A year later, Hengtu Technology went public. Standing onstage, Zhao Pingchuan seemed as spirited and confident as ever, but the years had also given him a greater composure.
He looked at his old subordinates, who had worked so hard alongside him, and at his lover. As they gestured their encouragement, his eyes curved into a smile.
He had finally made it this far again. Pingchuan Technology was in the past, and the future belonged to Hengtu. From now on, when people spoke of Zhao Pingchuan, they would no longer lament his failure, but praise his latest success.
Gu Group remained a formidable competitor, but competition was the norm in business. Zhao Pingchuan had never feared anyone, and he never would.
Ji Ran attended the press conference that day as a shareholder. After the company went public, Zhao Pingchuan had him sign a share transfer agreement, giving Ji Ran twenty percent of the company's shares from his own holdings. That made him the second-largest shareholder overnight.
Ji Ran had initially refused to sign. "Ge, didn't we agree that I wouldn't get involved in the company?"
Zhao Pingchuan pulled him onto his lap, wrapped his arms around him, and explained patiently, "I agreed before because the company hadn't gone public, so there was no point in holding shares. But it's different now. You should have what's rightfully yours."
Ji Ran frowned. "I haven't invested any capital or contributed any technology. What reason do I have to be a shareholder?"
Zhao Pingchuan smiled. "How haven't you? Weren't you my first investor?"
Leaning against him, Ji Ran smiled too. "How is that the same? I gave you that support as family, and besides, you paid me back later."
Zhao Pingchuan insisted, "It's the same now. I hope you'll be there with me for many more important moments in the future."
That made Ji Ran waver. After all, he very much wanted to share every important moment with his lover too.
Zhao Pingchuan pressed his advantage. "I'll still hold your shares on your behalf as usual. You won't have to attend any events you don't want to, so it won't be much different from how things are now."
That way, their combined shares would still guarantee Zhao Pingchuan's position as the controlling shareholder, and it wouldn't affect him.
They looked at each other for a moment before Ji Ran relented. He took the pen and signed his name. "All right, I'll do as you say."
After signing, he looked at the agreement and suddenly laughed. "I'm rich just like that!" Having shares meant he would receive dividends every year, and that income alone would be no small sum.
Zhao Pingchuan smiled too. "That's not all. Everything I have is yours too."
Ji Ran nuzzled his cheek affectionately. More than the numbers in his bank account, he liked the feeling that what belonged to one of them belonged to both. He remembered the grand promises he had once made to Zhao Pingchuan and found them funny. "Ge, I used to say I'd provide for you, but now I'm the one living off you. Since I'm so rich, do you think I can just stay home and lie flat?"
Zhao Pingchuan nodded with an air of great seriousness. "You can."
"I'm joking," Ji Ran said. "Work isn't just about making money. I still don't want to stay home and live off you."
Of course Zhao Pingchuan understood him. He supported all of Ji Ran's decisions. "All right. Work if you like it, and rest if you get tired."
Little White watched the two of them embracing and whispering to each other, then ran over and stopped beside the sofa, wagging his tail to get his owners' attention.
Ji Ran laughed. "Little White's jealous."
Zhao Pingchuan stroked the dog's head. Little White rubbed his head against his hand, looking as if he was enjoying it.
Ji Ran reached out and scratched his chin. "Does that feel good?"
Little White was happy, a contented rumble coming from his throat.
Gu Xingye saw the livestream of the press conference. He stared heavily at Zhao Pingchuan's gentle smile on the screen, then at Ji Ran, who was gazing at his lover from the audience with eyes full of adoration. Suddenly, everything he had pursued all this time seemed meaningless.
A year ago, when Jiang Jinyue was discharged from the hospital, he had finally made a decision. He said to Jiang Jinyue, "A-Yue, you're free from now on. I won't send anyone to follow you anymore. I'll talk to the Jiang Family."
Jiang Jinyue's eyes flew open, and he looked at him in disbelief, cautiously saying nothing.
