The Sick Beauty Gave Up Struggling

Advertisement

Translate by Hua

Xia Shu’an was pulled by Shen Boyan into the elevator. He wasn’t good at exercise and started panting after just a few steps. He held onto Shen Boyan’s wrist and leaned against the elevator with his back.

“Where are we going?” Their car was gone.

Shen Boyan calmly pressed the elevator button and said, “Today is Friday.”

“So?”

“So we’re not going home tonight.”

“…..”

Arriving downstairs, Shen Boyan casually stopped a passing car and directly said, “Go to the nearest hotel, the most upscale.”

It’s hard to pinpoint the most upscale hotel, but there are still plenty of upscale hotels nearby. The two of them could barely maintain their pace when they went upstairs. As soon as they entered the door and closed it, Xia Shu’an was led by Shen Boyan, stumbling towards the bedroom.

Shen Boyan didn’t even have time to take the person to bed. When he passed by the living room, he pushed Xia Shu’an down on the sofa, quickly took off their coats and threw them aside, and kissed Xia Shu’an.

Xia Shu’an fell into a state of confusion. He always felt that it was still early, and abandoning Yun Qingyi made him feel guilty. However, Shen Boyan’s kiss and his scent were too seductive, and he involuntarily let go of his body, his brain like mud stirred into a vat.

He didn’t know how much time had passed since they entered the room. In a daze, he heard a cell phone ringing.

Advertisement

“Phone……”

“Don’t worry about it.” The man’s voice was domineering.

“…But, it keeps ringing.”

“Don’t worry.”

……

Outside the window, the rain stopped at some point, the moon and stars were sparse, and the sky looked like a black stone reflecting white light.

The ringtone pierced the silent room, and this time, Xia Shu’an finally picked up.

The first thing the woman said was, “Are you guys done?”

Advertisement

“……for the time being.”

“I’m home too.” Yun Qingyi stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of the hotel’s executive suite, looking at a corner of the city from a forty-story building.

“I’m going back tomorrow.”

Xia Shu’an was surprised: “So fast?”

“I originally came here to talk about marriage. Now that I have nothing to do, I naturally have to go back.”

“…Then shall I see you off tomorrow?”

“That’s not necessary.” Yun Qingyi snorted in cold humor, “Shen Boyan will be unhappy, right?”

Xia Shu’an: “…”

It’s really hard for me to tell right now if you guys are really upset or if you’re just pretending.

The topic became slightly colder at this point, and the silence of these few seconds seemed even more empty in the late winter night. After a while, a hoarse male voice took the lead: “Then you…” Xia Shu’an said, “Will you continue to find someone else to marry?”

Advertisement

“Yes.” Yun Qingyi answered without hesitation. “I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and accept Shen Boyan’s reluctance to join forces with me, but I don’t think I can love someone so much. For me, genuine benefits are more useful than ‘true love’, which, ironically, no one knows whether it’s true.”

Xia Shu’an was silent.

There are so many people in this world who are in love, and so many people who are breaking up. Not every love will reach its destiny, and in terms of probability, the one that lasts from the beginning is the one with the smallest percentage. Even for many people, perhaps loving someone is just the crooked path they accidentally take and will soon correct.

“But …maybe I’ll change direction a bit. I was watching a variety show recently, and there was a guy who told jokes in a kind of funny way that would make me want to laugh. Maybe I can find someone who can be both helpful and make me want to laugh.”

Xia Shu’an said sincerely, “I hope you can find that person.”

“Okay, enough of that; I don’t want to be complained about by someone.”

Running away during dinner—what a childish ghost!

After saying that, she hung up the phone. Xia Shu’an looked at the phone that returned to the homepage in confusion, shook his head, threw down the phone, wrapped himself in a blanket, and staggered into the bed like a caterpillar.

His face was pressed against the soft sheets, soothing his body and mind like cool marshmallows.

Wow, it’s cool and so comfortable.

On the other end, Yun Qingyi still held the mobile phone in her hand and quickly called up another phone number. After two rings, the phone was picked up.

“Sheng Songbai, I won’t tell Shen Boyan about what you asked me to do, but don’t try to use me again, just this once.”

There was silence on the other end of the line for two seconds before a voice came: “I understand.”

Yun Qingyi hung up the call, looked at another phone on the other side that still showed a call in progress, picked it up, and said, “You heard that?”

“I did.”

Advertisement

Shen Boyan’s voice was calm and steady, and he said without hesitation, “I will invite Yun Company to join the development project of Zhongke Science and Technology City, and I will name you to be in charge of it.”

