For a long time, Tan Youming was extremely displeased.
Chen Wan no longer appeared at the young masters’ gatherings, but someone would always mention his name and talk about his recent situation. Later, Zhao Shengge stopped coming too.
He was not anyone important. Like a leaf that had accidentally drifted in through the window, he could not occupy too heavy a weight or too long a time in Zhao Shengge’s heart.
Gradually, it seemed he truly was no longer thought of.
Zhao Shengge was very busy. He acted discreetly, but with thunderous efficiency. The Baoli Bay terminal project was soon launched. It was said that nearly a hundred enterprises in Hai City intended to invest, but in the end, only the Shen family, the Jiang family, and the Xu family were given a share. Even the Zhuo family could not get a hand in.
Among them, everyone speculated endlessly about the Xu family, saying Miss Xu truly was extraordinarily charming.
Zhao Shengge had always been cautious toward Hai City’s economic structure. If possible, he was more willing to cooperate with the mainland.
The mainland economy was stable, with policy support and, when necessary, powerful regulatory control.
The three of them had just finished a meeting at Minglong Tower and walked out of the conference room together. Shen Zongnian looked at his phone and said, “He Shengyuan agreed. Next Wednesday night at nine, Little Pool Mountain.”
He Shengyuan was Hai City’s shipping king. Later, He Shengyuan had gone all the way to the Netherlands to develop European shipping routes.
If Zhao Shengge wanted to build a terminal and port at Baoli Bay, he could not avoid this man.
Shen Zongnian said, “From his tone, he wants to bring some people with him.”
Informal talks were always like this. With mutual friends or elders in the industry present, it was much easier for both sides to talk, and there was more room to maneuver.
“We have to bring people too,” Tan Youming said. If the other side came as a dense crowd while there were only two or three of them, their momentum would look wrong. Besides, “He Shengyuan likes things lively.”
“Unfortunately—” Tan Youming crossed one leg over the other. “However lively he is, can he out-lively me?”
Shen Zongnian: “…”
Zhao Shengge had been back in the country for quite some time now. He was no longer as aloof and isolated as he had been at first. He only asked, “Don’t bring unreliable people.”
In Hai City, Tan Youming was surrounded like the moon among stars. One call from him brought responses from all directions. His friends came from all walks of life, good and bad mixed together. Zhao Shengge’s standards were too high, and he looked down on them.
“Tsk.” Tan Youming had no idea what Zhao Shengge’s standard for “reliable” was. In truth, he thought he himself was quite reliable, but the other party would definitely object. He directly asked for guidance. “Who do you think is reliable?”
Zhao Shengge looked at him and said rather seriously, “I thought inviting people was your job.”
“…”
Shen Zongnian, who almost never expressed an opinion, glanced at Zhao Shengge and suggested to Tan Youming, “Chen Wan, how about him?”
Wherever Chen Wan was, the atmosphere would become very good. Any naked negotiation and slaughter would be covered with a veneer of fair weather and gentle rain. This veneer was very useful. Many things became much easier to say beneath it.
Chen Wan had never been especially talkative, but he could create this miraculous effect.
Zhao Shengge fell quiet for a moment and asked, “Are there any other options?”
Tan Youming immediately leaned out from behind Shen Zongnian’s shoulder, echoing his suggestion. “No. I don’t know anyone more reliable than him.”
Zhao Shengge neither agreed nor disagreed. After a moment of silence, he said mildly, “If he’s busy, consider someone else.”
Forcing someone, making things difficult for another person—there was no meaning in that.
Tan Youming looked at him inexplicably, feeling that he was putting on airs and pretending to be benevolent again. Tan Youming had no interest in calling anyone else. He first called Chen Wan. The secretary said Chen Wan was in a meeting.
So Tan Youming called Zhuo Zhixuan directly. Zhuo Zhixuan was in his own hotel and said, “I’ll ask him later, but he’s been busy recently. He may not be able to go.”
Chen Wan was someone who seemed to come when called and leave when waved away, but that was only when he was willing. Otherwise, no one could force him to do what he did not want to do.
Tan Youming asked with concern, “Busy with what? Does he need help?”
There was some sincerity in his tone. Toward Chen Wan, he had once done things for Zhuo Zhixuan’s sake, but later, he truly recognized and accepted him.
When Tan Youming made friends, he did not care about family background or identity. He only looked at whether the person was interesting and whether they suited his taste.
Zhuo Zhixuan did not know that Tan Youming was with Zhao Shengge, and he knew even less that Tan Youming had him on speakerphone. He had always spoken to Tan Youming without too many scruples, so he said in a strange, sarcastic tone, “Busy going on blind dates, obviously. Preparing to become the honored son-in-law of an oil tycoon.”
Tan Youming burst into laughter. “Oh, then that old fox Xu Qihua really has a good eye.”
Something that had not even begun took on the ring of truth as soon as it came from his mouth.
“Now that you mention it, his daughter was my classmate in German lessons before. That girl is very interesting. She really does suit our Wan. When the time comes, tell Wan to send us invitations. I’ll definitely give a big red envelope.”
Zhuo Zhixuan said, “I’ll be sure to pass that along exactly.”
Tan Youming hung up and looked up to ask Zhao Shengge what they were eating for lunch. Zhao Shengge seemed to be thinking about something.
“Zhao Shengge?” Tan Youming called again.
Zhao Shengge shook his head, passed him, and said quietly, “Eat by yourself. I have work.”
