Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Linji and Jianghai As soon as these words fell, silence enveloped the surroundings once again. Lin Meiyan felt somewhat embarrassed. Unlike Yu Jianghai, who rarely came here, these people at the kindergarten gate were all acquaintances of hers. Xiaomin's cry of "Daddy" meant she couldn't clear her name even if she jumped into the Yellow River. Fortunately, Qiaoqiao was quick-witted and immediately retorted to Xiaomin, "This is my Uncle Yu." "He's not my daddy." Her voice was quite loud, so much so that everyone could hear it. Lin Meiyan breathed a slight sigh of relief, but Yu Jianghai remained calm and composed, his expression unreadable. Lin Meiyan walked over in a few quick steps, took Qiaoqiao from Teacher Li's hands, and then said to Teacher Li, "I'm sorry I'm late. Thank you for taking care of our Qiaoqiao today." Teacher Li waved her hand. "It's no problem." Then, her gaze swept back and forth between Lin Meiyan and Yu Jianghai. Teachers gossip too. Teacher Li was no exception. She winked ambiguously at Lin Meiyan. "Qiaoqiao's mom, I'll hand Qiaoqiao over to you now." Lin Meiyan couldn't bear such a look. Her delicate face flushed slightly pink as she quickly led Qiaoqiao away from the kindergarten. But as soon as she left, the remaining parents around exploded into chatter. "Is that Qiaoqiao's mom's boyfriend?" "He looks a bit familiar to me." "Me too, especially that car. I feel like I've seen it somewhere before." "Oh right! Isn't that the car that came to our Simenkou Youeryuan last time, saying they were from Jianghai Dicai and were going to demolish our kindergarten?" "Then was that person just now Secretary Shen?" "No, not Secretary Shen. Secretary Shen is a smiling tiger. Did that man just now look like a smiling tiger to you?" "Not really. He was quite handsome, but too fierce. After he arrived, I didn't dare look at him." "I felt like just one glance at him would be a crime." "That said, that man has such a strong presence. He's clearly not an ordinary person. Do you know who he is?" "He seems to be the boss of Jianghai Dicai." As soon as these words fell, the kindergarten gate fell silent instantly. "That can't be right? Why would the boss of Jianghai Dicai show up here? And he's even escorting Qiaoqiao's mom to pick up her child from school?" That was indeed a good question. Everyone exchanged bewildered looks. Finally, Xiaomin's Mother came to a conclusion. Having fallen in love with Qiong Yao dramas over the past two years, her imagination ran wild. "Could it be that the boss of Jianghai Dicai is pursuing Qiaoqiao's mom?" Before she even finished speaking, someone rebutted her. "How is that possible? Everyone knows the boss of Jianghai Dicai is an eligible bachelor. What kind of woman couldn't he get? Would he come pursuing a single mother with a child of unknown paternity?" "Isn't that a joke?" Xiaomin's Mother had a good relationship with Lin Meiyan, and she didn't like hearing that. She immediately became displeased. "Why couldn't it be possible? With Qiaoqiao's mom's looks and figure, I'd even believe it if you said the mayor of Jiangcheng Shi was pursuing her." Someone scoffed. They thought Xiaomin's Mother was being fanciful. Xiaomin's Mother muttered, "I just think the two of them look great together. Standing side by side, they're a perfect match—handsome man, beautiful woman." Unfortunately, no one agreed with that. Xiaomin also chimed in, "That's right, that's right." "Qiaoqiao's mom is so pretty, and that uncle is so handsome too." Speaking of which, she clutched her chest with a dreamy expression. "I wish that uncle were my daddy." The moment she said that, Xiaomin's Mother was scared half to death. She instinctively grabbed Xiaomin's ear. "You sure dare to dream big." "Even your mom doesn't dare to think of a man like that as my husband." Xiaomin clicked her tongue. "No ambition." "I dare to think of him as my daddy." Because her mom didn't dare to think it, that was why she didn't have such a handsome daddy. After Lin Meiyan picked up Qiaoqiao, Qiaoqiao's big sparkling eyes swept back and forth between her and Yu Jianghai. Clearly, Qiaoqiao, as the person involved, was also very puzzled. Didn't Mom usually not like Uncle Yu? Why was she here with Uncle Yu to