BF Chapter 17

Zhan Shili’s breathing grew slightly heavier, and the expression on his face was no longer so calm and composed.

Xu Shen was somewhat surprised, raising his hand to stroke his face: “Right here? You’re actually this bold?”

“Do you want to?” Zhan Shili persisted in asking.

Xu Shen didn’t answer right away, his gaze wandering from his deep, ink-black eyes down to his lips.

This man had still taken the bait, just as he wished.

Zhan Shili took his silence as tacit permission and default consent, but as his lips pressed close, Xu Shen suddenly turned his head, his warm lips brushing past his ear: “Someone’s coming.”

Car headlights approached from behind; Zhan Shili raised his eyes to look over, seeing clearly whose car it was, and sat back into the driver’s seat with a touch of regret.

The black Bentley pulled up and stopped beside them, and Zhan Shili rolled down his window.

The rear window on the other side also rolled down, revealing Xu Ziren’s cold-faced expression as he looked at them and asked: “Since you’re here, why haven’t you gone in? Might as well head to the study to report the project progress to Father.”

Giving them no chance to refuse, Xu Ziren rolled up his window instantly after speaking, his car driving into the estate first.

“You can’t leave now,” Xu Shen said smilingly, “Come in with me.”

Zhan Shili said nothing, calmly straightening his tie before restarting the car.

It had only been a week; Xu Ziren specifically calling them in to report the project progress to Xu Shiji was nothing more than having heard about those tenement residents gathering to demonstrate this afternoon, and roughly knowing that their dealings with Ryder Fund weren’t going smoothly. He deliberately wanted to embarrass them in front of Xu Shiji.

Zhan Shili first reported the afternoon’s events, saying he would arrange people to communicate further with those resident representatives to strive for getting the matter settled as soon as possible.

These were things Xu Shiji didn’t actually worry about; they were nothing more than matters that could be solved by giving a bit more money. He asked, “What did that Gao Yongcheng from Ryder Fund say?”

Xu Shen answered, “I went to see him today; his attitude was very bad, stubbornly refusing to yield.”

Xu Shiji knitted his brows and said, “That’s just how he is. A few years ago he tried to compete with Zhaoqi over an acquisition deal and lost, holding a grudge ever since; over these past few years he’s sabotaged us in business more than just a little. Those two old industrial buildings were given to them by others years ago to offset debts, having no real utility value for him at all; our wanting him to sell was originally a mutually beneficial matter, yet he insists on clutching them tightly without letting go just to make things difficult for us.”

Xu Ziren spoke in a disdainful tone: “His temper is just like this, but we must get our hands on those two industrial buildings. Since Fourth Brother has taken over this project, he ought to expend a bit more effort on it.”

Xu Shen glanced at him and said, “I’ve also considered that if Gao Yongcheng stubbornly refuses to sell the buildings, it might be better to negotiate directly with their headquarters.”

Xu Ziren asked: “Their headquarters wouldn’t even bother with something this trivial. How are you going to negotiate with them?”

Xu Shen said: “Naturally by using other bargaining chips to trade with them, taking those two industrial buildings as an attached condition. Ryder Fund has numerous energy projects invested overseas; if Zhaoqi’s wind power project in Southeast Asia is packaged and transferred to them, they should be interested.”

Xu Ziren’s face changed, his voice raising: “Don’t overreach; these are non-real estate businesses, overseas projects at that. It’s not your place to make plans for them.”

“I’m merely offering a suggestion,” Xu Shen said unhurriedly, “I heard Nic say before that because the global market environment hasn’t been good these past few years, and many of the company’s overseas investments have suffered losses with excessive liabilities. The annual interest expenses and financing costs are astronomical. Under these circumstances, it would be better to sell the company and get cash back as soon as possible.”

“I know Second Brother negotiated and settled the Southeast Asia wind power project yourself back then, and you don’t want to let go so quickly, but it’s also a fact that the project indeed hasn’t made much money over these past two years.”

Xu Shiji expressed no stance; Xu Ziren wanted to say more, but Xu Shiji interrupted him, asking Zhan Shili, “Nic, what do you say?”

Zhan Shili actually hadn’t discussed these matters with Xu Shen at all, but could only helplessly interject: “Gao Yongcheng previously wanted to return to the London headquarters to no avail because someone within their internal ranks didn’t want him back. I had friends in London inquire; his current situation is delicate. If their headquarters finds out that due to a personal grudge he would rather leave money unmade than sell the buildings to us, his future days probably won’t be easy. Young Master Shen’s proposal, I believe, is feasible.”

Xu Ziren was somewhat anxious: “Dad, the wind power project has development prospects, releasing it now is still too early…”

Xu Shiji waved his hand, cutting off his words once more, and said to Xu Shen, “Go try negotiating it first; if you can negotiate it down, we’ll do as you two say.”

Coming out of the study, Xu Ziren kept a cold face without uttering a word, turning around and heading straight upstairs.

His eyes full of mockery, Xu Shen gestured towards his back, and then made a fist with his thumb down towards Zhan Shili. This Second Brother of his was not young in age, yet was still very narrow-minded and not magnanimous at all.

Zhan Shili raised his hand and patted his back lightly, gesturing for him to keep a low profile.

“Nic.”

Xu Zikang called out to them from behind, and Xu Shen and Zhan Shili turned their heads simultaneously.

“You guys chat, I’ll go make a cup of coffee.” Xu Shen, possessing good situational awareness, tactfully found an excuse to leave.

Zhan Shili walked over, and Xu Zikang looked at him, asking hesitantly: “Nic, I called you just now and you didn’t answer, were you busy?”

“I was driving earlier,” Zhan Shili said, “And just finished reporting official business to the boss.”

Xu Zikang had also seen that they came out of Xu Shiji’s study; he nodded, believing Zhan Shili completely just because he said so.

