Chapter 122 The Heart of Rebellion
When the elevator cut off their line of sight, Qi Yu breathed a sigh of relief. He used walking forward as a way to avoid Tang Weicong’s attempt to hook his arm over his shoulder.
“I heard from Si Ze that you’ve been studying abroad since you were a child. Have you only come back recently?” Tang Weicong continued to ask him.
“Actually, I used to go back to China during the holidays. My mother and my brother both live here. It’s just that I started helping my dad with work last year, so I’ve begun spending more time in China.”
“Oh, no wonder…” Tang Weicong nodded.
“No wonder what?” Qi Yu asked.
“No wonder you’re so pure,” hehe, Tang Weichong smiled, “Si Ze told us that your dad is very protective of you. He’s never allowed you to be exposed to anything messy so Si Ze told us not to bully you.”
Qi Yu was taken aback: “Did he say that?”
“Well, yeah. Last time we got together, Si Ze told us in advance…” Tang Weichong looked at him and said, “The relationship between your two families should be pretty good, right? Si Holdings is huge and they’ve invested in industries all over the country. But they keep their money moving around; only the money invested in your group has never been touched for so many years.”
When Qi Yu heard this, he suddenly felt something he didn’t know quite how to describe.
Tang Weicong came over and draped his arm over his shoulder again. He said kindly, “Okay, since Si Ze was the one who brought you here, us brothers will cover for you. You should let loose a bit, don’t hold back. If you’ve got anything you wanna do, just say it. Life back here is definitely more interesting than abroad.”
Saying so, the elevator arrived at the top floor and the three walked through the circular arch decorated with pink roses into the banquet hall.
Lights were flashing overhead and the whole place was surrounded by flowers. Handsome men and beautiful women were chatting and laughing in the beautifully decorated banquet hall. On the stage, there was a DL playing music; he was playing a romantic Korean love song. Server walked to and fro, serving champagne and wine.
Rong Ke saw Tang Weicong and Qi Yu arriving together. He greeted him warmly, “You’re here? Welcome!”
Next to him was a beautiful woman with a face like peaches and plums. She had a small diamond crown on top of her loosely coiled hair. Judging from her dress, she must be the guest of honor of today’s banquet.
Sure enough, Rong Ke then pulled her into his arms and said, “Qi Yu, let me introduce you. This is my girlfriend, Li Xinxin.”
It was Qi Yu’s first time meeting Rong Ke’s girlfriend but somehow, she seemed to look familiar.
At this time, Tang Weichong’s female companion suddenly let out a pleasantly surprised cheer, “Li Xinxin! I’m a big fan. I just recently watched “Perfect Time” that you starred in!”
When Tang Weicong saw Qi Yu’s reaction, he knew that Qi Yu didn’t recognize her. He chuckled and explained, “A popular actress.”
Qi Yu got it; turned out she was a celebrity. He must have seen some advertisements that had her in them and that’s why her face seemed familiar.
“Hello,” Qi Yu shook hands with her and said, “Happy birthday.”
“Thank you.” Li Xinxin smiled sweetly, snuggling next to Rong Ke. She said, “Young Master Rong, you asked me to introduce a sister with a clean background to your friend. Did you mean for him?”
Rong Ke: “Yeah, is there anyone suitable among your friends today?”
Li Xinxin sized up Qi Yu. Without hiding the envy and admiratin in her eyes, she said, “I do but does such a handsome little fresh meat still need my introduction? Just have him stand on stage and all the girls who want to pursue him can probably make a line from here to the underground parking lot.”
As soon as he heard the “underground parking lot”, Qi Yu thought of Fu Yansheng who was waiting for him downstairs. A sense of guilt sprang up in his heart, but this feeling made him annoyed – he wasn’t the one who made Fu Yansheng wait for him downstairs.
Rong Ke also gave his girlfriend a feigned look. He hugged her slender waist and said, “So, aren’t I leaving such a good resource to you? Hurry up, do you have anyone or not?”
Li Xinxin made a delicate smile and looked at Qi Yu. “I really do have someone suitable. Wait, let me call her.”
As they were talking and laughing, someone else arrived.
“Hey, Si Ze’s here!” Rong Ke beckoned to him and said in surprise, “Why are you alone?”
“What’s wrong coming alone? I can’t come to your party without my f*ck buddies?” Si Ze was wearing black shirt and pants today. Rong Ke’s question just now seemed to put him in a bad mood. Hostility radiated from his entire being.
