Song Xiuzhu and Lin Yuan were the ones on the same side. Could Wen Rui really not sense that?
In the past, he hadn’t.
Before, Wen Rui had never asked Song Xiuzhu to be with him, so Song Xiuzhu had never exposed his true nature by resisting. He had been compliant, following at Wen Rui’s side like a hazy shadow, making him feel relaxed and at ease.
Because his family was so powerful, Wen Rui was always wary of people who tried to approach him. Song Xiuzhu had seemed different. Song Xiuzhu had seemed utterly harmless.
But after they spoke openly last time, things changed. The things Song Xiuzhu had kept hidden were laid bare before Wen Rui’s excessively rational eyes.
The company had five shareholders. Song Xiuzhu was trying to control Wen Rui and Lin Yuan simultaneously. In other words, when the company took major votes, Wen Rui would be the controlling shareholder in name, while Song Xiuzhu would be the one secretly steering it. His ambitions were considerable.
Wen Rui thought about this, the furrow between his eyebrows growing deeper and deeper.
He rarely made friends, but once he decided to grow close to someone, he gave them a considerable measure of trust. Song Xiuzhu had accompanied him out of a time of pain and confusion and had been his most important friend as a young man. He ought not to think so badly of him.
Yet his instincts told him that Song Xiuzhu was someone he had to guard against. Perhaps their old friendship had already been lost.
Wen Rui closed his eyes, massaged his brow, and said seriously, “I’ll watch them.”
Lu Congzhi offered a warning. “Lin Yuan is just a follower. Song Xiuzhu is the one you really need to watch.”
Wen Rui asked, “You and Song Xiuzhu grew up in the same welfare institute. Why do you get along so badly?”
Since Lu Congzhi had decided to attach himself to Wen Rui in this life, he naturally had to displace Song Xiuzhu and become Wen Rui’s closest friend. He could speak ill of Song Xiuzhu, but only in front of Song Xiuzhu himself. Badmouthing him behind his back would make Lu Congzhi look petty and lacking in character.
Putting on an air of knowing more than he could say, Lu Congzhi shook his head slightly. “Some things are difficult to talk about.”
Wen Rui was indeed a gentleman. He did not press the subject.
“Brother Lu, the officials are about to leave. Come and see them off.” Yu Binbin suddenly appeared at the balcony door, then looked at Wen Rui in surprise. “Class monitor, you’re here too?”
“Mm. I arranged to have dinner with a friend here and happened to run into him.” Wen Rui waved a hand at Lu Congzhi. “Go on. I’ll wait here.”
He recognized several of the officials outside. If he went out and greeted them, he risked revealing his identity.
“Sure. I’ll come back for you in a little while.” Lu Congzhi put on his suit jacket, straightened his cuffs, and went out looking quite the respectable gentleman.
Wen Rui watched his tall, straight back, his eyes darkening slightly.
Unexpectedly, Lu Congzhi soon returned carrying pastries and orange juice.
“You rushed in here to watch the show. I bet you haven’t even had dinner, have you? Eat a few snacks to tide you over. Once I’m finished, I’ll take you out for a late-night meal.” He patted Wen Rui’s shoulder, then hurried away again.
He looked decisive, quick, and constantly in motion, but in truth he was exceptionally observant and attentive to every detail, handling people and situations with care.
Wen Rui thought about everything he had seen tonight, about this other side of Lu Congzhi that had been concealed from him, and found himself smiling.
Two years had gone to waste. Only now was Wen Rui catching the faintest glimpse through the door to Lu Congzhi’s heart. It seemed such a pity. At least he had discovered what a wonderful friend he might have missed before they graduated and went their separate ways.
The banquet ended a little after nine. Lu Congzhi had spoken to the university administration in advance, and they had informed the dormitory supervisor. By the time the group returned, it was nearly midnight, but the iron door on the ground floor had been left unlocked.
“Back already?” The dormitory auntie poked her head out of her little room.
“We’re back. We brought you something to eat. Thank you for waiting up for us.” Lu Congzhi handed her a large bag of hot food: grilled skewers, braised meat, duck snacks, chicken frames, and more.
