No way… no way…
Ah Mao’s scalp tingled as he froze on the spot.
Zong Cheng took a deep breath.
Stay calm!
Stay calm, Zong Cheng!
He forced a smile that was even worse than crying and was about to speak when Yin Chen, walking ahead, casually said:
“Hmm, it’s a bit chilly today. I brought this for President Zong.”
Calm? Forget it!
Zong Cheng felt all eyes on him, and he wished he could gouge out his own eyes.
He fixed his gaze on the true source of all evil—Ah Mao—and slowly lifted his wine glass.
The next day arrived.
Clack clack clack clack.
Fingers danced across the keyboard, seemingly rhythmic but actually aimless.
Zong Cheng stared blankly at the screen, reviewing the 500 words he had just written.
What kind of garbage was this?
Select all, delete.
Opening the backend, he quickly posted a familiar leave notice on his serialized story.
[Leave Notice: The author’s talent is exhausted and the heart is unwilling to write; taking a break.]
Without even glancing at the comments, Zong Cheng closed the page and leaned back.
…
What’s wrong with me?
He stared at the ceiling in confusion. Writing used to bring him joy—so why couldn’t he focus now?
Had writing itself become unenjoyable?
As he wrestled with the thought, his eyes drifted to a familiar sweater lying quietly nearby.
It was Yin Chen’s.
Scratching his head, Zong Cheng walked over and hung it on a hanger.
…
Damn!
He squatted down suddenly, wishing he could crawl under the bed!
Why, why on earth was this sweater in his house?!
Sitting numbly on the floor, Zong Cheng finally pulled out his phone, determined to face reality.
“Xiao Xu, after I drank last night, did anything… special happen?”
Typing…
Stopped typing…
Typing again…
After a full three minutes, his assistant finally replied.
“President Zong, you don’t remember what happened?”
Zong Cheng stared blankly.
“If I remembered, why would I be asking you?”
“…True.”
Assistant Xu tugged at his hair, conflicted.
Should he tell the full truth?
But if he did… would President Zong—
He recalled last night.
As soon as President Zong sat down, he began forcing the assistant to drink endlessly.
“Ah Mao assistant… Ah Mao assistant… Ah Mao… Ah…”
Assistant Xu, recalling this, silently lit a candle for Ah Mao.
Hope he’s okay!
Thinking it over, he replied:
“Actually, nothing much. Everyone drank heavily, and by the time we left, hardly anyone could stand.”
Zong Cheng frowned.
And Yin Chen?
He remembered Yin Chen hadn’t drunk any alcohol and just watched them calmly, drinking cola on the side.
“And President Yin?”
Seeing Zong Cheng’s follow-up, Assistant Xu forced a smile.
“President Yin wasn’t drunk, so he personally arranged for all of us to leave. But you, President Zong… he personally escorted you. Don’t you remember?”
Thunderbolt from a clear sky!
Zong Cheng clutched his phone, wishing he could crush it!
He had zero memory!
All he had now was this sweater!
“…Understood.”
Assistant Xu exhaled in relief after waiting a moment to make sure Zong Cheng wouldn’t ask further.
Thank goodness. If Zong Cheng pressed further, should he reveal that he had clutched Yin Chen seriously, refusing to let him go while muttering, “The scent on your body is the same as on my sweater, so you must be mine”?
And seeing Yin Chen’s expression then…
He could still draw a full-scale map of the central plaza with his toes on the floor.
As for Yin Chen, with a mischievous glint, saying, “You’ve got it wrong—the scent on your body matches mine, so you’re mine; you have to come with me,” effortlessly tricking, no—convincing Zong Cheng to go along…
Better not!
Sometimes ignorance is bliss, President Zong!
Assistant Xu shook his head. He even regretted not drinking himself.
The truth was just too heavy—he couldn’t bear it alone.
He exited WeChat and tossed the phone aside.
