The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 456 - 458. Swinging Mr. Fu

Chapter 456: 458. Swinging Mr. Fu

It turned out that this afternoon, Jiang Chenxi was taking Haohao to catch fish by the creek when Anan came along, hand-in-hand with his mother, swaying over. Seeing the two barefoot and standing in the water, he instantly wanted to join them.

Shen Qinglan saw that the water wasn’t deep, so she took off Anan’s shoes, and once he was in the water, he became immediately delighted, with his giggles echoing above the creek.

"Mommy, fish," Anan suddenly pointed and shouted at the water.

Shen Qinglan looked and only then noticed a small fish the size of a thumb in the water.

"Mommy, want fish," Anan pleaded with Shen Qinglan.

Shen Qinglan, seeing her son’s longing eyes, eventually softened her heart and nodded, "Okay, Mommy will catch the fish for you, but you must stand right here and not move."

Anan obediently nodded, "Okay."

As Shen Qinglan went to catch the fish for her son, Anan stood there watching her intently. When he saw Shen Qinglan succeed in capturing the small fish, he excitedly clapped his hands and shouted, "Mommy, look at the fish." He tried to come over for a closer look, but he slipped and landed bottom-first into the water.

The creek here was very shallow, only reaching up to Anan’s ankles, but Shen Qinglan still gasped in alarm.

Anan sat in the water, seemingly not fully grasping what had happened, staring blankly at Shen Qinglan, who couldn’t help but let out a snort of unfounded laughter.

"Mommy," Anan said with an expression full of hurt feelings. Shen Qinglan walked over to scoop her son out of the water and, seeing his clothes drenched through, she took him back to change, "Mommy, the little fish?" Anan was still fixated on his little fish.

"We’ll go change your clothes first, and then we can ask Daddy to catch fish, okay?"

"Daddy will come?"

"Yes, Daddy is very skilled, he can catch big fish."

Upon hearing this, Anan’s eyes lit up, and he immediately agreed to Shen Qinglan’s suggestion to have Fu Hengyi catch fish.

"Chenxi, I’m going to take Anan back to change clothes," Shen Qinglan called out to Jiang Chenxi on the other side.

"Auntie, I’ll come with you," worried about his little brother and no longer thinking about fishing, Haohao decided to leave the water too, and the group made their way back to where they were staying.

Old Sir Shen, upon seeing Anan soaking wet, frowned, "What happened here?"

"He fell into the water while catching fish, but it’s fine, just the clothes are wet," Shen Qinglan said.

"You tell me, with such a small child, why would you take him to catch fish? What if something had happened?" Old Sir Shen disapproved of his granddaughter’s actions.

"Grandpa, Anan is a boy, we can’t raise him to be too delicate," Shen Qinglan said with a smile, and Old Sir Shen was instantly at a loss for words. In fact, he was always strict with the younger generation, but Anan was probably the great-grandchild, and also Qinglan’s child, which made the old man especially doting.

Fu Hengyi, on the other hand, didn’t react much but just pinched his son’s little face, teasing him, "Look at how clumsy you are."

Yet Anan was still thinking about what his mother had said, tugging at his dad’s hand, "Daddy, catch a big fish."

Fu Hengyi looked at Shen Qinglan puzzledly, and after she explained, it so happened that today was the annual fishing day, and Fu Hengyi naturally agreed, "Alright, we’ll go later."

In the afternoon, a large group set off towards the fishpond outside the small town, which was already surrounded by people, both residents and tourists who had come to visit.

Shen Junyu was the investor here. The town mayor saw Shen Junyu from a distance and hurried over, "President Shen, you have arrived."

Shen Junyu spoke warmly, "Mayor, we would like to see the fish being harvested. We haven’t arrived too late, have we?"

"Not at all, not at all. It’s just about to start."

When the town mayor saw the two elders, he naturally knew that both were founding figures of the nation. Rubbing his hands, he wanted to come forward to greet them but didn’t dare to approach, as in his mind, such people only appeared on TV.

It was Old Sir Fu who saw the town mayor’s hesitation and spoke with a smile, "It’s really been a trouble for the mayor with our entire family coming over this time."