Rong Ke, giving him face, said hurriedly. “I was just asking. Doesn’t matter if you don’t anyone. You’re the one we want to be here. Thanks for soming.”
Si Ze lightly snorted. He invited them, “Let’s go, come drink a couple glasses with me.”
Their group sat down on the sofas in the middle of the hall. A waiter brought over a tray of drinks and Si Ze picked a glass of vodka.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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Everyone was stunned, Tang Weichong said, “What’s the matter, Chief Si? Something got you in a bad mood?”
Rong Ke: “I was wondering why you opened fire at me as soon as you got here…”
Si Ze forced a smile and said, “It’s no big deal. I just need a couple of drinks.”
Tang Weichong seemed used to him being like this. He shouted, “Come! Come, drink! Drink! Ask them to serve some more vodka and fill it up for Chief Si!”
The atmosphere eased once again with Tang Weichong’s words. Everyone smiled and held up their wine glasses, drinking as they talked about the going-ons in the industry.
“Oh, by the way, have you heard that the boss of Yunhai Fund was reported by his wife?”
“The boss of Yunhai Fund? Are you talking about Huang Yifan?”
“Yeah, that’s him!”
“I heard. It’s the latest big melon!”
“His wife reported him for what? Corruption, bribery or insider trading?
“None of those. His wife reported him for adultery, he’d been having a long term affair with one of his female subordinates!”
“F*ck, all these executives of these fund companies have mistresses. What’s the big deal?”
“Of course that’s nothing to us but his wife filed an official report. They say she wrote a mass email to the company detailing all the sordid details of the affair and the arrogant behavior of Chief Huang and that mistress of his. Tsk tsk, the contents of the report have spread throughout the entire circle. A dignified CEO of a state-owned enterprise, managing hundreds of billions of funds and a dang member on top of that; now that this whole matter has blown up, not only is he going to leave this marriage penniless, his future will be ruined.”
Tang Weichong asked, “Si Ze, doesn’t your family have connections with Yunhai Fund?”
Si Ze coldly snorted, “Don’t even mention it, Huang Yifan begging everywhere for help. He even begging my grandfather. But in my opinion, this is lost cause even if he asks the emperor for help. His wife made such a big fuss, the officials have no choice but to investigate it.”
Lin Dong said, “The only thing I’m afraid of is that they’re going to pull up dirt when they pull up the radish. Chief Huang has been in Yunhai Fund for so many years and has deep relationships with every family. If they find something, it’s going to cause us a lot of trouble.”
Si Ze smiled nonchalantly, “Won’t it be too late if you’re only thinking about that once they start investigating? Even before all this began, everything’s been cleaned out. As far as anyone’s concerned, all cooperation with Yunhai was done properly and aboveboard. They can investigate all they want but they won’t find sh*t.”
Rong Ke asked, “So this is what’s got you in a bad mood, huh, Si Ze?”
Si Ze picked up another glass and said solemnly, “No.”
Several people were talking all at once. Before they knew it, many people had gathered around, exchanging industry information.
The party was nominally to celebrate Rong Ke’s girlfriend’s birthday, but the focus was still on the people around Si Ze. No matter how big the celebrity or how beautiful the female companion, they were only foil for the men.
Qi Yu was listening to them when a smart-looking girl sat down beside him at Li Xinxin’s urging.
“Hello…” The girl smiled at Qi Yu and introduced herself, “My name is Xia Han.”
Qi Yu was momentarily dazed. He felt an instinctual resistance at having an unfamiliar woman approach him. However, thinking of Fu Yansheng’s deception and the orders he had given him in the car just now, Qi Yu felt a sense of rebellion surge in his heart.
As though deliberately going against Fu Yansheng, Qi Yu gave the girl a slight smile and responded, “Hello, my name is Qi Yu.”
Xia Han handed Qi Yu a glass of wine and asked, “What do you do?”
Qi Yu looked at her and said, “I’m still studying. I just help my dad handle some matters from time to time.”
“Oh.” Xia Han blushed at having Qi Yu stare at her so openly. She lowered her eyes and said, “Stop trying to entice me.”
Qi Yu: “…Am I?”
“Yeah,” Xia Han glanced at him again and said with a smile, “You’re so good-looking, if Sister Xin hadn’t told me that you were their friend, I would have thought you were in the same industry as me.”
