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The Overbearing CEO Is Driven Mad by His Frail Canary 56


Chapter 56

Yu Congyan felt restless all day.

This project was important to the company, but he was unusually distracted during the presentations.

Today was the music festival.

During the break, the collaborators, sensing something was amiss, discreetly asked Assistant Zhong: “Is CEO Yu in a bad mood today? He seemed dissatisfied with our presentation.”

This proposal was already their best offer within their capabilities. They knew CEO Yu wasn’t the type to haggle, prioritizing efficiency.

Assistant Zhong shook his head, “We appreciate your sincerity, CEO Yu has other matters today, he even canceled another important meeting, so he’s understandably a bit distracted.”

He didn’t elaborate, but this was enough to reassure the collaborators.

“For a smooth collaboration, just focus on the key points in the second half, the sooner the meeting ends, the better.” Assistant Zhong, seeing their sincerity, offered some advice.

Although their boss was physically present, his mind was probably elsewhere, like the music festival.

It was better to conclude the meeting quickly, a win-win situation for everyone.

“Understood, we’ll adjust accordingly.” The collaborators instantly understood the implication, it seemed CEO Yu had other plans.

As long as the collaboration proceeded smoothly, it was a good decision.

So, in the second half of the meeting, Yu Congyan was surprised to see their change in style. They had spent the first half elaborating on the project’s advantages, including every minor detail;

Now they were suddenly concise and to the point, only presenting key data, the number of people understanding the presentation plummeting from 100% to 30%.

But the efficiency greatly improved, the presentation ending in a third of the usual time, moving on to the discussion of details.

Yu Congyan knew the change stemmed from the break, but the collaboration was progressing smoothly, so he didn’t mind.

Before the meeting even ended, Assistant Zhong arrived, “CEO Yu, the car is ready, shall we depart now?”

A competent assistant always anticipated the CEO’s needs. Since CEO Yu stayed for the company, they naturally had to fully support his pursuit of happiness!

“I thought there was another meeting scheduled…” Yu Congyan asked.

He hadn’t planned on going today, after all, his schedule was fixed, canceling one event would disrupt everything.

“Don’t worry, I’ve confirmed everything, the other events have been rescheduled to next week, you might have to work overtime then.” Assistant Zhong opened his schedule, everything after today marked as the CEO’s personal time, even highlighted with a pink heart.

“…Double your bonus this month.” Yu Congyan, meeting his expectant gaze, thought this person was wasted as an assistant.

His ability to coordinate everything so quickly, his connections and skills were remarkable.

He had initially just wanted to check on Xia Wansheng, but he had been restless all day, he felt compelled to go.

Hopefully, it was just a false alarm.

As the car sped along, Yu Congyan opened the news on his phone.

News about the music festival was everywhere, the media twisting the facts, blaming the accidental death of another artist on the company’s shelving and unfair competition tactics.

The entertainment industry was, as always, full of drama.

Yu Congyan noticed his chat with Xia Wansheng was still stuck on their last conversation from several days ago.

He was about to send a message saying he was coming, but he suddenly remembered Fu Yan’s advice,

“If you want progress, don’t be so straightforward, create some surprises in his mundane life, to build anticipation.”

Yu Congyan put away his phone.

As long as he could see him, it didn’t matter.

The venue was crowded. Yu Congyan saw a little girl selling flowers at the entrance, the stems trimmed for easy carrying inside.

Now that the event had ended, only a few unopened red rosebuds remained in her bamboo basket. She hummed a tune as she tidied up the scattered leaves and petals.

Yu Congyan stopped.

“Sir, are you buying flowers?” the girl asked, seeing him stop at her stall.

“You might be a bit late, the event has ended, I only have these rosebuds left.” She pointed at the bamboo basket on the ground.

“I’ll take them all, just wrap them together.” Yu Congyan glanced at the flowers.

It was just a small gift, if Xia Wansheng asked, he would simply say these were the only ones left, nothing more.

“Okay!” The girl wrapped the flowers and handed them to him.

This man, exuding an aura of success, seemed like the type who would prefer elaborately packaged, blooming flowers. She hadn’t expected him to choose such a simple bouquet.

Perhaps the person he liked preferred a low-key approach?

Or maybe he didn’t dare to be too obvious.

By the time Yu Congyan arrived, the event was almost over, the crowd dispersing, but he still immediately spotted Xia Wansheng at the designated location, surrounded by people.

Probably fans asking for autographs after the show.

Yu Congyan didn’t interrupt, waiting for the crowd to thin out before approaching.

He didn’t want to fuel more rumors, Xia Wansheng definitely wouldn’t want his success attributed to the “backing of the Yu family.”

