People change, and Lan Lan had not expected that after so many years, Liang Yufeng would be the same as before. However, his transformation was truly earth-shattering and astonishing. "You've changed a lot, you're not like I remember."
She chatted with Liang Yufeng, like catching up with an old classmate she hadn't seen in years, without any awkwardness of meeting an ex. Liang Yufeng knew she wasn't faking it; she genuinely didn't care.
Liang Yufeng responded with a curt "Mm," his attitude indifferent, showing no trace of their past passionate relationship. He observed Lan Lan's expression; she wasn't upset by his demeanor and even smiled. "Have you been in Nanjiang all these years?"
"No," Liang Yufeng replied.
"Oh?" Lan Lan inquired, "Where did you go after graduation?"
"New York," Liang Yufeng told her. "Just got back."
Lan Lan asked a few more questions and learned that Liang Yufeng had gone to Columbia for graduate studies after graduation and had worked in New York for a year before returning. It was no wonder he was doing so well now.
But that wasn't the main point. She had asked him out to inquire about Xing Zheng on behalf of Lin Mei. Therefore, Lan Lan quickly steered the conversation toward the main topic. After she asked, Liang Yufeng's heart grew cold. What was her intention in being so curious about another man?
Although Liang Yufeng had just returned, he had heard of Xing Zheng during his years in New York. They had been brief classmates. When this name became popular on Wall Street, he recognized it immediately, but they had never had the chance to meet.
"Do you like him?" Liang Yufeng asked, feigning casualness.
"Not at all, I'm just asking for someone else," Lan Lan denied. How could she be interested in Xing Zheng?
Liang Yufeng's gaze softened slightly, but his demeanor remained indifferent. He didn't initiate conversation; Lan Lan was the one finding topics. "Which company are you working for now?"
"Hetao Holdings," Liang Yufeng handed Lan Lan his business card.
Lan Lan took it and saw his position: CEO and Chairman. She was astonished. He had done this well?
Hetao Holdings was among the top fifty enterprises nationwide. He had only been out of college for two years. Even if the company leadership favored him, he shouldn't have been promoted so quickly, should he?
Lan Lan had her doubts but didn't voice them. She offered Liang Yufeng some perfunctory praise, and after the meal, they parted ways.
Liang Yufeng stood there, watching her car drive away before getting into his own. On the way back, his mind was filled with her image. Every moment they sat together for dinner, he was in agony.
He didn't even know how he managed to suppress the urge to overpower her. Years of repression erupted at that moment. He could no longer restrain himself. She had provoked him first, so she shouldn't blame him for not letting go.
Lan Lan was unaware of Liang Yufeng's inner turmoil. After getting the information from him, she messaged Lin Mei on WeChat, also chatting with Lin Mei and Feng Feng about Liang Yufeng's current situation.
After Lan Lan finished her shower, she saw the business card Liang Yufeng had given her again. She picked it up and examined it, smiling. She had never imagined back then that Liang Yufeng would do so well. But whether he did well or not was irrelevant to her; she could only envy him at most.
After this, Lan Lan did not contact Liang Yufeng again. Liang Yufeng, as always, checked Lan Lan's social media updates every day, always hoping she would suddenly ask him out again.
However, after waiting for more than a week, there was no news. Liang Yufeng laughed at himself. So, the last time she contacted him was just to inquire about Xing Zheng. Xing Zheng...
Liang Yufeng repeated the name a few times. The next day, he submitted a cooperation proposal to Shuangmu.
Shuangmu had just returned to develop its business in the country, while Hetao had been established in Huaixi for decades. Cooperation would benefit both parties. On the day of the formal negotiation, Liang Yufeng met Xing Zheng. He was vastly different from the gloomy and taciturn person he was in college, and his presence was much more powerful. They had only been classmates and roommates briefly, but Xing Zheng still recognized him at a glance. After discussing work, Xing Zheng asked him, "Have you seen Lan Lan?"
Lan Lan had not spent time inquiring about Liang Yufeng's whereabouts. However, a month after their last meeting, the company suddenly assigned her a case. When she looked at the documents, she saw that the client was Hetao Holdings, and it was a contract for five years. Encountering an ex in work was unlucky and dramatic, but Liang Yufeng shouldn't make things difficult for her; he didn't seem interested in her anymore.
After receiving the cooperation from Hetao Holdings, Lan Lan's superior took her to the office and briefed her. "When you deal with the other party, be careful. Their new leader is not to be trifled with."
Was this referring to Liang Yufeng? Perhaps his past image was too deeply ingrained, as Lan Lan couldn't associate the words "not to be trifled with" with him. However, if even the devilish leader described him that way, he must truly be difficult to deal with. "Okay, I understand."
The leader then asked, "Do you know anything about Mr. Liang's background?"
Lan Lan: "..." Usually eloquent, she didn't know how to answer this question.
Having dated him, did that count as knowing him?
The leader assumed she didn't know and began to introduce him. "This Mr. Liang is the illegitimate son of Xu Zhengxi, the former chairman of Hetao."
Lan Lan was shocked. Liang Yufeng had this identity?
She had always thought he came from a humble background. When he mentioned his origins, his emotions weren't high. At the time, she had assumed it was due to poor economic conditions. Now, thinking about it, being an illegitimate son was also a poor background.
"Doesn't Chairman Xu have several sons?" Why would Liang Yufeng, an illegitimate son, inherit the family business?
"That's why I told you to be careful. This one is not to be trifled with," the leader said. "Chairman Xu's children are all under his thumb, and even Chairman Xu's wife has to show him respect. An illegitimate son becoming the head of the family, think about how formidable he must be."
Lan Lan still couldn't connect the word "formidable" with Liang Yufeng. "Alright, I've noted it."
That evening, Lan Lan went to a club to wait for Liang Yufeng for their appointment and only then understood what the leader meant by "not to be trifled with."
As the乙方 (party of the second part), Lan Lan arrived half an hour early. Liang Yufeng, as the甲方 (party of the first part), was half an hour late. Consequently, Lan Lan sat alone in the private room for over an hour, from eight to nine o'clock. Her stomach ached from hunger. Liang Yufeng finally arrived, accompanied by his assistant.
Lan Lan stood up to greet him. "Mr. Liang, hello. I'm Lan Lan from Xinhe Securities, responsible for liaising with you this time."
She treated him with the demeanor of dealing with a client, and there was nothing to fault. However, Liang Yufeng disliked it. His attitude was cold; he glanced at her as if she were a stranger, and without even responding to her words, he sat down.
Lan Lan had encountered many eccentric clients and wasn't offended. She sat down too and began to introduce the cooperation plan.
However, halfway through her explanation, she was interrupted by Liang Yufeng. "I don't like discussing work during meals."