Chapter 32
A moment later, looking at the detailed transaction records, Yu Congyan was even more convinced that Xia Wansheng had been wanting to distance himself.
Xia Wansheng probably didn’t even know the exact amount on the card.
So it was no surprise he hadn’t told him about his birthday.
Yu Congyan realized there had been signs all along.
Their relationship seemed fine on the surface, but any slightly serious topic would be abruptly dropped.
They were always playing their designated roles, and whenever they crossed the line, they realized they never truly understood each other.
His phone on the desk suddenly rang.
Yu Congyan looked at the caller ID.
Few people had his private number, and even fewer would call directly without texting first.
“What’s up?” Yu Congyan answered the phone.
Shen Xinghe’s voice on the other end sounded like he was at a bar, the background noisy, mixed with loud music.
“Come out and play! I asked your assistant, I know you’re back from your business trip, Fu Yan is here too!” Shen Xinghe shouted.
Yu Congyan wouldn’t have been able to make it to this gathering originally, but his plans changed, and they didn’t want to leave him out.
“It’s late, I won’t…” Yu Congyan was about to decline,
But he suddenly thought of the earlier incident, there were still many unresolved issues between him and Xia Wansheng.
He changed his mind.
“Alright, send me the address.”
Getting some fresh air wouldn’t be a bad idea, and he could check on what foolish mistakes his friends were making in their businesses.
Shen Xinghe chuckled after hanging up: “Yu Congyan is actually joining us today, I told you he’d come, didn’t I?”
“Maybe he’s lovesick.” Fu Yan quipped from the side.
The air inside the streetside bar was stuffy, a mixture of air freshener and alcohol.
Yu Congyan had asked why they couldn’t go to a quieter bar before, and Shen Xinghe’s reason was that this one was closest to his house, convenient for walking home.
“…” He was quite environmentally conscious.
“Why the change of heart? Finally remembered friendship needs to be maintained?” Shen Xinghe joked.
“I’m here to see if anyone has gone bankrupt.” Yu Congyan played along, but his expression was troubled.
“Don’t even joke about that, with the current market, I wouldn’t dare to start another business. I almost lost our entire annual profit last time.” Shen Xinghe said, taking a gulp of his drink.
He wasn’t surprised by Yu Congyan’s low spirits. He knew he wouldn’t have agreed to come so late at night if he wasn’t upset.
“Since you’re here, why not tell us what’s bothering you? I might not be good at business, but I can offer advice on other matters.” Shen Xinghe patted his chest confidently.
He mainly wanted to hear some gossip.
“I feel like…Xia Wansheng might have some hidden troubles, but he refuses to tell me.” Yu Congyan said after some thought.
He didn’t know how to define their relationship. It seemed like he was the only one trying to get closer, while Xia Wansheng was just passively going along with it.
Xia Wansheng hadn’t expressed any interest in new projects recently, claiming he wanted to rest, but Yu Congyan suspected he didn’t intend to return to the industry.
Yu Congyan fell silent again.
Seeing his friend’s troubled expression, Shen Xinghe also felt a bit down, “Why don’t you ask him directly? Maybe you’re just overthinking.”
“I asked, he doesn’t want to talk about it.” Yu Congyan said.
“That means he still doesn’t trust you. Do you usually neglect him or criticize him?” Fu Yan asked.
He had a row of bottles in front of him, claiming his bartending skills had become exceptional during his studies in Germany and wanting to show off.
“That’s probably not it.” Yu Congyan thought about his past behavior, he didn’t recall being cold or critical.
Perhaps something happened without his knowledge, but there was no way to know now.
“Since you don’t know the reason, why not pretend to be drunk and trick him into telling you? You can pretend to be drunk, then we’ll take you to his door, and have him take you home, then you two can have a heart-to-heart…” Shen Xinghe got increasingly excited, trying to get him drunk.
This was the perfect opportunity to improve their relationship.
They couldn’t let Yu Congyan come here for nothing.
“Isn’t that a bit unreliable?” Fu Yan said,
“I think a heroic rescue would be better. We can pretend to be spoiled rich kids harassing a delicate little flower, then you can swoop in and take him home with a cold expression…”
“…”
Why did he agree to come out with these two?!
Yu Congyan ignored their ridiculous suggestions; he wanted to solve the problem, not escalate it.
But he hadn’t expected any sensible advice from these two anyway.
