Chapter 28 - 1#
Ten minutes later, Chen Yiming helped Jing Shun into the car.
“Mr. Jing, I’ll handle the rest from here. If there are any changes or updates, I’ll contact you again.”
Jing Shun finally loosened the tightly wound strings in his heart. “Assistant Chen, you’ve worked hard during this time.”
“Mr. Jing, you’re too kind.” Chen Yiming closed the car door for him and instructed the driver in the front seat, Old Zhang, “Old Zhang, drive slowly.”
“Alright, got it.”
Old Zhang started the car and drove out of the industrial park.
Jing Shun watched the receding street scenes out the window, rolling down the window to let the last remnants of gloom dissipate.
His watch buzzed with a message notification—it was from Chi Gui:
“Is your business there taken care of?”
Jing Shun wasn’t surprised at all by the timeliness of this message. From Chen Yiming and Wei Di at the top, down to the driver Old Zhang and the butler Uncle Lin, every single person was one of Chi Gui’s “eyes.”
Living under the constant watch of those around him might feel restrictive to someone else, but Jing Shun accepted it well—
In his view, with his limited mobility, who knew when he might run into a tricky problem? Chi Gui having people keep an eye on his movements and whereabouts was, instead, a form of invisible protection.
Jing Shun typed back: “Mm.”
Chi Gui replied: “Good. I’ll wait for you.”
“… Wait?”
Wasn’t he just going home? What was there to wait for?
Jing Shun was puzzled, but didn’t ask further. He simply closed his eyes and began to doze off.
…
Forty minutes later, Old Zhang expertly drove the car into the designated parking lane at the private airport.
Jing Shun stared at the private plane not far away, falling into silence for a moment. Before he could even process what was happening, Chi Gui, who had been waiting for some time, walked over.
The car door opened.
Jing Shun looked at Chi Gui, then at the unmistakable plane behind him. “Where… where are we going?”
“To Ao City.”
Chi Gui answered his question concisely.
Jing Shun blinked. “What are we going to Ao City for? So suddenly? I haven’t prepared anything.”
“Everything you need has been prepared for you. You’re coming with me. That way, I won’t have to worry about you running off without telling me while I’m away.”
Seeing that Chi Gui was still holding a grudge over what had happened half a month ago, Jing Shun mumbled in defense, “Why are you still holding that against me? I didn’t mean to run away last time.”
Hearing his muttered complaint, a hint of amusement surfaced in Chi Gui’s eyes. “I’ve already asked Professor Song. Your current physical condition allows you to fly. A short trip out of town is no problem.”
“There’s a private banquet in Ao City. We’ll be going out to sea on a yacht. It’ll last about three or four days.”
“… Ao City? A yacht trip?”
It actually sounded pretty interesting.
Counting the time he’d been confined at home in his previous life, Jing Shun hadn’t left Hai City in a long while. Hearing about this destination and the banquet now, he felt a faint stir of excitement.
Chi Gui caught that flicker of interest and continued to guide him. “Jing Shun, think of it as going along to relax. Besides, you should also fulfill the terms of our agreement—”
“Hm?”
“Appear as my lover.”
Chi Gui said it as if it were the most natural thing, carrying an air of undeniable authority.
Jing Shun’s ears burned at the words. Instinctively, he averted his gaze from the man in front of him. Although they were in a contractual relationship, that term was far too ambiguous.
Chi Gui pressed on. “Jing Shun?”
Jing Shun composed himself and agreed. “Mm, got it. I never said I wasn’t going.”
The moment those words left his mouth, Chi Gui suddenly leaned in close.
Jing Shun’s heart skipped a beat, but he had no room to retreat. “What are you doing?”
Chi Gui effortlessly scooped him up from the wheelchair, holding him steady. “Taking you onto the plane.”
Jing Shun didn’t dare to wrap his arms around Chi Gui’s shoulders. “Put me down. I have my wheelchair. I can do it myself.”
“Private planes don’t have jet bridges, only stairs. Even if you get to the bottom of the plane in your wheelchair, someone still has to carry you up.”
Chi Gui ignored his request, tightening his hold around Jing Shun’s waist. “Besides, you need to get used to it in advance.”
“What?”
“Get used to the intimate gestures that come with being ’lovers.'”
Chi Gui said it lightly, almost as if deliberately reminding him. “The wealthy businessmen and financial magnates in Ao City and Gang City have the sharpest eyes. Passing yourself off convincingly won’t be easy.”
Jing Shun’s gaze landed on Chi Gui’s Adam’s apple, and he took a shallow breath. “I’m a professional actor, you know.”
“Oh?” Chi Gui looked down at him. “Then starting from boarding, you’ll have to perform for everyone to see.”
“…”
Jing Shun was silent for two or three seconds, as if he had made up his mind.
Just before boarding, he quickly reached out and hooked his arm through Chi Gui’s, then tilted his head slightly to press against the other man’s shoulder.
Chi Gui slowed his pace. “Jing Shun?”
“Is this close enough?”
Jing Shun glanced at the flight attendant coming to greet them and asked in a very low voice, as if gauging the level of intimacy Chi Gui could accept. “We don’t have to act too hard in front of the cabin crew, right?”
“…”
Soft strands of hair brushed against his Adam’s apple, tickling the side of his neck, stirring a numb, heart-fluttering sensation. And the instigator was completely oblivious.
Chi Gui’s arm tightened, but he still encouraged softly, “Mm, passable.”
The flight attendant approached, struggling to suppress the curiosity exploding in her mind. “Chairman Chi.”
