Chapter 69 Relentless Pursuit
The drone was moving a little slower than Jiang Xia had anticipated, and the dots of light in the sky were gradually piecing together words.
Jiang Xia casually pressed the shutter button to adjust the parameters, but the image on the camera screen instantly froze him.
He didn't look up at the sky again, but stared intently at the small screen of the camera, the image changing in real time, until his name was precisely displayed in the center of the screen...
Is this... a confession?
He staggered back a step, steadied himself, and finally slowly sat down on the edge of the flower bed to regain his balance.
Jiang Xia, like an outsider, watched coldly as the drone flew to its designated location.
Regarding his friendship with Wu Ming over the years, he could only utter four words in his heart: "Disgusting."
I'm so disgusted I'd rather pray Wu Ming never liked me...
Over the years, Wu Ming has dated one person after another... secretly suffering and struggling, originally thinking that these heartbreaks were just a common side effect of unrequited love.
But tonight's farce revealed the truth: Wu Ming had seen all her suffering and was the instigator.
He knew about Xie Shinuan, knew that he liked her, and didn't want to really leave her, so he even kept their relationship a secret.
People around stopped to admire the spectacle, marveling at the scale of the drone show and speculating which young master or lady was playing a love-money game.
One of the parties involved, Jiang Xia, looked down at the ground, seemingly unrelated to this grand confession performance.
Wu Ming, who was far away overseas, happily requested a video call at the appointed time.
Jiang Xia squinted and calmly answered the call.
Upon seeing Jiang Xia's expression, Wu Ming's prepared words of love suddenly caught in his throat.
He knows the Yangtze River Gorges too well.
Wu Ming swallowed hard, brought the phone to his lips, and murmured, "Jiang Xia, what's wrong?"
Jiangxia had already reached the depths of the park, far from the bustling crowds along the riverbank.
Once they were in a secluded spot, and after confirming that Wu Ming could hear every word he said, Jiang Xia asked, slowly and deliberately, "You said Xie Shinuan proposed tonight, Wu Ming, where is Young Master Xie?"
Wu Ming was speechless, but still felt slightly aggrieved. So he tried to downplay the issue and stammered, "Xie Shinuan didn't come. But Jiang Xia, I lied to you because I wanted to give you a surprise, since you haven't spoken to me in a long time."
The second young master sat by the window, the cold wind from the foggy country blowing through the open window and chilling his body.
Jiang Xia's voice was even more piercing than the winter wind in the foggy country: "But tonight, all I want to do is find Xie Shinuan."
Wu Ming pressed on, unwilling to give up, "Jiang Xia, did you see the drone show I arranged?"
Jiang Xia's voice remained weak and calm: "Performance? Are these things important to me?"
Wu Ming brought the phone close to his ear and hurriedly asked, "Jiang Xia, what's wrong? You can talk to me."
Jiang Xia remained silent for a long time: "Wu Ming, have you forgotten what I said? I don't know what to say to you. I swallowed a lot of unpleasant words and could only remain silent."
Verbal abuse? Or a tit-for-tat response?
Wu Ming didn't care about all that; as long as Jiang Xia was willing to talk, even just a word or two would be fine.
At his pleading, Jiang Xia chuckled on the other end of the phone, his voice carried away by the wind: "Wu Ming, you've been watching me grieve for you all these years, haven't you? You're quite pleased with yourself, aren't you?"
Wu Ming felt as if he had been struck a heavy blow, his ears ringing: "How could you think that? You can't think like that..."
Jiang Xia was always gentle and never let her words fall flat, much less use such a tone to speculate.
Jiang Xia, who is usually so gentle, was surprisingly sharp-tongued... like a needle piercing his heart, causing him so much pain that he was powerless to refute it.
He had never understood why Jiang Xia would become a translator, but tonight's encounter with Jiang Xia shattered Wu Ming's prejudices.
Jiang Xia avoided mentioning the key points in every word and sentence, instead using precise questions and appropriate speculation to force Wu Ming into a series of defeats.
Jiang Xia leaned against a large tree, closed his eyes, and said in a calm tone, "Wu Ming, let's part ways amicably."
"Jiang Xia, don't do this, don't joke with me, I can't take it!" Wu Ming suddenly stood up and paced back and forth, trying to preserve the last glimmer of hope in his heart.