People who should be high and mighty were now lowering themselves to speak to him like ordinary people. The town mayor became so excited that his words were a jumble, "No trouble at all, not at all. It’s an honor for our town to have you visit, Commander."

Seeing the town mayor’s nervousness, Old Sir Fu’s smile became even warmer, "We are just ordinary people now, no longer commanders. There’s no need for such courtesy, Mayor."

"Very well, very well, Commander. Please, this way. I’ve reserved a good spot for you." The mayor’s face was full of excitement, and even though the old gentleman had said not to call him Commander, he still did so, and the elder simply let him be.

Indeed, the town mayor had reserved a good spot for them, with a broad view. Fu Hengyi quickly found a set of clothes to change into, as he planned to join them in the water for the fish harvest today. Shen Junyu, itching to join in, also found a set of clothes to change into. "Chenxi, come with us," Shen Junyu called out to Jiang Chenxi after changing his clothes.

Jiang Chenxi shook his head with a smile, refusing. He was interested in watching such activities but had no desire to try them himself.

Fu Hengyi and Shen Junyu, both tall and with distinguished appearances, stood out conspicuously among the crowd, not unlike a crane among chickens. Anan spotted his daddy at once and shouted towards Fu Hengyi, but with the noise of the crowd, Fu Hengyi couldn’t hear his son’s cries.

"Wow, mommy, so many fish!" Anan exclaimed excitedly at the sight of fish being scooped up with a net, his face turning red with excitement as he bounced excitedly while standing on Qinglan’s legs, nearly causing Qinglan to lose her grip on him.

"Are you having fun, Anan?" Wen Xiyao asked with a smile.

Anan nodded, pecking like a little chicken, "Uncle," he said, extending his hand towards Shen Junyu.

"Uncle is very skilled too, right?"

Anan continued to nod, "Daddy is skilled too." In Anan’s eyes, his daddy was the most impressive person in the world. Just then, Fu Hengyi shouted Anan’s name loudly in Qinglan’s direction, prompting Qinglan to remind Anan to look at his daddy.

Fu Hengyi stood on the shore, holding a large fish in his hands, its tail flapping violently in the light. "Daddy," Anan called out loudly, his entire body lunging forward. If Qinglan hadn’t held onto him in time, the little guy might have tumbled down.

That evening there was a bonfire party on the riverbank, which was also a newly developed project of the small town, usually held on the night of the fish harvest. Unlike other places where a whole sheep is roasted at their bonfire parties, here they roasted fish, which also attracted a large number of tourists.

Pei Yinong finally arrived just before the bonfire party started.

"Mommy!" Haohao was very happy to see his mother, and Pei Yinong, holding Haohao’s hand, walked toward Jiang Chenxi.

Jiang Chenxi’s smile was gentle, "Have you finished with work?"

"It’s all done. I haven’t arrived too late, have I?"

"Not at all. The bonfire party is just about to start."

There really were quite a few participants in the bonfire party, mostly tourists in addition to the local residents. The party was held at the widest part of the riverbank, with several piles of wood in the center, and a few people dressed as chefs were standing in front of the bonfire, preparing everything needed for the fish-roasting later.

"Lanlan, this place has been developed very well," Old Sir Shen commented, having toured the whole town over the past two days in Qinglan’s company, and he was very satisfied with its natural development.

"When I first saw this small town, I had the same thoughts, but my brother had even more comprehensive ideas," Shen Qinglan said as she sat beside Old Sir Shen, peeling an orange for him.

"If only there were more of these untouched eco-resorts, preserving more of the land. These days, people are always thinking about speeding up economic development, building skyscrapers everywhere. Look around, everywhere it’s just steel and concrete, where can you still see a bit of land. I remember when your grandmother and I were young in Beijing, outside the Fourth Ring there were vast fields, but now, alas..." Old Sir Shen said with much emotion.

This made Shen Qinglan recall the incident that happened when Shen Junze intended to buy the land here to build a residential area.

"Grandpa, we’re out here to have fun, let’s not bring up such heavy topics," Shen Junyu said, hearing the conversation between the two.

