In a way, Xiao Zhenliang and Xie Xiaoling were truly in love; one went to jail, and even after the other got out, she would try every means to get back in.
[Ugh, what a scumbag! You'd be better off with a prison sentence!]
At this point, Xiao Zhenliang disappeared from everyone's sight. With such a huge scandal involving the heir and major shareholder of the Xiao family, the Xiao family's stock plummeted to its daily limit the following day. Investment institutions withdrew their funds, banks refused to approve loans, the Xiao family's cash flow dried up, and it officially entered bankruptcy liquidation.
Of course, these are all things to be discussed later and have nothing to do with Yan Shenyu.
The afternoon after Xiao Zhenliang went to jail, Yan Shenyu received a small box of cakes from Yan Weiwei. He knew this cake shop; their signature cakes were limited to 200 pieces per day, and there was a long queue. A scalper's ticket could fetch an exorbitant price of 500 yuan.
Why would Yan Weiwei give him a small cake?
Yan Shenyu took the cake, somewhat bewildered: "Isn't today my birthday?"
Yan Weiwei shook her head and explained, "My friend treated you."
Yan Shenyu: "Friends?"
Yan Weiwei: "Thank you for what you said last night. She said she knows what to do."
Yan Shenyu understood after a moment's thought, and his expression became serious: "Tell your friend not to be afraid, and if they can't handle it themselves, they can come to me if they have any problems."
Yan Weiwei was taken aback, and whispered a thank you.
However, the impact of this incident was far from over. During dinner that evening, Yan Zhengang, who had previously wanted to cancel his credit card, surprisingly asked, "Do you still have money in your card?"
In a family like theirs, Yan Shenyu didn't have much money, but the 1 million he transferred to Xiao Zhenliang was returned in full by the police. Moreover, he had lived a glamorous life in his previous life and didn't have much need for luxury goods now. His expenses were not high, so he couldn't be considered strapped for cash for the time being.
Yan Shenyu nodded: "A little."
"Didn't you want a yacht last time?" Yan Zhengang said casually. "There's a trade fair this week, I'll have someone bid for it for you."
"Photographing a yacht?" Yan Shenyu didn't react for a moment.
Yan Zhengang: "Or do you want to go by yourself?"
After a long silence, Yan Shenyu said softly, "Actually, I'd rather you give me cash instead."
“Uh…” Yan Zhengang’s face darkened, as if he was furious, and he remained silent.
This time, Yan Shenyu thought optimistically that he had lasted for almost two minutes while playing the role of a loving father, which was an improvement over the previous time.
He thought that since Yan Zhengang hadn't agreed, the matter was over. But after dinner, his usual bank card suddenly received a large transfer.
Then Yan Zhengang sent him a message: "If you don't have money, just say so. You even have to pay cash for a yacht. Aren't you ashamed?"
Upon realizing that the huge sum of money came from Yan Zhengang, Yan Shenyu immediately slid to his knees and hurriedly said, "Yes, yes, I have brought shame to the Yan family. Thank you for your generosity, my benefactor."
Yan Zhengang: "The yacht is registered in your name, so you don't have to worry about berthing or maintenance. But I will occasionally use the yacht to entertain clients."
Yan Shenyu: "No problem, bring any clients you like!"
Unexpectedly, Yan Shenyu got a yacht and a huge sum of money for free tonight, which made him feel quite happy while playing on his phone.
It was around this time that he stumbled upon a variety show called "All-Round Intelligence." This show's main selling point was its focus on high intelligence; each episode featured a challenging, escape-room-like scenario where top students from various universities competed to solve the puzzles. Due to its captivating storyline and the guests' brilliant performances, it became an instant hit upon release. It catapulted several university heartthrobs to fame and even popularized the term "intellectual homosexuality."
Yan Shenyu noticed this variety show because he suddenly remembered that Yan Sheng seemed to have become famous because of this show.
Sure enough, Yan Shenyu clicked into the contestant's homepage and found Yan Sheng's profile—Yan Sheng, 24 years old, a graduate student majoring in social psychology at Ocean University of China, currently ranked first in popularity.