Fu Yan had just returned from studying abroad and was eager to try all the food he had missed, even investing in three Jianbing Guozi stands. Shen Xinghe was obsessed with his customized cars, attending anime conventions with no interest in inheriting the family business.
Yu Congyan decided to drown his sorrows in alcohol, letting his subconscious mind take over and make the decision for him.
A moment later, Shen Xinghe waved his hand in front of Yu Congyan, realizing he couldn’t focus his eyes.
“He has such low alcohol tolerance?” Shen Xinghe asked Fu Yan.
Yu Congyan was usually the one taking them home, but today, before they could even finish complaining, he had passed out.
This was rare, very rare.
It seemed Yu Congyan was truly bothered by this matter.
Xia Wansheng had just returned to his bedroom, ready to sleep. His still-adjusting body clock was making him drowsy.
Then his phone, which he hadn’t turned off, rang.
Xia Wansheng’s heart rate spiked reflexively, he jumped out of bed to answer the call, then, halfway through, remembered he wasn’t on call anymore.
He lay back down.
He calmly picked up his phone and checked the caller ID.
What was Yu Aotian calling him about so late at night?
Xia Wansheng swiped to answer, then heard the noisy background, he seemed to be outside.
“Mm, yes, I sent you the address, he seems to be drunk.” Shen Xinghe explained.
They had been suggesting Yu Congyan pretend to be drunk, but now it seemed unnecessary.
Even if Xia Wansheng said something, Yu Congyan probably wouldn’t remember in the morning.
Xia Wansheng didn’t recall going out this late before, let alone to pick someone up from a bar.
This wasn’t in the original book, he must have triggered a hidden side quest.
He wondered if this counted as overtime.
The night breeze was pleasant.
The navigation app on Xia Wansheng’s phone only showed “destination is near you.” He turned around, and the app started recalculating the route.
“???”
Was this app even working?
Thankfully, he finally found them. Shen Xinghe, seeing him arrive, quickly said: “He’s drunk, please take him home.”
He tried to push the seemingly sober Yu Congyan towards him.
Xia Wansheng caught him. He didn’t seem much different when drunk, just his usually sharp mind seemed a bit slow.
“What’s this?” Xia Wansheng held up four fingers.
“Four.” Yu Congyan said hesitantly.
Good, he was quite drunk.
If it were any other time, he would be suspicious of Xia Wansheng’s motives.
“Then we’ll be going now.” Xia Wansheng said, supporting him.
He was somewhat familiar with these two, although their last encounter was rather awkward.
He had scared Shen Xinghe quite a bit last time, jumping without hesitation. If it weren’t for the railing, that place would have become a crime scene.
Only after leaving the bar did he realize how fresh the air outside was. Xia Wansheng took a deep breath, wondering how to get back.
Normally, he would take a taxi, but who knew if the CEO would trigger some strange symptoms while drunk — like carsickness.
He decided to consult with Yu Congyan, asking his boss for a liability waiver.
Xia Wansheng poked Yu Congyan’s arm, “Are you claustrophobic?”
Yu Congyan took a moment to realize Xia Wansheng was talking to him, shaking his head to indicate he wasn’t.
That was good.
Xia Wansheng called the CEO’s designated car, wondering if he should grab some hot pot on the way.
When the car finally arrived, Yu Congyan, seeing Xia Wansheng wasn’t getting in, asked slowly: “Aren’t you coming home with me?”
In his hazy memory, they seemed to live close by.
Xia Wansheng waved his hand, comforting Yu Congyan, who seemed to be looking for him the moment he was out of sight, “I’ll be back soon.”
Then, seeing Yu Congyan’s confused expression, he thought he wouldn’t remember anything tomorrow anyway, so he patiently explained where he was going:
“I’m going to have hot pot, you…well, you can’t eat spicy food anyway, go home and rest.”
“I’m going with you.”
The drunk CEO honestly expressed his current desire.
And was immediately rejected by Xia Wansheng—
“I don’t want you coldly questioning me tomorrow about this sudden hot pot craving, acting all the time is tiring.”
But Yu Congyan couldn’t understand what he was saying, his subconscious just telling him not to let Xia Wansheng out of his sight.
So they stood there in a stalemate.
Xia Wansheng could have just pushed the CEO into the car and left, after all, Yu Congyan didn’t seem like the type to trouble the driver.
And even if he did, the Yu family chauffeur would keep it a secret.
He could certainly do that, and Yu Congyan wasn’t clinging to his arm and begging him to stay.
