Chapter 78 Undercurrent
Late at night, the old house was so quiet that one could hear the swaying shadows of bamboo. Wei Wuxian curled up in his quilt, tears still lingering on his eyelashes, but his breathing had evened out. After crying for most of the night, he finally fell asleep exhausted.
Lan Wangji sat beside the bed, his fingertips gently brushing the corners of his reddened eyes, his movements as gentle as if they were a fragile treasure. Wei Wuxian's tears during the day, and the children's swollen palms, kept replaying in his mind. His heart felt like it was blocked by something, heavy and stuffy.
He tucked in the quilt for Wei Wuxian, stood up and walked to the outer room. When he picked up his phone, the light from the screen reflected the coldness in his eyes.
"Check the companies and related industries of the parents of the students who clashed with the children today." Lan Wangji's voice was low, but with an undeniable coldness. "I want all the information before dawn."
The assistant on the other end of the phone didn't dare to neglect it and quickly agreed. After hanging up, Lan Wangji stood by the window, looking out at the dark night, his fingertips tapping lightly on the window sill.
He wasn't one to get revenge, but he couldn't bear to see Wei Wuxian wronged, and he couldn't tolerate others directing their ill will toward a child. Parents who usually allowed their children to spread rumors, and now allowed their children to pick fights with prejudice, would be considered permissive if they let them off the hook.
At three in the morning, the assistant's message arrived, accompanied by a detailed dossier. Lan Wangji scrolled through the screen, scanning the company names. Several of them happened to have business dealings with the Lan family, while two others had gained a foothold thanks to collaborative projects with the Lan family.
He picked up his phone and called his special assistant. "We've terminated all cooperation with Hengtong and Qiming due to 'poor corporate reputation.' We've also notified the legal department that we're preparing to file a lawsuit against Dingsheng Group. Their project last year allegedly misappropriated Lan's technology patents."
After a pause, he added, "Also, have the PR department spread the word that these companies' products have potential safety risks, and we recommend that partners carefully evaluate them."
The special assistant on the other end gasped—this wasn't suppression, it was clearly cutting off the source of his support. But he knew Lan Wangji's temperament well; once he made a decision, he never changed it, so he could only agree in a low voice.
After hanging up the phone, Lan Wangji stared out the window at the gradually brightening sky, the coldness in his eyes slowly dissipating. As he turned to go back to his room, Wei Wuxian stirred and muttered incoherently, "Lan Zhan... don't leave..."
Lan Wangji immediately stepped forward and tightly grasped his outstretched hand: "I'm here."
Wei Wuxian finally calmed down and rubbed his palm a few times, like a cat seeking comfort. Lan Wangji sat quietly beside the bed for a long time, until the morning light fully illuminated it, and then he tiptoed up to wash.
In the days that followed, the business world saw a dramatic change.
First, the cooperation with Hengtong Company was abruptly stopped, and the capital chain was broken in an instant; then the stock price of Qiming Group plummeted, and the chairman fled overnight; Dingsheng Group was even more embarrassed by Lan's lawsuit, and was declared bankrupt and liquidated in less than a week.
Some attempted to track down the perpetrators, but they could only trace the Lan family's routine business operations, finding no trace of any violations. Only a handful of people knew the true story, vaguely assuming that the seemingly aloof CEO Lan had lost his temper, and for a time, no one dared to provoke the Lan family.
Wei Wuxian was completely oblivious to all of this. He was so busy changing the children's medicine and teaching them how to handle arguments that he didn't even notice the cold, hard tone Lan Wangji used when he occasionally answered the phone.
A week later, Jin Ling came home from school and said excitedly, "Uncle, those classmates who scolded you last time have transferred to another school! Their parents said they want to develop their careers abroad!"
Wei WuXian was stunned for a moment: "Transferring to another school?"
Lan Jingyi came over: "Yeah! I heard from the teacher that something seems to have happened to their company and they are in a hurry to move out!"
Si Zhui also nodded: "I passed by their neighborhood today and saw the moving company moving things."
Wei Wuxian's heart suddenly trembled, as if struck by lightning. He turned to look at Lan Wangji, who had just walked in. He was untying his tie, his expression calm, like a peaceful mountain, as if he hadn't heard the children's words.
“Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian walked over quickly and asked softly, “Did you do this?”
Lan Wangji raised his eyes, his gaze as calm as a deep lake: "They have violated the rules, and it has nothing to do with me."
Wei Wuxian stared into his eyes, as if trying to see through those deep eyes to his heart. After a long moment, the corners of his mouth suddenly curled up into a faint smile. He reached out and slithered his arms around Lan Wangji's waist, burying his face in his chest like an ostrich. "Lan Zhan, do you think I'm a soft persimmon that can be easily squeezed?"
“No.” Lan Wangji hugged him back tightly, his voice low and gentle, like a warm spring breeze, “I just don’t want anyone to make you sad and cry again.”
Wei Wuxian's eyes instantly filled with tears. He knew Lan Wangji's temperament. Though seemingly aloof, he actually gave all his tenderness and protectiveness to him. Those late-night phone calls, those uncharacteristically cold and hard words, were all meant to seek justice for her and the children.
“You…” Wei WuXian punched him, tears streaming down his face, “Aren’t you afraid that others will say you’re using your power to bully others?”
"I don't care." Lan Wangji lowered his head and kissed away his tears. "I only care about you."
The children in the living room looked at them, seemingly understanding. Jiang Yanli came over and ruffled Jin Ling's hair with a smile, "Let the adults handle their own affairs."
Jin Zixuan stood aside, looking at Lan Wangji's back, a hint of understanding flashed in his eyes - it seems that this Second Young Master Lan is more ruthless than anyone else when it comes to protecting others.
The comments section was already buzzing with activity, and someone dug up the experiences of those companies and instantly understood the key points:
"Holy crap! Boss Lan's moves are so cool! He kills people without them even noticing!"
"Wow, wow, what kind of fairy tale romance is this! Teacher Wei was wronged, and President Lan directly destroyed the other party's nest!"
"I used to think Mr. Lan was aloof, but now I know he's a doting husband! It makes me feel so safe!"
"They deserve it! They can't teach the kids well, and yet they still dare to slander Teacher Wei. They deserve it!"
Wei Wuxian nestled in Lan Wangji's arms, listening to the children's laughter outside, her heart aching with both warmth and sadness. She knew Lan Wangji was doing all this out of love for her. The malice that had once kept her awake was now quietly shut out by him, allowing her to stand peacefully in the sunshine, surrounded by love and warmth.
“Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian looked up, tears glistening in his eyes, but his smile was particularly bright, “It’s great to have you.”
Lan Wangji lowered his head and placed a kiss on her forehead, his voice as gentle as moonlight: "It's even better with you."
The sunlight outside the window was just right, filtering through the bamboo shoots into the living room, landing on the two people embracing, gilding them with a layer of warmth. The hidden undercurrents had long since subsided, leaving only the appearance of a peaceful and tranquil time.
Behind this tranquility, there is someone who is silently guarding the gentleness of the entire world in his own way.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
