Making Chen Yu Leave

After the two schemed together with wicked intentions, Old Liang's Family was completely finished.

They might as well not have asked anyone to plead on their behalf. They could've held out for quite a while otherwise. Instead, they'd let a wolf into the fold, and now another force had joined in to carve up Old Liang's Family.

Once they'd finished discussing business and had eaten and drunk their fill, Wei Zhijie warmly saw Wang Yan to the door.

Since they'd been drinking, Wei Zhijie called over a driver to take Wang Yan home.

It was still early, so Wang Yan didn't have the driver head home. Instead, they turned toward the office.

On the way, he called Chen Yu and asked him to come by.

Once at the office, Wang Yan brewed a pot of tea to sober up. That fifty-year-old liquor had certainly packed a punch. It was smooth, fragrant, rich, and mellow, and he'd drunk most of it.

"Knock, knock, knock." Someone rapped on the door.

"Come in."

Chen Yu opened the door and walked in. "President Wang."

It had been a month since they'd last met, and Chen Yu had changed a great deal.

Maybe it was all the late nights. His eye sockets were a little dark, and he looked somewhat haggard. But his eyes were bright and alert, and he stood tall. Overall, he seemed full of energy.

Wang Yan nodded and pointed at the seat across from him. "Sit."

He poured a cup of tea and handed it to Chen Yu.

"How have things been lately? Are you settling in?"

"Thank you, President Wang. Everything's going well. The company's running smoothly now, and the few stories we reported the other day got a pretty good response."

Chen Yu had been the man in charge for a month now, and as a manager, he'd learned a thing or two. He didn't talk about what it had taken to get there or how hard he'd worked. There was no point. Wang Yan had paid him well and given him a chance to move up.

"Mm. I've seen those stories. They were good."

Wang Yan smiled. "You said before that you weren't up to the job, but you're doing well now. Have a little confidence in yourself. I've noticed how hard you've been working."

"It's all thanks to your support, President Wang. It's nothing. It's what I should be doing," Chen Yu said politely.

The past month of practice hadn't been for nothing. He'd dealt with all kinds of big and small matters, and all kinds of people under him. Given the way he managed, he inevitably got involved in everything and personally handled every detail.

He'd always disliked that sort of thing, but he'd experienced more of it over the past month than ever before. Sometimes he reflected on all those years and wondered whether he'd been right or wrong. But after dealing with it so much, he'd learned the ropes and was trying to fit in, trying to accept it.

Who knew whether he'd turn into his own boss, that woman called Sister Lu?

Wang Yan had noticed the change in him. Whether it was good or bad was up to Chen Yu. Everyone had their own way of dealing with things.

To be honest, without his system-given opportunity, he'd be more worldly than anyone, and better at sucking up than anyone. What right would he have to stand on some high horse and criticize others?

People changed. Society was a giant vat of dye, and no one could escape it. Some only got stained on the surface, learning to go with the flow. Others were dyed all the way through, down to their very souls.

Those who approved would say, "Mm, he's finally got it."

Those who resented him would say, "Hah, what a damn schemer."

Still smiling, Wang Yan said, "The company's running smoothly now. From here on, things can proceed as planned."

"Look at those sunken eyes. You look like you've been overdoing it. You must've been exhausted lately."

"I'm no cruel taskmaster. To celebrate the company getting on track, I'm arranging a two-week trip to Europe for everyone. We're a small company, so there aren't many of us. Everyone can bring one family member. I'll cover meals, lodging, and transportation. Anything else is on them. I won't shortchange you, either. You can figure out what you want, and I'll cover anything reasonable. How does that sound?"

Chen Yu hurriedly nodded. "President Wang, thank you so much. I'll thank you on everyone's behalf."

He didn't say anything about turning it down. What would be the point? He'd jump at the chance to get away and relax, especially without having to pay. Besides, President Wang sounded firm. It was obvious the decision had been made; he wasn't really asking for Chen Yu's opinion.

"Good. Go back and find out how many people want to go, then let me know."

Then Wang Yan remembered something from last time and continued, "Oh, right. Didn't I say I'd get you a set of equipment? I'll give you the money for it along with this. Buy what you like. We'll list it as company equipment, and you can use it for fun whenever you want."

Chen Yu grinned from ear to ear, unable to hide his excitement. "Thank you, President Wang. Thank you so much." All he could do was thank him; he couldn't put his feelings into words.