pick her up from school? Something was very off. Lin Meiyan felt uncomfortable under her daughter's searchlight-like gaze. She tugged at her clothes to compose herself before speaking. "I went to Jianghai Dicai today and discussed the Linji renovation with your Uncle Yu and Uncle Shen. It ran a bit late, and I really couldn't make it in time, so your Uncle Yu drove me to pick you up from school." Qiaoqiao let out an "Oh" and her attention was instantly diverted. "So did the Linji renovation get settled?" That was the key point. Lin Meiyan nodded. "Your Uncle Yu gave me a design drawing, and I was very satisfied with it, so I plan to use Jianghai Dicai for our Linji renovation." Qiaoqiao blinked her big eyes and instinctively looked at Yu Jianghai. Yu Jianghai gave an almost imperceptible nod. Qiaoqiao immediately understood. It seemed the drawing she designed had worked, but that secret was known only to her and Uncle Yu. If Qiaoqiao had a tail, it would definitely be wagging high in the air right now. She said happily, "Mom, just trust Uncle Yu. He'll definitely renovate Linji beautifully." Lin Meiyan didn't understand where her daughter's confidence came from. She glanced up at Yu Jianghai, then said in a low voice, "Your Uncle Yu is the boss of Jianghai Dicai. How would he renovate a shop like Linji?" "I just signed a contract with Jianghai Dicai. When the time comes, Jianghai Dicai will send people from their renovation department to renovate Linji for us, right, President Yu?" As she said this, she looked up at Yu Jianghai, hoping for a response. Lin Meiyan had a pair of extremely beautiful eyes—the almond-shaped kind, with upturned corners, clear, moist, and bright. Clean to the very bone. Even after all these years, her big eyes seemed not to have changed at all. Yu Jianghai was momentarily dazed, then he nodded. "That's right." His voice was cool and distant. Qiaoqiao was a little disappointed, and it looked like she was about to keep pressing Yu Jianghai for more. Lin Meiyan promptly cut her off, directly taking her leave of Yu Jianghai. "Thank you, President Yu, for driving me to pick up my daughter." The moment she opened her mouth, it was "President Yu," cleanly drawing the line between their relationship and distance. Yu Jianghai's gaze darkened a little. He tugged at the corner of his mouth, picked up his car keys, and turned to leave. Once he was gone, Lin Meiyan let out a slight sigh of relief. But Qiaoqiao felt something was off. "Mom, Uncle Yu seems angry." "No, he isn't." Lin Meiyan's features were soft and gentle, but her words were decisive. "You're seeing things. Your Uncle Yu isn't the type to get angry so easily." Yeah, right. Back when they were on the island, Yu Jianghai was always getting angry like that. Every time, Lin Meiyan thought he was being unreasonable, but in the end, she never bothered to soothe him. Anyway, he'd get over it on his own. Lin Meiyan lumped Yu Jianghai's behavior together as menopause—it was just that Yu Jianghai's menopause came earlier than most people's. Qiaoqiao looked at Lin Meiyan suspiciously. Lin Meiyan covered her eyes. "Alright, time to go home." Qiaoqiao felt something was off, but since her mother wouldn't say, she let it go. Because of the renovation work, Linji had been opening and closing sporadically over the past few days. Lin Meiyan couldn't be in two places at once, and in the end, she simply closed up shop. She didn't take Qiaoqiao to Linji either, but went straight back to the Gu family home. Ye Qiuju was cooking in the hallway. Hearing the sound, she poked her head out to look. "Meiyan, did you find someone for the renovation?" They all knew that Lin Meiyan had been going out early and coming back late these past few days, looking for a unit to renovate Linji. Lin Meiyan nodded. She washed her hands and came over to help serve the dishes. At the dinner table, she finally said, "I've found someone for the Linji renovation. It should start within the next couple of days." Gu Kaihua was a little surprised. "You found someone? Didn't you say before that there was no suitable unit willing to take it on?" Lin Meiyan lowered her head to eat, and only after a while did she say quietly, "I found someone through an acquaintance. They introduced me to a suitable unit." She didn't