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◎You don’t have a younger brother as easy to handle.◎
Yue Jincheng could easily stand at a high point, discerning every tiny reaction of hers.
In this beautiful setting, anger wasn’t really anger; their playful bickering became just the right amount of flirtation.
Fu Jiaxi looked at him for two seconds and then calmly shifted her gaze. “You don’t have a younger brother as easy to handle.”
What other younger brother? Shen Ye, who advised her on the hundred ways an ex-husband could die.
Yue Jincheng’s high ground was instantly shattered. Fu Jiaxi knew how to hit where it hurt.
After killing his pride, Fu Jiaxi leisurely started eating roasted glutinous rice cakes, dipping them in brown sugar, paired with warm rice wine—it was utterly comforting.
After a while, Yue Jincheng said, “What I discussed with Guan Yeqin was business, nothing else.”
Fu Jiaxi picked up another piece of osmanthus rice cake. “Whatever you discuss, you don’t need to tell me.”
“I made a mistake.” Yue Jincheng’s tone and posture were both lowered.
Fu Jiaxi finally looked at him. “What did you do wrong?”
“I don’t know.” He smiled. “But if you’re unhappy, it must be my fault.”
A small wave rippled in Fu Jiaxi’s heart but quickly calmed. “I’m not unhappy.”
Yue Jincheng left some room for interpretation. “You should be unhappy.”
“Hmm?”
“The blind dates Grandma arranged for you are all random matches.” Yue Jincheng paused in the latter half of his sentence. “At least, find someone better than me.”
Fu Jiaxi withdrew her gaze and took a sip of hot wine. “Rest assured, definitely.”
—
Soon, Liu Yun and Fu Jiaxi immersed themselves in the work of forming the research team.
They collected and organized information on the top twenty domestic futures companies, investment banks, and private equity firms. Fu Jiaxi reviewed their past performance, company size, and listed important information for comparison.
One day, after working overtime, Liu Yun double-checked her materials and suddenly mentioned, “Has Jin Ming approached you alone recently?”
“No.” Fu Jiaxi asked, “Why?”
“Nothing. If he deducts your bonus again, let me know.”
Fu Jiaxi only later realized that Jin Ming’s attitude towards her had indeed improved significantly.
With complete data, comprehensive evaluation, they cautiously ranked the target companies.
Yun Tai, Zhong Zheng, Li Xin.
These three companies, whether in terms of performance, size, qualifications, or professional experience, were all top-tier.
The formal research report was submitted, and Jin Ming carefully read through it, praising and affirming it—completely different from his previous disdainful attitude.
“Oh, right, take a look at this.” Jin Ming pulled out a document from the drawer and handed it to Liu Yun. “Yuan You Futures. Although this company is young and not as well-known as these three, the team members’ qualifications are quite good. Review it and consider visiting for inspection.”
An unexpected entry halfway through—what else could it be but favoritism?
What was the biggest advantage of an unknown small company?
It was easy to control.
Liu Yun had been suppressed under Yue Yunzong and Jin Ming for so many years. What Fu Jiaxi understood, he understood even more clearly.
“Stick to the work plan, don’t overthink it, and focus on doing what you need to do.” Liu Yun reassured her. “Also, this Saturday at nine in the morning, come with me to Zhengda University for a lecture.”
Fu Jiaxi: “Attend a lecture?”
“Mm, there’s someone I want to collaborate with there.”
On Friday afternoon, Fu Jiaxi wrapped up her week’s work, completing all item checks, and received a concise text from Yue Jincheng.
“In short: Reserve tonight for me, I’ll take you to a banquet.”
Half an hour after work, and being the weekend, Baifeng Tower was quieter than usual.
Jiao Rui reported, “President Yue, Sister Jiaxi is here to see you.”
Yue Jincheng tightened the pen cap, unsurprised. “Come in.”
In the hundred-square-meter office with floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides, the twilight hues were still rich at the end of summer.
Fu Jiaxi stood at the door, seeing Yue Jincheng standing with his back to the floor-to-ceiling window, calmly changing into formal attire for the banquet.
