Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Zhou Huaichen quickly changed his profile picture to a cutesy zombie king avatar.

Ye Weian was very satisfied.

The system continued to tut-tut: "Two high-profile tycoons using such childish cartoon avatars—why don't you just go back to elementary school?"

Ye Weian: "I like it."

The cartoon images indeed didn’t match his and A Chen's tycoon demeanor, but who cared when they were willing to do so?

He posted the same update on his Moments, with identical text and images as Zhou Huaichen’s.

Director Chen and Lin Chang were naturally among the first to send their congratulations.

Other relatives and friends also came to congratulate him, but since the original host didn’t have many friends, Ye Weian received very few messages.

However, Yan Qing saw his post and commented two words underneath: "Hehe."

Ye Weian: "?"

What’s with the "hehe"?

He then remembered that he had never blocked Yan Qing, so he decisively added him to the blacklist.

After that, he called President Wang of Lemon Entertainment and instructed him to prepare to terminate the contract with Yan Qing and officially freeze him out.

Zhou Huaichen was right beside him. After hearing the call, the corners of his lips lifted slightly.

Ye Weian happened to notice his smile and asked, puzzled, "What are you laughing at?"

Zhou Huaichen booped his nose: "I’m happy."

Ye Weian: "?"

Zhou Huaichen’s thumb moved from Ye Weian’s nose to his earlobe: "You’re freezing Yan Qing out."

Ye Weian understood.

*“So he’s happy that I’m freezing Yan Qing out.”*

*“He's so cute!”*

*“I want to kiss him.”*

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Zhou Huaichen bent down and kissed him.

...

Around three in the afternoon, the two set out to leave Yongshan.

Before their departure, the director insisted on sending them off.

Zhou Huaichen had already asked President Li of Ziyun Entertainment to discuss investment matters with the director, and Ye Weian had also instructed President Wang of Lemon Entertainment to contact the director. In total, the director scored 80 million in investment and was practically ready to enshrine them as ancestors.

Ye Weian: "?"

Do all directors have a habit of casually calling people "dad"?

He immediately declined the director’s intention to claim him as "dad."

One Director Chen was enough—he didn't need more directors calling him "dad."

Ye Weian looked at the director and said, "I have one request."

The director said obsequiously, "Please, go ahead!"

It didn’t matter if it was one request—even ten or eight, he would agree!

*

Around nine in the evening, Ye Weian and Zhou Huaichen arrived at Capital Airport.

As soon as Zhou Huaichen landed, he received a call from Li Ceng. A project abroad had hit a snag and required urgent handling, which needed his signature.

Seeing this, Ye Weian said, "Go ahead. Grandpa Lin sent a driver to pick me up. I’ll go back on my own."

He knew Zhou Huaichen was busy. Accompanying him to Yongshan for two days had already let work pile up. Now, with this emergency, Zhou Huaichen might have to work through the night. He couldn’t help but feel a bit worried and added, "Look after yourself."

In fact, he wasn’t free either. Sister Long and Brother Zhang had also sent urgent emails, and he would have to deal with them once he got home.

Zhou Huaichen gave his fingers a squeeze and said softly, "I want to get you home."

Ye Weian leaned in to kiss him: "Go ahead."

*“This guy's so clingy.”*

*“I must immediately establish a set of rules against acting cute—a hundred rules banning his cute antics.”*

*“Aww, actually, I don't want him to go either.”*

Zhou Huaichen’s gaze darkened slightly as he reached out and pulled Ye Weian into an embrace.

The two held one another for a long time but eventually went their separate ways at the airport, each heading home.

Zhou Huaichen watched Ye Weian leave before turning to get into the car.

On the way, he received a call from the family elder, insisting that he return to the family estate that night.

Zhou Huaichen had no choice but to ask Li Ceng to reroute to the family estate. Thinking about the grilling he would face from the elder later, he couldn’t help but feel a headache brewing.

...

Ye Weian also had a headache.

As soon as he arrived home, he saw a young man with silver-gray hair horseplaying with Ye Yi and Ye Er in the living room.

