Chapter 63
Xia Wansheng waited for him to take the flowers.
“I passed by a flower shop and just happened to see these,” he placed the bouquet in Yu Congyan’s arms and, turning to leave, said casually,
“I’ll be going then, don’t let me interrupt your meeting.”
Lu Mingxi and Ji Yang, having heard he moved, insisted on helping him unpack, which meant another round of lengthy explanations.
He had a feeling he would receive a few more law books if he wasn’t careful, hopefully, some relevant ones this time.
Like “The Labor Law and Its Interpretation.”
“Wait,” Yu Congyan, seeing him about to leave, asked, “How are things going with the move? Let me know if you need any help.”
If Xia Wansheng said it wasn’t going smoothly, he would have a reason to help; if it was going smoothly, he could still go, just to visit…
He thought about his two friends who were probably still having breakfast in the meeting room, surely they wouldn’t bankrupt the company in a single day?
“No, thank you, I have friends coming over tonight, I need to go back and tidy up.” Xia Wansheng, oblivious to the turmoil in Yu Congyan’s heart, waved goodbye and turned to leave.
Yu Congyan stood there, wanting to ask for his new address, but he didn’t want to bother him.
After all, Xia Wansheng had been trapped before, now that he was finally free, he should be happy for him.
But he couldn’t shake the feeling of losing control, he didn’t want them to drift apart.
The intern who had been discreetly observing them retracted his head: “Tsk, tsk, CEO Yu still hasn’t made his move, doesn’t even know how to seize an opportunity.”
A colleague passing by to refill his water bottle asked, “You heard something from that far away?”
“I didn’t hear anything, but judging by their expressions, CEO Yu is already smitten,” the intern said dreamily, “And definitely the more devoted one.”
“That’s not going to increase the number of full-time positions, if you want to keep enjoying this gossip, finish that report.” The colleague retorted mercilessly.
Young people were too naive, CEO Yu wasn’t the type to passively wait for love.
Taking the initiative was more his style.
By the huge window in the conference room,
“CEO Fu, are you free tomorrow?” Yu Congyan dialed a number, his expression calm, “There’s a collaboration I’d like to discuss with you.”
“No, busy with my wife.” The voice on the other end replied curtly.
His younger brother had filled him in on the situation, he didn’t want to get involved in other people’s relationships.
“Name your price.” Yu Congyan said without hesitation.
His gaze fell to the street below, Xia Wansheng’s figure already gone.
A dewdrop rolled off a daisy petal in the crystal vase.
In his new apartment, Xia Wansheng was preparing hot pot with his two friends.
Ji Yang, who had just picked up a handmade beef ball, was startled by his words, dropping it back into the bowl.
“You’re retiring?!” His voice was loud enough to knock over the stacks of delivery boxes.
He had assumed Xia Wansheng, after his hiatus, would return to his career.
He had come here to celebrate his comeback, only to be told he was retiring?!
“Is the company giving you a hard time again?!” Lu Mingxi, also losing his appetite, asked with concern.
But thinking about the company’s past actions, retiring might be a good way for Xia Wansheng to escape the drama.
Now that Xia Wansheng’s popularity had subsided, and the company had quieted down after the Shao family’s downfall, they were still very pragmatic, and for some reason, still seemed to dislike him.
“Not really, I just don’t want to be controlled,” Xia Wansheng chuckled at their dramatic reactions, “This is a rare opportunity, I just want to do something I enjoy.”
“I’ve almost saved enough for the penalty fee, it’s time to end this.” He seemed at peace with his decision.
Fresh ingredients bubbled in the hot pot.
“I want to try a new life.”
Like properly learning music and revisiting his computer skills.
As Xia Wansheng was getting ready to go out, the system, having finally finished its rom-com marathon, was heartbroken by the ending, its favorite couple parting ways after a final embrace.
It emerged from its entertainment bubble, filled with sadness, seeking comfort from its dear host.
Then it saw Xia Wansheng in a car, heading towards the outskirts of the city, holding a bag of delicious-looking roasted beef jerky Ji Yang had insisted he take.
[？？？]
The system was confused.
They had been fine just two days ago, why the sudden jump to the ending?
What happened in just two days?
The system was bursting with questions, but it couldn’t show it, so it asked cautiously: [Host…where are we going? Are you going for a drive?]
It still held onto a sliver of hope.