Zong Cheng collapsed onto the bed, closing his eyes, trying to recall what happened last night.
Half a while.
Nothing.
“Can’t exactly ask Yin Chen himself…”
He muttered.
The thought lasted barely a second before he yanked the blanket over his head.
Forget it!
Pretend nothing happened! He didn’t care!
At Yin Corporation.
“President Yin, President Zong’s clothing has been returned. Should we send it over?”
A secretary knocked and entered.
“Huh?”
Yin Chen looked up, seeing the clothing, suddenly recalling last night.
That big guy, drunk, actually… easy to fool?
Smiling, he gestured for the secretary to put it down.
“No need, leave it here. Next time we dine with President Zong, I’ll return it then.”
“Understood. I’ll take my leave.”
The secretary quietly exited.
Looking at the blueprints, his gaze fell on the suit. Yin Chen thought for a moment and went to pick it up.
Clean, no trace of previous stains, with a distinctive scent.
The smell reminded Yin Chen of what Zong Cheng had said last night.
Pfft…
He buried his face in the suit, shoulders shaking violently.
Wasn’t it true—Zong Cheng, this big guy, was just too cute!
A beast-type? Anything with a scent was automatically his?
Most importantly… so easy to trick!
The way he fooled him like a child, yet Zong Cheng went along so effortlessly?
Yin Chen covered his face, the pale neck blushing.
After a while, still chuckling, he neatly put the suit in the lounge.
Today was a good day!
Indeed, viewing the world from a new perspective made everything suddenly brighter.
Thinking of Lin Yuhan he had teased, and now Zong Cheng he had so easily fooled, the corners of his eyes curved with deeper amusement.
Since that’s the case… time to get back at the tall guy.
He opened his computer, giddy.
Yin Corporation maintained a professional legal team. Previous employees involved in manipulative schemes during launches had either been fired or fully investigated under Yin Chen’s orders.
After checking, as expected.
“President Yin, we confirmed this person had close dealings with Dongfang Wan. Also, we found a large recent transaction from his account.”
Sure enough—it was Dongfang Wan.
Yin Chen glanced at the amount.
Only one million?
“One million and he agreed to do this? When did Yin Corporation’s benefits drop this low?”
A measly one million.
Lawyer Gao remained impassive.
“He’s just a regular lower-level employee.”
Implying one million was actually generous.
Yin Chen looked at him.
“Really?”
Lawyer Gao nodded seriously.
“For him, yes.”
Was it?
Yin Chen thought of how many one-millions he had.
Three seconds later…
Forget it, too hard. Next.
“Did you trace the specific transactions with Dongfang Wan?”
Compared to money, this question was easier.
Yin Chen looked up.
“Yes.”
Lawyer Gao nodded.
“Their goal was to create a scandal inside Yin Corporation. I suspect Dongfang Wan aimed for a publicity stunt with a gathering of manipulators.”
That’s it?
He had expected some elaborate scheme.
Yin Chen: “Did it affect Yin Corporation?”
A scheme like this, worth a million?
Lawyer Gao remained composed.
“It depends on Dongfang Wan’s execution. At most, it would cause a minor, brief disturbance. With our team and PR, it won’t make much splash.”
Confident as he spoke.
A joke? Their team wasn’t just for show. Being maintained by Yin Corporation was to handle exactly this!
Dongfang Wan’s scheme… absurd.
“Then how do you suggest we handle it?”
Yin Chen tapped his desk, watching him.
Lawyer Gao smiled slightly.
“Since this person traded with Dongfang Group before leaving, I suggest suing him in Yin Corporation’s name. We can reasonably suspect he intended to sell corporate secrets to Dongfang Group.”
…
Wow~
Yin Chen glanced at Gao, slowly giving a thumbs-up.
Good. Shameless enough.
Truly a team worthy of his direct hiring.
“Then proceed as you said.”
He waved.
Lawyer Gao smiled slightly.