Qi Yu raised her eyebrows: “Are you also a celebrity?”
Xia Han shook his head and said, “No, no, I haven’t really gotten in yet. I’m still studying at the drama academy. Last year, I was spotted by a crew by chance. They had me act with Sister Xin. I played her sister. After the shoot, we became friends. But I’m not as famous as Sister Xin. Right now, I’m at most an 18th-line actor.”
Qi Yu asked her, “Is acting fun?”
Xia Han blinked: “It’s fun, I like it very much.”
Qi Yu: “Then, play one for me to see.”
Xia Han “uh”-ed for a moment. “What would you like me to play?”
Qi Yu: “Whatever you’d lik. For example, play someone who’s different from how you usually are.”
Xia Han closed her eyes and thought for a while. When she looked up again, Qi Yu found that the girl’s temperament and the look in her eyes had changed.
Xia Han looked at Qi Yu with charming eyes. She boldly stretched out her fingers to tilt Qi Yu’s chin. A mysterious smile appeared at the corner of her lips. She suddenly leaned in close to Qi Yu’s face and whispered ambitiously, “Hey, handsome… the sense of abstinence in you makes people want to conquer you…”
Qi Yu: “…”
The slender index finger stroked Qi Yu’s lower jaw. Inexplicably, Qi Yu could hear Fu Yansheng’s “instructions” in his ears – don’t have too close physical contact with others, neither men nor women.
As though cursed, he subconsciously grabbed Xia Han’s wrist and gently pushed her away.
Xia Han’s expression changed and she immediately returned to her cautious feminine temperament she had before. Shee lowered her head and said, “I’m sorry, I was just acting. I didn’t mean to offend…”
Qi Yu smiled: “Didn’t you say I’m abstinent? It’s true that I don’t like others touching me.”
Xia Han: “I’m sorry…”
Qi Yu comforted her and said, “It doesn’t matter. You acted very well. At that moment, I really felt that you had changed.”
Xia Han said shyly: “It’s all very basic, I just played Irene Adler from Sherlock Holmes. We analyzed this character in our acting class. I just improvised the lines. My classmates and I often just have fun acting.”
Qi Yu was a little curious about the acting class she was talking about. He asked her specifically what she was learning there. Without noticing it, the two of them had been chatting for a long time. Moreover, after hearing Qi Yu say that he didn’t like being touched, Xia Han didn’t get any closer to him, only keeping a normal distance for chatting with him. It gave Qi Yu a good impression of her.
After having a general understanding of the girl’s background, Qi Yu put down his glass and said, “I want to go to the bathroom, do you know where it is?”
Xia Han’s face flushed and she whispered, “Yeah, should I take you there?”
The two got up one after another. When the people around them saw this scene, they all cast ambiguous glances. Rong Ke even said something in Li Xinxin’s ear with a smirk, presumably thinking she had successfully pulled the leather cord.
Xia Han took Qi Yu to the door of the bathroom, but Qi Yu didn’t go in. He stood at the door and asked, “Do you have WeChat? Let’s exchange contact information?”
Xia Han’s eyes lit up and she immediately took out a mobile phone from her pocket. “Okay.”
While scanning her QR code, Qi Yu explained, “Xia Han, I can’t be in a relationship with you and I can’t go out with you. But sometimes I may need you to act and accompany me to attend some occasions, such as today’s …Are you willing?”
Xia Han opened her mouth, a trace of loss flashed in her eyes but was soon replaced by a feeling of being moved. She nodded and said, “Yes.”
Qi Yu put away the phone and said “Thank you”.
Xia Han: “I should be the one thanking you.”
Qi Yu: “Why?”
Xia Han said in a low voice, “Sister Xin brought me to this party, nominally to introduce me to a boyfriend, but in essence she took me here to look for a backer… Our industry has limited resources and limited opportunities. I’m just a A 21-year-old college student with an ordinary family background. It would be hard for me to get ahead if I only rely on my own efforts. Sister Xin told me that this was the norm in the industry but before I came here, I was actually a little scared, afraid that I would meet some perverted old man… …”
Qi Yu: “…”
Xia Han smiled: “Fortunately, it was you who I met. I was really moved when I first saw you, I thought you were too handsome. But I didn’t have any delusions about having a relationship with you. I know you’ve all got special identities… Those requests you made actually made me feel more relaxed instead. I can cooperate with you to do what you said.”
