Evil Love Appears chapter 19

In the distant night sky, dazzling fireworks suddenly streaked across. Fu Xiaoyu couldn’t help but stand up and look towards the horizon. It was only then that he realized it was midnight—

It was already the start of a new year.

Xu Jiale also stood up, brushed the snow off himself, and turned to look at Fu Xiaoyu. He suddenly reached out and took the cigarette from Fu Xiaoyu’s mouth.

“All right,” he said, extinguishing the cigarette cleanly and tossing it into the trash can. “It’s late now. Where do you live? I’ll call a car to take you home.”

“I live in the North City, Junya Manor.”

“Oh?” Xu Jiale raised an eyebrow.

His expression showed some surprise.

Junya Manor was one of the top-tier residential complexes in City B, consisting of standalone villas. The lowest prices there were around fifty to sixty million.

Considering all the conversations they had about their family backgrounds, Xu Jiale should have realized that this was a place Fu Xiaoyu’s family couldn’t afford, especially since he had only been working for a few years.

Fu Xiaoyu might have been a bit tipsy, and he didn’t notice the curiosity in Xu Jiale’s eyes. Instead, he lowered his head, opened a phone app, and then showed it to Xu Jiale. “We’ll have to wait for quite a while.”

The peak hours on New Year’s Eve continued for quite some time.

“I know,” Xu Jiale smiled. “I’ll call my family’s driver.”

Saying that, he led Fu Xiaoyu to a more sheltered spot from the wind before making the call.

Even on New Year’s Eve, the car Xu Jiale summoned arrived promptly. In about seventeen or eighteen minutes, a conspicuous black Phantom pulled up in front of them from the end of the street.

Fu Xiaoyu was momentarily stunned and glanced at Xu Jiale, but he didn’t say anything.

In fact, he had always had a vague idea that Xu Jiale came from a well-off background.

This alpha didn’t appear to be a traditional rich kid. He drove a Tesla that couldn’t be considered a luxury car, rarely wore designer watches to work, and often ate at local eateries with friends.

However, his carefree and casual demeanor, coupled with his occasional indifference towards wealth, were qualities typically found in people with unwavering confidence.

He didn’t even bother flaunting his wealth anymore.

Sometimes, when he saw someone living so nonchalantly, it was hard for Fu Xiaoyu not to feel small compared to his own struggles and aspirations.

…

Xu Jiale didn’t ask the driver to get out of the car; instead, he opened the car door for Fu Xiaoyu and politely said, “Hey, Uncle Yu, I’m sorry to bother you on this special day. By the way, my father isn’t in City B, right?”

“Mr. Murong is not in town,” the driver, Uncle Yu, probably quite familiar with Xu Jiale, replied with a smile while remaining in the car.

By this time, Fu Xiaoyu was already inside the car, and he belatedly realized he hadn’t asked the alpha waiting outside, “Xu Jiale, aren’t you coming with us?”

“No, I’ll go check on Wen Ke and the others,” Xu Jiale bent down, looking at him, and said, “Send me a ‘1’ when you get home.”

“Uncle Yu, please drive slowly. My friend has had a bit too much to drink,” Xu Jiale suddenly remembered something and instructed the driver, “And, don’t tell my father I was here.”

That was their parting.

For a moment, Fu Xiaoyu felt a hint of emptiness.

As the car started moving, he, sitting alone inside, began to feel a bit dizzy. Tonight had been eventful, and he suddenly realized how distant the argument with Han Jiangque earlier seemed now.

Work was the most important thing, especially during these challenging times.

Fu Xiaoyu tried to use the car ride to clear his thoughts, but it proved impossible. He took out his phone, and the first thing he saw was the photo Xu Jiale had taken of him. He couldn’t help but get lost in thought.

“To hell with it—”

Suddenly, Xu Jiale’s words echoed in his mind.

To hell with it.

He held the phone and silently repeated it in his mind: to hell with it.

This swear word seemed to have given him endless courage.

