[Uncle and Auntie, I want to listen too.]
[At the Ji family home, these old fools are so annoying, especially that fat pig surnamed Yang. His family is full of useless leeches who just want to suck CEO Ji dry.]
[Who told Old Yang and Old Ji to have a past friendship? Now that CEO Ji’s father is dead, and the old man is in poor health and can’t manage things, they’ve become even more brazen.]
[They even want CEO Ji to give up five percentage points. That fat pig has been skimming profits during collaborations—I bet four of those five points are just for himself.]
Seeing that no one was speaking, Su Yu’s lips curled up.
The barrage in his mind synchronized with the words coming out of his mouth:
"Mr. Yang, forgive me for asking, but are those five percentage points really what the collaborator demanded?"
Director Yang’s face twitched, his eyes narrowing as he glared over.
"This is an internal company meeting. I’m afraid there’s no place for Young Master Su to speak here."
The tension between the two was palpable—neither was known for their patience.
Just as an argument was about to break out, Ji Yanli rubbed his temples and said,
"Enough."
Only then did the others at the table stop their useless bickering.
Director Yang snorted coldly.
"Yanli, think carefully. That partnership is indispensable for the company. You have too many companies under your name to focus on this one, but we’ve invested heavily. If your father were here, he’d give us old-timers some face."
This fatso kept bringing up Ji Yanli’s father, clearly not respecting the newly appointed CEO at all.
Su Yu clenched his fingers so tightly that the fabric of his dress pants wrinkled under his grip.
Suddenly, he felt something hard press against his calf.
The tip of a dress shoe nudged him through the fabric, sending a tingling sensation up his spine and stifling the impulsive words on the tip of his tongue.
He glanced at the man.
Ji Yanli was also looking at him, his expression calm.
With just a brief glance, he turned his attention back to the table.
A silver fountain pen twirled between his fingers before stopping abruptly and landing softly on the table.
"This company is under my control now. I hope everyone understands that. If you don’t trust me, you’re free to reconsider working with the Ji family."
The shareholders hadn’t expected him to be so blunt.
Their faces stiffened.
Director Lin curved her red lips into a smile.
"Yanli is still young and has strong opinions. Shouldn’t the elders give the younger generation more room to try?"
Her words gave the others an out.
Director Yang, however, refused to indulge anyone. He stood up, his jowls trembling.
"Fine. Let’s see what better plan CEO Ji can come up with."
With that, he was the first to storm out.
The other shareholders saw no point in wasting more time and followed suit.
The last to leave was the one who had teased Su Yu earlier.
Though his face bore the marks of age, his demeanor remained casual.
His gaze swept over Su Yu briefly before he exited.
Once they were gone, even the air in the room felt lighter.
Su Yu leaned back in his chair.
"You really have it rough, dealing with these old schemers every day."
Ji Yanli chuckled at his choice of words.
"Of course. I have a wife and a family to support now."
"Wow, what a devoted husband and father. I never knew you had it in you."
Su Yu gave him a strange look.
Ji Yanli also leaned back, resting his elbows on the armrests.
"You always talk about how I used to be. What was I like back then?"
What was he like? Annoying, of course—that’s why Su Yu had disliked him.
Before he could stop himself, Su Yu let out a soft laugh.
"You were insufferable. Why else would I have hated you?"
Too late, he remembered Ji Yanli had amnesia.
The man absorbed the information, his face darkening instantly.
"You hated me?"
Ji Yanli’s mood swings were unpredictable, and the way he glared at Su Yu now was downright terrifying.
A flicker of panic rose in Su Yu’s chest, and he quickly changed the subject.
"Anyway, the meeting’s over. Time for me to clock out."
He pushed himself up from the table, bending slightly to pat the back of Ji Yanli’s hand where it rested on the desk.
"You keep working hard, CEO Ji. Gotta provide for your wife and kids."
With that, he turned and strode out of the conference room without looking back.
Mia was outside holding some documents, about to enter. Seeing him leave, she paused. "Leaving already?"
Su Yu nodded. "Those old geezers just left."
It took Mia a moment to realize who he was referring to.
"You shouldn’t say things like that. If word gets out, it won’t sound good. Those directors already don’t get along with CEO Ji."
Su Yu bit the inside of his cheek. "Do they always pick fights for no reason?"
Mia hesitated, not wanting to say too much.
"Let’s just say… CEO Ji has it tough. I need to report to him. Are you heading out?"
"Yeah, going for drinks. Wanna come?"
It was a casual invite, and Mia naturally declined.
Humming a tune, Su Yu leisurely walked away.
By the time he stepped out of the company building, the sky was bathed in twilight.
It had been a while since he’d properly hung out with Shen Le and Lin Yanjun.
Thinking this, Su Yu pulled out his phone, scrolling until his thumb hovered over the contact labeled "Husband" for three seconds before skipping past it.
Finally, he found Shen Le’s number and dialed.
"Su-ge! You actually called me? I’m touched!"
"Cut the crap. Get Old Lin and let’s grab drinks tonight."
Shen Le laughed on the other end. "Sounds perfect. I’ll be waiting!"
Hanging up, Su Yu was in a much better mood.
Just as he was about to put his phone away and hail a cab, a notification popped up—one that instantly soured his mood.
The culprit was Su Yan.
[Xiao Yu, are you free to come home today? I’ll tell you about that matter.]
What Su Yan had mentioned at the banquet had piqued his interest, but Su Yu really didn’t want to see him—or return to the Su family home.
Thinking of that letter, Su Yu typed a reply:
[Yeah. On my way.]
After sending it, he quickly texted Shen Le to cancel.
Shen Le immediately responded with a 60-second voice message, which Su Yu didn’t bother listening to before locking his screen.
He had walked the path back to the Su family home countless times—it was all too familiar.
But whether it was because he hadn’t been back in a while or something else, the sight of the front gate now felt strangely foreign.
He pressed the doorbell, and soon a maid answered.
Recognizing him, she nodded in greeting.
Su Yu strode in indifferently.
The study on the second floor was dark, which eased his mind a little.
Su Zhaofeng probably isn’t home.
Hearing movement, a tall, slender figure in loungewear appeared upstairs. Su Yan called out to him:
"Xiao Yu, you’re back? Come up."
Su Yu took the stairs two at a time. "Where’s Dad?"
"He and Mom went on a trip today."
"Mom" referred to Su Yan’s mother—Su Zhaofeng’s legal wife.
Su Yu wasn’t interested. He held out his hand. "Got it. Give me the letter."
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