Chapter 104

Chapter 104

"President Yan—"

"—Sir, the Zhihan contract has been signed."

Zhang Ming barely got the first syllable out when he saw his boss already heading out the door. He scrambled after him.

He hadn’t forgotten about the joint venture talks with the Qin Group at two o’clock. But today’s counterpart wasn’t just a business partner—it was also the boss's own kin. He hadn’t expected the boss to take it so seriously.

Besides, in all previous negotiations, big or small, President Yan had never come down personally to greet anyone. He just hadn’t reacted in time…

As for Assistant Pei—

Pei Zhu was already moving too.

Zhang Ming coughed lightly and herded the others downstairs.

Catching sight of President Qin, he was about to quicken his pace when he saw his boss freeze mid-step.

Instinctively, he looked over, then followed his boss’s gaze back to the opposite side.

Something wrong?

This was definitely the Qin delegation.

President Qin was walking at the front of the group.

The person beside him also looked familiar—Kang Ming, who had only recently been appointed as Qin Group’s deputy general manager before being transferred to the PR department. Word was he was the Qin family’s illegitimate child, sharing the same father but a different mother with President Qin—

Zhang Ming did a double take.

That didn’t track.

How could an illegitimate child be on such good terms with President Qin?

He looked again.

Kang Ming was holding documents in both hands, walking beside President Qin while quietly asking something. Though half a step behind, their shoulders and arms inevitably brushed against each other as they moved, with none of the expected stiffness—instead, they seemed quite close.

Moreover, having never met Kang Ming in person before, Zhang Ming now saw that the newly appointed director appeared polished and approachable.

Having seemingly gotten his answer from President Qin, Kang Ming smiled with quiet warmth. The way he looked at President Qin didn’t resemble the scheming ambition of someone jockeying for position, as the rumors suggested. Instead, it seemed more like admiration. Standing beside President Qin, he was slightly shorter, and they actually looked like brothers.

As they drew closer, Zhang Ming was startled again upon hearing Kang Ming’s address.

"...Got it, Brother."

Brother?

Rich people moved fast…

Zhang Ming muttered internally as he followed his boss to the Qin Group’s team.

Pei Sheng also glanced at Kang Ming before addressing Qin You: "President Qin."

Qin You gave a slight nod, then turned to Yan Tingshen with a smile. "To what do we owe the honor?"

Yan Tingshen stepped forward, his eyes flicking toward Kang Ming beside him.

Kang Ming couldn’t hold that piercing, icy stare.

A sudden chill and crushing pressure welled up inside him. He averted his gaze, clutched the files tighter, and took half a step back. "...President Yan."

Yan Tingshen had already withdrawn his gaze. "Hmm."

He stepped forward again, raised his hand, and smoothed Qin You's neatly pressed front, adjusting his tie. Only then did he lift his eyes to meet Qin You's gaze, his tone calm. "I wanted to see you."

The room went dead silent.

Zhang Ming kept his head deeply bowed, wishing the gleaming floor would swallow him whole.

Fortunately, his boss only said that one sentence before turning toward the elevator with Qin You.

Unfortunately, on the way back, Zhang Ming was close enough to repeatedly catch glimpses of their intertwined hands, making him squirm at the unusual display.

What fresh hell is this...

His previously detached boss was now publicly making goo-goo eyes in the office—had he ever thought about us lonely hearts?

Zhang Ming kept glancing around like a nervous squirrel, afraid of seeing something he shouldn't.

Finally, they reached the meeting room, where both parties took their seats on opposite sides of the long table.

Zhang Ming had initially assumed that, given the circumstances, today's negotiations would be nothing more than a formality. But capitalists were capitalists after all—the moment the meeting began, the two leading figures immediately switched into work mode.

The only difference from usual was that this collaboration skipped the feeling-each-other-out phase, directly establishing the objectives and moving straight into the negotiation phase.

Might as well have been potted plants, the rest of the attendees on both sides watched as every detail of the cooperation, every clause, got hammered out in rapid-fire exchanges.

"Revenue split?" Qin You flipped through a couple of pages of the materials Cui Ling had prepared.

Cui Ling leaned over, about to whisper a reminder, only to hear Qin You already propose an ambitious but realistic number based on the data in the documents.

Yan Tingshen was also watching Qin You.

This was the first time he had gone head-to-head with Qin You at the table.

The first time he saw this version of Qin You—dropping his trademark laid-back act, oozing quiet authority. It didn’t feel unfamiliar, yet he couldn’t look away if he tried.

Those eyes, that face, this person—always another layer to peel back, each one brilliant, burning bright, offering endless possibilities to explore and understand.

From the past, into the future—

"President Yan?"

Yan Tingshen shook himself out of his reverie, meeting Qin You's gaze before nodding in agreement. "Next item."

At the long table, aside from the voices of the two men, not a peep was heard except for the rustling of pages being turned and frantic note-taking.

Cui Ling gaped at Qin You like a fish.

Every time he thought he had witnessed Qin You's talent, Qin You would prove with his actions that what he had seen wasn’t some lucky streak—it was merely the starting point of his capabilities.

At first, he had assumed Qin You's figures were based solely on Qin Corporation's interests. But judging from the reactions across the table, he realized every proposal Qin You made had been precisely tailored to Junmin's acceptable limits.

Yan Tingshen on the other side was no different.

Every number he proposed cut it razor-close to their bottom line.

Neither of them conceded the slightest benefit due to their romantic relationship, maintaining an extreme separation between public and private matters.

Yet, precisely because of their romantic relationship, the negotiation proceeded with an irreplicable unspoken rapport and mutual trust, making it precise and direct—one of two key factors driving the swift progress.

