Played Enough

The next day, after tidying up at Wang Manni's place, Wang Yan returned to his home in Junyue Mansion.

Wang Yan absolutely wouldn't tolerate Manager Wan's freeloading off Gu Jia.

It wasn't that Wang Yan had any obsessive-compulsive disorder, and even if he did, it had been thoroughly cured. But the target he had his eye on, he hadn't even touched yet, and this old bastard Manager Wan was already making moves. Xu Huanshan was legally married, so he couldn't do anything about him, but Manager Wan, that old bastard, he still had a way to deal with him.

Wang Yan hadn't been idle these past few days. He had been finding people and spending money, collecting a lot of dirt. He had gone through a lot of trouble for this information.

In modern society, finding dirt was most convenient and efficient through online channels.

Just hiring hackers cost a lot of effort. While money could make things happen, the process couldn't be avoided.

In the future, if he wanted to get things done in other worlds, he would have to search everywhere for people, which would be too slow. Thus, Wang Yan got the idea of learning computer technology, after all, it was too useful in modern society.

Wang Yan organized the information and planned to anonymously report Manager Wan, sending that bastard straight to jail.

Meanwhile, after Wang Yan left, Wang Manni went to work full of confidence.

When she arrived, she was directly invited by people sent by the company for an audit and people from the property management company. No matter what, this matter had to be resolved today.

Wang Manni was confident. She relayed the strategy Wang Yan had told her to them and requested to review the surveillance footage again.

The result was predictable. They naturally caught the mastermind, Linda. After a round of arguments, Linda left on her own.

Gu Jia, after losing a deal with Manager Wan, mortgaged her newly purchased house and used the loan to keep her company afloat.

Two days later, Mrs. Wang called her, asking her to accompany her to a gathering of the wives' circle. At this gathering, Gu Jia met Mrs. Yu and learned that she was in the amusement park business, which gave her some ideas.

After a group photo taken at the end of the gathering, Gu Jia, who was cropped out, understood what it meant to be ignored. She began to rack her brains to buy a bag that would suffice, to open the door to the wives' circle.

Xu Huanshan was very confused by Gu Jia's idea. He couldn't understand how a bag could solve the company's crisis. But Gu Jia's prestige built up over the years suppressed his disagreement, and he eventually agreed.

He started pooling money together to buy Gu Jia a bag. However, in the end, Xu Huanshan still disapproved. It wasn't the first day he had issues with Gu Jia's ideas, and this was another mark against her.

Because of this, it eventually led them to Wang Manni through Zhong Xiaoqin.

Although Wang Yan had intercepted the favor of saving Wang Manni from dire straits, they still got acquainted.

Wang Manni had worked in luxury sales for many years and had some channels. She successfully bought the bag Gu Jia needed.

Gu Jia, therefore, successfully appeared in the wives' circle group photo, no longer being the one cropped out.

For these reasons, Gu Jia's impression of Wang Manni greatly improved. The three sisters of "Thirty Only" were now complete.

Wang Manni also received notice from her landlord, telling her to move out quickly.

She fell into a dilemma. It would be difficult, basically impossible, to find a place with such a good location now.

In reality, she didn't have much money, and maintaining her quality of life required high consumption. If she hadn't occasionally hooked up with a few rich guys, she probably would have collapsed long ago, and loan sharks would have been knocking on her door.

Feeling frustrated, she had just been promoted to supervisor, and the company was reimbursing travel expenses. She wanted to take this opportunity to relax and clear her head.

During a gathering of the three, the topic of the cruise trip's standard cabin versus executive cabin came up. Gu Jia had probably forgotten what it was like to be poor when she was young, or perhaps she simply thought Wang Manni's level should be sufficient. She gave advice, telling her to upgrade her cabin, and talked at length. How could Wang Manni resist such persuasion? As Gu Jia spoke, Wang Manni could visualize it, her mind racing. She kept this in mind.

