Chapter 108 The Peach Blossoms Still Smile in the Spring Breeze
The sun shines brightly in Los Angeles; it's still the same private club as three years ago.
Du Yunchuan was sitting in a booth with a few friends, absentmindedly swirling his wine glass. His gaze casually swept across the crowd, but then suddenly stopped.
Not far away, an oriental girl wearing a rose-red silk halter dress stood sideways, her smooth shoulder and neck lines dazzlingly white in the dim light.
She leaned slightly forward, chatting and laughing quietly with her female companion beside her, occasionally glancing up at the stage.
Is it Yan Shuang?!
Du Yunchuan almost thought he was seeing things because he was drunk.
He sat up abruptly, rubbed his eyes, and after confirming that the slender figure was not an illusion, he got up almost without hesitation, parted the noisy crowd, and patted Yan Shuang on the shoulder.
Yan Shuang turned around in surprise, and when she saw it was him, her eyes widened instantly. "President Du, what are you doing here?"
"Shouldn't I be asking you that, Xiaoshuang?" Du Yunchuan smiled nonchalantly, sizing her up. "A Cambridge graduate, coming to Los Angeles to watch a striptease? Not bad, you've really made something of yourself."
Both of them instantly recalled what happened three years ago.
Yan Shuang was taken aback at first, then chuckled, her tone tinged with regret: "Yes, but it's a pity, Mr. Du, there's no striptease performance today."
Time has passed, things have changed, and a sense of loss, coupled with a strange understanding, made the two smile at each other, and the awkwardness of their long-awaited reunion dissipated considerably.
As Du Yunchuan spoke, he deliberately feigned lingering fear, exaggeratingly looking around, "Tsk, but at least this time I don't have to worry about some big shot suddenly descending from the sky and coming to arrest me with a dark face."
As soon as he finished speaking, the air seemed to freeze for a moment.
Yan Shuang's relaxed smile suddenly froze.
Looking back now, three years later, recalling that tall and aloof figure who seemed to descend from the heavens like a divine warrior, Du Yunchuan accurately captured the fleeting moment of surprise and the undisguised bitterness in her eyes.
He raised an eyebrow knowingly, his previous nonchalant smile fading slightly. "Don't worry, he's in China, not in Los Angeles."
Upon hearing this, Yan Shuang's fingers curled up almost imperceptibly.
Of course she knew.
She knew that in recent years, Shangqiu Zhu's business empire had been undergoing a strategic shift and deepening at an astonishing speed and with remarkable determination.
His gaze was set on the enormous potential of emerging Asian markets and the vast landscape of energy and infrastructure in the Middle East. Several industry-shaking mega-investments and a series of strategic partnerships with local giants clearly outlined the trajectory of his career focus.
He is most likely in a conference room on the other side of the world right now, strategizing and controlling the morning that is thousands of miles away from her.
Even though this bustling city on the eastern coast of the Pacific Ocean enjoys almost perpetual sunshine, he rarely stops there even once a year.
For him, Los Angeles is probably already a page of an old calendar that has been turned over lightly.
But she still came.
Knowing full well that the probability of him appearing here was as slim as searching for a specific grain of sand in the ocean, knowing that the sea of people was vast and communication was scarce.
But she still clutched that plane ticket, crossed the ocean, and set foot on this land.
She still harbored a sliver of expectation that she herself was unwilling to admit.
I hope for that one in a billion chance.
Seeing that she and her female companion were focused on discussing important matters, Du Yunchuan graciously refrained from disturbing them, saying, "You two talk first."
After saying that, he turned and disappeared into the crowd.
Yan Shuang withdrew her gaze and turned back to Elena, the managing director of a well-known international investment bank, to continue the interrupted discussion about emerging market energy investment projects.
Three years have passed, and the once naive girl has been transformed into a bright and confident one.
Her accurate judgment of macroeconomic trends, her profound understanding of complex financial models, and her several highly forward-looking architectural ideas all impressed Elena, who had been in the financial world for many years, and she nodded frequently, her eyes revealing undisguised admiration.
"Shuang, your risk hedging strategy is very ingenious, especially the module that introduces geopolitical variables for stress testing. Your intuition and boldness are not like those of a PhD student who hasn't graduated yet. Your way of thinking is indeed unique."
Hearing such high praise, Yan Shuang smiled politely and thanked her softly.
