ORCBRB – Chapter 92
Chapter 92
Her senior year of university was even busier than Sang Shi'an had imagined.
Her classes at school were over, and she had thought that all she needed to do was complete her theses for both universities and wait for her diplomas to fall from the sky. Instead, Sang Shi'an was crushed by the weight of her demanding internship.
Working in investment banking required not only a wealth of professional knowledge but also excellent interpersonal skills, and this was true even abroad.
Especially after securing a major deal from Mrs. Smith—one large enough to meet her performance targets and earn a promotion—Sang Shi'an flew directly to Australia. The first thing she asked Jian Cenyu upon seeing her was, “Do I look like I have the face of a good daughter?”
Jian Cenyu didn't understand. “What do you mean by ‘good daughter’?”
“First, there was my distant aunt, Ye Jinsui, the president of the business association, who wanted to adopt me as her daughter. And guess what? That Mrs. Smith has been asking me out frequently lately, and it turns out she has the same idea! Yu Qingci even teased me before, saying Mrs. Smith might have a crush on me. It made me so paranoid that I stopped wearing makeup and even buttoned my shirts all the way to the top. But it turns out Mrs. Smith wants me to call her mom and says I’ll be the heir to her fortune!”
Sang Shi'an had been holding it in the entire trip. The moment she saw Jian Cenyu, she let it all out in a long, breathless rush, leaving her panting.
Jian Cenyu gently patted Sang Shi'an's back to help her catch her breath, smiling as she said, “But some people just like those who button their shirts all the way to the top.”
Sang Shi'an turned to glare at Jian Cenyu. “Is that the point?”
She was incredibly thirsty, so she bought a bottle of water nearby and drank half of it before she had the energy to emphasize to Jian Cenyu, “The point is that Mrs. Smith wants to adopt me as her daughter. Is that reasonable? Is it?”
“I understand what you mean,” Jian Cenyu said, suppressing a laugh. “Weren't you envious of her for being on the Forbes list of billionaires before? This isn't necessarily a bad thing.”
“I don't take handouts,” Sang Shi'an said. Every time she interacted with Mrs. Smith and saw her aristocratic etiquette and bearing, she felt they were from different worlds.
She grinned and leaned close to Jian Cenyu's ear, nibbling it. “I only eat you.”
Jian Cenyu wrapped an arm around Sang Shi'an's back and guided her toward the airport exit. “We can wait until we get home for that.”
On the drive home, Jian Cenyu told Sang Shi'an a piece of extremely unexpected news. “My father is here too.”
Sang Shi'an immediately sat up straight. “Uncle Jian is here?”
She had already told her family that she and Jian Cenyu had registered their marriage, but they still addressed each other's parents by their previous titles. It was a habit of many years, and there was no need to change it deliberately.
Sang Shi'an had been to Australia many times over the past two years and had long since overcome the awkwardness of her changed relationship with Jian Cenyu's mother. However, she hadn't had much contact with Jian Zhihuan. Coupled with the fact that this was the first time she was meeting her in-laws since she and Jian Cenyu had registered their marriage in the United States, she suddenly felt timid. “I should stay at a hotel for a couple of days. Just tell them I went to hang out with a friend. I'll come to your place after your father goes back to China.”
“Dad will be staying in Australia for a while.” Jian Cenyu suddenly wore a mysterious expression. “There's something you probably don't know yet.”
Sang Shi'an was curious. “What is it?”
When Sang Shi'an leaned her curious head over, Jian Cenyu ruffled her hair before slowly saying, “Jian Corporation has spent nearly two years restructuring its model. Now, over half of its production capacity is dedicated to serving the national health insurance. My father is getting older and plans to delegate authority to a professional manager to run the company.”
Jian Corporation, unlike Shengyu Corporation, didn't need a CEO with a keen eye for business opportunities. The pharmaceutical industry was relatively stable, and under a mature management model, the demands on a CEO were comparatively lower.
Although Sang Shi'an had long suspected this, she was still a bit incredulous to hear that Jian Corporation was actually implementing it. “Even if Jian Corporation's business is stable, its market value is still in the hundreds of billions. Are you really comfortable handing it over to an outsider to manage?”
