Chapter 40

Chapter 40 (Part Two)

Fu Yun Zheng and Chen Si Jian agreed to meet at a private kitchen in Yun Su.

The private kitchen boasts a retro architectural style, mimicking the gardens of Suzhou from the Ming and Qing dynasties. While it doesn’t cover a vast area, it has all the pavilions and towers one could wish for, providing a picturesque scene at every turn, encapsulating the unique charm of the water towns.

Approaching the Lunar New Year, red lanterns adorned the eaves, and a pipa player gently strummed her instrument, singing a Yun Su tune softly. The night breeze was gentle, causing the octagonal palace lanterns to sway, casting a warm, orange glow from the candles. The golden tassels and the beads on the woman's attire swayed in unison.

The moon illuminated the courtyard, creating a serene atmosphere, with long shadows of trees under the lantern light, adding a touch of mystery.

Despite nearing the winter solstice, with the bleak wind and rustling flowers and leaves, the tenderness described by poets over two thousand years seemed to be captured in this very moment.

This place was like a dream, ethereal and enchanting.

Fu Yun Zheng's wheelchair came equipped with an automatic slope and stair-climbing function. As it moved over the stone-paved path, it emitted a faint sound. The dining room was situated in the east. The owner of the private kitchen and the waitresses stood at the door to welcome Fu Yun Zheng, even preparing a green channel to facilitate wheelchair access, and had removed the door sill.

The owner, in his forties, was dressed in a deep blue Zhongshan suit, while the tall waitresses were uniformed in plain-colored, long-sleeved cheongsams, their hair neatly bundled up with wooden hairpins, and their faces beaming with smiles.

For a moment, it felt like stepping back into the era of the Republic of China.

The owner greeted him with a clasped fist, even his way of saying hello was vintage: “Mr. Fu, the wind is strong outside, please come in.”

“Boss Sun, long time no see.” Fu Yunzheng halted his wheelchair and turned to introduce Yu He, who was standing behind him, to Boss Sun: “This is Yu He.”

Before Fu Yunzheng's formal introduction, Boss Sun had assumed this young man was a newly hired assistant or something similar.

The lanterns in the courtyard didn’t provide as much light as electric bulbs, so Boss Sun had only been able to get a vague look at Yu He initially, noting that he was tall and seemed to have a good demeanor. Now, under the bright crystal chandelier inside the house, he took a closer look and was immediately struck, feeling a sense of astonishment and admiration.

He thought to himself, “Could this young man be a newly debuted idol? He’s exceptionally handsome.”

Surprised, Boss Sun commented: “This young man seems unfamiliar to my eyes. Is this our first meeting?”

Yu He responded with a smile, “You're too kind, Boss Sun. Indeed, this is our first meeting. Your courtyard is so beautiful; I regret not coming here sooner.”

“Not at all, not at all,” Boss Sun quickly replied, “Having a nice courtyard doesn’t count for much; it's the food that has to be satisfactory. Please, come inside and have a seat. Mr. Chen is already here. I will go and get the dishes ready.”

Inside the private room, Chen Sijian heard the commotion and lifted the curtain to welcome the guests. He had served in the military in his younger days and had also worked as a laborer, carrying heavy loads. Standing nearly 1.8 meters tall with a physique full of muscle, his presence was imposing. His entrance alone made the spacious outer courtyard seem cramped.

Walking confidently, Chen Sijian approached Fu Yunzheng to shake his hand while saying, “Mr. Fu, it’s been a while. You’ve arrived quite late today.”

Fu Yunzheng was someone who valued punctuality. They had agreed to meet at seven, and it was only six fifty. By no means could he be considered late.

Turning the tables by claiming the other party is late is a common tactic in negotiations. At this moment, no one would bluntly state they weren’t late because doing so would imply that the other party wasn’t worth waiting for, putting themselves in the wrong even if they weren’t originally. This was a trap that Chen Sijian had laid out.

Fu Yunzheng was well aware of this trick. However, he valued his time and wouldn’t arrive early just for this slight advantage; to him, it was insignificant compared to his time.

Fu Yunzheng replied, “It’s Mr. Chen who has arrived early. The scenery of Yun Su is delightful. If Mr. Chen likes it here, feel free to visit more often.”

Fu Yunzheng skillfully turned the tables, sending the implication back to Chen Sijian without missing a beat.

“You say I’m late; I say you’re early. No one is wrong because being early or late is relative. Besides, Fu Yunzheng also subtly brought up the scenery of Yun Su, leaving Chen Sijian no room to argue, as arguing over scenery would get him nowhere and certainly couldn’t be blamed on Fu Yunzheng.

Internally, Chen Sijian cursed Fu Yunzheng for being a sly fox, unwilling to be at a disadvantage in any way, proving to be a tough opponent.