Old Sir Shen also knew that such a situation couldn’t be changed just by talking about it. He sighed deeply, "Ah, in the future, in the realm of your abilities, do what you can."

"Grandpa, we will," Shen Junyu stated earnestly.

Old Sir Shen had confidence in his own children, of course, so he didn’t say much more.

Several children ran about in the area, and Haohao, feeling an itch to join them, looked at Pei Yinong, who smiled, "Go ahead, but be careful not to fall."

Haohao nodded happily. Anan, seeing his brother leave, also wanted to play. But since he was too young, Shen Qinglan naturally would not let him go and play. She kept him in her arms, ignoring his pitiable gaze.

After the bonfire party, Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi waited until Anan fell asleep to hold hands and go for a walk.

The small town was quiet at night without modern entertainment facilities, which made Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi feel extraordinarily peaceful as they walked along the path.

"Fu Hengyi, time flies so fast, three years have passed in the blink of an eye," Shen Qinglan said wistfully. The first time she came here with Fu Hengyi was during their honeymoon, and now Anan was already over a year old.

"Have you been happy these three years?" Fu Hengyi asked, his eyes gentle.

Shen Qinglan nodded. These three years had been the happiest years of her life, and this happiness was brought to her by the man beside her.

"As long as you are happy, that is the greatest reward for me."

They arrived at the foot of the mountain unaware, and Fu Hengyi knelt down in front of Shen Qinglan, "Climb on."

Shen Qinglan leaned onto Fu Hengyi’s back, just as they had done a little over a year before. The difference was that now, there were stairs built on the mountain.

He walked steadily and slowly, giving Shen Qinglan a sense of tranquil times.

At the mountain top, Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi looked into the distance, seeing only the lights of the town below. Fu Hengyi held Shen Qinglan from behind, "When this painting exhibition is over, will you come to the military region to accompany me for a few days?"

"Ok, Anan likes the army as well."

"No, I’m talking about you. We can let mom take care of Anan for a few days."

Shen Qinglan wanted to turn around, but Fu Hengyi applied gentle pressure with his hands, preventing her from doing so, "Wife, it has been a long time since we’ve had a world of just the two of us," he said with a note of grievance in his voice.

Since the birth of Anan, Shen Qinglan’s attention had mostly been on their son, and Fu Hengyi felt deeply neglected, as if his status in the family had plummeted.

Listening to his plaintive complaints, Shen Qinglan couldn’t help but be amused. "Fu Hengyi, are you three years old this year?"

"If it makes you care about me a little more, then I don’t mind acting the part," Fu Hengyi said thick-skinned.

Shen Qinglan couldn’t help but be speechless at the audacious words coming from the person behind her. How could they say such shameless things so calmly?

Fu Hengyi gently blew into Shen Qinglan’s ear, "Wife, is it okay?"

Shen Qinglan remained unmoved, and Fu Hengyi directly lowered his head and took her earlobe into his mouth. His deep, magnetic voice resonated next to Shen Qinglan’s ear, "Wife, I missed you."

The warm sensation from her earlobe sent tingles down Shen Qinglan’s body, her gaze turning blurry, but she maintained the last bit of her rationality, struggling to say, "Fu Hengyi, your beauty tricks won’t work."

A cunning gleam flashed in Fu Hengyi’s eyes, "Then let’s see if they really don’t work." Saying so, he took her earlobe into his mouth again, gently licking and nibbling it. Shen Qinglan felt like a current was coursing through her body.

The intimacy between her and Fu Hengyi had not been infrequent; he already knew well what spots on her body were most sensitive, naturally understanding where to touch to make Shen Qinglan surrender completely.

Shen Qinglan found herself so flustered by his teasing that she could only capitulate, "Alright, I agree, I agree."

"Agree to what? Hm?" His voice trailed off in a drawl, which was nothing short of cheating, Shen Qinglan thought to herself.

"After the exhibition ends, I’ll spend a few days with you, and Anan will let Mommy take care of her."

Fu Hengyi was then satisfied, finally getting the chance to shake off Anan, the little light bulb. He was ready to "re-establish his manhood."

"Can you let go of me now?" Shen Qinglan asked, only to be embarrassed by her own sultry voice and lower her head.

