Ye Cunshan received a reply from his secretary, confirming that Xinghen Technology’s CEO had agreed to the meeting, finally allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief.
A few months ago, when Xinghen had approached him about a possible collaboration, Ye hadn’t really listened and had rejected them right away. He wasn’t too keen on dealing with shrewd businessmen.
He usually collaborates with university research institutes or national organizations. On top of that, he had recently finalized a new project with Capital University, so he didn’t have much time available.
Therefore, even though that Manager Gu had repeatedly come by with what seemed like sincere intentions, Ye Cunshan had coldly shut him out each time.
But now, it appeared that the CEO of this company might know the child who could possibly be Chengyi.
Ye Cunshan only hesitated for a second before immediately lowering his pride to call Xinghen Technology, asking if Manager Gu could meet and discuss the cooperation again.
In just a few short months, the roles of seeker and sought had reversed.
In fact, Ye Cunshan could have directly asked whether the other party knew Yan Xun and if they had any contact information, and if so, whether they could provide it.
But Professor Ye didn’t know Gu Shanqing well. His previous interactions with that Manager Gu had not been pleasant, and he feared the man held a grudge. He was also afraid that if Manager Gu knew he had a request to make, he might deliberately withhold the information.
After much deliberation, Professor Ye decided it would be better to invite him out for a face-to-face conversation and subtly inquire about it.
Originally, he thought that even if Manager Gu didn’t hold a grudge, he would still act aloof and keep him waiting for a few days. To his surprise, the other party agreed immediately after hearing the request.
“No problem!”
However, as soon as Gu Shanqing excitedly shared this news with Chu Tingyun, he suddenly remembered that he had other important business this afternoon, something he couldn’t cancel.
After all, Professor Ye had only hastily called around noon to ask for a meeting, so naturally, he hadn’t cleared his schedule in advance for today.
But this cooperation was extremely important.
With Xinghen’s impending listing, Gu Shanqing planned to expand the company. And as a tech company, the R&D department was crucial, and he was eager to bring in experts with real knowledge and ability.
So, Manager Gu had long coveted Professor Ye. Although he had approached several professors before, they were merely backups, and none had seemed quite right, so those negotiations hadn’t gone through. This had frustrated him for quite some time.
Now, although he didn’t know why things had suddenly turned around, he was determined to personally negotiate this cooperation and to do so beautifully!
But first, he needed to negotiate with Professor Ye about the timing:
“Sorry, Professor Ye, your call came a bit suddenly, and I’m a bit busy. Could we meet a little later?”
“Alright.”
Without even thinking, Ye Cunshan agreed.
It didn’t matter how late.
He had waited ten years, so a few more hours wouldn’t hurt.
“What time exactly?”
Manager Gu had his secretary urgently adjust his schedule. After a while, he cautiously suggested:
“Maybe… 9:30 p.m.?”
“Okay.”
The other party agreed without hesitation, just as decisively as when he had slammed the door in Manager Gu’s face before.
“…”
He agreed just like that?
Having been refused so many times before, Gu Shanqing was dumbfounded.
He looked at his phone, wondering if he had misheard or if the other party had dialed the wrong number—or perhaps the cold and proud Professor Ye from back then had been replaced by someone else?
Before he could think much more, he heard Professor Ye’s voice again over the line.
“Where will we meet?”
Hiss…
Manager Gu silently sucked in a breath.
Was he really leaving the time and place entirely up to him?
Such a level of compromise?
For a moment, Manager Gu even wondered if his company had kidnapped the professor’s child for leverage. Otherwise, how could Professor Ye suddenly be so agreeable?
His thoughts ran wild, but outwardly he maintained a polite and respectful tone.
“You can decide on the location.”
“Alright.”
Beep…
The call ended there, as Professor Ye hung up without further ado.
Just as Manager Gu was catching his breath, he received a message from Ye Cunshan.
Ye Cunshan: “Address?”
The next second, a location link came through—a quiet, private dining restaurant near Capital University.
He’s… even inviting me to dinner???
Manager Gu was simply overwhelmed.
He quickly typed a reply: “Alright, alright.”
After sending it, he thought for a moment and edited another message.
Gu Shanqing: “Rest assured, I will be there on time.”