mention Jianghai Dicai, and Lin Meiyan didn't know why. She just felt that the longer she could keep it a secret, the better—so her uncle wouldn't start asking all sorts of questions. Gu Kaihua was worried that his niece might be scammed, and he wanted to ask more, but Ye Qiuju kicked him under the table. Gu Kaihua frowned. "Who kicked me?" "Did a mouse get into the house? It bit my foot." Ye Qiuju, "..." Ye Qiuju didn't want to deal with her old fool of a husband. She proactively changed the subject. "By the way, Meiyan, about that suitable match I was supposed to find for you—I've been looking around these past few days." At the mention of finding a match, the whole family turned to look. Lin Meiyan's expression didn't change. She listened attentively. "Here's what I think," Ye Qiuju said. "I looked through a bunch of candidates and none of them were good enough. I was thinking that once you get Linji up and running and have a big house, I'll find you a new match then." As for those current losers—let them go to hell. Looking like three-inch dwarfs, and still daring to covet their Meiyan. What a case of a toad lusting after swan meat. Hearing this, Lin Meiyan breathed a sigh of relief. She nodded. "I was thinking the same thing. With the new Linji about to open and the old Linji needing renovation, I really don't have time to go on blind dates." At the very least, let her get through the next few months before bringing up the matter of dating. Her thoughts almost perfectly aligned with Ye Qiuju's. "I agree with your thinking. You have no idea how realistic people are about blind dates these days." "They don't care about character—instead they ask about parents, education, jobs, and all sorts of nonsense." It's nothing like the simplicity of the old days, when you'd meet someone in the morning and get your marriage certificate in the afternoon. Not like now. Lin Meiyan frowned as she bit into a green bean. She was thoroughly sick of eating them—for a whole month now, the green beans at home hadn't changed. Seeing her look of deep suffering, Ye Qiuju couldn't help but laugh. Her niece was usually as mature as an adult, but when it came to food, she was a bit picky. She couldn't help but say, "Just hold on a little longer. Once we finish this month's supply, the green beans will be done." "By then, the eggplants and loofahs will be up." Lin Meiyan, "..." She didn't want to participate in this topic. Gu Kaihua hadn't forgotten about the renovation yet. "Do you need help with the renovation over there? I'm not busy at work lately—should I come by after work and keep an eye on things for you?" Lin Meiyan looked up, somewhat taken aback. She shook her head and only spoke after a moment. "I don't know the situation yet either. They said everything was contracted out to the other party. I'll only know the details once I meet them." "Uncle, if I need help, I'll definitely let you know." Gu Kaihua let it go at that, but when he went to bed that night, he couldn't help feeling jealous with his wife. "Meiyan doesn't consider me her closest person anymore. She's hiding things from me and keeping secrets." Ye Qiuju turned over. "That's perfectly normal. You don't consider me your closest person either." The moment those words landed, Gu Kaihua jumped up from the bed. "Nonsense! How have I not considered you my closest person?" Ye Qiuju sneered. "Then what are you hiding under the foot of the bed?" At that, Gu Kaihua fell silent instantly, even stammering a little. "Everyone has their little secrets, don't they? Can't I have one?" That was no little secret—that was clearly his hidden stash of money! Ye Qiuju threw his words back at him. "Right, everyone has their little secrets. So why can't Meiyan have her own secrets? Why does she have to tell you everything?" Gu Kaihua muttered, "Is that the same thing?" Before he could finish, Ye Qiuju kicked him. "Yanyan is twenty-nine this year, not nineteen. It's perfectly normal for her to have her own little secrets." "Gu Kaihua, if you ever act this brainless and pry into things again, I'll crack your skull open and see what's inside!" "Love." "What?" Gu Kaihua said with conviction, "Love." "What else could be in my skull besides my love for you?" Ye Qiuju, "..." Forget it, she wouldn't bother arguing with her silly