The “Rusu” case progressed smoothly. Due diligence was completed, and although some of the figures on paper were slightly inflated, it didn’t matter and caused no real issues. He Xiaoyuan and Xiao Qiyi were both aware of this. The next step was preparing for the equity investment.
The project’s funding scale wasn’t large—it was a small task for the team, and not particularly difficult. He Xiaoyuan encountered no major problems, and even minor ones were easily resolved.
The real difficulty came from outside the case itself—the Rusu boss’s wife. Since their last business trip meeting, she had insisted on introducing him to a girlfriend.
He Xiaoyuan had politely or directly refused countless times, yet she persisted, even claiming that now she had someone in mind who could be introduced to her parents during the New Year.
He Xiaoyuan had no choice but to refuse again, using all the tricks available to him—even invoking the excuse that he hadn’t bought his own apartment yet—but she didn’t care, saying: “It’s fine. My niece has her own place; you just need to show up with your bag.”
He Xiaoyuan: “…”
He couldn’t reveal his orphaned family situation to a work contact. In desperation, he turned to Xiao Qiyi for help, hoping that CEO Xiao could reject her on his behalf.
Xiao Qiyi laughed: “I wouldn’t dare. If I do, she’ll just try to set me up with someone.”
“You’re scared, I’m scared—we’re both terrified.”
He Xiaoyuan couldn’t help but laugh.
Chang Bei in the office suggested a cheeky solution: “Just tell her you like men.”
He Xiaoyuan: “…”
Chang Bei feigned shock: “You don’t actually lean that way, do you?”
Yu Xun chimed in: “Xiaoyuan, just send a picture of Chang Zong and say he’s your boyfriend.”
Chang Bei snapped at Yu Xun: “Shut up!”
He Xiaoyuan murmured: “No, too old.”
Chang Bei: ???
The office erupted in laughter.
Finally, it was Lu Chen who solved it. He advised He Xiaoyuan to not respond to any messages unrelated to work and maintain a cold attitude on work matters. When the Rusu boss’s wife noticed the change, she didn’t want to offend the client and finally backed off.
During work, He Xiaoyuan sent Lu Chen a message: 【Thumbs up.jpg】
He Xiaoyuan: 【It really works.】
He Xiaoyuan: 【Is this from your experience?】
Lu Chen: 【No one dares set me up.】
He Xiaoyuan: 【Because you’re picky?】
Lu Chen: 【Because I’m fierce. I’ll eat people alive.】
He Xiaoyuan snickered.
Later, when they were alone, Lu Chen casually asked: “No one’s chasing you at work?”
Then: “After all this time, meeting so many people, anyone you like?”
He Xiaoyuan, sitting cross-legged on the top-floor sofa reviewing materials, looked up in surprise. He saw Lu Chen on the other sofa petting He He and asked in puzzlement: “Do I look like I do?”
Lu Chen, still petting He He, raised an eyebrow: “Hm?”
He Xiaoyuan added: “I’m either at work or with you. When would I have the time?”
He lowered his head back to his materials. Lu Chen smiled, pressing his lips together.
After a while, Lu Chen spoke again: “Have you ever thought about it? No thoughts in this regard?”
He Xiaoyuan didn’t even look up: “Right now, I only want to gain an extra three points of Rusu’s shares without changing the actual investment amount.”
Lu Chen ignored this and asked about preferences: “What type do you like? Older or younger?”
He Xiaoyuan answered: “Even better if it’s five points.”
Lu Chen: “What about personality? Outgoing, or more reserved?”
He Xiaoyuan: “The previous investment company taught them a good lesson. They all have experience that’s useful at the next investment company—they don’t give an inch.”
Lu Chen: “Tall, short, thin, fat… do you have a type?”
He Xiaoyuan finally looked up, snapping back: “You’re single, I’m only twenty-one, why am I in a hurry?”
Lu Chen then brought the conversation back to Rusu: “Investment and equity aren’t just about money. SIP isn’t only about money either.”
!
He Xiaoyuan’s mind went “ding.”
Lu Chen continued: “I’m a cautionary tale. Don’t follow in my footsteps—still single at thirty-two, personal life unresolved.”
Almost thirty-three now.
He Xiaoyuan ignored that comment, asking instead: “You mean using other ‘benefits’ to make Rusu back down on shares?”
Lu Chen: “By the new year, you’ll be twenty-two—marriageable age.”
He Xiaoyuan’s expression became thoughtful: “The platform traffic from live streaming? That’s probably what they care about.”
Lu Chen said quietly: “Did you even listen to me?”
He Xiaoyuan, focused on his tablet, murmured: “Okay, I’ll ask someone tomorrow.”
Clearly, he hadn’t heard a word, completely absorbed in work.
Lu Chen chuckled, shaking his head—partly exasperated, partly relieved.
At least he didn’t need to worry about him running off mid-class.
Incidentally, Lu Chen’s X7 had, for some reason, ended up in He Xiaoyuan’s hands after that weekend test drive. Initially, Lu Chen had been on a business trip, and He Xiaoyuan had taken the car to the 4S dealership for maintenance. Afterward, since Lu Chen didn’t come to pick it up and remarked the car shouldn’t just sit unused, He Xiaoyuan drove it occasionally. Gradually, Lu Chen decided he’d leave the X7 for He Xiaoyuan to use temporarily.
He Xiaoyuan could have deduced that Lu Chen deliberately let him use the car. With his perceptiveness, he probably noticed early on.
But recently, he and Lu Chen were so familiar that when Lu Chen asked him to take the car for service, He Xiaoyuan didn’t even see it as helping—just a convenient task.
They had become so comfortable that he drove without much thought, only careful not to scratch the expensive vehicle.
