Chapter 29 Love is a limb that can revive…

Chapter 30

North City, the rooftop banquet hall of the largest five-star hotel under the Jiang Group.

Waiters carefully weaved through the crowd carrying expensive champagne and red wine, while a band played soothing classical symphonies, filling the air with an atmosphere of extravagant wealth.

Although it was early November, the banquet hall was as warm as April.

Huawan has a habit of gathering all the shareholders and directors who are going to attend the meeting before holding a shareholders' meeting involving important matters. On the surface, it is a way to relax before the long meeting, but in reality, it is to facilitate the exchange of information among shareholders, to gain a deeper understanding of the candidates, and to learn about the inclinations of other shareholders.

The shareholders clinked glasses with smiles on their faces, their social skills adept and experienced. Sometimes, a single glance was enough for them to understand each other perfectly. Even Jiang Jing, who had recently gone on several rampages at home because of Zhao Qian's imprisonment, maintained a polite smile as he socialized among the crowd.

Jiang Jing is foolish, but not stupid. If Jiang Zhiyan's second uncle gains the upper hand in this shareholders' meeting and takes over Huawan in one fell swoop, then her current luxurious and decadent life will naturally be unsustainable.

Jiang Zhiyan coldly watched as her exquisitely made-up face revealed a kind and gentle smile, as if she were wearing a hypocritical mask.

He lowered his eyes quietly, the pale wine swaying between his fingertips reflecting the cold, distant light from the crystal chandelier, indifferent and glaring.

How have you been feeling lately?

After finishing his social engagements, Chen Yue sat down next to Jiang Zhiyan, a hint of worry in his eyes.

Last week's shareholders' meeting was postponed because Jiang Zhiyan's second uncle was in a car accident. Although he was alright, he is not a young man and was still quite frightened. He rested in bed for two days before he recovered.

Jiang Zhiyan went directly to Chuancheng the day before his second uncle's car accident. No one knew about this trip except Chen Yue, so Chen Yue personally drove to Beicheng Airport to pick up Jiang Zhiyan last week.

Those shareholders are all incredibly shrewd. If they knew that Jiang Zhiyan left Beicheng the day before the scheduled shareholders' meeting, and that Jiang Zhiyan's second uncle happened to be in a car accident on his way to the meeting, they could guess with their own eyes who did it.

So when Chen Yue received Jiang Zhiyan's message asking him to help get rid of Ren Yu, he was so scared that several blisters appeared on his lips. His family had placed all their bets on Jiang Zhiyan. If Jiang Zhiyan didn't get the Jiang family to inject capital into his family, his family's cash flow would be cut off at any moment.

Fortunately, less than half an hour later, news came that Jiang Zhiyan's second uncle had been in a car accident. Chen Yue silently canceled his hastily devised plan to delay the meeting, and was once again certain that Jiang Zhiyan was still the cold-hearted scoundrel he had known since childhood.

Jiang Zhiyan glanced at him quietly. His hair was combed back, revealing a smooth forehead. He was as handsome and dashing as ever. He just stood there and smiled casually, as if the sunlight was shining through the glass window, making the room sparkle.

"fine."

The language is concise and economical.

Chen Yue rolled his eyes, almost unable to resist wanting Jiang Zhiyan to see for himself the disheveled state of the man surnamed Jiang when he picked him up at Beicheng Airport.

Chen Yue was startled when he saw Jiang Zhiyan downstairs at the terminal.

As a lawyer, Jiang Zhiyan always paid special attention to his public image. His shirt was wrinkled, he wasn't wearing a tie, and his pupils were full of fine, dense, network-like red blood vessels. His suit jacket was draped over his arm, and his expression revealed a strong sense of weariness and decadence.

Chen Yue was terrified, thinking that Hua Wan had completely changed hands and that Jiang Zhiyan was about to be expelled from the Jiang family.

The result was simply that I got dumped and couldn't win her back.

Chen Yue breathed a sigh of relief, but he was still unsure whether Jiang Zhiyan would go to Chuancheng again, perhaps during the shareholders' meeting a week later.

Jiang Zhiyan only lost love, but he lost the rapidly decreasing RMB and USD in the company's accounts. Can these be compared?

