Chapter 80: It's not shameful to snatch a green apple, but it's shameful to lose it. ...
There was constant laughter and conversation in the pavilion by the lake in the back garden. Old friends gathered together to enjoy tea and play with the fat baby in Song Shijin's family.
The Guan and Gu families were even closer, and they were so happy that they wished the fat boy in their arms was their own baby. Fang Jueshan was neither sad nor happy, and just drank tea by himself, which did not spoil the fun.
Fang Qingzhuo was in a dull mood and chatted casually with Song Shijin, who had just become a new father.
"Boy or girl?"
Song Shijin was a new father, and his face was filled with happiness. "You should change the wording. Is it cousin or sister?"
"Oh, is it a boy or a girl?"
Communication was difficult, and Song Shijin glanced at him: "Boy."
"No wonder."
"No wonder what?"
Suddenly, a loud scream drowned out the conversation. The three-month-old baby was in the vocal stage and was very curious about everything.
Fang Qingzhuo looked in the direction of the sound and saw the child, like a fat-headed moth, waving his little fists and babbling, sounding extremely bored.
"Noisy."
Song Shijin took his son from the loving father Guan's hands and exposed his shortcomings: "You were like that when you were a child, annoying."
It was really hard for Fang Qingzhuo to refute. Song Shijin had actually seen him when he was a child, and might even have held him in his arms.
Just like now, in order to let him experience it, Song Shijin forced his son, who was practicing kicking, into his arms. He sucked his fingers, his cheeks moved like double brackets, and drooled. Fang Qingzhuo resisted and picked up the human cub under his armpits and held him away: "Is he teething? What child likes to chew on his fingers? I beg you, take him away quickly."
He was just a kid anyway, so Song Shijin didn't care: "He's less than three months old, how could he have teeth?"
Fang Qingzhuo: "Then I don't care."
As they talked, the older people at the table talked about everything from starting a family and career to their recent craftsmanship.
Father Guan leaned back in his armchair, gazing out at the distant lake and sighing, "Jiang Run has been on a roll lately. I never thought Shen Guanghan could produce such a good son. His affair with the Zou family has caused a stir in the city. The Zou family, too, was desperate before they remembered the Shen family. As a result, they've caused such a scene that Old Zou is now shamelessly begging for help everywhere."
"After all, the Lu family's bloodline is there." Father Gu stroked the rim of the cup and continued, "By the way, this Shen Qianfan is very familiar with our Shijin."
Song Shijin's expression changed invisibly, and he touched the tip of his nose: "Not bad, a junior from the same school."
The child was tired and now lay in Fang Qingzhuo's arms with his eyelids drooping, his chubby little hands clutching his clothes tightly.
"Uncle Gu, Uncle Guan, are you familiar with the Shen family?" Fang Qingzhuo only knew that Jiangrun of the Shen family was also a well-known local real estate developer, but with a different positioning, it posed no threat to Yike.
"Also, is it true that Shen Qianfan and his son killed each other as rumored?"
As soon as these words were spoken, Guan and Gu both cast playful glances at Fang Jueshan, who was not participating in the discussion, and then tacitly denied it: "No, we are not familiar with him."
"But..." Father Gu suddenly leaned forward and said, "Whether it's the Shen family or the Lu family, the one we are closest to is your Fang family."
"That's wrong." Song Shijin seemed to be dissenting, or perhaps avenging the blame he had passed on to someone not long ago. He smiled and threw the hat of intimacy back. "If we talk about intimacy, I remember your Gu Qin and the youngest son of the Shen family are more familiar with each other. They call each other brothers when they were abroad."
The sound of water gurgling was heard and the smell of gunpowder filled the air from the Huanghuali tea table.
"Gu Qin." Father Gu laughed dryly. "He's still young."
Fang Qingzhuo suddenly felt bored when the opportunity for revenge was right in front of him. He lowered his eyes to look at the fat boy who was sleeping soundly in his arms with a double chin. For some reason, he seemed a lot cuter than before.
Everyone at this table has their own agenda.
The Guan and Gu families who thought they were a perfect match, Fang Jueshan who kept a low profile throughout the whole process, and Song Shijin who should not be underestimated.
Today is Old Mrs. Fang’s birthday. After a brief reunion with old friends, Fang Jueshan and his group returned home.
Song Shijin and his wife left first in the car holding their son. Fang Qingzhuo climbed into the car and waited for Fang Jueshan behind him while calling Zhuang He who was thousands of miles away.
There was no one answering the call from the other end, so Fang Qingzhuo patiently called again.
This time the phone rang once and then was hung up. Hearing the busy tone, Fang Qingzhuo probably knew who had hung up and waited for the owner of the phone to call back.
Half a minute later, the screen lit up again and the power came on.