Fu Yunzheng was usually easy-going with Yu He, even tolerating his occasional lack of formality with a smile. Although he would unconsciously exude an air of nobility, he never used his authority to oppress Yu He.

However, in the business arena, Fu Yunzheng was a completely different person: dignified, imposing, and seemingly immovable even when seated in a wheelchair, he didn’t appear to be at a disadvantage. On the contrary, he exuded even more of an imposing aura, appearing completely in control of the situation.

Yu He gazed down at Fu Yunzheng, who, commanding and decisive, seemed even more dazzling than the myriad of crystal and glass lamps filling the hall.

No wonder others found Fu Yunzheng intimidating. Even a crafty old hand like Chen Sijian had made it a point to arrive early, trying to gain the upper hand in the conversation. Yu He, concerned for Fu Yunzheng, feared that he might be taken advantage of in dealing with Chen Sijian, not realizing that in this battle of wits, it was Chen Sijian who was at a disadvantage.

There was really no need for Fu Yunzheng to feel that negotiating with Chen Sijian was a challenge.

He was the one who gave people a hard time.

Given this, why on earth was Fu Yunzheng unhappy yesterday?

Yu He was lost in his own thoughts, completely oblivious to the fact that Chen Sijian was staring at him.

Chen Sijian, around forty years old and a few years older than Fu Yunzheng, had done his homework before meeting Fu Yunzheng. Upon seeing Yu He, Chen Sijian immediately realized that this handsome young man was Fu Yunzheng's kept lover.

For a capable man to idly rely on a sugar daddy without doing proper work, choosing the easy path in life, would undoubtedly invite contempt from others. Although Chen Sijian didn’t approve of this, he, coming from a poor background himself, understood that for many poor people, they often had no choice in many matters. Being born beautiful was not something one could choose, and being fancied by someone was even more out of one's control.

For many people who suffer because of their beauty, it was not their fault to begin with, yet they had to bear the blame.

Chen Sijian had a clear understanding of this matter.

Many years ago, Chen Sijian’s mother, because of her beauty, was dragged into an alley on her way home from the factory and was assaulted. Ten months later, Chen Sijian was born... In that era, rumors and gossips could be lethal. When Chen Sijian was in primary school, his mother drank pesticide and didn’t survive.

During that period,

the malicious rumors took a toll on their lives.

Subjectively, Chen Sijian didn’t look down upon Yu He, but that didn’t stop him from using Yu He as a breakthrough point. For such an important conversation, Fu Yunzheng actually brought his little lover with him, which was like handing Chen Sijian a huge advantage on a silver platter.

After sitting down, Chen Sijian didn’t hesitate to ask Yu He directly, "Young man, what is your relationship with Mr. Fu?"

This question was too direct, bringing the unspoken matter to the table, obviously intending to embarrass Yu He while simultaneously looking for Fu Yunzheng’s weaknesses.

Yu He, catching a glimpse of Fu Yunzheng as if he was about to answer for him, pressed a hand on his leg to signal that he could handle it himself.

Seeing this, Fu Yunzheng remained silent.

Yu He picked up a wine cup, “Mr. Chen, hello. My name is Yu He. I’ve been following Mr. Fu for a few months now. I heard that Mr. Chen enjoys a good drink. Mr. Fu is not convenient to drink, so allow me to toast to you on his behalf.”

Chen Sijian shook his head.

Fu Yunzheng wasn’t going to drink here, and it was pointless to trouble the young man. Getting the boy drunk was useless. Was he supposed to extract details about the boy’s relationship with Fu Yunzheng? Even if Chen Sijian had no morals, he wouldn’t stoop to such a level.

Chen Sijian didn’t touch his drink and counter-asked Yu He, “Can you even drink? If not, forget it.”

With these words, while it did put Yu He in an awkward position, it was also an obvious gesture to let him off the hook.

It somewhat means looking down on others.

The courteous smile in Yu He’s eyes remained unchanged. She poured the baijiu from her cup back into her own liquor dispenser and stood up, holding the dispenser directly.

Yu He spoke calmly and confidently, “I’m definitely not a match for President Chen when it comes to holding my liquor, but I must drink this cup to you.”

After speaking, Yu He drained the three liangs (approximately 150ml) of 52% alcohol baijiu from her dispenser in one go.

Chen Sijian and Fu Yunzheng didn’t even have the chance to stop her, watching as Yu He downed the strong alcohol like water.

Such a bold drinking style was something Chen Sijian, who had been navigating drinking tables for over two decades, had never seen before. Drinking directly from a liquor dispenser wasn’t uncommon, and these old drinkers would often do so when they were thoroughly inebriated. However, the banquet hadn’t even started, and not a single bite of food had been eaten yet, but she had already downed three liangs of baijiu. She must either have an extraordinarily high alcohol tolerance, or she is incredibly daring.

