Ji Ling returned to S City, keeping the encounter with Yan Yueshi to himself. After all, it was an incomplete and confusing matter, and he wasn’t about to gossip to Yan Yixuan about it. Ji Ling suspected that Yan Yueshi was hiding things from her brother.
Considering Yan Yixuan’s current situation, Ji Ling could understand that he was under intense pressure. If he had to worry about his sister on top of everything else, it would only add to his stress.
For now, Ji Ling was keeping an eye on the stock prices of the Zong family while also monitoring the Yan family’s business activities. The Yan family had been exchanging information frequently with the outside world, seeking a more transparent and open business environment. They wanted to show the market that the company was stable and strong, to reassure small shareholders and the secondary market.
Ji Ling, being someone with experience, knew that Yan Yixuan was likely buying back stocks quietly, aiming to consolidate ownership and stabilize the stock price, buffering the impending storm.
It reminded him of when his father passed away. He had done the same thing then—fighting through the pain of loss while managing the company. People thought he was strong, but how else could he appear? The company couldn’t be harmed, and he couldn’t let others take advantage of the situation. He couldn’t show even a hint of sadness, because showing weakness would have been fatal.
But his father’s death had been sudden, unlike Yan Yixuan’s ongoing struggles.
Ji Ling imagined what Yan Yixuan must be feeling now: it was like having a knife slowly cutting through his heart, awaiting the final blow, all while forcing a smile in public, hiding any signs of distress. At the same time, he had to be preparing himself quietly for what was to come.
The preparation for the inevitable loss was grueling.
Perhaps because Ji Ling had been through something similar, or maybe for another reason, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for Yan Yixuan whenever he thought about his situation.
Ji Ling knew that life in a wealthy family could never be peaceful, but who would ever want to go through all this?
Lately, Ji Ling had been reminiscing about the first time he met Yan Yixuan. The young master was charming and elegant, and Ji Ling had thought he was the most suave young man he had ever met. Over time, however, Ji Ling began to notice the soft side of this person. Despite his pride and stubbornness, he often ended up compromising in the end.
If Yan Yixuan wasn’t soft-hearted, how could he have helped a young man in trouble, or allowed a penniless person to seek his help, and repeatedly defy him?
Ji Ling almost believed that Yan Yixuan was kind-hearted.
It was laughable, really—such a word probably didn’t even exist in the vocabulary of the rich anymore.
As Ji Ling got to know him better, he understood Yan Yixuan’s frustrations and hidden anxieties. Yan Yixuan loved his family, but this family wasn’t harmonious. His enemies were often his own relatives, and even his younger sister, whom he was so concerned about, wasn’t completely open with him.
Ji Ling suddenly wondered if Yan Yixuan’s flirtatious behavior was a defense mechanism, a facade crafted to match the image of the young master of the Yan family.
He almost wanted to laugh at how childish it seemed, but the smile never came.
He always remembered the sense of peace he felt in Jinyuan. Even someone like him, a workaholic focused on the future, thought that if life could always be like that, it would be perfect.
But of course, that was impossible. As he thought about it, an indescribable feeling washed over him. He suddenly recalled Zhong Mingwei’s words.
Could this be pity?
Ji Ling felt strangely irritated. He rarely thought about things like this. He had always found being around Yan Yixuan comfortable, but recently, he felt that his perception of Yan Yixuan was becoming more profound.
Ji Ling was a smart man, and this deeper understanding made him uneasy.
He began analyzing Yan Yixuan, analyzing his own feelings.
Was this a good thing or a bad thing? He couldn’t tell.
After Ji Ling’s return, a small incident occurred.
A photo of him talking with Zhong Mingwei on set was snapped and posted online. The photo showed no hint of intimacy, just a regular conversation, and his identity was quickly revealed: he was the owner of the PR company promoting Zhong Mingwei’s current film.
Because Ji Ling was young and handsome, the photo quickly gained attention. People began speculating about whether he and Zhong Mingwei were involved. Many also defended Zhong Mingwei, saying they were just talking business. After all, is it really wrong for a star to speak with a man?
Zhong Mingwei called Ji Ling to apologize, and Ji Ling, thinking it would be good publicity, chose not to have the rumors suppressed and let them spread. In the end, he gained a bit of fame.
If this had happened before, Yan Yixuan would’ve immediately called him up with some sarcastic remark, but this time, he didn’t. Ji Ling didn’t even know if Yan Yixuan was still keeping an eye on him, as he used to know everything, even the smallest details.
A few times, when Ji Ling spoke with Mo Yulan, he tried subtly probing for information, but came up empty. Mo Yulan mentioned that Yan Yixuan had been in touch with her much less lately, hardly reaching out at all.
Ji Ling thought for a moment and decided to take the initiative to call Yan Yixuan.
Yan Yixuan answered the phone quickly.
“Mr. Ji, it’s rare for you to call me,” Yan Yixuan teased, but his tone sounded faint.
Ji Ling also teased back, “I just wanted to check in on the young master. It’s been a while since you came to inspect things. I’m starting to miss it.”
