Chapter 4 – Xue Qing, you crow mouth1Someone who cannot say something nice. It’s even worse, when what they’ve said comes true.!
Xing Zhongwan buried Uncle Zhong’s ashes under the peach tree in the yard. This is what he has always wanted. To live his life in the Xing family. Even after he has died, he still did not want to leave the land he has guarded all his life.
Xing Zhongwan didn’t manage to see the old man for one last time. When he arrived, Uncle Zhong had already passed away. Xing Zhongwan held the funeral of the old man quietly. This old house in Jiangnan has lost its last guardian.
Xing Zhongwan planned to donate the house. When inventorying the old objects, Xing Zhongwan found that there was a yard that had been repaired and was still very new.
“Sir, this yard was struck by lightning last year and more than half of it was burned. Later, someone contacted the experts from the Cultural Relics Protection Association to come and repair it.”
After circling the compound, Xing Zhongwan asked “Do you know who contacted them?”
“I don’t know, I just heard Uncle Zhong mention it by accident. I think his surname was Qi. That gentleman comes to stay for a while every year around the beginning of summer.”
Xing Zhongwan didn’t respond, “I don’t plan to stay in this house anymore. You have worked hard here for so many years. I will make good arrangements for your future life.”
The old servant bowed towards Xing Zhongwan before slowly backing away.
Xing Zhongwan went around his yard and entered the back room. The furnishings were still familiar, along with the familiar smell. He approached the bed and stretched out his hand towards the familiar doll that was still there.
Xing Zhongwan smiled and held it in his hand. It was something his mother made for him. Xing Zhongwan tapped the doll’s forehead, “Come with me too.”
Just as he was about to get up, he found a small note falling out of the small pocket of the doll’s skirt. Xing Zhongwan picked it up.
Life is like a March flower, I will spend my whole life thinking about it.2The flowers that blossom in the spring are fleeting and temporary. But ‘I”, as in, Qi Yun will spend his whole life thinking about it.
Qi Yun is not thinking about flowers. He is referring to the moments that he and Zhongwan shared.
These vigorous and prominent strokes… Xing Zhongwan had seen it before during that absurd farce. At that time, those pale and thin hands solemnly signed their name on the marriage application form.
Why bother? Xing Zhongwan smiled and shredded the note in his hand. It was raining heavily outside when Xing Zhongwan opened the window. As he reached out, the fragments fell on the bluestone slab like snowflakes, before being washed away by the strong wind and rain.
Xing Zhongwan closed the window as his phone rang.
“Laoxing, there is a reception the day after tomorrow. I don’t have time to attend, because I have to go back quickly. Will you go for me?”
Xing Zhongwan refused without thinking, “Just invest money in Qingyuan. I don’t care about other things. I’m going to the Xing family tomorrow.”
Xue Qing was annoyed, “I’m asking you. Qingyuan is your property, right? You’ve been an investor for so many years. Didn’t we discuss this? If you want to see lions, go to see the lions. If you feed pigeons, go to feed the pigeons. It’s been half a year, we’ve already discussed this. I’m so bitter that I’m not married yet. I’m so bitter. What did I do in my last life to know you, such an unconscionable person.”
Xing Zhongwan felt a chill on his back, “Aiya, I’ll go. Even if I go, it won’t succeed anyway, right? Laoniang, please don’t fake cry. When you cry, I feel like the souls of the century-old ghosts in this old house will come out.”
Xue Qing sighed, expressing disdain, “Don’t worry. Zhong Gang and Emma are here. Taking advantage of this opportunity is a good time to draw other contacts if you can show your face.”
Xing Zhongwan yawned, “Show what face? The official person in charge of Qingyuan is not me.”
Xue Qing’s voice became shrill in seconds, “Hey, there is nothing that you can’t solve with your face. For the sake of expansion, you’re the ardent hope of all Qingyuan employees. Big boss, go and sell your face!”
The corners of Xing Zhongwan’s mouth twitched, as he hung up the phone angrily.
After Qi Yun had a meeting, the secretary knocked on the door and came in, “There is a reception tonight, will you be attending?”
Qi Yun flipped through the documents in his hand indifferently, neither agreeing nor refusing.