husband. On July 6th, the lease for Linji officially expired. Early that morning, Lin Meiyan put up a notice board in front of Linji: "Linji's lease has expired. Lao Linji will officially open on the 8th of next month. Stay tuned." When the announcement came out, the neighbors in the area were all somewhat surprised. Especially Uncle Wang, who made a special trip over. "Meiyan, are you really not going to open Linji during this time?" Linji was good quality and cheap—it was the choice of many people in Simenkou. With it suddenly closing, everyone felt a bit unaccustomed. Lin Meiyan smiled warmly and spoke softly. "Uncle Wang, it's not that I'm not opening Linji anymore. I need to renovate Lao Linji. That place can't be left unattended, so I have to temporarily close this one." "Once Lao Linji opens, I'll invite everyone over." "And for any returning customers, I'll give you all a discount." Her words were clear and generous, and Uncle Wang nodded. "Then make this announcement bigger, so people don't come all the way here for nothing." Lin Meiyan hummed in agreement and quickly replaced it with a larger sheet of paper, writing out the reason and the timeline clearly before closing up. She quietly waited for the arrival of the seventh day of the seventh month. That was also the day she would sign the contract with Jianghai Dicai. The seventh of July was an auspicious day—good for breaking ground and starting construction. She couldn't sleep, tossing and turning in bed like a pancake being flipped in a pan. On one hand, she was calculating what she needed to do tomorrow and how much money she needed to prepare. In the three years she'd run Linji, she'd saved up about four thousand yuan. If she put two thousand into the renovation, she wondered if it would even make a splash. Of course, it would be best if Jianghai Dicai sent someone over to handle the renovation—just not Yu Jianghai. At that thought, Lin Meiyan laughed to herself. For a small project like renovating Linji, why would the boss of Jianghai Dicai personally come to supervise? That would be like using a cleaver to kill a chicken. Yu Jianghai definitely wouldn't come! At the same time. At the Jianghai Dicai office, Lu Qingyuan had just walked out of a meeting, looking frantic. "Tomorrow you're submitting the phase two design plans for Jianghai Dicai to the planning bureau—and you're not going?" "Old Yu, for heaven's sake, say that again—you're really not going tomorrow?" Yu Jianghai sat in his office chair, flipping through the contract signed between Jianghai Dicai and Linji. Hearing Lu Qingyuan's questioning, he obliged and answered again. "I'm not going." Lu Qingyuan put his hands on his hips and tossed aside the hem of his suit jacket, revealing a blue shirt underneath, his sturdy, powerful waist faintly visible. "You're not going? If you don't go, who's going to explain the revised blueprints for Jianghai Dicai's phase two to the planning bureau? Who's going to drink and talk business with them?" Did they really think Jianghai Dicai was built by the wind? "You go." Yu Jianghai finished reviewing the contract signed with Linji, got a general sense of things, and quickly made arrangements. "Tomorrow you'll submit the materials to the planning bureau, then have a meal with Director Zhou." "Everything with Director Zhou has already been taken care of. You just need to go through the motions." Lu Qingyuan was almost laughed into anger. "Me, drinking? My tolerance isn't even a tenth of yours. You might as well send me to be the appetizer as to have me accompany Director Zhou." As he spoke, Lu Qingyuan's pent-up frustrations surfaced. "Wait, you're getting married tomorrow? How can you just push aside such an important job?" Yu Jianghai didn't argue. He even hummed in acknowledgment. "Something like that." "Huh?" Lu Qingyuan's eyes widened a few notches, which was truly unbecoming of a refined man. He patted his face to keep his expression from being too exaggerated. "You're really getting married? To who?" Lu Qingyuan frowned. "To Youth Lin?" Yu Jianghai didn't answer. Instead, he handed the contract in his hand to Lu Qingyuan. "Jianghai Dicai has signed a renovation contract with Linji." Lu Qingyuan's attention was diverted. He took the contract and looked it over. After reading it, he was