The Sick Beauty Gave Up Struggling

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Bonus Chapter !

The process of getting the answer was very simple, but after getting the result, Shen Boyan fell into confusion.

The reason why he wanted to investigate this matter was only based on a businessman’s sensitivity to suspicious events, but after learning the answer, he was confused: What is Sheng Songbai doing this for?

There’s nothing he could benefit from this incident.

Or was it simply an accident?

Shen Boyan pondered for a moment and called in an assistant: “Do you still have Luo Nian’s phone number?”

“Yes.”

A few minutes later, Luo Nian, who was resting at the new filming site, received the call. He was flattered and carefully picked up the phone.

“Hello, President Shen.”

Shen Boyan went straight to the point: “Do you know Sheng Songbai?”

Luo Nian was taken aback and tried hard to recall who Sheng Songbai was. When he remembered, he said, “I don’t really know him.”

“Your manager…”

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“My manager probably doesn’t know him either. He also wonders why I was chosen for this promotional film. He thought it was because you took care of me, so he definitely doesn’t know President Sheng.”

“Got it.”

After Shen Boyan hung up the phone, his doubts were not answered but piled up. Then he called Assistant Lin to come in.

“What do you think Sheng Songbai did this for?”

Assistant Lin replied purely based on his intuition: “Since letting Luo Nian be a model doesn’t benefit President Sheng, based on the relationship between Luo Nian and you, he should be targeting Mr. Xia.”

Shen Boyan tapped on the table top: “Of course I know he is targeting Xia Shu’an, I was asking why he targeted Xia Shu’an?”

The two of them have nothing to do with each other. Could it be that he is worried that Xia Shu’an will affect his work?

Shen Boyan thought it was ridiculous, but after thinking about it carefully, he couldn’t laugh anymore.

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Assistant Lin, as someone who could manage Shen Boyan’s private time in a well-organized manner, was indeed meticulous and courageous. He once again think outside the box and boldly speculated: “If we don’t think of President Sheng as the vice president of the company, there is an explanation.”

“What is it?”

“He wants to provoke the relationship between you and Mr. Xia. He either likes you or Mr. Xia.”

Shen Boyan couldn’t help laughing: “Nonsense.”

“Don’t say such impossible things; you go down first. Don’t tell anyone about this.”

“Yes.”

After Assistant Lin left, Shen Boyan thought for a while. He really couldn’t find a reason for Sheng Songbai to do this, but it would be really ridiculous to say that he liked Xia Shu’an or himself.

Sheng Songbai and Xia Shu’an had only met a few times, and they didn’t speak more than ten sentences. Even if it was love at first sight, he had to take into account the face of his old friend and boss.

Besides, the idea of Sheng Songbai liking him is even more ridiculous.

He couldn’t clear this up, no matter how hard he thought. It wasn’t really important anyway, so Shen Boyan put it aside for the time being and called Sheng Songbai to come over.

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Sheng Songbai quickly knocked on the door and walked into the office.

“What’s the matter?” He naturally pulled a chair across from him and sat down.

Shen Boyan’s expression was the same as usual. He closed the notebook on the table, pushed it to the side, and said: “The business in South Africa is on the right track, and the preliminary preparations have been completed. We need an experienced person who has managed them in the past to coordinate the development of the business department.”

“I want you to go; what do you think?”

“Me?” Sheng Songbai was startled first, then smiled wryly: “You really think highly of me.”

“You are the most suitable candidate.”

“How long will it take?”

“About two years if you go out after Chinese New Year. Within about two years, you will be able to integrate the internal management system of the South African business unit and carry out normal business. After returning to China, you will directly enter the Nan’an branch as general manager. ”

“This is really a condition that is hard to refuse.”

“Think about it.” Shen Boyan didn’t let him make a decision right away.

From the company’s point of view, this is the best choice, and from a personal emotional point of view, Shen Boyan also feels that this development is better for him.

“Okay, let me think about it. Is there anything else?”

“No.”

Sheng Songbai stood up and pushed the chair back. “Ah, by the way, my parents sent something over from our hometown. I’ll bring you some later. Take them back to eat with Xiao Xia.”

“Okay, thank you.”

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Sheng Songbai waved his hand and went out.

Shen Boyan looked at his back, as if still deep in thought. Sheng Songbai walked out for a while until he got into the elevator going down, and the look on his face sank.

…

When Xia Shuan came home, he saw a bag of persimmons on the table in the living room. The persimmons were particularly dark in color and looked very distinctive, full of unique local flavor.

“Who sent this?”

Shen Boyan came out of the kitchen, holding a cup in his hand. “Sheng Songbai’s hometown is in Shanxi. This is his hometown specialty. He sent us some.”

