A Chan – CH 110

Chapter 110: Love in a Jar (2)

When the knock sounded, Li Weiyi was already sitting at the desk, reading an illustration book.

Xu Yi pushed open the door, carrying a plate of food. The aroma was enticing, and Li Weiyi realized she was starving.

Seeing her reading, Xu Yi smiled and said, “This art book is hard to find; I knew you’d like it.”

Li Weiyi ignored him. He didn’t seem to mind. He put down the plate, took the book from her hands, and said, “Eat something first. You haven’t had dinner yet.”

Li Weiyi glanced at the food: three of her favorite side dishes, a bowl of white rice, and a bowl of bird’s nest soup. She picked up her chopsticks and ate silently.

Xu Yi pulled up a chair and sat down beside her. He had changed out of his serious black suit and was wearing a dark blue sweater, revealing the shirt collar, and casual trousers, which made his fair skin and handsome features stand out even more.

He silently watched Li Weiyi for as long as she ate.

After a while, Li Weiyi couldn’t take it anymore and turned to say, “Why are you staring at me like that?”

Xu Yi touched his chin with his thumb and forefinger, smiled, and said, “I feel very content. Just seeing you by my side makes me feel content.”

Li Weiyi bit her lip, remaining silent and continuing to eat. But the more she ate, the less she had an appetite, finding it difficult to swallow. She wondered, what kind of person was he? He could love someone so humbly and calmly, yet his heart was darker than anyone else’s.

Li Weiyi put down her chopsticks. Xu Yi asked, “Are you full? You haven’t drunk the bird’s nest soup yet.”

Li Weiyi felt annoyed just seeing bird’s nest soup and thinking of their nanny, Sister Liu. She replied, “No, I’m full.”

Xu Yi stood up and walked closer. Li Weiyi tensed up, but he simply picked up the bowl of bird’s nest soup she had rejected, drank it all in one gulp, put the bowl down, wiped his mouth with a tissue, and said, “You used to be so happy every time you ate bird’s nest soup… It’s okay, I’ll eat what you can’t finish.”

His tone was clearly indulgent. Li Weiyi acted as if she hadn’t heard him and asked, “Why did you do those things? With your abilities, even if you hadn’t taken money from Fuming back then, you could have built your own business empire in time. Why?”

Xu Yi sat across a desk from her, his long legs crossed, hands resting on his knees, and his posture calm and composed.

Yes, when did it start? Why did he step onto that dishonorable path, where even half a lifetime of glory was shrouded in darkness?

Xu Yi smiled.

It probably started with his sister Liu Ying’s plea for help.

But perhaps it was his nature. Whether Liu Ying was there or not, he probably wouldn’t have been able to resist the temptation, wouldn’t have been able to go against his instincts, and would have taken the faster, more dangerous, and more rugged path to success.

At that time, he was only 22 years old, fresh out of university, but had already been an entrepreneur for two years, using some borderline methods to make a fortune. Everyone thought he was a gentle and mild-mannered person, but they didn’t know that he was inherently adventurous and disliked following the conventional, safe path. After all, with 100% profit, capital would take any risk, regardless of the consequences.

At that time, he hadn’t yet found his next direction; the path that had made him money before was no longer viable. One late night, Liu Ying found her younger brother and cried, “I don’t know what to do! Boss Zhang might find out what we’ve done! He’s a ruthless man; he’ll definitely send us to jail or even have us killed… Conglan, you’re smart, much smarter than your sister. Help me think of a way; what should we do next?”

Xu Yi then realized how terribly his sister had ruined her life. She manipulated men, and men manipulated her. But she was a woman who refused to be a plaything; she turned the tables and used them. A web of money, power, and sex was secretly intertwined within Fuming, making her and them all in the same boat.

Initially, Liu Ying was deceived. Cheng Chuan, who clearly had a wife, lied and claimed to be single. He was generous and a high-ranking executive at the city’s most prestigious company, and Liu Ying quickly slept with him. After six months, Liu Ying discovered she was his mistress and angrily confronted Cheng Chuan. In the end, Cheng Chuan’s compensation was to get her a job as Marketing Director at Fuming.

Liu Ying possessed talent in marketing and interpersonal relationships, and her impressive academic background secured her a stable position as Marketing Director.

Soon, Zhang Fengming also set his sights on Liu Ying. Whether it was Zhang Fengming’s manipulation, Cheng Chuan’s favor, or Liu Ying’s desire for another powerful backer, her relationship with Zhang Fengming became ambiguous.

Both men treated Liu Ying as their possession, but Liu Ying was no pushover. After discovering that Cheng Chuan was secretly making money at the Furida subsidiary, Liu Ying demanded a share as well. The more she amassed, the larger the operation became, requiring more cover-up. At this point, Zhang Fengming, the Procurement Director and Liu Ying’s lover, clearly became the best choice.

The three’s distorted yet stable relationship of money and sex continued in this way.

However, their methods were not sophisticated enough. After only a year and having amassed several million, news of their scheme leaked, and their position became precarious.

That was why Liu Ying sought help.

Because she knew very well that if things went wrong, those two men were Zhang Moyun’s brothers, and Zhang Moyun might let them off out of old friendship. She, however, would definitely not escape and might even be pushed forward to take the blame.

At that time, looking at his sister’s gloomy and stiff face, Xu Yi remained silent for a long time.

“Can’t get away?” he asked.

“I’m too deeply involved. I signed many of the documents. If Zhang Moyun reports it to the police, I’m finished,” Liu Ying replied. “And I’m not willing to give up. 2.4 million! Conglan, in just the first half of last year, I received 2.4 million!”

After a long silence, Xu Yi sighed and said, “I’ll think of a way.”

Xu Yi quickly came up with a solution that helped Liu Ying get through that difficult time and also proposed many improvement measures, teaching them to make the accounts look better and without flaws.

At the end of the same year, Xu Yi was hired by Fuming Group as the chairman’s assistant. With his excellent academic background and entrepreneurial achievements, he unsurprisingly won Zhang Moyun’s favor.

No one knew he was Liu Ying’s younger brother; even Zhang Fengming and Cheng Chuan were unaware for the first few years.

…

Xu Yi, in that advantageous position, repeatedly helped them overcome difficulties and offered strategic advice. Gradually, their business grew larger, and their earnings increased. From assistant general managers to senior executives and then to subsidiaries, this network of connections was impenetrable, concealing the truth from superiors.

Xu Yi’s annual salary was 400,000 yuan, a considerable sum for his age and experience.

But compared to his shady income, what was 400,000 yuan? After he joined Fuming, the siblings earned 5 million yuan in their first year and 10 million yuan in their second. Under Xu Yi’s manipulation, Cheng Chuan and Zhang Fengming only received a small share, yet they were smugly convinced they were in charge.

…

Recalling these distant and obscure past events, Xu Yi simply smiled calmly, resting his hand on the armrest of his chair and tapping his fingers lightly a few times, before answering Li Weiyi’s question: “Probably because money is truly a wonderful thing. The more wealth you possess, the more you can accomplish. The rules of this world are only made for mediocre people; I don’t consider myself one of them. If I can get it, why shouldn’t I get it earlier? Xiao Yi, do you remember Zhang Moyun’s reckless expansion back then? Actually, I had a relationship with him, and I sincerely advised him several times. But he wouldn’t listen at all; he was too arrogant, conceited, and stubborn. Since that money was destined to go down the drain, turning into a pile of steel and cement rotting on the construction site, it was better for me to take it.”