Cheng Yu takes the initiative to assist Xiaoyun…
“Sir, aren’t you going in?”
Si Haohao, who had been driving for Wen Zhaofu for years, saw the word “hesitation” written on his boss’s face for the first time.
They were still some distance from Yun Fan and Liu Erxing. After getting out of the car, Wen Zhaofu sat in his wheelchair, gazing in that direction without moving.
As a skilled driver, Si Haohao wouldn’t ask what Wen Zhaofu was thinking. When Wen Zhaofu raised his hand, he got back in the car and drove toward the garage.
Wen Zhaofu had seen Liu Erxing’s inexplicable dance, Yun Fan’s smile, and how Liu Erxing could freely approach Yun Fan and whisper in his ear.
His work hadn’t been heavy today, so he’d come home a bit earlier than usual, thinking he could chat with Yun Fan.
Who would’ve thought that upon returning, he’d stumble upon such a scene?
Wen Zhaofu lowered his head, his long lashes veiling the emotions in his eyes. He looked at his legs, his hands pressing on the wheelchair with enough force to make a vein stand out.
Perhaps it would be better to quietly enter through the back door and leave the space to Liu Erxing and Yun Fan. But he immediately decided against it. He readjusted the direction of his wheelchair and pressed the acceleration button.
“Sir’s back!” Yun Fan’s ears twitched at the sound of the wheelchair rolling over the stone bricks.
Liu Erxing wasn’t sensitive to that sound; he only noticed Wen Zhaofu when he saw Yun Fan turn around. His heart sank, but he suppressed the brief disappointment and smiled at Wen Zhaofu. “Boss is skipping work today? This early?”
“Taking it easy for once the sky won’t fall.” Wen Zhaofu looked straight into Liu Erxing’s eyes.
Compared to his usual casual, indifferent way of looking at people, Wen Zhaofu’s gaze now carried a hint of seriousness and scrutiny.
Liu Erxing turned his head away and pointed at Yun Fan. “Your little butler here isn’t happy, so I came to help you cheer him up.”
Yun Fan was taken aback, how did the topic suddenly shift to him? He quickly looked at Wen Zhaofu. “Sir, no, no, I was just thinking.”
After saying that, Yun Fan frowned at Liu Erxing. This guy was just making trouble, how could he say such a thing in front of the employer? It would affect his wages!
“Staying for dinner at Langyun Terrace?” Wen Zhaofu smiled faintly. “I’ll have Uncle Man make you some double-skin milk.”
The tone and the content made Liu Erxing feel like Wen Zhaofu was coaxing a child. He waved his hands repeatedly, saying his godfather still had something for him.
“In that case, Xiaoyun, let’s head back first.” Wen Zhaofu patted the armrest of his wheelchair, and Yun Fan hurriedly steadied it and pushed him forward.
Liu Erxing watched the receding figures one tall, one low and scratched the back of his head hard, shrugging as he let out a laugh.
He knew Wen Zhaofu never liked others touching his wheelchair, yet now he was having Yun Fan push it specially.
Hey, Liu Erxing thought, this is getting interesting.
Some people fall into a pit of money; some fall into a pit of love.
The next morning, Wen Zhaofu had a long talk with the old housekeeper alone. Afterward, Wen Zhaofu went to work, and the old housekeeper summoned Yun Fan.
Yun Fan was in the storage room flipping through old newspapers, cross-referencing the information he’d found online to locate the relevant reports from back then.
In the old days, people in Hong Kong City loved reading newspapers for gossip, and Yun Fan figured that from old papers, he was sure to find records about the Wen family.
Beyond that, Yun Fan had also decided to use Liu Erxing and Cheng Yu as a breakthrough to infiltrate the story circles of the third branch and the first branch.
The old butler hadn’t expected Yun Fan to find these old keepsakes before him. He pushed open the door to the storage room, and Yun Fan looked up with a smile, his face covered in dust and his hair in disarray.
“Hey, it’s dusty in here put on a mask,” the old butler said, turning around and heading back out.
By the time the old butler returned, Yun Fan was hunched over a small table taking notes. He had come across a story about Great-Grandfather Wen Zhaofu.
“The Wen family has too many stories to tell. If you keep flipping through like this, you’ll be at it till the cows come home,” the old butler said with a shake of his head. “Why don’t I tell you about them instead? That way, you’ll know where to focus.”
A flicker of delight crossed Yun Fan’s eyes, and he broke into a grin. “Thank you, Uncle Cheng!”
For the rest of the time, Yun Fan pulled up a small stool and listened to the old butler recount the tales of the past.
The old butler didn’t have a particularly sharp memory, but he had the good habit of keeping a diary. So he knew all the ups and downs the Wen family had weathered over the years.
In his previous work, Yun Fan had heard plenty of gossip about wealthy families, but that had always been bits and pieces picked up here and there nothing as systematic as this.
The old butler spoke rapidly and at length, with an accent Yun Fan wasn’t used to. He had to concentrate hard, peeling away the layers to extract the useful information.
