Chapter 14 – Xi Yufeng.

Jiang Ruo’s smile froze for a moment before he released his grip, abandoning the last button. He turned his head to look outside, “Is this your home? I didn’t get a good look yesterday; let me take a tour and broaden my horizons.”

As he spoke, he casually picked up Xi Yufeng’s bathrobe left on the bed’s edge, draped it over himself, and walked out.

It was a spacious penthouse suite, estimated at two to three hundred square meters. Each bedroom came with an en-suite bathroom, and the master bedroom featured floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides. Besides a large wardrobe, it also boasted a spacious dressing room.

The balcony wrapped around four sides, and Jiang Ruo walked a full circle back to where he started, realizing, “This is a single-story residence.”

One side led to an outdoor swimming pool. Jiang Ruo approached it, crouched down, and scooped up a handful of water. The clear water carried a faint smell of disinfectant, clearly recently replaced.

During filming, Jiang Ruo had seen houses of similar quality. They were rented by production teams, and reportedly, the daily rental fee could reach five digits.

That was a suburban property, while the current location was in the heart of Feng City, where land was worth a fortune. When he first came here to attend university, there was a time when he was stuck in traffic nearby in a taxi. Seeing that he was from out of town, the driver enthusiastically introduced him to the area, “This is Feng City’s most expensive housing development per square meter. It was the case ten years ago, and it still is today. Back then, people couldn’t buy a unit even if they brought money just for the location and the opulence.”

At the time, he hadn’t taken it to heart, thinking that he would never have a chance to settle in such a place in his lifetime. After spending a night here, it was hard not to feel as if he had been coated in gold.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t summer yet; the early morning air was still chilly. Otherwise, he would have definitely gone for a couple of laps.

After playing with the water for a while longer, Jiang Ruo reluctantly stood up and returned inside.

He looked up to see Xi Yufeng standing near the sliding door through which he had exited, leaning against the edge of the bar counter, watching him expressionlessly.

As if asking — Are you done looking?

“I’m done,” Jiang Ruo said straightforwardly, then strolled to the bar counter, scanning the neatly arranged red wines in the wall cabinet, “Don’t you have anything to eat? I’m starving.”

He reached for a machine that resembled a coffee maker on the table but was stopped by a hand that extended toward the tabletop.

Xi Yufeng changed his stance, leaned slightly forward, and turned his face to look at Jiang Ruo.

“Did you forget something,” he asked.

Once again, it was that descending tone that transformed a question into a statement, causing Jiang Ruo’s heart to jolt.

His already clumsy attempt to change the subject seemed exceptionally inept under this direct questioning.

And there was something even more inept.

Jiang Ruo blinked, “What? Forgot to ask why you were there yesterday?”

Then, he resorted to his favored self-asking and answering technique, “What’s so unusual about that? Isn’t it common for rich kids like you to hang out there, drinking, playing cards, chasing after young celebrities… It was just a coincidence that I was there yesterday, in the public banquet hall, and Mr. Xi spotted me.”

Xi Yufeng listened patiently and didn’t refute him, but his gaze grew colder.

It was as if he understood Jiang Ruo’s attitude, a kind of “since you don’t want to, I won’t force you” distance. He was the one who had initiated their connection, and he was also the one who refrained from pressing further, holding the initiative firmly in his hands.

It left Jiang Ruo with a sense of being overwhelmed and suffocated.

So when Xi Yufeng turned away, unsure of where he was going, Jiang Ruo called out behind him, “Can I think about it? Would that be alright?”

Xi Yufeng stopped in his tracks and turned his head slightly.

Taking a deep breath, Jiang Ruo smiled without dodging the issue, “After all, to follow President Xi, one needs a heart of steel that isn’t swayed by gossip. I’m quite fragile, you know. I used to cry when my classmates teased me about being short. Considering the enormity of this situation, wouldn’t it be reasonable to give me some time to think about it?”

Perhaps the word “fragile” reminded Xi Yufeng of the scene he witnessed at Jin Garden the previous day — the contrast was stark, and Jiang Ruo noticed a slight upturn at the corner of his lips.

