Chapter 53 Life's Journey
Lawyer Gao appeared in Nanjiu's office on time at nine o'clock in the morning.
Nanjiu personally made him a cup of tea and said, "I'm sorry, I asked you out at such a last-minute appointment. I just got back last night."
"I was planning to ask you when you'd be free to meet, and you happened to call me yesterday." Lawyer Gao pulled a stack of documents from his briefcase and placed them on the table. "Our team has reviewed the documents you sent me a few days ago. There are some details we need to verify with you before we can issue the valuation report."
Nanjiu nodded, stood up and walked to the glass, pulled the curtains, and blocked the view outside the office.
Ding Jun heard that Nan Jiu had returned when he arrived at Xingyao in the morning. He put down his things and went to Nan Jiu's office to find her, but was told that she was talking to someone.
Around noon, he came again. Nanjiu's office door was still closed.
It was not until after noon that Ding Jun saw a man in a suit and tie leaving Nan Jiu.
He knocked on the door, walked into the office, and asked, "Who's there? Want to chat all morning?"
Nan Jiu glanced up at Ding Jun, then discreetly put the materials on the table into a folder and replied, "Lawyer."
"Why are you talking to a lawyer for so long?"
Nanjiu put the document into the drawer: "Prenuptial agreement."
Ding Jun understood: "No wonder. Have you dealt with all your family affairs?"
Nan Jiu nodded.
"Then after lunch, shall we have a meeting?"
"You arrange it." Nan Jiu responded.
Ding Jun had just stood up when Nan Jiu called him, "By the way." She pulled out another folder and handed it to him, "Take it back and look into it."
Ding Jun flipped open the file and glanced at it: "Isn't this what you are following? I have never dealt with the person in charge of the theater."
"I'll arrange a dinner for you guys on Friday and introduce you to each other. Your son can walk now, right? You should work harder. Aren't you going to have a second child? When there are more people in the family, you'll have more money to spend."
Ding Jun smiled and said, "Don't you have it?"
Nan Jiu glared at him and said, "Next time, if something happens and I can't come back, will all of you shut up and not eat?"
Ding Jun closed the folder and said, "Okay, I'll go with you on Friday."
After noon, Nan Jiu walked into the conference room to deal with the backlog of matters that had been pending for a while. Halfway through the meeting, Lin Songyao appeared at the door of the conference room.
He came straight to Xingyao after the forum meeting, his charcoal-gray double-breasted suit radiating the oppressive presence of a superior. The chatter in the conference room suddenly ceased, and Financial Director Shen immediately stood up and said, "Mr. Lin is here? Sit here."
Lin Songyao's eyes swept around and slowly landed on Nan Jiu: "No need, I'll go find your President Nan."
Nanjiu gave a few instructions, then stood up and walked out of the meeting room.
Walking to the office, there was constant whispering around.
Lin Songyao frowned, turned the corridor, and pushed open the door to the emergency passage: "Let's talk somewhere else."
The dim stairwell was dappled with light and shadow. Nan Jiu sat on the steps. Lin Songyao unbuttoned his suit with deliberate slowness, his voice echoing low in the narrow space: "Why did you hang up on me the other day?"
"I told you I was busy." Nan Jiu lowered her eyes to the tip of his shiny shoes, watching the shoes draw an anxious arc in front of her.
"What are you busy with?" He stopped and a shadow fell.
Nanjiu raised his eyes and curled his lips silently: "Are you interested in the tea plantation business, or do you want to learn more about the work rhythm of tea farmers?"
"You know what I'm asking," Lin Songyao rested his hands on the armrest, "Don't beat around the bush with me."
A light scoff escaped Nanjiu's lips: "This is boring."
"I've noticed that every time you come back from your hometown," he said, a hint of anger hidden in his voice, "you always have this attitude."