Ye Cunshan: “I’ll be waiting for you. 😊😊😊”
“…”
It was just a simple, normal sentence, and the smiling face was a normal emoji too, but somehow Manager Gu felt a slight, unsettling sense of being threatened.
…Probably just his imagination.
He snapped back to reality and quickly sent a WeChat message to Chu Tingyun, informing him that his schedule was full today and that the meeting had been pushed to the evening. He also forwarded the location.
Shanqing Shuixiu: “The time is a bit late. If you’re busy, I can take two people and handle it myself.”
Ten minutes passed with no reply.
Shanqing Shuixiu: “So, are you still coming, ‘Big Daddy’?”
Five minutes later, Chu Tingyun replied with a single period.
Gu Shanqing: “…”
Alright.
This was just how the financier talked, so Gu Shanqing was used to it.
In any case, a period meant he was coming.
How strange.
In the past, Chu Tingyun had never been interested in these matters, always eager to leave everything for Gu Shanqing to handle.
Looking at Professor Ye’s smiley face and then at Chu Tingyun’s period, somehow, Gu Shanqing found an eerie sense of harmony between the two.
Why were they both acting so weird today?
Gu Shanqing pondered for a while but came up with no answers, so he simply stopped thinking about it and got back to work.
Still, the thought of negotiating with Professor Ye that evening put him in such a good mood that he hummed a tune while signing documents.
***
On the other side, after receiving the message, Chu Tingyun didn’t immediately inform Yan Xun. Instead, he deleted the period from the WeChat conversation.
“Chu Tingyun, is this outfit finally okay?”
Yan Xun turned around to ask.
He had initially thought Chu was joking, but now he realized that Chu really intended to use him as some kind of secret weapon to win over the professor’s favor.
By this point, Yan Xun had changed his outfit six or seven times.
He figured that if Chu liked playing video games, he’d probably enjoy a wardrobe styling game.
“Hmm…”
Chu Tingyun put down his phone and studied him carefully.
Yan Xun was wearing a white shirt as an inner layer, with a cream-colored, V-neck double-stripe sweater vest over it. A navy diagonal-striped tie was neatly fastened at his collar. Below, he wore loose-fitting light blue jeans paired with simple white sneakers.
The overall look had a bit of a “DK style” vibe, but it was more casual and natural.
After some thought, Chu decided not to add a formal jacket, which would be too stiff. Instead, he chose a light gray hoodie to complete the ensemble.
Finally satisfied, CEO Chu announced the end of the “Magical Yan Yan Wardrobe Game.”
Yan Xun glanced at himself in the mirror, feeling like the person staring back at him was a stranger.
Not only had the clothes changed, but Chu had even styled his hair a bit. Looking at himself, Yan Xun felt like he was headed for a date, not a business negotiation.
***
That’s exactly what President Chu had in mind.
He even brought along a camera—the same one Yan Xun had borrowed to attend a lecture the other day.
“Why are you bringing a camera?” Yan Xun asked, puzzled.
“If the negotiations go well, we can take a photo with the professor,” Chu Tingyun reasoned, sounding perfectly logical.
Yan thought about it and agreed, so he packed the camera into a bag.
Even though Manager Gu had said the meeting was at 9:30 p.m., by 3:00 in the afternoon, Chu Tingyun had already set off with Yan Xun, heading towards Capital University.
On the way, Yan Xun suddenly remembered that his driving instructor had sent him a message a while ago.
He opened WeChat and checked it again.
Driving Instructor Liu: “Hey Yan Xun, that girl who was learning to drive with you needs to talk to you. If you have time, give her a call. Her number is 153XXXXXXXX.”
When Yan Xun left the café, he had already noticed the message, but at that time, his mind was entirely occupied with what Li Rong had just told him, as well as wondering why Chu Tingyun hadn’t answered his calls.
He didn’t have time to respond then, and later, he simply forgot.
Now, seeing the message again, Yan Xun thought for a moment but still decided not to reply.
After all, the girl in question was just someone he’d met once and had no further connection to in his life. Yan Xun couldn’t think of any reason why she would need his help so urgently.
Besides, her attitude towards him had been overly enthusiastic that day. Out of the awareness that he was a married man, Yan Xun didn’t feel inclined to respond.
If it was truly something urgent, she would reach out to him again.
Yan Xun had always approached social interactions this way. If there was no need, he wouldn’t maintain contact. He really didn’t like wasting time on socializing and couldn’t understand why people spent so much time chatting.
