Jiang Muzhou hoisted the suitcase his mother had prepared for him, and surprisingly, it wouldn’t budge at first pull.
He had only brought a backpack with him when he arrived, but he was heading back with a heavily loaded piece of luggage.
“Mom, what on earth did you pack in here?” Jiang Muzhou looked suspiciously at the black suitcase.
He had every reason to suspect that the items he had flatly refused yesterday had been forcibly stuffed back into his bag by his mother.
Sun Jing replied, “Just take it since I told you to. Didn’t you say you have a ride? It’ll fit right in the trunk, saving you the trouble of lugging it all that way.”
“I’m just catching a ride to the high-speed rail station…”
Before he could finish, his phone rang.
“We’re at your residential compound gate. Should we drive right in?”
“No, no, wait right at the entrance. I’m coming down now.”
Their residential building wasn’t far from the gate. The moment he stepped downstairs, Jiang Muzhou spotted the car idling by the curb.
Shang Shiru rolled down the driver’s side window, watched the young man emerge from the stairwell, and stepped out of the vehicle.
As Jiang Muzhou reached out to take over the luggage, he realized he had instinctively hauled the heavy suitcase down himself.
Sun Jing and Jiang Muzhou’s younger sister, Jiang Muxue, spotted the man downstairs as well.
The driver was already taking the suitcase from Shang Shiru’s hands and stowing Jiang Muzhou’s luggage into the trunk.
“Hello, Auntie,” Shang Shiru said politely before turning to greet a slightly dazed Jiang Muxue. “Hello.”
Staring at the tall, handsome man standing before her, Sun Jing was momentarily speechless. It wasn’t until Jiang Muzhou gave her a gentle nudge that she managed a couple of polite responses in return.
“Have you eaten yet? Why not come upstairs for a spell?”
Just as Shang Shiru opened his mouth to reply, Jiang Muzhou chimed in for him, “Mom, we need to catch the high-speed train, so we won’t go up.”
With that, he nudged Shang Shiru toward the car, and Shang Shiru offered a courteous farewell.
Watching the taillights of the departing vehicle fade away, Sun Jing felt a twinge of reluctance, prompting Jiang Muxue to let out a sigh. “Aha, when you’re away they miss you, but the second you’re back they start nagging nonstop.”
“Jiang Muxue, sounds like your skin is itching for a beating.”
Ignoring Sun Jing’s glare, Jiang Muxue sighed again. “And now I’m the only one left here to get nagged. So tragic, truly tragic.”
Without waiting for Sun Jing to react, she bolted upstairs.
Scarcely had the car driven away when Jiang Muzhou received a text message from Jiang Muxue: Bro, your friend is ridiculously handsome! Heart-eyes
Jiang Muzhou: Speechless Emoji
Jiang Muxue: Good grief, I actually got to see a double-door refrigerator build in real life.
Jiang Muzhou: Double-door refrigerator?
Jiang Muzhou was completely lost when it came to modern internet slang used by young girls.
Jiang Muxue: He is absolute divine work. Broad shoulders, narrow waist, and mile-long legs.
Frowning at the words on his screen, Jiang Muzhou glanced sideways at the man sitting next to him.
Well, his physique was indeed top-tier, likely the result of strict physical conditioning.
He lowered his gaze to look at himself. While he hadn’t subjected himself to a formal regimen, he wasn’t doing poorly either.
Shang Shiru was resting his elbow on the door frame, propping up his head as he stared out the window. Catching Jiang Muzhou’s sideways glance, he turned back, looking slightly perplexed.
Jiang Muzhou quickly averted his eyes.
The phone buzzed with more messages from Jiang Muxue.
Jiang Muxue: Even Her Majesty the Queen Mother agreed he looks amazing, the total package of top-tier talent.
Jiang Muxue: How close are you two? Does he have a girlfriend?
Jiang Muzhou: We are just acquaintances, don’t harbor any wild fantasies. He already has a girlfriend.
Jiang Muxue: Ah, what a shame.
What is wrong? Shang Shiru’s voice sounded beside his ear.
Jiang Muzhou tucked his phone away. Nothing, just messages from family.
The high-speed rail station came into view. After Old Xia and Chen Jinghuai drove the car away, the two of them boarded the train back to Beijing.
It was a journey of over five hours, with the two of them keeping each other company.
