To thank Xue Bao Tian for the meal, Lin Zhi Yi arranged a banquet in return and sent a driver to pick them up that day.
After tying Old Huang, who had been circling the luxury car nonstop, to a post, Yan Ye looked up and saw Xue Bao Tian coming down the stairs.
Yunnan’s ultraviolet rays were strong, and Xue Bao Tian’s skin was naturally fair. He had been holed up in the town for nearly a month, yet not only had he failed to tan, the flush that often appeared across the bridge of his nose after too much sun only made his complexion look clearer and more delicate, fresh enough to draw the eye.
Despite that face, hardly anyone dared approach him. Once Xue Bao Tian put away the young-master airs he wore in Yancheng, he looked even more like a street hooligan. The impatience and coldness weighing down his eyes made people instinctively keep their distance. When he squatted by the roadside smoking, passing girls might glance at him a few extra times, but they would still walk around him.
After rubbing Old Huang’s head, Yan Ye walked over to Xue Bao Tian. “You’re wearing this to dinner?”
An oversized white T-shirt and brocade trousers patterned with distinctly ethnic auspicious designs. He looked no different from an ordinary young man in town, except that his face made everything look different.
Still crouching, Xue Bao Tian looked up at the impeccably dressed Yan Ye and smiled. “Am I embarrassing General Manager Yan? Or have I fallen out of your favor?”
One standing and one crouching, Yan Ye’s gaze happened to slip into Xue Bao Tian’s collar. The shoulder that had once frequently been covered with overlapping red marks and bite marks was now thin and pale, glaringly bright beneath the sunlight.
Retracting his gaze, Yan Ye replied, “You look good in anything.”
Xue Bao Tian rose and shot him a sidelong glance. “Yan Ye, every time you tie up Old Huang, you give him a bone afterward. One slap, one sweet date, that’s your style. You make even a dog too embarrassed to stay angry with you. But don’t try that ‘gentle knife’ routine on me. Push me too far, and even if it costs me my life, Master Xue will splash you with blood.”
Pulling open the car door, Xue Bao Tian climbed inside and casually tugged at his collar, covering the pale skin of his shoulder.
Xue Bao Tian had spent more than ten years moving through circles of wealth and influence. Elegance had been cultivated into him by luxury itself. When he wished, even dressed casually, his every gesture still revealed that he either came from money or held status. Throughout the entire meal, no one dared slight him in the slightest.
Besides the senior executives accompanying Lin Zhi Yi, Zhao Xiao Quan was unexpectedly present as well.
Before the meal, Lin Zhi Yi privately explained the situation. “After Zhao Xiao Quan learned that I’d signed a contract with Yanyue, he came to see me at the company. He seemed intent on airing some grievances. While it’s my freedom to choose who I work with, Zhao Xiao Quan has done quite a bit for our company in the past. Some consideration still has to be given. Even if business doesn’t work out, personal goodwill remains. So I invited him tonight as well.”
The words wound around in circles, but anyone familiar with business understood the meaning. People in the business world never cut off their own avenues of retreat. By doing this, Lin Zhi Yi had both preserved an alternative path for himself and built a stage for Yan Ye. Since Yan Ye still intended to continue working within the industry, if Zhao Xiao Quan started spreading accusations that he had “stolen a contract,” it would not cause any major damage, but it would certainly tarnish his reputation.
But with Lin Zhi Yi present, the three parties were seated face-to-face. With the client himself right there, Zhao Xiao Quan naturally could not accuse Yan Ye of stealing the contract. No matter how dissatisfied he was, he had to acknowledge that his own company had shortcomings. For the sake of profit, he would even lower himself and play nice with Yan Ye, hoping to secure a share of the outsourced projects.
Anyone with eyes could see that Lin Zhi Yi was planning things out for Yan Ye. Xue Bao Tian smiled bitterly. The two of them had only just met, yet they were already helping each other. Unlike him, who spent every day thinking about how to kill Yan Ye.
Sure enough, Zhao Xiao Quan began calling him brother. “In the security industry, there are only two people I truly admire. One is Old General Manager Yan, General Manager Yan’s father, and the other is my brother, the General Manager of Yanyue Security, Yan Ye.”
Yan Ye was young, but he was quite skilled at playing the seasoned veteran. He was neither smug nor recklessly arrogant, nor excessively modest. His words were a mixture of truth and falsehood, yet by the end they somehow sounded sincere.
Glasses were raised and lowered. After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere grew increasingly lively.
Since Lin Zhi Yi was hosting, he naturally occupied the seat of honor, with Yan Ye and Zhao Xiao Quan seated on either side of him. Xue Bao Tian did not sit next to anyone. He took a seat opposite them near the door. He spoke little, slowly sipping his liquor. He barely touched the dishes on the table, though he did indulge in a few bites of jianshouqing mushrooms.
Elio’s Notes: Jianshouqing literally means “turns blue when touched,” a Yunnan name for several boletes whose flesh bruises blue. Some varieties are toxic if improperly cooked, which makes them rather more exciting dinner guests than the average mushroom.
A shadow suddenly fell beside him as someone dropped heavily into the seat. He did not even need to look to know it was Zhao Xiao Quan.
