Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
When Ruan Zeyan walked in, Gu Zhiqian was just finishing up with the last ball left on the table. He held the cue stick with both his hands, leaning over the table, “What were you doing? I turned around and you weren’t there?”
“Nothing.” Ruan Zeyan settled on the sofa by the side, and a smart hostess was quick to pour him some wine, her voice stickly sweet as she offered the wine to Ruan Zeyan.
Guan Meiyi had been in the room before and Ruan Zeyan was stone faced the entire time. The actresses didn’t dare to approach Ruan Zeyan when she had been there. Guan Meiyi wasn’t around anymore so, even if Ruan Zeyan wasn’t showing a very positive attitude, there were some bold actresses willing to take the first step.
The actresses brought their alcohol to Ruan Zeyan, took it into his hands. Seeing the lust in their eyes made Ruan Zeyan cringe in disgust though.
The actress was euphoric moments before when Ruan Zeyan took her alcohol, but she became scared to her boots by his looks.
With Ruan Zeyan, the form of highest respect he ever gave, was to not show how he really felt. Not just anyone could push him to hide his emotions. Most of the time, Ruan Zeyan showed all his emotions clearly. When he was happy, he might not smile, but when he was upset, he definitely would make it known to all the people around him.
Eventually, it was still Gu Zhiqian that had some sympathy for the poor actress, and had pulled her up from where she was sobbing, half kneeling on the floor. “You have absolutely no finesse in handling women. Anyone that’s willing to be with you definitely is a masochistic.”
Ruan Zeyan sideeyed Gu Zhiqian. He didn’t do anything, he merely showed his true emotions. It was the woman that was too weak in handling pressure, but Gu Zhiqian’s words seemed to have hit a sore spot in Ruan Zeyan.
“That’s what you think?”
Gu Zhiqian was stunned, before handing him a cue stick, “There’s someone else that said that about you? Who?”
“No one.”
Ruan Zeyan took off his blazer, unbuttoned his sleeves and rolled them up carelessly. The table had been reset by then. He opened the set with a ball pocketed.
Gu Zhiqian watched Ruan Zeyan play by the sidelines, one hand on the cue stick, and the other around a lady. The lady was obediently feeding him fruits, and Gu Zhiqian didn’t bother about the fact that he had something in his mouth, his words all garbled as he spoke, “You can’t blame them for it, you weren’t like this a few years ago. Let me think … it was about six or seven years ago? I remember you had a girlfriend back then, and I even advised you that for people like us, we can’t have autonomy over our own marriages. I am quite amazed that you dared to go against your dad for love and protected her so well. Your dad never found out who she was no matter how he dug for information.”
Ruan Zeyan’s eyes were concentrated on the pool table, as though he wasn’t even listening to Gu Zhiqian speak. Gu Zhiqian didn’t mind either, he just rambled on on his own accord.
“If it were up to me, I would say you were amazing, you really dared to fall out with your dad for a woman, leaving behind such a huge corporation. You forced yourself to set up your own businesses overseas. Back then, I had even used your example to try and convince my dad, and I ended up getting beaten over it!” Gu Zhiqian smiled, as though he was saying a joke, his tone light and carefree.
Ruan Zeyan pocketed another ball, “And I used the truth to prove that your dad had done the right thing, hitting you.”
Gu Zhiqian nodded, “I wasn’t trying to be sarcastic, I still feel that what you did back then was extremely manly. You had to pay a hefty price for it. I’m really curious about what you experienced overseas, you came back so hurt you were barely human. You ended up sick for so long, and then…”
Gu Zhiqian didn’t continue, after that, Ruan Zeyan had become an entirely different person. He became cold and heartless. He had taken up the position of Yuan Teng Corporation’s CEO, becoming someone that could easily dictate others’ lives, whether they flourish, or wither. Ruan Zeyan was scary and yet pitiable.