Chapter 33: Holding Hands

Chapter 33: Holding Hands

The next day, Xie Yu contacted Xu Qingshan.

He had some funds, but not enough, and for the entire Xie family, it was a drop in the ocean. Fortunately, Xu Qingshan still had some available that could be utilized.

According to the original plot, in at most two months, Xie Yuanhai would be exposed in an earth-shattering scandal, facing the risk of imprisonment. Public opinion would be closing in relentlessly, shareholders were fleeing in droves, and the stock price would plummet repeatedly. This might be a good opportunity for a complete reshuffle.

The two met as usual at the hotel. Before this, the system utilized excessive computational power to simulate and analyze various possible outcomes, listing a feasible plan.

When Xie Yu sat down opposite Xu Qingshan and expressed his intentions, genuinely discussing the feasibility, Xu Qingshan looked at him with suspicion, as if he had seen a ghost.

"Wait... Xiao Yu, are you serious?"

Xie Yu raised an eyebrow: "Of course, I'm serious."

Xu Qingshan had watched his nephew grow up and knew better than anyone how hopelessly incompetent Xie Yu was. Previously, he had a violent temper and a tendency to hit people. Xu Qingshan had only three expectations for him: first, not to go to prison; second, not to end up in a mental hospital; and third, not to be ruined by Xie Yuanhai.

But now, Xie Yu was sitting upright and serious, discussing business investments with him?

Xu Qingshan picked up his coffee to hide his shocked expression: "Why the sudden interest in this? Weren't you completely uninterested in taking over the company?"

Just two months ago, when he had just returned from abroad, he had shown no interest.

Xie Yu sighed: "No choice, I have to support the family, after all."

Xu Qingshan spat out his coffee onto the table.

"Cough, cough, cough." He grabbed a couple of tissues to wipe the table, his face full of disbelief. "What did you say?"

Xie Yu sighed and repeated: "I said, I have to support the family."

If the gap between him and Shen Ci was too big, he would feel embarrassed.

Xu Qingshan: "..."

The renowned American-trained psychiatrist felt dizzy, his brain seemingly starved of oxygen. His gaze lingered on his nephew's youthful face, deeply feeling confusion and surrealism.

His once violent, irresponsible, failing, and college-dropout nephew was now considering supporting a family?

Xu Qingshan knew about Xie Yu's relationship with Shen Ci and that Shen Ci was liked by Xie Yu. Otherwise, five years ago, Xie Yu wouldn't have suddenly controlled his temper, nor would he have specifically left a fund, instructing Xu Qingshan to take care of Shen Ci. A few months ago, when Xie Yu was hospitalized for a bipolar episode, Shen Ci had quietly visited. Xu Qingshan had vaguely guessed, but he didn't realize Shen Ci had such a powerful influence that Xie Yu was now planning to settle down and support a family.

Xu Qingshan was silent for a moment: "How far has your relationship gone?"

Xie Yu averted his eyes and coughed: "...To the point where it's non-negotiable."

Xie Yu was conservative at heart. He had hugged and kissed Shen Ci, lived in the house left by his mother, and exchanged name-branded accessories. In this lifetime, he was non-negotiable about Shen Ci.

At this point, Xu Qingshan had nothing more to say. He flipped through his nephew's plan, found no issues, and since he was indeed an amateur in funds and stocks, less skilled than Xie Yu and Shen Ci, he nodded in agreement.

Before leaving, Xu Qingshan took out his laptop and asked Xie Yu to complete another test report.

Xie Yu readily agreed.

He had always exaggerated the severity before, but in fact, the painful and confusing experiences of high school were long past. With Xie Yu's open-mindedness, he wouldn't be stuck in the mud for so many years.

He quickly checked all the options and clicked submit. Xu Qingshan reviewed them one by one, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

Bipolar disorder is difficult to cure, especially the kind formed from childhood trauma like Xie Yu's, with symptoms often lasting a lifetime. But Xie Yu's assessment showed he was in good spirits, optimistic, no different from a normal person, even better. Self-harm and self-mutilation behaviors would no longer occur.

