Jiang Yan paused while typing a reply to an email. He put down his work and asked, “What is it?”
Lin Cheng sighed, “You still haven’t let go of the Yu family’s heiress, have you?”
Jiang Yan’s face turned cold. “Say one more word and I’m hanging up.”
“Alright, alright. It was the Mu family’s eldest daughter who pulled the strings. She’s really cunning. After finding out that Huanyu Media’s top star Xiao Bo was secretly doing shady deals, she deliberately signed him as the spokesperson for their game brand. She waited for the contract to sit idle for three months and didn’t take any action—until you and Yu Youwei broke up. That’s when she moved.”
“Tsk tsk, looks like Mu Wanzhou was avenging you.”
“Oh, and there’s also another unexpected event. One of Huanyu’s young actresses got hit with a scandal—it’s causing huge trouble for Yu Youwei.”
Jiang Yan silently processed all of this, then calmly said, “Anyone with stakes in the Yu family will definitely seize this opportunity. Yu Kai will probably get involved too.”
Having been with Yu Youwei for five years, Jiang Yan had a decent grasp of her family situation.
If Huanyu Media suffered a major blow, her cousin Yu Kai would be the happiest of all.
Back when Yu Youwei had just graduated, Yu Kai had always tried to block her from entering Huanyu’s management. He used all sorts of dirty tricks behind her back.
Jiang Yan had quietly resolved those problems for her, though she never knew. She thought it was her own lack of experience and qualifications that caused the board to oppose her.
She had no idea how much Jiang Yan had done for her in the background.
Lin Cheng asked, “So what now? You going to help her?”
Jiang Yan replied indifferently, “Why should I help her? We’re already broken up. I’m not a fool. What benefit would helping her bring me?”
Exactly. Though she was his ex-girlfriend, Jiang Yan wasn’t stupid. He’d been grinding in the business world for three years and knew that business was all about profit.
If there was no benefit, he wouldn’t get involved.
Lin Cheng burst out laughing, “Haha, that’s my bro—cool and decisive.”
“Looks like you’ve really moved on. I’m genuinely happy for you.”
Then Lin Cheng’s tone changed, full of concern. “But are you seriously getting involved with Mu Wanzhou? That woman isn’t someone to mess with. Still, she’s rich, powerful, beautiful, with a killer figure. If you two really get together, you won’t be at a loss. She’s got assets worth over 100 billion yuan—it’s not like she needs your money. Maybe she just wants your body.”
Hearing that, Jiang Yan rubbed his temples, annoyed. “Smart people stop rumors. Say one more word and I’ll gift you a cursed artifact. A client just came back from Sarko and brought me a bronze statue from the 13th century. I don’t care for that stuff, so I gave it away.”
“No, no, I was wrong! Godfather! You’re my godfather!” Lin Cheng immediately groveled.
This second-gen rich kid didn’t have many hobbies. Apart from the usual love for cars and women, he was obsessed with antiques and rare collectibles.
“My good son, get up,” Jiang Yan said, mimicking a line from a TV drama.
“Hehe, thank you, Godfather. Save that statue for me—I’ll come get it in a few days.”
“Alright,” Jiang Yan said. “Do you have any reliable financial handlers?”
“You’re preparing to go public? So Mu Wanzhou’s investment is real, huh?”
“I actually do know some solid institutions. My family mainly deals in investment, so you’ve come to the right guy.”
“Put me in touch.”
“No problem.”
“Thanks.”
“Tsk, no need to thank me, Godfather.”
Just before ending the call, Lin Cheng reminded him again to save that bronze statue.
Jiang Yan took a sip of tea and continued replying to emails.
The financing was already finalized. His next move was preparing for the IPO.
In his past life, the company’s public listing had been a huge success—ten consecutive days of hitting the daily limit, and its market value skyrocketed by dozens of times.
He had seized that chance, expanded rapidly, and launched a non-stop ad campaign.
Within just three months, the app’s downloads went from 100 million to 2 billion, and monthly active users increased tenfold.
So now, he was extremely busy. He didn’t have the time or energy to worry about anything else.
At 5 p.m., his phone flashed with a calendar reminder:
[Shen Qiuya]
He froze—today was her memorial day.
Such an important date, and he had actually forgotten it because of the mess caused by Yu Youwei.
Moments later, there was a knock at the door outside his office.
“Mr. Jiang, did you call for me?”
Jiang Yan had just organized the files on his desk and put on his jacket to leave.
“Yeah. I’m heading out early today. Handle everything else on your own. Don’t report anything unless it’s urgent.”
Shen Qing paused, then nodded knowingly.
She had worked beside Jiang Yan for three years. Every June 25th, he would always leave one hour early and instruct not to disturb him for minor matters.
She didn’t know what he did on this day, but she knew it meant a lot to him.
Watching his back disappear into the elevator, Shen Qing fell into deep thought.
…
Jiang Yan drove to a flower shop.
The female owner, Dong Chun, greeted him with a bright smile.
“Mr. Jiang, welcome.”
Clearly, he was a regular.
“Yes, Sister Dong. Please arrange a bouquet for me.”
Dong Chun beamed, “Of course. The chrysanthemums and white lilies that just came in today are in full bloom—perfect for this occasion.”
After leaving the shop, Jiang Yan placed the wrapped bouquet on the passenger seat. After making sure it was secure, he drove off.
The sun was slowly setting. The golden light dyed the horizon red, and the clouds glowed beneath the sunset like a magnificent painting.
Jiang Yan drove farther and farther away from the bustling city.
The traffic on the road thinned. The wide four-lane road turned into two lanes, then narrowed to one.
The sun fully disappeared, and the last trace of evening light faded into darkness.
Night had fallen.
Jiang Yan turned on the headlights. His black SUV turned into a rural path.
There were no streetlights. The only light came from his vehicle cutting through the darkness.
He was the only one on the road.
The car was completely silent.
Soon, Jiang Yan reached the entrance of his destination.
A sign stood at the gate:
Yongning Cemetery.