Once, Chang Bei happened to see He Xiaoyuan in the office garage: “Why are you driving your boss’s car?”
He Xiaoyuan: “He hasn’t been using it lately.”
Chang Bei: “Did he get a new one?”
He Xiaoyuan: “He has another car.”
Chang Bei: “Driving something else now?”
He Xiaoyuan: “The driver’s driving.”
Chang Bei patted He Xiaoyuan on the shoulder: “Your boss is still amazing.”
By mid-December, the Rusu investment was finalized. SIP took a portion of sponsorship traffic from the live streaming platform plus twenty million in actual capital, achieving a share allocation satisfactory to both Xiao Qiyi and He Xiaoyuan.
He Xiaoyuan had long known that SIP used an investment company under its control called “Deep Sea Capital” for these equity investments.
When he finally went to execute the equity procedures for Rusu, he discovered that Lu Chen was the sole controlling person of Deep Sea Capital, personally holding 21% of the shares.
He Xiaoyuan was surprised and asked Xiao Qiyi why a senior executive would hold shares in a company-owned investment company and also be the controlling person.
Xiao Qiyi found the term “senior executive” a bit odd but had no idea that He Xiaoyuan was still unaware of Lu Chen’s true identity—after all, everyone in the project office already knew.
She explained in a way He Xiaoyuan could understand: “It’s normal. People like Yang Yun, a general manager, aren’t just regular employees—they’re deeply tied to the company. Their shares aren’t like ordinary employees’.”
He Xiaoyuan: “Do they get dividends?”
Of course.
Xiao Qiyi: “Once you reach a certain level, even ordinary employees get year-end bonuses.”
He Xiaoyuan realized he had overthought it. No wonder Lu Chen could live in a luxury apartment and drive an X7—he wasn’t the kind of executive He Xiaoyuan had imagined.
He looked up to him in quiet admiration, wondering what he would need to achieve to be like Lu Chen someday.
Truly incredible.
A life benchmark.
He Xiaoyuan hoped he could one day be like Lu Chen.
—
Because the Lunar New Year was early this year, coming at the end of January, the office in late December—around Christmas—was filled with the “survive the last month, wait for holiday” mood.
To avoid bothering employees, SIP never held an official year-end party. Departments handled their own small gatherings.
The project office debated for days about where and how to celebrate this year but couldn’t reach a conclusion.
Chang Bei said: “Forget it. We’re all busy. Rather than using money for a dinner, just convert it into red envelopes.”
He added to the administrative staff: “I won’t take any, you all keep it.”
Who could object?
Everyone enthusiastically agreed.
He Xiaoyuan thought it was a joke, but the admin actually submitted it, and higher-ups approved. Within days, the money was in their accounts. He Xiaoyuan realized this was the most casual and free year-end bonus he had ever seen at a big company.
He checked his bank account for the red envelope funds and asked Lu Chen if he had received it.
Lu Chen: 【I approved it.】
He Xiaoyuan: 【Thanks, big boss.】
He Xiaoyuan: 【Little dinosaur bows.jpg】
He Xiaoyuan: 【Did you get any?】
Lu Chen: 【No.】
He Xiaoyuan: 【Shall I give you half?】
He Xiaoyuan: 【Little dinosaur wagging tail.jpg】
That evening, He Xiaoyuan treated Lu Chen to a meal at a restaurant, considering it their year-end party.
In early January, Chang Bei, Xue Jinming, and a few other bosses privately gathered with Yang Yun, and He Xiaoyuan was invited too.
The gathering took place at a quiet bar. When He Xiaoyuan arrived, Yang Yun, Chang Bei, and the others were already there, sitting at the bar rather than at booths, side by side, drinking and laughing together.
“小 Yuan, come over here.”
As soon as He Xiaoyuan arrived, Yang Yun called him over to sit.
He Xiaoyuan noticed a stranger next to Yang Yun—a man he didn’t recognize.
The man was handsome, with medium-length hair just past his ears, silver metal-rimmed glasses, delicate yet gentle features, and an aura of calm warmth. His age was hard to guess—probably in his thirties.
When Yang Yun called “Xiaoyuan,” the man turned, meeting He Xiaoyuan’s gaze with a soft, friendly smile.
Yang Yun leaned in and whispered something to the man. He Xiaoyuan, sitting on a high stool, caught only fragments, while Chang Bei on the other side asked what he wanted to drink. Since this was He Xiaoyuan’s first time at such a bar, he didn’t know the drinks, and Chang Bei realized he had asked a redundant question. He waved to the bartender, asking for a mix.
The drink was quickly placed on a coaster and slid over. Just as He Xiaoyuan reached for it, Yang Yun took it, saying: “Kids don’t drink alcohol,” signaling the bartender to bring soda water instead.
The bartender glanced at He Xiaoyuan, joking: “Too handsome to get drunk.”
Drinking too much could be dangerous.
Yang Yun: “Exactly!”
Chang Bei, sitting nearby, said: “You think he’s eight? He’s already eighteen, you know.”
Yang Yun shook his fingers, signaling “you just don’t get it.”
Chang Bei turned to them and shouted: “Xiao Guan, do you even control your old man?”
The man next to Yang Yun smiled warmly.
Hearing Chang Bei say “your old man,” He Xiaoyuan’s heart skipped slightly. A guess formed in his mind.
Later, when Yang Yun and the man went to chat and drink with Xue Jinming and the others, He Xiaoyuan confirmed through Chang Bei that the man’s name was Guan Xingping—and he was Yang Yun’s spouse.
He Xiaoyuan’s pupils widened slightly. All this time, he had assumed that Yang Yun’s “wife” was a woman.
Turns out, it was a man.