Ouyang Bin pulled Jiang Tian down to sit next to him, poured him a cup of tea, and laughed, “Jiang Tian, you haven’t been back for three years. When did you return? And now… has the old master granted you permission to come back?”
“I came back before the Spring Festival…” Jiang Tian took a sip of tea and gave a faint smile.
It seemed as if even the top-grade Dahongpao tea, which probably costs over ten thousand per tael, was nothing special to him.
“You’re really something else. Are you making a strong comeback to take control of the Pharmaceutical King Group again? After all, you’re that legendary badass who dared to step on the young master of Yanjing!” Ouyang Bin said with a teasing look.
In his eyes, the Pharmaceutical King Group was already on its last legs, barely surviving from day to day.
Besides, even if the Pharmaceutical King Group were still doing okay, Jiang Tian had caused such a huge disaster that he was now like a rat being shouted at by everyone in the Jiang family. He was probably extremely marginalized and couldn’t compare to him at all.
The truth is, being an abandoned child of such a big family is even worse. The family will crush you hard, and you’ll never get a chance to rise above. It would be better to not have that family background at all!
“No. The Pharmaceutical King Group and the Jinling Pharmaceutical University set up a lab together, and I work there as a researcher.”
“How much do you make a month?”
“About ten thousand or so a month.”
“Whoa, the Jiang family is way too harsh on you!”
Ouyang Bin slammed the table, pretending to be outraged on Jiang Tian’s behalf, and shouted, “Only ten grand? That’s not even enough for my cigarette money for a month. Hey, buddy, come work for me. I’ve taken on several construction projects under General Manager Nie, pulling in tens of millions a month.”
“Ouyang, you’re amazing!”
“Bin is so awesome and badass!”
Hearing this, many of his childhood friends and classmates had stars in their eyes, showering him with flattery and colorful compliments.
Quite a few girls even went over to toast him, throwing flirtatious glances at Ouyang Bin, hoping to get a piece of the action from his projects.
Beside him, Zhen Shuai’s eyes also lit up, and he tried to persuade Jiang Tian, “You know, Jiang Tian, starting something new with Ouyang isn’t a bad idea. The Pharmaceutical King Group and the Jiang family don’t value you anyway. In a year or two, you could be making tens of millions and make them jealous!”
Jiang Tian shook his head and said indifferently, “Forget it. No matter what, the Jiang family is still my family, and the Pharmaceutical King Group is my mother’s life’s work. Working there gives me a bit more peace of mind.”
Zhen Shuai knew Jiang Tian’s personality and gave up trying to convince him.
A girl nearby, with exquisite makeup and a bold, sexy outfit, whined coquettishly, “Jiang Tian, how can you be like that? Ouyang is only offering you a good job because you lived in the same compound for a few years.”
Jiang Tian laughed and teased, “Your name is Zheng Xia, right? How about you go for it instead? With your style, Ouyang would definitely like you!”
Everyone knew Ouyang Bin was extremely lecherous, so they all understood the implication of Jiang Tian’s words and chuckled softly.
Zheng Xia’s pretty face turned red, and then she acted coy in front of Ouyang Bin, saying, “Ouyang, look, he’s picking on me!”
Ouyang Bin patted her on the rear end cheerfully and said, “It’s okay, Jiang Tian’s just joking. But hey, you start working at my company tomorrow as my secretary, and I’ll assign a project for you to handle!”
“Okay, Ouyang, I’ll definitely work hard!” Zheng Xia was overjoyed, her face full of delight.
“Using your old saying: ‘During the day, the secretary handles the work; at night, if there’s no work, handle the secretary,'” Jiang Tian turned to Zhen Shuai and laughed.
Originally, it was a case of live and let live, but since Zheng Xia wanted to step on him to get ahead, why should Jiang Tian give her any face?
“Man, that joke’s going too far…” Zhen Shuai’s expression stiffened, and he frowned at Jiang Tian, signaling him not to speak recklessly.