Her steps were light, and she slowly retracted her hand that was about to knock.
Yue Jincheng, without turning around, already knew she was there.
“It’s a dinner for an economic forum, your peers. Getting to know a few more teachers will be beneficial for you. Come, help me tie my tie.”
Fu Jiaxi hesitated.
“I injured my arm boxing last night, raising it is difficult.” Yue Jincheng said.
Fu Jiaxi walked behind him, and he turned around. His subtle cologne smelled pleasant and refreshing.
“It’s inappropriate for me to go.”
Fu Jiaxi picked up the tie, and Yue Jincheng naturally lowered his head.
The tie hung around his neck, and she adjusted the lengths on both sides.
Yue Jincheng: “Why is it inappropriate?”
“You can bring your date. What am I supposed to be?”
“You represent the Baifeng Group. Is that appropriate enough?”
Fu Jiaxi’s hands paused, and she softly said, “Sorry, I misunderstood you.”
The tie obediently flipped in her fingertips, smooth silk fabric subtly gleaming.
She was so familiar with it that she didn’t need much thought, completing it in one go.
Yue Jincheng gestured to the suit beside him.
Fu Jiaxi took it and helped him put it on.
Yue Jincheng in business attire was very handsome. Due to being unloved by his father as a teenager, he was accustomed to being low-key and surviving in tight spots. Even now, despite his high position and prominence, he wasn’t ostentatious. Only when dressed formally did his noble demeanor become fully visible.
“One more thing.” Yue Jincheng defended himself. “I never bring a date to any occasion.”
Fu Jiaxi’s fingertips trembled slightly, pretending to be casual. “Won’t people laugh at you, President of Baifeng, for not having a date?”
Yue Jincheng fastened his watch strap. “If not having a date means being laughed at, then my social circle is too inferior.”
Fu Jiaxi lightly snorted, “Arrogant.”
Yue Jincheng corrected, “It’s confidence.”
Time was almost up; it was time to leave.
“Wait.” Fu Jiaxi stopped him, carefully smoothing and straightening his tie once again.
—
Yue Jincheng’s words were true—the evening banquet indeed yielded fruitful results.
Under the name of representing Baifeng Group, she was introduced to several industry leaders. To avoid suspicion, Yue Jincheng rarely entered her line of sight. He stayed in the western hall, occasionally following her with his eyes. Amidst the clinking glasses and fleeting lights, Fu Jiaxi appeared fresh and charming, poised and graceful.
Yue Jincheng felt relieved that she could excel in any role. He also felt melancholy—there was no place for him in any of those roles anymore.
“The lecture at Zhengda University on Saturday is worth attending.”
“Yu Yanqing’s return to the country this time didn’t have a predetermined destination.”
“There are quite a few headhunters eyeing him.”
“Of course, his business acumen is truly outstanding. Whoever brings him under their wing can expect a significant boost in next year’s performance targets.”
Gathering information was an essential part of socializing.
Fu Jiaxi found the name familiar but couldn’t recall where she had heard it before.
Taking a brief rest on the less crowded terrace, Fu Jiaxi suddenly spotted a familiar figure.
Wan Yu also noticed her; she was sure of it.
But her gaze seemed unfocused, and she casually shifted it as if she hadn’t seen anything.
“Wan Yu.” Fu Jiaxi called her over.
“Oh! Sister Jiaxi! You’re here too!” Wan Yu instantly changed her demeanor, becoming affectionate and enthusiastic, stepping forward to link arms with her.
Married to Yue Yunzong for only a few months, Wan Yu had already mastered the ways of survival in high society.
Fu Jiaxi brushed off her hand and spoke coldly, “In the future, if you need to communicate with me face-to-face, just tell me directly.”
Wan Yu smiled. “Sister Jiaxi, I don’t understand what you mean.”
“You used Jia Yi’s smartwatch to send me messages, deliberately making me go to the Yue residence.” Fu Jiaxi was too lazy to beat around the bush with her. “It’s not easy to find a satisfactory husband. Marrying Yue Yunzong, I imagine you’re quite satisfied with your marriage. You’re very smart and probably ambitious, wanting to establish yourself better within the Yue family.”