somewhat surprised. "Since when did our Jianghai Dicai take on renovation business?" "Now." Yu Jianghai remained composed. "Starting with Linji, Jianghai Dicai will also open a new department dedicated to renovation business going forward." The more Lu Qingyuan looked, the more his head ached. He paced around the office anxiously, like an ant on a hot pan. "Old Yu, that's not how you do business. Have you forgotten? The purpose of us starting Jianghai Dicai was to make money, not to do charity." Seeing the fifty-percent discount fee written in the contract—if that wasn't charity, what was? Not to mention, Jianghai Dicai had always been in the real estate business, which had absolutely nothing to do with renovation. "Charity?" Yu Jianghai sat in his office chair, leaning back against it with a relaxed demeanor. "Is that what you think?" "Isn't it? A fifty-percent discount on renovation fees—Jianghai Dicai has never been cheap. Not to mention, we'd have to establish an entirely new renovation department. If that's not charity, what is?" Yu Jianghai ignored him and tossed him a survey report instead. Lu Qingyuan was a bit confused. He took the report and looked it over. After reading it, his expression grew increasingly serious. "You're saying the entire Jiangcheng renovation market is untapped?" Yu Jianghai picked up his cup of Zhegu Cha and took a sip. The bitter, refreshing tea entered his mouth, clearing his mind. "After Jianghai Dicai's houses are sold, who renovates them?" This was something Lu Qingyuan genuinely didn't know. He instinctively shook his head. Because they only handled building and selling houses. As for who renovated the houses after they were sold—how would he know? That was outside his area of knowledge. Yu Jianghai set down his teacup and looked out the window, his gaze distant. "There are only two renovation companies in all of Jiangcheng, and the work they can take on is only about one-tenth of what's needed." "And Jianghai Dicai's rise is a flood of orders for them." Jianghai Dicai had over six hundred units total, and more than half of them were renovated by those two renovation companies in Jiangcheng. Because of this, those two companies couldn't finish the work even after two full years. On top of that, there were still orders outside they couldn't accept. Lu Qingyuan said nothing. He flipped through the data, and the further he read, the more alarmed he became. "Jianghai Dicai has over six hundred units. Those two companies took about three hundred of them. As for the remaining three hundred or so units, it's because the owners couldn't find suitable renovation companies—either they went to other cities to find one, or they chose to live in bare concrete." "Old Yu, what about Jianghai Dicai's Phase Two?" "The Phase Two project has even more planned units than Phase One." If all the renovation work went to those two companies, they'd probably be overwhelmed to death. Yu Jianghai hummed in acknowledgment. He turned to meet Lu Qingyuan's gaze, his voice cold and deep. "Jiangcheng's future won't have just Jianghai Dicai as a real estate company." In fact, they already had two competitors now. While Jianghai Dicai was acquiring land at Simenkou, they were also acquiring land elsewhere. But the small matter of renovation hadn't caught anyone's eye yet. Yu Jianghai was the same—he had high standards and aimed for the big picture. If it weren't for having Secretary Shen keep an eye on Lin Meiyan's every move this time, so he could offer timely help— And it was during this process that he discovered she had scoured all of Jiangcheng but only found two makeshift renovation companies— Yu Jianghai wouldn't have noticed such a huge gap either. "Right now, it's not just Jiangcheng's renovation market that's untapped. Even the capital, Shanghai, Pengcheng, and Yangcheng are all untapped." "Qingyuan, the real estate market is just rising. Everyone is focused on land and houses—acquiring land and building houses. Very few people are paying attention to the renovation market." Or rather, these big players had all simultaneously chosen to ignore the renovation market. Because they looked down on it. Lu Qingyuan murmured, "You're not looking at Jiangcheng?" Yu Jianghai countered, "Why would I look at Jiangcheng?" "One leaf obscures the