Nan Jiu leaned back, revealing her slender neck, and raised her chin to glare at him. "How should I treat you? Do you want emotional value?" She chuckled. "Boss Lin, one can't be too greedy. I have to manage the company, connect with investment projects, and help you clean up your mess from time to time. You still expect me to provide you with emotional value? Even cattle and horses need to take a breath. Don't you think you're asking for too much?"
"At least tell me where you're going and what you're doing, right?" He leaned in closer, his breathing heavier. "You went out of town without consulting me, stayed away for so many days, and didn't even answer my calls. Did you even know we're getting the marriage certificate next Wednesday?"
"You also know that it's a marriage certificate, not a contract to sell your body." Her eyes suddenly became sharp. "I have a lot of things to do today. If you are here to quarrel with me, I'm sorry, let's make an appointment another time." She made a gesture to see him off, and her tone was firm.
Lin Songyao stood still, his chest heaving violently as his suppressed anger finally broke out. "Every time you go back and see him, something starts to go wrong with you. What can he give you that I can't give you?"
"What do you think?" she retorted, her eyes slightly raised.
He paced on the spot for two steps, then suddenly turned around, with a rare hesitation in his tone: "If you want a pure relationship..." He stopped speaking here, perhaps he himself felt it was ridiculous.
Nan Jiu raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Next time, think carefully before you say anything." She gave a charming yet cruel sneer, "I still appreciate your impure side."
He lowered his head, his eyes dark and heavy. She met his gaze, her narrow eyes as calm as the abyss, without a ripple.
The stagnant air gradually condensed into ice.
Nanjiu's body was trapped in the shadow of the stairs, like a handful of quicksand that couldn't be grasped, making Lin Songyao feel a sense of loss of control. He turned abruptly, suppressing his unreasonable panic, and said, "Next Wednesday, don't forget."
"Don't worry," her voice came from behind, floating lightly in the air, "I won't forget it."
The door closed, and the stairwell became dark and quiet again.
Nan Jiu took out her phone, dialed the number, and said to the person on the other end of the line: "Lawyer Gao, I've just sent you the documents you requested. Please be patient these few days. I need all the materials by next Tuesday at the latest. Also..." She pinched her brows, "Be prepared to respond to the lawsuit..."
......
It was four days later when Song Ting returned to Mao'er Lane after he had settled matters on the mountain. Although he had spoken to Old Man Nan on the phone while he was there, it wasn't until Old Man Nan saw him return safely that he finally felt relieved.
Old Man Nan asked him about the situation on the mountain. Song Ting told the old man roughly what had happened on the tea mountain during this period.
After hearing this, Old Man Nan sighed and said, "Things are really happening one after another. They are all piled up together."
As it grew darker, most of the tea drinkers had left, and Aunt Wu also went back.
Song Ting stood up and cleared away the tea bowls left by the last table of tea patrons.
Old Man Nan, who was sitting not far away, suddenly said, "Xiao Jiu called me a few days ago and told me that she went back."
"Yeah." Song Ting responded, picked up the tea bowl and turned around.
"Will she come back?" Old Man Nan's voice floated in the twilight, like a wisp of smoke about to dissipate.
Song Ting paused. Light streamed down his shoulder, illuminating a face whose emotions were unclear. Silence lingered for a moment in the teahouse.
"I don't know." He held the tea bowl and his figure disappeared into the corridor.
After returning to Maoer Lane, Song Ting found time to buy a new phone. He swapped the SIM card from his spare phone into the new one. When restoring the data, he imported all the photos from years ago into the album.
His gaze fixed on a photo from over six years ago. The girl in the photo had long platinum hair, shed her childishness, yet untainted by worldly sophistication. Her bright eyes, as clear as if freshly washed, held hope and ambition for the future.
......
In the car outside the Civil Affairs Bureau, Nan Jiu held his cell phone and stared at the photo that Song Ting had sent him five minutes ago.