The girl’s frankness also made Qi Yu heave a sigh of relief and he was even more fond of her. “Okay, since we’re helping each other out if you have need for support, you can tell me. As long as they’re within reason, I can fulfill them.”
Xia Han was not pretentious. Sticking out her tongue, she said playfully, “En, thanks.”
Qi Yu nodded: “Then wait for me, I’ll go to the bathroom.”
Xia Han: “I’ll go too to touch up my makeup.”
Qi Yu walked into the men’s bathroom and clicked on Fu Yansheng’s two unread messages on WeChat.
10:15
F1S: “Don’t drink too much alcohol, alright?”
11:03
F1S: “Just to remind you, you still have one hour.”
Qi Yu snorted and sneered, stuffing the phone back into his trouser pocket, pretending not to have seen them.
After washing his hands and exiting the restroom, Xia Han also came out. The two returned to the banquet hall together. Before they entered, they could already hear the sounds of quarreling coming from inside.
Qi Yu was startled and walked over quickly, only to see that the place where they had just been sitting at was in a mess. The floor was littered with broken glass shards. Si Ze sat in the middle, losing his temper, “Call him and ask him to come to me right now!”
Qi Yu frowned and asked Tang Weichong, “What happened?”
Tang Weichong whispered, “Just now Lin Dong said something and I don’t know what about it set him off.”
Qi Yu: “What did he say?”
Tang Weichong: “We were just discussing Chief Huang of the Yunhai Fund and Lin Dong said something like, ‘His wife couldn’t have left him earlier? She just had to do it after the New Year’s? This Chief Huang can’t handle his own wife and he still dares to look for help from others.’, Si Ze smashed a wine glass when he heard this… He’s not in a good mood today. He just sat there by himself, drinking and drinking. No one knew that he was that drunk already. And now he keeps saying he wants someone to come over.”
Rong Ke, beside Si Ze, tried to persuade him, “Aiya, oh Great Ancestor, who is it that you to come, huh!
Si Ze took a few breaths. He suddenly thumped the table and said, “Song Puxin, I want to see him, immediately! Right now!”
Everyone looked at each other in dismay. Tang Weichong quietly cured, “F*ck, I was just thinking it might be him. Turns out, it really is him…”
Several people had strange expressions on their faces. It seemed that they were all aware of Song Puxin’s existence.
Rong Ke coaxed him and said, “Okay, okay. Give me your phone and I’ll call him for you. I’ll ask him to pick you up, okay?”
As soon as Si Ze was reminded by Rong Ke, he took out his mobile phone from his trouser pocket and dialed a number. The people gathered all looked at him. The entire banquet hall was silent and they could almost hear the call from Si Ze’s phone.
One ring followed another, but no one answered.
Si Ze’s hand gripped the phone tighter and tighter. Veins popped out on his forehead. Just when he was on the very of exploding into a fury once again, the call connected.
They saw his originally violent eyes suddenly soften at that moment and he shouted into the phone in a tone that was almost begging for mercy, “A’Xin…”
————
【Interlude】
Complex Number: Help me keep an eye at Qi Yu. If someone approaches him or talks to him, report to me immediately.
Logarithm: Fu Ge, a beautiful woman was flirting with your little boss and she placed her fingers on his chin. The two of them went to the bathroom together just now.
Fu Yansheng: …
Hopefully Song Puxin has successfully escaped that toxic not-relationship and is now safely getting therapy or something 🙁
🤞🤞
XD Apparently Qi Yu hasn’t escaped his boyfriend’s eyes and ears yet- But that bit about Si Ze and Song Puxin… Dang. I wanna smack Si Ze but also wish this asshole can turn around and show regret properly ah *sigh*
There was a DL playing music >> Probably a typo for DJ? Unless I’m too outdated and can’t tell what a DL is 😛
Whatever you lik. >> Like. It’s missing an e.
Haha… YS burning with jealousy!!!
Haiya, si ze can you go fall into a hole somewhere?
If this Si Ze hasn’t been evil-painted so much and simply be an unbearable type of bad-boy-turn-good kind of gong, I might be lowkey rooting for him to prove himself and win Xinxin’s heart ah..
Yeah he just goes way too far forcing himself on him and tying him up. What a psycho!
Hahah bitchhj