Jian Cenyu looked quite troubled. “There's no other way. After all, I'm willing but not able. And given my father's age, I can't stop him from retiring, can I?”
Thinking about it that way, it seemed there really was no other option.
Speaking of which, Sang Shi'an grew concerned about Jian Corporation's operations. “How is the manager you found? Uncle Jian came to Australia this time to deliberately give her authority as a test, right?”
Jian Cenyu said objectively, “Yes, that's right. When my father was at the company, her performance didn't quite meet expectations. We thought it might be because my father was there watching over her, so she couldn't fully spread her wings. That's why we had my father come to Australia.”
Sang Shi'an comforted Jian Cenyu, “There isn't much demand for such roles in our country, so the number of professional managers is relatively small. In any case, Uncle Jian is still in good health and can hold on for a few more years. If this one doesn't work out, you can just find another one.”
Jian Cenyu agreed with Sang Shi'an. The Bentley drove through vast lavender fields, the air filled with a calming scent. She brought the topic back around. “I think you should focus on figuring out how you're going to answer my parents when they ask about our marriage registration later.”
The tips of Sang Shi'an's ears suddenly turned red.
As if she hadn't noticed, Jian Cenyu continued to put Sang Shi'an on the spot. “For example, how much money are you planning to offer as a bride price to marry me? And where will we buy our marital home? Should it be in both our names? And what about our assets—”
Sang Shi'an covered Jian Cenyu's mouth, her ears turning an even deeper shade of red, as if they might start bleeding. “...Do we really have to talk about bride prices and dowries?”
Jian Cenyu freed herself from Sang Shi'an's hand and suggested, “We don't have to. For example, you could keep me, and I could marry into your family.”
Sang Shi'an: ...
Sang Shi'an finally understood that Jian Cenyu was deliberately teasing her. But she couldn't bring herself to laugh; she only grew more nervous.
Sang Shi'an anxiously fiddled with the ring on her finger and turned to look out the car window.
It wasn't until Jian Cenyu had parked the car that Sang Shi'an unbuckled her seatbelt and felt Jian Cenyu press against her back.
She frowned and shifted her shoulder. Jian Cenyu pressed against her again. She moved again, and Jian Cenyu pressed again...
After this happened a few times, Jian Cenyu wrapped her arms directly around her waist, resting her chin on her shoulder from behind. “An'an, pay attention to me?”
Hearing those words, Sang Shi'an's heart shamelessly softened after a few seconds.
She turned her head and said dryly, “We can get out of the car now.”
Jian Cenyu gave Sang Shi'an a meaningful look.
Sang Shi'an immediately guessed what Jian Cenyu was thinking and said fiercely, “Don't even think about it!”
Jian Cenyu nodded with regret.
Sang Shi'an breathed a sigh of relief and turned to open the car door. Suddenly, Jian Cenyu grabbed her shoulder, pulled her into the driver's seat, and kissed her lips.
Their bodies embraced inside the car. Jian Cenyu soothed Sang Shi'an in the gentlest way, whispering softly during a break for air, “Don't overthink it. My parents like you very much. They always have.”
Sang Shi'an's mind was filled with the word ‘like,’ and she was so happy she no longer worried about being kissed. “Really? Then why didn't you tell me sooner? You made me worry the whole way here.”
She suddenly slapped her own forehead. “Oh no, I didn't buy any gifts! I should bring something for my first visit after getting married, right? Jian Cenyu, hurry up and drive out. Let's go to the mall before the sun sets.”
Jian Cenyu: ... “My parents don't need those things.”
Sang Shi'an: “But—”
Jian Cenyu simply pressed Sang Shi'an back against the car seat, cupped her face, and deepened the kiss.
She kissed Sang Shi'an until she felt light and dizzy. Just then, Jian Cenyu's hand caressing her right cheek suddenly stiffened. Sang Shi'an was still clinging to Jian Cenyu like a pendant, muttering, “Later, if Uncle and Auntie hold it against me for coming empty-handed, you have to take the blame for me.”
“Alright.”
This time, Sang Shi'an also froze.
The voice wasn't Jian Cenyu's.
