The next day, Jiang Yan arrived at his company.
He was extremely busy now. The company’s growth had already outpaced what his personal funds could support, so he was preparing for financing.
In this era, the internet industry was highly competitive. Most apps focused on long-form videos, but people’s free time was fragmented—usually just a few minutes or over ten.
Jiang Yan had realized this two years ago, so he created a short video company to offer people a new form of entertainment.
Keen investors had begun to notice this emerging internet model quietly rising under his name.
Now, he planned to take advantage of this opportunity to complete a small goal—Series A financing.
[Knock knock knock—]
A knock came at the door.
“Come in!”
The office door opened. It was his secretary, Shen Qing.
She wore a sharp business outfit, her sleek hair tied into a ponytail, and held a stack of documents as she walked in.
“CEO Jiang, here are the organized documents. Please take a look.”
“Alright, just leave them here.”
He glanced through them quickly and nodded in approval.
“Not bad. I can always count on you.”
Shen Qing had been by Jiang Yan’s side since the day he founded the company. She was efficient, composed, and well-mannered. Whether it was meeting clients or attending dinners, her presence eased his workload significantly.
Seeing her still standing there, Jiang Yan teased, “Why are you just standing there? Sit down, or the other employees will think I’m punishing you by making you stand.”
“Pfft~”
Shen Qing couldn’t help but laugh. She gently pressed down her skirt as she sat, “Thank you, CEO Jiang.”
“By the way, how’s it going with the investors?”
“Well…” Shen Qing hesitated.
Seeing her troubled expression, Jiang Yan guessed something was wrong.
“Just say it.”
“There were originally three investors we were close to sealing a deal with. The contracts were drafted and ready to sign, but just a few days ago, all three suddenly backed out—on the same day.”
“And on that same day, a new investment company approached us. They offered to finance us with 500 million yuan right from the start.”
Jiang Yan was surprised.
“500 million isn’t a small amount. That’s four times more than I projected. This can’t be simple.”
“Did you check who’s behind that company?”
Shen Qing shook her head, “It’s a shell company, but they said their CEO wants to meet with you in person to discuss.”
In person?
Jiang Yan rubbed his chin, thinking.
In his previous life, financing had gone smoothly. He’d never been targeted by rival investors.
Weird.
This new company not only knew who his preferred investors were, but also made all three of them back out simultaneously…
After a moment, Jiang Yan said, “Fine, let’s meet.”
“Tell them to come tonight at 8, top floor of Tianhai City Center Tower—Yunjin Pavilion.”
“Yes, CEO Jiang.”
Noticing Shen Qing still standing there, Jiang Yan asked, “Anything else?”
“Miss Yu called the secretary’s office. She asked you to return her call.”
Ten minutes earlier, Shen Qing had been stunned when she picked up Yu Youwei’s call.
As Jiang Yan’s personal secretary for two years, she knew exactly how deeply he loved the Yu family’s eldest daughter.
And she also knew how many things he’d handled for her behind the scenes, things Yu Youwei never knew.
A woman’s intuition was sharp. She could tell something had gone wrong between them—and seriously.
“Got it. Anything else?”
Jiang Yan’s calm response caught Shen Qing off guard. She became even more certain: there was a rift in their relationship—possibly a breakup.
Biting her lip, she cautiously asked, “Aren’t you going to call Miss Yu back?”
Jiang Yan said blandly, “From now on, if Yu Youwei calls, hang up immediately. I have nothing to do with her anymore.”
After a moment of thought, he added, “Cancel all cooperation with the Yu Group. Also, limit the visibility of all their accounts on the Douhuo app.”
Douhuo was the short video platform Jiang Yan had created. In just two years, it had been downloaded over 100 million times.
Of course, in the world of social media, that was just a small number.
But Jiang Yan knew that within a year, his app would pass 10 billion downloads, with over 300 million monthly active users.
“Understood, CEO Jiang.”
With that, Shen Qing left the office.
Back at the secretary’s desk, she was now absolutely certain: CEO Jiang and Yu Youwei had broken up.
And for some reason, her heart quietly cheered.
Call it schadenfreude or selfish joy, she didn’t care.
She just wanted CEO Jiang to stay away from that woman—break free from the pain.
That woman had no heart.
She took Jiang Yan’s devotion as something she deserved.
…
At the Huanyu Media office building, Yu Youwei sat in the CEO’s office reviewing documents handed over by her secretary.
She looked worn out. Even with makeup, the dark circles under her eyes couldn’t be hidden.
After returning home last night, she had tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep.
Only around 4 or 5 AM did she doze off for a few hours.
By the time work was done, it was already noon.
She picked up her phone and checked—still no message.
Jiang Yan hadn’t contacted her.
She had thought by now he would’ve bombarded her with messages—apologizing, begging for reconciliation.
But… nothing.
Strangely, her chest felt heavy, like she couldn’t breathe.
Suddenly, the phone rang.
She lit up with joy.
Finally!
She looked at the screen—it was Taylor Swift’s “Love Story.”
It was Bai Luo’s custom ringtone.
For a second, her excitement faded.
But then, Bai Luo’s gentle voice came through and swept away her gloom.
“Weiwei, I’m not bothering you, am I?”
His voice was soft and warm, instantly soothing her restless emotions.
“No, I was just getting off work.”
“How about dinner together? It’s rare that I get to see you again after returning to the country. There’s something I’d like to tell you.”
Yu Youwei replied instinctively, “Sure.”
“Hehe, good. Weiwei is so sweet.”
That light laugh from the other end was so charming it stirred something deep inside her.
The shy girl in her heart came to life.
“Where should we eat? I just got back to Tianhai City and don’t know the restaurants here. If it’s too pricey, I might not be able to afford it—I’m still unemployed.”
“No worries, I’ll choose the restaurant.”
Yu Youwei understood and browsed through Tianhai City’s well-known restaurants. Her slender finger paused on one.
“The rooftop restaurant at Tianhai Center Tower—Yunjin Pavilion.”
“Alright. Then I’ll see you tonight, Weiwei.”
Yu Youwei added quickly, “That place is for members only. Normal guests can’t get in. When you arrive, call me—I’ll bring you in.”
“Got it. Weiwei, you’re the best. See you tonight… baby.”
Then he hung up.
Yu Youwei froze at that last word—baby.
She stayed still for a long time, stunned.
Then she reached up and cupped her slightly hot cheeks.
Her face was red. Like a girl in love for the first time, she felt shy and flustered.