Xiao Yi offered no comment on Song Liang’s terrible acting.
Fortunately, Xiao Ji and the young man didn’t remain in the café much longer. At the same time, Song Liang received another message from Xiao Ji saying something had come up at work and he would be home later.
Song Liang sent a casual reply and went to get out, only to discover that the doors were still locked.
He glanced back at the man in the driver’s seat.
“Chairman Xiao?”
“The food in Xiao Group’s cafeteria is quite good.”
“…”
Song Liang laughed, tilting his head toward him.
“Are you inviting me to dinner, Chairman Xiao?”
Xiao Yi opened a storage compartment and took out a black velvet box with gold lettering, holding it out to him.
Song Liang accepted it and opened it, raising an eyebrow in mild surprise.
“A Ferrari? How generous, Chairman Xiao. What do you need me to do?”
The eight-figure collector’s watch had landed him the role of Xiao Ji’s scapegoat. The black supplementary card had come after he blocked a knife for Xiao Yi.
What was this one for?
Xiao Yi turned and unfastened his seat belt. Remaining leaned close over him, he looked at him quietly.
“Happy birthday.”
This time, Song Liang was genuinely surprised.
The man actually remembered his birthday?
“Then… thank you, Chairman Xiao?”
“…”
Xiao Yi studied his playfully smiling face.
“You don’t like it?”
“It’s all right. I’ve never driven one before.”
Xiao Yi’s lips moved as though he wanted to say something, but he swallowed it back.
In the end, he only said, “As long as you like it.”
Song Liang made no further comment and pushed open the door.
The building’s security guard had spotted the chairman’s car some time earlier. After waiting quite a while for a door to open, he stepped forward and bowed.
But before he could finish greeting the chairman, an unfamiliar young man stepped out.
“Hi~”
The young man lifted a hand in greeting, then strolled boldly into the building.
The guard was about to stop him when Xiao Yi got out as well. He immediately abandoned that idea and hurried over to greet the chairman.
Xiao Yi nodded and caught up with Song Liang in a few strides.
The guard stared.
A moment later, he realized that the chairman appeared to have gotten out of the driver’s seat.
Good heavens. Who was that young man, to have their chairman personally drive him around?!
While the guard was still processing this, Song Liang walked into Xiao Group’s headquarters with both hands in his pockets.
From reception to the thousands of private employee group chats, a tidal wave of excitement instantly erupted.
Chairman Xiao was here!
Chairman Xiao had brought an unfamiliar handsome man!
The handsome man was six feet tall with an aura nine feet high!
He didn’t pale in comparison even standing beside Chairman Xiao!
Chairman Xiao had even pressed the elevator button for him!!!
Employees who heard the news flocked to the top floor, the thirty-second, eager to see who this handsome man was who could make their chairman so accommodating.
The moment the elevator doors opened, everyone rose and craned their necks.
Including Yu Hang.
Then he saw the person inside and froze.
“Assistant Yu. Long time no see.”
Wearing a faint, knowing smile, Song Liang walked slowly out of the elevator and stopped in front of him.
Yu Hang forced a smile onto his stiff face.
“Y-Young Master Song. What brings you here?”
“I’m looking for your Vice President Xiao. He invited me to dinner, but I’ve been waiting forever. Said he was in a meeting.”
Song Liang lifted his chin toward the curious, dazzled faces behind him, then returned his gaze to Yu Hang.
“Where is he?”
Yu Hang: “…”
Before he could come up with an excuse, Song Liang smiled, patted his shoulder, and walked on.
It was over.
Yu Hang nearly went weak at the knees. All the composure he had developed in the years since graduation had failed him under those two simple questions.
He immediately found a quiet corner and messaged his boss.
Your boyfriend is here checking up on you. Stop hanging around your first love and get back here! I can’t hold out much longer!
Xiao Group’s headquarters had thirty-two floors, with the chairman’s office on the highest.
The previous president had been removed over financial issues, and Xiao Yi was temporarily holding that position as well. As a result, he was the only true senior executive based on this floor.
Song Liang stood before the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows in the chairman’s office, looking down over the glittering nighttime scenery of Linhai’s busiest commercial district.
He sincerely thought that being on top was wonderful.
You could look down at all the people bustling beneath your feet, living for survival and dying for it too.
Like a god.
【There are no gods in this world.】
“It’s a metaphor,” Song Liang said.
“Who are you talking to?”
Xiao Yi’s voice came from behind him, followed by a steaming cup held out in front of him.
“Myself.”
