After searching for over half a month and viewing countless office buildings, Yin Qianping finally settled on a five-story white building by the river in the city center as the new office for the theatre troupe.
“Did you rob a bank or something?” Deng Jing asked when he heard that Yin Qianping had bought the entire building at once.
This area by the river was prime real estate. Although the theatre troupe had always been profitable due to Yin Qianping’s fame and status, buying the entire building still seemed like a hefty sum.
“This area is bound to appreciate in value in the future, and it’s not my personal asset. If the troupe’s assets cost a bit more, so be it.”
“So you’re planning to organize us to rob a bank together?” Deng Jing asked seriously.
“Can you just shut up?” Yin Qianping pretended to be angry, tossing a paper ball at him. “No one is robbing any bank. Money’s coming to me willingly… I told you to choose an office, why are you wasting time talking here?”
Deng Jing pouted and turned to call Sheng Min, “Xiao Min, which one are you choosing? I want the one next to yours.”
“Hm?” Sheng Min poked his head out and waved his hand, “This one.”
“I thought you’d pick one by the river,” Deng Jing said as he walked in to take a look. He didn’t know what was so special about this room, but since Sheng Min had chosen it, he immediately placed his nameplate in the room next door.
“This one has a good view.”
“Really?” Deng Jing was skeptical and walked to the window. There were no plants or trees to see, just rows of high-rise buildings across the street. He couldn’t immediately figure out what was special. “What’s so good about it?”
The logo of the software park glistened in golden light under the sun. This new office was not far from the software park, only a 15-minute walk. Sheng Min had toured all the rooms, and only this one provided a clear view of Building C from afar.
He couldn’t help but smile. “Everything about it is good.”
After deciding on the office location, the moving process quickly became a priority. Although Yin Qianping wasn’t a superstitious person, he still chose a good date for the big move.
Sheng Min didn’t have much to move into the office. Besides scripts and books, he only had a few potted plants. Everything was quickly loaded into the car. Thinking of Deng Jing’s room full of odd and quirky items, he was about to go upstairs to check if he needed help when his phone rang. It was Yang Xu calling.
He complained about how the bookstore had opened, but business was not going smoothly.
“I thought all I had to do was read comics and collect money every day, but they’re skipping out on paying! What’s wrong with the kids these days? I didn’t do this when I was younger…”
Sheng Min chuckled as he listened.
“Ge…” Yang Xu called him somewhat embarrassed.
“If you don’t want to run the store anymore, I can introduce you to Yin Ying. Her assistant just left, and she’s a nice person who’s generous to the people around her. She’s also becoming popular now. It’ll be easier for you to work with her.” Sheng Min said seriously. “If you want to come back and work with me, that’s also an option. The theatre troupe will be going on tour soon, and I do need an assistant.”
A few days ago, Yin Qianping had mentioned the same thing to him. The troupe had budgeted for him and Deng Jing to hire assistants, so it was up to him to find one.
When Yang Xu heard this, he immediately wanted to respond, but Sheng Min stopped him.
“Let me finish. Right now, I don’t have any other staff. The tasks you’ll need to handle will inevitably be more complicated and trivial. If you want to advance in your career, working with Yin Ying will be better than working with me. Think it over carefully.”
“I choose you!” Yang Xu answered immediately.
“I told you to think it over.”
“I’ve thought it through.”
Sheng Min helplessly said, “Alright, then I’ll have the troupe’s administration contact you about your employment…”
Yang Xu hurriedly agreed, and just as Sheng Min was speaking, he suddenly heard someone calling him from behind, sounding surprised and delighted.
“I have something to do. I’ll call you back later.” Sheng Min hung up the phone and turned around.
The girl behind him was carrying a cello on her back, her face flushed red. She looked somewhat familiar. Sheng Min thought for a moment and smiled. “Miss Zhou, long time no see.”
“I thought you’d forgotten me.” Zhou Jia sat down in the office, still unable to hide her excitement.
“I remember you,” Sheng Min said warmly.
It was still summer back then, when he and Li Xuan had swapped bodies, and now, winter was almost at an end.
“Are you here to perform today?”