Sang Shi'an slowly turned her head and saw Luo Wei in a sun hat, standing next to a very conflicted-looking Jian Zhihuan.
“Auntie... Auntie... Auntie Luo?” Sang Shi'an scrambled to push the car door open. Because she was straddling Jian Cenyu, her inner leg nearly tripped her, but thankfully Luo Wei was quick to steady her from the outside, saving her from a fall.
Luo Wei asked in a soft, gentle voice, “An'an, you didn't fall, did you?”
Sang Shi'an quickly smoothed her hair and forced a smile. “I'm fine, Auntie Luo.”
She turned her head awkwardly, giving Jian Cenyu a look that urged her to get out of the car quickly.
Jian Cenyu calmly closed the car door, walked over, and took Sang Shi'an's hand with a completely composed expression. “Mom, Dad, what are you two doing out here?”
Sang Shi'an stared at Jian Cenyu's actions as if she'd seen a ghost, trying to pull her hand away, but Jian Cenyu held it tightly.
In the end, she had no choice but to compromise and let her hold it.
“We saw your car parked in front of the house for a long time and thought something was wrong with it.” Luo Wei's gaze shifted meaningfully between the two of them, unable to hold back a smile. “I didn't expect someone was just getting delayed by a little romance.”
Sang Shi'an closed her eyes, her face flushing bright red.
“Well, An... uh, you two, come inside first.” Jian Zhihuan didn't know what to say. The awkwardness hadn't faded yet, so he just turned and walked away.
Jian Zhihuan wasn't uncomfortable because of Sang Shi'an's gender, but because the two of them were being overly affectionate. Just during dinner, one would pick out fish bones for the other, while the other would pick out scallions for the first. For the traditional Jian Zhihuan, who had dedicated his youth to the pharmaceutical company, it was a bit hard to accept.
But he still forced himself to maintain a smile.
Jian Cenyu noticed her father's discomfort and didn't torment the old man. After dinner, she took Sang Shi'an upstairs and told her to change her clothes to go out.
She had thought they were just going for a casual stroll nearby, looking at flowers and trees and talking about life, but while changing, Jian Cenyu told her their destination was a bar.
Sang Shi'an: ...
Sang Shi'an found it hard to believe, thinking for a moment that she had misheard.
But Jian Cenyu's expression was not one of someone joking. Sang Shi'an was dazedly stripped of the gentle long dress she had specially worn to meet Luo Wei and changed into a T-shirt and hot pants.
As she was buttoning her pants, Sang Shi'an suddenly pressed down on Jian Cenyu's hand and confirmed with her again, “Wait, are you sure you're taking me to a bar?”
This was Australia.
Going to a bar, right under her parents' noses?
Jian Cenyu asked lightly, “Would you rather go downstairs and play chess with my dad, or practice the piano with my mom? You probably can't sit still for that, can you?”
“You're right, I can't.” Sang Shi'an blinked. “But going to a bar still doesn't quite fit your persona.”
“Persona?” Jian Cenyu was intrigued. “What do you think I should be like?”
Sang Shi'an blurted out, “Thoughtful and meticulous, planning things far in advance.”
Jian Cenyu's eyes narrowed.
Sang Shi'an took half a step back with a dry laugh and explained, “Wouldn't it be bad if we came back drunk and your parents saw us? And if we go to a bar and don't drink anything, it feels like a wasted trip. Besides... in my eyes, you're a rather proper person. Except in bed, you're always very rigorous. You don't seem like the type to take me to a bar on your own initiative.”
Sang Shi'an's assessment was quite on point.
But this time, Jian Cenyu's destination was indeed a bar.
“What you said makes sense, but I also have times when I want to let loose,” Jian Cenyu said with a light laugh. “Or is it that you don't like the mixed crowd at bars?”
Sang Shi'an paused for a moment.
Although during her two years in the United States, aside from meeting with Jian Cenyu, she had spent almost all her time studying and working, and her life had been extremely fulfilling, she occasionally missed the days of hanging out with friends in Yancheng.
Jian Cenyu's suggestion hit the nail on the head for Sang Shi'an.
