This circle is so small.
Shi Yu could not help but roll his eyes internally.
Shen Zhinian looked at Duan Jinghuai and then at Shi Yu. He failed to notice the dark undercurrent flowing between them and simply felt that Duan Jinghuai’s expression was too intrusive. “Jinghuai, do not scare my friend.”
As he spoke, he pushed away Hao Shuai’s arm, which was draped over his shoulder. “And you, stop making things up. Shi Yu is a friend I met while studying abroad. I mentioned him to you before.”
Duan Jinghuai’s smirk faltered, and he finally turned his gaze toward Shen Zhinian.
“Oh, so just friends then,” Hao Shuai said with a look of disappointment. “I thought you were finally driven mad by blind dates and decided to come out to us.”
Xie Jingting gave him a cold look. “Is your head full of rocks?”
“Blame me then,” Hao Shuai started grumbling at Xie Jingting. “Your tone when you introduced him was clearly very suggestive.”
Shen Zhinian turned to Shi Yu. “Do not mind them. They just like to tease me.”
“That is because he has not dated for six or seven years,” Hao Shuai said with a grin. He pointed at Xie Jingting and told Shi Yu, “This is today’s birthday boy, Xie Jingting, or Old Xie. I am Hao Shuai. You can call me Handsome if you like. And this is Duan Jinghuai.”
Shi Yu curled his lips slightly and nodded. He reached out to shake their hands politely one by one. “Hello.”
He turned and extended his hand toward Duan Jinghuai.
The latter let out a lazy chuckle, arched an eyebrow to study him for a moment, and then reached out.
Duan Jinghuai’s palm was broad, and his fingertips were warm.
After two seconds of contact, Shi Yu blinked subtly and prepared to withdraw his hand. Unexpectedly, Duan Jinghuai suddenly tightened his grip, refusing to let go.
Shi Yu froze for a second.
He looked up and met the man’s playful and flirtatious gaze.
His heart skipped a beat.
What started as a polite handshake took on a completely different flavor with Duan Jinghuai.
The man pressed his thumb against Shi Yu’s palm, stroking it gently and suggestively. He even used the momentum to hook his fingers and squeeze Shi Yu’s hand a few times.
The flirtation was unmistakable.
Due to the angle, the others standing on the opposite side could not see his movements.
Shi Yu pursed his lips and glared at him.
This man was being shamelessly wicked.
The two remained in a standoff for several seconds until the sound of an exhaust pipe roared in the courtyard. Only then did Duan Jinghuai finally let go. His voice was cold and lazy. “Your hands are cold. Drink less ice.”
Hao Shuai did not notice the ambiguity between them and clicked his tongue. “He is right. Drinking iced coffee so early in the morning is a young person’s game.”
On the other side, Xie Jingting was busy greeting people. Only Shen Zhinian cast a slightly suspicious glance at Shi Yu.
Since it was a private gathering, Xie Jingting had not sent out formal invitations. Those who came were part of his close-knit circle. Shi Yu sat to the side and watched them banter. These men and women were mostly elite socialites from the Beijing-Hong Kong business circles, the wealthy cream of the crop.
“I know him. He took the Swan Bay project last month and beat Old Duan to it.” When the topic turned to Shi Yu, Jiang Yini, who was dressed in runway fashion, had eyes that lit up with admiration.
Qin Hao looked at Duan Jinghuai and smiled as he joined the conversation. “As far as I know, it was not just Swan Bay.”
Cheng Sheng’s expression was even more exaggerated. “I have heard so much about you. Finally, someone has put Old Duan in his place. You have to understand, as long as he has his eye on a case, the rest of us in the industry can only pick up the scraps behind him. This is the first time I have seen him suffer a loss.”
Duan Jinghuai ground his teeth and impatiently grabbed a throw pillow from the sofa to toss at Cheng Sheng.
“No wonder,” Hao Shuai said with a realization. “Earlier, Old Duan looked like he wanted to skin Shi Yu alive.”
Hearing Hao Shuai say this and recalling the strange behavior between the two earlier, Shen Zhinian also showed a look of understanding.
He smiled and said, “Jinghuai, he is a friend I brought. Just do it for my sake. Since the bidding is over, let the past be the past. Shi Yu is here today to make friends. Let us keep things separate.”
His intent to protect was laid out plainly.
Duan Jinghuai narrowed his eyes, his gaze landing on Shen Zhinian. They faced each other in a silence that flowed between their locked eyes.