But suddenly, screams erupted from the crowd, people scattering in panic, but the dense crowd made it difficult to move quickly, the pushing and shoving almost causing a stampede.

Yu Congyan didn’t hesitate any longer, rushing forward to see what had happened, his unease intensifying, was Xia Wansheng injured again?!

The wind whistled past his ears, the roses in his hand trembling.

Just as he reached the bottom of the stairs, more screams erupted. He stopped mid-stride, looking up towards the source of the sound.

He saw Xia Wansheng fall from the platform.

The person he had been wanting to see all day lay motionless on the ground, like a recurring nightmare.

Yu Congyan dropped the flowers, forcing himself to continue moving, approaching Xia Wansheng to check his condition.

He couldn’t miss the chance for first aid. Reason told him the fall might not be fatal, but what if?

This person had tried to leave this world so many times, what if this time was real?

Rose petals were trampled and crushed underfoot, mixing with the dust.


At the hospital.

The doctor, seeing Xia Wansheng’s condition, simply explained, “You’re incredibly lucky, you avoided the main impact, just some minor injuries, a few days of rest should be enough.”

“Call me if you feel any discomfort.” The doctor left after speaking, leaving Xia Wansheng alone in the unfamiliar environment.

This should have been a familiar scene, something he had even dreamed of when he first arrived here.

Wondering if he would wake up somewhere and realize everything had just been a dream.

But as days passed, he had gradually felt the kindness of the people in this world, made friends, experienced things he would never have encountered in his original life.

He had finally convinced himself this wasn’t a game world, and now he was back in the hospital.

The familiar shared ward, the pungent smell of antiseptic, but thankfully it was just minor injuries, he could handle this.

He reached for his phone on the bedside table, the battery low.

Judging by the doctor’s words, he must have been unconscious for several days, he didn’t remember how he got here.

He turned on his phone and saw a few messages.

Notifications about his absence from work and termination, including a work handover request from a former colleague.

His previous company had apparently been informed of his situation by the hospital, offering formal get-well wishes and compensation, asking him to contact them for details.

His former colleagues also said they would visit him after he woke up, but it seemed like a perfunctory gesture.

Xia Wansheng politely declined, “No need, my friend is with me these days, we can talk when I return to the company.”

It was lunchtime, and the large ward was empty, only the uneven breathing of the patient in the next bed could be heard.

Thick, dark curtains were drawn by the window, making the room feel stuffy.

“System, are you still there?” Xia Wansheng called out without much hope, but received no response.

Suddenly, the door opened. Xia Wansheng instinctively looked over, only to see a nurse talking to the patient in the next bed. He looked away after a few seconds, a flicker of disappointment in his eyes he hadn’t even noticed himself.

For a moment, he had hoped it would be Yu Congyan.

He lowered his gaze.

It seemed he wouldn’t have that photo after all.

He probably wouldn’t see Yu Congyan again.

Or the others in that world, he wondered how Lu Mingxi was doing…

He hadn’t had a chance to explain, he didn’t know if the system would just write his character off, perhaps that wasn’t the outcome they wanted either.

Xia Wansheng decided to search for the book’s ending online.

His previous self would have just moved on with his life, there wouldn’t be any further connection between these two worlds, why bother thinking about the consequences of this bizarre experience?

But now, he frantically searched for any information related to the book, the title, characters, and plot, trying to find any trace of it.

But he found nothing.

How was this possible?

Staring at the “no results found” message on the screen, then checking his bank account, which inexplicably had an extra five million, he felt the dissonance between these two realities pulling at his mind.

He wanted to continue searching, but his phone, already low on battery, finally died.

Even if he sent his location now, no one would cross half the city for a cryptic message.

Xia Wansheng put down his phone and lay back, the earlier adrenaline rush from his frantic search masking the cold.

Now he felt a chill.

He curled up under the covers, trying to ignore the dull ache in his chest, struggling to recall everyone’s faces.

But perhaps because he had left that world, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t remember Yu Congyan’s face.

He buried his face in the covers.

The hospital sheets smelled of disinfectant. Xia Wansheng bit his lip, trying to suppress his sobs, but in the end, he couldn’t hold back the tears.

He should be happy…he could finally move out of that cramped apartment, find a new job, his life was about to begin anew.

But…why was he crying?

The sadness didn’t last long. After a few moments, he wiped his eyes, smoothed out the wrinkles on the sheets, and retreated back into his shell.

He was always good at suppressing his emotions, dwelling on negativity would only make things worse.

Since he didn’t want to burden others, he had to handle everything himself.

