In late autumn in City A, withered yellow leaves fluttered in the air, and the bare branches of the trees looked particularly desolate in the cold wind.
Jiang Che, dressed in a sharp suit, sat in the back seat, watching the withered leaves dancing in the wind, lost in thought. A short while later, the driver, Xiao Li, announced, "Mr. Jiang, we've arrived at Shen's."
Jiang Che then came to his senses. Mu Xu opened the car door and stood outside waiting for him.
As soon as Jiang Che got out of the car, two people strode out of the lobby, with Lin Yi leading the way.
"President Jiang! Please come in!"
Jiang Che nodded and went straight inside. He had long legs and walked quickly, with Mu Xu and Lin Yi following closely behind.
The Jiang family and the Shen family have always had a long-term cooperative relationship. Jiang Che is quite familiar with the Shen family, so he went ahead on his own.
Because of his outstanding looks and temperament, Jiang Che attracted a lot of attention as he walked through the hall.
"Who is this? He's so good-looking, and Assistant Lin even came down to greet him personally."
In a corner of the hall, someone sized up Jiang Che and his group and asked in a low voice.
"You don't even recognize him? Jiang Che, the heir of the Jiang family."
"Wow, it's him! He's so handsome, much better looking than in the photos."
"Photographs are the most unreliable thing. Look at our CEO Shen, isn't he much better looking than in a photograph?"
Some exclaimed, "My God, God is so unfair! He gave them immense wealth and also gave them good looks."
"I wonder what kind of wife a man like that would choose?"
"Of course, only someone who is beautiful, elegant, well-educated, and capable in both formal and domestic settings deserves her."
"I heard that Miss Jiayi has a crush on President Jiang. I wonder if they can make it work?"
Jiang Che was completely unaware of their discussion. When he arrived at Shen Du's office, Shen Du was talking to Xie Yao about work. Only after seeing him enter did Shen Du ask Xie Yao to leave.
Jiang Che glanced at Xie Yao silently, and only went inside after she came out: "What are you busy with?"
Chen Du remained seated, simply nodding and saying, "Nothing, are you done with things in Shangyang?"
Jiang Che nodded and sat down in front of him. Then he heard Chen Du ask, "What's so special about Shangyang's project? Is it worth putting so much effort into it?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Che smiled and said, "It's nothing special. I did it because I thought it was worth it."
Upon hearing this, Shen Du turned to look at Jiang Che, instinctively feeling that he was somewhat different from before, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what exactly was different.
"What happened to you in Shangyang? You seem a little different." He didn't hide anything and asked directly.
Jiang Che smiled and answered just as directly, "I ran into Ye Zhao."
"Who?" Shen Du thought he had misheard.
When Jiang Che spoke of Ye Zhao, not only did he have a smile on his face that was different from usual, but his gaze also held a hint of scrutiny.
Jiang Che's eyes were sharp as he looked at Chen Du and said, "I also saw your son."
Shen Du was initially surprised, but then he felt it was normal. Their meeting was within his expectations. He just didn't expect that Ye Zhao and Jiang Che knew each other.
He vaguely remembered that the Ye family and the Jiang family had no contact a few years ago, so even though Jiang Che went to Shangyang, he didn't think the two would have any interaction, so he didn't pay any special attention to this matter.
When Shen Du met Jiang Che's gaze, his feelings became somewhat complicated.
Jiang Che looked at Shen Du and said very sincerely, "Yuanbao is very well-behaved and smart. Ye Zhao has raised him very well."
More curious about something else than that, Chen Du asked, "I remember the Ye family and the Jiang family didn't have any dealings. How did you and Ye Zhao meet?"
Jiang Che recalled his first encounter with Ye Zhao, and a faint smile appeared on his face: "We didn't know each other at first, but we got to know each other later."
Jiang Che is known in high society circles in City A for his gentle personality, his love of laughter, and his approachable nature.
However, Shen Du had grown up with him since childhood and had some understanding of his personality. Jiang Che was a warm-hearted person with a cold heart. He seemed approachable, but he wasn't actually that easy to get along with.
He usually smiles, but it's a gentle and polite smile, definitely not the kind of smile he has now. It seems to carry a hint of ambiguity, making it obvious to anyone that something is wrong.
Seeing this, Chen Du asked with a slight hesitation, "You and Ye Zhao..."
His gaze fell on Jiang Che's face, trying to discern any clues from Jiang Che's expression.
But Jiang Che suddenly spoke up and asked, "There's something I've always wanted to ask you."
Chen Du's eyes darkened: "Ask away."
Jiang Che looked into Chen Du's eyes, his tone serious and earnest: "Have you never had any feelings for Ye Zhao?"
Seeing Jiang Che's extremely serious attitude, Chen Du replied decisively, "Yes!"
After pausing for two seconds, he added, "If you have feelings for Ye Zhao... then you don't need to worry about me."
Shen Du never expected that these words would lead to such deep regret in his future.
Jiang Che received these words, but he was not happy.
Ultimately, he wasn't there to ask Shen Du for a clear answer about pursuing Ye Zhao openly. He was just worried that Ye Zhao had gone to such lengths for Shen Du back then, so what about the future? They had a child together, and if they continued to have more contact, something could happen between them. He didn't want to see that happen, so he had to take the initiative to prevent it from occurring.
"So be it," he thought. "It's really boring to be a gentleman in everything."
Jiang Che smiled sincerely and said, "Alright, I'm relieved to hear that."
Looking at the smile on Jiang Che's face, Shen Du was completely puzzled. Logically speaking, he knew Ye Zhao quite well, so he really couldn't understand why Jiang Che would have feelings for someone like Ye Zhao.
Although he also felt that Ye Zhao had changed a lot in the years that had passed, old habits die hard. Moreover, Ye Zhao had a child with him. They were all in the same circle, and it would be awkward to talk about it in the future. Why did Jiang Che do this?
Looking at the smile on Jiang Che's face, Chen Du slowly asked, "Why did you develop feelings for Ye Zhao?"
Jiang Che's smile faded slightly, and he replied, "Perhaps it's a matter of personal taste; you'll understand in the future."
Will he understand later? That's hard to say.
Having said that, Jiang Che didn't intend to say anything more and instead started talking about work. Shen Du also calmed down and seriously discussed the specific arrangements for the new project with him.
Compared to matters of the heart, Chen Du preferred to talk about work, at least it was his area of expertise. He and Jiang Che had grown up together since childhood and had a great working rapport. They were also very efficient in their discussions, and they drafted a preliminary plan in just two hours.
Lin Yi and Mu Xu were organizing documents when Jiang Che picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "Shall we have dinner together tonight?"
Chen Du nodded and said, "Okay."
Afterwards, the two went about their own work. When they sat together in the evening, Shen Du couldn't help but remind Yuan Bao about his situation.
Jiang Che smiled and said, "Don't worry, don't you know me?"
Shen Du nodded without saying anything more. It wasn't that he was worried; he was just being cautious.
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