Seeing the way Sang Shi'an's lips were twitching, on the verge of a smile, Jian Cenyu mischievously reached out and scooped Sang Shi'an into her arms.
Caught off guard, Sang Shi'an's legs dangled in the air from being held like a child. Her arms and legs instinctively wrapped around Jian Cenyu, and then she was pressed against the wardrobe and quickly devoured.
Half an hour later, Jian Cenyu and Sang Shi'an both went into the bathroom to shower. It was already eight o'clock in the evening. When they came out, they didn't put on much makeup, changed into fresh clothes, and headed to the bar.
On the way, Jian Cenyu explained to Sang Shi'an, “There will be an acquaintance there later. Wen Yansheng from Yuncheng, remember her?”
Sang Shi'an nodded. How could she not remember? Back when she knew nothing about capital operations, it was Wen Yansheng who had taught her, step by step, how to use an offshore company to acquire Jian Corporation's shares, pulling the wool over the eyes of Jian Zhenyang and a host of other shareholders.
Later, when she was taken in for investigation by the securities regulatory commission, Sang Shi'an wasn't flustered at all, because she had completed every step herself and had nothing to feel guilty about. In a way, Wen Yansheng could be considered her great mentor.
After she arrived in the United States, she had also contacted Wen Yansheng, trying to subtly offer her compensation, but Wen Yansheng had refused outright. At the time, Wen Yansheng had said, “Your Cenyu Jiejie has already given me plenty of benefits. If I take yours too, how can I still be friends with you both?”
So Sang Shi'an didn't insist.
She never expected that two years later, Wen Yansheng would come to Australia.
Sang Shi'an asked, “Is Sister Wen here on a business trip?”
“She took on a huge deal at the beginning of this year. A company on the verge of bankruptcy with its assets about to be seized. She consolidated its assets, discovered it still had usable patents, and then redeveloped and managed the project. In just five months, the stock market capital pool expanded to twenty times its original size, completely turning the company around. The securities commission watched her like a hawk but couldn't find a single fault. The entire capital circle in Yuncheng was stunned by her.”
If someone else had done this, Sang Shi'an might have doubted its authenticity, but coming from Wen Yansheng, it seemed perfectly reasonable.
“But my senior isn't here on a business trip, nor is she on vacation.” Jian Cenyu shook her head. “She's here to take refuge.”
Sang Shi'an: “Huh?”
Jian Cenyu said, “That company had a hand in the wrongful case against her parents and even helped her stepmother rise to power. So she deliberately didn't help fix the original financial loopholes, letting one of the company's sons go to prison to take the fall. As for her, she took a five-hundred-million-yuan reward. The story spread, and too many people came asking for her help. She found it troublesome and ran away.”
Sang Shi'an was secretly amazed. “Five hundred million! If you had told me earlier, why would I have bothered with an investment banking internship? I would have just run to Yuncheng to become her apprentice.”
Jian Cenyu glanced at the road ahead and reached out to pat Sang Shi'an's head. “That kind of thing is too risky and extremely draining to execute. You should just behave yourself.”
Sang Shi'an covered her forehead, her ambition not yet dead. “But that's five hundred million! Five hundred million!”
Jian Cenyu was concise. “Don't even think about it. You and Senior grew up in different environments. Even if you had her skills, you don't have her ruthlessness and decisiveness. Just stick to your nearly one-hundred-million-a-month dividends from Shengyu and be good.”
Sang Shi'an pouted. Finding no reason to argue, she had to compromise.
Midway, Sang Shi'an received a call from Ren Li. “Mom just spoke with Auntie Luo. I heard you went to Australia?”
Since she already knew, it was too late to deny it. Sang Shi'an answered honestly, “Yes.”
Ren Li then started talking on the phone about being well-behaved in Australia and when she would bring Jian Cenyu home to meet the family.
When Ren Li and the others had visited Sang Shi'an in the United States, Jian Cenyu had specially flown over to accompany them. They just hadn't brought her home in China, but that was to be cautious before.
Jian Cenyu drove the car to the front of the bar. Sang Shi'an got out and said to Ren Li, “Mom, I understand. If there's nothing else, I'll hang up.”