The cold light reflected on Jiang Zhiyan's skin, as if coating him with a layer of inorganic metallic luster. After the social smile disappeared from his face, he became as indifferent as if he had been drained of his life force.

After dealing with several shareholders who approached them, Chen Yue looked at Jiang Zhiyan. Seeing that Jiang's expression was neither happy nor angry, Chen Yue still felt a little uneasy. He couldn't help but half-jokingly say:

"You wouldn't go to Chuancheng again, would you?"

Chen Yue also had his own selfish motives. From a public perspective, if Jiang Zhiyan became a shareholder of the Jiang family in the future, a stable business marriage would also be beneficial to the company's development.

Personally, Chen Yue and Jiang Zhiyan had been childhood friends for twenty years, and he didn't want to see Jiang Zhiyan looking haggard and tired because of relationship troubles.

—

Chen Yue still remembers the scene last week when he drove to Yishui Tingju to pick up Jiang Zhiyan before the meeting the next day because he was worried about Jiang Zhiyan's condition.

As soon as the door opened, Jiang Zhiyan on the sofa turned around abruptly, her gaze filled with excitement, as if a sculpture had been transformed, instantly overflowing with vitality and energy.

But this glimmer of hope lasted only a moment. After seeing who it was, Jiang Zhiyan quickly cooled down, like a bucket of cold water poured on hot iron. After the sizzling sound subsided, Chen Tie was still Chen Tie, sitting there stiffly and coldly.

Seeing Jiang Zhiyan in this state because of Xia Zhiyu, Chen Yue felt a pang of sympathy and couldn't help but offer words of comfort.

"If you broke up, you broke up. Just treat Xia as an obstacle and get over it. You've already resolved your parents' issues, so there's no need to worry about these emotional ups and downs. Right, Zhiyan? We're almost thirty years old. Talking about these love affairs is so pointless."

Jiang Zhiyan didn't reply or look at him. Chen Yue reluctantly shut up, but he couldn't help feeling sad for his distraught friend.

Having known each other for so many years, he had never seen Jiang Zhiyan's emotions rise and fall so much because of someone, or her heartbreak that kept her up all night. Even though he knew that matters of the heart couldn't be forced, Chen Yue still couldn't help but harbor some prejudice against Xia Zhiyu.

If you felt it wasn't right, why force it in the first place? You've been together for so many years, how can you just let go like that? Did you stop loving me just like that? Was your five-year relationship just a paper airplane, something you can throw away so easily?

But he didn't dare say these things in front of Jiang Zhiyan.

It wasn't until the car started and drove to the park at the entrance of the residential area that Jiang Zhiyan replied to him in a cold tone:

"Xia Zhiyu is not an obstacle for me."

"In the five years I was with her, I experienced for the first time what it meant to be alive."

"She saved me."

How can it be a hurdle? Fish can survive in any river, lake, or even a small basin.

But what's the difference between a river without fish and a stagnant pool?

Xia Zhiyu showed Jiang Zhiyan a completely different world—warm, happy, and bright.

But he lost Xia Zhiyu because of that insignificant bit of pride.

Jiang Zhiyan leaned against the car window, waves of slow but intense pain surging through her heart.

Chen Yue glanced at him in the rearview mirror. The man, who was usually not one to show his emotions, had bloodshot eyes and looked haggard and pitiful.

"Stop talking."

Jiang Zhiyan interrupted him coldly, "We're only temporarily separated. I'm not completely hopeless. You can get divorced after marriage, let alone her just being in a relationship."

Chen Yue fell silent; he could hardly believe his ears.

Seriously? Your moral standards as law students are this low? Have you gone so far as to become utterly depraved?

Jiang Zhiyan continued speaking to himself:

“We were together for five years. I accompanied her through tunnels and across broken bridges. On weekends, we would snuggle on the sofa to watch movies and play games. When ordering takeout, she would throw the dishes she didn’t like into my bowl, like a pea shooter throwing carrots, corn, and bok choy.”

Jiang Zhiyan smiled as she spoke, her eyes sparkling with warmth. "Experiences and memories can't be erased; that's the foundation of our love."

When you've been together for a long time, your feelings may become mundane and you may feel tired, but as long as those beautiful past experiences resurface, the feelings from that time will surge back into your heart like a tide.

Love is a feeling that can be rekindled.

