On Top - Chapter 4

The hand Su Xingyan used to hold the proposal tightened involuntarily. Before his eyes, Yan Chong’s smiling yet unsmiling phoenix eyes materialized. That man was a troublesome specter, appearing gentle and refined on the surface, while in reality, nobody knew what kind of sinister calculations he was harboring in his heart.

…If it could be avoided, one should stay as far away from him as possible.

As if discerning Su Xingyan’s hesitation, Wei Zhenning frowned and asked him, “What is it? Do you know someone from the Yan family?” Wei Zhenning sighed and explained, “Actually, the Yan family’s reputation in Ronggang hasn’t been great over the years. The Hong Kong media describes them as Rakshasa demons. Our family has been clean for three generations, when we see people like that, we have to detour around them. …But Xingyan, things are different now.”

Su Xingyan was not unaware of what Wei Zhenning meant by “things are different now.” The Wei family was in the real estate industry. If the Yan family had a foot in both the legal and illegal worlds, then the Wei family relied on mutual protection between officials and businessmen. Over the years, by leveraging these internal connections, they had gained quite a few advantages.

However, even a mighty tiger struggles to suppress a local snake. Since being covertly targeted by the underworld last year, even nearly making it onto the legal affairs channel. Wei Zhenning had probably realized that the path he was walking might be a bit too “clean.”

Thus, at this moment, Su Xingyan also understood why Wei Zhenning suddenly wanted to establish a connection with the Yan family.

“…The eldest son of the Yan family seems to be named Yan Chong? A few years back, he was posted abroad to an overseas branch by his father. I’m thinking the old man probably intends to groom the younger generation to take over,” Wei Zhenning continued. “Recently, several major projects of the Yan family have been handed over to those kids. When you go to handle the liaison, you’ll probably be dealing with them.”

The hand Su Xingyan used to hold the proposal was fair like scallion shoots, and his wedding ring cast a faint, dim glint in the living room. Su Xingyan listened, and after a long while, he finally lowered his eyes and softly exhaled a breath.

It would be best if that were the case.

In truth, ever since his marriage, Su Xingyan had ceased to involve himself in business matters. This was actually quite easy to understand. Ever since his father brought Su Jiawen into the company, almost all the resources had been tilted in that direction. This had made Su Jiawen utterly lawless, to the point where he dared to point at Su Xingyan’s nose and say: Eldest Brother doesn’t need to worry about company affairs. Can’t you just wait for the year-end dividends? If you have the time, you’d better worry about the Wei family’s affairs instead.

…But why would the Wei family ever need Su Xingyan to worry?

Everyone in Ronggang knew that Wei Chengran was nothing but a profligate heir who just ate and waited to die, by now, he was practically ruined from spoiling. Even if Wei Zhenning had the mind to bring Wei Chengran into the company, those veteran shareholders would surely point at Wei Chengran’s nose and curse: Crazy.

Thinking up to this point, Su Xingyan looked at the proposal illuminated in a dim yellow light under the desk lamp, lowered his eyes, and silently let out a sigh. Raising his eyelids, he glanced at the clock hanging on the wall, it was already one in the morning. He had been sitting here reading for two or three hours.

Wei Chengran hadn’t returned yet either.

Su Xingyan gently pulled his pajamas closer around himself and stood up, preparing to call Wei Chengran, when he suddenly felt a wave of heat against his back. Blending a body full of alcohol fumes and warmth, Wei Chengran embraced him from behind. “Yanyan, you smell so good.” Wei Chengran held him and giggled, speaking indistinctly.

Su Xingyan closed his eyes and smiled, lightly scolding him, “So you actually remembered to come back.” Su Xingyan raised his hand and nudged the man’s forehead from behind. “Do you know what time it is right now?”

“I know! It’s twelve o’clock, time for lunch!”