Xu Qingshan pushed his glasses up and smiled genuinely, "Congratulations, it seems you won't need to come to Qingshan Hospital anymore."

The suffering of his sister Xu Qingping was a thorn in Xu Qingshan's heart, and the child she left behind was another. Xu Qingshan had no children of his own; he was Xie Yu's uncle and also his half-guardian. Years ago, Xu Qingshan had gone abroad to pursue a doctorate in psychiatry, partly because of Xie Yu. Now, he finally felt a sense of relief.

He looked out at the distant sky, towards Qiong Mountain, feeling a touch of melancholy: "This way, I can consider my duty fulfilled."

*

Two months later, Xie Yuanhai indeed became involved in a shocking scandal.

It was said that he had participated in certain parties involving minors. While the social circle was known for its wildness, such red lines were never crossed. Xie Yuanhai was the first to do so, and the scandal erupted instantly.

With Xie Yuanshan's death, the walls came tumbling down, and everyone turned against them. The Xie family had always had many enemies, and Xie Yuanhai had set himself up as a live target for others to attack. Various parties joined in, and public opinion was in an uproar. The authorities stepped in directly, launching an investigation. With concrete evidence, Xie Yuanhai was arrested and taken away during a company meeting.

Within a few months, two chairmen had left their positions under abnormal circumstances, and the Xie Group inevitably suffered significant damage. Rumors were rampant.

Since Xie Yuanhai took over, the old guard left by Xie Yuanshan had been purged. Now, in a rush, his own trusted aides had not yet been cultivated. The leadership was in disarray, riddled with holes like a sieve. The company was in a state of panic, with retail investors selling off and shareholders fleeing. The once glorious group was almost instantly on the verge of delisting.

Amid the plummeting stock prices, an account bucked the trend and made large purchases. When the situation stabilized, everyone looked around and found that the account traced back to Xie Yu.

This young master, who had returned from studying abroad and had never been involved in company affairs, demonstrated a thunderous capability. In just a few months, he had led a restructuring of the company's equity and became another top new elite in Jiangcheng, elusive and mysterious.

Xie Yu was extremely busy.

With his own means, it would have been impossible for him to take over the company in such a short time, but he had a cheat tool—the system.

Although the system usually seemed unreliable, almost like artificial stupidity, it came from an era of technological explosion and possessed a vast and complex database. The system's computing power enabled it to quickly locate relevant parts in redundant data and relay them to the host.

Xie Yu already had relevant knowledge, and with this, he was like a tiger with wings. In just a few months, under the surprised and suspicious gazes of many, he firmly took the top seat in the Xie Group.

The remaining shareholders gladly accepted this decisive young man, as his methods were no less than those of Xie Yuanshan and Xie Yuanhai. To demonstrate their allegiance, they even held a banquet for Xie Yu, in the same hall where Xie Yuanshan's memorial service had been held.

This time, however, the solemn decorations were swapped for gold and red, and the young man who had sat on the edge during his father's memorial service now stood at the center of the room.

Xie Yu wore a pure black tailcoat with golden buttons, and his usually casual hairstyle was meticulously groomed. He politely engaged with various shareholders, appearing witty and conversational, but when no one was looking, he frequently checked his watch, seeming quite distracted.

The system, leveraging its invisibility to others, kept looking out the door. When it saw someone, it flew back, saying cheerfully, "Hey host, your wife is here."

Shen Ci had come to discuss business matters on behalf of his company.

To others, Xie Yu and Shen Ci were old enemies, like fire and water, seemingly ready to destroy each other. They had heard rumors of a patronage relationship, and given Xie Yu's past actions, Shen Ci must have despised him to the core.

