"Jiang Li, is something bothering you?"
Jiang Li had thought the call had ended, so hearing Qiao Jinrun's voice again made her pause slightly.
"Nothing. I'm just simply tired," she replied in a flat tone. "Moreover, terminating the contract doesn't mean I won't act in the future. I can sign with another company or even become my own boss."
As she said this, there was a hint of light - heartedness in her tone, as if trying to comfort someone.
Qiao Jinrun knew she was saying this for his sake, to put his mind at ease.
She always did this. She would soothe others first but always overlook her own true emotions.
"One needs something to live for in this world, Jiang Li," Qiao Jinrun said meaningfully. "If you really had nothing to worry about, you'd be a celestial being who doesn't touch the mortal world."
Jiang Li pretended not to understand the hidden meaning in his words and said with a smile in her voice, "Aren't I always as beautiful as a celestial being? Dr. Qiao, don't worry. I'm very optimistic."
Qiao Jinrun fell silent for a moment.
After seemingly weighing his words, he said softly, "As long as you're happy, that's all that matters."
As long as she was happy.
---
As soon as Jiang Li returned to Beicheng, the sky was overcast, looking like a heavy rain was about to pour down.
This was one of the reasons why Jiang Li disliked Beicheng.
Beicheng had a lot of rain in summer, was extremely cold in winter, and was terribly dry in spring and autumn. She would catch a cold or have an allergic reaction during the season - changing periods. She really couldn't find a suitable season to live here.
Perhaps she simply didn't belong here.
Perhaps it was time for her to leave.
On the way to the hospital, the rain came down in torrents. The rain curtain blurred the car window, and a traffic jam occurred on the road.
Jiang Li had no choice but to send a message to Qiao Jinrun, saying that there was a traffic jam and she might be a bit late.
Qiao Jinrun said he understood and told her to be careful on the road.
Sister Chen also called to ask if she had arrived in Beicheng safely and when she would start.
Jiang Li replied a few words, telling her not to worry, and then hung up the phone.
The rain in Beicheng was always heavy and persistent, showing no sign of stopping.
It was just the beginning of summer, and the heat hadn't even started to rise when it was completely doused by this heavy rain.
Just like her heart.
...
Previously, the minor skirmishes hadn't affected Xiao Yanzhi, the "care - free prince". But Xiao Yuanfeng decided to take drastic measures and even revoked his power to interfere secretly.
The old man was really serious this time. Many key projects that Xiao Yanzhi had been in charge of were directly prohibited from his interference.
As soon as this was announced, everyone in the company had to start planning and arranging again in a hurry.
Due to the sudden change of leadership, many businesses came to a complete halt and couldn't operate at all.
The entire huge Xiao family system was in a complete mess.
The internal strife between the father and son had turned into a conflict within the entire Xiao Group. For a while, the situation was changing rapidly, and no one knew what would happen next.
On the surface, Xiao Yanzhi had obviously lost his power, and Xiao Yuanfeng was getting old. For a while, the Xiao family was leaderless, which seemed to be a rare opportunity for others to take advantage of.
Several key projects of the company were in urgent situations one after another. Factions began to form within the company, and the entire enterprise was like a sand table gradually falling apart, step by step towards collapse.
The situation was out of control. No matter how much Xiao Yuanfeng wanted to oppose his son, he now had to call him back to stabilize the situation and recover the losses.
The rebellious Xiao Yanzhi was quite obedient this time and came back right after receiving the call.
At the Xiao family's old mansion.
Xiao Yuanfeng, an old man, was rarely so overwhelmed. Before Xiao Yanzhi even entered the study, he could hear his father scolding his subordinates inside.
He pushed the door open and walked in. Xiao Yuanfeng looked at him coldly, "Had enough fun? Satisfied?"
Xiao Yanzhi's lips curled up slightly. He was neither impatient nor anxious.
He loosened his collar, looking very calm. He sat down opposite his father, rolled up his shirt sleeves, picked up the teapot on the table, and poured tea into the cup.
As he poured the tea, a black hair tie on his wrist was inadvertently revealed.
It was quite noticeable.
Seeing his lazy appearance, Xiao Yuanfeng angrily tapped his walking stick on the floor. "You good - for - nothing brat. If the Xiao family falls into your hands, it will surely end up as a mess sooner or later."
Xiao Yanzhi was still calm. He raised his eyes to look at his father and said, "It's already a mess now. Isn't this what you wanted to see?"
Xiao Yuanfeng knew he was deliberately mocking him, so he sneered, "If you wanted to prove that the Xiao family can't do without you, you've already achieved that. Isn't that enough?"
Xiao Yanzhi casually put down his sleeves. His fingers gently brushed over the black hair tie, and his expression was calm. "Father, you're really old. You still haven't seen through this game even now."
His words were full of meaning. Xiao Yuanfeng's deep eyes were blank for two seconds.
Game? What game?
Xiao Yanzhi said calmly in a deep and rich voice, "Among the high - level management team you personally trained over the years, several have long had ulterior motives. They want to change the name of this 'Xiao' - branded company."
"If we didn't play this risky move of turning the blade inward, there would really be no chance for a major reshuffle of the Xiao Group."
This so - called "turning the blade inward" referred to the internal strife between the father and son.
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Yuanfeng was suddenly jolted awake, as if he had just realized something.
In the past two years, the Xiao Group had developed steadily enough, like a huge ship that had weathered storms but still sailed smoothly.
The Xiao family had been impregnable for years. The only hidden danger was the struggle and conflict between the father and son.
It was thought to be invincible, but in fact, the deck had long been infested with worms due to the infiltration of sea water and could capsize the whole ship at any time.
A long dyke may collapse because of an ant hole.
Xiao Yuanfeng looked at Xiao Yanzhi intently and suddenly realized that his son was more scheming and unpredictable than he was in his youth.
No wonder he had been opposing him in the past few years. It turned out that he had been paving such a path.
"You've really grown up. Your wings are quite strong."
Xiao Yuanfeng withdrew his gaze. His voice was deep, and it was hard to tell whether his tone was one of praise or warning. "Since you have a plan, do it your way. Don't mess it up."
"Don't worry," Xiao Yanzhi said with a smile, picked up the teacup, and drank it all in one gulp.
The rain outside was heavy. Xiao Yanzhi leaned forward slightly and habitually took out his phone.
At this time, Xiao Yuanfeng sitting on the other side of the table said again, "Let's not talk about business for now. How long are you going to delay your marriage?"
Xiao Yanzhi clearly paused for a moment and then said, "Not in a hurry. I have other plans."
"What other plans can you have?" Xiao Yuanfeng couldn't help but get angry when talking about this. "If you keep delaying, do you want your child to call someone else dad?"
"Whose child?" Xiao Yanzhi was shocked. He suddenly raised his eyes, and his eyebrows frowned tightly. "Where did I get a child?"