Thud—

Lost in thought for a moment, Qin Shengyi dropped the cup in his hand without warning, which explains why he suddenly asked that question.

So how did you answer him?

“I managed to get away with it, saying I’d been abroad for the past few years,” the person on the other end replied in a deep voice, then paused before continuing, “Shengyi, so what are your plans now?”

With his thoughts in a state of confusion, Qin Shengyi unconsciously avoided the question, giving a vague reply before hanging up the phone.

She had just made up her mind not to bring up the matter from back then, but unexpectedly, Brother Yanshu started asking about it.

Qin Shengyi frowned in annoyance. She shouldn't have kept asking Xu Yanshu questions before; otherwise, he wouldn't have become suspicious.

Logically, she should formally thank him, but perhaps due to a sense of trepidation, she inexplicably didn't want Brother Yan Shu to know that she was the little girl who always hid behind him back then...

Just then, a colleague passed by the break room and noticed that Qin Shengyi's complexion was off. He immediately asked with concern, "Shengyi, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

"Ah...no, I'm fine!" Qin Shengyi finally came to her senses.

"Alright then, by the way, someone's looking for you outside!"

Unable to guess who it might be for a moment, Qin Shengyi frowned in confusion, nodded slightly, and took a step out of the studio. There she saw Xie Junyang standing to the side with his men.

She frowned in resistance, took a deep breath, and then said, "Chairman Xie, you wanted to see me!"

"Representative Qin, I really do want to have a talk with you. Can we speak privately for a moment?"

Qin Shengyi didn't want to say much to the other party, but seeing that they had already found the door, she couldn't continue talking and followed Xie Junyang into the nearby teahouse.

“Huanyu has been spoiled by me since she was a child. She has offended you in many ways before, and I have already taught her a lesson. She will apologize to you in person in a couple of days.”

Qin Shengyi didn't buy it. "There's no need to force someone. Xie Huanyu said before that she would never apologize to me."

“That was just something the girl said in a fit of anger. I’m sure Representative Qin is a magnanimous person and won’t hold it against her,” Xie Junyang waved his hand listlessly. “But I’m here today to talk about financing…”

"I have made this very clear: our company has decided to invest in Tianhong Company."

"But as far as I know, this matter hasn't been formalized in the contract yet. It's all up to us, there's definitely still room for maneuver!" Xie Junyang's tone suddenly became serious.

He knew perfectly well that turning the situation around wouldn't be easy, but when he learned that AC and Tianhong hadn't officially signed a contract yet, he felt there might still be a chance to try.

Is this an attempt to force a sale?

Feeling a surge of disgust, Qin Shengyi's expression noticeably softened. Like father, like daughter; the father and daughter's ways of doing things were exactly alike.

"Yes, the contract hasn't been signed yet, but we've reached an internal agreement, and there can't be any further changes."

"Oh? I thought you would still consider Xu Yanshu to some extent, after all, he's still with the Xie Group,"

Having run out of patience, Xie Junyang's face immediately turned cold. He glanced coldly at Qin Shengyi and said, "Then I think the higher-ups at AC still don't know that you chose Tianhong Company because of personal grudges!"

"You don't need to threaten me here. I have a clear conscience about this matter!"

"I have other things to attend to, so I'll have to keep you company for now!"

As Qin Shengyi spoke, he suddenly stood up from his seat, then resolutely turned around. Just as he was about to take a step, he heard Xie Junyang speak softly.

"The thirty-day cooling-off period is almost halfway over. Xu Yanshu has spent a lot of time trying to divorce my daughter. I believe Representative Qin, as a friend, wouldn't want him to fail at the last minute!"

——

As Jiang Zhengyu's words proved prophetic, that afternoon Xu Yanshu had just finished his business and was walking towards the company when he was stopped by a bodyguard in black at the Xie Group.

"Mr. Xu, my young master would like to invite you over for a chat!"

Following the other person's directions, Xu Yanshu looked up and indeed saw a Rolls-Royce parked on the side of the road. His eyes flickered slightly.

It arrived faster than he expected!

With no intention of avoiding the situation, Xu Yanshu nodded slightly and followed the bodyguard toward the Rolls-Royce. Once inside, he saw a face with sharp, angular features.

At that moment, Zhou Zehao subconsciously looked up at Xu Yanshu, a dark light flashing quickly in his eyes.

No wonder they are father and son by blood; Xu Yanshu and that old man Zhou Shengyu look very similar in their features.

He's incredibly lucky; he was left to fend for himself in the park, yet he still managed to survive!

Xu Yanshu broke the silence by speaking first, "I wonder what advice Young Master Zhou has for me?"

"I wouldn't call it giving you guidance, but I've heard people say that you have a lot of business talent, so I thought I'd like to meet you," Zhou Zehao said casually, crossing his legs. "You might not know this, but you look remarkably like my father."

"Really? It should just be a coincidence. My father doesn't have any brothers who are blood relatives, so our two families shouldn't be related at all."

Knowing full well that the other party was deliberately testing his attitude, Xu Yanshu shrugged indifferently.

"Your dad? You mean your adoptive father, right?"

"Yes, in my heart he is my only biological father, and I will always be surnamed Xu until I die!"

Although I know that it's difficult to dispel the other party's hostility with just a few words, I still need to make my position clear to prevent some people from deliberately using this to stir up trouble.

And this was his truest thought. Xu Yanshu's lips twitched slightly as he recalled the days when his family was together, and a touch of warmth gradually appeared in his deep eyes.

Although his family wasn't wealthy, his father and grandmother always treated him like their own son, providing him with the best possible conditions within their means and unconditionally supporting all his decisions.

Zhou Zehao immediately thought more highly of Xu Yanshu, assuming he would pretend not to know anything.

As he pondered, he narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. But there are too many hypocrites in this world, and saying one thing doesn't necessarily mean one has no ulterior motives.

With his strikingly similar face, the Zhou couple could hardly remain calm whenever they saw him.

"It's rare to find someone as insightful and open-minded as Mr. Xu. But if my parents met you, they would definitely feel like old friends at first sight."

Xu Yanshu frowned in resistance, remained silent for a moment, and then said in a low voice, with a noncommittal smile, "Does Young Master Zhou like to make assumptions? Then you must be living a very tiring life!"