The boy in the photo is wearing a white shirt, with slightly long hair cascading behind his ears, a beauty mark at the corner of his eye, and a cool and sharp demeanor. Throughout the program, he maintained a completely expressionless face, initially appearing aloof and unapproachable, but upon closer inspection, one could discern a mysterious allure beneath his ascetic demeanor.
This is the beautiful and intelligent protagonist from the original book.
There are people like that in real life. They never wear revealing clothes, nor do they try to be friendly to others. At first glance, they seem more serious and proper than anyone else, but in reality, they are full of sexual tension and just want people to take off their clothes immediately.
Yan Sheng initially gained chemistry with countless supporting characters precisely because of this unique attribute. Not to mention his highly educated and intelligent persona, which captivated a large number of people.
But wait...
Seeing this, Yan Shenyu was suddenly confused. If Yan Sheng was so awesome, how could she be bullied by the silly "Yan Shenyu"?
But never mind, that's not his concern anyway. His goal is to bring the person back ahead of time and then move out of the house openly and legitimately.
According to the original plot, after Yan Sheng debuted in "All-Round Intelligence and All-Around Ability", she had to go through various twists and turns, such as being cheated by her agency, framed by her competitors, and being harassed online, before she could finally go home.
But Yan Shenyu didn't want to wait that long. On the one hand, he wanted to move out as soon as possible. On the other hand, Yan Zhen had just given him a large sum of money, and in return, he wanted to help him do something.
Yan Shenyu sent Yan Sheng's screenshot to Yan Zhengang and asked, "Dad, does this look like your lost child?"
He meant well by reminding him, but Yan Zhengang flew into a rage, stormed into his room, and gave him a dressing down, warning him not to play pranks or he wouldn't send him any more money.
Yan Shenyu: "..."
Well, he didn't expect the other party to believe him so easily, but Yan Zhengang's anger was still somewhat unexpected.
“He’s been disappointed too many times,” Xu Jingshu explained after learning about the matter. “He used to be very enthusiastic about every clue, but now he doesn’t dare to go at all, because going there will only lead to another disappointment.”
Yan Shenyu understood: "So he still cares about that child."
Xu Jingshu nodded: "After all, it was left behind by his ex-wife before she died, so he probably feels guilty."
Xu Jingshu spoke of her ex in such a natural tone, as if she were talking about a complete stranger. Yan Shenyu asked curiously, "Don't you mind?"
"It's been so many years, if I were going to mind, I would have minded long ago," Xu Jingshu shook her head and said lightly, "Besides, we are just in an arranged marriage. Although there have been no conflicts over the years, we don't have much affection for each other either. We're just living together as a couple."
Yan Shenyu nodded to indicate that he understood, but then a question arose: Yan Zhengang had developed PTSD from searching for his son and didn't believe his explanation at all.
Yan Shenyu thought of many ways to persuade him, but in the end he was too lazy to argue with him. He decided to go to Haishi to find Yan Sheng and bring her back first.
Just then, Wildfire Technology's new office building in Haishi was completed, and the public relations department invited him to make a "factory visit" video. Although Yan Shenyu didn't know why they were looking for him, he figured it wouldn't hurt to go and take a look, so he combined the two trips and flew to Haishi.
Unfortunately, on the day of departure, the flight scheduled for 9 a.m. was delayed due to mechanical failure, and the departure time was uncertain. Yan Shenyu wanted to reschedule, but the fastest flight was at 12 p.m., and the high-speed train would take 5 hours, so she definitely wouldn't make it to the 2 p.m. completion ceremony.
In the VIP lounge, Yan Shenyu, wearing a baseball cap, was sending a message to the other party's public relations department, saying that his flight was delayed and he might miss the afternoon's completion ceremony.
The other party has not given a clear answer yet, only saying that they need to discuss it with their superiors.
Not long after, a voice suddenly rang out from above: "Mr. Yan?"
Yan Shenyu lifted his baseball cap and his eyes lit up: "Secretary Lin? What are you doing here?"
Secretary Lin explained, "The staff in Haishi said your flight was delayed. Since President Xie is also going there, you can come with us."
