Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Of the three, Yan Qing was the most agitated.

He fixed his gaze on Ye Weian and said, "I need to speak with you."

Ye Weian glanced at Zhou Huaichen and replied, "Alright, go ahead."

Yan Qing frowned. "Here?"

He, too, looked at Zhou Huaichen. "Isn't this rather inconvenient?"

Ye Weian crossed his arms. "You want to come inside? That's not out of the question."

—[Just afraid someone might get jealous.]

—[Sigh, I’ll have to make it up to him later.]

Zhou Huaichen looked up at him and slowly said, "You two talk; I won’t disturb you."

Though he said that, his voice carried a hint of grievance.

Ye Weian: "..."

—[The 'green tea' act is online.]

—[It's just that I really can't bear to see him upset.]

—[Let’s just talk at the door.]

Zhou Huaichen: "..."

He tried hard to suppress a smile, his gaze softening as he looked gently at Ye Weian and said, "Go ahead."

Ye Weian could tell he was genuinely sincere this time and couldn’t help but eye him suspiciously.

—[No jealousy now?]

He was actually a bit disappointed.

The system was also disappointed.

Weren’t they supposed to fight?!

Zhou Huaichen, however, demonstrated his magnanimity through action. After giving Ye Weian a subtle smile, he turned and closed the door.

From start to finish, he didn’t even glance at Yan Qing.

Yan Qing felt utterly wronged.

Zhou Huaichen was the one he had set his sights on first, yet Ye Weian had cut in. What made it even more frustrating was that Zhou Huaichen never paid him any attention, always revolving around Ye Weian.

He couldn’t understand—where did he fall short compared to Ye Weian?

So many people had succumbed to his charm, so why did Zhou Huaichen completely overlook him?

But it didn’t matter; there was still an opportunity.

He would pretend to accept Ye Weian's proposal, and once he secured Ye Weian’s assets, he would immediately dump Ye Weian and pursue Zhou Huaichen.

By then, with billions to his name, Zhou Huaichen would surely view him differently.

—After much thought, he determined that wealth was his only shortcoming compared to Ye Weian.

Ye Weian had no idea Yan Qing still harbored designs on Zhou Huaichen. He invited Yan Qing into the room and came directly to the point: "Have you come to a decision?"

Yan Qing: "I need to clarify a few points."

Ye Weian: "Go ahead."

Yan Qing: "If I agree now, can we sign the contract immediately?"

Ye Weian: "Of course."

He turned and produced two copies of the contract from his suitcase, saying, "I’ve already had my lawyer prepare them. Once you sign, they’ll become legally binding upon notarization."

Yan Qing gazed fixedly at the contract, as if already envisioning himself as a billionaire, his eyes burning with ambition.

Ye Weian tutted and said to the system, "See, no one can resist billions."

The system, unhappy that Yan Qing stood to gain so much, became contrary: "I could resist it! Yan Qing fails the test!"

Ye Weian remarked drily, "But you’re not human."

The system: "..."

...Well, that was true.

Yan Qing reluctantly tore his gaze from the contract and looked at Ye Weian: "I have one more demand."

Demand?

Ye Weian raised an eyebrow: "Name it."

Yan Qing said deliberately: "You have to promise me you’ll never see President Zhou again."

Ye Weian: "?"

The system immediately flared up: "Is he ever going to stop?!"

The system: "Damn it, once he gets the money, I’ll hack his account and leave him penniless!"

Ye Weian: "...Calm down."

The system: "Who is he to stop you from seeing President Zhou?!"

When it came to his ship, the system couldn’t stay calm.

The system: "Now I understand—he definitely hasn’t given up on President Zhou! He’s afraid you’ll win him over!"

Ye Weian: "..."

The system might be right; Yan Qing was still interested in Zhou Huaichen.

The system: "How infuriating!"

The system: "I'd like to hit him!"

But Ye Weian remained composed.

He stared blankly at Yan Qing and said, "No deal."

Yan Qing's face instantly darkened. "Do you still want to be involved with President Zhou even after being with me?"

"Of course," Ye Weian casually lied. "I've already discussed it with President Zhou. Once I transfer all my assets to you, I'll go to him for a loan to make a comeback."

Yan Qing: "..."

This was a reason he hadn't anticipated.

He glared at Ye Weian for a long time before finally forcing out, "I'll lend you the money. Don't go to President Zhou."

Ye Weian: Well, well!

To prevent him from interacting with A Chen, Yan Qing was really going all out.

He continued bluffing, "I don't want your money. I don't take handouts."

Yan Qing: "..."

His face flushed bright red, clearly enraged.

After a long silence, he said coldly, "This is my only condition. If you agree, I'll sign the contract immediately. If not, we're through."

"Don't forget, it was you who fell deeply in love with me, you who chased after me, you who insisted on being with me." Feeling he had grasped Ye Weian's weakness, he said coldly, "Think about it carefully."

With that, he turned arrogantly and walked out the door.

Ye Weian: "..."

Unbelievable.

System: "..."

Damn, unbelievable.

Yan Qing felt a surge of satisfaction, having put Ye Weian in his place.

As he walked out of Ye Weian's room, he glanced back at Zhou Huaichen's room, his gaze becoming longing and affectionate.

President Zhou, wait for me.

He whispered silently in his heart.

Ye Weian happened to catch Yan Qing's gaze and couldn't help but tut.

A Chen is so charismatic.

After Yan Qing left the courtyard, he texted Zhou Huaichen: "Yan Qing is gone."

Zhou Huaichen arrived quickly.

He strolled into the room and stood beside Ye Weian, remarking casually, "The main squeeze is gone. Is President Ye planning to sneak around with me?"

Ye Weian: "..."