Far from releasing Shen Qinglan, Fu Hengyi pressed himself closer, allowing her to clearly feel the changes in his body, "Wife, I want you."

The heat on Shen Qinglan’s face continued to rise, "Not here, let’s go back."

Fu Hengyi didn’t want to go back. Recently, Anan had been sleeping with them, and going back meant there would still be a little bulb. He wouldn’t be able to enjoy himself fully, "Making noise might wake Anan, but here, there’s no one," he said very considerately.

Shen Qinglan pushed him, but to no avail. "This is the mountain." Someone might come up at any moment, and if they got caught, she wouldn’t be able to show her face again.

"It’s so late, no one will come," Fu Hengyi whispered, tightening his hold on Shen Qinglan, "Wife, I can’t stand it."

Shen Qinglan was also struggling, the desires stirred by Fu Hengyi clamoring inside her, but she wasn’t an open person at heart, truly having a hard time letting go in this place.

"We should still..." Shen Qinglan hadn’t finished speaking before Fu Hengyi sealed her lips with a kiss, overwhelming and all-encompassing, causing the last thread of Shen Qinglan’s resistance to vanish completely in the storm of his kisses.

In the last second before her rationality faded away, Shen Qinglan thought, this is fine, maybe it could yield a little brother or sister for Anan.

When peace returned, Shen Qinglan leaned in Fu Hengyi’s embrace, breathing lightly, while Fu Hengyi massaged her waist.

When descending the mountain, Shen Qinglan was carried down by Fu Hengyi, only placed down at the entrance of Hot Spring Villa at her insistent request.

After taking a bath, Shen Qinglan fell straight to sleep, while Fu Hengyi washed both their clothes before lying down next to her.

**

CEO Fang left the people from the opposing company hanging for an entire week, causing Manager Feng and Manager Shan to grow increasingly anxious.

"What should we do? This deal isn’t really going to fall through, is it?" Manager Shan’s face was filled with worry.

Manager Feng was nervous deep down but maintained a composed exterior, "Don’t worry. Even if the deal does fall through, it’s CEO Fang who should be worried, not us."

Manager Shan, however, was not as optimistic. If the project really fell through, both of them would face serious consequences. But seeing Manager Feng so unconcerned, she didn’t want to say anymore, worrying that more words would make her seem incompetent.

Taking advantage of lunchtime, Manager Shan knocked on the door of Fang Tong’s office.

Fang Tong looked at the visitor and put down her pen, "Is there something you need, Manager Shan?"

Manager Shan hesitated, "CEO Fang, I..."

"Manager Shan, please just speak your mind. Don’t beat around the bush."

"CEO Fang, about that project... It’s possible that they are still angry about what happened that day. If so, I can go and personally apologize," said Manager Shan.

Fang Tong, with a nonchalant expression, replied, "I have my own plans for that matter." She glanced at the calendar on her desk; a week had already passed, and it was about time for the other party to become restless.

"CEO Fang, I genuinely want to make up for my mistake. Please believe me," Manager Shan implored, thinking Fang Tong didn’t trust her.

"Manager Shan, I have already reported the project situation to President Shen. From now on, I will handle the project myself, and as for your mistakes, I’ve reported those as well." After saying this, she paused and looked at Manager Shan, whose face had indeed turned pale.

Manager Shan’s heart raced as she awaited Fang Tong’s next words, but Fang Tong stopped there, "CEO Fang, what did President Shen say?"

Fang Tong looked at her with a half-smile, continuing, "President Shen agreed with my suggestion and deducted a quarter’s bonus for both of you."

Manager Shan was surprised, "Is that all?" She had thought that if Shen Junyu knew what had happened, the consequences would be much worse. Demotion at the very least, and she had braced herself to be expelled from the company.

Unless... She looked at Fang Tong, who had already returned to her work, unless Fang Tong had taken the blame upon herself.

Manager Shan’s expression was complex as she looked at Fang Tong, suddenly at a loss for words. They had targeted her, but she had taken on the responsibility that rightfully belonged to them in front of Shen Junyu.

"Anything else?" asked Fang Tong.

