Chapter 107

Chapter 107

"Are there any projects in the group recently?"

Inside the study, Yan Shiqi asked about the group's affairs once more.

Yan Shiying said, "The government is expanding the ancient town scenic area in City C, including subway extensions and new hotel construction. The bid went out a month ago, and Yan Group has already submitted its proposal."

"Projects like these are very familiar territory for Yan Group." Yan Shiqi felt it was a foregone conclusion. Whether in terms of budget or quality, as long as Yan Group bid, other companies were just along for the ride.

Yan Shiying looked at his big brother. "What you might not know, Big Brother, is that our biggest competitor now is the Huang family."

"The Huang family?"

"Three years ago, the Huang family started moving into medical biotech. They've done really well, and their assets are even bigger now than when Grandfather was alive. Although they still don't hold a candle to the current Yan Group."

Yan Shiqi frowned. "Medical biotech? Is Huang Jianxing still running the Huang family?"

How could the Huang family suddenly pivot to a completely unfamiliar industry?

"It's him. Perhaps someone is advising him from behind the scenes."

Yan Shiqi's gaze sharpened. "Who?"

Yan Shiying shook his head in frustration, head in his hands. "I don't know. I'm sorry, Big Brother. Only these past few years have I realized how difficult it is to manage a group. I just can't handle everything like you did."

Yan Shiqi stood up and patted his shoulder. "Shiying, you've done great. You haven't disappointed me."

Yan Shiying looked up at him.

"I dumped my responsibilities on you. You don't hold it against me?" Yan Shiqi's eyes held a hint of a smile.

Yan Shiying suddenly threw his arms around him. "I knew it was really you, Big Brother."

Yan Shizhou stood outside the study holding some documents. After watching for a moment, he silently left.

So it really is Big Brother.

————

Yi Wuyi took Xie Yunshen to the ancestral hall within the estate.

Pushing open the heavy, ancient door, they were met by the scent of incense and spirit banners. Dozens of memorial tablets were placed on the central altar.

"Old Five, what did you bring me here for?" Xie Yunshen asked, puzzled.

Suddenly, his eyes landed on a familiar name, and his expression tightened.

A tablet on the left read "Deceased Elder Brother Yan Shiqi." Compared to the somewhat aged tablets beside it, this one looked brand new.

He stared, frozen, at the characters until they felt strangely unfamiliar, only then snapping out of his shock and dread. His lips had turned slightly pale.

Yi Wuyi stepped forward and skillfully lit a stick of incense for the Yan ancestors.

"Back then, none of us believed Mr. Yan would commit suicide. I didn't believe it either, but later, the police confirmed it," Yi Wuyi said in a low voice.

"Why..." Xie Yunshen tore his heavy gaze away from the yellow wooden tablet.

"That... you'll have to ask Mr. Yan himself. Someone as intelligent as him probably thinks differently from ordinary people, right?"

Xie Yunshen frowned. Before leaving, he turned back once more.

Watching the incense smoke curl upwards, it seemed to distort his vision like a warp in spacetime, blurring that memorial tablet.

Last night, he'd fallen asleep holding onto Mr. Yan. This morning, Mr. Yan had breakfast with him.

How could he be dead?

A sharp pain suddenly shot through Xie Yunshen's head. A long-forgotten sense of unease swept over him like a violent hurricane, whirling everything into a vortex.

Was his previous self dreaming? Or is his current self dreaming? Is he in the world of the novel, or the real world?

Yi Wuyi looked at him in surprise, noticing his strange expression. "What's wrong, A-Xie?"

Seeing the concern in Yi Wuyi's eyes, Xie Yunshen regained a bit of composure. "I'm fine. It's just that sometimes I have these... strange delusions."

"You..." Yi Wuyi was taken aback. Could someone as carefree as Xie Yunshen also suffer from such mental torment?

"Where is Mr. Yan?"

"Wasn't Mr. Yan in the main building when we left?" Yi Wuyi regretted bringing him here; it had undoubtedly been a shock.

"Right... right..." Xie Yunshen nodded to himself in affirmation.

He walked out of the ancestral hall and saw the familiar, beautiful estate. Only Mr. Yan was missing.

The thought that Mr. Yan had committed suicide because of him surfaced vividly, causing his heart to swell violently before rapidly contracting.

"Mr. Yan!"

Xie Yunshen pushed open the study door. Mr. Yan was indeed sitting on the sofa in the study.

The moment Yan Shiqi saw Xie Yunshen's expression, his heart tightened. The unease in those eyes was exactly the same as when they had reunited.

Xie Yunshen's anxiously suspended heart finally settled.

Yan Shiqi pressed his hand on the sofa armrest. "Come here."

Xie Yunshen immediately shot into his arms like an atomic bomb. The powerful impact made the sofa legs squeak.

His hair carried the scent of shampoo. Yan Shiqi narrowed his eyes slightly.

Yi Wuyi caught up from behind. "I'm sorry, Mr. Yan. A-Xie asked about you, and I could only tell him the truth."

Now he understood why Mr. Yan had intended to hide the suicide. It seemed Xie Yunshen had also been through a lot these past few years.

Yan Shiqi had probably guessed as much. "Forget it. He would have found out sooner or later."

Yi Wuyi had no choice but to leave first.

The study door closed again.

Xie Yunshen knelt on the wool rug, his arms wrapped around Yan Shiqi's waist, half his body buried against his legs and chest.

Yan Shiqi put down the book in his hand, fingers threading through Xie Yunshen's hair, massaging his scalp. He lowered his head, nose close to his head.

