Chapter 52 A Thousand Sails Pass, Ships Return to Shore

Chapter 52 A Thousand Ships Sail Past, Yet One Returns to Port

Lu Guifan lowered his eyes and gave a faint smile.

He absentmindedly touched the index finger of his right hand.

Earlier, when Jiang Ruotang had jokingly threatened to bite him if he didn’t let go, Lu Guifan’s heart had felt as if it had been grazed by something delicate yet piercing.

Blood rushed to his head in that moment, and he couldn’t maintain his usual composure while watching Jiang Ruotang playfully refuse to yield. Instead, he let go.

Even though he had released him, he felt oddly regretful, and found himself wanting to touch him again.

His fingers reacted faster than his mind, making contact with Jiang Ruotang’s lips.

Lu Guifan couldn’t help but wonder—after eighteen years of playing by the rules, had he just crossed a line with Jiang Ruotang?

Luckily, the ever-carefree Jiang Ruotang didn’t seem to mind.

His mother was still debating with his father which homecooked meals to prepare for Lawyer Hong’s children from Monday to Sunday.

Lu Guifan smiled inwardly. It was good—his mother had found a new purpose in life again.

He returned to his room and began organizing the scratch paper Jiang Ruotang had left behind. That was when he noticed a cup placed right against the wall.

It was the milk tea cup Jiang Ruotang had brought with him while studying earlier. Printed on it was the word "FAIRY," likely a promotional pop-top cup from a newly opened store.

Lu Guifan picked it up and shook it—the milk tea inside had already been finished. When he opened the lid, the straw popped out with a soft *click*, like a pebble dropping into his chest.

He took a photo of the cup and sent it to Jiang Ruotang: [Do you still want this cup?]

Not long after, Jiang Ruotang replied: [Yes! Yes! Yes! I'll use it at your place to drink water.]

Lu Guifan’s mouth quirked upward slowly, unconsciously.

He carried the cup to the kitchen, opened the lid, and rinsed out the milk tea residue.

When he picked up the lid, his fingers brushed against the straw—the very spot Jiang Ruotang’s lips had touched.

Maybe Jiang Ruotang had even bitten it, or pressed his tongue against it.

Lu Guifan closed his eyes, trying to recall Jiang Ruotang sipping from this cup, but it was such an ordinary moment in their lives that he couldn’t quite remember. A strange sense of regret washed over him.

When he realized his fingers were still gripping the straw, he recoiled as if burned.

A fantasy took root in his mind—a wild horse thrashing in the depths of his soul, desperate to run free. But once he crossed a certain line, the cravings would only intensify.

—A prelude to insatiable desire.

Lu Guifan closed his eyes and exhaled deeply.

Another weekend was approaching. After receiving Jiang Ruotang’s last-minute funding, the smartphone brand Xiaolan had finally completed production and testing of its latest model. It was preparing to launch at the domestic smartphone expo over the weekend, followed by investment meetings with groups like Deyi Tianxia and Yangcheng Group.

On Thursday evening, before the expo, He Zhangqin handed several prototype units to Mr. Zheng for testing.

By Friday noon, Mr. Zheng—with nothing pressing to do—strolled to the entrance of Beicheng Guangyao and left the phone at the reception desk. He sent a message to Jiang Ruotang: [Your own investment—put it through its paces.]

Jiang Ruotang picked up the phone and sat on the reception desk chair, eagerly unwrapping the box and inspecting the phone in his hands.

He had originally wanted to print his artwork onto the phone, but the idea was vetoed during a meeting—metal casing couldn’t replicate the texture of oil paintings. However, Mr. He assured him the artwork would still be showcased elsewhere to impress potential investors.

The new phone had a more premium feel than before—a brushed metal casing, glossy edges, rounded corners, a slim profile, and a comfortable grip. It held its own against high-end imported smartphones at all.

Jiang Ruotang excitedly turned it on. When the Xiaolan system interface appeared, he froze.

He hastily inserted his SIM card and tested various functions—browsing the web, everything worked smoothly. The only thing left was to check the battery life.

Carrying the bag, Jiang Ruotang slipped in through the back door of the classroom and stopped beside Lu Guifan, once again studying the graceful slope of his neck.

Unable to resist, he poked it with a finger before immediately retracting his hand.

Lu Guifan slowly woke up, fetching his glasses from the desk drawer before looking up at Jiang Ruotang. “What is it?”

“Step outside a minute,” Jiang Ruotang grinned, whispering.

His joy was contagious.

If any other classmate had been woken up mid-nap, they might’ve been annoyed. But Lu Guifan quietly stood up and followed Jiang Ruotang without complaint, stopping at the end of the hallway.

