Ji Ling took the initiative to speak, “I thought all the young masters of the Yan family would be too busy these days, but I didn’t expect to run into you here.”
Yan Yili squinted at the horses racing on the track and replied, “Cut the pleasantries. You came here just to run into me, didn’t you?” His tone never once smoothed out. “I just got back from the hospital. My head was a mess, so I came out here to unwind.”
Ji Ling matched his calm tone, “I didn’t expect you’d be bothered. I thought you were above it all.”
Yan Yili glanced at him, “He’s still my grandfather. He treats me well, and it was because of me that the Yan family invested in this horse farm. I enjoy coming here to relax, but Yan Yixuan intentionally bought a horse and left it here.” He then asked Ji Ling, “Don’t you think that’s childish?”
Ji Ling smiled.
Maybe. But from what Yan Yili said, one thing was clear to him.
Even if Yan Yili’s background wasn’t as bad as it seemed, even though his maternal family was wealthy, his forceful attitude as an outsider in the Yan family showed that he wasn’t someone ordinary.
His greatest support was, in fact, Yan Jisheng’s affection for him.
He developed the rose garden for him, invested in the horse farm for him, allowed him to join the company, and even sit on the board of directors. If he didn’t care about him, would he have gone this far?
Thinking about it, Ji Ling realized that Yan Yixuan’s tolerance and magnanimity were actually pretty good.
Unable to stop himself, Ji Ling asked Yan Yili, “If the roles were reversed, do you think you’d do better?”
Yan Yili didn’t directly answer, instead saying, “If you were in my shoes, with the chance to get what you wanted, would you give up?”
He said frankly, “Yan Yixuan has his right to it, and I have mine. When I entered this family, I made my stance clear, and that’s why he dislikes me. We’ve always had differences, whether it’s about the family or the company. Our opinions have never aligned. But I don’t think I’m worse than him, so I’ve never backed down.”
Ji Ling replied, “He won’t back down either.”
Yan Yili actually smiled, rare for him. “Yeah, you probably think I’m too aggressive. That’s because I’m more direct, I like to attack head-on. But Yan Yixuan is the opposite. He’s good at using soft tactics, always keeping things steady, like he’s built an impregnable fortress. Even though I joined the board a long time ago, I’ve been almost sidelined because he’s been great at winning people over.”
“I respect that about him,” Yan Yili continued, smiling at Ji Ling. “Aren’t you the same? He’s managed to win you over.”
Ji Ling candidly responded, “Maybe.”
Then Ji Ling remembered something Yan Yixuan had said to him, and he echoed it to Yan Yili: “But no one’s a fool. People only gather around you when you’re good enough. That’s how it is for me, and maybe you can say I was deceived, but what about the board members? I believe they’re all sharp. Have you ever wondered why they willingly side with Yan Yixuan?”
Yan Yili froze for a moment, his smile fading. Slowly, he said, “I hadn’t thought of that.” He frowned as if recalling something, then seemed to relax, returning to his usual calm demeanor.
He spoke again, “Now that I think about it, I can understand. He does have that ability. When I first returned to the Yan family, I saw him and thought he was such a charming young master, I couldn’t help but like him.”
This surprised Ji Ling. He hadn’t expected Yan Yili to have had such an impression of Yan Yixuan before.
“Too bad we had a conflict of interests. He wanted to keep the Yan family as a place where he could remain a young master, while I wanted the family to grow further. We both wanted power, and eventually, we couldn’t stand each other.”
By this point, their conflict had become irreconcilable.
Two ambitious men, the battle was set.
Ji Ling wasn’t here to mediate. He said, “But there’s one thing you don’t do as well as Yan Yixuan. You constantly show yourself in the media, trying to build up your image, but he’s preparing for the future, consolidating the market. When his plan works out, you’ll lose some support.”
Yan Yili thought for a moment. “Is that so? I guess it’s because I grew up abroad, I never learned to play the game of flattery with the Chinese.”
He admitted, “That’s where we differ. He’s good at defending, I’m good at attacking.”
Yan Yili’s gaze shifted to Ji Ling, sizing him up, “You’re truly different. At first, I thought you were just another one of Yan Yixuan’s little birds. But every time I look around, you’re still there, never replaced. Later, I even saw your name in business news, and I was quite surprised.”
Ji Ling chuckled. “Glad I was able to impress you after all those looks of disdain.” Since Yan Yili was being so open, Ji Ling felt he could be just as blunt. “You’re too arrogant, Mr. Yan Yili.”
Yan Yili didn’t mind. “I only focus on the strong. There’s no need to waste time on people who aren’t worth it.”
Same old superiority complex. Ji Ling knew he was only speaking to him because, in his eyes, he had gone from being one of Yan Yixuan’s playthings to being his partner.
Yan Yili continued, “Talking to you a bit, I actually think you’re not bad. I’ve learned quite a bit.”
Ji Ling wasn’t shy. “Thanks for the compliment, but you learning to flatter like Yan Yixuan doesn’t really do much for me.”
Yan Yili raised an eyebrow. “I get it. You’re always on Yan Yixuan’s side. You’re here to gather intel, aren’t you?”
Ji Ling smiled, copying Yan Yili’s usual arrogance. “Can’t I just be here to see the horses?”
Yan Yili sneered, “Drop the act. Just like Yan Yixuan—always about short-lived interests.”
That part, though, was unfair. Ji Ling did like that horse. It was just that, a long time ago, he’d fought with Yan Yixuan and got banned from visiting.
