Chapter 28: After Today, You Can’t Stay Hidden
Perhaps because he had been exhausted these past few days, Fu Yue’s head fell asleep the moment it hit the pillow.
Subsequently, he was carried into a bedroom decorated in shades of light gray. Forced to bend over, a man held his shoulders, his lips touching the wounds where faint bruises still remained.
Was the man healing him?
“Ji Hanmo, mmm… don’t… I can’t take it…”
The cool, herb-scented ointment was slowly applied to him. Fu Yue wanted to struggle, but he was held firmly by those large hands.
“Endure it, it won’t hurt.” Ji Hanmo’s words sounded like a promise, yet also like a coaxing lure.
Clearly, when applying the medicine before, this man could control it so well that it didn’t hurt at all. Why was it so painful when he did it now?
Fu Yue felt as if even his waist was so sore he couldn’t straighten it.
“Ji Hanmo…”
“Mmh.”
“Ji Hanmo…”
The black hair on his forehead was soaked with sweat, swaying incessantly before his eyes. Fu Yue only felt his breathing grow chaotic, his body about to fall apart amidst the violent shaking.
A single, heaviest shake jolted him awake.
“Fu Yue, wake up.” Ji Hanmo was shaking his shoulder, waking him.
Fu Yue opened his eyes, and what met his gaze was an incredibly handsome face.
“Did you have a nightmare? You’re sweating so much.” Ji Hanmo was half-kneeling by his bed, brushing aside the soaked hair on his forehead. “What did you dream about?”
“Nothing.” Fu Yue felt a bit guilty.
“Did you dream of me?” Ji Hanmo pressed with a curl of his lips.
“No!”
Fu Yue prayed in his heart that he didn’t have a habit of talking in his sleep.
Ji Hanmo’s gaze lingered on his face for a moment. “Get up, time for dinner.”
Fu Yue blinked. “I’ll wake up for another five minutes, then I want to take a shower. Can you wait for me in the living room?”
Ji Hanmo nodded and turned to leave. Once he was gone, Fu Yue propped himself up to sit. His waist was indeed very sore after sitting and having meetings all day. However, what truly embarrassed him was the sticky feeling on his body.
Being busy with missions in this world, he indeed hadn’t had a release in a long time.
“Damn it, couldn’t I dream of a beautiful woman?”
Fu Yue grumbled, then got up and scurried into the bathroom. Soon, the sound of splashing water rang out.
They had a rich dinner at the hotel’s Chinese restaurant. Ji Hanmo’s black Rolls-Royce drove out of the hotel and north along the coastal highway.
Fu Yue looked at the increasingly sparse lights outside the window and couldn’t help but ask, “Checking the land this late?”
“The night view exposes problems best.” Ji Hanmo placed his hand on the armrest.
Fu Yue felt that this person was particularly full of nonsense today. But with the contract in place, Fu Yue didn’t bother to argue.
The car finally stopped at the top of a low hill overlooking the sea. The moment he pushed the door open and got out, the salty sea breeze hit him in the face. Fu Yue followed Ji Hanmo toward the cliffside railing, the gravel crunching under his feet.
“Look over there.” Ji Hanmo pointed to a dark patch of land in the distance. “There, in the future, the highest level of health services will be provided to the citizens.”
Fu Yue looked in the direction he pointed; the barren plot under the moonlight was pitch black. Just as he was about to speak, a strong gust of wind suddenly hit, nearly blowing away the blueprints he had brought in his hand.
“Watch out—”
Chapter 29: A Screen Full of Tiger-Wolf Words
Seeing that the night wind was about to blow the blueprints away, Ji Hanmo’s reaction was faster than Fu Yue’s.
The man’s long arm suddenly blocked in front of him, and his other hand wrapped around him, accurately catching the edge of the scattered blueprints. This sudden protective posture made it look as though Ji Hanmo was hugging him from behind.
The distance between the two vanished instantly, and Fu Yue could clearly smell the faint scent of cedar on him.
“Thank you.” Fu Yue gripped the blueprints, his fingertips accidentally brushing the other’s palm.
Ji Hanmo seemed to feel the subtle contact and tightened his arm even further. He looked down at Fu Yue, who was encircled in his arms, and said flatly, “It seems the core assets of this project need to be held tight, lest they be blown away by the wind.”
It was unclear whether he was talking about the blueprints or the person.
Fu Yue gave a light struggle, signaling Ji Hanmo to let go. The two returned to a safe distance. Ji Hanmo didn’t seem to care about this small interlude.
