Chu Qingfei’s words died on her lips as she choked them back.
"Qingfei, just say what’s on your mind!" Chu Qingxue said.
"Sister, to tell you the truth, brother used to have a girlfriend!" Chu Qingfei revealed.
Chu Qingxue gave her a look, "Isn’t that perfectly normal?" she replied.
"But it’s very likely that brother’s former girlfriend is no longer with us; today must be some kind of anniversary, and brother is very sad. I even found some hair wrapped in paper in his room—I suppose it belonged to his ex-girlfriend. Brother keeps it to console himself," Chu Qingfei told Chu Qingxue everything.
Chu Qingxue didn’t speak, her expression frozen on her face, eyes profound, lost in thought.
"I’ll go check on him," Chu Qingxue said after a long silence.
Ye Chenfeng kept having nightmares about Ye Qingge as he slept, the scenes repeating over and over.
Suddenly, Ye Qingge’s face twisted and blurred. Ye Chenfeng rubbed his eyes, and when he looked again, Ye Qingge had turned into Chu Qingxue.
The sudden change startled Ye Chenfeng awake, and he opened his eyes to find Chu Qingxue standing at his bedside, looking at him with concern.
"Why are you here?" Ye Chenfeng murmured, his lips dry, as he couldn’t help but ask.
Moreover, his body felt extremely fatigued, as if he had been pulled apart by the dream.
"I came to see how you were doing. Did you have a nightmare?" Chu Qingxue asked softly, actually stepping forward and bending down to wipe the sweat from Ye Chenfeng’s forehead with a tissue.
This was unexpected for Ye Chenfeng; Chu Qingxue was tenderly wiping his sweat away.
For a moment, Ye Chenfeng indeed felt a bit unaccustomed, and his body stiffened.
With the fragrant beauty so close, her scent wafted persistently into Ye Chenfeng’s nostrils, his blood beginning to boil.
Raising his eyes, he saw a pale ravine tempting his gaze, and two half-spheres seemed ready to pop out.
Ye Chenfeng’s eyes nearly popped out as well.
After a while, realizing Ye Chenfeng hadn’t moved, Chu Qingxue looked down and immediately noticed Ye Chenfeng’s fixed stare at a certain part of her.
Chu Qingxue quickly pulled back, and by that time, the cold sweat on Ye Chenfeng’s forehead had already been wiped clean.
"Thank you!" Ye Chenfeng smiled.
But Chu Qingxue replied, "There’s no need for thanks between us!"
Ye Chenfeng just smiled, saying nothing more.
Chu Qingxue realized something was definitely off with Ye Chenfeng. Normally, upon hearing her say something like that, Ye Chenfeng would definitely have teased her with a few words, yet today he was so calm.
"Ye Chenfeng, people must always look forward and forget those unhappy memories. Just grasp the present and live a happy, fulfilling life. There’s no need to overthink!" Chu Qingxue thought long and hard before finally blurting out the advice.
Ye Chenfeng laughed. It turned out that Chu Qingxue had come to counsel him, which he found quite amusing.
"I’m fine. Don’t you think this version of me is very handsome and charming?" Ye Chenfeng asked.
"Hmm?" Qingxue was startled.
"Melancholic, cold-hearted, looking as if hiding a story, like a ball of fog, shouldn’t such a man be more attractive?" Ye Chenfeng said with a smile.
Qingxue nodded helplessly, "Yes, indeed very attractive, so can you tell me your story?"
Jiang Family Mansion.
"Qi’er, you have been too indecisive about Qingxue’s matter. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have ended up . Your trip to Macau, the collaboration with the Li Family, and the auction, you failed in all. Jintian Corporation is blaming us now," Jiang Tian said earnestly.
"It’s all Ye Chenfeng, he actually colluded with the second young master of the Li Family and altered the contract! As for the auction, I was completely helpless, let alone ten billion, even if I were to exhaust all of the Jiang Family’s wealth, we wouldn’t even have the qualification to bid!" Jiang Qi argued.
"Anyway, they are very disappointed in us!" Jiang Tian said with some reproach.
"Dad, I can’t understand, do we have to rely on the Japanese to help us? The thought of them makes me uncomfortable!" Jiang Qi said discontentedly.
"You’re too emotional, Qi’er, you have to change that, otherwise, it will affect you since you will be a person who does great things. Besides, if we want to cover the sky with one hand in Jiangnan, we have to rely on them!"
Jiang Qi asked with a sullen face, "Don’t we have a foster father too? Do we really have to rely on the Japanese?"
"Hehe, do you think it’s that difficult to take down Chu Corporation? Don’t look at Chu Renkuang’s retirement, giving everything to Qingxue; actually, he’s the most terrifying. Back then, he single-handedly destroyed the Liu Family, developing Chu Corporation to its current state all by himself, and he has countless friends in Capital City. When pushed into a corner, even your foster father has no move to make!" Jiang Tian explained carefully.
Jiang Qi appeared to have an epiphany, "I see, I automatically overlooked Chu Renkuang!"
"So this matter has to rely on the Japanese, they are ruthless and have extreme methods. After the merchant association is established, they will take action against Huating International, something we can’t even dare to contemplate. We perceive Huating International as a bigger threat, but they are planning to move against Huating International first. The second step will naturally be against Chu Corporation. By then, I hope you won’t have any pity for Qingxue, and don’t show any mercy!" Jiang Tian instructed.
"Alright, no problem!" Jiang Tian agreed.
"To collaborate with the Japanese, don’t feel too constrained, even your father-in-law Su Hang is going to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the merchant association’s establishment tomorrow!" Jiang Tian continued.
"What? Even he will come!" Jiang Qi was incredibly surprised.
The next day, afternoon.
The establishment ceremony of the Jiangnan Merchant Association was held opposite the Jiang Group building.
It was a grand commercial building where the Jiangnan Merchant Association would be based in the future.
By the time Qingxue and Ye Chenfeng arrived, it was already packed with people.
Moreover, more than half were young people, predominantly high school and college students by the looks of their ages. Ye Chenfeng even saw several young children with childish faces, clearly elementary school students, and not just a few; there must have been dozens at least.
Ye Chenfeng was astonished, what does the merchant association’s establishment have to do with you kids? Could it be that you’re here to drive away the "little devils"?
"Why are there so many kids?" Even Qingxue was puzzled.
Why would so many young people appear at such an occasion? It was highly unusual.
Anyway, there were far more people than Ye Chenfeng and Qingxue had imagined. In their opinion, not exceeding a thousand people including spectators would have been normal, but now, it seemed the numbers were in the tens of thousands, and people were still continuously pouring in. The once large square seemed very small under the pressure of such a crowd.
Ye Chenfeng and Qingxue went through a special passageway. If it were any other way, they probably wouldn’t be able to push through to the front even by evening.
"Mr. Chu, you’ve arrived?"