“Then I have to thank him; this persimmon looks delicious.”

Sheng Songbai is a bit like those hypocrites in novels, but hypocrites can also be considered a type of gentleman. After all, a gentleman will give him delicious persimmons, but a real villain will not.

“Is it hot? Take off the scarf.”

Xia Shu’an probably also wore a scarf in the car, and a thin layer of sweat broke out on his neck. Shen Boyan took the scarf with one hand and handed him the cup with the other. Xia Shu’an took two sips from his hands, licked his lips, and said, “What’s for dinner?”

Shen Boyan sneered: “You just want to eat.”

He put the cup on the table, took the coat from his hand, and said, “Go up and change your clothes. It’s your favorite salt-baked shrimp today.”

Xia Shu’an immediately smiled: “I like salt-baked shrimp1.”

Shen Boyan stared at his smile, and a slight smile also slowly appeared on his face.

…

Since the last “heart-to-heart” exchange, Shen Boyan and Xia Shu’an have been in perfect harmony, like water and milk and honey and oil. After going to work the next day, Shen Boyan took the return gift to Sheng Songbai’s office.

Early in the morning, Sheng Songbai had already started working. Apart from him, there was also his assistant in the office. Sheng Songbai sent the assistant away, stood up, and said with a smile, “Why are you so polite? There’s even a return gift.”

“It should be. Auntie made some snacks. Eat some when you’re hungry.”

“Okay, thank you.” Sheng Songbai unceremoniously opened the box, took a look, and smiled again: “Butterfly Crisp2, you probably didn’t eat this thing; did Xiao Xia like it?”

Shen Boyan lowered his head and chuckled.

“Yes.”

“How young and vivacious. If I had such a lovely person in my family, I’d be just like you, going back home after work every day.”

With a smile on his face, the assistant’s speculation from the previous two days suddenly flashed through Shen Boyan’s mind.

His heart moved slightly.

“It’s been a long time since we got together.”

Sheng Songbai: “Huh?”

Shen Boyan looked at him and said, “Do you have time this Saturday? Let’s have a meal together.”

“Okay, you set the time and place; I will definitely go.”

“That’s fine; I’ll call you when the time comes.”

Shen Boyan nodded and walked out of the office, leaving only the thoughtful expression of the man behind him.

This week passed quickly, and it was the weekend in a blink of an eye. In the afternoon, Shen Boyan and Xia Shu’an set off together.

Shen Boyan told Xia Shu’an in advance about having dinner with Sheng Songbai. With Shen Boyan’s strong possessiveness, Xia Shu’an found it difficult to believe that he would actively allow him to come into contact with Sheng Songbai, especially in the case where he had also expressed plausible good feelings.

Probably because his gaze was too hot, Shen Boyan looked at him and said, “What are you looking at?”

“I’m thinking about the reason for today’s meal.”

“It’s to celebrate Songbai’s promotion and salary increase. He will go to the South African business department next year to coordinate all the company’s business there.”

Yes, Sheng Songbai had agreed to this yesterday, and it was just as well to use this reason for everyone to have dinner together.

Because it was the same process in his previous life, Xia Shu’an was not surprised or anything. With Sheng Songbai’s ability and qualifications, this is the best choice.

The car carried the two to their destination, which was a private restaurant. Xia Shu’an had been here a few times in his past life; the taste was good, and the owner was also someone Shen Boyan knew.

When they entered, there were already people in the small room. Sheng Songbai and the bar owner, Zhang Shencang, whom he had met before, were sitting and chatting face-to-face. When they saw the two coming in, they greeted them, “The two of you are late.”

Shen Boyan walked in calmly: “I’ve checked the time. It’s still ten minutes before schedule.”

Zhang Mingpei immediately said, “Ten minutes early is already very early; don’t fuss over such a small matter.”

As a social animal, Zhang Mingpei said quickly.

Xia Shu’an scanned the people in the room. Besides the man mentioned earlier, there was also Shen Boyan’s friend and subordinate, Lu Cai, as well as an unfamiliar woman.

Zhang Shencang put his arms around the girl beside him and couldn’t hide the smile in his eyes: “This is my girlfriend, Rong Yue.”

“Hello.”

“Hello, I’m Rong Yue.”

After exchanging pleasantries, several people sat down.

Xia Shu’an asked, “Where is Ms. Sheng? Isn’t she coming over?”

Zhang Mingpei: “Manzhu went on a business trip and hasn’t come back yet.”

Sheng Songbai: “Ah, I’m also going on a business trip, moving to South Africa after the new year.”

Zhang Mingpei sympathized with him: “That’s very unfortunate.”

