Ji Ling looked at Xu Jing and asked, “You came to find me. What is it that you want me to do?”
Xu Jing hesitated for a moment before replying, “Mr. Ji, I know we don’t have much of a relationship, but could you please pass a message to Yueshi’s brother? Give me a chance to talk to her.”
Seeing Xu Jing, who was clearly older yet utterly helpless, and remembering how heartbroken Yan Yueshi had been when she cried that time, Ji Ling couldn’t help but soften. “I can’t guarantee that I’ll be able to convince Yan Yixuan, but I’ll mention this to him.”
Xu Jing let out a small sigh of relief and said, “Thank you, Mr. Ji.”
He gave a self-deprecating laugh, saying, “Although I was mentally prepared for this, it’s only when I’m facing it now that I truly realize the huge difference between me and her. I feel so powerless… it’s pathetic.” It takes a lot of courage for a man to admit his own helplessness. Xu Jing probably hadn’t shared these feelings with anyone, and having met someone like Ji Ling who understood, he couldn’t hold it in any longer. “What can I possibly do to compete with others?”
Ji Ling paused for a moment before asking, “Do you think Yan Yixuan plans to do something to you?” He suddenly chuckled, adding, “Not at all. From what I know of him, he’s too proud to try to suppress others to get what he wants. So don’t worry, your career and life won’t be affected. The only person he wants to control is his sister.”
Xu Jing also laughed. “I understand. From what I’ve seen, Yueshi is well-educated, graceful, and upright. I know she lost her parents when she was young and grew up with her brother. Whoever raised her must be an exceptional person to have raised such a wonderful girl.” Xu Jing looked at Ji Ling earnestly. “She once told me that only with her brother’s approval can we truly be together.”
This was something Ji Ling hadn’t expected. He’d thought that Yan Yueshi had always been impatient with Yan Yixuan, but it turned out she respected her brother’s opinion more than he imagined. Maybe she had always hoped for his understanding.
Xu Jing sighed. “Sometimes, I don’t understand. Someone as amazing as Yueshi could have anyone. She should be with someone younger, wealthier, and capable of giving her a bright future.”
Ji Ling felt that there was nothing he could say to comfort him. In fact, Xu Jing knew these things too. He knew it, Yan Yixuan knew it, and even Yan Yueshi herself knew it. Yet, Ji Ling still felt it wasn’t right.
At least in their relationship, Yan Yueshi had shown so much bravery, while Xu Jing seemed to retreat at every turn.
Unable to hold back, Ji Ling said, “Director Xu, don’t you think you’re being too hard on yourself? Like you said, Miss Yan is so excellent and kind. The person she falls for must have something special about them. If you can’t even have confidence in yourself, how can you give Miss Yan the confidence she needs?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Ji Ling thought to himself that if Yan Yixuan knew he was here encouraging Xu Jing, he’d probably kill him.
Xu Jing stared at him for a long while before bitterly smiling and saying, “You’re right, Mr. Ji. But reality is hard to face. I’m just hoping you can help me see Yueshi.”
Ji Ling nodded again and agreed.
On a weekend, Ji Ling found time to call Yan Yixuan, who was at Jinyuan. Ji Ling mentioned he was coming over, and Yan Yixuan, without a second thought, agreed.
Ji Ling was quite familiar with Jinyuan by now, having spent the night there several times. The guards and helpers at Jinyuan all recognized him, which surprised him. They were all so calm about it, not the slightest bit surprised by his identity or gender, and instead greeted him warmly.
After parking his car, Ji Ling walked into the main building.
An aunt told him that Yan Yixuan was in the study, so Ji Ling went up on his own.
The study in the main building was large, with several rooms connected, but the bookshelves were few. The true library was elsewhere. The study was mainly used for office work.
The furniture was old-fashioned wooden pieces, but several computers and multimedia office tools had been added. According to Yan Yixuan, this place had once been used mostly by Yan Jisheng, but after Yan Yixuan took over, he filled it with many modern items that didn’t quite match the decor.
When Ji Ling entered the study, Yan Yixuan was looking at his computer. Without even lifting his head, he asked, “It’s rare for you to come over during the day on a weekend.”
Ji Ling realized he usually came in the evenings… but it’s better left unsaid.
Noticing Yan Yixuan’s casual attitude, Ji Ling asked, “Where’s your sister?”
Only then did Yan Yixuan turn to look at him. “She’s upstairs, why?”
Ji Ling decided to get straight to the point. “I’m here as a mediator,” he said, pulling out a chair and sitting down. “Xu Jing asked me to talk to you and see if he can meet your sister.”
Yan Yixuan scoffed. “If he had the guts, he should come himself. What’s all this roundabout strategy?”
Ji Ling knew that in Yan Yixuan’s eyes, Xu Jing could do no right, and he’d find any reason to pick on him.
Shaking his head, Ji Ling said, “You’re treating Yan Yueshi like a criminal, of course, you’ll never let him meet her.”
“That’s because I didn’t manage her properly, and now she’s ended up with someone like him,” Yan Yixuan said, getting irritated and shoving the computer aside.
Seeing his temper flare, Ji Ling made a stop gesture. “Let’s not argue. I’m just here to mediate.”