The secretary has always been very afraid of Qi Yun. He climbed to his current position in his early thirties, while he himself was an old man in his fifties and sixties.
Qi Yun has come this far, not only because of his family background. A chill ran down the secretary’s back when he thought of the tactics he used. This man was someone who could throw his own mother in a nursing home and leave her there alone. He was also someone who did not attend the funeral of his own younger brother when he died. Although it was because of his status, few people have dared to mention this in front of him. However private speculations never did diminish.
The abandoned blind and disabled son, Qi Yun had too many labels on his person. It was a miracle that he could stand up again. After his recovery, there was a big change in the Qi family.
Everyone in Mingli said that he killed his relatives definitively, however, the person in private didn’t seem too cold-blooded or ruthless. Qi Zongcheng was now paralyzed at home and semi-retired, so Qi Yun was already a veritable ruler of the Qi family.
“Young Master Shen may not be able to hold his own for today’s event, so please be sure to attend. The other party seems to be coming over.”
Qi Yun paused while holding the pen in his hand, “Prepare the clothes.”
The secretary breathed a sigh of relief and went out to give a call to the people from the Shen family. When they heard Qi Yun had agreed, the Shen family was relieved. Although Qi Yun took over the Shen family, Qi Yun rarely took care of the business of the Shen family and a professional manager was hired. Fortunately, the Shen family had a brilliant management staff. The group of high-level executives were all Shen Qinghong’s confidants. Although they had some criticisms about Qi Yun, he was still the blood of the Shen family. As their power gradually increased, this group of old men were more refined than foxes, so naturally they hugged Qi Yun’s thigh3To hug a thigh – Hold onto a powerful person in power/ be loyal to them. tightly.
Xing Zhongwan went back to the Xing family. Not to the cemetery, but to the ancestral hall. There were too many spies in the cemetery. The Xing family ancestral hall is different as not everyone could enter.
Xing Zhongwan lit the incense and respectfully kowtowed to his mother and grandfather. When Xing Zhongwan went out, he happened to meet Xing Zhengping who came in a hurry.
Xing Zhongwan said hello to him, “No one stopped me at the door when I came. You must’ve ordered it, thank you.”
Xing Zhengping frowned, “Qi Yun has come here for you many times.”
Xing Zhongwan nodded carelessly, “According to my current intel. You didn’t tell him about my whereabouts.”
Xing Zhengping looked at him and hesitated, “Since you’re here, you can leave after dinner.”
Xing Zhongwan looked at his watch, “Forget it, I have some bad memories of this house. There is a recent project in Qingyuan. You can take a look and invest in it when you have time.”
Xing Zhengping frowned, “The money you send every year is equivalent to three years of the company’s profit.”
Xing Zhongwan laughed, “It’s all spare money, keep it. In the future, when Xing Zhongjie gets married, give her a thick dowry. With her temper, who would dare to marry her without such a large amount of money?”
Xing Zhengping looked at Xing Zhongwan’s condescending appearance and his heart that wanted to have a proper conversation suddenly became angry, “Can’t you speak more politely?.”
“I wasn’t the one who started talking. It was you who came here.” Xing Zhengping was speechless.
Xing Zhongwan was about to go out when he was stopped by Xing Zhengping, “Remember to come back for your mother’s 50th birthday.”
Xing Zhongwan, who was about to step out, paused before exiting the ancestral hall without answering.
Shen Congxin straightened his bow tie uneasily. He couldn’t talk to the person in charge of Qingyuan in the morning forum, or to be precise, he didn’t even manage to meet with him face-to-face. He was a little anxious thinking of the evening reception. No matter how cheeky he had to be, he was going to go up to ask for a business card.
‘Big cousin, it would be great if you were here, so I could use your name to show off your prestige.’ Shen Congxin sighed for the 25th time when the assistant behind him, who had been following Shen Qinghong in the early years, was now ordered by Qi Yun to attend and ‘babysit’.
“Vice-president, please mind your manners.”
Shen Congxin stood up straight immediately. This baby’s heart felt bitter, but he couldn’t say anything about it.
Before getting out of the car, Xing Zhongwan brushed his hair and found a pair of gold-rimmed glasses to wear. Beside him, Emma’s eyes still looked straight ahead. Even after looking at this face for so many years, it still made one’s heart beat faster.