But Xia Wansheng didn’t move.
Looking at Yu Congyan, who remained silent after his declaration, he almost saw a hint of sadness in his unchanging expression.
The drunk Yu Congyan’s mind was a bit slow now, unable to understand such complex reasoning, he just knew he was being abandoned again.
And as time passed, he gradually realized he shouldn’t dwell on this, just like when he was a child, hoping his parents would choose him.
He let go of Xia Wansheng’s hand.
And was immediately pulled back.
Although having a yuanyang hot pot (a divided pot with spicy and mild broths) was a betrayal of the authentic nine-grid hot pot, it would be too cruel to leave a drunk person alone at home.
“Alright, alright, let’s go home together, I don’t know if ordering hot pot delivery in the middle of the night will get me in trouble…” Xia Wansheng said with a sigh.
He knew he would feel guilty if he went alone.
The car drove smoothly on the empty road. Xia Wansheng felt his accursed body clock kicking in, making him drowsy.
He leaned against the window, intending to take a short nap.
From Yu Congyan’s perspective, Xia Wansheng, although having agreed to go home with him, seemed reluctant, even leaning towards the window, as if trying to distance himself.
Xia Wansheng was drifting off to sleep when he suddenly felt Yu Congyan move. He assumed he was dizzy from the alcohol and instinctively reached out to support him.
“Are you alright… what’s wrong?” Xia Wansheng stopped mid-sentence.
His wrist was grabbed.
But the grip was loose, Yu Congyan held his left hand for some reason, then moved closer.
He seemed to want to say something.
Xia Wansheng leaned in closer. Yu Congyan smelled of the night breeze and a faint woody scent, his chest close enough to feel his body heat.
“Why…can’t you try to trust me?”
His voice was soft, the last few words lost in the wind.
“What?”
Before Xia Wansheng could react, Yu Congyan let go of his hand.
As if those words had exhausted all his energy, he turned away, avoiding his gaze.
The distance between them widened again, the cold air rushing in, clearing his mind.
Xia Wansheng was now wide awake.
He discreetly observed Yu Congyan, who had suddenly opened up after being so quiet, wondering if this counted as knowing his boss’s secret.
Would he be silenced in the morning?
He glanced again, and this time, he met Yu Congyan’s gaze.
Their eyes met, then quickly looked away.
Suddenly, even hot pot didn’t seem so appealing anymore.
Xia Wansheng sadly cooked his hot pot on the balcony, the taste like ashes in his mouth, his mind replaying Yu Congyan’s words in the car.
Was he accusing him of not trusting him? But his tone sounded more like a plea.
Halfway through cooking, Xia Wansheng heard a sound behind him. He turned to see Yu Congyan walking over.
“Here, honey grapefruit tea.” Xia Wansheng handed him the glass.
He had just made it, it should have cooled down a bit now.
Yu Congyan sat down, his expression giving no indication of whether he was still drunk.
Xia Wansheng decided to use his old method, holding up a few fingers and asking: “What’s this?”
“…” Silence.
Good, he was sober now.
The cold and ruthless CEO’s intellect had returned.
“Sorry, I overstepped before.” Yu Congyan paused, then said with difficulty.
He couldn’t lie to himself, his concern was mixed with other emotions. He had been too greedy.
Initially, he just wanted Xia Wansheng to be safe, then he worried about him being bullied, and then he wondered if he could always protect him like this.
But he couldn’t make decisions for Xia Wansheng. Setting aside the plot from his past life, he knew nothing about the current Xia Wansheng.
“Do you want some crab sticks? I’ll add one for you.” Xia Wansheng was adding ingredients to the pot, trying to change the subject.
It was like this again.
Whenever he touched on this topic, Xia Wansheng would avoid it. He never trusted him, never truly opened up.
Yu Congyan closed his eyes.
It was fine, he was used to this, wasn’t he? At least Xia Wansheng wasn’t trying to deceive him, just unwilling to communicate.
It was good enough, it was his choice.
“Actually, I do trust you,” Xia Wansheng poured himself a glass of grapefruit juice, “but there are many things I can’t explain to you.”
If he told him about the system, who knew if Yu Congyan would send him to a mental hospital.
“Just don’t worry about it, you’ll know when the time comes.” Xia Wansheng told him to relax.
“Are you sure you don’t want any crab sticks? I’m allergic to seafood.”
“…Okay.”