Holding a cup of coffee in his hand, Xu Shen walked to the end of the corridor beside the sitting room; this side was the guest entertainment room, its lights already extinguished. The door leading to the large rear garden terrace was left half-ajar, with faint voices drifting in from outside.

He stopped, leaning against the wall and drinking his coffee slowly, hearing Xu Zikang complain to Zhan Shili about frustrations at work, saying someone came to make trouble at his art gallery, and that he didn’t get along well with people in the industry association.

Zhan Shili helped him analyze the reasons in a soft, gentle voice, teaching him how to cope with those people and matters, full of patience.

“Am I very useless?” Xu Zikang smiled bitterly, “Even Ah Shen has entered the company to help, and I’m the only one doing these things that seem like improper work in Dad’s eyes, and I can’t even do that well.”

Zhan Shili comforted him: “No need to belittle yourself; doing what you want to do doesn’t require caring about how others look at it. I told you long ago, it doesn’t matter if your dad and your family don’t care about you, I will support you and help you. Be good.”

After finishing the last sip of coffee in his cup, Xu Shen lowered his eyelids, smiled wryly, and stepped away.

He set down the empty coffee cup on the coffee table, walked out through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the sitting room, paused under the veranda, and looked ahead.

Today was Xu Zijie’s final seven-day memorial service; the family had invited people to perform Buddhist rituals, which were almost over by now, leaving only the housekeeper and a few servants keeping watch over here.

The flames leaping up in the ritual altar resembled will-o’-wisps; a ring of braziers was arranged around the perimeter, their sparks crackling and popping in the night wind. Xu Shen stared for a while before stepping forward, coming to a stop in front of the outermost brazier and casting his eyes downward.

The blazing flames were reflected in his deep, jet-black eyes; Xu Shen watched expressionlessly, and after a long moment, he half-squatted down, casually picking up a sheet of joss paper that had drifted down beside him and threw it in.

He did it very slowly, his movement of tossing the yellow paper into the brazier like a deliberately adjusted slow-motion movie frame, the veins on the back of his pale hand faintly visible, his fingers almost reaching into the fire as he held the yellow paper between them.

As soon as Zhan Shili walked out, he saw this scene, his pupils contracting sharply.

The moment the yellow paper fell into the brazier and was licked up by the flames, a hand reached over and forcefully grabbed Xu Shen’s wrist, pulling him away.

“Be careful.”

Listening to this somewhat severe tone, Xu Shen raised his eyes, seeing Zhan Shili’s furrowed brows and those eyes that also seemed to be tinged with fire.

“What were you doing just now?” Zhan Shili asked displeasedly.

Xu Shen looked at him, and after a long moment, he gently broke free from his grip, whispering, “Nic, my hand hurts.”

Zhan Shili pulled him up, taking his hand over to look at it: Xu Shen had fair skin, and the back of his hand was indeed a little red.

“Did you do that on purpose? Why did you put your hand in the fire?”

Xu Shen said, “I don’t know. I just felt like doing it, so I did. I was just thinking, the person is already dead, so what’s the point of doing all this?”

“It’s pointless, and it has nothing to do with you either,” Zhan Shili reminded him in a deep voice, “Behave yourself for me.”

Taking his response in, Xu Shen watched as a smile gradually seeped into his irises: “Nic, are you worried about me?”

Zhan Shili stared at him frostily, remaining silent.

“After caring about my third brother, you come to care about me again. You sure are busy.”

Xu Shen laughed, “I think I know how you coax my third brother now. That set of tricks of yours really doesn’t work on me. I’m not him, so don’t even think about taming me.”

“Never thought about it,” Zhan Shili released his hand, not wanting to talk about these things, “Go upstairs to rest early.”

Xu Shen said, “Can’t sleep, Nic. I wanted to kiss you, but we were interrupted. Do you want to continue?”

Zhan Shili’s eyes flickered: “Here?”

“Weren’t you very bold?” Xu Shen persisted, “Do you want to or not?”

Zhan Shili turned around first: “Let’s go.”

Xu Shen didn’t ask where they were going, obediently following behind.

Reaching the carport, Zhan Shili opened his car’s rear door, letting Xu Shen get in first; he then sat in as well, slamming the door shut.

One of Xu Shen’s hands hooked around his tie knot, and Zhan Shili immediately leaned in, running his fingers through Xu Shen’s hair and pressed him against himself without a shred of pity, kissing him.

Their lips and tongues touched, and things spiraled out of control.

They collided, licked, and bit each other ferociously, as if wanting to devour the other.

Pressed into the cramped space of the car’s back seat, Xu Shen felt the heat of the man’s chest and his erratic heartbeat, the same as his. He responded passionately, recklessly entangling their tongues and pressing their lips against each other in an enthusiastic kiss, their breaths intermingling.

Perhaps this was destined to happen from the moment they first saw each other that evening in Manhattan.

Those ambiguous and intimate sounds were amplified infinitely in the dark, quiet space; as for how long this kiss actually lasted, not even they themselves knew.

Another car arrived outside, the headlights sweeping across from time to time as voices drifted over. Zhan Shili pressed Xu Shen into the back seat of the car, covering him with his body, and continued to kiss him without stopping.

Finally, Zhan Shili’s hand reached under the hem of Xu Shen’s shirt, which had been pulled into disarray. As his palm pressed against his waist, it was gently held down by Xu Shen.

Gasping for breath, Xu Shen opened his eyes, using the bit of light entering from outside the car to see clearly Zhan Shili’s eyes filled with a deep desire at the moment.

He chuckled softly, pressing against Zhan Shili’s lips as he murmured, “Baby, that’s enough for now.”

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t/n: spicy~ hehe. that’s why I like these two, the tension is immaculate…

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