Perhaps this was why he had so few friends.
Yan Xun closed his phone.
Not long after, the car stopped in front of the university gate. Yan Xun glanced at the time—it was nearly 3:40 p.m. So, he asked Chu Tingyun, “What time did you agree to meet the professor? Where’s Gu Shanqing? Where’s he waiting for us?”
Chu Tingyun got out of the car and, in no hurry, answered, “Gu Shanqing said he’s tied up this afternoon and can’t make it, so the meeting’s been pushed to 9:30 p.m.”
“Pushed that late?” Yan Xun was surprised. “And the professor agreed?”
“Mm-hmm,” Chu Tingyun nodded.
This was unexpected for Yan Xun. “So, the two of us are now…?”
Chu Tingyun tilted his head, smiled at him, and said, “Given the circumstances, why don’t you show me around your alma mater, junior?”
“…”
At that moment, Yan Xun finally realized what was going on.
“You planned this, didn’t you?”
Chu Tingyun didn’t deny it but instead asked, “You don’t want to?”
“…”
Yan Xun couldn’t argue with him and reached out to hold the man’s hand. “Then let’s go, Tingyun-gege.”
That “gege” made Chu Tingyun’s heart practically burst with joy. He only regretted not recording it.
Yan Xun had been here once before and remembered the way, so he led Chu Tingyun on a campus tour. When they found some picturesque spots, he took photos of Chu Tingyun.
Full-body shots, half-body shots, close-ups, and photos of the two of them together.
Previously, Yan Xun had looked for pictures at home and discovered that aside from their marriage certificate and a hand-holding photo on social media for their anniversary, they didn’t have many photos together.
This time, they took plenty, with plans to make a photo wall when they got home.
As dusk approached, several students were gathered on the sports field, playing guitar and singing. They were performing both classic and contemporary songs.
Yan Xun and Chu Tingyun sat on the grass, listening. Yan Xun’s gray jacket soon became a cushion for Chu Tingyun to sit on.
The evening breeze swept through, blending the voices of the singers into one and carrying them gently into the distance.
Some of the songs were familiar to Yan Xun, and he joined in singing. They sang about youthful dreams, the bittersweetness of love, and memories of times gone by.
Chu Tingyun sat beside him, quietly listening.
After a long while, the man suddenly asked, “Yan Xun, do you want a guitar?”
A guitar?
Yan Xun knew how to play the guitar, but he’d never attended any extracurricular classes during his youth, so the guitar was something Zhou Ze had taught him.
His only close friend had dreamed of becoming a big star when they grew up, so Zhou Ze had learned many instruments.
Yan Xun smiled and asked Chu Tingyun, “Hmm? Are you planning to gift me one?”
“Do you want one?”
Chu Tingyun had actually given him a guitar before, but Yan Xun had thrown it away. However, this time Yan Xun smiled and agreed, “Sure. I’ll practice a bit and sing for you.”
“…”
The evening breeze tousled Chu Tingyun’s hair, and the distant lights seemed to flicker within his eyes.
After a long while, he smiled at Yan Xun and softly said, “Alright.”
The little concert wrapped up, and they went for a walk around the sports field before heading out to browse the night market. They bought some cute, decorative, but impractical trinkets.
They spent the evening like any other young couple on a date.
Finally, when the clock struck nine, their brief date came to an end.
When Yan Xun and Chu Tingyun arrived at the private restaurant they’d been directed to, they found Gu Shanqing waiting at the door.
Half an hour earlier, Chu Tingyun had informed him that they’d also be bringing Yan Xun.
Bringing Yan Xun???
It wasn’t that Gu Shanqing disliked Yan Xun; on the contrary, he had always admired the young man for his capabilities, foresight, and diligence.
However, Gu Shanqing couldn’t understand why Chu Tingyun, on top of personally attending the business meeting, insisted on bringing his spouse along.
“You handle the negotiations; we’re mainly here to back you up,” was Chu Tingyun’s response.
Gu Shanqing: “…”
This wasn’t some movie gang showdown. What “back-up” was needed?!
Sensing his thoughts, Chu Tingyun casually draped an arm around Gu Shanqing’s shoulders, steering him a few steps away, and continued his persuasive pitch:
“Relax, I promise Yan Xun and I won’t interfere with the negotiations. You’ll handle the main discussion. But look, you come across as too sharp and businesslike, not exactly likable.”