Over the past year, similar recognition has become commonplace for her.
Whether in the seminar halls of Cambridge or at the exchange seats of international conferences, her macro-level vision that is beyond her years and her extraordinary courage to accurately seize opportunities in the fog of risk have repeatedly attracted the attention of academic giants and industry leaders, who have been generous in their praise.
But every time she heard such praise, she couldn't help but think of that person.
That person would write a few words in sharp handwriting on the reports she submitted, but they would get straight to the point with their guidance and opinions. They would keep her company in the study late at night while she worked, and a barely perceptible smile would flash in their eyes when she achieved something small.
Countless times, in the library late at night, in noisy seminars, or when she walked alone through the morning mist of Cambridge, she repeatedly asked herself the same question.
Why did fate arrange for such a person to enter her barren and desolate world in such a dramatic and colorful manner?
Why leave her alone in the world he expanded but then instantly emptied, looking around blankly, feeling lost and helpless?
Is this a generous gift, or a crueler joke?
She once thought that all the meaning he had illuminated had been extinguished with his departure.
Until this moment, under the Los Angeles sun, amidst the affirmation of another financial tycoon, time seemed to have completed a silent cycle, and finally presented the answer to her in silence.
He showed her the storms on the mountaintop, and she could no longer settle for the mundane lowlands.
He has long since become her perspective on the world, her composure in the face of challenges, and her indelible pride and decisiveness.
The person she once hated, loved, and ultimately had to be grateful to, never truly left.
He became the most unforgettable subject of her life, residing permanently in her life and walking alongside her.
When Yan Shuang and Elena finished their conversation and walked out of the dazzling, noisy place, the night breeze was already cool.
She was slightly surprised to find that Du Yunchuan was still leaning against the shadows in the club's porch, seemingly waiting for her.
Seeing her come out, he straightened up, smiled lazily, and said in a tone as natural as if it were the most obvious thing in the world: "I didn't drive here. Would you mind giving me a ride, Shuangshuang?"
Yan Shuang naturally nodded in agreement.
She led him to the parking lot, pressed the car key, and a bright-colored sports car unlocked.
As the car started, Du Yunchuan leaned comfortably against the leather passenger seat, looking at Yan Shuang with a playful smile: "Tell me, Xiao Shuang, what brings you to Los Angeles all of a sudden?"
Yan Shuang gripped the steering wheel, looking straight ahead, a slight smile playing on her lips: "I signed up for a joint research project, and for the next year, our main work base will be here."
Upon hearing this, Du Yunchuan's eyes lit up instantly, and he slapped his thigh in relief.
This is fantastic! This is a golden opportunity!
He had to quickly find a way to bring back the Buddha statue from Shangqiu Zhu from all over the world, and here came the opportunity.
But before he could even begin to make his plans, Yan Shuang's next words were like a bucket of cold water, gently poured down his throat.
She sighed softly, "I just arrived yesterday and haven't even adjusted to the time difference yet. Then I got news from the lab in Cambridge that there's a problem with the core data, so I have to take a flight back tomorrow afternoon to deal with it."
Du Yunchuan's excitement suddenly choked in his throat; it was truly a difficult situation. These two were so close, yet they were about to miss each other again.
We need to get them to meet.
His mind raced with all sorts of ideas that could bring the two of them together, but these thoughts lingered on his tongue and ultimately remained unspoken.
He simply concealed his slight regret with remarkable ease, put on a smile again, and smoothly changed the subject, "Alright, scholars are always busy. It's a deal then, next time you're officially settled, you'd better make time, I have to treat you to a good meal!"
Yan Shuang turned her head to look at him, and the light from outside the car window occasionally swept across her profile, illuminating the clear smile in her eyes.
She smiled and replied readily, "Definitely."
The Los Angeles night breeze blew through the car window, ruffling her slightly curled hair. The girl's profile remained delicate, but the easily manipulated naiveté of three years ago had faded, replaced by a more mature and captivating composure.
Her radiant yet somewhat aloof charm was strangely blended together.
Du Yunchuan observed her calmly and suddenly understood why that man thousands of miles away would be so obsessed with her.
But the more I see her like this, the clearer certain images that were deliberately buried surge up: how that man who was used to controlling everything paved this runway to the vast world for her in the dark where no one knew.
The air inside the car fell silent for a few seconds.