Jiang Xia chuckled softly, then retorted with a barbed tone, "A joke? Isn't what you've been doing lately just a joke?"
Wu Ming's voice finally broke into a sob as he asked tremblingly, "You...do you know everything?"
His voice was trembling so badly he could barely hold the phone. Did Jiang Xia know about his drunken indiscretion? Or did he know about Xie Xingzhang's pregnancy?
Wu Ming's entire body was like a spider web that had been gently pulled apart by a large hand, instantly disintegrating.
Jiang Xia wasn't stupid; he sensed the hidden meaning in his words and realized he was on the verge of a mental breakdown.
But... he clenched his fist and pressed it against his forehead, suppressing the urge to hang up the phone, and lied to the other party: "I know everything, I'm just curious when you will confess, Wu Ming. If you take the initiative to tell me, at least it won't be so embarrassing."
Wu Ming's voice was still trembling, and he was still in a daze. Jiang Xia had given him a way out, so he immediately seized the opportunity, trying to make amends: "I'm sorry, Xingzhang is pregnant but didn't want to tell me. She had her reasons. If I had known sooner, things wouldn't have been so bad."
Jiang Xia stood frozen in place, the last bit of doubt in his heart vanishing instantly, exploding with a sudden bang.
"Pregnant?"
Jiang Xia suddenly chuckled and muttered, "No wonder the Wu and Xie families are urging you to get married."
Wu Ming then realized that Jiang Xia was unaware of this matter, and he tried to make amends: "Jiang Xia..."
The next moment, Jiang Xia made an unequivocal statement: "Wu Ming, from now on, we'll go our separate ways, one on the bridge and the other on the road."
They won't even give you the slightest bit of face.
Jiang Xia didn't leave Wu Ming with a single unnecessary word.
He blocked Wu Ming on WeChat and added his phone number to the blacklist. Then, he forced a smile, buried his head in his hands, squatted down, and slumped over, having exhausted all his energy.
He really had no choice... They had known each other for fourteen years, and after the New Year, it would be the beginning of the fifteenth year. He had only been wise for a little over twenty years, and nearly half of his life had been spent worrying and working hard for someone who was not worth it. He was almost exhausting his youthful spirit.
Jiang Xia is afraid to fall in love or make friends. If she were to encounter another Wu Ming, she fears she would lose the will to live.
But his parents' dying wish was that he live well and see the world in their place.
So what exactly has Wu Ming been feeling wronged about these past few days?
Have I done anything to wrong him?
The phone rang again. Jiang Xia was full of resentment and thought it was Wu Ming calling from a different number. But when he picked it up, he saw that it was Zhan Lintian.
Jiang Xia hesitated for a long time, and his phone rang again and again before he finally answered it weakly.
When Zhan Lintian saw him answer the phone, he breathed a sigh of relief and asked with a smile, "Are you still watching the drone show? I'm at the performance platform by the river."
Jiang Xia hesitated: "I..."
Zhan Lintian paused for a moment, then made his request: "Can I watch the performance with you?"
After a long wait, Jiang Xia said in a low voice, "Can you... come pick me up? I didn't drive here."
I can only pick up the car from the dealership next week.
When Zhan Lintian found Jiang Xia, he was sitting on a park bench, slowly wiping the grass off his pants.
The drone show was still going on not far away, but from his angle he couldn't see those "heartwarming" scenes.
Upon hearing footsteps, Jiang Xia first looked in the direction of the drone and tried to give it a smile: "You flatter me."
As they walked, Zhan Lintian told him, "Xie Shinuan proposed to his girlfriend earlier this year. I didn't go, but I vaguely remember it, so when you said you came to see his proposal, I guessed you'd been tricked..."
Jiang Xia looked calm and smiled as he looked up: "Yes, Wu Ming lied to me. I want to go home and rest tonight. Can you give me a ride? It's not easy to get a taxi around here."
Zhan Lintian agreed, and Jiang Xia leaned back in the passenger seat and quickly fell asleep.
When a person is mentally and physically exhausted, they almost lack the strength to open their eyes and see the world around them...
When the car stopped, Jiang Xia woke up, but the scene in front of her was not downstairs from her own home, but an unfamiliar shopping mall.
The lights shimmered and shone, exuding an air of extravagance.
