Chapter 30 Not Allowed

Chapter 30: You're Not Going

Yan Anxuan didn’t even need to ask to know who "Zhan" was. Asking Yan Zhoubai to dinner? Wanting Yan Zhoubai's help? What could Yan Zhoubai possibly help him with? He was the head of the entire Zhan family now—couldn’t he come up with a more plausible excuse?

Yan Anxuan set down the glass water pitcher in his hand. It landed on the solid wood desk with a dull thud, a sound that mirrored his current mood.

"Didn’t you say you weren’t familiar with Zhan Jiayu?" Yan Anxuan asked.

"Huh?" Yan Zhoubai was taken aback by the question, only then remembering that he had indeed told his elder brother he wasn’t close to Zhan Jiayu.

He’d been careless, letting his brother see their chat history.

"What could he possibly need your help with? Or do you possess some hidden talent I’m unaware of that could actually assist someone of his stature, the head of the Zhan family?"

Yan Anxuan didn’t beat around the bush; he wanted to make it clear that Zhan Jiayu was being deliberate—intentionally getting close to Yan Zhoubai. He didn't want his brother to be played for a fool.

Yan Zhoubai completely missed the sarcasm in Yan Anxuan’s words. He was too busy wrestling with whether to tell his brother that Zhan Jiayu had asked for help with feng shui. His brother had never believed in such things and seemed to dislike them. When Yan Zhoubai had wanted to visit Cangru Temple before, his brother had been the most opposed.

"Yan Zhoubai, look at me."

Yan Zhoubai, who had been staring down in contemplation, was startled by the low, firm command and instinctively looked up at Yan Anxuan’s face.

But his brother’s expression seemed unfamiliar. Was it because this was the first time he’d stared at his brother from this angle? There was something strange about the way he was looking at him—as if he were angry, yet there seemed to be something else mixed in.

Yan Anxuan gazed at the face looking up at him from such close proximity. This was one of the people he knew best, yet due to years of neglect, staring intently at this face now gave him an unfamiliar, almost foreign feeling.

Yan Zhoubai had essentially grown into his features; his face still carried traces of his childhood, though his features had matured, giving him a more refined appearance than before. He had grown up—he was no longer the little kid he once was, though he still seemed a bit clueless.

"Tell me about you and Zhan Jiayu." Yan Anxuan’s tone suddenly softened, giving Yan Zhoubai a sense of familiarity, even a feeling of being coaxed.

"I ran into Zhan Jiayu at the hospital this morning. He said he wanted me to check his... feng shui or luck," Yan Zhoubai truthfully explained to Yan Anxuan. "We exchanged contact information at the coming-of-age ceremony."

After he finished speaking, Yan Zhoubai could clearly see a hint of exasperation on Yan Anxuan’s face.

Yan Anxuan was indeed exasperated. They had exchanged contact information long ago—so how could that be considered "not familiar," as Yan Zhoubai had claimed? And feng shui? Was that what he had learned during his three years at Cangru Temple? No wonder his studies had fallen so far behind.

If Yan Zhoubai knew what his brother was thinking, he would have cried himself unconscious in the bathroom—he had studied hard on the mountain too.

"You’re not going. Stay home tonight," Yan Anxuan decided for Yan Zhoubai.

Zhan Jiayu’s intentions were plain as day. Whether he was targeting Yan Zhoubai or the Yan family, Yan Anxuan wouldn’t allow it. As for why he wouldn’t allow it if Zhan Jiayu was targeting Yan Zhoubai, he didn't even have a reasonable explanation for himself yet. But he simply wouldn’t allow it.

"Ah, but..."

Yan Zhoubai grew anxious. How could he not go? This was his first potential client—he might earn his first bucket of gold! Plus, it was a great opportunity to get closer to the villainous big shot. But his brother seemed genuinely displeased. What should he do?

Just as Yan Zhoubai was about to ask his system for advice, another message popped up on his phone screen:

Zhan: Found some information about Ji Yangwen, Dai Jian, and Rong Qian. Thought you might be interested.

When this message appeared, Yan Zhoubai wanted to slap himself. How could he have let his brother see the message and still not put his phone away?

Maybe having his hand wrapped up like a pig’s trotter had affected his brain too.

"Hmph," Yan Zhoubai heard a cold snort from above him. "He knows quite a lot—aware of the issues between you and those three."

This was more than just knowing a lot; it seemed he had privately investigated Yan Zhoubai’s relationship with those three and, seeing no response, was now fishing for a reaction.

He had acted faster than Yan Anxuan, uncovering the information first. It seemed Yan Anxuan would need to pay more attention to Yan Zhoubai’s affairs from now on.

This was the first time Yan Zhoubai realized his brother’s sarcasm could be so cutting.

"No, I—I didn’t tell him. I don’t know how he found out," Yan Zhoubai instinctively explained.

"No need to explain. Just stay home quietly tonight."

Yan Anxuan didn’t want to dwell on the matter further. The fact that Zhan Jiayu had learned about Yan Zhoubai’s past before he did already displeased him, so it was best if Zhan Jiayu had no further involvement with Yan Zhoubai.

"But..." Yan Zhoubai tried to protest.

"No buts. Go back to your room now," Yan Anxuan concluded, leaving no room for argument.

"You should go back for now," the system reminded Yan Zhoubai in his mind.