Ren Yu and Xia Zhiyu had known each other for so many years but had never been able to be together, while he and Xia Zhiyu fell in love the moment they met.

Your heartbeat will tell you who the right person is.

He and Xia Zhiyu were the ones who truly loved each other.

—

In a corner of the banquet hall, after Chen Yue finished asking his question, Jiang Zhiyan lowered his eyes and remained silent for a long while.

Just as Chen Yue was about to take out two nitroglycerin pills, he replied in a very soft voice:

"I won't be going for the time being."

A shadow fell over his brow.

Seeing this, Chen Yue couldn't help but recall how Jiang Zhiyan and Xia Zhiyu had just gotten together. Back then, he and Jiang Zhiyan were in Italy following up on the same international merger and acquisition case. They were so busy every day that they had to rely on coffee to keep going.

At the time, he didn't know that Jiang Zhiyan was in a relationship. It was during a dinner gathering with some of the older lawyers in the group that he jokingly asked if they had any vacation time after finishing their busy schedules, as they needed to queue up to buy bags for their wives.

"I love you, baby, kiss kiss!"

It is well known that lawyers, having witnessed countless lovers entangled in money to the point of being repulsive, are prone to losing faith in love, especially those over thirty who are still single, who are essentially cut off from a life of wife, children, and warmth.

This guy isn't just showing off; he's practically dancing and bouncing wildly in the faces of a bunch of thirty-year-old bachelors.

Chen Yue jumped up first, jokingly instigating Jiang Zhiyan, the person in charge, to book a flight back to China on the afternoon the work ended, so as not to give these people a chance to buy things.

Who knew that Jiang Zhiyan, that brat, would laugh and push him away, saying...

"That won't do. I also need to buy something for my girlfriend and prepare a surprise."

After saying that, he turned to the young man next to him for advice and asked:

"What gifts have you bought for your girlfriend before? I've picked out a few these past few days, but I'm not sure if she'll like them. Do you have any experience and can help me take a look?"

While the other bachelors were drinking and bragging, the two of them were studying the "surprise list for wives" on Xiaohongshu (a Chinese social media platform), mainly looking at the surprises posted by the girls in the comments section, their attitude as serious as if they were investigating a difficult case.

His smile occasionally revealed a strong sense of being a married man, as if he had been possessed, which sent chills down Chen Yue's spine.

And this situation is increasingly appearing in all of Jiang Zhiyan's schedules; love is spreading in his life at a speed comparable to the flu virus.

Almost everyone knows that Jiang Zhiyan is in a relationship, but no one knows who it is, not even Chen Yue.

Given the complicated situation of the Jiang family, Chen Yue felt that if Jiang Zhiyan hadn't drunk too much that day, he would never have let anyone know about his girlfriend.

This person is always cautious, especially in all matters related to Xia Zhiyu.

Even while he was in a meeting in the United States, he didn't forget to arrange a car to pick up Xia Zhiyu, who was out having fun with her friends in the strong winds.

While saying that he had to teach her a lesson this time, he actually not only arranged a car but also reserved a room for her at the hotel, so that Xia Zhiyu wouldn't be left with nowhere to go if it got really windy and rainy.

Especially considering what Jiang Zhiyan said to him in the car last time, Chen Yue found it hard to imagine that the decisive and cold man in court would be snuggling on the sofa with his girlfriend, playing games and watching TV sweetly, and even eating the leftovers that his girlfriend wouldn't eat.

It's important to know that Jiang Zhiyan is a product of American education; during regular meals, he wouldn't even glance at a dish that someone else has touched with their chopsticks.

Why do I suddenly become a hypocrite when it comes to my girlfriend?

Later, after the power struggle within the Jiang family stabilized, Jiang Zhiyan finally brought Chen Yue to meet Xia Zhiyu.

When Chen Yue first saw the two of them holding hands, he was shocked, his eyes widening as if they were about to pop out of their sockets.

How could two completely unrelated people fall in love?

Xia Zhiyu is clearly a naive girl. Her eyes are round and clean, as clear as freshly melted snow from a snow mountain. She wears her heart on her sleeve.

What about Jiang Zhiyan? The words "cunning and scheming" are tailor-made for him. Others are full of livers, but he is full of cunning. If you could cut a cross-section of him, it would definitely be comparable to a honeycomb.

