Chapter 53 The Fake Young Master's Dog Taming Guide (29) Xie Qiu Chen then stretched out...
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"Your company's proposal is very constructive, but I still have some concerns in a few areas. The port entry tax at Hank Harbor is two percentage points higher than the government's promise. What's going on?"
"...The government's permit is one thing, but we middlemen also need to be paid. Besides, the fact that the port west of Hank Harbor can be used together is already a significant concession..."
"...I need to consider it. I need to get the shareholders' approval..."
"...Your opinion is very reasonable..."
Fu Li couldn't hear the surrounding sounds clearly; at this moment, he was completely lost in thought, and his heartbeat gradually amplified with the fluctuations of his emotions.
Why is Xie Qiu Chen here?
I don't know. Maybe it's...a coincidence?
Fu Li scoffed lightly: "Now that things have come to this, do you still believe in coincidences?"
The system did not respond.
After the meeting, Manager Jones invited Xie Qiuchen to dinner, but Xie Qiuchen declined, saying he was a little tired.
So Fu Li was stepped forward: "This young man is from Country C, just like you. He will be in charge of receiving you during your stay in this county. He can also relay any messages to me if anything happens. I hope you have a good time in Country E."
Fu Li gave a wry smile; she realized she was being treated like a receptionist.
It's not uncommon for the company to send a receptionist whenever a major foreign client visits.
But for two people who know each other well, it's not that simple.
Afterwards, Manager Jones asked Fu Li to leave her phone number so he could take the client back to the hotel. Fu Li couldn't refuse, so she had no choice but to get in the car first.
Xie Qiu Chen's entourage was all in the car behind. Apart from the driver, only he and Fu Li were in that car.
The atmosphere in the back seat of the car was somewhat awkward. Fu Li sat by the window, not daring to glance inside the car.
Perhaps sensing the young man's unease, Xie Qiu Chen asked the driver to raise the partition in the back seat after getting into the car, instantly making the space between the two private.
Xie Qiuchen spoke first, his tone gentle and soft:
"Why is Ali so cold today? She doesn't even recognize her uncle?"
Hearing the familiar address stirred up distant memories. Fu Li's expression softened considerably, and the wariness in her eyes gradually disappeared.
He opened his mouth, wanting to call out "Uncle." But after saying it, he didn't know what to say next and was speechless for a moment.
Xie Qiuchen's next words made his face turn pale: "I heard that some time ago, Ali was very interested in Xie's bidding plan and even stole the bidding documents. Is that true?"
Xie Qiuchen's voice was flat, revealing no emotion.
The young man's hands, which were resting on his lap, clenched tightly, his expression tense. He hadn't expected the other party to come so quickly and accuse him; he'd almost forgotten that the matter involved the Xie family...
But Xie Qiu Chen already knows everything, and even if he explains now that he wasn't actually targeting the Xie family, it's probably too late.
At this moment, the man was still waiting for his reply. The young man looked blank, his head bowed deeply, his eyes downcast, as if he had done something wrong and dared not admit it.
Seeing his timid appearance, Xie Qiuchen's anger subsided considerably, and he felt a strange sense of pity.
He gently moved to the young man's side, put his arm around his shoulder, and stroked the young man's soft head, saying, "Tell me what you want to say, your uncle won't blame you."
Perhaps it was because his tone was too gentle, but Fu Li's nose twitched and she burst into tears instantly.
"Uncle, I didn't mean it! I didn't want to harm you, nor did I want anything to happen to the Xie family. I just didn't want to see Yan Qibai living so well. I was confused for a moment..."
He wept like a child. Xie Qiuchen gently pulled him into his arms and stroked his back to comfort him.
“Really? Then it’s not Ali’s fault. The Yan family said you were dead, and your uncle didn’t believe it. Only when I saw Ali still alive and well in front of me did my uncle feel relieved.”
Fu Li sobbed as she recounted the whole story. She glossed over Yan Qibai's part, saying only that "he bullied me," but she cried especially hard when talking about Yan He's part where he forced her to choose between two options, clearly terrified.
Xie Qiuchen listened calmly, occasionally offering words of comfort when Fu Li got emotional, but his expression remained calm throughout. Even when Yan He asked him to choose between drowning himself in the river or leaving, he remained unfazed, as if he was not surprised at all.
After Fu Li finished speaking, Xie Qiuchen said with pity, "So what are you planning to do next, A Li? To tell you the truth, Yan Qibai is still looking for you. He thinks you're not dead. He's practically turned the whole of City C upside down in the last few months."
Fu Li paused for a moment, and after thinking for a long time, she sobbed, "I...I'd rather stay here than go back to China."
In fact, Yan Qibai's persistence not only alarmed Yan He, but also gave Xie Qiuchen a sense of crisis that was out of control.
He had initially thought Yan Qibai's feelings for Fu Li were merely lust, perhaps tinged with a bit of revenge, but he never imagined they would be so extreme...
Fu Li timidly raised her head, her watery eyes sparkling like stars, "Uncle, could you please not tell anyone about me being here?"
Xie Qiu Chen snapped out of his daze, his eyes gentle and warm, and patted the young man's back affectionately, like a parent who dotes on their child: "Of course. Your uncle will keep it a secret for you."
"Although Yan Qibai can't find this place for the time being, Ali still needs to be careful."
The young man nodded obediently, as docile as a lamb.
After crying, she regained some strength and got up from the man. Thinking about how she had buried her head and cried so hard, she blushed with embarrassment.
