Lou Lan took off his sunglasses, revealing long, narrow, and indifferent eyes; the sense of detachment about him grew even stronger.
“It seems this chair was left for me!” Lou Lan walked straight to the single sofa beside Zhuang Qingyuan and sat down.
He raised a hand and patted Zhuang Qingyuan, who was standing stiffly beside him, “What… are you doing, standing in punishment?”
Zhuang Qingyuan swept a leisurely glance at Lou Lan and said blandly: “Your younger brother is next door; please exit and turn left.”
“How do you…” Lou Lan was about to ask how Zhuang Qingyuan knew his brother was there, but suddenly remembered he had told Zhuang Qingyuan about Lou Nuonuo and even shown him photos.
Zhuang Qingyuan had a photographic memory, so he naturally remembered it; besides, his brother had grown up in proportion over the years, and his appearance hadn’t changed much.
“No rush. We go home every day, we see each other every day!” Lou Lan leaned back against the sofa, a faint curve appearing at the corner of his mouth. He spoke with a casual tone, as if talking about a mundane matter, but upon closer listening, the tone carried a hint of bragging that was hard to ignore.
Zhuang Qingyuan finally turned his head to look directly at Lou Lan. The two looked at each other and smiled with tacit understanding.
Su Yi heard someone enter. Judging by the conversation, it was someone Zhuang Qingyuan was familiar with, likely someone who had come to find Zhuang Qingyuan. He hoped this person would take Zhuang Qingyuan away.
Lou Lan: “What’s going on? Why have I heard recently that you went cr…”
“Hey, hey…” Huo Yang had spread the word that Zhuang Qingyuan had gone crazy, and Zhuang Qingyuan didn’t know yet. Fearing exposure, Huo Yang quickly stepped forward and reached out his hand to stop him, not letting Lou Lan continue, “Nice to meet you. Hello, hello, I am Huo Yang.”
Lou Lan stood up and shook hands with Huo Yang: “Oh, so it’s the Young Master of the Huo family. I am Lou Lan. I just happened to run into your older brother in the parking lot. Didn’t he come to find you?”
When Huo Yang heard his brother had come, he turned his head abruptly and saw the door wasn’t fully closed. He ran over, closed the door, and then leaned directly against it, bracing it with his body.
Lou Lan: “…….”
Are all older brothers this terrifying? His little Nuonuo is also a bit afraid of him!
At this moment, the door was actually knocked on. Huo Zhili pushed the door open with ease; Huo Yang’s small frame couldn’t block his brother’s overwhelming force at all.
Huo Zhili entered, looked at Huo Yang by the door, and sneered: “Missing your brother so much that you were welcoming me from behind the door?”
Huo Yang puffed out his cheeks: “Not at all. Why are you here?”
Huo Zhili raised a hand, hooked his arm around Huo Yang’s neck, pulled him to his front, ruffled Huo Yang’s hair into a mess, and laughed, saying: “Ungrateful little brat, can’t I come to see my younger brother who doesn’t even come home?”
Su Yi heard the familiar voice, finally opened his eyes, glanced over, and saw a room full of… CEOs!
Seeing Su Yi finally react, and then seeing Huo Zhili enter, Zhuang Qingyuan was a little unhappy.
Su Yi looked at Wang Xia. Wang Xia shrugged and shook her head slightly. Although the room was spacious, it couldn’t fit three CEOs—tall, long-legged, and filled with a sense of oppression. What kind of day is it? How did these big bosses all end up with free time together!
After Huo Zhili finished messing with Huo Yang, he let him go with satisfaction, leaving Huo Yang to bow his head and silently comb through his messy hair.
His movements were quite skillful, showing that having his brother ruffle his hair like this wasn’t the first or second time.
Huo Zhili walked toward Zhuang Qingyuan. The gentle-as-jade person spoke words that could freeze someone to death: “I heard you’ve gone crazy. Let me know when Qingyi goes bankrupt; Huo Yu is very happy to take it over completely.”
“What ‘I went crazy’? Who said that!” Although Zhuang Qingyuan asked this, his gaze looked accurately at Huo Yang at the door.
Huo Yang kept his head down, turned to face the door, and continued tidying his hair, acting as if he were very busy!
Su Yi looked at the approaching Huo Zhili. It had been a long time; did this person look a bit haggard?
“You are Qian Xu, hello, I am Huo Zhili.” Huo Zhili looked at Qian Xu. He inexplicably felt that Qian Xu’s gaze was very familiar. He reached out his hand to Qian Xu; he knew Qian Xu was someone Su Yi had set his sights on, and he trusted Su Yi’s judgment, “I hope there will be a chance to cooperate in the future.”