Sheng Songbai laughed out loud, “There’s no way. It’s the boss’s order after all.”

Zhang Mingpei righteously stated, “Your boss is too hateful; I condemn him.”

Shen Boyan slightly hooked his lips: “The 160-square-meter apartment is equipped with a personal housekeeper, a car, a driver, and an interpreter. The salary is doubled, and the year-end bonus will be divided based on business performance.”

Zhang Mingpei was immediately in awe: “Excuse me, where can I find such good company? Please call me there!”

A few people talked and laughed, and after a short while, the meal began.

Xia Shu’an sat on Shen Boyan’s right, and Sheng Songbai sat on Shen Boyan’s left. The two chatted across Shen Boyan.

“The butterfly crisp from before was delicious.”

Xia Shu’an replied politely, “The persimmons are also delicious.”

“When will you come to the company again?”

“I’ll come over when you have time.”

“Great. Last time, it was too sudden, and the restaurant didn’t even prepare any good dishes. Next time, I’ll let you see the true level of our restaurant.”

“Ok.”

Xia Shu’an wasn’t sure what Sheng Songbai’s repeated mention of the company’s restaurant was for. Ever since he was able to make Shen Boyan speak up, he felt that he had accomplished a major goal in life. As for other trivial matters, he didn’t want to take it to heart.

The two of them exchanged a few words, and then they stopped communicating. Occasionally, they were very dry, which fully demonstrated their unfamiliarity.

This store has the owner’s homemade wine, which has a taste that is not available outside and has a relatively low alcohol content. Xia Shu’an couldn’t help but drink two more glasses. He finished drinking the clear liquid in the glass and was about to refill it when the man turned his head and said, “How much have you drunk today?”

“…”

Xia Shu’an tilted his head and said, “Forgot.”

“Don’t drink any more, or you will have a headache at night. Drink some tea.”

Shen Boyan pushed his cup away, brought a glass, and poured oolong tea into it. Only then did he ask Zhang Shencang about the latest business situation at the bar and his intention to open a branch store. Sheng Songbai also shared his experience, and the conversation heated up for a while.

Xia Shu’an didn’t like to be sociable, so he listened leisurely while slowly drinking tea and peeling a plate of roasted ginkgo close to his hand. However, seeing Zhang Shencang’s girlfriend looking bored, he took the initiative to strike up a conversation with her.

“Where does Miss Rong work?”

“Ah, me?” Rong Yue was taken aback and quickly said with a smile, “I’m in a foreign trade company doing import and export business…”

Lu Cai jumped around on both ends, and the tiny room was bustling with activity.

Xia Shu’an ate quite a bit and was half full after a while. The layout of this room was similar to that of a Japanese restaurant, and they were sitting on the floor. He put one hand on the cushion on the mat when suddenly a finger touched the back of his hand. After a while, several fingers climbed up the back of his hand. The hot palm covered his hand and then turned it around, firmly clasping his fingers.

Xia Shu’an turned his head and looked at the man who was talking to Zhang Shencang. The man’s expression was composed, not showing the slightest hint that he was up to no good. Xia Shu’an shook his head lightly but didn’t break away.

After the meal, they did not disperse immediately but went to sing again.

They went to a high-end entertainment club. The room was huge, and the rows of sofas were very suitable for people to nestle on.

After arriving at the place, Zhang Shencang and Lu Cai booed: “Old Shen, you should sing a duet love song with Xiao Xia. You are about the same age, only a few months apart. The songs you’re familiar with should be the same.”

Xia Shu’an looked at Shen Boyan and thought that it was hard to believe they were actually from the same generation.

They clearly look like people from different dimensions.

“Don’t sing love songs, or I’ll have a nightmare tonight.”

Xia Shu’an said half-truthfully while picking up the guitar in a corner of the room, “Well, I’ll sing a song for everyone.”

“Good, good!” Everyone applauded enthusiastically.

As soon as Xia Shu’an played the prelude, someone hummed along. His movements sped up a little, and the melody became more and more familiar.

Amidst the gentle swaying of several people, he slowly opened his voice: “Nothing can stop you from yearning for freedom…”

Xu Wei’s “Blue Lotus” is familiar to the public, and Xia Shu’an also likes this song very much. It’s a frequent visitor to his playlist. While singing this song, his voice was slightly adjusted, making it extraordinarily deep and hoarse. Words that looked like Xia Shu’an’s but not like Xia Shu’an fell onto Shen Boyan’s heart one by one, making a sound like winter snow falling.

 

Once it came to an end, everyone applauded.

“Great, great!”

Xia Shu’an couldn’t help but lower his head and shake it. After a while, he raised his head and said solemnly: “I have another song, which I want to give to my boyfriend alone.”

