PFC Chapter 144 Things are going to change
Chapter 144 Things are going to change
In the third month of spring, all things revive.
The sky was a clear, bright blue, as if it had been washed clean.
The snow was just beginning to melt, and the air was crisp and cool, so refreshing it seemed to purify the soul.
The girl in the baseball uniform, wearing a beanie, closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Then Zhou Panpan let out another long sigh.
Happy days always pass quickly; winter vacation flew by, and school started again.
Fortunately, a few days ago, when Brother Gu went to Jianghai on a business trip, the Zhou family gave him a warm welcome, and this time they even managed to close a big deal.
Zhou Yishan and Wang Yuling drove across the city to take her to school before reluctantly returning home.
She was busy with many things at the beginning of the semester, and only called Brother Gu when she had some free time.
The call was answered quickly, and Xie Qingyu's voice came through, "Hey Xiao Zhou, what's up?"
"Nothing much, I just wanted to ask if you've gone back to Yunchuan recently?"
After the business deal they just signed, they are now partners. Zhou Panpan took him around to various places and even to a comic convention, so he couldn't help but feel closer to her.
The male voice on the other end of the line said, "No, the police called me recently. They said that the corrupt cops who colluded with you were caught when you were abducted. I also have some other things to take care of, so I came over to deal with them. I'll be back in a few days."
"oh oh……"
Zhou Panpan sat on a bench downstairs in the girls' dormitory, looking at the new buds not far away. "Hey, Brother Gu, are you and Xie Yan on good terms? Have you seen her recently?"
Xie Qingyu on the other end of the line was taken aback for a moment. “Oh, we’re really good friends, the best of friends in the universe. But I haven’t seen her recently. I’m not in Yunchuan. She should have started school by now. Why are you asking this all of a sudden?”
"I haven't been able to get through to her on the phone lately, and I'm worried that something might have happened to her, or that she might have been kidnapped by human traffickers like I was before..."
Although Zhou Panpan is carefree, she had been through a harsh and remote area, done hard labor, and even been beaten. It was pure luck that she was rescued safely. Now that she hasn't been able to contact Xie Yan for several days, she is naturally a little worried.
However, Xie Qingyu didn't take these words to heart. "Impossible, don't think too much about it. She's probably busy with the competition."
Zhou Panpan didn't know why he was so confident, but hearing his firm tone, she believed him to some extent.
"Okay, I'll call her again in a few days."
After exchanging pleasantries, I hung up the phone.
Xie Qingyu was in a taxi, looking out at the mountain scenery, but he had no interest in appreciating it, staring down at his phone with its screen already black.
He couldn't help but ask, "Second brother, where is my sister now? What is she doing?"
2222 replied, "At school, in class."
Upon hearing this, Xie Qingyu immediately leaned back in his car seat, looking relaxed.
He said that his sister was just too busy, either teaching or doing research, and her phone was always on silent.
Moreover, in this world, the only two people with cheat codes are the two of them. Xie Yan must have accumulated a lot of points after completing so many tasks, so she can do whatever she wants. She's practically invincible.
In addition, Xie Yan's decisive and strong image is deeply rooted in people's hearts, so Xie Qingyu felt that Zhou Panpan's worries were simply unfounded.
With his sister's strength and stamina, if she were to run into human traffickers, it's hard to say who would sell whom.
The car stopped in front of a hotel. Xie Qingyu glanced at the luxuriously decorated five-star hotel, but remained calm.
The decorations are too ugly and ostentatious; they're not as elegant and tasteful as their hotel.
He recently came here not only because of the human traffickers and corrupt police, but also because of important company business. A local wealthy businessman wants to discuss a big deal with the Gu family.
Although Xie Qingyu felt that he was now capable of handling things on his own, he still felt nervous when he was dealing with business worth hundreds of millions of dollars by himself.
The string of numbers on the contract is longer than his life; how could he not be nervous!
The hotel lobby floor tiles are bright, clearly reflecting people's images.
Xie Qingyu glanced at him silently in the reflective glass. He was handsome, cool, and had a strong presence.
Very domineering.
