Chapter 53
The capable Secretary Xu picked up his boss from the airport.
And Madam Boss, who materialized in the car after they’d left.
Xu Yi’s grip on the steering wheel tightened as he saw Song Jingmo, human and whole, sitting in the passenger seat. He was silent for a moment, then exhaled slowly.
Xie Zhang, relegated to the back seat by Song Jingmo, looked innocent, shrugging helplessly at Xu Yi’s questioning gaze.
He readily admitted his lack of control in this matter.
Xu Yi: “This honeymoon seems to be… effective…”
Song Jingmo, buckling his seatbelt for Xu Yi’s peace of mind, gave him a thumbs-up: “Super effective.”
“You’ve been working non-stop for years. Why not take a long vacation? Maybe you’ll find… romance…” he teased.
Xu Yi, starting the car, his tone more casual and familiar with Song Jingmo than with Xie Zhang: “Thanks, but I prefer money.”
Song Jingmo cleared his throat, testing the waters: “No new romance, then… rekindling an old flame is also an option.”
Xu Yi, ever perceptive, understood his implication.
He glanced at Xie Zhang in the rearview mirror.
Xie Zhang, usually indifferent to his employees’ personal lives, shifted uncomfortably under his secretary’s gaze, staring out the window, seemingly fascinated by the airport scenery.
Song Jingmo, ever direct, continued to watch Xu Yi expectantly.
He knew Xu Yi well. Despite his serious, workaholic persona, he wasn’t a stick-in-the-mud.
Quite the opposite. Being friends with Song Jingmo, the notoriously difficult-to-befriend young master, and having managed their… resource sharing… for years without Xie Zhang ever catching on, indicated he was anything but shy or socially awkward.
Xu Yi, his expression neutral, finally said: “We slept together the first time we met.”
Both Song Jingmo and Xie Zhang, his conservative upbringing still influencing him, stared at him.
Xu Yi, unfazed: “Back to the villa?”
After all, he was the secretary who had calmly presented documents for signing while his boss’s office was filled with creepy shadows.
Song Jingmo gave him the address of the sanatorium. His brother should be waiting for them there.
“Okay.”
The location was remote, but Xu Yi knew the way.
Song Jingmo was intrigued. Xu Yi’s love life was… different… from his own. That single sentence had been pure adult content.
Compared to Xu Yi’s… experiences, his and Xie Zhang’s seven years of near-celibacy seemed… almost childish.
“Um… was it… an accident? Like… drugs? Alcohol? Or—”
Song Jingmo struggled to imagine the scenario.
“Just mutual attraction, a bit of impulse, and youthful rebellion.” Xu Yi, having summarized their encounter, glanced at the talkative Song Jingmo, then at the unusually quiet Xie Zhang, and said pointedly: “Are you nervous?”
Song Jingmo instantly fell silent, his fingers nervously picking at the seatbelt.
His sudden reappearance had been… supernatural, so even though he looked human now, Xu Yi knew this wasn’t a complete return.
And they were going to a sanatorium.
He connected the dots, remembering the Song family’s discreet announcement of Song Jingmo’s death, the lack of a funeral, and his inability to find any information about his burial site, despite his connections and resources.
He had a pretty good idea of what was going on.
Xie Zhang, knowing Xu Yi’s capabilities, didn’t bother with elaborate explanations, simply summarizing the situation.
“Oh, okay.” Xu Yi thought for a moment. “By the way, I found something.”
“Back then, the Xie and Song families were quite close, due to your mothers’ friendship.”
Both Song Jingmo and Xie Zhang listened intently.
“The Songs were an established family, the Xies were newcomers. It was a mutually beneficial partnership.”
“But some of the Xie family members were… less than reputable.”
“They not only manipulated Mrs. Xie, but they also used their connection to gain access to the Song family, trying to… involve them in their… activities.”
“There were probably other… incidents, but the details have been buried. It’s difficult to find anything now.”
“But that’s not unusual in our circles.”