view." Yu Jianghai always saw ten things from one, and that was precisely why Jianghai Dicai had managed to fight its way out successfully. It took Lu Qingyuan a moment to fully grasp the meaning behind Yu Jianghai's words. He was startled. "You're looking at the whole country?" Yu Jianghai countered, "Is that not allowed?" Lu Qingyuan shook his head. Yu Jianghai stood up, positioning himself at the top floor of the Jianghai Dicai office, looking down at everything below from above. "Jianghai Dicai won't stop at Jiangcheng, and neither will Jianghai Renovation." These two short sentences concealed immense ambition. Lu Qingyuan's pupils contracted sharply as he murmured, "Yu Jianghai, have you lost your mind?" That's what he said, but the blood flowing through his veins was boiling along with it. "Then I'll go crazy with you one more time." The last time he went crazy with him, Jianghai Dicai was established. Yu Jianghai was stubborn and insisted on building a landmark building within Jianghai Dicai—that was the Jianghai Dicai office building. Fourteen stories, with elevators imported at high cost from Xiangjiang, and successfully installed. And the initial advertisement for Phase One of Jianghai Dicai was: Jianghai Dicai, high-rise with elevators, commercial residential buildings, buy a house and settle down with no purchase restrictions. Every single word in that ad was explosive for the people of Jiangcheng. That was also the fundamental reason Phase One of Jianghai Dicai sold like hotcakes. Yu Jianghai was himself a drawing genius—no, he was even more of a business prodigy. He had foresight and intuition ahead of his time, and no one knew his business acumen better than Lu Qingyuan. He murmured, "Old Yu, I'll go crazy with you one more time." This was the second time he repeated it. It was also Lu Qingyuan making up his mind. Yu Jianghai tugged at the corner of his mouth, then turned back to look Lu Qingyuan straight in the eyes. "Qingyuan, given the current trend, it's imperative for Jianghai Dicai to establish a decoration company. Do you still think I have ulterior motives now?" He looked at Lu Qingyuan with a sharp gaze. Lu Qingyuan swallowed hard, closed the survey data, and raised his hands in surrender. "Old Yu, I now think you're far-sighted and visionary, with your sights set ahead of the curve." Then, he shifted the topic, dropping business for personal matters, and said with a half-smile, "But really, do you have no ulterior motives at all?" He tossed the question right back. Yu Jianghai didn't answer it, only suddenly stood up. "Tomorrow is July 7th." "Huh?" Lu Qingyuan was clearly struggling to keep up with Yu Jianghai's train of thought. He'd asked about ulterior motives—what did that have to do with tomorrow being July 7th? Yu Jianghai kindly reminded him, "The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl—Qixi Festival." Lu Qingyuan, "..." He looked utterly speechless. "Qixi Festival is Qixi Festival. What does that have to do with us?" "Aren't we both bachelors?" No, they should be diamond bachelors! Yu Jianghai was the top one. He was second! Yu Jianghai walked from the window to the desk. He had a pair of long, straight legs, and despite there being over two meters of distance, he covered it in just two or three steps, carrying a gust of cool air that ruffled the crisp creases of his trousers. He stood before the desk, reached out to flip open the page of the contract with Linji, and pointed at the construction start date on it. Lu Qingyuan leaned in. "July 7th, Linji starts construction?" He still hadn't quite caught on. Yu Jianghai only showed him for a moment, then quickly tucked the contract away, placing it alone in a drawer and locking it. Only then did he say unhurriedly, "Starting construction on Qixi Festival." Lu Qingyuan, "..." Lu Qingyuan, "You're beyond saving." Give him back the Yu Jianghai of those years—decisive, ruthless, and swift. Give him back! Early the next morning. After Lin Meiyan sent Qiaoqiao to school, she headed straight to the Lin family home. The house had been thoroughly cleaned out over the past few days, and it looked somewhat tidier now. But the house was old after all, and it looked a bit run-down. She stood at the door and looked at it for a long while, even entertaining the