Chapter 146: The Man That Day Was Not the Senior

Still, the Xu family was already so wealthy; why would Xu Yuzi get involved in this?
"Is there something hidden behind this—"
"If I were to go head-to-head with the Xu family, would you stand on my side?"
Gu Pingsheng cut her off and asked.
Wen Zhixia looked into his deep, dark eyes and did not answer.
Their eyes met. After a few seconds, Gu Pingsheng suddenly smiled, his tall and slender figure rising from the seat. In the dim light, his sharply defined profile seemed cast in shadow. "It's getting late. Go to sleep early."
Wen Zhixia lay on the large bed in the guest room, tossing and turning, unable to find any sleep.
After a while, she picked up her phone, her fingertips gliding past Xu Qichen's name, and instead dialed Jin Mao's number.
It rang only a few times before being answered. "Madam."
"……Are you resting? There's something I'd like to ask you." Wen Zhixia paused before speaking.
Jin Mao replied, "Please go ahead, Madam."
Wen Zhixia asked, "Has Qichen met with the Auntie?"
Jin Mao answered, "Yes, the first thing the master did upon returning was to meet with her. As you know, she is the elder the master respects most, having accompanied him through his childhood and watched him grow up. Their bond is naturally extraordinary."
Knowing this precisely was why Wen Zhixia felt compelled to make this phone call.
"The Gu-Xia Group and the Zhang Group have come into conflict while competing for a government-backed project. It seems that Qichen's aunt is also involved in this matter. Does Qichen know about this?"
Jin Mao was just about to answer when he caught sight of Xu Qichen walking over. "Ah, is that you, Xia?"
Jin Mao nodded and handed the phone over. Wen Zhixia heard Xu Qichen's voice. "Why aren't you asleep yet?"
Wen Zhixia repeated what she had just said. After listening, Xu Qichen remained silent for a long time. Just when Wen Zhixia thought he didn't want to continue the conversation, he finally spoke. "I'll ask my aunt about it tomorrow, but... Xia, in the business world, people come and go, and taking sides is inevitable. My aunt has made quite a few investments over the years. If things are indeed as you say, I hope you can understand."

In the business world, which is like a battlefield, even real brothers can turn against each other; who would care about anything else?
For Xu Qichen to say this was his way of gently waking Wen Zhixia up. If this situation truly existed, then it was... nothing out of the ordinary.
"Mm," Wen Zhixia murmured softly.
Xu Qichen gave a light laugh. "Alright, get some rest early and don't think too much. My aunt should be asleep by now anyway. I'll call you tomorrow."
Wen Zhixia agreed.
After hanging up, the smile on Xu Qichen's face faded slightly. Jin Mao watched him and said in a low voice, "Master, Madam is not as heartless toward Gu Pingsheng as she makes it seem."
Xu Qichen curled his fingers slightly and coughed against his lips. "She is sentimental; after all, it's been so many years of history..." His gaze deepened. "With this incident happening now, it's also an opportunity."
She could not always remain so indecisive, wavering back and forth. If her soft heart prevented her from making a definitive choice, he would give her a push from behind.
Early the next morning, Xu Yuzi was in the middle of applying her makeup when she heard a servant announce that the master of the Xu family had arrived. She put down her eyebrow pencil and went right downstairs.
Seeing Xu Qichen sitting on the sofa, she walked over with a radiant smile. Though there was a ten-year age gap between them, Xu Yuzi took such meticulous care of her appearance that at a glance, they looked more like an older sister and a younger brother.
"Are you done handling your affairs? Why are you here so early?"
Xu Qichen accepted the cup of clear tea handed to him by a servant. "I came to check on you, Auntie, and incidentally, I heard about something that I wanted to ask you."
Xu Yuzi played with her freshly manicured nails from yesterday. "Go ahead."
"Is Auntie involved with the Zhang Group of Sifang City?" When Xu Qichen spoke to her, he did not bother with deliberate obscurity or beating around the bush, omitting many of the usual verbal detours.
"Indeed." Xu Yuzi glanced sharply into his eyes, speaking up before he could say another word. "I know what you want to say, Qichen. Pampering a woman isn't done like this. You are the head of the Xu family, and countless women with impeccable backgrounds are lining up to marry you. I let it slide when you married a divorcee, but shouldn't this woman make a clean break with her ex-husband? This time, I merely wanted to teach that man a lesson and also give your wife a wake-up call."
Xu Qichen frowned. "Xia... she is not that kind of person."
Xu Yuzi retorted, "Whether she is or not remains to be seen; I have eyes and can see for myself. You protect her day in and day out as if she were a fragile porcelain doll. None of the previous mistresses of the family ever had it this easy. Don't forget why you told me you wanted to marry her in the first place. The Xu family has flourished for a century, but it has grown too sprawling and difficult to steer. As the fastest-rising emerging conglomerate in recent years, the shares she controls in the Gu-Xia Group..."
"Auntie, I will discuss this matter with her in due time. Since we are already married, she will inevitably stand on my side," Xu Qichen interrupted her.

Xu Yuzi gave him a long, deep look. "I hope so. Just make sure you know what you're doing."
...
When Wen Zhixia saw Zhao Fuhe again, the latter had shed all the wretchedness from their last encounter.
Though her attire could not be called dazzling, it lent her a clean and refined elegance—suitability far surpassing her old habit of wearing whatever cost the most three years ago.
"Senior, long time no see," Zhao Fuhe took the initiative to speak, carrying an almost surreal sense of dislocation.
Three years. She had finally tasted the flavor of freedom once more. Having fallen from the heights into the mud, Wen Zhixia remained as radiant and glorious as ever.
"I heard that Senior and the senior brother have divorced?" Zhao Fuhe asked, her smile carrying three parts genuine amusement and seven parts envy. "I've always wanted to compare myself to you, but unfortunately, I can't measure up in any aspect. I exhausted every effort and still couldn't keep his heart, yet you discarded it like worn-out shoes. Still, it makes sense; a powerhouse like the Xu family holds far greater allure for a woman."
"Did you come all the way to Yihe Zhixia today just to say these things?" Wen Zhixia's alabaster fingers contrasted sharply against the crystalline, verdant teacup as she gave it a slight spin, effortlessly radiating an allure that made it impossible to look away.
Zhao Fuhe replied, "I just suddenly remembered something. On the day after the first snow three years ago, when I was out for a walk, I saw torn scraps of paper in the snow. Because I caught sight of Senior's name, I picked them up and pieced them together. Although it wasn't entirely complete, Senior's name was easy to make out. That day... Senior came to Chengya Residence with us, didn't she?"
This was something Zhao Fuhe had never mentioned to Gu Pingsheng.
Wen Zhixia's fingertips paused slightly. "It's been so long; it's a wonder you remember so clearly. As you also said, he and I are finished. If you came here just for such tedious nonsense, you may leave now."
She reached for the intercom to have someone escort Zhao Fuhe out, but Zhao Fuhe pressed her hand down and smiled. "Senior, don't be hasty. What I have to say next is the main point... You probably didn't know this, but the man there that day wasn't the senior brother."
Seeing the shock ripple across Wen Zhixia's eyes just as she had hoped, the curve of Zhao Fuhe's lips deepened.
"What did you say?" Wen Zhixia shifted her gaze, staring deeply at her.