Aside from the specific events, the old butler always liked to add his own commentary after each account. Yun Fan let that part go in one ear and out the other.
Before long, Yun Fan had roughly pieced together the traits of the Wen family’s ancestors and the older generation. The old butler’s diary had also reached its final pages, and he smiled. “You can rest assured, I’ve held nothing back from you.”
“I’m assured, I’m a hundred thousand times assured,” Yun Fan said with a laugh. “Thank you, Uncle Cheng!”
The old butler waved his hand. “It’s my fault. I saw you hadn’t come to me for help and thought I had nothing to offer. It was the young master who reminded me he said I know some things even better than he does.”
With the timeline the old butler had helped him sort out, Yun Fan found it much easier to search through the materials. He buried himself in newspapers all afternoon, and when he came out, he felt like he reeked of printer’s ink.
“Master Cheng, look Yun Fan’s out,” the old butler said, pointing in Yun Fan’s direction.
Cheng Yu was dressed in a light blue casual suit, without his cat, sitting quietly on the sofa. He turned his head to look at Yun Fan.
Yun Fan smiled and greeted him, then noticed the refined CEO’s brow furrowed. He quickly stopped in his tracks. “Did you need me for something? Give me a moment I’ll go take a quick shower.”
With that, Yun Fan hurried upstairs to freshen up. If it were Liu’er Xing, she’d have said, “What’s the big deal? We’ve all just come out of the dirt.” But this was Cheng Yu he couldn’t be so casual.
Master Cheng was exceptionally patient today, not rushing at all, waiting for Yun Fan to come down with his eyes still glistening. Fresh out of the shower, Yun Fan seemed even cleaner than before, radiating a warm, lively energy like a fawn stepping into Cheng Yu’s line of sight.
“Hmm, shall we talk?” Cheng Yu cleared his throat and said softly.
Yun Fan instinctively nodded, though he had no idea what they were going to discuss. They chose the small rooftop terrace of Langyun Terrace, which offered an excellent view open on all sides, with a breeze blowing and distant mountains visible.
“When I was little, I used to watch the moon here with Haochen. He could never sit still,” Cheng Yu said with a faint smile. “Zhaofu never came up here. I feel a bit sorry for him.”
Yun Fan didn’t respond to that he couldn’t casually comment on his own employer. Cheng Yu didn’t need his response either, continuing, “Zhaofu was brought back at age eight, and his leg condition was already severe. Over the years, with continuous treatment, it’s improved a lot now.”
“But in the end, he still can’t walk like an able-bodied person. I think he must have his own sense of loss.”
At dusk, with the sun about to set, Young Master Cheng had called Yun Fan up to the rooftop garden just to talk about Wen Zhaofu’s legs?
Yun Fan didn’t believe it, nor did he quite accept it, so he spoke up: “Young Master Cheng, Mr. Zhaofu has his own way of living. His strength is plain for all to see no need to worry.”
Seeing Yun Fan defend Wen Zhaofu, Cheng Yu glanced at him, then turned his head away, a glint of light flashing off his gold-rimmed glasses.
“Then let me tell you about my family’s situation.” Cheng Yu shifted the topic.
Yun Fan’s eyes went wide he hadn’t expected Cheng Yu to offer up the story on his own! He hadn’t brought paper or pen, so he quickly pulled out his phone and looked at Cheng Yu with eager anticipation.
“I’ve always valued people who aren’t bound by convention and dare to innovate. Though you were somewhat undisciplined before, I support you this time.” Cheng Yu lifted his chin slightly, looking at Yun Fan.
This was setting the tone Yun Fan understood. He nodded without overthinking it, signaling Cheng Yu to get on with it.
His maternal grandfather, Wen Tingqi, was the eldest son of the second generation of the Wen family and was highly regarded. However, his grandfather was devoted to academia and had no interest in business whatsoever. A dispute broke out with the family, and in a fit of anger, he left for foreign lands for many years.
That was why, within the Wen Yan Manor, there was no standalone residence belonging to Wen Tingqi.
Cheng Yu took his mother’s surname his mother, Ms. Cheng Bixia, had also taken her mother’s surname. As the eldest daughter of the third generation of the Wen family, the household had warmly welcomed the new arrival, and so even after Cheng Bixia later married out, she still retained a property within the Wen Yan Manor.
Cheng Yu also had an uncle named Wen Lan, who managed a small company under the Wen family’s umbrella.
Because his grandfather had stormed off in anger, he’d missed many opportunities to fight for family assets. It wasn’t until Cheng Bixia and Wen Lan spoke up that Wen Tingqi finally returned to Harbor City and, in his capacity as the eldest son, wrested a portion of the family industries from the second and third branches.
Yun Fan and Cheng Yu were deep in conversation on the rooftop when Wen Zhaofu stepped through the moonlight and returned home. He looked up at the two silhouettes and took a deep breath.
Fine, fine full-scale assault, then.