Yun Qingyi said with satisfaction, “You’re welcome.”

Both of them are experienced in negotiation. There’s no need to say goodbye at this time, and it’s not known which party cut off the phone first, but both mobile phones returned to silence. Yun Qingyi lifted her eyes and looked out the window.

She promised Sheng Songbai not to “tell” Shen Boyan, but if Shen Boyan heard the conversation himself, it would have nothing to do with her.

The late-night wind breathed in through the crack of the open door and was cut off the next second. Shen Boyan closed the balcony and walked slowly into the room.

Xia Shu’an wrapped himself in a quilt and lay on his side. His lips were still a little red, and the corners of his eyes were filled with moisture. The color at the ends of his eyes was slightly darker, as if someone had lightly rubbed them with their fingertips.

Xia Shu’an heard the movement and lazily opened his eyes, his black hair cascading on the snow-white pillow.

“What calls have to be made outside? You can make calls inside.”

“It’s okay, it’s over.”

Shen Boyan leaned down, and Xia Shu’an naturally parted his lips to accept the kiss.

…….

……..

After seeing off Yun Qingyi, Shen Boyan and Xia Shu’an lived a peaceful life for a few more days.

Because of the establishment of the new project, the supervisor was so happy that he paid bonuses to their group in advance. Xia Shu’an basically has no place to spend money now. His parents don’t want his money either. Shen Boyan pays for everything at home, and he also has a car for commuting to and from work. He doesn’t like shopping and has no other way to spend money except eating.

He heard his senior sister talking about buying a gift for her boyfriend. After thinking about it, he decided to use the money on gifts. In addition to giving it to his parents and Shen Boyan, he also planned to send a small gift to Yun Qingyi. Of course, he couldn’t say this to Shen Boyan.

This is a white lie.

The clock hand was pointing towards almost closing time again, and Xia Shu’an began to organize all the data and put the documents in their place.

A sigh came from the isolated table.

Xia Shu’an turned around. “What’s wrong?”

The senior sister was lying on the table with a despondent look on her face.

“The milk factory I grew up drinking is going to close down.”

“Where can I buy milk from now on?”

“It’s not that deep.” A passing senior said, “It’s just milk. You can buy it online.”

“It’s not the same; this milk is especially good, creamy and thick, different from others.”

“Really?” After saying this, the senior became interested: “Then how come it’s going out of business? Shouldn’t good-quality products do better and better?”

The senior sister glanced at him sideways and said, “What era is this? There’s no such thing as quality first these days. The milk from this dairy factory is good, but its operation cannot keep up. They are mostly bought by local and old customers, and the online sales are also very few. Most people nowadays are accustomed to buying online, which is full of advertisements from big brands, so a conscientious enterprise that only locals know will not be able to continue.”

“That’s true; this is what the modern economy is like.”

Xia Shu’an was packing his things while listening. He vaguely felt that the conversation sounded familiar, so he asked, “Which milk is it?”

“Zhenhaowei1Excellent flavor Milk.”

This ancient term slowly revived in Xia Shu’an’s memory. In his previous life, it also suffered such a disaster. At that time, it was poorly managed and was acquired by the Gu family. He thought it could be brought back to life. Unexpectedly, in less than two months, it was revealed that prohibited additives were added to milk.

The credibility of this old brand in the hearts of local people has plummeted to the point of a true end.

Xia Shu’an had also been despondent over this matter for a while in his previous life, so when he heard about it again, he couldn’t help but feel a little emotional.

It would be nice if it wasn’t sold to Gu.

However, this matter is not something he can decide. He can only listen to it. The closer it gets to the New Year, the busier Shen Boyan becomes. He hasn’t gone home for dinner this week, and today is no exception. The only benefit to Xia Shu’an from this is that he can go shopping, prepare a gift secretly, and give it to him during Christmas.

After entering the night, the weather dropped a few degrees more than during the day. Xia Shu’an walked alone on the street, surrounded by pedestrians. The aroma of food wafted out from the cracks in the open shop doors. He didn’t feel lonely, but he found it a rare moment of leisure.

The phone in his jacket pocket vibrated. Xia Shu’an took out the phone and looked slightly surprised for the next second.

“Hello.”

“Hey, Xiao Shu, do you have time? Can we meet up this evening?”

…….

Xia Shu’an and Chen Fei made an appointment at a one-person, one-pot hot pot restaurant in the city center. Xia Shu’an arrived first, and Chen Fei arrived five minutes later.