That was the thing about hobbies. There was no helping it.

Whenever he had time, he read all kinds of magazines and browsed all kinds of equipment. Now he'd get to handle and try out things he'd once only dreamed of. If they weren't at the office, he might've even jumped up and down.

"All right, that's everything. Nothing else. Go back and get ready. We leave the day after tomorrow."

Chen Yu thanked him again, then left.

It was such a small matter that Wang Yan could've explained it over the phone. The main thing was that he wanted to see how Chen Yu was doing.

After Chen Yu left, Wang Yan took out his phone and made a call. "It's me. Make sure Chen Yu's included in the arrangements for this trip. Understand?"

"Good. That's all."

This was one of Wang Yan's employees, whom he'd specifically tasked with helping Chen Yu shine. On this trip, Chen Yu had to have his eyes opened.

There was still a while until quitting time, so Wang Yan decided to go straight to pick up the child afterward.

He immediately started typing away at his computer. He took his computer skills seriously. After a trip and a busy week, he was starting to get rusty.

Chen Yu returned to the office in high spirits. He clapped his hands in the open-plan area to get everyone's attention.

"Everyone, listen up. I just met with President Wang."

"President Wang said that, to celebrate the company getting on track, he's treating everyone to a two-week trip to Europe. We leave the day after tomorrow. You can bring one family member. Meals, lodging, and transportation are covered. Anything else is on you."

"If you want to go, sign up with Xiao Li. If you don't, you can take two weeks off instead. No pressure."

When they heard the news, at first they couldn't believe it. The office fell completely silent. Only after Chen Yu had left did they react—and then all hell broke loose. The men took it pretty well, grinning foolishly as they pictured the trip in their minds. The women, on the other hand, were a lost cause. They squealed and shouted, and there was no controlling them.

They'd never imagined their new boss would be so generous. The company hadn't even made a profit yet, and he was already spending so much. The pay was only average, but these benefits were top-notch. They'd never heard of another company offering anything like this.

Not a single person asked for time off. Who'd be stupid enough to miss out?

A lot of them had never been abroad, either. This was a great chance to experience a foreign culture.

They immediately crowded around Xiao Li to sign up. No one signed up alone; everyone brought someone along. Those who had partners brought them. Those who didn't found a good friend to go with. Some even asked out someone they'd had a crush on for ages, just to test the waters. Maybe something good would come of it.

Soon it was time to get off work, and Chen Yu returned home, beaming.

Zhong Xiaoqin lived closer and had been home for a while.

When she saw Chen Yu come in, she looked surprised. He hadn't been home for four days.

"What's got the busy man home today?"

Then she noticed how happy Chen Yu looked and spoke with a touch of sarcasm. "Well, well. What's the good news? You look thrilled."

To be honest, Chen Yu had been in a great mood. But after Zhong Xiaoqin greeted him like that, his spirits sank a little.

For the past month, he'd been busy with work, learning, and improving himself. He hadn't had much time to dwell on his sorrows. And Wang Yan, the successful man, had given him some advice that had affected him, too. By now, Chen Yu's feelings for Zhong Xiaoqin had mostly cooled. He didn't need her to get by, and he no longer felt the heartbreak, devastation, and secret sorrow he once had.

Still, seeing her made him think of all the little moments from their life together.

It was a confusing feeling. If he said he felt nothing, he thought there was still a little there. But if he said he still had feelings, he didn't think he did.

As Chen Yu changed his shoes, he explained, "The company's pretty much sorted out. Nothing important happened today."

But when he thought about the trip for two, he couldn't help asking Zhong Xiaoqin.

"The boss arranged a trip to Europe for us. Two weeks. Do you want to go?" As soon as he said it, Chen Yu wanted to slap himself twice. She and that sunny young man were getting along so well. Why would she go with him?

Without waiting to see how Zhong Xiaoqin would react, he walked over to the fish tank and fed the fish. It'd been several days; he didn't want them to starve.

When Zhong Xiaoqin heard him ask, she spent a long time agonizing over it. First, she'd used up her annual leave. Second, it wouldn't be good to take so much time off. Third, she thought of Zhong Xiaoyang.

After a long while, she finally said, "I won't go with you. Besides, we're divorced now. It'd be awkward to travel together."

