Chapter 63

Bai Shuren honestly said that, to be honest, this matter is quite cliché. You could even say it’s quite melodramatic, huh? Like a soap opera!

Bai Huimin discovered she was pregnant on the day they were returning home from Zhou Qiaoqiao’s wedding, but she only told Bai Zhongjie about it and asked him to keep it a secret.

Bai Zhongjie lived up to the trust and didn’t tell anyone, not even Bai Shuren and the others.

For two months, the secret remained safe. Bai Huimin’s belly was three months along, and so, here’s the problem.

She’s three months pregnant, are they not going to get married?

When Qiaoqiao was three months along, and the pregnancy is stable, Yan Wei wasted no time in arranging the wedding and making it public.

What’s up with this Huo Tianhao?

Li Li initially told Bai Shuren like this: “This Huo Tianhao, you see, he might have some money, but unexpectedly, he’s also stingy. He gets a woman pregnant and doesn’t even come to propose. Can you guess why?”

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Zhou Qiaoqiao listened with a blank expression. She had been too comfortable for too long, to the point where listening to this was like listening to a story.

Yan Wei handed her neatly cut fruits and then said, “Big Uncle, I might not be able to agree to this.”

Bai Shuren fell silent. Yan Wei guessed that there should be someone by his side who would want to know the reason for his refusal.

Sure enough, after a while, Bai Shuren asked him, “Yan Wei, can I know why?”

Yan Wei casually replied, “His abilities… aren’t up to par.”

Zhou Qiaoqiao: “…” Big brother, please put it more tactfully, thank you!

Sure enough, the other end fell silent again. After a while, the voice of Huo Tianhao came through.

He asked Yan Wei, “How am I not up to par? I’m a department-level manager at New Yuan Fund Management Co., Ltd. Boss gives me a monthly salary of 30,000, not including commissions. I get a year-end bonus of 200,000. Even though the another company wanted to poach me over, I didn’t agree.”

Yan Wei smiled lightly as he stood up and asked him, “If you were a company executive, based on your current understanding, if a young person came to you wanting to sell an idea, what would you do?”

Yan Wei didn’t stand there waiting for an answer; he turned around to wash his hands in the kitchen. The voice of Huo Tianhao came from the phone on the table. After considering for two seconds, he tentatively said, “I would meet with him. If I find the idea promising, I would invest in it.”

While drying his hands, Yan Wei returned to the sofa and asked with a smile, “What would you consider as promising?”

Huo Tianhao replied, “High feasibility.”

“How do you know it will be profitable?”

Huo Tianhao hesitated, “… In such matters, when the feasibility is high, there’s a natural chance for it to be profitable.”

Yan Wei clapped and then continued to ask him, “Do you know the difference between companies?”

Clearly, Yan Wei knew that Huo Tianhao didn’t know the answer. He sat down beside Zhou Qiaoqiao and put his arm around her, saying, “Some companies are satisfied as long as they make a profit, while others put more effort into larger projects. The projects a young person can offer you might have high feasibility, but those that can make substantial profits are extremely rare. At Chunyi, they won’t focus their efforts on people like that.”

Huo Tianhao was defiant and said, “Aren’t you familiar with Mr. Zheng, the CEO of Linhua? His story is widely known in our country. When he established his empire, he was just 28 years old and started from scratch.”

Yan Wei chuckled, “Of course, Zheng Yan is special; after all, society belongs to the young people. For society to progress, young people must undoubtedly progress as well. But the fact is, how many people like Zheng Yan can appear in a society? And can you spot them?”

Huo Tianhao was taken aback by what he said, and Yan Wei continued, “If every every young person were given the probability of stumbling upon someone like Zheng Yan by chance, it will lead to such great losses, then it’s not feasible.”

“Just as long as it’s profitable, how does that lead to losses?” Huo Tianhao truly didn’t understand. He was in the business of fund management and believed his judgment was accurate. Even if he went to Chunyi, he couldn’t possibly cause any losses.

Yan Wei educated him, “You would be using limited funds for infinite investments. If a true Zheng Yan appeared before you, what would you use to invest in him?” Even large companies have limited funds. However, in this society, young people are always seeking opportunities. Within this massive wave, only a few can truly rise above. His goal is to find those few.