—[So much jealousy!]

—[But the idea of an affair is so hot!]

Zhou Huaichen chuckled.

He eyed the contract Ye Weian had placed on the coffee table and asked, "Didn't it go well?"

Ye Weian looked at him. "How did you know?"

Zhou Huaichen: "From the time Yan Qing entered until now, it's been less than five minutes. I assume the talk went south."

Ye Weian praised, "Smart."

Suddenly, he locked eyes with Zhou Huaichen. "He gave an ultimatum."

Zhou Huaichen met his gaze. "Oh?"

Ye Weian: "He wants me to never see you again."

Zhou Huaichen frowned.

Ye Weian looked at him. "I suspect Yan Qing hasn't given up on trying to get with you."

—[This flirt, absolutely not!]

Zhou Huaichen, who had been standing face-to-face with him and already very close, closed the distance.

Their bodies were almost touching.

Zhou Huaichen dipped his head slightly, his voice deep and raspy. "Jealous?"

The scent of grapes from him drifted between them, like a seductive temptress in the night.

Ye Weian was instantly captivated, lost in his grape scent.

—[Mmm, A Chen, you little temptress, you’ve got me hooked.]

Zhou Huaichen gave a low laugh, leaned close to his ear, and murmured, "There's only one person in my heart."

His fingertip gently traced Ye Weian's earlobe and hovered near his mouth. "You know who it is."

Ye Weian's heart raced. "...Yeah."

—[I know, you temptress.]

—[If you keep this up, I’m finished!]

Amusement flickered in Zhou Huaichen's eyes as he took a step back, maintaining a respectful distance as if his earlier boldness had been a momentary impulse.

With a gentle expression, he looked at Ye Weian and said, "Get some sleep."

Then he turned and left.

Ye Weian watched his retreating back disappear down the corridor, muttering under his breath. "Tease!"

...

Zhou Huaichen returned to his room, his gentle demeanor from earlier replaced by a grim expression, the smile in his eyes completely gone.

He walked to the desk, his fingers absently tapping the surface, and finally placed a call to Li Ceng. "Pull everything on Ye Corporation's industries and financials from the past twenty years. Have it on my desk within three days."

He looked down, staring at the phone on the desk.

The phone screen was still lit; the background was a photo of him and Ye Weian.

The photo was indeed well-captured, carrying a timeless sense, as if he and Wei An would be together forever.

At this moment, he desired nothing more than to be with Ye Weian for a long time.

But Yan Qing actually wouldn't let Wei An see him... Where did Yan Qing get the confidence to make such a request?

The phone screen dimmed, and Zhou Huaichen's gaze grew increasingly somber.

If Ye Weian had to be with Yan Qing to obtain freedom, he would let Ye Weian accept Yan Qing's terms.

It didn't matter much anyway. Even if Ye Weian couldn't see him, he could still go to see Ye Weian.

But... he couldn't let Yan Qing have all the advantages.

Having Li Ceng collect information on the Ye family was his preparation to trample Yan Qing underfoot.

—If Yan Qing obtained the Ye family's assets tomorrow, he would begin dealing with Yan Qing tomorrow.

As he pondered, his phone rang. A message from an unknown source appeared in his File Assistant: "Search for the 'One Leaf in Arms' Super Topic. There's a surprise you wouldn't expect waiting for you."

Zhou Huaichen: "?"

Super Topic?

He recalled Ye Weian also talking about a Super Topic during the day, and his gaze paused.

What was the "One Leaf in Arms" Super Topic?

Zhou Huaichen wasn't much of a Weibo user, so he wasn’t aware that Super Topics were a feature unique to Weibo.

After some thought, he called Qi Zhangbai.

Among the people he knew, Qi Zhangbai had the most time to spend online and should know what a Super Topic was.

Qi Zhangbai was shooting a night scene on set and was very surprised by Zhou Huaichen's question: "Super Topic?"

He thought it was strange—the esteemed president of the Zhou Group was actually interested in Super Topics?

But he still obligingly explained: "Simply put, a Super Topic is a feature launched by Weibo to make it easier for fans to interact. For example, Lin Chang's fans created a Super Topic called 'Lin Chang,' where they share their love for him and share pictures of Lin Chang."

Nearby, Lin Chang heard the director mention his name and looked over curiously.

Qi Zhangbai glanced at him and turned his back toward him.

Lin Chang: "..."

Zhou Huaichen became thoughtful.

Fans.

One Leaf in Arms.

Ye Weian, Zhou Huaichen.

Combined with the earlier hacker story that had him and Ye Weian as the main characters, he could naturally guess what was going on.

...

In the next room, the system, seeing that President Zhou had read its message and logged into Weibo to search for "One Leaf in Arms," excitedly reported to Ye Weian: "President Zhou has also gone to the Super Topic!"

Ye Weian had just finished washing up and was about to go to bed. Hearing this, he paused and said seriously, "What did you say?"

The system was still excited: "President Zhou can learn various positions now!"

The system: "Host, you should thank me!"

Ye Weian: "..."

Thinking of the stories that can't be described in the Super Topic and the fact that A Chen would also see them, he fell into a strange silence, his ears slowly turning red.

Suppressing the heat on his face, he said quietly, "System, you should know that CP fans hate it the most when their content is shown directly to the real people, right?"

The system: "..."

The system weakly defended itself: "I was just afraid President Zhou might be inexperienced and hurt you the first time."

The system: "It’s always good for President Zhou to learn more about positions."

Ye Weian: "..."

The... first time?

System, say that again?

Author's note: Dear readers, here’s the update—3K+ for now.

The second update will be posted promptly at 3 p.m.!

Thank you all so much for your support. I’ll keep working hard!