Ren Li heard the distinctive heavy metal music of a bar and stopped her. “You're not in Australia?”
Sang Shi'an knew she had figured it out and said directly, “Cenyu Jiejie brought me to a bar to have some fun.”
Ren Li said directly, “Let Cenyu answer the phone.”
Sang Shi'an: ...
Sang Shi'an helplessly handed the phone to Jian Cenyu. After an awkward “Auntie Ren,” Jian Cenyu would just respond with an “Mm” from time to time. The call lasted a full five minutes before it finally ended.
Sang Shi'an was laughing so hard her stomach hurt. “You just agree to everything my mom says? Couldn't you have made up an excuse like a friend's birthday party? Did you have to be so honest and take a scolding?”
“Auntie Ren wasn't talking about the bar.” Jian Cenyu ruffled Sang Shi'an's hair and guided her toward the bar. “It was about the drug approval process in China. She has connections in that area and told me to make a trip back to China when I have time so she can help connect me.”
The anti-cancer drug Jian Cenyu was developing was, after all, a completely new category, and it had to be tailored to each individual. It was an entirely new field in China, and the approval process was much more difficult than for ordinary drugs.
Sang Shi'an asked, “Isn't your Jian family a pharmaceutical company? Can my mom find connections that you guys can't handle?”
“Personnel changes; people don't stay in the same position forever.” Jian Cenyu didn't plan to say more and pushed Sang Shi'an into the bar.
The lively and noisy sound waves quickly drowned out everything else, making one's heart and eardrums throb in unison.
Dazzling lights sliced the interior into countless psychedelic spaces. The dance floor was crowded and pulsating, utterly unrestrained.
If there was any difference from the bars Sang Shi'an had been to in Yancheng, it was probably that there were many more foreigners here, while the servers weaving through the crowd all had East Asian faces.
The booth Jian Cenyu was taking her to was in the back, requiring them to cross the central dance floor. As if worried Sang Shi'an would get lost, she held her hand very tightly.
“Is Sister Wen already here?” Sang Shi'an leaned close to Jian Cenyu's ear and asked loudly.
Jian Cenyu's purpose in bringing Sang Shi'an here wasn't to see Wen Yansheng.
But the music was loudest near the dance floor, not a good place to talk.
Just as she was about to point in the direction of their reserved booth, Sang Shi'an suddenly stumbled into her. Jian Cenyu steadied her and looked up. Behind Sang Shi'an, a white man was looking at her flirtatiously, mouthing an invitation to join him.
Jian Cenyu: ...
Sang Shi'an had stepped on Jian Cenyu's foot and was about to apologize. Before she could even lift her head, Jian Cenyu cupped the back of her neck and pressed her into her embrace, a warm breath falling on her ear. “Don't move.”
Sang Shi'an didn't understand why, but she obediently let Jian Cenyu lead her away.
Wen Yansheng, who had seen them long ago, witnessed this scene, drained the wine in her glass, and shook her head with a smile. “Tsk.”
In that short walk, Jian Cenyu had been hit on countless times.
The foreigners here were even more open than those back home. Half of the invitations were for her, and the other half were for both her and Sang Shi'an.
The explicit gazes were extremely uncomfortable. Then she looked at the short-sleeved shirt and shorts she had personally picked out for Sang Shi'an. Even several minutes after they sat down at the booth, Jian Cenyu's expression hadn't improved.
Wen Yansheng rarely saw such a vivid expression on Jian Cenyu's face and couldn't stop laughing. She took the initiative to wave at Sang Shi'an, wanting to catch up, only to see the conspicuous ring on Sang Shi'an's left hand resting on the edge of the table.
Although it had no diamonds, when the light hit it, it shone dazzlingly bright.
Wen Yansheng then turned to look at Jian Cenyu's hand and, as expected, there was one there too.
Wen Yansheng picked up a nearby bottle of wine, poured half a glass for each of them, and shook her head, mocking Jian Cenyu. “So this is why you invited me to a bar tonight. You've finally made it and came to show off your love life to me, huh?”