"Huayuan?"
When it opened a few years ago, Huayuan's advertisements were played on a loop on all the subway lines in Montreal.
After its reputation spread, the brands that moved in were all big names, and people jokingly said that a few thousand yuan could just buy a pair of socks at Huayuan.
The owners of high-end supermarkets are naturally not short of money.
Every year during the second half of the year, shopping malls launch themed events for National Day, Christmas, Lunar New Year's Eve, and Valentine's Day, making them perfect for outings with friends and loved ones.
Jiang Xia saw a picture of last year's event on his colleagues' WeChat Moments. A towering Christmas tree stood in the center of the mall, and the height of that tree alone was enough to show how much it cost.
He declined, saying, "It's too late, I don't want to go shopping tonight."
Zhan Lintian helped open the passenger door, took Jiang Xia's hand, and looked in Shang Chao's direction: "I'm just here to take you to see someone, someone you want to see."
Jiang Xia watched his retreating figure.
Zhan Lintian's voice pierced through my ears: "Trust me."
Jiang Xia followed along with some skepticism, and then encountered someone who looked familiar near the office on the top floor of the shopping mall.
The other person was still dressed in a flamboyant manner, but now exuded a more composed aura.
Jiang Xia remembered that Xie Shinuan should be in her thirties, but she didn't look it; she still had a youthful spirit.
Xie Shinuan wore a black and white checkered short V-neck top as an inner layer, and then put on a hooded jacket with a large fur collar on top. He still looked just like he did a few years ago, very fashionable.
As he was walking out of his office, he bumped into two people: "Hey, Mr. Zhan, you don't come here unless you have something important to say. How did you know I was in Mengcheng looking at business today?"
Zhan Lintian shrugged: "You make it sound like I'm investigating you. I just came to look at the reports and bumped into you. By the way, this is Jiangxia."
Jiang Xia stared at him blankly. Xie Shinuan clearly remembered him: "Jiang Xia, it's been a long time."
Jiang Xia shook hands with him, and Xie Shinuan scratched her head somewhat embarrassedly: "I thought you would be angry like before."
Jiang Xia snapped out of his daze and suddenly burst out laughing: "I was too offensive before."
Xie Shinuan looked into his eyes, grinned, and patted his shoulder: "Let's have a meal together another day."
Before parting ways, the two agreed to have dinner together again this Thursday evening. This kind of dinner, which is scheduled at a specific time, is not just a casual courtesy.
Xie Shinuan genuinely doesn't dislike Jiang Xia.
"I'm going home now, my wife just called me." He pointed to his phone.
Jiang Xia whispered his last words: "I'm sorry, and thank you."
Xie Shinuan stopped and then smiled: "If it's what I said a few years ago, it's okay. I just wanted you to understand back then."
After Jiang Xia left, he slumped his shoulders and lowered his head. At that moment, Xie Shinuan was both resentful and trying to remind herself.
I did realize at the time that I shouldn't hate someone because of a few words from others.
After a brief moment together, Jiang Xia looked at Zhan Lintian and asked, "Mr. Zhan, how do you know about Xie Shinuan?"
After thinking for a long time, Zhan Lintian finally said, "Wu Zhou said that after he helped check Xie Shinuan's schedule, I was just passing on what he had learned."
Jiang Xia hesitated, but her eyes were fixed on him, as if she had many things she wanted to say.
Wu Zhou... He had only casually mentioned it at the time, but he never expected the other party to remember it.
Zhan Lintian raised his voice: "Actually, even if Wu Ming hadn't caused this scene tonight, I would still have brought you to find Xie Shinuan."
Jiang Xia thought of Wu Zhou, but the other man wasn't there. After taking a few steps, he asked, "Where's Wu Zhou?"
Zhan Lintian thought for a moment and said, "He spent those two days in Haisha County with you, which delayed his work schedule. He's probably been rushing to finish his work these past two days, checking on projects and factories. He's probably out of town now. I didn't ask about his specific schedule."
Zhan Lintian hesitated for a moment, then stopped and turned to look at him: "He could have waited a few days and brought you to find Xie Shinuan himself, but he didn't want you to wait too long..."
Rather than wanting Jiang Xia to like him more, Wu Zhou wanted Jiang Xia to be happy as soon as possible.
