Chu Tingyun rushed down the stairs and sent a message to Yan Xun, saying that Jiang Shenghai had an accident.
As he hurried out of the company, he saw the old man being carried into an ambulance by medical staff.
The emergency doctor, upon learning he was a family member, quickly pulled him onto the ambulance. Once inside, while checking Jiang Shenghai’s condition and providing emergency treatment, the doctor rapidly asked Chu Tingyun,
“The patient has suffered an acute myocardial infarction. The situation is serious. As a family member, do you know if he has any previous medical history?”
“…”
Chu Tingyun felt dizzy for a moment, as it reminded him of when his mother was rushed for emergency treatment.
But after a brief moment of stiffness, he quickly composed himself and replied to the doctor:
“Three years ago, he had a myocardial infarction and had a stent placed…”
That incident was caused by Chu Tingyun himself; later, it became known in the circle that Jiang Shenghai had an unfilial son who nearly caused his father’s death out of anger.
This CEO had first been negligent, causing significant losses for the company, then married a man, and finally drove the actual power holder of the Jiang Group into the hospital.
With all these events happening in succession, many of his former supporters among the shareholders changed their minds, believing that Jiang Shenghai should reconsider his choice of heir.
As memories quickly flooded back, Chu Tingyun thought carefully and told the doctor,
“By the way, he also has hypertension.”
Aside from that, he didn’t know much else.
After all, Chu Tingyun hadn’t spent much time with Jiang Shenghai and didn’t care much about the health of this irresponsible father.
Due to the urgency, the ambulance drove very fast, but soon slowed down. It was now 5:30 PM, and they had hit the evening rush hour.
Just then, the ambulance came to a sudden stop.
The driver honked the horn twice and turned back, anxiously shouting:
“There’s a big truck overturned ahead, blocking the road.”
With the rush hour and the accident, it was unclear how long they would be stuck.
At that moment, Chu Tingyun received a call from Yan Xun, the young man’s anxious voice coming through the receiver:
“Hello, where are you now? How’s the situation?”
Chu Tingyun glanced outside and reported the exact address to Yan Xun.
“Jiang Shenghai’s condition isn’t good; we’re stuck on the road.”
“Wait a moment.”
Yan Xun didn’t hang up. He quickly used Xie Fengjun’s phone to call the traffic police, explaining the situation in detail.
Additionally, a few years ago, Ye Cunshan had collaborated with the traffic police, so upon receiving news from his son, he immediately called a familiar contact. Using the intelligent traffic system, they found the fastest route.
Before long, several motorcycle traffic police officers arrived swiftly.
Twenty minutes later, the ambulance, following the police car, arrived at the hospital.
Jiang Shenghai was rushed directly into the emergency room.
Soon after, Chen Wanqing and Jiang Yuheng hurriedly arrived, along with many senior executives and shareholders from the company.
After all, Jiang Shenghai controlled the entire group; if anything happened to him, it would be akin to an earthquake of magnitude eight.
So a crowd of people anxiously gathered at the emergency room entrance, waiting anxiously. The doctor came out with a critical condition notice and a surgery consent form for the family to sign.
“The patient’s condition is extremely dangerous; family members should be prepared mentally.”
Mental preparation…
That meant Jiang Shenghai might die.
Upon hearing this, Chen Wanqing fainted from crying. Jiang Yuheng quickly went to hold her, looking utterly heartbroken, repeatedly begging the doctor to save his father.
The high-level executives who had rushed to the door also showed anxious concern.
In contrast, as his son, Chu Tingyun seemed remarkably indifferent. He showed no signs of distress and remained very calm, with no trace of sadness on his face.
Yet in the end, the name that appeared on the critical condition notice and surgery consent form was “Chu Tingyun.”
After signing decisively, Chu Tingyun nodded to the doctor:
“Thank you for your trouble.”
Such a decisive and calm action caught the doctor’s eye, making him look at Chu Tingyun a bit longer.
During signing, family members usually cried and yelled; although the doctor understood their feelings, he still felt that this was a hindrance to treatment.
Seeing a family member sign so decisively, the doctor felt relieved.
“Alright, we will do our utmost.”
After signing, Chu Tingyun didn’t wait at the emergency room entrance but turned and left directly.
