Chapter 16
New Beginnings
When Xing father saw him, he would say h.e.l.lo, and call the housekeeper to send him some tea and refreshments. Xing Yize especially enjoyed inviting him to sit next to him and let him talk to him about some of his brother"s work gossip, and also asked whether or not his brother had gotten a girlfriend.
"I always stay at home, very rarely going outside, so I know almost nothing about my brother"s friendships and relationships." Xing Yi was somewhat shy, he sat in the back garden, drawing while chatting with Ye Wenxuan: "I really adore my brother, but he"s too stern, and usually don"t chat with me very much, I……I quite want to know some things about him……”
Ye Wenxuan thought of that handsome face that seemed to be frozen, and felt that Xing Yi only saying that he was "stern" was really too gentle of a description.
Then he finally continued the conversation: "Your brother actually is not usually at the company. At least in the half month I"ve been following him, he has been going out to discuss projects, meeting with collaborators, inspecting all of the branches, sometimes in one day he might go to three different cities, really moving like the wind.”
"But there are some events that I cannot follow along with, so I just stay in the B city headquarters. I heard all this when I was chatting with the a.s.sistants." He continued: "If we"re talking about the headquarters, there are actually many little sisters who are attracted to Chief Xing. You are also aware, Chief Xing"s circ.u.mstances are so good, most little sisters would all like to think of him as their dream lover.”
Speaking of this, he was reminded of that previous photographer colleague, unable to control his mouth from twitching a bit.
Xing Yi nodded and painted a b.u.t.terfly on his canvas: "Those aristocratic family ladies also liked my brother, but I never saw him bringing them back home." With this, he faintly glanced at Ye Wenxuan: "He only brought a few men back.”
This topic was leading to some dangerous areas, and had already involved some of Xing Yi"s personal thoughts, so Ye Wenxuan played it safe and immediately changed the topic: "Xiao Yi, I saw that everyone in your family has black eyes, does only your brother have blue eyes?”
Xing Yi"s movements paused a bit, and he immediately responded: "Yes, only my brother does.”
With that, he turned his head and softly asked: "Ye ge, I heard that previously you learned design, your drawing is definitely very good ba?”
Ye Wenxuan touched his nose: "Ah, I can"t say it"s very good, but the basic skills are still there.”
Xing Yi immediately excitedly shoved the brush and paints to him: "What are you best at, Chinese traditional painting or oil painting?”
Ye Wenxuan modestly responded: "A little bit of both.”
"So awesome." Xing Yi smiled, his entire face flushed: "Ye ge, you also draw a b.u.t.terfly ba, right next to mine.”
Ye Wenxuan did not refuse, lifting the brush and painting. Sure enough, he flicked out a dazzling b.u.t.terfly fluttering through the air.
It was a magnitude larger than the other b.u.t.terfly, and the metallic blue wings were gorgeous and elegant, making Ye Wenxuan unable to not think of someone"s eyes.
That pair of eyes seemed to shine in the sun, like a well-crafted gem. It was one of the most charismatic pair of eyes he had ever seen.
Xing Yi: "Ah, this one is much more beautiful than mine!”
Ye Wenxuan was pulled out of his days, and also responded to him a few words.
The two people chatted and drew, not noticing that in the building behind them, in a certain room on the third flow, that pair of "sapphires" that Ye Wenxuan always paid attention to was quietly watching them.
A moment later, the owner of those eyes put down the curtains and turned away.
On March 5th, a dozen or so Xing group members arrived in London on a special plane.
Their arrival time was already past 3 pm in the afternoon, Ye Wenxuan followed his colleagues through the VIP channel out of the airport. Before getting on the car, Xing Yuan expressionlessly shook hands with the reception staff in greeting. Outside the door there were reporters deliberately waiting there, taking pictures of the Chinese people up and down. Presumably, tomorrow"s media headlines would be filled with this billionaire "Xing Yuan ba ba".
Seeing this paparazzi battle, Ye Wenxuan finally remembered his own task on this trip, quickly lifting the camera and standing far away from the crowd, saving images of the scene with the sound of "ka cha".
When they arrived at the hotel, the vice president of the Huaxia Hotel came out in person to receive them and handle the check in formalities with another one of Xing Yuan"s a.s.sistants. The hotel president and Xing Yuan greeted each other in a VIP room, making some other small talk.
Several security guards stood by the door, and Ye Wenxuan came in right behind Xing Yuan"s b.u.t.t. He was allowed to come in and take a few pictures before being chased away.