A Husky was racing around with a slipper in its mouth, the young man giving chase, while a Golden Retriever was yapping.

The house was in chaos.

To make matters worse, Grandpa Lin was standing nearby, watching with a smile, beaming fondly.

Ye Weian: "..."

He thought he'd come to the wrong house.

Hearing the noise at the door, Grandpa Lin and the young man both turned to look.

Grandpa Lin approached smiling and said, "The driver called me on the way. I guessed you’d be back soon." He took the suitcase from Ye Weian and pointed to the young man, adding, "Young Master Jia has been waiting here for you since this afternoon."

This young man was Ye Jia.

Ye Jia excitedly ran over and grabbed Ye Weian's arm: "Bro, come with me!"

The next moment, Ye Weian was unexpectedly pulled into the yard by Ye Jia.

Ye Jia took out his phone, opened an app, fiddled with it for a moment, and then a series of crackling firecracker sounds started blasting from his phone.

As it happened, his phone was connected to the Bluetooth speaker at home, and in an instant, the entire yard was filled with the lively crackling of firecrackers, creating the festive atmosphere of Chinese New Year.

Ye Weian: "!"

Where did this mischievous kid come from?!

Fortunately, the Ye family's old residence was located on a mountain, with no houses nearby, so it wouldn't disturb the neighbors.

Grandpa Lin stood at the entrance, beaming at them.

It had been a long time since the house had been so lively, and the smile on Grandpa Lin's face never left his face.

If it weren't for the fact that Grandpa Lin was so happy, Ye Weian would have already rolled up his sleeves and thrown this mischievous kid, Ye Jia, out.

After setting off the firecrackers, Ye Jia pulled Ye Weian back into the house and said, "I asked the servants to prepare mugwort water. Let them sprinkle some on you to ward off bad luck."

"I also asked the kitchen to prepare a full banquet. Bro, you've finally broken up with Yan Qing—we should celebrate for three days and three nights!"

Ye Weian: "..."

The System: "Host, this brother of yours is pretty good. I like him."

Ye Weian: "..."

A brat like this needs some discipline.

He walked without changing expression toward the entrance and said coldly, "Ye Jia, if you're bored, come to the company tomorrow and help me."

Ye Jia stopped in his tracks and exclaimed in shock, "Bro, what did I do wrong this time? Why are you punishing me in such a cruel way?"

He had no grand ambitions, no bad habits—at most, he played games and bought some figurines. The family dividends and allowance from his family were enough to last him a lifetime. He had no intention of going to work and suffering!

He knew perfectly well how hard it was to work in a company. Especially as a CEO—it was the toughest job. As the CEO's brother, and with his brother clearly intending to put him through the wringer, he was bound to suffer a lot.

He didn't want that!

After hearing his confession, Ye Weian turned around and stared at him.

Ye Jia nervously backed up a step: "Bro?"

Did he upset his brother by dragging him outside to set off firecrackers?

But aside from losing his head when it came to Yan Qing, his brother wasn't usually so petty...

Ye Weian said coldly, "Report to the company at nine o'clock sharp tomorrow. If you're even a minute late, just wait and see."

I won't allow anyone to be more of a slacker than me.

This brother of mine must shape up!

Ye Jia: "..."

He suddenly regretted coming to the old residence today to stir up trouble.

When Ye Jia's father got wind of this, he was overjoyed.

In the early years, Elder Ye's two younger brothers had been restless and tried to seize power, but Elder Ye dealt with them, gradually pushing both families out of the Ye Corporation's inner circle. Over the years, they had tried to repair their relationship with the old residence but made no progress.

It was rare for Ye Jia to catch Ye Weian's eye—surely, he would have a bright future ahead.

Ye Jia's father crowed to his brothers and sisters and, that very night, found a well-fitted suit for Ye Jia, making sure he would go to work the next day looking his most spirited.

Ye Jia: "..."

Really, he regretted it deeply.

After dealing with the mischievous kid, Ye Weian felt particularly satisfied.