The auntie had been terribly sleepy and thoroughly irritated, but the delicious smell immediately made her beam.
“Little Lu, next time something comes up, just let Auntie know. I’ll leave the door open for you again.”
“Thank you, Auntie. We’ll come back earlier next time. We can’t keep troubling you like this.”
After exchanging a few more polite words, Lu Congzhi led Yu Binbin and Wen Rui up to the second floor.
The lights were already out in the dormitory. Song Xiuzhu had lit a candle and was sitting silently at Wen Rui’s desk, waiting. The other two roommates were still awake as well.
At the sound of a key turning, Zhou Ming emerged from behind his bed curtain and asked, “Where did you all go?”
Song Xiuzhu looked at Wen Rui, then at Lu Congzhi’s arm looped around Wen Rui’s neck. His expression turned gloomy.
The two came in smiling and speaking softly, their foreheads touching. In the dim light, they looked as intimate as lovers whispering cheek to cheek.
They were far too close. Wen Rui was gay, and in order to protect himself and others, he had always maintained a certain distance from every classmate. But today Lu Congzhi had casually pierced the solid defenses he had built around himself.
Song Xiuzhu had never seen Wen Rui with his arm slung around anyone else’s shoulders. Until now, he had always thought Wen Rui was lofty and untouchable.
Wen Rui noticed Song Xiuzhu’s peculiar look, yet he did not push away the arm around his neck. It was not that he had not wanted to. He had pushed it away many times on the way back, only for Lu Congzhi to cling to him again every single time.
Perhaps Lu Congzhi had been a snake in his previous life.
“Why are you all still awake?” Wen Rui asked calmly.
“I was waiting for you.” Song Xiuzhu stared at him, studying his expression.
They were too close! At some point, Wen Rui and Lu Congzhi’s relationship had become astonishingly intimate. A powerful sense of crisis destroyed Song Xiuzhu’s earlier certainty that victory was in his grasp.
So the fact that Wen Rui had confessed his feelings did not mean Song Xiuzhu could have him completely under his thumb. He really had made a mistake by rejecting him that day.
Song Xiuzhu’s expression was exceptionally grim.
Wen Rui said unhurriedly, “I arranged to have dinner with a friend at the Bulgari Hotel and happened to run into Lu Congzhi hosting a signing ceremony there.”
Song Xiuzhu frowned. “What signing ceremony?”
He finally took a proper look at Lu Congzhi and noticed that he was wearing an extraordinarily expensive bespoke suit.
How could he tell it was expensive, and custom-made at that? Every piece of fabric fit Lu Congzhi’s body perfectly, emphasizing his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs to an almost flawless degree. A suit bought off the rack would never have achieved that effect.
An exceptionally rich scent also clung to him: flowers, fruit, wood, liquor… A chaotic mixture that somehow blended together into something intoxicating.
The faintest breath of it conjured a scene of elegant guests, glittering lights, and glasses being raised over conversation. Lu Congzhi and Wen Rui had once belonged to worlds as far apart as clouds and mud, yet standing together tonight, they had appeared evenly matched.
Wen Rui had always seemed out of place among other people. Now, somehow, Lu Congzhi had managed to become part of his world.
Song Xiuzhu’s taut nerves throbbed.
Yu Binbin finally had a chance to show off. He hurriedly pulled out a thick stack of photographs and began explaining them one by one.
“Of course it was the signing ceremony between my family’s factory and Naike Group! Look, this is Davis, president of Naike’s Hua Nation division. He visited Bei City a little while ago with an American trade delegation. He even appeared on the national evening news.”
“And this is my dad. See the banner? Jinlong Company belongs to my family. We used to make counterfeits, but now we’ve reached an agreement with Naike to make the real thing together. Naike invested eight hundred million yuan to build a joint-venture factory with us in Dongguang Province. Once it’s finished, my family will own the world’s biggest footwear and apparel factory.”
“And this is the provincial Party secretary of Dongguang. He approved five hundred mu of land for us. Do you guys have any idea how much land that is?”
“This is a Ministry of Commerce official. He said our project is a key priority for government support.”
“This is the governor of Dongguang Province.”
