Chapter 110 Changes

Chapter 110 Changes

Zhan Jiayu rubbed his temples in frustration, wondering why everything was so chaotic.

He knew Jasmine's temper, but he couldn't figure out how these two had ended up clashing.

He had thought that as long as he treated Jasmine well during her stay in China, given her personality, she wouldn’t require much special attention. Yet, within just a week of her arrival, she had already gotten into it with Zhan Fifth Master.

“Why did they start fighting?” Zhan Jiayu asked, biting back his irritation.

“Fifth Master showed up at her place after hearing that Miss Jasmine was back in the country. At first, they were chatting quite pleasantly, but then Fifth Master mentioned wanting to set her up with someone. After seeing the photo, she shot it down with clear disdain.”

“Whether Fifth Master didn’t understand Miss Jasmine’s meaning or simply ignored it, he kept pushing that guy on her. Miss Jasmine ended up cursing him out, and then a fight broke out.”

The personal aide briefly explained the cause and effect of the incident to Zhan Jiayu.

As soon as Zhan Jiayu heard that Zhan Fifth Master wanted to set Jasmine up on a blind date, his brows furrowed deeply. Did Zhan Fifth Master really have good intentions?

“Who did he try to introduce to Jasmine?”

“Zhao Xing.”

“Hah.” Zhan Jiayu let out a humorless laugh, genuinely amused by the audacity. Zhao Xing? Zhan Fifth Master really had the nerve—his scheme was practically in your face.

Introducing Zhao Xing to Jasmine? If that were the case, it would serve him right if Zhan Fifth Master ended up hospitalized for another week.

“Sir, what should we do now? We tried to stop Miss Jasmine when she started throwing punches, and we did our best to intervene, but you know how skilled she is—we really couldn’t hold her back.”

The personal aide, sensing Zhan Jiayu’s anger, quickly clarified that he had done everything possible. The situation had escalated beyond what a mere aide could control.

“How's everyone holding up?” Zhan Jiayu asked.

“Miss Jasmine is fine. Fifth Master sustained some injuries and needs some patching up, but overall, it’s nothing serious.”

“What about Zhan Fifth Master’s bodyguards? Didn’t they try to stop him?”

Zhan Jiayu still remembered the bodyguards Zhan Fifth Master had brought along during their last confrontation. Although he considered them pretty much useless, they should have at least been able to intervene. If they hadn’t been there last time, the old man would've been laid up in hospital for much longer.

“…Fifth Master only brought two bodyguards with him, and he had them wait outside. It was those two who eventually managed to stop Jasmine, but by then, Fifth Master had already been beaten up.”

The personal aide sounded somewhat exasperated as he explained. It seemed Zhan Fifth Master had underestimated Jasmine, assuming she was just a woman and not worth taking seriously, which was why he left his bodyguards outside.

“Arrange for someone to get Zhan Fifth Master’s medical care sorted. If Jasmine has any issues, tell her to contact me directly.”

Zhan Jiayu gave brief instructions for handling the aftermath.

He was truly pissed.

The Zhao family recently approached him to discuss a project—essentially, they were short on funds, and everyone in Jing City knew he had money.

However, the project was a bad investment. Zhan Jiayu could see it had a high potential to fail, and his team of professionals had repeatedly advised against investing. He had already rejected the collaboration.

For Zhan Fifth Master to approach Jasmine now and try to set her up with Zhao Xing, it was obvious the Zhao family had pulled strings with him.

Did Zhan Fifth Master really think his company was his to call the shots with? This company was established after Zhan Jiayu returned to China and had nothing to do with the older generation of the Zhan family. He wouldn’t tolerate any interference.

More importantly, Zhao Xing was average-looking with a terrible reputation—a known womanizer who spent his days indulging in vice. How dare Zhan Fifth Master introduce someone like that to Jasmine? He must have lost his mind.

Jasmine’s anger likely wasn’t solely due to Zhao Xing’s character but rather because she found him utterly unappealing, and Zhan Fifth Master’s persistence had pushed her over the edge.

What a mess.

Chen Chu waited nearby to deliver his report, never expecting his boss to get sidetracked by another matter. Although he couldn’t hear the other side of the phone conversation, he could roughly guess what was happening.

Zhan Fifth Master really never learned. After being beaten up at the Zhan family estate and failing to ambush Zhan Jiayu during the ancestral rites in Jiang City, he still hadn’t given up his scheming.

“Boss, Bu Qiran has been interning at the Yan Group under Yan Anxuan’s guidance. He’s reportedly quite capable, and Yan Anxuan has been teaching him diligently. In just over a month, he’s already making his mark within the Yan Group.”

Chen Chu briefly updated Zhan Jiayu on Bu Qiran’s recent activities.

“Previously, Bu Qiran was building his own underground influence. After I shut it down, did he just give up? I thought he didn’t get along well with Yan Anxuan?”

