Lou Yanli took a sip of tea and continued speaking.
âI heard from my dad during that time Shen Group was very unstable internally; the board of directors held meetings over and over again, claiming Shen Chi lacked the ability and Shen Shihan should take over as president.â
Xu Chaomu couldnât smile anymore; it felt like a stone hit her chest, a dull pain coming in waves.
She hadnât known about those events from five years ago; she had been back in C City for so long, yet Shen Chi never mentioned anything to her.
All she saw was still a very impressive Shen Chi, unaware that five years before, he had faced such enormous pressure.
No wonder the butler said that for the past five years, he often suffered from headaches so severe he couldnât sleep all night.
Seeing Xu Chaomuâs face change, Lou Yanli also sighed.
âLater, I heard that it was Shen Chiâs brothers, Li Beiting, Ji Shengxuan, and others who secretly helped him by providing a large sum of funds. Just then, Shen Chi caught Zhou Peitian, so Shen Shihan didnât dare to make a move recklessly, and the internal turmoil calmed down.â
âZhou Peitian? Didnât he jump off a building later?â Xu Chaomu wondered.
Xu Chaomu could barely recall what Zhou Peitian looked like, but what stood out the most was being captured by Zhou Peitian and later, on that cruise ship, Shen Chi crippled one of Zhou Peitianâs arms.
But she didnât know what happened afterward. She thought she would die in the gunfire that day.
âYes, Zhou Peitian was close with Shen Shihan and knew too much. So, after Zhou Peitian jumped, nobody knew if Shen Chi or Shen Shihan pushed him.â
Xu Chaomu felt mixed emotions, letting out a sigh.
Back then, Shen Shihan kept to the shadows, and it had always been Zhou Peitian making the moves.
But if it werenât for Shen Shihan and Zhou Peitian, perhaps, everything would be different.
However, what happened has happened.
The wheels of time roll forward, never turning back.
If there are only âifsâ, fate is irreversible.
âWhat happened then?â Xu Chaomu asked.
âThen? Shen Chi continued as president, but his talents were indeed convincing, and his methods harsh enough. After securing his position, he used various reasons to dismiss all those who opposed him within the company; the transfers out of headquarters were transfers, and now Shenâs is pretty much filled with his own people.â
âThat time back then⦠did your dad beat you up?â Xu Chaomu rested her chin in her hand, curious about this in particular.
She had never doubted Shen Chiâs capabilities; the man was entirely capable of managing Shenâs.
Only if it werenât for the diamond mine incident back then, he wouldnât have had to struggle so hard these last five years.
Lou Yanli finally laughed, âAt first I did get beaten up by my dad; after all, that breach of contract penalty was no small sum.â
âAnd then what?â Xu Chaomu was curious.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
âThereâs not much âthen whatâ. I actually thought that breach would bankrupt the Lou Family. After all, you know very well how Shen Chi operates.â
âHeâs not âmy Shenâ.â Xu Chaomuâs face reddened, slightly irritated.
Why did Lou Yanli seem to lean towards Shen Chiâ¦
Lou Yanli chuckled, âBut when Shen Chi later found out it was me, he didnât hold a grudge. He told my dad to let it go.â
âThatâs hard to believe,â Xu Chaomu said with a slight pout.
For a petty person like Shen Chi to show such generous magnanimity.
âI didnât expect it either; even my dad was prepared for bankruptcy. Maybe, he considered the fact that we were classmates with you?â
âHeâs a very narrow-minded person, best not to provoke him,â said Xu Chaomu indignantly.
âActually⦠itâs not like that. After that incident, my dad was quite grateful to Shen Chi; he funded Shen Chi with a large sum and provided free technical support for a long while. Thatâs how the Lou Family and Shenâs began collaborating till today.â
âShen Chi is indeed untouchable, but heâs no villain. On the contrary, after working this long with him, I found that this man is quite charismatic, a true gentleman. He has capabilities, methods, and magnanimity.â
âYo, yo, yo.â Xu Chaomu laughed snidely, âLou, the literary genius, donât tell me youâve fallen for himâ¦â
âOnly you love making trouble!â Lou Yanli smiled and lightly smacked the top of her head.
âLou, the literary genius, does that mean you donât love me anymore?â Xu Chaomu pretended to be hurt.
âYouâre a married woman, do you think I dare to love you? Besides, Iâd never dare to compete with Shen Chi for a woman; if I did, Iâd die a terrible death.â
âYou just said heâs a true gentleman,â Xu Chaomu pouted.
âThat depends on who it is. Should someone steal his wife and he remains magnanimous? Hm?â
âOh, youâre handsome, youâre right.â
Xu Chaomu lowered her head to take a sip of tea; the fresh aroma of Longjing tea immediately spread across her taste budsâ¦
The summer breeze wafted through the window, ringing the bells on the ledge âding, ding, ding, ding.â
A ray of sunshine seemed to shine into Xu Chaomuâs heart, and the corners of her lips lifted in a faint smile.
Her mood improved, but the thought of Shen Chiâs attitude from the night before irritated her again.
âChaomu, tell me if you have any trouble in the future, Iâll always help you,â Lou Yanli said.
âFirst tell me, how did you know Iâm Shen Chiâs wife? We havenât even had a wedding.â
âI guessed,â Lou Yanli replied, âHe loves you so much; it wouldnât make sense not to marry you.â
âCan love be eaten?â Xu Chaomu retorted.
âWhy not, with Shen Chi as your meal ticket, you wonât have to worry about food and clothing for the rest of your life.â
âLou Yanli, my classmate, do you still want to be my boyfriend?â
âNo.â
Lou Yanli rejected her without hesitation, so resolutely that Xu Chaomu began to doubt her life.
ââ¦â Xu Chaomu glared at him, âWe havenât seen each other for five years, and youâve changed, huh.â
âLife is so beautiful; I want to enjoy it more,â Lou Yanli laughed heartily.
In matters of love, seeing her smile and be happy was truly the best outcome.
Moreover, after five years, she was still standing before him, chatting happily; the feeling was beyond what the word âhappinessâ could describe.
Maybe it could be called âregaining what was lostâ?
âYou donât love me anymore; you must be in love with Shen Chi, definitely, definitelyâ¦â Xu Chaomu pretended to cry with a âwoo, woo, woo.â
âAlright, alright, youâre beautiful, youâre right,â Lou Yanli mimicked her tone, looking helpless.
âThen you tell me, if I argue with Shen Chi, whose side will you take?â
âOf course, Iâll take yours,â Lou Yanli said, amused.
âReally?â
âReally.â
âThen Iâll tell you, Shen Chi has a lot of women outside.â
âThatâs just gossip, donât take it to heart.â
âItâs not fair, I want many, many boyfriends too.â
âI get it, get it, Iâll pretend to be your boyfriend, as long as it makes you happy.â
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