"That's great," Yan Shenyu said, following behind with her suitcase. "How are you going to get there? There are no flights at this time. Are you taking a private jet?"
Secretary Lin nodded: "Grandma Xie was going to Shanghai to see a friend. The president was worried about her going alone, so he sent her there by private jet."
When the topic turned to Mrs. Xie, Yan Shenyu recalled the embarrassing moment when she was forced to hide in Xie Siyan's bathtub, and hesitated for a moment: "Since Mr. Xie's family is here, would it be inappropriate for me to go?"
Secretary Lin shook her head: "It's nothing, this is exactly what the president ordered."
Yan Shenyu stopped hesitating and simply followed.
After arriving at the private helipad by shuttle bus, Yan Shenyu followed Secretary Lin into the private jet.
The cabin is fairly spacious. Upon entering, there is a small bar area, which is divided into a work area and a relaxation area.
Xie Siyan sat at his desk in the work area, dressed in a neat suit. He nodded indifferently when Xie Siyan came in.
Yan Shenyu greeted them, not wanting to disturb their work, and carried his backpack to the rest area at the back.
Before he had taken two steps, Xie Siyan spoke up: "Sit next to me."
Yan Shenyu: "Won't this disturb your work?"
"My grandma is behind me," Xie Siyan said succinctly. His grandma had been obsessed with setting him up on blind dates lately, believing everything she heard, and he was afraid she would cause trouble for Yan Shenyu.
Last time in the office, Xie Siyan also told him to avoid his grandmother. Yan Shenyu didn't want to expose his family, so he put down his backpack and sat down next to Xie Siyan with an empty seat between them.
"Siyan," came the old lady's voice from behind, "who is this?"
An elderly woman wearing a tailored cheongsam sat on a leather sofa in the lounge area. She wore a pearl necklace and a jade bracelet, and was looking over with a curious expression, like an inquisitive child.
Yan Shenyu immediately stood up and said politely, "Hello, ma'am. I am a self-media person invited by the public relations department of Wildfire Technology to film your company's new office building in Haishi. Because of the flight delay, I boarded President Xie's plane."
Xie Siyan swallowed the word "friend" that was on the tip of his tongue and gave a faint "hmm".
Grandma Xie smiled at him with a good temper, but she didn't treat him coldly because of it.
While waiting for takeoff, Yan Shenyu opened his laptop to prepare for work. Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of Xie Siyan's tie and exclaimed "Huh!"
Why does this tie look so familiar? I feel like I've seen it somewhere before.
Yan Shenyu: "..."
Xie Siyan: "..."
"No, I have many of the same style at home, it just happened to be the same one," Xie Siyan immediately explained. "This tie is clean, it's not the one that tied you that night."
Yan Shenyu: "..."
He hadn't even considered that possibility, but Xie Siyan's quick rebuttal made it seem like he was trying to cover it up.
A note from the author:
Xie Siyan: I am innocent.
Yan Shenyu: Ha.
——
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 26 Celebrities Climbing into Bed.
Shortly after, the captain announced that the plane was about to take off. Electronic devices were not permitted during ascent, so Yan Shenyu simply turned off her computer and went to sleep.
Amidst a slight feeling of weightlessness and the rumbling sound, he gradually drifted off to sleep. Gradually, the rumbling of the plane taking off disappeared, replaced by increasingly clear human voices.
"I have dinner plans with Grandma Fu tonight. You should come if you have time, since it's been many years since we last saw each other."
"I'll have Uncle Gao take you there."
“That won’t do. They’ve all returned to China to settle down, with a house full of children and grandchildren, while I’m just an old lady. How embarrassing would that be?”
Xie Siyan pondered for a moment and compromised, "Then I'll come over and have dinner with you. Secretary Lin, all the arrangements for tonight are canceled."
The latter immediately nodded and agreed.
“The Fu family’s two children have also returned to China,” Grandma Xie’s voice became cheerful. “You two met when you were little, so you can catch up with them.”
"Grandma," Xie Siyan interrupted her quietly, "stop setting me up on blind dates."
The latter gave him a reproachful look and complained, "You're both boys, why would I set you up on a blind date?"