Chapter 65: Intense Tug-of-War (Part 1)

Chapter 65: Intense Tug-of-War (Part 1)

Lu Qingwan and Shen Zhixue were also startled by the deafening noise and quickly came in to take a look.

Du Du, with one eye closed, shouted, "Uncle, what’s the big idea? There’s something in my eye, and Jiang Xingliu was helping me get it out!"

Lu Qingyan angrily retorted, "What are you looking at? Why are you so close?!"

"But my eye really hurts, you know?" Du Du rubbed his eyes, feeling wronged. "I want Jiang Xingliu to help me! Uncle, you’re such a jerk!"

Lu Qingwan quickly stepped in to rescue Jiang Xingliu from Lu Qingyan's grip. "What are you doing? Don’t hurt Xingliu; he’s already injured!"

Lu Qingyan stared at his sister, momentarily at a loss for words. "They... I... Damn it, this can’t be happening!"

"What can't happen?" Lu Qingwan rolled her eyes at Lu Qingyan. "When the two kids were first admitted to the hospital, they already had their genetic tests done. The likelihood of Du Du and Jiang Xingliu becoming Alphas is over 60%. That means they'll both be Alphas in the future. Why are you so worried about it?"

Lu Qingyan looked at Du Du with frustration, gritting his teeth. "If this kid keeps acting like this, who knows what he’ll turn into!"

Lu Qingwan clicked her tongue. "Why don’t you sort out your own personal issues first, okay, my dear Alpha brother? How many times have you endured your rut alone now?"

Lu Qingyan was instantly silenced.

Jiang Xingliu sat back on his hospital bed, his face cold.

Du Du's eyes were red as he turned to glare at Lu Qingyan.

He had finally found a friend like Jiang Xingliu, and now Lu Qingyan had ruined it!

Shen Zhixue stood awkwardly to the side, letting out a few forced laughs. "Um, Jiang Xingliu's injuries should be almost healed. The doctor said we can soon go through the discharge procedures... I’ll come by to visit Du Du often. Jiang Xingliu, let's pack up and go."

Du Du looked at Jiang Xingliu with eager eyes, his reluctance almost overflowing.

Jiang Xingliu lowered his head, stuffing his clothes into a bag, then glanced at Du Du and said softly, "Take care and rest well. I’ll come visit you with Zhi Zhi."

"Make sure to come early, okay?" Du Du sat on the hospital bed, his pale face full of grievance. "It’s so boring here all by myself."

Lu Qingyan smacked his head lightly. "What do you mean alone? Am I not here? Isn’t your mom here too?"

Lu Qingwan immediately returned the smack to Lu Qingyan. "The kid’s still hurt! Don’t hit him so hard!"

Lu Qingyan shrugged, then looked at Shen Zhixue and paused. "...When you have some free time, drop me a message. That parenting show hasn't started yet, and I have some more suitable opportunities for you."

Shen Zhixue nodded. "Thank you."

Lu Qingyan sat in the chair without saying a word, watching Shen Zhixue and Jiang Xingliu leave, his eyes narrowing.

Lu Qingwan leaned in, gossiping. "Hey, are you going to say it or not?"

"Say what?" Lu Qingyan raised an eyebrow.

"Don’t you like Zhixue? Shouldn’t you say something sooner?"

"Sis," Lu Qingyan sighed. "She's married, okay?"

"But isn’t she having issues with Jiang Huizhou?" Lu Qingwan said. "They’re bound to get divorced sooner or later. Shouldn't you make your move first? Besides, Jiang Huizhou is a cripple. Shen Zhixue suffers with him. Divorcing early would be better for everyone."

Lu Qingyan pondered for a moment. "Let's wait a bit longer. Now's not the right time..."

Lu Qingwan pressed urgently, "You're already 25! How much longer are you going to wait? Alphas start having ruts at 22, once a year. You've been enduring it alone for three years! You know that going through a rut without an omega to soothe you can damage your health!"

Lu Qingyan felt overwhelmed: "I get it, I get it, stop nagging."

"You!" Lu Qingwan angrily slapped him: "You're going to end up alone!"

Lu Qingyan didn't respond, just rubbed his thumb.

He was raised to never act without certainty, not to fight unprepared battles.

He hadn't fully figured out Shen Zhixue's current situation yet. He needed to ensure Shen Zhixue couldn't live without him before confessing his feelings...

Meanwhile, Shen Zhixue had no clue about Lu Qingyan's feelings. After all, Lu, the big-shot actor, was well-educated from a young age and always knew how to behave appropriately. He wouldn't risk sending mixed signals without being absolutely sure, scaring away his prey.

Shen Zhixue stretched on the sofa: "I've been so exhausted these past few days..."

Jiang Xingliu went to the kitchen to pour Shen Zhixue a glass of juice.

Shen Zhixue took the juice, thanked Jiang Xingliu, and bit the cup's edge, deep in thought.