When he can’t find them, he would deal with larger projects and larger benefits.

Huo Tianhao clearly understood this principle too. If he, as a Chunyi executive, invested whenever something seemed feasible, he would always earn small profits. When true opportunities arrived, if he didn’t have enough funds to invest, it would be a failure. He could only ask from a different angle, “… You, don’t you consider family relationships at all?”

Yan Wei chuckled, “This brings me to my second point. Limited vision isn’t the problem. I have plenty of resources to train you. However, character is inherent. Seeking a way out for oneself by using their child as a bargaining chip isn’t what Chunyi needs.”

Suddenly, Huo Tianhao understood why Yan Wei had heartlessly refused. In the end, he looked down upon his own approach. But why was he wrong? Water flows downhill, and people strive for better things. What’s the problem?

Huo Tianhao’s parents were apparently nearby. After hearing Yan Wei’s words, they quickly stepped forward and said, “Cousin-in-law, you’ve misunderstood. This isn’t Tianhao’s intention.”

Yan Wei: “…” Cousin-in-law?

“This was both our ideas, us two old folks. When Tianhao heard that Huimin was pregnant, he was overjoyed. He came back and said he wanted to propose to the Bai family. But we heard about your situation from him, so we had some thoughts. Considering we’re parents too, don’t mind about this matter on our account.”

The person opposite was likely Huo Tianhao’s mother. Her way of speaking was crisp and pleasant, leaving a favorable impression.

Yan Wei, however, remained unaffected by their words and directly said, “Even so, I can’t use him. If his parents are the ones deciding even the problems he will face, let alone a matter this significant, then my company would be making a big mistake by listening to rumors.”

Huo Tianhao’s mother: “…” Why is this boss being so verbose?

When the Huo family finally had nothing more to say, Bai Shuren retrieved his phone and said hello. Zhou Qiaoqiao was about to reach for the phone on the table when Yan Wei’s hand suddenly held hers down, and picked it up himself. He then said to the person on the other end, “Uncle, Qiaoqiao and I didn’t do enough to handle Huo Tianhao’s matter.”

“No, no, no, you’ve made it clear, and I understand that I was being forceful.” Bai Shuren remained quite polite. He had been prompted to ask by Li Li, so he was relieved to get this answer. As for how uncomfortable Li Li felt, that was not something Bai Shuren cared about.

“If Huo Tianhao is willing, I know a few companies among the people I’m acquainted with that might suit him. However, the salary might be less than half of what he’s currently earning, and he might not adapt to the new environment. But if he’s willing to go, it would be a great exercise in building his skills. It’s also a good opportunity for the future.” Yan Wei spoke this way, and Bai Shuren felt appreciative.

He happily said, “I’ll ask Tianhao about it. If he’s willing, I trust you.”

Yan Wei continued along this line, “If you’re willing, let Zhongjie come to my side. Although I can’t offer him a manager position from the start, he can start from a junior position, and the salary won’t be too high. You can discuss it with Zhongjie!”

Bai Shuren was taken aback; he didn’t expect such a twist. He nodded enthusiastically.

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Qiaoqiao said in embarrassment, “I never thought that Huo Tianhao would suggest this.”

Yan Wei reached out and gently touched her belly, smiling as he said, “It’s alright. A company can’t be full of employees. Do you think there aren’t any nepotism within Chunyi? Managers at various levels always try to push their own people into other departments. I just don’t have relatives to push. Besides, from that perspective, Zheng Guoan got preferential treatment from me too.”

Zhou Qiaoqiao then asked, “If that’s the case, why didn’t you agree to Huo Tianhao?”

Yan Wei looked up at her. From this angle, Zhou Qiaoqiao could see his thick black eyelashes. She poked his head gently, causing Yan Wei to laugh. Then he continued, “What I said earlier was true. I do look down on him. Maybe it’s because…”

Yan Wei seriously pressed his ear against Zhou Qiaoqiao’s belly, smiling as he said, “We’re both going to be a father soon!”

As a father, Huo Tianhao’s behavior made Yan Wei look down upon him.

