Song Liang’s remark about landing a rich patron, along with the photograph, was soon screenshotted by a mutual friend and sent to Xiao Ji.
His expression darkened again.
He knew Song Liang was vain and empty-headed, but seeing himself treated as an easy mark still soured his mood.
Especially when the friend who sent the screenshot added, “Wonder which rich idiot fell for him.”
Xiao Ji blocked the man, then tossed his phone onto the seat beside him.
His assistant, Yu Hang, noticed and asked, “Young master, are you really planning to get engaged to the Song family’s second son?”
He had entered the restaurant earlier, but not the private room. He knew about the engagement, but not the reason behind it.
Nor could he understand why Xiao Ji had suddenly become involved with someone like that.
Naturally, Xiao Ji didn’t want anyone knowing he had been forced into it.
He replied casually, “The Song family has developed quite well in recent years. We can also use their connections and technical resources for the land development side of the new project.”
In other words, the Song family still had value.
But the explanation was clearly a stretch.
Yu Hang couldn’t help pointing out, “Those matters are all handled by the eldest Song son. Given the second son’s position in the family, I doubt he has access to them.”
Although he addressed Xiao Ji as “young master,” he was his business assistant at the subsidiary where Xiao Ji worked.
He understood the importance of the new project. He also knew that the most suitable marriage partner would be a major group with substantial financial backing, like the Qiao family—not the somewhat declining Song family.
Xiao Ji understood all of that.
No one knew better than he did that Song Liang was a useless fool with little value.
But Xiao Guangjin and his son were making an issue of the Emperor’s Tear, hoping to obscure Xiao Wenyu’s attack on his uncle while weakening his uncle’s authority on the board.
He had to retrieve the Emperor’s Tear as quickly as possible.
As for Song Liang, he didn’t mind keeping him close for now.
He was merely a vain, brainless idiot. Even if someone in the Xiao family was directing him, Xiao Ji doubted he could accomplish much.
He might even use Song Liang to turn the tables on whoever was behind him.
When Xiao Ji remained silent, Yu Hang knew his decision was made and stopped objecting.
Instead, he asked, “How do you intend to tell Chairman Xiao?”
That question only made Xiao Ji’s expression worse.
He suddenly remembered that in a few days, he would have to parade Song Liang around the group’s annual gala and embarrass himself.
Taking a deep breath, he swallowed his frustration and messaged Song Liang for his height and measurements, intending to commission formalwear so the man wouldn’t disgrace him.
Song Liang quickly sent back his measurements, along with an enormous heart sticker.
The sight of it nearly pushed Xiao Ji’s anger beyond control.
He felt harassed, yet couldn’t even call the police.
Utterly infuriating.
After a while, he composed himself and messaged Xiao Yi, saying he would bring a friend to the annual gala.
Xiao Yi respected his privacy. He didn’t ask who the person was, only whether it was the one who had sent him that sticker in the car.
Remembering the obnoxious heart, Xiao Ji replied to his uncle with a grim expression.
[Xiao Ji: It’s him.]
In the chairman’s office on the top floor of the Xiao Group tower, Xiao Yi was slightly surprised by the masculine pronoun.
He had assumed his nephew was seeing a woman. Apparently, it was a man.
He had no particular objection.
Man or woman, with his power and position, no one would dare criticize his nephew’s choice of spouse. The Xiao Group didn’t need a marriage alliance to secure its standing.
As for the vice presidency Xiao Ji wanted—or even the presidency—Xiao Yi could give it to him without the Qiao family or the new project.
Regarding the person’s character and manners, he had watched Xiao Ji grow up. He trusted that anyone his nephew chose couldn’t be too objectionable.
He didn’t question him further.
Instead, looking at their conversation reminded him of something. He glanced up at Yang Xuan.
“Is the contract I mentioned yesterday ready?”
Yang Xuan froze.
He had received only one contract assignment yesterday: the agreement for keeping a lover.
He had contacted a lawyer overnight to draft it. Barely more than a dozen hours had passed.
Was his employer really that impatient???
“… The draft is ready. The lawyer is reviewing it.”
Under current law, an agreement explicitly for keeping a lover wouldn’t be legally enforceable, so it needed to be structured differently.
What form to use, how to protect the patron’s interests and regulate the recipient’s conduct, and how to avoid legal and public-relations trouble if it became public—all of that required professional legal review.
“How long?”
“Tomorrow afternoon at the earliest.”
“All right.”
Yang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief.
He had genuinely feared an order like, “I want a flawless arrangement contract within an hour.”
He couldn’t conjure one out of thin air.
Xiao Yi seemed to have asked only in passing. Once he had his answer, he returned to work.
During his afternoon break, however, he opened his chat with a certain person again.
It was unchanged from when they had first added each other. The young man hadn’t sent him a single message.
He was about to close it when, on impulse, he tapped the profile picture and opened his Moments.
There, at first glance, was the latest post—and the words:
“Landed a rich patron.”
Xiao Yi: “…”
After a moment of silence, he opened the photograph.
He recognized a famous upscale restaurant in Linhai, where the bill per person ran to six figures.
It was popular with the younger generation of high society, something of an aristocrat among trendy restaurants.
Xiao Yi rarely visited places like that, but Xiao Ji was a member and had celebrated his birthday there with friends the previous year. That was how he knew it.
As everyone knew, Xiao Yi’s arrangement wasn’t even finalized yet, and this young man had already found a new client.
He was even dining somewhere with a six-figure bill per person.
That was practically rocket speed.
Xiao Yi considered himself composed, but even he laughed in irritation.
He sent a message asking whether Song Liang still wanted the Land Rover, attaching a photograph of a black Range Rover with the highest specification.
The reply came immediately.
“Yes.”
Xiao Yi laughed aloud.
He was securing a new patron while still coveting Xiao Yi’s Land Rover.
What an appetite. What audacity.
[Xiao Yi: If you want it, stop going out to dinner with other people. I don’t like it.]
…
Song Liang was enjoying fine red wine and premium A5 steak when the message made him raise a brow.
“What doesn’t he like?”
【You going out to dinner with other people.】
“I mean, why doesn’t he like me going out to dinner with other people?”
【How would I know?】
Song Liang chewed the juicy beef and considered it.
“Could he have figured out who I was dining with?”
【Then he’d come straight over and catch you.】
That was true.
If Xiao Yi knew he was forcing his nephew into marriage, wouldn’t he be furious enough to strangle him?
The thought made Song Liang laugh.
【…】
3085 had to ask.
【You really aren’t afraid he’ll cut you down?】
“I am,” Song Liang replied casually. “That’s why I deliberately chose a public occasion. He can’t exactly kill me in front of the entire Xiao Group’s senior management, can he?”
3085 was impressed despite itself.
Its host certainly had a gift for infuriating people. If it were Xiao Yi, it would want to cut him down too.
When Song Liang still hadn’t replied, Xiao Yi sent another message a little later.
[Xiao Yi: I’ve arranged the contract. Remember to bring the item. When shall we meet?]
A contract?
Song Liang blinked in confusion.
“You need a contract just to give someone a car?”
Leave a Reply