Chapter 206: Chess (I)

That’s so tragic,” Xiao Yu said.

“Uhh… yeah!” Yan Jin had wanted to say that he didn’t care that much about it, but Xiao Yu’s words presented an unexpected opportunity to him. He acted pitiful and added, “Right, so don’t I get a consolatory hug?”

“Isn’t it a little late to play the pity card? You didn’t sound like you needed any pity at all earlier,” Xiao Yu said ruthlessly.

“I was trying to be strong.”

“Don’t make me laugh.”

“Well, that’s how it is then.” Yan Jin didn’t mind losing the unexpected potential benefits and directly admitted, “I grew up from a very young age with my grandfather overseas and wasn’t at all involved with anything here. So, I don’t care that much about the relationship with my parents. You married me, not my family. I didn’t care about them to begin with anyways.”

Xiao Yu raised his voice. “I married you? Haven’t we already agreed that you’re marrying into my family?”

Yan Jin saw Xiao Yu’s puffed-up red cheeks and tugged on them.

“Hey! Only my family can play with my cheeks. You have to first agree to enter my family…” Xiao Yu sputtered while covering his cheeks.

“Okay, sure.” Yan Jin played along and tugged and kneaded Xiao Yu’s cheeks to his heart’s content.

After they played around for a while, Xiao Yu finally remembered that they had been talking about serious matters. For once, he hadn’t been successfully deflected by Yan Jin.

“Didn’t you say once that your mother passed away?”

“…Yes.” Yan Jin was a little caught off guard but quickly recovered. He added calmly, “I was very young when it happened, so I don’t have much recollection of her.”

“How are things between you and your stepmother then?”

Although Xiao Yu had a very good stepmother, he wasn’t naive enough to think that all stepmoms around the world were like Aunt Fang. Furthermore, Yan Jin was a “white prince”. He’d seen enough enough dramas about the princes of aristocratic families to draw his own conclusions.

“Where are you going with this?” Yan Jin rapped on Xiao Yu’s forehead lightly with his knuckles.

“Oww,” Xiao Yu complained. “Didn’t you promise you wouldn’t eavesdrop on my thoughts?”

“When did I promise that?”

“Right now.” Xiao Yu started to act like a rascal.

“I wouldn’t mind agreeing to that, but it’s not something I can control. It’s like…” Yan Jin searched for an appropriate analogy. “It’s like breathing. I can consciously hold my breath for a while, but not for long periods. If I don’t consciously think about it, my body will instinctively breathe on its own.”

Xiao Yu snorted to himself unhappily under his breath.

“And, I don’t need to listen in on your thoughts to know what kind of strange things you’re thinking about.” Yan Jin tugged on Xiao Yu’s reddened cheeks. “It’s written all over your face, stupid.”

“Hmph, you’re the stupid one! Your whole family is stupid!”

“Aside from me, my ‘whole family’ is just you,” Yan Jin said.

“Don’t exaggerate. Even if you don’t count your evil stepmom, you still have your dad and grandpa.”

“My what and what…?” Yan Jin didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “My stepmother and I just mind our own business, so she doesn’t bully me. In any case, she technically can’t be counted as part of the Yan Family main line anymore since I’m the head of the Yan Family now. Neither my father nor my grandfather can block my decision. So, you don’t have to worry about being bullied by an evil mother-in-law or being bribed with a couple million yuan to get lost.

By this point, Xiao Yu felt that he shouldn’t dig any further into this, so he unwillingly grunted, “Mhm.”

Yan Jin observed Xiao Yu’s downcast expression with a raised eyebrow. “Did you really want my family to attend the wedding that much?”

“Not really, just…” Xiao Yu shook his head and then nodded. “After all, it’s natural to wish for a perfect wedding. But, there’s not much we can do with your family’s special circumstances…”

“Alright then, seeing that you’re begging me, I’ll make sure to satisfy your request,” Yan Jin declared.

“Wait, who’s begging you? Didn’t you also just say that it’s not possible…” Xiao Yu was utterly confused.

“Nothing is difficult enough for a determined person. There’s always a way.”

Xiao Yu was overjoyed. “Then, when can we talk to your parents?”

“Let’s go after YL develops a little further. My dad is an entrepreneur; business achievements are sure to move him.”

“I’m so motivated to work now,” Xiao Yu said.

“Hmm? Weren’t you motivated before? Shirking your duties calls for punishment.”

Yan Jin’s hands slipped lower from Xiao Yu’s cheeks, over his sensitive neck, down to Xiao Yu’s waist. It seemed that their “fun” could start at any second.