…

In the following weeks, everything moved quickly. Fu Xiaoyu didn’t have time to deal with the matters of his ending relationship or maintain contact with Wen Ke and Xu Jiale.

A week later, he flew to City H to meet with Han Jiangque’s father, Han Zhan.

“Uncle.” He sat in front of the elderly alpha who held the real power and spoke respectfully but calmly, “There’s something I must report to you in person. I’ve disappointed you.”

He continued, “I can’t be Han Jiangque’s omega anymore. As we all know, his first love has returned, and they’ve been together for a long time now. During this time, I’ve actually been helping Han Jiangque hide this from you.”

“You mentioned that you hoped I would become Han Jiangque’s anchor, someone who could keep him in the right place for you. But you also know that I’m just a proxy holder of the company’s shares. Once Han Jiangque refuses to listen to me completely, I’m unable to handle this job. Recently, Han Jiangque is making a risky acquisition decision for the company because of Wen Ke. I’ve already sent you the documents. I disagree with it, but I can’t convince him. Uncle, I know that in terms of emotions, I can’t compete with Wen Ke. But emotions are emotions, and the company is the company. I hope you can convene a shareholders’ meeting and reject the board’s decision based on my suggestions.”

Though Han Zhan was elderly, when he heard the name Wen Ke, he stood up abruptly, squinting his eyes as he whispered, “How long have you been hiding this from me?”

He clearly didn’t fully understand the seriousness of the acquisition, instead focusing on Han Jiangque’s omega.

“… More than half a year,” Fu Xiaoyu replied.

“What?” Han Zhan suddenly burst into anger. However, because he was facing an omega who he had once considered his son-in-law, he ultimately sat down with a stern expression and said to his secretary, “Prepare a trip, I’m going to City B immediately.”

He paused, then turned to look at Fu Xiaoyu, saying coldly, “I’ll go and talk to Han Jiangque myself. He knows that the Han family won’t accept Wen Ke, an E-level omega. He has to give him up. But, Xiaoyu, listen carefully. I value you, not just for your talent but also for your pheromones and appearance. You know that I want you to accompany him diligently for a few years until you become my son-in-law. So I handed over the company’s management to you. But now, you’ve watched Han Jiangque and Wen Ke be together, and you’ve helped them keep it a secret. I’m truly disappointed in you. Think about your actions carefully when you go back.”

Fu Xiaoyu stood up, remained silent for a long time, and finally spoke in a low voice, “Yes.”

That was not an unexpected answer. He had come this far because Han Zhan had considered him part of the Han family.

However, at the moment when everything was torn apart, he still felt a dull pain.

But all of this was a decision he had made. To protect IM, he was willing to sacrifice everything he had, even if it meant waging war against Han Jiangque.

Fu Xiaoyu left the Han family mansion alone, and the sunlight cast a long, slender shadow from his back.

He knew that from the moment he exposed the matter to the Han family, everything he had now would be in jeopardy, completely immersed in turmoil.

And that day came even faster than he had imagined.

…

Two weeks after Han Zhan went to City B, many members of the Han family arrived at the top floor of the Gemini Tower to take over the affairs from Fu Xiaoyu’s team. Everyone could sense the tension in the atmosphere. Managers and directors moved back and forth, but no one dared to speak out.

Both Wen Ke and Xu Jiale also came. They must have heard some rumors, and they both looked anxious. Fu Xiaoyu didn’t speak to them.

He sat in his chair, looking out at the sea view, waiting—

Han Jiangque arrived last, and he was different from before. He had several unfamiliar alphas with him, and it was evident that some of them were bodyguards.

He had a serious expression, swiftly discussing matters with some of the new staff who acted like secretaries. Only when he entered Fu Xiaoyu’s office and saw Wen Ke and Xu Jiale did he hesitate for a moment. However, he soon waved his hand, gesturing for others to leave the room.

“Xiaoyu, I need to talk to you.”

Han Jiangque spoke softly.