But upon further reflection, it seems quite reasonable. Love is like a magnet, always attracting those who are completely different from oneself. Jiang Zhiyan and Xia Zhiyu are like missing pieces in each other's life puzzles. Once they are put together, they are both complete.

This is a kind of happiness that warms your heart just by looking at it.

The hot pot we had for our get-together was supposedly Xia Zhiyu's favorite restaurant when she was in graduate school. The restaurant wasn't big, but it was very clean. It looked like a family of five was busy working there. The youngest one looked to be only ten years old, but he was already serving food and preparing dipping sauces for the customers.

Xia Zhiyu stirred the colorful ice jelly, smiling as she spoke to the two of them.

"I did the same when I was a child. My mom ran a steamed bun shop, and I would go and help her for a while before going to school. I was very good at serving porridge and packing steamed buns."

She spoke naturally, without any sense of unworthiness that arose from her family running a small business while Jiang Zhiyan was at the very top of the pyramid.

Jiang Zhiyan was preparing the dipping sauce for her. The young master, who used to never lift a finger, was busy scalding the bowls, rinsing the vegetables, and picking out the meat for her. Upon hearing this, he casually replied:

"You used to be so skilled at it, but I never saw you do any housework at home."

"Oh, now I have my best boyfriend in the world to do the work."

Xia Zhiyu wrapped her arms around Jiang Zhiyan's arm, her coquettish tone natural, her eyes revealing a happy and mischievous spirit.

Jiang Zhiyan's ears turned completely red. He didn't say anything, but just kept putting the tripe into Xia Zhiyu's bowl.

Chen Yue had taken that plate of tripe. Although all the tripe ended up in Xia Zhiyu's bowl, Chen Yue inexplicably felt full.

But Chen Yue still felt inexplicably gratified. After all, it was quite interesting to see his brother become someone else's dog, especially when this brother was the heartless capitalist who used to exploit him.

But later Chen Yue discovered that Jiang Zhiyan's concern for Xia Zhiyu seemed to far exceed his imagination.

The arrogant young master bowed down to his own mother, who had hurt him countless times, for Xia Zhiyu's future. Jiang Zhiyan knew that giving a portion of the shares to Jiang Jing was no different from giving them to that old bastard Zhao Qian, and would inevitably make it more difficult for him to seize the Jiang family business in the future.

Xia Zhiyu was unaware of the scheming and backstabbing within the mansion. She was focused on securing an interview opportunity with Huawan, hoping to surprise Jiang Zhiyan with an offer.

However, Hua Wan was still in Jiang Jing's hands at the time. Jiang Jing disliked Xia Zhiyu, whom her son liked, and had no intention of giving Xia Zhiyu any chance.

Jiang Jing wields too much influence in Beicheng; if she so desires, Xia Zhiyu will only keep running into obstacles.

It wasn't until Jiang Zhiyan bowed down to her and gave Jiang Jing a small portion of the shares that Xia Zhiyu was able to enter the industry safely and obtain good resources.

He didn't tell Xia Zhiyu any of this; Jiang Zhiyan carefully protected her career.

Frankly speaking, Chen Yue asked himself honestly, it was impossible for any of the wealthy young men around him to produce a second Jiang Zhiyan.

Unfortunately, the couple he thought were a match made in heaven broke up, and it seems that the breakup was quite messy.

Chen Yue sighed heavily, shook his head as he watched Jiang Zhiyan calmly negotiating with others.

If Jiang Zhiyan and Xia Zhiyu both end up like this, then he will really be disappointed in love, okay?

—

Shortly after the banquet ended, Jiang Jing walked up to Jiang Zhiyan with a smile and asked in a kind tone:

"I heard you recently broke up with that girl completely. How is it? Wasn't I right before? No matter how hard you try, a love that's forced to fit will never be true love."

After saying that, she smiled smugly. She was well-maintained and had strikingly beautiful eyebrows and eyes that were almost identical to Jiang Zhiyan's. But in Jiang Zhiyan's eyes, she was no different from a demon.

Do you think she knows you've been seeing a psychiatrist lately?

-----------------------

Author's Note: A sweet chapter!

(Candy mixed with shards of glass isn't candy!)