What Are Your Tastes? chapter 35
The Truth
It was raining outside. The temperature this winter wasn’t low enough for the rain to turn into snow.
The rain wasn’t heavy but had been falling steadily for two or three days. The usual morning light was barely visible.
Zhou Yanchuan had been in the hospital for almost a week and was due to be discharged in two days.
To avoid affecting his recovery, it was Mo Ziyang who had been in contact with the police department to understand the specifics of the situation. The case wasn’t complicated; the suspect had been caught, and the investigation revealed it was related to the factory they had refused to acquire.
Zhou Yanchuan had many friends. On weekdays it was manageable, but come Saturday, visitors came in an endless stream. Though his body was no longer in serious condition, it was tiring to deal with so many well-wishers.
Most of the morning had passed, and when Mo Ziyang arrived, Zhou Yanchuan simply closed his eyes to rest. After all, they were close, and there was no need to put on a facade.
Mo Ziyang hadn’t been there for more than two minutes when he received a phone call, apparently related to the case. He chatted for over ten minutes before hanging up.
“Is there a problem?” Zhou Yanchuan opened his eyes as soon as he returned to the bedside.
Mo Ziyang looked at him deeply. “That factory… Do you know who is behind it?”
Judging by his tone, it was someone he knew, and Zhou Yanchuan’s heart raced, the nightmare from a few days ago resurfacing in his mind.
“Who?”
“Do you remember Zheng Xun?”
He had guessed correctly… Zhou Yanchuan was momentarily stunned.
“You mean him?”
Mo Ziyang sighed silently. “He really hates you.”
The factory’s head was a friend of Zheng Xun’s. After leaving Hongchuan, Zheng Xun had gone there and deliberately set up the acquisition trap. If they had signed, Hongchuan would have lost a significant amount of money. But Zhou Yanchuan wasn’t that foolish and had rejected the acquisition, leading to this more direct physical attack.
Zhou Yanchuan frowned deeply. He believed he had not mistreated Zheng Xun. Despite Zheng Xun’s significant mistake, out of consideration for An Yuan, he had only fired him and sought compensation. If he had pursued the matter further, Zheng Xun might have been sent to jail.
“Mr. Zhou, please give me another chance.” Zhou Yanchuan still remembered Zheng Xun’s words and the expression on his face—there was no remorse, only a hint of menace.
Menace? What right did he have?
“He probably blames you for his divorce,” Mo Ziyang shook his head helplessly. “It’s possible he was behind the online chaos with your cousin too.”
Zheng Xun, with his prestigious educational background, was arrogant. Although he had joined Hongchuan early on, he always looked down on Zhou Yanchuan, who had a less impressive education. Moreover, he resented being left behind in the career ladder.
Mo Ziyang had sensed Zheng Xun’s discontent and had therefore kept his distance from him, despite Zheng Xun being his in-law. In hindsight, he regretted not warning Zhou Yanchuan sooner and felt sorry for his cousin for falling for such a person.
“That bastard…” Zhou Yanchuan was furious. “He dared to pull this stunt after trying to trick me!”
“Calm down,” Mo Ziyang quickly pressed him back onto the bed as he tried to sit up, “You have no idea how crazy he is—”
“What do you mean?”
Mo Ziyang’s face showed a strange expression, “He’s always suspected that Yuan Yuan likes you.”
“Huh?” Zhou Yanchuan was both shocked and angry. He and An Yuan barely exchanged more than three sentences whenever they met. Where did this idea come from?
“So you see how crazy he is?” Mo Ziyang half-joked. “If there was any spark between you and Yuan Yuan, he wouldn’t have been in the picture in the first place, and my mom would probably be pleased too.”
“What does this have to do with Auntie?”
“My mom used to say that Yuan Yuan deserved better. If she had paired up with you, she wouldn’t have had to deal with all this trouble.”
“That’s nonsense.” Zhou Yanchuan leaned back against his pillow. Fate couldn’t be forced, but he and An Yuan had indeed been unfortunate, falling into Zheng Xun’s trap.
“The legal department is preparing,” Mo Ziyang reassured him. “He will be held accountable for having you assaulted.”
“And An—”
“I have nothing to do with him now,” An Yuan said as she entered the room, her voice falling on the ears of the two men inside. “Zheng Xun should face the consequences of his actions.”
“An Yuan?”