"Nowhere else does one drink in such a manner."

Yu He put down his liquor divider without changing his expression; three shots of white liquor went down without a blush or a pallor on his cheeks. Had the liquor not been poured from the same bottle into each person's liquor divider, Chen Si Jian would have truly believed Yu He was drinking water.

"Please, President Chen, feel free." Yu He sat back down, and the waiter promptly refilled the liquor divider in front of him.

When it came to drinking, Chen Si Jian had never flinched before anyone. But now, this kid had nonchalantly downed three shots. If word got out, wouldn't it appear that he, Chen Si Jian, had been intimidated by Fu Yunzheng's young lover? Where would he put his face then?

Seeing this, Chen Si Jian also poured his liquor back into the divider. "Impressive tolerance for a youngster. Not bad, you've got potential."

Then, he lifted his own divider and downed the drink in one go.

While Chen Si Jian was busy drinking, Yu He turned his head and gave Fu Yunzheng a triumphant glance, his face clearly boasting: "Look how I've got him bamboozled for you."

Seeing Yu He in high spirits, Fu Yunzheng did not intervene.

Yu He was very persuasive when it came to drinking, and with Chen Si Jian's natural predilection for alcohol, directly drinking from the liquor divider meant almost a pound of liquor after three cups. Who wouldn't get drunk under such circumstances?

Chen Si Jian had many drinking buddies, but they all knew he could hold his liquor well. They would all secretly nurse their drinks, pretending to be more inebriated than they actually were, never quite able to drink to their heart's content.

Yu He drank with a rare ferocity and without any hint of deceit or trickery. For every sip Chen Si Jian took, Yu He would certainly drink more. Both used their individual liquor dividers, yet Yu He's always seemed a notch lower than Chen Si Jian's.

Chen Si Jian greatly appreciated this gesture, feeling that Yu He truly respected him. He was instantly delighted and felt a sense of regret for not having met Yu He earlier.

Not even halfway through the banquet, Chen Si Jian was already draping his arm around Yu He, declaring brotherhood.

Fu Yunzheng: "......"

Yu He put down his chopsticks and lifted the wine divider: "I'm grateful to President Chen for not despising me. I would like to propose another toast to President Chen."

"Hey, just call me Jian Ge." Chen Sijian put an arm around Yu He's shoulder: "Think it over, it's proper for the elder to toast the younger. Jian Ge toasts to you."

Chen Sijian's face turned red after drinking, whereas Yu He only had a slight flush at the tips of his ears.

Yu He lowered his wine glass.

At the dining table, there is a rule: to show respect when clinking glasses, your own glass rim should be lower than the other’s. Since Chen Sijian is older than Yu He, logically, Yu He's glass should be lower. However, as Yu He pressed his glass down, Chen Sijian also lowered his glass a bit.

With just this one movement, both Yu He and Fu Yunzhen could tell that Chen Sijian was thoroughly drunk.

Yu He lowered his glass a bit more: "Jian Ge, Jian Ge, I am already overwhelmed by your kindness, please don’t lift me too high."

Chen Sijian didn't give Yu He a chance to react. He clinked his glass with Yu He's, almost at the same level, then took a big gulp, slurring his words: "Yu He, Yu He, I treat you like a real brother, and you still talk about rules with me? You look down on Jian Ge?"

"Jian Ge values me too much." Seeing the timing was just about right, Yu He steered the conversation towards business: "I hit it off with Jian Ge at first sight. Thanks to Mr. Fu for bringing me along, giving me the opportunity to meet Jian Ge."

"Yes, yes, thanks to President Fu for bridging us. From today onwards, you, Yu He, are my younger brother, and President Fu is my..." Chen Sijian shook his head, drunk, concerned his brother might suffer following Fu Yunzhen. He unexpectedly lifted Yu He to the position of Fu Yunzhen's partner: "President Fu is my brother-in-law."

Fu Yunzhen: "......"

Yu He: "......"

My god, did he get Chen Sijian drunk? What on earth is Chen Sijian raving about?! Why does he have to be here, he's only nineteen, why does he have to go through all this?!

Yu He wished he could disappear on the spot, his face, which had not reddened despite drinking several jins of white wine, suddenly flushed, especially the already slightly red earlobes, which turned almost blood red.

Fu Yunzhen, who obviously hadn’t drunk a drop of alcohol, perhaps tainted by the alcohol in the room, also felt his cheeks heating up slightly.

Even though same-sex marriage had been legalized in China for many years, Fu Yunzhen had never thought about marrying Yu He.

