Xiao Dong joined the conversation, “Yesterday afternoon, we had lunch with Han Jie, and he told us everything about you. We were all stunned. This year, Jiangyu Company is expected to make at least 50 million in profit, and you just walked away like it was nothing.” Louis chimed in with a thumbs-up, “You’ve got guts! I’m impressed!”
Ah Wen laughed, “In today’s business world, if you can make 50 million in profit in a year, there’s no way I’d let go.”
Louis shook his head, “You’ve got it wrong. The most impressive thing about Zeng Yu is that he achieved all this with just a small agency.”
Zeng Yu found it strange, “Wait, how do you guys know Han Jie so well? And what does Han Jie do? How does he know all this?”
The three of them stared at Zeng Yu in shock. Zeng Yu looked confused, “What? Why are you all looking at me like that?”
Louis, like he was staring at a monster, looked at Zeng Yu for a long time before sighing, “I see now. You’re telling the truth—you really don’t know who Han Jie is.”
Zeng Yu chuckled, “Why should I? We’re not related. That guy is just a playboy. I avoid him like the plague. Why should I bother to know anything about him?”
Louis took a deep breath and, looking at Zeng Yu, said slowly, “Han Jie is Jiang Nan’s cousin. Her real cousin. And he’s also the heir to Hongda Company. Han Liren is his father.”
Zeng Yu, who had been in the middle of lighting a cigarette, froze for a moment. Slowly, he lit the cigarette, took a drag, and exhaled before saying, “I see.”
On the surface, Zeng Yu seemed calm, but inside, those words were stirring up a storm. So, Jiang Nan must’ve pitied me back then, he thought, finally understanding the situation. He realized that the love he had held on to for so many years had likely started out of sympathy. Memories flashed through his mind like lightning, and many things that hadn’t made sense before now had explanations.
He had always prided himself on being a business elite, but in reality, he had been played all along. The more Zeng Yu thought about it, the more bitter he felt. He shook his head and forced a smile.
The others sensed something was wrong and quickly changed the subject.
“I’ve been led into a pit by Cheng Ye. He recommended a stock, and I invested 30 million yuan. In just one month, I’ve lost 10%,” Xiao Dong complained, trying to break the tension.
Ah Wen laughed, “There’s no such thing as guaranteed profits in the stock market. It’s risky!”
Louis pointed at Ah Wen, “You stock market types have a way with words. You take credit for both the wins and the losses. Honestly, Zeng Yu’s approach of sticking to his business is the smart move. By the way, Zeng Yu, isn’t Wang Zheng looking to invest? Send him my way. I know a few people in the writers’ association. They’re great to work with. If you sincerely help them sell their copyrights, they’ll treat you as a friend. I’m planning to gather a group of people and start a company focused on managing intellectual property. Hey, what’s on your mind?”
Louis could tell he wasn’t getting through to Zeng Yu, who was still lost in thought.
Louis sighed inwardly and patted Zeng Yu on the shoulder, finally snapping him out of his daze. “Huh? What were you saying? I came today to ask about the trip to France.”
“I was talking about Wang Zheng’s investment,” Louis said, shaking his head. This guy’s soft nature is going to be his downfall in relationships, he thought.
“Wang Zheng’s investment? Talk to him about it yourself. Why are you asking me?” Zeng Yu absentmindedly replied.
Seeing this, Louis knew something had to change. He decided to be direct with Zeng Yu. “Do you think he’ll trust me? That guy may seem scatterbrained, but he’s sharp as a fox. I can’t get through to him. It has to be you. Oh, by the way, I’ve made arrangements for your trip to France. Visiting the vineyards won’t be an issue, but staying there to study? That’s a bit more complicated. By the way, doesn’t Jiangyu Company have an office in France? Who’s in charge there? Fan Jia, right?”
“Fan Jia’s office is at Sophie Winery. They mainly oversee shipments from the winery and scout for potential brands,” Zeng Yu explained.
Louis nodded, “I see. In that case, I won’t bother arranging a tour guide. I wish you a smooth journey.”
Jiang Nan stepped off the high-speed train, looking a bit weary. Han Jie hurried over to grab her luggage, “Sis, that must’ve been a tiring trip.”
Jiang Nan rubbed her temples, “I didn’t ask you to come pick me up!”
Han Jie grinned, “It wasn’t my idea. Auntie told me to come. She wants you to go straight home.”
Jiang Nan, pouting in frustration, let out a breath, “Isn’t Jiang Gen enough for her to worry about?”
Jiang Gen was Jiang Nan’s younger brother, born in the U.S. He could’ve taken American citizenship, but Jiang Ziliu insisted on bringing him back to China and registering him there, even giving him the name “Jiang Gen.”
Han Jie looked a bit helpless, “Don’t even mention that little brat. My golden retriever is practically bald now because of him. Every time it sees Jiang Gen, it runs and hides.”