“Yes,” Zhou Jia nodded. “Rachmaninoff. Originally, it was my colleague’s gig, but she’s ill, so I’m filling in for a few performances… I’ve heard that you’re on the tenth floor for a long time, but with the access restrictions, I couldn’t come up, and we never ran into each other… you…”
Zhou Jia’s emotions became uncontrollable, and her voice caught in her throat. “Are you really never going to act again?”
“Depends on the opportunity. But at least right now, I’m doing what I love,” Sheng Min gently replied, pushing a cup of water toward her. “It’s cold, have some tea to warm up. Things have been a bit messy with the move, so there’s nothing else to offer.”
Zhou Jia sniffled and drank some water. Sheng Min’s calm voice slowly helped her calm down, and she seemed a bit embarrassed. “Actually, as a fan, as long as you’re happy, that’s the best. When you didn’t renew your contract, we were all so happy… but it’s just that we can’t see you as often anymore.”
“If you want to come support me at the premiere of ‘Not Just the Mountain,’ I can have someone send you two tickets. You and Qi Boyuan can come together.”
“No, no,” Zhou Jia shook her head repeatedly. “Our fan club already decided to support you for your first play, so all the tickets have been reserved… I just won’t be able to come. After this performance, I’m planning to go abroad… and…”
She paused a little longer. “Qi Boyuan and I have broken up.”
“Sorry.” Upon hearing this, Sheng Min instinctively apologized, though his surprise was hard to hide.
“It’s fine,” Zhou Jia said. Normally, private matters weren’t something to share with outsiders, but she had liked Sheng Min for many years, and when she saw him, he always felt like a close friend she could confide in.
“I don’t know if Li Xuan ever mentioned this to you… you two must still be in touch, right?”
Sheng Min felt a little awkward and softly said, “Yes.”
Zhou Jia smiled lightly, lowering her eyes, probably recalling the last time they met when the four of them had dinner together. Her expression showed a little sadness.
“Boyuan proposed to me… I… I was very scared at the time.”
Zhou Jia’s beautiful eyebrows furrowed slightly. “This might not sound appropriate, but I always felt that marriage brings too many restrictions. I didn’t want it, at least not right now… But no matter how I explain it, we really don’t trust each other the same way as before.”
Her fingers unconsciously traced the edge of the teacup. “Not long after… the school arranged for me to go to the US for two years of further studies. It was a great opportunity for me, and I didn’t want to let it go. Two years of long-distance, with the time difference, the variables were too much. Boyuan couldn’t accept it… I asked him if he could come with me. His resume could get him into a good school, but he didn’t want to, he wanted to stay here and start a business with Li Xuan.”
Sheng Min couldn’t help but be stunned. “…Didn’t he already resign?”
“Resign?” Zhou Jia looked surprised. “That can’t be true. I saw Boyuan just last week… I even asked him, and he always said the same thing.”
“Maybe I misheard,” Sheng Min muttered, his lips pursing as he quietly deflected the topic.
“Yeah, it must have been a mistake,” Zhou Jia said, not suspicious. “They’ve been working together for a long time. Boyuan seems easygoing, but he’s actually quite a conceited person. When we were first dating, he used to complain to me all the time, saying that teachers and classmates were all idiots, thinking he was the best at everything. Then when he met Li Xuan, he was put in his place.” She half-jokingly complained, “Though sometimes, I think he’s a bit too good to Li Xuan…”
Sheng Min didn’t know how to react, so he just laughed along. Zhou Jia sighed softly, her gaze dimming. “Of course, I can’t really blame him. I chose my career, and he chose his. It’s fair.”
Her words were casual, but her expression still had a touch of sadness.
“The right person will always meet again,” Sheng Min softly comforted her.
Zhou Jia smiled a little, her expression wistful. “I hope so.”
That evening, Li Xuan came to pick him up, and Sheng Min told him about the conversation.
“Oh,” Li Xuan responded in a flat tone.
“Oh? What does that mean?” Sheng Min looked at him curiously. “They broke up, and you’re not surprised at all? You knew about it?”
Li Xuan didn’t confirm or deny, and Sheng Min didn’t press further. After a moment, he added, “From what Zhou Jia said, it seems Qi Boyuan doesn’t have any other plans…”
“So what?” Li Xuan stopped at a red light, pinched Sheng Min’s face, and smiled. “What does that mean?”
“It means what you think it means.” Sheng Min hooked his finger around Li Xuan’s, speaking in riddles. “When are you going to go find him and bring him back to the company?”
