12 – Unfortunately, Yan Jin knew nothing about plants and flowers. The wolf cub only wanted to hunt—catch a fox and take it back to line his den.
Less than a week after moving in together, the two returned to the company and resumed their professional lives as if nothing had changed.
Many employees wondered privately, “Was their honeymoon really that short? I thought it would last at least a month.” But no one dared to ask.
The bolder ones speculated that Shen Yu and Yan Jin simply had no real affection between them—that was why they couldn’t even manage a proper honeymoon.
They were wrong.
The two hadn’t gone on a honeymoon at all.
What kind of honeymoon keeps a couple apart for most of the day, seeing each other for only a few minutes?
Vacation couldn’t compare to work.
Work brought happiness.
The celebrity Bai Qingxian had introduced to Shen Yu earlier had already met with him regarding the entertainment company deal. It had almost been finalized—almost—but during today’s discussion, Shen Yu keenly sensed a shift in the other party’s attitude.
After figuring out the reason, Shen Yu smiled faintly.
“Looking for trouble?”
Yes—he was referring to Yan Jin.
Well, since the other party had already made a move, he might as well return the favor. Judging by the timing, Yan Jin should have figured it out by now.
Looks like there would finally be something to talk about tonight.
With that thought, Shen Yu reviewed the relevant materials once more. Layer upon layer of schemes—he certainly wasn’t just waiting passively at the bottom.
That evening, after returning home, the two of them ate dinner in rare peace.
Once they’d wiped their mouths, Yan Jin spoke first.
“I have something to tell you.”
Shen Yu wasn’t surprised. “What a coincidence—I have something to tell you too.”
They moved to the floor-to-ceiling windows. Uncle Wang had already prepared tea for them.
Shen Yu picked up his cup and took a sip. The warmth spread through his body.
“Good tea,” he said lightly.
Yan Jin also took a sip before setting his cup down. The porcelain clinked softly against the saucer.
“I recently finalized the acquisition of a resort. The seller had been at his wit’s end, but suddenly became uncooperative again.” Yan Jin looked at him. “Mr. Shen, can you help me analyze who might have stepped in to back him?”
Shen Yu smiled faintly. “That is strange. It’s just like how I’d already reached an agreement with an entertainment company, but the other party suddenly started hesitating.” He met Yan Jin’s gaze. “Mr. Yan, why don’t you guess—who extended an olive branch to them?”
Their smiles were polite—but anything but warm.
Both deals were being conducted under the group’s name. If either of them truly wanted to investigate, it wouldn’t be difficult.
As long as contracts hadn’t been signed, there were countless ways to interfere.
No one puts all their eggs in one basket.
With multiple options available, why wouldn’t they explore them?
They held each other’s gaze, both thinking the same thing:
Keep pretending.
If they hadn’t already figured out exactly who was meddling in their affairs, this conversation wouldn’t be happening.
Shen Yu took another sip of tea, completely at ease. Minor setbacks didn’t affect his appreciation for good tea.
He got straight to the point.
“Twenty percent of the resort, and I’ll back off.”
Yan Jin responded immediately, “Thirty-five percent of the entertainment company.”
Shen Yu raised his eyes slightly and countered, “Fifteen percent.”
Yan Jin let out a quiet laugh. “Mr. Shen, you signed a performance-based agreement with that company. You want to exchange fifteen percent for my twenty? Isn’t that a bit excessive?”
The agreement stipulated that if the entertainment company failed to meet specific targets within a set period, its valuation would drop.
Shen Yu remained calm.
“Don’t rush. I’m not finished.” He paused briefly. “Do you think I’d let you take a loss? I’ll compensate you elsewhere.”
Clearly, Shen Yu had prepared for this.
He asked Uncle Wang to bring over his laptop. Opening a file, he turned the screen toward Yan Jin.
“Mr. Yan, are you interested in investing?”
Yan Jin glanced at the screen.
A tech startup.
These days, the tech and internet industries were murky waters. Many companies were nothing more than hollow shells—flashy slogans on the surface, but nothing underneath.
But as he read through the materials Shen Yu provided, his expression grew more serious.