“Of course, although Uncle said he doesn’t mind, the power of pillow talk shouldn’t be underestimated,” Yan Wei continued.

Zhou Qiaoqiao neither agreed nor disagreed, saying, “Why shouldn’t it be underestimated? Rational men shouldn’t be swayed by petty words from women. Like you, and like my Uncle.”

Hearing Zhou Qiaoqiao’s proud tone, Yan Wei chuckled lightly and said, “You’re not one to brag, but if you did, you’d know that I don’t understand it as much as you say.”

Zhou Qiaoqiao: “…”

Jokes aside, Yan Wei continued, “Even if Uncle claims not to mind, the influence of what’s said behind his back can’t be ignored. If Aunt keeps saying things, there might be a chance Uncle ends up unhappy, right?”

Zhou Qiaoqiao pouted; her Uncle definitely wouldn’t!

“Zhongjie is someone I’ve met. He’s tactful, courteous, and respectful. The only thing is, he’s like your Uncle in that he’s honest and straightforward. In reality, he’s not suited for the investment business, as he’s easily fooled.”

Yan Wei sat up straight. “But within our own company, there’s no need to worry about these things too much. Since we’re going to bring someone into the company, wouldn’t it be better to choose someone good?”

Zhou Qiaoqiao tilted her head, and Yan Wei continued, “Moreover, Zhongjie’s position is definitely more significant than Bai Huimin’s. Combined with his family responsibilities and the fact that his salary isn’t high, he has no less reasons to need this job than than Huo Tianhao. Since we’re bringing Bai Zhongjie in, your Aunt will likely be satisfied in her heart. Even if she isn’t, Uncle and Big Cousin won’t let her remain unsatisfied.”

At this point, Yan Wei showed a confident smile. Zhou Qiaoqiao stared at him blankly and said, “Are you… overthinking?”

---

On the other side, Huo Tianhao sat on the sofa, staring blankly at Bai Zhongjie across from him. He couldn’t quite grasp why he had gone to ask for a job and ended up with Bai Zhongji getting one instead.

Bai Zhongjie was also momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter. If he were asked if he was willing, of course he would be.

Meanwhile, Li Li, who was consoling Bai Huimin, was prepared to start scolding Yan Wei for refusing, but Yan Wei unexpectedly added a sentence that was quite on point. At this moment, she couldn’t exactly scold him, but her daughter felt a bit pitiable. But thinking about her son, she strangely felt a hint of gratitude!

After all, their family’s conditions weren’t really that great. They lived in a three-bedroom apartment, crammed full with odds and ends stored in the study. Old Bai had been driving that beat-up car for 13 years; it would be time to retire it in another two years. Their son was straightforward and honest. After struggling through university and becoming a primary school teacher, a salary of over 10,000 RMB a month wasn’t considered low. But it couldn’t withstand the high cost of living!

With a 10,000 RMB salary, there wasn’t much left at the end of the month. Their grandson was also growing up, and money was being spent everywhere. Although she and Old Bai were well-off and prepared to support them, who wouldn’t be happy their son had better prospects.

Although Yan Wei said the salary wasn’t high, since they were sending A’jie there, there must be better things in store for him in the future.

However, when everyone was happy, Bai Huimin became even more sorrowful upon hearing this and started crying with a whimper. Li Li was happy, but she still had to tend to her daughter’s troubles.

As a result, Li Li could only ask Huo Tianhao, “So, are you getting married or not? If you don’t, both Old Bai and I can still afford to support her and her child.”

Huo Tianhao thought for a while and finally said, “We’re getting married. Why wouldn’t we? She’s carrying my child, and I’ll definitely take responsibility.”

As a result, when Zhou Qiaoqiao was six months pregnant, she received wedding invitations from both Huo Tianhao and Bai Huimin.

Zhou Qiaoqiao showed them to Yan Wei, who held the invitation and chuckled, saying, “So they’re willing to get married?”

Zhou Qiaoqiao laughed heartily and said, “Well, it’s not like Bai Huimin is holding onto trash and thinking it’s a treasure. If my husband did what Huo Tianhao did, hey, I’d raise the baby on my own.”

Yan Wei: “…” Who are you comparing to whom?