The two had been neighbors for more than ten years, but it was the first time they had eaten alone. This feeling is very novel. Xia Shu’an watched her hang her coat on a hanger. She was also wearing a close-fitting sweater and a cashmere skirt underneath, a very streamlined urban white-collar style.

Xia Shu’an was surprised when he received her call. He didn’t mince words and asked, “Sister Fei, what do you want to see me for?”

“There is one thing.” A neighbor for many years, Chen Fei, was not willing to play mind games with him; she said, “Do you know ‘Zhenhaowei’ milk?”

Hearing this name twice in one day, Xia Shu’an nodded unconsciously: “I know.”

“That’s good.” Chen Fei smiled and said, “Due to poor management, the Zhenhaowei Milk Factory decided to sell the factory. Due to my work relationship, I often cooperated with this company for a period of time and got to know their boss.”

“The boss is currently considering which company to sell the factory to. They are interested in contacting Gu, but to be honest, Gu’s development has not been good in recent years, and their company is not…”

She used one word euphemistically: “Not very disciplined.”

The Gu family thought they were a big local company. From the boss to the company’s top brass, their egos are very inflated. They’re arrogant and impetuous in their work. Because of this, Shen Boyan seized the opportunity and bit off a large piece of meat—which he’s still chewing—in one go.

Xia Shu’an had a vague suspicion: “So, Sister Fei, you are looking for me…”

“I think Wenhui Group, which recently settled in Rongchuan, is a better choice than Gu. I know that Wenhui also has a food company with well-established sales channels. And the most important thing is that Wenhui is in a period of prosperous development, which is much better than the current situation of Gu’s decline. I want the owner of Zhenhaowei to sell the factory to Wenhui.”

Her idea is very good, but—

“But you’re not sure whether Wenhui is willing to buy the milk factory?”

“Yes.” Chen Fei sighed: “Wenhui is so big now. Everyone knows that it has good prospects and wants to get involved with it. What does a small milk factory count?”

“I understand what you mean.” Xia Shu’an said, “You want me to come forward and propose this matter to Shen Boyan, right?”

“I’m not asking you to convince President Shen to buy the milk factory, but can you do me a favor and let him take the time to meet with the owner of the milk factory?”

“The owner of the milk factory is old and just wants stability. He wants a conscientious boss to buy his factory and treat his employees well so that they can continue to work in their original positions. He doesn’t know Wenhui or President Shen and is worried that an outsider will treat the company as they please.”

“I want them to meet and give both sides a chance.”

…….

……..

On the way back, it started to rain for some reason. Fortunately, Xia Shu’an had already entered the house, so the aunties were no longer worried about the risk of him catching a cold.

Sister Fei’s words were still lingering in his mind.

“I was still very young at that time, and my family didn’t have much money. From that time on, this milk factory provided us with milk at a low price. Most people always have a sentiment from their childhood. I really can’t bear to see them die.”

“Xiao Shu, if you are willing to help, please help them. If it doesn’t work, don’t force it. Whether it succeeds or not is their business.”

“…”

“Aunt Qiao—”

Aunt Qiao walked by carrying a basin of water and responded, “What’s the matter, sir?”

Xia Shu’an took off his coat and said, “What brand of milk do we drink?”

“It seems to be ‘Annon’; it’s a big brand, don’t worry.”

“That’s right. Have you ever heard of ‘Zhenhaowei’?”

“Of course!” Aunt Qiao said immediately, “My children drank this when they were young. It tastes very good. But this brand is too old, and only the locals know it. We dare not use this.”

After all, in their opinion, local brands always have the limitations of local brands, and surely it’s the big, nationally known brands that come with peace of mind.

Xia Shu’an thought about her words and said, “I understand. Thank you, Aunt Qiao.”

He changed his shoes and went upstairs. After taking a shower, he put on pure cotton pajamas, draped a blanket, and settled on the sofa to watch a movie.

Shen Boyan didn’t come home until after ten o’clock. Usually Xia Shu’an was almost asleep at this time, but today he relied on perseverance to hold on.

A palm softly gripped the door handle and pushed it open like a gentleman.

After seeing the bright light in the room, the man said “Oh”, stretched the muscles on his back, and walked in naturally with his long legs in black suit pants.

“Why are you still awake today?”

“Well, because something big happened.”

“What’s the big deal?” He threw the coat on his arm onto the sofa.

Xia Shu’an: “The milk factory I love to drink is going to close down.”

Shen Boyan turned around and said, “Oh, this is really a big deal.”

1Excellent flavor