Today, Zhuang Hanxue was meeting Qiu Zheyan. He didn’t sleep well last night. He woke up once in the early hours and again at seven in the morning.
He decided to get up, freshen up, and have breakfast.
Sometimes Zhuang Hanxue wondered if his family home had bad feng shui, so he could not sleep well there.
Oddly enough, he always slept soundly when he lived with Xiao Qiu.
Zhuang Hanxue first went to the company to clock in.
Since returning home, his mother had pushed him back into the company, but currently, it was merely a nominal position without real authority.
The staff distrusted him. He was a well-connected person who looked unreliable at first glance. Some even heard rumors about his former playboy lifestyle.
His young secretary entered, bringing documents for approval. He opened them to take a look.
It didn’t feel easy at all.
Zhuang Hanxue hesitated to stamp his seal. He focused intently on the documents, noting the billions in cash flow. The responsibility felt overwhelming.
If he made a wrong decision, the project would fail. Project failure meant shrinking company assets, leading to layoffs. Layoffs meant many employees losing their livelihoods.
So many lives depended on this small piece of paper.
He wondered how his older brother had managed this before. It was terrifying.
If he had to manage something, he’d prefer a small company like before.
Having been away for years, Zhuang Hanxue was clueless about the company’s current projects. He scrutinized the documents, patiently questioning his secretary until she seemed irritated. He still hadn’t signed anything.
Just then, the intercom on his desk rang.
Zhuang Hanxue perked up, hoping it was Xiao Qiu.
He answered, only to hear his father’s voice, “Hanxue? You’re back?”
Zhuang Hanxue’s excitement deflated instantly. “Yes, I’m back, Dad.”
His father continued, “I just returned from abroad yesterday and I’m heading to the company. Why did you suddenly come home without telling me?”
Zhuang Hanxue replied, “I told Mom.”
His father scoffed, “Your mother, huh… What are you doing at the company now?”
“I’m reviewing documents…” Zhuang Hanxue began.
His father quickly cut him off, “Don’t touch anything. That’s not for you to handle. Leave the documents; I’ll look at them when I return. If you’re bored, just browse the internet or watch movies in the office. That’s fine, but don’t meddle in company affairs. What if something goes wrong?”
“Oh,” Zhuang Hanxue responded, “I understand, Dad.”
After hanging up, Zhuang Hanxue told his secretary, “Old Mr. Zhuang said to leave the documents for him. You can take them away.”
The secretary forced a smile. “Alright.”
Zhuang Hanxue felt apologetic towards her.
He wasn’t in the mood to play around at the office, at least not now. He leaned back, reclining in his chair, staring at the stark white ceiling.
For once, he wanted to be diligent, but nobody expected it from him.
Well, it wasn’t so bad. He didn’t have to work but still got paid.
How relaxing.
Zhuang Hanxue suddenly recalled a childhood memory. In elementary school, he once scored 98 in math, ranking first in his class. He brought it home, hoping for praise from his parents.
But his father said after looking at it, “This test was so easy. How did you not get a perfect score? Your brother rarely missed perfect scores at your age. And here you are, feeling satisfied with this result?”
Afterward, he became lazy and careless. After all, even if he tried hard, he wouldn’t get praised. If he didn’t try, things wouldn’t be too bad either.
Passing was enough; anything more was a waste. Eat well, sleep well, live to a hundred!
Back then, his older brother carried the family’s expectations.
Zhuang Hanxue pondered. Even if he were as smart as his brother, what should he do? If he worked hard too, wouldn’t it seem like he was competing for the family inheritance?
Was that necessary?
Two tigers can’t share the same mountain.
A family can’t have two masters.
Since they already had his older brother, it was better for him, the younger one, to be a bit foolish. That way, the family could remain harmonious.
Look how clever he was.
Who could have predicted that his always-steady older brother would suddenly elope with his true love?
It disrupted his plans to be lazy for life. He should have been able to comfortably coast through life at home.
But every cloud has a silver lining.
If not for this, he wouldn’t have met Qiu Zheyan by chance.
Having been away from the company for so many years, his father worried he was in league with his mother—which he was—so he dared not let him handle company affairs.
That being the case, getting investment approval for Xiao Qiu’s company directly through him would be difficult. It wasn’t a small sum that could be overlooked either.