Jiang Xia couldn't help but clench the fabric at her chest. What should she do? The people in front of her, including Wu Zhou, were even better than she had imagined, so... it was best not to hurt them.
If they follow their predetermined life trajectory, how fulfilling they will be in terms of family and career many years later.
Jiang Xia tilted her head, lowered her eyes, and asked with a hint of pleading, "Can I treat you to a meal?"
Zhan Lintian was overjoyed.
For the last-minute dining request, Jiang Xia only asked a colleague to book a decent Western restaurant.
In the restaurant, while waiting for the food.
Jiang Xia pondered for a long time, propped her forehead with one hand, stared at the table for a long time, and said softly, "Actually, I knew a long time ago that Wu Ming would not be with me. He is a rich second generation, how could his family possibly agree to him being with a man?"
He didn't dare to look up at Zhan Lintian: "President Zhan, I can't bear an uncertain future, so being single is fine. Besides, I didn't want Wu Ming's happy and fulfilling life trajectory to be affected by me many years later. Without me, the future will be better."
"That's why I didn't confess my feelings before."
Zhan Lintian followed suit, propping his head up and leaning closer: "How could you have been so sure you wouldn't be happy with Wu Ming back then?"
Jiang Xia closed his eyes: "Isn't this the best answer?"
Zhan Lintian countered with a few questions: "If you met me, would you also think I would become like Wu Ming? Do you think I am a scoundrel like Wu Ming right now?"
“No, what I mean is…” Jiang Xia tried to explain his views to him. This was the first time he had opened his heart to an outsider, and his words were somewhat incoherent.
"I am very grateful for your kindness, but life is full of uncertainties. Just like Wu Ming and me, before graduating from university, I thought we would stay together forever."
Just as Jiang Xia was about to speak, the waiter came over to serve the dishes.
After all the dishes were served, Jiang Xia continued, "I believe in love itself, but I don't believe in time. I really rarely meet someone who stays faithful to you forever..."
Zhan Lintian forced a smile, thinking to himself that Wu Ming might not be all benefits and no harm.
There's still one thing that's not right.
I want to beat him up, but I have to fly abroad specifically for that.
Zhan Lintian had no appetite during the meal. After the meal, he drove Jiang Xia home and watched him go upstairs before leaning against the SUV and lighting a cigarette.
He understood Jiang Xia's concerns.
If you choose a bad person, it's better not to choose them at all; but if you meet a good person, you're afraid of wasting their time.
Jiangxia not only pursues peace and prosperity, but also hopes that his friends can live happy and fulfilling lives.
As the cigarette burned out, the embers almost burned my fingertips.
Zhan Lintian forcefully stubbed out his cigarette. If only Jiang Xia had met him back then…
He lit another one.
Upstairs, Jiang Xia washed up, changed into her pajamas, washed her face, and felt much better.
He smiled at himself in the mirror, thinking that things were fine as they were.
Before going to bed, Jiang Xia went downstairs to throw out the trash and saw that Zhan Lintian's car was still parked in the same spot.
Jiang Xia's heart skipped a beat. He quickly ran to the car and cautiously knocked on the window.
Zhan Lintian woke up with a start.
Jiang Xia frowned, pursed her lips, and whispered a reminder: "Don't spend the night in a closed car, it's too dangerous."
With the weather so cold, he'll most likely have the heater on, and every year there are news reports of accidents caused by improper operation like this.
Jiang Xia's heart clenched: "Why...why don't you come home?"
Zhan Lintian yawned and explained, "I called the driver to come over. I'm waiting for him, so I took a nap."
He glanced at his phone and muttered, "It's been an hour and they still haven't arrived. They must be stuck in traffic."
"I'll keep waiting." Zhan Lintian yawned again.
Jiang Xia didn't know if what he said was true or false, but he had a feeling that it was exaggerated.
But what if it's the truth?
Jiang Xia hesitated for a moment, then advised, "Wait at my house. The driver will definitely call you when he arrives."
Jiang Xia was ultimately soft-hearted and even more afraid that something might happen to him in the car.
Zhan Lintian immediately agreed, because the "driver" wouldn't be able to come over for a while.
After going upstairs, the man lay down to rest without any hesitation.
Jiang Xia brought a blanket and covered him with it.