After they parted ways, Wang Manni lay in bed thinking about what preparations she needed to make for the European cruise. No matter how she thought about it, it all came down to money.

She thought of Wang Yan, the rich old bachelor, again, thinking of some tricks to get money from him. The fifty thousand he gave her last time had already been spent on bags and cosmetics. She had actively sought out the second time, and Wang Yan had forgotten to give her money. Overall, Wang Yan had benefited, but she hadn't lost out either.

Immediately, she called Wang Yan and lured him over.

This time, she was confident Wang Yan wouldn't refuse. Last time, she had put on quite a show, and she believed Wang Yan must have been very satisfied.

As expected, the call was connected, and Wang Yan agreed immediately, telling her to get ready.

It couldn't be blamed on Wang Yan. The key was that her resemblance to a famous face in the real world was extremely high, combined with the personality from the film and television world. Who could resist?

After experiencing two worlds, Wang Yan's experiences had become richer, and his realm had improved. But this kind of novel and stimulating feeling, no matter who it was, he couldn't resist. Who wouldn't want to play?

That evening, after Wang Yan arrived and they had their fun.

Wang Yan lit a cigarette as usual afterward, while Wang Manni lay limply on his chest.

She started rambling again, talking about the European cruise trip.

Hearing this, Wang Yan understood what was going on. She wanted money.

Wang Yan couldn't help but think of Liang Zhengxian. That guy's looks were streets ahead of him, and coupled with his sweet talk, he was definitely enough. In terms of picking up girls and flirting, Wang Yan was indeed no match.

But Wang Yan didn't need all that flashy stuff. He would use money to smash the materialistic aspects, and for the non-materialistic ones, with his personal charm, he could conquer and pacify them over time. Didn't Gu Jia, who was firm in her commitment to marriage, buckle under?

Compared to Liang Zhengxian, it was just slower to see results. He lost out on looks.

Wang Yan thought seriously. It seemed Wang Manni's logic wasn't flawed.

At the end of the day, their relationship was a form of exchange. Wang Yan exchanged money for peace of mind, and Wang Manni exchanged her physical capital for money. As for how she spent the money afterward, that was her business. Wang Yan really couldn't control it; it had nothing to do with them.

After figuring it out, Wang Yan stopped wasting time. He transferred a hundred thousand to her and also made up for the last time.

Wang Yan didn't want to mess around with them anymore. After the initial novelty wore off, he felt it was meaningless. He had played enough.

It was just a few notches above "300," a bit more high-end, but that was all.

He got up, put on his clothes, and left without lingering, saying, "This is the end."

Wang Manni watched Wang Yan get dressed and leave, saying it was the end. She was completely bewildered, not understanding what was happening.

She had seen this kind of thing many times. She knew that since they had easily become intimate, there was no possibility for them. She had long anticipated this situation, but she still felt a little regretful. After all, he was the only rich man with good stamina she had encountered in many years.

He was generous enough to give her 150,000. Even if she actually got it, how much would Liang Zhengxian have given her in total?

He felt that Wang Manyi had been fooled and fallen for him. She was genuinely looking to get married, otherwise, why would she have gone through that whole dramatic scene?

Back home, Wang Yan washed up and went to sleep.

Time passed slowly, and Gu Jia successfully struck up a conversation with Mrs. Yu. They bonded over taking care of their children and learning horseback riding. Gu Jia would chat with Mrs. Yu whenever she had the chance. Since Mrs. Yu didn't have children of her own, she had no experience with them. Gu Jia, being experienced, guided her on how to interact with her stepson.

During this process, Mrs. Yu's favorability towards Gu Jia gradually increased, and she finally introduced Gu Jia to her husband, the amusement park tycoon.

It must be said, when it came to sales and operations, Gu Jia was more than capable. A large part of the fireworks company's development to this day was thanks to Gu Jia.

In terms of personal ability, Wang Manyi, after eight years in sales, was far behind.