Yan Yixuan was truly angry, but Ji Ling’s words made him chuckle. “Alright, go ahead. How do you plan to mediate?”
Ji Ling said, “I’m not really here to mediate between Xu Jing and you. What I’m trying to mediate is the relationship between you and your sister. If you two let this issue create a rift, it’ll be a huge loss for both of you.”
Yan Yixuan looked at him for a moment and said, “What rift? Any brother would react the same way if he saw his sister with someone like that.”
Ji Ling smiled. “So, you want to be different, right? You want to be unlike any other brother.”
Yan Yixuan paused, a little stunned.
Ji Ling continued, “If you handle this the usual way, even if you succeed, do you really think your sister will accept it? She won’t just be upset, she’ll resent you. Is that what you want?”
Yan Yixuan snorted. “I don’t care about that. I just want Yueshi to get out of this relationship with no future.”
“So you think that making them like Romeo and Juliet, with you playing the role of the one breaking them apart, will make Miss Yan give up? Don’t you realize that this kind of thing only makes people more determined? What if it ends up just like Romeo and Juliet?”
Yan Yixuan grabbed the paperclip on the table and threw it at Ji Ling. “What are you talking about? Romeo and Juliet? It’s not going to be that dramatic.”
Ji Ling caught the paperclip in one hand and said, “Alright, alright, I got it, bad analogy.” He fiddled with the paperclip and continued, “But you get it, right? You know that you can’t make Miss Yan figure this out for herself unless you let her come to her own decision.”
Ji Ling sighed. “So, all you can do is guide her, not stop her.”
Yan Yixuan wasn’t a fool, but he knew that theory and reality were two different things when it came to matters like this.
He said, “You don’t understand because you don’t have siblings. When I think about the possibility of her crashing into a wall, I can’t just stand by.”
Ji Ling thought for a moment—how could he not understand? He understood all too well.
His younger brother was thousands of miles away, managing things, and Ji Ling had once thought his brother wasn’t capable. But Zong Jiqi had done far better than he’d ever imagined.
They all thought their younger siblings couldn’t weather the storm, but in reality, they were tougher than they’d given them credit for.
Ji Ling said, “You have to trust Miss Yan. She might be pure-hearted, but she surely has her own ideas. After you explain the risks of choosing Director Xu to her, it’s still her decision to make.”
Ji Ling tapped his chin, looking thoughtful. “Or you could just do what they do in TV dramas. Play the villain, threaten them with Xu’s career, and then arrange a marriage for Miss Yan. I think a British prince would be a good choice, send her overseas and cut all ties.”
Yan Yixuan finally laughed again, grabbing another paperclip to throw at Ji Ling. “Both princes are already married.”
After laughing, Yan Yixuan fell silent. Ji Ling didn’t speak, just quietly waiting for him to sort through his thoughts.
It took a long while before Yan Yixuan asked, “So, what did the person who asked you to be the middleman say?”
Ji Ling answered, “Director Xu said he wanted to meet Miss Yan and has something to say.”
Yan Yixuan gave Ji Ling a look and asked, “What does he want to say?”
Ji Ling shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe he’s planning to elope?”
Yan Yixuan sneered. “What age are we in? You could drag them back from the Antarctic.”
After saying that, he sent a message telling Yan Yueshi to come to the study.
When Yan Yueshi entered, she was wearing a large, trendy hoodie and skinny jeans, no makeup, her hair tied up in a bun. She looked completely different from her usual polished self.
She had a gloomy expression and didn’t seem to be in the best of spirits.
When she saw Ji Ling, she suddenly called out, “Why didn’t you tell me there were guests?”
Ji Ling greeted her with a smile, but she immediately turned to leave. “I’m going to change.”
Yan Yixuan stopped her. “No one cares about your outfit.” He glanced at Ji Ling, then at his sister. “He came with a message—someone wants to see you.”
Yan Yueshi looked at Ji Ling, still a bit confused.
Ji Ling couldn’t help but laugh inwardly, then explained clearly for Yan Yixuan. “Director Xu wants to see you. He asked me to convince your brother.”
Yan Yueshi’s face, which had been dull, lit up with excitement. She turned to her brother, her eyes full of hope.
Yan Yixuan said, “Let the driver take you, but don’t go to a hotel or home. You have to come back before dinner.”
This time, Yan Yueshi was quick to understand. She almost rushed over to hug Yan Yixuan, but held back, her voice trembling with excitement. “Thank you, brother!”
She dashed out of the study to get ready.
Yan Yixuan gave Ji Ling a tired look. “Just like you said, pushing too hard will backfire. For now, I’m softening my approach, but I’m still not agreeing to this.”
Ji Ling smiled but didn’t say anything.
Yan Yixuan looked him over and said, “The guy really knows how to pick, huh? Getting you to be the middleman was the right choice.” He gave himself a self-aware look. “When you’re the one convincing me, it’s pretty much a done deal.”
Ji Ling weighed the two paperclips in his hand.
He’d kept a smile on his face when talking about Yan Yueshi’s situation earlier.
But now, he set the smile aside, holding the clips with both hands, and looked seriously at Yan Yixuan. “Actually, coming here as a middleman was just a side thing.”
He asked, “Tell me, is there any issue with Yan Group’s cash flow right now?”
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)