The other factor was the speed at which they confirmed each piece of data.

Almost all of it was settled in rapid-fire Q&A. Before Cui Ling could even grasp it, they had already moved on to the "next point."

...Just how formidable were their quickness and analytical skills?

Even if they had made adjustments based on preliminary estimates, it still took them no time at all.

Cui Ling was astonished.

He couldn’t even keep up with their line of thinking.

Looking around the room, aside from Pei Sheng, who managed to interject, he was certain everyone else shared his sentiment.

They seemed to be mere witnesses, not participants.

Gradually, Cui Ling also fell silent, scribbling notes furiously.

In the meeting room, an hour flew by.

The originally planned three-day terms of the collaboration were finalized within this unbelievable hour.

"..."

With a whirlwind of emotions, Cui Ling stood up alongside Qin You.

The room remained eerily silent.

Clearly, such a meeting process was an unprecedented experience for them as well.

Qin You fastened his blazer and walked to the long table with a smile.

Yan Tingshen, observing the man who seemed familiar yet transformed today, also approached the table, standing face-to-face with him.

"Mr. Yan—"

"Mr. Qin—"

Their voices overlapped.

Qin You’s smile deepened as he raised his hand. "Looking forward to working together."

Yan Tingshen grasped his hand, locking eyes with him, and repeated, "Looking forward to working together."

In the room, Pei Zhu remained in place, watching their clasped hands, then shifting his gaze to the Qin You who was unrecognizable.

That impossible-to-ignore presence could somehow become even more dazzling.

The piercing edge in his eyes could no longer be concealed by the delicate frames of his glasses.

He should have realized long ago—the person Tingshen would fall for was, at heart, just like Tingshen.

Standing side by side, they were a perfect match in every way.

"Pei Zhu..."

Beside Pei Sheng, Zhang Ming still wore a dazed expression. "That’s it? It’s done?"

Pei Sheng withdrew his gaze.

"Yes."

He replied casually, "It was settled long ago."

Before Zhang Ming could figure it out, he noticed movement from the two bosses at the front.

Qin You glanced at the time and said to Yan Tingshen, "You don’t need me for the rest, do you?"

Knowing that he and Yan Tingshen would collaborate, Yan Jingshan was bound to lash out as a last resort.

But that was an internal conflict within the Yan family—no need for him to get further involved. It was only a matter of time before it was resolved.

As he spoke, Kang Ming and Cui Ling finished packing up their files and waited by the door.

Yan Tingshen’s gaze flicked to Kang Ming before looking back at Qin You. "Do you have plans this afternoon?"

Hearing this, Qin You chuckled and countered, "You tell me—do *you* have plans?"

Yan Tingshen simply replied, "Yes."

Qin You casually waved at Cui Ling. "You guys can go ahead."

"..." Cui Ling, now sure of his guess, kept his gaze straight ahead. "Understood."

Qin You suddenly remembered something. "Kang Ming."

Kang Ming took a step forward. He hesitated, stealing a glance at Yan Tingshen before speaking. "What is it, Mr. Qin?"

Being from the Qin family, he naturally knew Qin You preferred men. Their last meeting made it obvious what was going on between them.

However, Yan Tingshen clearly didn’t like him much.

Qin You didn’t notice his look and rattled off a few orders before turning back to Yan Tingshen. "Let’s go."

Yan Tingshen also signaled to Pei Sheng before walking out with Qin You, heading straight back to the office.

Once the secretary closed the door, Qin You asked, "So? What’s the move?"

Yan Tingshen simply took his hand.

Taking a step forward, he suddenly asked, "You rate Kang Ming that highly?"

Qin You answered without suspicion. "He’s solid."

Yan Tingshen’s tone remained neutral. "Solid?"

"Mm." Qin You said. "Sharper than Cui Ling, gets the job done without fuss, and he’s got good ideas. He’s leadership material."

Yan Tingshen went still for a second.

Qin You looked at him. "What’s with the sudden interest in him?"

As an assistant, Kang Ming would perform well, but not exactly worth Yan Tingshen’s notice.

Yan Tingshen’s face didn’t change. "Nothing. Just curious."

Qin You smiled and walked to the sofa, "Don't worry. He's pretty level-headed—I'm in no danger."

Yan Tingshen hesitated briefly, "That's good."

When he finished speaking, noticing Qin You's gaze, he suddenly pinned him against the sofa, leaning down to kiss him.

"Mr. Qin—"

A muffled protest came from between their lips before Yan Tingshen slightly pulled back, putting some distance between them.

He looked at Qin You, no longer mentioning anyone else, and simply said, "—You've worked hard today."

Qin You's eyes sparkled with amusement, "So how will you thank me?"

Yan Tingshen's gaze swept across the office before lowering to Qin You, "Right here?"

Qin You followed his glance and chuckled, "Mr. Yan, who's thanking who here?"

Yan Tingshen's expression stayed impassive as always, but his voice dropped lower as he leaned in, breath warm, "Don’t you like my gratitude?"

With that, he kissed Qin You’s lips again.

Qin You drew him onto his lap, "Of course not."

Yan Tingshen intensified the kiss, reaching up to remove his glasses and fumbling with his tie—

Qin You intercepted his hand.

Yan Tingshen opened his eyes.

Qin You squeezed slightly, slowly guiding his hand downward.

Meeting Yan Tingshen's gaze, he smiled faintly, "We're still outside—no need to go overboard with your thanks."

"..." Yan Tingshen lowered his eyes, kissing Qin You’s neck again. His voice sounded calm, though his slightly stiff hand continued moving, "Fine."