“Jiang Tian, you’ve crossed the line a bit!”
Hearing this, Ouyang Bin’s face also darkened, and a flicker of menace flashed deep in his eyes.
Zhen Shuai quickly tried to mediate, laughing heartily and saying, “Alright, alright, Boss Ouyang, Zheng Xia, don’t take it to heart. Jiang Tian was just joking! Ouyang, you’re such a big shot, why bother getting upset with Jiang Tian? You know how he is—he just likes to joke around, same as me with my big mouth!”
Zheng Xia shot Jiang Tian a disdainful look and said contemptuously, “Look at the state you’re in now. What do you have to be so cocky about?” Then she twisted her sexy waist and went back to her seat.
Jiang Tian just smiled faintly and couldn’t be bothered with her.
Ouyang Bin looked a bit displeased, frowned, and said, “Jiang Tian, after all these years, you still haven’t changed that nasty temper of yours. Don’t forget, you’re not the crown prince of the Pharmaceutical King Group anymore. You need to know your place, got it?”
“Alright, Ouyang Bin, whether I’m doing well or not is none of your concern,” Jiang Tian said lazily with a smile.
Ouyang Bin was annoyed, but after being out in the world for so many years, he had developed some tact. He pushed his displeasure down, raised his glass, stood up, and said, “Okay, everyone. We’re pretty much all the kids from the county and government compounds who ended up in Jinling. It’s not easy being strangers in a new place, so from now on, we need to look out for each other and support one another. Let me say this: anytime any of you need my help, just ask, and I’ll do whatever I can.”
That was a nice speech, and everyone cheered in agreement. The waiters started bringing out the food, and the banquet was about to begin.
“Sorry I’m late!”
Just then, a soft, pleasant voice came from the entrance, and a graceful figure walked in.
It was a woman around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, tall, wearing a pinstriped shirt paired with a white little blazer and a black professional short skirt. The outfit accentuated her elegant curves perfectly—her chest was full, and her hips were shapely.
The soft light fell on her delicate, well-proportioned face. Her jade-like skin was translucent, smooth, and flawless. Her eyes sparkled like stars, and her eyebrows were as faint and beautiful as distant mountains. She was breathtakingly beautiful, the kind of person you couldn’t forget after just one look.
For a moment, all the men in the room stopped breathing, staring at her as if they had lost their souls.
Meanwhile, the women like Zheng Xia were filled with envy, jealousy, and a bit of inferiority.
“Mu Yunqing!”
Everyone exclaimed in surprise.
Back in the day, she had been the dream girl of many of the compound kids, and Jiang Tian—with his runny nose—was part of that adoring crowd.
Later, Mu Yunqing’s father was transferred to Jinling as the district party secretary, and she left the compound.
After attending Jinling University, she had developed quite well over the years. Her business had grown significantly—she’d invested in several innovative startups, controlled assets worth over a hundred million, and her company was a consulting firm serving big family-owned listed corporations. She could rub shoulders with top-tier young elites in Jinling, placing her on a completely different level from the rest of them.
So everyone was genuinely surprised that Mu Yunqing had shown up to their gathering.
“The goddess…”
In that moment, Ouyang Bin nearly drooled.
Compared to her, the few girls present, including Zheng Xia, looked like country chickens next to a peacock—utterly eclipsed.
Her poised, efficient, yet gentle and elegant aura as a strong, capable woman was especially captivating, making it impossible to look away.
At that moment, everyone’s eyes turned to Jiang Tian, because back then, he and she had been involved in some pretty big gossip.
Mu Yunqing hadn’t lived far from Jiang Tian’s house, and she used to love bossing him around and scolding him like an older sister, helping him with his homework.
Jiang Tian, who was in early middle school at the time, was completely infatuated with her and had written her a drawer full of love letters.
But Mu Yunqing, focused entirely on preparing for her college entrance exams, hadn’t even glanced at them. She’d handed them directly to her dad, the county party secretary. And he’d gone straight to Jiang Zhixing.