He continued to outline the plan in the night: “The main roads of the community will be flat, and all buildings will be accessible without barriers. Your core server room will be placed—”
The night grew deeper.
Fu Yue gazed at the shadows of the trees ahead, his thoughts drifting uncontrollably. He had come to this world merely to be an inconspicuous tool-man supporting the main CP, so how did things turn into this? Standing on a high place with a business emperor, outlining a blueprint together.
What was with this burgeoning ambition and eagerness in his heart?
“System, am I sick?”
“System! System?!”
[Shielding State]
Good grief, just because of that one hug, this damn system went into self-shielding mode again. What on earth is this system thinking all day? Does it think we’re going to start some outdoor play after that hug? Or does it think Ji Hanmo is going to strip my clothes off in the next second?
It’s an AI; how can its thoughts be even more lewd than mine! At this moment, Fu Yue felt that he wasn’t the only one who was sick.
“Fu Yue,” Ji Hanmo’s voice interrupted Fu Yue’s internal monologue, “the question I asked you during dinner last time—I want to ask it again.”
Ji Hanmo turned around. The night blurred his expression, but those eyes were as bright as obsidian. “Have you thought about what you want to do in the future?”
Fu Yue’s heart skipped a beat. This question, asked by Ji Hanmo at this moment, carried a completely different weight. While Fu Yue was lost in thought, Ji Hanmo spoke of something else first.
“The matter you asked me to investigate, the crash of the Fu Group’s core system—the evidence has been found.”
Fu Yue immediately looked up.
“It was a senior employee in a redundant position who was about to be transferred after you optimized the system,” Ji Hanmo continued. “He felt you had cut off his career path and held a grudge. He used his last few days on the job to manufacture that accident, using your temporary account at the Fu Group. Witness and physical evidence—Monica has already organized it and can send it to you at any time.”
Fu Yue thought about it. Was it… that simple? A disgruntled employee? On the surface, perhaps, but maybe not behind the scenes.
“What do you want to do with the evidence?” Ji Hanmo asked, taking a step closer to Fu Yue. “Are you cold?”
Ji Hanmo’s palm brushed over Fu Yue’s wrist but released it after only a light touch. His wrist was indeed icy, a sharp contrast to the heat of the palm. After standing on the mountain for a long time, he did feel cold.
Just then, a cashmere scarf carrying body heat was placed around his neck. Fu Yue turned and met those burning, dark eyes.
“I…”
He hadn’t decided what to do yet. Throw the evidence in Old Man Fu’s face? It didn’t seem quite right.
Ji Hanmo didn’t press him for an answer but changed the subject instead. “During the meeting today, you must have noticed, right?”
Fu Yue was a bit confused. “Noticed what?”
“This project,” Ji Hanmo’s gaze turned toward the silent land below, his voice sounding exceptionally clear in the night, “still has room for cooperation.”
Fu Yue reacted instantly. Indeed, today’s meeting was centered on discussions between technology, medical, engineering, and capital. But such a massive “Smart Medical Community” would inevitably involve many other important sectors like real estate development, commercial facilities, and logistics management. And the partners for these sectors were still undecided.
“Yes,” Fu Yue nodded, “the partners for real estate development and comprehensive operations haven’t been finalized yet.”
“Mmh,” Ji Hanmo responded, then turned his head to look at him deeply. “In the future, the Ji Group will open bidding and accept recommendations. Given the scale and prospects of this project, anyone with strength in Haicheng will want a piece of the pie.”
He paused, adding the most crucial line: “Including the Fu family.”
Fu Yue’s heart constricted. He instantly understood Ji Hanmo’s meaning.
“Fu Yue, the Haicheng circle is most skilled at fawning over the high and trampling on the low.” Ji Hanmo took another step closer, almost whispering in his ear, “After today, you can’t stay hidden.”
Fu Yue’s thoughts shifted. The first time he went to Ji Hanmo’s office, this man had subtly probed him, asking if he was hiding his light under a bushel at the Fu family. If he followed Ji Hanmo’s line of reasoning, all of Fu Yue’s current performance wouldn’t be considered OOC and could be explained away.
Thinking of this, Fu Yue suddenly spoke: “So, that’s why you kept the evidence of the Fu Group’s system sabotage with Monica instead of giving it to me directly?”
Fu Yue tried to fathom Ji Hanmo’s thoughts. Perhaps Ji Hanmo felt that this so-called evidence was completely insignificant and unimportant. Fu Yue wouldn’t even need it.
Seeing the flash of affirmation in Ji Hanmo’s eyes, Fu Yue knew he had guessed correctly.