“Hmm, not unreasonable,” Xi Yufeng conceded.

At nine in the morning, Xi Yufeng parked his car in the underground parking lot of the office building and took the elevator upstairs. Meng Chao was already waiting in the conference room on the fifteenth floor.

Seeing the car keys in his hand, Meng Chao was somewhat surprised, “Why did you drive yourself today?”

Xi Yufeng replied, “Old Liu helped me send someone off.”

“The young celebrity surnamed Jiang?”

“Yes.”

Meng Chao clicked his tongue, “You should really thank me. If it weren’t for my tip-off last night…”

“It was false information,” Xi Yufeng corrected, “No one was forcing him to drink.”

“Just a bit of embellishment,” Meng Chao shrugged, “But at least he was there, right?”

Xi Yufeng didn’t wish to continue this discussion and took the documents Shi Mingxu offered, tossing them onto the table. “Let’s get down to business.”

It wasn’t until past two in the afternoon that they had another break.

Meng Chao frequently expressed dissatisfaction with how Xi Yufeng forgot about time when discussing work. At the moment, he was too hungry to care, stuffing whatever the assistant brought him into his mouth without even looking.

Chewing while complaining, “If you keep pushing yourself like this, why would you even need to marry into our family? You could single-handedly build a commercial empire.”

Xi Yufeng, however, had no appetite and put down his chopsticks after barely touching his food, “I never intended to drag your family into this.”

This was the second time he openly expressed his stance on the marriage alliance to Meng Chao — he didn’t want to marry Meng Lan, at least not now.

Meng Chao shook his head, “No wonder Meng Lan was upset last night, calling me late at night to ask where you were.”

“Did you tell her?”

“Of course not, I was at Jin Garden myself.”

With his reminder, Xi Yufeng recalled, “You were at Jin Garden, but I didn’t see you?”

“I was in one of the guest rooms upstairs,” Meng Chao explained, “Just met a boy, cute and soft, couldn’t resist him.”

Xi Yufeng wasn’t interested in his friend’s private life, and the topic ended there.

They discussed the joint project between their families, and Xi Yufeng acknowledged that the Meng family was at a disadvantage, bearing more responsibilities while sharing equal risks with the Xi family.

Considering Meng Lan’s attitude, Xi Yufeng suggested, “Instead of pursuing a marriage alliance, your family might consider internal absorption, which would be more beneficial for long-term development.”

He was referring to Meng Chao and Meng Lan, who actually didn’t share blood ties. Meng Chao was an adopted child of the Meng family.

This idea had already been presented to Meng Chao by others. Regardless of the formalities, he certainly understood the logic, but —

“Internal absorption? Do you think the Meng family truly regards me as one of their own?” Meng Chao, typically jovial, spoke with a hint of coldness in his tone, “Before, I accused your family’s mother and son of usurping the nest, but upon reflection, am I any different?”

Seventeen years ago, the Meng family’s four-year-old son went missing. Despite extensive searches, he was never found. Since then, the Meng family’s descendants consisted only of the adopted eldest son, Meng Chao, and their biological daughter, Meng Lan.

Xi Yufeng couldn’t comment on this matter. At that time, he was eleven years old and couldn’t fully comprehend many things.

He vaguely remembered that the Meng family had been in turmoil during that period. Mrs. Meng lost her usual gentleness. Once, when Xi Yufeng visited the Meng family, he heard Mrs. Meng shouting as soon as he entered the door, “It was you, you must have deliberately made my son disappear, didn’t you!”

At that time, the ten-year-old Meng Chao stood in the center of the main hall, facing his mother’s hysterics, uttering only three words: “Not me.”

Time passed, and Meng Chao became the one with the best attitude, appearing to have completely forgotten the past, even having the leisure to tease Xi Yufeng, “By the way, you’re pulling these strings randomly, aren’t you afraid of hurting Meng Lan?”

Xi Yufeng snapped out of his reminiscing, “Hurt her feelings? Why?”