After Xie Yu returned to the country, there were rumors in Jiangcheng that Shen Ci had blocked the door and beaten Xie Yu several times to vent his anger—evidence being that Xie Yu lived in an old, run-down house in the city, and Shen Ci had frequently brought people in and out of the neighborhood, seemingly to provoke him, carrying a bright red plastic bag that was suspected to contain weapons like sticks.

There were also eyewitnesses who claimed that Xie Yu had gone out to dispose of trash, and the trash was clearly bloodstained, suggesting that he had been beaten and bled, unable to afford medical treatment, and had to deal with it at home.

To this, Xie Yu stayed silent.

He and Shen Ci later reviewed the incident and concluded: the sticks in the plastic bag were newly bought fish heads and yams from the market. They had cooked fish head with tofu and yam with pork ribs that day.

As for the bloodstained trash, it was the blood from thawing beef.

Thus, when Shen Ci appeared at the banquet, everyone held their breath in anticipation.

They watched as Shen Ci walked through the crowd and sat beside Xie Yu. The two nodded politely and officially, then began discussing business matters.

Xie Yu and Shen Ci were both new elites in Jiangcheng, each with their own companies. They went back and forth, arguing fiercely, neither yielding, occasionally raising their eyebrows and sneering, causing the shareholders around them to break out in a cold sweat.

"From my personal perspective, this proposal may not align with the interests of both parties... Ouch—"

Immediately, someone stepped forward to ask, "What's wrong, Mr. Shen?"

Shen Ci frowned slightly, his expression annoyed: "The tea is a bit too hot; it burned my tongue."

Under the tablecloth, he gave Xie Yu's leg a gentle kick.

Xie Yu's pointed leather shoes had somehow crept up along his legs, stopping perilously close.

Xie Yu smiled: "Mr. Shen is correct, but I have a different take on certain matters, uh—"

A commotion broke out beside them: "Mr. Xie?! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Xie Yu forced a smile. "The pastry's a bit cold; it gave me a chill."

Shen Ci had somehow managed to slip his toes through the gap in the trousers.

They exchanged barbs, Xie Yu's forehead twitched, veins bulging, Shen Ci's brows were tightly furrowed, his expression icy. By the meeting's end, Xie Yu's tie was askew, Shen Ci's glasses chain was crooked, and both were drenched in cold sweat, their foreheads glistening.

Shen Ci was the first to shove his chair back with a bang, saying coldly, "Excuse me, I need to tidy up."

He left accompanied by his assistant.

Xie Yu sat for a moment longer before standing up with a smile, "Excuse me, I need to change as well."

He took a towel from his assistant.

As both bosses left one after the other, the tense atmosphere in the room instantly lifted. Someone glanced in the direction they had gone and couldn't help but remark, "What a heated debate!"

No one knew that just three hours earlier, the two who had been glaring at each other had been cuddling in a hotel suite upstairs. They embraced, kissed, and Xie Yu even pinned Shen Ci against the floor-to-ceiling window, facing the bustling traffic outside. Gazing into the flustered eyes of the man in his arms, Xie Yu kissed his forehead and reassured him, "It's fine; the glass is one-way."

Shen Ci then relaxed.

By the time the banquet began, Xie Yu was still restless, and Shen Ci still felt uneasy.

The banquet venue had several private dressing rooms, with a backstage corridor leading to the hotel rooftop.

Without discussing it, Xie Yu and Shen Ci coincidentally emerged from backstage. Servers occasionally passed through the corridor, so they pretended not to know each other and headed to the rooftop one after the other.

Xie Yu unbuttoned his suit jacket, the strong wind catching the hem. He extended a hand to Shen Ci: "Come here."

The moment Shen Ci reached him, Xie Yu seized his shoulders and drew him into an embrace. The winter sun was warm, and so was the man in his arms. He sighed contentedly, murmuring softly, "What's been going on lately? Why are you pushing yourself so hard?"

Xie Yu had been even busier than him lately, constantly on the move and rarely coming home. It was only today before the banquet that they managed to meet for four or five hours, and once they met, they couldn't stop.