Su Yi looked at this person, who still had his usual gentle demeanor, stood up, and raised his hand: “Hello, President Huo.”
Just as the two were about to shake hands…
Zhuang Qingyuan fiercely slapped Huo Zhili’s hand away. The sound of this slap was not small; it spread throughout the entire empty room: “Qingyi has enough resources for him to choose from. He does not need to cooperate with anyone else.”
Su Yi looked at the inexplicable Zhuang Qingyuan. This was making enemies for him and cutting off his own path; he wouldn’t even be able to survive after leaving Qingyi in the future.
Su Yi: “Zhuang Qingyuan, shut up!”
Zhuang Qingyuan was scolded by Su Yi again; this time he let out a “humph” of unconvinced protest.
Lou Lan was visibly shocked. He sat up and looked at Zhuang Qingyuan, who wasn’t angry even after being scolded. His buddy wasn’t right.
Huo Zhili looked at the bickering couple before him and smiled with a gentle expression. His temper really seemed to be good to the extreme; he didn’t care about his hand being slapped away just now.
Huo Zhili looked at Zhuang Qingyuan, but his voice was clearly cold: “Isn’t it unrequited love for Su Yi? You’ve spent so much effort investigating the culprit lately, how is it… that after only a few days, you’ve started to have a change of heart!”
When Su Yi heard Huo Zhili say that Zhuang Qingyuan had an unrequited love for him, his heart skipped a beat!
How could Zhuang Qingyuan have an unrequited love for him!
Zhuang Qingyuan saw the surprise on Su Yi’s face. He knew he couldn’t miss this opportunity. He wanted Su Yi to know that he wasn’t acting on a whim; his feelings had existed for a long time.
Zhuang Qingyuan’s eyes softened quite a bit, staring into Su Yi’s eyes, sincerely and firmly saying: “I like Su Yi. I have always liked Su Yi. I liked him for many years in the past, and I will continue to like him in the future, forever liking Su Yi!”
Suddenly hearing Zhuang Qingyuan’s burning confession, along with that promise of “forever,” Su Yi’s breathing stalled, and his heartbeat missed a beat uncontrollably!
Seeing Su Yi’s heart stir, Zhuang Qingyuan took the opportunity to step forward and tightly hold Su Yi’s hand.
Back then, he had suddenly left to go abroad because he had accidentally heard Huo Zhili confess to Su Yi, and Su Yi had said directly that he was homophobic.
Later, when he learned that Su Yi had agreed to the Lu family’s same-sex marriage, he came back to confess his feelings, only to hear the news of Su Yi’s accident.
At that moment, his entire world collapsed!
This time, he must not miss his chance again. He must firmly lock Su Yi by his side and let everyone know that Su Yi is his.
Huo Zhili looked at the inexplicable Zhuang Qingyuan. He was saying he loved Su Yi, yet he was holding someone else’s hand tightly. A flash of anger finally appeared on his gentle face: “It seems Huo Yang wasn’t messing around this time; you really have gone crazy!”
“You two be on time for Grandfather’s birthday banquet!”
After dropping this sentence, Huo Zhili turned and left, closing the door with a “bang.” The gentle gentleman was rarely angry!
Huo Yang widened his eyes: “My brother is angry!”
His brother, who had always been a “smiling tiger,” had actually exposed his emotions outside. He was truly angered this time.
Lou Lan sat to the side, his eyes constantly scanning Zhuang Qingyuan and this Qian Xu, a cryptic smile still on his lips.
Wang Xia and Su Yi were puzzled by Huo Zhili’s final sentence, and their eyes met. Who were the two people Huo Zhili was referring to?
Huo Zhili’s grandfather’s birthday banquet—Huo Yang had to be on time, but who else? Zhuang Qingyuan? But what did it have to do with Zhuang Qingyuan!
Huo Yang: “Why is my brother angry? How could I forget Grandfather’s big birthday? So why did my brother come here?”
Zhuang Qingyuan looked at Huo Yang, raised an eyebrow, and asked: “Could it not be to see if I’ve gone crazy or not!”
Huo Yang guiltily avoided Zhuang Qingyuan’s gaze and stuttered: “I really didn’t tell many people. I don’t know where my brother heard people blindly spreading rumors.”
“Besides, my brother coming here specifically to see you isn’t he worried about you? Right?”
Zhuang Qingyuan knew better than anyone about Huo Yang’s loose lips. He didn’t have to dwell on it. If he said it, he said it; if he was crazy, he was crazy. He just liked Su Yi—he was worried that others didn’t know, so how could he worry about others talking.
