Chapter 35 Chapter 35

In the P City Business Terminal, a tall, graceful man glanced around the lounge. He took off his thin woolen coat. The waiter was about to take it, but he waved it away.

Lu Ye tilted his head and gave instructions. The waiter left, and he stretched out his long legs and walked leisurely towards a man who was sleeping soundly with his eyes closed in the corner.

The man's fair cheeks were tinged with pink, his hair half covered his eyebrows and eyes, his limbs were limp and drooping, and when he got close, he could faintly smell of alcohol.

He seemed to be feeling stuffy, with his collar ripped open to reveal his chest, and his silk embroidered shirt hung wrinkled on his body.

Lu Ye was about to cover him with his coat, but he walked closer and paused to examine him for a moment. He pulled out his phone, accurately pointed it at him, and took several photos in quick succession. He then zoomed in for a close-up of his slightly parted mouth.

Satisfied, she locked the screen, draped her soft, expensive coat over him, and sat down on the other side. The waiter brought two glasses of warm boiled water and placed them on the small table between them.

Shen Xingyu woke up from a light sleep. The melodious airport announcement drifted faintly from beyond the soundproof wall, audible in the stillness of the night. He furrowed his brow, raised his eyes, and rubbed his temples. First, he caught sight of the familiar coat, then Lu Ye, half a meter away, energetically examining a research report.

"Are you done?" he asked, yawning.

"Um."

Lu Ye stared intently at the screen on his lap, typing out a few lines of revisions. Shen Xingyu's eyes finally adjusted to the light, and his first focus was on the tip of Lu Ye's leather shoe, which was lightly tapping the ground.

He always sat as still as a bell, even his shoulders straight enough to hold a level. When did this little gesture come about? Apparently, participating in a dating show has transformed him into something more lively.

Shen Xingyu asked calmly, "What's your game tonight? You're even later than me."

"Guest dinner." Lu Ye threw out a few concise words, his mind completely focused on the report in front of him.

Shen Xingyu picked up the water glass and asked casually, "Who are they?"

"Zhan Nianqing, Guan Haifu, An Jiyue." It was his habit to call out names.

Shen Xingyu immediately raised his eyebrows, quite surprised: "Why is Boss Zhu not here? Come on, do you really think you are here to have a relationship? Our other departments are waiting for Boss Zhu's project——"

Lu Ye closed his computer resignedly and decided to read the report on the plane.

As soon as the topic of the project came up, the drunk man beside her suddenly sobered up alarmingly, his peach blossom eyes gleaming like stars. "I'm not saying you can't talk about it, but you need to get the job done first. Last time you went to meet Boss Zhu privately, it seemed like a good start, but why haven't you heard from him since then?"

Lu Ye's brows furrowed as he rolled his eyes at him in disgust. Whether it was a normal business visit or an unusual private exchange, Shen Xingyu would likely only have one word for it: "Get it done."

He grew up in such a family, so everything and everyone seemed so-so to him.

It is said that Shen Xingyu went to the business wine table when he was ten years old. He took sparkling water to toast the uncles and aunts at the table, and his mouth was full of auspicious words without repeating himself.

He was adept at flattery at the dinner table, and even had a talent for it, but his goal was clear: to make the business a success.

No matter the size of the business or what the stakes are, if you can do it, do it; if you can’t, change it.

Shen Xingyu's approach to things is so simple and crude, yet invincible.

Having also grown up with a silver spoon in her mouth, An Jiyue was completely different. She was gifted to a different degree, yet she treated everything as dirt and paid no attention to it.

But sometimes, she seemed to have selfish motives. Lu Ye thought of the quarrel at the table just now, and his eyes darkened.

"Boss Zhu's project should be abandoned as soon as possible. She won't accept investment from Company Z."

"Why?" Shen Xingyu felt as if he had been hit hard on the head.

"She has been in contact with Anshi Capital for a long time. Anshi's leader also came forward to talk to her, and the two have a close relationship."

The last time Lu Ye visited, he hadn't missed the graceful figure gliding gracefully from Zhu Ling's office. It was An Jiyue, the dignified and serene figure he rarely saw. Even from behind, she was graceful and elegant, as clear as water.

Even before entering, he had a premonition that Zhu Ling and An Jiyue might be particularly compatible. Although Zhu Ling was always extremely gorgeous and gorgeous, and An Jiyue was often as gentle as jade, they both seemed to possess an enduring tenacity in their bones.

Zhu Ling has gone through years of hard work to get to where she is today, so where did An Jiuyue forge her character?

Lu Ye often felt that during the time they missed each other, although his life was blank and monotonous, An Jiuyue must have spent four colorful years.

His suspicions were confirmed during a few casual conversations. Zhu Ling was polite and distant about his visit on behalf of Company Z, but when she spoke of their mutual acquaintance, "Director An," her expression became lively and full of praise.

Even later, when Zhu Ling looked at An Jiuyue on the set, her eyes would occasionally reveal pity and love.

There is no need to doubt who will win the bid for her promising flower tea project.

"Anshi Capital..." Shen Xingyu repeated doubtfully. "Hasn't Anshi's boss been replaced by a young woman? It's said she's overseas, elusive and mysterious. How could she actually show up in person this time?"