After a moment, he let out an indifferent scoff and said in a flirtatious tone, “No, President Shi and I are actually quite compatible.”
Having said that, he turned his gaze to Shi Yu, tilted his head slightly, and smiled casually. “Right?”
“…”
The compatibility he was referring to was not in the simple sense of the word.
Shi Yu understood the underlying meaning.
Shameless.
In front of so many people, he could not even glare. He could only reluctantly pull his lips into a light smile and nod slightly.
The matter was dropped, and no one looked into it further.
Even so, Shen Zhinian was not entirely at ease. He felt that Duan Jinghuai’s casual attitude did not seem like compatibility. He was on good terms with Duan Jinghuai and knew he was not a bad person, but he also knew that as a favorite of fortune, Duan Jinghuai could not tolerate even the slightest flaw.
The business world was a place of life-and-death struggle, and he worried that Shi Yu would be at a disadvantage.
After lunch, they talked loudly and eventually touched on the topic of manor development and site selection. This new plot of land Xie Jingting had taken over had been in trial operation for two weeks, and profits were steadily rising.
Shi Yu leaned back in his chair holding a glass of water and listened patiently. Layers of light fell on his profile, softening his sharp features. Every movement of his brows seemed as if it were carefully sketched by an artist.
He could feel that Duan Jinghuai’s gaze had been fixed on him without fail since earlier. Simultaneously, he was almost instinctively catching Duan Jinghuai’s silhouette out of the corner of his eye.
However, he did not notice that Shen Zhinian was also watching him closely.
Behind the villa was a large athletic field. Someone suggested going out to play tennis. Xie Jingting instructed the butler to find the sports outfits he had prepared in advance. The group changed into their gear and headed for the tennis court.
A modern-style pavilion stood next to the court. Inside were high tables, chairs, and white leather sofas. It was surrounded by greenery, and fresh flowers were placed in the center of the square tables. Waiters in vests and bowties stood neatly to the side.
“Hey, who goes first? Should we draw straws or what? Let me say this first, I am not playing against Old Duan,” Cheng Sheng said, tapping his tennis racket against his shoulder.
“Same old rules. Draw lots for 1v1, and the rest will place bets.”
“Whoever draws Old Duan is in for a rough time.”
“There are an odd number of girls. Are you watching or joining?”
“It is too sunny today. We will sit here and watch. You guys work hard while we just enjoy the show.”
“That is no fun. How about some mixed doubles?”
The group discussed among themselves. Shi Yu asked the waiter for a glass of lemonade and sat quietly on a high chair, looking into the distance.
The villa sat on slightly higher ground, offering a view of dense green that stretched like waves toward the horizon. He partially closed his eyes, feeling the cool breeze slide across his face.
“Old Duan, I am asking you,” Cheng Sheng said, nudging Duan Jinghuai’s shoulder.
“Stop staring. What are you looking at?”
Hao Shuai also leaned in behind Duan Jinghuai, looking from his perspective, and laughed. “Is the scenery better or is Shi Yu better?”
Suddenly being mentioned, Shi Yu slowly lifted his eyelids and met Duan Jinghuai’s gaze.
After a moment of contact, the latter moved his eyes away and said coldly, “The scenery is better.”
Ultimately, they decided to draw lots to determine opponents. Half the group wrote down their names, and the others drew them.
Hao Shuai took a deep breath. As if facing a great enemy, he drew a folded piece of paper. He did not dare open it and muttered, “Not Duan Jinghuai, not Duan Jinghuai.”
Qin Hao scoffed. “Look at how pathetic you are.”
Xie Jingting added, “With your luck, you will likely hit the jackpot.”
Seeing Shi Yu’s confused expression, Shen Zhinian explained with a smile, “You do not know, but Jinghuai’s tennis is at a super-elite level for an amateur. Last time Hao Shuai played him, no one even placed a bet. He lost the game and his dignity.”
Qin Hao joined in. “It is not just tennis. Last time he lost at billiards. The time before that, golf. The time before that, I have lost count.”
Shi Yu nodded slowly, then looked at Hao Shuai and comforted him flatly. “You do not need to be nervous.”
Hao Shuai looked up with a face full of sorrow. “Beauty, you do not understand. Old Duan is simply too”
He stopped mid-sentence.
He saw Shi Yu hold up the piece of paper in his hand. Written on it in large letters was Duan Jinghuai.
He choked for a moment and finally spat out the words he had been holding back. “Too terrifying Holy crap?”