After Su Xingyan took over the demolition and relocation matters of the Pig Cage Area, he became even busier than before. Fortunately, Zheng Zhibei was as timid as a mouse. Although he had skimmed a lot of profit over the years, it was ultimately small money, when he finally encountered a big deal like this, Su Xingyan’s intimidation made him spit everything back out.
Su Xingyan removed him from his position and properly settled the group of people from the Pig Cage Area. After that, he turned a blind eye and let the matter pass. Su Xingyan was never someone who liked to drive people to absolute ruin.
To cut down weeds without removing the roots means they will grow again when the spring breeze blows,’ President Su.”
In the restroom, accompanied by the sound of running water, Yan Chong suddenly made this comment with a half-smile. Su Xingyan, who was standing beside him at the time, paused slightly upon hearing this and glanced at him sideways. Yan Chong’s captivating phoenix eyes were also brimming with laughter as he looked back. “You extend a favor to them, but will they appreciate it? Will they remember your kindness?”
“Why should I extend a favor to anyone? Since I didn’t extend one, why should they appreciate it?” Su Xingyan narrowed his eyes, looking as though he were amused by Yan Chong’s words. However, in the next instant, he seemed to grasp Yan Chong’s underlying meaning. “Does President Yan think I handled Zheng Zhibei leniently just to extend a favor?”
Yan Chong reached out to turn off the faucet. Hearing this, he raised an eyebrow, savoring Su Xingyan’s words with a subtle smile. “Oh… So President Su actually knows that he’s handling things leniently right now.”
“I thought President Su was unaware.”
Yan Chong had no intention of elaborating further. He pulled out a paper towel, dried his hands, and made to walk out.
Hearing the sarcasm in his voice, Su Xingyan took a deep breath and called out to him just as he reached the main door. “You don’t agree with my way of doing things.”
“It’s not quite a matter of disagreement.” Yan Chong stopped in his tracks with his back turned to Su Xingyan. A faint, barely discernible smile curled his thin lips. “I just have a few doubts. I doubt… that your subsequent handling of the situation will be worthy of that bucket of paint.”
“But this matter…” Su Xingyan frowned.
“Has nothing to do with me.” Yan Chong cut him off before Su Xingyan could finish, seemingly lacking the patience to hear him out. He cast an amused glance at Su Xingyan and shrugged. “So, I’m actually quite relieved. Relieved that President Su pushed me out of the way in time, and relieved that the bucket of paint didn’t splash on me.”
“Otherwise…”
“If I had taken action, it wouldn’t be as simple as it is now.”
Yan Chong had no intention of saying anything more. Having finished speaking, he pushed the door open and walked away. Su Xingyan watched Yan Chong’s receding back, his lowered hand clenched tightly again and again before finally letting go helplessly.
As soon as Yan Chong stepped out of the restroom, he received a phone call from Old Madame Yan. The old lady didn’t beat around the bush and asked straight to the point. “What? Did someone try to chop you up in the Pig Cage Area?”
Yan Chong let out a helpless laugh and switched hands to hold the phone. “Can’t you wish me well?” After a short pause, he added, “How are you so well-informed?”
Didn’t Su Xingyan have people block all news right away? What happened in the Pig Cage Area, including Zheng Zhibei’s affair, was indeed kept tightly sealed from the gossip media, except…
“You think you can play those little tricks in front of me? How does that saying go, ‘Brandishing a broadsword in front of Guan Yu’?” Old Madame Yan snorted, clearly not taking these young people’s tricks to heart.
Yan Chong knew that even though his grandmother was staying in a sanatorium, her informants spanned everywhere. If there was the slightest stir in Ronggang, it likely wouldn’t escape the old lady’s eyes. He didn’t press the issue any further and answered honestly, “Nothing major happened. Someone just splashed a bucket of paint.”
Pausing briefly, Yan Chong added, “It didn’t hit me. It was all splashed on my business partner.”
The scene of Su Xingyan pushing him away inexplicably resurfaced before his eyes. Yan Chong’s dark eyes narrowed slightly, and his thin lips subconsciously pressed into a tight line. “…Then you really ought to thank him properly.”