"Well. Maybe he has returned to China a long time ago." Lu Ye corrected tactfully.

"It's surprising that they acted so decisively... I've met that girl from Anshi Capital before, but I can't imagine her working in this line of work."

Lu Ye glanced at him sharply: "Have you seen it?"

"Yes, I saw her at a dinner party at my house when I was a kid. She seemed pretty and cute, with big eyes." Shen Xingyu always had a photographic memory for people and things at such occasions. "The adults were talking about business, and the children gathered together to have fun. I was two years older and the host, so all the children followed me around to play, except for her."

It was another period of time in her life that he had missed. Lu Ye remained silent, listening to him continue to reminisce.

"A group of us played hide-and-seek and shared snacks, but she wasn't interested. How could I, the king of the children, ever suffer such a setback? I just ignored everyone else and asked her what she wanted to play. And guess what—the little girl only loved watching TV!"

Lu Ye let out a stifled sneer. Shen Xingyu shook his head in frustration. "Then she just sat in the living room and watched TV all night. It wasn't even cartoons, but some utterly boring travel show called 'Take You on a Vacation'."

It really seems like something she could do.

In an instant, the image of a student among a group of students busy taking notes and listening to the professor's lecture appeared in front of his eyes. He was alone, holding a tablet computer and concentrating on watching a variety show.

"What's that expression on your face?"

Shen Xingyu noticed that he was listening with great interest, and a gentle expression seemed to flow through his cold face.

"Nothing." Lu Ye lowered the corner of his lips and turned his face away.

"Oh, that girl's name is An. What's An's name?" He scratched his head and thought hard, "I think it's, Yue or something?"

The three words "An Jiyue" were stuck in Lu Ye's throat and he swallowed them back.

"Oh, right, An Jiyue!" Shen Xingyu clapped his hands. When he called out these three words, he suddenly felt vaguely familiar. He recalled his memory with a strange feeling, "An Jiyue..."

The dark pupils of the man beside him rolled around, and his aura became disordered.

A flash of light flashed through Shen Xingyu's mind, and he suddenly asked, "Lu Ye, who did you have dinner with tonight?"

The man said nothing, his Adam's apple rolled, and his eyes turned to the other side, as if he was interested in the fashion magazine on the table.

Mr. Shen, who was well versed in human nature, immediately understood everything. He narrowed his peach blossom eyes at him and reached out to pat his broad shoulders vigorously.

"You didn't succeed in getting close to Boss Zhu, so you switched your target directly to Anshi Capital, the company behind it. You're very smart."

Lu Ye ignored his restless hands. His phone on the side of his pants suddenly vibrated, and a text message came in.

[P City Public Security Traffic Police] Your small car, license plate number XXXXXXXXX, was parked at an inappropriate time and location, violating Article 56 of the Road Traffic Safety Law. Since this car has a temporary license plate, please bring the physical ticket attached to your vehicle to the traffic violation processing window of the P City XXX Police Station within 15 days of receiving this text message. Tel: 0755-6500110.

His fingers loosened, and he wanted to hold his forehead. But he unconsciously entered the address from the text message into the map and looked at the Google Street View of the surrounding area.

It's an ordinary one-way street, but turning into the nearest alley reveals a snack street overflowing with delicious food. White mist lingers over the fragrant thousand-layer pancakes and savory stews, and the vibrant atmosphere of the street view seems to overflow the screen.

Did she stop here temporarily because she suddenly felt greedy?

Lu Ye's lips curved into a faint smile, and at the same time he automatically imagined An Jiyue returning home with a full box of snacks, only to have the helpless look on her face when she saw the ticket.

"...That's good too. You still need resources to survive in this industry. You've finally figured it out and found a clear path."

The fragments of Shen Xingyu's monologue drifted into his ears. Lu Ye raised his eyebrows and asked, "What did you say?"

"Resources! Connections!" Shen Xingyu emphasized loudly, analyzing the pros and cons for him. "Anshi Capital did very well overseas in the past few years, and their performance in China is also very good. If you can get together with Anshi's sister, you will save twenty years of hard work in the financial industry and rise to the top."

The man's slightly tender expression suddenly turned cold, his lips pressed into a straight line. The muscles on his back gathered and tensed, becoming as hard as rock. His entire body felt like it was covered in thorns, pricking Shen Xingyu so much that he withdrew his hand.

"Why? I'm giving you good advice."

"Yeah. I know."

Dark flames swirled in Lu Ye's abyssal eyes. Having been in the industry for several years, he had already experienced the magical power of circles determining success or failure and relationships changing destiny.

He can be sophisticated at the dinner table, delivering elegant and polite speeches without being overbearing or servile. He can also be tactful, shifting from single-minded research to expanding his business capabilities, facilitating a comfortable research itinerary for his sponsors.

But some edges and corners are rooted in his heart, which he cannot remove, and is even less willing to abandon.

Just like back then, despite having a clear shortcut to success, he remained as cold and stubborn as ice, completely refusing to allow Anshi Capital, his backing, to come in. Even if it meant mutual destruction and the end of all ties, he refused to compromise his principles.