Jian Cenyu took Sang Shi'an's hand, their two rings overlapping, and the corners of her lips curved up. “Isn't a four-hundred-and-eighty-thousand-yuan bottle of whiskey worth a few words of blessing from you?”
Wen Yansheng toyed with the glass in her hand, pouring the amber liquid into her mouth and swallowing slowly. A hint of a smile was in her voice. “This is what you call forcing a transaction.”
Their eyes met. Jian Cenyu raised her glass slightly and said, “When you have a girlfriend, you can treat me back.”
It was as if she had hit Wen Yansheng's sore spot. Wen Yansheng drained the wine in her glass and said in a flat tone, “May you live a long and happy life together.”
Every time Sang Shi'an interacted with Wen Yansheng, every time she heard stories about her, she was always portrayed as someone who handled things with ease. When had she ever seen her being threatened?
Now, the way she looked at Jian Cenyu was practically glowing.
Jian Cenyu turned her head and met this gaze, flicking Sang Shi'an's forehead. “Don't look at me like that.”
Jian Cenyu told her not to, but Sang Shi'an insisted on continuing to look, smiling so much she could hardly stop. “You're too mean, bullying Sister Wen like that.”
Jian Cenyu turned her head and nibbled on the tip of Sang Shi'an's ear. “If you keep looking, I won't be able to resist taking you to get a room.”
Sang Shi'an's eyes widened, unable to believe those words came from Jian Cenyu. Jian Cenyu then let out a slow, leisurely laugh, looking quite expectant.
Sang Shi'an immediately stopped smiling and sat obediently beside Jian Cenyu.
“Oh, God! It really is you, Jian!”
Sang Shi'an was the closest and watched as a foreigner appeared out of nowhere. He waved in one direction, and soon, the people from a nearby table all gathered around.
They were dressed eccentrically—a man in women's clothing, a woman in a tight leather outfit—looking extremely flamboyant.
Sang Shi'an turned her head and saw Jian Cenyu nodding and greeting them with extreme composure. “Good evening.”
Sang Shi'an: ?
When she wasn't in Australia, just how many friends had Jian Cenyu made that she didn't know about?
As if sensing Sang Shi'an's confusion, Jian Cenyu leaned close to her ear and explained, “They're from the lab. They're having a party tonight.”
Sang Shi'an: ...
Sang Shi'an stared blankly at the hands of a few of the women. Only after seeing their neatly trimmed nails did she somewhat believe it. Indeed, a person's personality had little to do with their profession.
One of the women sat down right next to Sang Shi'an and said with a smile, “Before we came over, we made a bet on whether this little sweetheart next to you is your girlfriend.”
Sang Shi'an had been to the lab before, but these foreigners didn't have a strong memory for Chinese faces, and with the dim lighting in the bar, they really didn't recognize her.
Sang Shi'an subconsciously hid the hand with the ring and sat demurely beside Jian Cenyu, asking, “What was the bet?”
Seeing Sang Shi'an's interest, the woman said with a grin, “The loser has to go to the flower shop at the entrance and buy you flowers as a welcoming ceremony.”
“So, sweetheart, what is your relationship with Jian?”
Before answering, Sang Shi'an asked seriously, “Everyone who guessed wrong has to buy them?”
The woman confirmed, “Of course.”
Sang Shi'an exchanged a look with Jian Cenyu, tilted her head, and said leisurely, “Not my girlfriend.”
The few who lost the bet let out exaggerated howls, and someone immediately asked eagerly, “Does that mean I can pursue you, sweetheart?”
Sang Shi'an covered her mouth, stifling a laugh. The ring she revealed was on her ring finger.
This group was very familiar with Jian Cenyu's ring. Now, seeing Sang Shi'an's, they recognized it immediately. “OMG, sweetheart, you can't trick us like that!”
“God is so unfair. How come all the good things happen to Jian?”
Jian Cenyu lifted her chin. “Go buy the flowers.”
Sang Shi'an collapsed onto Jian Cenyu, laughing. “You didn't bring me here just to show me off to them, did you?”
Jian Cenyu tightened her grip on Sang Shi'an's fidgeting waist and said, “No.”
Sang Shi'an turned her head and let out a soft ‘tch’.
Only a fool would believe that.
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