---

Shan Lingtong’s palace drama stills had recently been trending frequently, gaining a wave of positive attention and almost reaching the popularity of third-tier young actresses.

The production team of the drama was also pleased with this development. The female lead was being recognized throughout the internet, which was beneficial for the show without any downsides.

During this period, a massive wave of online comments started suggesting that Shan Lingtong had used connections to take over the lead role, pushing out the original female lead.

For a while, the internet was buzzing with heated discussions, with many people participating. From the photos provided by the whistleblower, everyone suddenly realized, “Oh, so Shan Lingtong is actually the former girlfriend of Yuyao’s CEO (Yan Ye) who made a scandal last year?”

[If you put it this way, saying she used connections to get ahead, why did I believe it so easily?]

[You idiots above, without explaining, the former female lead is Yuyao’s CEO’s wife (Shang Qiwen). How could she ‘get ahead’?]

[Hey, have any of you thought about… the rekindling of an old flame?]

[Hey, the former heroine (Shang Qiwen) is Mr. Yan’s wife, isn’t the former heroine also “getting ahead”? 】

[Hey, wasn’t the former former female lead (the girl before SQW) caught using drugs?]

[So how did it fell Yuyao’s CEO’s wife? Clearly, she also took someone else’s place!]

[Doesn’t matter, black eating black. Let’s just focus on enjoying the show.]

Soon after, news about Shang Qiwen’s miscarriage conveniently surfaced online.

The internet erupted into laughter once again, saying [Yuyao’s CEO is such a scumbag. He made Shan Lingtong have a miscarriage out of anger because of Shang Qiwen. And now, rekindling an old flame with Shan Lingtong, he’s made Shang Qiwen have a miscarriage again.]

[Wow, the comment above revealed such a big melon!]

[Shang and Shan, so confusing!]

Lying on the bed and scrolling through her phone, Zhou Qiaoqiao asked Yan Wei in surprise, “Did Shan Lingtong and your younger brother get back together?”

Yan Wei smiled slightly and said, “Where did you see that?”

“Is it something that netizens are speculating?” Zhou Qiaoqiao replied matter-of-factly. After all, netizens had impressive investigative abilities.

Yan Wei could only sigh and say, “Although Yan Ye isn’t a good boyfriend or husband, he wouldn’t cheat on someone while being with someone else.” … Unless he couldn’t resist it!

Zhou Qiaoqiao nodded in understanding and asked, “What about the comments online?”

Yan Wei squinted slightly and said, “Since those comments have appeared, there must be someone who wants them to appear. It’s just that, I wonder if it will achieve their desired effect?”

Zhou Qiaoqiao blinked and asked him, “From your tone, do you know who it is?”

Yan Wei laughed and said, “I don’t know, but I guess it’s likely her.”

Looking puzzled, Zhou Qiaoqiao then touched her baby bump and said, “Yan Wei, who is it?”

Her voice was coquettish, her almond eyes blinked like a fan. Unfortunately, Yan Wei didn’t say anything more.

On the other side, Shang Qiwen looked at the online trends with a smile. She couldn’t possibly accept losing out to Shan Lingtong. If she couldn’t have him, then no one else could either.

Shang Qiwen opened her phone and saw a text message from her father. She frowned as of late he’d been sending her messages and asking her to meet him without specifying why.

Shang Qiwen wasn’t particularly interested, but she remembered that this was her original father after all. She decided to go and meet him.

Shang Qiwen arranged to meet on a free day. She arrived at the teahouse to find her father, who had grown considerably older with gray hair at his temples, looking rather haggard.

Although Shang Qiwen had not maintained much contact with the Shang family since arriving in this world, especially after her divorce from Xiang Li, the Shang family had cut ties with her. Shang Qiwen was firm in her stance of clinging to the golden thigh and not backing down. She had never tried to reconcile with the Shang family.

Furthermore, while she had inherited the memories of the original owner after her arrival, their personalities had somewhat merged. But, since she was still the original owner’s daughter and they had lived together day in and day out, it would be awkward for people to know her identity. Well, it wasn’t just awkward, she might be taken away for research.

From last year until now, more than half a year had passed. Even if she had undergone some changes, what had happened in the last half year could be explained away.