Zhan Lintian lay on the sofa as if they were old friends, looked into Jiang Xia's eyes, and said with a confident tone, his aura overwhelming Jiang Xia: "I just smoked three cigarettes and thought about it carefully. What you said makes a lot of sense."
Jiang Xia smiled, thinking he was about to give up, and even in her disappointment, she told herself that this was always how she was...
Unexpectedly, President Zhan changed the subject: "But there aren't that many things in the world that can be reasoned with, so I don't intend to listen to your reasoning. Jiang Xia, I'm going to pursue you, I'm pursuing you."
After saying that, Zhan Lintian reached out and hugged Jiang Xia, his hot palm pressed against his waist, tightening slightly, feeling the slenderness of his waist.
This position was not very convenient, so Zhan Lintian could only rest his head slightly against Jiang Xia's stomach...
So soft...
Zhan Lintian felt that if he ever bullied Jiang Xia in bed, he could grab his waist with both hands and hold him in place to prevent him from running towards the headboard and hitting his head...
Jiangxia is still very thin... Even when he wears slightly thicker winter pajamas, you can still see that he has a thin waist and a very thin belly...
He knew he shouldn't keep imagining the Yangtze River Gorge in his mind, but those images kept popping up involuntarily, bewitching him like a demon.
Zhan Lintian's Adam's apple bobbed. What if he used too much force in the future...?
"Let go..." Jiang Xia urged.
Zhan Lintian's face was pressed against Jiang Xia's abdomen. His actions made Jiang Xia look embarrassed, his face flushed, and it was hard to tell whether he was ashamed or angry.
Jiang Xia grabbed his hands, saying, "How can someone be so shameless?"
Zhan Lintian raised an eyebrow again and confessed, "Actually, I didn't call the driver, so tonight you either let me sleep in the car or let me sleep on the sofa."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xia suddenly stood up, and Zhan Lintian almost fell to the ground: "Hiss..."
Jiang Xia instinctively reached out to support him, afraid that he might fall and get hurt: "Are you alright...?"
Instead, Zhan Lintian seized the opportunity to grab the man's wrist.
"I had already thought it all out. If you hadn't softened and let me rest at your place, I might have given up. Who knew you would be such a kind person..."
"Besides, I told you I was going to pursue you, and you never said you hated me."
Jiang Xia's lips trembled; this was clearly sophistry!
He just helped me meet Xie Shinuan tonight, fulfilling a long-held regret. How could I possibly hate him?
The problem is that hating him, disliking him, and loving him are not the same thing.
This person always has a set of self-justifying explanations.
Jiang Xia withdrew her hand, turned and walked towards the bedroom. Zhan Lintian quickly got up and followed behind her, saying, "Don't be angry with me, I won't say anything more."
"Jiang Xia, please pay attention to me," the man pleaded in a low voice.
Jiang Xia stopped in her tracks, her usually fair skin flushed, and pretended to be angry as she stood in front of the door, telling him, "I'm going to sleep."
Zhan Lintian ruffled his hair with both hands: "Oh, I see. Goodnight."
Jiang Xia instinctively said goodnight, then realized what was happening and quickly closed the door.
His heart was pounding; no one had taught him how to get rid of someone's persistent harassment.
In this respect, Wu Zhou seems to be very good at understanding people's hearts.
However, Wu Zhou seems to be abroad on business. Although WeChat doesn't change its IP address all the time, the official account managed by Wu Zhou's personal assistant just posted the approved company video as usual.
The IP address has changed—Misty Country.
Wu Zhou went to the Fog Kingdom...
Jiang Xia ignored General Manager Wu and scrolled through his communications, only to find that apart from Wu Zhou, he couldn't find a third person who could offer him advice.
All of this is thanks to Wu Ming, who used to check his contacts from time to time to avoid being scammed out of money, feelings, and body by scumbags in big cities.
Jiang Xia suddenly realized that he had been more subtle in his criticism of Wu Ming earlier.
He didn't sleep well tonight, and woke up early at 6:30 the next morning, but the room was still dark and he couldn't see anything.
His mind was foggy, and he kept yawning. After washing up in a daze, he went back to his room, changed his clothes, and tiptoed out the door in the dark, afraid of waking up President Zhan on the sofa.
He didn't dare look at the sofa for more than a moment, afraid that his gaze would wake the other person.