“Vice President Xue, shall we have a drink?”
Xue Bao Tian picked up his glass and lightly clinked it against his. “General Manager Zhao, you’ve worked hard on my matter these past days. I should be the one to toast you.”
“You’re too polite. It’s only right.”
Strong liquor slid down his throat. Zhao Xiao Quan leaned close to Xue Bao Tian’s ear and spoke in a low voice. When Xue Bao Tian moved away, Zhao pulled him back again. “Vice President Xue, have you figured Yan Ye out yet?”
Xue Bao Tian looked back at him. “Figured out what?”
“He’s someone who knows how to give.”
The warmth vanished from Xue Bao Tian’s eyes, though he smiled. “And what do you mean by that?”
“Look at how attentive he was when he took your job. If nobody said otherwise, people would think you two were a couple.” Seeing Xue Bao Tian glance over, Zhao Xiao Quan hurriedly reassured him. “I know Vice President Xue is straight. I’m talking about Yan Ye. Whoever benefits him, he treats well. Just look at how well he’s taking care of General Manager Lin.”
Xue Bao Tian’s gaze followed Zhao Xiao Quan’s words. Across the table, Lin Zhi Yi sat with calm features and a faint smile, his fingers lightly swirling the wineglass in his hand. The moment his gaze lingered on a particular dish, Yan Ye turned the lazy Susan.
Coincidentally, Xue Bao Tian’s chopsticks had also just been reaching for that same plate of jianshouqing mushrooms.
“See? He’s attentive to an excessive degree.”
Xue Bao Tian smiled without speaking and slowly refilled his glass.
With obvious ill intent, Zhao Xiao Quan continued gossiping. “Did you know? There are rumors about General Manager Lin. They say he isn’t interested in women, and Yan Ye is… well, that. Vice President Xue, why don’t you guess how he got this contract?”
Bang!
Xue Bao Tian slammed his glass onto the table.
Liquor splashed outward, startling Zhao Xiao Quan.
Turning toward the dark, burly man beside him, Xue Bao Tian’s eyes flashed with casual coldness. “General Manager Zhao, your brain must have gone through a cement mixer at some point.”
Zhao Xiao Quan had never seen Xue Bao Tian speak with such icy severity. For a moment, he failed to react, blinking his small dark eyes.
“You should do less slandering people behind their backs. One day, you might become the person everyone accuses of sleeping his way to the top.” Xue Bao Tian exaggeratedly looked him up and down. “Though in your case, nobody wanting you even if you tried sounds pretty believable. Quite realistic, wouldn’t you say?”
“You fucking looking for death?!”
Zhao Xiao Quan exploded with rage and slammed a palm onto the table. Ever since Xue Bao Tian had dropped his glass, Yan Ye had already begun slowly straightening in his seat. Just as he was about to spring up, a blade-sharp look from Xue Bao Tian stopped him cold.
Retracting his gaze, Xue Bao Tian rested a hand on Zhao Xiao Quan’s shoulder and leaned close to whisper in his ear. “General Manager Zhao, why don’t you shout a little louder and let Lin Zhi Yi hear that you’re accusing him of abusing his position for personal gain and engaging in a sexual transaction? We’re all businesspeople. You should know these circles are interconnected. Losing one contract isn’t a big deal. Ruining your reputation is. Once that happens, you may never get another contract again.”
Having spent years navigating people and situations, Zhao Xiao Quan was no fool. He swept his gaze around and saw that everyone was watching. His nostrils flared and his chest rose and fell violently, but he had no choice except to suppress his anger. Grinding his teeth, he muttered, “Looks like Yan Ye really is impressive. Even Vice President Xue is protecting him like this.”
Xue Bao Tian patted the man’s shoulder. “I’m saving you face, and I hope you grow a brain in return. If you want to offend people, don’t drag me into it. I’m in a weak position right now and can’t protect anyone. All I know is that I can’t afford to offend Lin Zhi Yi, and I still need Yan Ye. I can’t possibly offend both of them for the sake of a single General Manager Zhao.”
He poured two glasses of liquor and handed one to Zhao Xiao Quan. “A word of advice, General Manager Zhao. Have some moral bottom line. Think of it as accumulating virtue for your descendants.”
The glasses clinked together. “Everyone’s watching. Why don’t we smile for them? My suggestion is that you keep your mouth closed while smiling. Master Xue doesn’t particularly want to see moldy corn kernels.”
Zhao Xiao Quan had started out as a street thug. After rising to power and becoming a local kingpin, it had been many years since he had suffered such humiliation. But he had not reached his position through brute force alone. Lin Zhi Yi could not be offended. It was also unwise to completely fall out with Yan Ye. Most infuriating of all, Xue Bao Tian was his client! After weighing the pros and cons, Zhao Xiao Quan forced an ugly smile onto his face and found himself an excuse. “I’ve had too much to drink and lost my sense of proportion. Vice President Xue, please forgive me. I’ll punish myself with three drinks.”
Xue Bao Tian put on a show. “We’re all friends. Why talk about proportion? If General Manager Zhao is drinking three as punishment, then I’ll join him for three.”