“Yo, you’re back, I didn’t tell you yesterday because I couldn’t reach you, I’m moving.” Xia Wansheng, sensing the system’s confusion, decided to tease it.
[！！！] The system was shocked, [Host, I was wrong, I’ll never slack off again, I just missed one day, what happened? ]
But after a brief moment of panic, it decided to prioritize the host’s happiness.
If he wanted to leave, so be it, the host could thrive anywhere.
“Don’t worry, there’s nothing wrong between us, it’s just time for me to move out.” Sensing the system’s apprehension, Xia Wansheng stopped teasing it.
“If I decide to stay, will your mission fail? Will it affect your performance review?” he asked.
The system wasn’t a charity, and it had, in a way, saved his life, it deserved some compensation.
But it had asked about his plans before, it didn’t seem too concerned about his decision, perhaps there was another solution.
[Don’t worry, host, it’s not a problem, I can just file a supplementary report.] The system, hearing they weren’t having a falling out, relaxed.
It seemed everything was finally back on track.
“That’s good.” Although he had expected this, Xia Wansheng was still relieved.
[Are we going to your new place?] the system asked.
Why were they heading towards the outskirts of the city? The map only showed an orphanage nearby.
“Not yet, I have some matters to attend to.” Xia Wansheng said cryptically.
His destination was the orphanage he had donated to before. He didn’t reveal his identity, simply saying he was there to consider investing.
The taxi took him to the suburbs.
The surroundings were desolate, overgrown with weeds and rubble, with a few dilapidated buildings scattered around.
The driver was curious, “Young man, what are you doing here so early in the morning?”
People rarely came here.
Xia Wansheng was observing the weather, a light rain had just fallen, “I’m here to meet a friend.”
After getting out of the taxi, he looked at the destination, “Qingshan Orphanage,” his right eye twitching.
He had a bad feeling about this.
He entered the gate. He had informed the director of his visit, and she was already waiting at the entrance.
“You must be Mr. Xia, such a successful young man!” The director, her eyes sharp, greeted him warmly, “I’m Li Suchan, the current director of Qingshan Orphanage.”
When she received the call last night, the deputy director had said she must have been scammed, but she hadn’t listened to him, thankfully.
The deputy director was still skeptical, this young man didn’t look wealthy, perhaps he was just here for a photo op, like the previous ones.
Take a few pictures, then leave, without donating a single cent.
They were surprised to see such a young man interested in charity work.
“I came in a hurry, I hope I’m not interrupting your schedule.” Xia Wansheng handed her the gift he had prepared.
“You shouldn’t have, you’re too kind.” Li Suchan wiped her hands on her apron and accepted the gift.
Although she still didn’t understand why he suddenly wanted to invest, she diligently introduced the facilities.
“This is our office building, it rained this morning, the ground might be a bit slippery.” She walked carefully, reminding him to be careful.
The facilities were basic, the stone path uneven, the surrounding mud splattering onto his shoes.
She had been worried he would be turned off by their dilapidated state, but Xia Wansheng seemed unfazed, even reminding her to secure the awning of the carport, lest it fall and injure someone.
The orphanage wasn’t very big, just a few buildings and a small garden.
They quickly finished the tour.
“I’d like to see the records of previous donations.” Xia Wansheng requested.
He had heard that the orphanage hadn’t publicized his donation or misused the funds, it seemed like a reliable place.
“We can’t just show financial records to outsiders!” The deputy director tried to stop him, skeptical of this young man’s intentions.
And Xia Wansheng had asked many questions about their internal management along the way, detailed enough to make even the deputy director wonder if he had lived in an orphanage before.
He must be a spy sent by their competitors!
Xia Wansheng wasn’t offended, such vigilance was a good thing.
“I was the one who donated to the orphanage before,” he pulled out a card from his pocket, “There should be a few million left in there, use it to fix the garden.”
He had always loved playing in the garden as a child, and he felt a sense of familiarity.
“This… this is too much! Thank you!” Li Suchan was about to bow to him.
Xia Wansheng quickly stopped her, “You’re welcome, I should be the one thanking you.”
The familiar surroundings brought back memories. When the orphanage was planning to build a new building, the director had taken them to visit the new site, and they were all excited to see the amusement park next door.
But the investors had backed out, and the plan was scrapped.
He vaguely remembered losing a paper crane there when he was little.
It was probably long gone now.
