ORCBRB – Chapter 40
Chapter 40
The next day after lunch, Sang Shi'an changed into a formal dress that had been custom-made this month, paired with a diamond necklace expensive enough to buy a sports car. As she got into Jian Cenyu's car, she used the excuse of forgetting to put on perfume to spritz herself with Jian Cenyu's signature cool, woody scent.
The old Jian family residence was located halfway up a mountain. It was a grand, ancestral mansion with four courtyards in both depth and width. The air quality was excellent, very suitable for Old Master Jian's recuperation.
From the main gate to the residence, there was still some distance to drive. Along the way, century-old cypress trees blotted out the sky, appearing exceptionally tall even in the harsh winter.
Now covered in a thin, unmelted layer of snow, it was a rare sight. Sang Shi'an took out her phone and snapped a picture.
When the car came to a steady stop, Sang Shi'an saw Jian Cenyu's father, Jian Zhihuan, escorting a man to the parking lot. They spoke for a while before the other man got into an Audi and left.
"A former official," Jian Cenyu said, parking the car and clarifying for Sang Shi'an. "He had a good relationship with our family when he was in office. He comes every year to give a gift for my grandfather's birthday."
And he had specifically chosen a time before the other guests arrived. Sang Shi'an clicked her tongue twice. "It's a good thing he's retired now."
Jian Cenyu chuckled softly. "His son has already climbed to the bureau level."
With that said, there was nothing left to misunderstand. He was here looking for opportunities to collaborate.
One generation of collusion between officials and businessmen wasn't enough; it had to continue for generations.
"Don't talk to me about such things." Sang Shi'an covered her ears in disgust. "I'm a good socialist youth educated under the national flag."
Jian Cenyu smiled gently and, true to her word, didn't mention it again. "Let's get out. I'll take you to see my grandfather first."
Sang Shi'an obediently followed, greeting a circle of people with Jian Cenyu before heading to Old Master Jian's room.
Incense was burning in the room. Old Master Jian's spirits seemed worse than the last time Sang Shi'an had seen him, but when his cloudy eyes looked over, they were still full of authority.
Jian Cenyu squeezed the back of her hand. "Greet him."
Sang Shi'an seemed to snap back to reality. "Hello, Grandpa."
There was none of the arrogance she had shown when warning Jian Cenyu last night. Jian Cenyu suppressed the curve of her lips and presented the gift. "This is An'an's birthday present for you."
The gift box opened to reveal a black jade antique, clearly of immense value. Only then did Sang Shi'an remember that she had forgotten to ask Sang Shiyue for a gift. But how did Jian Cenyu know she had forgotten to ask her brother?
From the moment she decided to come to the Jian residence last night, she had been under the same roof as Jian Cenyu. When would Jian Cenyu have had the time to prepare this for her?
"It's very thoughtful of you." Old Master Jian's voice brought Sang Shi'an back to her thoughts.
Sang Shi'an continued to be docile. "I'm glad you like it, Grandpa."
Contrary to her expectations, Old Master Jian didn't bring up Jian Zhenyang. He asked a few questions about the health of her family's elders, then said he needed to take his afternoon nap.
Jian Cenyu took Sang Shi'an to a room to rest. Once inside, Sang Shi'an's tense body relaxed. She turned her head and asked, "How much was the gift for your grandfather? I'll have my brother transfer the money to you."
Jian Cenyu named a figure, and Sang Shi'an thought she was hearing things. "Are you trying to extort me?"
"It's said to have been unearthed from the tomb of some Ming Dynasty prince. Old people like old things. You don't need to tell your brother," Jian Cenyu said, turning her head with a meaningful look. "After all, in my grandfather's eyes, it wasn't a gift from you, but a joint gift from me and your brother."
Sang Shi'an: ?
"Jian Cenyu, didn't I warn—"
Jian Cenyu made a hushing gesture and pointed to the caller ID on her phone. "It's my dad. One moment."
Sang Shi'an watched her back, and a few seconds later, she realized she had been played by Jian Cenyu. She was so angry she slammed the door shut, out of sight, out of mind.
When Jian Cenyu went downstairs, Jian Zhihuan was already sitting in a silver-topped Maybach. The rear window slowly rolled down. "Get in."
Jian Cenyu got in. The car started, driving slowly around the Jian residence. It was clear Jian Zhihuan had something to say.
"Dad."
Jian Zhihuan was silent for a moment before asking, "Why is it Sang Shi'an from the Sang family today? Where's Sang Shiyue?"
This wasn't the first time Jian Zhihuan had asked this. Jian Cenyu knew she couldn't avoid it before coming and felt a little helpless. "Dad, I don't know him well."
Jian Zhihuan said, "Our two families know each other inside and out, and we have many business dealings. You two aren't far apart in age, and you've met many times over the years. If you could just treat him with the same attitude you have for his sister, how could you not know him well?"
At the mention of this, the smile in Jian Cenyu's eyes completely vanished. Her voice lowered. "I don't want the arranged marriage anymore."
Jian Zhihuan seemed unsurprised. Fortunately, Jian Cenyu was a daughter; otherwise, he would have certainly flown into a rage. "Reason?"
"After returning to the country, I carefully studied the company's business modules. Even the Sang family is trying to transform. Dad, does our family really have to continue step-by-step like this, waiting for our uncles to completely drain the company before declaring bankruptcy?"
Jian Zhihuan's heart sank. "You want to split the business? Don't even think about it. Your grandfather gave your uncles... precisely to save the entire company."