A wife's influence is indeed powerful. Gu Jia and her husband successfully secured the amusement park order. During this period, Xu Huanshan couldn't really connect with the truly wealthy, feeling out of place. He lost his temper again and made a mental note of it.

Wang Yan handed over all the work to his subordinates. He didn't have much business to attend to, so he practiced calligraphy and learned computer skills at home.

Computers, in essence, are a matter of logic. Wang Yan's logic, thinking, and learning abilities were more than sufficient. He didn't need a teacher to learn these things; he could figure most of it out on his own.

He planned to learn construction first, then destruction. He started with the most basic assembly language, then C, and then other languages like Java and Python. Wang Yan's learning ability was good, and his progress was remarkable. In just a few days, his computer skills reached Level 1.

One afternoon, while Wang Yan was practicing calligraphy at home, he received a message from Gu Jia saying that Xu Ziyan wanted to come over and play for a while.

Wang Yan thought to himself, "This Xu Ziyan is finally useful." He called the property management and asked them to issue Gu Jia a card for the 18th floor, citing convenience for the child to visit. It was just an elevator card, and Gu Jia didn't refuse after some thought.

When he arrived upstairs, Wang Yan was already waiting at the door.

Upon seeing Wang Yan, Xu Ziyan ran over and hugged Wang Yan's leg, happily calling him Uncle Wang.

Gu Jia gave Wang Yan an apologetic smile. Wang Yan didn't say anything, just gestured that it was alright.

He picked up Xu Ziyan and walked into the house, "I heard you missed Uncle Wang. Tell me, where did you miss me?"

Xu Ziyan said childishly, "Everywhere."

Wang Yan laughed heartily, "Haha, you're quite sly."

He then asked Gu Jia, "Where's Old Xu? What's going on with him? Why do I always see you bringing the child alone?"

Gu Jia explained helplessly, "I'm a full-time mom, a housewife. Of course, I'm the one taking care of the child."

"Huanshan needs to support the family. The company just landed a big order a few days ago, so he's very busy."

Wang Yan nodded and didn't say anything more. You can't keep pouring on the flattery; a word or two is enough.

Entering the house, Xu Ziyan found everything novel and pulled Wang Yan around the room. The last time he was here, he had fallen asleep and hadn't seen anything.

Gu Jia reprimanded Xu Ziyan from the side, telling him to behave.

Wang Yan couldn't just watch. Honestly, after all he had been through, he still felt that Gu Jia's elite education approach had problems.

Perhaps this was also because he wasn't an elite? Perhaps he was still fundamentally a commoner at heart?

"It's okay, Gu Jia. The child is happy. Let him look around if he wants to. There's nothing he can't see."

He turned to Xu Ziyan and said, "We don't care if Mom is good or not. Let's you and I play."

Xu Ziyan was naturally delighted. He had been driven crazy by Gu Jia lately, constantly being sent to one class or another. This was the real reason he had come looking for Wang Yan; he just wanted to come out and have some fun.

Children forget easily. At home, Gu Jia never mentioned Wang Yan; she felt guilty. Only Xu Huanshan would bring him up. Wang Yan had left too good an impression on him; he felt Wang Yan was his confidant and that chatting with him was very comfortable.

This was also why Xu Ziyan could remember Wang Yan and would pester him to play with him whenever he had the chance. Today, it finally erupted, and he threw a tantrum, refusing to do anything else but see his Uncle Wang.

Making a face at Gu Jia, Xu Ziyan pulled Wang Yan and started asking him questions. Everything in his room was somewhat significant, even the decorative items held some meaning. Wang Yan patiently explained to him, teaching him some knowledge along the way to broaden his horizons.

Watching Wang Yan and Xu Ziyan laughing and chatting, Gu Jia was also happy. She could feel that Wang Yan truly liked Xu Ziyan. At this moment, she remembered how happy their family of three used to be, just like this, but such times had been long gone for their family.

Sunlight streamed through the large floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing the room in warmth, making one feel sleepy.

