Yan Lang had just returned home and collapsed wearily onto the sofa.
Having to handle so much company business every day while guarding against his eldest brother stabbing him in the back was truly exhausting.
His phone, which had only just fallen quiet, suddenly rang.
Yan Lang picked up the phone from the table. It was his younger sister, Yan Nana, calling, and a faint smile rose at the corner of his mouth.
"Hello, Nana. What's wrong?"
Yan Nana's panicked voice came through. "Brother, help me! You have to help me!"
Yan Lang rubbed his brow, soothing Yan Nana and telling her to take her time.
"It's all right, Nana. Don't panic. Tell me what happened."
After hearing Yan Nana explain everything from beginning to end, Yan Lang continued to reassure her. "It's all right, Nana. I'll do my best to help you, but you must never provoke Gu Weichen again."
"But I like him! I just want to be with him!"
Hmph! Otherwise, how am I supposed to fight for the family assets? How am I supposed to compete with you for the company?
"Nana, he isn't someone we can afford to provoke. Listen to your brother, all right?"
"All right, all right, I know. Go back to your work!"
Yan Lang said wearily, "Nana, behave yourself. I'll introduce you to someone good next time."
Could anyone good be better than Gu Weichen? He was just brushing her off. He just didn't want to help her.
"I know. I'm hanging up now. Just remember to sort this out for me."
He must be afraid I'll threaten his position. Hmph! All he ever thinks about is work, work, work. He's nothing like our eldest brother, who gives me whatever I want. Why does Dad insist on leaving the company to him?
Since Yan Lang never cares about me, his little sister, he can't blame me for being ruthless. Once our eldest brother inherits the company, I'll get whatever I want.
Yan Lang hung up wearily, tossed his phone into some corner of the sofa, and slumped back onto it.
Nana had changed so much. She hadn't been like this before.
He still remembered Nana as a little girl, wearing a pink dress and following him around the garden, chasing after him and calling him her second brother.
Back then, Yan Nana's eyes had been full of innocence, without all that scheming. But everything had changed after he returned from studying abroad.
And his eldest brother had disliked him since childhood, always comparing himself to him.
Now Nana's eyes were full of calculation. His eldest brother, too, had become gloomy through and through.
Yan Lang felt utterly exhausted.
He recalled the girl he had met at that ordinary restaurant. They had shared a very happy time together, but for some reason, she had suddenly vanished from his world.
The two of them had been very happy then. Her eyes had been full of cheer and joy, and that had been the most carefree time of his life.
But it had been six years. She had been gone for six years. He had mobilized everyone at his disposal to search for her, yet he still hadn't found her.
Yan Lang had never understood why she had left him, either.
Old Master Yan had also kept pressuring him to marry, and he had always refused, using work as an excuse.
Old Master Yan also understood that he had never been able to let go of the woman in his heart.
One day, when he saw him hiding in his bedroom, secretly stroking that woman's photograph, Old Master Yan remembered his own wife and came to terms with it. He still pressured him verbally, but never truly forced him to marry.
Yan Lang slowly rose from the sofa. His earlier vulnerability was gone, and he once again became the emperor of the business world.
He couldn't reveal his vulnerability. He could only hide it in the darkness, allowing a little of it to show in the stillness of the night.
He picked up the phone he had tossed onto the sofa and called his assistant.
"Arrange a meeting with Gu Weichen, the president of the Gu Group."
"Yes, Chairman."
After that, Yan Lang went to his study and began working overtime.
Gu Weichen packed his things that night, planning to return to his villa. He also had Shen Xuanrun pack up and return to his own home.
There might be other big, filthy rats like Yan Nana who wanted to make a move on Shen Xuanrun. He had to prevent every possibility.
He had just returned to the villa when he received a message from his assistant.
[President Gu, Yan Lang, the president of Yan, would like to have a meal with you.]
[All right. Make the arrangements.]
[Understood.]
He closed his WeChat conversation with his assistant and opened his chat with Shen Xuanrun.
He had only added the young man on WeChat that day. Their chat contained only the friend verification message: [Gu Weichen].
There was nothing else.
The young man's profile picture showed a figure in ancient-style clothing from behind, standing on a boat drifting across a lake, his clothes fluttering in the wind. It was a Chinese ink painting, full of charm.
He opened the keyboard and sent a message.
[Are you home?]
Shen Xuanrun had been in his room at the variety show house, just about to sleep, when Gu Weichen came to his room and told him to hurry up and pack. He could go home.
Shen Xuanrun was puzzled. "Aren't we only allowed to leave tomorrow morning?"
With an inscrutable air, Gu Weichen told him,
"I've already discussed it with the director. He agreed."
Shen Xuanrun: ...
Fine. This was the power of a capitalist, beyond what his unparalleled brain could imagine.
But since he could go home early, he didn't hesitate much. He took his packed belongings and brought them home.
Shen Xuanrun declined Gu Weichen's offer to drive him and had Little Li drive instead.
After returning home, Shen Xuanrun saw Gu Weichen's message and immediately typed, "I'm home."
Just as he was about to tap send, his hand stopped.
I can't reply to his message that quickly. I can't let him think I care so much about him.
Shen Xuanrun immediately deleted it and turned off his phone.
I have to wait half an hour before replying!
Hmph! He wasn't being coy. It was just that men wouldn't cherish what they got too easily.
Gu Weichen, who had been watching his phone the whole time, saw "The other person is typing" appear at the top of the chat, then disappear. After that, there was no activity.
Gu Weichen saw through the young man's coy nature. He, too, turned off his phone and began handling the work that had piled up during this time.
Half an hour later, he heard the phone on his desk chime. He picked it up and saw the young man's message.
[I'm home.]
Gu Weichen smiled fondly. The young man was quite cute.
[Good night. Sweet dreams.]
This time, the reply came quickly.
[Good night.]
That night, they slept well.