But at that moment, An Yang no longer had the capacity to care about the person next door.

After he froze, the young man’s face moved even closer to the man. His pitch-black eyes stared fixedly at the man in front of him, but the movements of his hand were gentle, not hurting the man at all. Instead, it seemed like he was soothing the man, lightly rubbing as if to calm his emotions.

His voice remained choked, but the words he spoke weren’t that pitiful.

“Brother, we used to live so happily together. Why did you suddenly decide to leave me? Why were you so curious? Why did you try to run away? We could have just kept living like that forever…”

As the young man spoke, his tone was pitiful, but his words always carried a cold, eerie undertone that could not be shaken.

One of his hands even touched the handsome man’s face.

At that moment, even An Yang couldn’t bring himself to say that Young Master Qin was a good person. He watched as the young man, while crying, pinned President Ye onto the table with one hand, not daring to even step forward.

While An Yang hesitated, the young man’s breath was already falling onto the man’s face.

The man, with his upturned eyes, looked at the young man. His eyelids trembled slightly, unsure whether he should close them. He seemed frightened, and even his resistance weakened.

“…Back then, that wasn’t the only reason” President Ye said softly, as if explaining.

But to An Yang, it looked like President Ye had been scared. He didn’t know where he found the courage, but he stepped forward and grabbed the young man to pull him away.

However, before An Yang’s strength could take effect, a loud bang came first.

“Bang—!”

The heavy slam of the CEO office door hitting the wall startled the man. Just as he started to push back, the young man in front of him was forcefully knocked to the ground by a strong force.

At the same time, he himself was pulled up by another force and taken into an embrace.

Just moments ago, An Yang had tried to pull the young man away. Now, he instinctively stepped aside. He looked at Chairman Qin, who had a grim expression while checking on President Ye, and at young master Qin, who immediately climbed up from the floor. For a moment, An Yang didn’t know what to do.

Should he explain that President Ye had been forced? Or should he recount the whole situation from the beginning?

An Yang found himself in a dilemma. Fortunately, he didn’t have to worry about it for long.

Not because the problem was solved—

…But because a bigger problem appeared.

“Father, you really arrived quickly,” the young man said as he got up, tears still on his face, but his gaze toward his father was chillingly dark.

Chairman Qin didn’t look back. After confirming that President Ye hadn’t been harmed, he directly pulled him into an embrace without giving the other party a single glance.

Instead, he focused on caring for President Ye.

“You weren’t scared, were you?”

His voice was low, strong, and carried a hint of lingering fear.

That voice made the previously guilty-looking man reveal a trace of remorse.

“No.”

Chairman Qin finally let out a sigh of relief. He put his large hand around the beautiful man’s shoulder and was about to lead him out.

But the young man spoke again.

“Father, you haven’t answered my question.”

His eyes slightly drooped as he spoke gloomily: “Father, you’re not surveilling my brother, are you?”

After hearing this, An Yang noticed that President Ye’s face clearly showed doubt, and he stopped in his tracks.

The room fell into silence.

At first, An Yang wanted to refute the claim, but what just happened was too shocking—he had actually begun to follow young master Qin’s logic.

To his horror, he realized that possibility couldn’t be ruled out.

Chairman Qin stopped walking, but still didn’t look back at Qin Shi.

“First, you should call him ‘dad.’ Second, when something this serious happens, it’s negligence if subordinates don’t report it.”

Chairman Qin’s explanation clearly felt forced. At least, Qin Shi sneered and was ready to refute him.

But…

The tall man turned his gaze to President Ye. His sharp eyes softened, even carrying a trace of sorrow.

He said:

“I didn’t want to ask, but…”

“Wangxing, that time a few years ago—did you really not realize that it was him pretending to be me?”

The moment Chairman Qin said that, all the secretaries and vice presidents outside the door gasped in unison.

Xu Feng nearly cried out but was tightly silenced by Brother Zhang.

In the past, Brother Zhang would never have dared to commit such an act of insubordination. But right now? Right now was the most critical moment for gossip!

If Xu Feng made a sound and got them kicked out—missing the rest of the drama?

Brother Zhang honestly didn’t trust himself to ensure Xu Feng’s safety in that case.

Fortunately, as long as they whispered, the people inside couldn’t hear them. At least, Brother Zhang heard the secretaries beside him whispering excitedly.

“So… who was with President Ye first? Chairman Qin or young master Qin?”

“I think it was young master Qin. Even though he pretended to be Chairman Qin when dating President Ye, it was still him in person…”

Some were making extreme contorted gestures in the air, and some were twisting their bodies like pretzels.

“I can’t take it anymore! This gossip is killing me—I can’t even talk to anyone about it!”