Suddenly, he felt Xie Yunshen's hands tighten, trembling. A spreading warmth and dampness seeped into the fabric of his shirt.

Is he... crying?

Yan Shiqi cupped his head, trying to get a look at his face, but Xie Yunshen stubbornly kept his face buried in his chest, holding onto his waist even tighter, refusing to let him see his tear-streaked face.

Yan Shiqi’s warm hand kept stroking his ears and the back of his neck, comforting him.

“Why are you still acting like a child?”

Xie Yunshen heard the voice resonate through his chest into his ears, like a gentle, piercing blade.

The sobs muffled against his body grew more unrestrained, his shoulders trembling slightly.

Xie Yunshen didn’t know how long he cried before he finally lifted his reddened eyes: “Mr. Yan, are you a ghost?”

Yan Shiqi remained silent.

He grabbed Mr. Yan’s face and pinched it, his voice hoarse from crying: “You’re not a ghost, right?”

“Don’t you even know whether you’re fucking a person or a ghost every night?” Yan Shiqi propped his elbow on the armrest, leaning back against the sofa.

“…Maybe I’m a ghost too?”

Yan Shiqi picked up a tissue from nearby, wiped his tears, then pinched his nose.

Xie Yunshen blew his nose hard.

“I’m sorry.” Xie Yunshen took two tissues and wiped the tear stains off his suit.

So embarrassing—he hadn’t cried since starting school, yet here he was, flooding Mr. Yan with tears.

“Aren’t you terrified of ghosts?” Yan Shiqi looked down at his red eyes, a hint of teasing in his gaze.

“So what? Even if Mr. Yan were a monster, I’d still love him.” Xie Yunshen nuzzled his head against his shoulder.

“I need to go back to my room and change. We’re going to Cloud Banner this afternoon.” Yan Shiqi couldn’t help but reach out and rub his head.

Xie Yunshen reluctantly let him go.

Mr. Yan stood up, glanced back, and saw him still sitting dazed on the sofa, his eyes deep: “There are still two hours until afternoon. Come here.”

Xie Yunshen immediately lit up like a toy plugged in, clinging to him like a koala, hugging him, kissing his ear: “Mr. Yan is so good.”

“We’re going to the Yan Corporation tomorrow—no marks on the neck.”

“Ah… Mr. Yan, you’re so busy…” Xie Yunshen sighed like a puppy.

“Be good.”

————

Yan Shiqi’s passing had been too sudden, and it happened during a critical period of the Five Colors Conference. Considering various factors, Yan Shiying had only publicly claimed that Yan Shiqi was unwell and had gone abroad for treatment.

Thus, apart from a few trusted confidants within the Yan family, the outside world wasn’t certain whether Yan Shiqi was alive or dead.

Of course, the other major families had received accurate internal information and knew the truth, but given the Yan family’s immense wealth and influence, no one openly exposed it.

As for Third Uncle, he was one of the few who had personally witnessed Yan Shiqi’s burial.

That night, when he walked into the manor and saw Yan Shiqi sitting on the living room sofa, Third Uncle’s eyebrows furrowed tightly, his mouth slightly agape, his gaze filled with shock and disbelief.

He looked as if he’d seen a ghost.

Because Yan Shiying had only told him there was something to discuss, without specifying what it was.

“Big Brother!” The introverted Yan Shixin let go of Third Uncle’s hand first and ran over, shouting.

Yan Shiqi took the child’s hand.

Third Aunt also froze on the spot, her face pale.

Actually, Yan Shiqi hadn’t known Third Uncle was coming either. The situation was a bit awkward.

Yan Shiying and Yan Shizhou hid around the corner on the second floor, while Yi Wuyi and Xie Yunshen were on the other side. Yan Shiling, not understanding what was happening, hid behind Xie Yunshen to watch the commotion.

“Shiqi… do you have some unfinished business? Tell Third Uncle.” Third Uncle said solemnly.

Everyone hiding upstairs stifled their laughter.

Bang! A boxed bottle of liquor smashed to the floor.

Gao Langdong, who had entered from behind, stared at Yan Shiqi in horror.

Gao Langdong’s appearance took everyone by surprise.

Xie Yunshen was shocked: Gao Langdong had aged so much.

Three years ago, Gao Langdong was only in his thirties, but now, his skin condition looked even older than middle-aged Third Uncle.

This kind of cliff-like aging was very unusual.

“Mr. Yan, you’re not dead?”

“Mr. Gao, I was receiving treatment abroad. I’ve improved a lot, so I came back early for the New Year.” Yan Shiqi said calmly.

Only a few people within the Yan family knew about Yan Shiqi’s death; others could only speculate based on intelligence.

Gao Langdong fell into neither category.

So his blurted-out remark aroused Yan Shiqi’s suspicion.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Yan. It’s just that everyone’s been saying you died… I apologize…” Gao Langdong smiled: “It’s great to see you’re alright.”

Third Uncle’s thinking was simple—just like Uncle Zhao and the others, he assumed Mr. Yan had faked his death as a show for outsiders.

Thus, he even felt a bit angry and resentful.

Yan Shiqi, of course, didn’t clarify, going along with the misunderstanding: “No, Third Uncle, I thought Shiying and the others would have told you.”

With this reminder, Third Uncle immediately understood what was going on and said sternly: “Yan Shiying! Yan Shizhou! Come down here!”

The sound of slow, shuffling footsteps descended the stairs.

Five people came down at once, leaving Third Uncle stunned.