It wasn’t the first time they had provided flight service for Chi Gui, but it was the first time they had seen him bring a young man onto the plane so intimately.
That holding position!
It clearly meant their relationship was anything but ordinary!
When she got closer, the flight attendant recognized Jing Shun’s face and was startled for a moment. Upholding her professional ethics—and clutching tightly to her well-paid, secure job—she pretended not to recognize him.
“Welcome aboard, both of you. Have a pleasant flight.”
“…”
Jing Shun said nothing, hiding his burning face against Chi Gui’s chest, a master of willful self-deception.
…
Private flights also required approval. Half an hour later, the plane smoothly soared into the clouds.
Only after boarding did Jing Shun learn that, besides Special Assistant Wei Di and the security personnel, there was also a Vice President of the Chi Corporation accompanying them on the trip.
“There’s an international cargo port project in Gang City that’s been stalled, unable to move forward.” Wei Di explained on someone’s behalf. “Vice President Zou is accompanying Mr. Chi this time to expedite the matter.”
The cities of Gang and Ao were close to each other, with abundant deep-water dock resources. The international containerized cargo port that was about to be developed, Deep Water Plot 0202 in Gang City, had become a coveted prize in many people’s minds.
Although the Chi Corporation’s headquarters was in Hai City, they also had business resources in the two cities of Gang and Ao. Chi Gui had sharp insight and had acted early; he had already established the necessary connections two years ago.
But as development approached, a new complication had arisen.
Jing Shun asked curiously, “What complication?”
Seeing that Chi Gui didn’t object, Wei Di elaborated for Jing Shun. “Mr. Jing, are you familiar with the four great families of Ao City and Gang City?”
Jing Shun shook his head. “Does the Li family count?”
He wasn’t familiar with the family factions in those cities; he only knew about the Li family from gossip news in his previous life—
The sudden death of the Li family’s patriarch from illness had led to a power struggle among his four wives and children, a farce that dragged on for an entire year before ending.
With all kinds of media gossip flying around during that time, it was hard for the ordinary public not to know about it.
Wei Di nodded. “Yes. Among the four great families of Ao and Gang, the Li family ranks first in terms of strength.”
Jing Shun asked, “And the other three?”
Wei Di nodded and began to introduce them one by one. “The Qin family, in the gambling business; the Ji family, in film and entertainment; and the Zhang family, which built its fortune on dock and cargo shipping.”
Over the years, the Zhang family had gradually grown powerful through its deep-rooted dock influence and international business. How could they allow an outsider to take a share of the pie?
Even though the Chi Corporation wanted that piece of land purely for its own logistical convenience, the Zhang family still had ulterior motives. They loudly proclaimed that they would also fight for the land and had secretly thrown many obstacles in the way.
The strongest dragon fears the local snake the most.
No matter how much capital and influence the Chi Corporation had in Hai City, it didn’t mean they wouldn’t suffer losses elsewhere.
The Vice President chimed in, “The Chi Corporation has already poured a lot of money into building the connections behind this land. At this critical juncture, we can’t give up—we have to fight to the end.”
Jing Shun didn’t understand the business dealings among wealthy families, but he could sense the difficulty of the situation. He couldn’t help but look at Chi Gui, only to find that the man’s expression was as calm as ever.
“…”
Even at a time like this?
He still had the mood to attend a yacht banquet?
Sure enough, not everyone could sit in the position of group chairman. That mindset was just too strong.
Just as Jing Shun was lost in thought, Chi Gui caught his gaze.
As if reading the questions in his mind, Chi Gui said, “This yacht banquet is hosted by the Ji family. Many of the wealthy families in Ao and Gang are on the invitation list.”
Jing Shun caught on. “So, the Zhang family will have someone there too?”
The Vice President added, “The current head of the Zhang family, Zhang Aode.”
Wei Di supplemented, “Besides the two cities of Ao and Gang, they’ve also sent invitations to the Chi family, the Shang family and Xie family in Dijing, and the Chen family in Zhen City. Whether they attend is up to each family.”
In other words, this kind of banquet among wealthy families was nothing but a code for the battlefield of interests.
Some people used it as a venue for business arranged marriages.
Others saw it as a business battleground. On the surface, everything seemed harmonious and joyful, but everywhere, there might be invisible gunpowder.
Jing Shun frowned slightly. “Is there still any fun to be had, then?”
Chi Gui laughed quietly. “None of that concerns you. There are quite a lot of entertainment activities and performances on the yacht. You can go watch whatever interests you.”
As for Zhang Aode, who had been causing trouble for the Chi Corporation at every turn—once they met face to face, they would naturally see each other’s measure.
…
At seven in the evening, the plane landed on time at Ao City’s private airport.
The Ji family’s private yacht had already set sail that evening. Chi Gui and the others transferred directly to a helicopter arranged by the host family and arrived at the private luxury yacht that had already departed from the port.
As soon as the helicopter door opened, the sea breeze mixed with the rotor’s wind blasted straight at them.
In that instant of facing the gale, a thick, warm coat was draped over Jing Shun.
The familiar scent told him everything.
Jing Shun’s heart stirred softly. He turned his head to meet Chi Gui’s gaze. “Thank you.”
The wind was strong, but it couldn’t blow away the gentleness in his eyes.
Chi Gui leaned close and said, “I’ll carry you down.”
Seeing the service staff waiting at the bottom of the helicopter, Jing Shun assumed they were entering the ‘acting’ phase. “Okay.”
For the first time, awkwardness; for the second time, familiarity; the third time, it became routine.