The information was detailed—far beyond anything available publicly. It wasn’t empty hype; it was thorough, grounded, and compelling.
Enough to make anyone pay attention.
The more he read, the clearer things became.
Yan Jin finally looked up.
“Is this your investment?”
Shen Yu nodded calmly.
“Yes. It’s my personal investment.”
Here’s your passage carefully proofread and refined for clarity, flow, and consistency—while preserving tone, characterization, and meaning:
In addition to projects tied to the corporate group, they also had private investments—assets that belonged solely to them and had nothing to do with the company. Shen Yu had his own investments, but Yan Jin had even more. After all, Shen Yu was the rightful heir to the Shen Group, whereas Yan Jin was not currently the heir to the Yan Group. To compete with Yan Li, he naturally had to be better prepared.
At this point, it’s worth explaining that their names were not always directly visible in the companies they invested in. Instead, they maintained control through multi-layered holding structures.
For example, if Shen Yu directly founded Company A and served as its legal representative or largest shareholder, and Company A held a controlling stake in Company B, which in turn held a controlling stake in Company C, then Shen Yu’s name would not appear directly among the legal representatives or shareholders of Company C. However, if one traced ownership back to its source, it would become clear that the real decision-making power still lay in Shen Yu’s hands.
Many people jokingly referred to this as a set of Russian nesting dolls.
There were advantages to operating this way. Yan Jin, for instance, had likely created countless layers to evade Yan Li’s spies. Sometimes, outsiders wouldn’t bother digging through all those layers—there was simply no need. But when it came to major decisions, they would investigate. After all, everyone played this game, and no one was foolish.
Yet often, it was the overlooked details that led to unexpected twists.
Yan Jin finished reviewing the documents.
“It’s certainly a tempting offer,” he said. “But why do I suddenly feel… that you stirred things up at the resort just to lead me here?”
Both the resort and the entertainment company were group projects. Shen Yu’s invitation, however, was clearly aimed at drawing Yan Jin into a private investment.
Shen Yu gave a light chuckle but didn’t answer.
Yan Jin understood—that was exactly the case.
A cunning rabbit has three burrows. Shen Yu’s strategies were indeed endless.
“You’re about to start your Series B funding, aren’t you?” Yan Jin continued. “This deal is quite generous. Are you really willing to let me benefit this much?”
“We’re both getting what we need,” Shen Yu replied calmly.
“And what do you get out of it?”
This time, Shen Yu was unusually direct.
“A few of the founders want to force me out during the Series B round,” he said. “But I don’t intend to leave. That’s all.”
He made it sound almost helpless.
Yan Jin didn’t buy it.
“If they don’t push you out,” he said, “will the company end up bearing the Shen family name?”
“Ah, businesspeople,” Shen Yu said lightly. “They built the company with my money, and now they want to burn the bridge after crossing the river? It won’t be that easy.”
His tone was gentle—like a spring breeze.
But beneath that softness lay something sharp enough to cut.
Yan Jin clearly intended to get involved.
After considering the situation, he said, “If they want to oust you, they must have found a strong backer.”
“They have,” Shen Yu replied. “The biggest one.”
He named an institution—one backed by a bank—and added, “I’ve already arranged a dinner with President Zhou next week. Once they withdraw, you can step in.”
“If they withdraw, I won’t be able to swallow such a large piece on my own,” Yan Jin said thoughtfully. “So you want me to lead the investment—using my own companies to inject capital—but for the portion I can’t cover, I come to you. In the end, we split the pie between us.”
Yan Jin’s personal funds were limited. He would likely need to set up a shell company, allowing Shen Yu’s people to step in discreetly—not Shen Yu himself, of course; that would be too obvious. To outsiders, it would appear as though everything was under Yan Jin’s control.
Smart people spoke plainly.
Shen Yu nodded.
“Once their original backer withdraws, they’ll panic. I already have people inside. When the time comes, they’ll approach you—not the other way around. That way, they’ll be less suspicious. Logically speaking, there’s no reason for them to think you’d trap them.”
