L&H - 34

Yu Qing waited all afternoon, but instead of Chairman Fu inviting her to talk face-to-face, she received a call from Grandpa Fu, asking her to meet after work at the café next to the law firm.

She gathered her thoughts and considered how to face an elder who, despite his calm demeanor, had once dominated the business world with authority.

Grandpa Fu was open-minded to some extent, but certain ideas were still rooted in the conservatism of his era.

She understood.

Knock, knock.

Yu Qing snapped out of her thoughts—it was Qin Yu.

“Rare to see you spacing out.” Qin Yu entered.

Yu Qing set her phone down. “I’ve met my match and am considering where to break through.”

Qin Yu placed the documents on her desk. “I pulled a lot of strings to gather these for you.” He continued their earlier topic, “Are you considering how to handle Qiao Weiming?”

Yu Qing didn’t have time to look at them now, so she put them away in the safe. “Qiao Weiming doesn’t require me to rack my brains.”

Qin Yu closed the door and sat down. “Any progress?”

This tangled case was tricky; if mishandled, it could damage the team’s reputation.

“I already have a plan.” Yu Qing shared her thoughts and outlined the next steps to discuss with Qin Yu.

“If you think it’s suitable, we’ll go see Qiao Weiming the day after tomorrow. This is the only shortcut straight to the heart of the matter.”

Qin Yu thought for a moment, inevitably worried. “This will be a tough battle, and success depends on strategy. I’m afraid Qiao Weiming won’t fall for it. If his son is present, it’ll be even harder to get him to sign the undisclosed investment contract smoothly.”

Yu Qing had already devised several strategies to adapt to the situation as it unfolded.

“It makes no difference to me who’s present. I’m not Fu Jichen, so I don’t need to consider Qiao Weiming’s dignity or sentiments.”

She smiled. “I only care about whether I can get that tens of millions.”

Qin Yu also smiled.

Resolving the undisclosed investment contract was just the first step.

The key was how to gain control.

And then, how to persuade the senior management of Fu Group to invest in New Tech.

Every step would be extraordinarily difficult.

“For the brokerage side, I’ll handle communication and coordination. You focus on handling Qiao Weiming. I’ll wait for you at the office early the day after tomorrow, and we’ll go together.”

“Alright.”

Yu Qing left work on time today. At ten past five, she arrived at the café. Grandpa Fu was already there, half of the floral tea in his cup gone.

It seemed he had been waiting for her for quite some time.

This was Yu Qing’s first time seeing Grandpa Fu in person, though she wasn’t unfamiliar with him.

Grandpa Fu was a legendary figure in the business world. Even after retiring early, his personal investments in the capital market remained a benchmark.

“Grandpa Fu.”

“Sit. No need to be formal.” Grandpa Fu sat upright, resembling a leader holding a meeting with subordinates.

He himself felt this meeting was inappropriate, but there was no more direct or effective method.

Yu Qing ordered a coffee.

The atmosphere was tense.

Grandpa Fu got straight to the point. “I apologize for disturbing you today—it’s impolite, but I had no choice but to come. To be honest, I originally didn’t want to meddle in your affairs with Jichen, hoping his father would handle it. But unexpectedly, his father changed sides at the last minute.”

Yu Qing: “...”

Speaking of his son’s betrayal, Grandpa Fu was still fuming. “I know you’re eloquent, and most people can’t keep up. I heard that when you debated in law school, you made your opponents start doubting their own views. So,”

He felt somewhat embarrassed himself. “Today, I have an unreasonable request. While I’m speaking, I hope you won’t interrupt or say anything—I’m afraid you might sway me. I know I can’t outtalk you, so my only chance is for you to stay silent and let me finish.”

Yu Qing pressed her forehead.

How did she end up giving the Fu family elders such an impression?

Grandpa Fu continued, “I’ve always been lenient about the marriage of the younger generation. When they marry, or whom they marry, I’ve never imposed any requirements.”

“For our family, even if it’s a marriage alliance, it’s just icing on the cake—a flower that may or may not exist.”

Her coffee arrived.

The rich aroma soothed Yu Qing’s nerves considerably.

Since Grandpa Fu asked her not to speak, she focused on savoring her coffee.

Grandpa Fu carefully chose his words. “If your views on marriage were like most people’s, even if you came from the most ordinary family, I wouldn’t object.”

As he spoke, he took a few sips of his floral tea.

“You show little understanding or concern for Jichen. He has already publicly declared you as his fiancée in the company, yet you remain indifferent.”

