Courtyard House: I'm surrounded by celestial beauties on either side.

We can't expect everyone to pay for something they don't actually eat, can we?

The manager's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly stopped him: "Director Fang, I'll do it for you personally! I guarantee it will be spotless!"

He dared not let Fang Chengxuan leave just like that—if word got out, who would dare to come to the steel mill and soda factory in the future? The higher-ups would skin him alive!

Fang Chengxuan glanced at He Yuzhu.

The manager immediately understood and turned to He Yuzhu, saying gently, "He Yuzhu, I'm giving you a day off today. Go home and rest, and come back to work tomorrow."

He Yuzhu was seething with anger: "Manager, Fang Chengxuan brought people to our state-run restaurant and caused trouble, are we just going to let it go like this?"

"If he doesn't want to eat here, then get out! Who cares if he comes? Why be so polite to him?" He Yuzhu shouted at the top of his lungs.

Why should Fang Chengxuan stay while he has to leave? Leaving now is tantamount to admitting defeat.

"Manager, I'm not leaving. If anyone should leave, it's him!" He Yuzhu said stubbornly, determined to stick his neck out.

Seeing the manager's ashen face, he became even more emboldened: "How much bribery did Fang Chengxuan give you that made a state-owned hotel manager like you fawn over him like this?"

"Will your superiors find out if you do this?"

He Yuzhu looked at the manager with disdain, already considering him and Fang Chengxuan to be in cahoots, and was thinking about how to complain.

"manager?"

Fang Chengxuan was the manager when he first joined the kitchen.

This manager's trying to mess with me? I'm a great cook and have a big boss backing me up, I might be the next manager!

He Yuzhu became increasingly pleased with herself and disregarded the manager even more. She grabbed a spatula and pointed it at Fang Chengxuan: "Get out of here! This state-run restaurant doesn't welcome you!"

Fang Chengxuan chuckled lightly: "Looks like they don't take you, their manager, seriously at all."

The manager, who had originally planned to entertain Fang Chengxuan before dealing with He Yuzhu, was so angry that his chest heaved violently.

"Okay, okay, I was originally thinking of letting things slide because of the big boss."

He Yuzhu, since you're so ungrateful, then get out of this state-run restaurant! Do you really think you can act with impunity just because you have a high-ranking official backing you up?

The manager sneered and said sternly, "He Yuzhu, you're fired! Someone, throw him out!"

Several workers immediately rushed forward, snatched the spatula from him, tore off his apron, and shoved him out of the kitchen.

He Yuzhu's eyes widened: "You dare touch me? I was sent in by a high-ranking leader! Believe me or not, I'll get you fired!"

He then pointed at Fang Chengxuan and roared, "Fang Chengxuan, you're finished! A steel mill director dares to interfere in a state-run restaurant! How are you going to explain this to the leadership?!"

Fang Chengxuan uttered two words indifferently: "Fool."

At this moment, Lin Feng walked in with Ran Qiuye and her parents, and they were all stunned by what they saw.

"Brother Fang." Lin Feng quickly stepped forward, glanced at He Yuzhu who had been shoved, and asked, "What happened?"

"It's nothing." Fang Chengxuan turned to Ran's parents and smiled gently, "You two must be Uncle Ran and Aunt Ran, right? I am Fang Chengxuan, Lin Feng's elder brother."

This way, please.

Rong Xinrui also came forward: "Uncle and Aunt, I am Rong Xinrui, Chengxuan's wife."

After Rong Xinrui led the guests to their seats, Fang Chengxuan said to the manager, "I'm treating today, don't let this idiot ruin things."

Otherwise, your state-run restaurants will have to replace everyone from top to bottom.

The manager nodded quickly: "Don't worry, Director Fang, I'll handle it right away."

Master Li, please personally take charge of the cooking; make sure Factory Director Fang is satisfied.

After saying that, he grabbed He Yuzhu and threatened in a low voice: "If you make any more trouble, I'll call the law enforcement."

You wouldn't want the high-ranking official who recommended you to go to the police station to pick you up, would you?

Before He Yuzhu could react, he was shoved out the door, then flew into a rage: "You dare call the police?!"

"You're the ones who embarrassed the big boss! What kind of nonsense did Fang Chengxuan give you? Just you wait, I'm going to see the big boss right now, let's see how you clean this up!"

The manager sneered, "Go ahead and sue! Don't bother coming in tomorrow, you're fired!" Then he turned and left.

Through the window, He Yuzhu saw Ran Qiuye sitting shyly and smilingly next to Lin Feng, while Fang Chengxuan was chatting warmly with Ran's parents, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

"If it weren't for Fang Chengxuan and Lin Feng interfering, Ran Qiuye should be my wife, and I should be the one discussing marriage now!"

He turned and left angrily.