Moreover, the moment he knew about Su Yi’s accident, he hadn’t just gone crazy!
Wang Xia investigated very quickly and sent a message to Su Yi that she had just received.
“Zhuang Qingyuan’s mother’s surname is Jiang; Huo Zhili’s grandmother’s surname is also Jiang.”
Su Yi looked at the cryptic message and didn’t understand what it meant for a moment. He raised his eyes to look at Wang Xia and replied: “So?”
Seeing that Su Yi didn’t understand, Wang Xia put it more bluntly: “Zhuang Qingyuan’s mother took her mother’s surname!!!”
Su Yi suddenly realized. It meant that Huo Zhili and Huo Yang’s grandfather was Zhuang Qingyuan’s maternal grandfather! Huo Zhili and Huo Yang were Zhuang Qingyuan’s cousins!
Su Yi sized up Zhuang Qingyuan and Huo Yang. So these two were cousins; no wonder they didn’t treat each other with any ceremony on ordinary days!
Then Zhuang Qingyuan and Huo Zhili were also cousins!
“What’s wrong?” Zhuang Qingyuan sensed the gaze Su Yi was casting and asked with a gentle voice.
Su Yi shook his head: “Nothing.”
Lou Lan didn’t say a word, just kept watching Zhuang Qingyuan and Qian Xu, his eyes narrowing slightly!
Su Yi finally noticed Lou Lan’s inquisitive gaze. This person’s gaze was sharp, as if he could see through everything!
Although Su Yi hadn’t had contact with Lou Lan in his previous life, he had heard about the Lou family’s crisis.
A few years ago, Lou Lan’s father passed away due to illness, and the internal Lou family split, facing a bankruptcy crisis. This eldest son of the Lou family, who had just started university at the time, resolutely decided to drop out and take over the company.
With ruthless, cold-blooded methods, he cleared out internal problems. Relying on his keen business sense, he defied objections from all sides and resolutely completed a transition, managing to bring the precarious Lou family to a successful listing three years ago.
Therefore, Lou Lan was not like Huo Zhili, who would play games of gentleness and indirectness with you on the surface. This person was truly a ruthless character, ruthless from the inside out!
“Aren’t you leaving yet?” Zhuang Qingyuan knew Lou Lan had been sizing them up for a long time. Of course, he also knew how much his close friend’s eyes could see; there were some people who couldn’t be deceived.
Lou Lan finally spoke: “I heard you are going to record a show, so I decided to accompany my brother to record an episode too.”
Hearing this, Zhuang Qingyuan looked at Lou Lan. The two exchanged a look and smiled again.
Zhuang Qingyuan: “As you wish.”
Fu Yan happened to come by and knock on the door: “President Zhuang, the program is about to start recording.”
The door opened, and Lou Lan walked out first, saying to Fu Yan: “President Fu, add me to this episode. I’ll be in a group with Lou Nuonuo.”
Fu Yan, who had been arranged by the capital providers again: “…….” “Yes, I will go notify them right away.”
These young CEOs had assets, they had looks, and of course, their participation in the show would bring plenty of buzz—no need to worry about ratings. Fu Yan wouldn’t refuse; of course, he couldn’t refuse either.
But, it was also uncontrollable! No one dared to manage them. Once on the show, wouldn’t they just do whatever they wanted? All the settings discussed half an hour ago were wasted!
Who knew if this was a blessing or a curse!
Everyone arrived at the recording studio. Seeing Lou Lan, Zhuang Qingyuan, and Qian Xu walking in together, Lou Nuonuo walked over curiously and asked: “Brother, why didn’t you leave?”
“Big brother is here to accompany you to record the show, are you happy?” Lou Lan put his arm around Lou Nuonuo’s shoulders.
Lou Nuonuo’s gaze carried suspicion; it seemed he felt what he had heard wasn’t very real: “But… this show requires singing and acting.”
“Brother, do you… know how?” Lou Nuonuo asked unsurely.
Lou Lan, who was questioned by his younger brother: “…….”
It seemed that in his brother’s mind, he couldn’t do anything.
Zhuang Qingyuan let out a grating laugh from the side, looking at Lou Lan with a playful gaze, and said to Lou Nuonuo: “Don’t worry, your brother… he is best at acting!”
Hearing this, Su Yi looked up. Zhuang Qingyuan’s words were very intriguing.
Zhuang Qingyuan and Lou Lan… there was something between these two that others couldn’t hear. It seemed there was a secret about Lou Lan that Zhuang Qingyuan knew.
Best at acting?
What could that refer to?