Li Xuan gave him a glance, and Sheng Min spoke slowly, “Don’t you plan to? The last time I heard Song Wen calling you, saying there’s too much going on with the company, and you’re handling both the tech and business sides, it’s too tiring. He suggested hiring another senior manager, and even recommended several candidates, but you turned them all down and wouldn’t let anyone come for interviews.”
“I do more work because I can handle it.”
“But I feel sorry for you.” Sheng Min said seriously, patting his arm to signal that they could move on. “My boyfriend is working so hard, wouldn’t it be better to have someone else help? … I don’t know much about your company’s affairs, but actually, before Zhou Jia mentioned it today, I didn’t realize. But now I feel like… You’ve probably been saving a spot for Qi Boyuan.”
“What do you think?”
“If you have that idea, then you should quickly go find Qi Boyuan and bring him back.” Sheng Min blinked, “How about it? … Do me that favor?”
Li Xuan chuckled, “What do you mean? This has nothing to do with you.”
“Is there anything of yours that doesn’t have to do with me?” Sheng Min asked rhetorically.
“No.” Li Xuan pretended to think seriously for a moment, “Alright then, I’ll do you that favor.”
Sheng Min held back a laugh and nodded good-naturedly: “Thank you.”
Li Xuan couldn’t help but laugh as well. He turned on his right indicator, merged onto the overpass, and then answered his first question: “I actually knew that there were problems between him and Zhou Jia… When he said he was leaving, I didn’t stop him. I put all the work on him, both business and personal matters, which wasn’t really fair to him, although the situation afterward didn’t necessarily improve.”
Sheng Min paused slightly, but Li Xuan didn’t continue, casually changing the topic: “Zhou Jia is flying to the U.S. on Wednesday morning, right?”
“No wonder you agreed so readily.” Sheng Min came back to his senses and smiled, saying softly, “So you didn’t agree just to give me face.”
…..
The airplane wings disappeared into the clouds and soon could no longer be seen. The weather was a bit gloomy that day, perfect for a farewell.
Qi Boyuan withdrew his gaze and began walking outside the airport but couldn’t resist pulling out his phone to look at the photo of Zhou Jia playing the cello at the welcome meeting. His finger lingered over the delete button but he couldn’t bring himself to press it. He suddenly bumped into someone.
“Sorry,” he didn’t look up and stepped aside to the left, but the person blocked his way again. Qi Boyuan sighed, stepped to the right, and was blocked again.
“Hey, I said…” He impatiently lifted his eyes, but the words stopped in his throat.
“One order of shrimp noodles.”
They sat down at a Su-style noodle shop near the airport. Li Xuan raised his hand to signal the waiter to take their order, then asked Qi Boyuan, “What will you have?”
“Didn’t you eat breakfast?” Although Qi Boyuan didn’t think this was an ideal place for a conversation, he was surprised that Li Xuan really wanted to eat, so he couldn’t help but ask.
“No.” Li Xuan said, “Did you eat?”
His calmness was almost infuriating. Qi Boyuan glanced at him twice but didn’t speak.
“He’s okay .” Li Xuan returned the menu to the waiter.
“Stir-fried eel noodles.” Qi Boyuan gritted his teeth and interrupted him, turning to the waiter. “Boil it a bit longer.”
It was nearly 10 o’clock, and there weren’t many people in the restaurant. After they ordered, the food arrived quickly.
Qi Boyuan was actually a bit hungry. Last night, he had been thinking about Zhou Jia leaving, so he hadn’t been in the mood to eat. But after being annoyed by Li Xuan, his appetite returned, and before he knew it, he had eaten most of the bowl.
Li Xuan, on the other hand, always ate quickly. He had already put down his chopsticks and, as Qi Boyuan finished his last piece of vegetable, casually asked, “When are you coming back to the company?”
Qi Boyuan froze for a moment and slowly said, “I didn’t say I was coming back.”
“Are you planning to rest forever, without working?” Li Xuan raised an eyebrow.
Qi Boyuan retorted, “Do you think I can’t find another position in another company?”
“You can find one,” Li Xuan shrugged, “but you didn’t.”
His certainty made Qi Boyuan want to laugh in frustration. Li Xuan, however, smiled, a relaxed and open smile. In the end, regardless of the initial intention, the conversation seemed to soften the tension.