Unknowingly, Gu Jia fell asleep in a lounge chair on the balcony.

The atmosphere was harmonious and warm, as if time stood still.

Time passed amidst Wang Yan and Xu Ziyan's playful banter, and soon it was evening.

Wang Yan said, "Ziyan, Uncle is hungry. Are you hungry?"

Xu Ziyan nodded and pulled Wang Yan, saying, "Uncle Wang, I've been hungry for a while. Let's go eat together."

"Alright, we'll eat together today."

He said to Gu Jia, who had just woken up and was reading nearby, "Gu Jia, contact Old Xu."

"He has so much work, how can he finish it all? Tell him to come back early, and we'll all go out for a meal. We can have a drink too; we didn't finish last time."

As soon as she heard Wang Yan mention drinking, Gu Jia remembered what had happened after their last drink, and her face flushed.

She quickly turned her head away, pretending to look for her phone, "Okay, I'll call him and tell him to head straight over."

Wang Yan began looking for a restaurant. It was understandable when he didn't have money before, but now that he did, he certainly wouldn't skimp on himself.

He found a restaurant of suitable caliber and called them. It was dinnertime, so there would surely be many people eating. Fortunately, with a beauty by his side, heaven favored him, and he smoothly booked a table.

He didn't let Gu Jia drive again. They directly took his A8 together.

They had barely arrived when Xu Huanshan showed up.

Hearing Gu Jia say she was going drinking with Wang Yan, although feeling drunk was uncomfortable, the process had been quite enjoyable.

He wanted to pour his heart out to <Wang Yan>, his confidant, and talk about his recent unhappiness.

Soon, the food and drinks arrived. It wasn't their first time, so there were no formalities.

<Wang Yan> and <Xu Huanshan> each downed a glass right away. After nearly half a pound of liquor, <Gu Jia> wanted to join them. But remembering her experience last time and considering how difficult it would be to manage if she got too drunk, neither of them let <Gu Jia> drink.

After a few more sips, the alcohol settled in, and <Xu Huanshan> started talking.

First, he apologized for his son disturbing <Wang Yan>, admitting that as a father, he should apologize when his son caused trouble.

<Wang Yan> said he really liked <Xu Ziyan>, and they were having a great time chatting. <Wang Yan> then took the opportunity to officially recognize <Xu Ziyan> as his godson, bringing them even closer.

After that, <Xu Huanshan> poured out his feelings, talking about <Manager Wan> from before and his experience playing golf with <Mrs. Xu>'s husband a couple of days ago.

Speaking of <Manager Wan>, he was taken away for investigation a few days ago. According to the information <Gu Jia> had gathered, he was basically not coming back. At the time, <Gu Jia> was secretly delighted, but she didn't connect it to <Wang Yan>. She hadn't told anyone, so how could others know? In the end, she could only attribute it to the cycle of karma and retribution.

<Wang Yan> coached him from the side, sharing some of his own experiences.

There's a saying: when you're having a great conversation with someone, and you hit it off really well, maybe they're just accommodating you? Is that how it goes?

That was precisely the situation at this moment. <Wang Yan>'s cultural literacy, personal cultivation, and life experience were far beyond <Xu Huanshan>'s, by more than eight streets.

<Xu Huanshan> practically saw <Wang Yan> as a life mentor, a guiding light.

The two chatted more and more happily, and before they knew it, they had drunk more.

<Gu Jia> had been keeping an eye on them, and she clearly understood their conversation. She was quite happy because there were many things she couldn't easily tell <Xu Huanshan>. After all, <Xu Huanshan> had repeatedly said that <Xu Ziyan> was his younger son and he was the elder son.

<Wang Yan> was different. <Xu Huanshan> respected him more and was more willing to listen to what he said.

She didn't ask for much. She just hoped that <Xu Huanshan> would no longer be so resistant to social niceties.

Big brothers, please cast a vote if you can. Any support is appreciated.