thought: maybe she should tear the house down and rebuild it. But that thought lasted only a moment before she dismissed it. First, she had no money. Second, she couldn't bear to part with it. The money she had in hand would be a drop in the bucket for rebuilding the house, let alone opening the shop. Besides, this house held the happiest years of their family. Even if her father was gone now, and her mother had remarried. Even if her sister had lost contact. Someone still had to guard the Lin family home—to guard the home they once had. Once the Lin family house was torn down and rebuilt, some things could never be brought back. There wouldn't even be a keepsake left. Thinking of this, Lin Meiyan's mind became clearer than ever. Not only should the Lin family house not be torn down and rebuilt, but she should also preserve it as much as possible on its original foundation, maintaining its former appearance. That way, perhaps one day in the future, when her mother and her sister came back. This would still be their original home. On the morning of July 7th. The people from Jianghai Dicai's decoration department arrived one after another. They had clearly undergone professional training, and as soon as they arrived at Linji, they quickly took out their tools and began measuring. Some measured, some looked at the blueprints—it was a busy scene all around. Fortunately, the others were busy with their work. Lin Meiyan looked around but didn't see Yu Jianghai coming over, and she let out a quiet sigh of relief. As long as the Linji renovation didn't involve dealing with Yu Jianghai, she could carry much less pressure. Just as she was searching the crowd for the leader of Jianghai Dicai's decoration department. A young man in a white short-sleeved shirt walked over. He took the initiative to introduce himself to Lin Meiyan. "You're Boss Lin, right?" Lin Meiyan nodded. Zhou Ran extended his hand. "I'm Zhou Ran, a graduate student from Xiangjiang University. I just returned from Xiangjiang and I'm in charge of Jianghai Dicai's decoration department." "From now on, the Linji renovation design will be temporarily under my responsibility." He looked to be only twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with regular, handsome features, a slender build, and a sunny, refreshing demeanor. Most importantly, he was a top-tier interior design specialist that Yu Jianghai had recruited from Xiangjiang. Lin Meiyan hadn't expected him to have such an impressive background. Seeing him extend his hand, she gave it a light shake and introduced herself, "I'm Lin Meiyan." "Engineer Zhou, if you run into any issues during the renovation, feel free to communicate with me at any time." Her voice was as pleasant to the ear as she was to the eye. Gentle as water, radiating a soft, lustrous glow. Zhou Ran felt like his ears were about to fall in love. He couldn't help but steal another glance at her, flashing a smile that revealed a row of white teeth. "No problem." "It's just that the renovation style in Xiangjiang leans toward refinement. If you find anything unsuitable, Boss Lin, you can discuss it with me first." Lin Meiyan actually did have a concern in that regard. "Engineer Zhou, roughly how long will the Linji renovation take?" She was rushing to open for business on the eighth of next month. That actually stumped Zhou Ran. He shook his head. "I'm not sure about that, Boss Lin. You'll need to speak with the head of our renovation department." "I'm only responsible for the renovation work itself." The specific scheduling and timeline were handled by the higher-ups. Lin Meiyan glanced around but couldn't spot anyone who looked more like a leader than Zhou Ran. She smiled gently, looking somewhat puzzled. "May I ask who your leader is?" Zhou Ran was just about to answer. A screech came from not far away—the sound of a car braking, its harsh noise drawing everyone's attention. Lin Meiyan and Zhou Ran were no exception. Zhou Ran looked carefully, then pointed toward the pickup truck. "There—our leader's here." Lin Meiyan's smile was still on her face as she followed his pointing direction. She saw Secretary Shen step down from the Dongfeng pickup first. Before he even had a chance to greet Lin Meiyan, he quickly hurried around to the right side to open the door. A