At first, when Xie Yu was seriously working, Shen Ci thought it was good for him to do some business after staying at home for too long. Xie Yu's lazy image was too deeply ingrained, and Shen Ci didn't think he would be very dedicated, letting him do whatever he wanted, as long as there was enough money.

Who knew that Xie Yu would get more and more involved, and in the end, he actually secured the top position.

While Shen Ci was surprised, he was also happy for Xie Yu. He had seen Xie Yu's two degrees and knew he was never a useless young master. But when Xie Yu became his equal, Shen Ci started to worry.

If Xie Yu didn't have the economic advantage, would he still need him like this?

Shen Ci knew this mindset wasn't good, but he couldn't control it. He had received too little affection, and this one was too precious, so it was hard not to be anxious.

Xie Yu noticed something was wrong in just two days. He tricked Shen Ci out, fed him a couple of drinks, and Shen Ci, in a daze, spilled all his worries. Then he was held by the back of his neck and thoroughly kissed.

Xie Yu's exact words were: "I need to find a way to stop you from overthinking."

...Well, he certainly stopped overthinking, but the method was a bit strange.

A year ago, they were like strangers in this hotel. A year later, they were hugging and kissing in this hotel.

The wind on the hotel rooftop was fierce, the north wind howling, making it bitterly cold. Shen Ci instinctively held on tighter: "How much longer do you have to work?"

They were still in the throes of their honeymoon phase. Not being able to shop for groceries together in the morning, cook soup at noon, or take evening strolls hand in hand felt like pure torture.

Xie Yu said, "I’ve taken a month off next month."

"...You?"

Shen Ci looked up at him, momentarily stunned.

Xie Yu pulled a small kraft paper bag from behind him and sighed: "Why work so hard if not to stand by your side?"

He handed the bag to Shen Ci: "Open it?"

Despite his carefree appearance, Xie Yu was deeply traditional—even conservative and stubborn—about certain things. If he loved someone, he made sure everything was perfect, standing as equals, holding their hand before taking the next step together.

Shen Ci held his breath as he opened the bag.

Inside the velvet-lined box lay a pair of rings.

Both were simple and elegant, their names engraved inside the bands.

Xie Yu: "Want to try them on?"

They slid the rings onto each other’s fingers, sealing another layer of their bond, intertwining their lives further.

Xie Yu asked, "Where should we go next month?"

He’d taken time off just for this.

Shen Ci had rarely left Jiangcheng. There were so many interesting places in the world, but after thinking, he said, "Let's visit your school abroad."

He wanted to see Xie Yu’s classrooms, walk the halls he’d walked, and learn what Xie Yu had been up to during those five years apart.

Xie Yu chuckled. "Alright, we’ll book the tickets as soon as we’re back."

They lingered on the rooftop, wrapped in each other, until it was far too late, then reluctantly returned to the banquet.

They sat back down at the negotiation table.

Before, only their legs had been hidden under the tablecloth; now, their hands were tucked into their sleeves.

Neither Shen Ci nor Xie Yu would yield at work. They were evenly matched, a testament to their mutual respect.

Shen Ci, with his extra years of experience, occasionally left the methodical Xie Yu speechless. Looking at the spirited young man across the table, Xie Yu couldn’t help but think of the novel's ending where Shen Ci suffered from severe depression, struggling even with medication, living like a walking corpse, and he sighed inwardly.

—This beautiful, fragile porcelain was now safely cradled in his arms, unharmed and glowing.

Yet, as he admired and sighed, he also felt a tinge of frustration.

Facing the relentless questioning from the other side, Xie Yu raised an eyebrow slightly, thinking to himself, "Well, this eloquence is really something."

Shen Ci suddenly felt a chill down his spine.

Meeting Xie Yu's half-smiling gaze, he seemed to vaguely understand the meaning behind that smile.

—"For every point you make, we’ll try something new—how’s that?"