No one stays the same forever, and no one changes completely either.
After meeting Zong Jiqi again, Ji Ling clearly realized this.
On the surface, his younger brother seemed much brighter—chatting and laughing easily, mature and smooth, completely different from the cold, calculated calmness he had once deliberately put on.
But Ji Ling could still see the lingering passiveness and indifference in him.
At least he looked good—energized and healthy.
What he wasn’t sure about was whether he had a girlfriend, whether there was anyone around him offering support.
Ji Ling’s mind wandered, and it suddenly struck him—he too had changed.
In the past, he was always stuck in a limbo between letting go and holding on, unable to convince himself, only escaping temporarily.
But now, he could view the Zong family and his younger brother with a more open mind.
Because now, he was beginning to enjoy life as Ji Ling.
“Boss, let’s go.”
Ji Ling looked up, snapping out of his thoughts, and saw his subordinate.
They were off to meet with the APP team from N City, to finalize the details of an acquisition.
Ji Ling had even gotten used to being called ‘Boss’ by everyone, although he still didn’t understand why no one called him ‘President.’
But ‘Boss Ji’ did sound pretty good too, didn’t it?
This app was focused on entertainment news. It was started by an ex-web editor of an electronic magazine who had left to form a team with a few others.
Ji Ling had wanted his own app for a long time, to use it for promotions and events, but it had never come to fruition. Now that the cinema chain was up and running, with a membership system for theaters already in place, he was more eager than ever for a membership app that would provide news and help with product promotion.
He had spent a long time choosing this team. Not too big, not too small—just the right size to sit down and negotiate, and their app had pretty solid features.
After finishing business in N City, Ji Ling made a trip to Luo Teng’s place, had a few drinks with him, and then returned to Jinyuan.
When Yan Yixuan saw him, he was a bit stunned and asked, “Why are you back so soon?”
Ji Ling was frustrated and said, “Not only do you not miss me, but now you’re blaming me for coming back too early?” He pretended to look around, “Are you hiding someone from me? Keeping secrets behind my back?”
Yan Yixuan didn’t bother answering. Instead, he looked Ji Ling over carefully and said, “You’re the one who’s changed. Went to N City, and now you’re looking all lively and refreshed. What’s the big deal?”
“Huh?” Ji Ling didn’t quite get what he meant.
“You left with a heavy heart, and in just a few days, you come back glowing.”
Ji Ling chuckled and said, “Is it that obvious?” He sat down on the sofa, stretching his body, “I ran into an old friend in N City—someone I hadn’t seen in years—and also went out for drinks with Luo Teng.”
Yan Yixuan looked at him and said, “You’re so young, but you’ve got so many old friends?” Yan Yixuan seemed to be pondering something, then added, “And you’ve managed to hook up with one rich guy after another.”
Even someone like Yan Xi, who was completely unrelated to him, handed over a business card. That was just weird.
Ji Ling casually threw his arm over the back of the sofa, crossing one leg over the other. “That’s because your husband is just so charming—everyone loves him, and flowers bloom at his feet.”
“…” Yan Yixuan couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d been wanting to punch him more and more lately. He wondered if it was because he’d become too impulsive and wasn’t as calm as before.
Seeing Yan Yixuan’s lack of reaction, Ji Ling found it odd that he hadn’t jumped him yet. So, he took the initiative to pull Yan Yixuan closer by the waist, giving him a couple of playful pats. Inside, he was feeling quite pleased with himself.
He said, “Don’t be jealous, don’t be sour. My greatest success is hooking up with you.”
Finally, Yan Yixuan couldn’t take it anymore, and they ended up in a playful tussle on the sofa.
Ji Ling made up his mind—he needed to create opportunities to get closer to Zong Jiqi.
He didn’t want to reveal his true identity to Zong Jiqi. It had been so long, and Zong Jiqi had already moved past the pain of losing his loved ones. He was now leading the company steadily. Why put him through another shock?
Besides, explaining everything was too troublesome. Even Luo Teng had kept a distance, maintaining an unspoken understanding. It was a form of self-protection Ji Ling had carefully considered—anything more might shatter his worldview, which would be hard to accept all at once.
Even though they couldn’t be brothers anymore, they could still be friends.
Though their fields were different, both were players in the business world, so it wouldn’t be hard to find ways to connect.
What Ji Ling didn’t expect, however, was that their connection would come so soon.
The APP Ji Ling had been eyeing had been going smoothly at first. Once the terms were almost settled, Ji Ling returned, leaving his subordinates in N City to finish up the remaining work.
The deal was that Ji Ling would buy the rights, provide the funding, and the creative team would continue offering maintenance and development services, with Ji Ling covering their maintenance fees.
But suddenly, he received a notification from his subordinates. The developers had suddenly changed their mind—another company had reached out to them, also wanting to acquire the software, and they had offered very generous terms.
Ji Ling’s temper flared. Who was the idiot trying to snatch from him? After finding out who it was, his anger quickly faded.
It was Zong’s investment company.
Ji Ling told his subordinates to hold off and continue negotiating with the developers. Meanwhile, he started looking into the investment movements of Zong’s company during this time.
Ji Ling couldn’t understand why Zong’s company would be interested in such a small app.
The more he investigated, the more uneasy he felt.
When Ji Ling returned to Jinyuan that evening, his expression was slightly darker. Yan Yixuan noticed and said, “It was clear skies for a few days, now it’s cloudy again.”
Ji Ling glanced at him but didn’t respond.
Yan Yixuan mimicked Ji Ling’s tone and said generously, “Come on, tell me, what’s the problem? I’ll help you solve it.”
That made Ji Ling smile. He followed Yan Yixuan to the dining room for dinner.
As they ate, they started talking.
“I told you I wanted to buy an app, right?” Ji Ling took the initiative to bring it up.
