When Ding Yao saw Fu Qixuan, he subconsciously felt a little awkward. However, Fu Qixuan smiled and greeted him, telling Lin Xiaoyun to bring in coffee.
Lin Xiaoyun deliberately went to touch up her makeup before entering the executive office. Some people who saw her quietly gossiped. This person didn’t seem like someone who worked diligently, yet the CEO and his sister both seemed to treat her quite well. Could there really be something going on?
001: 【Congratulations, host, for completing the mission: Disregard Fu Qixuan’s image to draw Lin Xiaoyun closer to Fu Qixuan.】
Xu Ziyan didn’t wait for it to finish before letting out a long sigh. 『Finally completed. I thought there was some bug. So it was about affecting Eldest Brother’s image in the employees’ minds. Deposit the reward as usual.』
Ding Yao glanced at Fu Qixuan and Lin Xiaoyun in surprise, never expecting to hear about someone else’s affairs. They were involved? He couldn’t tell Fu Qixuan liked office romances! But what was the reward? He still hadn’t heard it.
Fu Qixuan felt uncomfortable under his gaze and hurriedly asked Lin Xiaoyun to leave.
Lin Xiaoyun thought to herself, so it was true that Xu Ziyan and Ding Yao were investing together. That little starlet named Yang Anni really was lucky. Just because Ding Yao was fighting with Song Jie, she had been directly promoted from mistress to official girlfriend, and even managed to cozy up to Xu Ziyan as a bestie.
Since Yang Anni could cozy up to Xu Ziyan, then she definitely could also use Xu Ziyan to get closer to Fu Qixuan more quickly.
She also sent the news about Ding Yao looking for Xu Ziyan to Ding Jie, which made Ding Jie feel a little better. He still remembered how Xu Ziyan used to speak up for him in the past, saying he was the truly capable one who deserved the heir’s position, while Ding Yao was just a spoiled rich heir who wasn’t worthy at all.
The last time they met on the street, Xu Ziyan hadn’t given Ding Yao a good look either. For her to do this now must be to help him. Father Ding and the shareholders asked Ding Yao to leave the company, wanting him to gain experience at a branch office. If they found out he was neglecting his duties, running off to start an entertainment company for a little starlet, and doing it together with a member of the rival Fu family, they would surely be utterly disappointed.
It seemed that although Xu Ziyan was angry and throwing a tantrum with him verbally, she was actually still helping him.
001: 【Congratulations, host, for completing the mission: Gain the male lead’s trust, satisfy and reassure the male lead, taking your relationship a step further.】
Xu Ziyan was stunned. 『What plot was this again? In the original story, I would cover for Lin Xiaoyun, help her steal company secrets. Lin Xiaoyun would tell him I was sincerely helping him, so he would completely trust me and tell me about his father’s first love’s identity, asking for my help.
But I haven’t done anything this time. How did the mission complete? Did I swindle nearly ten million from him, making him very satisfied? Trusting me more? Haha, so abstract!』
Still, completing a mission was a good thing. Xu Ziyan decided not to waste time pondering what she couldn’t understand. She never did inefficient things like that. Remembering Ding Yao’s tone on the phone, she asked curiously, “What did you want to see me about? It’s not that your brother is about to get into trouble, is it?”
Ding Yao also remembered the purpose of his visit and became visibly excited. He took out a report and placed it in front of Xu Ziyan.
Xu Ziyan opened it and looked. 『A paternity test. Hahaha, Ding Jie’s identity is going to be exposed early this time. Let’s see how he can still strut around the Ding family.』
001: 『…Host, exposing it early seems to seriously deviate from the plot. The world might collapse. What are you so happy about?』
『Oh right. But I’m happy just thinking he’s going to be in trouble. What kind of trash is he to be the male lead? Who would read a book like this?』
001: 『There are all kinds of books. It’s just that the really good story worlds don’t need tasker interference. Books like this are because they’re unreasonable, causing the characters’ resentment to be too great, that someone needs to come and follow the plot.』
Who would have thought the tasker they found wouldn’t follow the plot either? Now they could only take one step at a time. Whether the small world would collapse in the end still depended on how the world consciousness judged it, and what degree counted as a serious deviation from the original.