She whispered her thanks, "My uncle is so kind to me."
Xie Qiuchen reached out and gently stroked his delicate cheek with his calloused fingertips, as if wiping away his tears. His eyes were deep and unfathomable. "Since your uncle is so good to you, why has Ali never come to see me all these years?"
Fu Li lowered her eyes and answered softly, "I thought my uncle didn't want to acknowledge me anymore... He was so cold when he saw me before, so..."
A dark glint flashed in the man's eyes, then he laughed angrily, "Ah Li, can't you tell that your uncle is just being stubborn with you?! I promised you the position of young master of the Xie family, but you still abandoned me without looking back. Am I not allowed to be angry with you? After that, no matter what happened to you, you never came to see me even once. How can I not feel heartbroken?"
Xie Qiuchen's voice was filled with resentment, unlike his usual calm and composed demeanor; in fact, it could be described as a loss of composure.
Fu Li was stunned for a moment, then immediately showed an expression of sudden realization and guilt.
"I misunderstood... Uncle, I'm sorry."
Xie Qiuchen closed his eyes briefly to calm himself down, and said, "Ah Li has lost weight. She didn't go with her uncle back then, and as a result, Yan Qibai forced her into this state. How about we go out for a get-together later?"
Fu Li's face also showed a regretful expression---if only he had gone with his uncle back then, at least no one would have forced him when he got to the Xie family.
He thought for two seconds and then nodded.
Xie Qiuchen took him to the Royal Hotel in the city center, a place where land is extremely valuable and the decor is extremely luxurious. Almost all the diners there are social celebrities, wealthy and powerful people.
Fu Li hadn't been to such a high-end and luxurious place in a long time. As soon as she entered, her eyes lit up, drawn to the orchestra in the hall and the magnificent golden ceiling.
Seeing this, Xie Qiuchen's eyes flashed with a smug sense of control. He knew Fu Li too well; even after several years of no contact, the other party's greedy nature for wealth remained unchanged.
During the meal, Fu Li had a bit of white clam chowder on the corner of his mouth. Xie Qiu Chen gently leaned over and wiped it off with his finger, reminding him like a kind elder, "Ah Li is so old, why is he still acting like a child? People will laugh at you if they see this."
Fu Li was taken aback. Over the years, Xie Qiu Chen and he had been like strangers, but the moment they met again, that old feeling returned. He didn't take it to heart, but instead gave the other a shy smile, a smile as delicate and beautiful as a budding flower.
Xie Qiu Chen's eyes darkened slightly. He stared at him for two seconds before lowering his gaze to continue cutting the steak on his plate.
After dinner, he took Fu Li to a private yacht on the riverbank under the pretext of seeing the night view.
Since going abroad, Fu Li has been removed from the upper class and has no access to such high-end luxury. The two took a yacht tour, enjoying the dazzling lights and glittering displays along the shore.
Even when it was time to part, Fu Li's eyes were still filled with reluctance.
"See you tomorrow, Ah Li." Xie Qiu Chen smiled and said goodbye to Fu Li before walking into the brightly lit hotel lobby.
Fu Li stood outside for a long time, savoring the day, before leaving with a touch of regret and lingering affection.
The moment he stepped inside, the weariness on his face vanished completely, replaced by a clear-headed understanding of everything.
He told the system, "I feel that Xie Qiu Chen is acting strangely. Yan He's desire to send me abroad instead of drowning me directly might be related to him."
The system, feeling guilty, tried to change the subject: "He said Yan Qibai is frantically searching for you in China, aren't you worried?"
Fu Li, however, looked relaxed: "What's there to worry about? He could search his whole life and still not find this place."
The next day, Xie Qiu Chen invited Fu Li out again. This time, they went to an amusement park and had the whole place to themselves. The huge venue was just the two of them—it couldn't be more fun.
When Fu Li asked why he was being so extravagant, Xie Qiu Chen simply smiled and said, "Didn't Ah Li want to come to a place like this when she was little? But her uncle never had the time. This time, it's to make up for it. Besides, it's just a one-day event, so it won't cost much."
Fu Li had a very pleasant day. What he enjoyed wasn't the thrill and excitement of riding the carousel and roller coaster, but rather the feeling of boundless enjoyment and extravagance. It was as if the world revolved around him.
Xie Qiuchen was fully aware of this.
Throughout the day, he would occasionally glance at the people around him with a scrutinizing gaze, and as expected, he saw the joy and pleasure they were indulging in in their eyes. At the same time, Fu Li gradually became accustomed to Xie Qiu Chen's occasional intimate physical contact. She could even exchange cheek kisses with him.
On the third day, Xie Qiuchen suggested going to see where Fu Li was staying.
When the young man led the man into the cramped studio apartment, he couldn't help but blush with embarrassment.
Her own room was nothing compared to the man's top-of-the-line suite with central air conditioning, a wine cabinet, and a bar. Moreover, if it weren't for him, Xie Qiu Chen might never have set foot in such a place in his entire life.
After spending two days living a life of extravagance with Xie Qiuchen, Fu Li felt ashamed of himself for letting the other party see his embarrassment.
After walking around, Xie Qiuchen didn't make any comments, but instead took Fu Li back to his hotel.
The young man sat at the marble bar, picked up a bottle of red wine and examined it, saying enviously, "Uncle's place is really nice."
The man stepped forward and naturally put his arm around his waist: "Then you must come often, Ali."
Author's Note: The younger uncle launched a sugar-coated bullet.
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