Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Seven: The Genius’ Shortcomings
“Getting married? Congrats!” Xiao Yu repeatedly congratulated him and continued, “You don’t look that old yet. You’re probably not yet twenty-five, right?”
“Twenty-two, ” Nan Wei laughed bitterly. “No need to say it; I know what you’re thinking Master. I didn’t originally plan to get married so early. One month ago I hadn’t even considered marriage. I always thought I’d get an arranged partner or something similar around age thirty. Who knew that heaven liked to play tricks on me so much? Master, I’m really very sorry that I’ll be getting married before you. I really really didn’t expect it.”
Xiao Yu: ……
Actually, Xiao Yu’s thinking wasn’t that complicated.
It wasn’t as obvious when they were chatting on QQ, but now, Nan Wei’s drama queen tendencies were more than exposed.
Xiao Yu had always believed himself to be quite imaginative, but now it seemed he was only limited to the level of fantasy novels or television dramas. Nan Wei was at a way higher level. He could make his reality easily understandable.
“Relax. We got engaged just the same.” A low voice came from behind the newspaper.
Xiao Yu ferociously looked over.
The half of the head that had poked out from behind the newspaper rapidly retreated back.
“That makes me relieved.” Nan Wei continued, “We silently watched the both of you for so long. Every day we waited when you’d announce your relations.h.i.+p.”
Xiao Yu was surprised. He asked, “You guys knew about our relations.h.i.+p for a long time?”
“Yep. We found out about a year ago. It was so obvious that it was hard not to know.” Nan Wei saw the strange look on Xiao Yu’s face and teased, “Master, don’t feel embarra.s.sed. It’s not like it’s a bad thing.”
Xiao Yu actually didn’t feel that embarra.s.sed. He’d been hit with so many surprises that he felt numb. The “strange look” on Xiao Yu’s face came from a complicated combination of barely holding onto his reality, his annoyance with Yan Jin, the scolding he’d prepared for Yan Jin, and his fury with Yan Jin.
To put it simply, he needed to be kissed, hugged, and lifted up in the air in order to cool off.
“Let’s not talk about this anymore. Your issues are more important.” Xiao Yu crudely changed the subject. It was a little low-level, but effective nonetheless.
“For the job, I’ll just talk to Cousin here,” Nan Wei calmly responded. “Don’t worry Master, I’ll definitely join. After the marriage I’ll really be free. Although it’s a marriage, but everyone should be clear that the best ending comes when the married couple get along until death.”
“Aren’t you getting married because you want to?” The moment the words left his mouth, Xiao Yu realized it was a little improper so he quickly added, “Sorry, I probably don’t know what I’m talking about. Don’t take my words too seriously.”
“Hey Master, there’s no need to be so formal. Relax, in the future we’ll be of the same family.” Nan Wei turned to look at the person behind the newspaper. “Isn’t that right, Cousin?”
Yan Jin didn’t respond, but his right hand gave a thumbs up from the side of the newspaper.
Xiao Yu also knew he was being too formal, but he felt he didn’t have a choice. Who told Nan Wei to be so familiar on their first meeting? He found it hard to respond to Nan Wei.
Xiao Yu had always been introverted. Now that he came across someone as outgoing as Nan Wei, he wasn’t sure what to do.
“Actually, this happens rather commonly.” Nan Wei scratched his nose, a little embarra.s.sed. “Generally people like me can’t escape from being married off for family strategy. It’s a little embarra.s.sing actually; I’m a little ashamed that even in this day and age I still can’t choose my own wife.”
Xiao Yu felt extremely anxious at Nan Wei’s downcast mood, but he didn’t know what he should say. Even his back had begun to sweat.
He really wasn’t thinking along those lines. He’d really intended to give his blessings to Nan Wei, so how did it turn out like this…
No one spoke for a while, and the uncomfortable atmosphere pervaded the entire room.
Luckily, Xiao Yu didn’t need to stay anxious for too long when a voice broke the silence.
“Seems like you’re both about done talking.” Yan JIn put down the newspaper and started to walk over.
He walked around Xiao Yu and looked at Nan Wei. “It’s about time to switch the partic.i.p.ants, right?”
“Yeah, everything to talk about has already been said. It is about time.” Nan Wei checked the time and looked apologetically at Xiao Yu. “Actually when I came today, I had some family matters to talk about with Cousin. I’m humbly requesting that you please leave the two of us.”
“Sure sure, you guys go talk.”
Xiao Yu couldn’t be more eager to leave. Relieved, he vacated his spot and walked to his room with a pale face.
Yan Jin’s eyes followed Xiao Yu’s back until he heard the soft sound of the door closing before he turned back to look at Nan Wei.
“You’re still the same as ever. Probably the reason the Nan Family never wants to use you is because of the way you still speak.”
Nan Wei’s expression was complicated. “Cousin, it’s not good to burn bridges after crossing them. I wanted to give a very good first impression. I even prepared a gift, but then you asked me to reveal my real personality. Tell me, do you think it was easy to help you pursue your spouse?”
Yan Jin fell silent for a while before responding, “It’s true that I should thank you. Otherwise, it would have been a long time before I found out something wrong with Fishy.”