Go for it, Xie Qingyu! You can do it!!
at the same time.
In a private room on the sixth floor of the hotel.
The walls are inlaid with European-style reliefs, and the table is filled with delicacies and several bottles of expensive red wine.
Mr. Qian was a middle-aged man in his forties. He was strong and muscular, and his eyes and brows revealed the shrewdness of a businessman.
He held a string of sandalwood beads in his hand, wore a Guanyin amulet around his neck, and was dressed in Chinese-style clothing.
And sitting next to him was a woman with exquisite makeup and sharp eyes.
The room was at a comfortable temperature, and Jiang Yuanfeng, dressed in a fitted cheongsam, had a rare gentle expression.
“Qingyu should be here soon. You haven’t seen him in all these years, so this is an opportunity. There will definitely be many more opportunities to meet in the future.”
Qian Zhao's eyes swept over Jiang Yuanfeng's well-maintained face. "I understand, Sister Feng. Since you've said so, then Qingyu is practically my nephew. Your affairs are my affairs. We're all family, and I'll definitely pave the way for my nephew."
The woman beside him picked up her wine glass, the deep red liquid swirling around. Jiang Yuanfeng smiled, his shrewd and sharp eyes softening with tenderness. "As expected, it's you again when it matters most. Cheers."
"cheers."
A few minutes later, a tall figure appeared at the door.
The newcomer was dressed in a dark suit, his hair was all swept back, his eyebrows were handsome and cold, his nose was straight, his thin lips were slightly pursed, and he exuded an imposing aura.
Xie Qingyu had prepared himself and was about to give this important client, whom he had never met before, an opening remark, but he froze as soon as he entered the door.
"…………mom?"
The woman I hadn't seen for almost a month was sitting at the table, with neat short hair and full red lips. Who else could it be but Jiang Yuanfeng?
Jiang Yuanfeng stood up with a smile, "You've finally arrived, quickly call him uncle."
"...?"
Xie Qingyu turned his gaze to Boss Qian. He took a sip of red wine while still seated before slowly turning his head.
The man, Mr. Qian, had slightly dark skin, with three white areas under his eyes, and a faint scar on his left eyebrow that stretched to the corner of his eye, suggesting he had a story to tell.
Xie Qingyu frowned slightly. He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt that this Boss Qian didn't seem like a kind person.
But that's not the point. The point is, where did he get an uncle from?!
Seeing the doubt in his eyes, Jiang Yuanfeng took the initiative to say, "Boss Qian and I grew up together when we were young, and we're like siblings, so he's practically your uncle. He was the one who brought up this deal today, so you don't need to negotiate anymore; you can sign it directly."
Having said all that, Xie Qingyu had no choice but to awkwardly call out "Uncle."
He felt a strange unease in his heart.
He had prepared a business plan all the way here, but now there was no need to discuss it. The meal had truly turned into a family dinner, where they only ate and didn't talk about business.
What's even stranger is that Jiang Yuanfeng seems to be in a very good mood today.
She would serve food to Xie Qingyu and pour wine for Boss Qian.
Even Mr. Qian would occasionally serve food to Jiang Yuanfeng.
Surprising.
Weird.
Very weird.
The food at the hotel wasn't particularly delicious. After all, Xie Qingyu was a worldly man now, and he ate it listlessly, his mind wandering to all sorts of things.
Jiang Yuanfeng looked at him and sighed softly.
Qian Zhao is a local bigwig here. He runs a large business and his assets rank among the top in the province. He is a top figure in the southwest region.
When she was young, Qian Zhao pursued her, but she only liked Gu Jinhua at the time and found Qian Zhao annoying, so she broke off contact with him directly.
She had no other choice but to go all out and come here.
Fortunately, although they had a falling out in the past, the bond they formed as children remained. Without hesitation, Qian Zhao was determined to make a big deal with the Gu family to prove her son's worth.
It's all because that kid Shen Yan has been doing really well at the company lately. He bought up some land in the rural suburbs first, and now that the government's demolition plan has been announced, he made a profit of over 90 million yuan by reselling it.
She could no longer sit still.