"But their appetites are too big. Now they're no longer satisfied with the original division. They've taken the benefits, and they want to continue leeching off the company." Jian Cenyu interrupted him, meeting Jian Zhihuan's gaze and speaking slowly and solemnly, "Dad, you know this very well, don't you?"
The reason the Jian family wanted an arranged marriage wasn't because the company was in real trouble, but merely to save face for the Jian Corporation. Even if a project didn't belong to their branch, they had to help out. The habit of putting the extended family first was deeply ingrained in her grandfather. Back then, her father had taken over Jian Corporation because, among his siblings, Jian Zhihuan was the one who valued kinship the most.
"Even if you want to completely separate from them, the shares they hold, the positions and projects they lead in the company, are enough to throw the entire company into turmoil. Cenyu, you're still in school. Don't think of company matters as being as simple as what's written in your textbooks." Having said this, Jian Zhihuan actually calmed down. He no longer looked at his daughter as a father, but as a business partner, prioritizing profit.
"The research on neutrophil anti-cancer treatment is close to success. Clinical trials with volunteers have already begun."
Jian Cenyu's gaze and expression showed no hint of evasion; she remained composed. "Before I returned from abroad, I had already received offers from many companies. And just a few days ago, this news was published in Nature. More people will be drawn by its reputation."
"I have full rights to it. I can bring it to Jian Corporation, or I can cooperate with others. Dad, this is what I want to talk to you about."
The spacious back seat fell silent in an instant. The leather seat bore the weight of that silence as Jian Zhihuan's hand slowly clenched into a fist.
Before Jian Cenyu had even graduated from the UK, she had received countless offers from top figures in the industry. If this research was truly successful, it would be a revolutionary change in the history of human disease, bringing immeasurable benefits to Jian Corporation.
A full three minutes later, Jian Zhihuan was the first to unclench his hand, leaning back into the seat. He said, "I underestimated you."
Jian Cenyu leaned over and took his hand, a faint smile on her lips. "Dad, you were the one who insisted I study at Oxford. I'm very grateful to you."
Jian Zhihuan shook her hand off, breathing heavily a few times. He asked, "Are you hiding something else from me? If I don't agree, who do you plan to partner with for the research and development? Is it Sang Shiyue?"
He quickly negated his own words. "No, the Sang family has never mentioned it. They aren't like that."
"But your decision to pursue graduate studies at Yanjing University, was it because you already had these ideas, which is why you've been so evasive about company matters?"
Jian Cenyu didn't explain, only saying, "I won't help the Jian family like you do, unless it belongs only to me."
Jian Zhihuan frowned. "Don't tell me you really plan to kick them all out? They are all your relatives, the closest people to you in this world besides your mother and me. They just want a little more profit. In any case, our family has enough money to last for generations. A harmonious family prospers."
"I have great respect for my aunt, but as for the others..." Jian Cenyu heard the phrase 'a harmonious family prospers' and a sarcastic smile touched her lips.
"If I hadn't happened to go pick up the lab reagents that day, the person lying in the hospital's ICU might have been me." Jian Cenyu's voice was both light and heavy. "Dad, I'm not asking you to help me, only that you stay out of it."
After saying this, she instructed the driver in front, "Uncle Li, please drive back. We've been out for half an hour; we can't neglect the guests."
With that, Jian Cenyu relaxed her body, leaned back against the seat, and slightly closed her eyes.
Jian Zhihuan stared at Jian Cenyu, his mouth opening and closing several times, but the words never came out. Jian Cenyu had been independent since she was a child, never causing him any worry in her studies or social interactions, which had given him the illusion that she was easy to control. At this moment, it was as if he had never truly known this daughter of his.
He couldn't fathom her thoughts.
The moment Jian Zhihuan turned his head away, Jian Cenyu's eyelashes fluttered, and she clearly saw the reflection of her own indifferent eyes in the car window.
She curved her lips into a slightly cool smile.
She hadn't originally wanted to bring this matter up so soon.
According to her usual caution, she might have proposed it when the clinical trials showed significant results, or perhaps after calculating a precise anti-cancer rate to use as a bargaining chip.
It was just as Jian Zhiyan had previously advised her to delay submitting her paper, but she was running out of time to wait.
She needed to accumulate all her bargaining chips as quickly as possible to have the confidence to defy the vast interests of the Jian family.
Sang Shi'an's face seemed to materialize before her eyes, and a slow, gentle softness spread through her heart.
Jian Cenyu's mind flashed through Sang Shi'an's repeated childish and clumsy attempts to probe her. The image seemed to carry a sweet fragrance, which Jian Cenyu remembered was Sang Shi'an's favorite perfume.
Perhaps, she had been a very incompetent older sister. She had broken a promise when Sang Shi'an was little, causing Sang Shi'an to hold a grudge for four long years. Now, she was taking advantage of their childhood friendship to get close.
Even though the Sang and Jian families had never publicly announced the arranged marriage, she still implicitly carried the weight of this connection to Sang Shiyue.
In their circle, where face was more important than anything, it was not uncommon for people to have lovers but still marry appropriately. Mismatched partners were not allowed, and same-sex partners were even less permissible.
She couldn't change her gender, but she couldn't let Sang Shi'an endure strange looks for being gay and also bear the infamy of stealing someone from her own brother.
Sang Shi'an was young and might not consider those things, but she couldn't pretend not to know.
She wanted the chance to date Sang Shi'an without any distractions, openly and honorably.
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