He vaguely heard someone behind him calling him cold-hearted, unfilial… or similar words, but Chu Tingyun had heard them too many times to care.
He went straight to the rooftop, wanting to find a deserted place to smoke.
Chu Tingyun wasn’t particularly saddened by the thought of his irresponsible father possibly dying; he just felt stifled and annoyed, an inexplicable discomfort.
The early winter in the capital was already quite cold, and after dark, the wind felt like blades.
Chu Tingyun had rushed out of the company without changing into a thicker coat, and after standing on the rooftop for just a few minutes, he was chilled to the bone.
Perhaps because he had grown up in such a cold environment, he had become accustomed to it; he felt cold but didn’t mind.
It was just that his icy fingers were a bit stiff, causing him to fumble when trying to take out the cigarette, and he didn’t hold the lighter steady.
Bang!
The lighter dropped onto the cement ground with a crisp sound.
“…”
Chu Tingyun stood there for a moment, staring at the lighter before bending down to pick it up.
Just then, someone helped him pick it up first.
“…”
Chu Tingyun was taken aback and looked up to see Yan Xun.
It seemed he had run over, as his forehead was faintly damp with sweat despite the cold weather.
For some reason, Chu Tingyun suddenly recalled their first meeting after Yan Xun woke up.
To passersby, the sight of the young man hopping on one foot was quite comical, but no one knew how moved Chu Tingyun had felt at that moment.
It was just because Yan Xun had rushed over eagerly, disregarding everything to see him. Later, Chu Tingyun had to exert a lot of effort to hold back the urge to run up and kiss him.
At that moment, after picking up the lighter, Yan Xun didn’t say anything else but took off his scarf and wrapped it around Chu Tingyun’s neck.
This scarf wasn’t something Chu Tingyun had bought; it was knitted for Yan Xun by Xie Fengjun.
His mother specifically chose the best cashmere yarn and worked hard for half a month, finishing it just yesterday.
She had given this one to Yan Xun first, saying that the one for Xiao Chu was still being knitted and would take a bit longer. However, the first finished one was now around Chu Tingyun’s neck.
The soft and skin-friendly cashmere was very warm, especially with Yan Xun’s body heat on it.
The scarf was so warm that Chu Tingyun belatedly realized how cold he had been just moments ago.
At that moment, Yan Xun pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket, cleaned the lighter he picked up, and then came over to light a cigarette for Chu Tingyun.
The two faced each other silently, drawing closer until their noses almost touched.
Click—
Chu Tingyun looked down and saw a light blue flame flickering from the lighter in Yan Xun’s hand.
The flame gently licked the cigarette tip, like a kiss.
“…”
Chu Tingyun took a deep breath; perhaps it was too cold, and he wanted to draw in some warmth.
Amid the faintly swirling smoke, his usually calm and emotionless face finally showed a hint of softening.
Yan Xun touched his hand. Indeed, it was as cold as ice.
He couldn’t help but frown: “You’re dressed too lightly.”
This man always prioritized style over warmth.
“If you catch a cold and end up…”
End up with a fever of thirty-nine or forty degrees, needing an emergency room visit at midnight, then you’d be obedient.
Yan Xun had initially intended to say this.
But before he could finish, Chu Tingyun suddenly pulled him in and kissed him.
Unknowingly, he missed a chance to solidify evidence of his little husband’s recovering memories; at that moment, all Chu Tingyun wanted was to kiss.
A deep, passionate kiss filled with affection.
Yan Xun noticed how cold Chu Tingyun was; even his tongue felt cold. So he opened his coat and wrapped Chu Tingyun inside, leaning down to reciprocate the kiss.
The cigarette that Chu Tingyun had taken a puff from left a faint tobacco flavor in his mouth, which was not unpleasant and had a unique attraction.
They kissed quietly for a while until Chu Tingyun felt his tongue warming up before they finally parted.
He buried his face into Yan Xun’s shoulder, taking a deep breath of his scent.
—So fragrant.
Not the kind of fragrance from perfume or laundry detergent, but the unique scent of Yan Xun himself.
Chu Tingyun couldn’t quite describe what it was; perhaps scientifically, it was related to pheromones or psychological factors.
But in any case, that scent made him feel light-headed and provided a strong sense of security.