Meng Chao clicked his tongue again, “Are you really oblivious or pretending to be stupid? She’s been dating for several years, and every man she’s been with bears a resemblance to you.”

Xi Yufeng frowned, “You’ve got it wrong. She just likes to play around.”

Meng Chao laughed, “You, such a smart guy, are always clueless when it comes to emotions.”

He continued, “I bet that as long as the other party doesn’t confess, you’ll never realize someone has feelings for you.”

Dozens of kilometers away at the film set, Jiang Ruo suddenly sneezed for no apparent reason.

Xiao Shen hurriedly approached, “Teacher Jiang, are you catching a cold? Let me make you a cup of granule drink.”

Jiang Ruo waved his hand, “No need, it’s just a sudden itch in my nose.”

During the mid-break for Group B, Xiao Shen approached Jiang Ruo with a small notebook to report the upcoming work schedule.

After next month’s completion of “When Orioles Take Flight,” he received invitations from two fashion magazines for photoshoots. After analyzing the pros and cons, Xiao Shen believed they could choose one of them, as fashion resources should be of high quality rather than abundant in quantity.

After listening, Jiang Ruo’s first concern wasn’t which one to choose but, “Am I at the level where they’re sure they haven’t invited the wrong person?”

“How could that be,” Xiao Shen reassured him, “The cast list for ‘When Orioles Take Flight’ has already been leaked. The leading actors’ schedules are already packed. These media outlets have the keenest senses, and making early invitations is also to avoid fiercer competition after the drama airs.”

Jiang Ruo was still puzzled, “It couldn’t be President Xi’s doing…”

Xiao Shen naturally understood the unspoken implication and explained, “No. I am Assistant to Teacher Jiang, and all work revolves around you. If it were true, there would be no need to hide it from you.”

It made sense, and Jiang Ruo nodded, not pressing the matter further.

A few days later, Jiang Ruo received a message from Lin Xiao, saying that the boy he asked about yesterday was also shooting a film at the film city recently.

There had been rumors that he had a powerful backer supporting him, but yesterday, one of the actors from his crew confirmed that he claimed to be single. This role was obtained through his own efforts, without any assistance from anyone behind the scenes.

Given the industry’s secretive attitude towards those with connections, the fact that he dared to speak so openly meant that he had definitely severed ties with Zhang Shaoyuan.

Jiang Ruo sighed in relief.

Lin Xiao had also learned more, saying that Zhang Shaoyuan was a repeat offender, specifically targeting actors with little fame. He took advantage of their weak positions, knowing that even if they exposed his misdeeds, no one would listen. She added that he got what he deserved. He hadn’t appeared in the circle for the past two days. It was rumored that his wife had found out, and his company was in trouble. He had returned home to clean up the mess.

Although the incident at Jin Garden had caused quite a stir, it couldn’t rule out certain possibilities. Jiang Ruo asked Xiao Shen, “President Xi didn’t intervene in the matter with Zhang Shaoyuan, did he?”

Xiao Shen flashed a professional smile, “I’m not sure about that. Teacher Jiang, you can ask President Xi directly.”

Jiang Ruo disliked feeling kept in the dark and hated owing others. Without much hesitation, he sent a message to Xi Yufeng.

Twenty minutes later, Xi Yufeng replied: Yes.

Jiang Ruo: …

A while later, Xi Yufeng added: It was just a matter of convenience.

Jiang Ruo wanted to ask how much of it was for his sake, but he typed the question and deleted it character by character.

Even if it was said in jest, it would be presumptuous.

Still, he said thank you, since Xi Yufeng had accomplished something he couldn’t manage on his own.

Xi Yufeng didn’t respond to that, but brought up something else: I heard from Xiao Shen that you’re involved in a contract termination lawsuit.

It seemed that he hadn’t caught much of the conversation with Zhang Shaoyuan that day, otherwise, he wouldn’t have needed to hear about it from Xiao Shen.