Jiang Muzhou wore a simple t-shirt, sweatpants, and sneakers, carrying a backpack and pulling a suitcase, looking very much like a college student reporting for the new semester.
Shang Shiru, by contrast, wore a button-down shirt and dress trousers, his hair immaculately styled, radiating the aura of a seasoned corporate executive. He brought nothing with him aside from his phone.
Anyone else dressed like that might have been mistaken for an insurance salesman or a real estate agent, but such misunderstandings simply didn’t apply to Shang Shiru.
He stood out as a uniquely striking presence amidst the crowd.
Noticing Jiang Muzhou was weighed down by his belongings, Shang Shiru reached out, hoisted Jiang Muzhou’s backpack off his shoulders onto his own, and led the way through ticket checks.
The tickets, purchased by Shang Shiru’s assistant, were for business class.
The return train wasn’t crowded, leaving the two of them as the sole occupants of their compartment.
Shang Shiru unscrewed a bottle of complimentary mineral water provided by the train, took a sip, and looked over to see Jiang Muzhou already absorbed in his phone.
As the scenery outside the window shifted rapidly, Shang Shiru mused that while he and Jiang Muzhou could now be considered friends, something still felt slightly missing. Jiang Muzhou always kept his guard up tightly, remaining reluctant to truly let anyone close, despite all the goodwill Shang Shiru had shown him.
Midway through the trip, Jiang Muzhou’s phone buzzed. Catching Shang Shiru’s eye, he stood up and stepped outside the carriage to take the call.
After a few minutes, Jiang Muzhou returned. Scarcely had he settled back into his seat when Shang Shiru casually asked, An investor?
Jiang Muzhou raised his eyes to meet his gaze, feeling the slight awkwardness of being caught red-handed, unsure if Shang Shiru had overheard his phone conversation.
Shang Shiru continued, You don’t need to evade me. I never said you couldn’t look for other investors.
Jiang Muzhou waited for him to elaborate.
Turning to face him directly, Shang Shiru explained, Following this exhibition, your game has gained visibility. The path ahead is much smoother now, and there are plenty of people eyeing your project.
I am not going to force you into choosing my side; you are entirely free to pick what suits you best.
That said, among all those investment firms, you need to do your due diligence, negotiate thoroughly, and analyze everything carefully. Do not let others lead you by the nose. You need to hold your ground.
Of course, knowing that I am backing you up as a safety net will naturally make them pay closer attention to your project.
That is how business works: you have to stop looking desperate for money before investors will come looking for you.
Seeing Jiang Muzhou’s perplexed expression, Shang Shiru chuckled at his confusion over the phrase stop looking desperate for money.
Does that sound like a paradox? When you don’t need money, investors come knocking, yet when you are genuinely desperate, not a single soul will invest a penny. But in reality…
As Jiang Muzhou listened closely to Shang Shiru break down the inner workings of the business world, his perspective instantly expanded. People often said that to build connections, one should network upward. He hadn’t cared much for the idea before, but at this very moment, he finally understood its true meaning.
The thought processes of people operating on a higher tier than oneself were far more concrete and comprehensive. That kind of insight had to be absorbed imperceptibly; figuring it out purely on one’s own meant learning solely through the school of hard knocks.
The two chatted for nearly two hours, only pausing their conversation when other passengers boarded the carriage.
Noticing that Shang Shiru’s bottle of water was empty, Jiang Muzhou handed over his own unopened bottle.
Thank you, Shang Shiru said with genuine appreciation.
Shang Shiru arched an eyebrow. As long as you stop deliberately keeping your distance, anything goes.
Jiang Muzhou’s eyes curved into a smile. Of course not, I still have plenty to learn from you. I should also thank you for having the sharp eye to recognize and invest in my project.
Shang Shiru looked at him with softened features.
In truth, he had initially suspected Jiang Muzhou of deliberately leaving his documents in the car. Yet, after interacting with him, he realized Jiang Muzhou handled everything with openness and absolute clarity.
Many people had resorted to all sorts of schemes and leveraged every possible connection just to latch onto him for advancement. If Jiang Muzhou had harbored such intentions, he wouldn’t have maintained such a cautious boundary right from the start.
While Jiang Muzhou projected an air of aloofness, he was actually quite simple at heart.
He was easy to read; once you got to know him, he was sincere toward his friends, and sincere toward him as well.
Shang Shiru preferred simple people. Sincere people.