However, as she looked at her father’s face before her, Shang Qiwen’s heart inexplicably tinged with a hint of bitterness. Upon reflection, it was probably the lingering feelings left behind by the original owner?

“Dad!” Shang Qiwen called out to him.

Shang’s father looked at Shang Qiwen with a strong smile, motioned for her to sit, and said, “It’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other. This is the first time we’ve met since you left the Xiang family.”

Shang Qiwen nodded. Shang’s father continued to ask, “How have things been with Yan Ye lately?”

Although Shang Qiwen wanted to say something negative about Yan Ye, she also didn’t want her father to know that she had given up on Xiang Li but now Yan Ye’s heart was with someone else. So, she smiled and said, “Not bad!”

Shang’s father nodded, ordered some food, and they ate a bit before he finally got to the point.

Shang’s father had a pre-existing partnership with Xiang Li. Despite that, Shang Qiwen disregarded both sides and directly divorced Xiang Li. Xiang Li then pulled out of a project he was collaborating with Shang’s father on, resulting in significant losses for the Shang family.

Enraged by Shang Qiwen’s actions, the Shang family severed ties with her.

However, Xiang Li subsequently managed to clear up the project when he saw that the Shang family had taken a more cooperative stance. This left the Shang family even more hesitant to contact Shang Qiwen.

In the months that followed, Xiang Li secured a major investment that could bring in billions in revenue. Upon hearing this, the Shang family couldn’t resist and also invested. Xiang Li deeply appreciated the Shang family’s sincerity towards him and accepted their investment.

However, the project turned out to be a money pit, causing both the Shang and Xiang families to invest heavily. The funds got strained.

Both families were in a panic. A broken funding chain was no small matter. Without quickly securing investments, the project could collapse, potentially resulting in loss of both money and reputation. The families were running around frantically, unable to find any banks willing to invest and struggling to attract other investors. What were they to do?

Hence, Shang’s father sought out Shang Qiwen.

“But you want Yan Ye to invest in Xiang Li’s project? He’s not foolish,” Shang Qiwn frowned. While she was willing to assist in finding investments, she didn’t want this to impact her own situation. What if Yan Ye thought she still had feelings for Xiang Li?

So, Shang Qiwen hadn’t considered this particular aspect.

With a wry smile, Shang’s father said, “Of course I know that too. That’s why I have another approach.”

Shang Qiwen blinked, not understanding what other solution there could be.

Shang’s father said, “I contacted the CEO of the company associated with this project. He’s on par with Yuyao in terms of capability and is willing to invest. But he has a condition.”

“What?” Shang Qiwen didn’t see how this big-shot’s requirement related to her.

Shang’s father said, “He’s currently competing with Yuyao for a bidding project. All you need to do is take a look at Yuyao’s bidding price. If you do that, he’s willing to help me and the Xiang family through this difficult time.”

Shang Qiwen frowned, “Isn’t the bidding price important?”

Shang’s father looked at her and asked with a bitter smile, “Yes, it’s important, but are you just going to stand by and watch the Shang family fall? After all, the Shang family is your maternal family. With them intact, you have a sense of security. Plus, don’t you owe a bit to me and your mother for all these years we’ve raised you? We loved you so much when you were a child!”

As he spoke, Shang’s father saw that Shang Qiwen, despite her cold expression, had tears streaming down her face. He felt emotional himself and started crying, “Child, your father has no other option! Losing a bidding project might be just a piece of meat for Yuyao, but for us, it’s a major issue involving two families!”

Shang Qiwen wiped her face and indeed found tears. She guessed it must be due to the original owner’s emotions. She thought about it and found that Shang’s father’s words had some merit. Moreover, the Shang family hadn’t originally been involved in Xiang’s investment; instead, her early divorce had set off a chain reaction.

Shang Qiwen understood that she wasn’t completely innocent in this matter. Combined with her desire to punish Yan Ye and make him pay some price, she agreed to the plan.

---

Sansukini: Oh hey! 3 more chapters left for the main story and the rest will be Extras. I’ve been so busy these days that I can’t find the time to make a poll to choose the next novel. Maybe I’ll get to it before this novel ends. We have 12 chapters left in total.

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