After finishing his meal, Xie Qingyu felt itchy all over and just wanted to leave immediately.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Yuanfeng kept him here, saying that he should learn a lot from Boss Qian.
Qian Zhao fiddled with the string of beads in his hand, looked at Xie Qingyu, who was no more than twenty years old, and smiled gently.
“Your mother said you’re too soft-hearted. We business people hate being too soft-hearted. You’re still too young. Just stay with me for a month and we’ll see.”
"No."
Xie Qingyu refused without even thinking, "I'm very busy. There are a lot of things waiting for me at the company. I'm going back to Yunchuan tomorrow."
Hearing this, Jiang Yuanfeng snorted coldly, "What are you busy with! Don't think I don't know that dirty thing is handling everything in the company. He's practically begging on your head and you're still sitting there. When I wanted to expose him for being crazy, you stopped me!"
"One thing at a time. Whether his diagnosis certificate is real or fake is another matter. Isn't exposing it slanderous? I would never stoop to doing something so dishonorable."
It was quite unusual that Xie Qingyu actually spoke up in defense of Shen Yan.
Jiang Yuanfeng looked at Qian Zhao with a terrible headache, as if he were helpless.
Her son is so naive. What would he do if it weren't for his mother paving the way for him?
"Okay, stop talking."
Qian Zhao interrupted their unfriendly conversation and looked at Xie Qingyu, "Then let's do it for half a month. Let your mother feel more at ease if you stay with me for half a month. I will definitely teach you all my experience, and you will definitely benefit a lot."
Seeing that Xie Qingyu was still somewhat unwilling, Jiang Yuanfeng patiently persuaded him for a long time, finally getting him to nod in agreement.
Xie Qingyu was picked up and settled by Qian Zhao's men, and Jiang Yuanfeng finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The Gu family is about to undergo a major upheaval.
He needs to stay away so he doesn't get dirty.
"Send me the child's photo and identification information, and you don't need to worry about the rest."
Jiang Yuanfeng nodded, his eyes shining brightly.
------
Yunchuan City, University A.
Xie Yan, who always loves to sit in the front row, was sitting in the back today.
The lecture hall is very large. Although you can hear the teacher's voice clearly if you sit in the back row, it is inevitable that your attention will not be as focused as if you were sitting in the front.
Xie Yan rested her chin on her hand, gazing absently at the clear blue sky and bare tree branches outside the window.
Sitting behind her, Tan Zhuoran noticed that she kept looking out the window, so he followed her gaze and glanced out, but there was nothing there.
Tan Zhuoran looked down and sent a WeChat message to Qi Na, "Have you noticed that Xie Yan's behavior has been off these past few days since school started? She's always spacing out."
Qi Na glanced down at her phone and started typing, "Hmm, I wonder if she hasn't fully recovered from her illness? Look at how caring Shen Yan is when he picks her up from school every day, I really suspect she might have a terminal illness..."
Tan Zhuoran gets excited when this is mentioned.
She was a big fan of the couple and had keenly noticed something unusual about Xie Yan and Shen Yan's behavior these past few days.
"I think Xie Yan and Shen Yan might have had a fight. She's been very cold towards Shen Yan lately."
"Really? I haven't noticed. I've seen them holding hands every time they get on the bus. They seem to have a very good relationship."
"It wasn't holding hands, it was Shen Yan holding Xie Yan's hand."
Qi Na, who was engrossed in her studies, couldn't understand, "...What's the difference?"
Tan Zhuoran was exasperated. "Girl, you're hopeless."
Clearly, Xie Yan was unaware of the little speculations the two were having.
She wore a white cotton coat, soft and warm, which made her skin appear even whiter and brighter, as delicate as jade porcelain. Her eyes shone with a glassy light, sparkling brilliantly.
Xie Yan is able to sit here and attend classes normally now, partly because Shen Yan doesn't dare to go too far. He knows how much Xie Yan values her studies, and if she is not even allowed to come to school, she might really explode.
On the other hand, Xie Yan relented and smoothed things over.
Shen Yan is very easy to coax.
Regardless of what he really thought, he believed whatever Xie Yan said.
