Yan Yueshi stared at him in panic and said, “I’m not eating. I’m on a diet.”
Yan Yixuan still looked gloomy, but there was a flicker of amusement in his eyes.
He didn’t say anything, but Yan Yili, on the other hand, turned to Ji Ling with interest, giving him a once-over before asking, “Mr. Ji, do you have any thoughts on the matter?”
Ji Ling was already starting to regret speaking up. Now he couldn’t even eat properly.
He slowly wiped his mouth with a napkin from the table, then calmly said, “I’ve been meaning to say—your family’s chef is really good.”
The three Yans immediately shot him sharp looks again.
Yan Yueshi looked at him like she wanted to say, ‘You’re amazing’. Ji Ling smiled back, then finally raised his head to meet Yan Yili’s eyes. He dropped the joking look and began, “I think rushing into property sales right now is something worth reconsidering. Real estate policies are tightening across the country. Every company in this field is tied together—if one goes down, it drags the others with it. When the market is booming, everyone makes money. But when it’s not, even brokers’ profits drop.”
He glanced at Yan Yixuan. Yan Yixuan kept his head down, listening, but the corners of his mouth were starting to rise.
Ji Ling smiled faintly, letting his eyes drift over the elegant plates on the table, and said offhandedly, “Yan Corporation probably has a bunch of premium land lots sitting in its hands right now. I’m guessing the cash flow isn’t exactly great.”
As soon as he said that, Yan Yili turned to glare at Yan Yixuan, clearly annoyed.
Seeing that, Ji Ling added, “Chairman Yan didn’t tell me any of this. I’m just guessing.”
Yan Yili didn’t buy it. “Mr. Ji, your guess has no basis.”
But Ji Ling didn’t seem bothered at all. He stayed calm and easygoing as he said, “Isn’t this what most real estate companies are facing this year? The difference is, some of them have diversified operations. But Yan Corporation leans heavily on real estate, aside from overseas trade, so it’s hit harder than most.”
And he was spot on.
Yan Corporation’s overseas trade had been losing profits in recent years. Domestically, real estate was their only growth driver.
The two men on the board fell silent. Only Yan Yueshi looked uneasily at her brothers.
“So, is investing in an agency really a smart move in times like these? Are you really gonna put all your eggs in one basket?” Ji Ling finally dropped the smile and looked seriously at Yan Yili.
Yan Yili shifted in his seat, then stared straight at Ji Ling and replied, “That’s exactly why we need to work with brokers—because the policies are tightening. In the future, housing rentals and senior housing will be hot sectors. All of that depends on brokerages.”
Ji Ling shrugged, looking helpless. “Sure, but you still need to assess the risks, don’t you? If most property developers are trying to branch out, why is Yan Corporation doing the opposite? This isn’t something you can figure out in a couple of short meetings.” He glanced at the dishes on the table and sighed, “It’s not like a meal would’ve made a difference. Look, the food’s cold now. You all barely ate. What a waste.”
That was a veiled jab at how aggressive Yan Yili was being.
Yan Yili was about to say something, but Yan Yixuan finally spoke up.
“I said the same thing at the company today—there’s still a lot we need to consider,” he said to Yan Yili. “Like you said, the company doesn’t belong to just me. That’s why, after today’s meeting, we agreed to investigate more before voting again next time.”
Ji Ling noted that Yan Yixuan had been quiet while his father took the lead, and now he finally stepped up to make the final statement.
“If we couldn’t figure it out at the meeting,” Yan Yixuan said, expression flat, “I doubt we’ll sort it out in private. Also, you accused me of acting out of self-interest, but aren’t you just as biased against me?”
Yan Yili had always been stern with Yan Yixuan, but now Yan Yixuan mimicked his tone, speaking with an authoritative finality, “You say I’m being stubborn, but if you want the board to approve your proposal, you’ll need to convince more than just me. You’ll have to persuade everyone in the company.”
Yan Yili stayed quiet for a moment after hearing that, then suddenly laughed. He let out a long sigh, raised his hand like he was calling a truce, and said, “You two working together? Impressive.” He looked at Ji Ling with a smile. “I didn’t expect to see you here today.”
Ji Ling laughed too. “Neither did I. I just wanted a good meal.”
Yan Yili stood up and said, “Sorry to have interrupted your dinner.” He glanced around the dining room—spacious, empty, just the four of them—and turned to Yan Yixuan. “You’re right. Business is business. I’ll convince everyone at the next meeting. I shouldn’t have followed you here in the first place.”
He was tall to begin with, and now that he was standing, he looked even more imposing. Staring down at Yan Yixuan, he said, “After all, this is your home now.”
Yan Yixuan looked up at him, his expression unreadable. “Your room and your garden are still here.”
Yan Yili gave a small smile, but his stance was still unyielding. In the end, he nodded to Ji Ling. “Go ahead and eat. I agree—the chef is good.” Then he left on his own.
No one spoke for a while after that. The first to break the silence was, as usual, Yan Yueshi—who’d basically been invisible this whole time.