He had long lost the right to cry in someone’s arms.

After composing himself, he asked the nurse to charge his phone at the nurse’s station during her rounds; there weren’t any outlets by his bed.

He didn’t want to see those insincere messages anymore, his bedside always empty, only the doctors and nurses visiting him.

Fortunately, he was recovering well, considered a medical miracle. Surviving a collision with a truck with only minor injuries and regaining consciousness so quickly.

“Young man, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!” The elderly man in the next bed was happy about his quick recovery, offering him two oranges from his fruit basket.

Xia Wansheng quickly took them, “Thank you.”

He remembered sharing oranges with Yu Congyan at the hospital before, when the program’s livestream was abruptly interrupted by a guest collapsing and being rushed to the hospital. Yu Congyan had mistakenly thought he was the one injured, that was why he was so worried…

He couldn’t think about it anymore.

Staring at the oranges, the only splash of color by his bedside, he thought perhaps his good fortune had ended.

Life after being discharged was uneventful.

Xia Wansheng went to his company to complete the resignation procedures. His colleagues were curious about his accident, taking advantage of their boss’s absence to ask: “I heard the truck almost hit you, is that true?!”

“I didn’t notice, the headlights were too bright.” Xia Wansheng said, organizing his belongings.

He didn’t have a clear memory of the incident, no pain, as if nothing had happened before he was bound to the system.

“Are you really leaving? Although the boss is a jerk, he pays well, why don’t you stay a bit longer? Our team is doomed without you!” His colleague, Xiao Li, exclaimed dramatically.

Xia Wansheng knew they weren’t truly trying to keep him.

After all, everyone knew he was capable, always handling the difficult tasks others couldn’t.

And he wasn’t concerned about unfair distribution of credit, as long as he was paid on time, he didn’t mind working overtime.

Everyone in the company wondered why he worked so hard, he was young, no mortgage or car loan, and no romantic partner, what was he saving for?

The team leader, drunk one time, finally revealed the information Xia Wansheng had filled in during onboarding, “He’s all alone, no safety net to fall back on.”

Xia Wansheng thought he was right. Unemployment meant increased living expenses. As long as the overtime and pay were balanced, he wouldn’t leave.

“As the saying goes, abuse breeds loyalty,” the team leader raised his glass, accepting the newcomer’s toast, “Just drunk talk, don’t take it seriously.”

The strongest resistance Xia Wansheng could offer then was silence.

But now, things were different.

He stopped packing, looking directly at this colleague he had never truly connected with, his tone blunt:

“Your team should have been disbanded long ago. You don’t even know basic data analysis, constantly sucking up to the boss, thinking you’re so clever, dumping all the work on others.”

He was resigning, he didn’t have to endure this anymore.

“You! What are you saying? I was trying to be nice, the team leader was right, you’re just an ungrateful orphan…” Xiao Li, being scolded in front of everyone, lost face and started cursing.

But he didn’t finish.

Xia Wansheng, who had always been indifferent, walked over and punched him without hesitation.

He didn’t hold back, just enough force to send him sprawling on the floor, clutching his nose, unable to speak.

Xia Wansheng’s expression remained calm.

Although he had finally vented his pent-up frustration, he didn’t feel any better, he just wanted to leave this place.

As he was leaving, Xiao Li’s defiant curses came from behind: “Who do you think you are, you’re nothing!”

Xia Wansheng stopped and turned around.

Xiao Li instinctively flinched, hiding among the others, afraid of another punch.

“You’re right,” Xia Wansheng’s voice was distant, “perhaps I don’t deserve any of it.”

He didn’t approach him, simply saying, “I’ve kept all the evidence, since I’m leaving this industry, be prepared for a court summons.”

The automatic doors slowly closed. Xia Wansheng walked out of the company, met with a gloomy sky.

It had been overcast for days, neither sunny nor rainy, not even giving him a backdrop to match his mood.

The taxi would arrive in a few minutes. Xia Wansheng put down his box and sat on a bench beside the building, staring at the skyscraper across the street.

He suddenly felt that the building, both in height and appearance, resembled the Yu Group building. He couldn’t help but stare.

The taxi finally arrived, honking its horn.

Xia Wansheng paused, then turned back to see the building had returned to its normal appearance, no longer resembling the Yu Group building.

He must have been seeing things, his recent stress causing hallucinations.

After getting into the taxi and giving the driver his address, he noticed a safety amulet hanging from the rearview mirror, its design familiar.

“Driver, where did you get this amulet?” Xia Wansheng asked curiously.

It looked almost identical to the one the taxi driver had given him before, just the patterns were simpler.