Old Madame Yan let out a sigh. “Speaking of which, how are the preparations for your wedding feast coming along? The old lady’s birthday banquet is only a few days away. Have you not prepared the invitations yet?”
“I’m keeping track of the time. Even if the King of Heaven comes, the wedding feast will proceed as scheduled.” Though he said this, Yan Chong had indeed been too busy lately, so busy that he had long pushed this matter to the back of his mind. Now that it was brought up, he pinched the bridge of his nose in exhaustion, closed his eyes, and promised Old Madame Yan. “I’ll have Tang Chao send out the invitations right away. Please rest assured.”
After finishing his meeting, Su Xingyan walked back to his office feeling utterly exhausted. The original residents of the Pig Cage Area were not difficult to settle; as promised, besides being compensated with relocation housing, they would also be given a certain amount of monetary compensation. However, just as Zheng Zhibei had said, human greed knows no bounds, and sitting on property to demand exorbitant prices was a common occurrence.
Having reached this step, Su Xingyan no longer bothered with them. At the same time, he released word for people to sit back and watch how things developed. No forced demolitions, no forcing their hands. In a business war, sometimes it was simply a matter of who could keep their composure longer.
Just as Su Xingyan entered his office and prepared to sit down, he saw a wedding invitation resting quietly on his desk. He picked it up, just in time to see his assistant, Shao Qing, walking over. “Shao Qing, this is…”
“Oh, President Su, that was sent over by President Yan’s assistant. He’s getting married next month and cordially invites you to attend.” Fearing that Su Xingyan might misunderstand, Shao Qing hurriedly explained the situation clearly.
Su Xingyan froze with the crimson invitation in hand. After a moment of hesitation, he slowly opened it, only to see the name “Yan Chong” clearly written in the groom’s column. The name was handwritten, vigorous, powerful, and sharp, just like the man himself.
Su Xingyan was the type of person who sometimes worked so hectically that he wouldn’t return home until eleven or twelve at night. It so happened that Wei Chengran was also swamped during this period. As a result, for several days in a row, not only did they fail to share a few intimate words, but they barely even ran into each other.
Wei Chengran no longer bombarded him with a dozen messages a day either. He guessed that Wei Chengran was throwing a tantrum at him. However, Su Xingyan didn’t feel he had done anything wrong, so he was unwilling to lower his head first.
The two remained at a standstill, so much so that Wei Mingran noticed something was off.
“Sister-in-law, haven’t you and my brother made up yet?” Carrying a plush doll and walking barefoot into the study, Wei Mingran saw that Su Xingyan was still working under the desk lamp. She approached cautiously. “That shouldn’t be. Wasn’t my brother usually very submissive before? He’d roll around and throw a tantrum just to beg for your forgiveness. Have you still not forgiven him this time?”
Su Xingyan: His fingers unconsciously tightened around the corner of the contract. After a moment of silence, he spoke hesitatingly, “Chengran and I… have indeed been a bit cold toward each other recently.”
“If it’s gone cold, then reignite the passion! Sister-in-law, you two have been married for so long. Forget about keeping the passion alive, just being able to stay together properly already beats out so many people!” Although Wei Mingran had never been in a relationship, she gave advice like a seasoned relationship guru. “Still, love needs to be kept fresh no matter what. Staying completely stagnant is definitely a huge taboo!”
Thinking of their approaching wedding anniversary, Su Xingyan inexplicably listened. In the past six months or rather, the past year or two, he and Wei Chengran had indeed been like a pool of stagnant water. Even when there were no conflicts, they seemed lukewarm, completely unlike how they used to be. Su Xingyan asked hesitantly, “Then how do you think… I should keep things fresh?”
“I think…” Wei Mingran’s eyes rolled playfully. Holding her plush doll, she suddenly leaned in close to Su Xingyan’s ear with a sneaky smile and whispered. Su Xingyan was originally listening earnestly, but as he listened, his entire face flared up, and even his heart began to beat furiously. “Nonsense! Mingran, you’re being far too outrageous!”
“What’s wrong with that? It’s just marital spice! Sister-in-law, you and my brother have been married for so long, have you really never tried it?” Wei Mingran pouted, staring intently at Su Xingyan, feeling both aggrieved and curious.
