“Please leave, Father”
Shang Jianli had nothing more to say to Shang Cheng.
Find some young man and have him surgically altered to look like Ji Shileng?
Even if no one else found it disgusting, he did.
How could Shang Cheng bring himself to say such a thing?
His disappointment in the Shang family only deepened.
The side of his face that had been slapped was badly swollen, yet his expression remained blank.
“Don’t antagonize Qin Si. Even the Empire’s senior officials want to cultivate a connection with him”
Shang Cheng knew he could neither change nor shake his son’s resolve.
“Understand this: you cannot lose your position as admiral, and the Shang family cannot be affected”
He couldn’t interfere in Shang Jianli’s work. His standing as a father was the only reason he could speak to him like this.
Shang Jianli gave no answer, leaving his attitude unreadable.
Shang Cheng abandoned some of his superiority.
“Without your rank or the family’s support, how will you compete with Qin Si? Will the Ji family even consider you?”
Only now did Shang Cheng realize how badly he had misjudged things.
Back then, he hadn’t recognized Ji Shileng’s true background at all.
He understood, with painful clarity, that Shang Jianli no longer cared about anything else.
Not his position as admiral, and certainly not the branches of the Shang family that clung to him and depended on him for their survival.
He cared only about Ji Shileng.
Ji Shileng was now his sole pursuit, his only faith.
“I understand”
Before leaving, Shang Cheng added, “There’s no need to destroy Imperial Capital News completely. Leave some goodwill between us. We may meet again”
He knew their relationship was less like that of a father and son than a superior and subordinate.
That was why he never appealed to Shang Jianli’s feelings. It wouldn’t work.
As he led the crowd away, Shang Cheng thought bitterly that perhaps Ji Shileng was the only person who could sway his son through affection.
Chu Wan stayed behind, standing uneasily where she was.
Shang Jianli’s indifferent gaze passed over her, then lingered for a few seconds.
It was the first time he had ever looked at her that way.
Beyond disappointment, there was a faint incomprehension.
Her breath caught. She bowed deeply.
“Admiral Shang, I’m sorry”
Shang Jianli rested his clasped hands on his knees.
“You weren’t wrong to consider the interests of the Empire and the Shang family”
The tension in Chu Wan’s chest began to ease. Before she could exhale, however, he asked quietly:
“But you’re my adjutant. After all these years, do you still not understand me?”
They had grown up together. How could Chu Wan not understand him?
She didn’t want to watch him sink any deeper.
Was Ji Shileng worth sacrificing everything for?
Now Qin Si had appeared out of nowhere. Winning Ji Shileng back had already been difficult. With such a formidable rival, it would be harder still.
“Even you think I can’t win him back”
It was a statement.
Chu Wan clenched her fists. Her lips parted, but she couldn’t find anything to say. In the end, she could only nod numbly.
He had seen through her thoughts. There was no way to deny it.
Before she left, Shang Jianli spoke again without changing his position.
“Hasn’t a new group of interns arrived? Choose two and have them transferred up”
“One more thing. Please withdraw the leave request my father submitted on my behalf”
It was time to replace his adjutant.
Chu Wan understood what he meant and answered softly.
“Yes, Admiral. The injury on your face needs treatment. Please visit the hospital when you have time”
Shang Jianli didn’t move. He didn’t even reply.
The lock clicked shut, and silence returned to the apartment.
A dull ache pressed against his heart. That feeling had returned, a sorrow too heavy to put into words.
He sat alone in the living room for a long time, like an exquisite, cold marble statue.
At midday, warm sunlight poured from the sky, only to be shut out completely by the heavy curtains in Ji Shileng’s room.
Outside, the sun shone brightly. Fortunately, Ji Shileng had already dragged himself out of bed.
He had arranged to meet his second brother, and his alarm had rung ten minutes ago.
After making himself presentable, he picked up the certificate box from the coffee table. The moment he opened the door, he found Qin Si waiting outside.
Arms folded, head slightly lowered, Qin Si leaned against the corridor wall. He was clearly waiting for someone.
A little surprised, Ji Shileng greeted him first.
“What a coincidence”
Qin Si walked beside him toward the elevators, making no attempt to hide it.
“To be honest, I arranged this encounter too”
“Oh? Have you been waiting long?”
Now that he was used to Qin Si’s directness, Ji Shileng found it much easier to respond naturally.
“Not too long. I ran into your second brother first. He said you’d agreed to meet outside your room at eleven”
“Then where is he?”
Ji Shileng had felt as though he was forgetting something. Apparently, it was the brother he had arranged to meet, who was now nowhere in sight.
Qin Si held the elevator door for him.
“He and Su Ke went ahead to order. I’ll take you straight to the private dining room”
Ji Shileng was speechless.
Fine, then. Why was everyone so comfortable leaving him alone with Qin Si?
Fortunately, the dining room was nearby, and they soon arrived.
There were more people around the round table than Ji Shileng had expected. It seemed everyone in the Federation delegation had come for lunch.
After he greeted them all with a nod, Qin Si pulled out his chair and rinsed his bowl and chopsticks with hot water.
The effortless sequence left Su Ke looking as though the sweetness had set his teeth on edge.
Ji Shileng gave him a light nudge with his elbow.
“Did yesterday’s chili make your face cramp?”
Now that he mentioned it, Su Ke did feel some discomfort in his facial muscles. Massaging his face, he leaned toward Ji Shileng’s ear.
“Seriously, Shileng. Everything about you and Qin Si looks like there’s something going on”
“Pulling out a chair and rinsing a bowl counts as flirting?”
Ji Shileng raised an eyebrow.
“How many times have I pulled out your chair or rinsed your bowl?”
“By your logic, the two of us should have been—”
Before he could finish, Su Ke cut him off.
“Shileng, let’s watch what we say”
Ji Shileng looked up. Sure enough, across the table, Ji Shifeng was smiling at Su Ke, looking perfectly harmless.
Ji Shileng was speechless.
He really had no words.
Lowering his voice, he asked, “What’s going on between you and Ji Shifeng?”
The table wasn’t that big, yet they were sitting so far apart. Had another quarrel carried over from last night?
“He secretly took pictures of me yesterday!” Su Ke muttered. “A picture of me crying like that? I’ll never live it down!”
Qin Si heard him but said nothing. He even thought he might try that himself if the opportunity arose.
Ji Shileng glanced at his brother. Looking every inch the gentleman, he hardly seemed capable of such a thing.
“How did you find out he took pictures?”
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