“Rich family drama really hits different. Damn! The husband, the brother-in-law, and the stepson? President Ye sure had options…”

“They’re all tall and long-legged—and with Chairman Qin’s face as the baseline, none of them could be ugly…”

As for why they were all there, we had to rewind about ten minutes.

If a peer walked into the Shixing Secretary’s Office now, they would’ve been stunned to see the once-notoriously-disciplined upper management and secretaries of the now-Qin-owned company huddled together in a corner, ears stretching metaphorically three meters long.

They looked like a crowd packed into a rush-hour subway.

And Xu Feng, who discovered that corner had better acoustics, had already been pushed into the glass—his face smushed like a Chihuahua hitting a window.

He wanted to escape this madness, but unfortunately, those around him weren’t An Yang or Yun Cheng. They cared more about gossip than his well-being.

Luckily, no one dared stick their heads out the window for safety’s sake.

“Shameless,” Brother Zhang muttered as he squeezed closer to the CEO’s office, being careful not to lean too hard on the glass.

By company rules and with their professional awareness, they absolutely should not be eavesdropping on their CEO’s private conversations—ideally, they should’ve shut the window or walked away.

But group mentality took over. After Xu Feng was the first to press against the glass, then came the second, then the third…

At first, the secretaries still tried to hypnotize themselves—‘I don’t want to listen… I don’t need to listen… Think of your salary, your bonus, your overtime pay, your 9PM nights, your after-hours calls…’

—Listen! Why shouldn’t I listen?! The working class is rebelling today!

And so, this pile of eavesdropping employees formed at the window.

At first, they were nervous. But the moment they heard that sentence from the CEO’s office, their eyes widened. Suddenly, their risk-taking felt worth it.

—The Queen had a fling with the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince rose to power pretending to be the King?!

Everyone was shocked. What kind of twisted relationship was this?

Xu Feng was stunned too. He remembered his brief interactions with Qin Shi—back when they were preparing for the concert promos.

At the time, he was entirely focused on Yun Cheng and kept his distance from Qin Shi, fearing CP fans would rise from the grave.

Still, he did chat with the young man briefly—and that’s when he heard about the wedding.

Now that he thought about it, back then Qin Shi hadn’t really complained about his stepfather—he was complaining about his biological father!

Xu Feng’s pupils dilated in realization.

But then another problem came to mind.

—If those two already had a thing two years ago, then when did he start dating Qin Qiu?!

As Xu Feng pondered, the secretaries beside him—though not as informed—were already holding their breath.

They didn’t even notice the footsteps approaching their office door.

So when the voice of the vice president sounded behind them, they all jumped in fright.

“What are you all doing?”

The secretaries instinctively wanted to scream, but remembering what was going on next door, they held it in and turned to look.

—Only for both sides to be startled.

The VP saw all the secretaries’ faces red, holding their mouths as if competing in a breath-holding contest.

Brother Zhang quickly stepped up to explain.

He knew the matter was too big to hide—too many witnesses. At best, it could be kept within the company. The VP had to be informed.

As for why Xu Feng wasn’t explaining despite being bolder—he was still stuck at the corner.

After hearing the full story, the VP froze briefly, then swiftly pulled out their phone and called the number labeled “Chairman Qin’s Assistant.”

“Hello, Assistant Cui? I have something urgent to report—”

Before the VP could finish telling her to find somewhere private, a calm male voice cut in.

“I already know. Have her handle the people on-site.”

Then came Assistant Cui’s clear voice: “Yes, Chairman. You heard him, right? Prepare yourself. Chairman Qin will be there soon.”

That last part was directed at the VP.

The VP paused, then cautiously asked: “How soon exactly…?”

Assistant Cui replied quickly: “About one minute—no, less than that—”

“Chairman Qin has arrived.”

Before the VP could even process what that meant, she heard the hurried footsteps approaching—and when she peeked outside, she saw Chairman Qin already at the CEO’s office door.

—The next second, he stretched out his long leg and kicked the CEO office door with a strong kick.

Immediately, there was a deafening crash.

“Bang—!”

By the time the vice president reacted, this was the scene before her eyes.

Chairman Qin was asking Ye for an answer, while Qin Shi beside him looked sullen.

“Father, don’t evade the main point!” the young man spat through clenched teeth.

He looked far more aggrieved than his own father.

But as a mature man, Chairman Qin only stared at his legal partner, his gaze gradually turning wistful.

The handsome man’s eyes flickered.

The next second, water shimmered in the mature man’s eyes.

“—Qin Yi, listen to me. I truly didn’t notice. When he came out to see me, he wrapped himself up completely, showing only his eyes. And heaven knows what kind of hormones this child took—his height looks almost the same as yours.”

An Yang watched CEO Ye, seeing him become flustered as he tried to explain after realizing Chairman Qin was genuinely upset.

Ye even reached out to touch Chairman Qin’s cheek, seemingly wiping away his tears.