But now, with the drunken Chen Sijian suddenly bringing it up, Fu Yunzhen couldn't help but feel his heart waver.

Could it be possible?

It was utterly impossible.

By the time Yu He reached the legal age for marriage registration, it would be exactly three years from now, but Fu Yunzhen had only given himself three years’ time.

He shouldn't, and couldn’t, harbor such delusional thoughts.

However, when Chen Sijian looked towards Fu Yunzhen to ask again, Fu Yunzhen, as if possessed, uttered words he himself didn't expect.

Fu Yunzhen: "What President Chen said is right, I will treat Xiao He well."

A single sentence, and the three of them each had their own thoughts.

Fu Yunzhen was bewitched.

Chen Sijian was completely satisfied.

Yu He, however, felt a sudden pang of heartache and melancholy.

In his eyes, Fu Yunzhen’s words were nothing more than a way to placate a drunken fool, meant to facilitate the deal.

Yu He lowered his gaze, feeling as though an invisible hand was squeezing his heart, his chest tightening in waves.

Indeed, businessmen prioritize profit; they'll say anything to seal a deal.

He felt extremely uncomfortable, growing more certain that Fu Yunzhen's words were just an act for the occasion. Fu Yunzhen could deceive even Chen Sijian, so deceiving him must be easy.

If Fu Yunzhen truly had his best interests at heart, why would he agree to all of this in front of Chen Sijian? It was pure nonsense.

Just like how people would encourage men and women to drink cross-cupped wine at the drinking table, filled with playful and boisterous intentions. Even if Chen Sijian was spouting nonsense due to drunkenness, Fu Yunzhen was not drunk.

Fu Yunzhen simply didn’t care.

Chen Sijian was drunk and babbling, while Yu He had drunk even more than him. He was now completely immersed in his own logic, convinced of a rigid truth: Fu Yunzhen said all this just to negotiate the business deal.

Chen Sijian continued to back Yu He up: "We’re all family here, any business deal can be easily discussed. President Fu... let’s talk terms. As long as they are reasonable... as long as they are reasonable, we’ll sign the contract tomorrow."

The alcohol started affecting Chen Sijian, making his head spin. He lowered his head for a moment to recover, then patted Yu He’s shoulder: "The contract brought by my younger brother will definitely be signed."

Yu He forced a smile: "Okay, Jian Ge, definitely."

In the short span of two sentences, Yu He’s face turned from red to white. Seeing this, Fu Yunzhen raised his hand, and the waiter immediately came over, pouring fresh orange juice for the three of them.

Fu Yunzhen and Chen Sijian discussed the details of the contract.

Yu He was feeling dejected, downing glass after glass of orange juice. The juice, rich in vitamins, could speed up the metabolism of alcohol in his body, making Yu He more and more sober.

Though Chen Sijian was drunk, once he started talking business, his thoughts were clear and his goals precise, something even Fu Yunzhen hadn't anticipated would go so smoothly.

An hour later, after the two had settled the specifics of the contract, Yu He's level of drunkenness had dropped from eight to five. After a trip to the restroom and a splash of water on his face, it dropped further to three.

Returning to the private room, Chen Sijian, with a glass in his hand, called out to him, “Brother Yu, don’t forget about your big brother once the business is done.”

Yu He returned to his seat and reached for his glass, “I wouldn’t dare, Jian Ge.”

His face was fresh from a wash, droplets still clinging to his hair. Using cold water had left his eyes and the tip of his nose a bit red, giving him a pitiful appearance, laced with an indefinable sense of brokenness.

Chen Sijian sized up Yu He, “Did you throw up?”

Yu He smiled lightly, “No, just washed my face to sober up.”

Chen Sijian really cared for Yu He as if he were his younger brother. Seeing his state, he immediately pressed down on Yu He’s glass, “Forget it, there will be plenty of opportunities to drink in the future; we can miss out on this one.”

Yu He gently pushed Chen Sijian’s hand away, “Jian Ge, it’s really just one glass. The deal is sealed, you’re happy, Mr. Fu is happy, and I'm happy too. If you stop me from drinking this one, then you’re not treating me as one of your own.”

This glass represented the successful deal, a toast to celebrate, a light sip for good fortune.

They were now using small wine cups, not the large ones for toasting, so it wouldn’t turn into an endless series of toasts like before.

Knowing that Yu He could hold his liquor, Chen Sijian figured one more glass wouldn’t hurt and nodded, “Alright, this is the last one.”

Yu He hummed in agreement, just about to lift his cup when Fu Yunzhen suddenly held his hand.

“Little Crane played a significant role in the smooth negotiation with President Chen.” Fu Yunzhen looked at Yu He, his tone light yet undeniable, “I’ll drink this one for you.”