"Sigh."
He ran a hand through his hair, agitated. "It would be great if he felt the same way you do. I’ve been pressured to marry since I was twenty-two; I’m sick of the blind date routine."
Back then, his foundation hadn't been secure, and none of those people had taken him seriously.
Now, times were different.
Thinking of blind dates, Fu You'an couldn't help but recall her father’s words: that once she ended her current relationship, it was time to meet some new friends.
Perhaps he was planning to arrange a blind date for her—after all, both her parents had been in an arranged marriage.
Secretary Fu sighed along with him.
However, Shang Fuyan quickly smoothed away his earlier restlessness, returning to his usual composure and calm. He gestured for Fu You'an to sit and offered the young secretary some earnest advice: "Be cautious when it comes to marriage. Be cautious when you like someone, and be even more cautious when you don't."
By the time Assistant Li returned, the two had finished their conversation and were simply waiting for the thirty-minute deadline to pass.
"I choose divorce, but you have to transfer the compensation to my account first."
Xu Shengsheng had sought them out. After much agonizing, she had opted for divorce; as long as the hills remain, there’s no need to worry about firewood. If she truly ended up in court facing the situation the male lead described, she wouldn't even have a shoulder to cry on.
Once Assistant Li received confirmation, he contacted his subordinates to wire the funds to Xu Shengsheng. The two also signed a contract regarding the division of marital property to prevent Xu Shengsheng from changing her mind later. As she wrote her signature, she couldn't even force a pleasant expression; billions in wealth were floating away like a dream.
Meanwhile, Shang Fuyan’s staff worked with astonishing efficiency. Their divorce appointment was set for exactly one hour later, and by the time they left the Civil Affairs Bureau, it was eleven in the morning.
Looking at the divorce certificate, Shang Fuyan felt a long-lost sense of freedom. He was surprised to find himself cherishing the feeling so deeply.
He was single!
But the trouble wasn't entirely resolved; he still had to get past the old man.
Shang Fuyan didn't arrange a trip to the family estate. He said to Xu Shengsheng, airily, "Since we’re divorced, you can tell the old man yourself."
Xu Shengsheng’s eyes widened. "Why should I! Are you so busy you have to multitask between working and taking a dump?"
She had intended to mock the cold CEO's attitude, but he didn't even blink, his brow merely furrowing in mild displeasure. "Ms. Xu, you’d best keep your language clean."
He had heard from the household staff that she was "open-minded," but he hadn't expected this level of openness.
"I won't! I'm going to tell him!"
"If that’s the case, I’ll tell the old man directly that you were only a fake wife who took my money—and I imagine you’ve received quite a lot from him. I wonder how my five million—"
"You win, I'll go!"
"Read from the paper. If you miss a single step, you won't be getting the deed to that residence."
His properties weren't going to be handed over so easily.
In the car nearby, Fu You'an watched the two of them with detached boredom. One was cold, mature, and rational; the other was a naive, money-loving loudmouth.
A question popped into her head: Would a top-tier business mogul—who is adaptable, clever, and intellectually sharp—ever fall for someone who is proactive in every way, yet brainless and overly boisterous?
Could it be the comfort of "home"?
In novels, male leads always have walls around their hearts due to tragic pasts, and only a simple, ordinary person with the right key can open them...
When Shang Fuyan returned to the car, he saw Secretary Fu staring into space.
When asked what she was thinking, Fu You'an asked candidly, "I was wondering, if you hadn't divorced Ms. Xu, would you have eventually fallen for her?"
"Impossible."
He dismissed the idea without a second thought, then softened his tone, feeling he had been too blunt. He explained carefully, "Marriage isn't just about choosing a spouse; for me, it’s more about choosing a business partner."
Even if they had stayed married, given Xu Shengsheng’s character, a divorce would have been inevitable.
"A business partner?"
He gave a simple example: "If you're going to spend the rest of your life with someone, you need to have common ground. When I’m stressed by work, I want someone who understands me, not someone who gives me a dismissive 'oh' and tells me to go to sleep because things will naturally resolve themselves tomorrow."
"Furthermore, she knows too little. She wouldn't be of any help to me in the future."
Given her temperament, she might even blurt out nonsense at a banquet; what he had just witnessed was eye-opening enough.
Seeing that she still looked doubtful, Shang Fuyan asked, "Is there anything else you want to know?"
"No." Secretary Fu shook her head. She didn't know why she had such strange thoughts, but before she could dwell on them, the scent lingering around her nose brought her back to reality.
The Chairman smelled even sweeter now. She wanted to eat him up.
Shang Fuyan, seated next to her, felt much the same. He had long since tossed Secretary Fu's earlier question to the back of his mind; he only wanted to express his true feelings.
An'an, from beginning to end, you are the only partner I have ever wanted.
But An'an hasn't broken up yet. What if he comes on too strong and scares her?
Break up, break up—when will she finally break up!?
He had already instructed his team to move Chen Baichuan’s business trip to tomorrow, using heavy incentives to ensure he left. If the dream was true and they were destined to break up—
The man’s heartstrings trembled, his resolve wavering.
The carriage fell silent, leaving Assistant Li in the passenger seat sweating profusely. As the person in charge of the Chairman's private affairs, he knew far too much. The Chairman hadn't asked for the seal he’d just retrieved, and combined with how much he had explained to Secretary Fu and the way he kept glancing at her...
And then there was the fact that the Chairman had ordered a subsidiary to send an assistant—who happened to have the same name as the secretary’s boyfriend—on an urgent business trip to the other side of the world for no reason at all!
Besides, he had been by his side for years and had never heard him give such a long-winded explanation. Usually, it was just: "Li, take care of this."
"..."
Conclusion: He’d thought the secretary was trying to seduce the boss, but it turned out the boss was rushing through a divorce to play the third party. What a crazy world!
Secretary Fu had mentioned having a boyfriend just recently!
He couldn't believe a man like the Chairman would actually...
Before Assistant Li could dwell on it, a loud *clatter* came from the back—a phone had fallen. He turned to see Secretary Fu covering her face. Before he could get a good look, the privacy partition rose, blocking his view.
No way... Boss, do you remember that Secretary Fu isn't single? Why are you raising the partition when she's crying?! What are you two, alone in a confined space, planning to do?!
The driver, watching the drama unfold, looked at Assistant Li with an expression of pure entertainment.
Assistant Li remained expressionless. "The more you know, the faster you get fired."
The driver was quick-witted. "My eyes are old and dim. I don't know anything."
Assistant Li: "Then you're fired today. Why are you driving if your eyes are old and dim?"
The driver: "..."
Thankfully, the soundproofing was excellent, and neither front nor back could hear the other. The driver had to plead, "I really don't know anything! You're the one with the problem—the moment the partition went up, you started acting like a thief trying to eavesdrop..."
"Fine, shut up!"