Du Yunchuan finally spoke, his voice a few decibels deeper than usual, less teasing and more unusually serious: "Little Shuang," he paused, seemingly choosing his words carefully, "there are some things that have been weighing on my mind for years, and they've been making me quite uneasy. That taciturn Shangqiu Zhu..." He tugged at the corners of his mouth, a smile that was both helpless and complex, "...with his personality, he would never utter a single word to you in his entire life. But I feel that you have the right to know."
Yan Shuang's fingers gripping the steering wheel tightened subconsciously for a moment.
The three characters “Shangqiu Bamboo” were like a pebble thrown into a deep pool, creating ripples in her heart.
Without hesitation, she quickly turned on her turn signal and smoothly parked the sports car under the dazzling sea of streetlights.
She then turned around, her clear and firm gaze meeting Du Yunchuan's eyes: "Mr. Du, please speak freely."
Du Yunchuan watched as Yan Shuang parked the car steadily on the side of the road without hesitation, looking solemn and ready to listen attentively.
This unexpectedly made him feel a tightness in his chest, and the prepared remarks he had made vanished instantly, leaving his mind completely blank.
He opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know where to begin.
After a brief silence, he took a deep breath, his gaze darkening, and decided to start with what he considered to be relatively minor, things that she might know a little about.
"Then... let's start with the matter of him breaking off his engagement with Yan You." He carefully chose his words, even trying to smile slightly to ease the atmosphere, but he failed.
"Do you know what price he paid back then to completely break off his engagement with Yan You? It wasn't something that could be resolved with a simple 'break off' statement. Several crucial collaborative projects were immediately shelved, and those old foxes on the board almost tore him apart. I don't even dare to think about how he survived that year. He could have resolved things gradually, just so you could be by his side legitimately."
Yan Shuang's face gradually turned pale under the moonlight.
Du Yunchuan didn't give her time to process it, and dropped a second bombshell.
"Also, that financial incubator project was a collaboration tailored specifically for you with Goldman Sachs. He paved that way for you so that you could smoothly transition from that short-term program at USC directly to this top-tier financial practice platform. He didn't want you to go back to those secretarial jobs that were completely unworthy of your abilities. He knew better than anyone that your talents shouldn't be buried in trivial paperwork and serving tea and water."
He took a deep breath, his voice softened, but with a deeper sigh, as he revealed another, more deeply buried detail.
“When we flew to Hong Kong that time to have a complete showdown with the Yan family and break off the engagement, I thought he should be busy cleaning up the mess afterward. But what did he do? He inexplicably went to a top-tier jewelry workshop.”
He paused, then turned his gaze back to Yan Shuang's face, and said clearly, word by word:
"I was stunned. I blurted out, 'Are you crazy? You just broke off the engagement and you're already buying a ring? How could Yan Shuang agree to marry you? You scared her away!'"
Du Yunchuan imitated Shangqiu Zhu's expression and tone at the time, and the cold, stern man said indifferently:
"...Then let her wear it and play around with it."
"Just wearing it for fun?" Du Yunchuan repeated the sentence, his tone filled with indescribable emotion. "My dear young lady, the style of that ring is called Eternal Encirclement. It is one of the most famous wedding ring series of that workshop, symbolizing a lifetime of love and protection."
As Du Yunchuan spoke, his voice grew increasingly agitated, as if he wanted to pour out all the silent protection that Shangqiu Zhu had given him over the past three years.
"After you went to Cambridge, he..."
Du Yunchuan's voice suddenly stopped.
Because he saw that Yan Shuang, who was standing next to him, was already in tears.
She bit her lip, trying her best not to cry out, but the tears that kept rolling down her face and her slightly trembling shoulders were more alarming than any wailing.
Du Yunchuan's heart skipped a beat, and he thought to himself, "This is bad."
He hasn't even started talking about his "main event" yet!
He hadn't told her yet what kind of harsh contract Shangqiu Zhu signed after she went to England, in order to completely sever any trouble the Yan family might bring her, and how much real money he handed over to them, all in exchange for a peaceful and carefree future for her.
He hadn't even had a chance to mention the car accident that nearly took Shangqiu Zhu's life, leaving him still suffering from indescribable damp pain on rainy days.
Seeing Yan Shuang's current state of collapse, he was at a loss and could no longer continue speaking.
All the words he could say were swallowed back in embarrassment...
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