Under the interested gaze of the Huaxia hotel boss, Ye Wenxuan quietly went to work, finishing up and beating it within five minutes, not at all sloppy. Compared to the other side of British media who had especially applied for shooting, and got excited to the point of shooting light from their eyes once they saw Xing Yuan, he was really fresh and clean.
"Mr. Xing, your staff is very professional." He gave a big thumbs up and enthusiastically wanted to exchange a wave of mutual commercial praise with Xing Yuan.
Xing Yuan quietly praised back: "Your reception staff was also very meticulous, I appreciate it.”
The hotel boss laughed: "Overpraised! Overpraised ah hahaha!”
Xing Yuan: "I never exaggerate, merely stating the facts.”
Hotel boss: "You flatter me you flatter me hahaha——”
Ye Wenxuan sped up his footsteps to rush out of the VIP room, feeling as if three pounds of gooseb.u.mps were going to fall off his skin.
The ten or so employees registered and then immediately checked in to the hotel. Ye Wenxuan and the other accompanying staff member lived together in a business suite, the two people were meeting for the first time and had been arranged together, so they first introduced themselves.
That young man held out a hand: "I am Zhang Zheng, one of the small staff under Ruan a.s.sistant. Brother you can just call me xiao Zhang, please take care of me these few days haha.”
Ye Wenxuan held his hand and shook it: "h.e.l.lo, I am Ye Wenxuan, the accompanying photographer.”
"I have heard your great name." Zhang Zheng smiled: "Many female colleagues on my side talk about you every day, I have an impression.”
"Ah?" Ye Wenxuan was curious: "They mention me every day?”
Zhang Zheng: "They said that a big handsome new photographer came ha, that group of girls have always been looking for a time to go ask you whether or not you have a girlfriend." With this, he sighed: "If I also looked like you, it would definitely be easy to find a girlfriend.”
Ye Wenxuan coughed dryly: "I think inner beauty is more important, xiao Zhang you are also very good.”
Zhang Zheng was immediately happy: "Ye ge you are just trying to rea.s.sure me ba, but everyone else says that handsome brothers and beautiful ladies are all aloof and cold, Ye ge your character is quite good.”
So thus he lived together with a colleague he had just met.
Because Xu Yan was left in B city, Ye Wenxuan messaged Ruan Yushan who had travelled along with them to ask about Xing Yuan"s room. Ruan a.s.sistant seemed to be busy, only responding to his message after a while.
[No need to follow today, you are free to move. Tomorrow we will be inspecting the Wright company, you will also be coming.]
Ye Wenxuan guessed that Xing Yuan might have some sort of individual activity today, so he thought about how to find out the other person"s room number, while sending a thank you message back to Ruan Yushan.
Right now it was almost six in the afternoon in London.
Zhang Zheng came back from outside, greeting him: "Ye ge, the colleagues next door are getting ready to go downstairs for dinner, let"s join them ba?”
Ye Wenxuan pulled out of his thoughts and answered: "Good.”
When they went down to the hotel restaurant on the third floor, they found that there were only a few colleagues there. Asking them, they found out that the others were all buried under the covers in their rooms to sleep off the jet lag. Zhang Zheng pulled Ye Wenxuan to find a seat in the restaurant, sitting down with four or five colleagues to wait for the waiter to come over and place their order.
Ye Wenxuan looked around: "Why haven"t I seen a.s.sistant Ruan or chief Xing?”
"a.s.sistant Ruan doesn"t live on the same floor as us, she lives next door to chief Xing. Those people will definitely call for room service, how could they come down here to eat." A colleague placed her order while saying: "Just now I went up to find her to mention something and entered a.s.sistant Ruan"s room, now that is called luxury ah. When I came out I saw her go in the door next to her room, I guess ah, that room has to be chief Xing"s.”
The few people agreed with a "oh oh oh", revealing an understanding expression. Zhang Zheng looked at them: "Brothers, what are you oh oh-ing about?”
That person slapped the back of his head: "Haven"t you heard the love story of our a.s.sistant Ruan and chief Xing?”
Zheng Zheng: "Ah? a.s.sistant Ruan and chief Xing?”
"Hai, these are all the conclusions of us employees, concluded after extensive research of the actual situation." That person mysteriously added: "I"ll tell you ah, not only a.s.sistant Ruan, but also a.s.sistant Xu and chief Xing, a.s.sistant Zhang and chief Xing, a.s.sistant Zhao and chief Xing, a.s.sistant Han and chief Xing…”
Ye Wenxuan: "…" Yi, this group of employees are really too idle.
"Ah……hah?" Zhang Zheng was stunned: "Chief Xing"s ten a.s.sistants……no, it can"t be……" Could it be that chief Xing had an affair with every single one of his a.s.sistants?”
