Chapter 576: Five Years Later

Chapter 576 Five Years Later

Zuo Zuying was a master of his craft, kept a low profile, and could swallow his pride and play the rogue when needed. He was a smooth-talker and could even spin tall tales.

When the situation called for it, he could play the pitiful, coquettish card, but when seriousness was required, he could appear enigmatic, spouting wisdom that left others speechless.

The key was that while putting on airs, he would frequently glance back at Su An. The moment their eyes met, his adoring, smoldering gaze kept her face flushed the entire time.

Wang Xiaocui already had a favorable impression of Zuo Zuying and was good friends with Hou Li. Knowing that Hou Li was a cultured and mild-mannered woman—not the type to bully a daughter-in-law—and that Zuo Zuying had decent looks, was capable, and, most importantly, considerate, she found herself growing more and more satisfied with him.

Even Wang Yongzheng and Wang Yongshun and their wives were thoroughly charmed, unanimously praising Su An for her good taste.

Since they were back, Su An planned to stay in City A for a few days to go over the books of Ping'an Trading, have He Manxia and the others take inventory of the remaining goods, and prepare to head to Guangzhou to ship another batch back.

While Su An was busy, Zuo Zuying wasn’t idle either. He took Ren Shan to Longxiang Mansion to catch up with Brother Bao and Second Brother Qian. After all, he was still the largest shareholder of Zhihang Construction Company. Though he had largely become a hands-off manager, he still needed a general understanding of the company’s progress.

At the same time, he cut a private deal with Ren Shan, entrusting her to keep tabs on things in City A for him. Since Ren Shan lived there, she could still leverage Brother Bao and Second Brother Qian in many ways.

It was during this trip that Zuo Zuying learned from Second Brother Qian about Zuo Shangdang’s current situation.

Lu Yazhi had run away.

Zuo Shangdang was in a miserable state—lonely and wretched, gaunt and broken.

Out of consideration for Zuo Zuying’s feelings—since Zuo Shangdang was, after all, his father—Second Brother Qian, unsure of how Zuo Zuying truly felt, had made some allowances, fearing Zuo Shangdang might destroy himself. He gave Zuo Shangdang a job at Longxiang Mansion, a relatively easy task overseeing the construction site, which was far better than carrying loads as a porter.

Second Brother Qian asked Zuo Zuying if he wanted to visit, mentioning that Zuo Shangdang had been searching for him and his siblings.

Before leaving, Zuo Zuying did stop by the construction site for a look. Zuo Shangdang had aged significantly, dressed in dull, dusty clothes, sitting at the entrance of the makeshift tin shed assigned to him, watching trucks haul materials in and out.

His eyes were vacant, his shoulders hunched, devoid of any vitality—as if he had lost all motivation for life, appearing numb.

Zuo Zuying didn’t approach him. After a glance, he left.

In just a few short years, the once-dashing "Boss Zuo" had fallen to such a state. Zuo Zuying’s feelings were complicated, but he refrained from kicking a man while he was down. This was already the best comeuppance Zuo Shangdang could face.

As for Zuo Shangdang—was he truly evil? Not exactly. He wasn’t a good father, husband, or son, but his devotion to Lu Yazhi was undoubtedly genuine love.

The only question was: Why had Lu Yazhi abandoned him?

Zuo Zuying had kept tabs on Zuo Shangdang all along. He knew Qi Sanmei’s death was definitely linked to Lu Yazhi and her son. Zuo Shangdang couldn’t have been oblivious unless he was a fool. Later, Zuo Nanfu was said to have met a tragic end as well—paralyzed and left to starve to death.

In his pursuit of Lu Yazhi, Zuo Shangdang had brought ruin upon his family, lost his wife and children, and was ultimately discarded. For any normal person, every minute of his current existence would be torment.

Zuo Zuying truly couldn’t understand what it was about Lu Yazhi that had Zuo Shangdang so obsessed, that he would go to such extremes for her.

Seasons came and went, and in what seemed like no time, Su An had graduated years ago.

While everything in City A progressed smoothly, the south faced constant challenges.

First, Zuo Zuying’s Limeng was targeted by a certain faction.

Fortunately, he had prepared in advance, securing powerful backing by offering 15% of his monthly profits in exchange for protection.

At the same time, he began building his own forces, striking ruthlessly. Though many were green with envy over Limeng’s profitability, none dared to make a move.

The magazine division was no less turbulent.

As Su An had anticipated, after the massive success of *Outside*, various migrant worker literature magazines popped up everywhere. Later, even established publications like *Special Zone Literature* and *Bao'an Daily* began shifting focus, becoming platforms for migrant worker literature.

Initially, the market competition was healthy, but it soon turned ruthless.

First, magazine covers grew increasingly risqué, with suggestive headlines. Later, some publications began carrying all sorts of classified ads—even openly promoting Viagra, red-light districts, roofies, hallucinogens, knives, and more.

Amid the chaotic market wars, Kang Honghui and Su An held their ground. Despite their market share being repeatedly squeezed, and sales dropping from a peak of over a million copies per month to a steady 400,000, *Outside* refused to follow the trend of edgy content or accept shady ads to aggressively seize market share. Instead, they retained a loyal readership. Many migrant workers, with nowhere else to turn, would write letters or call the editorial office for help.

Year after year, the *Outside* editorial team witnessed countless injuries, deaths, and social injustices, while also providing comfort and guidance to these individuals. The magazine became the sole emotional outlet for many homesick migrants.

Every issue was crafted with utmost care—no shortcuts taken, each volume a quality product, every edition featuring timely, relevant topics. The price also rose from the initial 0.66 yuan to 1.2 yuan.

Once their market share stabilized without major fluctuations, Su An and Kang Honghui branched out into documentaries, jumping at the chance to bring their stories to television while competitors were still fighting over the magazine market.

Meanwhile, Ping An Trading in City A was booming, with annual net profits consistently exceeding a million. In Guangzhou, *Outside* got off to a roaring start, bringing Su An nearly a million in profits in its first year alone, peaking at five million in its most successful year.

This was a unique era—many seized the moment to become future tycoons, and Su An and Zuo Zuying were among them.

Not content with the status quo, once their assets reached a certain level, they began exploring the cosmetics and real estate industries.

In 1994, the fifth year of Zuo Zuying and Su An’s relationship, Zuo Zuying dressed up like a peacock early one morning, bought a bouquet of flowers, and went to pick up Su An.

Over the years, their relationship had remained stable. Zuo Zuying had proposed several times, but Su An hadn’t agreed yet—not even crossing the final boundary.

Zuo Zuying had a hunch that Su An carried some emotional baggage. He wasn’t in a hurry; he could wait, guiding her step by step.

"An An~"

Su An looked up at Zuo Zuying’s call. "Xiao Zuo, what brings you here?"

"Ta-da!" Zuo Zuying playfully whipped out the bouquet from behind his back.

Su An’s eyes lit up, her smile unstoppable. "What’s the occasion today?"

It was only after dating Zuo Zuying that she learned—when you cared enough, every day in a relationship could be a celebration.