Jiang Ruotang handed him the paper bag, looking like a child waiting for a sticker from his teacher. “Open it.”

Lu Guifan pulled out the contents—a smartphone box.

If anyone else had given him something so expensive, he would’ve politely declined.

But this was from Jiang Ruotang.

Lu Guifan knew him well enough—he wouldn’t gift a phone without reason, nor would he wear such an expectant expression.

He took out the phone—a solid but well-balanced device.

Holding down the power button, the screen lit up. A brief chime sounded before the Xiaolan system interface appeared.

The calm sea, moonbeams piercing the tattered sails.

—Gui Fan System 3.0

*A thousand sails passed, the ship returns to shore—Xiaolan stays by your side.*

Lu Guifan gazed in stunned silence for a long moment before realizing why Jiang Ruotang had given him this phone.

“Suits you, doesn’t it?” Jiang Ruotang grinned.

Lu Guifan parted his lips wordlessly. He remembered Jiang Ruotang once asking if his painting could be used for a phone brand—he just hadn’t expected it to be Xiaolan’s latest model.

“Every person who uses this phone will see your name when they turn it on. Hahaha!”

Jiang Ruotang leaned in, studying Lu Guifan’s expression.

“You… aren’t actually embarrassed, are you?”

“No… I was just thinking—why didn’t you paint crabapple flowers? Western or weeping crabapples are both beautiful…”

Jiang Ruotang tilted his head. “*Crabapple System 3.0*… sounds weird. Besides, if you ever become some renowned scholar, this system’s name will make you look even cooler.”

Lu Guifan was torn between laughter and tears, but this peculiar sensation was unprecedented—like some profound, wordless proclamation, deafening yet comprehensible to him alone.

It was trust. Admiration. A desperate urge to show the whole world how amazing Lu Guifan was.

Lu Guifan was no fool. Jiang Ruotang had tinkered with his old 200-yuan Xiaolan smartphone. His painting had been made into the startup screen. His painting's very concept had even been used as the system’s name. Jiang Ruotang—or the Jiang family—likely had a stake in this phone.

"I hope this phone won't be a flop after it hits the market," Lu Guifan chuckled. "Otherwise, you'll blame me for bringing it bad luck."

"No way! Hurry up and switch your SIM card. Let me know how it performs after you test it—any major flaws?" Jiang Ruotang perked up.

"Alright." Lu Guifan nodded.

Jiang Ruotang pulled another phone from his pocket and waved it in front of Lu Guifan. "I got one too, hehe."

The two returned to the classroom, and Lu Guifan put the phone through its paces.

Just before class started, Lin Lu, who sat next to him, woke up. He spotted Jiang Ruotang fiddling with a new phone and peeked over. "Huh? Ruo Tang, you got a new phone?"

Jiang Ruotang nodded matter-of-factly. "Yeah, a new model. A buddy hooked me up."

Lin Lu asked curiously, "Which brand?"

"Xiaolan."

"Oh." Lin Lu nodded. "That brand's been around for years. Their older designs were pretty dated, but this new one looks decent."

"Yeah, the system runs pretty smoothly," Jiang Ruotang agreed.

"But it's not as famous as Ark. Ark has better design and camera features. Word is Ark's got a pretty high market share among college students." Though Lin Lu was just comparing the two phones, his tone carried a hint of pride.

Jiang Ruotang smirked to himself. Ark had indeed been popular on campuses for a while, but then its faulty batteries caused a total brand meltdown. Plus, Ark had copied M-brand's designs and got sued, nearly going bankrupt from the fines before exiting the smartphone market altogether.

"Oh? How do you know so much? I thought you had zero interest in domestic smartphones," Jiang Ruotang asked with a smile.

"My dad invested in Ark. Wanna go to the phone expo this weekend?" Lin Lu asked.

Jiang Ruotang gave his usual excuse: "Ah? I have to go to the art studio this weekend. The unified examination is getting closer—can’t skip class."

Lin Lu had expected that answer. He wasn’t really counting on Jiang Ruotang to go anyway, so he turned to Bai Yingchuan instead. "Ying Chuan, you coming? It’s about supporting domestic smartphone development. Your agent could even spin it into a nice PR piece."

Bai Yingchuan glanced at Jiang Ruotang and his new phone before replying flatly, "Depends. Not sure if I’ll be free."

"Then let’s confirm this weekend," Lin Lu said cheerfully.

Jiang Ruotang thought to himself—he didn’t remember Lin Chengdong investing in Ark smartphones in his past life. Maybe because Cai Ji hadn’t handed over his little game, Lin Chengdong’s investment there flopped, so he shifted his cash-draining obsession to smartphones.

