Chapter 13: Into Long Aotian’s World, Day 13

Chapter 13: Day 13 in a Long Aotian Novel

An Yi looked at the extra fish fillet on his plate: "..."

Isn't this service a little over the top?

Are you a spy from Haidilao or something?!

Damn, I'm falling into temptation!

He thanked him and went on: "Standardization is definitely a big problem. Right now, the smart home industry is full of different factions with incompatible protocols. To get industry standards implemented, you need a lot of influence and buy-in from the industry."

"That's exactly why we're working together!" Shao Xiuya said firmly. "With the scale and influence of An's Group and Yuanchen Group, it's not impossible to lead the formation of an open Smart Living Alliance and drive unified standards."

"When the pie's bigger, everyone gets a piece."

Just then, the commotion in his ears started up right on cue.

An Yi frowned slightly: "What is Du Guyuan up to again?"

Is he getting all cozy with Xia Youyou again?

Remembering the comments that kept popping up all week, An Yi's face almost went green!

He really didn't want to hear about how lovey-dovey they were!

He didn't want to hear their "Overbearing Dragon King and Sweet White Flower" schtick?!

Comments! Comments! Turn off!

My ears! My ears!

Luckily, the comments section wasn't what he'd imagined:

"Holy crap! This business negotiation's vibe is off! Where's the supposedly brain-dead villain?"

"Did the author get possessed? This negotiation is actually written like a real person?!"

"Wow! Chairman An is not only a normal person, but actually has a brain?!"

"Is this a good thing? Doesn't it just make the male lead look like a total idiot?"

"Just last paragraph, Du Guyuan was still having a tantrum, swearing to get back at Chairman An!"

"Is Chairman An going to compete with the male lead for Chang Tongxin? Their meeting scene was written so ambiguously?"

"I don't think so. I feel the description between Shao Xiuya and Chairman An is more ambiguous. What's with 'Shao Xiuya looked at An Yi tenderly, his heart stirred for him' and 'An Yi looked at the handsome man before him, his cheeks slightly flushed'?"

"This bromance is practically spilling off the screen!"

"What? Are they queerbaiting?"

"Damn! Feeding me crap! I'm out!"

"..."

While discussing "cost optimization for edge computing node deployment" with Shao Xiuya, An Yi was half-listening to the "comments" in his ears, and couldn't help twitching the corner of his mouth again.

"'An Yi looked at the handsome man, his cheeks a little red'?"

Defamation? The author is defaming me!

An Yi got hard.

His fists got hard.

But... the plot's not just focused on Du Guyuan?

He subconsciously glanced at Shao Xiuya, who was talking passionately with bright eyes.

Well... setting aside that "inappropriate thought", this guy is indeed a great business partner.

Before they knew it, time had slipped away.

The dishes on the table were mostly polished off, and the bottle of Riesling was almost empty.

Shao Xiuya, still not ready to call it a night, asked the waiter to bring a pot of premium Biluochun tea.

The refined tea aroma filled the air, diluting the alcohol and making the atmosphere even more relaxed.

Shao Xiuya looked at An Yi's face in the soft light, his heart fluttering.

He set down his teacup, his voice a little deeper and softer than before: "Chairman An, I really enjoyed today. Discussing things with you always sparks new ideas, and it feels... time just flies."

His gaze was focused and gentle, and that "ninety percent crush" quietly surfaced again.

An Yi picked up his teacup, using the curling steam as a screen: "President Shao, you're too modest. Many of your ideas have really inspired me."

"Just call me Xiuya," Shao Xiuya suddenly said, a hint of barely perceptible expectation in his eyes: "We're... friends now, aren't we? Calling each other President Shao and Chairman An all the time is too formal."

An Yi: "..."

He looked into Shao Xiuya's sincere eyes, the words of refusal lingering on his lips, but in the end he nodded: "Okay, Xiuya."

Shao Xiuya's eyes instantly lit up like they were filled with stars, his smile so bright it was blinding: "An Yi!"

He said it so naturally, like he'd practiced it a thousand times in his head.

"It's getting late," An Yi said, glancing at his watch, a good time to wrap up. "I have an early meeting tomorrow."

"I'll drive you back!" Shao Xiuya immediately stood up, moving like he was afraid An Yi would run away. "It's on my way."

An Yi: "Okay, thanks for going out of your way."

The two walked out of the private dining room. The cool night breeze brushed their faces, clearing some of the tension from the room.

Shao Xiuya's car was parked nearby. He personally opened the door for An Yi, gallantly holding his hand above the door frame.

An Yi: "..."

Alright.

This service... really is thorough.

The car cruised smoothly through the night traffic. The driver was steady, and gentle piano music filled the cabin.

He reached up to raise the partition, then occasionally brought up light topics to chat about—the city's night lights, some interesting industry gossip. His tone was relaxed and natural, perfectly balanced, neither letting the atmosphere go awkward nor being too eager.

An Yi leaned back in the comfortable leather seat, listening to the music and watching the dazzling nightscape outside the window, feeling the tension of the day slowly melt away.

Setting aside that complex "pie chart," spending time with Shao Xiuya was indeed... quite pleasant.

The car soon arrived at the apartment parking lot.

"We're here," the driver said as he stopped the car. Shao Xiuya and An Yi entered the elevator together and each pressed their floor button.

When the elevator arrived, Shao Xiuya turned sideways to look at An Yi, his eyes appearing especially deep under the elevator's ceiling light. "Good night, An Yi. Tonight... was very enjoyable."

His voice was low and smooth, carrying a hint of barely perceptible tenderness.

"Good night, Xiuya," An Yi said with a wave and a sincere smile. "I really enjoyed tonight's dinner and discussion too."

He paused for a moment, then added, "As for the specific framework of our cooperation, I'll have Li Xuan put together a preliminary proposal and send it to you as soon as possible."

"Okay, I look forward to it." Shao Xiuya's smile deepened. He watched the elevator doors close until An Yi was out of sight, then slowly turned and walked away.

An Yi let out a long breath. Today had been a lot to take in.

The business blueprint was exciting, but Shao Xiuya's increasingly undisguised gaze... tch.

He pulled out his phone. The screen lit up to reveal a new message from Shao Xiuya's personal account: "I hope you enjoyed the meal tonight. Looking forward to next time."

An Yi looked at that message, his finger hovering over the screen for a few seconds before he finally replied, "Looking forward to next time too."

He put away his phone, and with a "ding," the elevator doors opened.