Yan Yili stood up, saying, “I’ll go for a few laps downstairs. I’ve come all this way, I might as well stretch my legs.”
Ji Ling understood that he was saying goodbye. Just as he was about to respond, Yan Yili spoke again.
“You know what I can’t stand most about Yan Yixuan?”
Ji Ling was caught off guard by this unexpected turn of events.
Yan Yili looked at him with deep eyes and said, “He’s always been the little prince protected by Jin Garden. I wanted to pull him out, but I didn’t expect someone like you to show up. In the end, he still hides behind you, keeping his polished, carefree life. Isn’t that right?”
Thinking about it now, Yan Yixuan felt like Yan Yili was the outsider. But maybe, Yan Yili also envied Yan Yixuan.
Ji Ling had no response.
Yan Yili turned around and strode out of the audience stands.
Ji Ling sat there a little longer before getting up to leave.
Ji Ling had his own ideas—he wouldn’t be swayed by Yan Yili.
After talking to him for so long, Ji Ling knew he could no longer count on Yan Jisheng.
And Yan Yili saw the relationship between Yan Yixuan and Ji Ling with sharp clarity and calm judgment. The more level-headed he was, the more it showed just how strong he really was.
But like how Yan Yili said Yan Yixuan was too soft and too cautious—Ji Ling wondered if he’d ever heard the old Chinese saying: ‘the overly rigid breaks the easiest.’
First thing Monday morning, Ji Ling told his secretary to have Mo Yulan come to his office.
A while later, Mo Yulan knocked on the door, and Ji Ling told her to come in.
“Have a seat, Miss Mo. Let’s talk,” Ji Ling said.
Mo Yulan sat down, suspicious. “Talk? I thought you were gonna push me about the proposal.”
Ji Ling smiled. “You’re not even my employee, Miss Mo, but you’re more proactive than most people who are.”
Mo Yulan blinked. Ji Ling hadn’t brought this up in a while, and with Yan Yixuan staying quiet too, she had pretty much started thinking of herself as someone who worked here.
Ji Ling looked serious. “Why don’t we just make it official?”
Mo Yulan was stunned. She frowned slightly. “What do you mean?”
Ji Ling spoke clearly and slowly. “I want you to quit working for the Yan Group and come work for me.” He smiled and added, “You can think of it as me poaching you—I’m trying to convince you to jump ship.”
Mo Yulan looked conflicted. “Mr. Ji, you know my situation isn’t simple. You can’t just talk about it like it’s any other job.”
“I don’t see what’s so different,” Ji Ling replied. “Come work for me. I’ll give you the same position and raise your salary by twenty percent. But you have to cut all ties with the Yan Group and officially be part of my company.”
From behind his desk, he looked at her and said, “I’m sure you understand the situation by now. You’re still with the Yan Group in name, but you’ve already become part of this side, haven’t you? Do you really want to go back? Think it over—which side is better?”
For someone like Mo Yulan, Ji Ling’s team was clearly the better choice. Her work was already on track and full of potential. Going back would just mean returning to her old desk in the secretary’s office.
Besides, she wasn’t made of stone. Ji Ling had always treated her with respect and never held grudges. The work environment here was also easy-going. She was already starting to forget she ever wanted to leave.
Still, Mo Yulan was sharp. She asked, “Why are you bringing this up now, Mr. Ji?”
If he cared about her, he would’ve pushed her away long ago. If he needed her, he would’ve brought her in a lot earlier instead of letting her stay here in name only under another company.
Over time, Mo Yulan had come to understand Ji Ling a little.
He never did anything without a reason. Every move he made had a purpose.
Ji Ling smiled, getting straight to the point. “I need you to take charge of a project.”
She had been a little thrown off at first, but now that her head was clear, she immediately understood the key point. “Got it. It’s a project related to the Yan Group.”
Then she said seriously, “Even though I once followed Vice Chairman Yan’s orders without telling you, I’m not a corporate spy.”
Ji Ling laughed and asked, “What do you think of me as a person?”
Mo Yulan got tripped up again. She frowned and said, “You’re pretty great, Mr. Ji.”
And she meant it. He was capable, fair, and treated his staff well. She had gone from being skeptical and dismissive to truly respecting him.
“So do you think I’d use you as a spy?” Ji Ling smiled. “I said I want you to come over officially. That means I want you to cut ties with the Yan Group. How is that spying?”
Mo Yulan felt a little awkward. “I’ve been going back and forth for a while, so maybe I overthought it.”
“That’s exactly why I want you to come over completely,” Ji Ling said. “I do want you to take charge of this project, and yes, it involves the Yan Group. I want you to use what you know to move it forward, but I promise—it’ll be completely above board. It won’t hurt your former boss in any way.”
She hadn’t even said yes yet, but Ji Ling was already calling Yan Yixuan her ‘former boss.’
“At the same time,” he said, “I want you to give me the same loyalty you gave your last employer. No leaks. Not even to Yan Yixuan.”
Mo Yulan asked curiously, “So what’s the project?”
Ji Ling spread his hands. “That’s confidential for now. Once you’re officially mine, I’ll let you in.”
He had deep, dark eyes that always looked so focused when they locked onto someone. Now, he looked at Mo Yulan and asked, “So, Miss Mo, what do you say? Are you willing to take the offer and switch over?”
Mo Yulan thought it over, then finally smiled. “Alright, boss.”
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)
thank you for the update xoxo