“Sorry, I lost control of my emotions and questioned you.”

Chairman Qin seemed to recover, restraining his emotions as he looked at President Ye.

But though he said sorry, his eyes still showed a trace of fragility.

Due to the angle, Ye didn’t notice that Chairman Qin subtly blocked his view of Qin Shi.

Even the occasional vulnerability of a forty-year-old man completely broke Ye’s rationality.

“No, the one who should apologize is me. He was only eighteen back then. I didn’t know, otherwise I would never have dated Qin Shi.”

The handsome man spoke apologetically, reflecting on himself.

“It’s also my fault. I shouldn’t have dragged things out. It hurt you, Qin Shi, and the company.”

An Yang, standing nearby with his mouth agape, watched in awe as a few words from Chairman Qin made Ye apologize proactively.

At the same time, Qin Shi was completely blocked.

Even the bodyguards who had appeared at some point pinned Qin Shi firmly in place.

He even voluntarily called Qin Qiu.

“Baby, you finally took me off the blacklist, I—”

However, the flirtatious voice on the other end was cut off by Ye before finishing.

“Qin Qiu, I will transfer Qin Shi’s contract, along with his manager’s contract to you. Remember to take care of your eldest nephew.”

President Ye spoke clearly and rationally: “The year-end temporary revival concert for the duo—such a big opportunity, I don’t think you’d refuse, right?”

After speaking, Ye neatly hung up and turned to Chairman Qin, smiling: “It’s settled.”

Chairman Qin’s lips curved, showing his exceptional handsomeness.

In front of An Yang, Chairman Qin put his arm around Ye, and the two walked out together.

The bodyguards relaxed slightly but remained vigilant—the young master’s gaze looked deadly.

They feared this fragile-looking young master might shatter like glass and harm everyone present.

But obviously, they underestimated his strength.

As the two walked past them, the young master suddenly pushed hard and immediately broke free.

The bodyguards were startled, fearing he would do something irreversible.

But…

The young man appeared furious as he approached, but stopped in front of them.

He only gently held the handsome man’s hand.

When he lifted his previously lowered head, it revealed a tearful, beautiful face.

—The bodyguards watched as Chairman Qin’s face darkened.

“Brother, please, don’t dislike me…”

President Ye and Chairman Qin left without taking the young master.

Fortunately, Ye’s wavering demeanor calmed the young master, preventing him from losing control.

The young master maintained his tearful face until the elevator doors closed, then immediately switched to a dark, brooding expression.

Everyone present had to admit—the young master was truly Chairman Qin son. Even in such a situation, he could still salvage some dignity.

Of course, more thoughts were directed at criticizing Ye—he was far too soft-hearted.

While they thought this, Qin Shi finally turned to the bodyguards beside him and spoke.

“Do you know? Your employer—my father—just said exactly what I was going to say. I guarantee he knew it all along.”

The handsome youth spoke expressionlessly. His pale skin made it seem like he had rushed to his loved one’s house, only to find his father had beaten him to it and left him a cursed talisman.

“A forty-year-old man still mimicking me and lying to Brother… disgusting.”

The young man muttered.

The bodyguards didn’t dare intervene. They knew this was the employer’s family matter. Their own family’s actions didn’t concern them, but if they acted here, they would face repercussions afterward.

The bodyguards stayed silent, and the others present also didn’t dare step forward.

Everyone silently acknowledged that experience was sharp—Young Master Qin had never played with Chairman Qin.

An Yang, meanwhile, entered a mental state of overdrive, his brain beginning to process the situation once again.

An Yang only realized one thing after Assistant Cui had handled everyone at the scene and made them promise not to talk about the incident.

Just now, in front of him, it seemed as if a silent war—without swords or bloodshed—had flashed by.

The events of that day had ultimately stayed within the company and had not spread outward.

—Of course: “not spreading” meant that it hadn’t reached the public ear.

Within the company, more or less, people had heard about that day when young master Qin had come to the company trying to poach Chairman Qin. Chairman Qin had only needed to use minor measures to get Ye to intervene and transfer the person to Chairman Qin’s younger brother.

Chairman Qin even helped cover young master Qin’s breach penalty under the guise of an investment. The opposing young master Qin and Chairman Qin, whether out of stupidity or misjudgment, had compensated again, which caused the company’s account to not decrease but increase.

The financial supervisor found this quite satisfactory.

However, even this compensation didn’t earn Ye a good mood, it was said that they now couldn’t even come within three meters of Ye.

It was only after media reports suggested potential power struggles in the Qin family and stock fluctuations that Ye restrained himself a little.

The wealthy families had also caught wind of the situation, mostly through Xu Feng.

—That day, Xu Feng had returned home in a daze, looking as if Yun Cheng had run off with someone.

Hearing the full story from Xu Feng, the Xu family initially thought he might be fabricating it.