Wan Yu’s smile started to falter.
“The Yue family has many relatives and friends. I understand that you need to manage, fix, and please them all—consider it advice from someone who’s been there.” Fu Jiaxi looked at her, her tone calm and icy. “But Wan Yu, you need to be clear-headed. Don’t use Jia Yi to stir up trouble, and don’t use my embarrassment to fill your own sense of inferiority. If it happens again—I might not have the ability to deal with you, but Yue Jincheng does. Go ahead and test it if you don’t believe me.”
Wan Yu stood rooted to the spot, like a joke stripped of its elaborate facade, revealing her true self.
What exactly was she in the Yue family?
When Yue Yunzong notified her last minute, she had to get dressed and ready within an hour to accompany him to a banquet. She wanted to travel with her husband, carefully planned it, booked hotels, but with one word from Yue Yunzong saying he was busy with clients, she didn’t even have the chance to complain.
She wasn’t oblivious to how harsh outsiders could be—calling her a gold-digger, a climber, uneducated...
Wan Yu stubbornly wiped away her tears.
Fu Jiaxi wasn’t much stronger than herself, nor prettier. The gossip circles naturally didn’t spare her discussions, but never had they stooped to such derogatory mockery.
She couldn’t understand why.
—
Originally scheduled to attend a lecture at Zhengda University with Liu Yun on Saturday, an unexpected incident occurred.
On Friday night, Liu Yun sprained his ankle while going down the stairs, resulting in a fracture that made movement difficult. Thus, she had to go to Zhengda alone.
Liu Yun repeatedly emphasized, “Make sure to get Yu Yanqing’s contact information.”
Contact information wasn’t hard to find; a simple online search revealed the institutions and companies he had worked for, still listing emails and landline numbers. However, with his resignation, these details were undoubtedly useless now.
Describing Yu Yanqing’s experience as that of a chosen trader wouldn’t be an exaggeration. A graduate from a prestigious university, former chief researcher at CI Investment Bank, investment consultant—every position he held resulted in no losses.
A young talent with accomplished achievements, in any field, he was a dazzling presence. Yet media exposure about him wasn’t extensive, and clear photos of him were rarely published.
Fu Jiaxi guessed that he was likely a pragmatic and low-key individual.
Six months ago, when news of Yu Yanqing’s departure from CI spread, domestic financial investment banks initiated their recruitment plans. However, he seemingly hadn’t finalized his next move.
Fu Jiaxi understood Liu Yun’s intentions.
Whichever company Yu Yanqing joined would be Baifeng Group’s top choice.
Zhengda was Yu Yanqing’s alma mater. During the school anniversary, returning to his roots, he set an example for his juniors. It wasn’t easy for Liu Yun to secure internal tickets. Fu Jiaxi planned that listening to the lecture wasn’t crucial; she intended to sit in the front row and rush up to add him on WeChat immediately after it ended so she could report back.
However, when she arrived half an hour early, she was utterly stunned.
Forget the front row—even the last row only had seats in two corners left.
At nine o’clock, applause thundered, and the lights brightened slightly.
A deep, clear male voice rang out, “Hello everyone, I am Yu Yanqing.”
Fu Jiaxi raised her head and upon seeing him, was momentarily taken aback.
The lecture quality was extremely high. Yu Yanqing exuded elegance and composure, and his ultra-thin framed glasses added to his reserved demeanor.
Fu Jiaxi overheard a girl nearby teasing, “Beauty and talent combined, Zhengda’s top influencer, who can compete?”
As the speech neared its end, Yu Yanqing bowed in thanks.
Crowds of students surged forward for photos and autographs.
Surrounded by three or four layers of people, Fu Jiaxi simply couldn’t push through.
With security maintaining order, Yu Yanqing was likely to leave. Fu Jiaxi decided to shout loudly, “Zhengda’s top influencer! Can I add you on WeChat?”
This overwhelming momentum silenced the room instantly.
After a second or two, laughter erupted throughout the hall.