The night was clear and starry, a crescent moon peeking through the clouds, illuminating two small clouds beside it.
The next morning.
Xia Wansheng sat in the cafe, his expression displeased. He felt like punching something.
Staying up late and having a headache was one thing, but being called out early in the morning to “discuss serious matters” by a villainous CEO was truly inhumane.
“What do you want?” Xia Wansheng asked irritably.
So many people and things coming to him while the system was unavailable.
The person sitting across from him was none other than Yu Xuan.
Xia Wansheng noticed Yu Xuan looked slightly thinner than before, his complexion even more sallow.
Probably exhausted from the business battles.
His own boss had the same haggard look when he lost money and was planning to cut their year-end bonuses.
“You did a good job with the previous task.” Yu Xuan offered rare praise.
He had seen the document. Although some parts weren’t very detailed, it was generally in Yu Congyan’s style.
Hearing this, Xia Wansheng understood that this empty praise was probably part of his payment.
“I risked exposure to steal that, not to hear your praise.” Xia Wansheng retorted bluntly.
Being called out for a meeting early in the morning, his resentment as a worker far surpassed that of a villain.
He better have a good reason for not discussing this in the afternoon.
“What, can’t keep up the act anymore?” Yu Xuan’s prepared speech was abruptly interrupted, his eyes narrowing dangerously,
“Don’t forget our agreement.”
He couldn’t shake the feeling that Xia Wansheng was different now, not even reacting to the mention of their previous agreement.
He generously placed a card on the table as a show of good faith.
Probably a few million at least.
Xia Wansheng clicked his tongue, wondering why this villain was so extravagant, yet still managed to take over the entire company in the end.
“After the task is completed, as agreed, we’ll send you abroad for a while, you don’t have to worry about the rest.” Yu Xuan promised.
He would definitely bring down Yu Congyan and deal with Xia Wansheng’s matters after taking over the company.
“There’s a family dinner next month, make sure you go with him, I’ll tell you what to do later.” Yu Xuan reminded him.
He had already planned how to set a trap for Yu Congyan at the dinner and use this opportunity to curry favor with the old man.
Xia Wansheng nodded.
He was planning to go anyway, he just didn’t know if the system would be back online by then, it might affect his performance.
“By the way, how are things progressing between you two? No news for so long, don’t tell me you’re actually getting along?” Yu Xuan sneered.
That would be good, he might be able to inflict more psychological torment on Yu Congyan.
“You should know him better than I do.” Xia Wansheng said coldly.
Sometimes, he couldn’t understand the villain, scheming behind people’s backs, why not compete fairly? He might even respect him a bit then.
“I’m not close to him, he was raised by servants at the old residence. If it weren’t for his business talent discovered after graduation, he wouldn’t have been allowed back into the main family.” Yu Xuan mocked.
He had always looked down on his younger brother. No matter how capable he was, connections were crucial in this world. Even if he was talented, the old man would still attribute the achievements to him, Yu Xuan.
Xia Wansheng didn’t join in the mockery this time.
He thought, no wonder, a CEO living alone in a mansion, with nothing but money.
“I know you people, always dreaming of marrying into a wealthy family. I advise you to give up, he’s cold and heartless, once he knows the truth, he won’t protect you, and no one will be able to help you then.” Yu Xuan waved his hand dismissively.
He had witnessed Yu Congyan’s ruthlessness towards those who betrayed him. A former business partner, bribed by him, had betrayed Yu Congyan at the last minute.
He had thought he could bring him down, but Yu Congyan had prepared a backup plan, unknown to anyone.
He turned the tables, not only saving his company but also sending his opponent to jail.
The most terrifying thing was that Yu Congyan had anticipated this from the very beginning, even considering the possibility of betrayal from a long-time partner.
“He has never trusted anyone, and you’re no exception.” Yu Xuan said.
Even after leaving the cafe, Xia Wansheng hadn’t fully processed the conversation.
He was too sleepy in the morning and had entered his boss-meeting-autopilot mode. He vaguely remembered Yu Xuan telling him to attend the family dinner and badmouthing Yu Congyan.
Just idle gossip, who would believe it?
Only the money in his pocket and the food in his bowl were real.
Xia Wansheng touched the card in his pocket, feeling its weight.
More game currency.
He would save it. If he really left this place, he would entrust it to a trustworthy friend. If Yu Congyan was targeted, perhaps this money could help him make a comeback.
