Chapter 40: Which Kind of Knot Do You Like?
Fu Cheng spoke his piece and then departed.
Before Fu Yue could even say a word, Shen Junnian, standing beside him, began snarking. “Go home? Go home my foot!”
He grabbed Fu Yueās arm. “Don’t you dare give them an out. What if that old man Fu gets mad that you didn’t give him the project and beats you up again?”
Fu Yue was amused by Shen Junnianās words. “It wonāt come to that, don’t worry.”
Fu Yue had his own plans.
Go home?
Of course he had to go back.
His decision to return was based on a cooler, more calculated assessment.
In the original novel, Fu Yueās identity had always been the “Young Master of the Fu family.”
This identity was like a world anchor; it kept his coordinates within this worldās system in a position that complied with the “logic of the original work.”
The career he currently possessed was merely a series of self-rescue measures taken after being kicked out of the Fu family.
Unless absolutely necessary, Fu Yue did not want to disturb the foundation of the plot.
Protecting the main “Ji Linye & Chen Bai CP” line and ensuring they walked their path smoothly while he lived his own life in a safe cornerāthat was the most secure strategy.
Therefore, he couldn’t just jump off the Fu family ship; he had to sit firmly on it.
Having decided on going home, Fu Yue headed to the restroom.
“Tsk, heās even prettier in person than in photos. No wonder he could climb onto the Ji Groupās ladder.”
“Itās more than just climbing on. The version I heard is that heās pursuing both the Chairman and the President at the same time. Heās taking the ‘top-tier’ route.”
“Really? Is he that fierce?”
“Who knows? Maybe the Ji brothers enjoy a threesome.”
“But with that face and that thin waist, he certainly has the capital. Even a commercial emperor has a weakness for beauty. Itās not impossible for them to please him with a project worth tens of billions.”
The sound of running water rose and then ceased.
Footsteps receded, and the restroom returned to silence.
Fu Yue pushed open the stall door with a blank expression.
Just as he walked out, another sound came from the adjacent stall.
A manās voice with an overseas Chinese accent was on the phone.
“…Right, proceeding as planned.”
“…Don’t worry, he won’t see through it.”
The call ended, and the stall door was pushed open.
Fu Yue watched the man through the mirror as he walked outāit was a deputy from the Wild Horse Tech delegation.
He wasn’t surprised to see Fu Yue; he merely gave him a cold glance and left straight away.
Fu Yue turned on the faucet, the water rushing over his fingertips.
Beneath the surface of todayās negotiation meeting, things might be far more turbulent than they appeared.
He dried his hands and was about to leave when the door of the end stall opened.
Shen Junnian walked out.
Clearly, he had also heard those rumors just now.
Shen Junnianās expression remained normal, so Fu Yueās face didn’t change either. The two did not speak and pushed the door open to leave.
Back in the lounge, they settled in, and Chen Bai arrived.
Today, he wore a simple white shirt and black trousers, his temperament clean and gentle.
Following him were several tea boys dressed in traditional crossover-collar shirts.
“Young Master Fu, Young Master Shen, President Pei.” Chen Bai politely acknowledged the three of them. “Iāve asked them to brew some tea for you.”
One tea boy immediately stepped forward and laid out a tea set on the low table.
Warming the cups, placing the tea, brewing.
The series of movements was as fluid as flowing water, a delight to watch.
Soon, the aroma of tea rose in curls.
“Assistant Chenās conference work today is organized perfectly. Even the details of the tea break are so elegant,” Fu Yue praised.
Chen Bai smiled somewhat shyly and personally served tea to Fu Yue.
Fu Yue, however, noticed he was receiving special treatment.
While the others were drinking fragrant American Ginseng Oolong, a few red berries were floating in his cup.
Goji berry tea?
Was Chen Bai trying to make him focus on his health?
This routine… was a bit strange.
But he didn’t think too much of it.
Suddenlyā
“Watch out!”
Another passing tea boy failed to steady his tray and stumbled.
A few drops of scalding tea landed squarely on Fu Yue.
“Fu Yue, are you okay?” Shen Junnianās anxious voice rang out.
“Iām sorry! Iām sorry!” Both tea boys were pale with fright.
Fu Yue looked down; several dark water stains had bloomed on his light-colored tie.
“Itās okay, don’t worry.” He flipped the tie over to show the back was dry, then turned to comfort the two tea boys.
“Young Master Fu, here.” Pei Zhen, sitting opposite him, opened his briefcase and took out an exquisite velvet bag. “I brought a spare. Itās a new tie; if you don’t mind…”
Just as Fu Yue was about to reach for it, a crisp female voice came from not far away. “Young Master Fu.”
Turning toward the sound, it was Monica.
She strode over in high heels, moving like the wind.
When she reached him, she leaned in and whispered into Fu Yueās ear, “The Chairman is looking for you for an urgent matter. Please go to the 98th floor immediately.”