Song Liang accepted the drink and looked toward the brilliantly lit riverfront.
“I’m overwhelmed by your wealth, Chairman Xiao.”
“Xiao Group’s wealth. Not mine.”
Song Liang didn’t argue.
“How does it feel to stand at the top?”
Xiao Yi followed his gaze toward the distant towers and broad stretch of river.
After a brief silence, he said, “Quite good.”
“I thought you’d offer some lofty observation about how lonely it is at the top.”
“…”
Xiao Yi turned toward him.
“And you? How does it feel?”
Song Liang’s lips curved.
“Absolutely fantastic, of course.”
Xiao Yi smiled.
When Yang Xuan returned with food packed from the cafeteria, he found the two standing by the windows, smiling at each other.
Something caught painfully in his chest.
He had heard people talking about them all the way here. Thanks to the conversation with Yu Hang at the elevator, the employees now knew Song Liang’s identity.
Which had only sparked a fresh round of speculation.
Why wasn’t Vice President Xiao bringing his own partner to the office? Why was Chairman Xiao, his uncle, bringing his future nephew-in-law instead?
How would Yang Xuan know?
Perhaps his boss was finally dissatisfied with a secret affair and wanted to go public.
Ha. Ha.
“Young Master Song, Chairman Xiao. Dinner’s here.”
Looking at the two standing side by side before the windows, he privately admitted that they did make a good match.
By the time Xiao Ji hurried back, Song Liang had already finished dinner.
While Xiao Yi worked, he was exploring the thirty-second floor, collecting countless curious looks and snacks from enthusiastic young women.
Nearly half of Xiao Group’s senior executives had found time to drop by, simply to see the man who had crossed class boundaries in a few short months and repeatedly trended alongside powerful families like the Xiaos and Liangs.
Song Liang was equally generous with his time. He turned no one away and exchanged a few words with anyone who approached.
At first, 3085 was unimpressed.
Then, the more it listened, the stranger things seemed.
【…Are you pumping them for information?】
In this short stretch of time, its host had already figured out Xiao Group’s internal power structure, the factions behind various departments, and the latest developments in Jiang Wenjun’s case.
“What else?”
Leaning against the island counter in the break room, Song Liang raised his coffee and smiled elegantly at the senior public relations executive opposite him.
“Did you really think I came here to catch my fiancé cheating?”
3085 fell silent.
Still, these were Xiao Group employees. Whenever internal matters came up, they knew how to keep their mouths shut.
Finding he couldn’t get much more out of them, Song Liang took his coffee back to Xiao Yi’s office, picked up a book at random, and slipped into the adjoining rest room.
Not long afterward, the office door opened and someone came in.
Xiao Yi’s voice sounded.
“Where is he?”
“I think he went to the break room,” Yang Xuan replied. “Apparently, he’s talked to people from several departments and added a few department managers as friends.”
Xiao Yi seemed to laugh softly.
Before he could say anything, another knock came, followed by Xiao Ji’s slightly hurried voice.
“Uncle, I heard Song—”
He was interrupted by Xiao Yi.
“And this is?”
An unfamiliar young man’s voice answered, cool, cultured, and composed.
“Hello, Uncle Xiao. I’m Xu Huan. I used to come over to play with Xiao Ji when we were little. I’m not sure if you remember me.”
“I remember.”
Song Liang heard Xiao Yi’s indifferent reply.
“You dated Xiao Ji. Then you broke up.”
A single sentence silenced the office.
Song Liang laughed soundlessly.
Xu Huan went on to explain that the pharmaceutical company he had recently taken over was working with Xiao Group. He also brought up a few childhood memories, clearly trying to establish a warmer connection.
Xiao Yi showed no interest.
Instead, he calmly began pointing out flaws in their joint project, until even Xiao Ji felt compelled to smooth things over.
Finally, Xu Huan smiled and said he would like to speak to Xiao Yi alone.
Xiao Yi agreed.
A door closed outside.
Then Xu Huan’s cultured, steady voice sounded again.
“Do you dislike me so much because you’re afraid I’ll tell Xiao Ji the truth about that car accident, Uncle Xiao?”
“You planned the kidnapping all those years ago. You arranged for Xiao Ying and his wife to use a car with faulty brakes. And you took Xiao Ji in for the shares his parents owned. All of that was you, Xiao Yi.”
【Beep!】
The instant Xu Huan’s emphatic accusation ended, a system notification abruptly sounded.
The system screen appeared.
The main storyline progress bar jumped from 71% to 79%.
【Xiao Ji is outside the door.】
【Yes, host.】
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