-Top Floor of Haike Group-
Knock knock knock.
“Come in.”
Li Ziqing straightened his tie outside the door before pushing it open and walking in.
The office was very spacious. A huge black desk stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows. A man sat behind it, reading the documents in his hands with full concentration. Sunlight from outside shone on his perfect side profile, making him look like a handsome sun god. His long fingers held a fountain pen, moving back and forth across the papers.
Li Ziqing stood quietly in front of the desk. This was his habit—when the president was busy, no matter what the matter was, he would wait until the president finished before speaking.
After signing the last document, Song Jingting closed the file. He raised his left hand and rubbed the bridge of his nose to relax his eyes.
“What is it?”
“President, the information you asked to be investigated has already been delivered by Young Master Lan. Would you like to review it now?”
Li Ziqing bent slightly and respectfully placed the file on the desk in front of Song Jingting.
In truth, he could not understand why the president was so eager to obtain information about that woman. He had assumed that the incident that day would simply be forgotten.
Could it be that the president had taken a liking to that woman?
No way. Impossible. Absolutely impossible.
He had worked under the president for many years and had never once seen him properly look at any woman. He understood the president’s personality quite well. The president was not someone who fell in love at first sight.
“Mm. Go back to your work,” Song Jingting said, lowering his gaze to the document.
Li Ziqing did not move.
Song Jingting glanced at him sideways.
“Anything else?”
“President, the chairman asked me to tell you that you must return to the ancestral house today,” Li Ziqing said.
Song Jingting paused for a moment before picking up the document.
“I understand.”
After completing his task, Li Ziqing bowed slightly to the president, left the office, and closed the door behind him.
The office fell silent, leaving only the sound of pages turning.
Song Jingting stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window with both hands in his trouser pockets. His tall shadow stretched across the floor as he looked down at the bustling traffic far below. No one knew what he was thinking.
After a long while, the man who had been standing still finally moved. He picked up the suit jacket draped over the chair, put it on, and walked out of the office.
On the desk, the opened file remained where it had been left. The final page displayed a photograph.
In the photo, a young girl wearing a graduation gown smiled brightly at the camera.
It was Wen Fufu.
Wen Fufu had no idea that someone was investigating her. At that moment, she was sitting inside her small house, eating spicy hot pot while watching television, feeling completely relaxed.
-Song Family Ancestral House-
A black Lincoln car, understated yet luxurious, drove into the old residence.
When Sun Yuying saw the young master return, she happily went forward to greet him.
“Young Master, you’re back. Have you eaten dinner yet? I left some food for you in the kitchen.”
Song Jingting took off his suit jacket and handed it to her while changing his shoes.
“No need. Where are Father and Mother?”
“Master said you would come back today. He told me to have you go to the study to find him as soon as you arrive. Madam is resting.”
“Mm. I understand. Aunt Sun, go ahead with your work.”
“Alright.”
Although the young master had said he did not need dinner, Sun Yuying still went to the kitchen to prepare a few dishes just in case he became hungry later.
The Song family ancestral house was enormous. It had been passed down since the Qing Dynasty.
Song Jingting walked out of the main hall, passed through a small garden, and arrived at a quiet courtyard.
The corridor lights in the courtyard were brightly lit, forming a strong contrast with the faint light inside the house.
Song Jingting stepped into the courtyard, pushed open the door, and walked toward a carved wooden bed.
If one looked closer, they would see that someone was lying on the bed—a very beautiful woman.
She wore dark green silk pajamas and lay quietly there. Her thick black hair spread across the pillow. She did not move at all. If not for the slight rise and fall of her chest, she might have looked like a perfect sculpture.
Song Jingting crouched beside the bed and carefully adjusted the blanket around the woman. After confirming that the room temperature would not make her feel cold, he turned around, walked out, and gently closed the door.
The study was not far from the courtyard. Song Jingting reached it in about five minutes.
Song Tiancheng was practicing calligraphy at that moment. When he heard the door open, he spoke without raising his head.
“You’re here.”
“What do you need me for?” Song Jingting did not bother with greetings and casually sat on the sofa nearest to him.
“You only come back once a month. Since you won’t come looking for me, I have no choice but to call you here myself.”
“If you have something to say, say it quickly. I’m not as idle as you.”
“So I can’t call you over if there’s nothing? People say I have a capable son, yet they don’t know that if I want to see my own son, I have to make an appointment through his assistant.”
Song Tiancheng waved his brush and completed the final stroke. The calligraphy appeared powerful and grand.
He cleaned his hands, washing away the ink stains, and then sat on the sofa opposite his son.
The father and son looked very similar. The only difference was that one was in the prime of youth, while the other bore traces of age on his face.
Song Tiancheng poured a cup of tea for his son.
For a moment, the two of them simply drank tea in silence.
After a while, Song Jingting broke the silence.
“You didn’t call me here just to drink tea with you. Go ahead—what do you want?”
Song Tiancheng felt that his son was excellent in every way, except that he was too cold and rigid. Even when speaking to his own father, his tone sounded like he was speaking to a subordinate.
“Pack your things. Tomorrow, go to America.”
“Reason.”
“The president of our American branch, Ronoff, is about to retire. We haven’t found a suitable replacement yet. Go over there and temporarily take his position.”
“That reason doesn’t sound very convincing.”
The position of branch president could be important or not important. Asking the president of headquarters to temporarily replace the president of a small branch company seemed like an overuse of talent.
“It isn’t very convincing. There’s another matter. I’m guessing you’ve already heard rumors.”
“About Song Ding?”
“That’s right. Song Ding’s health has recently deteriorated. The main branch of the Song family has been sealing off the news to prevent it from spreading.”
Song Ding was the head of the Song family and Song Jingting’s grandfather. Their branch of the family was the second branch.
Song Jingting had never liked the main family branch. In fact, he could even be said to despise them.
He frowned.
“Song Ding was sent to America a few days ago. You want me to go there to find out the truth?”
“Yes. Before Song Ding’s incident, the main branch was negotiating a cooperation project with America’s Walton Group. Now that project has been suspended. I want you to secure that project.”
Walton Group was the largest distribution group in America. Fifty percent of retailers worldwide wanted to cooperate with them. Winning them over would only benefit their plans.
Song Jingting considered it for a moment. The challenge actually interested him greatly. Whenever he faced something difficult, he always chose to attack rather than avoid it.
“I heard you’re looking for a woman,” Song Tiancheng asked tentatively.
“Investigating your own son’s private matters isn’t something an elder should do.”
Ignoring the gossip-loving man, Song Jingting stood up and left the study.
Song Tiancheng suddenly became interested. Normally when he teased him like this, he would receive nothing but a cold glare. This time, however, his son did not refute him.
Something was definitely going on.
When Song Jingting walked out the door, Sun Yuying hurried after him with a thermal food container in her hands.
“Young Master, take this back with you and eat something to fill your stomach.”
She had packed the food while the young master was talking with Master.
“Aunt Sun, that’s not necessary.”
Song Jingting opened the car door and sat inside, starting the engine.
“Young Master, Madam always said that no matter how late you work outside, you must never forget to eat.”
Song Jingting’s foot, which had been about to press the accelerator, stopped.
With a helpless expression, he accepted the food container.
“Alright?”
Sun Yuying nodded happily. That sentence worked every time.
“Young Master, drive safely on the way back.”