The two got out of the car when someone walked over quickly and stopped in front of Xing Zhongwan, before greeting him as the boss very politely.
Xing Zhongwan looked at the handsome man standing in front of him and nodded with satisfaction, “Zhong Gang, it’s been a long time. Are your abs still there?
Zhong Gang was about to lift his shirt immediately, but was stopped by Xing Zhongwan, “You are still not good at jokes. You are so straight, unlike the people in the head office.”
Emma quickly looked aside, pretending to not know what he just said.
“In the future, Emma will follow you. Teach her more, I’ll be watching you both well.”
Xing Zhongwan smiled as Zhong Gang’s masculine face showed a rare tenderness, “I hope the boss can fulfill his promise and when the branch is successfully established, transfer me back to the head office.”
Xing Zhongwan patted him on the shoulder, “I will give you two years based on your performance. As long as you can make this company the top ten in the industry, I will transfer you back. Emma is very capable and she can share a lot with you.”
Zhong Gang followed Xing Zhong to the elevator knowingly, “Why did the boss come here in person this time?”
Xing Zhongwan grimaced, “I was forced by Xue Qing to show my face. I don’t know what she was thinking, since you are the official person in charge of Qingyuan and the big boss behind the scenes has always been kept a secret. The woman must’ve gone crazy, saying that the big boss must attend today because there will be a lot of people to come network with me, that it’s my chance to make some contacts for this new company. Why does she have to worry about your connections? Ai, it’s not the first day she’s been trying to get you into drag. You can figure the rest out yourself.”
Although Emma really doesn’t want to purposely eavesdrop on her superiors gossiping, but… it didn’t count if they entered her ears on their own accord, right?
Zhong Gang glanced at Xing Zhongwan with a serious face, “Boss, you should be very clear about my intentions.”
Xing Zhongwan also had a serious face, “Don’t even think about it. Cheng Zhengzhe is a man as straight as steel. He will not become bent.”
Emma unconsciously stepped back in the small space. She suddenly knew too much and was dying quickly!
Zhong Gang’s face sank but soon returned to normal, “Is the boss going to come forward later?”
Xing Zhongwan put on his cufflinks with disgust on his face, “How is that possible? I’ll stay in a corner later. Come find me when you’re both done. Xue Qing has been holding a grudge for a long time. I have squeezed her for so many years and not given her a good holiday. She knows that I do not like this kind of occasion. Zhong Gang, please accept and marry her soon, so that my life can be better.”
Zhong Gang sullenly said, “Boss, I was born bent4gay.”
Zhong Gang and Emma went to socialize as Xing Zhongwan picked a quiet corner and started to use his mobile phone in obscurity.
“I have tried my best. You should replace your target.”
“It’s fun to make the impossible possible.”
“How can someone gay be with you? If you do something to make such a good employee toss me away, I will tear you apart!”
“Don’t worry, Zhong Gang won’t want to leave anymore after a day or two when he misses that sissy.”
“There’s something wrong with this situation. Explain it to me from the beginning…”
“Ai, that sissy bribed me to lead Zhong Gang away. I already took his money, so I have to do it well.”
“That Lao Cheng’s brain was eaten by a dog. Making you seduce gays. I don’t understand both of your thoughts. Let’s just stop talking.”
“Hey, wait. Qi Yun won’t come on such an important occasion today right? The Shen family is under his name after all. You should try to hide so you don’t get caught by him.”
Xing Zhongwan stabbed the screen of his phone viciously, “How is this possible…?”
Before he could finish typing, there was a commotion at the door. Xing Zhongwan raised his head as a group of people came in from the door. He could feel the presence of the man in a black suit standing in the middle after just a glance, even from such a distance.
Xing Zhongwan pocketed his phone before swearing, Xue Qing, you crow mouth!
T/N: Ahahaha!! My mom used to tell me to stop my crow mouth when I was younger, cos I’d just always say what was on my mind. But I mean, there’s nothing wrong with sharing your thoughts… right? Caw caw ˏ₍•ɞ•₎ˎ
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Do they meet??
Here it is haha!! Thank you for the chapter!!! <3
I wonder, would qy recognize him by his voice or by his scent (what kind of dog man is this 😭) ?