Fu Xiaoyu took a deep breath, turned his chair around, and stood up to face Han Jiangque. He spoke solemnly, “Are you going to demote me?”

As soon as these words were spoken, Wen Ke and Xu Jiale both fixed their gazes on Fu Xiaoyu.

Han Jiangque’s dark eyes locked onto him, and he calmly said, “Yes, I’m going to remove you from the position of CEO. I don’t want you to get involved in IM’s affairs anymore, especially now.”

It was the expected outcome.

In the end, Han Zhan didn’t stand on his side. He just sent Han San to keep an eye on Han Jiangque.

Regarding his treatment, it was ultimately the decision of the Han family that led to his removal.

He was the only outsider.

Fu Xiaoyu had guessed the outcome, but he still couldn’t help but waver for a moment.

He immediately steadied himself with a hand on the edge of his desk, keeping himself standing tall, and said, “Is it because I didn’t continue to help you hide it from the Han family? Han Jiangque, both professionally and personally, I haven’t done anything wrong. Professionally, I don’t need to explain further, and personally… don’t you understand what I’m worried about? Don’t you realize I’m concerned for you? The Zhuo family in City B has a background, and if they start investigating, they’ll find out sooner or later. This is just a warning. Do you really think that you can handle a confrontation with these seasoned veterans? How much planning and scheming do you think it will require? How cunning do you have to be? And your memory—”

“Fu Xiaoyu!”

Han Jiangque interrupted him, and when he looked at Fu Xiaoyu, there was a hint of pleading in his dark eyes.

Don’t say it.

Han Jiangque was begging him not to say it in front of Wen Ke.

It was their shared secret.

“It’s not about demotion,” Han Jiangque said, gazing deeply at him. “Xiaoyu, four years ago, I also removed you from your position because you executed a failed merger and acquisition that resulted in a massive loss for IM. The company faced continuous heavy losses for the next few months. At that time, we had just graduated, and it was a turbulent period. I wanted to remove you from your position, not because I wanted to hurt you but because I didn’t want you to be blamed by the Han family.”

“This time is the same. There are people from my side and Han San’s side here now, and it’s a mixed group that’s difficult to manage. During this special period, sitting in that position will bring you a lot of trouble. I thought about it later; actually, it would have been better if you had informed the family. At least, my father would trust you a bit more. So I took the opportunity to remove you, and this way, no matter whether I can control IM in the end, you’ll still be the best choice for the Han family.”

“Wen Ke, Xiaoyu, during this time, I may not always be around, but I’ll assign bodyguards and a dedicated car to both of you so that I can have some peace of mind.”

Fu Xiaoyu looked at his once best friend.

Yes, four years ago.

Back then, he had been confident but lacked experience. He made a costly mistake in handling an acquisition case for IM Group, resulting in a loss of several million yuan. At that time, they had just graduated, and when he saw such a large sum, he was dumbfounded, wondering how he would raise the money to repay the Han family.

Later, he had gone out alone and gotten thoroughly drunk. When he called Han Jiangque, he had refused to say a word.

Han Jiangque had probably thought he was contemplating suicide. He had gone from one bar to another, searching for him. When he finally found him, his face had turned pale from the cold wind. At their reunion, Han Jiangque had been infuriated and had punched him hard—

But after punching him, Han Jiangque had hugged him tightly. It had been the only time in all these years of friendship that they had embraced so closely.

“Don’t be stupid,” Han Jiangque had said. “Fu Xiaoyu, I’ll bear any amount of money for you.”

…

That had been the alpha who had held him and said, “Fu Xiaoyu, I’ll bear any amount of money for you.”

And now, this alpha was being indifferent towards him.

He had done his best, but he couldn’t be Han Jiangque’s anchor anymore.

Fu Xiaoyu turned and picked up his coat hanging on the back of the chair. He said calmly, “I’m no longer a part of IM. I don’t need anything.”

When he left the building, his heart was strangely calm.

He no longer cared about IM or the ending of his love.

He was tired.

To hell with it.