He headed upstairs.
The young man's voice came from behind him again, cold and low.
"Then may I gratefully invite you?"
Chapter 17: "Showing Off Affection"
An hour and a half later, Tang Mingxi finally got his wish and sat at a window seat at Riverside Abode. Outside the dazzling, intoxicating Financial Avenue, the Cang River flowed quietly by.
It only took fifteen minutes to get from Mingxi No. 1 to Riverside Abode. Tang Mingxi had spent the remaining hour and fifteen minutes procrastinating at home.
Several new dishes at Riverside Abode suited Tang Mingxi's tastes perfectly, and their presentation was exquisite.
The moment the waiter brought them over, Tang Mingxi's eyes flickered slightly.
After finishing a lengthy introduction to the dishes, the waiter blushed faintly and lowered his voice seductively. "Sir, is there anything else I can do for you?"
Tang Mingxi thought, Does this guy have something stuck in his throat? Why is he talking so quietly?
The waiter reluctantly withdrew, while Tang Mingxi gave a restrained dry cough.
Then he took out his phone and snapped a photo of the food.
When eating good food, you had to take pictures and post them on Moments!
Ye Heng looked up at him, seemingly puzzled.
But Tang Mingxi was completely absorbed in taking pictures and did not notice him at all.
After editing the colors on four exquisite food photos, Tang Mingxi decisively posted them on Moments.
His fake friends from all over Moments promptly liked the post and began commenting.
Young Master Chen of Huaben Real Estate: [Second Young Master, where are you off having fun again?]
Dani of Wanbao Communications: [It looks so delicious TT I want some too!]
Third Young Master of Tayi Dairy: [Free?]
In just one minute, Tang Mingxi's Moments post had received dozens of likes and more than ten comments.
The Moments circles of these rich second-generation heirs all overlapped. Those who hung out with Tang Mingxi were playboys without inheritance rights who loved clubs and parties, and they soon started chatting among themselves in his comments.
With a ding, Wang Min liked the post as well and replied: [You have betrayed the revolutionary class.]
Tang Mingxi: [?]
Wang Min's private message quickly arrived: [Some people curse their husbands together with their sisters on the surface, but secretly go off to enjoy a sweet little world for two with their husbands. (I have no worldly desires jpg)]
Tang Mingxi: [Who are you calling your sister? Speak properly, or I'm blocking you :)]
Wang Min: [Zoom in on the picture jpg]
Wang Min: [Who is this dog of a man? Who is having dinner at the same table as our noble princess! (Furious)]
The screenshot Wang Min sent was the fourth photo Tang Mingxi had just posted on Moments.
He had accidentally captured Ye Heng's wrist in it.
Tang Mingxi: [...]
Tang Mingxi: [Did you inspect the picture with a microscope? :)]
Tang Mingxi: [Why don't you apply to the FBI in the United States with all that effort? (Smile)]
Wang Min: [Hehe, you're feeling guilty.]
Wang Min: [Does secretly showing off your affection really make you that happy? (I don't blame you, I'm secretly heartbroken jpg)]
Tang Mingxi had not felt guilty at first, but Wang Min made it sound as if he really had been secretly showing off his affection.
He looked up at Ye Heng. The other man's expression was indifferent as he focused on the food before him.
Sensing Tang Mingxi's gaze, Ye Heng paused, his eyes carrying a trace of wariness.
Tang Mingxi was no stranger to that look.
Although he and Ye Heng had lived in relative peace over the past six months, that did not mean Ye Heng had forgotten the suffering the original owner had inflicted on him.
Having read the original novel, Tang Mingxi knew that the male lead excelled at hiding a blade behind a smile, slowly boiling a frog, and playing the fool to catch the tiger.
*I should thank heaven if he doesn't kill me. Showing off affection? What, ghostly affection? :)*
Thinking of his miserable fate, Tang Mingxi suddenly felt his heart seize up. He absentmindedly stuffed down a few bites of food, then could not eat anymore.
He switched WeChat from the chat page to Moments, only to find more than ten new replies on the homepage.
He froze for a moment, then opened the comments.
It turned out Wang Min had spotted Ye Heng in the fourth picture and stirred things up in his comments, leaving: Secretly showing off your affection really makes you that happy
or not.
As a result, the others also noticed Ye Heng in the photo and immediately followed with seven or eight identical comments.
[Does secretly showing off your affection really make you that happy?]
[Does secretly showing off your affection really make you that happy?]
Tang Mingxi expressionlessly blocked every one of them.
He was so angry that he did not even eat the final dessert.
On Monday afternoon, all of Tang Group's senior executives held their regular meeting.
At the meeting, they openly and covertly fought over whether the Azure Luo Bay development project should be handed to an outsider like Ye Heng, arguing fiercely for a full hour.
Mingheng's deputy director and Director Yang from the finance department nearly came to blows in the conference room.
Only after Tang Yun made the final decision to hand Azure Luo Bay's development to Ye Heng did Director Yang sit down with a face alternating between green and white, though the hatred in his eyes as he looked at Ye Heng remained undiminished.
Ye Heng did not even raise his head, merely turning the pen in his hand.
The meeting lasted four hours. By the time even the holographic projector in the center of the long table had begun to grow warm, Tang Yun finally announced the end of the meeting.
Afterward, Tang Yun kept Ye Heng behind alone.
Once more than ten assistants had been dismissed, only Tang Yun and Ye Heng remained in the office.
"How have things been between you and Little Xi lately?"
"Fine."
Tang Yun sat in the chair in the CEO's office, looking at Ye Heng with emotionless eyes. "Little Xi is my younger brother. I know his personality well. If he has offended you in any way, you should first reflect on whether the problem is your own."
Ye Heng lowered his lashes and said nothing.
"If Grandfather's last wish had not been for you and Little Xi to marry, I would never have let him be with you." Tang Yun's brows furrowed slightly, his dissatisfaction with Ye Heng already extreme. "Since I have no way of changing that fact, I can only warn you a few things."
"I don't care whether you have someone you love outside. Once you enter the Tang Family, cut things off completely. And I don't care what you went through in the past. Little Xi will marry you in one year, and Mingheng and Huanyu are both in your hands now. I'm only giving you one year. A year from now, I don't want to hear people saying behind my back that my brother ended up with a useless coward."
Tang Yun let out a breath. "Rest assured, you will definitely be in charge of the Azure Luo Bay project. You needn't worry about Tang Youwei's moves. I'll handle them for you."
There was not a trace of emotion in Ye Heng's eyes as he tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Thank you."
A suffocating sense of tension silently spread through the conference room.
Tang Yun disliked Ye Heng from the bottom of his heart. With his years of judgment of people, Ye Heng was absolutely not a suitable match for Tang Mingxi.
"One more thing." Tang Yun said, "Since you're already getting married, properly cultivate your relationship. Last time, I heard Little Xi say that he doesn't even have your contact information? Remember to add him on WeChat and talk to him more. Even if Little Xi treated you badly before, it was because he was young. That's just his temper. You should indulge him more."
"I will."
"Mm." Tang Yun continued, "Also, add more of his friends so you can learn what he likes and dislikes. I'll have my assistant send updates on his social circle to your email. Aside from work, your most important task is making Little Xi happy. Understand?"
Ye Heng's fist tightened slightly before loosening again.
"Understood."
He Wenfang worked quickly, packaging Tang Mingxi's WeChat account together with his entire social circle and sending it to Ye Heng.
As Ye Heng walked, he pressed the elevator button. He casually glanced through it, then set it aside with little interest.
Who would have thought that he would unexpectedly run into someone in the elevator?