sincere
The days after You Jiale moved away from Yunyintang were not as easy as he had imagined. He seemed to have suddenly found himself in a more complex and unknown environment.
This path is like a bottomless whirlpool; once you step into it, it's difficult to escape. He wasn't truly "Yu Shanhe" (a figure associated with mountains and rivers), lacking that unwavering faith and the resolve to die for it.
During the day, busy with "Le Ji Delivery" allowed him to temporarily forget those messy thoughts, but once night fell and the house quieted down, those ideas gnawed at his mind like worms. He couldn't help but wonder if he really had the guts to throw himself into such a dangerous situation? Giving up his hard-won peaceful life for a seemingly noble ideal, what if he lost his life...?
Lost in thought, a soft knock on the door interrupted his reverie.
He got up and opened the door, where he saw He Mingzhou standing.
"Jiale, I hope I haven't disturbed your rest so late at night."
You Jiale was taken aback. "Brother He, what brings you here?"
He Mingzhou smiled gently and said calmly, "The scenery here is nice. I was just passing by and thought I'd see some friends."
"So you scouted this place beforehand?" You Jiale sat back down at the table, her tone still wary. "In the middle of the night, you're not here to check if I'm hiding any ledgers, are you?"
He Mingzhou sat down and poured himself a glass of water. "I just came to see you. You've looked quite tired lately."
You Jiale forced a smile. "It's alright. People die for money, and birds die for food."
He Mingzhou put down his water glass, paused slightly, and said, "You're really stubborn. I was worried you'd be unhappy by yourself, so I saw if there was anything I could do to help you."
To be honest, He Mingzhou's "concern" was by no means accidental.
He recalled the seemingly unintentional reminder he gave when he overheard Zhang Xiande and Pei Zhiyuan's conversation at the banquet.
He also recalled that on the day He Mingzhou took him to see the play, Zhang Xiande had warned him to stay away from He Mingzhou. It seemed that those words weren't just casual remarks. Did Zhang Xiande already know something back then?
After all, He Mingzhou seemed quite familiar with Pei Zhiyuan. The city isn't that big; they're all in the same circle, how could they not know each other?
Are you kidding me?
At the banquet, He Mingzhou seemingly inadvertently let him overhear those conversations about Zhang Xiande and Pei Zhiyuan.
There's definitely something wrong with He Mingzhou.
“Brother He, you’re too kind. Whether he values ‘Leji’ or not, ‘Leji’ is my life’s work, and I won’t let it be destroyed so easily.” You Jiale maintained a normal demeanor on the surface.
He Mingzhou turned around and looked at You Jiale with a hint of inquiry in his eyes: "Jiale, with your talent, the future of 'Leji Delivery' is bright. If there's anything I can do to help you, just let me know."
He Mingzhou seemed intent on getting close to him, but he wasn't sure of the other's true intentions. Why was He Mingzhou so interested in him? Was it merely because of the commercial value of "Leji Delivery"? Or was it because of his relationship with Zhang Xiande? Furthermore, the fact that He Mingzhou knew Pei Zhiyuan made him even more puzzled. Pei Zhiyuan had always considered him a thorn in his side, yet He Mingzhou seemed to be intentionally approaching him—what was the connection between them?
"Brother He is so good to me. I've even managed to talk to government officials now. My ancestors' graves must be emitting auspicious smoke." You Jiale continued to deceive him.
He Mingzhou raised his hand and affectionately patted You Jiale's head, "Only you have this honor."
You Jiale was genuinely stunned by this action, paused for a second, and then quickly returned to normal.
When they talked about You Jiale, they even started pretending to yawn.
Seeing this, He Mingzhou felt embarrassed to stay any longer, so he stood up and said, "It's late, you should get some rest. We'll have more opportunities to meet in the future."
"That's for sure." You Jiale got up and saw He Mingzhou to the door.
After seeing off this important person, he walked to the table, poured himself a glass of cold water, and drank it down in one gulp. He began to review his several encounters with He Mingzhou; each time the other appeared, it seemed so "timely," and each conversation seemed to carry some kind of implication.
He sighed. Faced with He Mingzhou's overtures, he couldn't directly refuse, after all, he had now left Zhang Xiande's protection and couldn't afford to make enemies easily. But he knew very well that he had to remain extremely vigilant towards He Mingzhou.
In the days that followed, He Mingzhou would frequently find various excuses to visit You Jiale, either to inquire about the operation of "Leji Delivery" or to invite him to dinner or a movie. You Jiale maintained a polite demeanor on the surface, keeping a seemingly friendly but actually wary relationship with He Mingzhou.
Zhang Xiande looked at the latest operational report on "Leji Delivery" on the table. The data was encouraging, just like You Jiale himself, always bringing unexpected "surprises." However, this impressive report card did not help him recover from the complicated emotions he felt after You Jiale moved out.
The guest rooms at Yunyin Hall were very clean, but something felt missing—perhaps the man's boisterous voice and unruly posture. He admitted that keeping You Jiale under his watchful eye was primarily for safety, since the man seemed to be caught up in some vortex that even he couldn't fully control.
Qin Zheng has reported this several times. Since You Jiale moved out, He Mingzhou has become a "regular visitor".
He Mingzhou? A barely perceptible sneer curled at the corner of Zhang Xiande's mouth. How could You Jiale's seemingly unintentional words at the banquet have escaped his ears? He could tell that You Jiale was being cautiously polite to He Mingzhou, and even had a hint of using him.
Could it be that in his eyes, He Mingzhou, a commissioner of the municipal government, was more valuable than him, the boss who could provide protection? This realization made Zhang Xiande feel uneasy, as if the flower he had carefully cultivated was being coveted.
Could it be that he thinks He Mingzhou is better than him and wants to climb the social ladder by marrying someone else? This thought sent a shiver of unease through Zhang Xiande's mind. He, Zhang Xiande, had been navigating the business world for many years, relying not only on his family background but also on his shrewdness and ruthlessness.
He Mingzhou was merely a government official; he might offer temporary convenience, but in truly chaotic times, one could only rely on their own strength. Couldn't You Jiale see that the one who could truly protect him was Zhang Xiande?
Or is there some misunderstanding between us? Zhang Xiande recalled You Jiale's occasional joking probing. It seemed she was wary of something. Perhaps it was because his previous attitude had been too forceful and probing that the other person mistakenly thought he was just using him?
What should he do next? Since You Jiale is wary of him, he should put aside his probing and prove his sincerity with concrete actions. He can no longer stand idly by while "Leji Delivery" faces obstacles; he needs to let You Jiale know that he is not only his boss but also a reliable support. As for He Mingzhou… let him test him. Zhang Xiande wants to see what tricks this Commissioner He is up to.
He believed that as long as he put his heart into it, one day, You Jiale would understand his feelings.
—----
Confidence is a good thing for a man, but Zhang Xiande seems to have forgotten a very important, and perhaps most important, point.
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