That was just his style—jumping on trends to make quick cash without ever digging into product quality.

A quick Google search would’ve shown him all the complaints about Ark’s battery issues from college students.

Jiang Ruotang glanced at Bai Yingchuan and realized why Lin Lu had specifically invited him—to endorse Ark. Even if Bai Yingchuan just wandered near Ark’s booth for a bit, posing with a phone, it’d attract fans and generate free marketing.

Talk about a free ride—milking Bai Yingchuan’s clout without paying endorsement or ad fees.

Over the weekend, Jiang Ruotang played good student and went to the art studio, while Zhao Zhangfeng took Cai Ji to the smartphone expo.

After finishing his morning sketch, Jiang Ruotang checked his phone and saw a bunch of texts from Zhao Zhangfeng.

[Dude, you won't believe this—a phone exploded!]

[Some middle schooler was playing a game on a demo phone while charging it, and it overheated. Luckily, the kid dropped it before it blew—could’ve lost fingers!]

[The parents called the cops! Crowd’s going wild—complete madhouse!]

[Lin Chengdong rushed over! Wait, didn’t Lin Lu say his dad invested in this brand?]

[You still drawing? I’ve been spamming you—why no reaction?]

Jiang Ruotang sighed and replied: [Just finished my sketch. You guys okay? Is the expo still going?]

Zhao Zhangfeng immediately called.

Jiang Ruotang stepped out into the hallway to take it.

"Lin Chengdong looked like someone dug up his ancestors’ graves! I’d kill to know how much he invested. Rolls out of bed on a weekend to this trainwreck!"

Jiang Ruotang didn’t care about Ark—he wanted Xiaolan’s status. "So, was the expo canceled?"

"Nah. It’s a huge event—not just Ark. The crowd around Ark’s booth was insane, so Cai Cai, Bai Yingchuan, and I checked out other brands."

Jiang Ruotang frowned. "Bai Yingchuan? Why’s he involved? Shouldn’t he be with Lin Lu?"

"No idea—they lost each other. We ran into him halfway. Guy was in full stealth mode—ball cap and face mask—I thought he was there to boost phones!"

Jiang Ruotang scoffed. Bai Yingchuan had probably shook Lin Lu on purpose. He clearly wanted nothing to do with the Lin family’s mess—his presence was likely Bai Yue’s doing.

His "getting lost" act accidentally saved his reputation. Otherwise, he’d be trending alongside exploding phones.

"But when Bai Yingchuan checked out Xiaolan’s new phone with us, fans recognized him. So many people swarmed for selfies—Cai Cai and I nearly got trampled."

Jiang Ruotang smirked. So Ark missed out on Bai Yingchuan’s clout, but Xiaolan scored it.

Sweet—major promo bucks saved.

He opened Weibo and saw #ArkSmartphoneExplodesAtExpo trending at No. 9 in social news.

Too bad the photos didn’t capture Lin Chengdong’s panic.

Meanwhile, entertainment trending blared #BaiYingchuanEndorsesXiaolanSmartphone.

The contrast was pretty damn ironic.

Thanks to Bai Yingchuan’s influence, Xiaolan reportedly got over a hundred pre-orders at the expo, and staff were swamped.

After lunch, Jiang Ruotang got back to painting until class ended at 5 PM. As he packed his art supplies, his phone buzzed—Mu Xianqing was calling.

Huh. That was fast.

"Hey, Mu Ge, what’s up?" Jiang Ruotang tucked the phone between his ear and shoulder while wrapping up his paints.

"Got a minute?"

Jiang Ruotang’s lips curved slightly, but his tone stayed neutral. "About what?"

"I’m calling you on Xiaolan’s latest model. Least you could do is grab dinner?" Mu Xianqing’s voice held knowing amusement. "I’m waiting outside your studio."

Jiang Ruotang sighed. Guess I'm stuck with dinner.

He went downstairs, handed his supplies to Xiao Gao, and made his way to a jet-black Bentley—subtly flashy. Just as he reached for the door, Mu Xianqing stepped out and opened the passenger side himself.

"CEO Jiang, your ride's ready."

Jiang Ruotang shot him an obvious eye-roll—*Keep it up and I'm out.*

Mu Xianqing finally cut the crap, smirking lazily as usual.

He drove while asking Jiang Ruotang about what he had painted during class, carefully avoiding the phone topic.

Mu Xianqing took him to a high-end Western restaurant with sparse seating and exorbitant prices.

The tables were spaced far apart, so conversations stayed private unless spoken too loudly, making it impossible to overhear.

