Chapter 287 - 167: The Very Filial Tao Siyao

Seeing the shocked expression on her dad’s face,

Tao Siyao was instantly displeased and rolled her eyes at him.

"Dad, I’m usually very well-behaved at home, you know."

"Heh, yes, very well-behaved."

Tao Ronghui’s lips twitched. Not wanting to argue with his daughter, he turned his attention to Qi Sheng’s career.

"Xiaoqi, I heard from Yaoyao that you’re also an entrepreneur?"

"Right now, I’m mainly managing a few restaurant brands. I also partnered with a friend to acquire a hotel, and I have an office building that I collect rent from."

Qi Sheng answered concisely.

He was afraid that going into too much detail would scare Tao Ronghui.

"Oh?"

Tao Ronghui asked dubiously, "In that case, have you considered expanding your business to Hangzhou?"

"I actually already have two hotels in Hangzhou. I’ll be opening several more restaurants later on, so you and Auntie can dine there often."

"Hotels?"

Tao Ronghui asked in surprise, "Are they part of a chain, or your own brand?"

"Banyan Tree and Yuechun. Uncle, you’ve probably heard of them."

Tao Ronghui, who had been taking a sip of water, nearly choked when he heard the names of two very familiar hotels.

"Banyan Tree?"

Tao Ronghui was stunned for a moment.

"Isn’t that a hotel group from Singapore?"

"Uncle, you’re probably not in the hotel industry, so you might not have followed news about the Banyan Tree Group."

"My friend and I joined forces to acquire the Banyan Tree Group. It’s now a company we wholly own."

Qi Sheng casually dropped this bombshell, leaving Tao Ronghui completely dumbfounded.

"You acquired the Banyan Tree Group?"

Tao Ronghui’s jaw dropped. It took him a long while to accept this fact.

The possibility of Qi Sheng lying to him was out of the question.

The hotels were right here in Hangzhou; a lie like that would be exposed in minutes.

"I’m responsible for management, and my friend provided the capital. I hold the shares on his behalf, and we split the profits."

Qi Sheng tried to explain it in a way that would be easier for Tao Ronghui and his wife to accept.

If it had been an outsider like Chen Shuyuan,

he wouldn’t have bothered with such a detailed explanation.

’The system takes zero percent, and I take ten percent.’

’Seems perfectly reasonable, doesn’t it?’

"That’s still incredible. To be managing such a large hotel group at your age... the pressure must be immense!"

The way Tao Ronghui looked at Qi Sheng changed again and again, now filled with approval and admiration.

Although he was among the first group of people in Hangzhou to get rich, his business ventures had seen their ups and downs over the years.

Of his net worth of over a hundred million, this house alone accounted for almost half.

His other businesses only brought in a few million in profit each year.

Compared to the assets under Qi Sheng’s name, his were somewhat insignificant.

After learning about Qi Sheng’s family background, education, and abilities,

his approval of Qi Sheng grew even stronger.

He’d gotten rich through lucky crypto trading, decisively cashed out, and then pivoted to the investment sector.

He’d joined forces with a friend to acquire the Banyan Tree Group, and he also had several restaurants to his name.

Career, looks, height, ability...

In every aspect, he exceeded the standards Tao Ronghui had set for his future son-in-law.

"You two must have eaten before you came, right?"

Tao Ronghui glanced at the time. It was already almost ten o’clock, so it wasn’t appropriate to make a big fuss to entertain them now.

"Dad, we had dinner tonight at the Banyan Tree in Xixi Wetland."

"Tomorrow, I’ll take you to try Chef Huang’s cooking. I guarantee you’ll be singing his praises."

As soon as the words left Tao Siyao’s unfiltered mouth, she saw both Tao Ronghui and Xu Huifang glare at her.

"Ah..."

Tao Siyao slapped a hand over her mouth in frustration, cursing herself for her big mouth.

When she went out that afternoon, she had told her parents she was meeting classmates for a meal.

But instead, she ran off to a hotel to find her boyfriend.

In a place like a hotel, what might happen afterward...

everyone naturally knew what to expect.

"Um, Dad, it’s getting late. We’re going to head back now."

Tao Siyao shot Qi Sheng a look, clearly hoping to sneak away with him for the night.

"What, is this not your home?"

Tao Ronghui glared at Tao Siyao irritably.

"You will stay right here at home where you belong. A young lady running around late at night—what would people think?"

"Dad~"

Tao Siyao pouted unhappily.

"I’ve been keeping you company for so long already. Just let me stay out for one night, please~"

"No."

Completely unmoved by Tao Siyao’s pouting, Tao Ronghui glanced at his watch.

"Ah Sheng, why don’t you stay here for the night as well?"

"No, thank you, Uncle. I have some things to take care of tomorrow. I’ll have dinner with you and Auntie tomorrow night instead."

Qi Sheng didn’t take the offer seriously, knowing it was just a polite formality.

"Alright, then I won’t keep you."

Tao Ronghui patted Qi Sheng’s shoulder in satisfaction, showing his approval.

Young, successful, tall, and handsome.

You couldn’t find a son-in-law like him if you searched with a lantern.

After Qi Sheng left, only the family of three remained.

Tao Siyao tried to sneak out several times.

But she was mercilessly intercepted by Tao Ronghui, who had pulled up a stool to guard the door.

"Dad~ You’re going too far!"

Tao Siyao stomped her foot in anger.

"Have you forgotten you’re a young woman? Staying out with a man before you’re even married."

"If any of our friends or relatives saw you, how could your mother and I show our faces?"

Tao Ronghui’s face was stern, disappointed that his daughter wasn’t living up to his expectations.

"Tch, that’s just ignorant. What era are you living in? Plenty of unmarried people live together."

Tao Siyao argued her case, trying to persuade her old-fashioned father.

"Usually, you’re in Chengdu, and I can’t control you. But while you’re at home, it’s absolutely not allowed."

Tao Ronghui, completely impervious, stared at his phone, refusing to let Tao Siyao slip out.

"Mom~ Look at him!"

Tao Siyao had no other choice but to seek her mom’s help.

"Yaoyao, be good. Your father means well."

"If you two were really married, you could even live here at home."

Xu Huifang presented a united front with her husband; neither of them supported Tao Siyao running out late at night.