“If you don’t want to come back directly, it’s not a big deal,” Li Xuan smiled. “You can go to Song Wen’s company, and I’ll have him transfer you here.”
Crazy. Qi Boyuan cursed in his mind, remembering when they first met. It was Li Xuan who won the gold medal in a programming competition. It was the first time since the competition started that someone outside the computer science department won the award.
At first, Qi Boyuan was curious and didn’t believe it, but after looking at Li Xuan’s work, his doubts disappeared. All that remained in his mind was the phrase: there’s always someone better.
He even doubted whether Li Xuan had really done it himself. In a fit of curiosity, he asked around and even went to the library to find him.
“Something wrong?” That was their first exchange.
Qi Boyuan felt a bit embarrassed: “I’m from the computer science department…”
“I know.” At that time, Li Xuan was more sharp-edged than now, and he exuded an air of arrogance. “Your name and photo are below mine on the winner list.”
Qi Boyuan didn’t know what to say. He turned to leave, but Li Xuan suddenly called out to him, “I have a task, and it’s urgent. Do you want to join?”
Qi Boyuan turned back, actually wanting to mock him: “With your skills, can’t you do it yourself?”
“Yeah,” Li Xuan said frankly, “are you in or not?”
It was a half-hearted invitation, yet Qi Boyuan, almost as if by fate, agreed, and that partnership lasted through their entire university life.
“Failure in love doesn’t have to mean failure in your career,” Li Xuan said calmly.
Qi Boyuan sneered: “You seem to be successful in both.”
“Just my luck,” Li Xuan wasn’t modest.
“Shouldn’t your attitude be a bit more proper? You’re here to ask me to return, right?”
Li Xuan raised an eyebrow: “If thinking that way makes you feel better, then sure, you can see it that way.”
Qi Boyuan smiled slightly, but it wasn’t a happy smile.
“We both know why I left,” he said after a moment. “But now, you want me to return, yet you never actually tried to keep me.”
“I know,” Li Xuan paused. “But you really did want to split back then, at least when you said you were leaving.” He was silent for a moment. “But if I had tried to stop you, you most likely would have refused… Don’t look at me like that, I know you.”
Qi Boyuan shook his head. “We can’t even call that splitting … All the company’s funds came from you, and you’ve been very generous with my salary and bonuses. Strictly speaking, you’re my boss, and I’m your employee.”
“Do you really think so?” Li Xuan asked.
“I should think so. You know me well, but I don’t know you that well,” Qi Boyuan replied.
Li Xuan smiled: “Of course you know me well, for example, you’re right—Yuan Yi is not that important to me.”
Qi Boyuan’s expression visibly changed, but Li Xuan seemed unaware, continuing, “Even if I could go back, I would still let Zhao Jizhe come to the company. I know he was a destabilizing factor, but I can’t explain it to you now… of course, the outcome wasn’t what I hoped for, whether you believe it or not. But I was indeed prepared for the company to suffer losses, and I can’t deny that. That’s the part you find hardest to accept.”
He paused for a moment and chuckled: “You care about this company more than I do.”
“Do you think that’s funny?” Qi Boyuan looked at him.
Li Xuan shook his head: “I just feel sorry.”
This was the only apology Li Xuan had made throughout the conversation. Qi Boyuan’s lips moved, but he didn’t answer.
The wind had picked up outside, and the door that had never been properly closed blew in, causing the bamboo curtain to flutter and hit the glass, making a jarring sound.
Li Xuan raised his hand and pressed his temple: “You asked me why I didn’t try to keep you. The company’s issues weren’t just draining your energy; they were draining your emotions. And to be honest, at that time, Yuan Yi was really in a bad state. I didn’t know if we could get through that point. It was something you couldn’t accept.”
“Could you accept it?” Qi Boyuan asked stubbornly.
“Of course. What’s Yuan Yi to me?” Li Xuan scoffed, “Qi Boyuan, do you really think that if Yuan Yi collapses, everything is over? I never thought that way. As long as people are here, can’t we create the next Yuan Yi?” He leaned slightly forward, his expression calm yet intense. “Let me ask you another way. If Song Wen’s funding hadn’t come in, Yuan Yi wouldn’t be in the state it is now—it would have completely collapsed. If I had to start from scratch, would you have come back?”