"No, that’s all."

"If there’s nothing else, you can go back to work. Oh, and when you leave, please call Shen Junze in for me," Fang Tong said calmly.

"Alright, CEO Fang." Manager Shan walked to the door, then stopped, "CEO Fang, thank you."

Fang Tong didn’t say anything, but the corners of her mouth slightly curved in a smile.

"Sister Tong, you wanted to see me?" Shen Junze came in.

Fang Tong nodded, "Prepare a new contract and reduce the price by 5 percentage points for me."

"Sister Tong, they want to raise the price and you are pressing it down. Will they still agree to continue working with us? It’s been a week and they haven’t made a move," expressed Shen Junze, unconvinced by Fang Tong’s pricing strategy. He had spent the last few days on edge, especially since the other party had not contacted them for the past few days and they had not found a suitable alternative manufacturer. He wasn’t even sleeping well at night.

"They’ll agree," Fang Tong assured firmly.

Shen Junze didn’t know where Fang Tong’s confidence came from. The situation was dire and yet she was so calm. Did she really have so much certainty? A small mistake on this project could not mean a loss of millions, but billions.

Fang Tong was not oblivious to Shen Junze’s concerns and spoke, "I’ve received reliable information that no one has approached them. They just want to use the situation to raise their price. Think about it from another angle; they could work with someone else, but not many companies can handle such a large volume. If we don’t take it on, their goods will end up rotting in their own hands. Now tell me, who should be worried?"

"But we have always been cooperating with them at this price, won’t forcing the price down anger them and cause them to abandon the partnership with us?" Shen Junze was still somewhat concerned.

Fang Tong smiled, "Jun Ze, you still haven’t understood one thing, in this cooperation, we have always had the upper hand. We went to apologize because we respect them as our partners, but now that they have turned their noses up at our goodwill, we don’t have to be so polite."

After hearing what Fang Tong said, Shen Junze had an epiphany, "I understand now, Sister Tong. I’ll go redraft the contract right away."

And the facts were almost as Fang Tong had predicted. The next day, Xiang Kai personally called Fang Tong, asking her out for a meal. Fang Tong did not refuse.

It was still the restaurant from last time, but this time the host had changed.

"CEO Fang is really punctual," said Xiang Kai as he checked the time. Fang Tong had arrived five minutes before the agreed time.

In fact, Fang Tong and Shen Junze had arrived half an hour early, but they had deliberately lingered in the car for a while.

Fang Tong smiled, "We take our cooperation very seriously, of course, we wouldn’t make Manager Xiang wait."

Xiang Kai clearly enjoyed the comment, chuckling, "Then, I would like to know how CEO Fang has thought about our previous matter? CEO Wu has been urging me constantly."

Fang Tong pondered for a moment, and just as Xiang Kai was about to speak, she slowly said, "Manager Xiang, I have already reported this matter to President Shen. You see, we have been partners for so many years and the cooperation has always been pleasant. But this time, CEO Wu’s actions have greatly angered President Shen."

Upon hearing this, Xiang Kai’s heart skipped a beat. If Junlan Group truly decided to terminate their cooperation, they would be in a tough spot. "What did President Shen say?"

A hint of a smile flashed in Fang Tong’s eyes as she felt assured, "President Shen said that if you want to continue the cooperation, it’s not impossible, but the price must be reduced by five percentage points. If your company agrees, we can continue to cooperate happily. If your company is unwilling, then we will have to find another partner. After all, there are many who wish to collaborate with Junlan Group. What do you think, Manager Xiang?"

Fang Tong appeared composed, but to Xiang Kai, it was like a bolt from the blue.

"That’s impossible," said Xiang Kai firmly. Their goal was to raise prices, not to lower them.

"Manager Xiang, don’t get agitated, and listen to me," Fang Tong continued calmly.

Xiang Kai had to calm down and sit to listen to what Fang Tong was about to say.

"Manager Xiang, the price we have given you has always been the market price, and compared to other companies, it’s a high price, you have to admit that."

Manager Xiang was silent, knowing what Fang Tong said was true. Typically, prices offered for such cooperations are lower than the market rate, considering the volume. Junlan Group had never driven prices down and can be said to have been very generous.