Jiang Zhixing was furious—he’d beaten Jiang Tian black and blue and chased him down two whole streets with a broom.
“Mu Jie, come sit over here!”
Ouyang Bin was so excited he jumped to his feet. None of the other guys dared to compete with him for the spot. Zhang Yulin, sitting next to him, obediently gave up his seat and found another empty one.
“I’ve really missed all you younger brothers and sisters from the compound. I hope you don’t mind me inviting myself,” Mu Yunqing said.
She had an imposing presence, looking every bit the capable businesswoman, but she also gave off a warm, approachable vibe as she cheerfully greeted everyone.
“Everyone, please stay seated. Make yourselves comfortable!”
She gently pushed Zhen Shuai aside, sat down next to Jiang Tian, gave him a long, deep look, and smiled. “Jiang Tian, how have you been lately?”
Seeing this, Ouyang Bin’s expression stiffened again. He thought gloomily, “No way, did Mu Yunqing come here just for Jiang Tian?”
“Just okay, drifting along.”
For a moment, Jiang Tian was also taken aback when he saw her, but his gaze quickly calmed, and he spoke expressionlessly.
Truth be told, seeing Mu Yunqing again brought back the embarrassing memories of how he used to be crazy about her and chase after her.
But the past is like the wind—it’s all gone now. He has Qing’er now, and his feelings about the past are completely still.
“Heh heh, Mu Jie, Jiang Tian just got back to Jinling. He’s working as a researcher in some crappy lab at the Pharmaceutical King Group, pulling in a huge salary of ten thousand a month!” Ouyang Bin said with a teasing laugh.
“Ouyang even offered him a job at his own company, but he turned it down. His standards are really high!”
“Maybe Jiang Tian still wants to take control of the Pharmaceutical King Group. After all, he is a direct descendant—there’s still hope!”
Everyone burst into laughter, their faces full of mockery.
Jiang Tian nodded calmly in response and said flatly to Mu Yunqing, “That’s right. Ouyang Bin has already given my report for me, so I won’t repeat it.”
Mu Yunqing smiled gracefully.
Once everyone changed the subject, she looked at Jiang Tian with a playful smile and said softly, “Jiang Tian, you’re keeping a low profile.”
“What do you mean, low profile?”
“Your mother has taken control of the Pharmaceutical King Group again. You’re the undisputed crown prince of the group now!”
“You’re pretty well-informed…” Jiang Tian said with a faint smile.
“In Jinling, there aren’t many things that can be hidden from me. Don’t try to keep secrets from your big sister, okay?”
Mu Yunqing took out her cardholder, pulled out a business card, and handed it to Jiang Tian, leaning close to his ear and whispering.
“Oh, Ruizhi Enterprise Consulting Company, Chairman…”
Jiang Tian’s expression didn’t change at all. He casually put the card in his pocket and said indifferently, “Heh, you got that info from my sister, didn’t you?”
“Hmph, you’re clever! Actually, Ziwei and I live next door to each other. When are you coming over to my place? I’ll cook for you. I live alone, so it’s very convenient.”
Mu Yunqing smiled radiantly, showing a hint of playful, girlish charm that was simply irresistible.
Jiang Tian gave a noncommittal smile.
Youth never returns. None of us are innocent anymore.
Last time in Ziwei Jie’s office, when she saw how cold and dismissive he was, it was because she didn’t know his mother had already taken control of the Pharmaceutical King Group.
Now that she’s heard the news from Ziwei Jie, she’s immediately come to cozy up and try to rekindle their old connection—nothing more than paving the way for the future, hoping to drum up some business.
“Don’t want to come to my place? Are you afraid I’ll eat you up, you little rascal?”
Mu Yunqing lowered her voice, a smile playing on her lips, and leaned close to Jiang Tian’s ear again.
Her fresh, minty breath wafted against Jiang Tian’s nose and ear—ticklish and pleasant, like the soft whispers between lovers, utterly enchanting.
