Chapter 182: Chapter 182

Under the scorching midday sun, Miss Xu Youxuan finished her sentence, and suddenly felt a chill as she looked up at Fu Jichen’s face, noticing his cold and contemplative expression.

For a long moment, Fu Jichen’s lips moved slightly, and he said, word by word, "How do you know she looked for Shen Jianian?"

Xu Youxuan was startled by his dark expression and for a moment didn’t realize what was wrong with him addressing his mother as "she": "I came to this private restaurant last time and saw Shen Jianian in the restroom. She seemed to be in bad shape. Not long after, I saw Mrs. Fu walking out of a private room. I thought it couldn’t be a coincidence; they must have talked."

Standing behind Fu Jichen, Zheng Yi couldn’t see his boss’s expression, but from his back, it seemed like he was quite affected.

Zheng Yi thought, for the current boss, the last thing he wanted to hear were the three words "Shen Jianian."

The man’s back stiffened for a long time, and the hand in his pants pocket slowly clenched as he heard his own voice repeatedly seek confirmation: "You said she was in bad shape at the time?"

Xu Youxuan still remembered the events of that day and nodded: "She was leaning over the sink, vomiting badly. Her face was pale, and her eyes were red. I suggested she go to the hospital. She said it was just stomach discomfort, probably something she ate. She probably didn’t recognize me and left afterward."

Every word Xu Youxuan uttered was like a stab to Fu Jichen’s heart.

Her stomach discomfort, her stomach discomfort...

The phrase echoed repeatedly in Fu Jichen’s mind, and suddenly he remembered Lu Yanzhi’s speculation, feeling as if he had been hit hard, almost unable to stand steadily.

"Mr. Chen..." Zheng Yi stepped forward to support his arm upon seeing this.

Xu Youxuan was frightened by Fu Jichen’s grief-stricken expression, her eyes widening. She assured herself that she was telling the truth, without any exaggeration, but Fu Jichen’s reaction gave her the impression he didn’t want to believe what she said.

Suddenly, the sound of a car horn blared nearby.

A car slowly backed into the parking space next to the Porsche.

Xu Youxuan recognized it as her boyfriend’s vehicle and snapped back to reality, bidding farewell to Fu Jichen: "I’ve said all I needed to say. No matter what you think, my stance won’t change."

The car door opened, and a man emerged from the driver’s seat, carrying a car key. He glanced at Fu Jichen in front of Xu Youxuan, pausing as he clearly recognized him.

Xu Youxuan clutched her chain purse with both hands and jogged to her boyfriend’s side: "Let’s go."

The boyfriend naturally grasped her wrist, his gaze moving away from Fu Jichen: "Is that... Mr. Chen from Junshan? What’s he doing here?"

"Ran into him by chance and chatted a bit." Xu Youxuan said, "I told him I wouldn’t get engaged to him."

Talking about the engagement stirred up a storm in Chu Siyuan’s heart, and his grip tightened slightly on her wrist: "What did he say?"

Xu Youxuan moved to the right, walking closely alongside her boyfriend, deliberately lowering her voice, muttering, "I don’t know what’s going on. He seemed odd today, not quite like the Fu Jichen I know. He didn’t express anything, but I guess he wasn’t hopeful about the engagement either."

Chu Siyuan said, "I want to take the opportunity to meet your parents and grandparents, sit down and talk about our matters, let them respect your wishes, and show them my determination to be with you. If necessary, I can also invite my parents to come to Beicheng, as it should be easier for the elders to communicate."

Xu Youxuan was touched but had to tell him the harsh truth: "It’s no use. No matter how I try to communicate with them, they still insist on their own way, not giving me any choice. If worst comes to worse, I’ll just run away. I’ve been so well-behaved before; they surely wouldn’t expect me to fail at something so significant."

"Don’t do that, Youxuan." Chu Siyuan stopped, placing both hands on her shoulders, lowering his head slightly to meet her eyes earnestly, "I don’t want you to fall out with your family because of our relationship. You mentioned your mom loves you dearly. Doing so would break her heart. Things haven’t reached that point yet, and you mustn’t act foolishly."

Xu Youxuan promised not to act recklessly.

During dinner, the two discussed how they could achieve the best of both worlds.

At 1:30 PM, Fu Jichen returned to Junshan Group Headquarters, having no time for lunch as Song Fang brought a stack of documents that required his review.