“I won’t judge whether your thoughts and persistence are right or wrong. Everyone has the right to choose their own path in life. But as Jichen’s elder, I can’t be happy seeing my grandson treated this way.”

Yu Qing set down her coffee spoon and looked up.

Grandpa Fu gestured with his hand. “Don’t speak. Drink your coffee.”

Yu Qing: “...”

Grandpa Fu cut to the chase. “I’ll ask you directly—do you want to marry Jichen, or do you have any plans to get married?”

He compromised, “If you have such sincerity, just nod. As long as you indicate, Grandpa will trust you. That’ll give me peace of mind.”

Yu Qing pursed her lips slightly but didn’t nod.

Grandpa Fu gave her time to consider and asked the server to bring another cup of hot tea.

Time ticked by.

Grandpa Fu felt it was enough. “I’m not asking you to marry Jichen immediately. Engagements can happen when appropriate, and the wedding date can be decided by you and Jichen. We’ll follow your lead.”

Yu Qing couldn’t help but grip her coffee cup tightly—it was getting hot. “Sorry, Grandpa Fu, but I’ve never considered marriage.”

Grandpa Fu appreciated her honesty, but what he had to say next was hard to express. Yet, if he didn’t intervene, Jichen would sink deeper.

Better to sever ties decisively.

He reminded her again, “You don’t need to speak. Just nod or shake your head.”

“You’re five years younger than Jichen. What if, in a couple of years, you suddenly feel being with him isn’t fresh anymore, and you find someone else? What will he do then? I’m afraid he won’t withstand that blow. If you’re going to leave him, do it sooner rather than later, alright?”

Yu Qing was both amused and exasperated.

In terms of the art of speech, she thought Grandpa Fu was more skilled than she was.

She understood the purpose of Grandpa Fu’s meeting with her.

She took out her phone to type, but deleted the text after writing a line.

Uncertain if Grandpa Fu had presbyopia and might not see clearly, she took out paper and pen, writing in large letters.

[Grandpa Fu, please give me some time. My team and I have taken on a project for Fu Group and Fu Jichen. I promised Jichen to handle it successfully. He treats me well, and I can only repay his sincerity through work. Is that acceptable?]

Grandpa Fu hesitated for two seconds but eventually agreed. He asked, “How long will this project take?”

Yu Qing: [At least three months, and no longer than six months. After the project ends, I won’t contact him anymore.]

Before leaving, Grandpa Fu apologized again, “I’m sorry to approach you as an elder to resolve this matter.” The rest of his words, he swallowed back.

Yu Qing didn’t rush to leave. After finishing one cup of coffee, she ordered another.

Outside, it gradually grew dark.

She rested her head on the table, watching the road outside jammed with traffic.

Someone sat down across from her, but she didn’t notice, lost in thought while gazing outside.

Qin Moling ordered a cup of coffee and flipped through a magazine.

Ten minutes passed, and she remained in the same position.

He had just gone to the law firm to find Qin Yu, but Qin Yu was busy, so he excused himself. Passing by the café, he unexpectedly saw Yu Qing inside.

When he passed by the floor-to-ceiling window, she didn’t notice.

Even after sitting down, she still didn’t realize his presence.

The coffee Yu Qing ordered as a refill had cooled. She sat up, planning to leave.

Seeing the person across from her, she was momentarily stunned.

“When did you come over?”

Qin Moling closed the magazine. “A while ago. Thinking about work?”

“Mm.” Yu Qing gave a perfunctory reply.

“Is there something you need from me?” she asked.

Qin Moling replied, “No. Just passing by, thought I’d have a cup of coffee.”

“Then I’ll excuse myself. I have to go back and work overtime.” Yu Qing packed another cup of coffee, paid, and left.

During the evening rush hour, the traffic barely moved.

Before her last shred of patience was completely drained, Yu Qing finally turned her car into the backyard of the bank building.

After calling her father, she had a smooth ride with all green lights until she reached the upper floor.

Yu Shaohong had been uneasy ever since he received his daughter’s call. This kind of kindness made him anxious.

“Dad.” Yu Qing knocked and entered.

Yu Shaohong had spent the whole day in meetings, leaving him with a dry throat.

He had eaten half a pack of throat lozenges, but they hadn’t helped much.

“Not busy today?”

“Busy.”

Yu Qing opened the coffee and placed it in front of her father. “I missed you, so I came to see you.”

Yu Shaohong stared at his daughter. “You should forget about me.”

Yu Qing smiled. “If I really forgot about you, wouldn’t you cry?”

