“I’m not here to borrow money,” Ye Shaohua said, placing a bank card on the table. “I still owe you a bit, but I’ll pay it back as soon as possible.”
Liu Yizhou was momentarily stunned when he saw the card.
However, before he could process it, his phone on the table rang.
After answering the call, he abruptly stood up from his chair. For the first time, the usually composed and shrewd Liu Yizhou showed genuine shock, his mask of calm completely gone.
Then, Yu Zhehan walked into the private room and whispered a few words into Liu Yizhou’s ear. Finally, Liu Yizhou snapped out of his daze.
“She… she’s back?” He slumped back into his chair, looking utterly lost.
Yu Zhehan nodded, glancing at Ye Shaohua before lowering his voice. “Yi Xian has seen her. She even organized a high school reunion just for this. You should seize the opportunity.”
At this point, Yu Zhehan paused, then added, “And you need to handle that other person properly. She can’t meet Yijun. Who knows what might happen if she does? If something goes wrong, it’ll be too late for regrets.”
Liu Yizhou’s mind was now completely occupied by Zhao Yijun. He didn’t have the capacity to care about anyone else.
He grabbed his coat and hurried out.
From beginning to end, he didn’t spare a single glance at Ye Shaohua, who was standing nearby, nor did he take the bank card she had placed on the table.
Yu Zhehan watched her standing alone in the corner, looking somewhat lost. He had initially planned to leave, but for some reason, he found himself stopping in his tracks when he caught sight of her calm, slightly cold profile.
“This is how this circle is,” he said with a shrug. “Don’t take yourself too seriously. Leave now while you still can, and at least you’ll leave a good impression in Yizhou’s heart.”
Ye Shaohua picked up the card Liu Yizhou had ignored and looked at Yu Zhehan. “Don’t I even have the right to ask why? He’s my boyfriend. Don’t I deserve to know why I have to leave him?”
This question made Yu Zhehan pause, the cigarette in his hand momentarily still.
He looked into the girl’s clear eyes, so unlike the complexity he was used to seeing in their social circle.
“Boyfriend? You think you two were in a relationship?” Yu Zhehan almost laughed when he saw the naive nod from the girl in front of him.
“Then why do you think he gave you two hundred thousand?” Yu Zhehan took a drag from his cigarette. “Or do you think you’re worth that much?”
Ye Shaohua pursed her lips and nodded. “I see. I understand now.”
With that, she turned and walked out.
The moment she turned around, the sorrow on her face vanished, replaced by a sharp glint in her downcast eyes.
At that moment, her phone rang. It was the manager from the investment firm.
“Miss Ye, do you have some time right now?” The manager, a somewhat well-known figure in the investment circle, was often referred to as the “Golden Calculator.” Many people lined up to hire him to manage their assets.
Over the years, the funds that had passed through his hands had reached billions.
“What is it?” Ye Shaohua had recently stopped taking on other part-time jobs and had instead taken on a role at the investment firm, helping clients manage their finances.
Thanks to her unique insights, the manager had entrusted her with a major project involving 20 million in funds.
So far, the funds had been flowing smoothly, and they had already made a profit of 5 million. At a 5% commission, they stood to earn over a hundred thousand.
The managers working with her were thoroughly impressed, secretly speculating that she might be a financial prodigy from some prestigious foreign university. Now, they wanted to collaborate with her on another major project.
“Fenghua Group?” Ye Shaohua narrowed her eyes. She had seen this company’s name in the plot—it was Yongteng Group’s domestic competitor. “Set up a time, and we’ll discuss it further.”
In terms of assets, Fenghua Group was much larger than Yongteng Group.
To put it simply, while Liu Yizhou could wield significant influence in the capital’s business circle, Fenghua Group had a presence even in the U.S. It was one of the earliest Chinese companies to expand internationally, and its contribution to GDP far surpassed that of Yongteng Group.
This time, Fenghua Group’s financial operators had taken notice of Ye Shaohua’s ability to generate short-term returns and had reached out to the manager through him.
**
“Shaohua, have you noticed Manager Zhao looking at you?” The dorm leader whispered to Ye Shaohua the next day at work, as they both stood by the printer, waiting for their documents.
Ye Shaohua knew that Zhao Yijun must have become aware of her existence by now, but she remained calm on the surface. She handed the printed documents to the dorm leader and said, “What are you thinking? Why would she be looking at a newbie like me?”
The dorm leader thought about it and agreed. Ye Shaohua and Manager Zhao were worlds apart.
She must have been overthinking it.
“Manager Zhao, do you know Shaohua?” The HR director, noticing Zhao Yijun’s repeated glances toward Ye Shaohua, couldn’t help but ask.
This time, Zhao Yijun didn’t deny it. She just smiled meaningfully. “I just happen to know a few things about her.”
Although she was her substitute, the one Liu Yizhou had chosen was too low-tier—just a small intern. It seemed Liu Yizhou hadn’t paid much attention to her either, not even letting her step foot into Yongteng.
The HR director took note of Zhao Yijun’s expression and glanced in Ye Shaohua’s direction, mentally marking this new young employee.
Zhao Yijun was different from the regular employees. She was a special consultant and didn’t even need to clock in. Coming late and leaving early were routine for her, and no one in the company dared to say a word. After all, as a big shot, she had that privilege.
Today, she left early again, not for any other reason but to attend a high school reunion.
“Only the school belle could have such influence,” Yi Xian had invited those who had done well after high school. One of the girls winked at Zhao Yijun. “You know, it’s been seven years since we graduated, and President Liu has never attended a single reunion. But the moment you’re back, he shows up.”
All the classmates knew about their past. Back then, Liu Yizhou had pursued Zhao Yijun with such grand gestures that even the principal had been stirred.
No one could have guessed that the once reckless young master of the Liu family would turn out to be such a devoted lover.
Even more surprising was how he had turned the faltering Liu family into what it was today. Truly, life was unpredictable.
Everyone knew Liu Yizhou had come for Zhao Yijun, so they discreetly gave the two some space.
“President Liu, Miss Ye, I didn’t expect to see you two here…” Just as Liu Yizhou was about to speak, a slightly overweight middle-aged man approached them with a look of pleasant surprise.