Yan Xun was already used to it, letting Chu Tingyun nuzzle and sniff him like a little animal.
Just then, he suddenly noticed something and pulled Chu Tingyun’s hand down from his neck.
The man’s fingers were still holding the cigarette, which had burned halfway. However, the faint tobacco scent mixed with a slight burnt fabric odor.
Chu Tingyun also realized something. He bit his lip, feeling a bit guilty as he tucked his chin into the scarf.
He hadn’t paid attention before, but he had burned a hole in Yan Xun’s collar.
“Uh… it’s fine; you don’t need this one. I’ll buy you a new one when we get back.”
After thinking a moment, the wealthy Chu Tingyun added,
“I’ll buy ten, or even a hundred if you want.”
Yan Xun: “…”
A hundred?
Are you planning to open a men’s clothing store at home?
But considering that Jiang Shenghai was still in the emergency room, fighting for his life, Yan Xun didn’t voice this thought.
He extinguished the cigarette in Chu Tingyun’s hand, wrapped it in a tissue, and put it in his pocket, intending to find a trash can to throw it away later.
Naturally, Chu Tingyun thought that the matter was settled. He was about to talk to Yan Xun about Jiang Shenghai, but unexpectedly, Yan Xun suddenly grabbed his hand that was holding the cigarette.
Slap!
A crisp sound echoed.
“…?”
Chu Tingyun’s eyelashes fluttered slowly, and it took a few seconds for him to realize that his little husband had slapped his palm.
He instinctively curled his fingers and rubbed them a few times, feeling a bit of pain, but mostly a tingling itch.
Yan Xun’s tone was serious:
“You’re not allowed to kiss me while smoking next time.”
Xiao Chu shrank his face back into the scarf, muffledly nodding.
“…Oh.”
The wind on the rooftop was too strong, so Yan Xun pulled Chu Tingyun down.
Jiang Shenghai’s surgery had just begun, which would take about two hours. Assistant Fang was waiting there, so Yan Xun took Chu Tingyun to the nearest Chinese restaurant for a bite to eat.
At that time, Chu Tingyun was wearing the thick coat with a hole in the collar, while Yan Xun had just found a nearby men’s clothing store to buy a new one.
Once seated, Chu Tingyun took off the scarf to avoid getting it dirty while eating, then picked up a spoon to sip the soup.
“I asked the old man’s secretary; he said he left work early today and didn’t use a driver. Then somehow, he suddenly collapsed with a heart attack in the underground garage, and it was a security guard who called for help.”
Yan Xun frowned at this.
“Have you checked the surveillance?”
After experiencing the previous series of events, Yan Xun now maintained a high level of suspicion towards any so-called accidents.
“Yeah, Su Yao checked it. She said there was only him in the footage. He suddenly started having chest pain, leaned against the wall, and after standing for a short while, he collapsed.”
Yan Xun pondered for a moment and asked:
“Jiang Shenghai’s current attitude is still unclear. The Chen family shouldn’t need to take such risks against him, right?”
“Not necessarily.”
Chu Tingyun put down his spoon and briefly shared his previous speculations about Jiang Yuheng’s background.
This huge revelation left Yan Xun somewhat stunned. After thinking for a bit, he said:
“However, we still need evidence.”
The fastest and most conclusive evidence.
The two stayed in the restaurant for over an hour when Assistant Fang called to inform them that the surgery was completed and Jiang Shenghai was transferred to the ICU. For now, his life was saved, but he hadn’t woken up, and there were still several days of risk ahead.
When Yan Xun and Chu Tingyun returned to the hospital, they found Jiang Shenghai’s lawyer, Li Chengye, had also arrived and had taken full control of the situation.
For someone like Jiang Shenghai, when teetering between life and death, the closest and most representative person for him was not his wife or children, but his lawyer.
In case of any mishaps, everything would be handled by the lawyer.
A crowd of people crowded in the hallway, all eager to confirm Jiang Shenghai’s current condition.
However, the ICU naturally did not allow entry, and Lawyer Li had reached an agreement with the doctors—after that, all treatment information and medical records for Jiang Shenghai would be kept confidential, and no one would be allowed to visit, including his wife.
Chen Wanqing couldn’t accept it and kept crying.