“Next time, don’t come home just to argue.” She sounded tired. “And don’t make such a huge dinner so late at night. I’m really trying to lose weight.”
Yan Yixuan glared at her. “I got home late. Am I not allowed to eat?”
Yan Yueshi was about to lose it. “Order takeout, eat in your room! You’re a big boss, go buy your own delivery company!”
She paused mid-rant, then finally realized something. “You know what? Next time you guys fight, I’m not getting involved.” She suddenly grabbed Ji Ling’s arm and said, “I’m calling you next time. You’re really something.”
Yan Yixuan saw she was rambling and waved her off. “Go to bed already.”
Yan Yueshi finally dragged her exhausted self back to her room.
Ji Ling sat there, still laughing. “Your sister’s pretty funny.”
Even though she didn’t understand the company’s affairs, she was worried about the constant fights between her two older brothers. That’s why she insisted on staying here.
Ji Ling glanced over at Yan Yixuan and noticed he was sitting across from him, lazily staring. Then, he said coldly, “Weren’t you hungry? Keep eating.”
“…,” Ji Ling chuckled. “Like I could really eat that much. I was just pretending.”
He turned to Yan Yixuan and asked, “So what’s going on? Tell me.”
Yan Yixuan waved someone over to clear the dishes from the table, then had wine brought in. They were each poured a glass.
Only then did he speak. “Just like you guessed—Yan Yili took the lead and made a preliminary deal with the brokerage firm. He brought it up in the meeting today, but I stopped it.”
Ji Ling frowned. “So he pulled a fast one and acted before telling anyone.”
Yan Yixuan nodded. “Pretty much. He moved too fast and caught a lot of people off guard. I almost couldn’t shut it down—that’s why the meeting dragged on for so long today.”
“Did the brokerage offer him any perks?” Ji Ling asked.
Yan Yixuan gave Ji Ling a look. Once again, he realized how sharp Ji Ling was—he always went straight to the point.
“They said that from now on, all matters related to sales would go through Yan Yili. As long as he’s involved, they promised discounts on house sales and rentals, which would lower our costs,” Yan Yixuan explained.
Ji Ling rubbed his chin. “Interesting.”
If the partnership really went through, Yan Yili’s position would definitely rise.
Yan Yixuan picked up his glass, took a sip, and his expression grew complicated. “To be fair, what Yan Yili said just now wasn’t wrong. I did have selfish motives. When I first heard about it, my gut reaction was to shut it down.”
Ji Ling smiled faintly. “You think if you and Yan Yili switched places, he wouldn’t do the same? Come on, we’re all businessmen—none of us are saints. First thing anyone does is think about their own interests. What gets me is how he keeps throwing the company’s greater good in your face, like he’s some kind of moral compass.”
That finally got a smile out of Yan Yixuan.
And when he smiled, the hard edges softened a bit. He said quietly, “You’re right. We’re all businessmen. Deep down, we’re the same.”
He raised his glass to Ji Ling. “To businessmen.”
Ji Ling played along and raised his own glass.
“Honestly, I think Yan Yili’s just bluffing. I’m still the rightful heir here. Morally, he’s not on solid ground. But he needs a reason—a way to make it look like he’s fighting the good fight—so he keeps saying I’m not putting the company first.”
Ji Ling couldn’t help but remind him, “Don’t let him mess with your head. That brother of yours knows how to play the PR game—he’s got it down to a science.”
After all, Yan Yili had stirred up media buzz for himself before.
Yan Yixuan kept smiling. “I know where the line is.”
Even though he was smiling, the tiredness in his eyes had already started to show. He’d been working all day, then came home to deal with this mess. He hadn’t even eaten properly.
Ji Ling felt a little bad for him, but something else was weighing on his mind more. He wanted Yan Yixuan to be honest with him, so he could figure out where things stood.
After a moment of thought, Ji Ling went straight to the point. “There’s something I’ve always wanted to know.”
Yan Yixuan looked surprised. “Go on. Since when did Boss Ji get all polite? I’m not used to it.”
He was teasing, but Ji Ling didn’t laugh. He just asked, “How many shares does Yan Yili actually have? And how many do you have?”
Yan Yixuan went quiet.
Ji Ling knew the company’s stock wasn’t exactly stable right now. His question was sensitive. Without a deep level of trust, he wouldn’t be getting an answer.
Yan Yixuan stared at him for a long time. Then finally said, “I have twenty-nine percent. Yan Yili has nineteen.”
Ji Ling was stunned. “That much?”
Yan Yixuan raised an eyebrow. Ji Ling quickly explained, “I mean, I’m surprised Yan Yili has that many shares in his own name. No wonder he could become vice chairman.”
Yan Yixuan didn’t react much. He just said calmly, “When Grandpa passed, he left five percent to our sister. The rest was split between me and Yan Yili.”
Author’s Note:
Yan Yili is just a temporary boss character, so he’s going to show up a lot for now. Just think of him as a mini-boss\~ o(□)o
One more reminder— All the business details in this story are fictional, don’t take them too seriously~
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