“Look, here’s Brother Lu with several senior officials. He’s the tallest, so I told him to bend his knees a little and not steal the important leaders’ spotlight, but he wouldn’t listen!”
“And this is Brother Lu with Davis.”
“Wasn’t Brother Lu handsome tonight?”
Yu Binbin went on and on without stopping.
Song Xiuzhu was from Dongguang, so of course he recognized the provincial Party secretary and governor. The Ministry of Commerce officials appeared frequently on the national evening news, too. There was no way to fake them. Yet standing among these people, Lu Congzhi looked neither servile nor arrogant, carrying himself with easy elegance.
That wasn’t the Lu Congzhi he knew!
It couldn’t be!
Lin Yuan had been burning with envy for some time. He asked sharply, “Your family signed a deal with Naike Group. What’s Lu Congzhi doing sticking his nose into it?”
Yu Binbin had been waiting for exactly that question. His face lit up with excitement as he began, “Hey, that’s what you don’t know! Our family only got to sign with Naike thanks to Brother Lu…”
Yu Binbin remembered every detail of that day. He did not exaggerate, but how could the story need embellishment? A university student who had not yet graduated had persuaded the national president of the world’s largest sportswear brand with nothing but his silver tongue, secured an investment of eight hundred million yuan, and received high praise from the country’s leaders. Which of those feats was not the stuff of legend?
Lin Yuan desperately wanted to deny it all and call the entire story a lie. But the photographs were real, the approving expressions on the officials’ faces were real, and so were the flashes from the hall full of reporters. His eyes grew even redder with jealousy.
Yu Binbin said cheerfully, “Just wait. In a few days you’ll see Brother Lu on the national evening news.”
Song Xiuzhu said nothing.
Zhou Ming sat stunned for a long while before exclaiming, “Good grief! We’ve only just started our company, and Brother Lu has already made his business a success. That’s amazing!”
Lu Congzhi stood smoking on the balcony. Hearing this, he simply turned his head, smiled, and waved a hand.
His phone rang. When he answered, he greeted the caller softly. “President, you’re still awake at this hour?”
Everyone immediately pricked up their ears.
“Yes, I’m back at the dormitory. An awards ceremony? Could we cancel it? I don’t want to draw too much attention. When I’ve achieved even more, I’ll be sure to report back to the university.”
“Thank you for your encouragement, President.”
“I’ve already heard that someone reported me.”
Lin Yuan’s heart abruptly began pounding, and his face looked especially white in the yellow candlelight.
Song Xiuzhu glanced at him and frowned slightly.
“I’ll see my counselor tomorrow and return the hardship assistance, as well as give up my place on the list of recipients. I only got this far because of the university’s support and care. I’ll always be grateful to the school. When I’m able to, I hope to give something back.”
“Yes, I understand. I’ll come to your office tomorrow to talk. I have a very clear career plan, but hearing your advice will certainly help me enormously.”
“All right, President. You should get some rest as well. See you tomorrow.”
Lu Congzhi hung up, took the cigarette from his mouth, and slowly exhaled a thick, stinging cloud of smoke toward Lin Yuan. His thin lips curved into a distinctly malicious smile.
He had not asked who had reported him, but his actions made one thing perfectly clear: the matter between him and Lin Yuan was far from over.
Lin Yuan felt a sudden, inexplicable flash of panic. He hurriedly pulled his bed curtain shut and hid like a turtle retreating into its shell.
Wen Rui suddenly spoke. “I’m planning to transfer some of my shares to Lu Congzhi. Let’s hold a meeting tomorrow and discuss it together.”
Song Xiuzhu immediately demanded, “How much are you transferring?”
Wen Rui looked directly at him. “Thirteen percent.”
Song Xiuzhu calculated quickly, and suddenly realized that this was the maximum amount Wen Rui could transfer while retaining absolute control. Wen Rui clearly regarded Lu Congzhi as far more than someone he merely admired. He had already decided that Lu Congzhi was a partner with whom he could fight shoulder to shoulder, and more dependable than anyone else.
How ridiculous! How had Lu Congzhi managed this? It had taken him three whole years to get inside Wen Rui’s heart.
That night, Song Xiuzhu lay in bed unable to sleep.