Standing Next To You-Chapter 177: Take her as my fiancée

Sophia cried hysterically, but Mr. Simon’s expression remained stern. He gestured to his assistant behind the twins to escort them to their room when Richard, who had been silent, held on to his clothes tightly.

"Grandpa, I don’t know what you heard. But this matter is not entirely my fault. Bei Sangyun...." Richard gritted his teeth. "I don’t believe she is entirely innocent. She must have orchestrated it. I don’t have any evidence. But this whole matter seems off."

Richard had good instincts. Ever since the beginning, he felt that there was something wrong with Bei Sangyun. They just met, but he could feel from Bei Sangyun’s avoidance of him that she did not like him from the start.

Her aversion and mysteriousness piqued his interest. But because of the recent events, having his trusted hacker disappear, his friends back in his home country detained and betraying him, coupled with Sophia’s incessant urging, Richard lost his patience and resorted to the simplest and most straightforward method he could think of to own her.

However, that plan was foiled.

His anger and humiliation were directed at Fei Chuan, who ruined it all. But now thinking about it, this whole incident was like dominoes. As if someone arranged everything in place and knocked a tile down in the right timing- then everything crumbled one by one, cornering him. The person behind the dominoes was targeting him.

Richard had played with people like this, so he knew this kind of continuous ’incidents’ were not normal.

He got into trouble at the time he was busy with Bei Sangyun and Fei Chuan. With his attention on the problem abroad, he was not able to properly face Fei Chuan and handed the matter to the useless Fei Ling.

The timing was so coincidental. He remembered what Code said. Only the data that was related to him was stolen. The rest were destroyed - as if the hacker didn’t need them. The incident in the forum where all videos of Fei Chuan were deleted crossed his mind.

To hire a capable hacker, there were only two families who were capable of that. Someone from the Lin or Fei family.

Richard suspected Fei Chuan, but there was that nagging feeling that was telling him to point his suspicions toward Bei Sangyun.

If Bei Sangyun was indeed the person behind this, then it gave him all the reason to not let things go. Especially her!

Since his grandfather had already learned the truth, there was no need to conceal things from him any longer.

"Grandpa, I admit I have done something wrong. But Bei Sangyun and Fei Chuan weren’t entirely clean as well. You have to investigate them."

"Are you refusing my orders?" Mr. Simon thought Richard was just making up excuses. He glared at him, "Then I tell you, I will revoke your heir status if you do not apologize to that child before we leave tomorrow!"

Richard was shocked. To even mention his heir status, his grandfather was serious.

"Grandpa!"

Mr. Simon didn’t want to hear any more excuses. The assistant had already dragged Sophia, who was crying hysterically and refusing to apologize.

Richard suddenly kneeled on the ground with a loud ’thud’.

"I will apologize, grandpa! But I won’t go back like this! Please...please help me to correct this."

Richard had ruined his reputation to his grandfather and Old Master Lin. In this incident, he had lost his grandfather’s trust. The trouble back at home was more severe than he thought. If his grandpa did not help him, there was a possibility that he might be dragged into the case and be put in jail like his friends.

Richard immediately weighed the pros and cons. His grandpa just came out of Head Master Lin’s room. Based on his grandfather’s expression, their meeting earlier must have been about them.

They must have figured out the truth. The only reason that Head Master Lin was not asking for punishment was because of his grandfather. Although it seemed that Head Master Lin had forgiven them, this incident would have brought some stain in their relationship.

Right now, the family can’t afford to lose their intimate relationship with Lin’s family. In fact, they need their help at this moment.

"Correct this? The only thing we can do now is apologize. What you have done...is despicable. You almost ruined the dignity and innocence of someone. And that someone is my old friend’s granddaughter!"

Richard clung to his grandfather’s trousers, "Grandpa, since it has come to this. Why don’t we accept Bei Sangyun as my fiancée? Then this matter won’t be seen as harassment-"

"Are you crazy?!" Both Sophia and Mr. Simon exclaimed.

Sophia still had tears on her face. She vehemently refused. "I don’t want someone like her to be my sister-in-law! How can you accept someone like her! You are dirtying our family’s name!"

Mr. Simon also frowned. Although his granddaughter’s words were too harsh, she was right.

They sinned against Bei Sangyun, but it doesn’t mean they have to compensate her by marrying his only heir. Richard was the future Patriarch. His wife would be naturally someone with high status like him, the future Madame of the Simon family.

Although Bei Sangyun was from the great Lin family, her background as an illegitimate daughter and her unstable status was not desirable. The Simon family deserved better than that.

In fact, that thought crossed his mind earlier; however, he did not want the future Madame to have a background that might become a weakness. If his grandson was going to marry someone from the Lin family, then he preferred the First Young Miss or the renowned Second Young Miss abroad.

Mr. Simon shook his head, "Don’t think about this again. I will think of some ways to compensate the Lin family, but not like this."

Richard gritted his teeth. He can’t just let Bei Sangyun go! Not after all his suffering!

"Grandpa! Please listen to me. If we live like this right now, Grandpa Lin will still hold this matter to his heart. But if I offer myself to be responsible for my actions, Grandpa Lin’s grudge will disappear. Not only will we solve this grievance through this, but our bond with the Lin family will strengthen."

Richard’s suggestion sounded right and reasonable. It was hitting two birds with one stone.

But.

"Richard, don’t you know what you are asking? The matter of choosing a wife should not only be based on feelings. If you choose her, you will lose your chance to marry a wife who can help you politically."

Richard’s eyes glinted with determination. "I understand that clearly, Grandpa. I am assuring you, Bei Sangyun will be worth it."

As soon as his words fell, Butler Yang suddenly appeared behind the door. His presence put a halt to the drama happening in front of the door. All heads turned to him.

Butler Yang invited them in, "Master cannot help but hear your conversation. He would like to continue this conversation inside."

Mr. Simon stiffened. His eyes widened.

Is Old Lin thinking of taking his grandson as his son-in-law for his granddaughter- the person who had the most undesirable status in his family? What Old Lin does take his family for?

If Old Lin asked them to be responsible, with his foolish grandson showing willingness, this matter might end up like that!

As Mr. Simon was thinking of how to reject this idea, Richard stood up excitedly.

"I’ll go!"

As he expected, his bargain worked!

.....