“All will follow your instructions.”
Halfway out, Yin Chen called after him.
“Oh, and send the results of this case to President Zong as well.”
After all, Zong Cheng was owed an explanation—revenge should be known to him.
“Understood, I’ll handle it.”
Gao nodded, leaving with ease.
At the old Dongfang mansion.
Dongfang Wan, ordered to stay home in reflection, paced in irritation.
“Damn! Useless! Worthless!”
He looked at a message, then screamed, smashing his phone.
The phone blinked on the floor.
Dongfang Wan picked it up, scowling, and immediately called, cursing.
“How dare you call me? A trivial matter, and you can’t even handle it? How dare you call me?”
On the other end, the man hurriedly spoke.
“I tried my best, Young Master Wan! Help me! I’m in trouble! I was doing fine at Yin Corporation, but you made me do those things, and now I’m fired! You have to help me!”
A useless man, and he dares speak like this?
Dongfang Wan’s face darkened.
“What happened?”
The man panicked.
“I-I was sued by Yin Corporation’s lawyers! They claim I had dealings with your group! That I stole Yin Corporation’s trade secrets and sold them to you! Now… no company will hire me. Young Master Wan, help me! Assign me a position in Dongfang Group! I’m capable—you can trust me!”
“What?”
Dongfang Wan frowned. “Why panic? I never asked you to steal anything; Yin Corporation has no real evidence. What are you afraid of?”
The man wanted to cry, but couldn’t.
“But almost all headhunters already know I was sued by Yin Corporation. They won’t care if it’s true or false! I’m unemployed now. My whole family relies on me!”
Dongfang Wan was annoyed.
“Yin Corporation isn’t that powerful. If you can’t, just go to a smaller company—you can still make money.”
The man’s jaw dropped, then he screamed at the top of his lungs.
“If I hadn’t helped you, would I have been fired by Yin Corporation? I did everything you asked! Now I lose my job, and you act like nothing happened? I tell you, Dongfang Wan, you better be smart and assign me a good job at Dongfang Group! Otherwise, I’ll go to the media and expose you, say you instructed me to coordinate with those people for a scheme to manipulate Yin Corporation’s reputation!”
He ranted, blood rushing to his head, adding:
“And don’t think I don’t know why you had someone spit on the guy surnamed Zong! It’s because Yin Corporation refused to cooperate with you, right? Using such a despicable trick to interfere with their collaboration? Hmph! I’ve recorded everything, don’t think you can weasel out!”
“You…!”
Dongfang Wan’s face went pale, shock written all over him.
Damn it! Damn it!
This useless man hadn’t achieved anything, yet dared to threaten him?
Suppressing his anger, he forced out a voice.
“Don’t get carried away. Even if this matter comes out, it won’t do you any good.”
The man sneered.
“Yes, it won’t benefit me. But I can still work at some small company and earn money. Young Master Wan, you’re the future heir of Dongfang Group. If your reputation is ruined, who knows whether Dongfang Lie will choose another nephew to inherit the company? Even if he can’t, someone else can!”
Damn!
Dongfang Wan almost had a brain hemorrhage from anger. He took a few rapid breaths before gritting his teeth.
“Don’t get too cocky! This was a mutually agreed deal. You already took the money. What else do you want now?”
The man saw Wan’s tone soften slightly and felt a bit pleased.
See? Even the eldest young master—what could he do?
As long as he had a leverage in his hands, he could manipulate it however he wanted.
He immediately spoke up.
“My demands aren’t much. Whatever position and treatment I have at Yin Corporation, I want double at Dongfang Group. Also, I did so much for Young Master Wan—previously agreed one million is too little. Give me another four, five million, and I’ll swallow this quietly. How’s that? My demands aren’t too much, right?”
His fingers whitened around the phone. Dongfang Wan mumbled:
“Let me think about it first.”
And hung up.
The man looked at his phone, not a hint of anxiety or panic on his face.