“Just bought it online, for good luck, you can have it if you like!” The driver, waiting at a red light, reached out to take it off.

“No, no, I’m just curious, is this a common design?” Xia Wansheng asked.

Perhaps it was just a popular design, there couldn’t be such a coincidence, could there?

“I don’t know, I just bought it randomly.” The driver continued driving, unsure of the design’s origins.

Xia Wansheng closed his eyes in the backseat, drowsy, but afraid of another accident, he forced himself to stay awake, but eventually fell asleep.

“We’re here!” The driver’s loud voice woke him up. He quickly gathered his things and got out.

After the car left, Xia Wansheng turned to go home, then noticed the safety amulet among his meager belongings.

Perhaps the driver had decided to give it to him after all.

He touched the familiar patterns, the heavy feeling in his chest seemingly lightening a bit.

His apartment was the same as always. He unpacked and cleaned the place thoroughly.

While cleaning the top shelf of the bookcase, he suddenly remembered the unfinished first volume of that mystery novel, the story of the detective’s youth.

He hadn’t had a chance to learn about the protagonist’s past before leaving.

He had tried searching for the book title and other books he had seen in that world, but he couldn’t find any information online.

Had his connection to that world been completely severed? The system was too cruel.

But it was too late now, he probably wouldn’t be able to solve this mystery.

Xia Wansheng, having finished cleaning, couldn’t sleep, tossing and turning in bed, finally opening a job search app, looking for suitable opportunities.

After all, the five million was just a safety net, he didn’t intend to just sit around and spend it.

But after browsing for a while, not finding anything interesting, he just submitted his resume to a few seemingly suitable companies.

He was thankful he wasn’t seriously injured, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to explain his long employment gap during interviews.

The following days were filled with job interviews, the entire process feeling surreal. He was informed he could start working at a new company next week.

“Any questions?” The friendly interviewer, seeing he seemed to have something to say, asked kindly.

“I didn’t resign from my previous company,” Xia Wansheng said tentatively, “You didn’t ask me why I was fired.”

He had faced this question in other interviews and had prepared several answers, but he usually told the truth.

He could have just lied and said he lacked the necessary skills, learned his lesson, and moved on.

But he didn’t want to.

The impact of his previous experience was deeper than he had realized.

“Your skills aren’t the issue, it must have been external factors,” the interviewer, still smiling kindly, said, “If you’re willing to share, we can discuss it, it might also help you understand our company better.”

“It wasn’t anything major,” Xia Wansheng felt compelled to tell him everything, reminding him of the orphanage director’s kind eyes, “Thank you for your trust, I’ll be going now.”

Xia Wansheng walked out of the revolving doors, met with another overcast day. He only seemed to notice the sky at this time.

The sky seemed stagnant.

Life after starting his new job was uneventful. His colleagues maintained a professional distance, and Xia Wansheng, feeling the weight on his shoulders lift, gradually adjusted to his new life.

He didn’t touch the five million, just occasionally checking the balance, the memories of those people and events fading, but it had only been a week or two, how could he forget?

His desk was by the window. He looked out at the unchanging gray sky, a sense of unease settling in his heart.

As he arrived at his desk one day, his gossipy colleague suddenly rolled his chair closer, gathering everyone around, and announced excitedly: “Guys, I just delivered some documents to the CEO’s office and heard some big news!”

“What, what?!” “Are we finally getting mangoes for afternoon tea?”

Everyone chimed in.

“It’s much bigger than that,” he lowered his voice dramatically, “We’re getting a new CEO!”

“So what?” His colleagues waved their hands dismissively, preparing to return to their desks.

“Wait! This company was founded by this CEO!” He dropped another bombshell, “I heard he’s young and successful, he’s arriving today, you’ll see later!”

“Really?” They still looked skeptical, but they leaned in closer.

Xia Wansheng put on his headphones, shaking his empty water bottle.

The water dispenser was in the corner on the other side. He avoided the small groups of people in the corridor, most of them curious about the new CEO.

He definitely couldn’t compare to Yu Congyan, the real protagonist of the novel, so hardworking and practically perfect, except for his tone-deafness…

Xia Wansheng walked absentmindedly, holding his water bottle, when he suddenly noticed the light outside the window seemed brighter, the overcast sky lightening.

Was it finally going to be a sunny day?

For some reason, he suddenly felt a pang of unease, as if he didn’t want the gloomy weather to end.

He continued walking, realizing it wasn’t his imagination.

The sky outside was gradually brightening, sunlight piercing through the clouds, but his vision blurred, as if the sunlight was too bright.

A long-ignored thought surfaced, becoming increasingly clear: Could this be a lucid dream?