After the car accident, although Yan Jin was undoubtedly the one responsible for all of Xiao Yu’s job applications being rejected, Yan Jin was sure that he wasn’t the one who caused SI to fire Xiao Yu. To put it precisely, before he had gotten around to pressuring SI, SI had already fired Xiao Yu.
Looking back on it now, this was the best outcome. It saved Yan Jin lots of trouble. But after reviewing the events after Xiao Yu was wrongfully fired, Yan Jin could tell something wasn’t quite right.
The issue wasn’t that SI’s highest ranks were harboring unfathomable motives
deceptive. It was obvious to anyone that Chairman Zhou Jinrong put his ambition before all else. The issue was with the final result of a relatively minor company disagreement. Somehow the highest ranking designer, Xiao Yu, ended up completely abandoned. There was no way Xiao Yu didn’t have his own personal flaws.
And for those flaws, Yan Jin finally had a rough guess as to what those were.
It wasn’t super serious, just that Xiao Yu was not good at communication. Yan Jin had actually seen much more serious instances with people similar to Xiao Yu.
Prejudiced, argumentative, arrogant, unsociable, jealous with a ma.s.sive inferiority complex…
These people were the “geniuses” of some field.
They couldn’t be compared with the normal cream of the crop. These were the geniuses that had a fatal flaw.
Yan Jin had long suspected Xiao Yu also had one such characteristic, but he’d never seen it personally. Now that he found what he’d been looking for when Xiao Yu was pushed to his limits, he felt he had a more holistic understanding of Xiao Yu.
Thanks to Nan Wei.
“No need to thank me. Repaying Cousin is my biggest desire.” Nan Wei lowered his head. “Ever since I was a child it’s always been Cousin helping us. If it weren’t for Cousin, I definitely wouldn’t be who I am today.”
“Which might not be the best way to live,” Yan Jin reminded him.
“But at least it’s not the worst. Can’t get any worse than that…” Nan Wei’s face slowly grew paler as all the blood drained from his face. Previously, he’d been happily chatting, but that excitement quickly faded like a Dutchman’s Pipe (TLN: flower known for blooming and withering quickly).
Yan Jin sighed.
He wasn’t unfamiliar with this sight. Whenever the Nan brothers brought up this topic, they would have the same reaction.
Truly a sin.
“I don’t understand. I really don’t understand, Cousin. Why do these things have to come to such a point…” Nan Wei wrenched his hair. “Sometimes I feel like I’m just a dog raised by the Nan Family just so they can entirely dissect me. They count my blood as if it were money.”
“It’s not entirely a bad thing.” Yan Jin hesitated, and then chose not to say too much. “Although you’re young, you’ve been living by yourself outside your family all this time. Of course people will worry. It’s not bad to settle down with a family.”
“But they don’t think like this. It’s not because I’m living alone that they’re trying to get me to submit by threatening to move my mother’s grave.” Nan Wei looked directly at Yan Jin’s eyes. One word at a time, he said, “Sometimes I wonder if they’re demons instead of humans. Can humans do such a thing?”
Yan Jin didn’t say a word.
“I really wish I could think like my brother. At least I could control my own destiny then.” This was probably the first time Nan Wei revealed his extreme jealousy of the astonis.h.i.+ng genius that was his older brother. “If I had my brother’s talents, I definitely wouldn’t have left home. I would completely accept the Nan Family, and then destroy everything.”
Yan Jin sighed.
If Nan Wei really had the business ac.u.men, he probably wouldn’t think so.
In the end, Chu Ge was the one forced into hiding his ident.i.ty and taking a foreign path, not the Nan Family. Even Nan Wei’s brother couldn’t win, much less Nan Wei himself.
It was both fortunate and unfortunate there were no ifs in this world.
“Do you know who you’re getting married to?” After a long time, Yan Jin slowly opened his mouth. “It’s probably better to meet them earlier. After all, you’ll be spending the rest of your life together.”
“It won’t happen. I’m sorry for her, but either she perishes or we both perish together.”
In the midst of the overwhelming pessimism, there was some deep meaning hidden. Yan Jin raised an eyebrow. “Is this related to Liu Ye?”
“Yes.” Nan Wei painfully dipped his head. “If I made up my mind sooner, it would have been okay, but it’s too late for anything now. There’s no chance now for us.”
Having said this, it meant that the little tyrant that feared no one had grown up. Yan Jin felt it was both gratifying and funny. “So that’s why you didn’t go confirm who you’re marrying?”
“What’s the use?” Nan Wei said coldly. “I’m a soulless mindless puppet that doesn’t need any consideration. I’ll do whatever they tell me to do. When the time comes and they want me to marry a large white goose, I’ll just go with the flow.”
By this point, even Nan Wei found it funny.
“…What’s the use in doing this though? But at least my mother’s grave will be preserved for another ten years.”
But it was only for ten years. After ten years, what other bargaining chips did he have to negotiate with?
Nan Wei was clueless.
……
“Not for long,” Yan Jin slowly said. “Times like these won’t last very long.”