An urgent matter?
Fu Yueās heart tightened.
For something to be classified as “urgent” by Ji Hanmo, and for Monica herself to deliver the message, it had to be a major development.
Fu Yue didn’t have time to apologize; he hastily dropped a “Iāll be right back” and rushed toward the top floor in a state of high anxiety.
“Is the board of directors suddenly acting up? Did a system crash? Or… is there a compliance issue with the South City land?”
All sorts of worst-case scenarios flashed through Fu Yueās mind.
Dingā
The doors of the private elevator slid open.
Fu Yue almost ran as he pushed open the door to the Chairmanās office.
In the vast office, only Ji Hanmo stood alone.
“What happened?” Fu Yue was panting, getting straight to the point.
Ji Hanmo did not answer.
He simply stood there, his gaze resting on Fu Yueās chest.
Then, before Fu Yue could react at all, he took a step forward, his hand reaching directly for Fu Yue.
Fu Yueās body stiffened.
Wh… what was the situation?
Reason told him to stay calm.
He and Ji Hanmo had spent some time together recently.
He could be certain that while this man was domineering and powerful, he wouldn’t actually do anything truly out of line.
āOr so the “rational” part of Fu Yueās brain told him.
However, bodily instinct could not be suppressed by reason.
It was like riding a roller coaster; even if the seatbelt was firmly fastened and reason told you that you wouldn’t be thrown out…
The moment the sensation of weightlessness swept through your body, your heart would still pound madly, and your throat would uncontrollably let out a scream.
Right now, it was exactly like that.
Ji Hanmoās flawlessly handsome face was infinitely magnified in Fu Yueās eyes.
The fresh, pleasant scent on him was like an invisible net, trapping him firmly.
That hand, which had once signed a multi-billion dollar contract, was only a centimeter away from his Adam’s apple.
What next?
Fu Yue felt as if he could foresee that as long as Ji Hanmo wanted, these hands could easily undo his restraints.
And he himself would be like a butterfly caught in a spiderās web, all his struggles powerless and futile.
And after that?
Would the tie be pulled off? Would his shirt buttons be undone one by one? Or would they be crudely ripped open?
Would he be pressed onto the desk behind him, or pushed down onto that leather sofa?
The office door was not locked.
This made everything even more tense.
This panic over losing control filled his mind.
Fu Yueās instinct for survival finally took the upper hand, and he took a sharp step back.
“Don’t move.”
Ji Hanmoās voice was deep, interrupting his wild thoughts.
He… had pinched the knot of his tie.
The force in the manās hand increased slightly.
Fu Yue felt a strong sense of restriction at the back of his neck.
Because of his retreat just now, there was even a sense of suffocation from the pressure.
Ji Hanmo, however, firmly controlled his tie, and thus controlled the Fu Yue who wanted to flee.
Beneath his shirt, a bead of sweat slid down his spine and vanished into the waistline of his trousers.
Fu Yue was forced to stop in place, his entire body tense.
He could only watch Ji Hanmo helplessly.
This man was using slow, deliberate, yet oppressive movements to untie his tie.
Thwack.
The wet tie was tossed onto the desk by Ji Hanmo.
Immediately after, he began to untie his own tie right in front of Fu Yue.
Fu Yueās heart skipped a beat.
The silver-gray tie was elegantly removed by the man and handed to him.
“Put it on,” Ji Hanmo said.
Fu Yue hesitated.
Putting on a tie that another man had just taken off was truly too ambiguous.
“Chairman Ji, this isn’t appropriate,” Fu Yue pushed it away.
Ji Hanmo seemed to see through his hesitation, his voice carrying a teasing edge. “Or do you want me to help you?”
He looked Fu Yue up and down, approached him, and asked leisurely, “Which kind of knot do you like? A Windsor? A Half-Windsor? Or… some other… knot?”
Such suggestive dialogue could be considered flirting.
Fu Yueās cheeks burned. He looked resistant, unwilling to take it.
The next second, he saw Ji Hanmoās thin lips silently form two words.
The contract.
Fu Yue: “…”
That again.
He let out a sigh in his heart.
Ultimately, like he was accepting his fate, he took the tie that still carried the man’s body heat and obediently tied it around his own neck.
He kept his head down the entire time, not daring to look into Ji Hanmoās eyes.
But that gaze, which saw through everything, was resting on him unmovingly. It seemed as if it wanted to see through all his guilt.
“Sweating? It seems the heating in this office is too high.”
Ji Hanmoās voice was deep and pleasant. “Next time, Iāll take note.”
With that, he turned and walked back to the desk, casually putting the wet tie into a drawer.
Recommended Reads
![The League’s Hei Yueguang Has Fought His Way Back [E-sports]](https://beereads.space/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/hei-214x300.jpg)