“It’s good that you understand,” Ji Hanmo looked at him. “If you take this evidence back, the most you’ll get is a cleared name and a lukewarm ‘Dad was wrong about you.’ But if—”
Ji Hanmo paused, the warmth fading from his expression as he grew serious. “If you are sitting at the negotiation table as the project’s Party A, facing the Fu family, what you will receive is the respect and flattery they have no choice but to give, and even everything else you deserve.”
“So… to hell with the evidence?” Fu Yue said with a bit of uncertainty.
Ji Hanmo laughed at his words. “Of course. To hell with the evidence; it’s just something optional.”
At this moment, Fu Yue truly understood. Regarding the second thing Fu Yue had asked for in their contract—”the evidence of his framing”—Ji Hanmo felt that item was worthless. He had given Fu Yue something far more valuable than evidence: this South City project. Of course, the premise was that Fu Yue had the skills to prove his own worth while also creating significant value for this Ji Group project.
Fu Yue cursed Ji Hanmo once again in his heart. Truly a consummate businessman! He played the win-win game to perfection.
The mountain road late at night was silent, with only the streetlights receding rapidly outside the window, casting long shadows. Inside the car, the heater was turned up high.
Soon, they were back in the city. Just as Fu Yue was leaning against the seat, starting to feel drowsy, Ji Hanmo suddenly spoke beside him, his voice low as he instructed the driver.
“Stop the car.”
The driver immediately pulled over smoothly to the side of the road. Fu Yue opened his eyes in some confusion.
“Wait for me a moment,” Ji Hanmo said to him before pushing the door open and stepping out.
The moment the door opened, the night wind rushed in, carrying a chill. Fu Yue watched Ji Hanmo’s tall silhouette leave the car. Through the window, he saw him enter a convenience store. A few minutes later, the car door was opened again.
Ji Hanmo sat back down. Along with the chill he brought back, a faint, sweet fragrance filled the car. A paper cup was steadily placed in Fu Yue’s hand.
“Drink up. You must have frozen on the mountain.”
It was a cup of steaming hot milk.
“Chairman Ji appeared at a convenience store in the middle of the night just to buy this?”
The warm sensation came from his palm. Holding the cup, Fu Yue was a bit dazed and couldn’t help but tease him.
“Then what do you think I should go to a convenience store to buy? Hmm?” Ji Hanmo deliberately twisted the focus of the question, making Fu Yue suspect that the man’s next sentence was going to be “driving” (NSFW talk).
Hot drinks and fatigue both lead to a lapse in guard.
“It’s been a long day of socializing; you must be exhausted,” Ji Hanmo asked casually. He was currently leaning against the seat in a relaxed posture.
“I’m alright.” Fu Yue took a sip of the milk.
Ji Hanmo glanced at Fu Yue’s profile and said seemingly nonchalantly, “There were a lot of people interested in you today.”
Fu Yue replied casually, “They were all interested in this project of the Ji Group.”
“Is that so?” Ji Hanmo didn’t seem to agree. “They seemed very interested in you personally.”
Fu Yue’s action of drinking milk paused, and he instinctively retorted, “You’re overthinking it. It’s a work relationship; at most, they were giving you face…”
“Then what do you think is the difference between me and them?”
This question was too sudden, making the atmosphere in the car tighten. Fu Yue thought for a while before finally giving what could be considered the “safest” answer: “Of course it’s different. You’re my boss.”
To prove the rigor of this answer, Fu Yue added another sentence: “They are partners in the project; you are the one who pays my salary. The nature is completely different.”
When he heard the answer “boss,” a glint of light in Ji Hanmo’s eyes dissipated.
Just when Fu Yue thought he had successfully ended the topic, Ji Hanmo suddenly laughed. It wasn’t his usual cold or mocking laugh. This laugh carried a hint of helplessness, vibrating softly in the quiet cabin.
He raised his hand, and Fu Yue instinctively shrank to the side. However, Ji Hanmo didn’t do anything; he just used his slender knuckles to lightly tap Fu Yue’s forehead—a touch that was neither too light nor too heavy.
“Mmh, I am your boss.”
One couldn’t tell the emotions in Ji Hanmo’s low voice. After withdrawing his hand, he unhurriedly finished the second half of the sentence: “So, remember that point.”
“Stay a bit further away from them.”
Fu Yue clutched the forehead he had touched. He opened his mouth but couldn’t say a single word. His thoughts uncontrollably drifted back to that moment on the mountain peak just now.
Fu Yue actually recalled that moment of accidental proximity.
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