Helian Xin was wearing a G brand haute couture suit and had exquisite makeup on her face. From the moment she entered the cafeteria, she attracted the attention of many students.
Although she was the same age as the students around her, she didn't have any sense of dejection or madness from being pressured by her studies; she only possessed beauty.
Shi Youxi wasn't very surprised to see her.
Shi Men had already received the news on the very day the Helian family returned to China.
The Helian family has always had business dealings with Shiye in Liguo. The new head of the Helian family has his eye on the huge market in Z country and intends to introduce foreign IT industries and the group's core multinational e-commerce platform to China.
Shiye has always been a partner of Helian Investment and Expansion.
But in the past two weeks, Shi Yan has not mentioned anything about cooperating with the Helian family to him.
Since it wasn't mentioned, there's no need to say anything.
Shi Youxi nodded slightly to the girl, picked up the plate, and left.
Guan Shiyan, sitting opposite, followed suit, smiling and nodding as he carried the tray.
"..."
Helian Xin's professional instincts were triggered by this person, and she nodded halfway before inexplicably snapping back to reality.
She didn't even nod!
She rarely takes the initiative to greet someone, and not only did they not respond, but they actually planned to just leave her behind?!
"Hey! Shi Youxi, didn't you hear me talking to you?!" Helian Xin chased after her in her high heels.
Shi Youxi calmly placed the plate into the storage cabinet, sent a message on his phone, and then said to her, "Yes, nice to meet you."
"No? What do you mean, 'first time meeting'? Who said we're meeting for the first time?"
Shi Youxi frowned: "Wasn't it you?"
"You don't remember me?!" Helian Xin pointed at herself in disbelief.
She tried to see a sudden realization and apology in Shi Youxi's eyes, and then apologize for his slip of the tongue!
But she didn't see anything. Shi Youxi's gaze only fell on her face for a moment before he looked away and continued to concentrate on his phone.
Helian Xin received no response whatsoever, and Guan Shiyan was so embarrassed for her that he scratched his toes on the ground.
It's time to protect his good brother's perfect image again, and he, the man behind Shi Youxi, steps forward.
"Ahem, hello, I'm an official—"
"Shi Youxi, look at me! My good temper has its limits!" Helian Xin didn't even look at him, and reached out to cover Shi Youxi's phone. The boy suddenly looked up and stared at her with icy eyes.
"What's up?"
"...Are you pretending not to know me on purpose?!" Helian Xin still cared about this.
"And when I'm talking to you, you can't look at your phone; you have to keep looking at me!"
In front of the person she liked, the girl's feelings were laid bare. She was annoyed and thought to herself that she should have been more aloof and pretended not to know him!
Helian Xin has been the center of attention since birth. After debuting as a child star, her fans have always held her in high esteem, and she has never been so humble before.
Despite her considerate and proactive approach, Shi Youxi didn't appreciate it at all!
She thought she had been blunt enough, but the boy seemed deaf, ignoring her completely and leaving the cafeteria indifferently.
Helian Xin panicked completely. She rushed over and saw the wallpaper on Shi Youxi's phone screen that was lit up—it was a woman.
This face looks a lot like the photo her mother showed her yesterday, but it's also a little different.
Helian Xin didn't notice this difference. When she realized that Shi Youxi had used Cheng Ran's photo as her wallpaper, she suddenly grabbed the other person's sleeve.
"Shi Youxi, are you really dating your stepmother like those people say? Are you crazy?!"
Her voice wasn't loud, but all the students passing by the cafeteria entrance could hear her.
However, the students were more attracted by seeing the celebrity He Lianxin.
Guan Shiyan gasped, but before he could stop her, Shi Youxi grabbed Helian Xin's wrist and pinched it so hard it hurt.
"Who said that?"
"You're hurting me! Let go!" Helian Xin screamed as she tried to pry the boy's fingers off.
Shi Youxi's face darkened, and she tightened her grip, "I'm asking you who told you these things!"