“Think about it, Gu Shanqing. Professors—they probably prefer clean-cut, scholarly types of students. If things don’t go smoothly in the talks, having someone more likeable could lighten the mood. At the very least, it gives us a chance for a follow-up discussion, right?”
“…”
The more Gu Shanqing listened, the more he thought—hey! This makes some sense!
He turned to look at Yan Xun. If he hadn’t known the guy for years, aware that he’d already graduated, Gu Shanqing might really have mistaken him for a well-behaved university student.
Not a bookworm type, but someone with a natural scholarly air and a refined, intellectual demeanor in his movements.
Exactly the kind of student professors would appreciate!
Wait a minute!
Suddenly realizing something, Gu Shanqing blurted out, “What do you mean, I look too sharp and unlikable? Chu Tingyun, it’s your face that screams sly and cunning!”
Chu Tingyun wasn’t offended. Instead, he smiled brightly and continued, “Which is why I brought Yan Xun along.”
Gu Shanqing: “…”
It made even more sense now.
But since they were already here, it wasn’t like he could send them away. So, Gu Shanqing decided to give Yan Xun a little heads-up.
“Yan Xun, this deal is extremely important for Xinghen Tech. I’ve interacted with Professor Ye a few times before. There’s no doubt about his capabilities, but he can be rather aloof and proud, so watch your words carefully.”
“Got it. I’ll keep that in mind.”
Yan Xun nodded, aware of how much importance Gu Shanqing placed on this negotiation.
Gu Shanqing had come well-prepared, bringing a thorough set of documents and even dragging the company’s top software engineer, Wang Xu, to work overtime.
So, the four of them entered together.
The server informed them that Mr. Ye, who had reserved the private room, had already arrived.
“Already inside?”
Gu Shanqing glanced at the time. He had thought arriving twenty minutes early would put him ahead, but it seemed the professor had beaten him to it.
This collaboration was looking promising! Very promising!!!
Excitement surged within Gu Shanqing.
As the server opened the door to the private room, Professor Ye immediately stood up. However, he hadn’t expected to see not one but three additional people.
Ye Cunshan scanned them one by one, his gaze abruptly stopping on the young man at the back.
Buzz…
In an instant, it was as if something had exploded in his mind.
For a moment, Ye Cunshan completely forgot that he was supposed to step forward and greet them. It was as though he had been frozen in place.
He looked too much like him…
It was just too much.
Even though he had seen the photograph before, the impact of seeing the real person left Ye Cunshan feeling dizzy.
Because aside from his facial features, this young man named Yan Xun even had expressions somewhat similar to Chengyi.
For countless nights, Ye Cunshan had imagined what his son would look like when he grew up, but it was always vague. It wasn’t until he saw the young man in front of him that everything that had been blurry suddenly became clear.
Without any evidence, Ye Cunshan felt that Chengyi should look exactly like this when he grew up.
His intuition was just that way—without reason but firmly convinced.
“…Professor Ye?”
Gu Shanqing, who had arrived first, noticed his daze.
“Professor Ye, sorry to keep you waiting.”
“Oh… oh, it’s fine, no problem.”
Ye Cunshan’s voice was a bit hoarse, and speaking was somewhat laborious.
He subtly braced himself on the table and gradually regained control of his body. Then, he took a silent, deep breath to avoid appearing too out of sorts.
No one noticed his abnormality, as Ye Cunshan’s shock and excitement, which felt like a century to him, lasted only a few seconds in reality.
“Here, Professor Ye, let me introduce you.”
Gu Shanqing first pulled Chu Tingyun over, lavishly praising him, then said, “Our President Chu always admires you greatly. As soon as he heard about the collaboration, he immediately dropped all his work and rescheduled several important meetings just to come here and meet you in person.”
Chu Tingyun: “…Yes.”
He maintained a perfectly appropriate smile and continued with Gu Shanqing’s words, “Your achievements in artificial intelligence are truly impressive, and we at Xinghen are very eager to have an expert like you join us.”
Ye Cunshan forced a smile: “…You flatter me.”
Next, Gu Shanqing introduced the software engineer Wang Xu he brought along, modest on the surface but subtly showcasing the company’s strength.