Ding Yao frowned. Exposing it early was no good? Then what should he do? He had gotten such a huge leverage but couldn’t use it, which made him itchy and anxious. Mainly because he knew how vicious Ding Jie was, and that Song Jie had betrayed his mother. He really wanted to teach them a lesson.
Just then, Fu Qixuan walked over with a cup of coffee. “Interested in joining forces? I’ve always looked down on illegitimate sons. The Ding family wouldn’t have survived the crisis last generation without the help of your maternal grandparents. Now they’re going to hand everything over cheaply to an illegitimate son. I believe your mother in heaven would be unwilling.
Moreover, judging by Ding Jie’s methods, if you lose, he’ll definitely kick you when you’re down. He won’t let you have a good ending.”
He wasn’t wrong. Ding Yao said seriously, “How do you want to join forces?”
Xu Ziyan also looked at Fu Qixuan with curiosity. The Fu and Ding families joining forces? That wasn’t in the plot. Was it because she collaborated with Ding Yao and started working by Eldest Brother’s side that they met and this idea popped up?
She sighed again at the power of the butterfly effect.
Fu Qixuan told them his plan—things like competing for the project, utilizing equity, winning over shareholders—entering the realm of business warfare. Even though Xu Ziyan had been excellent at her job in her past life, she had never been exposed to business warfare from a CEO’s perspective. She felt like she learned a lot just listening to this one session. No wonder Fu Qixuan could manage the Fu Corporation at such a young age.
She turned her head and saw Ding Yao with glazed-over eyes. Good grief, this guy was a complete newbie. No wonder they called him a spoiled rich heir. He hadn’t even understood it. But this also reminded her. 『If I listen any more, I’ll actually have to learn something. I came here to lie flat, not to roll up my sleeves and work hard. I’m not listening, I’m not listening.』
Fu Qixuan paused for a moment, then continued. “In this plan, Ding Yao, you are the key. If there’s anything you don’t understand, I’ll arrange for someone to help you. It would be best if you also had people you trust to work for you. Xiao Yan only needs to occasionally cooperate to trick Ding Jie.”
Xu Ziyan and Ding Yao nodded simultaneously, then looked at each other and turned their gazes to Fu Qixuan. Fu Qixuan simply broke the plan down into many steps, telling them what they needed to do at the moment and asking for their cooperation.
Originally, he was worried Ding Yao might refuse, as this was the Ding family’s internal affair. Unexpectedly, Ding Yao currently had nowhere to turn for help. His maternal grandparents had passed away, and his own abilities weren’t enough to fight Ding Jie and Old Ding. Facing a bleak future, if Fu Qixuan was willing to join forces, regardless of his ultimate goal, Ding Yao was willing to give it his all.
As lifelong rivals, he had been compared unfavorably to Fu Qixuan since childhood, so he had considerable faith in Fu Qixuan’s abilities. If they won, he could own the Ding family business and continue cooperating with Fu Qixuan. He wouldn’t manage it himself; he could just hire a professional manager.
If he lost, it would mean Fu Qixuan had scammed the Ding family business. That father and son wouldn’t gain anything good either. For him, even without the company, he still had the large inheritance his mother left behind. That was still better than being crippled by Ding Jie and turned into a beggar, right?
The two sides reached a consensus just like that. 001 was so shocked it trembled. Was this not considered a serious deviation from the plot? The descendants of lifelong rivals were joining forces!
Xu Ziyan also thought of this point, but the world remained peaceful. So she analyzed that as long as they kept it well hidden from the male lead, it seemed there wouldn’t be a problem. Just like how the male lead believed she was demanding commission, and the system judged her commission plot as completed. In the world of the book, the male lead’s perception was very important. Perhaps the female lead’s perception was also important, but there was no chance to meet her for now. They could deal with that later.