Jiang Nan scolded, “Why don’t you discipline him? If you don’t teach him while he’s young, it’ll be too late when he’s older.”
Han Jie looked aggrieved, “Do you think I dare? Just patting Jiang Gen on the head gets me scolded by my dad for hours. My mom doesn’t even stick up for me; she joins in and scolds me too. If it weren’t for Auntie, I’d be in serious trouble.”
Jiang Nan shook her head, “Mom really needs to stop showing off Jiang Gen everywhere like no one knows how hard it is to have a kid at 50. Outsiders don’t know, but deep down, she’s still bothered by the fact that she got complaints from Grandma after giving birth to me.”
“Kids need to be afraid of someone, at least,” Han Jie said, scratching his head as he tried to make sense of it all.
Jiang Nan didn’t respond and instead stood by the car. “Did you check Jiangyu Company’s accounts?”
“The company’s accounts are all clear as day. There’s nothing to check. I just looked at a few summary figures and nearly had a heart attack. That Zeng Yu is ruthless,” Han Jie said, his expression a mix of amazement and exasperation.
“Ruthless? In what way?” Jiang Nan didn’t get into the car yet, wanting to know more.
Han Jie hurried to explain, “Don’t get me wrong, I mean ‘ruthless’ in a good way. Let me put it this way: in the first half of this year alone, Jiangyu Company made a net profit of 28 million yuan. Impressive, right? And yet, Zeng Yu walked away from it all. Ruthless!”
“So you’re saying I’m just picking up the scraps?” Jiang Nan’s face darkened instantly.
Han Jie wasn’t scared this time. He knew from experience that Jiang Nan wasn’t actually in a bad mood; she was just pretending. Still, he couldn’t resist poking at her sore spot, “What I mean is that Zeng Yu would give up anything for you.”
On the surface, Jiang Nan seemed calm, but deep down, she felt a pang of sadness. Her eyes lacked their usual sparkle. Han Jie could tell she wasn’t feeling great, so he focused on driving and didn’t disturb her further.
The car pulled into the driveway, and Jiang Nan stepped out. Her mother, Han Jiayi, poked her head out, glanced at her daughter, and then disappeared back inside, making no effort to greet her.
When Jiang Nan entered the house, she overheard her mother telling Jiang Gen, “Little Gen, don’t upset your sister.”
Jiang Gen, now over two years old, was undeniably adorable, but also a handful. Jiang Ziliu, who had a son in his later years, doted on him endlessly. Han Jiayi spoiled him as well, treating him like a precious treasure. Jiang Nan was the only one who could discipline Jiang Gen, but even she couldn’t do much, as she didn’t have enough time to spend with him.
“What’s all this talk? You don’t want me here? I’ll leave right now.” Jiang Nan’s tone was sharp as she spoke.
Han Jiayi immediately put on a smile for her daughter.
After giving birth to Jiang Gen, Han Jiayi had changed dramatically. She used to be quite domineering at home, with a strong need for control. But now, her world revolved entirely around Jiang Gen.
Sensing Jiang Nan’s displeasure, Han Jiayi tried to soothe her, “Your little brother is still young. Don’t be so hard on him.”
Jiang Nan sneered, “There’s an old saying: ‘You can tell what a child will be like by the age of three.’ If you keep spoiling him like this…”
“Who wouldn’t love their own son? Little Gen is still a child. Don’t bully him.” Like a mother hen protecting her chick, Han Jiayi scooped up Jiang Gen and handed him over to the nanny.
Jiang Nan, taken aback by her mother’s transformation, sighed and walked forward, “Mom, I’m not jealous of Jiang Gen. It’s just that this kid needs discipline. If I hadn’t caught him in time the other day, that Zhang Daqian painting in the study would’ve been ruined.”
“I get it, I get it. You’ve had a long journey. Go freshen up and eat something,” Han Jiayi quickly changed the subject, trying to distract her daughter.
Over the past few years, Han Jiayi had been under tremendous pressure. During Jiang Nan’s illness, she had to take care of her daughter while also dealing with her pregnancy. After giving birth to Jiang Gen in the U.S., Jiang Ziliu insisted on bringing him back to China. Jiang Nan remained in the U.S. for treatment, and Jiang Ziliu and Han Jiayi would visit her whenever they could. Deep down, Han Jiayi always felt she owed her daughter a lot. With her lifelong wish of having a son fulfilled, her personality had softened considerably.
Jiang Nan went upstairs, and once she was out of sight, Han Jiayi looked at Han Jie and asked, “So, how did it go?”
Han Jie shrugged, “What else? Zeng Yu handed the company back to her, but little sister refused to sign the agreement. Legally, the company is still his.”
Han Jiayi sighed, “She really is my daughter, sharp-eyed and quick to read people. But when it comes to matters of the heart, we should just let things take their course.”
Though she was deeply concerned for her daughter, Han Jiayi had no intention of intervening.