Zhan Jiayu sat on the office sofa, casually tossing his phone onto the table with a loud thud.

“From recent observations, their relationship seems to have improved significantly. After his underground efforts in Jing City were thwarted by us, Bu Qiran joined the Yan Group, suggesting a shift in his strategy.”

When Zhan Jiayu first assigned Chen Chu to monitor Bu Qiran, Chen Chu hadn’t taken him seriously. He was aware of the Yan family’s internal conflicts and initially assumed Zhan Jiayu’s interest in Bu Qiran was merely to avenge Yan Zhoubai.

After all, Chen Chu had worked with the Zhan family for years and had encountered far more influential figures abroad than Bu Qiran, a newly recognized son of the Yan family with no solid foundation. He hadn't considered Bu Qiran a threat.

However, despite his personal dismissiveness, Chen Chu still carried out his duties meticulously. Through his surveillance, he began to recognize Bu Qiran’s capabilities.

He discovered that Bu Qiran had been remarkably successful in his hometown of Lan City, effectively reigning as the undisputed king of the underground scene. Achieving such status required considerable skill.

Moreover, although the underground network Bu Qiran built in Jing City was easily dismantled by Zhan Jiayu, the fact that he managed to gather a substantial following in an unfamiliar city in such a short time spoke volumes about his ability.

“He’s quick-witted and adaptable. Honestly, he seems more like Yan Anxuan’s real brother than Yan Zhoubai does.”

Zhan Jiayu’s comment left Chen Chu momentarily puzzled.

Was he implying that Yan Zhoubai was somewhat slow-witted and less like a true member of the Yan family? But Zhan Jiayu adored Yan Zhoubai—he treated him like a precious treasure. Why would he say such a thing?

If that wasn’t his intention… Chen Chu suddenly realized that Zhan Jiayu might want to distance Yan Zhoubai from the Yan brothers entirely.

That made more sense. Now that Zhan Jiayu had Yan Zhoubai by his side, he likely didn’t want him entangled further with the Yan family.

“Host, Bu Qiran’s first step to power was leveraging the Yan family’s influence. Through careful planning, he eventually seized control of the Yan Group from his elder brother, solidifying his position in Jing City.”

“Based on current developments, he’s steadily advancing toward the core leadership of the Yan Group. We need to remain vigilant.”

Zhan Jiayu’s system immediately shifted into analysis mode upon hearing Chen Chu’s report, eager for Zhan Jiayu to focus on strategic matters.

“I understand.”

Zhan Jiayu responded indifferently, leaving his true thoughts unknown.

…

By the time Yan Ren, Yan Anxuan, and Bu Qiran returned home, it was already dinnertime. Yan Anxuan suggested they eat first.

Since Yan Zhoubai was home, Yan Anxuan even opened a bottle of vintage wine from the family collection, and Bu Qiran brought back a cake.

Yan Zhoubai noticed that Bu Qiran had changed significantly, particularly in his demeanor. He still had long, light golden hair—Yan Zhoubai had never seen his roots show, suggesting he maintained the color diligently.

Bu Qiran's entire demeanor has become much more grounded; the once-overwhelming flamboyance now noticeably mellowed out, almost without a trace. The flashy vibe once conveyed by his appearance and style has been completely overshadowed by his newfound poise.

Perhaps due to his internship at the company, his attire has also become somewhat more toned-down, no longer as flashy as before.

Although his light golden long hair still prevents his overall image from appearing too serious, it is still far more restrained than it used to be.

Yan Zhoubai was genuinely somewhat impressed. The corporate environment truly shapes people—even someone like Bu Qiran now appears more put-together.

Moreover, Yan Zhoubai noticed that Bu Qiran had already taken on a faint "office-worker vibe." Despite being just an intern and having only been at the company for a month, he already carried that aura, suggesting he must have been working diligently.

Would he himself develop that same "office-worker vibe" after interning with Zhan Jiayu for a while? Yan Zhoubai's thoughts began to wander inexplicably.

"What are you thinking about? Spacing out again—keep doing that and you'll turn into a space cadet."

Noticing that Yan Zhoubai showed no joy at their reunion but instead seemed lost in thought, Bu Qiran immediately grew displeased. He snapped his fingers in front of Yan Zhoubai to snap him out of it.

"I was just thinking how, after all this time, you actually look quite presentable now."

Yan Zhoubai accidentally blurted out what was on his mind.

"What did you say?"

Bu Qiran was practically seeing red. After all this time apart, missing Yan Zhoubai every day, only to be met with such a remark the moment they reunited.

"Oops, sorry, that came out wrong. I just meant you seem much more together compared to before."

Yan Zhoubai suddenly leaned closer to Bu Qiran and whispered, "Now that you look so proper and dress so normally, have you finally kicked your cross-dressing phase?"

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Author's Note: [Lemme see]