She had forgotten she'd even taken a photo like this on her 20th birthday. Strangely, it felt as if fate had somehow connected them. The brave self in the photo from over six years ago now stared into her soul's eyes. A fearlessness born of the past, breaking through time and silently flowing into her, gave her a power that transcended time and space.
The photo was replaced by the caller ID, and Nan Jiu answered the call. Lin Songyao's voice came from the receiver: "Why haven't you arrived yet?"
"We're here. We're right outside. Come out."
A moment later, Lin Songyao strode out of the Civil Affairs Bureau. He looked around, searching for Nanjiu. Nanjiu didn't roll down the window or honk at him, just sat quietly in the car, watching him. That is, until he spotted her car and approached her.
Lin Songyao wore a well-cut, finely crafted suit, while Nanjiu wore a simple grey hoodie, her long hair casually tied up.
The moment Lin Songyao opened the car door and saw her, his expression paused imperceptibly, then returned to normal. He bent down and sat in the passenger seat, straightening the front of his suit.
"Why don't you just go in?" His voice was steady, without any emotion.
Nan Jiu rested one hand on the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on a newlywed couple standing in front of the Civil Affairs Bureau. The girl was holding up her marriage certificate for a selfie, her smile dazzlingly bright.
"I'm not going in." She withdrew her gaze, her voice was very soft, but there was no room for maneuver.
"What do you mean?" The air pressure in the car suddenly dropped.
"I knew it!" Lin Songyao's chest heaved. "Ding Jun said you've been working overtime until the early morning every day this week. Who else wants to get married as hardworking as you? I guessed you had other ideas."
Lin Songyao hadn't been without suspicion. As soon as Nan Jiu returned, he had someone check her corporate email. During the week she'd been at the tea farm, most of her emails had remained unread. She'd deliberately created the illusion of being completely distracted, making him believe she was deeply immersed in the tea farm's affairs. In reality, she'd been secretly sorting out the stakes, waiting for the moment he was least prepared to deliver the blow she'd already prepared.
Lin Songyao's voice was filled with suppressed anger: "Can you clear your mind a little?"
Nanjiu turned around and said, "I don't need your reminder."
"So we're breaking up?" He sneered, unbuttoning his suit and loosening his collar. "Nanjiu, do you think you're eighteen years old? Still capable of acting on impulse?"
He leaned closer and lowered his voice: "What kind of magic potion did your uncle give you?"
"If I don't want to, no matter how much someone tries to charm me, it's useless." Her tone was filled with a hint of relief. "I just...want to change the way I live."
Xingyao, to Nanjiu, is like a child she has nurtured. For over eight years, since entering the workforce, she has dedicated her entire being to Xingyao. However, as long as there's a "Yao" in Xingyao, she can no longer fully grasp it.
Stop loss is not giving up. She just chooses to prune her branches in time and sprout again.
Outside the car, people were coming and going at the Civil Affairs Bureau. Some were beaming, others seemed like complete strangers. They sat in the car, the silence between them straining to the utmost.
"Do you know why I want to marry you?" she suddenly said.
He never asked, or even if he asked, she never revealed her innermost feelings to him without reservation.
"When my parents were together, my grandparents were strongly against it. My mom cut off all ties with the family for her true love. They were madly in love, and when they were getting a divorce, they wanted to stab each other."
Lin Songyao frowned slightly.
"Later, my dad met Liao Hong, and he fell in love again. When they were both dating, he took me to Baojiashan Park and let me play in the sandpit by myself. He and Liao Hong chatted on a bench until midnight." She paused, "I was so cold that my nose was running, but they didn't notice. I thought it was true love this time, but after a few years, we started to break up again.
"From that moment on, I figured it out. Marriage is not an option in my life."
She turned her head and looked straight at Lin Songyao: "So that piece of paper means nothing to me, not to mention whose name is on it. You just happened to meet my needs at that particular time."
Just like a dancer about to take the stage, she needs a costume that aligns with the theme. This dress must instantly draw the audience into the scene, outline her figure, and echo the atmosphere of the stage. It must be the most suitable piece that best enhances the performance, but it may not necessarily be her favorite.