So Yan Zhoubai obediently took his phone and left the study. On his way out, he saw Bu Qiran leaning against the doorframe.

"What did big brother say to you? Tell me, too—as a reward for me standing out here hearing nothing," Bu Qiran said, still in his usual lazy, carefree manner.

"If you want to know, ask him yourself," Yan Zhoubai replied, eager to respond to Zhan Jiayu’s message. He didn’t engage further with Bu Qiran, simply sidestepping him and leaving.

Yan Zhoubai went straight upstairs to his room. The moment he entered, another message popped up on his phone:

Zhan: Not there? Busy right now?

Zhan Jiayu was pressing him.

"System, what do I do? Big brother won’t let me go, but I already agreed," Yan Zhoubai fretted. He didn’t want to break his promise, nor did he want to upset Yan Anxuan. And he really wanted to go—his first bucket of gold, after all.

"Hey, your brother said you can’t go, but he didn’t tie you up. Why overthink it? Just go on your own. We definitely can’t miss an appointment with the villainous big shot."

The system felt it could retract its earlier statement about Yan Zhoubai having a filter for Yan Anxuan. It now thought Yan Anxuan was too authoritarian. Why should he get to decide? Just go.

"Reply to him. We can’t neglect the villainous big shot," the system reminded, not forgetting its main task.

Yan Zhoubai quickly took out his phone to reply.

Xiao Baichuan: Sorry, my brother was nearby earlier, couldn’t reply easily.

Zhan: Yan Anxuan? Why was he with you?

Zhan: So what if he was nearby? Why couldn’t you reply?

Yan Zhoubai: Uh... should I tell him everything?

The system was all about clinging to the villainous big shot’s coattails; big brother’s words could take a back seat.

Xiao Baichuan: It’s a long story. My brother found out you asked me out, and he doesn’t agree.

There was a pause before the reply came: What’s it to him?

Xiao Baichuan: Actually, I’m not sure either. My brother seems to not like you much.

Zhan Jiayu sat at his desk, phone on the surface, reviewing a project proposal submitted by his subordinates.

When his cheap father decided to leave Jing City to develop in Country A, he hadn’t left any fallback plans, probably intending to burn his bridges. He left nothing behind in Jing City, so now, returning essentially meant starting from scratch. This was why the established wealthy families in Jing City were keeping a close eye on him. The pie was only so big, and his arrival would inevitably encroach on everyone’s interests.

But he wasn’t truly a self-made man starting from nothing. He held vast wealth and resources—it was just that none of it was currently in Jing City. This was also why, despite being seen as a threat to their interests, no family had openly shown him hostility or rejection.

He could be a potential partner.

Zhan Jiayu doesn't actually know much about business. Most of what he learned since childhood wasn't related to it—he focused more on how to solve problems, whether through peaceful or unpeaceful means. So, when it came to re-establishing the Zhan family's foothold in Jing City, he had actually laid out a plan very early on.

The proposal itself was fine, but there was a problem with Yan Zhoubai's side.

Assistant Chen was waiting on the side for Zhan Jiayu's final decision on the proposal. He was worried that if there were any problems with it, given his boss's mood today, the subordinates would be in big trouble.

Earlier that morning, after leaving the hospital, the boss had instructed him to investigate the social connections since childhood between the Yan family's fake young master and the three individuals involved in the car racing incident. This was actually quite difficult to investigate, considering these families were powerful figures who could influence things in Jing City. But since the boss had given the order and needed it urgently, he had to mobilize all his connections to look into it.

You never know until you investigate, and what he found was shocking. He was genuinely surprised to find that the three individuals lying in the hospital had been pretty excessive. After all, the fake young master was still part of the Yan family—how could they bully him like that? And surprisingly, neither side had any parents stepping in to address it. That fake young master really seemed like a punching bag. Based on the scene he caused at the coming-of-age banquet, Assistant Chen had initially thought he had some temper, but it turned out to be the opposite.

Of course, Assistant Chen only reflected on it for a few minutes. Even though he discovered that the three had clearly engaged in school bullying, such matters were trivial to his boss. After all, by the time his boss was forced to hold a gun to his own siblings' heads, these kids were still playing in the mud.

But after handing over the investigation results, the boss's expression turned grim. He remained silent, and the low-pressure atmosphere around him stayed for almost the entire afternoon. It only eased slightly after he sent Assistant Chen to the central hospital again. If there were any issues with the proposal today, no one would be going home on time.

Just as Assistant Chen was waiting for the boss to speak, he saw Zhan Jiayu set the proposal aside, glance at his phone, and say, "Yan Anxuan will also be attending the government-organized bidding event in Haishi next week, right?"

"Yes, because Yan Corporation's subsidiary in Haishi is participating. Yan Corporation places great importance on this project, so Yan Anxuan will be there in person." Assistant Chen never made mistakes when it came to work-related details.

Zhan Jiayu: "Help me schedule a meeting with him before he leaves for Haishi."

Yan Anxuan doesn’t like him? What a coincidence, he doesn't either.

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Author's Note: Revised and expanded word count [scattering flowers]. This week, there will be about five chapters updated according to the schedule. Please leave comments and add to your collections!

Also, please support the upcoming pre-release work next door, "The Villainous Boss Gets Sanctioned by the Players!"