After dealing with those, several executives who had not met with Fu Jichen in the morning came to discuss some decisions proposed at the board meeting and the project advancement plans.

One by one, the executives left, and the time was nearing five o’clock.

Fu Jichen raised his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, picking up the cold tea on his desk and taking a few sips.

In the hallway, two executives encountered each other in front of the elevator, whispering, "It has to be this one in charge. Though his methods are tough, the results are immediate. It’s said that during the half-year training in Yicheng, Dongke’s subsidiary profits increased significantly."

"Speaking of Dongke, I remember that Dongke’s business used to be suppressed by the Pei Family." Another executive continued, "Recently, there’s been internal turmoil within the Pei Family, showing signs of decline. Dongke has taken the opportunity to overtake them and seems to be leading in the medical equipment sector."

The elevator arrived on this floor, and the two executives entered, continuing to chat, "A lean camel is still bigger than a horse. The Pei Family has been standing for six or seven decades and won’t fall so easily. Industry rumors suggest a new executive will take office soon."

"Those old guys in the Pei Family aren’t to be underestimated. How will newcomers have any say?"

"That, I don’t know."

The topic circled back to within Junshan Group.

"As for the current few in charge of the Fu Family, the eldest, Fu Zhengjun, is too conservative and unwilling to innovate. The second, Fu Qizhen, is too aggressive without any foresight. The third, Fu Huaxian, after that scandal, lacks the authority in the company and finds it difficult to win confidence. The fourth, Fu Jianfang, is smart but overdoes it, wanting to hold everything in his hands like a disrupter. No wonder Chairman Fu skipped over his children and handed power to his grandson."

"Who would argue with that..."

The conversation faded away as the elevator descended.

All afternoon, Zheng Yi stayed at the company, borrowing a computer from the secretary’s office to repeatedly watch the surveillance video copied from the private restaurant.

Miss Xu’s words had been more than half-believed by Mr. Chen, and letting him watch the surveillance was just the final confirmation.

Seeing the time reach five o’clock, Mr. Chen’s side should have finished. Zheng Yi unplugged the USB drive, shut off the computer, and stood to head to the president’s office.

The office was empty except for Fu Jichen, sitting behind the desk, his ten fingers loosely clasped on the edge of the table, appearing relaxed and at ease.

But Zheng Yi didn’t think his mood matched that.

Meeting his gaze, before he could speak, Zheng Yi nodded and said, "Mrs. Fu indeed met Miss Shen at that private restaurant. According to the corridor’s surveillance footage, Mrs. Fu went in the evening and waited for more than half an hour in the private room before Miss Shen entered. The two didn’t talk for long. Afterward, Miss Shen went to the restroom. Our car left before Mrs. Fu departed from the restaurant."

Since there were no cameras in the private room, it was impossible to peek into their conversation.

After Zheng Yi finished speaking, silence lingered in the office for a while.

Fu Jichen raised his fingers from the table, placing them under his chin, his gaze turning to the large window outside.

Some things were clearly his assumptions. He thought warning Wei Ronghua not to meddle in his affairs would stop her from scheming. He assumed that having someone continuously follow Shen Jianian would ensure her safety.

Clearly, Zhou Zhizhen’s previous experience was evident before him. His girlfriend from university, who looked forward to marrying him and living happily after graduation, was suddenly dragged away on her way home from her internship company.

Zhou Zhizhen called him in the middle of the night, a grown man sobbing and retching over the phone, begging him to save the girl. He said if he went, the Zhou Family would never let her go in the future.

As memories surged, Fu Jichen felt a tightness in his throat. Did he not know how dirty the hands in the mansion were? He clearly knew better than anyone!

Zheng Yi didn’t disturb him, quietly exiting the office.

In fact, he and Mr. Chen both knew very well that Mrs. Fu chose to meet Miss Shen alone in such a secluded private restaurant and wouldn’t have said anything pleasant to her.

Therefore, Miss Shen leaving Beicheng overnight could be traced.

Twenty minutes later, Fu Jichen emerged from the office, wearing a sleek black suit, neatly pressed, with the collar and cuffs of his white shirt perfectly ironed. As usual, he exuded the accumulated authority of someone in power; his expression was calm yet held a trace of sharpness, betraying no indication of anything amiss.

He said to Zheng Yi, "Let’s return to the old mansion."