Qi Boyuan paused, took a sip of water, and said, “Only a fool would have.”
Li Xuan smiled but didn’t comment.
Qi Boyuan continued, “You should really try being a pyramid scheme leader. You sure have a lot of things to say.”
“It mainly depends on what you choose to believe,” Li Xuan shrugged.
The previously tense atmosphere seemed to lighten from a certain point onward. After finishing his glass of water, Qi Boyuan finally said, “I’ll think about it.”
“Think about it,” Li Xuan glanced at his watch and stood up, “Is one day enough? I’ll have them clean up the office for you, it’s been gathering dust.”
Qi Boyuan rolled his eyes: “At least a month, and you can send me my salary first.”
“Did you not see your card after you left? Which month was your salary not paid?” Li Xuan said, “Don’t take long, Reverse Track goes live early next month, we need to prepare for the promotion.”
Qi Boyuan gritted his teeth: “Without me, you can’t pull off this project, right? Then who’s in charge of the promotion now?”
“I am.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be handling the internal testing adjustments?”
“That’s also me,” Li Xuan said nonchalantly.
Qi Boyuan cursed inwardly, but the next moment, without thinking, he stood up: “It’s rare to see someone saving labor costs like you. You can do the work of ten people, huh? … Heading back to the company now? I’ll come with you.”
Li Xuan smiled and casually tossed him the car keys: “You can drive my car. In the afternoon, Song Wen is coming to arrange the first-quarter plan. The materials are on my desk, take a look. I’ll meet with you later; I need to go to Xingge Optics.”
The lawyer had come a week ago with a will for inheritance. All of Xingge’s shares were under Shu Xin’s name, and Li Xuan was the sole designated heir.
“I should be able to refuse, right?”
“Refuse?!”
The lawyer had served the Li family for many years and had handled Li Xuan’s adoption paperwork. He was the one most familiar with his identity as an adopted child. On the way over, the lawyer couldn’t help but marvel at how fortunate Li Xuan was to inherit such a large estate—stock shares, a villa, and substantial savings…
“Legally, yes, it’s possible…” the lawyer stammered.
“What about Li Mingge?” Li Xuan asked.
Shu Xin’s will had obviously been made a long time ago, but if Li Mingge were present, the will would never have been presented to Li Xuan.
The lawyer hesitated. “Mr. Li… there were some other arrangements.”
“Underground arrangements?” Li Xuan smiled.
The lawyer didn’t respond, but the silence said everything. When they were at the funeral home, Li Mingge had been in poor health.
When they arrived downstairs at Xingge, Zhou Qi was already standing at the door. He was scanning Li Xuan’s car, not expecting a taxi to pull up directly in front of him.
Zhou Qi quickly approached with a respectful attitude. “You’re here, the directors and heads of departments are all waiting.”
“Why only mention them? Aren’t you waiting too?” Li Xuan smiled.
Cold sweat immediately broke out on Zhou Qi’s back. He had been involved in all the past issues with Yuan Yi, including Zhao Jizhe, and had handled everything personally. Ever since he found out that Xingge’s shares had transferred to Li Xuan, he had been uneasy, considering whether to resign. But with dependents to support, he had no choice but to endure.
“It was a joke…”
“We’re not familiar enough to joke,” Li Xuan said, twisting his lips into a smile as he noticed Zhou Qi’s pale face. Finally, he showed some mercy. “Lead the way.”
Instead of touring the company, they went straight to the top floor. The meeting room was at the end of the hallway, where discussions were ongoing.
“Why isn’t the young master here yet?” someone sneered.
“He’s not the young master anymore, he’s about to ascend to the throne.”
“He’s never had any hands-on experience, doesn’t understand the business, and whether he can hold the position is still uncertain.”
They all spoke with varying expressions, but as the door opened, they quickly quieted, and all eyes turned toward the entrance, scrutinizing.
Zhou Qi quickly stepped forward and pulled out a chair for Li Xuan, but he didn’t sit down.
A calm and indifferent gaze swept over everyone. Many of them were old hands who had worked for Li Mingge, and they wouldn’t be so easily swayed by him.
“Young CEO Li,” someone finally spoke, and the others hesitantly followed suit, calling out his name in a half-hearted attempt.
The tone wasn’t respectful—more like a test.
