimate relationship with Ouyang Feifei. Be careful when you encounter him in the future,”

Luo Ziling quickly nodded and said that he would definitely remember Ling Ruonan’s warning.

Then, Ling Ruonan talked about the Fang family.

“The current head of the Fang family is Fang Xiang, who used to have a good relationship with your grandfather and often drank together. He too holds a high position, and I believe you have seen him on television,” Ling Ruonan’s brow relaxed slightly as she talked about the Fang family, “Fang Xiang has two sons and a daughter: the eldest, Fang Zhonghua, the second, Fang Zhongxiu, and his daughter, Fang Zhongning. Fang Zhonghua is quite capable and is now in charge of the southernmost province. He has a son named Fang Dongxun, who is twenty-two this year. Fang Dongxun and Yang Qingyin have been classmates throughout their school years, and you could say they grew up together like childhood sweethearts. Both families intend for them to marry, only Yang Qingyin does not take to Fang Dongxun.”

After saying this, Ling Ruonan looked at Luo Ziling with a peculiar expression.

Upon hearing this, Luo Ziling felt extremely frustrated inside.

The suitors of Ouyang Feifei and Yang Qingyin were both wealthy heirs, Chen Jiahai and Fang Dongxun. If these two learned about his ambiguous relationship with Ouyang Feifei and Yang Qingyin, they would surely be displeased.

Luo Ziling knew he was no match for them now, unless he continued to have the help and protection of Ling Ruonan.

But he didn’t want to live under Ling Ruonan’s protection forever. He had grown up, and it was time to face everything on his own.

He just hoped he could avoid conflict with these two individuals for as long as possible—if such a conflict was inevitable.

Seeing Luo Ziling’s troubled face, Ling Ruonan guessed that her words had caused some disquiet in Luo Ziling’s mind.

“Ling’er, there’s nothing to worry about. They can’t beat you in a fight anyway. Among the major families, there are always open and covert struggles; they won’t unite against us,” what she really wanted to say was that Luo Xu, too, was bullied by many of the wealthy young masters back in the day, but he could fight, and eventually, they all feared him. However, she couldn’t bring herself to say such a thing; she couldn’t expect Luo Ziling to start beating up everyone he encountered, could she?

“Mom, I’ve got a gun,” Luo Ziling said, pulling out the gun given to him by Li Haiyang from his bag, “Senior Li Haiyang even arranged for me to get a firearms license.”

Upon seeing Luo Ziling’s firearms license and handgun, Ling Ruonan couldn’t hide her surprise and then her delight: “It seems Li Haiyang still has some conscience.”

“Mom, you know him too?” Luo Ziling asked, a bit surprised.

“He was mentored by your grandfather and used to have a good relationship with your grandpa as well; he often exchanged martial arts knowledge with your dad, too.”

“So that’s how it is!” Luo Ziling exclaimed, greatly surprised.

Everything was like a net, or rather, a chessboard.

He was just a chess piece in it, still at the stage of being manipulated by others.

What would his fate be in the end?

He didn’t know!