He sent a WeChat message to Zhou Huaichen: "I'm home."

He also took a photo of the two silly sons, Ye Yi and Ye Er, and sent it to Zhou Huaichen.

Zhou Huaichen quickly replied with a voice message: "Get some rest. Good night."

Ye Weian felt that the metaphorical "grape-like sweetness" in his voice was a bit fainter but didn't think much of it. Perhaps the overseas project was too challenging, and A Chen was too busy and tired, causing the grape flavor to fade slightly.

He didn't disturb Zhou Huaichen further, took a bath, and returned to his room to tackle emails.

...

When Zhou Huaichen sent the voice message to Ye Weian, he had just arrived at the old residence.

Only after entering did he realize that his father had insisted he come home not to question him about Ye Weian, but because Zhu Hongke's father had brought Zhu Ziyan to propose marriage.

When his father saw him, he immediately waved him over: "Come, come. Your Uncle Zhu rarely visits. You should entertain him." He stood up with his cane, looking as if he wanted to wash his hands of the matter. "I'm old and can't stay up late. I'm going to bed first."

Zhou Huaichen looked at him expressionlessly.

His father: "..."

You brat, you caused this mess—should I clean it up for you?

Zhou Huaichen's gaze was cold: You let them in.

His father tapped his cane on the floor: They came in the middle of the night—how could I turn them away?

The father and son had a wordless exchange for a moment.

Zhou Huaichen said calmly, "Dad, you should stay too."

His father: "..."

What a disaster. This brat only knows how to annoy me.

His father sat back on the sofa grim-faced.

Zhou Huaichen turned to Zhu's father and said, "Does Hong Ke know you're here?"

Zhu's father stiffened: "No... Hong Ke has his own place. I haven't had the chance to tell him yet."

"Is that so?" Zhou Huaichen's expression was cold, his voice icy. "If you're here as a guest, we welcome you. But if you have any other purpose, I have only one thing to say: it's impossible."

He didn't even glance at Zhu Ziyan, keeping his eyes fixed on Old Zhu as he said, "If you don’t want to affect the friendship and business between our families, or my relationship with Zhu Hongke, never bring this up again."

He directly used the business ties between the two families and his relationship with Zhu Hongke as leverage to threaten Old Zhu, forcing him to weigh the consequences.

Old Zhu’s face instantly fell: "A-Chen, look, my Ziyan grew up with you..."

Zhou Huaichen cut him off: "I already have a partner. When we get engaged, I will send an invitation to the Zhu family."

He slowly unfastened the cufflink on his wrist and added, "Zhu Hongke is aware that I have a partner."

"I advise you to discuss such foolish actions with Zhu Hongke before attempting anything like this again."

His words were blunt, almost mercilessly cutting off any further argument from Old Zhu.

Zhu Ziyan covered her face and began to cry: "Brother Chen, do you... do you have no feelings for me at all?"

She had been filming out of town when she saw Zhou Huaichen’s Moments post that afternoon. Shocked and flustered, she immediately booked a flight back.

Driven by intense resentment, she went to find Zhou Huaichen.

Her parents supported her, and this time, her father accompanied her to suggest the marriage, hoping to unite the two families through marriage.

She never expected Zhou Huaichen to be so heartless, not even giving her father a chance to speak.

In her confusion, she suddenly recalled Ye Weian’s advice about pursuing whoever she liked.

So, was it Ye Weian who pursued Brother Chen and won him?

With tears in her eyes, she looked at Zhou Huaichen and asked, "If I had told you how I felt earlier, would you have noticed me?"

Zhou Huaichen finally looked at her, but his gaze was cold, as if she were a stranger: "Impossible."

"Before meeting Ye Weian, I never thought about being with anyone."

"I was the one who fell for him first, the one who confessed first." He thought of Ye Weian sleeping peacefully in his arms that afternoon, and his eyes softened gradually. "Given my nature, if I liked someone, I wouldn’t hesitate to confess."

He was telling Zhu Ziyan that if he had liked her, he would have made the first move.