"We're divorced now? Right. We're divorced now." Chen Yu didn't say anything, but his hand paused as he pinched a bit of fish food.

"Oh, right. My mom called earlier and asked us to come over for dinner. I didn't know you'd be back, so I turned her down."

Chen Yu fell silent for a moment when he heard that, then said, "I think we should tell your parents. We can't keep hiding it from them forever. Your dad's heart isn't in good shape, either. Wouldn't it be an even bigger shock if he heard something from someone else?"

At that, Zhong Xiaoqin blew up. "So that's it, Chen Yu! You keep saying my dad's heart is bad, but I think you just want to kick me out."

Then she went on and on, making a mess of the argument.

Her outburst left Chen Yu dizzy and extremely irritated.

He endured it for a while, then finally couldn't take it anymore and hurriedly cut her off. "Stop. Pretend I never said anything. Whatever you say goes, all right?"

His impatient attitude only set Zhong Xiaoqin off more. She was acting like a complete lunatic, and the more she ranted, the more worked up she got.

Unable to take it anymore, Chen Yu had no choice but to put on his shoes and run.

When she heard the door slam, Zhong Xiaoqin finally quieted down. After sitting in silence for a while, she burst into tears.

After all this time, she understood what Chen Yu had meant.

But lately Chen Yu had barely paid any attention to her, and she felt hurt, so she'd lashed out. She just wanted to make a scene. She didn't understand why she was acting this way. They were divorced, so why was she so emotional?

She couldn't help thinking of Zhong Xiaoyang again, of that sunny young man. At once, she stopped crying.

She just sat there with her arms folded, staring blankly as images of Chen Yu and Zhong Xiaoyang flickered through her mind.

Chen Yu fled in a sorry state, no longer feeling any of the happiness he'd felt earlier.

Of course, he had no idea what Zhong Xiaoqin was thinking. When something went wrong, he looked for the cause in himself first. He was still wondering, Was what I said wrong? Was there a problem?

He couldn't figure it out, so he chalked it up to her being unreasonable and throwing a tantrum.

He had nowhere else to go, so he called Chen Xu and asked him out for a drink. He might as well crash at Chen Xu's place for the night.

Chen Xu was still driving for Xu Huanshan. He was a perceptive guy. He understood everything, but he just didn't say anything.

They were brothers, after all. He knew Chen Yu had changed jobs and knew what his benefits were, but he hadn't dared tell their mother.

When you were poor, even relatives ignored you. When you were rich, even distant relatives came calling. Chen Xu knew exactly what their relatives were like. He didn't dare say anything; there was too much messy family business.

He knew Chen Yu's temperament inside and out. Chen Yu was the classic case of a sharp tongue and a soft heart. When Chen Xu first heard the news, he asked Chen Yu about it, then hung up and transferred him ten thousand yuan, calling it a hush payment. He said it was that, but he knew what was really going on.

When Chen Yu called him out for drinks, Chen Xu was almost flattered. He wondered if he'd done something wrong again. He knew how busy Chen Yu was. If nothing had happened, Chen Yu wouldn't have bothered with him.

As it happened, Xu Huanshan and Lin Youyou had both gone home to make a baby, so Chen Xu wasn't needed. He went over right away.

They found a place and ordered food and drinks. The two of them ate and drank together.

"Bro, what made you think of asking me out for a drink? I haven't done anything wrong lately, have I?"

"No, it's just..." Chen Yu poured out all his troubles and told him everything that had happened.

Chen Xu didn't comment when he was done. Of course, he was on Chen Yu's side.

Besides, from the way Chen Yu talked, it seemed he wasn't that interested in Zhong Xiaoqin anymore. Why would Chen Xu have much to say?

His brother made five hundred thousand a year now and had dozens of people working under him. Chen Xu himself went out partying every day. Surely his brother wouldn't have any trouble finding women?

What Chen Xu really cared about was the two-person trip to Europe.

He immediately said, "Bro, since you don't have anyone to go with, can you take me?"

Chen Yu gave him a look of utter disdain. "In your dreams. I wouldn't take you even if I went alone."

Chen Xu had spent a lifetime learning how to deal with Chen Yu. After pestering him relentlessly, he finally got his way.

Wang Yan picked up Xu Ziyan after work and brought him home. Gu Jia had already made dinner.

When a woman got going, you had to hand it to her.