Zhuang Hanxue scratched his head.
How could he solve this?
The phone rang again.
Zhuang Hanxue answered, “Ah, he’s here. Have him wait for me in the side conference room.”
***
Qiu Zheyan was extremely nervous.
The outcome of this meeting would determine his company’s survival. It was crucial.
But what made him even more anxious was meeting Zhuang Hanxue afterward. Zhuang Hanxue didn’t tell him where they would meet, saying he’d let him know later.
Later? When exactly was later?
What was Zhuang Hanxue planning?
He had an ominous feeling.
Last night, he had nightmares all night long.
He dreamt of meeting Zhuang Hanxue at a coffee shop. Zhuang Hanxue arrived with a woman, apologizing, “I’m sorry, Xiao Qiu. I’m getting married.”
He woke up terrified. He barely managed to fall asleep again, only to have another nightmare.
This time, he dreamt of attending Zhuang Hanxue and Jiang Ruoyun’s wedding. They looked perfect together, like a golden couple. Everyone was congratulating them, but he couldn’t utter a word.
He grabbed Zhuang Hanxue, asking why he was leaving him.
Zhuang Hanxue replied matter-of-factly, “Didn’t I reject your proposal? I never promised to be with you forever.”
This whole situation felt bizarre from start to finish.
If Zhuang Hanxue was so close to these people, wouldn’t it be easy for him to get a cushy position? Wouldn’t that align with his dream of being a slacker? Why was Zhuang Hanxue reduced to such poverty when they first met?
Qiu Zheyan brought another subordinate with him this time. The partners offered them tea, then a middle-aged man entered and said, “You must be Mr. Qiu?”
Qiu Zheyan stood up to exchange pleasantries and business cards.
The man said, “Please wait a moment. The general manager is on his way.”
Qiu Zheyan smiled politely. “Of course.”
He expected to meet the female relative Zhuang Hanxue had mentioned, probably a woman in her fifties.
Qiu Zheyan braced himself.
Qiu Zheyan turned his head and caught a glimpse of a familiar silhouette passing by the frosted glass window.
Wait, did that blurry figure look like Zhuang Hanxue?
Qiu Zheyan rubbed his eyes, frowning, wondering if he was hallucinating.
It had been over two weeks since he’d last seen Zhuang Hanxue. He thought perhaps he was going mad from missing him.
Yet, at this moment, he instinctively stood up, overcome with excitement.
The others in the conference room noticed his sudden movement and turned to look at him. “Mr. Qiu, is something wrong?”
Just then, the conference room door opened, and a man walked in.
Everyone turned to look at the newcomer.
Qiu Zheyan couldn’t bring himself to believe what he saw.
This man looked identical to Zhuang Hanxue, yet nothing like him at all.
The Zhuang Hanxue he knew had a slight slouch, sat and stood casually, always seemed carefree and half-asleep, with a perpetual smile playing at the corners of his eyes and mouth – a man as warm and comforting as winter sunshine.
But the man before him stood ramrod straight, without a hint of a smile. His hair was neatly styled with gel, every inch the polished white-collar executive.
Qiu Zheyan stood frozen. His mouth opened, but no sound came out. He wanted to call Zhuang Hanxue’s name but couldn’t bring himself to do it.
Absurdly, Qiu Zheyan even wondered:
Could Zhuang Hanxue have an identical twin? One a high-powered executive, the other living freely? Like the brothers in the TV drama “Inseparable”?
Did Zhuang Hanxue ask this twin for help?
Zhuang Hanxue acted as if he didn’t know Qiu Zheyan at all. With a stern face and an almost cold gaze, he greeted him formally, extending his hand. “Hello, Mr. Qiu.”
Qiu Zheyan shook his hand, staring unblinkingly at his face. “Hello, you are…?”
Zhuang Hanxue pulled a business card case from his pocket, took out a gold-embossed card, and handed it to him. “Forgive my lack of introduction. I’m the General Manager here, Zhuang Hanxue. Please, call me Mr. Zhuang.”
Even the pronunciation of the name was the same?
Qiu Zheyan: “…”
He glanced down at the card. The name printed next to the title was indeed “Zhuang Hanxue.”
Qiu Zheyan: “…?”
He was utterly bewildered.
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