Mu Xianqing chose a seat by the floor-to-ceiling window, which overlooked an elegant little garden bathed in the golden hues of sunset, like something out of a painting.

As soon as the appetizers were served, Mu Xianqing dropped the pleasantries and got straight to the point.

He picked up Xiaolan’s new phone and gave it a light shake. “I had to turn it on and off dozens of times just to get a good look at that painting.”

“Hmm.” Jiang Ruotang leisurely forked a bite of roasted vegetables into his mouth.

“This boot-up screen—though digitally processed—has brushstrokes, color composition, and artistic conception that feel undeniably yours, my talented friend.” Mu Xianqing’s gaze settled on him.

He wasn’t just asking about the painting’s origin but also probing Jiang Ruotang’s connection to Xiaolan.

“I did paint it, and I did invest in Xiaolan—though not much, only a few million. Mr. He was grateful for my timely support, so he made me one of Xiaolan’s original stakeholders.”

Jiang Ruotang lifted his eyes to meet Mu Xianqing’s, finding curiosity and amusement in the other man’s expression, his lips curled in a clear smile.

“So that’s how it is. But you must know Deyi Tianxia won’t choose Xiaolan just because you’re an investor, right?”

Jiang Ruotang shrugged. “Then what? You’d ignore Xiaolan—with its mature system, smooth performance, long battery life, and stellar reputation—just to throw Ark a lifeline from its ‘battery gate’?”

Mu Xianqing got momentarily tongue-tied, his playful demeanor fading as his expression turned serious.

“Couldn’t you have given that painting to me? You’d rather let Xiaolan use it as a boot-up screen than hand it over? Once you’re famous, we could’ve collaborated on an artist-edition model to boost the brand's cachet.”

Jiang Ruotang shook his head. “That painting isn’t for sale.”

Mu Xianqing covered his face. “‘Not for sale’ means it’s about your crush, right? Then why give it to Xiaolan?”

“Because… he’s a Xiaolan smartphone user.”

Even in his past life, at twenty-eight, Lu Guifan still carried a Xiaolan phone in his pocket.

He used it to text Jiang Ruotang, call him, and even play games together.

“Right, right—Xiaolan even named their operating system ‘Gui Fan’! Don’t tell me his name is Gui Fan!” Mu Xianqing’s sarcasm was pure sour grapes.

“…It is.” Jiang Ruotang replied.

Mu Xianqing froze for a moment before bursting into laughter, his shoulders shaking.

“Are you just a lovesick fool, or incurably romantic?”

Jiang Ruotang thought for a while. “Just my personal romance, I suppose.”

But at this point, Jiang Ruotang could sense Deyi Tianxia’s keen interest in Xiaolan, so he decided to fan the flames further.

“With Ark’s disaster, Yangcheng Group—which was initially more interested in Ark—will now turn its attention to Xiaolan. So… Brother Mu, Deyi Tianxia better decide quickly. Wait too long, and the opportunity will slip away.”

Mu Xianqing chuckled, his gaze growing more solemn as he looked at Jiang Ruotang. “Then let's make this partnership work in the smartphone industry.”

“Mm.” Jiang Ruotang gave a slight nod.

On Monday, He Zhangqin took his team to Deyi Tianxia’s headquarters for an investment pitch. The process went far more smoothly than he’d expected.

He had assumed Deyi Tianxia would take at least a month, if not a full quarter, to decide. But while in the elevator, he received a call from Yangcheng Group—proof that Xiaolan had suddenly become a hot property among investors.

Just as he finished the call politely, Mu He’s assistant, who was escorting him out, spoke up. “There’s no need to visit Yangcheng Group. Our investment had already cleared committee, and our terms are far better than theirs. Today’s presentation was just a formality.”

He Zhangqin stood stunned by his car door for a long time.

He had thought he’d hit his lowest point, only to find the path ahead suddenly wide open.

But deep down, he knew—without Jiang Ruotang’s make-or-break investment, he’d never have stood a chance before Deyi Tianxia.

Leaning against his car window, He Zhangqin bowed his head, tears flowing freely.

Choking up, he called Zheng Huasheng to share Deyi Tianxia’s decision, repeating “Thank you” to Mr. Zheng over and over.

As for Lin Chengdong, he was now in a state of panicked frenzy.

The middle schooler had been playing a small game he’d invested in—developed as a promotional tie-in for Ark smartphones. But that piece-of-junk phone couldn’t even handle a simple game without overheating.

“What in God's name happened? Why did the battery explode? Explain this to me!”

The Ark team could only reply helplessly, “This was your specifications—the phone had to be ultra-thin and light. You insisted on reducing the battery size, which caused the circuits to warp and short… We raised red flags about this!”