Yan Yixuan nodded. “Yeah, I noticed you seemed pretty happy after N City. I figured things were going smoothly.”
“It was at first, but then Zong’s investment company suddenly decided to step in and buy the app.”
“Oh?” Yan Yixuan seemed surprised, pausing to think. Then he asked, “What are you going to do? But honestly, it’s not that big of a deal. If you want to fight for it, you can. It’s just a matter of how much you’re willing to pay.”
It really wasn’t a big deal. Ji Ling just wanted a ready-made app for convenience, to do some promotional work for news and information. Even if he didn’t get this app, he could always develop his own membership software. With enough money, it would be a trivial matter.
Yan Yixuan continued, “You must have signed an initial agreement with them, right? Are you planning to sue?”
Ji Ling laughed and said, “Not necessary. What I care about isn’t the app, it’s Zong’s company.”
Ji Ling put his chopsticks down and started explaining to Yan Yixuan. “I’ve been looking into Zong’s recent investments and acquisitions. I found that they’ve really expanded into a wide range of industries, but recently, they’ve been focusing more on cultural ventures.”
Yan Yixuan noticed that Ji Ling wasn’t even eating anymore, and he was speaking in detail about Zong’s situation. He couldn’t understand why such a distant industrial group seemed to have so much power that it could make an avid eater like Ji Ling lose his appetite.
Yan Yixuan said, “They want to get into the cultural sector, what’s the problem with that?”
Ji Ling continued, “It’s not that simple. Their acquisitions follow a pattern where they focus on one type of industry for a while, then shift to a completely different sector. From what I’ve seen, last year, Zong had stakes in several companies, not to mention smaller projects like this app, which won’t even be disclosed to the public.”
Yan Yixuan replied, “They’re casting a wide net, hoping to make a profit. Zong has plenty of capital, so it’s not strange that they’re using acquisitions to maintain their profits.”
“No,” Ji Ling looked at Yan Yixuan, but Yan Yixuan felt like Ji Ling’s gaze was drifting elsewhere. Ji Ling said, “In my eyes, Zong’s behavior looks like they’re trying to use money to pave a way for themselves.”
Yan Yixuan paused for a moment, then quickly understood. He said, “You mean Zong is trying to shift their focus, but they can’t figure out which direction to go in, so they’re relying on acquisitions to expand?”
Ji Ling nodded.
Even Yan Yixuan couldn’t help but sigh at this. He said, “It’s not hard to understand, though. The challenges of industrial development are something we in high-profit industries can’t fully grasp. Zong is creating profits through his investment company while also testing the waters. I think it’s a viable strategy.”
But in Ji Ling’s mind, Zong Jiqi’s strategy wasn’t as rosy as Yan Yixuan made it sound.
To Ji Ling, Zong Jiqi’s indiscriminate acquisitions felt like a trapped lion, blindly thrashing around, with the money spilled out like blood from the wounds caused by its reckless struggles. He was using blood to search for a way out for his business.
That was the reason Ji Ling was so downcast.
He felt sorry for the young lion, bloodied and battered, not knowing when it would find its way forward.
Ji Ling understood that no business could ever run smoothly without obstacles.
Zong Jiqi would inevitably face all sorts of challenges. Ji Ling had once believed these were just trials to toughen his younger brother, thinking that only by enduring them could he manage the company well.
But now that he had seen his brother’s difficulties firsthand, Ji Ling couldn’t help but feel a deep sympathy.
Ji Ling fell silent, not picking up his chopsticks.
Yan Yixuan spoke up, “Zong’s company is now managed by the youngest son. I remember you wanted to meet him a while ago. If you’re interested, I can arrange for you two to meet again.”
Ji Ling looked at him, then finally smiled gently and said, “Our young master is so thoughtful, always knowing what I’m thinking and proactively making connections.”
Privately, Ji Ling often teased Yan Yixuan by calling him ‘our young master’ or ‘our chairman,’ sometimes even calling him ‘wife’ when he was feeling bold.
Yan Yixuan pretended to be impatient and said, “You have so many plans in your head. Who knows what you’re really thinking? If you have any ideas, just go for it. I can’t stand this back-and-forth with you all the time.”
Ji Ling immediately replied, “Understood.” He chuckled and added, “But no need for you to play matchmaker. I have my own ways. I’ll be traveling again in a few days, so don’t miss me too much.”
Ji Ling knew there was an industry summit coming up, one that Zong Jiqi would be attending.
It was a joke to him—now that he was a respected businessman, did he still need someone to make introductions? A simple hello and he could easily slip into the conference.
He waited until the afternoon session ended and the event began to wind down before heading to the meeting room where Zong Jiqi was.
Zong Jiqi was talking to a group of people, his expression calm and polite, with a slight smile.
Ji Ling waited until most of the crowd had dispersed before approaching.
Zong Jiqi, clearly surprised to see him, greeted him, “Mr. Ji, I didn’t expect to see you here.”
Since the film and entertainment portion of the event had ended, Ji Ling wasn’t as recognizable—most of the attendees still lingering at the conference were industrial entrepreneurs. They all turned their heads, curious about this young businessman and wondering who he was.
Ji Ling had no intention of making small talk with them. He went straight to the point with Zong Jiqi, “Mr. Zong, do you have a moment? I’d like to have a word with you if you’re free.”
Zong Jiqi was even more surprised, but he glanced around, smiled at the people nearby, and then said to Ji Ling, “There’s some time before the dinner. I’m not sure if that’s enough for you?”
Ji Ling nodded. The two of them left the conference hall and found a quiet lounge to sit down.
This meeting wasn’t in a supermarket or a movie theater, and this time, Ji Ling could finally sit down with Zong Jiqi without any distractions and have a proper conversation.
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 translation ♥️