Chapter 5: The Deal

Night had fallen, and the moon hung high above the treetops. The Yan household was bustling with excitement, guests coming and going without end.

In a guest room on the second floor, Song Qingyou pressed a hand to her lips, suppressing a cough, as she handed a document to the man sitting across from her.

Yan Shaoqin regarded her with a faint smile. “And this is?”

“I know you’ve been acquiring shares in Ding Sheng Pharmaceuticals. If I’m not mistaken, the total scattered shares you’ve collected now amount to thirty-six percent.” Song Qingyou leaned back against the leather sofa, strikingly beautiful, her figure alluring; even after a long illness, her charm remained undiminished.

Beauty lies not only in the skin, but in the bones. She possessed both.

Yan Shaoqin let his gaze linger on her for a long moment before a meaningful smile curled his lips. “So, Miss Song, are you proposing we work together?”

Song Qingyou’s lips parted slightly. “I hold fifteen percent of Ding Sheng’s shares. I can sell thirteen percent of them to you.”

Before Yan Shaoqin could respond, Yan Miao could no longer sit still. As Song Qingyou’s closest friend, she naturally had to speak up for her. “Brother, this is a deal you can’t lose on! Just sign it!”

Yan Shaoqin shot a glance at his own sister, siding with an outsider. “You want to trade thirteen percent of Ding Sheng for my three percent of the Song family? Surely you know the relative weight of the two, Miss Song?”

The Yan and Song families had distant ties; Yan Shaoqin’s mother was the grandniece of Old Master Song, who doted on her. When Yan Shaoqin’s mother married, she was given three percent of the Song family’s shares, which now naturally belonged to Yan Shaoqin.

“Three percent in the Song family only brings you annual dividends, but the thirteen percent I’m offering is different. Fu Tingshen holds forty-nine percent of Ding Sheng. With the shares you’ve already acquired plus what I’m offering, you’ll have forty-nine percent as well. You’ll be able to stand on equal footing with Fu Tingshen, and gain half the decision-making power.” Song Qingyou smiled. “Yan Shao, this is a deal you won’t regret.”

Yan Shaoqin’s gaze darkened as he stared at her for several seconds. At last, he laughed. “No wonder you’re a daughter of the Song family. I’ll sign the contract.”

As soon as Yan Miao heard her brother was about to sign, she quickly handed over a pen. Yan Shaoqin scrawled his name across the document with a flourish.

“To a pleasant partnership.” Song Qingyou rose to her feet. She stood too quickly and coughed a few times, her face flushing.

After wishing him a happy birthday, Song Qingyou prepared to leave. She had only come tonight to discuss business; the clamor of the party outside grated on her nerves.

Yan Shaoqin watched the graceful figure disappear, his eyes alight with amusement. “Is that the timid little rabbit of a friend you always say is so easy to bully?”

Yan Miao replied, “Of course. Why?”

Yan Shaoqin rapped his sister on the forehead. “Fool.”

Yan Miao pouted. “Brother, how could you say that? After all, Qingyou just sold you thirteen percent of her shares.”

“Do you know why she’s only selling me thirteen percent, when she holds fifteen? That remaining two percent is the key to both mine and Fu Tingshen’s fate. If either of us ever offends her, she can immediately sell those shares to the other party.”

In other words, she had not only obtained three percent of the Song family’s shares, but also secured a position of supreme control in Ding Sheng.

Yan Miao didn’t understand much about business, but she could grasp the gist. She clapped her hands in delight. “I never realized Qingyou was so clever! No wonder she’s my friend!”

Yan Shaoqin could only shake his head at his scatterbrained sister and, with a stern face, shooed her out.

Song Qingyou avoided the crowds and headed toward the back garden. Before coming in, she had asked Uncle Chang to bring the car around to the rear entrance.

The Yan estate was vast. In the back garden, just beside the swimming pool, a group of young men and women were playing games and popping champagne.

As Song Qingyou walked, she messaged Yan Miao to let her know she was heading home. She hadn’t finished typing when someone suddenly gripped her arm, pulling her off balance and dragging her behind a glass door.

The corridor lights had gone out for some reason, plunging the area into darkness. Panic seized Song Qingyou’s heart as she struggled to break free from the suffocating embrace.

The more she struggled, the tighter the grip became.

A faint scent of tobacco lingered at the tip of her nose, achingly familiar. The fear pounding in her chest abruptly settled, replaced by an inexplicable sense of security.

She gritted her teeth. “Fu Wenzhou, will you ever stop?”

His breath was hot against her ear, his voice entangling her. “No. Never.”

For a moment, Song Qingyou was at a loss for words.

Fu Wenzhou showed no intention of letting her go, holding her tightly, his hand restlessly tracing her waist, his eyes dark with desire and resentment. “No more contact? Who gave you permission to say that, Song Qingyou, hmm?”

Song Qingyou tried to escape, but there was nowhere to go. She could only endure his advances, her long lashes shimmering with tears of anger and embarrassment. She bit her lower lip, giving Fu Wenzhou a fierce glare.

His heart seemed to be struck softly with cotton, unbearably tender. But recalling her ruthlessness toward him, the suppressed frustration surged up anew.

He tightened his grip, lifting her slightly and pressing his lips to hers without warning.

“Mmm!”

Song Qingyou gave a low cry, the sounds of revelry from outside echoing in her ears.

Just a door between them.

She dared not imagine what would happen if someone pushed open that door right now and saw this scene—how would she ever face Fu Wenzhou again?

She struggled to break free, but her resistance only emboldened the man. His long legs pressed against hers, his kiss deep and lingering, trailing downward, sending tremors through her body until she nearly collapsed.

Fortunately, Fu Wenzhou caught her in time, hoisting her up and pinning her against the wall.

She finally managed to catch her breath, her voice trembling on the verge of tears. “Stop, there are people outside…”

She couldn’t finish her sentence before her lips were captured again. The sound of footsteps drew closer. Song Qingyou’s dazed eyes suddenly cleared; she pushed at Fu Wenzhou with all her might, terrified of being discovered in such a compromising situation.

Fu Wenzhou, mischievous, curved his lips in a mock reprimand, leaving marks on her fair skin as a kind of punishment.

The voices outside the door grew louder. In the instant the door opened, Song Qingyou was swept into someone’s arms; darkness fell over her eyes as a coat was thrown over her head.

Fu Wenzhou carried her out of the Yan house.

Uncle Chang had been waiting outside for some time. When he saw Fu Wenzhou carrying Song Qingyou to the car, he was momentarily stunned, until her indignant voice sounded from inside. “Uncle Chang, drive!”

She flung the suit jacket out the window, urging Uncle Chang to hurry.

Fu Wenzhou picked up the coat, carefully brushing off the dust.

Qingyou had worn it; he couldn’t bear to throw it away.