But Xu Feng firmly insisted the story was true, and they had confirmed that recently, those two from the Qin family couldn’t even enter the residence, so they knew it had really happened.

Now, the Qin family had caused such a huge incident. During their internal instability, if they could get a share…

Xu’s father turned to Xu’s eldest brother and went upstairs to discuss it. Xu Feng, still dazed, murmured, not expecting them to be such people.

It was only when Xu’s mother casually asked where An Yang had gone that Xu Feng realized—he hadn’t seen An Yang since leaving the company that day.

So where had An Yang gone?

An Yang was at Ye Group.

“President Ye, the files you requested… the Middle Eastern clients previously said the steel pipes you provided were excellent. This time, they plan to renew an order for 100 tons. Also, the dinner with President Li and others tonight has been prepared, and the styling is ready. Plus, the charity banquet in two days…”

An Yang handed the files to Ye while explaining the upcoming work schedule, a smile on his face.

President Ye took the files, smiled, nodded at him, and casually praised him: “An Yang, you’re getting more skilled. Maybe I should consider promoting you.”

An Yang’s heart skipped a beat, feeling a mixture of awe and fear, but seeing Ye’s encouraging smile, he smiled back and nodded.

When he returned to his desk, An Yang couldn’t believe he had really boasted in front of President Ye—but…

It seemed fine. He was still at his desk, the sky hadn’t fallen, the ground hadn’t collapsed.

It was just another ordinary day.

After leaving the company in a daze that day, he went home. Even though Xu Feng hadn’t returned all night, he hadn’t thought anything was wrong, Xu Feng often did that.

It wasn’t until the next day at work, seeing other people’s items on his desk, that An Yang remembered what Assistant Cui had told him: he had been reassigned and would now work as President Ye’s assistant.

At first, An Yang felt nervous, but under Assistant Cui’s guidance, he quickly adapted to the work rhythm.

His attentiveness, gentleness, and emotional stability—qualities unnecessary in his previous environment—were gradually recognized and helped him adapt to this job.

After adapting, An Yang occasionally entertained bold, rebellious thoughts:

‘Maybe working my whole life is not such a bad choice.’

‘It seems a little happier not going back.’

‘Mom hasn’t called in a long time, maybe I don’t have to call them either.’

And one thought that felt most rebellious to An Yang:

‘It seems that life without revolving around Xu Feng isn’t so different.’

When this thought first appeared, An Yang shook his head violently, thinking how could he think such a thing.

But when he sent Xu Feng a message and received no response, and his life continued normally, still earning President Ye’s and others’ praise, this thought rooted and spread in his mind like wild grass.

So when An Yang saw Xu Feng’s name on his phone, he even shook and accidentally hung up.

When the call rang again, he answered shakily and, upon hearing Xu Feng’s familiar questioning tone, instinctively told a small lie:

“Xu… Xu Feng, I accidentally pressed the hang-up button.”

Xu Feng didn’t realize An Yang was lying, in his mind, An Yang wouldn’t dare do such a thing.

So he merely arrogantly responded with a hum and then magnanimously said: “Don’t let it happen again. Next time, tell me beforehand.”

An Yang responded with a hum, the suffocating feeling that had risen gradually subsided.

‘It seems that I don’t have to tell the whole truth to stop feeling bad.’

An Yang sat at his desk, looking at his clean computer. No pending tasks that weren’t his, only his own tasks for the coming work.

He muttered humbly at Xu Feng’s words, his tone submissive, but his face remained expressionless.

He didn’t understand himself, his emotions were tangled like a mess of threads, impossible to unravel.

—Until Xu Feng mentioned the charity banquet in two days.

“…Yun Cheng wanted to go, but he doesn’t have an invitation. My invitation allows only one guest. You can go with your parents.”

An Yang opened his mouth, intending to tell Xu Feng he would go with President Ye, but his throat felt blocked, and he didn’t manage to say it.

He felt like an outsider, watching his own mouth move.

“Okay, Xu Feng, have fun with Yun Cheng.”

Xu Feng on the other end hung up contentedly, while An Yang stared at his phone for a long time.

He thought he would feel sad, miserable, or cry, but…

‘I don’t even feel that sad…’

It seemed he could still live, he still had work to do.

An Yang stood, called the bespoke suit store, and ran to Ye’s office.

Perhaps going to the charity banquet with President Ye this time was the right decision.

Two days later.

‘Retract the previous statement.’

An Yang’s face held a stiff smile as he looked at the three men in front of him, each outstanding in their own way.

Just standing there, they radiated silent tension.

The fuse for their tension was standing behind An Yang, chatting and laughing with several suppliers and clients.

An Yang, sweating at his forehead, looked at the three silent Qin family members and screamed silently in his heart:

‘President Ye, say something!’

 

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