Fang Qingzhuo rolled down the window impatiently, hot air pouring into the car. Zhuang He's deliberately lowered, furtive voice rang out through the receiver: "Didn't I tell you not to call, don't call, I've finally..."
"How long will it take you to come back? Are you addicted to being a hands-off boss? Do you think this company belongs to me alone?" Fang Qingzhuo interrupted his chatter.
Unexpectedly, the other party burst into laughter.
"Do you know what your tone is like right now?" Zhuang He asked himself without waiting for Fang Qingzhuo to respond. "Xia Yimo recently followed a short play where a wealthy woman complained about her husband's neglect of the family. Your tone is exactly the same. It's true that art comes from life."
As if he had guessed his good brother's inability to take a joke, he subsided a little and replied seriously, "We're at the airport."
With the release of their five-year masterpiece, Xia of Chaos, Zhuyou shot to fame, expanding from a half-floor studio in the CBD to their current full-scale building. Their roles were clearly divided: Fang Qingzhuo oversaw technical coordination, while Zhuang He handled project promotion. Zhuyou's focus for the first half of this year was on preparing for new projects, and Fang Qingzhuo let him run wild, chasing after Xia Yimo everywhere.
The car started and drove smoothly all the way until it merged into the city and was forced to stop at a red light. Fang Jueshan also made a move: "Grandma arranged a meeting for you with Uncle Jiang's daughter this weekend."
"I'm busy." Fang Qingzhuo's mind was in a mess. Were those two old men hinting at Fang Jueshan? And what was the connection between the Shen family and theirs? He was completely lost, and when he heard that they had arranged a blind date for him, he didn't even think about refusing.
Fang Jueshan: "Then when are you free?"
Fang Qingzhuo: "Don't you never interfere in my affairs?"
The father and son were talking back and forth.
Fang Jueshan: "I won't interfere, but grandma is worried. When I was your age, you could already recite multiplication and division."
Fang Qingzhuo: "I have someone I like."
Fang Jueshan: "Didn't he get dumped a long time ago? He even tried to commit suicide by lying in the hospital but still couldn't get her back."
"..." Fang Qingzhuo felt that Fang Jueshan was deliberately throwing cold water on him. He turned his face to the window and said with a firm and determined look in his eyes, "I will get it back sooner or later."
Fang Jueshan: "Then what's the matter with you and the youngest son of the Shen family fighting over a woman?"
Fang Qingzhuo: "Who told you that?"
Fang Jueshan: "You crashed my car like that, and you asked me who told you that."
Fang Qingzhuo: "He is competing with me for it."
Fang Jueshan: "Why are you mad at me?"
Fang Qingzhuo: "You were the one who started it all."
Fang Jueshan: "You've fallen on hard times in love and you're here to bully your father."
Fang Qingzhuo: "Haven't you also been stumbling all your life because of my mother?"
Fang Jueshan: "Two different things."
"So what's going on between you and Shen Guanghan?"
Fang Jueshan's eyes darkened, and although he didn't say anything, a chilling chill continued to burst out from his half-closed eyes.
The second time this name was mentioned in such a short time, Fang Qingzhuo clearly felt the air around him freeze. Even the driver in front who had followed Fang Jueshan for many years was keenly aware of his boss's roller coaster mood, and was more careful when turning into the garage of the old house.
Before getting off the car, Fang Jueshan stopped Fang Qingzhuo, his tone much softer. "I'm not trying to interfere with who you marry. This is the maximum freedom I've given you as a father. You're smart, and you've known since childhood what protects you and what constrains you. Look at the second housekeeper as a living example. From a businessman's perspective, what's yours is yours, and what's not yours is not to worry about. Looking back, many so-called wise rulers gained their positions by looting and plundering. There's nothing shameful about looting, but losing is. Instead of getting angry with me, you might as well use your brain to think about how to get them back."
"Also, the previous generation has its own grudges. Just remember one thing: don't ask what you shouldn't ask, and don't investigate what you shouldn't investigate. Although I know you won't give up until you achieve your goal, I'm doing this for your own good. This is my final advice to you."
After saying that, he took a long step forward and got out of the car.
A few meters away, Song Shijin and his seldom-smiling wife were waiting at the door with the old lady. The old lady was grinning from ear to ear, with the little fat boy weighing nearly 20 kilograms in her arms. Fang Qingzhuo took in the whole scene through the window. Having lived for more than 20 years, he always understood one thing: Fang Jueshan was not a good father in name, but it was undeniable that he was a father who would never spoil the fun.
The good news that Lixiang Wedding founder Fei Wei had returned to China quickly spread within the company.
Luo Shu came to work early in the morning, and Zhai Xiaowen pulled her mysteriously and claimed that she had some shocking gossip to share with her.
"Sister, have you heard?"