He strutted back into the private room, motioning a young, beautiful hostess to sit on his lap, fingers wandering inappropriately.
“Be good, let me enjoy myself. If I’m happy today, I’ll open five bottles of wine for you. How about that?”
The hostess’s eyes brightened. Her body went limp as she sank into his arms.
“You better keep your word.”
The man smiled smugly.
“Of course. I have plenty of money.”
At the Dongfang mansion.
“What did you say?”
Dongfang Lie nearly sprayed his tea all over his face when he heard Dongfang Wan’s words!
Seeing his uncle’s reaction, Dongfang Wan felt frustrated…
But mostly, he was furious at being threatened by someone he looked down on.
Suppressing his anger, he recounted the matter again.
“You! You!”
Dongfang Lie was nearly about to faint from anger.
“Do you realize our group just signed a contract with another company this morning?”
“I know.”
Dongfang Wan gripped his clothes. “So what? Second uncle, take care of my stuff first.”
Doing something so foolish at this critical time?
Dongfang Lie was livid. How would the industry view Dongfang Group if news spread?
Failing to cooperate with Yin Corporation, then using underhanded tactics?
Moreover…
“I haven’t taken care of you yet?”
He slammed down his teacup.
“I told you to stay home for reflection. Is this how you reflect? Don’t tell me you forgot why I had you reflect? I just cleaned your ass once, and you’re causing trouble again?”
“How was I supposed to know Yin Corporation would act so maliciously?”
Dongfang Wan tilted his head. “It was just a small joke. Yin Chen actually used such vicious tactics. Luckily, our group didn’t cooperate with them. If we had, who knows what schemes he’d use against us…”
“That’s enough!”
Dongfang Lie’s expression turned icy.
Dongfang Wan trembled, speechless.
Dongfang Lie, eyes full of disappointment, said coldly:
“Our Dongfang Group is indeed top-tier, but Yin Corporation is not a company we can underestimate! Haven’t you realized this yet?”
Dongfang Wan stayed silent.
Seeing his nephew’s expression, Dongfang Lie sighed. He had always liked this nephew, believing his business mind was sharp and worth cultivating.
But now, perhaps his judgment had been too one-sided.
“What you call malicious tactics, in my eyes, are just ordinary business maneuvers.”
He took a deep breath, sipping tea twice before continuing.
“If anyone tried to scheme against Dongfang Group, my methods wouldn’t be like Yin Chen’s. His tactics are rather aboveboard.”
All it did was get that foolish man blacklisted by major headhunters—a minor scuffle at best.
Dongfang Wan’s eyes widened. Aboveboard?
His uncle’s methods…
He shivered and didn’t dare think further.
Dongfang Lie didn’t care about his expression, continuing:
“I can help you resolve this matter, but…”
Dongfang Wan looked up.
Dongfang Lie shifted his gaze, changing the topic.
“That Lin Yuhan—have you been in contact with him?”
Dongfang Wan was puzzled.
“Second uncle, why ask?”
Dongfang Lie narrowed his eyes.
“Answer me. Weren’t you two close?”
Dongfang Wan frowned.
“Close or not, what does it matter? Didn’t you tell me not to take a man too seriously?”
Dongfang Lie’s face darkened.
“What? Did something happen between you two?”
Even in work, his nephew couldn’t handle a relationship problem?
“Impossible!”
Dongfang Wan blurted out, then quickly added, “Nothing… just haven’t seen him in a while.”
“Is that so?”
Dongfang Lie seemed to misinterpret, thinking:
“Well, you’ve been at home all this time.”
He pondered, looking at Dongfang Wan.
“I’ll have someone handle your mess. And don’t stay home idle. Lin Yuhan, if I remember, Yin Chen likes him?”
Dongfang Wan’s head snapped up.
“What do you mean, second uncle?”
Dongfang Lie slowly poured a cup of tea.