Yu Shaohong: “Once my tears dry up, it will be fine. You like this, and it makes me feel worse than crying.”

He chewed on the throat lozenge and began drinking the coffee.

Perhaps it was psychological, but he had never tasted such good coffee before.

Yu Shaohong got to the point. “Alright, tell me what you actually came here for?”

“Nothing special. The road was too congested, stop-and-go, wasting fuel. So I came here to rest and wait until the traffic clears before heading back.”

“...”

Yu Shaohong looked at the coffee again. “So, this coffee doesn’t really belong to me?”

“Whoever drinks it owns it.”

Yu Qing picked up a magazine, rolled it up, and used it as a telescope.

She walked to the window, looking across at the dense clusters of buildings, searching for the Fu Group building.

“Dad, you continue with your work. I’ll stay until eight o’clock and then head back. It’s a good time for me to think about my case strategy.”

Yu Shaohong didn’t finish the entire cup of coffee, leaving half for when he got tired from working overtime.

He continued reviewing a large stack of reports.

From time to time, he would look up to see what his daughter was doing.

She was using her ‘telescope’ to look around.

The view of Beijing’s night scenery from his office was excellent.

He and his daughter had never interacted so harmoniously.

“Little brat, have you contacted your mother recently?”

“No.”

Yu Shaohong opened his mouth, wanting to say something but stopped himself.

The dazzling lights blurred her vision after staring for a long time.

She put down the magazine and placed it on the magazine rack.

It was already past seven o’clock.

“I’m leaving.”

Yu Shaohong checked the time on the bottom right corner of his computer. “It’s still fifteen minutes till eight.”

Yu Qing put on her coat. “I saw that the roads aren’t that congested anymore. Otherwise, I’d have to work overtime until midnight.”

Yu Shaohong accompanied his daughter to the elevator and couldn’t help but nag a bit, “Don’t just focus on work every day. That money isn’t enough for you to spend in an hour. Take some time to date. Actually, dating can be quite interesting.”

Yu Qing: “Interesting only lasts for a few months; the rest is being deeply hurt by those few months of fun. I won’t make that losing investment.”

Yu Shaohong sighed, “It’s not as bad as you say…”

Yu Qing interrupted her father, “They say that back in the day, countless women envied Mom. But what happened? Within two years, you fell out of love.”

The elevator door opened.

“Bye.” Yu Qing pressed the close button.

The roads were still congested.

Yu Qing called Fu Jichen, asking where he was and if he had time to talk for a few minutes.

Fu Jichen was still in the office. He hadn’t worked overtime on Saturday or Sunday, and there were piles of documents waiting for his signature and review.

He turned on the speakerphone, “How dare you call me?”

“Why shouldn’t I?”

“You’ve already abandoned me, don’t you realize that?”

Yu Qing chuckled.

“Did Grandfather talk to you?”

“Mm. He mercilessly attacked me, saying that in your eyes, I am just a fleeting novelty, advising me to face reality sooner.”

Fu Jichen reviewed and clicked approve.

“I was thinking about how to settle accounts with you.”

“I thought Grandpa gave you a huge breakup fee, and you were tempted. If it was for the money, I could forgive you. But Grandpa said he didn’t spend a penny, and you readily agreed to separate.”

With things laid out like this.

Fu Jichen asked her, “Are you really just going to let it go like this?”

As he spoke, his hand holding the mouse paused slightly.

There was silence on the phone.

Fu Jichen didn’t rush her.

Yu Qing gazed at the taillights of the car in front. “Fu Jichen, before we got together, I was upfront with you—I don’t want to get married, and you said you felt the same. Now, our views on marriage have diverged. I’m still on our path, but you’ve taken a different fork.”

Fu Jichen set aside his work and picked up the phone. “Yu Qing, can we have a serious talk?”

“What do you want to talk about?”

“Marriage.”

“Then we have nothing to talk about.”

“I want to know why you are so opposed to marriage?”

“The risks are too high. Is this reason enough?”

Fu Jichen almost didn’t hesitate. “Then marry me. We’ll sign a prenuptial agreement. Your pre-marriage assets will remain yours, and all my assets will be jointly owned. If you file for divorce, one-third of our joint assets will go to you, including one-third of my shares in Fu Group. If I file for divorce, all my assets will go to you. Yu Qing, this investment won’t leave you at a loss.”

“Who says I won’t lose? Marriage means I have to invest emotionally. If we divorce, I’ll only have money and no longer have you.”