"What did you hear?" Luo Shu stretched her neck and prepared to start work.
"Mr. Fei has returned to China."
"Isn't this something the whole company knows?" Luo Shu disagreed. Fei Wei came back to inspect the work and specially sent out several waves of red envelopes in the work group. She grabbed several thousand.
Zhai Xiaowen looked around and moved closer: "But what I'm about to tell you is authentic gossip."
"How true is it?" Luo Shu joked.
Zhai Xiaowen exclaimed, "I heard that Mr. Fei is returning to China to celebrate Lixiang's seventh anniversary and his 30th birthday. More importantly, he's using the anniversary party to announce a new partner to manage the domestic market. I also heard that this designated partner was chosen from among the long-time employees."
"That has nothing to do with us."
Zhai Xiaowen was anxious. "It's not a big deal, it's a big deal. Word has spread throughout the company that this partner is most likely Leo. New officials start with three big things. If it's really him, those three big things will definitely be directed at our design department."
As soon as he finished speaking, Leo walked by with his hands behind his back in a triumphant manner, his target heading towards the innermost room of the general manager's office, as if confirming the rumors.
In the hot afternoon, Fei Wei privately made an appointment with Luo Shu to meet at a western restaurant outside the company.
However, when Luo Shu arrived, Fei Wei had not arrived yet.
The sun was shining brightly on the terrace with parasols, and there was a strong wind. Luo Shu's long hair flew back, and she danced a waltz hand in hand with the sweet green apple juice mixed in the air.
Shenzhen is still as hot and sour as it was back then.
At this moment, a graceful figure suddenly walked in from outside the glass door, attracting her attention.
With neat collarbone-length hair, a denim tube top paired with wide-leg trousers in the same color, and pointed high heels, she looks capable and elegant. The short walk to the terrace gives her the illusion of walking out of a catwalk, as dazzling as a runway model under the spotlight.
Meeting Luo Shu's gaze, Fei Wei smiled and waved, then walked towards her in high spirits.
"There are so many people in the company, this is a gift for you." Fei Wei pulled out a rattan chair and sat down, then handed over an exquisite gift bag engraved with the brand name.
"The boss is very generous." Luo Shu took it and saw that it was a jewelry brand.
"Employees work hard, so bosses are naturally generous." Fei Wei curled her lips, her eyes full of charm. "By the way, are you able to handle the work? How about assigning you an assistant?"
"No thanks." Luo Shu pushed the menu away and called the waiter over. "I was born to be a hard worker."
"My friend's younger brother, just think of it as bringing him here for me." After ordering the food, Fei Wei quickly changed the subject without giving her a chance to refuse, "Time flies. When we first met, you were still studying in Zurich.
The word "Zurich" is like a code that unlocks the code of a dusty diary, successfully shifting the focus to the memory channel.
"A wedding, held in Zurich's famous mountaintop castle. I was working part-time as a painter." As if remembering something, Luo Shu smiled brightly in the sunlight. "And there was a joke."
Fei Wei brushed her messy hair and said deliberately sadly, "I kindly invited someone to join my group, but that person treated me like a liar."
"Who told you to say you're a non-marriageist? I remember you said something to me at that time." Luo Shu stirred the apple juice sent by the restaurant.
Fei Wei blurted out: "Although I am a non-marriage advocate, I still have the right to witness happiness. I also want to say this to you."
"Then may I ask, now, does 30-year-old Ms. Fei Wei still hold on to this idea?" Luo Shu asked jokingly, holding her chin.
The breeze on the terrace continued. Fei Wei lit a cigarette, but it didn't light up. She raised an eyebrow, but didn't get annoyed. She casually put the cigarette back into the box and said, "Last time we parted, I told you a story. Do you still remember it?"
On the day she was transferred back to Shenzhen, Fei Wei came to see her off. Knowing that she was worried about her job location, she shared her own story, a story of unrequited love.
Luo Shu became interested: "You said you would tell me the ending next time we meet."
"He rejected me, so I forcefully kissed him in front of the girl he had a crush on, and then left the country overnight." Fei Wei's expression when she said this was as natural as that of a veteran who had been in the entertainment industry for many years.
"So tough?" Luo Shu commented.
Fei Wei looked grateful for the compliment and played with the diamonds on her manicure. "I don't like to be at a disadvantage. There's no chance of success anyway, so I'm just taking advantage. It's a sure win, so why not do it?"
She suddenly raised her eyes and looked at Luo Shu, who was drinking juice across from her, her eyes becoming serious. "Besides, the lesson of love requires more than just suffering losses. As for me, I'm more open-minded than you on this point. I'd rather miss an exam than make up for it. This is my attitude towards life."
At that moment, Luo Shu was convinced that Fei Wei was more than just tough.
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