Yu Yanqing’s gaze landed on her—sharp, cold. Fu Jiaxi didn’t mistake the touch of arrogance and disdain in his eyes.
Liu Yun had told her that this person kept a low profile, rarely revealing his personal tracks.
Once he left, there was no telling where to find him.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Yu doesn’t have any reception arrangements.”
“Lady, if you continue like this, we may have to ask you to leave.”
Meeting a dead end, Fu Jiaxi didn’t even have the chance to act desperately.
Yu Yanqing was in the lounge, separated by a wall, able to hear the commotion outside fairly clearly.
Through the glass door’s reflection, he could see Fu Jiaxi’s figure—persistent, smiling, full of determination. Unfortunately, it was misplaced effort, Yu Yanqing thought, acting like some mindless fangirl.
He took off his coat and went to the restroom.
While tidying up in front of the mirror, he applied half a pump of citrus-scented hand cream.
Just as he was about to pull open the door, a figure slipped in like lightning and quickly pressed the door shut. Yu Yanqing was incredulous.
Fu Jiaxi took a deep breath. “Sorry, Teacher Yu! My name is Fu Jiaxi, from Baifeng Group…”
“Even if you were Yu Jiaxi, I wouldn’t give you my WeChat,” Yu Yanqing said coldly. “Move aside.”
—
Another week passed, and it was Friday again.
Jiao Rui reported on the completion status of the weekly work list and briefly summarized the schedule for the upcoming week.
Yue Jincheng was signing the last stack of documents and asked, “Any progress on the matters handled by Yue Yunzong?”
Jiao Rui replied, “He didn’t provide a list this week. I checked, as you expected, President Yunzong recommended a small company. Liu Yun reserved his opinion and didn’t refute it on the spot.”
“Old Liu has learned to pay attention to work methods.” Yue Jincheng approved.
This matter wasn’t something he could personally intervene in. Yue Yunzong had been managing the foundational operations for many years, and it wouldn’t be easy to wrest control from him.
Jiao Rui knew whom the boss cared about. “Sister Jiaxi attended a lecture at Zhengda University last week.”
Yue Jincheng finished signing the last document, his expression relaxing slightly. “She has always been diligent and eager to learn.”
His phone rang; Fu Jiaxi sent a message: “Can Jia Yi come over to your place this Saturday? I have something to do.”
Knowing how busy she had been with work recently, Yue Jincheng didn’t think much of it and agreed.
On the weekend, the father-son activities were packed.
Camping and stargazing, outdoor rock climbing, and fishing at the reservoir. In the evening, they returned to Manyuan to have dinner with Zhou Xiaojun. Unlike her usual chatter, Zhou Xiaojun seemed preoccupied with something else, constantly typing on her phone.
Her typing was painfully slow, and losing patience, she resorted to recording a voice message.
“Have you arrived at the restaurant yet? Have you seen him in person? Is he as good-looking as in the photos?”
Yue Jincheng picked up the soup bowl and casually asked, “What is this about?”
“Blind date.”
“Uncle Liu’s daughter?”
“Her little girl already has a baby. This time, it’s for Jiaxi.” Zhou Xiaojun sighed contentedly. “I said that with all the photos I’ve shown her, she couldn’t possibly not like any of them. Sure enough, she took the initiative and liked one, asking me days in advance to arrange a Western dinner.”
A mouthful of soup went down the wrong pipe, and Yue Jincheng suddenly started coughing violently, breaking out in a sweat, unable to get a word out coherently.
—
At the same time, at the Western restaurant.
Candlelight, violin music, and elegant fragrances filled the air.
Fu Jiaxi checked the time for the third time—exactly five o’clock, not a minute off. Her “blind date” arrived right on schedule.
When Yu Yanqing saw her, his expression was as dramatic as when he was cornered in the men’s restroom the other day. He even looked around, thinking he might have mistaken the location or person.
With sparkling eyes, Fu Jiaxi stood up, extended her hand, and greeted him warmly, “Hello, Teacher Yu. Can I add you on WeChat now?”
“...”
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