Jiang Yuheng held back his grief, comforting her while also soothing the shareholders and directors who had rushed over.
Chu Tingyun found the scene ridiculous, as if Jiang Shenghai were a dying old emperor and Jiang Yuheng was the prince feigning calm while trying to comfort the old ministers.
Thinking about this, he couldn’t help but chuckle.
This laugh attracted quite a bit of attention, and immediately a few elderly men scolded him:
“Chu Tingyun! How can you still laugh when your dad is in this state?”
“Where were you just now? Everyone’s been waiting here, and you disappeared!”
“How did Old Jiang raise such an ungrateful son?”
“…”
Such accusations and scoldings were utterly harmless; Chu Tingyun didn’t flinch at all.
“I say, everyone, if you want to pay your respects to Jiang Shenghai, just say it. I won’t stop you. Otherwise, you might as well kneel down and kowtow to the old man inside. After that, I’ll truly treat you all as younger brothers.”
“Since Lawyer Li is here, you can do it in front of him. Who knows, when the will is read and the inheritance is divided, maybe you’ll get a share too.”
“…”
As soon as those words were spoken, the air around them suddenly went quiet.
The first to reprimand Chu Tingyun, Manager Wan, visibly flushed, nearly choking on his anger:
“You! You…”
“What about me?”
Chu Tingyun casually pointed at someone.
“Someone, hurry and take him away to give him a quick-acting heart pill, so he doesn’t take up medical resources later.”
“Besides, the hospital has regulations; even if he has a heart attack and goes into the ICU, he can’t squeeze into the same bed as his dad.”
“…”
His dad?
Many people were taken aback, slowly realizing they had just been insulted.
Although they already knew Chu Tingyun was sharp-tongued, Yan Xun still couldn’t help but be amazed.
Where did this guy learn to insult people so skillfully without using foul language? He almost felt like Chu Tingyun was single-handedly surrounding and wiping out a group of people.
Jiang Yuheng couldn’t take it anymore, stepping forward with clenched fists.
“Brother, don’t go too far! Dad is still in a dangerous state; you’re not just disregarding him but also clashing with a few uncles!”
“Uncles?”
Chu Tingyun laughed.
“You’re so eager to speak up for them, I thought one of them was your real dad.”
“…”
Jiang Yuheng’s face turned pale, but he quickly regained his composure.
“Brother, even if you dislike me, you can’t make such jokes!”
Chu Tingyun scoffed lightly: “I’m not joking.”
“Who doesn’t know that Chen Wanqing climbed into bed to rise to power? If she could climb into Jiang Shenghai’s bed, why can’t she climb into someone else’s? As for you, who knows if you’re just some illegitimate child?”
This remark instantly infuriated Jiang Yuheng.
“Chu Tingyun!!!”
He suddenly rushed over and grabbed Chu Tingyun by the collar, raising his hand to hit him.
Bang!
It was a dull sound of a fist hitting flesh.
But it wasn’t Chu Tingyun who got hurt; he stood there smiling, completely unharmed. Instead, it was Jiang Yuheng who was hit.
He hadn’t even seen what happened, as Yan Xun pulled him aside and knocked him to the ground. At this moment, the corner of Jiang Yuheng’s left eye was already bruised, and he couldn’t get up for a long time due to the pain.
Chu Tingyun stared at Yan Xun’s profile for a few seconds, unable to hold back a “tch” sound in his mind.
So cool.
Yan Xun rarely got into conflicts, let alone fights; he always appeared to be a polite and composed model student. So when he truly got angry and took action, the contrast was striking.
But that wasn’t even the most impressive part; visually speaking, the most memorable experience was still when Yan Xun took down two thugs at the villa a few years ago.
Every time Chu Tingyun thought about it, he felt that scene could rival an action movie.
At this moment, all attention was focused on the earlier conflict and fight, and no one noticed that Chu Tingyun’s mind was full of thoughts like “Wow, my husband is so cool.”
However, this farce ended there. Chu Tingyun didn’t pay attention to anyone else, only asking the lawyer Li Chengye, who had been standing quietly on the side.
“Lawyer Li, so from now on, all matters regarding Jiang Shenghai will be under your full management, correct?”
“Yes, Mr. Chu.”
Lawyer Li nodded.
“Good.”
Chu Tingyun raised his hand to check the time.