"It wasn't me who said it! It was people online who said it!"
Shi Youxi released her hand, picked up her phone, and saw Guan Shiyan looking at it on the other side.
This scandal involving a wealthy family inexplicably became a trending topic on Weibo, and before netizens could even recognize all the names of Cheng Ran's male companion, the post was gone.
Shi Youxi also didn't see it, but other bloggers have already published articles, all of which are implying that a certain wealthy family's new wife has a promiscuous private life and keeps a harem.
"Someone must have suppressed it. Is it your father?" Every time Guan Shiyan clicked on a post about Cheng Ran, the post was deleted the next second.
Shi Youxi called Mu Yiran with a serious expression, but the call didn't go through. He then called Shi Si, who answered the phone.
What's going on online?
Shi Si knew exactly what he was asking, but it wasn't appropriate to say too much at the moment, because he wasn't clear about Shi Yan's arrangements either.
"The news has been suppressed online. It's likely that it was the old shareholders who sold the shares, and there's a commotion about it now."
"And her?"
Shi Si was taken aback: "Who?"
Shi Youxi suppressed the word "sister" and said, "Cheng Ran".
"What could possibly be wrong with her... Oh? Cheng, Madam, what brings you here!"
As soon as Shi Si finished speaking, Cheng Ran came out of the elevator and walked straight towards the chairman's office.
Shi Youxi could no longer hear Shi Si's voice on the other end of the phone. Knowing that the woman had gone to find Shi Yan, he hurried over as well.
“Go to your company? Aunt Cheng is there!” Guan Shiyan followed and saw Shi Youxi skillfully lift the cover of the Ducati and then spread his hands towards him.
"..."
"Brother! I got my keys taken because of you!"
Guan Shiyan roared in anger.
If it weren't for Shi Youxi's reckless driving in the middle of the night last time, which caused such a big fuss that it reached the officials, the car wouldn't have had to be handed over, but the keys would have been confiscated.
It doesn't make much difference to him, but it does make a difference to Shi Youxi now.
The boy's brows were furrowed so deeply they could kill someone. It wasn't that he didn't own a car, but he either didn't have a driver's license or he didn't park it at school.
Just as Youxi was about to hail a taxi, Helian Xin, who hadn't spoken since the beginning, called out "Hey!"
Shi Youxi didn't even glance at him.
"Hey! I gave you a chance to ride in my car to Shiye, and you still don't want it, huh?!" Helian Xin stomped her feet wildly in her high heels.
"Take it or leave it. While I'm having dinner with your stepmother, you'll probably still be bribing taxi drivers to speed..."
Helian Xin snorted and opened the door of a nanny van parked at the school gate.
"Smack."
She looked up and saw the hands gripping the car door, their whiteness shining brightly. The young man stood beside her, his head bowed, his cool phoenix eyes making Helian Xin's heart race.
"Are you going to have dinner with her?"
"Yeah...yes, otherwise why do you think I came here? It's because my mom said we were going to have dinner with your family today..." Helian Xin muttered.
She didn't actually need to come, but it just so happens that her next movie is being filmed in Jingyi... so she came to check it out and gave Shi Youxi a ride.
Both companies together?
Shi Youxi had a bad feeling. He got into the car and, ignoring the fact that the owner was still outside, said coldly to the driver in the front seat, "Drive faster."
"This is my car! Did I tell you to get in? Then get in!"
Helian Xin cursed and swore, but when the boy looked over, her wrist reflexively pulled back.
Remembering how painful it was when he pinched her so hard, Helian Xin was still shaken. Without saying a word, she got into the car.
Guan Shiyan, his face covered in exhaust fumes, looked at the nanny van that had sped dozens of meters away and sighed softly.
Tsk.
I should have known he had just sat down too.
He was exhausted from teaching these past few days, so he figured he might as well go and join in the fun; maybe he could even find someone to make a scene with.
We were a step too late.
…
53rd floor of Shiye Office Building.