At this moment, however, Ye Cunshan couldn’t absorb a single word. He interrupted Gu Shanqing and turned his gaze to Yan Xun, “Mr. Gu, may I ask who this is?”
Gu Shanqing was taken aback and then replied,
“Oh, he is…”
Before Gu Shanqing could finish, Yan Xun suddenly answered,
“Hello, Professor Ye, I am Mr. Chu’s personal assistant, Yan Xun.”
Since this meeting was about discussing collaboration with the professor, Yan Xun thought that if Chu Tingyun had brought him as his partner, it would seem too informal and might make the professor feel slighted.
So he told a harmless little lie.
After all, the main focus of the meeting was Gu Shanqing and Professor Ye, and no one would pay attention to a mere personal assistant.
However, as soon as he claimed to be a personal assistant, everyone in the room turned to look at him.
Chu Tingyun’s first reaction was a bit of anger, but he quickly realized the reason behind Yan Xun’s actions. So he also followed up with Yan Xun’s explanation.
“Yes, our Yan Xun is quite interested in Professor Ye’s research, so I brought him along to meet you in person.”
Gu Shanqing was left stunned and shot Chu Tingyun a look of “What’s going on with you two?”
“Oh, so he’s Mr. Chu’s assistant.”
Ye Cunshan couldn’t help but scrutinize Yan Xun more closely.
Actually, after seeing Yan Xun, Ye Cunshan had planned to forgo the collaboration discussion and state his real purpose, even if it meant offending Gu Shanqing. He would be willing to apologize immediately.
But he didn’t expect that Yan Xun was actually working at Xinghen.
If Ye Cunshan were to back out of the collaboration now, it would likely anger these senior executives from Xinghen, and Yan Xun’s position in the company might become difficult.
Regardless of whether Yan Xun was Chengyi, Ye Cunshan didn’t want to affect his normal work and life due to his own decisions.
After quickly weighing his options, Ye Cunshan nodded as if nothing had happened, though he still couldn’t resist going over to shake Yan Xun’s hand.
“Hello, Mr. Yan.”
“…?”
Yan Xun didn’t expect that Ye Cunshan would shake hands with him, the small assistant, instead of with the senior executives Gu Shanqing and Chu Tingyun.
Though puzzled, he still shook hands politely.
“Hello, Professor Ye. I attended your lecture last time and learned a lot.”
“Really?”
Although this might be a polite formality, Ye Cunshan couldn’t help but feel a bit happy and somewhat smug.
He took out his phone, wanting to ask Yan Xun for his WeChat, but asking directly seemed too abrupt. So Professor Ye decided to first ask Gu Shanqing.
“Mr. Gu, for easier communication in the future, let’s add each other on WeChat.”
“Oh! Sure!”
Gu Shanqing was genuinely surprised and delighted, quickly taking out his phone.
“Of course. It’s an honor to have someone of your caliber on my friend list…”
Gu Shanqing was quite good at saying such polite things, but his tone and attitude were well-measured, not making him seem fawning or insincere, but rather very genuine.
But Ye Cunshan barely listened. He nodded casually in response and then moved on to add Chu Tingyun’s WeChat.
Chu Tingyun vaguely felt something was a bit off but still politely took out his phone to add the professor.
Ding—
As the scanning sound echoed, Chu Tingyun hadn’t yet confirmed the request when Ye Cunshan turned to find Yan Xun.
“Assistant Yan, let’s add each other too.”
Yan Xun: “…?”
Professor Ye even wants to add the small assistant’s WeChat?
Yan Xun thought that Professor Ye was exceptionally warm and approachable, unlike the aloof and proud description Gu Shanqing had given earlier.
“Oh, sure.”
Yan Xun took out his phone and displayed his QR code.
Ding—
After the successful scan notification, Ye Cunshan didn’t make a move. He only looked at Yan Xun clicking confirm, then discreetly withdrew his gaze.
Standing on the other side, software engineer Wang Xu quickly brought up his own WeChat QR code. He watched Ye Cunshan intently, hoping the professor would also add him.
However, after Ye Cunshan added Yan Xun, he put his phone back into his pocket with a contented expression, as if he had just completed something he had been eagerly awaiting.
Then Ye Cunshan said:
“Since we’ve all added each other, let’s take our seats.”
Wang Xu, still holding his QR code: “…?”