Learning from his response, Jiang Ruo simply replied with an “Mm,” ready to tease him a bit, something along the lines of — Would President Xi really consider hiring a lawyer to help me win the lawsuit?

Just as he was typing, his phone vibrated. Xi Yufeng promptly sent another message: I’ve assigned a specialized lawyer who handles cases like this to assist you. Here’s his contact information.

At the end of the message was a string of digits — a phone number.

Staring at the number on the screen, Jiang Ruo was stunned for a long moment.

It was a rare feeling of security, as if when faced with difficulties or grievances, there was no need to voice them out loud. Someone would step in to protect him without asking for reasons.

Even if, to that person, it was merely a matter of convenience.

In the evening, Jiang Ruo made a call to Xi Yufeng.

The call connected after three rings. On the other end, it was quiet, indicating that he was either at home or in a meeting room.

As if anticipating what Jiang Ruo was about to say, Xi Yufeng didn’t rush him despite the prolonged silence, patiently waiting for the other party to speak.

At that moment, Jiang Ruo felt that he should first inquire about the reasons. Questions like why me, why didn’t he ask where the money went, why did he bring him home after the drugging incident (not counting that time), and why did he sleep with him while sober.

However, he couldn’t bring himself to ask, because the other party asked nothing. There were no questions about origins or destinations, only the cold detachment of business dealings.

It was as if a voice whispered in his ear, urging him to stop, to halt right here. The potential consequences were ones he couldn’t bear.

Yet another voice told him to move forward, to take a risk at least for this moment. Deep down, he didn’t want to stop.

It wasn’t a psychological struggle; Jiang Ruo had already made up his mind when he dialed the number. One voice was amplified, surging over the other like a rising tide.

“I want to see your ID card,” was Jiang Ruo’s opening sentence.

Clearly bewildered by his unconventional approach, the response from the other end was, “ID card?”

“Yeah, your ID card,” Jiang Ruo clarified. “You’ve probably already dug up everything about me. I’m not as capable as you are, I’m afraid of getting scammed, so I just want to confirm that you are who you claim to be. Is that request reasonable enough?”

On the other end of the line, there was a brief silence before a light chuckle echoed.

After hanging up, Jiang Ruo added Xi Yufeng on WeChat based on his phone number. Almost immediately after the request was accepted, a picture was sent over.

Opening it, he saw a few lines of text information, with a photo in the upper right corner.

An overly formal photograph, it diminished the inherent aggressiveness that his striking features naturally exuded. Jiang Ruo’s gaze drifted downward to the series of numbers. Subtracting the two years, he calculated that Xi Yufeng was six years older than him.

After finishing his inspection, he sent the first voice message: “President Xi didn’t even bother to blur the details. Aren’t you worried I might use your ID copy to take out a high-interest loan?”

Perhaps he was busy, as Xi Yufeng didn’t reply immediately. It wasn’t until Jiang Ruo picked up his phone after dinner that he saw the text message: Not that easy to obtain.

Jiang Ruo thought to himself that this man really lacked a sense of humor, but he responded with a smile: Identity verification complete. So, moving forward, how should I address you?

Thanks to his strong adaptability, Jiang Ruo quickly shifted his self-perception. He had called him “President Xi” and “Young Master Xi” far too many times, inadvertently imbuing those titles with sarcasm. Now that he had accepted this relationship, it didn’t seem right to continue poking at him.

Xi Yufeng replied: It’s up to you.

Jiang Ruo was pondering the extent of the “it’s up to you” when suddenly a breeze brushed past his face, carrying the warm fragrance of spring foliage and blossoms, gently stirring his soft hair by the ears.

He asked: Can I call you by your name directly?

Xi Yufeng replied: Yes.

Thus, Jiang Ruo sent the second voice message, calling out the name he had repeated many times in his heart: “Xi Yufeng.”

He pronounced each syllable slowly, partly due to unfamiliarity, but also with a subtle undertone of uncertainty.

Xi Yufeng on the other end seemed to have finished his tasks, and he responded with a voice message as well.

In that brief second, there was a clear and definitive acknowledgment: “Mm.”