The recurring oranges and safety amulets, the familiar living environment, the interviewer’s knowing gaze, the continuous overcast days, and now the news about a new CEO…

As this thought took hold, the light in his world became blinding, he instinctively tried to shield his eyes, but it was futile.

But for some reason, he felt that the figure walking ahead, without pausing, was Yu Congyan, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time.

He wanted to catch up and confirm, even if it turned out to be a mistake, rather than this feeling of disconnect between them.

As he took a step, a wave of dizziness hit him, a sharp pain in his temples making him close his eyes.

The world spun and faded.

Xia Wansheng finally emerged from the intense emotions, his heart pounding.

He opened his eyes to see the hospital ceiling again. Yu Congyan sat beside his bed, meticulously peeling an orange, as if sculpting a work of art. A bandage was wrapped around his head.

Xia Wansheng didn’t dare to speak, afraid this was just another dream.

As if sensing something, Yu Congyan looked up.

Their eyes met.

“You’re awake? Are you feeling unwell?” Seeing he didn’t respond, Yu Congyan’s next question was filled with concern, “Is your wound hurting?”

He quickly put down the half-peeled orange and reached out to touch his forehead.

His outstretched hand was grabbed.

Xia Wansheng pulled him closer, ignoring the chattering system in his mind and Lu Mingxi and Shen Xinghe, who were peeking in from the doorway, being held back by Fu Yan.

He just wanted to hug Yu Congyan.

Tears streamed down his face.

This was good.

So good.

Yu Congyan paused, then gently pulled him into his arms, his voice soft and tender: “It’s alright, I’m here.”

Let it all out.


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The Overbearing CEO Is Driven Mad by His Frail Canary

The Overbearing CEO Is Driven Mad by His Frail Canary

霸總被病弱金絲雀逼瘋了
Status: Completed Author: Native Language: Chinese
Xia Wansheng dies from overwork and transmigrates into a book, becoming the canary who leaks business secrets, almost ruining the CEO's family, and ultimately suffers a tragic death from revenge. He opens his eyes, holding the confidential documents in his hand. Facing him is the cold CEO, Yu Congyan. The two are in the bedroom, staring at each other. With both human and material evidence present, the man in front of him remains gentle, yet his eyes are icy enough to kill: "Wanwan, your younger brother said you were going to steal my contract. Why would you betray my trust?" The system comes online at this moment: [Host, please immediately admit your mistake and beg for forgiveness to achieve the abused ending, and then you can return to the original world!] Xia Wansheng immediately closes his eyes, hearing nothing. Stealing trade secrets? How much compensation? How many years in prison? Damn it, even after transmigrating, I still have to deal with this hateful capitalist. Returning to the original world? I'd rather just die! He turns and opens the window, immediately ready to jump. Yu Congyan's pupils quake: ??!? No! I was just asking if you stole my contract to pressure you into admitting it, do you have to prove your innocence like this?!?!?
Everyone says Yu Congyan's canary is excessively fierce, daring to slap his face in this way. At a cocktail party, a scheming green tea bitch provokes him, deliberately splashing a whole glass of red wine on Xia Wansheng's white shirt. The surrounding people gasp. Xia Wansheng is expressionless, very calm. ——This shirt cost 88,000. Will the overbearing CEO pinch his chin and ask if he can afford to compensate? Can——not——afford. Better to die! Xia Wansheng comfortingly pats the green tea female supporting character on the shoulder, calmly grabs a dinner knife from the table, and prepares to end himself. Yu Congyan, rushing over to seize the knife, his eyes splitting: Who provoked him again?! The scheming green tea is shocked: I just splashed some wine!! This is definitely extortion!!
Ever since his innocence was questioned, Xia Wansheng hasn't smiled, as if he has lost all desire for everything. Yu Congyan's heart aches. He thinks, Xia Wansheng probably really loves him deeply, to be unable to bear even a shred of slander and suspicion. Faced with repeated framing by the green tea receiver and business rivals, Yu Congyan only rubs his temples with a headache and says in a deep voice: "He is innocent, he just loves me too much." “?” Until Yu Congyan finally proposes to Xia Wansheng, presenting a diamond ring worth hundreds of millions, gentle and affectionate: "Wanwan, I saw your sadness, I won't let you get hurt again, marry me." Xia Wansheng is silent for a long while: "...Marry you? Does that mean you'll always be on top?" Xia Wansheng's gaze moves downwards. He abruptly stands up and pushes open the window. Xia Wansheng: I can't handle this, I'm going to die now. Yu Congyan: …?????!!? What?! Wife???

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