He added,
“And thanks to the public perception that we don’t get along, they won’t suspect I’m involved. They might even favor you because of that. As for the nominee shareholder, I’ll choose someone with no prior connection to me—though after this, people will figure it out anyway. Still, once this is over, others will realize we’re willing to cooperate for profit. It won’t be so easy for them to pressure us again.”
The financing round would dilute existing shares.
The remaining shareholders had already joined forces to restrict Shen Yu’s purchases. For the Series B round, they had secured a powerful backer specifically to block him.
Unfortunately for them, not only was there a mole among their ranks—Shen Yu also had no intention of leaving.
And even if things didn’t work out with Yan Jin, he had other plans.
Yan Jin suddenly smiled, tapping his fingers lightly against the glass table.
“So… does this mean we’re putting on a show of affection in the business world as well?”
Shen Yu paused, momentarily caught off guard. He hadn’t considered it from that angle.
In the end, Yan Jin hadn’t come out at a disadvantage—but Shen Yu had clearly made the first move and secured the initiative.
Yan Jin truly hated losing.
“If you say so,” Shen Yu replied lightly. Having achieved his goal, he was in an excellent mood. “After all, our names are on the marriage certificate. It’s not strange for us to work together, is it?”
Oh, Yan Jin thought. Now that I’ve agreed, his tone softens.
Shen Yu looked elegant as he sipped his tea. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, flowers bloomed in full splendor, framing him perfectly.
He looked like a pure lotus—untouched, harmless.
But appearances were deceiving.
A crude saying, perhaps—but true.
When Shen Yu first entered the business world, people showed him respect because he was Shen Li’s grandson.
Later, they feared him because he was Shen Yu.
He was no pure white lotus.
He was a beautiful fox.
A delicate flower might inspire sympathy—but Yan Jin knew nothing of flowers.
The wolf cub only wanted to hunt. To catch the fox.
And take it back to line his den.
Yan Jin nodded. “Alright. I agree with everything. I’ll review the resort documents again and prepare what’s needed.”
Shen Yu took another sip of tea, clearly satisfied. “In that case, Mr. Yan, please apply some pressure on the entertainment company. I look forward to a fruitful collaboration.”
He had expected prolonged bargaining over both deals—but everything had been settled within a few cups of tea.
So much for rivalry.
In business, there were no permanent enemies.
“As for President Zhou,” Yan Jin added, “do you know his preferences?”
“I heard he likes street racing.”
“Not exactly,” Yan Jin said. “He used to love racing when he was younger. Now, he prefers watching.”
“Ah… so you’re familiar with him.”
Shen Yu nodded thoughtfully.
In that case, he would likely have to visit the racing club.
Shen Yu set down his cup and asked Uncle Wang to brew another pot.
When he turned back, he found Yan Jin staring at him intently.
Sharp. Penetrating.
Shen Yu raised an eyebrow. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Yan Jin spoke plainly. “It’s a club I used to frequent. President Zhou goes there too.”
“Oh,” Shen Yu replied.
Yan Jin paused deliberately.
No reaction.
Finally, he said, “Mr. Shen, that’s not the right attitude when asking for help.”
“Who said I was asking you?” Shen Yu shot him a sidelong glance. “I’ll handle President Zhou myself.”
“Do you know how to ride a motorcycle?”
“Never tried,” Shen Yu said casually. “But I’ll figure something out.”
Yan Jin frowned. “Don’t do anything reckless.”
“It won’t come to that.”
“I have serious doubts about your sense of limits.”
“Then why don’t you put me on a scale, Mr. Yan, and see exactly how much I weigh?”
“I’m talking about knowing your limits—and you’re talking about weight?”
“This isn’t a math problem—it’s clearly a language one. I know my own worth, so I know my limits when it comes to getting things done.”
With business concluded and pleasantries exhausted, the two returned to their true nature, claws out, sparks flying.
TRANSLATOR’S CORNER: I am not a native speaker of either Chinese or English. I basically MTL and edit the text, sometimes I also use some sites for reference. I can’t guarantee that everything here is accurate, But I try to stick to the author’s work as much as possible. Please feel to comment any mistakes🙂🤗.