"We have also looked into the prices your company offers to other partners, and they are more than five points lower than Junlan Group’s. Counting it all up, Junlan Group has always been at a loss. The reason we’ve been cooperating with you for so many years is that we appreciate the premise of your quality guarantee."

Manager Xiang was even more silent. In fact, the company was divided over the price hike. One side saw it as a good opportunity to raise prices, after all, Junlan had money to spare, but another believed they were overreaching, which could potentially provoke Junlan Group and possibly result in losing even the current profit margin.

Yet human nature is greedy, with greater profits dangling before them, nobody wanted to consider the latter possibility.

Fang Tong understood their behavior but did not want to condone it. Once this happens the first time, there will be a second time. If they were to give in now, the other party would think Junlan Group was easy to push around, something everyone could have a go at squeezing. If other partners got wind of this and followed suit, how would Junlan Group continue to grow?

This decision had also been made collectively after consulting with Shen Junyu.

"But if you slash the price so much, we’ll be operating at a loss, and no one wants to do business at a loss," said Xiang Kai after a long pause.

Fang Tong laughed, "Manager Xiang, as far as I know, the quotes you give to other companies are a whole eight points lower than Junlan Group’s." So, where did the question of operating at a loss come from?

Xiang Kai’s face was burning, never expecting that the other party would have thoroughly investigated even this matter. And indeed, it was true; their quote to the Junlan Group was the highest.

"I know Manager Xiang cannot make this decision alone, no worries, you can go back and discuss it with CEO Wu. Of course, we can’t wait too long, at most three days. If we don’t have your response in three days, then our cooperation will have to end here. Jun Ze, show the contract template to Manager Xiang." The last sentence was directed at Shen Junze, who had been invisible since entering.

Shen Junze handed the contract he held to Xiang Kai, who flipped through it, "It seems CEO Fang came prepared this time."

Fang Tong smiled, "I can’t compare to Manager Xiang."

"Well, in that case, I shall take my leave first. I will certainly convey CEO Fang’s words verbatim to our CEO Wu."

Fang Tong stood up, shook hands with the other party, and after he had left, Shen Junze finally spoke up, "Sister Tong, I was really nervous just now. Did you notice? Xiang Kai’s face turned green. I was really afraid he might get violent."

Fang Tong laughed, "Such an incident would absolutely never happen. After all, Xiang Kai is a manager; he wouldn’t stoop so low."

"But Sister Tong, your presence was truly formidable just now."

"You’re just good at flattery. We’ve already succeeded halfway; now we just need to wait for the contract to be signed." Fang Tong was visibly relaxed.

Comparatively, Shen Junze was more concerned, "Sister Tong, do you think they will agree to our terms? I just can’t help feeling uneasy."

"Don’t worry. I have already left them a margin for profit in our quote. Although it’s less than before, it’s still profitable compared to their other projects. Moreover, they understand that we are doing this to send them a warning. As long as they are wise, they will sign the contract."

"Sister Tong, where did you learn all this from?" Shen Junze was curious.

"It’s actually quite simple. I had done my homework on their company beforehand and made it clear to them that we knew their bottom line. Under such circumstances, any smart person would know what choice to make."

"Sister Tong, I’ve realized there’s so much I need to learn." Shen Junze exclaimed.

Fang Tong smiled, "You’re still young, and there are plenty of opportunities to learn. Take it step by step."

Shen Junze nodded, knowing that Fang Tong was mentoring him so he could learn; naturally, he wouldn’t disappoint her expectations. "Sister Tong, shall we return to the company now?"

"No, there’s so much delicious food yet to be eaten; we might as well eat before we go." The dishes had been served right when Xiang Kai left, it’d be a waste not to eat them.

An hour after Fang Tong and Shen Junze finished eating, Shen Junze had an expression of lingering enjoyment. Fang Tong had shared a lot of work experiences with him, teaching him many things.

He would have needed a lot of time to learn these things on his own.

"Fang Tong." A familiar voice rang out. When she looked up, she saw Ding Minghui and inwardly sighed, ’It’s a small world after all.’