An Yuan signaled for him to lie down. “Yanchuan, are you feeling better?”
“Yeah, I’m fine now.”
She opened her mouth as if to say something, glanced at Mo Ziyang, then lowered her head and said to Zhou Yanchuan, “I’m sorry. No matter what, it’s related to me.”
“What are you apologizing for?” Zhou Yanchuan felt a bit guilty seeing An Yuan like this. “I was the one who brought him into Hongchuan.” Strictly speaking, if Zheng Xun hadn’t joined Hongchuan, he wouldn’t have met An Yuan at all.
Zhou Yanchuan had once acknowledged Zheng Xun’s professional abilities. The current situation was regrettable, but it wasn’t anyone else’s fault.
“Yuan Yuan,” Mo Ziyang patted her shoulder, “don’t let someone like him affect you anymore.”
“I won’t.”
A nurse brought in lunch, and Mo Ziyang didn’t want to delay further. He signaled An Yuan with a look, “Alright, we’ll leave now.”
Zhou Yanchuan didn’t have much energy to speak, so he just nodded as a farewell.
As Mo Ziyang turned the doorknob, he almost bumped into the person standing at the door.
The delicate-looking stranger caused him to pause, his gaze drifting to the thermos in the man’s hand. “Are you here to see Yanchuan?”
“Yes.” Back when dealing with Hongchuan, Lu Yunchu had only met Zhou Yanchuan and negotiated with Manager Sun. He had never met the vice president, so he and Mo Ziyang were unfamiliar with each other.
Zhou Yanchuan, hearing the commotion, looked over and introduced them briefly: “He’s my friend.”
Without much thought, they stepped outside, letting Lu Yunchu in. Mo Ziyang waved to them. “See you later.”
“That’s my company’s vice president and his cousin,” Zhou Yanchuan said to Lu Yunchu, who had just walked past the sofa. “Why did you come over again?”
Lu Yunchu had already visited several times that week. Zhou Yanchuan, thinking he was busy and it was too tiring for him to keep running around, had told him last time that there was no need to come again since he would soon be discharged.
“What’s the matter?” Lu Yunchu asked jokingly as he opened the umbrella and set it aside to dry. “Don’t want to see me?”
“Of course not. You’re so busy, don’t keep troubling yourself.” Zhou Yanchuan caught the aroma coming from the thermos on the bedside table.
“Bones soup,” Lu Yunchu said, having come specifically to bring it. “Just in time for your meal.”
“You even made soup?” Zhou Yanchuan silently calculated how many favors he owed him, thinking he needed to reciprocate more in the future.
As long as there was time, making soup was simple. Lu Yunchu didn’t think it was worth mentioning and said lightly, “You’re recovering from a fracture. They say you should eat what’s beneficial for you.”
Zhou Yanchuan joked casually, “Are you treating me like a pig to fatten me up?”
“No choice,” Lu Yunchu said as he served the soup. “I can’t exactly give you human bones.”
Zhou Yanchuan was taken aback and replied seriously, “Don’t even think about it!”
“Do you think I’m stupid?” Lu Yunchu glared at him, matching Zhou Yanchuan’s playful smile. “You and your jokes.”
Besides the hospital meal on the tray in front of Zhou Yanchuan, there was now a bowl of rich soup. It had been simmered for a long time, its color pale and fragrant steam wafting out.
“Zhou Yanchuan, was the person who hurt you someone you know?”
Zhou Yanchuan’s left hand paused while holding the spoon. “You heard from outside?”
“A little,” Lu Yunchu said. In fact, he had arrived just after An Yuan went inside. Recognizing the name ‘Zheng Xun’, he connected the man in the garage to the recent events, quickly realizing it was a revenge attack. “Can you press charges?”
“Yes, we’ll follow the procedures.” His injuries weren’t severe, so Zheng Xun might not face harsh punishment. The company’s lawyers would do their best to protect his interests but within legal boundaries.
There were some things he hadn’t deeply considered, like how much Zheng Xun had been following his personal life and whether he would stop after this incident… all these were chilling thoughts.
Law-abiding citizens fear those who intentionally break the law. It was absurd that such a situation had fallen upon him.
“Let’s eat first,” Lu Yunchu said, noticing Zhou Yanchuan’s pale complexion and changing the topic. “We’ll handle everything else slowly.”
The room quieted down, with the sky outside gray and dim, and the rain still falling.