But all these years, he had never made a move simply because he didn’t like her and had no romantic feelings for her.

The faint, secret hope in Zhu Ziyan’s heart shattered. She cried bitterly, almost to the point of fainting.

For a moment, the living room was filled only with her uncontrollable sobs and her father’s attempts to comfort her.

The elderly man sighed inwardly but didn’t find Zhou Huaichen’s approach wrong.

If you don’t like someone, don’t lead them on. Reject them directly—that’s the right way.

Li Ceng awkwardly shrank into a corner, pretending not to hear anything.

He had come to discuss business but ended up watching a scene unfold.

The boss’s Moments post that afternoon had set the business world abuzz. Everyone knew the boss was deeply in love with President Ye. For Miss Zhu to come and propose a marriage was nothing but asking for humiliation.

As an assistant, he knew what to say and what not to say, so he tried even harder to make himself invisible.

Zhou Huaichen turned to the elderly man and said, "Dad, you entertain Uncle Zhu." He then glanced at Li Ceng. "Come with me to the study."

Li Ceng immediately said goodbye to the elderly man and followed.

*

The incident of Old Zhu bringing Zhu Ziyan to propose marriage never reached Ye Weian’s ears.

The next day, Zhou Huaichen left for a business trip abroad and wouldn’t return for half a month. He wanted to tell Ye Weian about it in person, so he never brought it up.

As for the Zhu family, having suffered such a blow to their pride, they naturally didn’t publicize the matter.

Zhu Hongke, however, was aware of it. He went home and had it out with his parents, forbidding them to indulge his sister’s delusions. Since it was his sister’s fantasy, he felt too ashamed to mention it to Ye Weian.

Thus, Ye Weian had no idea that on the night they returned from Yongshan, someone had come to propose marriage to Zhou Huaichen.

Over the next half-month, while Zhou Huaichen was away, Ye Weian busied himself with disciplining the troublemaker Ye Jia and focused on completing the system-assigned humbling tasks.

Aside from missing Zhou Huaichen, his days were relatively leisurely.

*

In contrast to Ye Weian’s ease, Yan Qing’s life took a turn for the worse.

On the day at Yongshan, he first discovered that Ye Weian had blocked him. Soon after, the director of his drama approached him and politely suggested dropping him from the project.

Yan Qing quickly realized it must be Ye Weian’s doing.

Seething with anger, he wanted to confront Ye Weian but learned that Ye Weian and Zhou Huaichen had already returned to the capital.

Later, he tried calling Ye Weian from a new number, but each time he spoke even a single word, Ye Weian blocked him.

Yan Qing was fuming.

But this was only the beginning.

When he rushed back to the capital, determined to confront Ye Weian face-to-face, his agent stopped him, saying, "Lemon Entertainment has dropped you. Your last three endorsements and events have been canceled."

Yan Qing’s face turned pale with rage. "What does this mean?" he gritted out.

His agent sighed. "President Wang of Lemon Entertainment has quietly put out word to blacklist you. His decision undoubtedly reflects President Ye’s intentions. The Ye Group is a giant—almost no one in the entertainment industry can rival its influence."

"In other words, you’ve been completely blacklisted. I’m afraid you’ll disappear from the industry entirely."

Unless a backer like Boqing or Chi Li stepped in to support Yan Qing.

But Chi Li wasn’t part of the entertainment industry. Back then, President Ye had spent over a billion to make Yan Qing famous—would Chi Li do the same?

The agent doubted Chi Li had the means, even if he had the intention.

Compared to the Ye Group, Boqing’s foundation was still weaker.

Hearing this, Yan Qing collapsed onto the sofa, struggling to breathe.

The agent was also at a loss.

He didn’t want to give up on Yan Qing, but with the Ye Group blacklisting him and the news of President Zhou’s public declaration of love, Yan Qing was now targeted by both the Ye and Zhou families. What future did he have? The agent knew it was time to think of himself.

Yan Qing hurled his phone to the floor. "I refuse to believe Ye Weian can run everything!"