Yan Yixuan finally chuckled on the other end of the line. “You’re talking about that thing with Weibo, right? Don’t think I don’t know just because I haven’t said anything. Mr. Ji, living the high life, huh? Getting involved in rumors with a beautiful woman…”
“You’re really happy?”
Ji Ling saw that he seemed fine and let out a small breath of relief. “With Young Master Yan watching over me, how could I dare be happy?” he said. Then he paused, decided to cut the small talk, and couldn’t help but ask, “Have you been doing okay lately?”
Yan Yixuan didn’t answer right away. After a moment, he said, “It’s not bad, but nothing good’s happened either.”
If he’d brushed it off and said everything was fine, Ji Ling would’ve thought he was lying—but Yan Yixuan told the truth.
And somehow, that honesty hit Ji Ling right in the chest.
He didn’t know how to respond. What was he supposed to say—‘hang in there’?
Yan Yixuan made it easy for him and found a way out of the awkward moment. “Boss Ji finally cares about his investor. I’m truly touched.”
Ji Ling thought to himself, ‘I’ve always cared about you.’
But then Yan Yixuan dragged the topic back. “Seriously though, you seem pretty close to that gorgeous celebrity. It was her at the hotel last time too, right?”
Ji Ling didn’t get why he was circling back to this. “We’re just friends. She helped me out.”
Yan Yixuan let out a low chuckle. “Boss Ji, full of charm as always.”
Ji Ling gave a helpless smile. “Nothing compared to you, Young Master Yan.”
“No, I mean it.” Yan Yixuan’s voice still held a hint of amusement, but his tone was calm and serious. “You’re drawing more and more people to your side. It’s getting lively around you.”
Ji Ling couldn’t help but laugh. “You make me sound like one of those bug-zapper lights.”
Yan Yixuan laughed softly, then went on, “It’s a good thing. These people aren’t dumb—whether it’s the Luo brothers or the beauties. If they’re drawn to you, it means you’re really something.”
That caught Ji Ling off guard.
Yan Yixuan wasn’t the type to say stuff like this.
Normally, if he didn’t roast you, that was already a miracle—now he was throwing compliments?
From the start of this conversation until now, there was a calmness in Yan Yixuan’s voice that never used to be there. It was light, almost indifferent, but if you really listened, there was a hint of tiredness underneath.
Ji Ling suddenly blurted out, “Yan Yixuan.”
Yan Yixuan didn’t mind being called by his full name. He lazily answered, “Hm?”
Ji Ling hesitated for a long time, but finally managed to spit it out: “Hang in there.”
That made Yan Yixuan burst into laughter. After he calmed down, he said, “What am I, a school kid at a sports day? I’m fine.”
They chatted a bit more before hanging up, but Ji Ling couldn’t stop thinking about that one line.
‘I’m fine.’
Leaning back in his chair, Ji Ling frowned slightly, tapping his fingers on the desk.
He stayed lost in thought for a long time—so focused he didn’t even notice when his secretary knocked on the door.
The secretary brought in some work, and Ji Ling snapped out of it and turned his attention to the documents.
Before taking any action, though, there was still someone he wanted to meet.
Over the weekend, Ji Ling went to a place he hadn’t been to in a long time.
The racetrack in S City was still relatively quiet. A few trainers were walking their horses on the field.
Ji Ling first went to check on the horse Yan Yixuan had boarded there. Though the owner had pretty much let it roam free, the monthly care payments never stopped, so the horse was still in good shape.
But even though Ji Ling had worked hard to bond with the horse back in the day, now that he was standing in front of it, it didn’t seem to recognize him anymore.
That left Ji Ling feeling a little disappointed.
A trainer asked if he wanted to go for a ride. Ji Ling declined. His already weak riding skills had gotten rusty from neglect. Better not risk it this time.
He left the stables and wandered to the track, walking the circuit to look around, but didn’t spot anyone familiar. So he settled into the stands and quietly watched the trainers ride.
Before long, someone came over and sat down next to him.
“You haven’t been here in a while.”
It was Yan Yili, stretching out his long arms and legs, casually taking the seat beside Ji Ling.
Ji Ling gave a small smile. “I’m just a small fry, running around trying to make a living. Unlike you, Mr. Yan Yili, who still has time to enjoy hobbies.”
Yan Yili gave him a once-over, eyes blunt and unfiltered as always, and asked, “What’s your name?”
Ji Ling nearly laughed out loud.
He shook his head, unsure whether he should feel honored that Yan Yili finally cared enough to ask for his name.
Yan Yili was the kind of guy so arrogant he didn’t even bother remembering people’s names.
But Ji Ling had good manners, even in the face of arrogance. He raised an eyebrow and said, “Ji Ling.”
Then held out his hand.
Yan Yili glanced down at the offered hand, then raised his own arm.
They shared a quick, firm handshake.
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
От всей души “спасибо!!! “, очень жду продолжения.😍😍😍
such a good story with great english translation. thankyou for picking this story xoxo