Jiang Xia slowly turned the doorknob downwards, opening the door as slowly as a snail, while glancing sideways at the sofa, afraid of waking Zhan Lintian.
Good, it didn't get up...
Jiang Xia breathed a sigh of relief, picked up his coat from the floor-standing clothes rack, and turned to leave.
Then, he saw Zhan Lintian standing outside the door.
Zhan Lintian's lips curled up, and he raised his hand to shake the car keys, teasingly saying in a tone that said, "I knew you'd sneak away," "Let's go, I'll take you to work."
Jiangxia:......
As the two went downstairs, Zhan Lintian said, "I woke up at five o'clock and waited for you at the door after you washed up and went back to the master bedroom to change your clothes."
Jiang Xia pursed her lips, thinking to herself, "Are you showing off?"
Traffic was good in Mengcheng at 6:30. Zhan Lintian drove all the way to the Jiangxia Company building and arrived at 7:00...
We arrived too early; the security guard responsible for opening the gate hadn't woken up yet. He was sleeping in the rest room on the same floor. He was usually responsible for opening the gate in the morning and closing it at night, and for security during the day. He would open the gate at the earliest at eight o'clock.
If colleagues have an urgent matter to attend to at the company, they can just look for him. He usually won't open the door himself, so as not to make things unclear if something is lost or missing.
Jiang Xia arrived early due to personal matters, and I felt bad waking him up prematurely.
Zhan Lintian glanced at the still-unopened door, then looked at Jiang Xia, and joked, "It's still not open. Looks like I opened it too fast."
Jiang Xia coughed and stood there awkwardly.
I can't just stand here. What if other colleagues also come to work early? How am I supposed to explain that the investment banking bigwig is standing with me waiting for the door to open?
Especially since I just became somewhat well-known online, at least among some people in the same city, because of the Haijiang County competition.
Last night, someone spent millions to fly a drone by the river to confess their love to themselves.
Jiang Xia just checked the video feed and found that someone had pinpointed his location.
"I just searched, and there's only one person named Jiang Xia of marriageable age in this city, hahaha."
Jiang Xia couldn't even imagine how much her colleagues would tease her today; even Editor-in-Chief Sun had just messaged her: "You got confessed to?!"
Jiang Xia whispered, "Zhan Lintian, it's not appropriate for you to be standing here. I still have to explain what Wu Ming did last night..."
Zhan Lintian raised an eyebrow and said, "You absolutely cannot mention Wu Ming, because he and Xie Xingzhang are still seen as a model internet celebrity couple."
Once what happened last night gets out, fans will inevitably slander Jiang Xia and attack Wu Ming for being indecisive.
Of course, she could keep Xie Xingzhang in check; he certainly wouldn't dare use this incident to promote himself or gain followers. But she couldn't control what netizens were saying.
If even one person manages to break through the defenses and attack the river gorge...
Zhan Lintian said in a low voice, "Just say that it was a confession I arranged, and that I'm willing to help Wu Ming. Tell him not to thank me."
His voice became serious: "And I do indeed intend to release this information."
A note from the author:
Let's start a bonus chapter service with nutrient solution! For every 5,000 or 10,000 nutrient solutions, we'll add an extra chapter. If you have any nutrient solutions on hand… [Let me see…]
Jiang Xia began to explain his reasoning in a very serious manner.
Mr. Zhan listened, then tilted his head and poured out those words like water.
Zhan Lintian: You can ignore what people say, but if you actually listen, will I ever have a wife? Seriously. [doge emoji]
Wu Zhou was truly enraged by Wu Ming this time, so he went to the Fog Kingdom to beat up his younger brother.
When Zhan Lintian stepped forward to claim the money, netizens and friends commented: "Don't joke around, the person who paid is surnamed Wu."
Wu Zhou: So... it's me.
In a sense, the person who paid this time was indeed Mr. Wu. What a joke, what money could Wu Ming possibly make?
*
When Jiang Xia gets angry, President Zhan likes to follow him around, making sure Jiang Xia doesn't get away.
As the story goes, compared to President Wu, who really enjoys hugging Jiang Xia… President Zhan really loves licking Jiang Xia. For example, in the summer, even before his wife's shirt was fully unbuttoned, he would slightly pry open the fabric to please her. [Sunglasses]
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