Things with Jiang Huizhou were awkward and messy.

If Jiang Huizhou hadn't caught what he said to Lu Qingwan earlier, he could've kept up the devoted lover act... Even if Jiang Huizhou knew it was fake, he wouldn't deliberately expose it.

Now that things had gotten this bad, Shen Zhixue was really scared.

After all, when Jiang Huizhou got serious, he could actually kill!!!

Maybe... he should try to get Jiang Huizhou to really fall for him?

In his past life, he was a global movie star, loved by tons of people, and had acted in numerous romantic dramas. Getting Jiang Huizhou, who was clueless about love, to fall for him shouldn't be too hard, right?

They say love conquers all, and they wouldn't lie, would they?

Once he decided, Shen Zhixue went back to his room to come up with a plan.

As he chewed on his pen, deep in thought, Jiang Xingliu knocked on his door: "Zhi Zhi, Jiang Huizhou's on the line."

Shen Zhixue was caught off guard, remembering he'd blocked Jiang Huizhou in a fit of anger.

No wonder the call went through Jiang Xingliu.

Shen Zhixue cleared his throat, quickly switching gears. He unblocked Jiang Huizhou and sweetly said, "Ahem, what's up?"

Jiang Huizhou's voice came through the communicator: "...What are you doing?"

Shen Zhixue quickly replied, "Of course, I'm thinking about you."

"..."

There was an unusual half-minute silence before Jiang Huizhou chuckled, "You've changed your tune pretty fast."

"Oh, I was just mad the other day," Shen Zhixue said with a smile.

"Oh?" Jiang Huizhou said leisurely, "So, you're not at all angry about what I did?"

"Although I'm angry, I realize I love you even more," Shen Zhixue said, digging up wild vegetables overnight, "What can I do? I can only blame myself for being weak. No matter what you do to me, I can't stay angry."

Jiang Huizhou didn't respond, unsure if he believed it, and simply said, "I've sent you the address, come over."

Shen Zhixue happily agreed, "Okay, hubby."

Jiang Xingliu stood to the side, a shadow flickering in his eyes.

After Shen Zhixue hung up the phone, his expression instantly changed, gritting his teeth as if he wished he could take down Jiang Huizhou on the spot.

Jiang Xingliu: "..."

You two are quite the couple, each a master of the Sichuan opera face-changing art.

Shen Zhixue quickly grabbed a cab and headed to the address Jiang Huizhou had given him.

——

The assistant watched as Mr. Jiang sat in his chair for ten minutes, his brows furrowed the entire time.

"Mr. Jiang, is there something troubling you recently?" the assistant asked.

"Do you think there's any truth to what Shen Zhixue said? How much is real, and how much is a lie?" Jiang Huizhou propped his chin on his hand. "He says he likes me, but I've never seen any love in his eyes. I've seen what real love looks like, and I know it's just an act. But if he doesn't like me, why would he still be willing to sacrifice so much after seeing through my plan, just to make it go more smoothly?"

The assistant, who thought the CEO was worried about the recent acquisition plan: "..."

Jiang Huizhou: "He's such a good liar..."

He showed a hint of amusement: "But I like it. Maybe I can turn this lie into reality. That's what I'm best at, isn't it?"

The assistant chuckled nervously: "Of course."

Jiang Huizhou looked up and surveyed the office, squinting with a meaningful smile: "So, the showdown between the two of us is about to begin."

The assistant swallowed hard, deciding not to speak.

After all, when Jiang Huizhou showed this kind of expression, he knew someone was about to be in *deep, deep trouble.*

When Shen Zhixue arrived, he found it to be a quiet office building, with even the security guard at the entrance looking sloppy. Upon entering the lobby, he saw the tastefully designed company logo.

Fengyue Entertainment—a name he recognized.

Isn't this Yexue's small entertainment company, which was later acquired by Chengfeng Group?

Jiang Huizhou had called him here, likely planning to reveal that he was the CEO of Chengfeng Group.

Puzzled, Shen Zhixue walked into the CEO's office, where Jiang Huizhou sat calmly, gazing out through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

"You're here," Jiang Huizhou murmured, turning his head. "Come and help me, will you?"

Shen Zhixue quickly walked over, pulling Jiang Huizhou's wheelchair closer, feigning confusion: "...Why are you here?"

"Why am I here? Don't you know?" Jiang Huizhou tilted his head, a playful smirk forming.

"Haha, how would I know? I'm not a god," he chuckled.

"Alright, even if you don't know," Jiang Huizhou said, not bothering to expose him, "But now you can. This company has been acquired by Chengfeng Group, and I am the CEO of Chengfeng Group."

Shen Zhixue feigned surprise, his eyes widening slightly.

"Now, this company is yours. The ownership papers are on the table. You just need to sign."

Shen Zhixue was genuinely shocked this time: "*What?!*"

Jiang Huizhou! Just casually handed over a company with an annual revenue of 50 million?!