When Wei Chengran was drunk, he was just like a child, holding onto him and acting spoiled. His hands weren’t well-behaved either, lifting a corner of Su Xingyan’s pajamas to stroke towards his waist and abdomen. Su Xingyan felt a tickle in his heart from the touch; after momentarily closing his eyes, he frowned and pulled the man’s hand out. “Stop fooling around…”

Wei Chengran poked his head out from behind. “Not allowed to touch, huh?”

Su Xingyan turned his head back, and his gaze locked onto those clear, distinct black and white eyes. This person… where was he drunk? He was clearly using the alcohol to play dumb.

Su Xingyan frowned. “I still have serious matters to discuss with you.”

“Your father was telling me today to take over the company’s new project.” Seeing that he was still staring with those clear eyes, Su Xingyan couldn’t help but reach out and poke his forehead. “This job is being taken for you. Do you understand or not?”

“…If we take it, we take it then.” Wei Chengran curled his lips, and after his hand was caught and pulled out, he silently withdrew it. Perhaps because they knew each other too well, Su Xingyan actually realized at this exact instant that Wei Chengran wasn’t particularly drunk.

Thinking about it, it made sense. Since junior high school, Wei Chengran had been living a fast life with that crowd of fair-weather friends, saying he had a massive capacity for liquor was already being modest. How could he get drunk so easily?

Wei Chengran frustratedly ran a hand through his hair, turned around, and headed toward the bathroom. “Whatever you want. If you want to take it, then take it.”

Watching his retreating figure, Su Xingyan knit his brows together and couldn’t help but press further, “What do you mean by ‘whatever I want’?”

“…Whatever you want just means whatever you want.”

Bang!

The bathroom door was shut by Wei Chengran. Not long after, the rushing sound of water echoed out. Su Xingyan watched silently for a moment, then finally closed his eyes and let out a long, exhaled breath.

Su Xingyan’s eyesight was poor, and having read through so many business proposals under the desk lamp today, his eyes were currently dry and aching. Rummaging through the drawer for eye drops he hadn’t used in a long time, he squeezed a few drops into his eyes before going to bed to rest.

After an unknown amount of time, Su Xingyan heard the water in the bathroom stop. The desk lamp was still left on at the bedside. Su Xingyan had left it for him. Guided by the weak amber light of the desk lamp, Wei Chengran climbed onto Su Xingyan’s bed step by step.

Wei Chengran didn’t immediately come over to hold him like he usually did.

Gripping the blanket, Su Xingyan also fell into silence alongside him. Lowering his eyes, just as he was preparing to fall asleep, he heard a rustling sound coming from behind. With a soft sigh, Wei Chengran gently embraced Su Xingyan through the blanket from behind, pressing his head against Su Xingyan’s and lightly rubbing against his temple.

Wei Chengran’s voice was low and raspy as he softly sang the nursery rhyme “Go Round and Round” into his ear: “Go round and round, the chrysanthemum garden, the fifth of the fifth month is the Dragon Boat Festival…”

“Mom told me to go watch the dragon boats, but I didn’t want to watch them, I wanted to see the chicks.”

“When the chicks grow up, I’ll take them to be sold.”

“How much money can they fetch, how many chicks were sold…”

“I have a little pinwheel, it spins so beautifully…”

In the past, whenever Wei Chengran made him angry, he always loved to use this nursery rhyme to coax him. After finishing the song in a playful manner, he would act like a big puppy, rubbing against his face and saying pitifully. Yanyan, don’t be angry anymore. There was even a time when they were seen by classmates, who joked that Wei Chengran was just Su Xingyan’s dog, the moment Su Xingyan got angry, Wei Chengran would immediately kneel.

Su Xingyan’s heart softened from his singing this time. Turning back around with the intention of saying something more to him, he saw that Wei Chengran had already fallen asleep. The youthful innocence on his features hadn’t faded yet, usually, even when he was dressed in a formal suit and leather shoes, he still looked like a child who had stolen an adult’s clothes.