Gu Jia was busy all day long. Just watching her was exhausting.

She had to handle the social gatherings and grow her business, while also reading, studying, improving herself, and keeping an eye on Xu Ziyan's schoolwork. They had a housekeeper, but she still had to manage the household from time to time. And to stay in shape—and partly to please Wang Yan—she had to do yoga and other exercises. On top of that, Wang Yan was in good shape and had a strong appetite, so unless something unusual came up, she had to keep him company for a workout, too. It took a lot out of her.

Even if she could fit everything in, people only had so much energy.

And yet she still managed to get up early to make breakfast and cook dinner when she came home.

She was incredible. Wang Yan really admired her.

Of course, Wang Yan had tried talking Gu Jia out of it. They had plenty of money and clothes; why work herself so hard?

Gu Jia always answered with a smile and said nothing.

Wang Yan guessed she might lack a sense of security. Even though he treated her well, very well, perhaps after what had happened before, she didn't want to put all her hopes in a man again. But he'd given her two hundred million yuan, notarized so that it belonged to her completely. Surely that was more than enough?

Wang Yan wasn't lacking in wisdom about life, but he still couldn't understand what Gu Jia was thinking. People were too complicated. No one could ever figure them out.

She wouldn't listen, no matter what he said, so Wang Yan gave up. She could do whatever she wanted.

When the father and son came inside, Gu Jia came over, took the schoolbag from Wang Yan, helped Xu Ziyan take off his coat, then sent them to wash their hands and eat.

At the table, Xu Ziyan talked about how popular he was at school, while Gu Jia shared some funny things she'd encountered.

They chatted and laughed through dinner. It was nice.

After they got Xu Ziyan to sleep, they did their usual workout.

Wang Yan held Gu Jia close as they leaned against the headboard, smoking quietly.

It wasn't a good time to talk. They were both still savoring the pleasure from a moment ago.

"Hiss... whoosh..." He took one last drag and stubbed out the cigarette.

Wang Yan said, "Oh, right. The place at Junyue Mansion is nearly ready. Let's go take a look tomorrow and see what else it needs. If there's nothing else to do, bring your dad over."

They'd just added a bathroom, put up a wall, laid some tile and pipes, and waterproofed the area. It wasn't a big job.

Wang Yan had paid well, and there was no need to make things too fancy. Several people had worked on a large space, so a week had been enough.

Gu Jia had thought Wang Yan would just give the instructions and then leave it alone. She hadn't expected him to take it seriously and keep an eye on the work.

Her voice full of emotion, she said, "Thank you, Wang Yan. I really mean it."

"Well, if you put it that way, how about showing me some appreciation?"

Gu Jia murmured, "Mm," then... well... did this and that... and then more of that. Anyway, she got right to work.

The next day, Gu Jia couldn't get up. They'd worn her out the night before.

Wang Yan went for his usual run, bought breakfast, and took the child to school.

Then he and Gu Jia went to Junyue Mansion to inspect the place and see what else they needed to buy.

Women were meticulous. After they'd looked everything over and found no problems, Gu Jia went on a shopping spree. She just felt like they were missing everything.

In the end, she even had an alarm installed in the master bedroom. If someone pressed the button on this side, it would make a sound in the second bedroom, and Gu Jia would get a notification, too.

Everything was taken care of.

Once they'd bought nearly everything they needed, Gu Jia and Wang Yan went to the nursing home to handle the paperwork and pick up Gu Jinghong. Then they stopped by a domestic services agency to find a reliable housekeeper.

After all, Gu Jinghong would be the one using the service, so he had to be satisfied with the person they chose.

After another long round of searching, they finally picked a housekeeper and got everything sorted out.

Wang Yan hadn't done anything else all day. He'd just followed Gu Jia around and helped her.

Thanks to our brother Blade Drinks Blood for the generous support of 100 coins.

Thanks to our brother Night? Illidan? Stormrage for the monthly ticket.

Thanks to our brother Book Friend 160401223337709 for the monthly ticket.

Thanks to our brother You Tell Me If It's Long and That's That for the monthly ticket.

As always, thanks to the wonderful readers who voted for the recommendation tickets.

Thanks to all the wonderful readers who offered criticism, suggestions, opinions, corrections, encouragement, and approval, as well as those who simply read without commenting.

Thanks for your support.