The spring chill had not yet dissipated.
Yan Huaizhang had intended to go out to meet someone, so he put on a coat before leaving his office. Dressed in a tailored, fitted coffee-colored trench coat, he emerged from the elevator and saw the woman standing not far away. Unlike the foolish little girl he had been trying so hard to please these past few days, these two women bore no resemblance that would suggest they were sisters. He still remembered their first meeting; she was a young woman, several years his junior, yet she possessed an arrogant attitude and capabilities that seemed to dismiss everything.
Initially, he believed she would simply be a business associate, either for cooperation or competition. However, in just a few short years, yL had soared to unprecedented heights, its industries blooming everywhere, while the once influential Yan Group began its decline.
By then, his attention had unconsciously shifted to her. When he truly desired to possess her, he realized she was not someone he could control. He couldn't even influence her thoughts.
For instance, he couldn't comprehend why she would choose a "good student" who was utterly useless. He wasn't being narcissistic; Yan Huaizhang knew exactly how outstanding he was. In terms of family background, looks, and abilities, there was no one in the old Beijing circle, nor in S City now, who could compare to her.
He thought he could achieve his desires by lowering his stance, only to have this woman slap him in the face in return.
Oh.
It was rumored that the chairman of yL Group had once single-handedly defeated over a dozen well-trained assassins, leaving them battered and bruised while she herself hadn't lost a single strand of hair.
That slap had almost knocked out one of his teeth.
"Chairman Zhou's visit is a great honor. We are deeply honored by your arrival."
Zhu Zhu had made time to come. If not for this troublesome matter, they would be on their honeymoon by the Bund.
"Mr. Yan is too kind."
Yan Huaizhang escorted her to the elevator, and they proceeded to the reception room. After ensuring that no unrelated individuals could enter, Zhu Zhu cut straight to the chase, "I heard Pan Heng Garden is going to be demolished."
Yan Huaizhang's expression stiffened for a fleeting moment.
He smiled, "Miss Zhou has very sharp ears."
"If you weren't harboring designs on her, I wouldn't bother with such trivial matters."
Her words directly exposed Yan Huaizhang's intentions, yet he was not surprised. He merely said with a half-joking tone, "I didn't expect Miss Zhou to discover it. But there's no need for you to panic. We all understand the rules. People in this circle..."
His gaze drifted to her. "Aside from Miss Zhou, many people's marriages are guarantees of cooperation. I do have some selfish intentions, but I believe I am worthy of your sister, and I would pledge to maintain our relationship. I only hope Miss Zhou can help. Rest assured, I will not cause yL to suffer excessive losses."
He knew his selfish intentions couldn't be hidden from this person, so it was better to be upfront.
His parents' marriage was a business alliance. After having children, they lived separate lives and pursued their own interests. In fact, it wasn't a bad arrangement.
Zhu Zhu, however, let out a scoff upon hearing this. "If you were truly honest, you should have told her directly that you're approaching her to get me to help you. Oh, and you should also clarify that you like someone else."
Yan Huaizhang's face changed at this.
He recalled the person who had come to him previously, asking him to bring her to their wedding, and he had even felt a sense of confusion.
"Did you look for A Yao?"
Zhu Zhu shook her head, her smile tinged with anger. "I am very busy. If you weren't causing trouble, I would be on my honeymoon right now. Mr. Yan, I've come to tell you something. Zhou Lanlan can be like a sister to me, or she can be a complete stranger. The path you're trying to take to ally with the Zhou family is not going to work. And by the way, she's not even seventeen this year. If anything I don't want to see happens, I will have yL's legal department send you in to sew. I hear your ancestors ran a tailor shop. How about I let you return to your roots?"
Yan Huaizhang's face turned extremely unpleasant. After a moment, he said, "I don't like her."
Even if he did, he wouldn't do anything that crossed his moral boundaries, let alone legal ones.
More importantly, he believed the person in front of him indeed had the capability to have him incarcerated.
"Then you definitely shouldn't have this idea," Zhu Zhu's expression softened slightly. "I'll consider what happened previously as a misunderstanding for now. Lanlan has a strong desire for comparison and can't be a mistress. Having a brother like you should make her quite content."
With that said, Yan Huaizhang understood what he needed to do next.
Zhu Zhu stood up. "There's nothing else. Mr. Yan is a talented young man with a bright future. It would be truly regrettable if he were to make a misstep and go down the wrong path. I'm sure your father and mother would not wish to see such a thing happen. Mr. Yan, conduct yourself with dignity."
Yan Huaizhang no longer felt like making polite conversation.
He leaned back on the sofa, completely defeated, his domineering CEO aura vanishing instantly, leaving him a pathetic figure whose fate was in the hands of destiny.
Zhu Zhu gave him one last glance before turning and walking out.
The female lead had a script. She knew what would happen next. After being reborn, in addition to seeking revenge on the original "Chong Yan," that scummy man, she also wanted to repay the male lead, Yan Huaizhang. She certainly wouldn't stand by and watch the Yan family go bankrupt.
Therefore, she wasn't worried at all.
Coincidentally, with the company being so busy at the end of the year, she hadn't had time to travel after getting married. At the beginning of the year, the company started a manageable new project, allowing her to delegate everything. So, she decided to take her partner on a trip.
During their travels, she occasionally received updates from her subordinates.
For example, Yan Huaizhang became Zhou Lanlan's brother. With his wealth, good looks, and charm, he made Zhou Lanlan's close friends envious and jealous, thus satisfying her vanity.
She also learned of the existence of the female lead, Lu Shiyao. After being thoroughly brainwashed by Yan Huaizhang, not only did she not resent Lu Shiyao, but she also began to consider her as one of her own.
What could be better than having multiple wealthy and beautiful sisters to take her out to eat, shop, and watch movies, and buy her luxury goods?
Meanwhile, with Lu Shiyao's help, Yan Huaizhang obtained some information, uncovering the real reason behind the demolition of Pan Heng Garden and the subsequent schemes targeting the Yan family.
He naturally wouldn't sit back and wait. He was already making plans for a desperate counterattack.
Recently, the atmosphere in the upper circles of S City had become extremely strange. Anyone with a bit of sense could feel a storm brewing. Everyone was observing, yet also prepared to react at any moment.
Countless resignation letters were drafted, deleted, and redrafted. Many people rushed to open bank accounts overnight, fearing they might lose too much when the time came.
After nearly half a year of traveling, which started as a genuine honeymoon and then extended to a cluster of islands in the Western Pacific, Chong Yan found the local climate particularly suitable for conducting certain experiments. Thus, Zhu Zhu generously bought him two islands.
News of this event spread, somewhat easing the tense atmosphere within the circle. For a short period, it became a topic of much discussion.
If yL hadn't continued to thrive and operate seamlessly, judging from her approach to personal matters, Zhu Zhu would have been seen as a love-struck fool with no bottom line.
The love-struck woman returned at the end of June.