Ding Minghui scrutinized Shen Junze standing beside Fang Tong, his gaze enigmatic, "Fang Tong, and who might this be?"

Fang Tong responded coolly, "How is that any of your business?"

Ding Minghui was taken aback by Fang Tong’s rebuff; he knew he had no right to say such things, but he couldn’t help wanting to.

"Sister Tong?" Shen Junze was puzzled.

"Let’s go."

"Fang Tong, since we’ve run into each other here, let’s have a meal together." Ding Minghui didn’t want to say goodbye to Fang Tong as soon as he met her.

"We’ve already eaten," said Shen Junze, noticing Fang Tong’s dislike for this man and decisively refusing on her behalf.

Ding Minghui ignored Shen Junze’s words and instead stared at Fang Tong, hoping to see her reaction, but was disappointed to find that Fang Tong wasn’t willing to spare him even a glance.

"Mr. Ding, we have other things to do, please don’t block our way," Fang Tong said, annoyance in her eyes. She really disliked the way Ding Minghui looked at her with what seemed to be deep affection but actually made her feel disgusted.

Ding Minghui’s face slightly changed, but seeing Fang Tong’s cold demeanor, he didn’t dare continue to block her way and stepped aside, watching helplessly as Fang Tong brushed past him.

The assistant who followed behind Ding Minghui had silently observed everything. He hadn’t expected Ding Minghui to be acquainted with the new Director of the Sales Department at Junlan Group.

"Find out what Fang Tong is doing here," Ding Minghui ordered his assistant after Fang Tong was no longer in sight.

The assistant was slightly stunned, not understanding the purpose behind Ding Minghui’s order, but as his superior had requested it, he naturally wouldn’t contradict and went to inquire with the manager of the place.

Fang Tong’s dining room had been booked by Xiang Kai, who also registered under his name. Upon hearing Xiang Kai’s name, Ding Minghui seemed to vaguely recall something.

"Do you know what Xiang Kai and Fang Tong talked about here?"

"I’m not sure, the manager here doesn’t inquire into these matters," the assistant replied.

Ding Minghui wasn’t disappointed but simply said, "Then go and investigate the purpose of Fang Tong’s meeting with Xiang Kai."

Ding Minghui didn’t know why he wanted to pry into this; he just wanted to understand more about Fang Tong’s affairs.

After breaking up with Fang Tong, Ding Minghui had indeed gained everything he had worked for through his own efforts. He had thought that Fang Tong would struggle without him, yet to his surprise, she was doing better and better, becoming more radiant, making his heart pound for her again—especially during their recent encounters, his heart told him that he wanted this woman.

Fang Tong, of course, was unaware of the things Ding Minghui did behind her back. After returning to the company, she threw herself back into work. She was responsible for more than one project, some of which were left behind by her predecessor, requiring her to understand them in detail before she could continue the work.

"They were discussing cooperation, and it didn’t end well?" Ding Minghui frowned upon hearing his assistant’s report.

The assistant nodded, "It is said that Xiang Kai left with a green face, quite infuriated."

Upon hearing this, Ding Minghui started to scheme, "Help me call Xiang Kai, tell him I’d like to invite him to dinner."

"Mr. Ding, our company mainly operates in the entertainment industry; we haven’t been involved in real estate. Abruptly inviting him might not go well, no?"

The assistant couldn’t understand the purpose behind Ding Minghui’s actions.

Ding Minghui just gave him a faint glance. The assistant shivered, immediately realizing his overstep and quickly said, "I’ll make the call right now."

Ding Minghui withdrew his gaze and snorted coldly. He preferred obedient employees. If they didn’t listen, he would naturally replace them with those who did—he had plenty of money now.

He had always known the importance of money. After three years in the workplace, he understood even more the significance of money. With money, you might not be able to buy what you want, but without money, everything is useless—self-esteem, dignity, and respect from others were as distant from him as the Pacific Ocean.

"What’s troubling you in your office all alone?" Ning Ke walked in and saw Ding Minghui with a furrowed brow and asked.

Ding Minghui heard Ning Ke’s voice and immediately put on a light smile, "Why are you here?"