At the dinner table, Mr. Ran coughed lightly: "We only have this one daughter, and we hope our son-in-law can be like half a son to us in our old age..."

Fang Chengxuan smiled and replied, "I've discussed this with Lin Feng."

His parents died early, and he is fortunate to have them take care of him.

Please feel free to make any other requests.

Ran's parents were deeply moved, not expecting Fang Chengxuan and Lin Feng to be so understanding.

"We'll leave the betrothal gifts to the groom's family."

Fang Chengxuan nodded and said, "Then let's stick to the 'three turns and one sound' standard, plus an additional one hundred yuan as a bride price. Is that reasonable?"

The elderly couple were taken aback, not expecting that their daughter was valued so much in the south.

"After the wedding, the young couple will live in Lin Feng's current courtyard house for now, and buy a house later when they have the means," Fang Chengxuan continued to arrange.

Mr. and Mrs. Ran quickly waved their hands: "No need, no need, Qiuye is our only daughter, everything in the house belongs to her."

"The proper etiquette must be observed." Fang Chengxuan's tone was gentle yet firm. "Lin Feng is marrying a wife, not marrying into her family. A man should be responsible."

"The two elders are willing to leave the house to the young couple out of goodwill, but Lin Feng cannot take it for granted."

"Where they will live after the marriage is up to them to discuss. You two can also move into the courtyard house if you want to take care of your daughter."

Ran's parents exchanged a glance, feeling a greater sense of awe towards this seemingly gentle young man.

"This arrangement is very good." Ran's father hesitated before speaking.

Mother Ran nudged her husband, but seeing no response, she spoke up herself: "We only have one daughter, Qiuye. We were wondering if it would be possible for our first child to take the Ran family surname?"

Fang Chengxuan's eyes flickered slightly, but before he could speak, Lin Feng interjected, "Brother Fang, I have no objection."

"You may not care, but the child does." Fang Chengxuan turned to Ran's parents, "One is surnamed Lin and the other Ran. To outsiders, it seems like they are inheriting from two different families."

What will the children think if their elders show favoritism?

The room immediately fell silent.

"Human hearts are always biased. Even I can't help but differentiate between children with the surname Lin and those with the surname Ran, let alone you?" Fang Chengxuan looked directly at Ran's mother. "If family discord arises because of surnames, who will be responsible for our daughter's happiness?"

Ran's mother was startled, as if her thoughts had been read.

"Brother Fang..." Lin Feng called out softly.

You may not care, but your child will.

"Just because you're the father, you're going to let a child suffer?" Fang Chengxuan's eyes sharpened.

Lin Feng lowered his head: "I didn't think that way..."

Fang Chengxuan's gentle tone vanished, turning cold: "Have you two considered the potential conflicts between the two children over their surnames? Won't the child with the surname Lin feel that you favor the one with the surname Ran?"

"We will treat everyone equally," Ran's mother hurriedly assured.

"Human nature is inherently biased," Fang Chengxuan sighed. "But it doesn't matter whose surname the child takes, I just hope that you two will keep your word and not let a surname ruin the harmony of the family."

Seeing that he had given him enough of a warning, he softened his tone: "If Lin Feng dares to show favoritism, we, as his older brothers, will discipline him."

But the elderly couple...hope that they should think more about their daughter's happiness.

Ran's parents nodded repeatedly: "You're right, we will definitely treat both children fairly."

"Then I'll bring betrothal gifts to your home another day to discuss the wedding date?"

"Okay, I'll go back and check the almanac," Ran's father replied.

At the dinner table, Lin Feng was busy taking care of Ran Qiuye and her parents, while Fang Chengxuan occasionally chimed in, and the atmosphere was fairly harmonious.

After the meal, Lin Feng saw Ran's family off.

Fang Chengxuan watched their retreating figures, his brows furrowed slightly.

Rong Xinrui poked his waist: "Are you unhappy?"

"I'm a little worried." Fang Chengxuan rubbed his temples. "The Ran family probably originally wanted to find a son-in-law to live with them."

Lin Feng uses all his shrewdness in business; in this area... sigh.

"His brother saw this, which is why he specifically asked me to bring him to Beijing."

Even scholarly families have their own agendas...

"But some people just don't understand."

"One is surnamed Ran, and the other is surnamed Lin. Even if the parents are not biased, just hearing their names will subconsciously make people think that the one with the surname Lin is Lin Feng's child."

"Even someone as reasonable as me thinks this way, so what do you think others will think?"

Fang Chengxuan sighed softly and helped Rong Xinrui out of the restaurant.

"Maybe things aren't as bad as you think. Ran Qiuye seems like a sensible person," Rong Xinrui said.

Fang Chengxuan smiled faintly: "I'm just saying this upfront."