Tan Youming looked at Shen Zongnian, baffled. “Having work doesn’t mean he can skip lunch, does it?”
Shen Zongnian glanced at Zhao Shengge and said nothing.
Zhao Shengge returned to his office. He did not feel hungry and planned to continue working. This was his normal state.
Chen Wan had indeed been very busy lately. Kexiang had recently been bidding for an extremely, extremely important case, and they had run into a significant problem. He needed to find connections and intermediaries.
When it rained, it poured. Recently, Song Qingmiao had also begun causing trouble for him again.
Song Qingmiao had met Xu Enyi in the flower-arranging room. Xu Enyi saw that the jade on her wrist was beautiful and asked about it. The two of them became acquainted just like that.
Song Qingmiao was not that old, and she looked very young. When women hit it off, it could happen very quickly.
“My son had someone make this when he was on a business trip.” Chen Wan had gone to the northwest on business and personally chosen the jade at a rough-stone field. It was not the most expensive, but the craftsmanship was very good.
Xu Enyi curved her eyes. “Then he’s very filial, and he has good taste too. This isn’t a mold-made style.”
Song Qingmiao had no heart to savor in detail the time and filial care Chen Wan had spent on her. She only fixed a pair of smiling eyes on Xu Enyi and said with double meaning, “He is indeed a good child. Quite handsome too.”
Ever since she learned that Xu Enyi’s Xu was the Xu of that Xu family, thoughts had stirred to life in her.
Xu Enyi was not shy either. “Really? Do you have a photo? Let me see.”
She studied art. These days, there were not many men with aesthetic taste.
Song Qingmiao took out her phone, opened her album, and showed her. Xu Enyi was very direct. “He really is handsome. Clean-cut and refined.”
“…”
Song Qingmiao was delighted. She only said, “Next time, when he has time, I’ll ask him to come pick me up. You young people can make friends.”
Xu Enyi nodded generously. “Sure.”
Song Qingmiao was very happy. That evening, she told Chen Wan about it.
Chen Wan was silent for several seconds. There were a thousand things he could have said, ten thousand things, but Song Qingmiao most likely would not listen to any of them. In the end, he only said, “Sorry. I may not have time.”
That was the truth. The project still had no secure outcome, and Chen Wan was overwhelmed, pulled in too many directions at once.
Also, Song Qingmiao was sometimes so absurdly naive that he did not even know where to begin. She was completely unreasonable and extremely stubborn, as if Chen Wan not getting to know Xu Enyi would be an enormous loss.
Yet she did not stop to think what sort of family that was. Whatever schemes they had, those people could see through them with one glance.
Recently, the Chen family’s internal fighting had become fierce. The second and third households were both secretly exerting force, and Song Qingmiao had also begun to grow anxious. She lost her temper and said, “Whenever I ask you to accompany me, you say you don’t have time!”
Chen Wan had been working overtime until his eyes were red. Biting a cigarette, he asked in a low voice, “Are you really asking me to accompany you?”
He was willing to spend a great deal of time and money on Song Qingmiao. More than once, he had suggested that she move out of the Chen residence, whether to live with him or to buy another property separately.
Although Song Qingmiao was naive, absurd, and selfish, she was also Chen Wan’s only blood tie left in this world. So Chen Wan still wanted to be good to her.
Only, Song Qingmiao had refused very decisively every time.
Song Qingmiao understood very well how to handle men, including her own son. Her voice softened, and for once she spoke with a little earnest weight. “Baby, you know what Mommy’s first half of life was like. You haven’t forgotten what happened when you were little, have you?”
“I haven’t forgotten. It’s just—”
Chen Wan was a little disappointed, and a little hurt. He thought about it, but still asked, “Do you want me to repeat the same mistakes?”
“What do you mean?” Song Qingmiao’s voice went cold instantly. “Are you looking down on me? Chen Wan, back then, if not for me—”
“No!” Chen Wan interrupted her. “Of course not.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
The grudges and entanglements, right and wrong of the previous generation, were not for a junior like him to judge. As a son, he absolutely should not speak to a mother that way either.
He only wanted to preserve, to the greatest extent possible, what he himself believed was right. Chen Wan softened his tone and apologized again. “I’m truly sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
Song Qingmiao gave a light huff.
Chen Wan weighed his words. “I just feel that perhaps we can completely escape that old kind of life.”
No longer currying favor and selling smiles for power, profit, and face. No longer spending every day in fear because of scheming, deception, and mutual suspicion. Life could be a little simpler and purer.
Song Qingmiao hated that iron would not become steel. “Escape? You’re still this immature. What ability do you have to escape? All you know how to do is run away.”
Chen Wan gave a bitter smile for an instant. At last, he no longer held any illusions about her. He said, “Yes. I’m sorry. I failed to meet your expectations.”
Song Qingmiao still wanted to say something, but someone on Chen Wan’s side called him. This phone call could only end unhappily.
His partner came in and said, “Shi Zhangmin’s side replied. He’s willing to have a meal with you.”
Chen Wan finally showed a smile. “That’s wonderful.”
Han Jin frowned and sighed. “Smoke less. You drank yourself into that state two days ago and still won’t take care of yourself properly. Don’t rely on being young. You’re going to ruin your body.”
Chen Wan pressed out the cigarette and smiled. “I’m fine.”
The pressure was too great. If he did not let it out a little, his brain was going to stall completely.