"Our chief Xing is so awesome, he must be a big gong ah. Brothers, have you never heard that those ten a.s.sistants of ours, in the Jianghu are called chief Xing"s top ten harem ah, that kind of sensational news is all over the place, very popular!" The colleague leaned over toward Zhang Zheng and Ye Wenxuan, full of excitement: "How, brothers, want to be initiated?”
Ye Wenxuan: "……No, thank you." This is a cult.
Another colleague patted the man who had been speaking: "Pengfei you big mouth, xiao Zhang is someone on a.s.sistant Ruan"s side. You"re pulling him to get initiated, and tomorrow a.s.sistant Ruan will throw you into the lake.”
"I believe xiao Zhang will not betray me." Zhao Pengfei hehe smiled, patting Zhang Zheng"s shoulder: "Besides, didn"t the people under a.s.sistant Ruan also secretly write fanfics of chief Xing and a.s.sistant Ruan ma.”
Zhang Zheng: "……”
Ye Wenxuan: "……”
Xing Yuan"s employees are all poisonous!
Just fantasizing about personal relationships between their boss and a.s.sistant, and even f*king writing it into fan fiction?
He heard that there were even some of chief Xing fighting with ten enemies ah, Ye Wenxuan thought of that scene, unable to resist an uncontrollable surging wave of respect for Xing Yuan.
With such a gang of "deeply hidden" employees, no wonder the Xing group"s business is booming. Eighty to ninety percent of the reason must be because this group of people"s brain circuitry is especially marvelous.
A group of people waited for their meal while quietly discussing which one their boss truly loved. Ye Wenxuan could only acclaim these people"s imagination, while also unable to resist wanting to listen to more of their nonsense. After one meal, he felt that his already rickety views of the world were even more precarious.
After dinner, a few people said that they wanted to go outside for a bit, and convenient find a bar to relax in.
They are all people who often go outside to travel, and naturally know a lot of good places to hang out. Ye Wenxuan declined their invitation, and seeing them pull Zhang Zheng away, he felt that these people would probably only come back after midnight.
Then it would be much easier for him to do something secretly.
Returning to his room, Ye Wenxuan pondered for bit, before deciding to go upstairs to try his luck.
He had previously questioned that one colleague and learned that Ruan Yushan lived on the 29th floor, belonging to the luxury business suites, and that she had gone next door. Presumably, even if that was not Xing Yuan"s room, it would still be another a.s.sistant"s room.
This time, the majority of the reason Xing Yuan had come to London was for business, so because he needed to do work, his room would definitely not be too far from his a.s.sistants" rooms.
## Top ten harem or something xixixi ##
Colleague a: "Long live Xing Xu a.s.sociation! Xing Xu a.s.sociation is the truth! Believe in Xing Xu, and you will live forever!”
Colleague b: "Roll, Xu Yan didn"t even come this time, long live what. I think only the Xing Ruan a.s.sociation is the king!”
Colleague c: "What are you all arguing about, the top ten harem coexists harmoniously, only you all this group of people below them fight back and forth. In the end, the real truth is only one, that is all Xing!”
Colleague d: "Well said! I"ll eat your Amway!”
Disa.s.sociated from the crowd, Ye Wenxuan: "……what is all Xing.”
Zhang Zheng, who had only been at the company for a few months: "……I don"t really want to know.”
Translator Notes:
[1] frozen – 面瘫一般, basically means as if his facial nerves were paralyzed, so his expression never changes
[2] are attracted to – 念念不忘, idiom, actually means that he is always on their mind but same thing
[3] played it safe – 明哲保身, idiom, means putting their own safety before matters of principle
[4] sloppy – 拖泥带水, literally means wading in mud and water, sloppy and slovenly, unprofessional
[5] you flatter me – 不敢当, literally means I dare not (accept the honor), or I don"t deserve your praise
[6] trying to rea.s.sure me – 寒掺, actually doesn"t really mean this but in context this seems to make more sense
[7] acclaim – 叹为观止, idiom, means to gasp in amazement, acclaim as the peak of perfection
[8] I"ll eat your Amway – 我吃你安利, mostly from Chinese slang, basically Amway is a sort of health/beauty product that is recommended to other people, and figuratively eating Amway would be like agreeing with someone"s recommendation/views
Random Notes:
A bit over one hour: 9 pm – 10 pm, for 3.3k characters to 2.5k words. Wow I thought I didn"t translate the chapter to be up on the 16th, so I bashed this one out quickly. Realized at the end that I already had it done, so I got stressed out for no reason.