Volume 4 Chapter 22

Volume 4 + Chapter 22: Confrontation With Wang Shiman

“The sky in Xijiang is still bluer, don’t you think?” As soon as they exited the security checkpoint, Bai Yuxuan said to Qianxue beside her.

At that moment, Qianxue looked up at the sky. Though he didn’t think the sky in Xijiang was any different from that in the capital, the moment he stepped out of the airport, he suddenly felt that the air in Xijiang was extraordinarily fresh.

“Young Master, Miss Ouyang, please get in the car.” Just as the two had walked a short distance from the airport, a familiar voice called out to them. It was Xiao Liu, who had already instructed the driver to pull up and was holding open the rear door, gesturing respectfully for them to enter.

“Young Master, these are the trading volumes and turnover rates for the stocks you asked me to monitor. This one is the market share data of Xijiang’s leading enterprises that you requested. And this list contains the names of the Bai family branch members who, last week, were preparing to defect from your second and third uncles’ camp to join ours…”

As soon as they got in the car, Xiao Liu kept passing stacks of documents from the front passenger seat to Bai Yuxuan in the back. At this, Qianxue felt extremely awkward beside her, he felt like he was caught between Bai Yuxuan and Xiao Liu with no room to speak, so he edged over to avoid disturbing her.

But Bai Yuxuan noticed this subtle movement. She handed the documents back to Xiao Liu and said, “This is my personal time now.” She then signaled with her eyes, and following her gaze to Qianxue’s expression, Xiao Liu immediately understood.

“My apologies, Young Master. I failed to consider your travel fatigue. We’ll leave the business matters for tomorrow,” Xiao Liu said, turning her head back.

Bai Yuxuan then turned to Qianxue. “How are you feeling? Scared? We’re about to meet Wang Shiman.”

“It would be a lie to say I’m not afraid, because almost everything I have now was given by her. She gave me hope when I was most helpless. She made me understand that a six-year-old child could find a way to support his family and raise money for his gravely ill mother. But she is also strict in rewarding and punishing, she shows no mercy to those who are useless to her or who betray her. You could say that to me, Wang Shiman is like a deity, someone I am both grateful to and in awe of.”

“Then how about I meet with her alone to negotiate your matter?” Bai Yuxuan asked, a little worried.

“No!” But Qianxue refused with a resolute expression. “Being afraid doesn’t make me a coward! I have to face what I must face myself. Since you chose to invest in me because you saw my personal potential and want to help me break free from Wang Shiman, then I need to show you that your investment is worthwhile!”

Hearing this, Bai Yuxuan was momentarily stunned, then broke into a smile.

(Indeed, I haven’t invested wrongly. But this guy Qianxue is still thinking too simply, Wang Shiman is by no means an opponent he can handle. There are times when one must rely on others. Even so, the way Qianxue insisted on being himself at the end was quite admirable.)

The driver drove straight to the foot of Wang Shiman’s company building. After getting out, Bai Yuxuan extended a hand to Qianxue, and he grasped it firmly. The two walked side by side toward Wang Shiman’s office.

“Qianxue, Young Master Bai, President Wang has been waiting for you for a long time.” As soon as they reached the floor where Wang Shiman’s office was located, her secretary immediately came up to guide them.

“Oh? She already knew we would come to see her?” Bai Yuxuan asked with a dark expression.

“Yes, after all, Qianxue is the most ‘special’ person to President Wang,” the secretary said, emphasizing the word “special.” When they reached the door of Wang Shiman’s office, the secretary knocked.

“Come in!” Wang Shiman’s voice was pleasant to the ear, yet carried an air of authority that brooked no disobedience. Bai Yuxuan looked at Qianxue with concern, but he wore a determined expression and stepped forward to open the door himself.

Upon seeing Wang Shiman’s appearance, Bai Yuxuan briefly doubted her own eyes, she had heard that Wang Shiman had left the music scene over twenty years ago, yet the woman before her looked no more than twenty years old. But after a closer look, she realized that this was indeed Wang Shiman.

Because Wang Shiman shared with her own father a similar kingly aura, the kind of presence that could only belong to someone who had defeated countless rivals and possessed absolute confidence in her own abilities.

“Qianxue, you’re here. Come closer, let me have a good look at you.” After seeing the two, Wang Shiman spoke first. Having harbored deep reverence for Wang Shiman since childhood, Qianxue instinctively walked up to her upon hearing her words.

“Mmm, my Qianxue has grown up, more and more beautiful,” Wang Shiman said in a gentle tone after sizing him up.

“Cut the act!” Just as Qianxue was at a loss for words, Bai Yuxuan pulled him behind her and said, “You’ve always treated Qianxue as a tool. What, now you’re putting on the airs of an elder?” Her tone was icy cold, enough to send a chill down anyone’s spine.

Wang Shiman merely smiled faintly, picked up her teacup, and took a sip. “You must be the young master of the Bai family, I presume? You are indeed as outstanding as rumored. It’s just a pity that you’ve fallen for Qianxue. You don’t know yet, do you? Qianxue is…”

“A boy?” Before Wang Shiman could finish, Bai Yuxuan interrupted.

Only then did Wang Shiman, who had maintained an unflappable composure until now, reveal a flicker of surprise. But the surprise did not last long, quickly replaced by a smile.

“Haha, Young Master Bai, you truly amaze me. I never expected that, knowing Qianxue’s true gender, you would still come all the way here for him!”

“What’s so funny? In the face of love, gender is not an issue at all!”

“No, no, I’m not mocking your view on love, Young Master Bai. I’m just delighted, because I truly never imagined that my Qianxue could be so charming as to make you, even after learning his gender, remain so devoted to him.”

“Watch your words! Qianxue is no longer yours. The purpose of my visit today is to help Qianxue regain his freedom. He has his own future, he should not be controlled by someone like you!”

“His own future, you say…” Wang Shiman gradually wiped the smile from her face, her expression turning serious. “Is that so? Let’s put that aside for a moment. Do you know? Just now, a rather interesting idea occurred to me. If I sent word to the head of the Bai family that his only son has fallen in love with a man, what do you think he would do?”

Upon hearing this, Qianxue’s face turned deathly pale. He had not expected Wang Shiman to use his own situation to threaten Bai Yuxuan in return. Only now did he realize that in front of Wang Shiman, he was nothing more than a naive child who had never seen the world.

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