Li Xuan tugged at the corner of his mouth, but didn’t respond. He slowly sat down. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“I’ll introduce everyone,” Zhou Qi quickly said, sensing the awkward atmosphere, pointing to the first person on the left. “This is…”
“No need.” Li Xuan raised a hand, “The vice president and head of finance, right? I know.”
He leisurely went through the names and positions of everyone in the room, his demeanor relaxed as he added, “I’m not here to meet with everyone. My time is precious, and even more so for Xingge. I’m here today because we need to talk about work, which I’m sure was already communicated in the email yesterday.”
As he spoke, he pointed to the CFO beside him. “Let’s start with you.”
“I….” The CFO hesitated. To them, Li Xuan was just a young kid—who would care about his email? It was only when he arrived today that his secretary informed him about the meeting.
“Half an hour for each of you. Tell me about this year’s work and any deviations from the goals set at the beginning of the year, as well as plans for next year,” Li Xuan reminded kindly. “The Spring Festival break is coming up soon, and your subordinates have likely reported these matters to you multiple times already.”
“Well…” The CFO cleared his throat. “The revenue target set for this year was…” He paused to think, then gave a figure.
“Isn’t that the initial target?” Li Xuan rested his head on his hand. “Wasn’t it revised in May? Increased by ten percent.”
“Yes, yes… I haven’t finished yet,” the CFO’s attitude automatically became more respectful, cursing himself for being the sacrificial chicken in this demonstration.
“It’s fine,” Li Xuan smiled faintly, letting him off the hook. “If you can’t remember, I’m sure you have the report materials. You can project them for me. Half an hour.”
He went through each department’s situation in turn. Those who had prepared well were fine, but for those like the CFO, none of them could get away easily. Even the R&D department couldn’t smoothly pass through.
“Sorry,” Li Xuan interrupted with a smile. “I understand, so each one needs to be reported truthfully. Though I don’t enjoy it, I did study physics in college and know a thing or two about optics.”
The R&D manager’s face turned pale.
The meeting didn’t end until it was nearly dark.
Li Xuan looked at the department heads, who had completely changed their expressions. “We’ve been delayed enough today. I’ll say a few more words and then we can wrap up. My energy is limited, and I don’t have much time to manage Xingge. I’ll arrange for a professional manager to take over as soon as possible. No changes for the rest of you for now. From now on, I’ll come once a month, at the beginning of each month, just to this meeting room. You don’t all have to gather; it’s a waste of your time. We’ll go through each department’s last month’s work one by one, fifteen minutes each. If there’s anything that needs my approval or signature, have Zhou Qi contact me.”
Zhou Qi was stunned. With the attitude Li Xuan had shown, he thought he was going to be fired and quickly nodded, “Okay.”
Li Xuan took a sip of tea. “Recently, due to various circumstances, some departments have been slacking off. I know. But it’s not my concern, and I won’t review it anymore. This year’s year-end bonuses will be distributed according to the performance of meeting the initial goals. That’s all. Meeting adjourned.”
He stood up and walked to the door. Then, as if he suddenly remembered something, he turned around and smiled lightly. “Oh, one more thing. There’s no ‘Young CEO Li’. There’s only ‘CEO Li’ in this company.”
After leaving Xingge, Li Xuan went straight to the coffee shop downstairs. Inside the private room were two department heads from a physics research base in the northwest.
Li Xuan signed a contract with them, agreeing to donate Xingge Optics’ profits each year as research funding for astrophysics.
“Your mother was one of our very excellent colleagues. We still have the photos she took when she was pregnant with you at the base,” the head said as they shook hands and said their goodbyes after leaving the coffee shop. “Thank you for the donation. We will make the best use of the funds to advance astrophysical research, even if it’s just one small step.”
Li Xuan nodded. “I believe that was her true dream.”
“It’s snowing!”
A child passing by the door suddenly shouted joyfully.
“I see you didn’t drive?” the head asked politely. “It’s probably hard to get a taxi in the snow. Do you need a ride?”
“No need,” Li Xuan smiled. “Someone is coming to pick me up.”
Around the corner, he could already see Sheng Min’s car approaching, the headlights casting light as the snowflakes gently fell, layer after layer, covering everything.
This was the last snow of the year, and once it melted, a brand-new spring would arrive.