Su Xingyan felt as though his heart were about to leap out of his throat. Although he and Wei Chengran had been married for years and he had always let the other man have his way in bed, Su Xingyan was naturally conservative and proper. Whenever Wei Chengran wanted to mix things up and try something new, a single cold glare from Su Xingyan would instantly shut him down.
Su Xingyan simply couldn’t bring himself to spread his legs and entice someone like the men in adult movies. That was far too… far too scandalous.
“So what? You’re showing it to my brother alone, not to some other man!” Wei Mingran knew that Su Xingyan was cold on the outside but soft on the inside, so she quickly leaned forward with a smile and lowered her voice to persuade him as much as possible. “Even if it’s scandalous, you’re only being scandalous for my brother alone, right, Sister-in-law?”
Su Xingyan didn’t say a word. His knuckles turned white from gripping the contract, and the tips of his ears burned redder and redder.
Su Xingyan had been working non-stop without a break, and coupled with the unpredictable weather in Ronggang, he ended up catching a cold. On top of Wei Mingran’s continuous message bombardments over the past few days, Su Xingyan sniffled and felt as if he were walking on cotton as he entered the elevator, his head spinning.
Just as his figure swayed, Su Xingyan felt a firm and powerful arm support him steadily. Su Xingyan snapped his head up and bumped straight into Yan Chong’s sharp, deep black eyes. “…President Yan?” Su Xingyan imperceptibly pulled his arm back. “I haven’t seen you around the company in a while.”
“President Su handles things so methodically and properly that I can naturally play the hands-off boss,” Yan Chong chuckled nonchalantly. “If I kept my eyes on President Su at the company all day, it’d make it seem like I don’t trust you.”
Su Xingyan recalled how Yan Chong had confronted him in the restroom that day. He gave him a meaningful glance and offered a half-smile. “President Yan speaks as if you trust me very much.”
“If I didn’t trust you, I would have asked to replace you long ago.” Yan Chong spoke with absolute composure, as if everything were as it should be. Though it was indeed true, the Yan family was the sole investor in this project and naturally held absolute decision making power. If he requested a change in project lead, even if Wei Zhenning came in person, he would have no choice but to comply.
“Such big talk. But actually, President Yan left in a hurry that day, so there were a few things I forgot to say.” Su Xingyan raised his eyes, his gaze piercing toward Yan Chong like a cold blade. “I have my own principles and strategies for handling things. If President Yan feels I’m not suitable for this project, you can replace me at any time. I will leave whenever you wish.”
Ding!
The elevator arrived at the thirty-eighth floor.
Su Xingyan took a step forward to leave, but his arm was grabbed. Yan Chong held his arm, an inexplicably helpless smile playing on his lips. “You’re being overly serious again.” Pausing briefly, he added, “No one is more suitable than you.”
As if fearing that Su Xingyan would continue this topic, Yan Chong raised an eyebrow and suddenly asked, “Did you receive the invitation? Will President Su honor me with your presence when the time comes?”
Su Xingyan was naturally not the type to relentlessly cling to an argument. Hearing this, he turned back to look at Yan Chong, recalling the eye catching invitation he had seen on his desk that day. He actually found it hard to imagine what kind of person someone like Yan Chong would end up marrying. “President Yan is spending lavishly, holding the wedding feast together with the Old Madame’s birthday banquet… I heard that several prominent families in Ronggang received invitations, and even popular idol stars will perform. With such a grand scene, wouldn’t it be too disrespectful if I didn’t show up?”
Su Xingyan’s words were dignified and proper. “Rest assured, President Yan, I will certainly prepare a generous gift to… congratulate you on your wedding when the time comes.”
Yan Chong watched as Su Xingyan walked out of the elevator step by step like a proud peacock, the corners of his thin lips curling into a subtle arc. His phone was still vibrating continuously, it was his aunt endlessly bombarding him with messages, asking him to buy out entire movie screenings for her new film.
What was the title of that movie again? Oh, Yan Chong remembered now. It seemed to be called Dewy Affair.
Nothing more than a fleeting dream, a illusion doomed to end in vain.