moment later, Yu Jianghai stepped out of the vehicle. He wore a well-tailored black suit, broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted, lean in frame with long legs. A pair of thin-soled leather shoes made him look tall and distinguished, exuding an air of nobility with a hint of the extraordinary. Lin Meiyan: "..." You'd think he was here for a fashion show. Before she could say anything, Zhou Ran had already strode forward a few steps, not forgetting to introduce him to Lin Meiyan. "Boss Lin, this is our leader—President Yu." "If you have any specific questions, you can discuss them with him." Lin Meiyan's face was always adorned with a gentle smile, but now even that was starting to falter. She didn't understand why such a small project like the Linji renovation— Why would the boss of Jianghai Dicai show up? Lin Meiyan looked at him. But Yu Jianghai wasn't looking at her. Instead, he fixed his sharp gaze on Zhou Ran. What were they talking about? His Yanyan was chatting with some outside man, looking so happy about what? Zhou Ran only felt a chill run down the back of his neck, goosebumps prickling across his skin. He didn't even know why. He instinctively called out, "Boss?" What had he done to offend him? Yu Jianghai ignored him. He turned his gaze to Lin Meiyan's face. Wasn't she smiling so happily just now? Why wasn't she smiling now? Was it because seeing him made her not want to smile?! The two stared at each other, neither speaking. The scene fell into silence. It was the ever-resourceful Secretary Shen who stepped into the middle to smooth things over. "Boss Lin, this is Director Yu, the head of our Jianghai Dicai renovation department." Good heavens. Even he felt awkward making that introduction, okay? His boss, the dignified president of Jianghai Dicai—why give up being president? To become the director of the renovation department? Wasn't this a joke? But unfortunately, this joke was one Secretary Shen had to keep going, and make real. Secretary Shen felt his life was so hard. Every time, he was the one caught in the middle between the two of them. Yu Jianghai's sharp gaze rested on Lin Meiyan's face as he extended his hand, sparing no words. "A pleasure." Lin Meiyan looked down at his hand. The wound on the back of it, from when it had been caught by a sickle on the island all those years ago, had healed, leaving a long, fierce scar. Impossible to ignore. The wound was gone, but the scar remained—and would remain forever. She even wondered if Yu Jianghai had deliberately extended his left hand to shake. But at that moment, everyone was looking over, watching the boss of Jianghai Dicai take the initiative to shake hands with the owner of a no-name little restaurant. Lin Meiyan couldn't bear the weight of all those piercing stares. She felt embarrassed. But Yu Jianghai's hand showed no sign of withdrawing. His long, slender hand hung before her, as if still waiting. With great patience. Lin Meiyan truly couldn't endure being put on the spot like this. She reached out and shook his hand quickly, intending to let go at the briefest touch—but Yu Jianghai gripped it firmly. Cold was enveloped by heat. Softness met hardness. Lin Meiyan struggled to pull away, and the next instant, she easily slipped her hand free, as if that brief moment of being held had been her imagination. Yu Jianghai withdrew his hand, his eyes darkening slightly, his tone calm and steady. "Boss Lin, if you have any questions, communicate with me." What the hell. Lin Meiyan had absolutely no desire to communicate with him. But she couldn't say that out loud. She tugged at the corners of her mouth, her smile faint. "How could a small project like Linji warrant the owner of Jianghai Dicai coming to check on it personally?" Yu Jianghai stood at the entrance of the Lin family home, tall and imposing, his presence heavy with authority. Yet, he cast her a cool, indifferent glance. "What? Does Jianghai Dicai's schedule need to be reported to Owner Lin?" The moment those words fell. The air around them instantly went silent. Secretary Shen wanted to cover his eyes—Boss, if you want to die, don't drag me down with you. If you piss off Owner Lin, you'll be the one coaxing her back, and I'll be the one left as the scapegoat. I really don't want to be the scapegoat.