"If you don't care, why did you suddenly change your mind?"
“He cares.”
Lin Songyao's expression twisted instantly: "We've known each other for so many years, don't we have any feelings for each other? You care about him, but have you ever considered me?"
Nanjiu's lips curled up in mockery. "You don't have to pretend to be affectionate in front of me, right? Why do you, or your family, take a fancy to me? Do you have to put it on the table?"
The muscles on Lin Songyao's cheeks bulged and then subsided imperceptibly.
"Would those girls from well-off families tolerate the things you do outside?" Her voice was soft, but every word pierced her heart. "Someone like me is easy to manipulate, but I can also work hard for you and squeeze out all the value. I'm a perfect tool."
"I don't take your calculations against me to heart." Her eyes held the calmness of someone who had seen through something. "Because I know exactly what I want. Who doesn't have some calculations?"
From the day Old Man Nan turned her away, she had only one path left: close her eyes and charge forward alone. A woman without power, influence, or connections, seeking advancement, anything at hand could become a weapon. Marriage, in her life creed, was a weapon she didn't value.
"But," she said with relief, "I don't want it now."
"For a man, are you planning to disregard even Xingyao?"
"Who said I don't care? I will stay and finish all the work." She said firmly, "But I will take away everything that belongs to me."
Lin Songyao's eyes were filled with hostility. "I'm telling you clearly, I won't let you go so easily."
Nanjiu picked up the document bag in front of the car and handed it to him.
Lin Songyao opened it and flipped through it. It contained everything: an equity valuation report, a summary of financial data, a letter of intent for transfer, and alternative negotiation plans.
His face turned from livid to pale, his fingers tightly gripping the equity document. "How long have you been preparing?"
"Just these few days."
She once again showed him her ruthless tactics. In just a few days, she had already sorted out the complex web of interests between them, leaving no room for maneuver.
Lin Songyao slammed the file bag hard on the hood of the car, and the papers flew everywhere.
He approached, his expression ferocious: "I will get you entangled in lawsuits. I tell you, Nanjiu, you think you can get out of this easily? Dream on!"
"Actually, I don't want to go this far." Nan Jiu calmly took out another file bag from the storage compartment on the side of the car and placed it on Lin Songyao's legs.
Lin Songyao roughly ripped the bag open, his wrists shaking uncontrollably as he flipped through the pages. Written in black and white, it contained all the evidence he'd used in his business dealings over the years. Every time he'd asked Nanjiu to handle something shady, she'd quietly left behind evidence. Now, that evidence was like a sharp sword, pointed at his weakest point.
"I want to part ways amicably." Nanjiu's eyes were terrifyingly calm. "If you insist on making things difficult for me, I don't mind handing these over to your brother."
Lin Songyao's fingers froze in mid-air. He suddenly looked up, his eyes as sharp as a torch, as if he wanted to burn a hole in her body, shock and anger intertwined on his face.
"You've been doing a lot of dirty work on your brother in the past few years. If I give these things to your brother, I wonder if he will consider our brotherly love?"
When Nan Jiu finally dropped all her disguise, a chill ran down Lin Songyao's spine. The tactics and schemes displayed by the woman before him had already, without him realizing it, gone beyond his control.
He suddenly realized that in her eyes, he was never a tree to cling to, but merely a boat sailing along in the turbulent current. While he thought he was in control, she had already laid out the chessboard. The resources and connections he provided were merely the wind she borrowed to fuel the fire. All she truly relied on was her own brains and decisiveness.
She does not ask for anything, nor does she give alms; she simply completes the precise plundering with a leisurely pace.
Lin Songyao stared at her intently. Nan Jiu met his gaze, her eyes as still as a frozen lake.
"Just wait!" Lin Songyao opened the car door.
With a "bang", the car door closed and even the air vibrated.
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