The liquor was extremely strong. Xue Bao Tian downed three glasses in a row, wiped the moisture from the corner of his mouth with his thumb, and smiled. “I’m going to use the restroom. Please excuse me.”
The private room next door was empty. Xue Bao Tian pushed the door open and entered. Without turning on the lights, he leaned against the wall in a corner and smoked in silence.
He hoped the alcohol would hit him quickly. Otherwise, his mind would be filled with nothing but Yan Ye’s attentiveness throughout the evening. He had experienced that feeling before, being cared for in every detail, protected without regard for gain or loss, receiving someone’s unconditional goodwill. It really was intoxicating.
His bitter smile was hidden deep within the darkness. Only when he took a deep drag from his cigarette did the glow briefly illuminate the outline of his face. His lowered eyes no longer carried their usual sharp coldness. His eyelashes fluttered faintly. Within that narrow pool of light, his jaw appeared even thinner and more delicate. For no reason, he resembled the kitten that had once been trapped in a drainage ditch. Yet the moment he lowered the cigarette, all that loneliness and vulnerability vanished in an instant.
There was no such thing as unconditional kindness. At last, the alcohol surged through him. Xue Bao Tian rested his head against the wall and muttered hoarsely, “He treats you well only because he hasn’t met someone better, someone more suitable yet.”
The private room door and the lights came on at the same time.
Xue Bao Tian raised a hand to shield his eyes and cursed, “Fuck.”
When he opened his eyes again, a slender hand was extended before him, holding a bowl of soup. “Hangover soup. Mr. Xue, have a little.”
It was Lin Zhi Yi.
Instinctively, Xue Bao Tian looked past him, but the man smiled. “Looking for Yan Ye? He’s discussing the security system upgrade plan with one of my vice presidents.”
“I don’t drink that, but thanks.” Xue Bao Tian pushed the bowl away, his cold black eyes locking onto Lin Zhi Yi. “General Manager Lin likes guessing other people’s thoughts that much? Then why don’t you guess what my next sentence is going to be?”
“I can’t guess that. But I can guess why you fell out with General Manager Zhao just now.” Lin Zhi Yi casually set the hangover soup on a nearby table. “It was because of Yan Ye, wasn’t it? I’m guessing he was speaking badly about Yan Ye.”
The faint smile still lingered on his lips, but his gaze was openly direct. “Mr. Xue likes Yan Ye, doesn’t he? The very serious kind of liking.”
Smoke slowly dispersed. Leaning against the wall, Xue Bao Tian neither admitted it nor denied it. His eyes flickered briefly before focusing on Lin Zhi Yi again, filled with lazy ill intent. “You can’t guess what I want to say, but I can tell you.” He deliberately drew out the words. “I haven’t noticed anything particularly remarkable about General Manager Lin in other areas, but you do resemble Shakespeare in one respect.”
Lin Zhi Yi instinctively asked, “In what way?”
“Sha-bi.”
Elio’s Notes: Xue Bao Tian cuts 莎士比亚 (Shāshìbǐyà, “Shakespeare”) down to 莎比 (shābǐ), a near-homophone of 傻逼 (shǎbī), a very vulgar insult meaning roughly “fucking idiot.”
Xue Bao Tian tossed away his cigarette and rudely shoved the man aside. “Get out of the way. Don’t fucking block my path.”
He had only taken a few steps when Lin Zhi Yi’s gentle voice came from behind him, calm but relentlessly pressing. “Mr. Xue, don’t you think you’ve become Yan Ye’s burden? He won’t return to his company because he’s helping you. He’s neglecting his work. His footing there wasn’t stable to begin with. If he keeps acting this way, he could be taken down at any moment.”
Xue Bao Tian stopped, lowered his brows, and looked back over his shoulder, the corners of his eyes lifting with a trace of streetwise arrogance. “General Manager Lin, did you forget something? Your checkbook.”
“What?”
“Shouldn’t General Manager Lin be slapping a check in my face right about now and pointing at my nose, telling me to leave your man?” Xue Bao Tian’s voice had always run cold, and in the quiet night it sounded like jade striking stone. “Don’t worry. As long as the number on the check satisfies me, I’ll leave immediately. I won’t say one extra word.”
Faced with Lin Zhi Yi’s silence, Xue Bao Tian gave a cold laugh. “If you’re not going to play the domineering CEO and throw money at people, then shut the fuck up. The only thing that has the right to control your Master Xue’s life is money. No one else is qualified to point fingers at it.”
“Oh, right. When I say no one, that doesn’t include my grandsons. If General Manager Lin is interested, you can apply for the position. That grandson of mine, Yan Ye, has always been an only child. He gets lonely. How about you come keep him company? Raising one is raising, raising two is raising. Master Xue can work a little harder and see if I can turn the both of you into successful adults.”
Smiling, he pulled open the door. “It’s a rare opportunity. Think it over carefully. Call me once you’ve made up your mind.”
The door closed behind him.
The upturned corners of his lips slowly dropped. His fingers clenched into fists, and a soft murmur slipped from his mouth. “Xue Bao Tian, you really are fucking pathetic.”