If the Ran family really shows favoritism in the future, I will have a reason to intervene.

"This is to show our attitude to Ran's parents."

"Although Lin Feng has no parents and only an older brother who lives far away in Chun Ning Province, he still has me as his older brother."

"My older brother isn't as easy to talk to as Lin Feng. They naturally think things through more carefully before doing anything."

That's how people are; they're most likely to take an inch and then a mile.

She wanted Lin Feng to be like a son in her old age, and she also wanted the child to have the surname Ran.

"Since the child has taken the surname Ran, the next thing they'll want is for the child to inherit everything from the Ran family."

Fang Chengxuan held Rong Xinrui's hand and said as they walked, "It's one thing for Lin Feng to be willing to suffer, but it's another thing for me, as his older brother, to be willing to let him suffer."

"Lin Feng is much more capable than the Ran family imagined. Given the right circumstances, he will definitely be able to make a name for himself."

Rong Xinrui gripped Fang Chengxuan's hand tightly, looking at him with a bright smile: "How can you be so good to me?"

The two strolled back leisurely.

On the other side, after seeing the Ran family off, Lin Feng stood at the Ran family's door and pulled Ran Qiuye aside: "Qiuye, are your uncle and aunt angry?"

"My brother is actually a very good person; he didn't mean anything by those words."

Ran Qiuye nodded: "I know."

He's doing this for your own good, and he's considering everything very carefully.

"As parents, we will certainly treat them equally, but one has the surname Ran and the other has the surname Lin, which will inevitably lead to gossip from outsiders, and this is indeed not good for the two children."

Looking at Lin Feng's worried eyes, she gently comforted him, "I've been talked about since I was little, so I understand how that feels and I can understand your brother's thoughts."

Lin Feng glanced into the room: "What about your aunt and uncle's side..."

"It's okay, go back and talk to your brother about what happened today, and don't make him angry." Ran Qiuye gestured for him to go back and ease the tension.

To be honest, the Ran family really went too far today.

Lin Feng nodded: "Okay, then I'll go back first."

Come find me at the courtyard house if you need anything.

"Okay." Ran Qiuye watched him leave, then turned and went home.

As soon as I entered, I saw my parents' gloomy faces: "Mom and Dad, are you angry because of what Lin Feng's brother said?"

Ran's mother glanced at her daughter: "I think you need to reconsider your marriage with Lin Feng. How about finding a son-in-law who will live with you in the family?"

Ran's father remained silent, seemingly deep in thought.

Ran Qiuye said anxiously, "Mom! We've already discussed marriage, what's with this talk of a son-in-law moving in?"

"What's the difference between Lin Feng agreeing to support you and him actually coming to your door?"

"Regarding the child's surname, Fang Chengxuan is right. To outsiders, it just sounds like one family is the Ran family and the other the Lin family. How can that be fair?"

"On the contrary, I should thank him. If it weren't for his attitude today, I wouldn't have known that you all actually look down on Lin Feng."

If you didn't like it, why didn't you object to us being together in the first place?

Seeing her parents' evasive gaze, Ran Qiuye stomped her feet in anger and ran back to her room to wipe away her tears.

Meanwhile, Lin Feng returned to the Rong family.

"Brother," he said with a fawning smile, "were you angry today?"

Fang Chengxuan glanced at him: "I'm not angry."

"I was wondering, what would your brother do if he knew you were being looked down upon like this?"

Lin Feng's eyes widened immediately: "Brother! Don't tell my brother! He'll definitely explode with his temper."

"It seems you also know what Ran's parents are thinking." Fang Chengxuan poured a cup of tea and handed it to him.

Lin Feng scratched his head: "I've been out there for so long, what kind of people haven't I seen?"

"I just think autumn leaves are beautiful."

He explained with a wry smile that his parents had wanted him to marry into their family, but he had brought up his brother to get out of it.

He didn't care about the child's surname; he just felt sorry for Ran Qiuye having to have a child.

"But marriage is not just a matter between you and Ran Qiuye; it also involves two families."

Although Ran's parents didn't say it, they still felt that you were marrying above your station.

Lin Feng, holding his teacup, said, "But the truth is... I really am above my station!"

"I find it unbelievable that Qiuye would even be interested in me!"

Fang Chengxuan shook his head: "Lin Feng, I don't think you're out of your league."

Seeing Lin Feng's confused expression, he continued, "Do you know why I never force you to work in a factory?"

"Because you have a great talent for business."

Once the environment improves, you'll definitely be able to achieve great things.

"This is not to say that Ran Qiuye is bad, it's just that you each have your strengths, you are equal, and you shouldn't feel inferior to others."

Lin Feng paused, then asked in surprise, "Really?"

"Um."

"Lin Feng, you don't need to be overly humble in front of Ran's parents."