Except for Xie Zhang, who had severed ties with his family and built his own empire, everyone had their share of family drama.
“The Song family had a second son, who kept a low profile, rarely appearing in public. Apparently, he became close to the Xie family, got caught up in their schemes, and disappeared after an… incident.”
“After that, the Song family cut all ties with the Xies, even at a significant financial cost.”
The incident had been a major scandal. For the Song family to react so drastically, people had been curious about what the Xies had done.
But their curiosity had been short-lived. A few years later, the Xie corporation had collapsed, leaving a teenage Xie Zhang burdened with debt.
Those in the know understood what had happened.
But they remained silent.
“They were using the Xie corporation for money laundering,” Xie Zhang said, finally understanding. “And they wanted to drag the Song family into it.”
The Xie corporation had been in the jewelry business, the sourcing of raw materials from abroad providing ample opportunities for… creative accounting.
So, it all came back to the same question.
The question that haunted Xie Zhang.
Had his parents known? Or even… participated?
The truth was buried deep, but the fact that the investigation had stopped after his parents’ deaths was… telling.
He searched his memories, but he couldn’t recall anything unusual about his parents.
Song Jingmo’s heart sank, his earlier excitement replaced by a heavy dread.
Xu Yi’s findings had made him realize something.
His parents’ aversion to Xie Zhang might not have been about Xie Zhang himself, but about his parents, who might have been responsible for their son’s… misfortune.
So, had Xie Zhang’s parents been involved?
And what about his own father?
Silence descended upon the car.
Xu Yi sighed inwardly.
He’d been hesitant to tell them, but the past couldn’t be ignored forever.
It was better to address it now, to prepare them.
“Aren’t you curious how I found out?” he asked, breaking the silence.
Song Jingmo, knowing he was trying to lighten the mood, forced a smile: “So, how did our resourceful Secretary Xu uncover all this?”
It wasn’t difficult to find this information, but Xie Zhang had never shared the details with anyone, not even Song Jingmo, let alone Xu Yi.
After being entrusted with the task, Xu Yi had used his connections and resources, digging deep.
“Hmm,” Xu Yi mused. “One Z.X Golf Club black gold membership card, one custom-tailored suit from Porter… Boss, please reimburse me, thanks.”
Xie Zhang: “…I can reimburse you, but those places… aren’t exactly accessible to just anyone, are they?”
A flicker of… something… crossed Xu Yi’s face.
“Indeed, but your new CEO is very generous, willing to… educate… his humble secretary.”
Song Jingmo gasped.
Xu Yi: “I didn’t sell myself.”
Song Jingmo breathed a sigh of relief.
After a few minutes, Xu Yi suddenly asked: “Mr. Xie, I’ve reviewed the company’s policies. There’s no rule against office romances.”
Silence descended upon the car again.
Song Jingmo, after a moment of frantic brainstorming, said faintly: “Don’t worry, there isn’t.”
“If there were, I’d apply for a job at your company. Musician, assistant, anything.”
Xu Yi nodded with satisfaction: “Good to know, Madam Boss.”
Song Jingmo, his voice still faint: “Indeed, Secretary Xu.”
Xie Zhang, feeling like he was being… managed… : “…”
…
They arrived at the sanatorium, and Song Jingmo saw Song Chengyan waiting for them at the entrance.
Xu Yi, ever tactful, got out of the car, claiming he needed a cigarette break.
The two in the back seat remained silent.
They knew Song Jingmo’s parents were inside; Song Chengyan wouldn’t have dismissed the staff without their knowledge.
And they might finally get some answers.
Entering the sanatorium meant not only a reunion with his lover, but also a confrontation with the truth.
After a moment, Song Jingmo turned to Xie Zhang, who was reaching for his hand.
Their gazes met, a silent understanding passing between them.
Song Jingmo moved to the back seat, sitting beside Xie Zhang, holding his hand tightly.
But this time, Xie Zhang didn’t let him speak first.
He squeezed his hand: “Momo, we’ll do this together.”
Facing both his awakening and the truth.