She didn't want to use her old phone anymore, so she simply got a new one and a new SIM card. She hadn't even had a chance to tell her old contacts the new number yet.
She's been thinking a lot these past few days.
If the initial reason for wanting to stay was because of Shen Yan and Xie Qingyu, whose fate was uncertain, then now Shen Yan's situation has changed, but Xie Qingyu's has not.
The world doesn't only have Shen Yan; she also has friends, classmates, and great teachers.
After class, the students in the room got up and packed their textbooks and backpacks, and a large group of them headed towards the door.
Xie Yan felt a tap on her shoulder. It was Tan Zhuoran. "get out of class is over. What are you daydreaming about?"
She suddenly realized that get out of class was over.
Xie Yan smiled and said, "It's okay, I'll sit for a while, you guys go ahead."
Qi Na couldn't help but step forward and ask, "Are you alright, Xie Yan? What did the doctor say? Are you really okay? Don't push yourself. If you feel unwell, you must go to the hospital. Are you really alright? Should we go get checked out again? The competition isn't important; your health is the most important thing!"
Her words were earnest, and her eyes were sincere and worried. If Xie Yan hadn't known that she was healthy, she might have thought that she was terminally ill.
"I'm really fine, I'm perfectly healthy. You guys should go now, there won't be any seats left in the cafeteria."
Upon hearing this, the two exchanged a glance, gave Xie Yan a few more instructions, and then left.
The classroom was already empty within a minute or two after class ended.
These people are really going all out to grab a seat in the cafeteria.
Enjoying this moment of peace and freedom, Xie Yan took out her phone and dialed a number from memory.
Soon, Xie Qingyu's voice rang out, "Hello, who is it?"
Xie Yan changed her number, and Xie Qingyu didn't have it saved in his contacts, so he naturally couldn't recognize it.
"Qingyu, it's me."
Her voice was clear and calm, like a thin layer of ice on a lake, clear and distinctive, and Xie Qingyu recognized her immediately.
He glanced down at the caller ID again. "Sis! You changed your number? What do you want? Oh, I haven't had a chance to tell you yet, I recently signed a huge contract with Zhou Panpan's family, and I went to negotiate it all by myself! Me—alone—alone—oh~~"
Even through the phone, Xie Qingyu's pride was practically bursting out. Xie Yan knew without even looking at his expression that he was definitely strutting around like a peacock.
Xie Qingyu still seemed carefree and always so happy.
Xie Yan was also affected by his emotions, and she lowered her eyes and smiled, "Congratulations! I don't have anything else to say, but I just wanted to see you about something. When are you going back to Yunchuan?"
"I'll probably be busy for a few more days. What's up? Are you in a hurry?"
"It's okay, no rush. You go ahead and do your thing. Contact me when you get back. This is my new number, please save it."
"Okay, okay~ Oh right, sis, there's one more thing. I went to the comic convention last time, and I found that a lot of the movie and TV characters from our country don't exist here. I'm planning to start a film production company in the future. I'll be Iron Man and Spider-Man's dad, the father of Marvel, and the richest man in the world, hahaha! You'll be the richest man's sister!!"
Xie Yan couldn't help but laugh at his antics. "Fine, then I'll wait until you become the richest man and then enjoy my retirement?"
"Absolutely! I'll open a research institute for you, put you in it, let you do your research to your heart's content, and give you 80 billion in funding. You're not allowed to come out until you've spent it all, hahahahahaha————"
Xie Qingyu was as cheerful and playful as a ray of sunshine, and his conversation brightened Xie Yan's mood.
Sometimes she thought Xie Qingyu's personality was pretty good; although he wasn't very smart, he was happy every day.
A simple mind is also a kind of happiness.
We talked for more than ten minutes before hanging up.
The oppressive mood vanished, and Xie Yan stood up with a smile on her face.
She packed up her textbooks and prepared to leave the classroom, but froze on the spot as soon as she turned around.
Outside the classroom door, the long corridor is deep and secluded.
Shen Yan stood tall and elegant by the door, waiting for an unknown amount of time.
I watched her quietly.
"Sister, let's go home."