Gu Xingye knew he didn't believe him. With a bitter smile, he explained, "I know I can't keep you with me anymore. Rather than go on like this, it's better to let each other go."
In all this time, this was the first time Jiang Jinyue had listened to him so attentively.
Gu Xingye didn't want to break up with Jiang Jinyue, but he had no other choice. Jiang Jinyue's body could no longer withstand any more ordeals, and his mind was even more battered.
He had pulled through this car accident, but what about the next time? And the time after that?
Gu Xingye couldn't afford to gamble.
Only by letting go completely could there be a chance for things to change. He couldn't destroy the person he loved with his own hands.
Finally, he added, "I have only one request. I hope you'll agree to it."
Jiang Jinyue's gaze grew wary again. Afraid he would read too much into it, Gu Xingye hurriedly said, "Don't be afraid. I only hope you won't delete my contact information. Just letting me hear how you're doing once in a while would be enough."
Terrified of being refused, he was almost pleading. "I won't bother you."
Jiang Jinyue's gaze shifted slightly. He had known Gu Xingye for many years and had never seen him humble himself like this. It seemed he wasn't lying this time.
He cleared his throat and murmured, "Mm."
Gu Xingye gave him a faint smile.
Over the years, he had done many things to hurt Jiang Jinyue in the name of love. Now, just knowing he was still alive and well somewhere without him was enough.
Jiang Jinyue didn't take any of the things he had left at the villa. He didn't even go back there, and from that day on, Gu Xingye never saw him again.
The Jiang Family tried to look for him, but Gu Xingye stopped them. He knew A-Yue didn't want to see any of them.
Without Jiang Jinyue, Gu Xingye became the cold, decisive CEO he had once been. Only he himself knew that every day after returning home, he could barely get any sleep unless he lay in the room where Jiang Jinyue had lived.
But Jiang Jinyue's scent grew fainter and fainter, until it finally disappeared altogether.
Gu Xingye had the servants clean the room every day and forbade them from moving anything in it, but he no longer set foot inside himself, as if he had forgotten all about it.
A full six months passed before he heard a little news of Jiang Jinyue.
He had gone abroad.
For the previous six months, he had been cooperating with his doctors' treatment. Once his depression improved, he applied to a university overseas to continue his studies.
"A-Yue, it seems you want to leave everything here behind."
"Perhaps that's for the best."
It was a long time before the news reached Zhao Pingchuan and Ji Ran.
When they first heard that Gu Xingye had let him go of his own accord, they had been very surprised.
Could the main plot be changed too? Ji Ran wondered.
But no matter what, he thought the way things were going now was much better than the plot of the original book. Zhao Pingchuan had found happiness, and Jiang Jinyue no longer had to remain entangled with Gu Xingye. He could finally do what he wanted.
Some people seemed to be born at the finish line, but that wasn't necessarily what they wanted. Jiang Jinyue was one of them, while they had a finish line of their own to pursue.
The last time they visited Jiang Jinyue, they had told him that if he wanted to leave Gu Xingye, they could help.
At the time, Jiang Jinyue had simply shaken his head gently and smiled. "Thank you, but this is between him and me. No one else can help."
Ji Ran hadn't pressed him. Given their relationship, that was all they could do, but he still couldn't resist offering a few more words of advice. "You're still young. Why not step outside your current situation and take a look? You might find a whole world of possibilities."
Now, it seemed Jiang Jinyue had taken his words to heart.
A pair of large hands wrapped around his waist as Zhao Pingchuan embraced him from behind. "What are you thinking about?"
Ji Ran tilted his head slightly and asked him, "Ge, what do you think will happen to the two of them?"
Zhao Pingchuan thought for a moment. "Perhaps they'll never see each other again in this lifetime. Or perhaps, once they let go of their obsessions, they'll finally see how they truly feel."
Ji Ran agreed wholeheartedly. He leaned back against Zhao Pingchuan and smiled. "I'll stop thinking about it. That's their business, and it has nothing to do with us. We just need to live our own lives well."