“Nono, that’s not what I meant…”

Xiao Yu didn’t mind having “fun” in the office, but he did mind Yan Jin doubting his professionalism.

Xiao Yu loved his work more than anything else. He wouldn’t compromise on this.

Xiao Yu gave Yan Jin an accusatory glare.

Coincidentally, Yan Jin glanced around and saw the documents Xiao Yu had rolled into his “microphone” earlier. “Hey, these documents are important in our meetings. They’re so crumpled now… Don’t forget to reprint them before the meeting,” he reminded.

Xiao Yu: “…”

“Alright, I admit I’ve been slacking off a little,” Xiao Yu said in self-reflection. Then, he added, “It’s not my fault though. It’s lonely without any competition. SI is pretty much sleepwalking. We’ve suddenly become the ruler of City S, so… I can’t find any motivation…”

It wasn’t only Xiao Yu. After the Autumn Conference, all of YL was relaxing. For the design department, Xiao Yu’s draft approval rate decreased by fifty percent. Most of the drafts didn’t look anywhere close to the caliber that the top design company in City S should have.

“SI won’t fall so easily, the Nan Family even less so.” Yan Jin was probably the only person worrying about the future during such a relaxed situation.

Yan Jin carefully scrutinized SI’s movements after the Autumn Conference and found them almost unbearable to look at. He guessed that on top of underestimating the difficulty of entering the jewelry industry, the Nan family didn’t have time to manage SI. They were busy resolving matters with Nan Chan.

However, he did find one thing strange. SI’s slumber was lasting a little too long.

Logically speaking, Yan Jin didn’t think it should take the Nan Family this long to make adjustments even under the worst conditions for them. They were one of the only families able to compete with the Yan Family. Surely they had this amount of power.

There was another long-standing issue that had caused Yan Jin’s doubts to become worries: Chu Ge’s disappearance.

He never would have guessed that their time on the ambulance was the last time he would see Chu Ge.

In the two months following the incident, Yan Jin didn’t hear anything from Chu Ge, nor anything about Chu Ge from anyone else.

Something had probably happened…

“Your phone is ringing!” Xiao Yu shouted in Yan Jin’s ear.

Yan Jin jumped back in shock.

“What are you thinking about? I yelled for you so many times.” Xiao Yu stuffed the phone into Yan Jin’s hands. “How did you not hear it ringing for so long? This guy is pretty persistent too; it’s his third time calling. Who is this?”

Yan Jin unlocked his phone, and his eyes unconsciously widened.

He stared at the screen for a long time.

Then, in a regular tone and a calm expressions, he said, “It’s Chu Ge.”

“Chu Ge? Finally! We haven’t talked in ages; I don’t know what he’s been up to. Ask him how he’s doing for me and tell him I loved his late wedding gift.”

“Got it. Go back to drawing designs; I won’t bother you.” Yan Jin walked into the breakroom and locked the door.

……

“Hello, who is this?” Yan Jin knew Chu Ge had probably revealed his identity, so he was a little cautious in case someone else was using Chu Ge’s phone to call.

“It’s me.”

The gloomy reply came so fast that Yan Jin had a moment of doubt.

“It’s me, Chu Ge. I have some things to ask you.”

Yan Jin was able to discern it was indeed Chu Ge’s voice from the longer reply and relaxed. He replied normally, “How’s Nan Chan doing?”

“She’s doing okay. According to the diagnosis, it’s not impossible for her to return to a normal person with some rest, medication, and physical therapy.”

“Rest might be hard to come by since she’s YL’s chairmwoman.” Yan Jin then added humorously, “For her to truly rest, I fear you’ll have to take the position.”

There was a silence.

Then, Chu Ge’s next words caused Yan Jin to drop his phone.

The phone fell to the ground. With a heavy beep, the call terminated.

But, the final words Yan Jin had heard were like a scalding brand pressed against his heart.

“Would you believe it if I told you your next words determine whether Nan Chan can recover? At least, I believe so. I don’t care about anything else, just one thing——”

“Did you know that Aunt Du didn’t die, but has instead been staying at the Summer Springs Third Clinic for the last twenty years?”

Yan Jin bent down and picked up the phone. When he stood up, he saw spots and colors flash in his vision.

Fortunately, those visions quickly faded.

He redialed Chu Ge’s number.

“Sorry, I dropped the phone and it ended the call.”

“Mmm.”

Yan Jin took a deep breath and slowly said, “I know everything. You’re correct.”

The call sank into a tense, oppressive silence.