Su Xingyan couldn’t help but gently trace his features. In truth, he didn’t know when he and Wei Chengran had become like this either.

It happened to be the early spring season, and the weather in Ronggang was always fickle. Clearly, it had been clear skies for thousands of miles the day before, yet the next day it was continuous dismal rain, leaving even the air smelling of dampness. Su Xingyan had shut himself in the study to prepare for this collaborative project for nearly a week. Finally, when his eyes felt slightly strained and swollen, he closed the proposal and looked out the window at the rain-laden sky.

The rain had stopped. Outside the window, the green foliage was lush, as if all creation was welcoming a rebirth.

The appointment with the Yan family was set for three o’clock in the afternoon. Su Xingyan closed his eyes and massaged his aching temples. With a soft sigh, he abandoned the idea of a afternoon nap, quickly packed up, changed into a clean and sharp suit, and then took his briefcase to let the driver take him to the company.

When getting into the car, the driver, Uncle Tang, couldn’t help but joke, “Madam, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you dress so formally.”

Su Xingyan laughed despite himself, taking his briefcase and sitting in the back seat. “Why, does it not look good?”

“It looks good! Madam is beautiful, you look beautiful in whatever you wear.” Uncle Tang chuckled, turning the steering wheel as they drove past the old Wei family estate. “It’s just been too long since I’ve seen Madam dress up like this. Madam usually wears very casual clothes, but this kind of formal suit actually suits Madam much better. …”

Su Xingyan had indeed been too exhausted recently. Leaning against the back seat and turning his head to look at the rapidly passing shade of the trees, he suddenly found himself unable to clearly recall the scene of when he first entered the Wei family. Thinking back, that was already many years ago.

When Su Xingyan arrived at the meeting room, quite a few shareholders had already arrived. After all, the cooperation with the Yan family was considered a major event, and convening a shareholder meeting to jointly discuss it was something Su Xingyan had finalized that very day. This project was taken for Wei Chengran, and it was also the path paved for his future return to the company, every move had to be placed out in the open. Su Xingyan didn’t want him to be criticized by others over this matter in the future.

“Madam, it’s already three-ten,” the assistant, Lyu Haojie, bent down and reported in a low voice to Su Xingyan. “The Yan family called to say there’s a traffic jam on the road, so they might…”

“This is the company. Call me Director Su.”

Without waiting for Lyu Haojie to finish, Su Xingyan interrupted him in a detached voice.

Su Xingyan’s voice was neither high nor low, just enough for all the shareholders present to hear clearly. The originally somewhat noisy meeting room fell quiet in an instant, leaving only the sound of Su Xingyan’s index finger lightly tapping the table.

The person currently responsible for operations on the Yan family’s side was the second son, Yan Youwei. Elder Master Yan had intentions of grooming him, but unfortunately, the rascal was disappointing. In his conduct and work, he was consistently eager for quick success and impetuous. The Hong Kong media even mocked him, saying that every step Yan Youwei took landed in an unexpected place, not only leaving his competitors bewildered, but even catching his own people off guard.

Su Xingyan thought silently that Yan Youwei was probably doing this on purpose, giving him a psychological warning right from the start.

Right at this moment, the heavy doors of the meeting room were pushed open from the outside.

Everyone looked toward the door in unison, only to see a grand and imposing man wearing a long black suit walking toward the meeting room with steady strides. His narrow phoenix eyes were long and sharp; after his gaze swept over the shareholders present, he spoke with a slight hint of apology.

“Apologies. Traffic jam on the road.”

As his voice fell, he came to a standstill at the doorway. His romantic, expressive phoenix eyes lifted, and his gaze landed with pinpoint precision directly on Su Xingyan in the center. As Su Xingyan’s gaze locked with his, his heart suddenly tightened, and his fingers unconsciously gripped a corner of the proposal tight.

…He should have guessed it sooner. The Yan family would still make him come.