chapter 13.1

Xu Weiling wanted to be angry but also found it laughable, “The Qiao family? Who are you talking about? First, let’s not talk about Qiao Zhen who will very soon be married to the Liang family’s eldest daughter. Qiao Jin, the prominent rich and powerful noble young master. Between the two of you, are you marrying him, or him marrying you? Furthermore, I’ve heard that he also like the opposite sex. The third son, Qiao Yang, actually has been rumored to have a man.” Xu Weiling then snorted and laughed, “But that is exactly the second generation ancestor, his character has been impulsive and full of self-importance since childhood. If he enters the Gu family, he must not be allowed to turn the Gu family upside down.”

“You with him? Then might as well be with Liang Wei!”

A strong feeling of disdain and contempt came through the phone.

The corners of Gu Ye’s mouth immediately turned down, an obvious impatience expression appeared on his face.

Xu Wei Ling continued to say, “I also met Qiao Yang today. He looked quite well-behaved in front of his father. But you think about all the things that he had done when he was a child… ”

Gu Ye directly cut off her words, and his tone was urgent and sharp. “The ‘second generation ancestor’, as you call him, had no choice but to open the door for a strange woman because he respected you as an elder. He even passed something to me per her request. Before judging someone, think about whether it’s appropriate for you to say these words as an elder first.”

Xu Weiling was about to say something else again, but Gu Ye didn’t want to hear it. He directly hung up the phone.

He walked out of the living room in an irritable mood, then he entered the study and his eyes fell on the lighter with a broken grinding wheel on the corner of the table.

He unconsciously picked it up in his hands. Read this novel only on Foxaholic

He joined Gu Est. during his college years, and at twenty-seven years old, he swept through layers upon layers of obstacles, and climbed up the ladder step by step. Finally taking firm control of Gu Est.’s real power that his father had laid down in his hands.

Over the years, he had used various tactics and strategies to obstruct his uncles; forced out veteran members of the board of directors, and defeated several rival companies.

When facing people who posed a hindrance, he was never lenient. He also wouldn’t feel guilty even when seeing them lose their family fortune and passing their days miserably.

But now…

Perhaps (because) he heard Xu Weiling’s ‘two-faced, three knives’[1] attitude towards Qiao Yang.

Perhaps (because) he saw the lighter that he deliberately kept and, in the end, didn’t return.

And at this moment, he felt an uneasy emotion similar to a small child trying to apologize after being angry, but still being stubborn.

He, who could maintain his calmness in the face of all kinds of crises, but due to this inexplicable and strange emotions, was so anxious that he couldn’t look over any documents.

A few hours later, he hit the bell of the door across from his.

“President Gu?” Qiao Yang opened the door with a surprised look. He asked in confusion, “It’s so late, what’s the matter?”

The man had just taken a shower, and he didn’t know if it was because of the shower gel, but the faint and elegant jasmine fragrance assaulted his senses. His tall and lean figure was wrapped in a bathrobe with gray-and-white striped pattern ‒ the image of decadent and carefree.

The moisture, still yet dried from the shower clung on his hair, which looked messy but very clean.

The face was cold and handsome at first, but due to this layer of moisture and the addition of the soft lighting illuminating from the entrance hall, it created a different kind of beauty.

The rhythm of Gu Ye’s heartbeat inexplicably became chaotic. The voice that was always tranquil and calm also became jumbled, “This-, I forgot to return it to you, sorry.”

He held out his hand, and in his wide palm lay a green, transparent lighter.

Qiao Yang smiled, “I thought something was up, it turned out you are returning the lighter ah.”

Gu Ye took out another lighter, “But I accidentally broke it. This is to compensate you.”

Qiao Yang was stunned, and then laughed out loud, “President Gu, you are too serious. A lighter is just a lighter, it’s not necessary. Besides, I would have forgotten about it if you hadn’t come this time.”

Forgot. He already forgot.

Gu Ye did not know what to feel for a while, the thing that troubled him for a few hours, Qiao Yang had already forgotten!

He reached out to grab Qiao Yang’s hand and placed the black metal-cased lighter into his palm, “Young master Qiao should take it. Otherwise, I will feel apologetic.”

Gu Ye’s movements were so quick that there was an extra lighter in Qiao Yang’s hand before he could react.

The sensation of being grabbed by the large, strong hand lingered on his wrist, with a touch of heat that did not belong to him.

Gu Ye coughed lightly, “It’s late, young master Qiao should also rest a bit early. Goodbye.”

After saying that, he immediately turned around to go home. Then he quickly closed the door, as if he was escaping in panic from a situation he could not control.

He felt that he was simply being unreasonable. Read this novel only on Foxaholic

He grabbed someone’s wrists and shoved a lighter into their hands. It was simply more childish than the last provocation in the elevator.

He clenched his fist as if he could still feel the remaining warmth of the man’s wrist in his palm, and a little bit of something delicate and tough to the touch.

Qiao Yang looked at the surface of the lighter lying in his palm. The black metal casing glinted with a cold, hard sheen. But it carried a body’s temperature, it seemed to have been held for a long time.

He looked at the door to Gu Ye’s house that was tightly closed and felt somewhat baffled.

~~~

The next day.

Qiao Yang went back to the company to be confronted with the cautious working atmosphere everywhere, and together with the staff’s high-praise, respectful greetings, he still couldn’t adapt.

He sat in front of his desk as if he was ‘forced to go to court’. He browsed through the information in his hands in boredom while listening to Liu Wen reciting him his appointments for the day.

“Yesterday, deputy director Li had already made the preliminary business plan for Qifengtai.”

Liu Wen handed him a copy of the information, “You take a look, if there’s no problem then I’ll pass it on to everyone to make an even more detailed plan and calculate a reasonable price to bid for Qifentai.”

“Qifengtai?” Read this novel only on Foxaholic

Qiao Yang also heard these words yesterday, it seems to be related to Gu Ye, “Let me take a look.”

Although he did not understand the plan, he could still read the text.