Without Bai Yuan and Xie Siming, he still had Chi Li and other admirers.

He refused to believe Ye Weian could clip his wings.

...

It was the weekend. Zhou Huaichen was still away on business, and Ye Weian, feeling bored, called Ye Jia over to his home and had him work on paperwork under his supervision.

Ye Jia: "..."

So little brothers get no rights, right?

What's even more frustrating is that his dad strongly supports his brother's tormenting methods, wishing he could ship him off to the old house.

o(╥﹏╥)o

He’s seriously regretting setting off firecrackers at the old mansion that day.

Setting off firecrackers sucks.

With the bratty little brother to amuse himself, Ye Weian has been quite happy these days.

But he misses someone.

Squatting on the ground, he rubbed Ye Yi and Ye Er’s heads and muttered, "Who knows when your other dad’s even coming back."

In fact, he video chats with Zhou Huaichen daily.

No matter how busy he is, Zhou Huaichen contacts him at three set times—morning, noon, and evening.

But being able to see him without being able to touch him frustrates Ye Weian.

He misses A Chen’s abs.

Feeling unhappy, he wanted to torment his bratty little brother even more, so he dumped another stack of files on Ye Jia.

Bratty Ye Jia: "???"

Ye Weian glanced at him: "What, you have an issue with helping me look over some files?"

Ye Jia: "...No."

Brother, please cut me some slack.

Unfortunately, he was too chicken to say it.

While the two brothers were in the study working, Ye Weian suddenly got a call from Chi Li.

Although Chi Li had been going after the Ye family and Ye Weian, Ye Weian had never met Chi Li or had any communication with him. This was the first time Chi Li had called him.

Chi Li’s voice was cold and grim: "Are you really determined to finish Yan Qing off?"

During this time, not only had Yan Qing been blacklisted, but Ye Weian had also unearthed and posted online the incidents where Yan Qing used dirty tricks to frame several young celebrities.

With ironclad proof, netizens were pissed at Yan Qing’s behavior, saying he was not fit to be a role model for teenagers and demanding he leave the entertainment industry.

As a result, Yan Qing was not only blacklisted in the industry but also saw his image collapse in the eyes of the audience.

He had no option but to quit the industry—there was no other way out.

Naturally, Yan Qing wasn’t having it but had no way to salvage his image, so he could only run to Chi Li to cry about it.

Chi Li, who had already killed two people for Yan Qing, was head over heels for him. How could he stand to see Yan Qing get treated like this? He immediately came at Ye Weian.

Ye Weian couldn’t be bothered to argue with Chi Li and simply blocked him.

Chi Li: "..."

He was furious, glaring darkly at his phone with a scowl.

After a good minute, he called his mother: "Mom, get ready. We’re throwing a birthday bash next weekend."

...

Ye Weian hung up the phone, still pissed, and turned his gaze to his bratty little brother.

Ye Jia: "???"

Brother, the look in your eyes is scary.

Did I offend you again? o(╥﹏╥)o

The system stuck up for Ye Jia: "Host, this ain’t on your brother. Please don’t blame him."

The system: "Look how freaked out he is!"

It was praying Big Boss Zhou were here—only Big Boss Zhou could chill the host out.

As if answering the system’s prayers, Zhou Huaichen’s phone rang right on time.

Seeing the name on the screen, Ye Weian’s expression instantly softened.

Zhou Huaichen’s gentle voice came through the phone: "Baby, I’m back home."

Ye Weian widened his eyes: "Say that again?"

Zhou Huaichen chuckled softly: "Yeah, I’m at Xiangzhang Lanting. I wanted to surprise you."

Ye Weian: "!!!"

Ye Jia gawked as his brother slipped on his slippers and hurried out of the study.

Was his brother... going to see Mr. Zhou?

Mr. Zhou, the lifesaver who pulled him out of the fire—he fully accepted this brother-in-law!

Author's Note: 5.5K+, 8.5K+ today.

See you tomorrow at 9 a.m., dear readers!

Thank you all for your support—I’ll keep working hard!