“I mean nothing. If you want me to clean up your mess, show some initiative. I’m old, but Dongfang Group isn’t in a rush to pass to a new heir.”
Dongfang Wan understood, feeling as if he’d fallen into an ice pit.
After a long moment, he bit his lip. “I understand.”
Head lowered, fingers clutching the phone in his pocket.
Lin Yuhan… again Lin Yuhan.
“Yuhan! Someone’s here for you!”
At the pet shop, a staff member shouted inside.
“Who is it? Coming!”
Amidst the meows and barks, Lin Yuhan, apron still on, hurried out.
“Huh? Landlord?”
He paused, seeing the person waiting outside.
“You’re looking for me?”
“Mm.”
The man nodded lightly, extending his hand.
“Take it.”
“Huh?”
Lin Yuhan instinctively reached out his bandaged hand.
The man hesitated.
“Forget it, I’ll do it.”
Before Lin Yuhan could ask, he felt a slight weight in his apron pocket.
“Here. This is your room key. I had the lock cylinder changed today.”
He withdrew Lin Yuhan’s hand and explained.
“Ohhh! Thank you, landlord!”
Lin Yuhan recalled that they each had a separate room. His room still used the previous tenant’s lock. The landlord said it wasn’t safe, so today the lock was changed.
But…
He was a bit puzzled. “You could’ve just left it in my room, or waited until I got back. Why come all the way personally?”
“I went out shopping, and I have something tonight. Also, important keys are better handed to the owner directly.”
“Oh, I see.”
Lin Yuhan understood. The landlord seemed steady.
“Alright, thanks for going out of your way!”
“You’re welcome.”
The man spoke but didn’t move. His gaze scanned Lin Yuhan’s apron and the pet shop behind him.
“You… not going back to your old job?”
“Huh?”
Lin Yuhan was surprised. “Landlord, you know what I did before?”
The man: “I can guess a bit. Planning to work here?”
He glanced at the pet shop.
“Hehe, not exactly.”
Lin Yuhan chuckled awkwardly. “My hand’s still not fully healed. If I went to an interview, they wouldn’t hire me. This shop belongs to a college friend. I’m helping out and maybe getting a few meals.”
“I see.”
The man nodded, thinking, then looked at him again.
“Then stay at the shop a bit more, or crash at your friend’s. Don’t come back for now, alright?”
“Huh?”
Lin Yuhan was puzzled. Why? The landlord even delivered the key personally!
“It’s nothing serious. I have some matters. If it bothers you…”
Lin Yuhan interrupted.
“No problem! If you have something important, I can move out for a few days.”
This was someone renting for 800 a month—so generous!
Maybe family or relatives visiting? Or a girlfriend?
Lin Yuhan guessed randomly, patting his chest, promising:
“Don’t worry, I’ll tell my friend and stay a few days.”
He glanced at the man.
“Not sure yet. Just stay a few days until I call you back?”
The man frowned slightly. “As compensation, I’ll waive your rent for a month.”
“Oh, no need! I can manage. I’ll pack tonight and move out. Call me when I can move back!”
Lin Yuhan lightly pounded his chest, speaking earnestly.
“Okay, sorry for the trouble.”
The man nodded, letting him return to work.
He drove back to his apartment, unloaded his things, and hurried into the elevator.
He tossed his things on the floor and quickly went to the curtains, peering down.
A figure lingered below.
He stared for a while, then took out his phone to snap a few photos.
Afterward, he drew the curtains, enlarging the images to see the face clearly.
Unfortunately, the person wore a mask and hat, concealing everything.
He stared, then gave up.
Collapsed for two seconds, he jumped up and dialed a number.
“Zong Ge! I think I might be in trouble! Someone’s stalking me! Not sure if it’s a man or a woman!”
Zong Cheng typed slowly: ?
Hello? You’re fine, right?
Why, as a man, are you worried about whether your stalker is male or female???