The Zhou and Ji families had been close for generations, doing business together since their great-grandfathers' time.
They had weathered a hundred years of storms together and once promised to share both hardship and happiness, never abandoning one another.
Ji Shang had also faithfully followed his grandfather's teachings: if the Zhou family ever fell on hard times, he had to help.
So when the Zhou family ran short of funds and planned to sell a plot of land for cash, Ji Shang agreed to discuss buying it without much hesitation.
He had helped out of friendship, never expecting the Zhou family to scheme against him, use him as a stepping stone, and even try to swallow up the Ji Group.
Their greed was like a snake trying to swallow an elephant. The Zhou family was playing with fire and would burn itself.
Ji Shang's eyes grew increasingly dangerous. It was time to sever this friendship.
"Tell the Zhou Group we're postponing the signing."
Zhao Ze asked, "President Ji, what reason should we give for refusing?"
He genuinely had no idea what to say. They couldn't do it without a reason.
"Just tell the Zhou Group's contact that I need more time to consider it."
"Yes, President Ji."
Zhao Ze was utterly in awe of President Ji now. Right before signing, he had discovered something fishy and saved the group from a loss.
If they had really fallen into the trap and bought the Zhou Group's problematic land, the Ji Group might have lost everything trying to save itself.
Then he would have been out of a job.
Zhao Ze's eyes were full of admiration. He felt he had chosen the right person to follow.
After giving his instructions, Ji Shang went to ask the doctor about An Yubei's condition.
An Yubei was fine now. The car accident hadn't injured him; he had only fainted from fright.
There was basically nothing wrong, and he could be discharged tomorrow.
Ji Shang felt reassured after hearing the doctor's words. It would have hurt him to see such an adorable little brother injured.
"Can he eat now?"
The doctor said, "Yes, but keep his meals light. No rich meat dishes or spicy, irritating foods."
"All right. Thank you, Doctor."
An Yubei was angry. He leaned against the headboard, huffing and sulking.
Plain congee and side dishes sat before him. There was no sign of crispy sweet-and-sour pork or sweet-and-sour pork tenderloin.
There were only two leafy greens in the plain congee, and the side dish was a cold cucumber salad. After two glances, he lost his appetite entirely and didn't want to touch his chopsticks.
An Yubei loved meat. No meal was complete without it.
In his previous life, An Yubei had been so poor that he could only let his stomach suffer. He only got better meals at team-building events.
Who would have thought that even after transmigrating into a book, he still couldn't achieve meat freedom?
How pitiful.
An Yubei looked up at Ji Shang with teary eyes, beginning a silent protest.
Where's the meat you promised? Liar.
Why does someone so handsome have to lie?
Boo-hoo, I should just go herd sheep on the grasslands. At least I'd have mutton to eat.
I want meat. Meat.
An Yubei didn't dare say what he was thinking, because he knew Ji Shang was a ruthless character in the book.
If not for their eight years of friendship, he wouldn't have let An Yubei off.
So An Yubei dared to be angry but not to speak. He was a complete coward.
Sitting beside the bed, Ji Shang pushed the plain congee and side dishes toward An Yubei and coaxed him. "The doctor said you need to eat light meals right now. You can't eat anything too rich. You have to watch your diet."
"Try it. It doesn't taste that bad."
An Yubei shook his head. "No."
He didn't want congee. He wanted meat.
Ji Shang kept his amber eyes on An Yubei and smiled. "Be good, Xiao Bei."
"Eat your food like a good boy, and you'll get candy."
An Yubei: "...?"
He hadn't heard such halfhearted coaxing since graduating from kindergarten.
"Brother Shang, I'm already eighteen. I'm starting university in a month. I'm not a three-year-old. I'm not that easy to fool."
"You promised to buy me meat, but all you bought was plain congee. You didn't keep your word. I'm not eating it."
An Yubei couldn't figure out Ji Shang's temper, so he only dared to act stubborn in a timid way.
But he had no idea how adorable he looked, being both timid and unreasonable. Ji Shang just wanted to pull him into his arms and thoroughly ruffle his hair.
"Be good. I'll feed you."
With that, Ji Shang actually picked up the bowl to feed An Yubei.
An Yubei was overwhelmed by the favor, but of course he was happy to have such a handsome man feed him personally.
I'm only doing this because my brother said so. I wouldn't eat it for anyone else.
Wow, Brother Shang is handsome and gentle. I'm so happy I could die.
Before he finished eating, Zhou Kewei called.
"Shang, didn't we agree you'd come over to sign the contract? Why aren't you here yet?" Zhou Kewei belonged to the same generation as Ji Dongsheng, making him Ji Shang's elder.
Ji Shang put the call on speaker, so An Yubei heard everything clearly too. He stopped eating, anxiously wanting to curse Zhou Kewei out.
You bastard, you sly old fox! Don't even think about tricking my Brother Shang.
That plot of land is actually a trap you set. You sell it to the Ji family, then turn around and sell the neighboring plot for a cemetery. As a result, no one buys the properties the Ji family develops.
You're awful. People like you deserve to have their guts rot and go to hell.
Ji Shang was briefly startled. Now he understood the key to it.
So he said casually, "President Zhou, sorry, I don't have time to come over."
He usually called him Uncle Zhou, but today he had used the formal President Zhou. Zhou Kewei felt there was more to this than met the eye.
"What are you busy with, Shang? Is it more important than signing the contract?"
"It is indeed more important than signing the contract."
Zhou Kewei grew interested and also wanted to draw closer to him. "What are you doing, Shang?"
"I'm coaxing a little one to eat."
Zhou Kewei: "...?"
An Yubei: "...?"
My Brother Shang really spoils me. I love him so much.
With that thought, An Yubei ate even more happily.
The first thing Ji Dongsheng saw when he opened the door and came in was his eldest son, usually as cold as an icehouse, feeding the fiancé he disdained.
His manner, his gaze-he was as careful as if he were tending to a baby.
Weren't they like fire and water?
Ji Dongsheng felt he must have opened the door wrong, so he silently backed out, closed his eyes, counted three seconds, and opened the hospital room door again.
Yet nothing had changed. They were still eating together in harmony, one feeding the other.
The sun really had risen in the west.
Ji Dongsheng walked in and laughed. "Seeing you two getting along so well makes me happy as your father."
"Ji Shang, you ought to take care of Xiao Bei."
With that, Ji Dongsheng sat on the other side and fussed over An Yubei.
"Are you still dizzy? Does anything else feel uncomfortable?"
"Be careful when you drive from now on. Dad will arrange a driver for you in a little while."
Ji Dongsheng cared for An Yubei as if he were his own son. An Yubei was so touched that he wanted to cry.
He had grown up in an orphanage, never experiencing familial affection, and had been starved of love.
Now, with a second chance at life, he had experienced what it felt like to be cared for. It was wonderful.
But then An Yubei frowned again, remembering Ji Dongsheng's ending.
Dad is a good dad, but he's a poor judge of character and can't see people for who they are. If it weren't for that person... the Ji family would be better off.
Dad, you have to be careful of the people around you. You can't let yourself be swayed so easily.
A villain will land you in prison.
Was Xiao Bei speaking? But his lips weren't moving.
Ji Dongsheng's heart jolted. Which person?
Who exactly was he talking about?
Good boy, keep going. It's wrong to leave people hanging.