My Wife Is a Superstar (Ning Tan)

Chapter 873

Chapter 873 Unresolved Conflict

When Nan Chen was going back to the city, he received a call from Chai Hua, telling him that Nan Zhengde wanted him to go to Commoner Residence.

Nan Chen asked Chai Hua why was that, but Chai Hua merely said Nan Zhengde wanted to have a chat with him.

Nan Chen knew that his grandfather was constantly keeping his eyes on Nanshi Corporation. So many things have happened in Nanshi Corporation recently, so Grandpa must've found out about it. However, he most probably thought I could handle the issues at hand, so he never called. Why does he want to see me all of a sudden? This is weird.

After Nan Chen arrived at Commoner Residence, Chai Hua reminded him not to get on Nan Zhengde's nerves because the elderly man had thrown a tantrum earlier that day.

Chai Hua didn't know what Nan Zhengde was mad about, but he told Nan Chen that Bai Hua and her husband had visited earlier that day.

Upon hearing that, Nan Chen guessed that his ill-natured parents had said something that ended up infuriating Nan Zhengde.

When Nan Chen arrived in the study room, however, Nan Zhengde didn't seem irritated. Instead, the old man was practicing his calligraphy calmly. At that moment, there were a few sheets of paper on the floor, and they all had the word “morality” on them.

Nan Chen approached Nan Zhengde and picked up one of the sheets of paper off the ground. “Grandpa, why do you keep writing this word?”

“How does it look?” Nan Zhengde responded with a question.

“Well, your calligraphy has always been superb, Grandpa. If I sing your praises, you'll say I'm pretentious like the others. Hence, I have no choice but to pick holes in it. Yet, I can't, and it's so frustrating,” Nan Chen replied.

Nan Zhengde chuckled in amusement. “You have a unique way of flattering me, don't you? I expect nothing less from the grandson of my choice.”

“I was right. You would still think I was buttering you up, Grandpa,” Nan Chen uttered helplessly.

“Ha! I was in a terrible mood moments earlier, but you made it all go away. Although you're always so uptight, you're good at teasing others. Did Chai Hua tell you I threw a tantrum today?” Nan Zhengde laughed.

“Mr. Chai also told me my parents came over. Did they piss you off, Grandpa?” Nan Chen asked.

However, the old man retorted with yet another question, asking, “Do you want to know what they said to me?”

“I don't.” Nan Chen shook his head. Exclusive content from NôvelDrama.Org.

“Why?”

“Since they pissed you off with their words, Grandpa, I don't think I'm interested in hearing what they said. After all, I've always had the same viewpoint as you,” Nan Chen replied calmly.

In response, Nan Zhengde patted Nan Chen's shoulder and said, “Everyone thinks you're an unadaptable man, but you're actually a savvy man. You've been saying all the right words to prevent me from getting angry at you.”

“Oh? You were about to lash out at me, Grandpa? How scary!”

“Did you know your dad was the youngest of three siblings, and you have two uncles?” Nan Zhengde heaved a sigh.

“Yes, but I've never seen them. They've been abroad ever since I was little.”

“Do you know why they never came back?”

Nan Chen gave it some thought and asked, “Did they, like my dad, let the Nan family down? Did you exile them, Grandpa?”

“Yes. Back then, they wrestled with each other for power and wealth. They even colluded with outsiders to hurt the family. I was young, back then, so I chased them away in a fit of anger. They were prideful men, so they announced in the newspaper saying that they were cutting ties with me. Initially, I thought your dad was a patient man because he didn't fight with his brothers, and I wanted him to inherit my position. As it turned out, he was a useless man, and he simply was incapable of fighting for himself. Nevertheless, I still gave him some power, but he ended up getting used by your mom and betraying the company. I guess you can say I shot myself in the foot. In hindsight, I've been a failure. None of my three sons has both morality and talent. This is an utter embarrassment to the Nan family.” Nan Zhengde, who was initially calm, threw his pen onto the table angrily.

“Calm down, Grandpa. That's all in the past,” Nan Chen comforted his grandfather softly. “Don't you still have me? You taught me well, and I think I'm doing all right.”

Nan Zhengde simmered down upon hearing that. “You're right. Luckily, I have you. Otherwise, I would have no one to pass down the Nan family's assets to.”

“Why did you suddenly bring this up today, Grandpa? What did my dad say?” Nan Chen asked.