“It’s getting late; feel free to do as you wish. I’m going back to sleep.”
After saying that, he pulled Yan Xun and walked away, looking very chic.
Of course, this was all thanks to his mother’s scarf; otherwise, Chu Tingyun would have been seen with a hole in his collar.
Just after turning the corner of the hallway, Yan Xun quickly placed the hair he had pulled out earlier into a sealed plastic bag.
This was Jiang Yuheng’s hair.
Just now, Chu Tingyun had intentionally provoked the other party so that Yan Xun would have the chance to act.
Now it seemed the plan was very successful, perfectly accomplished.
At this moment, Yan Xun was still washing his hands, scrubbing them meticulously. Perhaps having spent too much time with Chu Tingyun, he felt he was starting to develop a bit of a cleanliness obsession.
Before he was done, Chu Tingyun came over and kissed him on the face.
With wet hands, Yan Xun could only verbally stop him:
“This is outside, and it’s still a hospital. Chu Tingyun, can you…”
Before he finished speaking, the man hugged his waist and leaned in, saying affectionately:
“Xun Xun, you were so cool just now.”
“…”
Yan Xun didn’t say anything, but his expression clearly showed he was quite pleased with the compliment. He cleared his throat, wiped his hands, and pulled Chu Tingyun to head out.
“Let’s go home first.”
Chu Tingyun happily agreed: “Sure, let’s kiss when we get home.”
“…”
Yan Xun paused for a moment but didn’t say no.
So that night, they ended up getting quite intimate.
As a result, Chu Tingyun struggled painfully to get up for work the next day.
For the next few days, Jiang Shenghai remained in the ICU. Lawyer Li did not allow anyone to visit and kept Jiang Shenghai’s specific condition tightly confidential.
Even so, many people tried every means to inquire about the situation. Although there was no definitive news, everyone knew Jiang Shenghai’s condition was not good.
He had received a critical condition notice during his first heart attack, and his health had never been good. This acute heart attack had kept him in the ICU for a whole week, and it was uncertain whether he had even woken up yet.
As a result, various rumors about Jiang Shenghai being gravely ill began to circulate, and with the previous incidents involving two directors, the Jiang Group’s stock plummeted.
Internally, the company was in a state of panic and unrest.
Chu Tingyun began to work tirelessly again, needing to stabilize the internal personnel while also quickly figuring out how to navigate the situation. After a week of nonstop work, he managed to achieve some results, temporarily stabilizing the stock while other projects continued to proceed normally.
However, in the second week of Jiang Shenghai’s hospitalization, the second-largest shareholder of the company, who was also Jiang Shenghai’s cousin, Jiang Zhengchuan, called a shareholders’ meeting.
Seeing that this uncle was accompanied by Jiang Yuheng, Chu Tingyun guessed that the visitor was not here with good intentions.
The first half of the meeting focused on the current crisis facing the group, along with the withdrawal of shares from the two directors who had experienced incidents, implying accusations against Chu Tingyun for causing significant losses to the company.
Chu Tingyun didn’t care at all.
While listening nonchalantly, he played on his phone and messaged his little husband.
Yan Xun: “So this shareholders’ meeting is aimed at you?”
Xue Shan: “Most likely. Three years ago, this good uncle of mine wanted to take me down; now that Jiang Shenghai is out of the picture, it’s his best opportunity.”
Xue Shan: “In Jiang Zhengchuan’s view, if the old man doesn’t die, he’ll try to kick me out and install his own people. If the old man does die, his shares will likely be divided between me and Jiang Yuheng. Now that Jiang Yuheng has sided with him, he’ll try to gather a few people and kick me out, effectively changing the regime within the group.”
Yan Xun: “Change of regime… Chu Tingyun, are you all acting out a power struggle here?”
Xue Shan: “Who knows? Maybe their brains are still wrapped up in feudal thinking. But if that’s the case, Xun Xun, you might have to play the role of my legitimate wife or something.”
Yan Fei: “…”
As the two chatted nonsensically, Wan Dong stood up—the one who had scolded Chu Tingyun for being unfilial in the hospital.
“I propose that we dismiss President Chu Tingyun from his position.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the room fell silent.
