Lan Lan stayed with Liang Yufeng not solely due to his threats, but also as a personal choice. She was in a transitional period and had needs, and choosing Liang Yufeng was a way to avoid complications.
She had assumed he understood the rules of their arrangement and wouldn't interfere excessively in her life. To her surprise, he harbored such absurd possessiveness. She disliked being constrained and decided to end things sooner rather than later.
However, when these words reached Liang Yufeng's ears, they twisted into her wanting to end their relationship for another man. "Do you think this is your decision to make?"
Liang Yufeng's challenging tone made Lan Lan frown. What did he mean? If not her, then who?
"Otherwise?" Liang Yufeng suddenly let out a dismissive laugh. "You think you get to decide?"
Lan Lan had never seen him smile like that. She considered herself quite bold, but the man's smile sent shivers down her spine. She then heard him say, "You can try defying me. See what happens if you don't want your job anymore."
His expression was one of genuine threat. Lan Lan knew he currently held that power. The isolation of being at the top was immense, yet so was his influence, explaining why so many aspired to climb the ranks.
Her two years of work had brought her to her current position, and it wasn't easy. Losing her job out of impulsive emotion would be a loss that far outweighed any gain. She was always capable of weighing her options in the shortest possible time.
"Alright, then consider my words unsaid. Let's keep our relationship as it is for now," Lan Lan said calmly, as if discussing a business proposal. "But you need to give me a timeframe. Or how about this: the next time I want to be in a relationship, we'll end it."
"You don't get to decide," Liang Yufeng told her. "I'm not tired of you yet."
Lan Lan chuckled. "Not tired yet? My shelf life with you is that long? You slept with quite a few people back then, didn't you? Or has Mr. Liang not met anyone more capable than me all these years?"
Liang Yufeng smirked. "As if."
His tone was dismissive, as if he didn't consider her at all. Lan Lan didn't care to delve into the reasons behind it, but she could guess. Liang Yufeng was likely still bothered by being dumped by her years ago, and now that he had power, he wanted to make things difficult for her, to make her suffer. She understood human flaws all too well.
Fine, she'd play along a bit longer. She could consider him a free escort, though... his stamina was far beyond that of an ordinary escort. She imagined he had honed his skills over the years.
Liang Yufeng's phone rang again, still Xu Zhengxi calling. He answered it again in front of Lan Lan. "Return to the old house immediately!" he said, followed by a dial tone. It seemed Xu Zhengxi was very angry.
Liang Yufeng, however, calmly finished his breakfast before getting up. Before leaving, he reminded Lan Lan, "Remember what I just said."
Lan Lan assumed he was referring to continuing their arrangement as lovers and had already forgotten about "drawing a line with Lu Xiao." Even if she remembered, she wouldn't comply. Continuing to be his casual partner was already her biggest concession.
Upon returning to the old house, Liang Yufeng found Xu Zhengxi sitting on the sofa with a grim expression. The scene had no effect on him. His demeanor remained unchanged, and he didn't speak first until Xu Zhengxi, unable to contain himself, asked, "Who was the woman last night?"
Liang Yufeng replied, "I told you on the phone."
"Do you think I'd believe that!" Xu Zhengxi, with his shrewdness, was not easily fooled. "You haven't had a woman by your side for years, and now, within months of returning to the country, you're playing this wild!"
He had also told him she was just a mistress. If she were truly unimportant, would he have not returned home and rushed to her side overnight? And even taken calls in such a setting...
"You asked me to come back, what's the matter?" Liang Yufeng's interaction with Xu Zhengxi wasn't like that of a father and son, but more like business partners.
Liang Yufeng had never addressed Xu Zhengxi as "Father," and Xu Zhengxi didn't mind. As long as he carried his blood, he was his son. Xu Zhengxi had groomed Liang Yufeng to ensure Taihou had a successor.
"The daughter of the Shang family is looking for a boyfriend. You haven't dated anyone for years; you could develop a relationship with her," Xu Zhengxi analyzed for Liang Yufeng. "The Shang family almost monopolizes the domestic processing industry. If you want a piece of the pie, you'll have to cooperate with them. If you could marry Shang Ting..."
"I'm not interested," Liang Yufeng repeated his words from last night. "I won't marry for convenience."
"You'll have to get married eventually. Since you don't want to date, why not take advantage of a suitable opportunity and marry someone who can help you the most? Shang Ting graduated from Harvard; she's not just a pretty face. You..."
"I said, I'm not interested," Liang Yufeng's tone was cold. "If you're interested, you marry her."
"..." Xu Zhengxi was successfully silenced by Liang Yufeng.
Liang Yufeng was usually a man of few words but possessed a strong offensive capability, always managing to silence people with a few sentences. It wasn't the first time Xu Zhengxi had been cornered by him.
A few minutes later, Xu Zhengxi asked him, "Then who are you interested in? The woman from last night?"
Liang Yufeng did not answer, but Xu Zhengxi gleaned the answer from his expression. He was incredulous. "You've actually fallen for some promiscuous woman?"
Lan Lan took a few days off and then returned to work. After she successfully negotiated the Taihou project, her superiors valued her even more. Lan Lan was directly promoted to department head mid-year. Among those who joined at the same time, she was the fastest to be promoted, inevitably drawing envy from many, including those who gossiped behind her back.
One day, Liang Yufeng arrived at Xinhe Securities to meet with their leadership. Passing by the pantry, he saw Lan Lan at the doorway. He stopped, but Lan Lan didn't notice him. Liang Yufeng then realized that several people inside were discussing her.
"Who believes she didn't sleep her way up? Every man she finds is powerful and influential. Her last boyfriend was Mr. Gu!"
"I remember, she got promoted just a few months after dating Mr. Gu."
"I heard from my friend that Mr. Gu even took her to play with other men."
"She's open-minded; we can't compare. This circle is inherently messy. Maybe she's hooked up with some high-level executive from Taihou this time."
Liang Yufeng didn't know if these words were true, so he went to look for Lan Lan. However, she didn't seem angry at all; instead, she smiled, as if indifferent to others' opinions of her.
It was at this moment that Lan Lan noticed Liang Yufeng, and the people gossiping about her in the pantry also saw the two at the door.
Being caught gossiping by the subject of their discussion was awkward. Those few people forced awkward smiles, and Lan Lan smiled back at them. Then, they greeted Liang Yufeng.
Liang Yufeng, however, ignored them and focused his gaze on Lan Lan, casually draping an arm around her shoulder. "Accompany me for dinner after the meeting."
Before Lan Lan could react, he left, leaving Lan Lan and the gossiping colleagues behind.
Those who had been gossiping exchanged glances, stunned.
Lan Lan and Liang Yufeng...?