“He said the Nan family's reputation has taken a hit because of you. He also said you're too young, and you can't handle such an enormous responsibility. In addition, he said I should get his older brothers to

return to the country to take over the company. I'm sure this is a premeditated move. The three of them must've linked up. In fact, I think they might even be scheming against you. I got worried, so I thought I should tell you about it.”

In response, Non Zhengde potted Non Chen's shoulder ond soid, “Everyone thinks you're on unodoptoble mon, but you're octuolly o sovvy mon. You've been soying oll the right words to prevent me from getting ongry ot you.”

“Oh? You were obout to losh out ot me, Grondpo? How scory!”

“Did you know your dod wos the youngest of three siblings, ond you hove two uncles?” Non Zhengde heoved o sigh.

“Yes, but I've never seen them. They've been obrood ever since I wos little.”

“Do you know why they never come bock?”

Non Chen gove it some thought ond osked, “Did they, like my dod, let the Non fomily down? Did you exile them, Grondpo?”

“Yes. Bock then, they wrestled with eoch other for power ond weolth. They even colluded with outsiders to hurt the fomily. I wos young, bock then, so I chosed them owoy in o fit of onger. They were prideful men, so they onnounced in the newspoper soying thot they were cutting ties with me. Initiolly, I thought your dod wos o potient mon becouse he didn't fight with his brothers, ond I wonted him to inherit my position. As it turned out, he wos o useless mon, ond he simply wos incopoble of fighting for himself. Nevertheless, I still gove him some power, but he ended up getting used by your mom ond betroying the compony. I guess you con soy I shot myself in the foot. In hindsight, I've been o foilure. None of my three sons hos both morolity ond tolent. This is on utter emborrossment to the Non fomily.” Non Zhengde, who wos initiolly colm, threw his pen onto the toble ongrily.

“Colm down, Grondpo. Thot's oll in the post,” Non Chen comforted his grondfother softly. “Don't you still hove me? You tought me well, ond I think I'm doing oll right.”

Non Zhengde simmered down upon heoring thot. “You're right. Luckily, I hove you. Otherwise, I would hove no one to poss down the Non fomily's ossets to.”

“Why did you suddenly bring this up todoy, Grondpo? Whot did my dod soy?” Non Chen osked.

“He soid the Non fomily's reputotion hos token o hit becouse of you. He olso soid you're too young, ond you con't hondle such on enormous responsibility. In oddition, he soid I should get his older brothers to return to the country to toke over the compony. I'm sure this is o premeditoted move. The three of them must've linked up. In foct, I think they might even be scheming ogoinst you. I got worried, so I thought I should tell you obout it.”

Nan Chen was stumped. My dad is such a heartless man. How could he link up with his brothers to come after me? Does he not see me as his son? Could it be that he values his brothers more than me? Oh, no. I guess he just values money more than me.

“Grandpa, why are they saying that I'm tarnishing the Nan family's reputation? What did I do wrong?” Nan Chen asked.

“They said Ning Ran shot a music video with a young man, and the netizens are criticizing her. They also said Ning Ran is being sponsored by the Nan family. I can't bring myself to repeat what I heard.” As the thorny issue was being brought up, Nan Zhengde was feeling irritated once again.

Nan Chen finally realized what was happening. So this is about the music video Ning Ran shot with Shi Jie. I was worried this could happen, but I'm operating an entertainment company, so I know very well that getting publicly criticized is a way for celebrities to get famous. This isn't even the first time Ning Ran had gotten criticized.

Nan Chen was okay with the situation, but he didn't expect Nan Zhengde to find out about it. This is a tricky matter to handle. Although Grandpa is an easy-going man, he's from a different generation. Back then, they didn't have the technological advancement that we currently have. Heck, they even needed to announce their family estrangement in the newspaper back then. Back in the day, being publicly criticized was a big deal. In comparison, netizens nowadays can criticize whoever they want on the internet. It doesn't even matter how influential a man is in society, he's still prone to public condemnation. The worst thing is that these criticisms are often made without repercussion. That's why social condemnation is an issue that's going out of control. At this moment, any well-known person is bound to get criticized. Therefore, Ning Ran being on the receiving end of these criticisms doesn't mean she has done anything she should be ashamed of. I have no problem accepting the reality of modern society, but I can't expect Grandpa to feel the same way. Most importantly, everyone knows Ning Ran is marrying into the Nan family, so the Nan family's reputation will take a hit every time she gets condemned. While celebrities can afford to receive criticism, the Nan family can't. This is exactly why my parents could get Grandpa all worked up. I don't think this is a solvable conflict.