Chapter 141 — Old Buffon's Origins

"Hate me?" Shu Haikuo started, alarmed. "Xiao Ya, what's going on? Is this Yang Cheyan some enemy of mine? How come I don't remember?"

"Enemy is perhaps too strong a word, but that agency you want—I'm afraid it's a long shot," Shu Ya said faintly.

"What do you mean? What exactly is going on? Xiao Ya, you'd better explain clearly!" Shu Haikuo was badly startled. "Don't scare me!"

To be continued.

672. The Two Women Meet

"Have you ever looked into what this group's predecessor was?" Shu Ya glanced at her father, then asked.

"Its predecessor was the Songjiang Bus Factory—so what? I never had any dealings with them before either," Shu Haikuo said, puzzled.

"Yes, the Songjiang Bus Factory. Weren't you rather contemptuous of its workers back then?" Shu Ya frowned, her tone not without sarcasm.

Shu Ya had come to loathe her father's snobbish, opportunistic nature. When he needed someone, he'd greet them with a smiling face and curry favor; when he didn't, he'd ignore them entirely—or even mock them with biting sarcasm.

"Contemptuous of its workers? When did I—oh, you mean that Yang Ce," Shu Haikuo said, the truth dawning on him.

"So you remember," Shu Ya said flatly.

"I remember. You really hold grudges, Xiaoya—how many years has it been, and you still remember." Shu Haikuo shook his head. "Settling old scores with me at a time like this, are you?"

"It's not that I hold grudges. I'm saying that Uncle Yang probably does," Shu Ya said—and for some reason, saying it gave her a secret thrill of satisfaction.

"Uncle Yang? What do you mean?" Shu Haikuo froze, then his gaze settled on the computer monitor before him. Somewhat startled, he said, "Don't tell me, Xiaoya—you mean this Yang Cheyan is the father of that Yang Ce kid?"

"His father is definitely named that. Whether it's the same person I can't say for certain, but it's probably nine chances out of ten," Shu Ya said. A sudden, inexplicable glee welled up in her heart—and why? Because it gave Yang Ce a chance to get even, right to her father's face.

Come to think of it, why would she side with Yang Ce? The man before her was her own father! Shu Ya found it strange herself, yet seeing her father somewhat deflated made her simply happy. Who told him to be so snobbish back then?

"What? It really is him?" Shu Haikuo's eyes went wide. He stared carefully at Yang Cheyan's photo on the screen for a long while before saying, "No wonder he looked so familiar. So it's him."

"Now you're the one asking him for help—let's see what you do," Shu Ya said with a curl of her lip.

"I... Xiaoya, weren't you going to go see him? Look—if it really is his father, could you put in a word for me?" Shu Haikuo asked after a moment's hesitation.

"I'm not getting involved in this," Shu Ya said with a shake of her head. "You're the one who said it—I don't even know what Yang Ce is like now. He might already have a girlfriend. What use would it be for me to go?"

Shu Haikuo was instantly embarrassed. "This... ah, who could have imagined that a mere worker back then could now be the chairman of a group?"

"Dad, you really ought to cure yourself of this habit of always looking down on people. Were you born rich?" Shu Ya shook her head. "If it didn't involve Yang Ce, I could put in a word for you, but as it stands, I really can't help."

"Forget it. I suppose I've only myself to blame," Shu Haikuo said with a helpless shake of his head.

Though Yang Ce was there with her, Xiao Qing was still nervous when she called the other party. She said cautiously, "Can I bring someone with me? There are some things I'd like to make clear to you."

The other party was clearly taken aback by Xiao Qing's words, then said, "Sure, no problem."

Xiao Qing hadn't expected such a ready agreement, and for a moment she couldn't quite make sense of it. She told Yang Ce about it, and he didn't pay it much mind. What the other party's attitude was, Yang Ce couldn't be bothered with—but if she dared try to take Xiao Qing from him, then whether she was a man or a woman, Yang Ce would give her no quarter.

If talking nicely didn't work, then he'd play rough—who was afraid of whom? The Yang Ce of today, backed to the hilt by the Sun family, could call the shots anywhere in the province.

At nine on Saturday morning, Yang Ce accompanied Xiao Qing to the agreed location—a quiet little coffee shop, just the right place to discuss matters. To avoid being recognized, Xiao Qing wore a large pair of sunglasses, and since Yang Ce was with her, naturally he had to disguise himself a bit too.

Yang Ce and Xiao Qing were punctual, but the other party seemed to have arrived even earlier. She must have had the same idea as Xiao Qing—to avoid suspicion, she too wore a large pair of sunglasses that covered the entire area around her eyes.

Though such a disguise was useless against Yang Ce's special ability, he hadn't sunk to the point of peering at every person he met with it just to see their face, so he didn't pay attention to the other's appearance.

He plopped down casually across from her, then put an arm intimately around Xiao Qing's shoulders, declaring his sovereignty.

"Let me introduce you first—this is my boyfriend." Xiao Qing hesitated a moment, then said, "I'm sorry, I already have a boyfriend."

"Oh?" The other party was clearly stunned—she hadn't expected Xiao Qing to actually have a boyfriend. Moreover, judging by the pair's actions and demeanor, they seemed to have misunderstood her original intent. For a moment she was caught between laughter and tears. Her reason for asking Xiao Qing out had been to dissolve the awkwardness between them, but they clearly thought she meant to keep pestering Xiao Qing. Only—the man across from her looked rather familiar. It was just that the sunglasses were too large, covering half his face, making him hard to identify.

"Ahem." Yang Ce had no time to waste, nor any patience for beating around the bush with the visitor, so he said bluntly, "Listen here, you lesbian—my wife has made herself very clear to you. From now on, stop pestering her, or don't blame me for being unkind. I don't care whether you like women or whatever else—if you push me too far, I'll screw you over just the same."

"Yang Ce, what nonsense are you spouting?" Xiao Qing glared at him with a wry smile. After all, she and the other woman had once shared the same plight. Even if something beyond friendship had happened between them, they were still fairly close—saying that was really a bit too harsh.

The other party had already begun to grow suspicious the moment she heard Yang Ce's voice, and when Xiao Qing spoke his name, she couldn't help but let out a startled "Ah!" and cry, "You—" But she promptly shut her mouth and pretended nothing had happened.

Still, that single word "you" was enough to make Yang Ce suspicious. He raised his head warily, and through the other's sunglasses, used his ability to look—and no sooner had he looked than he nearly leaped out of his chair.

Good heavens above, it couldn't be such a coincidence, could it? Sun Jie—it was actually Sun Jie! Yang Ce took off his own sunglasses; he knew Sun Jie had recognized him anyway, so there was no use pretending further.

"All right, enough with the disguises. We're all friends here—take off the glasses and let's have a proper talk," Yang Ce said, forcing down his laughter and putting on a serious face.

"Yang Ce, what are you doing?" Xiao Qing, however, was somewhat at a loss, looking at Yang Ce in confusion.

"Ah." Seeing Yang Ce's movement, Sun Jie could hardly fail to realize he had recognized her. So she took off her sunglasses as well, and looking at Yang Ce with some embarrassment, she sighed. "Yang Ce, your girlfriend—"

"Which one are you asking about?" Yang Ce looked at Sun Jie with a half-smile.

"Which one? How many do you have?" Sun Jie said, taken aback.

"You, and her—that makes two, doesn't it?" Yang Ce said. "What a coincidence this is."