Mu Yiran stepped out of the elevator. This was her second time at Shiye. Thinking back to the first time, it was when she bumped into a wall and traveled through time.
I didn't hear Shi Si's shout from a few meters away.
Mu Yiran knocked twice on the door of the chairman's office.
Shi Yan's voice could be faintly heard through the door: "Come in."
As soon as Mu Yiran pushed open the door, she saw that the sofa in the middle of the office was surrounded by people.
They are all shareholders of Shiye.
When one of the older men saw the woman enter, his stern eyes narrowed, revealing undisguised mockery and disdain for Cheng Ran.
The man stood up abruptly, and the others around him, seemingly following his lead, also left the sofa.
Before leaving, the man only said to Shi Yan in the middle, "I hope you will keep your word, Chairman Shi. Shiye is not a business that you can decide on your own anymore."
Without giving Mu Yiran a second glance, the group filed out.
Shi Yan put down his teacup and said to Mu Yiran in a calm tone, "Sit down."
Mu Yiran sat down without saying a word, "What do you need me to do?"
"Oh, Miss Cheng, aren't you curious about who released those photos?"
This isn't the first time I've encountered something like this. Aside from being a little impressed by how much the original owner loved taking photos, I can't help but admire her.
With so much leverage left over, it's no wonder they're being threatened into leaking information!
"What's the use of curiosity? It's never too late to be curious after you've solved the problem."
Shi Yan leaned back on the sofa, staring at her. After a moment, he tapped the tablet on the coffee table.
Inside, a photo of Shi Youxi holding Cheng Ran appeared.
"I never expected that Miss Cheng and my son would have such a good relationship in just a few months."
Mu Yiran sensed the subtle pressure emanating from the other person and tried her best to remain calm.
"I'm just doing what Mr. Shi instructed me to do, fulfilling my role as Mrs. Shi."
"Really... Then why are so many students who were supposedly there saying that your relationship with Xiaoxi is ambiguous?"
"..."
Idiot, it's obvious they hired an online troll!
Unfortunately, some people always believe it. When it comes to rumors, those scheming shareholders and competitors also spread rumors that Shi Youxi and Cheng Ran had an incestuous relationship.
That's the real purpose of this revelation.
They not only wanted to use Cheng Ran to strike at Shi Yan, but also had their eyes on Shi Youxi.
Mu Yiran said with a blank face: "You're young and beautiful, but that's just how it is. Maybe Mr. Shi is too old, so people don't see any chemistry between you and me. These days, young people can ship anything. It's not my fault."
Ultimately, would it really cause so much trouble if you were to attend your son's coming-of-age ceremony too?
Mu Yiran cursed her irresponsible parents in her heart once more.
Shi Yan chuckled softly.
“My opinion is not important. What is important is that this has affected the image of the Cheng family and Shiye, and Xiaoxi’s future situation in the group will also be restricted.”
When Shi Youxi was mentioned, Mu Yiran pursed her lips and said, "I'm sorry."
Shi Yan tapped the sofa lightly with his finger, "So I think our agreement may need to be changed."
"What's the meaning?"
"It means that Ms. Cheng can no longer sit back and enjoy the fruits of others' labor. I need you to take control of the Cheng Group more quickly and win over the shareholders."
"This is also meant to show those shareholders that as long as you can bring them profits, you can shut them up."
Mu Yiran was a little desperate: "You mean, I have to become a serious corporate slave."
Shi Yan nodded, "This is already a win-win solution. After all, with my support alone, I can't guarantee that you'll be appointed as the acting director."
"What about Youxi back then?"
Mu Yiran knew she couldn't show too much concern for Shi Youxi, but unfortunately, she was just Mu Yiran, not the real Cheng Ran.
She only wanted to help Shi Youxi.
“You said this will affect his future situation in the company… What can I do to help him?”
"After all... he was also dragged down by me."
Shi Yan raised an eyebrow, his eyes fixed on her.
"As for Xiao Xi, I have decided to arrange his engagement to Helian Xin."
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