Seeing that Fu Qixuan was almost done talking, Xu Ziyan thought about the plot related to Ding Yao. 『Ding Jie seems to have set a trap for Ding Yao at the branch office, planning to make his project blow up, proving he’s utterly incompetent and causing the shareholders to lose confidence.
What else was there? Ding Yao senses something is off with Ding Jie, confronts him, gets provoked by Ding Jie into losing his temper and hitting him, gets scolded by Old Ding, then argues with Old Ding and moves out. Ding Jie successfully drives the heir out of the Ding family. People in their circle gossip, saying the legitimate heir was actually outdone by an illegitimate son, feeling both sympathy and ridicule for Ding Yao.
Then Ding Jie finds people to trick Ding Yao, getting him into drinking, partying, gambling, and such. Tsk tsk. Hey, if I help follow this plot, could I get rewards? But Ding Yao is a pretty good guy. Better not follow this plot.』
Knowing his general situation, Ding Yao felt a bit relieved in his heart. At least he wasn’t so completely in the dark now. Because Xu Ziyan following the plot could get her rewards? He decided to go back and pick a fight with Ding Jie. After all, getting kicked out of the headquarters was Ding Jie’s doing. He might as well settle the score early.
After finishing the serious discussion, Ding Yao chatted with them for a bit. He had already gotten his mother’s jewelry back. It was said Song Jie cried and made a scene to Father Ding, and even got scolded by him. It was originally a secretive matter. If she hadn’t been so vain and flaunted it online, would Ding Yao and the netizens have found out?
Moreover, it all started because Song Jie bought publicity to smear Yang Anni. Yang Anni was Ding Yao’s girlfriend. Regardless of whether the family acknowledged it, Song Jie started the fight. Father Ding punished Song Jie, saying he wouldn’t give her any money for a year, and “exiled” her abroad, forbidding her to return until the rumors died down.
Ding Jie seemed to privately feel quite sorry for his mother and was angry, but he couldn’t defy Father Ding. He didn’t say anything, silently sending his mother away.
Xu Ziyan smiled and reminded him, “Your dad handles problems quite decisively, as cleanly as kicking you out of the company. You need to be careful if you’re going to fight him.”
Ding Yao was touched that she was concerned about him. “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely protect myself. Nothing will happen.”
Xu Ziyan rolled her eyes at him. “It doesn’t matter if something happens to you. Just don’t drag us into it.”
Ding Yao choked, grabbed the paternity test report, stood up, and left. He was afraid if he stayed any longer he’d be heartbroken. He, this poor little thing, really had no one who cared. No, there was still Annie. Go find his dear girlfriend. He should transfer more assets to Annie. That way, if something did happen to him, Annie could live a wealthy life somewhere else.
Not long after, Yang Anni sent Xu Ziyan a voice message, squealing like a pig. “Sister Yan! Sister Yan! What did you say to Ding Yao? He actually transferred a huge villa to me! It’s super big, the biggest one under his name! Oh my god! He won’t say why when I ask.”
How would Xu Ziyan know what wind had gotten into Ding Yao? “If he gives it to you, just take it. Why bother asking why?”
“Of course, I accepted it immediately! Gave him a loving kiss.”
Xu Ziyan liked people who were straightforward and didn’t pretend. What did accepting things have to do with whether feelings were real? It wasn’t like refusing everything proved you were noble and your feelings were pure. Just like how the Fu family gave her so much money, they were already a loving family now!
On her first day at work, Xu Ziyan shopped all morning, rested all afternoon, and in the evening went home with Eldest Brother for dinner. She found the whole family gathered, their expressions somewhat serious. She couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong?”
Li Yun Hui said, “The detailed results from the investigation into the people around us we commissioned earlier have come back. Your brother-in-law…”
Fu Yazhen calmly picked up the thread. “…is a scumbag. So I’ve decided to get an abortion.”