Zhang Shencang pushed Shen Boyan forward, and the others booed from behind, just like the scene when someone confesses to a girl at the gate of a university campus.

Xia Shu’an pursed his lips and put his fingers on the strings of the guitar.

“Let’s fall in love for the night.”

For this song, Xia Shu’an’s voice has not been adjusted, but the words he spat out were inexplicably indolent. Coupled with the unique taste of the lyrics, his low voice, and the way he sat on the chair, everything exuded a kind of sensualness. He also raised his head to look at Shen Boyan from time to time; his eyes were focused, but there was temptation in the bottom of his eyes.

Shen Boyan folded his arms and stood a few steps away from him. The corners of his lips were slightly hooked, and his eyes were fixed on Xia Shu’an. Several colors of LED lights on the top covered his face alternately, as well as the dark light in his eyes.

After he finished singing, Zhang Shencang asked, “What is this song about?”

“Well…I hope you get rid of your current boyfriend and come with me.”

“…a very deep song.”

With Xia Shu’an as the lead, several people eagerly went to choose their favorite songs. The room was full of the aroma of food and drinks. Xia Shu’an drank too much water today and wanted to go to the bathroom, but it was occupied by someone, so he walked out of the room and went to the public bathroom at the end of the corridor.

When he returned, he found Sheng Songbai standing in the doorway of one of the rooms, which is not in compliance with the regulations. Xia Shu’an hesitated for a moment and walked forward.

Sheng Songbai’s face was pale. The handsome and tough face could not be seen clearly behind the white smoke, as if there were infinite thoughts buried deep in his heart, so that even the expression was obscure.

Xia Shu’an stopped two steps away from him.

Sheng Songbai exhaled a puff of smoke and looked straight at Xia Shu’an. “I’m very happy to see you and Boyan are doing well.”

“I haven’t been this happy for a long time.”

“…” Xia Shu’an really had nothing to chat with him, so he could only say, “Smok less, I’ll go back first.”

“Ok.”

Xia Shu’an returned to the room after a slight nod. He only took two steps when he saw the man walking towards him from the opposite side of the corridor.

“Where have you been……”

Shen Boyan paused slightly, looking through Xia Shu’an at Sheng Songbai behind him.

Xia Shu’an: “I’ll go back first.”

Shen Boyan nodded, and when the two of them brushed past, Shen Boyan’s gaze followed his back again, as if it was glued to his shoulders, before retracting.

Sheng Songbai’s eyes flashed with a contemptuous look.

After a few steps, Shen Boyan arrived at Sheng Songbai’s side.

“Why are you smoking here?”

“I’m addicted to cigarettes; I can’t hold back. Do you want one?”

“No, Xia Shu’an doesn’t like it.”

Sheng Songbai took back the cigarette and said with a smile, “It’s really different. You’re not even married, yet you’re already taking care of the one at home. When you get married in the future, you will definitely be a good husband.”

Shen Boyan did not comment on this statement but said, “Are you sleepy? You look a little tired. You drank a lot today.”

“Not bad, not bad; before you only knew how to squeeze my labor, now you know how to care about me.” The man said it half-truthfully.

With a faint smile on his face, Shen Boyan looked at Sheng Songbai and said, “If I didn’t care enough about you before, it would be my fault. You are my partner, who has been with me since the early days of my business, and the person I trust and rely on the most. I would never care less about you.”

“Why are you so emotional today?”

Sheng Songbai couldn’t help laughing. He reached out and patted Shen Boyan’s shoulder, saying, “I know, I know, I was just kidding. You gave me so much power and handed over the South African business department to me. Of course, I know you trust me.”

“En.” Shen Boyan picked up on this and said, “You’ll be going to South Africa soon; isn’t this my attempt to appease you? If you suddenly change your mind, where would I find another person to replace you?”

“Hah, I knew you were up to no good.”

“Okay, go in; don’t make Xiao Xia wait too long.”

Shen Boyan also took a breath and said with a smile, “Then I’ll go back first. Don’t smoke too much, and pay attention to your health.”

“I understand, President Shen.”

After some teasing and joking, Shen Boyan slowly walked away. Sheng Songbai looked at his back, and the smile on his face slowly disappeared.

…

…

Shen Boyan had already approached the room where several people were present, but instead of walking in immediately, he moved to another empty lounge.

After he walked in, he closed the door, took out his mobile phone from his pocket, and quickly dialed a number.

“Assistant Qi, give me the list of people who are close to Sheng Songbai and those who were directly promoted by him.”

“…”

“Don’t beat the grass and startle the snake. We’re doing this… just in case.”

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