Chu Tingyun finally stopped playing on his phone. He looked up at the other person, smiled nonchalantly, “Sure, let’s vote on it.”
His tone was so casual, lacking any of the anger or surprise Jiang Yuheng had expected.
He instinctively glanced at his uncle Jiang Zhengchuan, only to find him frowning as well.
But the shareholders’ meeting did indeed hold the power to appoint and dismiss the president. With Jiang Zhengchuan as the second largest shareholder present, even if Chu Tingyun had some cards up his sleeve, it would be impossible to turn the tide now.
The proposing Wan Dong glanced at Jiang Zhengchuan’s expression and began to conduct the vote, “Then…”
Before he could finish, the large screen in the meeting room suddenly went black, followed by countless garbled characters, then numerous cat emoji popping up.
It was like an unknown virus.
At that moment, everyone was drawn to the screen, and soon, accompanied by cheerful music, the background changed to a paternity test result report.
Two copies.
The first result indicated a non-biological father-son relationship, while the second confirmed a biological father-son relationship.
Set against the report, a series of intimate photos of Chen Wanqing and Wei Zhen meeting secretly were displayed. Several photos flipped and rotated like a PowerPoint presentation.
“Fake! This is slander!”
“These are definitely manipulated!”
Jiang Yuheng trembled all over, rushing forward to try to turn it off, but the virus had rendered the mouse uncontrollable, and in the end, he could only angrily pull the power cord.
Bang!
The screen went pitch black.
But the next second, everyone’s phones began to buzz.
They checked, discovering an anonymous email that contained the two paternity test reports—one between Jiang Shenghai and Jiang Yuheng, the other between Wei Zhen and Jiang Yuheng.
Who was Wei Zhen?
The name was too unfamiliar, but as they scrolled down, they saw Wei Zhen’s information.
High school education, worked as a bartender in a bar in his early years, struck it rich over a decade ago, and became the owner of a beauty salon, with a colorful romantic history.
This revelation was like a missile, causing the entire conference room to erupt.
Jiang Yuheng was not Jiang Shenghai’s biological son! He was actually the product of Chen Wanqing’s affair with someone else.
If Jiang Shenghai hadn’t died, would he still get a share of the stocks?
Even if they voted to remove Chu Tingyun now, he could easily come back to claim Jiang Shenghai’s shares.
In an instant, everyone’s expressions changed unpredictably.
Jiang Zhengchuan’s expression was as ugly as it could get; he turned to look at Jiang Yuheng, only to find him pale, looking as if he had lost all blood, clearly in a state of panic.
Everyone had received the email, and of course, Jiang Yuheng was no exception.
When he first learned that he was not Jiang Shenghai’s biological son, he had considered many possibilities.
He thought perhaps his biological father was Chen Wanqing’s former partner, like some elite returnee, or one of the company executives that the Chen family was close to, or maybe a flamboyant artist.
But he never expected that the man would simply be a high school graduate bartender.
He, Jiang Yuheng, was merely the son of a bartender.
This reality was something he could not accept at all!
Jiang Yuheng suddenly looked up and saw Chu Tingyun sitting in his chair, looking at him with a smirk, enjoying his current disgrace.
No, now everyone was probably watching him make a fool of himself!
Jiang Yuheng felt all the blood rush to his head.
“Chu Tingyun!!!”
He completely lost his rationality, charging towards him. But halfway there, he was stopped by Assistant Fang and a nearby bodyguard, pressed to the ground.
Chu Tingyun watched for a while, enjoying the sight of his foolish younger brother being held down, and his mood immediately brightened.
“Well, it seems this meeting won’t be happening.”
Chu Tingyun stood up leisurely, slowly buttoning his suit jacket, “Let’s discuss it next time.”
After saying that, he turned around and left in style.
No one stopped him.
Once outside, Chu Tingyun couldn’t help but call Yan Xun. He couldn’t wait to text him.
“Hello?”
On the other end, a clear and pleasant voice came through.
“How did it go?”
“…”
The other person was silent for a long time, making Yan Xun anxious.
“Did something go wrong?”
“Very unexpected.”
Chu Tingyun took a deep breath, “Xun Xun, your little virus worked wonderfully; I almost can’t wait to go home and sleep with you.”
Yan Xun: “…”
This way of complimenting was so Chu Tingyun.
